I have enjoyed scrapbooking for years. I love putting together pages and pages of memories with beautiful embellishments in an effort to capture the memories of a special time in life. I have found that it helps to evoke emotions of special times even after many years have passed, and for this absentminded mama, it has been a godsend.
I started back in college when my time, was quite literally, my time, but we all know how that changes as kids are added into the mix. Time becomes precious and the hours that are ours alone, become fewer and farther between. And while I still value preserving those memories, I have found in recent years, since our twins were born, I just don’t have the ability to commit to those pages like I once did.
Then came Project Life by Becky Higgins - which, as she puts it is: a back-to-basics approach to memory-keeping. It is a scrapbooking, traditional photo album hybrid. It allows me to preserve my memories, get my creative fix and do it in a manageable amount of time.
What Project Life Offers
There are several key elements that come together to create this “photo album” style scrapbook: the binder, photo sleeves & dividers, the core kit, 12×12 cardstock, photos (you provide).
Binder
There are several options you can choose for your 3-ring binder – a coordinated themed version that goes along with one of the core kits (different versions are released each year) or the black and white signature binders.
Page Protectors/Photo Sleeves & Dividers
These are the plastic sleeves that protect your photos. You can choose between a variety of different layout designs for your photos as well as a variety of different photo sizes depending on your preferences and needs. Additionally, you can find the traditional 12 x 12 scrapbooking page protectors if you want to throw in a page here and there.
The dividers are great option for those who are keeping a chronological or school album because they are fully customizable and come with labels to use for both needs.
The Core Kit
This is the key element that adds a creative, colorful scrapbooking feel to the album. Becky’s team of designers has put together several bold, beautifully designed kits that take the staleness of the photo album and add in the beauty and creativity of the scrapbook through journaling and title cards, all which fit within the layout of the page protector sleeves mentioned above.
12 x 12 Cardstock
For those who want to add more of a personal and creative touch to the album you can pick up a package of the 12 x 12 coordinating cardstock which goes along with your core kits and albums. This is also great for those who plan to add in a traditional 12 x 12 scrapbook page here and there throughout their album.
Pictures
The fantastic thing about Project Life is it makes you more aware of the day to day. It reminds you to take pictures and to print them out and place them into an album. It removes the overwhelming nature of preservation and allows you to simply place those memories into a predesigned beautiful place where you can jot down your thoughts quickly.
Digital Option
If you are a digital fan – you can go online to Shutterfly.com and find Becky’s Project Life available to create your own digital memory books as well.
How are you preserving memories? Are you keeping them archived on your computer or do you make sure to print them out in some way?
Photo Credit: Nicole Hempeck – article author
Pingback: 5 Easy Ways to Preserve Memories for Your Family | Modern Home Modern Baby