Finally ready to share some of my progress on “Project Life.” I’ve mentioned before that I’m not doing a picture a day, but instead am using these books for my kids’ scrapbooks. I’ve been working on Ellie’s book and I’m loving this system! I started in August (when the school year began) and am almost caught up through January. Here are some of the pages in her book so far:
Cover Page
One thing I love about these books is that I can add bits and pieces of my kids’ randomness. Like these little animal drawings that kept popping up all over the house last summer. :)
I have also been adding journaling inserts from my blog. So easy! I just pull up certain old posts that I want to include in her book and hit print. Then I insert an 81/2 x 11 page protector into the book to hold the journaling. Also fun to add bits of memorabilia like these little stars from Ellie’s Star Behavior Chart. (which we still use on and off – they work like a charm every time!)
I love how some pages are completely random pictures (like the page on the left) and then other pages have a theme (page on the right from the beach). It makes it so easy to just use the pictures I really want her to have and remember.
These pages are from Ellie’s first day of school. Sometimes I use a big journaling card and display it in a 4×6 slot if I have more to say than will fit on the little journaling cards.
I loved this blog post about a conversation Kenny and I had with Ellie and wanted to include it in her book with the “pool” pictures so again, I just printed it from my blog.
A lot of the vertical pockets I’m using to hold pictures instead of putting the journaling cards in each slot. I’ve found that one or two of the little journaling cards is usually all I need.
Love seeing her artwork throughout the book. This was a picture she drew soon after we told her she was going to have another sibling. Our family including “baby.” :)
On this layout I had so many pictures that there wasn’t any room for journaling so I just printed our December Traditions from my blog. (Grateful for blogging! It has made this project so easy.)
I’ve also inserted pages from my School Kits. You can read more about how I document “school days” here.
And I’ve added this packet at the back of her book for any other miscellaneous awards, artwork, etc. that isn’t already included throughout the book.
I’m loving this and I’ll tell you why. It’s DOABLE. All I’m doing is printing pictures and inserting them in slots with a little journaling. It will be so easy to stay on top of. Especially since I’m just picking select pictures each month to include. I’m so happy to be printing my pictures again and to have a solution for my kids’ scrapbooks!
xoxo, Erin
Hey Erin- I hope you don’t mind, I am going to feature this on The Mom Creative next week. Love what you have done with your album. xo
WOW this is amazing and love what you have done with the kit. May need to think about doing something like this too. I feel badly that my girls don’t have their own albums highlighting them. Especially love printing the blog posts!!!! BRILLIANT. AND your family is gorgeous!
Hi Erin, my name is Lora and I live in Kentucky. I don’t remember how I ran across your blog but I wanted to introduce myself. I like what you have done to Ellie’s book. I have two boys (ages 14 and 9) and am behind on their albums. You gave me some good ideas, thanks.
Lora
What a great album! I love how you’re using it in a completely different way than most of us, but it is just turning out GORGEOUS. Thanks for the inspiration!
Erin, you are amazing! (As usual) I’ve decided if I could change one thing about myself I would be You. :)
I love this idea and it looks awesome and fun. I haven’t done any kind of paper scrapbooking in forever because it’s just too much. I’m going to have to look into this.
What a great idea! Precious family. :)
Wow, I love how the pages have come together. If it’s really as simple as you say it is, I may have to give it a try for my boys – they still haven’t even turned 2 in their books (3 years behind) and poor Hank doesn’t even have a book. Thanks for the fun ideas!
Good Job! Your book looks great! I bet your girls love looking through it.
Wow! So awesome. This is the type of thing I dream of having for each of my kids and yet, I know it will never happen. :)
Great job Erin!
Cute!!!
Wow- so impressed. It has to feel so nice to be getting caught up. I really don’t know how you do it all.
great work, erin! ellie’s book looks awesome. you’re so good to take the time to do this. you & the girls…the whole family will cherish these albums.
Where did you get the books and the sleves for the photos? I really love this!
ooops…I meant the “sleeves” or I guess they would be called pages. Just wondering if they came as a kit or if you bought them separate from the binder?
WOW!!! I totally love this idea maybe more than the picture a day. You have really captured her life right here in so many ways. Did you purchase another album for your other daughter as well. This way is so unlike any others that are doing this album. I like how some occasions you did a whole page if you wanted to, love the letters added in and how you trimmed some pictures to fit in the journaling slots. I might have to order some more albums and do it this way for my kids. Your kids are really cute to by the way. Thanks for the GREAT idea.
Erin, those are incredible!! I love it, such a good idea. I am so sad to say that tanner (who is two) does not have one scrapbook page!! I need to start something like this, definitely looks doable
Okay, I love this. I am sooooo far behind in my scrapbooks–my sweet baby boy (who turned four at the end of January…) isn’t even in our scrapbooks yet!! Aaaaah! This, however, is doable and cute. I was eyeing the Project Life albums on Amazon but was dithering on whether or not to buy one…now I think I know the answer.
~ Sarah
That is Awesome! Thanks for the inspiration! :)
Wow!!! I just wish that my album looks half of pretty at the end of the year!!!
Love love love love it!!!
I love it, Erin! This is so do-able! This is what a scrapbook should be simple and fun.
This is wonderful!!! I love the look of the book and the simplicity but it’s still artistic. This is the first of the pocket pages that I’ve seen that I can honestly say I Love! Great job Erin. I love that you are still getting your scrapbooking fix too. :)
Thank you sharing on Becky Higgins’ blog… What an inspiration this is! I am in the exact place as you – needing to simplify, wanting to still scrapbook for my kids so they have something to take with them later, not having the time to do much of the traditional scrapbooking anymore… With Becky’s kit I am FINALLY scrapbooking for our family again and its awesome. And I’ve been mulling over in my mind how to approach my kids’ books. Seeing what you are doing is a HUGE help in direction, so thank you!
You have a beautiful family by the way and congratulations!
Sooooo cute!! Love it! First time I’ve ever seen a scrapbook and thought “I could do that!”
Hi Erin!
LOVE your idea! Such a great idea!
That’s it! You should start a scrapbooking blog. This brought all your readers out…Well I love it as well. Your kids are so lucky to actually have physical photo’s that they can take out and put in. Do you know how rare that is these days:)?
What a great treasure to give to your kids!! I hope to get there someday. All I have; at this point, is my blog to pass along.
Oh my gosh….those have turned out SO DARLING!!! I am so inspired from you!! First of all…I have also been doing the ‘Star Chart’ thing with my kids…but need to make them a little cuter like yours!! Second I love the ‘Kindergarten’ packet that you have…does that have their favorite work in it??? I was just telling Dave that I need to do something like that…I hate them seeing me throw things away…but you can’t save everything!! That little packet would be the perfect thing to keep ‘favorite’ things in!! Loved the pages, and the ideas!!!
You are such a good mom! Your scrapbooks are beautiful. They will cherish those someday!
I love this! Thanks so much for linking to it from my blog!
Aby
What a great way to use the Project life kit.
Erin! Let me echo everyone else’s comments – this is FANTASTIC! I LOVE this! I had toyed with the idea of doing something similar myself, but as I’m in the middle of my boys’ albums, I didn’t think it would work for me at this point (I’m too chronological and obsessive like that!). But you’ve given me some great ideas to enhance the albums I’m working on right now. Thanks for sharing!
love them!
perfect way to keep your photos organized. Thanks for sharing these.
Thanks so much for sharing your take on the kit. It is always inspiring to see how someone else does this amazing project! My daughter just turned three so I am looking forward to adding her artwork the same way you have done :)
I LOVE what you are doing with your album…it is so cute…LOVE it! Thanks for sharing.
How amazing! I just love your album!
Cxx
Wow! I love your album!
Fabulous! Love it!
This is so great! I love it! I bought a couple of extra Project Life kits to put old photos that I still had in. It’s fun going back to all those events and not just a picture every day.
Erin,
You are seriously amazing! Your books are perfect!
I got Project Life for Christmas but now after reading this post I want to turn it into scrapbooks for my girls. I am so far behind that neither one of them has a book yet. And my oldest is 4!!
Thank you for inspiring and wish me luck in conquering this never ending task :)
I’ve been thinking about buying Project Life and you really gave me something to think about. I have two girls too and my oldest starts Kindergarten next year. Now, do you plan on buying Project Life books every new school year for each girl? Do you plan on giving them to the girl when they are older? One more question :-), what other albums do you try to do (separate family album, holidays, birthdays, trips etc.)? I think I get paralyzed by how to organize everything. I don’t want to duplicate the same thing in different places. Thoughts / Advice?
What a great idea and an easy way to get the kiddos book done. I have to think of doing that next year or just get my act together and work on their books…Love your pages.
Thanks for sharing!
WOW! WOW! WOW! I have just received my project life kit to tackle in 2011 but now im thinking i should order another to do my daughters kindergarten year which she starts in 2011….hmmmmm. i hope my album can look half as gorgeous as yours! Can i ask where you got the kindergarten folder you placed at the back of the album?
Thank you for sharing
Kirsty (Australia)
Great Book!!! I LOVE the idea of including the school days pages right there in the project life album:)
This is a GREAT book. I just recently started following your blog and saw your Project Life Tuesday post. I adore scrapbooking, but with a Toddler, a military husband, a blog and everything else on my plate, I just DON’T have time to sit and really get creative. Thinking of ordering Project Life to use for my sons album. Thanks for sharing this!
Erin, where did you purchase the School Kit. I love your books! Thanks for sharing!
Very inspirational!
Thank you for sharing.
I don’t have any children, but when I do…I plan on doing this too! This is such an AMAZING thing to have, as your children grow up! OUTSTANDING job! What do you call these scrapbook pages…I’d like to google them and try and purchase some. : )
Hi Erin,
I didn’t receive your message, regarding the scrapbook pages that you use. …I checked my junk folder too…nothing. Thank you for replying to my message, on your site. :)
Melissa.
I saw this on Pinterest :)
Which kit is this one?
I’m doing my 1st Project life this year!
Lizzie
Hi Lizzie!
Those were the kits from a couple of years ago and they aren’t available anymore. Congrats on starting PL!! You’ll love it! :)
Erin
Hi,
i m a reader of your blog!!it is amazing and will try to do !!!thanks for posting dear!!with love ,
sudeshna23.blogspot .com.