Ali Edwards's Blog, page 144
June 29, 2018
AE Creative Team | May 2018 Digital Release
Today we are sharing the projects made by our
2018 Creative Team using theMay 2018 Digital Stories By The Month™ kit.
In addition to sharing the Creative Team project images, Ali has also put together a video overview for each kit that highlights tips and ideas from the Creative Team's projects. See these videos below (
they are also available on Ali's You Tube Channel).
Here's a video overview from Ali highlighting ideas from the Creative Team projects using this kit:
June 14, 2018
AE Creative Team | April Digital Release
Today we are sharing the projects made by our
2018 Creative Team using the April 2018 Digital Stories By The Month™ kit.
We are also super excited to share a new feature for these posts. In addition to sharing the Creative Team project image, Ali has also put together a video overview for each kit that highlights tips and ideas from the Creative Team's projects. See these videos below (
they are also available on Ali's You Tube Channel).
Here's a video overview from Ali highlighting ideas from the Creative Team projects using this kit:
June 13, 2018
Tech Story Kit™ + July Stories By The Month™
In the Story Classroom this month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Tech.
Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme:
For most of us, technology plays a pretty big role in our lives. This month you are invited to tell stories related to the ways you use technology in your daily life, to recount your history (did you use tech as a kid), and to reflect on how you connect right now.
Initial story ideas for the Tech theme include:
Detail your own personal history with technology. What was life like as a kid for you vs. today?
Tell the story of all the things you do with your phone right now.
How much of your life is spent interacting with technology at this point in your life? Love it or loathe it or somewhere in between?
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.
Here's a look at
the
Story Kit™ contents for Tech:
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 Tech
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:
The Tech
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 Tech:
Digital Story Kit™ subscribers also have four Add-On options available (if you subscribe to both the Story Kit™ and the Story Stamp™ these should also be available to you for purchase):
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.
Each Stories By The Month™ kit includes chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, and a 3x4 stamp. These are all based on the designs we offered digitally each month throughout 2017.
Two important things to note this month:
We are happy to announce that everyone who has been on the waiting list for this kit should be activated this month and we should be able to open the subscription to new subscribers (it's possible it will go on a waiting list again - we do have another quantity increase coming in August). This has been a super popular kit option (it has been on a waiting list since it started back in December 2017) and we are excited to welcome you.
Due to a manufacturing error there has been an unexpected delay in the shipment of the 4x6 chipboard set for this kit. This set will be shipped to you with your July Stories By The Month™ kit next month (August theme). If you happen to cancel your subscription prior to receiving July’s kit, you will still be shipped the chipboard set to the address we have on file.
Here is a full look at the kit for July:
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.
June 12, 2018
AE Creative Team | Grow Digital Story Kit™
Happy Tuesday!
We're so happy to share the projects created by our awesome Creative Team using the Grow Digital Story Kit™. Today is the last day left to start a subscription to receive this current theme. A big thank you to our awesome team for sharing the stories of their lives and crafting it so beautifully!
Hope you all have a great week!
June 1, 2018
For The Love Of Books | What I Read In May 2018
This month my fiction choices ended up being likes and not loves. I'm glad I read both but definitely found the two nonfiction books more enjoyable/fulfilling this time.
WHAT I READ IN 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.
This month I'm also sharing a video overview of what I read last month and what I am planning to read next month.
You can also view this video on my YouTube channel here.
It's also time to select new books from Book Of The Month Club.
As part of their Ambassador Program I get to order from their monthly selections a bit early in order to share with you and celebrate their new releases each month.
This month I picked two books:
Calypso by David Sedaris The Book Of Essie 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.
You can also see everything I read in 2017 here.
May 26, 2018
Week In The Life™ 2018 | Vlog + Recap
To wrap up my Week In The Life™ project for 2018 I put together a vlog from video clips I took during the week. It doesn't cover everything that happened during the week (just like my physical album doesn't include everything) but I love how it's another look at that same week through a different medium. Sitting here and putting this together was seriously so fun and made me so happy that I had even the amount of video that I did. I've not always been one to capture a lot of video but have been starting to do more here and there and really love that look at our lives. I know I will never regret having this kind of footage of my family.
All this video was taken with the same camera I used for my photos for my physical Week In The Life™ project: Canon G7X. The vlog was edited in iMovie using music from Soundstripe.
Links to other posts for 2018 Week In The Life™:
Daily Words + Photos // Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Getting Started Putting It All Together / First Steps
Dealing With The Words
Completed Album
Archive of past Week In The Life™ posts
Thank you again and have a wonderful weekend!
May 25, 2018
Travel Collection Updates
A very big thank you for the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Travel Collection. We will definitely be offering a Travel Collection again next year around this same time that will be expanded and include increased quantities based on what we learned this year. Each product release we offer is different in terms of demand which is part of what makes it challenging to plan what we consider to be responsible quantities (from a budgeting + inventory standpoint).
Here’s an update of where we are at on the sold out items:
(1) Stamps will be reordered. These generally take a month or so before we are able to get them back into the shop. Please click Notify Me to get a message when these are back in the shop.
(2) At this time we are continuing to collect data on the number of Notify Me’s on the Main Kit and the bundles that sold out. We would like to do that for another week before determining which products we reorder. I will let you know towards the end of next week at the earliest what is happening with those products and the timeline for getting them back in the shop. Please use the Notify My button to indicate that you would like to see these items reordered.
(3) At this time we are not planning to reorder the Navy Blue 3x8 album this year. We will definitely consider offering it again for next year’s Travel Collection.
When making these kinds of decisions we also factor in our upcoming releases planned for the rest of this year.
Still to come in 2018 is December Daily® (Order Selection Period will start in early September), a fall release that is “numbers” themed, an album release that includes 3 new albums (a new Story Book color, a new chipboard 6x8, and a new 3x8 - all are “general” albums without a specific theme), and One Little Word® in November.
Also, just a heads up that we have an Adventure Story Kit™ + Story Stamp™ releasing on July 13th. If you are looking for additional travel products you might be interested in this kit that is a totally different color scheme with really fun add-on items. Now is a great time to subscribe as subscriptions are currently available (next month's theme is Tech).
The digital Travel Collection products will be available on June 1.
As always, thank you so much for being a part of this community. We appreciate your support and passion for memory keeping!
December Daily® Prep Party Event Details
Katie and I are super excited to officially announce details about the first ever in-person December Daily® Prep Party.
All the details can be found here. Registration will happen next Friday, June 1st at 10am PDT.
We would love to see you there!
May 24, 2018
Project Life® 2018 | Week Nineteen (Week In The Life™)
I jumped ahead in my
Project Life® documenting to take care of the same week as Week In The Life™.
For this particular week I decided to not include words as I feel like I covered many of the stories within my
Week In The Life™ album.
Remember, my approach in Project Life® is that the sum of all the parts is what I love most vs. any individual week. This gives me freedom to have some weeks that are all photos or some weeks that are more words or some weeks where I simply play more. My goal is not to include every story from our week.
Here's a look at what I included in this week's Project Life® spread:
I don't think any of these photos are repeats from ones I included in my actual
Week In The Life™ album. As you might have read, in that album this year I just printed enough photos to fit into the page protector pockets. Most of the photos included in this spread were taken with my iPhone.
I decided to play primarily with additional Week In The Life™ products I had on my table after completing my main album.
For my title card I used the "May Stories" card from the
May Stories By The Month™ kit + my rolling date stamp + a sticker from the sheet included with the Week In The Life™ Main Kit.
For all of the 4x6 photos I cut off the strip from the 4x6 journal cards from the Main Kit and added them on top of each photo. I saved the leftover pieces of the cards to use in another future project (I talk a little more about that in the video below). I also added a cork sticker from the Week In The Life™ Dimensional Adhesive Bundle.
On top of each of the photos in the middle row I added a circle chipboard from the Week In The Life™ Chipboard Bundle.
Here's a process overview with additional details about how this spread came together:
SUPPLIESProject Life® Design A Page Protectors May Stories By The Month™ ( join the Waiting List here ) Rolling Date Stamp Week In The Life™ Main Kit Week In The Life™ Dimensional Adhesive Bundle
You can see all my past Project Life® blog posts here. For more information about my overall process make sure to check out my self-paced Storytelling With Project Life® workshop.
May 22, 2018
Travel Collection Preview + Online Workshops
I'm excited to share with you a closer look at the new Travel Collection which will be available starting Wednesday, May 23rd at 9am PDT.
A few things to note:
Digital Travel Collection products will be available next Friday, June 1st. Shipping Special: Free shipping when you spend $50 in the Travel Collection category for domestic and $10 flat rate shipping for international when purchasing from the Travel Collection category. Use code TRAVELSHIP.Please read below about the two new workshops I'll be offering next month - both are travel related. As this is our first time offering a Travel Collection release we will be monitoring in case things sell out quicker than anticipated. Please use the "Notify Me" button on a specific product if something has sold out and you are interested in purchasing it as that helps us in our re-order decisions. If this goes well we hope to make this an annual travel release.
This new Travel Collection release includes a kit, album options, and a variety of shop items to help you tell the stories of your adventures.
Here's a look at what's included with the Travel Kit:
The Travel Kit comes in a large 6x8 string pouch with a fun geotag pattern - it's great for keeping it all together especially if you do any memory keeping while you are traveling and want to bring along some products. $29.99.
A 3-set Chipboard Bundle. $12.99.
A Dimensional Bundle that includes large cork circles, white acrylic travel icons, and plastic hand-drawn words. $11.99.
A Sticker Bundle that includes five different designs with two of each design. $9.99.
Three new stamp set options. The 4x6 stamps are $15.99 and the 3x4 stamp is $9.99.
A 3x4 Specialty Journal Card Set with gold foil phrases. $7.99.
A Story Card bundle that includes large circles and 2x3 gold foil cards that fit into one of the 3x8 page protector configurations. $6.99.
For this release we are offering two 3x8 album options ($19.99 each): a blue linen with a fun map on the inside and a patterned chipboard that features a travel icon pattern. I know not every travel adventure will fit into this size album, but some of them definitely will. This is a fun opportunity to play around with this size album if you have not done so before. In the Travel Product Play workshop I'll be sharing how I use one of the 3x8 albums to document one of my trips from the past few years. Our hope is to make this an annual release and will consider other album sizes in the future. If you are looking for a larger album we have included my 6x8 Story Books in with the shipping special for this release.
Here's a video overview of the new Travel Collection:
Along with this release we are opening registration for two brand new workshops and bringing back an old favorite.
Stories Of Travel is a three-week workshop focusing on universal ideas for telling the stories of your travels. My main goal with this workshop is to dive into the topic with you and take a closer look at different ways you can get the stories of your travels completed. Travel means different things for different people and the processes I'll share with you will take that into consideration. The three weeks of content will be broken down into the following categories: (1) before travel, (2) during travel, and (3) after travel. In addition I'll share video walkthroughs of all my completed travel projects along with a walkthrough of some of the ones I haven't completed with details about how I'm organizing them and making plans to "deal" with them. Join me for another in-depth story-centered workshop to grow your memory keeping skills.
Registration opens on Wednesday, May 23rd at 9am PDT and class will begin Tuesday, June 26th. $49.
Join me and four of my Creative Team members - Ingunn Markiewicz, Amy Gretchen, Lisa Varshine, and Pam Baldwin - as we each create a 3x8 travel album using products from the new Travel Collection. No matter whether your trip is near or far, from last week or many years ago, the new Travel Collection products can be used to help get your travel stories told. In this workshop focus will be on ideas for using the products included in the Main Travel Kit to document our adventures in a 3x8 album.
Registration opens on Wednesday, May 23rd at 9am PDT and class will begin Tuesday, June 26th. $20.
The "old favorite" workshop we are bringing back from the archives is Scrapbook On The Road. No new content has been added to this workshop but the general idea + process of putting together a minibook before you venture out on a trip is remains valuable. I will touch on this idea in the new Stories Of Travel workshop but it will not be as in-depth as I went in this original workshop. This is a self-paced, technique-based workshop that will walk you through the steps of creating a minibook to use to tell your stories while you are traveling. You will have immediate access to all the content as soon as you sign up.
This workshop includes a 45-minute presentation video plus 4 additional videos including a painting tutorial, creating fabric pattern pages, transparent pages with printable quotes, and a bringing it all together video.
Registration will open tomorrow morning Wednesday, May 23rd at 9am PDT and the content will be available at that time. $10.
Thanks so much for being a part of this storytelling community!
