Ali Edwards's Blog, page 159
August 25, 2017
AE Creative Team | August Digital Release
Happy Friday!
Today we are sharing projects our Creative Team made using the August Digital Release. You can read more about how we've changed up how we are releasing digital products this year here.
Be sure to check out our
Creative Team Gallery where you can go to see how the team is crafting their stories using my products - including additional images from the projects we are sharing below.
August 23, 2017
Day In The Life™ | August 2017 Completed Project
Last weekend on Saturday I did my second Day In The Life™ documenting day for 2017. You can browse past Day In The Life™ projects here.
The lens through which I decided to tell my story this time was using -ing word cards from the Day In The Life™ Summer Journal Cards (a digital version is available here). The last few times I've used the lens of each hour of the day as a foundation/formula for my storytelling so I liked mixing it up a bit. This is a super manageable project and such a fun way to capture what a day looks like at any given point in time.
Here's a look at how it all turned out this time:
For this project I ended up using three 6x8 page protectors (this will go into my Project Life® album):
6x8 Page Protector 4A (three pockets)6x8 Page Protector 3A (two pockets)6x8 Page Protector 5A (12, 2x2 pockets)When I first started on this project I anticipated using the cards for journaling but then decided to add photos to the cards instead and include one journaling card that incorporated a bunch of the details of the day. I love that sometimes it can be more the photos that are telling the stories. I printed my photos sized to 3x4 and then cropped them based on the space available on the cards. I used my sewing machine to stitch the photos onto the cards before slipping them into the pockets.
I also added a tab sticker from my Summer Release to a bunch of the photos.
In between the two main page protectors I included one of the 5A Page Protectors that I cut down to just one strip of pockets. Inside those pockets I added pieces from the Day In The Life™ Summer Die Cut Pack. It was a cool way to incorporate a few more "playful" embellishments vs. adding them directly to my photos.
Because the backs of the die cuts were blank I used this stamp set to stamp "saturdays" using StazOn on the other side. I also added a chipboard piece from the Summer Chipboard Shape Variety Pack.
You might also notice that I added Avery Index Tabs (back in stock) along the edges of each of my page protectors. Inside on the tabs I used either the Day Of The Week Roller Stamp or the Phrases Roller Stamp. Love how universal those stamps can be for all kinds of projects.
On the back I included the other -ing words plus a marketing card from the race Aaron and I did on Saturday afternoon.
Here's a look at the front and back of each of the page protectors laid out on my table:
And here's a look at how I'm going to add this to my Project Life® album - it will be an insert for last week once I get the rest of the week recorded:
I totally loved this simple approach. It's nice to have different ways to tackle the same project. I'll be doing Day In The Life™ one more time this year - most likely in November. Details to come as it gets closer.
August 22, 2017
New Lifestyle Collection Now Available
Today I'm excited to announce that a few lifestyle products have been added to my shop.
My hope with these products is that they act as a reminder, a motivator, and as inspiration for you to live wholeheartedly, authentically, and to get your stories told in whatever form makes the most sense to you.
You can see the full set of new products here.
First up is the flat bottom tote bag shown in the top image using one of my favorite sayings, "our story is imperfect and awesome." Because it is.
Next up is a "progress not perfection" tank. I'm wearing a large but could have probably worn a medium as well (I generally wear size 8 or medium).
I wore this to Barre3 last week and was so excited.
Next up is an "I am a storyteller" mug.
We also have a "let the beauty we love be what we do" scoop neck t-shirt. I'm wearing a Large in this shirt and it runs big - a medium would have fit me better.
A few months ago Katie and I were sitting here talking about an awesome video we had both seen on Instagram from Ian Barnard that talked about how "it's not the pen it's the practice." We both loved that concept so much that we translated it into a phrase that fits our overall memory keeping philosophy: it's not about the stuff, it's about the story. Such a great in-our-face reminder. The products are designed to support the stories. We are also offering a "stories matter" pouch.
Please note that the pouch does not include the products but if you are interested they are all part of my Summer Shop Release .
Last up is a Stories Matter t-shirt. This one definitely runs small. I'm wearing a XXL.
As always, thank you so much for the support and encouragement and for being a part of this community!
August 14, 2017
Checking Out Prescription Sunglasses With David Kind
A
couple years ago I partnered with a new eye wear company David Kind to test out their online prescription glasses process.
I've become a big fan of their glasses, their professionalism, their service and their high quality and was excited when they reached out to me about trying out some of their prescription sunglasses.
I've never actually had prescription sunglasses before - just regular ones. I can see okay during the day without my glasses on and a pair of regular sunglasses but as I get older it makes way more sense for me to protect my eyes and see clearly at the same time. I am super thankful for the opportunity to share this experience with you.
So we did what we did last time and took photos of me wearing each pair and are inviting you to weigh in on your favorite. .
With their home try-on service they will send you 6 frames to test out and you are able to consult with an optician who can answer questions on style, fit, insurance, lenses, etc. You can read more about their comprehensive process here.
Here's a run-down of the prescription sunglasses I tested out - including some of their custom clip options that go over some of my favorite frames:
Baldwin in Horizon Sun
Richmond in Citrine Quartz with a shiny gold wire + flash custom clip
Richmond in Tokyo Tortoise
Otto in Red Havana with a matte gold wire + natural ray custom clip
Otto in Dusk Sun
Clover in Matte Pine
A couple other things to mention to you guys: I tried a different online eyewear company last year and found their service to definitely not be the same level as David Kind. I ended up having to take the new glasses to a local shop to have them fit correctly and even then the fit wasn't as good as I'd gotten from David Kind. With David Kind my glasses came with a much better fit right out of the box based on the information they collect when you are ordering the frames.
Also, David Kind offers a trade-in program which donates your used prescription glasses to New Eyes For The Needy and gives you $50 off your new purchase with the code NEWEYES.
I've got a favorite, Katie's got a favorite, Aaron's got a favorite. I'd love to hear what you think!
August 13, 2017
Story Kit™ & Story Stamp™ | Details
Hey friends!
In the Story Classroom this month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Details.
A few months ago we changed up our kit pages and each subscription now has it's own shop page that you can check out here:
Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, and Digital Story Kit™ (there are links to each one at the bottom of each page). As a subscriber you also have kit pages for each of your subscriptions located under your User Name in the top right corner of the page (this is where you go to select any Add-On purchases to be shipped with your box between now and June 14th at 11:59PM Eastern).
Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme:
Every single day we live through one detail after another - some silly, some serious, some big, some small, some seeped with meaning and others potentially insignificant. Combined together theses details create the tapestry of our lives. This month we are looking closer at the details of our stories - focusing on including more in the stories we choose to tell.
Initial story ideas for the Details theme include:
For the next story you tell, use the framework who, what, where, when and why to include more details. Pick one day from your week and record some of the nitty-gritty details that would normally pass you by. Pick one story/object/person special to you and go deeper, including more of the actual details vs. an overview.ADD-ON OPTION FOR SUBSCRIBERS
A couple months ago we introduced a new option for subscribers to purchase from a limited selection of Add-On products and have those shipped with your monthly subscription. Between the 13th at 12:00am Eastern and the 14th at 12:59pm Eastern, subscribers can add these products to their boxes at no additional shipping cost - based on availability. Check out our
2017 Subscription Update page here for more details. 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.
If you are a current Subscriber you 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.
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 just as in the past.
Here's a look at
the
Story Kit™ contents for Details:
Here are the optional Add-Ons for subscribers of the Details Story Kit™ theme. Two of these products are exclusive to subscribers at this time (but may be added to the shop in the future) and the other is from the shop. Some months we will have only new theme-based products as part of the Add-On selection and other months we might include a staple item from the shop.
Here's a video overview of the
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:
STORY STAMP™
The
Details Story Stamp™:
The
Story Stamp™ also hss Add-On options available to subscribers:
Here's a video overview of the
Story Stamp™ and Add-On options this month:
There is also a Digital Story Kit™ subscription available that includes access to the classroom content.
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 for Lost + Found (which also shows all the designs for the journal cards included in the printed version of the kit):
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.
August 11, 2017
AE Creative Team | Lost & Found Digital Story Kit™
Happy Friday!
Today we're sharing the projects created by our awesome Creative Team using the Lost & Found Digital Story Kit™.
Tomorrow is the last day left to start a subscription to receive this current theme. The Story Kit™ is currently on a waiting list but the Story Stamp™ and Digital Story Kit™ are available and both include the classroom content. Be sure to check out our Creative Team Gallery where you can go to see how the team crafted their stories using AE products - including additional images from the projects we are sharing below.
Hope you have a great weekend!
August 4, 2017
August 2017 Digital Release
Happy August!
In January we announced that we are switching things up a bit with our digital products and will be releasing
one main themed digital kit at the beginning of each month. These are similar to the
Digital Story Kits™ in terms of the products included in the package. They will have journal cards, digital chipboard shapes, a stamp set, quote card, and sometimes other elements that will change from month to month.
We also will be changing our release dates up a bit due to some logistical reasons, and will now be releasing new products on the 1st Friday of each month.
We are absolutely still continuing to offer our Story Kit™ subscription that includes options for a physical kit, a physical stamp set, and a digital kit. This digital kit has nothing to do with the subscription program and is simply a change to the way we are adding projects to our digital shop.
This month's digital kit theme is all about celebrating your stories. All of the different types of them. This digital kit package includes 12 journal cards, a quote card (in both horizontal + vertical orientations), a "stamp" set, and a set of digital chipboard pieces/shapes. Like this style of kit? Make sure to check out our past monthly digital kits which are still available for purchase here.
August 2017 Digital KitDigital Day In The Life™ Summer Kit (From our Summer Product Release)
Digital Travel Journal Cards (from our Summer Product Release)
Fun Digital Story Stamp™
Hope you have a great weekend!
August 1, 2017
For The Love Of Books | July 2017
I slowed down a bit on my reading last month compared with the quantity I've read during the earlier months of this year. For many people summer equals read "all the books" and for others it might be even harder to get books read when the weather is awesome (and it's light outside past 9pm around here) and you are out and about more than usual. In my case my new wellness passion is keeping me busy during my "leisure time" at the moment and I'm sure it will ebb and flow.
It's all good.
This post is part of my monthly series "For The Love Of Books" where I track and share what I've been reading in 2017. I'm also trying to do that on Goodreads as well if you are already into that platform. My hope is to post on or near the first of each month to share what I ended up reading last month and then share what books I'm selecting from Book Of The Month (BOTM) for the next month.
Please Note // This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
Today is August 1 and that means it's time for current
BOTM subscribers to choose books from this month's selections.
For August's
Book Of The Month I chose two books:
The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh // Started reading this one the other day and am totally intrigued by the concept of the story.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne // This is a big book that I'm looking forward to diving into later this month.
Sometimes people ask how I have my books already when most people are just choosing? I initially received a gift subscription from Katie for Christmas and started posting about it on Instagram because I was so in love with the idea of getting a book in the mail each month. After that I was contacted by their media team and invited to be part of their Ambassador program where they give me the chance to see the books in advance and they send them to me in exchange for a post when the new books become available each month.
AUGUST BOTM PROMOTION // Try your first month for just $9.99.
Just a heads up that BOTM is making some changes to their subscription program for new members. If you sign up in August you will be signing up for a membership that renews monthly. With that membership you'll receive:
A book of your choice for $14.99 (click here for the promo to try your first month for $9.99) Add extra books to your shipment for $9.99 eachSkip any month you wantFree shipping, alwaysIN PROGRESS
Currently Reading:
All The Ugly And Wonderful Things // Started this one on my Kindle and then got distracted because I think I started too many at once.
The Power Of Meaning: Crafting A Life That Matters // Savoring this one slowly.
Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road To Self-Love And Miracles // Reading this as part of an online workshop I'm currently taking.
Started But Haven't Finished // Sometimes I start a book and get part way through and set it down for one reason or another - lately it's been that I've been more excited to read something else:
Secret Garden // I think I have about 1/4 left of this one.
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind The Frantic For A Simpler, More Soulful Way Of Living // Reading this one slowly when I feel like I want/need to read the words.
Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood (Kindle) // Loving this one and picking it up here and there between other books.
At Home In The World: Reflections On Belonging While Wandering The Globe // A new book from Tsh Oxenreider who runs the site The Art of Simple. This one is a memoir about her family's nine-month traveling adventures. READ IN 2017
NOTE:
(BOTM) means the book came from the Book Of the Month Club.
JANUARY
You Will Know Me (BOTM) // First book from BOTM. Read it in a day and a half (suspense). Enjoyed.
Lucky You (BOTM) // I remember liking this one as I was reading it but to be honest I can barely remember it now. This is why I'm trying to remember to post some short thoughts on Instagram when I finish each one.
FEBRUARY
Behind Her Eyes (BOTM) // Suspense. Crazy twist. Enjoyed.
Perfect Little World (BOTM) // Vacation read. Liked the change of pace on this one (had been reading more suspense). This one was a sweet little story with topics of motherhood and family and tribes of people and how things change.
What Alice Forgot (Kindle) // Vacation read. Totally enjoyed this story and imagining what it would be like to experience memory loss in this way. Not suspense.
MARCH
The Twilight Wife // Aaron picked this one out at Target to read while we were on vacation and I read it when he was done. I thought this one was okay - probably had something to do with the fact that I read What Alice Forgot right before this one and they both deal with memory loss (this one is more suspense).
The Stranger In The Woods (BOTM) // Non-fiction. This true story about a man living in the woods of Maine for almost 30 years read like a long-form magazine article. I enjoyed the break from the fiction I've been reading.
Exit West (BOTM) // This one was a lot different from what I've been reading and I appreciated it for that. Different kind of narrator (omniscient) and subject matter (refugees). Glad I read it.
Marlena (BOTM) // Gave this one three stars on Goodreads. I'm going to go with "like" but not "love" on this one. I kinda think, after finishing it, that it might be one that will pop up in my mind as I go about my days (so maybe it should get a better review). I enjoyed the story and she used a few writing techniques that I really liked. Sometimes it felt slow and I just wanted her to get on with the story :).
Pachinko (BOTM) // Seriously loved this one and am super glad I picked it up again after putting it down before our Mexico trip. Epic generational tale of Koreans living in Japan (really loved learning more about that).
APRIL
Good As Gone (Kindle) // Definitely stayed interested and engaged with the story and wanted to know what was going to happen. As others have mentioned, the beginning felt stronger than the end. Felt like the author had a unique voice. Glad I read it. Three stars.
American War (BOTM) // This book took me longer to read than others recently and sometimes I would forget that it was a future US civil war vs. the past civil war and I wondered more than once where in the world the story was actually heading (and was it actually heading anywhere)? There were days where I felt like I was making myself read it - which I don't always don - but for some reason I wanted to keep reading. There was a certain point in this book, probably more than halfway through the story, where I realized that this was an exceptional book. I finished it today and I think it's one of the best books I've read in awhile. I found the author to be an extremely sophisticated writer/storyteller who was very purposeful and deliberate with his prose - I can't remember the last time I really felt that way about the words I was reading on the page.
Into The Water (BOTM) // A super fast, page-turning read for me. At first I felt like it was hard to keep up with all the different narrators but as I got more into it I was able to keep all the characters straight (it was one of those where I needed to keep flipping back and forth to remember who was who). Definitely enjoyed for a quick read!
MAY
Since We Fell (BOTM) // Totally enjoyed this one. Kept my interest with it's twists and definitely wanted to know what was going to happen in the end. As you might tell from most of my reviews, I'm not a super critical reader. If I like it, I like it and I liked this one.
Woman No. 17 (BOTM) // This one was a just-okay for me where I definitely felt like I was making myself finish it.
Small Great Things (Kindle) // So, so good. Hard and thought-provoking and worth it. Definitely my favorite of the month.
The Butterfly Hours: Transforming Memories Into Memoir //Picked this one up randomly at a bookstore. I'm always attracted to books about memoir writing (totally in alignment with my memory keeping endeavors) and this one really filled me up these last few weeks as I was working on some new classroom content. Patty Dann also loves to use one word jumping off points to pull stories from our memories/prompt us to tell more (similar to my 31 Things and 31 More Things workshops) so I loved checking out her writing style and reading her stories. I loved how her writing is fact based but conveys so much meaning and feeling just via the ways she chooses to construct her sentences. Quick and easy read.
JUNE
The Sisters Chase (BOTM) // Loved the story and the characters.
Chemistry (BOTM) // I really enjoyed the totally different writing style - basically it's written in snippets of thoughts/memories/etc. Being introduced to different writing styles is definitely one of the things I'm loving from reading so many books right now. I really liked the micro-story approach (a lot like what we do with memory keeping) and I also really liked the weaving of science/chemistry in with the lessons of life and love and moving forward. Super quick read.
This Is How It Always Is // Jessica Turner told me I had to read this one next so it jumped to the top of my list after I finished Chemistry. This book was amazing. Basically I feel a whole lot of love for this story. For the characters, for the message of acceptance and inclusion, for the nuances of the middle-path. Highly recommended.
JULY
Final Girls (BOTM) // Great quick mystery. Totally waned to know what happened in the end.AUGUST
The Blinds (BOTM) // Started reading this one the other day and am totally intrigued by the concept of the story. Hoping to dive into it more this week.
July 28, 2017
Project Life® 2017 | Week Twenty-Two
This week in Project Life® I focused on the story of our first Story Camp event. You can read the main journaling I included in my blog post here.
To tell the story of that special event + some of the getting ready for it I used some of the products from my new Summer Release.
Here's a look at my Week 22:
For a week like this one when I knew I was going to fill a majority of my pockets with photos I often include an insert for my words. This time I went with a 6x8 sized insert and used one of these page protectors.
My journaling is copied and pasted from my blog post (I was able to write it closer to the event and then include it in my album when I was ready to tackle that specific point in time). "Details" from my Day Of The Week Roller Stamp is stamped onto a piece of paper and slipped inside and Avery Index Tab (back in stock).
The "I want to remember" chipboard piece is from the new Chipboard Bundle:
And here's a look at the spread and the back of the insert:
I so love that the 6x8 sized page protectors can fit right into my 12x12 albums.
The stickers I used in this spread include stickers from the Summer Sticker Variety Pack (label stickers, tab stickers, etc). The "start where you are" card is included in the Brave New Day Journal Card Set.
My title card was the marketing card from the Fun Story Kit™.
On the right side of the spread I mainly included photos from the day and the day after. I also included positive messages to myself as we went into the event (all kinds of nerves and excitement).
Love those cards from the Brave New Day Journal Card Set. Those sets includes two of each card so you can use all the designs.
Here's a look at all the cards included in that set:
Project Life Design A Page Protectors
Project 52 Fresh Core Kit (anything with rounded corners - often title cards)
Past Story Kits™
Rolling Date Stamp
12x12 Project Life® / Heidi Swapp / Black & White Album
Week By Week Word Art
Gratitude 3x4 Notepad
AED Precision 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.
July 24, 2017
Lane County Fair 2017
Last Thursday night we headed out to our local county fair and had the best time.
Our tribe tonight included me and Aaron and all the kids and the kids Mom, Erin. We were there for about 5 hours starting at 4pm - I love being there into the evening during those twilight hours when all the lights start coming on around the fair.
If you'd like to take a little trip down memory lane you can check out my blog post from our trip to the fair back in 2012 (the first year I took them on my own), 2011, and 2009.
Here's a look at our adventure via the lens of my camera:
I think this is pretty much how we were all feeling at the beginning. This was actually one of our best trips to the fair - no meltdowns, excited and happy kids and adults. Pretty darn good.
It's been so fun to watch these guys all growing up.
Simon had this face almost all the time on all the rides. These three were totally into it.
Loved having Erin with us - it was awesome to have another adult to divide and conquer with the girls/boys as they wanted to often do different things. She was also totally into going on all the rides - me, not so much (just does not feel good on my body any more).
That face. Ha. You'll see it again. I love this photo partly because all the kids are included - Audrey in the corner, Anna with her hat, Elliott on the ride behind Simon and Isaac.
The girls (age 8) also had a really awesome time on so many of the rides.
One of my favorite shots. Simon sitting on the bench watchman the boys on a ride.
Resting in the shade for a few minutes before we got dinner.
And seriously, these kids are really very funny.
Simon's main objective was to do another one of these photos this year. He and Anna did one last year and he was super patient and then everyone was on board. He's totally into all kinds of crazy faces these days.
This was the one shot when I went through all the ones I took where I said "yes" out loud.
I played around a bit with changing to manual focus on my lens to get some bokeh shots of the lights and ferris wheel. Love doing this with the Christmas tree and might as well do it with the fair.
Last ride was a trip down the super slide. So fun.
