Ali Edwards's Blog, page 200

Day In The Life™ | Tuesday, May 12th

Elise asked me when I was going to do a Day In The Life™ again so we're doing it. 

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 12th. 

There's no cost to join in the fun. All you need is a willingness to document a single day in your life from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. Most people do it with a combination of words and photos and a few other fun products added to the mix. The photos that come from this project tend to be some of my favorites. I'm looking forward to doing it again. 

Here's a video we put together about Day In The Life™ last summer for the launch of my new site that might get you excited about documenting your own regular, ordinary everyday: 

Check out more information on my Day In The Life™ project page. You can also see all my past Day In The Life™ posts from my archives. 

39 Little Things I'm Thankful For Right Now

I was re-reading my Gratitude In The Middle Of The Mess post this morning and figured a public list of things I'm thankful for right now would be a pretty good idea. 

I'm not currently smack dab in the middle of a mess (something to give thanks for right there), but I've been there many times with work, kids ups and downs, divorce, autism, anxiety, new relationships, emotional stuff (why does it all have to happen at the same time), personal expectations, etc. It's nothing different than many of you are facing or have faced and man it can be so hard to see straight when it feels like it's all crashing down around you. And when you're in the middle of the mess sometimes finding something to be thankful for can help change your thought patterns. 

Today I'm sharing 39 little things I'm thankful for simply because I'll be turning 40 later this year and it seems like the perfect number right now. My list includes a random assortment of things I just like or buy or consume or people or memories - really anything that came to mind as I've been brainstorming for the last week or so: 

I'm thankful for honest conversations with true friends who get me and listen to my crazy. I'm thankful for spicy hot V8 warmed up in the microwave.I'm thankful for Haribo gummy bears. I'm thankful for popcorn & cheese & apples for dinner.I'm thankful for Trader Joe's flower prices & selection. I'm thankful for my Kindle. Our relationship has been good. Still lots of paper books on my nightstand, but I'm loving the Kindle option. I'm thankful for the way Anna says "I love you" a lot. I'm thankful for lemons. One of my favorite scents as well. I'm thankful for allergy medication - especially this time of the year. I'm thankful for Simon's love of adventures. I'm thankful for people who call me on my crap. I look at it as a path to growth - each time it gives me a new chance to choose a different response the next time. I'm thankful for Spotify playlists. Right now I'm listening to one called Relax & Unwind. I'm thankful for hot baths.I'm thankful for people who share their stories honestly and with open hearts, even when it's hard. I'm thankful for wisteria, lilac, hydrangea, peonies and dahlias - all my favorite things that grow in my yard. I'm thankful for Pureology shampoo and conditioner. I'm thankful for all my white dishes. Some from Crate & Barrel and some from JCPenny and some from Target and some from thrift stores. I'm thankful that my kids like to read. Simon's needing some prompting right now to get him to pick up a book, but I get how that goes and know he'll find another one soon that interests and excites him. I'm thankful for the seamless tunic length Mossimo tank tops from Target.I'm thankful that I get to work from home. It's not perfect but I'm super thankful for the opportunity. I'm thankful for great stories like All The Light We Cannot See (the last book I read on my Kindle).I'm thankful for pizza parlor pizza. I'm thankful for friends I've known for 20+ years who remember all the crazy old stories and still love to laugh about them as much as I do. I'm thankful for the opportunity to try to figure some stuff out and whole-heartedly accept the rest. I'm thankful that my parents live at the beach and that they are just rad people in general. I'm thankful for time to clean up my office. I'm thankful for fireplaces. I'm thankful for weekend soccer games where I get to watch Anna express the mighty competitive side of herself. I'm thankful for post it notes. I'm thankful for Uniball Vision Elite pens which continue to be my favorite everyday life pens. I'm thankful for getting to start over again each day. I'm thankful for Netflix, because really, it's awesome. I'm thankful for white towels. I'm thankful for deep breaths.I'm thankful for airplanes that take me to new places. I'm thankful for Anna's school and Simon's teachers. I'm thankful for the chance to sit on the couch and watch movies with my kids. I'm thankful for random texts from far-away (and near) friends saying hi and I'm thinking about you. i'm thankful for the chance to be alive. To live this life, even with all the ups and downs. This world is insanely amazing and there is always, always, always something to be thankful for every single day. 

When was the last time you made a list of all the little (and/or big) things you are thankful for in your life right now? 

Have a wonderful week. 

Give Sunday | 16

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

I found this quote from Cheryl Strayed (author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar) this week on Erin's Design For Mankind blog within a post titled: Hair, Today. That post is definitely worth a read today - lovely perspective. Love the idea of contemplating what things we are hanging on to that are no longer needed - physically, emotionally, spiritually. 

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives. 

Click here to download the #givesunday 16 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file. 

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday. 

Supply Replenishment No.03

When I started getting ready to make a bunch of new layouts for Type I put in an order at 
Scrapbook.com for a few new things. 

Here's a look at what I spent my money on this time (more vellum please and thank you): 

AE Supply Replenishment 03 from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

Here's a list of products from my order at Scrapbook.com:

Crate Paper - Confetti Collection - Cardstock Stickers - Tiny Phrases
Hero Arts Wood Stamp - Old Letter Writing
Hero Arts Wood Stamp - My Checklist
Project Life Photo Fuse Sleeve 3x4 (edited 4/21 - got a message that the Photo Fuse Tool was now available as well)
Project Life Photo Fuse Sleeve 4x6
Elle's Studio Happy Moments Vellum
Pink Paislee Atlas Cork Stickers
Pink Paislee Atlas Travel Tags
Project Life Embossing Folders Inspire Edition
Crate Paper Black Foam Thickers Adorn
Amy Tangerine Rise And Shine // Lana Pattern Paper
Websters Pages Gold Stars Vellum
Crate Paper Backdrop Pattern Paper (text pattern)
Crate Paper Process Pattern Paper (stars)
Crate Paper Hardcover Pattern Paper (text pattern)
Tim Holtz Small Talk Stickers
Tim Holtz Big Chat Stickers
Tim Holtz Typed Tokens

See my other Supply Replenishment videos here: No.1 // No.2

Memory keeping products come my way from a combination of sources. Sometimes companies send me samples of their new products. Sometimes I will request specific products from companies when I have a particular use in mind (such as for a workshop). Sometimes I'm the one designing the products. And other times I order supplies from companies because I like the simplicity of picking and choosing and supporting both the online retailers and the manufacturers with my own money.

Around Here

I can't tell you guys how good it feels to be home. 

I'm home for awhile with no plans to go anywhere for a least a month. I love to travel, but man it feels good to settle in here again. 

Here are a few things happening around here recently: 

1. Type starts today. You still have some time to join this 12-week workshop that's focused on the ways we incorporate type into our memory keeping projects. One theme per week keeps it simple and focused and fun. I'd love to have you join the community. Full details here. For me it's going to be all type all the time for the foreseeable future. 

2. My yard is coming alive (peonies coming soon as you can see in the photo above) and I'm looking forward to getting myself organized and efficient in my office so I can get outside more. Not having anywhere to travel for awhile helps give me the chance to get organized and stick to the tasks right in front of me (vs. having to get ready to go somewhere). 

3. I have had zero interest in cooking for months now. Zero. It's an ebb and a flow for me generally - sometimes I'm totally into it and other times it's all I can do to get a decent meal together for the three of us. Popcorn counts at least once a week (with a side of cheese and apples of course). 

4. My kids rooms are in dire need of a clean up and a clean out. The legos are out of control in Simon's room need to be sorted (this is more of a group project so I need to be ready to have the time to get in there and help with the organization by color into bins). The more "little kid" things need to be moved out of Anna's room and shared with someone who will give them love. I have an antique headboard and footboard in the garage that I'd love to get painted in a fun color for her room. Adding that to my list of things to make happen in the coming months. 

5. Soccer has started again for Anna. I love watching her play and I love the chance to connect with other parents at her practices and games. 

6. I can't believe that we are close to summer again. Our local outdoor pool will be opening next months which is one of my favorite things to do when the weather warms up. 

7. Now is the time of year that we figure out what's happening for the kids during the summer. Chris and I will have a sit-down meeting soon to figure out the logistics - camps, Grandma & Grandpa time, camping, etc. 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to all of you who have supported me in the last year with the transition to the new site and the new products. Your continued support means so much to me - thank you for participating when you can and for continuing to want to tell stories together through products, inspiration and education. 

Happy Monday!

TYPE WORKSHOP GIVEAWAY WINNER

Here's the winner of the Type workshop giveaway: 

katie1980 | I'd love to take this class as it sounds amazing. Especially the fonts bit - I'd love to learn how to mix fonts and ideally space them right to be able to create my own "subway art" with the blocks of text with tons going on but with a clean look! I seriously thought about taking the class, but I just can't afford to right now, with three year old twins and too much going on, money wise. So to win this would be awesome! I'd really like to be involved with this classroom, Ali! Thanks for offering us the chance.

Congratulations Katie! We will be in touch. 

Give Sunday | 15

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

This quote from Ansel Adams seemed fitting this week as the prompt we are working on in One Little Word® is photo-related and my newest Story theme centers on photography (Click). Just a heads up that we will be closing the 2015 One Little Word® classroom to any new students as of April 30th. If you were still thinking about jumping in or want to join a community of people who are working to make their words visible now is the time.  

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives. 

Click here to download the #givesunday 15 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file. 

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday. 

New Story Theme Now Available | Click

Say hello to a new
Story Theme for my Story Subscription Program: Click. 

I can't believe a new month has come around already and we are in mid-April 2015. Crazy. 

This month we are telling stories of some of our favorite photographs, stories of our relationship and history with photography and pictures, stories of times when things just clicked, and stories of the people we click with best. 

If you are already a subscriber to you can now access the content in the classroom (
make sure you are logged in to your account). 

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

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

And the Story Stamp™:

We also have a 
Digital Story Kit™ subscription available that includes access to the classroom content. 

Here's a look at what's included for Click:

Here's a video overview of the products included in the kits this month: 

Story Stamp™ & Story Kit™ | Click Product Overview from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

And a couple peeks at the layouts I created with the kits this month (
full details, including video and how-to handout, are included with subscription): 

Let's tell stories together!

REMINDER | There's less than a week until my new 12-week workshop Type gets underway (begins April 20th). Get all the details and register here. 

Through The Lens | Version Scrap Tabletops

Yesterday I wrapped up three full days of teaching workshops at the Version Scrap event in Paris, France. 

It's been a whirlwind trip to one of my favorite cities. Katie and I arrived last Tuesday morning and did a bit of sight-seeing, visiting some of our favorite places during the first few days as we acclimated to the 9 hour time difference. Mostly it was walking around because just doing that in Paris is so awesome. The event began on Friday and between then and Sunday I taught 8, 2.5 hour long workshops to some of the most wonderful people on the planet. Kind, interested, excited to be in on the workshop - really a great group of people. We all spoke the language of memory keeping. To the students - thank you so much for taking time out of your lives to come to the workshops, to listen to my attempts at French, and for sharing your own stories. It was a pleasure to meet you all. 

And serious hats off to my fabulous interpreter Emilie - she totally made the experience that much better: professional, fun, excited about memory keeping, knowledgeable, etc. Loved meeting you Emilie. 

As I walked from person to person, table to table, it was so fun to see what each spot looked like from above as the students worked on their projects. I decided to take a few shots with my iPhone of their projects in progress to share with you today. 

We'll be in the air most of the day today, flying home via San Francisco. I'm excited to get back to the kids and get ready for Type (new 12-week online workshop) to begin next Monday. There's still time to join in before class begins (registration will remain open during the first two weeks of the workshop as well).

Have a great day!

Give Sunday | 14

UPDATED | I apologize for the apostrophe mistake. When I return home from my teaching event in Europe I will fix it and repost a correct version. 

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives. 

Click here to download the #givesunday 14 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file. 

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday. 

Give Sunday | 13

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives. 

Click here to download the #givesunday 13 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file. 

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday.