Ali Edwards's Blog, page 212

2014 December Daily® Kit | Available for Pre-Order Now

Are you ready to start thinking about the holidays?

I'm actually not ready whatsoever (focusing on Week In The Life first which is happening October 27th though November 2nd this year.) 

But I do have one very favorite holiday tradition that just tends to work best when you plan ahead: December Daily®

This year I'll be using a kit of supplies that for the first time will be sold right here on my new website. It is available for pre-order now.  I'm so excited about this. 

I'll have much more info in the coming weeks including sharing my foundation pages just as I have in years past - which will likely happen in the beginning of November.

You can learn more about creating a December Daily® album and view all of my past albums here.

China 2013 | The Photos, Part One

As I get ready to head out on another crazy adventure I've had a few people ask, "Did you ever post about your China trip?"

Good question! I didn't. Not because I didn't want to but because, you know, time gets away. 

First of all, it was awesome.

Where do I even begin?

I took 1982 photos with my DSLR (aka my "big" camera) on my two week trip to China last November.

I took 290 with my iphone.

Aaron took about 1700 photos all with his iphone.

Total photos in my China folder in Aperture: 3975 (before editing)

That could be the most I've taken on a trip but I don't think I've recorded any of the numbers in the past.

Here's how I tackle starting to even scratch the surface of those photos: 

STEP ONE | Look through all the photos. Delete the ones that are absolutely terrible - totally black, really extra blurry, really bad facial expressions, multiples of the same thing x10. This trip I shot in manual with my DSLR so I had multiples of quite a few photos that were either way too light or way too dark (so thankful I can learn via digital where I can actually see the mistakes I'm making). I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to deleting. I really don't need to have five of the same photo. Really. 

STEP TWO | Decide what to print. For this travel album I'm using an album from Basic Grey but I haven't tackled that at all yet.I don't print everything. I mainly look for my favorites or ones that really move the travel story forward. Could be favorite memories or monuments or something totally random. I'll choose a few to enlarge to the full page size in the album but I haven't made any of those choices yet. 

I started going through which photos I wanted to share here and it's quite a process in and of itself. For this post I started adding in photos until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I'll do a Part Two with the rest of the trip sometime soon. 

Here's a look at the first part of our China adventure from November 2013: 

Our trip began with an overnight in San Francisco. It happened to be my 38th birthday.

And in case you didn't know, I love experiencing the world so it was a pretty fun way to celebrate. 

Aaron came along with me on this trip. 

Meeting someone who also loves experiencing the world was important to me. He is a darn good travel companion. 

Our hotel room in Beijing. 

The view when we woke up. We were super lucky with some very blue sky days in Beijing.

On these trips we tend to travel by bus. In the case of the China adventure we also took two or three flights within China as we moved from location to location.

So many great people joined us on this trip. 

We actually had amazing weather on this trip. Blue skies for days. 

I can't even fathom how old everything is there. 

I took a lot of shots of rooftops. The details were insane. 

Someday I'd like to get really good at photographing people I don't know. It's something I thought a lot about while we were there. So many weathered faces. So many faces with stories I wondered about. 

The Great Wall was so, so cool. 

Standing on the Great Wall, looking out, I saw this: 

The night market. We had just one adventurous eater in our group - that would be Barry. He ate a snake among other things. 

Just so beautiful. All of it. 

I loved walking down this long walkway and watching all the people playing games. Their faces. Their laughter. There was even singing. 

Looking back. 

A page in my travel journal. 

A group rickshaw ride that was one of my personal favorite moments. The air. The sounds. Being there. It was one of those memories you feel with your whole body. 

The Summer Palace. 

How can you not smile when looking at these people. 

The Birds Nest at the Olympic park. 

I'm a Chinese food fan so I was perfectly happy to have it breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

Visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors. 

Oh there's still so much more. 

Another day friends. 

PS | Did you notice we did a Shop update yesterday? I've now got four new clear stamp sets (Birthday, Celebrate, Photos, and Thanks) and a few of my other go-to products available in the Shop. You can see it all here. 

What's Real Right Now

Here's a look at what's real around here right now:

1. I set my alarm for 5am this morning to get up early and get some stuff done before getting the kids up for school. I pushed the snooze button 8 times and ended up getting up after 6am. Waking up in the dark again seems to be a tough adjustment for me. Hello Fall. 

2. I'm currently working on content for next month's Story Stamp™. The reviews were really positive about this month, which is awesome. Thank you. There's still time to join the subscription and get this month's stamp set if you're interested. 

3. I have zero desire to cook anything. I did pin these muffins yesterday. I'm hoping after I get home from Peru I'll be back in the cooking mode, which usually amps up for me during this time of year. 

4. I'm still coughing. I've got one of those colds that just won't go away. I've been getting to bed early which has been good and smart, but it's making it so I have less consistent blog posts right now. Thanks for hanging in there while I make it through this phase. 

5. I'm feeling way too attached to my phone again and my kids are feeling way too attached to their screens again too. Time for a recalibration for all three of us. 

6. I really like Aaron. 

7. I did end up printing Project Life® photos last weekend which made me really happy (I had posted a message on Facebook that went something like this, "I will print Project Life® photos today. I will print Project Life® photos today.") I also did a whole lot of nothing this past weekend which made me really happy as well. 

8. I'm feeling that desire to do a major unloading of "stuff" again. It tends to happen to me when the seasons change and/or when I'm really busy and there is literally no time to make it happen. 

9. Emotionally, I feel really good. It's up and down for me and right now happens to feel pretty darn good. I'll take it. 

10. I want to scrapbook/make layouts. I'm in a place right now where a lot of my time is going into designing products and writing content, which is awesome and something I like, but it's funny how when I get really busy all I want to do is make layouts. 

11. Usually by this time of the year Chris and I have the holidays all figured out but this year we've both been busy and haven't had a chance to get it squared away. Which I'm totally okay with. This year I think I might just stay home and sink into this place a little more. I was thinking last weekend as I sat on the couch how much I love just being here. I like the concept of "sinking in" in a meaningful, be-present sort of way. Accepting it for what it is and letting it shelter me. I guess it's a little like letting it do it's own job for me (vs. me trying to make it into something else).

12. Time for me to take a shower. Have a great day. 

Digital Creative Team Call & Designer Digitals Quarterly Sale & Fall Issue Of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine

All kinds of little & big things to let you know about today. 

FIRST | I've still got hundreds (maybe more) of digital products for sale over at Designer Digitals and this weekend everything is on sale 40% off. My collection over there represents many years of work and I'm happy to be able to continue to still offer it for sale. 

SECOND | I'm looking for a small group of memory keepers who are interested in using my new digital products on their projects to be part of my new Digital Creative Team (can be digital or hybrid or traditional - or a mixture of all three). If you are competent & creative using digital/printable products and are interested in having your work seen on my site, send Katie 2-3 layout/project samples (katie@aliedwards.com) + links to your blog and any social media outlets your currently use. Please put "AE Digital Creative Team" in the subject of the email. Deadline to submit is October 1, 2014. 

You can check out all my new digital products here. 

THIRD | The Fall issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine is now available for online viewing - or you can subscribe to get a real paper copy in your mailbox. My article this month is about documenting the story of your mentors (and it includes a cut file + journal card download). Check it out here: http://www.scrapbookandcards.com/current-issue

Packing For Peru

In just a little over a week I'll be heading off on another crazy world adventure with Jim West of 
Scrapmap and a group of like-minded memory keepers to Peru. 

This is the fourth year in a row I've traveled with Jim and a crew of really fun people in the fall. The last three trips have taken us to Italy, Ireland, and China. 

This year we're heading to the Amazon jungle, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. 

Seriously, there is no way I could have imagined twelve years ago when I first started scrapbooking that it would lead to stuff like this. 

This trip has felt a little tougher to pack for - it feels like there's more adventure involved (because there is) and I think my clothing options are going to be more casual than in the past as well. I spent some time tonight looking at other's people's packing lists online, writing up my own list, ordering a few things, and trying to simplify my packing process. 

Here's some of the things that will be coming along with me this trip (seen in the image above): 

Lowepro LP36434-PWW Photo Hatchback 22L AW | New camera backpack.  | Love the color and the vintage feel.  Globejotting: How To Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (And Still Have Time To Enjoy Your Trip) | Getting some new ideas for storytelling on the road.  Cetaphil Cleansing Cloths | I have sensitive skin and these have been great - especially that they don't irritate my eyes.  Anker® Ultrathin Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard Aluminum Cover with Stand for iPad | Elise recommended this keyboard attachment recently and it's been great. I'm thinking I might leave my laptop at home this trip and just travel with the iPad.  Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat | Much needed.  Athleta Equator Tank

I've got a list of work-related things to get through before I leave - lots of product design happening around here the last couple of weeks. 

PS | A million thanks for all the wonderful feedback on the Story Stamps™. I can't thank you enough for the positive response. There is still time to jump on board for this first month (the theme is "prompts") and gain access to the subscriber-only education content. 

Also, the Week In The Life kits are available for those of you who'd like to play along next month. In reality you can use these kits any time you want (they are not date specific - expect for one small 2014 perforated word). The grey album + kit is close to selling out so if that's the one you were thinking about ordering I'd jump on that soon. I'll be documenting my week from October 27th through November 2nd - you can get more information and watch a video about this project here. 

The Lens Of Joy | New 4-Week Workshop

What's your story with photography? 

What do you want to communicate? 

What do you see when you look through the lens? 

Designed with the storyteller in mind, 
Lens Of Joy is a 4-week photography workshop (running November 3rd through November 30th) that covers processes related to capturing life through the lens of your camera. I'll walk you through my personal workflow from picking up the camera, looking through the lens, establishing the story, experiencing the moment, composing, uploading, organizing, editing, printing and pairing the end result with words to tell a more complete story. 

Lens Of Joy Workshop Overview from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

What you'll learn
Seeing through the lens/establishing your vision Composition and design Taking & choosing photos that support the stories you want to tell Self-portraits and the importance of getting "you" in the story Cultivating a present-moment mindset while photographing Organization, workflow and editing Developing confidence in your own photo voiceWhat you'll get
Full color PDF handouts each week Weekly shooting and writing exercises to help you examine, reflect, and practice A minimum of one video presentation each week (some will have more depending on the topic) One live chat Message board and gallery for sharing your thoughts and your photosWhat you'll need
A willingness to think about the way you look through the lens A willingness to think about the ways you use your photos to tell stories A camera (can be any kind of camera - phone, film, DSLR) A way to take notes/something to write with to complete the assignments

I'm looking forward to spending time with you guys focusing on the ways we each see through the lens of our cameras. Click on over to the class page
here to sign up.

Paypal Update

Also just a heads up that Paypal is now available as a payment option for classes and digital products. I know some of you were asking and hoping for that update. We are working towards having that as an option for the subscriptions and pre-orders as well.  

Let me know if you have any questions!

The Weekend Lens + Story Stamp™ Is Live

I don't remember whose idea it was originally. 

Let's get together. 

We say it a lot when we meet up at work-related events when we wish we had more time to just sit around and chat. 

We should meet up just for fun sometime. 

This past weekend was about making that happen. 

Kelly, Elise and Carrie all flew into Eugene for the weekend to just hang out. No agenda. No schedule. Just get on a plane and come to my house and be together. 

And it was rad. 

We talked and talked and talked. 

About life and friends and passions and work and what's past and what's next. 

Paolo and Megan and Wyatt came down too. 

Aaron and Peter joined us for dinner. 

We did breakfast out at Katie's favorite local breakfast place (Brail's) and then in the afternoon we made up a big cheese plate followed by a spaghetti dinner. 

I love a full house. And I love all-night conversations and laughter and sitting outside with the white twinkle lights and sitting on my big brown couch watching hilarious You Tube videos. 

Thanks for getting on planes and in cars and making this happen friends. It means the world to me. 

That "awesome memory" circle on the top photo is available digitally as part of this set:  Messy Daily Circles

It's the 15th of the month and that means the Story Stamp™ subscriber education content is now available. 

To access the classroom go to your My Classrooms tab under your user name in the top right corner. 

If you haven't subscribed there are still stamps available. You can get all the details and sign up here. 

This month's set - prompts - will be available until it sells out or the 15th of next month when the next stamp set will be available. 

Thanks for all your support of this new program! I'm excited to tell stories with you!

Rounded Or Square?

I haven't had a ton of time to catch up (no guilt about this) on Project Life® recently but I did print out a bunch of photos from some of our adventures last week. I've been trying to print them out at the same time as I edit the photos for my blog posts - you know, that whole "one touch" thing (vs. doing one thing now and then having to come back to them all over again to print).

Which brought me to this thought: all along I've been rounding the corners. I like the look of rounded corners. 

But I might be tired or rounding them. I'm thinking about not caring about that anymore (or doing it sometimes and not other times) and wondering if I can be cool with a mix of rounded cards and square photos and REALLY who cares if they are rounded or not or a mix. 

So today's question to you: square, rounded, or a mix? 

Hope you have an awesome weekend. I'm super excited that the Story Stamps™ will start shipping next week and I can't wait to start telling stories with many of you in the member community. 

The Back To School Stories

As I was eating lunch today I was thinking about how smooth back to school was for my kids this year. 

Almost too smooth - like when is it going to be tough? 

It obviously hasn't always been this way. There've been tears and frustrations and conflict and really rough transitions, especially for Simon. 

So far this year has been calm and, dare I say, happy. 

Well, you know, except for my own personal anxieties and such. Ha.   

Sometimes the hard part comes creeps in a after they've had a chance to acclimate to the new schedule. Sometimes Simon's tics (what he calls his "habits") get more exaggerated as new stressors come up.

But so far, so good. 

Simon was the first to head back to school last week. 

He's in the 7th grade this year. Around here that's the middle year of middle school. 

He's back with his regular crew of awesome teachers and aides. He's got one main teacher and two aides for four periods (language arts + math + support periods) then he has science (I think his favorite) and his elective is culinary arts. 

On the first day back at school he got out of the car on the first day and exclaimed to Chris and me, "there's no place like school."

And he smiled all the way in to get his schedule. 

He had a little bit of anxiety the night before when Aaron and I were tucking him in - totally normal pre-teen stuff. It might have been about a girl. He might of been showing us her photo in his yearbook. He might have been asking questions about what to do when he saw her again. 

(Dear Universe, any girl would be freaking insanely lucky to be adored by this guy. His heart is so full and he sparkles like nothing you've ever seen.)

When I picked him up after that first day he was super happy. That girl might have walked by him when he was in line for his schedule and said hi. 

A little kindness goes a very long way. 

Go Simon go. 

Anna started Kindergarten this week. 

She was ready. She asked for a new purple backpack with pink and blue and white polka dots and a cupcake embroidered on the back. She was excited and so looking forward to seeing her friends that she had made in the Pre-K program at this school last year. 

She had literally been counting down the days. 

We took her to the open house on Monday to meet her teacher, see her classroom, drop off her supplies and generally get back in the building. In the afternoon she met with her teacher in a one-on-one sit down meeting to check out her skills and give the teacher a chance for meet her individually. I sat in the hall in a kindergarten chair and waited patiently for her to come out. 

On Tuesday they started with an all-school assembly in the gym and then the kids walked with their teachers to their classrooms. There were multiple times Anna looked over at me during the assembly, checking to see if I was still there. I stuck around and walked with her to her class, holding her hand the whole way. Once the kids were all in the classroom the teacher had them sit on the floor and she started the day by writing "Be Brave" on the board. 

Awesome. 

It's something I so wish for both my kids. The ability to be brave in all the best ways (and to know that being brave doesn't mean you always win in the traditional sense). There are so many different kinds of bravery in our world - in doing things you might be afraid of/stepping outside your comfort zone, in standing up for others, in believing in yourself. Such a wise, wonderful lesson to begin the first day of Kindergarten.  

Go Anna go. 

Here's to a great school year for all our kids. 

SHOP UPDATES

Heads up that four new digital products went up on Tuesday. You can check them all out in the digital section of my shop. 

Here's my favorite one this week called Everyday Life Cursive - I used it on the photo at the top of this post of Anna. I also think it looks pretty cool really big across a photo: 

Also, I shared an image of the first Story Stamp™ set on Facebook and Instagram yesterday. The theme? Prompts. 

In future months I will just be sharing these sets on the day they go live (the 15th).

If you've already signed up you are all set and these stamps will start shipping next week. In addition you'll have access to the Subscriber-Only area on Monday (pretty sure this will be via the My Classes tab under your user name). 

And speaking of classes, I did a quiet launch of my new workshop Lens Of Joy. You can check all the details about this workshop (a four-week class running during the month of November) here. I'll post about it again next week.  

Week In The Life™ Kits Now Available For Preorder

Are you ready to embark on the adventure of documenting seven consecutive days in your life? 

One of my favorite annual projects is approaching and I hope you'll consider joining me in capturing the mundane little details of your own life.  

For 2014 I'm planning to document my Week In The Life™ from Monday, October 27th through Sunday, November 2nd. 

You can watch a video and see past examples of how I approached this project here. 

This year I'm going to be using a 6x8 album + divided page protectors (including my new favorite - the 3x8) and products from this kit: 

The Week In The Life™ kit is now available for preorder here. 

When purchasing the kit you can choose to include a 6x8 album / page protector pack + the kit (see color choices below for the albums) OR the kit-only. There's a drop-down menu on the order page that allows you to choose which color album you'd like to have: 

The white and the matte gold are pleather. The blue and the grey are cloth.

I'll be using the white one. Of course.

In addition to the page protectors that are already inside the album we're including an additional variety pack of page protectors which will enable you to follow along with my design plan. Click on over to the pre-order page to download my 2014 Design Plan. 

I will also have some digital layered templates and other digital products (as I've done in the past) that coordinate with the kit products available soon to help you document your week. 

THINGS I WANT YOU TO KNOW

You don't have to have a kit to participate in Week In The Life™. What you need most is a willingness to document your life over the course of seven days with words and photos. 
There aren't specific dates on products in this kit. Actually, there is one little "2014" on the perforated word/phrase strips but that's it. This will enable to do this on a week of your convenience if the week I've selected just doesn't work for you. 
You can do this project even if you are already doing Project Life®. For me, Week In The Life™ has always been more in-depth (into each day) compared with how I approach Project Life™. For those of you wondering about doing this project in addition to (or in) Project Life®, you can see how I tackled that in 2013 here.
My hope, in offering a kit for this project, is to simplify the process and enable you to focus on the documentation. 
You totally don't have to do this project the same time I do. That said, it's really fun to do it when a bunch of other people are doing it too. 
On Sunday, October 26th a free-community area will open up in the classroom section of my site for people who want a place to share words and photos and projects related to Week In The Life™. This isn't a class, just a place to connect with others embarking on this adventure. You are welcome there even if you don't purchase the kit. 
I'll be documenting and sharing on my blog during the week of October 27th through November 2nd just like I've done in the past. The following week I'll share more about putting the album together and share my completed album. 

I'd love for you over the next month to really start thinking about what you'd like to capture during your week. What's special about your life right now? What's different than last year (and likely will be different from next year)? How can you visually, and with words, capture what's most meaningful to you during these seven days. 

Get ready for another awesome Week In The Life™ experience!