Yes, no, yes, no ...

There's been much dithering and changing of mind up here. At first, I thought: Gosh, that's come round quick. Better get organised! Then: oh, I don't know if I have the energy. Followed by: it's always like this - you just forget, so get on with it. Slithering into: too many choices to make - layout design, colour ... I'll do it next year. And then a small, cool voice: you don't know what next year will bring. Yes, life may be very full right now but you might be glad in the future to be able to look back and remember the details ...

So it's a yes, then, to Ali Edwards' A Week In my Life. Ali is not putting her pages together this week - she is spending the next seven days capturing and recording, and using the following week to make her pages. However, I'm going to need to be able to do quite a lot of mine as I go. Ali's templates are lovely, with lots of page variation and delightful add-ons. I know from past experience that too many options from which to choose slows me down and leaves me fraught, so I've come up with a simple design below (my current album is landscape). (Amy's recent post about photo-collages was timely: thank-you for the inspiration, Amy!) I'll use the same double-page spread each day, and any space might have photos, text, pockets etc. If there are any spare moments, I might design some additional 'Today' notes ...

Keeping things as lean and spare as I can, I think I'm ready:

• templates, seven: one for each day
• folders, labelled ready for the photos: with ruthless editing every day to keep it manageable.
• paper: A4 double-sized PhotoDuo. Photos and text can be printed onto the same surface, crisply and clearly. I used it here, and really liked it
• camera and batteries
• diary for jotting things down: my usual one. Special record-of-the-day pages would just be an added complication for me this time.
• ink cartridges: for the printer

 Anyone else doing it this year? Wish me luck! I think I might need it ...

Comments

[Suzanna]

Oh, I have completely forgotten about this "little" project until perusing your post! Hmm... Perhaps I'll give it a go. I love the template you're using!! Good luck with it and can't wait to see what brilliance you come up with!

[Ginger]

Just typed up a comment and whoop now it's gone! I'll try this again. Your post and description of thoughts are everything I have gone through as well! I just decided about 3 hours ago to get on with it :) I wanted to try it digitally but a couple things have come up and it just won't work, also I'm not convinced I will be taking as many photos as I did last year. Your templates look very functional Alexa and I look forward to see what your week will turn out to be :)

[PaulaSG]

Ooh! Another one who had forgotten about this project and I've been meaning to do it. I think I might try! Time will tell if I can actually pull it together. I like your plan - it's good to be organized. Good luck! I'll be checking back

[Amy]

I know Ali advocates collating materials during the actual week of documentation, but I always find it much easier to jouranl and put together as I go - I am sure it relates to paper and digi differences.
I agree with Ginger, your templates do look very functional, they'll certainly make the process easier and in turn the whole project enjoyable, rather than a chore!
I look forward to seeing what you come up with and I am gladd the reminder of using collages was helpful!

[Paul B]

You sound disgracefully organised Alexa. You put me to shame. Love your templates, clean and fresh, they just cry out to be filled with your fantastic photos and journalling. I'm sure that at the end of the week, you'll be so happy to have done this once more for 2012. Pxx

[Ruth]

I'm in this year,but I'm nowhere near organised.

[Louise]

you look ready to start alexa, great template. Look forward to seeing how you get on :)

[Amanda]

You sound super organised and set ready to go.....

[Jen]

Alexa - I am sure it will all come together beautifully - and thanks for taking the time to keep dropping in on my blog - whilst "real" life got in the way of blogworld! Your visits were appreciated on the rare occasions I managed a post! I might even give this a go - so keep your fingers crossed for me and I will do the same for you!

[Cheri]

I had planned to do WITL and then completely forgot about it. Opened my Google Reader this morning and ran into reminder after reminder. Now I need to figure it out. I may just do a couple page spread for the whole week instead of a page a day. We'll see...

[Jo]

i'm playing along again this year and it's already started raining! i love photo collages and make a few using picassa. it is simple to use and u can add all sorts of frames to the layouts as well. i'm still not adept at photoshop to do that,
jo xxx

[Sian]

I am wishing you lots of luck, especially as I know you will be squeezing this in among many many other things. It's going to be an amazing record

[Alison]

Good luck with the project Alexa...not taking part myself
Alison xx

[ScrapaGoGo]

Loving the grphic simplicity of your designs!!

[Joanne]

I'm trying to play along but haven't managed as well as I should already but even if I just get a bit for each day it will be better than nothing. Trying to convince OH and D to join in a bit with a record of their day to day stuff. Wish me luck :0)

[Karen Walker]

I love how organized you are for this project, and am looking forward to following along with you. For some reason, this is a project that I've never managed to pull off, and this year I decided not to even try! Although as I type this I think that documenting the week we spend with Sarah in May might be a fun thing to do.

[Beverly]

It always makes it less stressful when you really know yourself and what works for you. Happy you have that figured out! Good luck and have fun with it.