Little Winter Joy - Day in the life...

To say that I am enjoying this little project so much is a huge understatement.  Every prompt has been thought provoking and challenging.  Every prompt has made me stop and look around and be so thankful for this amazing life that I have.

Week 4's prompt "a day in the life" did just that.  It made me stop, think and be thankful.  I have done a Week/day in the life many times but this is the first time that I really thought about each moment of the day as it passed.

To be completely honest I was not really into the prompt when I first saw it, mainly because of the time that I was going to need to document it.  I needed a way to get into the prompt, in a way that would work for me and one that I would enjoy doing.  I decided that I would simplify the documenting, really simplify it.  Recording the reality of our day, just as it unfolded.  The only way I felt I could do this was to "doodle" it, a technique that I learnt from Brandi and her Big Picture Classes "Doodled" (which I thoroughly recommend by the way).

With only my pen, roller stamp by Ali Edwards, stamp pad, pretty paper from Felicity Jane and free printables from the #littlewinterjoy class I recorded our day and it went a little like this...

I could not be more happy with how this turned out.  It really does show exactly what our day was like and I absolutely love it.

Love me :-)

#littlewinterjoy - Get into your story

At first I thought this prompt was going to be hard. Although I love journaling, sometimes time and perfection don't let me tell the whole story.

Last night I sat down to check out the classroom and to try and get some motivation to tackle this next prompt.  This is probably my favourite lesson yet.  The prompt details from Marie and the video's from Julie were so inspirational it really got me thinking and writing.  We all have stories, good, bad, happy and sad and if you are anything like me, you always tell yourself you are going to write that story down but it just never seems to happen.  Time is usually my first reason and then it's, as soon as I print that photo and so the excuses go on.

What I liked about this prompt was that it was all about the words, the story, just getting it down and not worrying too much about the photos, embellishments etc.  I also like the photo tips for this prompt, it made you tell the story first then worry about the photo later.

I had several stories from this weekend but no photos.  But after reading the class content I realised that I don't need a photo or that I can use another photo to tell the same story.  My first story was about my sons basketball game and his new shoes.  I didn't get a photo of the game or the shoes but I did have a photo of the shoes from several days before, which my son took just after getting them.  

The second story is about my difficulty is trying to choose a new case for my iphone and how my son helped me to choose which colour.  This story in particular, I know is a story that I would never have told if it wasn't for this prompt.  It's one of those little stories that I would have forgotton the details to and the story would have been lost.

I also realised that I could add some doodling.  Both of the stories that I have written so far were very text heavy and it was nice to break it up with a simple hand drawn picture.  I actually love that these doodles have the same effect as if I had photos.

I loved Julie's idea about creating a lift out page so much that I decided to copy it.  It also has allowed me to add an extra page into my notebook giving me more room to tell more stories.

I am loving this project so much and if you would still like to join it's not too late.

All the details can be found here at Little Paper Projects.

Love me :-)

#littlewinterjoy - be a tourist

I thought I would share my pages from my #littlewinterjoy travelers notebook for prompt two "being a tourist in your own home town".  

Last week my friend and I decided to create our own walking tour of Northbridge (right near the CBD) to find some street art and try out some new cafes.  It was such a great idea and the whole day was just wonderful.  

I have included my journaling below:

Today my friend Donna and I set out to try some new cafes and to find and check out some street art.  It was a beautiful Winter’s day, the sun was shining and there was no rain in sight.  We parked at the Art Gallery, then headed straight to “Lot Twenty” for coffee.  Wow! loved it. Loved everything about it.  We probably spent more time taking photos than drinking coffee but there was just so much to photograph.

We then started our own walking tour of Northbridge to seek and find some street art.  We were not disappointed.  We found lots.  Yes, we even ventured down alleys and dodgy lanes.  It was so interesting looking at the art pieces, all different and all unique.

Next stop was “Livingstone’s” for lunch.  There menu looked so nice and I struggled at first with what to order.  Alex’s friend Lilly was working there and  she suggested the “Raging Bull” – [slow cooked red wine braised beef short rib, balsamic caramelized onions and homemade cauliflower cheese in a toasted bagel] sounds amazing right, so that’s what we ordered.  And OMG words cannot describe how amazing this actually was.

After our yummy lunch we set out to find more street art, took heaps more photos then finished off our tour with total yum gelato from “Chi Cho Gelato”.

What a great day.  We did all this, and we only walked about one kilometre.  It’s amazing what you can find when you actually look around.

I decided to add a fold out page because I had so many photos but I didn't want to use up a lot of pages (my notebook has 32 pages not 64).  I also hand drew a basic map of where we walked, then stitched the route that we took.

on the back of the fold out page containing the map I added information about the two cafes that we tried.  I also added a business card from one of the cafes. I love to photograph food but I also love to photograph funky looking cafes and both of these cafes were so cool.  I could have taken photos all day.

We enjoyed this day so much that we are planning to do another one but in a different area.  I have already found an area with tons of cafes, a vintage shop, funky boutiques and some street art.  

Can't wait

love me :-)

Hello #littlewinterjoy

I am so excited to be apart of this wonderful project again this year and I am so excited to be documenting my favourite season, Winter, in a travelers notebook.  This is my first time using a travelers notebook so I am looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to documenting our story in a different way.

I am using a notebook from Felicity Jane which I love, love, love.  #littlesummerjoy, or in my case #littlewinterjoy is a class my Little Paper Projects and you can get all the details here.  This class has been design with a 64 page travelers notebook in mind, however my notebook has 32 pages so I either need to add more pages or condense how I am gong to document.  There is a guideline for how to set up your notebook here and while I am following this guideline I am also going to be changing it a bit, taking some things out and adding some things in.

For this project to be successful for me, I need to keep it simple and not make it too complicated.  The beauty of this project is that it will suit which ever way you feel is the right way for you.  I love projects that can be adapted and changed depending on each individual person.

Inside the front cover of my notebook I have added a pocket where I will keep my "to do" list and any other bits and pieces that I want to keep on hand.  I have added a 3x8 page protector where I have added a bit of a blurb about this project and why I am joining in.  On the back I have left this blank at the moment.  I will probably add a quote or something later but at the moment I am happy to leave it blank.

As I said earlier, I am excited to get into this project and I can't wait to see what you all do and how you document your summer or winter.

Happy Summer/Winter
love me :-)

LittleWinterJoy To Do list...

One of the things that I have added to my #littlewinterjoy #travelersnotebook is this "to do" list of sorts.  Although I have made a manifesto (which I will be sharing soon) I wanted to have a place where I can make notes and list ideas of things that I want to try, do or see etc.  This compliments my manifesto if you like.

For example, one of the things on my manifesto is to "drink hot chocolate" ( I am a serious coffee drinker so I thought I would try something different).  I saw a post recently on Instagram of a cafe that is serving special hot chocolate's that I thought would be great to try.  So I don't forget, I have added it to this "to do" list under the "try" heading.  

I think it will be fun to have a place to jot things down as the season goes by.  

I used the new "slim jim" clear alpha stamp set from Kellie Stamps which you can pre-order here.  I then hand drew lines to make little boxes to create little sections for each heading.  I have made a pocket at the front of my travelers notebook where I will keep this list and any other fun things that I want to try over the winter season.

Can't wait for this class start!  Remember if you sign up before 30 June you can save $5 dollars using the code save5.  Link in side bar.

I will be back on the 1st July to share what I have done so far in my #littlewinterjoy #travelersnotebook.

Love me :-)

Little Summer Joy...

Little Summer Joy - So excited to be a part of this wonderful project again.

Little Summer Joy is a course about capturing the best parts of this season.  With tools, tips and techniques you can use to bring the essence of summer to life.  Little Summer Joy will explore different techniques, photo ideas, and how we can invite Joy into our lives.

This paid course is a compliment to the free #littlesummerJOY blog series that will run from 1 July to 15 August 2016.  The course includes video lessons, prompts, example albums and specific techniques you can use to create a gorgeous memory keeping album of your summer.

The course will also dig deeper into joy with complimentary further reading and discussion topics.  It is a passionate, open exploration of joy and summer and what you can bring to your life, and your album in summer.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I live in Australia and right now we are in Winter not Summer.  So I will be doing this project from a Winter perspective.  I love winter, in fact its my most favourite of all the seasons.

This is also my first time using a travelers notebook so I excited to see where this new creative venture will lead me.

If you sign up before the 30 June 2016 you can save $5 off the course price by using the code save5 - follow the link in the side bar.

Have a great week and keep cool/warm!
love me :-)

#littlesummerJOY - book update...

Thought I would share a few more pages to my #littlewinterJOY photobook.    I only have a few more pages to do and it will be complete.  I always get so excited when these books are almost ready to be ordered.  This little project certainly has made me look for the JOY this season and its also pushed me to be active and not hibernate.

My most favourite prompt of the class would have to be Annette Harings "Hello Adventure" post but more particularly "sparks of serendipity".  When I went for this massage in Bali I wasn't overly keen but I am so glad I did because I got so much more than just a cheap massage.  I allowed myself to be in the moment and what followed was wonderful.  Once I pushed my mind passed a few things (like laying half naked on an old rickety bench) and allowed myself to be taken by my surrounds, I experienced pure JOY.

This photobook is part of the project #littlesummerJOY which you can find out about here.

Hope you are surrounded my JOY
love me :-)

#littlesummerJOY - photobook update

I thought it was probably time to share some of my finished pages in my photo book for #littlesummerJOY.

I have been struggling a bit with this project in terms of how I would put it all together.  My first thought was to do a photo book but then I had this idea to change my mind.  The only problem was I couldn't find another option that I really liked.  Then I kind of lost my mojo as I was spending way too much time on how I would put it together.

The up side though is that I kept taking my photos and kept keeping notes about the things that bring me JOY and how I was adding to JOY to my winter (summer for you guys).

I am happy to say that I am over my little "how will I put it all together" thing and I have gone back to my original idea of a photo book.  Maybe taking time to rethink gave me a little creative boost because my book is coming together so good now.

 

This little book is bringing me so much JOY now that I have got back into the flow of things.  But thats life right, it doesn't always go as you planned.  The trick though is to just keep working through it and you will come out at the other end.

Enjoy letting JOY into your life.
love me :-)

Planning some #littlesummerJOY...

Happy Sunday everyone, hope you have had an awesome weekend.  I am enjoying these last few hours before my holidays end and I start back at work.

This weeks class for #littlesummerJOY over at Little Paper Projects was all about planning some JOY into your life.  As I mentioned earlier I am not a "planner" as such.  I do keep a diary/planner to organise my day but its separate from my memory keeping projects. However, I did think it would be fun to take the prompt and turn it into a layout.  Last weekend my husband and I went into town to try out a new cafe. We walked lots and saw lots so I created a "diary page" as the base for my layout and then added all the fun things that you would add to a planner.

This was such a fun page to do and I loved that I could add lots of little things like stickers, stamps, embellishments and lots of writing.  I wanted it to look like a planner page rather than a layout.  Totally loved how it turned out.

I hope you are enjoying this class as much as I am.  Cannot wait for the next lesson!!

love me :-)

#littlesummerJOY - learn something new...

Sometimes when you are feeling a little less than happy you need to find something that will lift your spirits and keep you going forward.  A friend told me about a class at Big Picture Classes called "Doodled" by Brandi Kincaid so I went and checked it out.  OMG!!

This would have to be one of the most fun classes I have ever done.

Learning something new is always a great way to lift your spirits and to take your mind off things.

Learning to doodle has certainly taken my mind off things and is putting a smile on my face.  Please don't worry I am not seriously ill or anything, just having lots of headaches so I am currently having tests to see if they can find out why.  But with the headaches I am getting nausea and it was getting me down a bit but doodling has made me forget all about that, at least for a little while.

This week's class is up at Little Paper Projects for "LittlesummerJOY and its all about planning some JOY into your days and documenting it.  I do keep a planner/diary but its where I write stuff, scribble etc and its not one I decorate so I was looking for a way to plan some JOY into my day and this certainly did that.  Although this weeks class is about using planners to plan JOY into your day you don't need to use a planner.  I have doodled a "to do" list as a way of planning and I will be sharing a scrapbook layout soon showing another way to plan JOY into your day.

Sometimes you have to find or look for JOY in your day.

Trying something new and fun certainly gave me some JOY.

JOY to you

love me :-)

#littlesummerJOY - scavenger hunt...

Popping in to give you a look at how I have documented the #littlesummerJOY photo scavenger hunt.  This has been such a fun way to capture a little bit of me and my life right now.  It always amazes me how just a few words, turned into prompts can give you the inspiration to document so much.

I am doing a photobook so this is a digital page and will appear in my book just as you see it here.  I have used 6x8 photo template from Paislee Press and xoxo digital journal card from Big City Quiet (I am totally in love with her stuff).

#littlesummerJOY officially kicks off on July 6 so keep an eye on your inboxes for all the info.  I am up with the first prompt so I look forward to seeing you then.

Love me :-)

#littlesummerJOY

Totally excited and thrilled to let you know that I will be a contributor for a fun new project starting 1 July.  #littlesummerJOY is a wonderful project about finding your summer joy, capturing that joy, and documenting it. In a really simple, straight-forward way.

If you loved #myselfiescrapbook then you are going to love this.  I had so much fun doing #myselfiescrapbook, it took me on a journey that I was not expecting.  I captured some amazing photos of myself, yes myself, that I love all because of a great community of wonderful, supportive and encouraging women.  

As you may or may not know, I live in Australia so for us it is Winter.  How am I going to do a summer project I hear you ask?  I'm not!  I will be doing this project from a #littlewinterJOY.  I will be doing all the same prompts as everyone else only from a winter perspective.  I am so excited to be doing this project from a different angle and as Winter is my favourite season I am hoping the challenge won't be too hard.

At this stage I will be doing a photo book, similar to the one I did for #myselfiescrapbook (pictured above) as this was an easy, no fuss way for me to document this project.  I am also hoping to do the odd scrapbook layout and PL pages as well, but my main form of documenting will be the photobook.

A few things to note:

Registration opens 1 July 2015

Class starts 6th July 2015

for all the details head on over to Little Paper Projects.

Don't forget to register so that you are kept up to date with all the fun challenges and prompts.

I will be using the hashtag littlesummerjoy and littlewinterjoy

If you are following along a doing a #littlewinterjoy please remember to use the #littlesummerjoy as well so that we can all find you.  

let the JOY begin...

love me :-)