project life catch-up: weeks of june 1, 8, 16, and 23

Yes, that’s right, June! Do you know what that means? It means that I managed to stay relatively caught up for the month thanks to the June Studio Calico Project Life kit. Wait, you wanted to see March, April, and May? Ha! I didn’t say that I was totally caught up. Even though I am not fully thrilled with my layouts for June, they are done. Yippee! And let’s be honest, the not thrilled part is totally on account of me not putting in the effort rather than me not loving the goodies I received in the mail.

I supplemented my June Studio Calico kit with some oldies but goodies. I used a few cards from Amy Tangerine’s Cut and Paste mini kit, some alphas from October Afternoon and American Crafts (don’t ask me where I came up with those), and of course some super old paper that I had in my stash.

I totally L-O-V-E these days of the week badges. I used this set to complete a (very busy) week in less than no time.

PicFrame strikes again. I absolutely love this app.

All in, I’m glad these pages are finished. Now I have to move on to July. And back to March. 

I have to pass on something that I read last weekend that seems relevant to this update. In her introduction to the July issue of Condé Nast Traveler (yes, I am a magazine whore), the magazine’s Editor in Chief, Pilar Guzmán, writes about a recent road trip with her sister. As she is recounting the trip, Ms. Guzmán writes, “It always strikes me that no matter how many digital memory-keeping advances we make, a family’s mythology only really evolves in an oral tradition.” Unbelievably well said. It is the stories that my kids tell each other when they look through our photo albums that keep me in the scrapbooking game. I hope they will continue to tell stories of joy and triumph and laughter, and while I know there will (continue to) be hard times that will not find their way into the pages of our albums, I hope it will be those positive memories that they carry with them as adults. Scrapbooking is fun and in its creativity, I definitely find my center, but the real reason that I print photos week after week is the stories. I must remember to include more of them in our albums. I never want to forget the beauty of the everyday with my kids.

Get those photos in albums. Jot down some notes. They don't have to be perfect, just available for storytelling.