Good morning, peeps. Remember that talk we had last time about travel journals? Remember how we we really liked this new format because it made it EASY and MANAGABLE to start and finish a memory keeping project?
Well, I have something fun to tell you about, and I hope I can inspire a few of you 'non scrapbookers' to follow along! (oh, and I have a discount code. Summer Sales ROCK)
This summer I will be contributing to the Little Summer Joy class from Little Paper Projects. I discovered this blog last summer and really enjoyed getting to know the two head ladies- Julie and Jen. They put an emphasis on modern and approachable memory keeping, and while I LOVE a full on paper crafting session, sometimes I want to get my creative fix in a more simple and quick project.
Maybe you are one of my 'non scrapbooker' friends and you're thinking 'Oh Michelle, sure you SAY it's easy BUT- I don't have any of the STUFF! I don't have any TIME! I'm not DOING ANYTHING THIS SUMMER! First, of all- no need to shout, I am right here. Second, hear me out. I know this project could be fun and inspiring! A couple of reasons 'non scrapbookers' would like this project:
* You don't need ALL THE STUFF. You could get all artsy-craftsy with this journal, but you really only need: a journal (notebook, photo album, etc.), a pen and some adhesive (like double sided tape or a tape runner). You should also do yourself a favor and pick up some washi tape. Because it's pretty and it's tape so it's practical.
* You don't need TONS OF TIME. The point of doing this project is to finish it, enjoy it and document your summer. Not to add another to-do list or stress to your life! set aside a half hour a week if you can and do what you can! The only time consuming part is getting your pictures printed, and you can do that at most big retailers these days. ( Or do you have a color printer at home? I have a Canon Selphy just for printing pictures, but my HP 5200 office printer is great, too!)
* YOUR STORY IS WORTH TELLING. Don't you dare tell me you're not doing ANYTHING this summer. If that's the case then you need a few summer goals (see below). Also, the really beautiful thing about a memory keeping project is how it tells the story of your life - good, bad and boring! Your loved ones would love to see a snapshot of your life and years from now it would be really fun to look back at this summer and see what your home looked like, your friends/family looked like, what you ate, what you saw- all those little lovely details of life.
Have I convinces you yet? Well, how about a discount? If you sign up for the class before June 30th. Use coupon code SAVE5 to get $5 off! I bet now I've got you ; )
Today I also wanted to share a little peek into my summer album so far and what products I am using to pretty it up. (But, remember, this is just what I am doing, by no means do you need to be this involved!)
Supplies: Moleskine notebook, Gold Thickers (letter stickers), date stamp, Tombow Tape Runner, Distress Inks, washi tape from Michael's, old stamp from Studio Calico, paper scraps and small bits from my stash. Not pictured: my favorite journaling pen.
First, I want to point out that I don't normally chew on my notebooks. Seems my furry friend Penny wanted to take a real bite out of summer. ahem. For my little stack here I pulled everything from my stash. The only thing I bought new was the adhesive! I have a mesh zipper pouch that I am keeping it all in, so I can just pull it out and work on it (hopefully once a week, but we'll see how that goes)
For the past few years I have made a summer 'to do list' and I think it's a fun exercise. Nothing high pressure, but a few things I want to remember over the next few months. One or more activity usually involves ice cream ; ). This year I used one of the class printables to create my list, then I taped that onto my first page
This year's list includes: * outdoor movie * picnic in the park * Steel City Popsicles (already DONE, because I am an over achiever ; ) ) * Visit my family in Ohio * cook dinner outside * make lemon cocktails (something my sis gave me for Xmas) * visit the Big Four Bridge * visit Downtown Cincinnati * POOOOOLLLL DAY! * go see the movie Independence Day, You'll notice I left space at the bottom to add more items-because, over achiever.
I hope I inspired you to give this project a try and if you do let me know! I will be posting lots of updates on Instagram, so make sure you follow me there. It's so quick and easy to post there these days, that's really the best way to keep up with me. However, I am going to pop back up in this space a few times with more details.
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle