Project REAL Life Friday ~ Week 1

Warning:  Long post ahead.  I won’t be posting this much for my Project Real Life (PRL) posts each week, but since this is my first one, I wanted to explain my process and how I set things up.

Week 1 ~ begin with the end in mind.

I have a few confessions to start with:

• I wasn’t going to sign up for PRL b/c I didn’t have the extra money in my budget as a single divorced Mom.  I entered every contest where they were giving away a seat in the class, but I didn’t win any of them.  I really wanted to participate in the class, but it just wasn’t looking like it was going to happen.  Well, one day I was checking the mail and I saw an envelope that I thought was junk mail.  I usually rip them in half and throw them in the recycle bin.  But, I decided to open all the mail that day.  Wouldn’t you know, there was a check in the amount I needed for the class, and it was for a thing that I had cancelled a long time ago.  I didn’t even know I had a refund coming to me, and wasn’t expecting anything at all, so it was a HUGE surprise and MAJOR blessing.
• A big reason I signed up for the class was for the exclusive cards.  I was so impatient w/ getting my cards in the mail b/c it took 2 weeks after the ship date to get them.  I even emailed Persnickety Prints and they said I had to get in touch w/ Big Picture Classes b/c they were the ones mailing out the cards.  But, I eventually got them.
• This has been MUCH HARDER than I thought it would be to get pictures of the suggestions Becky gives each week.  She always says that her tips and picture prompts are optional and we can “throw them out the window and do whatever we want.”  But, I love the prompts she gives and want to stick to those b/c they’re great.  That’s why I’m barely posting Week 1 pictures now even though it’s really Week 4.  It’s taken me that long to take pictures of certain things.

I wasn’t sure what process I wanted to follow for how to include PRL into my regular PL for this year.  I wasn’t sure if I should JUST do PRL for the next 12 weeks and not do my regular stuff.  But, I didn’t like that idea, especially since I couldn’t skip over my birthday in October and the holidays coming up.  Once I decided that I was going to include it in my regular PL album, that led to more decisions to make.

I had to decide if I was going to just group all 12 weeks together at the end of the year or put them at the beginning of the year since it’s not time specific???  I ended up alternating a spread of PRL in between each week of regular PL for the next 12 weeks.

Next up was what to do for the journaling cards.  I already have my 2012 planned out using the Colbalt edition, and I didn’t have extras.  So, I chose to use the plain grid journaling cards that come w/ the core kits.  I wanted a cohesive look to each week of PRL since that’s how my regular weeks are.  I decided to make the leap and try out washi tape for the first time.  But, I know myself and once I get into a hobby, I tend to go overboard.  I know washi tape is expensive and I’m already investing a lot of $ into regular PL w/ printing off pics each week, so I didn’t want to go crazy collecting washi tape.  But, I had to have at least 12 different types (one for each week of PRL).

I found some cheap washi tape at Target.  The stacks of rolls on the far left are my favorite.  I found these colored stacks of washi tape at Target on a shelf under the stick-it note section.  The $0.78 cent rolls on the cardboard tubes aren’t real washi tape.  They’re thicker and more like paper.  But, they still work the same.  I found those in the kid’s craft section by the Crayola stuff.  The 2 on the far right are from SMASH and I found them in the scrapbooking aisle.

Once I finally got my PRL cards in the mail, I laid them out in order and next to each other so I could see what color of washi tape I wanted to use w/ each card.  I use this same system for laying out my regular PL.  At first I was worried about making sure I didn’t have two types of tape w/ stripes or dots 2 weeks in a row.  But, then I remembered that I was alternating PRL w/ my regular weeks and it really wouldn’t matter.

I know from experience that I am the most successful when I plan ahead.  So, once I sat down w/ each card and the washi tape I had picked, I went ahead and put the tape on 7 cards w/ arrows so that when I get to that week, I can just write on the card and stick it in the slot.  A little preparation goes a long way for me.

We finally made it to my spread for Week 1.  I forgot to print off the breakfast picture even though I took it 2 weeks ago.  Usually I am a perfectionist and would have to have a picture there before I could post this.  But, I decided to LET.IT.GO. and just get the post done.  I can print that picture on the next batch and just slip it in.  So, that’s why it’s blank for now.  You can see what pic I’m going to put in there below.  I kind of think that these pics are self explanatory, so I’m not going to write what I put for the journaling.  (Unless anyone is really curious to know what they say…see below for an example).  I wrote the topic of the photo above the washi tape and then the journaling below the washi tape.

“We eat in a rush on the way out the door.  For a long time we had oatmeal w/ a splash of coconut creamer.  Lately I have a bagel w/ cream cheese & crispy grapes.  Autumn usually has a cup of dry cereal.  We eat in the car on the way to work & school.”

This is FINALLY the end of the post.  If you made it this far, give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back and treat yourself to some ice cream or a brownie (of if you’re like me…both).  I promise next week will be a lot shorter!  I’m going to *try* and do my PRL posts on Fridays.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY Y’ALL!!!