a minimalist approach to planning + project life for 2015

I'll be the first to admit it: I love stuff. I adore shiny, pretty things just as well as trite scraps of memorabilia. I love clothes and shoes and ceramic animal bookends*. Sure, I like my stuff, but to a certain point. My current home situation as a third-year college student is, shall we say, less than accommodating for paper crafting as a hobby. I'm down to the bare bones, here. As a result, for 2015, I’m taking a more minimalist approach to memory keeping and planning. Really, my decision was influenced by many factors, practicality being only a fringe benefit. 

I’m constantly inspired by the community of talented, innovative people I’ve become friends with on Instagram over the years. I have them to thank for my embarking on the memory-keeping journey, and, even though I’m not using it this year, the Instagram community introduced me to the Filofax mania as well.

Thailand, on the books.

Most of the Project Life layouts I’ve admired for the past year and a half have a similar streamlined aesthetic, many of which you can see here on my Pinterest board. That’s what I’m going for this year.

Products I’m using in 2015:

• A Heidi Swapp  12x12 Project Life album in black and white bold stripe

• Design A and Design F page protectors, with some smaller protectors for certain elements and dynamic interest

• Project Life Midnight Edition core kit

• Blinksoflife #lifestory monthly kit subscription - more on this in the next post.

• Printing from the Collect app for bordered 3x4 photos, also more Instax photos.

• My trusty Canon Selphy CP900 printer. Don't know what I'd do without it!

Details from a recent spread - Korea style.

So that’s the framework. I plan to have at least one page per week, sometimes more depending on activities. Other than that, I’m pretty flexible. Simplicity of style, use of white space, minimal embellishment, and a graphic, yet streamlined aesthetic. Same goes for my planning. I’m carrying a simple Moleskine planner for my everyday planning—and that’s it.

I know I'm a little late in sharing my plans for 2015, but oh, I've never been much for keeping up-to-date on Project Life. Look for a few more posts from me coming very soon, including more shameless international travel photo spams. Hope your year is off to a great start. And I'd love it if you'd all share your plans for memory-keeping this year. 

* If you’re reading this, thanks Mom! I love my ceramic yoga frog bookends. :)

xo, Kait

Amazon.com affiliate links are included in this post.

simply life: early march 2014

An average week: rain, thai takeout, movies, cookies package tracking gone wrong. (week #9)

adding text to photos and cards with my typewriter is so lovely!

A fun day: walking 10 miles up the San Diego coast for cancer research. (week #8)

Studio Calico wood veneers, Amy Tangerine plus one cards.

Neon was really working for me. I tracked progress with my FitBit and printed out the results.

I can't believe it's already March!

There you have it, a simple look into my Project Life album for the first few months of 2014! I hope you enjoy, and please (please, please) share your projects with me. I'd love to see what you've got going on!

I'm so loving Project Life (But in my own way)

Well hello there! Long time no see, huh?  I'm still here! And here, too! 

It's a new year and that means the dreaded new year's resolution.  Every year, like everyone else, I write down a few impossibly optimistic things I'd like to accomplish and I inevitably fail, hard. Not this year, no. I've set the bar so low it's impossible (mm, well, let's go with improbable) to fail:

1. Read 50 books by 2015

2. Finish a whole year of Project Life, but on your own terms.

Not so bad. (And if you're wondering, I'm right on track with the reading thing. Yeah!) Many of you may know that last year I started project life mid-year and blogged about it here. I wanted so badly to keep up with it, but like many other things in a 22-year-old's life, it got monotonous. I can't explain it other than things like this always happen to me: I go through what I mentally deem love this/hate that cycles. Dizzying obsessions lead to crippling complacency. I'm sure psychologists have a word for it, but it kind of comes with the twentysomething territory. 

Cards: Polka Dot Party by Dear Lizzy; Studio Calico "this moment" & "Adventure" clear acetate; Maggie Holmes/Crate Paper; Studio Calico Handbook pages; Studio Calico wood veneer; Heidi Swapp "hello" stamp; Freckled Fawn polka dot washi.

Anywho, I've been inspired by Tracy and Cathy to work on what I'm calling "small format" project life; a 6x8 abum rather than 12x12. It's amazing! I'm taking a fluid approach to my spreads, so they're not necessarily weekly. 

Cards: Amy Tangerine Plus One mini kit (plus sign); Sunshine core kit (stripes); Midnight Core Kit (perfection); Just Add Color core kit (HSN exclusive) 2x2's ("awesome", camera); Caylee Grey "Feb" card (resized); October Afternoon Daily Flash orange washi; Freckled Fawn polka dot washi & neon pink airmail washi; Studio Calico Thataway star stickers; Typo.com.au "LOVE" stamp; Heidi Swapp "this is" stamp; American Crafts Thickers; October Afternoon Daily Flash 2x2 page protector (right).

I'm using a Studio Calico handbook that I've painted a teal-ish color. I quickly found out that the Studio Calico inserts were meh, so I ordered some by Becky Higgins as well as October Afternoon (which you'll see here above on the right-hand side, 2x2 pockets great for instagrams.) BUT note, if you plan on using inserts of a different brand, be prepared to bust out the hole puncher as the holes will inevitably not line up. 

Cards: Sunshine Core Kit (all except "to do", which is Studio Calico.); Michael's yellow washi; Target dollar bin alpha stickers; everything else is from Studio Calico kits.

Small format and simplicity seem to be working for me. I find myself way less overwhelmed and more focused on the photos than trying to just fill up the pages. I also don't do a lot of journaling, as you may notice. It works for me.

Cards: Left side, both from Midnight core kit; Studio Calico "&"; We R Memory Keepers floral; Dear Lizzy Neapolitan mini kit hearts (on top of floral card.); October Afternoon daily flash pastel washi; TwoPeasinaBucket.com Kraft heart sticker; Studio Calico Thataway Louisana and heart sticker; Ali Edwards Technique Tuesday "I heart Travel" and "Here We Go" stamps; Lawn Fawn hand-drawn alpha stamp (on & card).

I hope you made it all the way here. It was a longwinded one, I know. I've really missed blogging and I hope you all are having a great year thus far. What were your resolutions? Anyone else working on Project Life? I'd love to see your work! 

Project Life Creative Team Application

I'm really trying to keep it simple here, so please don't call me boring. :)

My name's Kait Bell, and I'm from San Diego, California; my own little slice of heaven on earth!

I'm a 21-year-old history student, coffee aficionado, bookworm, frequent traveler, and color lover. I'm a new Project Lifer and have simply fallen in love with the brand. Project Life has made me realize that life, no matter how simple, deserves to be documented; the little things really are the big things.  I use the bare bones approach to documenting the everyday. I think the quality of the PL product stands on its own and really doesn't need too much embellishing. Well, that's all for now. Thanks to the Becky Higgins team for the amazing opportunity!

Find me: http://cafeetpapier.com/, http://instagram.com/cafeetpapier (my happy place), & http://www.pinterest.com/cafeetpapier

My Week #40

Week #40, a lovely pastel rainbow week!

 The supplies I used this week: Garden Studies Lables & Stickers (french bulldog sticker!), anthropologie; mint triangle washi tape, freckled fawn; pastel stripes washi tape, typo; small notepad, kikki.k.

 This week I was busy doing errands and lots of random things to get ready for our guests. I was pretty productive, but still didn't get a few things done that were really important. Wah wah :( but, it's a new week now! 

Okay, so how was your week? I hope it was amazing! xx

visual update

I just wanted to share a few snaps from my instagram account from the past week. I've been busy readying my house (and my brain) for quite the exciting two months ahead. I hope you're all well and living fabulously.

Pretty things by Kikki-K and Rifle Paper Co.

Exciting October!

I wrapped up this package for lovely Lily, which is still sitting on my desktop :( 

I received a lovely letter from my friend Gladys @tea_wanderer.

I sent out this different-looking letter to April @damitaprilurcool.

Happy October! The best time of the year is just about here!

Review of Typo 2014 Luxe Diary in Polka Dots!

Stop. Grab a cuppa tea and a snack. This will be a long-winded, very picture heavy post! I hope you enjoy it! 

I recently stopped in at Typo at my favorite mall, Fashion Valley, here in San Diego. I never really have trouble finding things I like at the lush, whimsical stationery store, and this trip was no exception. I happened upon this precious ringed planner that totally suits my style! I love the light color and pastel polka dots. It's considerably lower quality than any ringed binder I've ever owned (about on par to the Walmart planners) but for $19.95 USD, it refused to be left on the shelf. I've included detail shots of the inserts, which are almost cute enough to justify the whole purchase. 

Of course I failed to photograph the front cover, but it includes 4 credit card slots and one ID slot (clear, slip-in type.) It doesn't include a full-length pocket. The material is a pink plastic faux leather, whereas the outside is made of oilcloth. overall it's quite the solid binder and could take quite the beating. It also includes a black ink, slim silver pen.

The first page is a floral divider for "personal info."

 Behind it, there is the standard information sheet and emergency contact information. I love the font and how simple the inserts are designed.

The next 2 facing pages include a 2014 year at a glance calendar, which lists the months across the top of the page, and each of the days in columns below it. 

And behind that, there is a standard 3 years at a glance reference calendar for 2013, 14, and 15.

Next is a lovely blue "diary" tab.

Then they've included a birthday reference sheet, still carrying on with the clean, streamlined style that I really appreciate!

 The month on two pages layout is absolutely stunning! It features a lovely mint shading. The only thing that totally ruins it is the small saturday and sunday boxes. I mean come on, weekends need love too!

I'm also a big fan of the week on two pages inserts. Each new month has a notes section at the beginning. Depending on how late in the week that particular month begins, it starts further down the page. It is of note to mention, the months that start with Monday do not have notes sections. Also interestingly, they've chosen to include the month and week inserts back to back. So that means that between each of the month pages, there are the subsequent week pages. I kind of like this idea.

Pretty ditzy spot budget section~

The first page includes a very cute "things worth saving for" insert where you can place photos of things you're saving for like festival tickets, amazing shoes, and a dream car. This is what makes me love Typo...the whimsical, fun side of planning and organizing. 

Loving the budget pages. God knows I need them! 

Another very pretty, vintage style to do divider.

 Another simply designed to do / checklist. Kudos to Typo! Even though the paper is very thin, I might even use these inserts for next year! (Would you like to see pen tests on this paper? Let me know.)

The last divider!

Behind that is a standard contact sheet for each letter of the alphabet.

The inserts are identical size and punched for the personal Filofax. The only difference is the ring size, which is definitely on the small side. I have inserted a picture of Filofax personal size pages in the binder as well as the Typo binder directly on top of the Filofax Personal Finchley (to show the ring size comparison.)

A few mm smaller than the Filofax.

 A closer look at the fancy-looking pen, as well as more glamour shots of the inserts.

Overall, the pricetag and lovely inserts really convinced me to buy this little number. It isn't a fancy replacement for my Filofaxes or even Kikki-K binder, but it is a cute, fun binder that screams my personality. It almost reminds me of one of the Kate Spade planners I've been lusting over. As I mentioned before, Typo has created a sturdy binder. The problem I had with the construction was the rings. About 75% of the binders on the shelf had misaligned rings, so be sure to really pay attention to the little details if you plan to pick up this agenda. All-in-all, I don't recommend it as a replacement to the nicer binders you have, but if you're like me, you might be attracted to a sweet little whimsical lovely every now and again. And for $20, what can go wrong? 

What's your opinion on the binder? I personally adore it!