We decided to collaborate by each documenting our 2017 travels in an album and then sharing them with you guys! This is her very first PL album, and I'm super jazzed to share it with you guys! :) Here I'm sharing my album and tips, as well as what Shea would like to do differently next time. Make sure to hop over to Shea's post to see her album and what she learned during the process, and what I'd like to do differently next time!
Simple is better!
For my own albums, I like keeping the embellishments simple. I want the focus to be on the photos. Which works out well, because it makes it less time consuming! I stuck to washi tape, white cardstock, and stamps for the most part with this album! I used a few cards here and there, but my use of stickers, 3D embellishments, alpha is low! I love how simple and cohesive it makes it look!
Hide your journalling, and still record the stories!
I do this in all my albums... but I don't always love the way my writing looks. I'm tempted not to journal at all, but telling those little stories is so fun. If you're like me and you don't want your writing front and center, hiding it on a tag or card behind a photo or in a pocket is a good way to go! I like to put a paper clip, tab, string, etc. on it sometimes to remind me that it's hiding there!
You won't love every page, and that's ok!
Not every page will turn out perfectly, not every page will be your favorite. Leave it alone and come back to it later, or don't. It doesn't need to be stunning. The most important part is documenting your memories! :)
Hang on to paper mementos!
When you travel, pick up business cards, maps, tickets, post cards, stickers, etc. and use them in your albums. You never know when you'll have a fun place to re-use those items. If I have any leftover, just stick them in an envelope/bag and punch holes in it. That way you can keep those extra items together. This is also a good place for extra photos if you've printed too many!
Interested in seeing the process for making these pages? Check out my full process video!
Ideas for Next Time:
I have these posted over in Shea's post, so go check out those ideas and her awesome Minneapolis travel album! I love how hers turned out and that she took the plunge in making her first album!
Shea's Ideas for Next Time:
Hi Simply Alexandra readers! I'm Shea from Shea Lennon and I love to share posts about style, books, and life as a busy working mom on a budget. I'm new to Project Life but I had a lot of fun creating an album for our recent trip to Minneapolis. I'm happy with how it turned out, but there are a few things that I plan to do differently for my next album.
Be more intentional about choosing an album size. I honestly got so overwhelmed by all the albums out there that I got tired of looking and just grabbed one. I didn’t really consider what that would mean for the size of pages that would fit inside and, therefore, what size photos it would hold. It ended up working okay, but next time I may try a different size.
Take and print more photos. I wish I would have taken more photos of little, everyday moments on our trip. I'm glad I got some good destination photos, like our trip to the zoo and to Target field, but I wish I would have included more photos of meals we loved and random, funny pictures of the kids. I would rather have more to choose from and have extra photos than to feel like I didn't quite have enough.
Be a more thoughtful photographer. I don't like spending a vacation behind a camera (or, more likely, my iPhone), so I tried to quickly snap photos and be done with it. However, as a result I had a lot of photos that were poorly lit, had a lot of background clutter, and just in general were kind of crappy. In the future, I'd like to take just a few more seconds to make sure I'm getting a good photo before I start snapping. And then I'll put the phone away.
Take home free keepsakes to add to album. I wish I would have saved some restaurant menus, maps, and other free items from different destinations to add to my album. I will try to remember to do that on our next trip.
Again, go over and say hi to Shea, she's an awesome blogger, and her album is so much fun!
Overall, I'm really happy with how my New Orleans section of my album came together. It was a lot of fun to go back to a super simple documenting style! I'm enjoying documenting our Dakotas trip the same way, and NYC once we get home! :)
Anyone feel inspired?! Her album has me itching to document something else! :)
Thinking about taking the plunge to make your first album?! Check out:
Headed to NOLA Yourself?! Check out my recaps for recommendations: April 2017, January 2015, and March 2014.
Anyone taking a fun trip anytime soon? I'd love to live vicariously through you! :)
XO,
Alexandra
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading! I love seeing your sweet comments and visiting your lovely blogs! XO