Laura Vegas

i wasn't even sure i was going to do project life this year. i ordered the kit, of course. but i wasn't sure about actually doing it. but then, i was working on finishing all the photos in my project 365 album from last year (i think i'm missing about 15, that i need to fill in). and it made me really appreciate the meaning behind the album. and made me so happy that i decided to do it. and made me want to do it again.  

you know the drill. click on any photo to see it larger. figured i would share my first two weeks of the album with you. i know someone had commented, asking to see my title page for my project life album. and here it is. there's nothing fancy about it. this is just the way i choose to start mine, much like last year's. this year started on a friday, so there were only two days that week. so i just started right on the front page. if i get a wild notion to make a more official title page at a later date, i can do that and add it to the front.

i am missing one photo for this week. i must have missed one in my photo order, but i'm pretty sure i had one for that day. in fact, i know it was a photo of the girls laptop. will order that in the next batch. a few people have asked, so figured i'd tell you all where i got the yellow breadbox. it's from target. $15, and comes in red, turquoise, yellow, and green 🙂

and you can see that saturday is missing on this week also. that's only because i had all my photos printed last friday. and i put these together on friday. so as of that time, i was caught up. lol! i usually just print my photos once a week or every other week, and then add them in. and yes, one of those photos is blurry. i did that on purpose. just happens to show some of my CHA projects, that you're not supposed to see yet 😉

and i wanted to share something else with you, regarding the project life kit. 

i met tammy morales through my blog, and have chatted with her many times. and she filmed this video, that is all about setting up the project life kit. i saw becky higgins post about how someone had put together a video, and that it was something she's been meaning to do, but hadn't gotten around too. and it was fun to link over and realize that i knew that certain someone! you can view it HERE. it's 21 minutes long, and literally takes you through every part of the kit and how she's putting it together and using it, along with some other options. it really shows how simple this project can be, and how awesome this kit is for making this quick and easy and beautiful. i think sometimes it helps to have a visual, and to actually see something being assembled and how it works. and i think tammy did an amazing job of doing just that. i did tell her that when she shuffled the journaling cards together, that it made me panic a little. lol! i'm the kind that made sure those cards were in a very particular order. but that's ok.

because just like she said over and over. "it's ok". "it's totally fine". "it's whatever you want to do". that's what i tell anyone that asks me about this project. don't overthink it. don't stress over it. it's one photo a day, and one journaling card. so simple. did you have something special one day, and take 50 photos, and were worried about what to do. stop, and pick just one photo to represent that day. you can scrap that same photo, along with the other 49 photos, on another layout if you want. this project can be all that you scrap the entire year. or it can be just another project that you do, in addition to other layouts. it's all about what you want it to be. seriously. looking back at my album from last year, i would guess that about 70% of the photos in that album are ones that i'll never scrap on an actual layout. and yet, i have them in an album with some journaling. they're represented and accounted for. how cool is that? to be able to document all the little things in our life. the ones that we don't feel are special enough to devote an entire layout too. but that really do make up our day to day life, and tell something about us.

and one more thing. becky higgins is getting ready to launch the digital version of project life. it might be an option that some of you would prefer. she's posted some info and peeks at it on her blog the last few days, so check it out HERE.

i was asked to create a few CHA projects for my little shoebox, which is a fairly local manufacturer to me. i got to work with the "flying high" collection, one of the new collections they're releasing at CHA this weekend. and i couldn't have had any more fun with it. make sure and go check out their blog, to see all the other fun projects they're sharing right now.

i created all four of these projects yesterday afternoon. and i have a mini album that is more than half done. i can't remember the last time that i've worked so easily with products. no offense to my other new products that are filling up my scraproom. lol! maybe i was just loving the fun and bright colors and designs. after all, it was gloomy and raining out while i made these. i intended to mix in some other embellishments on these projects, like some ribbon or buttons. but they didn't even need it. the only thing i added from my own stash was the pearl accents, and the string. everything else is my little shoebox. the papers, the die cuts, the letter stickers, the chipboard letters, and the overlays.

these projects will be making their way to the my little shoebox booth at CHA. i can't wait to see their other collections. guess i'll have to stop by the booth ;) did you catch that? yes, i'm going to CHA this weekend 😉

part two of the Q&A session. this one is about photography.

what kind of camera do you have? what lenses do you use?
i have a post HERE, from almost two years ago. it's all about my camera, what lenses i own and use, and what i keep my camera settings on. part of me feels like i should do an updated post about this. but nothing has changed. i still have the same camera and lenses. i still keep my camera on the same settings and shoot the same way. i still havn't taken the time to learn more about the technical aspects. and i still edit the exact same way. part of me thinks that isn't a good thing. that i should be wanting to expand my knowledge and advance myself. but part of me is totally cool with it. because overall, i don't take bad pics. lol!

who are your favorite photographers? your favorite photography blogs or websites?
just making a short list of ones that first come to mind. i'm sure there are more, but these are on my daily list. there are so many informative and pretty sites, it's just a matter of finding them. and weeding through them. like the 2peas photography message board. i listed it, because there's some good info there. i just don't have the time to weed through it for what i want to know. i'm more a picture person. i like to check blogs for pretty photos, and read the everystuff that goes behind them. which is why karen russell and erin cobb are top on my list :) 

karen russell (all time favorite)
erin cobb
maggie holmes
megan cristello
two peas photography message board 
pioneer woman

how do you organize your photo files on your computer?
i store all my photos on my external hard drives. i have two different ones, both from western digital. i can't find the exact link, but they're basically just like THIS ONE. they both fit in the palm of my hand, and are so easy to use. my first one holds about 4 years with of digital photos, plus some random extras from previous years (that i wasn't digital, but other family members were). i filled up my first external at the end of 2008, so then i stared my new one with 2009. i also have a third external hard drive that i use to backup my external's. does that make sense? lol! i don't do cd's or use any online sites. just my externals, and then an external to back those up.

kind of hard to read this, but just click on it to see it larger. this shows you all the folders that are on the first external hard drive. i keep seperate folders for family photos and for daycare photos. so there's a family 2007 folder, a daycare 2007 folder, a family 2008 folder, a daycare 2008 folder, etc. then i have yearly folders for any photo shoots i do, and inside each one is the seperate photo shoots. i also keep folders for school and sports. let's take a peek inside the "2008 family pics" folder.

this shows all the folders within that "2008 family pics" folder. i have a seperate folder for each month. i also keep seperate folders for any specific events or outings. like alyssa's birthday party, sarah's birthday party, christmas, my trip to utah, easter, our trip to the cabin, etc.

if we look in the "golfing" folder, this is what you'd see. and this is exactly how all my other folders are organized. i usually have 2-3 photos for each image. so i have my original photo, the edited photo, and sometimes a resized photo (which i would use for blogging and online stuff). i simply add a "_edit" to the edited versions, and a "_edit_resize" to the resized versions of the edits. if i happen to do some photos in black and white, then i add a "_edit_black&white" to the file name. and i keep them all together in the folders. i used to delete my resized photos, after blogging them or sharing them. but it never fails, at some point i want the resized photo again for something and have to do it all over again. so now, i just save them all.

photo collage tutorials?
check back later this week 😉

loved everyone's Q&A's. such a wide range of questions. so i decided to break them up into 3 seperate posts. and i'm putting the questions into my own words, just to make it easier. here we go.

what's your favorite layout?

it's really hard for me to pick a favorite layout. i have 13 years worth of layouts for alyssa, and 10 years worth for sarah. lol! but as i was browsing through my external hard drive, these are two that caught my eye. they're not necessarily the best design ever. but i love the look of both of them, even after doing these a few years ago. and i think even more than that, they're just some of my most favorite photos of the girls. ever.

are you a chronological scrapper, or do you go with the flow?
when it comes to actually scrapping, i go with the flow. i just go to whatever photos are calling me, whatever photos match my products i need to use, or whatever photos are easiest to get too. if that means photos from last week, photos from 7 years ago, or photos from 9 months ago, it works for me. i have no desire to force myself to scrap something, just because it's next on the list. kwim? now, when it comes to putting these layouts in albums, then i'm totally a chronological scrapper. i may not scrap in order, but my albums are in order.

do you ever sleep? do you ever cook?
i do sleep, although it's not much. lol! on average, i would say i get about 5-6 hours of sleep a night. maybe a little extra on the weekend, more like 7 hours. it's not that i don't require more sleep. because i do. there are just too many other things that i want to be doing, than laying there sleeping my time away. i know, that's craziness talking. or maybe lack of sleep. lol! and as for cooking, i go in spurts. i do cook a lot. i don't love it, but i don't mind it either. right now is a good time for cooking more, since we're done with soccer for now and are actually here most nights. and about 85% of what i cook are rachael ray recipies 🙂

you're always scrapping up a storm, so does it ever start to feel like a chore to you?
i wouldn't say it feels like a chore. but there are plenty of times where i'm thinking "ugh, i have to go do this" or "ugh, i have to work on that". but at the same time, i love what i'm doing and am totally grateful for the assignments and "chores". it keeps me busy, keeps me creating. truth be told, i scrap better when i have something specific to do, by a certain deadline. and then, when the deadline is met, i usually get the urge to work on a totally-for-me project. so it's a win win thing 🙂

do you like making layouts or cards better? which did you start out making?
i started out making layouts, over 14 years ago. i didn't really get into the card making until about 4 or 5 years ago. i did it here and there. then i got really good at making cards with my scraps, after EACH layout. every layout had a matching card for a while there. then i got away from the cards a bit. which leads to this next question.

do you have to submit your cards to Cards magazine each month to get published, or do you have a sort of standing contract with them?

card inserted just to break up this wordy "blah, blah, blah" post with something cute! this is why i used to be good at making cards. because i was submitting to cards magazine each month. lol! i never had a standing contract with anyone. so i kept up on the calls, and made cards, and submitted everything i had each month. this year, i am exclusive to creating keepsakes magazine, so i'm not submitting to cards anymore. which is turn, is probably the reason i havn't made cards lately. lol!

when you draw the pen lines around the edges of your layouts, do you freehand them or use a ruler?

 

here's an example of what sara was asking me about. i think i've mentioned this before, but i always have at least 2-3 rulers laying out when i scrap. i'm really anal about things being perfect and straight. but the pen lines? i do a mix. sometimes, i will use a ruler or a piece of paper (since i don't like to get my beloved rulers dirty) to draw my lines. but i then go back and rough them up a bit, making extra little lines and stuff, especially on the ends. but i also do freehand my lines. and i'm pretty good about drawing a straight line. but you know at some point, the pen comes off the paper and you have to start it again. and to me, that is always noticeable. so that is mostly why i go back and rough it up a bit. so that it hides any not-so-perfect spots.

when you scrap, do you stand or sit?
i used to sit when my scraproom was downstairs. although i was constantly getting up to get things. but i sat. when i moved my scrap space upstairs, i scrapped standing up (since i had the island to work at). it worked for me, and i never missed sitting down. now my scrap room is back downstairs, and i admit i enjoy being able to sit down again. lol! i still do both though. if i'm in my room, i sit, but constantly get up and look for things. if i'm working out at the island, i stand.

when do you do most of your scrapping? how do you find time?
this is a tough one. my scrapping gets done at all different times. i do a lot of things just here and there, throughout my days. i'm not one to sit down during the day. i'm not one to do nothing, or to only do one thing at a time. i'm always busy, and always doing something.  i work at home, so i take full advantage of naptime with the daycare kids. that's my really productive time. in the evenings when the girls and i are hanging out (and joe's napping before work), they'll be doing homework or having some computer/tv time, and i'm working on stuff right beside them. joe works nights, so i have my time then too, after the girls have gone to bed. i don't scrap a whole lot at night, but i can if i need too. and i do a lot on the weekends. it just sort of gets done. i wish i had a better explanation, rather than just saying that i have this amazing ability to get a zillion things done at once. lol! but i also know that i have my favorite scrappers who i think do 10 times more than i do. so i think it's easy to think we don't do enough. but maybe stepping back and seeing what you HAVE accomplished (instead of thinking of things we HAVN'T accomplished), will make you feel better 🙂

what is your album of choice and where do i get them?
i used to use post bound albums, from making memories. for years and years. but i have since switched to 3 ring albums, and would never go back. this has a lot to do with the fact that i'm NOT a chronological scrapper. so i might do 3 layouts at once, that are from three totally different years. in post bound albums, they're a pain in the tush to add in pages. 3 rings are glorious, you just open and insert pages as needed. i have a mix of both making memories 3 ring albums (the corduroy albums are super nice!), and the american crafts modern 3 ring albums.

can you show us your journal my christmas album (i have never tried the december daily album)?
i know i posted on december 1st, and said that i was planning on doing the journal my christmas project. i already had my album totally assembled and ready to go. and yet, i didn't do it. so sad. i have no clue what happened to me this christmas, but i was behind the entire month and not feeling totally into the holiday. i think it's because we still had so much soccer going on, and even spend the 2 full weekends before christmas at soccer tournaments. so, no album. but the good news, is that it's ready for me next year 😉

how do i purge my supplies?
i try and be really good about cleaning out my scrap supplies and purging what i don't need or don't think i'm going to use. i try to do this every few months. sometimes, it's really hard to part with stuff. but when you really get comfortable with your own style and what you like, i think it's easier to be honest about what you are going to want to use in your projects. i might think something is as cute as can be. but i also might know that i wouldn't actually use in on a layout. that sounds crazy. but i just have a good sense of what i like after all these years. as for actually getting rid of the stuff i purge out? usually, i just share it with a few close, local friends. they appreciate and use it, so i feel good knowing it's going to good homes. i also will box stuff up on occasion, and do giveaways here on the blog or send it to far away friends.

did you make the mom's cry when you gave them haley and nikolas's collages for christmas?

 

i'm not sure i made them cry. unless they did it after they left. lol! that should really be my new goal. to make people cry when i create something for them. that would mean it was perfect. lol! i do know that they totally loved them, appreciated them, and showed them off. so that makes me happy! and my family all loved their's too. the photo above shows the one i made for my family, which i have framed and propped up on the built in desk in our kitchen. do you want to know the main reason i love it there? behind that, is a TON of outlets, modem cords, and phone jack and phone cords. i've never had anything nice to cover them up, until now. lol!

stay tuned for the second part of the Q&A tomorrow. and friday, i have something really fun to share, something scrap related 🙂

a quick and super simple card, from my jillibean soup projects this past month.

i've been super busy this past week, working on projects and assignments. some magazine stuff, and a lot of CHA stuff. and i have a ton to get done in the next week. so i'm a little weak on the blogging right now. add to it the fact that i have no projects to share, and i feel like it's getting boring around this joint. so i thought i'd open up the floor for a question and answer session. i might not be able to come up with a meaningful and thought out blog post. but i can always answer some questions. that's easy enough. first, let me start with the questions you should NOT ask me 😉

can you show us your completed project 365 album? can you show us the start of your project life album?
don't ask me these. lol! i havn't completed my project 365 yet, although it's looking really good. and i havn't done anything with my project life kit, except assemble it all together. i had to put these two projects aside for a few days. i would love to do a post about some tips and my thoughts on doing this project. but if i tell you i'll do it, then i probably won't. so by me telling you that i can't do it right now, it might just mean that i'll actually surprise you and get it done. that's sort of how i roll. lol!

actually, i guess that's the only question that you can't ask me. or the main one i was thinking about anyways. i know i get questions a lot, and i do answer them all by email. but that doesn't help the rest of you, that might have the same questions and are sitting around waiting for me to talk about it. so, now's your chance. i'll do my best to answer. not tomorrow, since i'll be working on something else. but wednesday, i promise.