PL2021 - Week 1 | Sahlin Studio

The start of a new year, also means the start of another project life album. 

This is year 10 of my project life albums. I still love this method of memory keeping, just as much as when I first started. 

Having said that, I have made a change this year. 

I've had an increasingly hard time over the past couple of years, finding page protectors. 

Well, this year, I also had a hard time finding a 12x12 scrapbook album. Michael's, my main go-to store,  seems to have really downsized this particular area of their store. I follow so many others on the web and Instagram, that I KNOW there are still a ton of people scrapbooking... So why are supplies dwindling like crazy? 

This year I decided to keep my project life album inside a photo album. And guess what. They were hard to come by!  

Couple that with the fact that Costco will no longer be doing picture printing in their stores as of February 14th, I'm a bit nervous as to where this is headed to. 

Are people really not printing pictures any more? 

Another item in the world, I always thought was a 'staple' seems to be on the verge of extinction. 

I did do a little research. Thought perhaps I'd do a digital photo book. But for how many pages I want,  they're far too costly. Stupid Canada, where everything costs more money. 

So, I finally found a photo album I'm happy with. It's a 3 ring binder style. I am hoping that I'll be able to get 2 years worth of project life pages in the album. Fingers crossed, I'll be good for the next couple of years.

The page protectors I'm using, came with the album. I was particular about the layout I wanted. Thankfully I was able to find it.

The size is 10x12 inches. I do lose one spot that the traditional 12x12 sized protectors housed. My page may be slightly more condensed, but I think this will work out just fine. I also kind of like the vertical photos, it adds a little something extra. 

Here is week 1: 

• Happy New Year! We brought the new year in as our little foursome. We ate yummy snacks, played games and FaceTimed friends. We also made sure to open doors at midnight, to usher the new year in and let the old year out. 
• We watched in disbelief as the Capital Building in Washington, DC, was stormed after a Trump rally. I think we're all a bit anxious for Biden, and hope things run smoothly on January 20th. 
• Miss Libby has found a new favourite spot. 
• I took the kids skating to Bowness Park Friday afternoon. It was lovely, and neat to see all the skating paths through the park. 
• We took Libby to Confederation Park for a walk. Madelyn joined us, so it was slower paced, as there were sticks to find and ice to poke. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

Shine Bright kit - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Shine-Bright-Kit.html

Magic is You Collection | Sahin Designs

This collection was just released from Sahin Designs.

This collection is on sale now through January 25th, 2021 for 30% off. Newsletter subscribers, watch your inbox for the code to download this collection for 50%.

This release also coincides with Sahin Designs quarterly sale, where for a limited time you can shop the entire store fo 30% off and her commercial products for 50% off. Go check out her website! 

I created this layout to remember how good I feel when I get my body outside. It feels good. No matter the weather. If the sun is streaming down, that's merely a bonus. It feels good in the cold. It feels good in the wind. It even feels good when the snow is gently falling. I am not going to lie and say I enjoy getting out in the rain. Because I have to draw the line somewhere. 

But I am very much focusing on trying to get out and breath in fresh air more. 

The following Sahin Designs products were used: 

https://sahindesigns.com/products/magic-is-you-elements/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/magic-is-you-papers/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/magic-is-you-cards/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/magic-is-you-stamps/

PL2020 - December | Sahlin Studio

December was another 2 page spread in my project life album. 

For the past 12 years I've also done a December Daily album in December, it take up most of my focus. You can check out this years completed album here. 

This year was weird. 

Everything else about the year 202 was been weird, so it was not a total surprise. 

The government placed a ban on in-home [and out of home] gatherings on the 10th of December.  That meant, we were having Christmas at home. Alone. 

I'm sure we all kind of saw it coming. At the same time we were hoping that it wasn't. 

December ended up being a very quiet month. No Christmas parties. No hockey. No ringette. I did manage to watch the majority of this years Hallmark Christmas movies. Predictable? Indeed they are, but they're also kind of addicting.

Here are my pages:

• We got a huge dump of snow on the 22nd of the month. 
• I walked out my back door early in December and actually saw Saturn and Jupiter closely together. They were supposed to be at their closest on the 21st, but we had a huge snowstorm and missed it. 
• Madelyn created a wolf mask, had to take a photo of her wearing it, and send it to the art teacher. 
• Projects, projects, projects around the house. It's a bit overwhelming actually. 
• The covid commercials on tv right now, are laugh out loud funny. I'm so glad they went with humour, we could all use a bit of that right now. 
• Snapchat Christmas filters, make me so happy. 

• Big grocery shop before Christmas. Turkey in the cart as well. Things are a bit nuts at the grocery stores again right now...
• Christmas eve day, we made the rounds and dropped things off at the Grandparents. [Aside from these photos, masks were worn] We also had a big Xmas eve zoom call.  
• A couple last minute pick ups at Winner's. Shopping is not enjoyable at all right now. I wonder if it ever will be again. 
• The kids Christmas morning, both [still] excited about getting Lego. 
• Christmas day dinner and video chat. Making the most of this crummy situation. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Holly-Days-Elements.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Holly-Days-Journal-Cards.html

Bookmark Collection | Sahin Designs

2020 was a epic reading year for me. I overshot and read a lot more than the projected 36 books I'd challenged myself to read over the course of the year. 

The final number of books I read, which happened to be 53, is impressive also, because once the pandemic became all that anyone talked about last march, I couldn't settle my mind down enough to concentrate on reading for even a second. 

I went through at least a 6 week period, where I didn't read a single book. I finally dove back in, picked up a book [Yes, I remember which one it was] and I got out of my non-reading slump. Thankfully. For me reading is such a wonderful escape. I get much happiness from it. 

I used Bookmark Collection, to document last years books. 

Some books were awesome. Some were mediocre. There was at least one in particular, disturbing read. Some were crummy. [I just finished one that fits in this category, but I read it in 2021, so it's not included on this layout]  

For January's creative gallery, I created this layout, to document books read last year. 

Books that I would most highly recommend [and in no particular order] are: 

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

The following Sahin Designs products were used: 

https://sahindesigns.com/products/bookmark-elements/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/bookmark-papers/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/bookmark-cards/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/bookmark-stamps/ 

December Daily 2020 | It's Complete!

This is definitely the fastest I have completed a December Daily album. In past years I've been known to work on it right through March. [Or even longer]

I didn't prepare foundation pages ahead of time, which is something I like to do. It helps keep me on track.  However, I had more time than I've ever had before to work on it, our December calendar was literally empty. 

[The calendar is one thing I did do ahead of time. I added all the game times [practice schedule hadn't been released yet] when they'd come out in November. November 13th all practices/games were cancelled. Then in early December, they were further cancelled. My kids have been off the ice now for over two months...

This year I feel like I really came into my own with this album. 

I did the whole thing digitally. I just put the physical album together, and I'm happy with the result. 

I don't have a binder this year. I have the album attached together with binder rings. I might make something. I might not. I am going to put it away now. If there are a few details that have to be dealt with, I'll look at it in 10 months or so, when I'm anticipating 2021 December Daily.

This album is honest and truthful. 2020 sucked. So did the fact that there was a 30 day ban on all gathering of people outside your household put into effect on the 8th of December.

Not at all the way we'd hoped and planned to spend our Christmas. 

I hope this album conveys the frustration we were/are feeling. It's telling the truth, I don't sugar coat many things. It's also making the most of a situation that I for one, never thought I'd find myself in. We have spent a LOT of time at home. The days are very much running into one another. A lot of the sameness day in and day out. That didn't stop me from trying to capture the little bits I could. 

I used Sahlin Studio, Sahin Designs and a few Ali Edwards product. 

Here is my album:

 

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AE [written word] /CZ [virus]/ #sahlinstudio 

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The following products were used: 

Sahlin Studio:

Home for the Holidays Collection

Oh What Fun

Favorite Things Collection

Sahin Designs:

Home for the Holidays Collection

C'est Noel Collection 

Oh Deer Collection

I Got my Wish Collection 

Ali Edward 

- Christmas Memories J. Card and Merry & Bright

- Coronovirus word art freebie [freebie 2020]

- Embrace the Mess [freebie xmas 2016]

- Magic is something we make [freebie 2020]

- Peace out twenty twenty [freebie xmas 2020]

Cathy Zielske

- Cornona virus png

Kerri Bradford Studio 

Day 14 - stars cut file & holiday Photo cut file

Day 22  - words were from Christmas Joy - Kerri Bradford Studio 

Meal in Review | Sahin Designs

Sahin Designs has just released a new collection called Meal in Review. 

This collection is on sale for 20% off now through Sunday January 10th, 2021. If you happen to be a newsletter subscriber [and if you're not, what are you waiting for?] you can download the bundle for 50% off. Watch your inbox for your special download code. 

Food is a pretty big part of every day life. An even bigger part of the holidays. Though we didn't celebrate with extended family this year, I certainly had enough treats and goodies around to share. 

I'm glad the new year has begun and we're at the end of our goodies. I'm also glad I only make bits and bites once a year. It's highly addictive, and I can't seem to say no.

Here's a layout I created using Meal in Review. 

The following Sahin Designs products were used: 

https://sahindesigns.com/products/meal-in-review-elements/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/meal-in-review-cards/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/meal-in-review-papers/