2009 Weekly & Lists of Me
Friday, January 2, 2009 at 02:19AM 2009. A new year, a new list of goals, right? I have a list going but haven't put it all down on my somewhat annual layout for the new year yet. I'll try to get to that soon. In the meantime, I have two specific scrappy goals for 2009 that I wanted to share with you...
Before I get to those, though, let me share with you my Word for 2009. Last year's was small, and I think I did a fairly good job of keeping that in mind throughout 2008. For 2009, I'm going with BE. I want to BE in the moment more, rather than putting things off while I wait for something else to happen. A prime example here is waiting to "decorate" my home more whilst I wait for a time (still in the future) when we'll be able to make more of the improvements we want. I want it all to BE more homey now, though. :)
I like how BE is short and sweet, yet can mean so much (to me). :) Another benefit of BE is that it's flexible. I'm going to use BE and add other words to it all year long. I actually got a jump start with my mantle this holiday season:
(Sorry the picture's not the greatest.) Right now, I'm thinking I'll change the mantle decor every few months...with the seasons. I'm going to start with BE driven...because I'm feeling pretty focused and inspired to make real progress on some of these house projects and scrappy projects that have been on my to do list for too long. :) (And partly because we're still just so happy about our new minivan, LOL!) Now, on to my two goals...
***************************************************************
First, I'm going to do a 2009 Weekly album this year. For 2007 and 2008, I followed my Album in a Year column format and did monthly layouts. I also kept calendar pages for each month where I jotted down highlights when they happened. I love having that quick reference to look at in addition to all of my other layouts that showcase the year.
For 2009, I know a number of people are tackling Project 365 (a picture or journaling each day). I don't know about you, but I know myself well enough to know that a daily something might well become more of a chore. So, I'm taking bits and pieces from Ali Edwards' Word of the Year and December Daily ideas and putting my own twist on that to create a 2009 Weekly album this year.
My plan is to pre-make the bare bones of 52 pages now (well, hopefully this weekend...should have started last week probably, lol). On each of these pages, I'll want to document the highlights of that week as well as focus on a specific word. I plan to utilize my word of the year (BE) and incorporate other words that didn't quite make the cut as "the" word. I have a list already...composed of 52 words that just caught my attention and words from the titles of this awesome kids' book series I had as a kid...Value Tales. They're out of print now (though they're making new ones), but I found a good size lot of them on ebay awhile back and snagged them for the boys. I'll read the corresponding book each week to the boys. Right now, I have 30 of these books and will supplement the remaining weeks with other tales and words. :)
So, confusing though I make this all sound, I'll make 52 pages and then pick which one strikes my fancy each week to complete. I may add pictures or just journaling or maybe throw in a few memorabilia...no set rules. At the end of the year, I'll have a fun album that will not only document my year, but will share my thoughts in a more directed way. Right now I'm thinking the pre-made pages will be 8.5x11 but we'll see...6x6 sounds nice, too. Once I get going, I'll try to share those each week. Hopefully, this will make more sense once I have visuals. ;)
***************************************************************
The second scrappy goal I have is inspired by a book I spotted in my local independent bookstore the other day...Listography. I fell in love instantly but couldn't quite bring myself to buy the book, knowing I could make my own. So. In 2009, I will make my own Lists of Me album. Since weekly seems like a good target, I'm aiming to create a list each week about any random thing I want. It may be a list of childhood pets or a list of things I need at the grocery store. The plan is to keep it simple yet fun. After all, a quick list is totally do-able and not nearly as intimidating as trying to journal about childhood vacations, right? Through these lists, I hope to capture snapshots of me that might otherwise get missed in my scrapbooks. I haven't decided on a format for this album yet. Part of me thinks I might do this one digitally to get more experience with all that. Part of me can't imagine not using my beloved paper. Either way, I'll share those as I go as well. Yay!
So. Those are two of my goals. I'd LOVE if you decide to join me in these. I promise to post soon with visuals. :) Woohoo!
Reader Comments (6)
Hmmm, I like the listography idea. I might have to think of a way to do that. Hmmm.....
We will be sharing the same word for the year! I am looking forward to seeing what you do with it!
these all sound fantastic amanda, can't wait to see some visuals (no pressure huh). cheers to you in 2009, rachel
That list of me album sounds really fun! Praying the new year brings you many blessings!!
I had the same thought, Amanda. I already completed the bones of my 2009 album titled "Health". I am going to focus on working out and getting back in shape this year. I am going to do weekly check-ins and I have my album all ready to go. I begin on Sunday!
I love all of your ideas. In fact, I just learned of your book and MUST find it soon. You are very inspiring and I am eager to begin a 2009 album and the lists of me album sounds like lots of fun too!
off to get scrappy,
megan