Ali Edwards's Blog, page 204

AE Digital Creative Team | Layout Inspiration

Today the Digital Creative Team is sharing some love-themed products and examples which are great for Valentine's Day or any time you are documenting stories of love. 

First up: Kiss Me

Donya Gjerdingen | Loving how Donya created a card by printing the word art onto paper and then water coloring the hearts on top. 

Celine Navarro | I love how Celine printed her photos, journaling and word art directly onto textured cardstock. Such a cool look. She also incorporated products from the Firsts Story Kit (chipboard elements and word/phrase stickers).  

Sasha Farina | I love how Sasha took the "you=awesome" word art and used it as a jumping off point for her journaling. You = a list of so many good things. Notice also that she deleted the "+ me" to make it work for the story she is telling. 

Next up: Kiss me 3x4 Journal Cards

If you'd like to have the above word art already on 3x4 cards for easy printing you can grab this set that includes PNG's and a PDF. 

Pam Baldwin | Pam's super clever idea was to turn the 3x4 card into a pocket to hold a journaling tag. Awesome idea. 

Cristina C. | Cristina printed out the cards and added letter stickers "he said" and "said she" (which is such a great idea). She also added hidden journaling to the envelope.  

Next up: Gatherings Digital (the digital set of the physical stamps that are available until the 14th of this month via a Story Stamp Subscription).

Paige Taylor Evans | True to her signature style, Paige took the word art and used her Silhouette to cut out the words for a type-centric layout. 

Ginny Hughes | Ginny took the word "collection" and repeated it over and over again using a scale gradation/ombre effect which turned out super cool. I also like how she added in the blue throughout. 

Next up: Together

As an add-on to the Gatherings theme this month I did a second set of word art (some designs can be found on products the actual Story Kit™ this month). 

Lindsay Bateman | Lindsey also rocked a subtle ombre design as a background. On top of her photo collage she added elements from the full Gatherings Digital Story Kit™.

Carly Robertson | Carly's lovely album includes some printed pieces in addition to products from the full kit. I've loved reading so many "around the table" stories this month - makes my heart happy. 

Kelly Schmidt | Love the simplicity and focus on words and photos in Kelly's Project Life® layout.

Teresa Victor | A sweet page from Teresa that also includes digital pieces from the Gatherings Story Kit™.

Have a great day!

On Building & Beginning

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the concepts of building and beginning. 

I think it all started while watching my kids participate in their current sporting activities. These days I'm spending four afternoons/evenings a week watching Simon and Anna practice their respective sports - Anna at gymnastics and Simon at Tae Kwon Do (two times a week each). 

During the time I'm sitting there observing their practices, a lot of thoughts go through my head. Sometimes it's memories about my own childhood sports experiences (soccer, swimming and golf), or thoughts about my Mom and how she juggled three kids in sports, and other times it's thoughts about Simon or Anna (what's working and not working, how they are doing, what kind of questions I can ask in the car on the way home, etc). I'm really thankful I'm able to have the chance to literally watch them build their athletic skills. 

One of the things I'm super interested in right now are the ways in which their coaches break down the skills they are learning into really small tasks. In gymnastics especially I can see how these simple, small actions will combine together into one big exercise or routine down the road. The coach sets up what basically amounts to an obstacle course and the girls move from one skill to another - one stop will be a handstand, one stop will be a finish pose, one stop will be jumping, etc. I don't even know all the technical names for everything but it's super clear that it's a thought out path towards more advanced skills.

That focus on one small thing at a time - building to mastery by starting with the basics - isn't foreign to me but I love seeing it play out right in front of my eyes.  

Learning a new skill or sport or art form or way of being takes time and repetition.

It takes doing the same move over and over and over again. That move may involve a paintbrush or a pen or standing on your hands or lacing up your shoes or yelling kiai or sitting at a wheel or looking through the lens over and over and over again. 

And it takes a willingness to be bad at it in the beginning.

We all have to start somewhere.

Lately I've needed to remember that for myself. We don't begin at the end - we begin right where we are with what we have right in front of us at any given point in time.

At what point in our lives do we forget that it takes work to learn a new skill? Or maybe the more appropriate question is, at what point do we stop being interested in putting out the effort to be a beginner again? Do you have the expectation either that everything should be super simple and you should be an immediate expert OR that it's simply not worth it because there is too much effort involved?

Tae Kwon Do is not easy for Simon. In fact, it's really hard for him in many ways (physically and mentally) and he gets frustrated often. Frustrated for Simon often looks like turning his back on his instructors or classmates, laying on the floor in the middle of the class, or loud whining noises. A little out of character for most 13-year-olds and a little distracting for the participants and instructors but the reality for Simon. 

Last week I noticed that his level of frustration has decreased a bit over the last couple of times he's been there. Around here we celebrate "a bit." 

I think there's a couple reasons for the decreased frustration: 

(1) he's developing a positive relationship with one of the instructors who is also learning how to work with Simon (when to push and when to pull and when to joke and when to hold a firm line) 
(2) he's becoming familiar with the moves and the general routine of the practice
(3) he's maturing in his ability to move through his frustrations vs. letting them paralyze him

One of the most awesome things I saw last week was a stronger willingness to learn/improve. I asked two of the boys who were in his class (one of them happened to be Aaron's son Isaac) if they could help Simon see and feel the correct body form for a push-up. Simon's willingness to be taught by his peers vs. being embarrassed that he wasn't doing it correct was really a sign of progress in his own social development. 

Keep building those skills Simon. 

There's so much beauty in the building. 

Last week I spent Friday morning with my friend Kim at a local ceramics studio called Clay Space. It was her birthday and she sent me a text asking if I wanted to join her in the activity of her choice. One of the things I'm working on this year is cultivating friendships and expanding my worldview - giving myself permission to not be so obsessed about the things I'm already obsessed about or feel like I have to be an expert at everything before diving in.

Basically I'm challenging myself to be a beginner as often as possible. 

So I told her I'd meet her there. I've never sat at a wheel before. I had zero expectations and didn't at all feel like I had to come home with a completed anything. I simply wanted to go for the experience - to chat with my friend, to check out the steps involved, to get my hands messy, and to get away from the computer. 

Of course it was great and of course I had no idea what I was doing and really just made a mess and played. And it was perfect. Being in a studio environment like that was a breath of fresh air. I have nothing physically to show for my time there, but at this point in time that matters very little to me. It was an experience. I am a beginner. 

As I sat at the table rolling the clay and then at the wheel forming bowls and then breaking them down through experimentation, I thought about this post (that I had started before this adventure last week) and about the basics of skill building and mastery and being a beginner. I look forward to taking a class or watching some you tube videos and building some skills, one task at a time. 

When was the last time you were a beginner? What are you building? What holds you back?

Give Sunday | 05

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

Hello imperfection. Hello real life. Hello light and darkness. Hello normal. This is life my friends. Take a deep breath and take the next step. 

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.

Click here to download the #givesunday 05 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. 

2015 Workshops & Events

I'm excited to let you know that l'll be doing a bit more teaching at in-person workshop events in 2015. 

I've got four classes I'm offering at in-person events this year that will likely become self-paced workshops here on my site later in the year. Workshops include Storytelling with Project Life®, I Am Tag Book, Day In The Life™, and Love You Because (not all workshops will be available at all events and are subject to change). 

IN-PERSON EVENTS

Scrapbook & Cards Today Crop & Create Event | Markham, ON | February 28 - March 1, 2015
Sold out.

Version Scrap | Paris, France | April 10-12, 2015
Registration now open. 

She Scrapbooks | The Villages, Florida (outside Orlando) | June 26-27, 2015 
Classes will be posted on March 20th and registration begins March 30th. Details here. 

Cromatismes | Barcelona, Spain | September 26, 2015

Formation Scrapbooking entreARTistes | Montpellier, France | October 3-4, 2015

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

In addition to these in-person events, I'm working on a new 12-week online workshop which will begin in April. The focus of this brand new workshop will be all about typography and designing with words to tell your stories. More details to come in March. 

Later in the year be on the lookout for 31 More Things with all new story prompts. I'll also be adding the original version of 31 Things sometime this year as a self-paced workshop for those of you who missed that one previously. 

There's also still time to join the 2015 One Little Word® workshop. The new prompt for February just went out earlier this week and it's definitely not too late to decide on a word for this year and do the work to make it visible in your life. Registration for this workshop will remain open until March 30th. 

A NOTE ABOUT PAST BIG PICTURE CLASSES WORKSHOPS

If you previously took any of the following online workshops from me at Big Picture Classes - Hello Story, Yesterday & Today, 31 Things, and One Little Word® 2011-2013 - please know that we are in the process (go Katie) of moving all that content over to the Classes section of my site. We will be notifying you via email once that process is completed with instructions for how to access the content from those workshops. Please note that the galleries and message boards will not be transferring over to my site. 

In addition, we will also be offering Hello Story and Yesterday & Today as self-paced classes in the coming months. 

The Weekend Lens | When Doing Nothing Is The Very Best Thing

There have been many weekends when the kids were with Chris where I worked (
to catch up or to get ahead), or traveled, or had plans with friends, or grieved, or had a specific agenda in place. 

This weekend I decided to set everything else aside and do nothing. 

Aaron stopped by during the day on Saturday (
while running his own errands) to pick something up and took this photo of me and George and Woody hanging out together. I was in-between documentaries on Netflix at this moment if I remember correctly. 

The 
big brown couch continues to be a wonderful gathering place after years of use.  

Okay, so the truth is I didn't really do nothing. I think the key was that I didn't have a specific agenda in place and I didn't work - I simply took a break and went where the moment took me. And I definitely stayed in my PJ's most of the day (even when I ran a couple errands - it's how I roll). 

Here's a look at what I did do on Saturday and Sunday: 

Watched one movie and three documentaries on Netflix: Short Term 12 (based on a recommendation from Cathy), Fat, Sick And Nearly Dead, Forks Over Knives, and Hungry For Change. 
Went grocery shopping for the week at Trader Joes because after watching all those documentaries it's hard not to rethink some of my current habits and stock up on vegetables. 
Took a whole car load of stuff from the garage to Goodwill in-between movies. I also stopped at Home Depot and picked up a Shop Vac and vacuumed the car when I got back to the house. Those are two things that have been on my list for way too long. 
Did yoga twice (using the Studio Yoga app - it's been great). 
Last night Simon joined me for a one-on-one night. We skipped the Superbowl (no cable) and opted for The Prisoner Of Azkaban instead. 
Did some laundry and the dishes and moved a shelf out of the garage into Anna's room that better fits her larger books.Had a dream about meeting Dave Matthews. Yep. Any one out there have any connections to help me make that a reality? Ha. For Aaron the mega-fan of course.  

So yeah, I didn't really do nothing. 

It was slow and deliberate and quiet and rejuvenating in the best ways. 

Give Sunday | 04

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

Today I'm featuring one of my personal favorite quotes from Goethe. It's one I think about regularly as I consider the ways in which I'm spending my time and energy. Sometimes I find myself in that place where really and truly things that matter a whole lot less are being given a whole lot more attention than they truly deserve. This quote often acts as a wonderful compass to pull me back in line and re-focus on what really matters. 

And obviously, as most of you are aware, there are times in our life where we wish with all our heart that we didn't have to give something so much attention but simply have to - for whatever the reason. During those times I've found it to be so much about putting one foot in front of the other and figuring out ways to give to that particular thing/experience/person without giving it more than I have to. It's hard, actually super hard. It's often during those times that it becomes even more clear what you value most.   

Where are you giving your precious time and attention and energy to lately? Is it in alignment with what matters most to you? How can you change things up or make choices that will get you back to that place of focusing on what matters most. 

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.

Click here to download the #givesunday 04 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. 

Project Life® 2015 | Week Three

Cheering myself on over here. 

Making it happen by doing a little bit at a time, keeping it out in my office on a table, keeping it pretty simple and by making time for it (as in I think it's important enough to spend a little time on every couple of days so it doesn't feel so overwhelming doing it all at once). 

It's nothing new. It's words and photos and a bit of stamping and pieces of my life all together in one place. 

Sometimes I don't have a lot to say about it other than, it is what it is. And I like it. 

Here's a look at Week Three: 

It was a birthday week so I've included a 6 x 12 inch insert (this time I just cut a Design A page protector in half) to hold the additional photos. Here's a look at the spread with the insert page turned: 

Lots of words this week = happy Ali. 

The "birthday" card was stamped using my Birthday Stamp Set. 

"We Gather Because" is from my Story Kit™ this month and the red & black letter stickers are from the new sets now available in my shop. I HAVE A SHOP :). It's fun. 

Here's a look at the front and back of the insert: 

The gold transparent piece is from the Heidi Swapp set available at Michael's.

The "this is why we gather together" half-cirlce is from the chipboard set in the Gatherings Story Kit™. 

What happened last week? How do you feel about it? What was awesome? What was a struggle? What do you love right now? What do you wish was different? What do you absolutely not want to forget? What filled you up? What took your breath away? What made you weepy? What do you wish you could experience again? What little thing was the best thing? 

"Let's party" card is from the Gatherings Story Kit™.

SUPPLIESPage Protectors | 12 x 12 Design A, 6 x 12Kits | Story Kit™ (included pieces from both Firsts and Gatherings), Studio Calico Letter Stickers | AE Alpha Sticker BundlePens | Uniball Vision Elite, Stapler | Tim Holtz Tiny AttacherPrinter | Epson PictureMate ShowRolling Date StampStamps | Birthday

13

Last week, Simon turned 13. 

THIRTEEN.

For real. 

This kid. 

I've been sharing his stories in this space since he was 2 years old. I've shared stories of challenges and stories of successes because that's what it's all about isn't it? 

Celebrating
all of it: lessons learned, things overcome and the wonderful joy of being together. 

Our own little modern family gathered to celebrate him on his actual birthday at the restaurant of his choice (Twin Dragon for MarFar Chicken) because he is so very loved. 

He's not a fan of the signing so much. 

But he does love making a wish and blowing out the candles. 

And yes, Anna can't wait until it's her birthday in a few weeks. 

It was a birthday that featured many new Lego sets because that continues to be one of his main loves (seen above photographing some of his new sets). 

He's also really into mysteries and the classic movie Clue. He's spent a good deal of time transcribing the screenplay recently.

On Sunday he had a friend party here at my house. 

The plan was to watch Clue, eat pizza and Doritos and Skittles and cake. Because that's what he wanted.  

Three boys from his class were able to come - two we've know since kindergarten. They are all in Simon's program at school and it was so, so awesome to have them here and watch them interact and chat and laugh and explain things to each other. 

They ended up playing Super Mario on the Wii (all four together at the same time) for a bit in the beginning before starting the movie. 

I don't think there are enough words available for me to express how these moments of positive social interaction with peers make my heart sing. 

Chris and I stood in the kitchen listening and smiling at each other and commenting in hushed voices about how it was going. 

It went really, really well. 

Chocolate cake. Standard. 

Lego mini-figures were shared. 

It was a really good day. 

Hey Simon - 

You are a really good dude.

No matter what we are always, always on your team and we will love you forever and ever. 

I'm so proud to be your Mom. 

The Things I Brought Home With Me From Alt Summit

I attended my first Alt Summit event in Salt Lake City, Utah last summer (you can read about my first experience here). 

This time I came back as a speaker on a panel about launching a product or shop - because, you know, it's part of what I do here. 

This time around Alt was full of introductions and old friends and conversations and hugs and lots of "how's it going for you?" and "what are you working on right now?" and "what's next?"  

In addition to my responsibilities as a panelist, I decided to go again this year to find
something. I never know what it is until after the experience - it's one of the ways I approach the world. I know, without a doubt, that each time I go somewhere I will be surprised and delighted by something if I am open to it. There is always a gem (and often more than one) that turns out to be exactly what I needed to see or hear or experience at that very point in time. 

Here are some of the memories and things I brought home in my head, with my hands and in my heart: 

• Meeting my fellow panelists and loving our pre-panel conversation and the realization, once again, that we are all a work in progress, that nothing happens overnight and it takes doing the work and dedication to the process and product to make it happen. And it will happen. I loved that each of us have pretty different experiences with bringing products to market (mine being more the partnership and licensing route) and I loved hearing their stories. Check out Erin at earnesthomeco.com (home decor and furniture), Alexis at Alexis Mattox Design (stationery, party supplies, and more), and Caitlin of Caitlin Wilson Textiles. 

• Meeting illustrator Ashley Mae Hoiland who does absolutely beautiful work. She came up to me after my panel and shared one of her self-published children's books (Animal Parade) and she shared her story with me and I was an immediate fan. Check out her we.brave.women campaign which is just getting started and is super inspiring. I just ordered her Brave Women print because that's the kind of stuff I want my kids to see and remember hanging in their house growing up. She included the following words on one of her promotional pieces and I wanted to share it with you here about her mission: 

"I've been thinking about how to teach my little girl to find her voice in this wild world, and not just find it, but use it, speak with it. Let it rise and fall, and speak again until it is heard. I want her to know that the voice she finds will be clumsy, wrong sometimes, in need of trimming and shaping and re-saying a thousand times over, but I also want her to know that if she works honestly and hard, there will be times when that voice does have the perfect thing to say, at just the right moments. I want her to know that her voice will turn to actions, and those actions will be the stories that shape the world around her."

• Re-connecting with Jane from To The Market and Rachel from Handmade Charlotte and Karen Walrond (a friend of many years). All three of us attended the ONE Girls And Women AYA Summit last fall. I love connecting with these women who are passionate about taking action for the good of others. 

• Hanging out with these four: Amber, Sam, Lisa and April from 
Studio Calico. We do a pretty good mix of business and life talk and I love that about our relationship. 

• I brought home a rad pair of socks (
A Whale Of A Tale) from my friend Alma Loveland's (Caravan Shoppe) new launch called Woven Pear.

• I enjoyed meeting the following people in person that I've followed/admired for many years: 
Erin Lochner (Design For Mankind, Clementine Daily), Alex Beauchamp (a pioneer in blogging and the inter-webs - now with Airbnb who has a really cool new campaign centered around the idea of "belonging"), Liz Stanley (Say Yes), and Heather Armstrong (Dooce).

• I also brought home a 
New Beginnings bangle from Alex and Ani that was a gift from my friends from my friends Ginny and Jeannine at The ONE Campaign. Through December 2015, 20% of the proceeds received by Alex and Ani from selling this bangle (with a minimum $25,000 donation) will be donated to The ONE Campaign. When I opened the little bag that was holding the bangle there were some words on the card I wanted to share with you here because they took my breath away: 

"A perfectly crafted, 8-sided sun represents the universal law that life's outcomes are a reflection of your efforts. You have limitless opportunity to positively lead and affect others. Empower yourself to shine brighter than yesterday, to let your passions spark action. Astound yourself and those around you with your abilities. Embrace the energy of this powerful charm and create your own new beginning." 

• Probably the absolute best thing I brought home were some messages delivered on the last day by keynote speaker 
Dallas Clayton. I knew nothing of Dallas before the closing keynote and almost skipped it. I am so, so glad I didn't. His illustrations, his messages, his delivery, his passion - so awesome. It was the thing I needed but didn't know I needed. Definitely check him out. 

• On Saturday I sent an impromptu email to 
Courtney Carver of Be More With Less to see if she was available to meet up for coffee or lunch before my flight home. We've met in person once before and she's one of those people who consistently inspires me with her writing on minimalism and the ways in which she was grown her business. Super thankful she was available to meet for lunch because it was soul-nourishing. 

• The last crazy thing that happened on this whirlwind trip was while I was walking through the airport in Salt Lake on my way to my gate. I ended up walking alongside Ethan Hawke and as we walked along I might have simply turned to him and said, "thank you for sharing your gift" and he might have looked right at me and smiled and said "thank you." 

I arrived home filled up with the super clear knowledge that I want to fill my life with

I want to choose to see good and be good and do good. 

That's a pretty darn good take-away if you ask me. 

Give Sunday | 03

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

Today's quote comes from the amazing Maya Angelou. 

Click 
here to read my initial post and download the word art title and checklist.

Click here to download the #givesunday 03 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.