Project Life Pictures...

Are you doing Project Life?  Or maybe something like it?  Are you a huge fan?  GREAT!  I'll share my picture taking method with you to keep you going if you need some inspiration.

Are you a Project Life hater?  Did you try and fail?  Or are you staying far, far away from all the stress and drama of having to take a picture every day?  Well, I won't promise to change your mind, but if the picture taking thing was the issue, maybe this post will help you, too. 

(Wait.  I just used the "fail" word.  There's really no such thing as a "fail" in scrapbooking.  I know this is true because I have NEVER heard of the scrapbook police coming to take someone away.  It just doesn't happen.)

THE NUMBER ONE PICTURE TIP:
You have to use your camera to get pictures.  So if that fancy-dancy camera is too honkin' huge or fragile to go places with you, stick that point-and-shoot or phone in your pocket.  Insist on using that fancy-dancy camera?  Then get a camera purse or camera cozy and take that baby everywhere!

THE NUMBER TWO PICTURE TIP:
You have a perfectly fantastic life and it is NOT boring or dull or stupid.  It is silly, touching, hilarious, annoying, messy, dirty, beautiful, and REAL.  So take a picture of it.  Whatever it looks like to you.

BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF!
Everything!

NO, REALLY.
Really.

There are many websites out there that have photo prompts, but I tend to just imagine the conversation in my head about "here's what happened to me today" (or "you will not believe what's going on here!" if it's been that sort of day...).

Imagine your bestie says to you, "So, what happened with you last week?"  I bet you can rattle off a bunch of things.  The baby puked on your sweater.  The dog ate your shoe.  You saw a rainbow.  Your son practiced trombone.  There was a fire alarm and fire trucks at work.  You made an amazing meal (hey, you want the recipe?).  Your dad sent you a completely random picture.  The laundry was piled *up to here*.

Yes, my dog really did eat my shoe.  I threw my shoe away, and then remembered it would make a great photo.  So I dug it out of the trash and set it next to him.  I swear all I did was ask him, "What did you do???" and he gave me this great pathetic shot.  Yes, it'll be in my Project Life pages before too long!

Okay, it doesn't look like much, but the family RAVED.  And asked for seconds on... salad?!?  Okay, so that has to be recorded for all time (as well as how I made the dressing - better be able to repeat that, right?).  Chicken pilaf, salad, yogurt/fruit coming to a Project Life page near you!  Um, and maybe to my dinner table tonight.  Now I'm hungry...

You thought the fire truck at work thing was far-fetched?  Hey, that's life, right?  And look at me, I have a camera with me wherever I go!  I figure I spend an hour in the car every day and most of my waking hours at work.  That's my life.  And with that in mind, I snap a lot of pictures of what I see out the car window or what I'm doing or seeing at work.  So, yeah.  Fire trucks at work!  Project Life, baby!

I will be the first person to tell you my life is not that exciting.  But it is *my* life (and my family's life), and that's what makes it special and precious - and worth recording.  So maybe you still don't want to do Project Life.  That's just fine.  But maybe you'll want to take a few more of those daily life photos?  That's also just fine.  And awesome.  *big smiles*

- Theresa/Savi