Documenting the Everyday

I've tried folks. Really, I have. But the truth is that my heart is just not in it.

"Not in WHAT?" you may ask...

My heart is not in the Project Life trend.

I admire the awesome spreads of industry experts and blog friends who have managed to capture a week or a month at a time in a beautiful one or two page pocket scrapbooking style spread. In fact, I drool over them and wish I were dedicated enough to be like them. And I'm a total sucker for all those 3x4 and 4x6 cards! I've spent more than I care to admit on both paper and digital project life materials! But when I sit down to try to create with this system, gathering photos, memorabilia, and trying to put it together cohesively into predefined pockets - it just feels like work to me. There is no JOY in it for me.

I've made peace with the idea that I'll never be a Project Lifer. I'm okay with it. In fact, I'm more than okay with it - because I stumbled upon a different kind of project that allows me to document the everyday in a way that is FUN for me and brings JOY to my heart.  Enter the Documented Life Project at Art to the 5th Academy. It's a moleskine weekly planner meets art journal meets project life with endless possibilities. Each week the Admins post a challenge to add to your DLP planner - just for fun!

In the past three weeks, I've combined the DLP weekly challenges with the Summer of Color color challenges to create my pages.

DLP Week 24 challenge: Use book paper
SOC Week 1 colors: yellow and aqua with a splash of hot pink

DLP Week 25 challenge: cover your flap in hearts
SOC Week 2 colors: coral and teal with a splash of white

 Since I was in Key West for most of these two weeks, the planner became a repository of bits of stuff from the trip, including pieces from my flight boarding passes and bits from travel brochures. The envelope pocket contains a large fold-out map of Key West. I cut up the bag from the "Life is Good" store where I bought my Key West souvenir (a t-shirt that does NOT say "Key West" on it!) to add to the flap page. The individual "pages" are attached to the original planner with washi tape which allows them to be folded into the planner.
This is probably the most intricate any week will be for me.

DLP Week 26 challenge: Add your favorite bible verse or quote from a book.
SOC Week 3 colors: lavender, grey, and a pop of plum

This is probably as simple as any week will be for me - no flaps or pockets, no receipts or memorabilia from the week - just a pretty art journal page and notes about what happened in my week.

Eventually I'll get comfortable enough with this system to incorporate photos too. And more detailed art journal style pages. For now I'm just feeling my way into it. And loving every bit of it!