Heather Johnson Photography

Still struggling to post more than once a week. It’s safe to say we are in the busy season of summer…AND I am making a really disciplined effort to get to the gym. (It takes up soooo much time!) Here is week eighteen of my 2013 album.

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What we were up to this week: This week was considerably more low-key than the week before. After the glorious spring weekend we had during week seventeen it turned into winter again on Monday–even snowing May 1st and 2nd. Honestly….it was a bit depressing. Couple that with Marie not feeling well, me not getting any rest, and it’s no wonder I napped not once but twice over the weekend. Definitely a tough week all around.

Techniques used this week: Lots of recoloring, lots of brushes per my usual. Instead of doing a traditional two week spread, I used “side B” to detail my day in the life on April 30th. I probably should have done an insert like I did for January’s day in the life (as now I have photos left over anyway for one) but at this point I am not going to redo it.  Lesson learned for me–I like my two page layouts for the week much better!!

Other thoughts:  I really am in a rhythm with this whole Project Life thing. It’s now been 70 weeks straight and honestly it doesn’t feel like it takes up any time at all. (Creating blog posts is by far the most consuming part believe it or not!) Everyone is used to me always having a camera, everyone is always on the lookout for stuff “for the book,” it truly becomes very much a part of our life. I was describing it to a friend the other day and said it really acts (at least in my home) as an interactive photo album. Can I just say, again, that it is the coolest thing I have ever done?! Still blows my mind, after all of this time, that I never gave up or became disenchanted. I get disenchanted with projects so easily….

Supplies used this week: Most of the items are listed in the icons below.

 

A day late–but so many good photos this week! After two weeks of hardly having enough photos to fill a two-page spread, this week it was hard to narrow down what to use. Needless to say, I have already sent my print order off to walgreens for my three inserts! (And speaking of inserts–I really do plan on sharing my entire album for this year so far–it’s 100% caught up, even last week’s pages are back from Persnickety. I just haven’t quite figured out how to do it. If I take photos of it it will take forever to prep and write a blogpost, but if I video tape a tour of it all I worry about it being blurry. Seriously, I hope to figure it out soon!)

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What we were up to this week: Dealing with some crazy weather! The title card gives you the lowdown–we started the week off with snow, and ended up spending the entire weekend outside enjoying 70-80 degree temperatures. I got three words for you–Minnesota is crazy. We had a lot of fun outside–particularly at the end of the week when it was warmer. Playdates, bike rides, walks to the soda fountain,  trips to the park, BBQs, and bonfires. Oh yes, summer is on it’s way.

Techniques used this week: Lots of recoloring, lots of brushes per my usual. I did create a title card using a combination of things I have collected over the years. The 4×6 template is free from Paislee Press (I added drop shadows), and the twill is an oldie but goodie from Ali Edwards. The Monday and Sunday brushes were part of Studio Calico’s Day by Day class, and the calendar brush is by Splendid Fiins. I decided that because I had so many photos I was going to combine my calendar card with the title card this week–really like how it turned out! I never did figure out where to put the “Week of” wording I usually use, but oh well. At least when I look at it later I will know what the dates of the spread included!

Other thoughts:  I love the Jade kit. This week came together really fast, in no small part because of the fantastic colors and cards in the kit. I actually have the paper version of this kit as well–it’s so versatile and looks great even for two little girls! I honestly don’t know how any of you (who buy physical kits) are going to be able to decide on one or two to purchase. Go digital my friends and get them all!!!

Supplies used this week: Most of the items are listed in the icons below. The little calendar is by Splendid Fiins who is in the process of moving from jessicasprague.com to the-lilypad.com. I am not sure when the move is final, be sure to check her blog for the latest info. The “this makes my heart happy” flag was in Wild Blueberry Ink kit from last month’s daily digi subscription. As always I am linking up to the mom creative for Project Life Tuesdays.

 

It’s week sixteen and I had such a good time putting this week together. (Oh, and yeah, I love this project!)

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What we were up to this week: Wishing, oh how we are wishing, it was spring. We were stuck inside most of the week due to the weather again. Kids are sick. Justin got sick. I went to the gym. Pretty normal stuff.

Techniques used this week: Lots of recoloring, lots of brushes.

Other thoughts:  I didn’t realize it until I put this all together that I didn’t make mention of the Boston tragedy from last week. That wasn’t intentional, I had actually planned to use a photo I took of myself folding laundry while watching the news all day Friday….but it didn’t make it in. (I literally kept CNN on all day and kept sneaking off into the bedroom to watch it.) I don’t know if I will insert it or not. I tend to use my Project Life album as more of a time capsule of our family life, and sometimes a place of self-reflection. I managed to shield my kids from the media all week last week so they have no idea what happened, and I don’t really know if I want them to read all about it when they look through the album–which they do all of the time.

Supplies used this week: Most of the items are listed in the icons below. The little calendar is by Splendid Fiins who is in the process of moving from jessicasprague.com to the-lilypad.com. I am not sure when the move is final, be sure to check her blog for the latest info. The “today” journaling card was from a Banana Fish Studio freebie that was part of the Day by Day class offered in January. As always I am linking up to the mom creative for Project Life Tuesdays tomorrow.

Hello there! Sorry for yet another unexpected hiatus. All of this focus on the gym is really crunching my daytime hours. I am not finding nearly the time to blog (or take photos for that matter) that I usually do. The good news is that my clothes are feeling much more comfortable:)

This was another very slim week on photos which, quite honestly, I am secretly happy about. In the evenings I have been working on Holly’s baby book and all of the inserts I am behind on for this year…and boy. Let’s just say I am glad I haven’t had many photos lately because being behind on inserts is exhausting! The good news is I am 98% there and will be doing a video so you can see my first fourteen weeks worth of documenting now that it is all printed. I must say I really love printing the layouts and using the binders–creating unique sizes to insert between weeks has got to be my favorite thing! Last night I even sewed some page protectors and now I can’t understand why on earth I waited so long to try it. It’s so easy!!! But enough about that. Here is week fifteen using the super bright, super cute Honey edition.

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What we were up to this week: Hardly anything as noted above. I blame it on the weather. It’s hard to do anything when it is so wet and thirty degrees outside day after day after day. We just went to the gym everyday for a couple of hours in the morning. Holly loves the computer games there and the baby loves to run in the gym area they have. Everytime I go to pick her up she is playing with the balls. She picks them up, chases them, throws them, it really is cute.

Techniques used this week: I went with my favorite techniques–brushes on photos and ghosted journaling boxes.

Other thoughts:  This Honey edition is adorable, and really fun to work with. I must say I still completely adore this project and it blows my mind that I have recorded our lives, every week, since the 1st of January 2012. One would think that the love affair would have worn off by now, but it hasn’t. I still enjoy it week after week after week.

Supplies used this week: Most of the items are listed in the icons below. The little calendar is by Splendid Fiins who is in the process of moving from jessicasprague.com to the-lilypad.com. I am not sure when the move is final, be sure to check her blog for the latest info. As always I am linking up to the mom creative for Project Life Tuesdays.

An oldie but goodie was used this week–The Turquoise Edition! Up until now I had never used it, but boy did I enjoy working with it. I really loved the tone of the red and all of the extra elements in the kit. Am I the only one that really misses those with the digital kits?

Whole Spread:

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Right Side:

What we were up to this week: Had very little energy this week to take photos. Knew all week long I wasn’t taking many…and it didn’t make me grab my camera….just too tired. I have been going to the gym two hours a day every weekday and it doesn’t leave me a lot of time for much else. (And since my body is so not used to that much activity it’s making me really rundown and unable to stay up late like I was. On the plus side I am sleeping better through the night.) Holly was gone a chunk of the week so for once the week was really pretty much all about Marie.

Techniques used this week: In an attempt to do something different and to challenge myself (I still feel like I am in a creative slump) I used a Design B template. Design B is probably my least favorite template, I think I have only used it once–week one of 2012–so I turned it on it’s side to give it a different look. I liked it so much that way I decided to do both sides that way.

Other thoughts:  I enjoyed working with this kit more than I thought I would. The colors are a bit masculine for me (two little girls make my pages tend to stray to bright and cute) but I think it actually worked with my photos this week. I tend to dress Marie, for whatever reason, in a lot of brown. I never noticed that until I started putting this together:)

Supplies used this week: Most of the items are listed in the icons below. The little calendar is by Splendid Fiins who is in the process of moving from jessicasprague.com to the-lilypad.com. I am not sure when the move is final, be sure to check her blog for the latest info. As always I am linking up to the mom creative for Project Life Tuesdays.