Project Life - Catching up on 2011: Getting Started

As I explain how I got started with my albums and organization, please understand that I am Type A...and a little OCD when it comes to my albums. I feel that I need to have everything color coordinated and match up as best as possible when I put together a week, and that does include my inserts.

Main Album

First, I put enough Design A page protectors into my album for the entire year. I know that I may eventually need another binder since this is the only album I do for the year and I end up using a lot of inserts (12x12 and Project Life Plastics) to include all my pictures and stories. Then I sorted my Amber Core Kit by color and design to match up the 4x6 cards with the 3x4 journaling and filler cards as best as possible. Once everything was organized the way I liked, I placed 1 4x6 card, 1 journaling card filler side showing and 6 journaling cards for each week. I also placed the first and last page cards into their respective protectors. These will change a little as I go along, because I like to include a family photo at the beginning of the album along with other embellishments. Additionally, I went through and stamped the dates for each week on the title card...which will probably be all I'll do with them unless I decide to put some embellishments on them for special weeks.

I took this picture before I had inserted the month dividers into the album. They are now in the correct spots in the album.

 

Journaling Binder

In this binder, I have printed 53 "weekly journaling sheets" from Marcy Penner and wrote the dates for the weeks at the top. My plan is to go through my pictures on the computer and make notes about the pictures based on notes I have in my 2011 box and what we can remember about the pictures. I will probably do these one month (about 4 weeks) at a time and do the notes so I don't get overwhelmed and give up.

Mini Album

I have looked through the cards in the Dear Lizzy Project Life Kit and they are so cute and will be fun to use. Until I get closer to working with the pictures from our trip to the zoo, this album, and kit, will just stay in the 2011 box and wait for me.

Pictures

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to collect my Iris photo boxes that are supposedly housing my 2011 pictures. I figured that I had only sorted and stamped a small amount of these photos, however from the looks of the boxes I have more done than I thought. Next week, I will devote my entire blog post to my method for sorting, organizing and storing my photos to make them easier to put into my albums. Until then, this is what 2011 currently looks like. :)

Cardstock Update: I have not made it to Michaels to try to match the cardstock cards from the Amber kit to get some 12 x 12 sheets of matching paper. I am hoping to have some time this weekend to do this and will post the colors with my next post.

I know this process is slow going at this point, but for me once everything is organized for a project it seems to come together a lot faster for me. I hope you continue to join me on this incredible journey on catching up on an entire year of photos using the "Project Life" method and products. Thanks for stopping by!