Journal Updates with Pretty Little Studio

I am slowly but surely continuing on with my everyday journal - not everyday as in I add something to it every day.  But everyday as in I am using my Instagram and cell phone pictures (that I might not otherwise use for a layout) and including more in-depth journaling.  This smaller format is PERFECT for me.  It allows me to keep the time for each page at roughly thirty minutes (although that does lengthen whenever I decide to add cute little inserts that I can't seem to resist). 

 

Today, I am up at PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO showcasing several of my recent pages (yes, I am still a few months behind but I am getting there). 

 

Pretty Little Studio products are absolutely perfectamundo for my little hybrid wants-to-be-a-project-life-but-not-ready-for-that-commitment-yet journal.  Why?  Because PLS has tons (and I do mean lots and lots and lots) of die cards, journaling tags, tabs, word bubbles, banner flags - all things perfect for a little journal like mine.  Want to see?

 

The tags and die cuts from the NATURE WALK COLLECTION were perfect for this page about Little Lula who loves to tell me stories - all kinds of stories!  And her little face is so-o-o-o-o-o expressive that I love to photograph her whenever she is telling me a story.  Right now, Goldilocks and The 3 Little Pigs are two of her favorites.

 

 

Of course, I couldn't resist making a little pocket insert with these adorable Nature Walk die cuts and journaling tags!  How cute is that little bear???  And with two pockets, I have more than enough room to journal all I want.

 

 

 

And, Pretty Little Studio papers and products are also perfect for pages about bigger kids.  Like, much bigger kids.  Like, kids that are so big you might otherwise mistake them for adults.  Like...me.

Like...this page...where I am finally revealing one of my secret morning rituals to the world.  Nope, it's not about an expensive Parisian face cream that costs $250 per ounce.  It's much geekier and much more juvenile than that...

 

 

Notice the little decorative strips of paper at the bottom of this page?  If you guessed those are scraps that I absolutely could not throw away because I KNEW they would be perfect for some unknown project in the future, you would be 100% correct.  But they are perfect for this page so I am feeling completely justified about my scrap paper hording storage habits.

 

And finally, this last page - which is really just a page in progress...

 

 

If I didn't know better, I would swear the powers-that-be at Pretty Little Studio snuck into my Mama's house and found a birthday card from my childhood squirreled away in my old bedroom.  But, uh, I don't know who put the 45 numbers on the card.  Certainly not me....I can't possibly be that old yet.  Seriously.  Honest.

 

And that's it for me today.  Do you do Project Life or any hybrid form like this?  If so, what do you do to keep up and not fall behind?  I would love to hear your tips and ideas!

Christmas in July? Yes, Please!

PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO has a new Ad Challenge up that was exactly what I needed to motivate me to get started on my December Daily!  I have loved every single December Daily album I have seen for the past three years and kept meaning to make my own.  But once the holidays get here, well...things get a little crazy...and free time for this working gal is spent DOING all the things I want to record in my album.  I never seem to have the extra time to actually MAKE the album, too!  So, this year, I decided to get a head start.  And nothing beats the 100+ degree temperatures we are having out here in the Wild West than sitting in a cool air conditioned room planning Christmas projects (and thinking about the f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g 70 degree temperatures we generally enjoy during the Holiday Season.   Brrrrr!!!!)

 

So, I pulled out my PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO Christmas at Home Collection (and my Nature Walk Collection and scraps from all my other Pretty Little Studio Collections) and I got started on my December Daily Album NOW.  This year, when the Christmas season arrives, the only thing I will have to do is add pictures and journaling.  Even I can do that.  Here's to getting ahead of the game!  And here are pictures of my first three days in December - only 27 more to go...

 

December 1st:

I decided to use a blank art journaling album that I bought well over a year ago to create my December Daily.  All of the pages are made of craft paper, which provides a good base.  I can paint on each page, cover it with my patterned paper, or just leave it as is.  This smaller album has enough pages that I plan to use it for my December Daily for the next year or two and insert tabbed dividers for each year.  For my first page, I worked off a Pretty Little Studio Sketch found HERE.

 

 

I love adding little touches like these sequins, staples, and of course my "distressed sewing" complete with uncut strands left to hand down from the ends - a "technique" I picked up from the fabulous LISA WILKINSON.

 

December 2:

I mixed a lot of my scraps in non-traditional Christmas colors with these adorable deer die cuts from the Nature Walk Collection to create this page.  The inserted photo pocket page provides additional room for extra photos or journaling.  And I really love layering on top of my sleeve - especially with wonderful PLS die cuts!

 

My inspiration for this page was this week's PLS AD Challenge and this PLS SKETCH. (For those of you who like sketches, PLS has tons sprinkled throughout its blog that are absolutely perfect for projects like this!!!)

 

Let's take a quick closer look at my dear deer:

Isn't he adorable - especially with his pink twine bow?!

 

December 3:

It's another two-pager, complete with a large pocket that holds tags containing future wish lists and shopping lists and maybe a picture or two.

 

And, look!  Another deer, all dressed up and ready for Christmas!  I have to admit, I am a sucker for little baby deer holding candy canes - yep.

 

And that's it for me today.  What about you?  Have you started with any of YOUR Christmas projects yet???