Sense of achievement

So, I finally got around to finishing yet another 2007 project.

I don't really know what I was doing then but I seem to have a whole pile of half-done albums, mini-books and projects from '07. The phrase "biting off more than I can chew" springs to mind.

I signed up for an online year in reveiw class that year and it came with a kit and instructions and everything from the very talented Nichol Magouirk. I adored the project and it kicked off with a fun extra - this photo frame that you might remember from way back when.

I even got around to fixing up the album cover, and then months later, I started the pages.

Then, nothing, nichts, nada, zilch. It was all put in a bag and put on the shelf. Into the scrapbook waiting room of my mind. I thought about it every now and again, feeling guilty. After all, it had cost me money and effort because the kit had been stopped by the customs check and R had to call them up and persuade them that the package was full of "bits of paper" and worth nothing much! All that, and then it was neglected.

And I love the idea of these year in review albums. I have a great one for 2006 and had intended to do one for every year (yeah, best intentions!)

But in the spirit of "ahead" and my good intentions for using up my well-earned supplies, I have finally got around to finishing it. And I adore it! 

I have realised that I am not really very good at those projects where everythng is perfectly measured and aligned and I ended up with little gaps and spaces all over the place that I needed to trim or cover or camouflage! But it is such a sweet little book. I added a couple of extra pages in to fill all the pages and the back has some space for a few pieces of memorabilia, when I track it all down. (yes, need to get ahead of that too)

Here are a few of the pages, and I have added a little album on the side with the whole album.  

It was so good to have a trip down memory lane and remember all those fun bits of 2007. Like how much thinner I was then, how I like my fringe (!), how tiny Isabella was way back when, how much we travelled, how much we saw and what brilliant celebrations we had. It was a brilliant year and I bet I would never remember all those good times if I hadn't done this. 

Have you got any unfinished projects lying around? Go on, fish them out and get them finished. Take it from me, it feels GOOD! 

Getting ahead

One of my objectives related to "ahead" is the push to finish projects that have been lying around for, oh I don't know, let's say months..... Such as my Yukon Sep 2007 travel journal, my 2007 year in review album (an online class I even paid for), my Photo A Day project (since Jan 2007), the Bellaboo music mini-album designed by Cleo from back in Sep 2008...  You get the picture??? 

So many things started and not seen through to completion. So many projects that are sitting collecting dust rather than being out for me to flip through and enjoy.

Enough.

As part of my Photo A Day, I started putting together a simple (or rather two because of the number of photos) album to showcase them. Hours were spent planning it and putting it together, only to run out of paper, steam and enthusiasm.

Well, yesterday I finished it/them!

A simple concept: two slip in albums. A monthly header, dated photos, a few pockets of pp here and there. A cover title and a label on the outside. 

It took HOURS to do but the next one will be even simpler. I learnt a few lessons along the way. 

AND I found time to go through all my photos and pick out my Photo A Day for all of 2008 and 2009. I even have them all printed out. Those albums are already in the planning. 

Most of my daily photos are just for me - not really suitable for "showing" or for use on scrapbook pages but I love the fact that I can now look through this album and really remember my 2007. There are loads of nature photos which highlight the seasons; there is a month of Recklinghausen photos, which captures a lot of the places I love in my *hometown*; there are close ups and landscapes; events and even a few people thrown in; a few of my favourite Yukon memories and lots of experimenting with my camera shots. 

Fun.

Just trying to decide what is next on the list...

Remember this?

....

....

Well, I am well-known for not seeing through projects I start. But this one is one of the exceptions.

Each month throughout last year I spent time looking at the pretty picture I had picked out from the year before. Then when the month was over, I chose three photos to sum up what had happened and wrote a few notes about what had gone on including memorable dates (weekends away, celebrations etc). Hey presto! 12 months later, I have a mini reminder of what happened in 2009 including highlight photos. Add a book ring, some ribbons and a label and I have a completed project. 2009 remembered.

Will I make a more complete review of the year? Maybe but probably not.

I might just move on to yet another unfinished project: my goals box....

One Little Word

Next up on my list of updates: my one little word for the year.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can find my posts from the last years here and here. And the original idea came from Ali Edwards on her blog. You can find this year's update here where she also links to previous years.

In a nutshell, one little word is an idea to have a single word representing what you want to work on, improve, start, continue or even just remember throughout the year to come. It should be something that sums up what you want to achieve. It struck such a chord with me that I jumped right on the bandwagon back in 2007 and have worked on it ever since. My words so far have fitted right into the larger picture that I wanted for myself over the year - sort of a giant resolution.

I cannot say that I have fully achieved any of them, but improvement is definitely there. Ali E suggests some sort of daily/weekly reminder for yourself but I just repeated the word to myself on a regular basis. I asked R if he thought that I had achieved what I had set out to do and he told me that there was real progress in each of the last years which is lovely to hear. Last year's "calm" certainly helped in the organisation of R's big party and all the run up to Christmas even though there were times when I was anything but calm!

So after these words...

2007 - Positive

2008 - Consolidate

2009 - Calm

... comes this year's word

AHEAD

I am in a constant state of feeling behind and disorganised and disappointed to have forgotten things or left stuff to the last minute so this is summing all that up.

I made my one little word layout on Saturday and I feel ready to go for it. Of course, starting the new year with a stinky cold that has me working half speed is not exactly the best way to kick off, but it's a start.

And *waves* to Sarah who has also chosen her word here. Focus - what a brilliant word. I might have pinched that for myself if I hadn't already committed to mine.

What will your word be?