Let's Discuss the Project 52 goal for the year

[Darcy Baldwin]

Quite a few have talked about switching from P365 to P52 this year..and I'd love to see a discussion on how you'll make it work for you!

Originally, I had the idea of still taking a photo a day, but only scrapping those photos for the year. Then, if I had individual ones that I wanted to focus on, then I'd scrap those particular pages. But I'd cut down on my pages by huge amounts - or at least the need to feel like I have to scrap them, and it keeps me up-to-date.

But I've been lousy at photos this year - absolutely lousy. So I'm not sure how I'd accomplish that this coming year unless I became good at taking photos again.

How do you envision your P52 project?

[MamaBee]

I would like to switch to P52... but probably will still take a photo a day just because I'm in a habit to do so. This coming year I want to focus more on the journaling on what is happening then just a photo that really doesn't explain what is happening... I would love to see P52 added to the monthly portfolio so I have a chance to keep up with the scrapping side. Please? LOL!

[carriesmom]

I have never done P365, I really just don't remember to take pictures everyday! But I am hoping to do one or two pictures every week and then journal about what we did, no matter how mundane.

[Julie Billingsley]

I am debating between P52 and P12. If I do P52 then I will just pick something that represents the highlight of the week and scrap that. I don't think I will label my layouts as week 1, week 2, etc. The point of me doing this is to try to be current in my scrapping. I seem to always be scrapping stuff that happened years ago instead of stuff going on now.

[ColleenSwerb]

I sort of did a P12 this year, and I want to continue that. 1 photo of Jordan and I (with or without Tiger) every month should NOT be that hard to do, lol. But we have so few pictures of ourselves together (and I'm sure many others are in the same boat). Tara Whitney did it this year and called it "6 People 12 Times". She posted the photo on her blog (sometimes much later past the month) and then would write up summaries to go with it. What each child was doing, what the family was doing, feelings, struggles, etc. I LOVED reading it, and I really want to focus on that documentation going forward. I've started keeping a word document and writing things that happen in it for each month. I'm doing Oct-Sept right now to coincide with our wedding, but I'm sure that'll get mixed up once we start a family. We'll see.

Anyway, If I also decide to do a P52, I would probably attack it much like Julie. Just wanting to scrap more current happenings and stuff, kwim?

[LenaGardner]

I like the idea of doing a page a week and having there be an undetermined number of photos each week...some weeks just one photo, maybe some weeks 7...just depending on how much time I had to snap photos and how crazy my week was? Still working through the idea in my mind...can't wait to see what people do! I love how Jacinda did hers this year though!

[heathergw]

I'm choosing P52 this year but hope to take pictures daily because I want to focus on improving my photography but I don't want to miss out on the everyday stuff either. I want to do a P52 of my kids. So each week's layout will have a pic of each of them. These babies grow up so fast (still can't believe my "baby" is 2) and I want to see the progression. I'm going to either make a template or find a 3 photo template to use every week and I'm going to make sure I journal the events of the week too, because I want to document all the learning they do especially with a new little one in the house and with starting homeschool kindergarten with Moriah. Though, I am considering once a month making sure there are photos of Mark and I on the page too, so maybe I'll do a P12 with everyone. Though, I really don't want to stress myself out trying to complete it either since I know that I tend to lose fire after a few months, so we'll see what actually happens.

[Stacey42]

I'm doing an 11 for 11 or maybe a 12x12 project. 11 or 12 photos every month for the whole year using some of the themes I used this year on my 365 project and maybe a couple new ones. There is no pressure to take photos every day or even every week & I'll end up with a dozen or so layouts like this documenting changeable things in my life throughout the year.

[crecia27]

I have failed at P365 2 years in a row, but I love the idea of 52. I too want to focus on the journaling and love the idea of getting a family shot, or combo shots of us and the littles - maybe at the same place in the yard to show the chances with the seasons...

I've thought of using Misty's newspaper templates to do a month in review page, I think that would be fun book.

[Giseli Freitas]

I tried to do P52 for the 1st time in 2009 and I managed (don't ask me how) to accomplish. 2010 arrived and I started my P52 just fine and, well, I guess I did 5 or 6 weeks only, maybe less...
The fact my camera decided to act all crazy this year not helped at all. But, I guess I took at least a photo a week, that's for sure. But where's my journaling? *ahem* I really don't have an answer for that
Let's see what will happen in 2011. I'm thinking in unpacking my old but good camera (film strip ack!) and see if I can improve my photography b/c that is definitely what keeps me inspired to do P52, scrapping, etc. My camera and my lame photos are driving me insane. For realz.

[maryinaz]

I started a version of Project 52 in 2009. Unfortunately, I only got through March. I hated that I didn't finish it though because my younger boys loved it.

I did 4 single pages each month, no matter how many days were in each month. And I did however many photos I wanted each week too. I always started the month with days 1-7 and then the last week was however many days were left in the month. So here is week 1 and 2 :


I changed the design for each month.

I would really love to have the motivation to do this for 2011.

[LenaGardner]

Stacey, can you tell us more about this project? Can we see more than just this page? I really love the one you've posted!

[Stacey42]

Sure! When I started my project this year I chose about 21 themes for photos to help motivate me because while I completed 2009 I found it rather hard going without a topic like I had in 2008 (boys toys).

I wanted things that were the same but changeable, like what I had for lunch, the stack of books on my nightstand, craft projects I am working on, what the dinos & clone troopers were up to, what was in my purse, plus colors like green, blue, red, etc and a photo of each member of the family. By May I was down to 16 themes but managed to stick with them for the rest of the year.

Now I am scrapping them, each theme gets a layout & then the remaining photos for that month all go on a 2 page per month spread. I've got Jan -June complete plus 6 of the themes so far. There are 3-4 in my gallery here so far & all of them are on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=1cd8b2aab7
if you want to check them out.

I think that is a public link anyone can see without friending me.

[color of my heart]

Originally Posted by LenaGardner

I like the idea of doing a page a week and having there be an undetermined number of photos each week...some weeks just one photo, maybe some weeks 7...just depending on how much time I had to snap photos and how crazy my week was?

i agree. that way, there's not nearly the pressure to take a picture every day, but you still can if you want.

one of my goals for 2011 is to take more photos, so i think i want to ease into project like this, but do one photo a week. or something like that. i think i'll personally do P52.

[bre11414]

Originally Posted by Stacey42

I'm doing an 11 for 11 or maybe a 12x12 project. 11 or 12 photos every month for the whole year using some of the themes I used this year on my 365 project and maybe a couple new ones. There is no pressure to take photos every day or even every week & I'll end up with a dozen or so layouts like this documenting changeable things in my life throughout the year.

I rather like this idea! Do you have a list of your themes? lol, I'd be really interested to know.

[nun69]

I am going to do P52, but I am still going to do 2 pagers and journal each day! I always have more than 7 photos on my P365 pages just because my kids are alwyas so funny and there is always something going on! Nect year is a BIG year for us...my DD graduates from HS and starts college, I will be starting a new job {not sure what yet} and my other DD will start Kindergarten in the fall....plus my mom and sister are coming to visit, so I don't want to miss all that I REALLY ♥ how all my pages turned out this year and can't wait to see my printed book~

[kristijoy]

I love the idea of themes! I would consider participating if we themes for each month!

[scrap2day]

I think for me p52 is just going to be a more going with the flow, whatever happens, happens project.

For instance, one day this year for my p365 my sister left from a visit to go back home (hadn't seen her in over a year?), she left with my brand new niece (which was her reason for her visit), on the way home from the airport we saw a race car display outside a store (like a NASCAR car on a tour), my mom & I had lunch together, we went past a major statue in the city that I wanted to capture in my book, & we also saw a mother deer nursing two babies. I struggled with what to do in my book. Here I had one super interesting day. The rest of the week was spent doing laundry, etc.

I've also spent this year taking the "stupid" pictures as fillers (appliances, my label maker, etc. -- the stuff that might be interesting 10 years from now but probably will be the same unless it breaks), so I don't need another photo of my label maker in 2011. Kwim?

I want p52 to capture the year because I think it is a wonderful project to really capture our lives & I've really been inspired by the other ladies and their projects. But if I have 1 photo for the week or 15, that's going to be ok. I'm also hoping that this will help me to keep up (maybe take photos/make notes throughout the week but just do a highlight layout at the end of the week).

I'll probably also incorporate ideas from the other ladies. I really want to do something like Jacinda with the themes, too.

[Gemma]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

I sort of did a P12 this year, and I want to continue that. 1 photo of Jordan and I (with or without Tiger) every month should NOT be that hard to do, lol.

I think I want to do something like that with the boys over the year! I just need them to co operate lol!

[Ginger_79]

I have done P365 this year. My main goal for that was to really take out my camera. As after the initial exitement of finally owning a DSLR it got used less and less. P365 totally did the trick and I am very used now to have it within reach.

However, I was one of those taking lots and lots of filler shots. I live alone, no kids, no pets... I know in some years from now, these pictures will mean something to me. And I also love the idea seeing a complete year in front of me. BUT the biggest disadvantage for me was that because of the amount of photos, I often just "snapped" one and edited them very quickly. For the next year I'd love to keep my habit of really using the camera, but I also wanna focus on getting BETTER photos. So if at all, I will go for a P12. Doing a double page with just the absolute highlights and by that way hopefully great shots, well edited.

Must say though, that Staceys project is sooo cool! I LOVE the pages and the idea. I really have to do something like this another year.

[SmallMoments]

My plan is do take a family picture each week. That way we're watching the family progress through 2011. I think it'll be fun. And I'm sure I'll have those, "Shoot! I forgot to take a pic, get on the couch quick!" pictures. lol

[*Celeste*]

i bought dh a gorilla pod for christmas so i'm liking the 4 people 12 times concept. I love the idea of keeping a word doc on the computer for each month. Maybe I'll set up a reminder on one of those reminder sites for the second saturday of each month to take the photo.

[breakingbrie]

Stacey - I LOVE your a year of... layouts! I think I want to try that this year, love how they're turning out! I'm going to try to think up some themes for my own project, this looks totally fun!

[joelsgirl]

I'm basing my 2011 scrapbook on Cathy Z's Monthly Project that she talks about here. There's plenty of room for telling stories and I can adjust it to meet my needs each month. Then if there is something I want to scrap about me or if I want to go deeper, I can make a page separately. I'm really excited about it.

[ColleenSwerb]

Originally Posted by joelsgirl

I'm basing my 2011 scrapbook on Cathy Z's Monthly Project that she talks about here. There's plenty of room for telling stories and I can adjust it to meet my needs each month. Then if there is something I want to scrap about me or if I want to go deeper, I can make a page separately. I'm really excited about it.

I bought that template set when DD was having one of it's big sales. I haven't put it to good use yet, but I'm hoping to in 2011 for sure I big puffy heart Cathy Z!

I need to readjust my priorities and manage my time better in 2011. That's going to be my biggest hurdle. I need to make P12 a real priority. There is no reason in the world why I can't take 1 picture of us and scrap it every month. No excuses!!

[kristijoy]

Originally Posted by joelsgirl

I'm basing my 2011 scrapbook on Cathy Z's Monthly Project that she talks about here. There's plenty of room for telling stories and I can adjust it to meet my needs each month. Then if there is something I want to scrap about me or if I want to go deeper, I can make a page separately. I'm really excited about it.

What a nice graphic look to the LO's! The pictures realliy do shine! Her journalling is fab too. That gives me an idea that I could put a month in review of his activities in his regular album. That would capture some moments that would probably never make it onto a page in themselves!