Ali Edwards's Blog, page 135

Habit Story Kit™ + Story Stamp™ + February Stories By The Month™

In the
Story Classroom this month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Habit.

Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme: 

Most humans are habitual creatures. Many of us do the same things, in the same ways, most days. Think about the habits of your life - which do you love and which would you like to adjust? This month we are telling stories about our habits and quirks and how they make us who we are today.

Initial story ideas for the Habit theme include: 

What are your favorite quirks about yourself? What makes you, you?

Are there new habits you hope to adopt in your everyday life? Tell that story.

Have you ever changed a habit? Was it hard, easy, etc?

If you are new to the Story Subscription program, check out all the details here. 

If you are already a subscriber the content in the classroom will be available to you on the 15th.

STORY KIT™

Here's a look at
the
Story Kit™ contents for Habit:

ADD ON OPTIONS | Current and new subscribers can select + purchase Add-On's via your new drop-down menu access under your user name in the top right corner of the site. If you subscribe to more than one you will have a Box for each subscription and the ability to purchase Add-On's for each one. Depending on product availability subscribers may be able to purchase the Add-On's after the Add-On period has ended and regular shop shipping rates will apply because they will ship separately from the kit.

Here are the optional Add-Ons for subscribers of the Habit Story Kit™ theme. All three of these products are exclusive to subscribers at this time (but may be added to the shop in the future). 

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:

STORY STAMP™

The Habit 
Stamp Set:

The 
Story Stamp™ also has Add-On options available to subscribers:

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Stamp™ and Add-On options this month: 

DIGITAL STORY KIT™

Your digital kit and the classroom and any Add-Ons purchased will be available to you on the 15th once your card has been charged for the month. 

Here's a look at what's included in the Digital Story Kit™ for Joy: 

And a couple peeks at the layouts I created with the kits this month in addition to the one featured at the top of this post (
full details, including process videos and how-to handout, are included with subscription):

Again, thanks so much for subscribing and/or considering my
Story Subscription program! If you have any questions about this program please let me know below in the comments. 

STORIES BY THE MONTH™

Stories By The Month™ kits include chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, and a 3x4 stamp. These are all based on the designs we offered digitally each month throughout 2018. 

Here is a full look at the kit for January: 

Here's a look at the Add-On options for Stories By The Month™ subscribers this month: 

And a video overview: 

This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories. 

Check out
this post for more information about this new subscription, including differences between the subscription options offered. 

Project Life® 2019 | Intro Page

For this year's Project Life® Intro Page I'm going photo-heavy. 

If you haven't seen my post yet about the changes to how I'm approaching 2019 Project Life® documenting you can read about that here. I'll be using a black 9x12 album this year and doing monthly vs. weekly storytelling. I'm excited and a little nervous and I think that's probably the best place for me to be right now.  

As you'll see below I'm using a few pieces from the January 2019 Stories By The Month™ kit along with a few things from my shop to get this album started. 

There's still a short window of time to grab the January Stories By The Month™ kit + begin your subscription. I'm planning on using other pieces from this kit for my monthly January story that I'll share here after the end of the month. Please note: the new kit for February will become available on January 13th at 9am Pacific. If you are interested in these designs after that date the digital option is available. 

Here's a look at how I'm starting my album for 2019: 

As I mentioned up at the top, I'm going photo-heavy for my intro page this year. I loved the process of looking back though 2018 and picking out a few of my favorite photos/memories. If you wanted your intro page to be a collection of 2019 photos you could wait until the end of the year and select favorites from this year to open your album. In general I've added photos from previous years to my new year intro page so I'm going with that again. 

I loved using the 9x12 2B Page Protector with the 3x3 pockets. Just that switch up in and of itself has already invigorated me. I cut down one of the cards from the January kit to fit the 3x3 pocket. 

To designate the year I used these fun Transparency Numbers inside a 3x8 page protector. I used a bone folder to slide the numbers inside the page protector. These page protectors (and my 6x8 page protectors) fit right into the 9x12 album which is awesome for mixing and matching. On the outside of the page protector (on both the front and the back) I added chipboard ovals from the January Stories By The Month™ kit. 

I also cut up another of the 3x4 journal cards and added that inside the Avery Index Tab. 

Inside the back of the Avery Index Tab I used this the Phrases Rolling Stamp - still my favorite. 

I'm so happy to have this project underway again. Here's a look at what it all looks like inside the album. Bring on 2019 stories!

SUPPLIES9x12 Black Pleather Album9x12 Page Protector 2B3x8 Page ProtectorTransparency NumbersPhrases Roller StampAvery Index TabJanuary 2019 Stories By The Month™ Kit

For The Love Of Books | 2018 Recap

Hello my fellow reading friends! I wanted to circle back and do a recap post for what I read in 2018.

In December I read one book (for my local book club): The Alice Network. You can read my review at the bottom of this page. 

That makes a grand total of 40 books in 2018. My four favorites included: The Heart's Invisible Furies, An American Marriage, and Educated.

I'm looking forward to reading in 2019 and am hoping to refrain from spending more on new books and read the ones I have on my shelves and next to my bed that I haven't had a chance to get to yet. That said I think I've already bought at least two new books this year. Ha. The most recent two I ordered from Amazon include To Shake The Sleeping Self: A Journey From Oregon To Patagonia and a Quest For A Life With No Regret by Jedidiah Jenkins, Atomic Habits (to go along with my One Little Word®) and The Minimalist Home.

Here's to making time for the things that fill you up in 2019. 

BOOK OF THE MONTH SELECTION FOR JANUARY

My Book Of The Month pick for January was The Silent Patient. I finished it in two days - totally enjoyed it and was excited to read a thriller again after taking a break for awhile.

I'm a member of the Book Of The Month Ambassador program which means that I am sent the book choices in advance to help spread the word. 

FULL LIST OF WHAT I'VE READ IN 2018

JANUARY 2018

The Heart's Invisible Furies (BOTM) // I super, super loved this book. Just go read it. Now. 
The Woman In The Window (BOTM) // Perfect suspense book. Great beach read.
Everyone Brave Is Forgiven // It’s been quite awhile since I underlined passages in a non-fiction book but I did a few times in this one because the language and imagery used was just so beautiful. It’s a story that will stick with me.
The Year Of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store // Super quick read on a topic I’m interested in - how less can mean more. This book is more memoir than how-to and I was interested in her story and all the ways in which she cake to having and wanting less. Glad I read it. It’s so much more than just a story of not shopping for a year.
Turtles All The Way Down (BOTM) // This one was a like but not love for me. I did really like some of the writing, especially towards the end, that related to the forward movement of life with mental illness. I think these kinds of stories are important and the pieces where he was writing about her self-talk/voices really resonated with me personally.

FEBRUARY 2018

Bel Canto (finished this one right at the end of January) // I really, really enjoyed this book. I love her writing style and I loved the way the story flowed all the way until the end. It felt super abrupt - but I guess that's how life goes sometimes too. I loved the themes of adaptation, of love, of change, of escape (literally from the life you were living one moment before), and the push and pull between relationships. Oh and it totally made me want to go to an opera.
The Great Alone (BOTM) // I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one last night because I just couldn't stop reading. I loved this book. I loved that Alaska + the climate was basically a character. The subject matter is challenging for sure - violence, loneliness, family issues, etc. - but the story is rich and complicated and well-told. Love these kinds of epic stories. So, so good. 
The Broken Girls (BOTM) // This book legitimately freaked me out multiple times. The kids around here all know I was reading a scary book because I kept saying “this book is scary” - ha. Loved the twists and turns - I zoomed through the last half super quick. If you are looking for a haunting style of story this one’s for you. I actually almost stopped reading it at one point but I am so glad I finished. 
An American Marriage // I read this one without knowing anything about it because it was recommended highly by a friend (and then I saw it popping up everywhere). This is an emotional, real, raw and very well written story that is different from what I've been reading lately. I love being surprised. Beautiful, compelling writing that really gets to the heart of complicated human relationships. A line I loved : "But mostly my life is good, only it's a different type of good from what I figured on." This has been the lesson of my life as well.

MARCH 2018

The Astonishing Color Of After (BOTM) // This book started out a little hard for me to get into but once I did I ended up adoring it. Totally adoring and loving it. I loved the interplay between the present and the past, the treatment of the experience of grief, learning about Chinese/Twaianese traditions, the magic of the way she views her family memories, and the continual use of colors as descriptors for scenes and feelings. I feel like this is one that will stay with me for a long time. SO GOOD.
The Last Equation Of Isaac Severy (BOTM) // This one took a long time to hook me - not sure if that was due to my sporadic reading this month or the story itself. I almost moved on 1/2 way through but decided to give it one more try over a weekend getaway and I was glad I did overall (but also happy to move on to the next story).

APRIL 2018

Educated : A Memoir // From the very beginning I loved the author's writing style and the way she was weaving her story. I think this is one of the best, if not the best, memoirs I've read. I want to tell you that I loved this book, but I don't know if "love" is the right word because it was a hard story to read at times - for all kinds of different reasons. What I loved about it was that it was a story of becoming - of finding yourself and your own story. There were so many times I had to stop to tell Aaron something that had happened as I was reading either because it was so crazy (either awesome or terrible or almost unbelievable). I love a book that encourages us to challenge our assumptions about the beliefs we grew up with and find ourselves within (and owning) our own individual story - whether we continue to believe or walk away or distance ourselves or reconnect. Highly recommended.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads (received from the publisher - also available via  BOTM ) // Back in 2014 I heard Clemantine speak in Washington DC at a summit on girls + women in Africa which was sponsored by the ONE Campaign and Google. The event itself and the stories presented were profoundly moving and educational. When I was offered an opportunity to receive an advance copy of this book I jumped at the chance to get to go deeper into Clemantine's story and I think this book is a must read. It's a hard, raw read and one that is super important for all of us as human beings. It's a complex story of her escape from the Rwandan massage as a child and eventual arrival in the United States as a refuge. It is also so much more than that story - she intimately shares the impact of that entire experience on the way she thinks about herself, the way she views the world, and the ways she has attempted to own her own story. It is a book about becoming. Highly recommended.
Then She Was Gone (BOTM) // I wasn't sure what I thought of this book at first and it felt a little slow at the beginning. But once it revealed a twist + then more twists, I was hooked. I liked that the narrative goes back and forth between characters - really showcasing their different motivations and personalities. It was a totally decent psychological thriller if you are into that genre I'd definitely recommend it. It would have made a good beach read.
Circe (BOTM) // I totally wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I picked it because I've been trying to challenge myself to read things I might not normally pick up this year (different genres, voices, etc). I found this one challenging to get into initially only because I can't remember much at all of the Greek Mythology I learned back in school (little bits here + there - but there are so many names) but once I just accepted that and started to reintroduce myself (via googling names and briefly reading their stories) I was totally into this story told from Circe's point of view. I actually decided that I liked not knowing "everything" about all the different Gods + Goddesses because it helped me to be surprised when the story revealed itself. I really, really liked how this book was written. I loved that is was from her point of view - so many interwoven themes popped up throughout the book: separation, love, fear, family, magic, monsters, bravery, and the ways we each own or own story. I think this one will stick with me for awhile.
First, We Make The Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety // I'm about half-way through this one and already know that I'm going to recommend it highly for anyone who has a history of anxiety or other mental illnesses. This book has comforted me, made me laugh, taught me lessons, and made me look at my anxiety/depression through a different lens. I may write more about this when I finish it during May but wanted to include it now because it's just so good. 

MAY 2018

First, We Make The Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety // I'm about half-way through this one and already know that I'm going to recommend it highly for anyone who has a history of anxiety or other mental illnesses. This book has comforted me, made me laugh, taught me lessons, and made me look at my anxiety/depression through a different lens. I may write more about this when I finish it during May but wanted to include it now because it's just so good. // I pre-ordered this book and read it quickly once I received it. I didn't read any reviews before I read it and I just let it be what it was without preconceived notions (I just read some reviews so that's top of mind as I write my own). I liked the rambling style of this book. I liked the storytelling aspect. I liked simply reading about someone else who lives with anxiety and how it manifests in their own life and the ways she has found to keep moving forward in her own life. I underlined a bunch of things that made me questions assumptions I have made about myself and the ways I've approached my own journey with anxiety + depression. I have been recommending it to friends who I think would benefit from simply reading her story.
The Mars Room (BOTM / AMAZON) // Hard to get into + hard to finish for me. Glad I read it, but not my favorite. It wasn't the subject matter but more the writing style that didn't hook me in - it felt really disjointed. I read another review where someone mentioned they would have rather had more from the main female character and I totally agreed with that. Just felt disjointed overall. That said, I have thought about this book multiple times since finishing - definitely a relevant conversation/topic in our world.
Destination Simple // This is a short, quick read with practical information related to slowing down. I especially loved a section near the end about the idea of "tilting" vs. attempting balance. Definitely in alignment with living in + being present in different seasons of our lives. I also really liked her ideas for morning and evening rituals.
Still Lives (BOTM / AMAZON) // Liked but not love. Definitely captivated me enough to read until the end to complete the story. I think this would make a good beach read if you are into mysteries.

JUNE 2018

George // I read this 3rd/4th grade book for my Book Club as a follow-up to our discussion of This Is How It Always Is and because the book has been a topic of conversation in our community and around Oregon since it was listed as an Oregon Battle Of The Books book for next year. It was a great read for our small group discussion and continued to expand on our learning about transgender related issues. Anna is currently reading it as well. 
The Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir Of Family And Culture In Crisis // One of my goals in reading generally is to read a variety of voices. I've heard of this book over the last few years and picked up the paperback version recently at Costco. As someone who places value on owning our individual stories, I really appreciated reading JD's recounting of his life experience so far growing up in Kentucky and Ohio. I especially liked some of the pieces towards the end when he talked a bit more about his perspective as an adult related to his own childhood trauma and how that informed some of the things he faced in his relationships as an adult. I found the book overall to be insightful and a good starting place for beginning to scratch the surface of understanding more about the struggle/story of poverty and class in America. Also, please note that when reading something along these lines I don't automatically assume that this is the experience of all people living in this area. 
Calypso (BOTM / Amazon) // Amazingly enough this was my first time reading David Sedaris. Not sure exactly why because I am definitively aware of who he is - I think maybe it’s because I don’t often read “funny” books (a gross, totally incomplete description of his stories). That said, I completely enjoyed this book and his writing style and can’t believe I have basically ignored his books up to this point. Real life stories about everyday life are a part of my passion - I will definitively read more from him soon. I laughed out loud, my heart ached, and I was captivated.
The Book Of Essie (BOTM / Amazon) // Devoured this book in a 24 hour period while traveling this past month and really enjoyed the story: interesting and captivating.
Crazy Rich Asians // Fun, silly, quick read. At the end you will likely want to get the next two books in the series to continue the story.
The Female Persuasion // I enjoyed it but felt like I had to force myself to finish it - I did want to know how it ended. I generally like this kind of story that spans a longer period of time where you get to see the characters develop and grow via the passage of time. I liked the themes of female mentorship and friendship and changes that we don't anticipate.

JULY 2018

The Last Time I Lied (BOTM / Amazon) // Super quick, page turner, and super enjoyable. Put aside anything that seems "not quit right" (I had some questions - ha) and just enjoy it for the fun read that it is.
Something In The Water // I was definitely into this one and devoured it quickly over the last couple of days. The story was all over the place + you might have to suspend disbelief at some points, but still enjoyable. I thought a lot about "unreliable" narrators as I was reading this one and I really did want to know how it was all going to end (was she just not very smart, unreliable, or some strange combination of both - ha). If you enjoy disliking the main character you might like this one (someone mentioned that on an Amazon review and it totally resonated for me).
The Outsider // I haven't read a lot of Stephen King over the years but I decided to try this new one out (his book "On Writing" is one of the best books about writing generally that I have read) just for some variety in my reading. I worried that it would be way too scary (it wasn't) and there were moments/parts where I was totally into it and others when I wasn't and felt like I was slogging along. I did feel like I had to push myself through to the end and kept waiting for there to be some additional, satisfying twist (there isn't). Solid read.

The Glass Castle // I started this one and am about 1/2 way through. 

AUGUST 2018

The Glass Castle // Finished this one (I had read about 1/2 of it in July). A hard but important memoir about growing up with very unconventional/dysfunctional parents and the resiliency of children. 
China Rich Girlfriend and  Rich People Problems // Finished these two quickly for my book club (we read  Crazy Rich Asians last month). This series isn't the kind of book I'm generally drawn to but I did want to know how it all ended and wanted to be able to chat with my friends about it at our book club dinner. I think these would be great vacation reads or for a time when you wanted something that wasn't complicated. 
Brave Love: Making Space For You To Be You by Lisa Leonard (coming June 2019 - preorder available on Amazon) // I was given early access to this book from the publisher with an invitation to write an endorsement. I've known Lisa for many years and was honored that she would give me the opportunity to read her book. I loved reading her story which was so much about allowing ourselves permission to be who we truly are - embracing all of it. 

SEPTEMBER 2018

The Arrangement // I read this one for my for my local Book Club this month (September). It was a super quick read (I read it while camping for Dave Matthews Band) and I liked it overall and know it will prove to be a great book club discussion. You know, from the cover, that their arrangement isn't going to work out but I was interested in reading how it all played out. The couple also has an autistic son so I was interested in seeing how he was portrayed as well. 
Cross Her Heart (BOTM) // This book started super slow and then it shifted. The second half kept my interest but when I was done I definitely felt like I was ready to take a break from this genre for awhile (suspense) - just feel like I'm craving something more. Overall just okay.
Florida by Lauren Groff // This is the first short story book I've read probably since college (at least since I can remember) and I really loved it. For some reason at this point in time the short format really worked for me. I love her writing style. I loved the richness of the characters. I loved the theme of "connection" that seemed to link a lot of the stories (both connection + disconnection). Super happy I picked this up when I visited Parnassus books in Nashville on my last visit.
Beartown // This book is for my local Book Club in October but I couldn't stop myself once I started this month. This will definitely be one of the best books I read this year. The story and the way he wrote the story was nuanced and human and real and complicated. Definite trigger warning regarding sexual assault. He also now has a follow-up book out called Us Against You (I downloaded it to read on my Kindle). 

OCTOBER 2018

Speak With Impact: How To Command The Room And Influence Others by Allison Shapira // I saw a friend on Instagram reference this book early last month and I ordered it to give me some additional things to think about going into a speaking event. I found it easy to read and valuable to my personal preparation for that event. She talks about speaking in both small and large groups. I can totally see myself picking this up as a reference again before other speaking engagements in the future.
I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening by Sarah Stewart Holland + Beth Silvers // Advance copy of a book that will be released in February 2019. I'm a long time listener to Beth and Sarah's podcast Pantsuit Politics and was excited to dive into this book. I am almost done with this book and more than anything I feel like this book is a roadmap for being a good human - not just for learning how to have compassionate and reasonable discussions around politics but for any challenging discussions. Read it. 

NOVEMBER 2018

A Ladder To The Sky (BOTM) // One of the things I love about being a Book Of The Month member is that I'm introduced to books and stories I might not otherwise read. Last year I read The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne and I loved it so much. When I saw he had another book this year I picked it as my selection immediately. It took me a night or two to get into this story - in the end I definitely enjoyed it even though the main character is very unlikeable - he's almost so unlikeable as to be likable. It's a story about someone who is willing to do anything to get ahead but it's not dark or heavy. I loved how Boyne used different narrators to tell the story from different points in time.

DECEMBER 2018

The Alice Network // Read this one for my local book club and enjoyed it. Loved learning a bit (via historical fiction) about something I don’t ever remember learning about in school: female spies in WWI. I could totally see this ending up as a movie if it’s not in process already.

You can also see everything I read in 2017 here.

One Little Word® 2019 | The Reading Of The Words

One Little Word® for 2019 is underway. 

One of the traditions surrounding this project is an annual reading of the words. Thank you to those of you who shared your word on my recent blog post. This list obviously doesn't include all people participating in this project this year, but it's a lovely list of words. In past years I have invited my friend Liz Lamoreux to record herself reading this words. This year, as I was typing up the list, I felt the desire to read the list myself. I told Liz that I felt like I wanted to feel the words in my mouth this year. 

Listen to me read the words here.

There is definitely still time to jump into my One Little Word® workshop for 2019. Get all the details about this year long workshop and join the community in making your word visible. We also have products to support you in documenting your journey with your word here. 

The word between my toes above is from my friend Colleen Attara. I've been so thankful for her support of this project over the years and love the intention and kindness she brings to this community. If you are interested in something in my handwriting we also offer custom acrylic words, as well as a couple necklace options. 

Again, thank you for being part of this community. If you don't see your word listed below please feel free to share it in the comments. 

Abundance

Accept

Achieve

Art

Awake 

Balance 

Beautiful 

Become 

Becoming 

Believe 

Bloom 

Bold 

Boundaries 

Breathe 

Build 

Capture 

Celebrate 

Center 

Challenge 

Change 

Choice 

Choices 

Choose 

Commit 

Compassion 

Complete 

Compose 

Connect 

Consistent 

Content 

Courage 

Create 

Creer (create) 

Cultivate 

Curious 

Dare 

Design 

Disconnect 

Ease 

Embrace 

Empower 

Enjoy 

Enough 

Everyday 

Experience 

Explore 

Faith 

Fearless 

Flourish 

Flow 

Focus 

Forge 

Forward 

Fresh 

Gather 

Give 

Glow 

Godwink 

Grace 

Gratitude 

Grind 

Grip 

Grit 

Habit 

Healthy 

Heart 

Home 

Improve 

Intentional 

Journey 

Joy  

Keep 

Lean In 

Less 

Light 

Listen 

Magic 

Meek 

Memory 

Mindful 

Moments 

Move 

Notice 

Nudge 

Nurture 

Open 

Patience 

Pause 

Peace 

Plan 

Positive 

Presence 

Present 

Purpose 

Reconnect 

Refine 

Refresh 

Renew 

Resilience 

Respect 

ReThink 

Reveal 

Rhythm 

Rooted 

Routine 

Season 

See 

Self-compassion 

Shed 

Shine 

Simple 

Simplify 

Slow 

Soar 

Soften 

Steadfast 

Steady 

Stellar 

Story 

Strength 

Strengthen 

Take 

Tend 

Time 

Today 

Transform 

Trust 

Unfold 

Up 

Valiant 

Vessel 

Vitality 

Voice 

Wait 

Wellness 

Whole 

Wild 

Yes

Loving | January 2019

Loving my 2019 Inspiration Calendar. The quote this month is reminding me to pause and just be. Always a good reminder, always.  Loving this podcast on Feel Good Effect with The Faux Martha about minimalism: Pairing Down To Create More. Loved listening to her talk about cleaning out her pantry and going slow and just the overall theme of less. So many good tidbits here about life.  Loving my husband. I am just so thankful for him and the way he loves me.  Loving starting the free Yoga With Adrienne's 30-Day January series called "Dedicate." I did her 30-day series last year and it was a really special part of my January. I do this in my office in the morning before I start working. Doing it today totally reminded me how much I loved creating this space for myself last year. The intentional slowing down is hard but so worth it for me. Loving having all the kids here for so much of this Christmas break. They are just fun to be around overall. Heading to see the new Mary Poppins with Simon + Anna tonight. Loving that I'm feeling better - at least a little bit. I was really worn down after we returned from our New York trip in December and so, so tired through much of the last few weeks. I'm sharing more about that over on my wellness Instagram account: @ae_wellness. Loving thinking about continuing to get to the heart of the matter with my memory keeping projects. I'm excited to be switching things up with Project Life® for 2019 and am working on a title page to share soon. You can read more about my plans here. Loving all the conversation happening in the One Little Word® classroom and Facebook Group. The energy this time of year is contagious - I choose to embrace it and take it for what it's worth right now. There's still time to join the workshop and community for 2019 if you are interested in making your word visible and being supported by an amazing community of people who are living with a word for the year. 

2018 Project Recap

As I was laying awake the other night (that seems to be becoming a thing), I thought it would be cool to put together a post that highlighted the memory keeping projects I worked on/completed in 2018. 

As you read this I don't want you to start playing any comparison games. These projects are things that I love to work on and are definitely simply a part of the way I live my life, but they are also how I earn a living and I think that's important for you to keep in mind. You don't have to do all these projects to be a "successful" memory keeper. "Success" is going to be defined for each of us differently (always like to recommend checking out my post about establishing your own enough in memory keeping) and in different years and times in our lives certain projects will make more sense or simply fit better into your overall life. Maybe just one of these projects fits into your life and if that's the case - awesome. 

My hope in sharing this look back at the last year of projects is to (1) help you think about what you might want to participate in during 2019, (2) celebrate storytelling, and (3) take a little time to recognize what I did do instead of focusing on anything that didn't get done. 

I want you to celebrate the stories you did tell vs. focusing on what you might not have finished too. 

I'm not including Project Life® progress in this post but you can see the spreads I shared publicly here (I do share additional Project Life® spreads in the Story Kit™ classroom each month). You can read about my 2019 Project Life® plans here. 

WEEK IN THE LIFE™

This year I completed my 13th Week In The Life™ album. This is a project I do once per year and I started embarking on this one back in 2005 as a workshop focus for an in-person event. It's one of my favorite projects that I return to again and again because I love seeing this kind of in-depth time capsule of our life each year. Who are we? Who am I? What goes into our days at this particular point in time? 

The big differece between Week In The Life™ and Project Life® is the depth of storytelling. I include significantly more details and photos in this project than I do in any weekly spread for Project Life®. 

Highlighted blog posts: 

Completed album overview.I did my first Week In The Life™ vlog. View all my past Week In The Life™ projects here and learn more about the project generally here. 

I'll be doing this project again in 2019 most likely in late spring. 

DAY IN THE LIFE™

This year I did two different Day In The Life™ documenting days and put those completed stories into my Project Life® album. 

Day In The Life™ is a one-day documentation project that encourages us to slow down enough to capture the stories from one single day. Over the years I've approached it in a variety of different ways from no structure to hourly (stop each hour + take a photo + write down what I'm doing) to using different themes as the lens through which I look for stories over the course of the day.  

Here are a couple blog posts from this project in 2018: 

March Day In The Life™ completed project. This one focused on using single words as jumping off points for telling the story of your day. November Day In The Life™ completed project. This one focused on the lens of gratitude - I loved that approach so much! View all my Day In The Life™ posts here. 

We've got a plan in place to mix things up a bit for 2019 and will share that in the new year.

ONE LITTLE WORD®

This is a project I don't post much about here on my blog but it's something I work on each month and share in the One Little Word® workshop (registration is now open at a reduced rate of $26 through December 31 - after that it increases to $31). This is more of a marathon project vs. a sprint, with the goal of helping to make our chosen words visible over the course of the year. 

Each month during the year I return to my album to review past months and to respond to a creative prompt from the workshop. That little bit of documentation each month keeps me connected to my word and gives me the gift of being able to look back at the end of the year and actually see growth (sometimes it's really small and sometimes it's much bigger). 

I use a 6x8 album for this project along with products we offer in the shop and downloads from the workshop. 

I've been doing this project every single month since 2011 (and I've been choosing a word since 2006). I absolutely love looking back at these very personal albums that really show my own personal ups and downs over the years and the ways I've used my words to help guide me through it all. You can watch a video walkthrough of many of my past albums that I put together last year here. 

I love this project. It has become so much a part of the way I live my life - I honestly can't imagine not having a word each year. 

Check out a recent Feel Good Effect Podcast episode where I chat with the host Robyn about living with a word for the year. Also, check out an episode of Elise Gets Crafty to hear Elise and I chat about our 2018 and 2019 words. 

DECEMBER DAILY®

I just finished up my December Daily® album for 2018 this past week. My commitment to the project is to share my stories of Days 1-25 here on my blog during the month. I know that many of you work on this project at different times in the year - some in January and some in the summer right before we release new products. 

This year my album was a 6x8 again which is my personal favorite size for the project. I also loved putting together the travelers notebook I used for documenting our NYC trip in early December. 

To get ready for this project each year I create "Foundation Pages" that give me a heads up on some of the crafty parts of my storytelling. You can see those here.

You can view all my December Daily® blog posts here. 

TRAVEL PRODUCT PLAY WORKSHOP

This year I also put together an online workshop for travel documentation and created a 3x8 album from a trip to France back in 2013. It was a super fun way to approach travel documentation. I'll be doing another travel themed workshop in 2019 featuring a new travel collection in the summer. 

I'm looking forward to telling stories with you in 2019. 

Which projects did you participate in this year? Which projects do you enjoy most? 

One Little Word® 2019 | Habit

Since 2006 I've been choosing a single word to focus on over the course the 12 months from January through December. I call it One Little Word®. It's a personal growth project that uses memory keeping as the vehicle to help us live with intention.

My past words have included: 

Play Peace Vitality Nurture Story Light Up Open Thrive Give Whole ConnectSpace

For 2019 I'm going to focus on the word habit. 

In selecting a word I'm choosing to use that word as a lens for my year. I'm choosing to get curious about the habits I currently have in place and the habits I might like to adopt. I want to ask questions about why I do certain things and not others and continue getting to the heart of the matter for myself - spending time and energy on the things that matter most vs. the things that matter least. 

One of the habits I want to cultivate most is a "more days than not" yoga practice. I want it to become habit. I have a hard time putting it at the top of my list and I'd like to make that happen this year. 

You're invited to join me in choosing word and working to make it visible in your own life in 2019. 

TAKE A LISTEN

Interested in hearing more? I recently recorded two podcasts with friends as we gear up to 2019 chatting about One Little Word®:

Feel Good Effect PodcastElise Gets Crafty PodcastSHARE YOUR WORD IN THE COMMENTS

I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2019. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. Next week I’ll combine all the words into a single post – it's become tradition and super inspiring to see all the words in one place.

If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word®, you can read some of my previous posts here:
 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

JOIN ME IN MAKING OUR WORDS VISIBLE

Since 2011 I've been offering a One Little Word® online workshop that's goal is to help you stay connected to your word throughout the year. It's not complicated and it doesn't take a lot of time. Each month you receive an email reminder to head back to the classroom for some sort of creative prompt/writing reflection. As with most years, the majority of the prompts will be similar to last year as I find that I enjoy the process of doing the same prompts with different words each year - it's never the same. I record all new videos each year that include my personal reflections on the process with my new word.  

You can read all the details about this workshop and sign up here. You can watch a video walkthrough of my past album projects here to get an idea of past prompts. Registration is $5 off until December 31, 2018. I've also created a selection of products to help you document your journey with your word - check those out here.

Also, something new for 2019 is a One Little Word® Journal. If you are looking for different way to connect with your word outside the workshop or as a supplement to your workshop prompts this might be an awesome opportunity to get closer to your word this year. You can read more about it and see additional images here. 

My wonderful little heart talisman in the photo at the top of this post is from Liz Lamoreux and is available on her site as part of her Pocket Talisman Collection. 

December Daily® 2018 | Days Twenty-Four And Twenty-Five

Welcome back to December Daily® 2018 Days 24 and 25. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

Today I'm sharing how I wrapped up my album. I love this project but I also love finishing this project and moving on to the next thing on my list (for me at this time of year that is One Little Word®). I'm also one of those people who often likes to take down our Christmas decorations as soon as possible. This year I want to just sit and read but it won't be long before I tackle the clean up. 

Before we dive into the end of my album I wanted to share what I ended up doing with the calendar at the front of my album: 

Rather than adding words (in fact I covered up some that I had on there in the beginning), I looked back though my month of photos and chose one for each day and cropped each one to 1/2 inch square and then adhered below the stamped date. The photos are tiny but definitely a fun way to see the month at a glance at the beginning of the album. 

Now let's take a look at my last two days: 

My Christmas Eve and Christmas Day stories/spreads are often simple. 

For Christmas Eve I printed a full page photo. On top of that I used a circle punch to punch out the sentiment from one of the journal cards in the Main Kit along with a puffy heart and gold foil numbers. 

The second page features the mixed-texture tree I created for Product Play 2 that was stitched onto a trasnparency and I added my words to the back: 

When I created my textured paper tree I saved the template I used and was able to use those pieces to hold my journaling for Christmas Eve. I did end up missing one of the pieces so I cut from the tag I had initially included in my foundation pages. Love how that turned out. 

For Christmas Day I printed a full page photo of my feet and presents. One of the things I love about this photo is it shows some of the tags that Aaron made - he loves playing with names and words and making puzzles out of them. 

On top of the photo I added a chipboard number, a chipboard phrase, and the grey stars - all from the 2018 Main Kit. 

For my Christmas Day journaling I used Photoshop to set up my photo and journaling together. On top I added the "Christmas memories" chipboard from the Be Merry + Celebrate Chipboard set. 

The full page "what I want to remember about this season" is a cut file from the December Daily® Product Play 2 workshop. 

I loved saving this "what I want to remember" journaling for the end of the project. It was a great way for me to think back over the month and identify 10 things I wanted to remember about this year. 

I finished up my album with one more 6x8 photo with the plastic "magic" on top along with a word/phrase sticker and chipboard. 

VIDEO OVERVIEW

Here are a couple of other images of my finished project: 

On the spine of my album I used the gold foil numbers from the Main Kit. 

Here's to 25 days of stories from December 2018. I continue to be so thankful to this project for the way it helps me pay attention to my life as I'm living it. 

As always, thank you for being a part of this community. Here's to more storytelling in 2019!

SUPPLIES
December Daily® 2018 Main Kit December Daily® 6x8 Album December Daily® 2018 Be Merry + Celebrate Chipboard Bundle

December Daily® 2018 | Day Twenty-Three

Happy Christmas Eve! 

Here's a look at my December Daily® 2018 Day Twenty-Three. I'll be back after the holidays to share the remainder of the stories I add to my project this year. 

The idea with this page originally was to play with hanging tags that are "hanging" from stitched green lines (worked on this for Product Play 2). To complete my story today I added photos cut to the shape of the tags (from the Main Kit), journaling cut to the shape of a tag, and a couple other tags/embellishments from things I had purchased as gifts this year. 

For the date number I used gold foil numbers from he Main Kit. 

My photos help tell the story of shopping, baking, and watching all of season 7 of Game Of Thrones in front of my fireplace. I downloaded an image of the Night King from the web and added it as well. 

One of the things I love about how this turned out is that the tags move around. It might look a little messy compared to many of the very structured designs I do but I love the interactivity and the fun of this one. I think I will enjoy it in the years to come - especially that Game Of Thrones photo. Ha. Love that show. 

VIDEO OVERVIEW

December Daily® 2018 | Day Twenty-Three from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2018 Main Kit (tags, chipboard stars, felt star, chipboard phrases, joy plastic word)
December Daily® 2018 Be Merry + Celebrate Chipboard Bundle
Embroidery Floss
A variety of papers: cork, linen, gold foil vellum

December Daily® 2018 | Day Twenty-Two

In the middle of all kinds of wrapping so decided to make that my story for December Daily® 2018 Day Twenty-Two. 

Here's a look at what it ended up looking like in my album: 

Working on the back of Day 21 I adhered some of the real wrapping paper I used on some of our presents this year. I'm using all paper I have purchased in past years so I'm not sure where this one came from. On top of the wrapping paper I added a sheet of vellum printed with with "wrapping all the way" word art and a 22 from the Main Kit adhered above. 

To adhere the vellum onto the wrapping paper I used something that I think Ingunn recommended which is the Mini Collage Glue Stick from Ranger. Seemed to work well with the vellum at least initially (not sure if anything will look different long term). 

I've added the "wrapping all the way" as a word art download for you below: 

Download "Wrapping All The Way" word art here.

For the opposite page I took a photo of some fo the presents I had wrapped in that same paper and added three of the black chipboard stars from the main kit on top. 

This was a fun twist on wrapping paper stories I've told in past years. 

Hope you have a lovely weekend. 

VIDEO OVERVIEWSUPPLIES

December Daily® 2018 Main Kit
Ink Jet Vellum6 Hole Punch
Canon Pixma MG7720 (newer version)Mini Collage Glue Stick from Ranger