This year ....

This year I would like to be a better blogger – to date it has been spasmodic at best and I think if I implement a set weekday blog routine it will help me keep on track of posting life stories and my scrappy projects on a more regular basis.  This doesn’t mean I will always adhere to it and I give myself permission to add and delete to my weekly routine as the need arises.  But a starting point is a starting point and I think one that matters.

Monday - I like to start the week with a smile so expect something light-hearted and fun each Monday.  It may be a cartoon or fun saying – it might be something I've overheard or a joke that has been passed to me.

Tuesday - I might set Tuesday aside to show my updated Project Life for the previous week.

Wednesday - On Wednesday you might find a quote, an inspirational photograph or something amazing I've discovered online. 

Thursday - This will be the day I mix it up a bit – who knows what you might find on here on a Thursday – you’ll need to stop by to see.

Friday - Friday I’ll share something I've made recently. Most weeks this will be a layout (either paper or digital) but there may be the occasional card, ATC or another project.  Some weeks I may share something cool I've learned, a different or new way of doing something or using something.

Scrappy Projects for 2012

Last year I tried rather unsuccessfully to do 10 on 10 with Shimelle listing 10 things or links or whatever I fancied really on the 10th of each month.  Some months was easy and others rather more difficult while I wracked my brain trying to come up with ideas. This year I thought I might try it again but I'm not going to get all tangled up in the "10" thing.  If I get 10 great, if I end up with 8 or 6 even, well so be it.  We'll see how it goes anyway!!

Project Life – I bought the full Project Life kit with the intention of doing it last year and it didn’t happen – in fact it didn't happen past my first initial look through the contents of the box.  Why?  Because at the time I really didn’t know where to start.   I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the 365 photos a year thing as I had done that in 2009 and it near killed me, I started off fine but it became a chore, not a pleasurable pastime and I was scrambling for picture subjects for the later months of the year and getting all caught up in the “I must have a picture for every single day” thing.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to simplify it to a monthly spread either but I knew that I wanted to keep it simple and enjoyable without the pressure of needing or wanting to record a picture every single day.  So I left it and I waited to see what other people did with it – I was particularly interested to follow how Ali Edwards approached her Project Life and suddenly in a light bulb moment I said yes – that’s it – that’s how I want to approach it.  Use the Project Life kit but also add my own bits and pieces of product – a journaling card here, a printed digital element there.  I want it to not only reflect a year in the life of my family but a year in the life of who we are as Australians, where we lived and when we lived.  I'm not going to take a photo  everyday, I'm not even going to do a photos of all the events we do - it will be snippets of life, taken at random.

One Little Word - I enjoyed embracing my word Change in 2011 and the album I did with Ali Edwards at Big Picture Classes was a highlight in the year for me.  I continue this project in 2012 with my new word Focus.  May this year be as inspirational.

For some years now I have yearned to get the stories in my head of memories of my childhood and younger years down onto paper and obviously I have done this to some extent in the many, many layouts I have produced over the years.  This year I liked the fresh approach of keeping a journal and have decided to follow along with Emily Falconbridge with her Remember When year long journey.

2012 Goals for a better life ...

I don't make resolutions unless it's the one not to make resolutions!! but every year I think I like to add some goals and challenges I'd like to overcome, this year being no different to any other.

Family Relationships - We need to spend more quality time as a family so this year I want to FOCUS on one family activity at least once per month.

Marital relationship - I also don't spend enough time with my husband in one on one time and I'd like to improve that with at least one night out together once per month.

Health – Eat better and move more - enough said!

Just for me - Read at least one book a week*

* Agatha Christie – There are 91 books written by Agatha Christie – over the years I have read many of them but it has long been my desire to say that I have read them all so it is this year that I start – I estimate that it may well take me several years as I also wish to read other novels in between these but working my way through the very long list of her works seems like a good approach.  I spend a lot of hours at the swimming pool while the boy swims squads and the best approach to passing time is to read – I figure why not use this for my pursuit of Agatha.

Join a book club

Continue with my memory keeping journey.  Make the most of the design teams I am on and continue with a few scrapbooking classes online but choose these more wisely – do what I know I can realistically complete, those that enhance and stimulate me. 

Attend 3 or 4 scrapbooking retreats – Take in the company of friends and the stimulation of creativity or just plain relax in the peace and quiet.  Make the experience more about me and less about the amount of scrapbooking.


But most of all ENJOY LIFE !!!