Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Mommy Project: The Abridged Version.

So, another reason for starting back up here at The Mommy Project is that I, once again, have a lot of projects coming up on the horizon. I'll still be working on the photo biz. which I big puffy heart love, but I will also be going back to school to finish up my last two credits in my Landscape Design course! I had almost decided to just let that slide away, but Dave and I have been talking and we have decided to go ahead and expand the landscaping business with a new, fresh, start and new, fresh, name! We have "owned" the new business name for awhile, but we weren't sure if/when to make the leap. Well, we've been working with a designer and we have a brand new logo and we are getting together a website and marketing materials and a whole lotta' other new goodness. So exciting. The new "improved" business will be expanded much more into the design aspect, while holding on to the property maintenance as "the bread and butter" as my favourite teacher, Dennis, would say. Design is the only part I'm really interested in, to be honest. I'm not much with a weed-whacker. Speaking of design...

I am also now signed up to take another class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking with my total girl-crush, Cathy Zielske. Gawd. She is just so darn adorable, isn't she? I think she is super amazing, and super talented, and her personal fitness transformation has been just...well...nothing short of inspirational this year! In fact, I have just started back up with some serious cycling (well, as serious as someone who is completely out of shape can get) because of her. I'd run, Cathy, but...I can't run.  I accept that about myself. 

Anyway! Suffice it to say that there will be a lot going on in the next little while and I thought that it might be nice to share some of it with you (you know who you are). Also, I wanted to beg ask you if you might like to take Cathy's course with me?! It sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, and fairly simple, and will result in the completion of an actual scrapbook. Crazy talk? No, really. The course is modelled around one of my all time favourite books, "Encylopedia of an Ordinary Life", by the also super talented Amy Krouse Rosenthal (a.k.a. Rosendal). Love that book.

Here...let me get my bud Cath to tell you all about the class herself:


Me: The Abridged Version
An A to Z All About Me 4-Week Album Workshop
Sometimes I wonder what makes scrapbookers avoid telling their own stories. I've heard the claims that journaling is hard and that these stories aren't worth telling -- and I don't believe either claim for a minute. To prove these ideas wrong, dear scrapbooking friends, is where Me: The Abridged Version comes in.
By focusing on specific but wholly unrelated random details from your own extraordinary life, I'm going to teach you that you're a lot better at writing than you think. We won't fret over flowery prose and excellent grammar. We'll work with run-on sentences. And fragments. And lists. And stuff that you might not think makes for perfect writing, but that most definitely WILL make for perfect story-telling.
In this four-week workshop, I'll be your guide to making the coolest album that captures a little essence of the person who puts so much time and care into documenting everyone else in her (or his) life. That person is you.
Will you do it? Will you come on this little journey and make this album with me?



  • It's not about design (though the design is cute and we will cover some fun digital stuff!). 



  • It's not about photos (though you will get to choose 52 shots that best represent your various entries… shots you already have or shots you'll take). 



  • It's not about product (though you will need an album, a bunch of cardstock, and your favorite patterned papers to accent the album with!).



  • But it IS about you. And when you're done, you'll have the coolest, most interesting snapshot of your life, right now, that you could ever imagine. A snapshot that only YOU are truly qualified to present. In the process, you'll get a handle on journaling the stories from your every day life and emerge a more confident storyteller. 
I think you have stories just waiting to get out, and I want to help you tell them. See you in class!

Run-on sentences? Fragments?? Lists?!? This course is meant for me!! How 'bout you? Hope to see you in class!  If not, at least I'll see ya' around the good ol' bloggity. Jeez! I'll have to post a picture of the baby for you! She's gotten pretty big in the past 6 months!!

2 comments:

Shan said...

I'm a little surprised you're finishing up the landscape thing. Only because I thought that whole idea had been set aside. Good for you though!

Also I'd ride with you, but I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to keep up. Who knows, maybe I'll attempt it if you promise not to laugh at me and I promise not to hate you when you leave me in the dust.

As for the scrapbooking... you know I love you, but you're on your own with that one. Seriously cannot take one more thing into this life of mine or it while burst at the seams. Can't wait to see the finished project though.

Mommy Project said...

I would love to go cycling with you. I am headed out tonight if you are up for it!
:)