But First Coffee…and the Ali Edwards One Little Word January Lesson
Taking a break from posting layouts to share something not focused on the superficial “looks”, design, and products being shown off. So grab your coffee and join me!
I realized I haven’t posted yet about taking Ali Edwards class “One Little Word” this year. In this post I wanted to share how I am making a 6 x 9 album using my stash and some of the digital downloads included in the class. I would have bought the kit actually, but I was too late. By the time I signed up, it was sold out. So I did have to improvise. I also did not really take photographs with a blog post in mind as I worked on the January lesson as most of the pictures I took were snapshots to show my friends on Instagram. I wish now that I had better ones, but I will definitely plan better for my next installment.
The photo above shows the paper that I decided to use in my album. This collection was designed by A Beautiful Mess for Project Life- I think it was called Sunshine or something like that-and I have had it for a few years. I also decided my color palette would be yellow, grey, and sky blue with black and white of course. I noticed that Ali really likes grey and I wanted to use some of the downloads when necessary to follow the lessons.
The first lesson was all about deciding on a word and getting acquainted with the word. I chose the word Simplify. The first lesson also revealed that the “theme” this year is the phrase “Get Curious.” I’m not 100% sure I understand how this ties in to the lessons, but I’m sure I will eventually.
I used a Simple Stories yellow striped album cover which I altered with paint and a teeny bit of glitter.
The class kit included monthly dividers and there were downloadable ones but I decided to use some extra Project Life dividers that matched the paper collection. My history with project life is pretty much a major fail- and I eventually decided it wasn’t going to be something I focus on anymore. So anything I had previously bought with good intentions has either been given away or re-purposed.
This is how my first page looks first with the monthly divider showing and second with a vertical 4 x 6 pocket insert that I slipped the “Get Curious” printable in Ali’s famous handwriting. I added a paper clip to it and was thinking that the whole ensemble would possibly come in handy as a place marker later.
I did download the cards to complete the written part of the lesson in which we were asked to define our word, find a quote that resonated with the meaning of our word, and then work through the WHY of our word. I explored the reasons why I chose Simplify as my word, and also talked about the things I want to invite into my life this year, and the things I want to let go of, following along with the prompts. I was pleasantly surprised by how I felt taking the time to work on something for no other reason than my personal growth and development.
I spent about a half a day on this first lesson-which does not look like it amounts to much- but honestly much of the time was spent thinking and journaling. And I have not been back to it since getting this far. Hopefully I will have another installment to show soon with February’s lesson. I am really excited to be in this class for the first time. Have you ever taken it? Did you get all the way through it? Was it a good use of your time and money? I love that Ali Edwards knows her style, which is distinctive, and her classes and products are focused on her story telling process- using great photos, and a digital and tangible hybrid combination with simple supplies. I think that the amount of “stuff” available and the number of different styles of documenting can get a bit overwhelming sometimes and I love that everything about her brand does not feel bogged down by the extraneous. Her own willingness to share and how she allows herself to be vulnerable and honest is clearly touching the lives of many, many people in a positive way. And now I am one of them! Thanks Nicole for referring me to this class!
xoxoGia