project organization :: all those holiday cards

I had big plans this weekend to complete yet another project... my Christmas card montage.  For both 2011 and 2012... Yeah.  I'm a little behind.  I even took all of the 2012 holiday cards off the display wall finally (insert sad face here)...

I even went out and purchased a new 3.5" square punch (my other one is totally MIA).  Then... I sat down... got all of my cards out...  ready to punch away... and I was able to punch one.meesley.card.  Yep.  You heard right... one card... one teeny, tiny square.... then my square punch broke.  Straight up stopped working.  I'm hoping to return it soon and still knock this project out in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I thought I'd re-post my thoughts on the Christmas card montage from a few years ago...

I wish I could take credit for this... but I can't. This is another genius idea from Ali Edwards. 

Ali basically takes all of the Christmas cards and photos she receives for the year and creates a simple photo montage with all of them. I love it. I have always been one of those people that keeps cards (Christmas, birthday, thank yous, valentines... you name it, I keep it), but really they just sit in a box somewhere stored away. I am in love with this idea. At first, I was a little tentative about cutting and cropping my family and friends with a square paper punch... but I must say, it was kind of liberating. Nice to let my Type A personality live on the wild side a little. I just put the photo or card in my square punch, found my favorite part, and punched away. Here's the basic process...

I ordered this awesome square punch, the Marvy Uchida. I totally copied Ali again here, and purchased the same square punch she recommended on her blog. This punch was the perfect size, and for the most part allowed me to crop everyone inside the square. There were a few families who apparently don't like to stand very close to one another during Christmas photos... and for them, I'm sad to say I had to either separate them into two squares, or cut off some ears...

After punching out all the cards, I had to decide on some type of layout. I tried not to be too OCD about this, and really just tried to mix up the colors. You'll notice that I tried to select a good mix of both pictures and good old fashioned Christmas cards. I like the variation of it all.

Then I just used my favorite adhesive to paste the squares on some red 8x11 paper. I knew I would be using 8x11 sheets, so I let that determine how many squares would go on each page. I changed my layout ever-so-slightly (I guess the OCD did get the best of me) and called it finished. I ended up with 4 pages with 12 squares each.

A few years ago, I put these in the back of my December Daily book... but seeing how I'm super behind on those too... I'm just aiming to getting my cards on paper.  What about you?  How do you organize your holiday cards?

project organization :: january cards

Last  week I shared about how I organize my card-hoarding collection... all of those zillions of cards you receive each year.  But what about the cards that you send out every year??  For you, this might be your family's annual Christmas card... for us, it's the infamous January card:)

We have been mailing out January cards for 7 years now... and for 7 years now I've been trying to figure out the best way to preserve these fun cards.  Then it hit me.  An album.  I've had this beautiful blank Kolo album sitting on my desk for months now...  just waiting for the perfect project.  And since I deemed February my "finish-all-those-unfinished-projects-month" I figured there was no time like the present...

This was by far the easiest project I've ever done.  The hardest part was managing to find all of our year's past January cards... 2010 and 2011 are completely MIA.  But once I was able to scrounge up most of our January cards, all I did was slap some acid-free tape on the card itself and stick them right to my album.  Technically I needed 2 copies of each year... one for the front and one for the back... which yeah... wasn't really a big deal until I realized I couldn't find 2 copies for the very fist year...

Welcome to 2007.  The birth of the January cards.  I hadn't quite perfected the font on the front yet.  This is also the year that I was obsessed with putting ribbon on everything.

2008.  We fixed the font and went all out with color photos on the front and the back... big time.

2009.  We scaled back this year and went solid black & white. 

 2010. And 2011.  Use your imagination... Hoping these bad boys surface very soon.

2012. We finally upgraded to professional photos.  2011 and 2012 cover photos are compliments of the talented Shaelyne Meadows.

2013.  My favorite year for sure... but I say this every year once I get my January card shipment in.  2013 cover photo compliments of Firm Anchor Photography.

So, there you have it.  My somewhat-completed January card album.  This should be a fairly simple project to keep up with over the coming years.  And I love seeing the "snapshot" of our year-to-year life with each turn of the page.  Even more excited to see our January cards fill up with children in the coming years:)  

If your family sends out holiday cards every year, this would be such an easy way to corral them all together.  Do you already do something similar?  I'd love to hear.

for all the card hoarders out there...

One of my resolutions for February was to actually finish some projects.  My card-hoarding project was first on the list.  A long, long time ago I blogged about my card-hoarding issues and my simple solution.  You can read the original post here.

You see, I have a slight card hoarding problem.  I can't seem to throw away my snail mail... it doesn't matter if it's a thank you card, a birthday card, a graduation announcement, baby announcement, wedding invitation... whatever it is, I keep it.  Told you.  Problems.

So.  What to do about this little problem of mine??  Well, before anyone calls the Hoarders show on me... I figured I would attempt to bring some order to my card collecting obsession.

It's a pretty simple solution.  I just decided to punch a couple of holes in all of my cards and put some rings in the top of them all.  I gathered up all of my materials first: a gigantor hole punch (I use the We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-Dile), some fun tags for the front of your cards, laminating sheets (optional), some rings to corral everything together, and then of course, a shit ton of cards.

I used my awesome vintage-looking number stamp set to stamp the year on the back of some fun die-cuts.  I love the simple look of these.

After I stamped my die-cut tags, I ran them through my laminating machine.  This is probably not necessary, but I think it will make sure everything holds up for years and years of card hoarding... ahem, I mean memory keeping.

After all of my tags were laminated, I trimmed them down and punched holes in each top corner.  I went ahead and stamped 2 tags for each year that I was catching up on.  I learned early on that there is no way I can fit a year's worth of cards on one set of rings.  I told you guys... I have a crap-ton of cards.  Stop judging me. 

My favorite rings are these mesh cable rings from 7gypsies.  They seem to fit the most cards without getting too bulky.

Here's the finished product.  I love the simple tag with the year stamped on it.  And I love that you can see all of the different cards peeking out from behind.

I love that I can flip through the billions of cards like a book.  For the most part, the cards are in chronological order... so it's almost like a little snapshot of our year... birthday cards... anniversary cards... thank you notes... graduation announcements... wedding invitations... I love it.

And like I said... my card hoarding problem is so out of control that we needed 2 sets per year.  Issues people, I know.

My stack for 2013 is pretty small so far, but I'm adding cards to the pile as they come in.  I'll probably take a day to punch holes in them in a month or so.  I love how accomplished this simple project makes me feel.  While yes, my card hoarding issues continue (and show no signs of early recovery)... this little project makes me feel like the most organized hoarder out there;)

What about you?  Do you keep your snail mail?  What do you do with it?  Are you in the card-hoarders-anonymous group too?  

embracing february {monthly goals}

I know it's only month #2 and all... but I'm pretty much in love with this idea of monthly goals:)  Here is what I'm embracing this February...

Focusing on // the home study process.

The adoption process is daunting.  Like, for real.  The paperwork alone can make you hyperventilate.  I have decided that it's best to break this process up into smaller parts... you know, to avoid any unnecessary anxiety attacks.  This month, Lance and I are focusing on our home study process... specifically, this means... 1) finishing our 70 question self-study (we each have to complete this individually)... 2) scheduling our second appointment with our home study agency... and 3) begin baby-proofing our house so we can pass our actual home study, whenever that happens.

Finishing up // old projects.

I have a feeling February won't be the only month this year that has a goal similar to this one.  You see, I have a major commitment problem when it comes to projects.  I love to start them... but rarely see them to completion.  I am working on this.  I have a handful of projects in mind that I would love to see finished in February:)  Stay tuned on this one...

Finding time // for myself.

I am pretty stoked to be in Louisville for the month of February... yay... no travel!!  And I fully plan on taking advantage of some "Julia-time" during my month of hotel-free living.  For me, this means a few coffee dates with myself... working on some unfinished projects (see above)... and some much-needed craft time... cannot.wait.

Figuring out // our budget.

Lance and I have always worked off of some type of budget... but to say it is casual would be a major understatement.  Over the past 2+ years, we've had to buckle down a bit... mostly due to our move to Louisville and Lance being in school.  We've started doing some major debt-repayment and are working on slowly building up our savings.  But now that we have started the adoption process, our financial goals have shifted a little... okay, a lot.  Adoption ain't cheap people.  It's time to get serious.

What about you?  What are you focusing on this February?

january goal recap...

At the beginning of January, I shared that I would be doing monthly goals this year, instead of my traditional New Year's resolutions.  I'm still pretty smitten with the idea... and I thought it would be helpful to do a brief little recap of how I actually ended up doing on my January goals... for nothing more than some good ol' accountability.  So... here is how January ended up... 

Catching up // on my photo editing.

Not too shabby here.  I finished all of my main photo sessions that I was backed up on... then I also had 2 fairly recent baby sessions, both of which I would love to have edited within the week.  But I'm considering the original portion of this goal accomplished:)

Creating more // time to read.

Yes!  I finished The Lone Wolf by Jodi Picolt mid-January (good read... but not a favorite) and am nearing the end of the final Hunger Games book, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  Two books in one month??  This is a pretty big deal for me, people.

Cleaning out // my closet.

Done. And done.  I did some major purging here and had a super successful trip selling some items at the consignment store.  It was perfect timing because we were able to use my consignment cash as spending money for our St. Thomas trip.  I'll need to do a full closet post soon... but it's lookin' good!

Caring for // my soul.

I don't know if this goal will ever truly feel "accomplished," as I think caring for one's soul is an on-going process... but I definitely took some important steps in January.  For one, a tropical vacation never hurt anyone... and our trip to St. Thomas this month was just what the doctor ordered.  Secondly, I am really working on saying "no"... and simply learning the importance of protecting my time.  And then lastly, but most important, I am trying to make time to read God's word everyday... I can definitely tell a difference in my day when this happens or doesn't happen.

So, there you have it... my January goals recap.  Stay tuned for February's goals on Friday:)

And PS... the ol' bloggity blog hit 300 followers this week... thanks so much for reading! 

embracing january {monthly goals}

Instead of my typical New Year's resolutions, this year I've decided to do monthly goals.  Something I can measure and reach toward each and every month in 2013.  Here are my goals for January...  

Catching up // on my photo editing.

I'm hoping to have all of my current photo sessions updated and edited by the end of January.  I have a few small sessions at the end of the month, and before I know it, the busy engagement and wedding season will be upon us... and I would love to be ahead of the game before all of that craziness starts:)

Creating more // time to read.

Because I have a lot of travel scheduled this month, this is a very attainable goal.  Statistically speaking, I read twice as much if I am on a plane, than anywhere else.  It's true.  My hope is to finish a complete book this month (for anyone that truly knows me understands that this is a major feat) and start a new one.

Cleaning out // my closet.

My sister started me out strong on this one when she visited in December... now, I just need to finish.  The biggest goal here is to do some serious purging.  This is not a resolution to "organize my closet" but rather to clean.it.out.

Caring for // my soul.

My initial thought was to put "caring for my body" here... you know, the likely January goal... and while yes- eating healthier and exercising more are always on the forefront of my mind this time of year... I know the depths of my soul need an even greater care right now.  My heart is yearning for the restoration that only the Lord can provide.  I have been really excited to start a new devotional that I received as a Christmas gift, and am looking forward to letting His word restore my soul... not only in January... but this entire year.

What about you?  Did you do resolutions this year?  Monthly goals?  I'd love to hear...

christmas in july

Ever since Chrystina from Chrystina Noel shared her tips on how to host a Christmas in July party on the blog, I've been brainstorming about how to make my very own "Chistmas in July party" a reality.
Oh, and it.is.happening.

Two things I don't joke around about... Christmas... and parties.

My invitations arrived yesterday... and they.are.awesome.  Almost as awesome as all of the Christmas snack ideas I have swirling around in my mind.  Still trying to decide on a signature Christmas drink... preferably a cold one (hot chocolate isn't nearly as tasty when it's 100 degrees outside)... any ideas?

I've had several friends ask me what exactly you do at a Christmas in July party... to which I reply, "Eat Christmas food and listen to Christmas music, of course... duh."  Although... I did tell one girl we were going caroling.  She may not be coming anymore.

I've considered all kinds of things... decorating cookies... bringing toys to donate for children's Christmas gifts... having an ugly Christmas sweater contest... playing pin the nose on Rudolph... the list goes on.  All of these are awesome ideas... but I decided to keep it pretty simple... eat and hang out.  I decided this because I ended up inviting a random array of different women... some will know each other... some won't.  I want people to be able to mingle... to eat Christmas cookies and meet new people... simple.  I did decide to include recipe cards in all of the invitations, encouraging women to bring their favorite holiday recipe to swap with someone... but that's about the extent of our "activities."

...that is, unless I find an awesome Christmas sweater that lights up...

happiness... delivered right to your front door

When I came home from Atlanta last week I was greeted by a handful of birthday cards... a couple of awesome bubble wrap envelopes... and this AMAZING box of goodies....

I pulled out one of the wrapped presents only to find several others underneath...

Eventually I noticed a little numerical theme going on... they kept coming and coming...

Adorably wrapped kraft paper presents spilling all over my coffee table...

When I finally made it to the bottom of the box, I had 12 individually wrapped presents... each with their own handmade gift tag.  There was an amazing handwritten letter (probably my favorite part) explaining the thoughtfulness between each and every gift.  The goodies ranged from gel pens to scrapbook accessories... from post-its to stationary... from thrift-find treasures to handmade jewelry... from books I can't wait to read to my very own tag punch... 

Turns out, you can fit happiness in a box... and ship it right to someone's front door.  And I'm telling you... this box was slap full of happiness...

I should have taken individual pictures of all my goodies, but I didn't want to make you all incredibly jealous:)  Take my word for it... this was the care package among care packages.  Absolutely amazing.  Thank you Tami!!


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And speaking of care packages... I've recently been introduced to a super cool company called CarePKG... It's an entire website that is designed to create perfect care packages for any occasion... wedding care packages... college care packages... and their most popular, camp care packages.  And the coolest part?  ...one of my photos is featured for their college care package site.  Any company encouraging snail mail happiness is a winner in my book... I know I'll be checking them out soon!

letter a day

I have a sweet friend that will be going on her very first international mission trip in a few weeks. She is absolutely ecstatic... but a little unsure of what to expect too. She will be in Ethiopia for 11 days... I'll be filling up 11 cards and letters to give her before she leaves... full of quotes, scripture and my own words of encouragement.

The plan is that my friend has an envelope to open each day of her trip... starting at the airport and ending on that last plane ride home. All in hopes that she will be greatly encouraged and will remember to make each day count...

I had a very dear friend do something similar for me once a few years ago. I traveled overseas to Kazakhstan by myself... and those sweet notes of encouragement did wonders for me. I looked forward to reading them each day and they made any homesickness I was feeling vanish in an instant. I hope these will do the same.

PS... how awesome are my vintage number stamps?!? These are the stamps I bought during my visit to Franklin, TN last month... aren't they awesome!?!

top 10 :: reasons why the closet swap rocks

Last year my sister and I started doing a closet swap any time either of us were visiting the other. At first it was just a handful of shirts each, but now it has become a full-fledged exchange of awesomeness. My sister lives in Alabama and we have now made the closet swap a semi-annual exchange. We each go through our closets collecting shirts, skirts, purses, etc that we think the other might enjoy. The point is not to just get rid of last season's clothes, but to actually throw in a few nice items. I'm telling you... it's flippin' awesome. So, here's the definition of the Julia/Jenna closet swap...

J&J Closet Swap: a semi-annual exchange of clothing and accessories complete with new styling ideas and tips from one sister to another... aka, most brilliant idea ever. The rules and guidelines have changed a little since our first ever closet swap last year.

Here are the top 10 reasons why the closet swap freakin' rocks...

1) I get to see my sister.

2) It's like a giant shopping spree.

3) It's free.

4) You acquire things you wouldn't normally buy.

5) You finally get to borrow that top you've been dying to wear.

6) It's free.

7) It brings new life to your old clothes.

8) It curbs your need for spending and shopping.

9) You have a new eye for new outfits/styles.

10) Oh... and it's free. Have I said that yet?

Have you tried a closet swap before? If not... you should. Size 8 1/2 shoe... medium tops... long pants... any takers? ;)

Linking this up to Oh Amanda.