Are you ready?

Tomorrow it starts!

I'm giddy with anticipation!

What am I talking about?

I'm participating, with many others, in the Ali Edwards inspired Week In The Life project as I mentioned here last month.

The preparations are as complete as they can be, and I think I'm ready to go:

DESIGN:

After much internal debate, I've decided to go with the colour combination I currently love: gray and orange. Maybe not particularly spring-like, but they really appeal to me right now. As a result, with much help from my Facebook friends (thanks Barb, Michelle and Moon) to go with the now discontinued Basic Grey Ambrosia papers. Well, the papers I could find. Here in Canada. Easily. (read: so NOT easy, or economical!). Just one more example of how I never do anything the easy way :)

The format will be very basic, following and repeating after the introductory page each day will have:

Left Side: Large Photo, Daily Journal
Insert: Trading Card Pages with 9 slots for 2.5"x3.5" Photos/Printed Paper/Journal Cards/Ephemera
Right Side: Photo Collage, Weather Report

MATERIALS:

1 - 12x12 American Crafts Album with 8 - Page Protectors
7 - 8.5x11 Trading Card Pages (borrowed from Caden, shhhh!)
8 - Basic Grey Ambrosia
8 - Bazzill Thunder Cardstock
8 - Bazzill Orange (from stash, no idea of colour) Cardstock
16 - Bazzill White Orange Peel Cardstock
Embellishments: Buttons, Brads, Ink, Butterflies
Fonts: American Typewriter, Aquarelle, Eras Medium ITC

I also made up a few journaling cards to include in the Sport Card Protectors, these are based off of the Simple Woman's Daybook:

I am thankful for
I am thinking
I am reading
I am hoping
I am eating
I am learning
I am wearing
I am hearing
I am buying
I am planning
I am watching
In the news
The price of gas
I have discovered
I am enjoying

These will be added in to each day as I think of things, some will be repeated, some may not be used at all.

EQUIPMENT:

I've got my batteries charged for both my goof-proof Canon G10 which will come with me everywhere, as always, in my bag; and for my DSLR Canon 40D which is a little more cumbersome, and more intimidating to those I'm trying to photograph!

I bought brand new ScanDisk cards for each camera. Plenty of memory to fill!

I've got my mini Moleskine gridded notebook and pencil all ready to go in order to take notes of the minutia and details that make my week uniquely mine.

PLAN:

I've developed a list of potential "photo ops" which include things like:

• the convertible - top down!
• kites flying/frisbee throwing
• exercise routine/pedometer
• the tree: daily to see the leafing progress
• signs of spring
• playing in puddles
• garden centre
• weather changes
• spring cleaning
• bags of goods for charity bins
• books we're reading
• kids with faces soaking up the sun
• trip to the creek/park/harbour

I've organized my calendar so meals are pre-prepared, or easier than usual, so that I can focus on this project.

I've pre-formatted all the scrapbook pages - in 12x12 size - in Microsoft Word (I know I have a Mac, but I couldn't give up the Microsoft software) so that they are all ready to go with no messing around with margins or colours. I'm only messing around with journaling and photos.

In addition, I've been going through my last album and tweaking some of my plans for this album. It looks like a few others have been doing the same:

Ali Edwards at Ali Edwards

Aby Garvey guest posting at Ali Edwards

Sharyn Carlson at Living Artfully

Evalyn @ Pieces of Me

Jennifer Wilson @ simple scrapper

EXECUTION:

I am hoping to have the album printed up and put together early next week. I'm learning the longer it stays on the "to do" list, the less likely it will get done. Since I do not *gasp* edit my photos the process should be very quick:

Monday/26: Choose and take photos to developer, start journaling
Tuesday/27: Finish journaling, collect developed photos
Wednesday/28: Crop and place photos, plan the "pretty"
Thursday/29: Add the "pretty" and photograph all pages
Friday/30: Post photos here on the blog and onto the Facebook group

Part of the execution process will include posting selected photos and journaling here on the blog in order to keep my memories fresh - and to share with you, of course! From here I can choose the photos to include, and the stories can be simply cut-and-pasted into the prepared template. Whoot!

GLITCH:

Because there always has to be one or two, right? Late last week I received a note telling me that my order from A Cherry On Top was cancelled because of a miscommunication with PayPal. That order had all of my embellishments, you know, all the fun stuff, for the project!! I finally managed to work it out, I thought only to realize it wasn't, and the order was not shipped. So, now things are "in process" and should be here within 2-6 weeks. Canada is "international" after all :) So much for being organized, nothing ever goes smooth when you have everything in place. 

POTENTIAL GLITCH:

The brilliant and talented Ali Edwards is designing new digital elements for this project! Drat, I've only just re-worked all of my previous project to incorporate the new colours and new fonts. Can I just ignore them? Or will I venture over to Designer Digitals to check them out when they're introduced this weekend? Will I be able to resist? Will I want to? Oh, the temptation!

ETA: I did check out the new design and I have to say, I'm happy to stay with my "old" design. And, THRILLED to see that I managed to come up with my quick and easy journaling cards without even seeing those done by the brilliant Ali Edwards! Okay, it's a small accomplishment, but I'm remarkably pleased with myself.

What do you think? Are you in? Are you ready? Even if you're not, you have all day today to get ready. You won't regret it!

I can't wait. Even my photo-phobic kids are excited!