Plans for 2019?

I'm going to continue with what works for me. I finally found a "recipe" that I love and will stick with that. I have several templates that I switch around with, so they don't all look identical. I only do Project 12, though. At least one page a month, or several, depending on how many pictures I've taken that month.

 

This is where I'm at. I'm still in the beginning of. I'm thinking of going simpler. doing month by month not week by week. some weeks I have 3 photos other 100. I want to change it up but don't want to over complicate it. not sure how though. I have an app that you can add photos and journaling so my main goal is to at least journal for each photo. going back to the beginning of the year some things i have no idea what/why i even took a photo of.

 

I want to want to do PL but I just haven't been able to make it work for me the last couple of years. I think going back to work this past year and having much less time to scrap makes it even less likely I'll do PL since I like 'regular' pages so much more.

I think my 'plan' for PL is to do pocket pages when the need arises, mostly in conjunction with a 'regular' page, but to not officially do regular weekly or monthly PL.

 

My plan for 2019 is to do a double page monthly. Possibly one page of photos and the other full of journaling.

 

I'll be switching from weekly pages to a monthly summary page. I've got huge gaps in my weekly pages that I have yet to catch-up on. So I don't think that trying P52 again this year is a good idea.

 

Don't feel bad for getting off the rails after a few months... I did exactly 2 layouts and a title page for 2018. But, I did keep taking photos all year long. I wasn't worried about not finishing since I keep my layouts very simple to begin with. Same template each week, only use one kit, no embellishments. I also do not journal. 7 photos on 1 page with a small calendar of the month and a title with the week dates.

I have always spent the holidays scrapping (while listening to bowl games) and I have done so again this week. Scrapped 7 pages about a huge fire in town on Christmas Eve. Today I've been working on PL for 2018. Got 3 more pages done and I'm still scrapping.

I will continue with the simple for 2019. I made my 2019 calendar stamps since I couldn't find any to buy so I'm set to go. I'll find a template and a kit next week and I'll be set.

 

This year I'm going to try something different for my yearly pages - select about ten templates and use them for the year. I've been finding that I don't get my previous year finished until November of the following year, so I'm hoping to change that this coming year!

 

I'm going way simple and overthought this year. I hope that is actually gonna help me.

Last year I decided to not scrap weeks, but just a cluster of days. That is all fun and well, until you're behind. I cannot just grab a week that I am motivated about to scrap to try and catch up, because I don't scrap weeks. Very difficult, though now that I'm writing this I realize I could just change it up into weeks from where I stopped. I make my own rules..

Anyway, 2019 is going to be simple. One template for the left page with week cards already added in. I have decided I also want to add a journal card about what I'm reading that week. I find that fun to look back on. The right page can be a template with lots of photo spots or just a few. I have a select number of templates I'm using.

My problem usually is I don't take enough photos. (which is the reason I tried a different approach last year) And then I have to fill those gabs with journal cards but since I'm behind many times I don't know what to journal...

I have also made tags for cards or elements with the days on them. I made some tags for 'currently' activities or happenings like food, reading, watching, etc. I am selecting mostly b/w cards this year because I like the look and they always match.

I'm not subscribing to anything this year, which means I'm gonna use what I have. (and allowing myself to buy new things. which I will do anyway. lol)

So yeah. I have plans. I hope it's gonna work.

 

I am switching size this year, this is huge for me since I’ve always done 12x12! I will use Valorie Wibbens Pockets No 9 and maybe Pocjets No 4 if I can modify them to 9x12. I’m going with the less is more this 2019. I’m going to print my book with Blurb, 8x10 size. Im excited for the new size and hope it works. I will use a typerwriter font and will probably make my own weekly cards. Also same calendar card, still havent found the set I want to use. This will be my 8th year of PL and staying on top of it and finding time to make my pages is the only way I’ve been able to complete all those years.

 

I completely fell off the scrapbooking rails last year and didn't create much at all after January. I found that, if I'm not doing weekly or monthly pages, I don't take as many pictures and I really hate that. I have a new planner for 2019 and I'm going to try to journal in it nightly and move the things/pics to my project if I feel they belong. I'm hoping the nightly journaling/reflecting will help me stay on track even if I get a little behind.

 

I'm thinking about doing a double-page spread for each month, and separate pages if there's something special. I figure it's the only way I'll get caught up with my scrapping for it'll allow me to focus on past years while making this year simple!

 

This is my problem, too. I've completed PL for 2013-2017. But in the early years it took me way longer than a year to scrap each year, so I got further and further behind. The last few years I've simplified and can scrap it in a year, maybe less. But I ran out of motivation for PL this summer, and instead of finishing 2017 in June or July as planned I just finished it in December. I'm supposed to be working on some 2018 pages right now, but here I am stalling in the forum instead!

I think my plan is to do a super simple 2018 so I can finish it fast and move onto 2019. (Of course, that was my plan for 2017 and you can see how well it worked out!) I already have photos sorted by week and did my journaling throughout the year. I'm considering using more decorative/filler cards and no embellishments. I also have fewer photos than in the past, so I will have more weeks when I can combine 2 weeks into one 2-page layout. I'm going to keep using my own black and white week cards and all white backgrounds.

 

I'm undecided as well, but I am seriously considering changing up my size this year as well. This will be year 7 for me and 2018 was more of a struggle than previous years. I got behind way more times than I'd like. I finished, but it was a push at the end that I'd rather avoid. So, I'm aiming for simplifying, but still deciding. I may go with 8.5x11 or 9x12... ditto a lot of what @Mrivas said

 

I think I will just continue the way I do. I'm still running behind and trying to catch up, but a lot of things happened last year in my personal life so I think this is the reason. Next year a lot will happen to, I will give birth to my third child so I will get behind this year too I guess

 

My plans. Or, I guess preparation?
1. Make my Lightroom Auto Collections for the first 12 weeks in LR. Maybe the year.
2. Create a PL folder. I plan to put in a layout already set up for each week. I've seen paper scrappers who put the page protectors in the layout with the calendar cards ready to go. I'm copying this.
3. Have a "default" journaling card set. I did that in a successful year. I'm using Danyale's this year:


I like that there are prompts if I'm struggling for words, and they are pretty plain and will go with practically any kit and photo choice!
4. I'm aiming to sit down daily and capture some words for the day. Since I'll already have journal cards accessible, and a template ready to go, it should be easier? And for me, thinking "I can do 5 minutes" will be much easier than the week. Plus, the year I did that most days, I really love the details in the journaling. If I don't sit at the computer, my goal is to capture it in my phone for the day. If I get the photos in, great! If not, it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to wrap up the week with the photos added.

 

@bestcee I like your ideas! And you reminded me to journal a bit about today in my notes. I will try to implement the idea of spending 5 minutes on journaling and perhaps photo selection. It sounds so manageable!

 

This is my hope!

 

I just finished up this year's project, so I'm starting to really think about next year.

This will be my eighth year documenting Project Life/pocket page style. My plan is to basically continue doing the same. Weekly documentation works best for me and the way my brain things.

I'm going to sit down this week and make Lightroom collections for each week of the year. That helps so much!!

I am going to switch up the weekly journal cards that I use. I think this year I'm going to use the weekly title cards by Paislee Press. I used One Little Bird's last year and am just looking for a change. I'll mostly use either the MPM collections or Just Jaimee's storyteller kits.

I got really behind at one point this year, but was able to catch up after working on it like it was my job. Unfortunately, that meant that my other scrapbooking fell behind. And I am super behind in posting my layouts in the gallery. This year I would really like to stay on track or make a solid plan for "catching up" when I get off. We have a cross-country move coming up this summer and I know I'll probably get behind during the move.