trimmingthesails

WITL (Wednesday)

Those of you who've read along for a little while might remember that in projects like Week In The Life (Ali Edwards), I like to have a focus: a lens through which to view and record, an angle of some kind. I was pondering this as I started the journalling for this page. I'll divide it up into non-chronological sections, I thought, with titles like "Health and Exercise", or "Work", or "Home", or "Creative". But half-way through, I realised how unsatisfactory it felt and I got up and walked away. A few cups of tea later, I realised that this year, I just want to record how the days flow (or not, as the case may be!) I want to be able to look back and remember how full they can feel, how many things have to be fitted in, and what the shape of it was as it happened - rather than themed chunks. So back to chronology I went - that is the focus this year...

Life is about to get a whole lot busier, as Himself will be in hospital for a few days, and family members will be coming to help out here: so I may be a little random in my posting and visiting. But I will be popping in to see you when I can - warm regards in the meantime!

WITL Tuesday

And the learning so far about the process of doing a daily photo-diary, like A Week in The Life? Notes to self so far run like this:

• download photos as often in the day as possible, and delete them from the camera
• quickly trash any non-starters: the duplicates, the seriously wonky and the total duds. Don't waste time agonizing.
• adjust (lighten, sharpen, crop etc.) the rest as soon as you can
• name photos and keep in the correct date folder
• the ideal would be to be able to type the journalling at regular intervals during the day. Failing this, jot things down. You think you'll remember. You won't.

A little more imagination in the journalling layout line might have been nice, but as there are only so many hours - or minutes - in the day, I have written very simply. I'm trying to be brave (and diligent) enough to include more photos of myself this year, and this one comes with grateful thanks to Himself who selflessly put down his early morning tea and took charge of the camera. Here's Tuesday ...

Two down, five to go ... :).

WIML '12, Monday

 This, alas, is as far as I've got in Ali Edward's Week in the Life; plus a clutch of Tuesday's photos which are still being processed along with notes in my diary. But I am not giving up hope, or giving up on the project, yet!


How is it going for you? And if you're not doing it yourself, do you get weary seeing it around the blogosphere or do you quite enjoy it? Hoping you are creatively thriving as we steamroller through another week!

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 ...