This morning, I sat down between cooking, cleaning and laundry and started to put together my Week in the Life pages.  This year, I am doing them completely digitally, no cut and paste, no cutting up the small photos and putting them in page protectors.  I used the hybrid digi-paper approach the last two years and while I’m really happy with how everything turned out…it takes a lot of time to cut up everything, add a few embelli’s etc…  I figure that the four pages below took me less than two hours, I am anticipating that the process will be quicker the further into the week I go.

So, I put the pages together digi-style and will have them printed at PersnicketyPrints (where I have all my digital layouts printed, they do an awesome job!), I’ll slip them in the full 8 1/2 x 11 page protectors along with the daily detail sheets and call it a day.  Am hoping they will fit in the binder that already contains 2011 and 2012.

Unlike past years, I decided to try themes with my pages today… 1-shots I took around the house after everyone left for school and work 2-Meals  and 3-the AM routine.  Kind of fun and it gives the pages more of a “story” behind seemingly random images.

Photos:  I started with 120 images, I deleted down to 72, of that I used 29.  I did minimal photo editing in PSE.

Templates:  I used Ali Edwards  Week in the Life Layered Template Set 8.5 x 11 Vol. 05. I love Ali’s templates, they are simple and well designed.  Her designs are available at Designer Digitals.  I designed my own templates for the 12 photo and 9 photo layouts.

Paper and Embellishments:

Paper:  I subscribe monthly to the Digi Game from Designer Digitals, if you are a digital scrapbooker, it is the BEST value going!  I am using the “Summer Blossoms” kit by WhimpyChompers Creative.  This was included in my August selection but can be purchased through the Scrap Matters Shop.    (as an aside…my entire collection of goodies from the August Digi-Game, which included 5 full kits, one set of 5 templates, and a lesson from the Scrapbook Coach,  cost $7.99,  to purchase the kit solo is $6.49.  Hellooooo  can you say “Deal”!!!! )

Embellishments:  The background “paper flowers” were from the Summer Blossoms Kit.   I also used Ali’s “Week in the Life Circles”  (backed by my own paper circle) and “Week in the Life Labels” 

Holy Moly so happy it’s done, one down, six to go (!)   Thanks for looking.  If you’re working on “Week in the Life” this year, how is it going?  I’d love to hear.