Project Life: Cover Page + Week 1!

As mentioned in my previous post about Project Life, I chose the Seafoam kit. I'm absolutely in love with the color scheme, patterns, and wording. I also really loved the Olive kit, but I thought the Seafoam would be more neutral for documenting Langstons little self as well. I really wasn't sure what extras I would need to go along with my core kit, so of course I took to my fellow mama bloggers to find out and these are the essentials I came up with:

Corner Rounder Punch: Perfect to round edges out to match the kit pieces

Washi Tape: So many different uses - I love this stuff!

Date Stamp: I like the idea of knowing which dates are under which week

Thickers: Letter stickers - self explanatory

Snapseed: Fabulous app for editing my pictures

So I have officially begun! 

The pictures may change as my prints come in, but for now I've settled on these and I love how it looks. I didn't want too much going on, so I left it pretty simple. Some bird and heart washi tape, and button embellishments were about as crazy as I got. I love the library card, and I plan to jot a couple of the books I read this year on it as I go along.

The "Shelby + Langston" and "the best is yet to come" is done with a label embosser, and I like the look it gives off. It was super cheap, but I think I may spring for a bit of a nicer one since I'm really starting to love it.

Week 1!

(Please excuse the quality of these photos,

I'm still trying to figure out the best place to snap shots of them!)

For Week 1, I was really lucky because I had so much to photograph and include! We took a trip to the mountains to visit my family, and it was absolutely perfect. I hadn't made any trips recently because Lang made it very clear that he was not a fan, but this time he did amazing - so proud of him! The weekend was full of eating (as you can see!) and then it was back to work, for a week filled with coffee, and anti bacterial. I am trying my absolute best to keep the flu far, far away (fingers crossed!)

While baby is away, mama will....?

It's not a secret that me and Langston's father are no longer together, therefore Lang spends every other weekend at his house. Quite a few people have asked me what I spend my time doing while Langston is away, so I figured I'd share for all to know what a twenty-something single mama will be doing on her weekend "off" come this Saturday. (warning: my aunt has dubbed me "Old Maid" - so you can see where this post is going...)

Friday: Friday evening I will be diving into my first week of project life. I just made my cover page last night, and I'm already in love with this project. After that I will probably curl up on the couch in some ultra comfortable sweatpants and watch a movie, or read a book on my iPad - or maybe get a little crazy and do both!

Saturday: The morning and afternoon will be spent doing the weekly cleaning. Bathroom, laundry, changing his bedding, vacuuming/steaming his floor, and dusting. Due to this crazy flu season, I'll also be giving his entire stock of toys a nice soaking in the tub with my favorite BabyGanics cleaner. Then it's time to hit the living room with the vacuum about 10 ten times, especially now that I've got a fully mobile Langston on my hands. My room is the last to get some love, and this week it will be the most time consuming. I've pumped myself up for getting into declutter mode and I'm ready to tackle the closet and dresser drawers (lord help me). I can't wait to have more storage space! The evening will probably include cooking up something delicious to eat, another movie, an overload of blog reading, and to round it all out - an early bedtime.

Sunday: I will hop on over to MOM's Organic Market (my new favorite place), and Babies R Us for all things baby related for the week. Then back home to wait on my sweet boy. Come 9:00, I'll be getting Lang to bed and turning on HBO for the latest Girls episode.

There you have it. No big plans, no fancy dinner, no wild party - just a mama catching up on the essentials. I know I'm only 23, but this is what I want to be doing. I chose to become a mother, and I enjoy every minute of it. I finally feel like an adult. Maybe it is "Old Maid" behavior, but it's actually enjoyable to sit and just catch your breath. This doesn't mean I won't ever go out with girlfriends or make bigger plans, it just means I'm content with who I am and where I'm at.

Being single doesn't mean you have to be out on the prowl. If you're single, (mama or not) just take this time and make something of it. There is so much more to this life than looking for a guy or girl to share your time with. Focus on family, friends, hobbies, work - anything. I feel so much more in tune with what I want out of life now that I'm single. Not saying that I disliked sharing my life in previous relationships, but I feel much more sturdy now that I'm alone. Every person should experience what sturdy feels like. Once you're sturdy in who you are, it won't matter if you end up married or alone. You'll be prepared to take on either role happily.

Taking the plunge: Project Life 2013

Since one of my resolutions this year was to document more, I really felt like I needed to do it the right way. I came across Project Life while browsing through some of my favorite mama blogs, and decided to look into it a bit deeper via the Becky Higgins site. All at once, I became way too excited. It was fabulous. The ultimate busy mom scrapbook - it was exactly what I needed. But then a wave of reluctance washed over me soon after because let's face it, I am the Queen of Incomplete. How could I ever take on such a daunting project while working full time and taking care of Langston? I was sure it would turn out similar to my other adventures - Unfinished. So I tried to let go of the Project Life idea, unsuccessfully I may add. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became with myself. This would be something that would document my life with Langston, and if I wasn't able to take on something that special - something was surely wrong with me.

So here is the simple plan I came up with:

Step 1. Purchase a kit/supplies

Step 2. Devote each Sunday evening to completing a week.

Step 3. Repeat Step 2 until the book is complete.

Step 4. Start back at Step 1.

So far, only Step 1 has been completed (my Seafoam kit will be here Saturday) and I've already been documenting and snapping pictures to include once it comes in. I'm positively excited, and ready to switch out my Queen of Incomplete title into a positive one :)

 

All Project Life tips are absolutely welcome. Email me! (booth.shelby@gmail.com)

And here's a little Langston fix until I do my big upload! ---
 

 

blogs worth reading

I was a blog reader long before I was a blog writer. I'd like to say I spend my time equally amongst the two now, but who's keeping score? I never saw myself as a blogger, but through following these amazing women, it's shown me that every story is special and worth reading about - even mine.

Losing a Legend

This just so happens to be my best friends blog. Kelsey is a southern belle, former sorority president, current law student-turned only child. She lost her older brother in 2012, and has beautifully documented the journey she's been on ever since. Every memory she writes about contains such detail, that it will make you feel as if her brother was also yours.

Little Amelia Flower

Savannah is a fellow young single mama (another southern belle, too) and is killing it if I may say so myself. She is the quintessential independent strong woman. A few other of her talents include breastfeeding goddess, MAC makeup artist, and fashion guru. She's also a personal friend of mine. (lucky me!)

Attic24

If you love to crochet, you probably already know about the lovely Lucy. (and if you don't you must be living underneath a rock) I learned basic crochet skills from my mother, and Lucy has literally taught me the rest. Her tutorials are incredible, and the color schemes she uses are just my style. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this blog is perfect for all things yarn related, and not to mention beautiful photos.

Your Mom Goes to College

This is a blog I've just recently stumbled upon and quickly fallen in love with. Emily is another fellow young single mama who isn't afraid to express her feelings. She's not only hilarious, (comparing her dating life to Bridesmaids gifs) but also an excellent writer. If you're looking for a well rounded mama blog, look no further.

(There are about a dozen others that I love and read regularly,

but I'll save those for another time)

 

When it comes down to it, it's not about how many views your page has gotten, or how many followers you have. If you're talking about things that are important to you, that's all that really matters. My blog began as a commonplace to update my family on my newborn son. I ended up loving it so much that slowly I began to write actual posts instead of just uploading pictures. At first I wasn't sure what to write about, and even now there are days when nothing comes to mind, but for the most part it's helped me define who I am and what I stand for. I'm not an excellent writer, and I'm not trying to be. I'm just trying to document my journey through this amazing experience of becoming a mother, and if I find a few people along the way that share my views - what more can I ask for?


 

Puffs, crawling, and teeth - 7 months

7 months has been the big one for us. The month that I noticed huge leaps in his development. Crawling, eating, waving, teeth, and so much more. It's hard to believe that he'll be one before I know it. Wasn't he just born yesterday? Sigh...

Either way, these are Lang's current 7 month favorites!:

1. Happy Baby Puffs: Lang just figured out how to eat these, and now he gobbles them down with no problem.

2. Vtech Crawl Ball: His favorite is the cat and the taggies, of course.

3. Wittlebee: This one is actually my favorite right now. It's a monthly clothing subscription. Great brands like Tea, American Apparel, and Threadless

4. Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy: This seems to be his new favorite toy at the moment. He loves the sounds and songs it plays. (A gift from one of our favorite people)

5. Shopping Cart Cover: Lang loves getting to ride in the cart now, and these keep him from putting his mouth all over the germ covered cart - especially during this flu season!

6. Plum Organics: Langston hasn't found one of these combinations that he doesn't like. He's especially fond of the blueberry, pear & purple carrot, and the pumpkin & banana.

 

 

Countdown to Girls

While on maternity leave, I discovered the HBO gem "Girls" and needless to say, I fell in love. As a new mom learning to rebalance my life after baby, I felt like I could relate to these girls that were trying to find their bump and groove - although in different ways than my own. I leaned on the fact that they were full of realistic flaws just like myself. Weight struggles, relationship woes, and those dreaded awkward moments were what drew me even further into Girls heaven.

And then the season ended.

What was a Girl to do?! With season 2 airing this Sunday, the only thing left to do was dance!

Ellie Goulding "Anything Could Happen"


Ellie Goulding "Figure 8"


Calvin Harris & Florence Welch "Sweet Nothing"


Robyn "Dancing On My Own"


AND recap the best moments of season one:
( from What Should We Call Girls )

2013 Resolutions

Meet my 2013 resolutions. My first ever resolutions, actually. Why not, right?
So here goes nothing.....

1. Declutter
And I don't just mean my room. My life in general could use a good cleansing. I have a tendency to hold onto things that I think I may need at some point. You know, purses, shoes, grudges...the usual. Well, I don't want to do that anymore. Out with the old and in with the new.

2. Let Go
I want to let go of the things I cannot control, and just let them happen. I have a hard time accepting that I'm not always in control, and it's something that I need to learn to do better in my personal life and in my work life.

3. Eat!
Eat everything I see. Just kidding. I don't want to go on a diet, I just want to make a lifestyle change. As a parent, it's really important to me that Langston has a good, wholesome diet and as of now he does. His diet is based entirely on organic products, and as he gets older I know he'll notice what I'm eating as well. Not to say that my kid will never get to indulge because of course he will, but for the most part I want him to like healthy food and I believe that starts with setting a good example.

4. Document
Everyone told me life would fly by once I had a baby, and they couldn't have been more right. Although I think I've done a pretty good job at it so far, I want to make sure I remember every moment of this because my baby is growing up way too fast.

5. Bookworm
I already read a lot, but I've never really set a goal for it. By December 2013, I want to have read at least ten books.

6. Finish
Lord have mercy, just let me finish what I start!!! I'm the project starter queen, but when it comes to finishing - I'm kind of pathetic. I want to spend my free time in 2013 finishing the projects I've already started.

Jams

Five songs that I'll be playing on the first day of 2013

1. The Lumineers - Stubborn Love


2. Smoke & Jackal - No Tell


3. Two Door Cinema Club - Sleep Alone



4. Jaymay - Long Walk To Never


5. Churchill - Change


Enjoy! Happy New Year!