Simplify scrapped

So I usually get around to scrapping my word of the year in June. And it is usually long after the word has had its effect. And it is usually just to have it scrapped.

So this year, I scrapped it first thing at a private crop in Sandra's new scrap room.

In a sense it is a journal moment for my word with a photo of Freddy and me on New Year's Eve.

Th journaling reads:

Simplify - my ford for 2010. Need less, want less, keep less. Love more, learn more, organize more. Be "ok," be grateful, be me. Make goals, make a schedule, make time for what is important. Keep it simple.

This was definitely a fun way to get back into scrapping this year. And it made for a reflective moment.

Seeing your word

One way to remind yourself of your word daily is to have it as a visual reminder. It's easy to find some words on plaques or wall art if you go and search online or in stores and having the word in a special, highly visible place helps to keep it on your mind. It may even spark conversation with those you love who can help you live your word.

I made a couple of framed SIMPLIFY pieces for me to display.

One will go on my desk at work (since I am there most of the time) and the other will find a place in the apartment. I used paper that made me happy and whimsical stamps to make them fun to look at. The frames were really cheap from Michael's and fit with most decor. I also whipped one together for a dear friend who is living a very vibrant word.

So, find a cool way to see the word you want to live in 2010.

Thoughts on my 365 2010

So I don't know what really made me want to shoot a 365 again, but I was very motivated and am really enjoying it. The photos can be found here or on a straight calendar view here. I think this project gives me a chance to search for what made my day meaningful.

I noticed that in 2009 I really didn't take very many every day photos and I missed that. When it came to scrapbooking, I was missing those moments that captured who I am and why I do the things I do. I resorted to scrapping just the big events or not scrapping at all. I want to change that (maybe go digital? not yet sure).

I have my 366 photo in an album at home and I look through it every now and then just to check out what was cool about that year.

I noticed the following:

-I liked my face that year (in terms of makeup)

-I get lots of different hair cuts

-When in doubt, I photographed me feeling whatever it was that day

-I am lazy on the weekends

-I like getting new things

-I love celebrations in life

-I seem to have lived in clutter for a long while

-Freddy sends me flowers all the time

-I love reading and creating

-I do my own nails and it shows (they looked pretty ugly in lots of the photos)

I want to get more photos like this:

Watching, dancing, being like a child. I want my 365 to reflect the good, the bad, and the incredible.

Some things I hope to capture this year:

-What is making my new life special

-People I cherish

-Moments, things, people that I love

-The little things that I do but think as unimportant (cleaning, paying bills, walking through the front door)

-Discovering new hobbies

-Embracing my word SIMPLIFY.

Day 2 1/2/10

Loving a day with snow, which was totally unexpected. Loving that I get to stay warm and cozy at home.

Make it simple

And the word for 2010 is SIMPLIFY.

This is an all-encompassing word for my life in 2010. I want so much to de-clutter. De-clutter my mind, my stuff, my attitude. I just want to be happy with what I have and embrace it. I want to literally get rid of those things that make my life complicated. I want to be happy with life as it is and focus less on how it should ideally be.

And thus, the reasoning for selecting simplify for this year.

I have a couple of books to help me with the organizing side of the word. They have layouts for the week to keep me on-track with my goal to live an ordered life. I selected Organize Now, The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year, and One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good. If the books become a burden and make life less-simple, they'll be out, but I have really enjoyed reading their perspectives about organizing and how it is a life-long process.

I am going to be journaling a bit more on paper this year in the hopes of getting to the core principles and values that I care about and to de-clutter my mind, get the stuff on paper.

And I am going to take the challenge of another 365 photo project on flickr. I loved doing this in 2008 and I enjoy looking through the album I made. If this becomes a hassle, I will bring it down to a weekly photo, but it wasn't a hassle the last time, it was something I truly embraced and I hope it can remind me to find the beauty in the simplicity of each day. I also think I will use Ali's soon-to-be-released digital templates to scrap this. I have much less room to scrap and a fabulous mac, so this may be my turn to dive into digital scrapping.

So cheers to 2010 and happy new word!