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September 29, 2011
 
These are so beautiful every year. They greet our guests from the front garden patch along our sidewalk. I love them because they are so big and bold and don't flop over like the more common varieties of peonies.
Rebekah Parker
September 28, 2011
I live in a neighborhood of runners. And bikers. And triathlon-ers. It’s like there’s something in the water out here that makes you want to get off the couch and sign up for the next marathon. I even caught the bug and trained long and hard for a half marathon last year only to be thwarted from my goal by a pesky bout of life-threatening pancreatitis two weeks before the big race. So I know what it takes to accomplish a goal like that and I am constantly impressed by those who do it.
That’s how this project came to be. As my friend Kristy was headed to the Boston Marathon this fall I couldn’t help but be inspired by her achievement. So I whipped up this little gift made from a 4”x6” photo album I had stashed on my shelf. My goal was to give her a place to store the photos that she took at each of her races along with a little journaling room to jot down the location, date and other memories that made each event interesting. However, knowing she wasn’t a scrapbooker, it had to be easy as well as meaningful.
Not a runner? No problem!
This particular album was designed for a runner. However, I have provided the artwork for two different title pages for your album. One is just like mine (but without the initials). The other is more generic and will work for anyone who is or has achieved something worth celebrating. A child’s sporting event or the school play or the rise of a debate champion. It can celebrate a friend’s achievements at work or in their personal life. It can even be used to encourage yourself as you work you way toward individual goals and dreams. Lots of possibilities – for marathoners running down all roads of life.
Supplies Needed:
- 4’x6’ photo album with 30 pages (can be more or less if you choose).
- 6 sheets white cardstock for printing.
- stickers or chipboard or stamp letters to create title page initials and cover title.
- paper trimmer.
- journaling pen.
- downloadable title and quote card templates available at the bottom of this post
1. Download and print the title page I have designed for you. Choose the title card that works for you and trim it 1/4” from the border. Use stickers or chipboard or stamps to add the recipient’s initials to the circle graphic. It should end up about 4”x6” in size and slide right into the first slot of your photo album.
2. If you have a window in the front of your album like I did, you can use the medallion to title your album’s cover. 26.2 miles is the distance of a marathon so that’s what I used for Kristy’s album.
3. All of the quote pages in this album can be found in the downloads (See bottom of post). Simply click on the downloads, print them on white cardstock, trim 1/4” around each border and slip them into the sheet protectors of your album.
4. Place them in random spots throughout the album, with spaces for photos intermixed. I had enough quote cards to pair one with each blank photo spot.
5. Your recipient can journal on the quote cards or just leave them as-is and the album will look fabulous either way.
6. Finish off your album by choosing a quote card for the end page. As with all my gifts, I like to keep it personal. One way I did this was in using Kristy’s initials at the beginning. The other way was to write her a note at the end of the album, telling her why I think she is amazing. If nothing else gets written in her album, I know that she will always be able to look back at my hand-written note and know that someone is cheering her on.
You can probably whip up this album in about 45 minutes or less. Talk about a meaningful gift in no time at all!
I’m big on meaningful gifts and that’s why I’m big on Giving Well 2011 – my “back by popular demand” workshop with all-new projects. The focus this year is on home décor as well as projects like this one I’ve shown you today. Simple, meaningful gifts that pack a punch without breaking the bank.
Consider this “Make Life Happen” album a bonus gift idea – with more to come if you join me in Giving Well 2011! Click here [http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/givingwell2011.php] to register. Class starts in just a few weeks so that you will be ready for the holiday season with all kinds of gift ideas for anyone on your list.
Who’s ready to get started on that holiday gift-crafting? See you in Giving Well! And in the meantime, put this fabulous project at the top of your things to give!
www.kolettehall.com
Giveaway: Win a spot in Kolettes workshop on our Facebook page today only by commenting on our wall.
TO DOWNLOAD CLICK ON THE LINKS
(these are stored on a different site so by clicking the links you will be leaving the BPC blog)
Title Cards
Quote Card 1
Quote Card 2
Quote Card 3
Quote Card 4
Quote Card 5
September 26, 2011
Take a moment to celebrate your successes. At times, it’s all too easy to notice our shortcomings. Today, I ask that you take a moment to think about all of your successes, and give yourself permission to be proud of everything you have accomplished in your day, week, life.
September 23, 2011
Included in the slide show are a handful of new and old friends we met and got to listen to in no specific order, and later I will share the coolest people we met, BPC members!!
and many many more awesome and amazing peeps!
September 21, 2011
Welcome to the first in a series of seven e-inspirations created just for you by Big Picture teacher Elizabeth Irvine. Who is she? read below
Elizabeth Irvine is a nationally recognized health living spokesperson, author, former ICU nurse, yoga instructor and mother of three who believes we can create a healthier way of being and raise families who care—about themselves, each other, and about the world around them
"Do you want to feel more calm, healthier, and genuinely happy-- every day? Following is a daily inspiration in my series of seven that I will be sharing over the next few months. These are intended to help you create more peace, joy and well-being in your life.
Can you be open to wonder? Open to the idea that you may know more than you think?
You don’t need to tell me: A mother’s love reaches beyond any logical boundaries. Most mothers would sacrifice their very lives to protect the life of their child. How is it, then, that we miss the bigger picture, the weaving of our interconnected lives, in forgetting to nurture our own well-being?
I believe it rests in our attempts to be selfless, quickly pulling on one thread instead of patiently working on an interconnected piece of art. In doing so, we somehow miss the beauty of the whole tapestry. In attempting to tend to everyone else first—when inside we are falling apart—eventually, over time, we lose our capacity to be strong for anyone.The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way.We all have a choice. You have a choice.
Today and the rest of the week, be open to the possibility you know more than you think!"
Get to know more about Elizabeth by taking her Big Picture class, Just b, or on her blog and see her latest project, A Mandala Meditation Journal.It's a coloring meditation that is hot off the press! Thanks Elizabeth!
September 20, 2011
What an amazing experience we all had!! We met awesome people, made new friends, and connected with old, and learned from it all. We had a booth in the vendor fair with computers to sign up for BPC, candy and goodies, + a PHOTO BOOTH!!
Can you stand it? It was a hit, check it out below.
September 19, 2011
We still love our Pinterest boards, these three are my current favorites, check them out!!
DIY Love
Layout Love
Happy Packages
PS-need an invite to Pinterest? I have plenty left, send me an email and I will send you an invite.
wendys at BigPictureclasses.com
September 17, 2011
If you haven't had the chance to get to know Tracey Clark (Shutter Sisters' Founder and BPC teacher), then now is definately the time! I've had the pleasure of working with Tracey as she's developed one amazing class after another (The Picture Series classes) and she's our next 4Expert teacher.
This new class, The Art of Composition, is quite different from her other classes. In this class she is really teaching you how to have a photographer's eye. To move beyond just snapping photographs, to really seeing the different components that make up a photograph and how to best capture what you really want to capture. This is about as close as you can get to working one-on-one with an amazing, professional photographer for 12 weeks. I promise you that this is an experience you don't want to miss.
Sign up now! Registration is limited and may close at any time!!
P.S. Watch for the self-paced version of Picture Fall, coming VERY soon! It's a perfect way to spend October (or November)!
September 16, 2011
Go outside today and immerse yourself in nature. Feel the grass under your feet, breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun on your face, and focus on being present and appreciating all the beauty nature has to offer.
September 15, 2011
This photo is from May 2010, when I took a morning walk. It is Tannefors sluss in Kinda Kanal, Linköping, Sweden. I love the sun shining through the leafing. This place is so calm and serene.
Karin Lindholm
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