Project 365 - how you doin? I am taking a new approach...

[Mary Rogers]

after Madison had her surgery the end of April I got hopelessly behind on my weekly layouts...I am still taking lots of photos every.single.day - so in order to keep my sanity and not stress myself out too much, and rather than try and catch up, I am going to add a single layout to the monthly calendar page that I have already been doing, featuring my favorite photo from the month and then include journaling about our month. I still have a ton of notes from May, June and this month...so catching up will be easy and my goal will be to get these done this week.

I have so many layouts in my head that I want to scrap, I didn't want to be bogged down with the idea of doing 12 weekly layouts to catch up. The fact that this project really is about the photos, I feel good and at ease : )

so, how are you doing on your project - still going string. caught up or behind? remember we are all here to support each other...and if that means changing your approach mid year then woo hoo!!!

[Amy L]

Mary, I'm so glad you came up with such a great plan. I often wonder what would happen to my project if something unforeseen occurred...like my camera needing repairs! I love taking the photos but have to make myself sit down and do the scrapping. I do love the support we give each other on this!

[Applechick]

Mary...I NEED all the support going with this! I'm telling myself that I can re-design the whole thing into monthly spreads but because I have pics and no memory(?) or skill in journalling will I be able to turn the whole project around and still manage to complete. Who knows??? ...but I am totally in awe of the girls who are keeping up WTG!!!!

Fiona

[Jen D]

I did great until last week when things were just a little on the nuts side at my house. I didn't take a picture all week =( So, I decided that I am going to recreate my week and CHEAT!!!! I figure it is the same in the end... and I do mark events in my calendar so I sort of know what happened.

I am just too close to completing this giant project... I WILL NOT GIVE IN =)

[MIDA78466]

Jen your week is sounding like my week this week! I haven't taken a single picture---work is killing me right now. So I am just jotting down notes and I'm gonna cheat too! I'm not giving in/up. Over half way there and I plan to finish!!

[earlofoxford]

Still going strong -- I've missed only one day taking a picture. Sometimes I'm rushing around the house at 10:00 PM, but I usually find something to photograph. Doing the layout is actually one of my favorite things; it's my Sunday afternoon "assignment." I am so looking forward to having this album documenting our year day by day.

[oldvwblues]

My hat's off to all of you that tackled this challenge...I was to chicken to try but maybe next year..will have to see! You all are doing fabulous!

[Amy L]

Originally Posted by earlofoxford

Doing the layout is actually one of my favorite things; it's my Sunday afternoon "assignment."

That's the English teacher in you Linda!!

[Elena]

For me, Project 365 will be a glimpse into my life at this time... I will be reminded of the people & pets who were part of my daily life, the little things that made me stop & pause (and appreciate), and the chores & events and thoughts that are part of the daily fabric of my life. So, while I do TRY to take a photo everyday, if I miss a day, I don't feel like it's "cheating" to fill in the gaps with photos taken later or Google images or quotes or whatever is meaningful and represents my life in some way right now. You go girls! Do whatever works... there are no "rules!"

[Mary Rogers]

so fabulous to see everyone's approach on this huge project. One thing I am so glad is that I bought my little Nikon S60 that I keep with me all the time, so taking a photo at Walmart, lol, isn't a huge project. Sometimes it is just the stop sign in a construction zone or my lunch....I don't always feel like having the 40D with me everyday and have been delighted in the quality of the Nikon....

Fiona, a monthly project is perfect. I think Ali's calendar grids were made for this project and are what I have been using...I wanted to get going tonight, but Madison's new bedtime routine is "me" lying down with her..then I start reading and before you know it, it is eleven oclock...

I too loved the weekly layouts (I bought every single one of Anna's 27 templates), but felt too behind and overwhelmed that this was a perfect solution for me.

[cstaff]

I'm doing this project so I have a focus in learning this fun new passion. My camera phone seems to be what's available the past couple weeks. I'm trying to learn... photography and scrapping... and perfection is not the prime focus now. I struggle with not having a creative gene but 365 keeps me trying. If the photos are just barely ok, they are still what happened at the moment. I'm really enjoying the challenge and no matter how it turns out, it's still my year... a work in progress.

[dorah]

So far I am keeping up fairly well. I may have missed a day or two along the way with a photo. Lately I seem to be taking my photos everyday but it take me until the end of the week to upload any of them and do my page for the week. But still I am enjoying the project and will keep going until the end.

[Dawneephay]

I've been keeping up fairly well. Thank Goodness that camera's now a days have the date imprinted! Then I can catch up at the end of the week if I don't get a picture put on my page right away. Its nice to read everyones strategies.

[dugarner]

Oh, I've been having a rough go the past two weeks---I am nearly 10 days behind on taking pictures. And I wouldn't admit to anyone but this group here that I'm going to have to take "filler" pictures. However, I would admit---happily---that in trying to find filler, generic pictures, I have been seeing all sorts of things with new eyes. Flowers, for example, were never captivating to me until I started thinking about how to photograph them. I intend to get up early the next few mornings and drive around town, finding all the beautiful flowering bushes and trees. I may have an entire week of nothing but flowers and lizards! But "nothing" has happened here, nothing journaling-worthy, in the past week or so. Our activity goes in spurts.

Also, I have a horrible piece of fuzz/smudge on my sensor and it's driving me crazy! So I have a love-hate relationship with my camera right now.

[readstoomuch]

I "hope" that I am not "hopelessly" behind with mine ... I am feeling that catching up is going to be hard for me. I did the first 14 weeks without a hitch ... and then living life got in the way of recording life! {If you know what I mean. }

I have not missed a day taking a photo since January 1st ... and I just love doing the photos so much. I have a journal that I keep daily, so that is not the problem either ... it is just time. I enjoyed scrapping my pages so much ... and I do look forward to working on them some more ... and am keeping my fingers crossed that I will get back to them.

It is fun to hear how others are doing ... I have truly loved seeing all of the great pages from each of you. I have fallen behind in leaving comments too ... but I do find a few minutes here and there to look over the 365 gallery! You inspire me ... and I know that at the end of the year your books will be finished and you will have them on your coffee tables enjoying them and here I will be sitting at my computer struggling to finish my pages! I need a plan!

[Denise Gormish]

This has been an on and off thing for me.

I have been taking pictures most days and filling in with odd photos that represent the day on days I did not take a picture. Say, I have a very long school meeting but didn't take a picture. On another day, I took a picture of the building where we had the meeting and used it for the day of the meeting. My journaling has been minimal Sometimes all the info I have is just what I jotted in my day planner for some days!

I was 10 weeks behind in making layouts for this project until last week. Last week I went on vacation. I knew I couldn't take all my digital stuff but I would have some down time to play. So, I brought my laptop with 1/pix for each day and the template. On this trip I caught up on 10 weeks worth of layout! It's great to catch up but it also reminded me the most important is taking the pictures - the rest can come later.

[carollee]

It's my favourite gallery to look at and honestly if it wasn't for the diehards still going strong with it, I reckon I would have given up ages ago. Wish though I used a template. So I'm making a few templates now so I can just slip the photos on, it's much easier that way.

I am enjoying it though, and I like the fact there are no rules and what we are making is special to us and our memories so that's the whole point of it.

So glad to read everyone's thoughts about it. Great topic to keep us inspired.

[deanie]

I've been having trouble with the picture taking. I love my camera, I love being creative... can't figure it out. I am determined to finish this project though, even if every photo is of Turk or the cats!

[kmartorina]

I am not participating in this project (was too chicken) but am so loving looking at everyones pages...I just might be inspired to do this next year.

[katrinak]

I say be easy on yourselves and enjoy the journey! I'm behind on my layouts but haven't missed a day...although I have a couple of days that I literally took pictures of the wall with my iPhone because that was all the inspiration I could muster!

So what if it is 365, or 322 or even 187...the process is the important part

[blkcow]

I agree with Katrina....I decided in the beginning that I was only going to take 4 photos a week ( so as not to get discouraged) I am still happy with that, and I do admit to having some filler photos...but I'm not stressing about it. For my project...it's really about the journaling....leaving something for my grandchildren to read and to see how our lives were "back then"...I so wish I had something like that from my Grandparents or even Great Grands. I want them to see how we do things now, so they can say in 50 years...man I can't believe you did things that way!! It's like my mailbox photo from February...I want them to know that mail used to be delivered to that spot on horseback and how far we have come!

I love looking at all the clean designs and wish I could do it that way...but, I just love playing with all my "stuff" and can't seem not to use it!!!

But the good news is that we are over the half way point now.....that makes me feel good that I have lasted this long....and gives me the inspiration to keep going!!

[mugsbigsis]

Mary, you may have just sparked a few more not to quit. I too LOVE this project and love taking the photos. I also cheat here and there because frankly shelter animals are not what my book is about (although that could be a great one for next year. . hummm).
I started off wanting my book to be a photo journey, but LOVED how everyone's journaling was going and changed to add journaling, too. Like other's said, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Mine will now have 4 extra pages in July for our vacation so it will be a 365 DAYS book not a 365 photos book and will probably titled something that doesn't even have 365 in it.
I hope you girls are able to put any stress involved away. Pattie and Linda are not grading anyone. I'm already getting ideas for next year's book from so many in the gallery. Thanks everyone for sharing a little of yourselves with us.

[LauraBean]

I just posted weeks 27 & 28 with the comment that doing the layouts has become really hard! I have not missed a day taking pictures--though there are certainly plenty of unremarkable pictures in the collection--but I have just started struggling with the weekly layouts. I had really enjoyed the layouts, but lately it has just been like pulling teeth. I know I will be glad in the end, and I'm determined to produce 52 pages and make a book of them in the end, but I sure hope my mojo returns, or it will be a long haul to the end.

[Steph]

I'm still taking photos but haven't scrapped a layout since March and I think I'm going to have to give up on the weekly format.

Maybe I can just do a photo a day book with a title for each photo or something to salvage this project.

[katrinak]

Steph last year, I simply plopped each photo on a shutterfly page and printed it! So my POTD book is just that...no journaling, no explanation, nothing. And well, I love it! And can hold it!

[mugsbigsis]

Originally Posted by katrinak

Steph last year, I simply plopped each photo on a shutterfly page and printed it! So my POTD book is just that...no journaling, no explanation, nothing. And well, I love it! And can hold it!

I saw this and LOVED it!

[MsP]

I started using a template with a pic a day-well 30 a month and did through April-but havent done May or June and now it is July! I almost like the template-so I might go back and tweak it a bit and get going-although I no long take a pic a day-darn it-life keeps getting in my way!

[Steph]

I may do just that, Katrina!!!

[simple_chi]

Thank you to everyone who has been doing this - faithfully or not - I love looking at the 365 Gallery and it inspires me to keep going.

After a handful of weeks, I realized that while I liked taking a photo a day, I preferred scrapping the 'stories' of the week. So, usually I scrap the 5-6 pictures that have cute stories or updates with them (I haven't posted them since the beginning but I'm done through early July- thanks to Cassie for her PElements tip which is saving me time). And I'm putting the photo a day pics - more focused on the picture and quality of the photo - into a one page per month format. I'm far behind on these, but since they don't need a 'memory', I figure I can catch up.

Couldn't keep going without your inspiration!
-Lynn

[Gabi]

I'm still going strong - didn't miss a day but I'm a little bit behind with posting because we came from our vacation just few days ago and all the cleaning, laundry and unpacking seemed to be never ending.
All my photos are on my blog, in Daily life in photos album if you wanna take a look.
I still need to scrap them...

Good luck with taking pictures, girls. And don't give up, it will be definitely worth it at the end of the year to look back at all those special moments from your everyday life.