Ali Edwards's Blog, page 149

March Updates

Hey Friends! Lots of things happening around here these days and I wanted to gather up a few of them to share with you here on the blog (in case you aren't following on my social media channels): 

SPRING DIGITAL SALE // We are in the middle of a Spring Digital Sale (30% off) that's happening now through 11:59pm ET on 3/9/18. No promo code required. Eligible items discounted as marked. Some exclusions may apply. Offer not valid on previous purchases. Offer subject to change. Check out our digital products here. STORY CAMP REGISTRATION // Registration for our October 2018 Story Camp will happen next Wednesday, March 14th at 10am PST. Full details on this event here. DECEMBER DAILY® PREP PARTY // Registration information on this event will be coming soon. STORY KIT™ RELEASE TIME CHANGE // Just a reminder that we are changing the time that the Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, Digital Story Kit™, and the Stories By The Month™ Kit are revealed in order to make sure that our entire team is available for any issues should they happen when the kits go live. The new time will be Noon EST/9am PST on the 13th of the month. This change will take place for the next theme of "Home."DAY IN THE LIFE™ // The next Day In The Life™ project will be happening next Thursday, March 15th. They physical kit has sold out but we do have a digital kit option available as well as some past physical kits. I hope to have another post up in the next couple of days talking about the project and my approach this time.MY FIRST VLOG // I shared my first vlog (video-blog) recently that showcased our business + fun trip to Palm Springs and Alt Summit. You can watch that on YouTube here.

As always, thank you for being part of this community!

For The Love Of Books | What I Read In February 2018

Super awesome month of books for me. I would totally recommend all the books I read this month - they were each so good. 

WHAT I READ IN 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.

This month I'm also trying something new with a video overview of what I read last month and what I am planning to read next month. In the future I hope to record myself right after I finish each book so I can capture my immediate reactions but this month I'm just talking about them all at once.

You can also view this video on my YouTube channel here. 

BOOK OF THE MONTH SELECTIONS FOR MARCH

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: 

The Astonishing Color Of After The Last Equation Of Isaac Severy

In addition to those two I'm also half-way through Fascinate: How To Make Your Brand Impossible To Resist as my non-fiction book (this was recommended by Erin at Floret Flowers). 

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.

You can see everything I read in 2017 here.

Project Life® 2018 | Week Six

Moving right along with Project Life® this year and continuing to find ways to make it work for me. 

One of the patterns I'm noticing for myself this year is that I'm using more photos - meaning more of the pockets include photos. In past years I've often used the middle row of 3x4 pockets mainly for journal cards. So far I seem to be filling more of those with photos. Of course there's no right or wrong, just more of an observation as I move through the year. 

Week six (February 5 - February 11) also includes two 6x8 page protector inserts to hold photo enlargements and a note from Anna.  

Here's a closer look: 

My design/story formula this week was 1/2 circles (the back sides of a circle set from a past Story Kit™ Add On) + a stamp "so very thankful for" from my This One Life Stamp Set. 

The large black letter A sticker is available here in grey and white (both are currently on sale). The large plastic 9 is from a past kit - I think one of the Week InThe Life™ kits. 

Photo enlargements were printed on my Canon Pixma MG7720. 

On the back of the first 6x8 insert is an enlarged photo from a hike with a label sticker on top. 

The "thank you" card is something Anna wrote up that she brought home from school. 

I love adding 6x8 inserts - so easy to add a few more stories or to add more to the overall story of the week. 

Journal cards this week are from the February Stories By The Month™ Kit. We are adding more subscriber slots each month and hope to have everyone off the waiting list soon. Joining the waiting list is your best opportunity to receive the next available kit. 

My title card this week was included with the Fabric Story Kit™. The "we are in this together" card is from the Bond Story Kit™. 

No process video for this week but I hope to be back with another one for my next spread. 

SUPPLIES
Project Life® Design A Page Protectors 6x8 Page Protector February Stories By The Month™ (join our Waiting List here) Fabric Story Kit™Surprise Story Kit™ Chipboard This One Life Stamp Set Tiny Attacher Stapler Rolling Date Stamp StazOn InkCanon Pixma MG7720AED Slickwriter Pen

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. 

Project Life® 2018 | Week Five

Today I'm sharing a look at Week 5 in my 2018 Project Life® album.

For the first time in awhile I'm adding inserts to my spread to accommodate more photos and stories. 

Here are a few different looks at the spread + inserts for this week: 

I am still, and likely will always be, in love with photo enlargements. I use my Epson SureColor P400 printer to print enlargements that are bigger than 8.5x11. This 6x12 image was printed on 13x19 photo paper and then I cut it out. 

6x12 page protectors can be found here. On the outside of the page protector I added a circle sticker to both sides (these ones are from a past One Little Word® release). Love the idea of creating tabs simply be adhering two stickers back to back. The "this" rubber word is a past Story Kit™ Add On and the "love you" circle chipboard is from the February Stories By The Month™ kit. 

On the back of the 6x12 photo I printed another 6x12 photo and added a few more embellishments to the outside of the page protector and stapled them in place. 

The second insert is a 6x8 page protector that is holding additional photos, journaling and cards to tell the story of our concert adventure. 

Along the edge of the 6x8 page protector I added a tab sticker from the summer release - another fun way to easily turn the pages. 

Card and chipboard from the Time Story Kit™. 

This week I had lots of photos and used just a few pockets for journaling cards. I added words directly to my photos as well as on top of banners that were an Add On to the Best Story Kit™. 

Quote card is from the February Stories By The Month™ kit. 

Here's a process video for Week Five: 

Thanks for being part of this community!

SUPPLIES
Project Life® Design A Page ProtectorsEpson SureColor P400 Printer (oversized printer) 6x12 Page Protector (available via BeckyHiggins.com) 6x8 Page Protector February Stories By The Month™ (join our Waiting List here) Best Story Kit™ Add On Banners Time Story Kit™ Changes Story Kit™ (Good Things Are Going To Happen card) Tiny Attacher Stapler Rolling Date Stamp StazOn Ink

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. 

Start With Story | Introducing Story Planner

One of the questions I get asked often is how do I keep track of my story ideas and where do I start when documenting my stories? 

For years I've used a bunch of different things - from sticky notes to Word documents to Evernote to random pieces of paper to thinking I'll remember it later. As we were brainstorming product offerings at one of our past meetings we started talking about concrete ways to track the stories I want to tell. 

At some point in your life, you’ve probably had someone advise you to “write it down or else you’ll forget it.” The same can be said for all the pieces that go into our storytelling: the quotes, the dates, the locations, the pictures, or maybe just the start of a story idea for which you want to begin collecting details. Sitting down to work on memory-keeping projects can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t have the big picture in mind. Perhaps you regularly find yourself saying, “I don’t even know where to start”. 

For me, it starts with the story. And the Story Planner system was designed to help.

The Story Planner system foundation is a binder specifically designed to help organize your story and project ideas. I wanted something that could sit on my desk/work table (or next to my computer) that I could easily grab and jot down story ideas as they come to me and have them be organized and safe in one place. These 7.25 x 9” binders with a 1.5” spine. We have two color options: a black with white polka dots or a cream linen. 

After selecting a binder, check out the products I created to help you collect and organize your ideas including tabbed transparent dividers (pack of 10), story idea and project plan notepads, and other embellishments. With the tabbed dividers you might choose to have a section for each family member you tell stories about (that's how I'm organizing mine along with sections for "everyone") or maybe you'll devote sections for a few upcoming themes for your Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, or Stories By The Month™ subscription. Whatever makes most sense for your documenting is the way to adapt the system for you.

We are excited to launch this collection with an assortment of new products that we hope you’ll find functional and meaningful.  

Here's a closer look at my brand new set of products to help you collect, plan and store your memory keeping story and project ideas:

And here's a Facebook Live video we did yesterday on my Ali Edwards Design Inc page: 

I am really excited to share this new collection with you and to begin using it as a community. This is just the beginning. Our hope is that we will be able to add additional products to our Story Planner offerings as we get a sense of what's working and what might be needed to help all of us collect, store and plan our stories. 

Also, in case we run into an issue where things sell out quicker than anticipated (which is a challenge since this is something new and different) we will be reordering these products based on demand. If something has sold out please click the NOTIFY ME button which will help us gauge ordering again. 

SHIPPING SPECIAL

Domestic: Spend $60+ in the Story Planner category, and get free shipping with promo code GETSTARTED
International: Spend $60+ in the Story Planner category, and get $10 International flat rate with promo code GETSTARTED2

Questions? Let me know in the comments below. As always, thank you for being part of this vibrant, passionate community of memory keepers.

Project Life® 2018 | Week Four

Hi Friends! Today I'm sharing a closer look at my Project Life® 2018 | Week Four. Let's dive in with an image of the full spread: 

This week I'm using the One Little Word® Label Sticker Bundle + the Day Of The Week Roller Stamp + two colors from my Fall Mini Ink Bundle + a rolling date stamp + chipboard hearts (a past Add On) as the unifying elements for my spread. 

One of the things I mention in the video below is that I approach my weeks from an "overview" standpoint. With all the people in my house in this season of my life there is always a story to tell and often times more than I could or want to fit into a weekly spread. My goal with my spreads is to include "bits" of life right now - sometimes that includes everyone, someones it's specific to one or more kids, sometimes it's me and Aaron, and sometimes it's just me. All these stories are told from my personal perspective - the things I see, feel, overhear, and witness as I go about my life. 

Over this past year I've started having 6x8 albums for each of the kids as a place to hold stories that celebrate and document them individually. I share many of those pages in the Story Subscription Classroom. 

This week I decided to place the label stickers in the same place on each of my photos. Sometimes when I use a repeated journaling card or embellishment I'll vary the placement on my photos but this week I decided to have them all in the same place (center bottom). 

For this week's title card I used one of the quote cards from the One Little Word® Inspirational Journal Card Set. To hold the date I added a gold foil label sticker from the December Daily® Label Sticker Sheet Bundle (includes gold and silver foil). 

On top of this photo of Jamba Juice lids I added an embellishment from the Summer Embellishment Variety Pack. 

What do you have in your stash that can repeated throughout your spread this week? Remember you don't have to reinvent the wheel every single week with your spreads - I find so much ease and peace in picking just a couple things to use throughout the spread. 

Here's a step by step process video for Week Four: 

SUPPLIES
Project Life® Design A Page Protectors One Little Word® Label Sticker Bundle Day Of The Week Roller StampOne Little Word® Inspirational Journal Card Set (black with gold foil)December Daily® Gold + Silver Foil LabelsFebruary Stories By The Month™ Journal CardsSummer Embellishment Variety PackSummer Sticker Variety Pack Tiny Attacher Stapler Rolling Date Stamp StazOn InkUniball Vision Elite PenFall Mini Ink 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. 

Fabric Story Kit™ + March Stories By The Month™

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

Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme: 

I’ve always loved the sentiment behind the phrase “the fabric of our lives” - that idea that our lives are a patchwork of moments and memories. This month we are using the word fabric as a jumping off point to investigate the ways the stories of our lives have been woven together over the years.

Initial story ideas for the Fabric theme include: 

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing or other fabric scrap that is super meaningful to you? Tell that story. Think about the different "story threads" in your life right now (we all have multiple storylines happening at any one time) and document them. Tell a story of the different threads of your life being woven together and intersecting.

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 Fabric:

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 Fabric
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 Kit™ + Story Stamp™ | Fabric Kit Overview from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

STORY STAMP™

The Fabric
Stamp Set:

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

We are super excited to introduce a new circle stamp block as an add-on option for Story Stamp™ subscribers this month: 

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 Fabric:

Digital Story Kit™ subscribers also have two 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. 

STORIES BY THE MONTH™

Last December I introduced a brand new subscription called Stories By The Month™. 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. 

Here is a full look at the kit: 

This month we were able to activate the vast majority of people off the waiting list. The response to this kit has been far beyond our initial estimates and we are increasing quantities each month. Stories By The Month™ is currently on a Waiting List. Sign up on the Waiting List to be able to receive the first available kit. 

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. 

AE Creative Team | Change Digital Story Kit™

Happy Monday!

We're so happy to share the projects created by our awesome Creative Team using the Chang 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! 

Ingunn Markiewicz

Jess Forster

Amy Gretchen 

Kelly Ishmael

Laureen Wagener

Laura Wonsik

Melanie Blackburn

Pam Baldwin

Jenny Theriault

Lisa Varshine

Brandi Kincaid

Theresa Doan 

Jen Carlson 

Jen Schow

Loredana Bucaria

Hope you all have a great week! 

Project Life® 2018 | Week Three

Welcome to 
Project Life® 2018 | Week Three. 

This week I decided to play around with big handwriting on most of my photos using a white POSCA pen. You can read a white pen review post I wrote last year here. 

Here's a closer look at Week Three: 

My current Project Life® documenting rhythm seems to be picking out a couple products and then using them repeatedly throughout my spread. This week it's handwriting on photos (going bigger than usual) + a white puffy star (an Add On item from the Best Story Kit™). This continues to be one of my favorite ways to use up my products vs. hoarding them or saving them for the "perfect" project. 

Along with handwriting on most of my photos I added a few other journal cards to tell the story of my week. 

"Note To Self" is from the 3x4 Paper Pad available here. Ready, Set, Go and the Write It On Your Heart cards are both from the January Stories By The Month™ kit. 

I cut up some more of the Changes Story Stamp™ Story Card Add Ons again for my title card (I used those a bunch in Week 02). Party On was part of the January Stories By The Month™ kit.

On some of my photos that were much lighter in color I used a Staedtler Lumocolor Pen. It was also a nice "sub-head" to go along with some of the bigger white words. 

When I'm writing directly on my photos I'm always looking for space to fit my words "into" my photos. It's a fun graphic way to mix things up. 

Here's a process video for Week Three: 

SUPPLIES

Project Life® Design A Page Protectors
POSCA White Pen
Best Story Kit™
January Stories By The Month™ (Write it on your heart + Ready, Set, Go + Party On cards)
White Puffy Stars // Best Story Kit™ Add On Item
Note To Self 3x4 Paper Pad
Changes Story Stamp™ Digital Add On: Story Cards
Staedtler Lumocolor Pen
Tiny Attacher Stapler
Rolling Date Stamp
StazOn Ink

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. 

New Day In The Life™ Kit Now Available + Documenting Day Scheduled

This year I'm planning to do two Day In The Life™ documentation days with the first one scheduled to happen on Thursday, March 15th, 2018. 

New to the Day In The Life™ concept? The premise is simple: pick one day in your ordinary life to capture and document (usually via words + photos) the evolution of your day. Where do you go and what do you eat and who do you see and what do you do? Essentially, what makes up your life right now? 

To help you in the process of documenting your day we've got a new mini-kit available. Here's a look: 

This kit includes 8, 6x4 journal cards, 12, 3x4 journal cards, a die-cut pack, plastic circles, and a set of hourly circle stickers. 

For this day of documentation I'll be using the 3x4 journal cards as the jumping off point/story sparks for the stories I'm going to capture on that day. 

A digital version of this kit will be available in early March. 

As I did last year, I'll be adding my stories to my Project Life® album - that's been working really well for me the last few years. 

Here's a video overview of the products included with this kit: 

Check out all my past posts and projects for Day In The Life™ here. 

I'm looking forward to telling this story with you next month!