Happy Monday everyone! Ready to start the new week off with some goal-setting fun?
Back in April as part of my 5th Scrap-i-versary Celebration, I laid out five scrapbooking-related goals I wanted to achieve during my next scrap-year. Since July represents three months since I first shared my goals, it’s time for a first quarter goal check-in.
Here is where I currently stand with my five scrapbooking goals after three months…
1. Get Back to My Scrapbooking Roots
I am pleased to say that this goal is coming along swimmingly. I scrapbooked my first 8.5×11 page in several years…
…and I have to say I LOVED it! It really made me wonder why I’d ever stopped!
It was such a refreshing change of pace from all the square layouts I’ve been doing the last few years. Nothing like switching up the page size to jumpstart the old mojo. I definitely see more rectangle pages in my future.
I’ve also started a list in Evernote called “scrap outside the box” which is full of various design and topic ideas outside my comfort zone which I’d like to challenge myself to try this year.
I also hopped on the Project Life train and will be starting a Project Life style project to document my 29th year. My new album and page protectors arrived last week and I’m feeling really excited to get started. I’ll be sharing more about this project soon.
2. Scrapbook More of Our Traveling Adventures
Travel scrapbooking is a go!
I introduced my new From Adventure to Album project in this post and am definitely ready to get my travel scrapbook on. I have a few few other projects this month to finish up first but you can definitely expect to see more travel scrapbooking come August and September.
3. Get My Organizing On
Aww, yes, my old foe organization…
Two things have been happening on the organization front. Not so much with actual organizing but definitely laying the foundation for future organizing.
Number one…
I am currently working my way through Stacy Julian’s new Finding Photo Freedom class over at Big Picture Classes, which Stacy graciously offered to let all alumni from her Library of Memories class take for free. (Thanks Stacy!)
The last time I took LOM was back in 2009 so the class has been a great refresher for her system.
I’m especially loving her more digital friendly stance this time around since that was something I always felt was sorely lacking in the original version of Library of Memories.
I wouldn’t say my photos are necessarily more organized as yet but I am definitely seeing a light at the end of the omg-I-have-way-too-many-photos tunnel.
Which brings me to number two…
I am currently playing around with the trial version of Apple’s Aperture. Being that I was a guest on the Paperclipping Digi Show a while back chatting about Lightroom, I feel a bit like I’m cheating admitting this, haha.
But what I’ve realized thanks to the The Great Computer Spring Clean-a-thon and Finding Photo Freedom is that I HATE organizing my photos in Lightroom.
There. I said it.
Phew, I feel better.
It’s just so…clunky. Clunky in the same way I find Windows clunky compared to the Mac OS.
There’s just something simple about Aperture I am really really loving right now. Whether I’ll make the switch, I don’t know, but with only four days left of my trial, I’m definitely feeling like Aperture may turn out to be a better fit for me. Or it may rekindle my love of Lightroom. Only time will tell…
4. Scrapbook 100 layouts by the end of 2011
This goal is kicking my ass.
I knew when I set this goal it would be tough. Really tough. The toughest of all five of these goals.
But I didn’t expect it to be quite this tough.
When I made this goal back in April, I had scrapped 17 layouts.
Three months later and six months into 2011 and I am at…
26 layouts.
Wah wah.
Which means I have 74 layouts to go in six months. 12.3 layouts a month.
Let’s face it, if I’m being realistic, that is probably not going to happen alongside everything I’ve got planned for the blog and the shoppe. But I’m going to move ahead and hope for the best. Maybe at the six month mark I’ll at least be at 50?
5. Turn NettioDesigns into one kickass place to hang out
Of all the goals on this list, this one is by far the most scary.
Not because I think it’s not possible. But because it’s so out there. For all the world to see.
I’ll admit there are days when I feel a bit like I’m talking to myself around here. Days where I get bit by the doubt monster and start questioning every.little.thing. Putting my thoughts and goals and work in such a public arena is definitely WAY outside my comfort zone.
But then there are also those moments that make everything worthwhile. A simple friendly comment. An awesome layout in the gallery using one of my templates. Someone who totally gets what I’m all about. Those are the days that make me want to do more.
Over the last three months, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my ultimate goals are for NettioDesigns, my vision for the site and how I can best help you. The good news is a plan is in place and I am kick-my-heels-off-and-do-a-happy-dance excited about where things are headed.
But it does mean there will be a few changes around here. Changes which will not only be more awesome for you but a better fit for me too. Don’t worry, what you love about NettioDesigns isn’t going away – it’s just being tweaked a little. And there may even be the need for a team in the near future…
Now It’s Your Turn
So that’s it for this first quarter update of my five scrapbooking goals for this scrap-year. With nine months still to go, I am definitely feeling good about the progress I’ve made and where these goals are headed.
What about you? Anyone else kicking butt on the goal front? Feel free to share in the comments!
Well, when you had your big computer spring cleaning it encouraged me to get rid of lots of files that were cluttering up my computer. And I got everything backed up too. But, I’m still trying to finish my December Daily project! First I said I would finish it in March, then April, and now it’s JULY and I still don’t have the motivation to finish it yet. On the other hand, this year I really wanted to do “a Week in the Life of” along with Ali Edwards”-but something always comes up and I’ve never do it. So a couple of weeks ago, I decided one morning that I would start right then and do the layouts each day-and I did it for a whole week and finished my album. So some goals are getting done and others not…yet.
LOL my December Daily album is still sitting all sad and unfinished too. My deadline was the end of May, didn’t happen. Now it’s just sitting on a shelf by my desk…mocking me, haha. That’s awesome about your week project! Way to go! I’m wanting to do A Week in the Life at the end of July but I’m a bit nervous about it. I’m hoping if I document my progress here on the blog, it’ll keep me motivated.
I’ve actually been considering to switching to 8.5×11 next year. I have a paper friend who scraps that way and I love how her layouts look…no need to ‘fill’ space as it were, and it just suits her. Album buying would be so much easier, too!
Good luck on accomplishing your goals..and for NettioDesigns to be a HUGE success 🙂
Do you normally scrap at 12×12 then? I scrap and print at 8×8 so I like the extra space the 8.5×11 gives me. I use the American Crafts 8.5×11 D-Ring albums and just put all my 8.5×11 and 8×8 pages in there together. Works out great!
I scrap 12×12 and print 8×8 because I hate having to resize all the time. I’ve considered just putting my 8×8 in 8.5×11 albums already. Many of them aren’t even in one now because I haven’t bought any albums lately..so they’re stacked around not even being looked at. THAT should really be my goal LOL
Oh yeah, resizing can be a pain although I have an action I use for resizing my papers which makes it a little faster. I’ve got several stacks of printed layouts needing to go into albums. You’re definitely not alone on that one. LOL!
You’re not alone- I love LR for editing photos, hate it for organizing them. I think I only lasted a couple of months before I gave up trying to keep them organized there. I use ACDsee for the organizing of my pictures (no, I don’t tag scrap supplies- just my photos).
Glad to know I’m not the only one! I used ACDSee a LONG time ago, long before it was the IT program in the scrap world, haha, but when I started shooting RAW and then switched to my Mac, it made more sense to go with Lightroom.
I think the organizing system in LR works great if you’re a professional photographer which makes sense since that’s their main target customer. But I’m not a professional photographer so it doesn’t really work for how I want to organize my photos. That’s what I’m liking about Aperture so far – it’s still powerful but seems more user friendly.
Yeah, LR is definitely a program more geared to professional photographers for sure. I love being able to bulk process my photos- that is what I mainly use it for. My camera does shoot in RAW, but I don’t use that mode except on occasion- I won’t go into my reasons for that choice (good grief, that is a whole huge debate in and of itself). I’m still using v1.4 and occasionally get envy pangs when I see all of the neat features the newer versions have. They are mostly geared towards processing specific areas of photos within LR itself though, and I have to tell myself that is what I have PS and PSE for when I feel the need to tweak more than the white balance and colors on the 50 pictures I took that day. LOL
Yeah, bulk editing is one of it’s big strengths…which I never do either, haha. But I do find it faster for making basic edits on single photos than Photoshop. I do use Photoshop for finishing off the photos with actions though.
I do a family cookbook in 8.5×11 and it is a challenge! I love how the pages look at the end tho. I just use Windows Gallery for my photos. I have thousands of photos. I have everything super organized right now. I hate PSE Organizer though haha!
haha yeah, 8.5×11 can definitely be a change if you’re used to square pages..dang those pesky rectangles, haha. Yay for being super organized though! That’s awesome!
I just love your blogs!!! I’m totally inspiredto do a quarterly update on my husband’s and my 27 and 26 lists! Yay for a CT too!! (Remember me too! :D) I love your stuff and can’t wait to see all the upcoming stuff! I hope you do make it to at least 50 pages! I’m always thrilled to see new stuff from you!
Oh yay, so glad you’re enjoying the blog! Thanks so much for all the love!
Thanks so much for these inspiring posts – I finally took the last couple of days to document my own goals! I think that’s a big step and feels pretty good! Just love your great perspective – THANKS!
http://createdbyheather.blogspot.com
Oh yay, so glad you’re enjoying the posts! And woohoo for goal making!
Great goals! I can definitely relate with several of those. Feels good to write them all out doesn’t it?
Just an FYI, I would have loved to leave a comment on your blog, but since I host WordPress on my own domain, none of the registered options apply to me. If you set your Blogger comments so that “* Anyone – includes Anonymous Users” can post rather than “*Registered Users – includes OpenID” the Name/URL option should be available so those of us who don’t use Blogger/Typepad etc can comment too. 🙂
Thanks for the tip Lynnette – I went and changed it – I had no idea that option wasn’t preselected! And thanks for visiting!
So far my goal about less obsessing and more creative freedom is going relatively well. I did the Belfast mini album and even incorporated paper bits from flyers, tickets, broschures ect. It was lots of fun and come together quite easily once I stopped wanting perfection. Now all I need are bigger binger rings and a crop-a-dile to finish it off.
I got a new job recently, so scrapping hasn’t been my top priority. But I’m slowly getting back into the groove.
Love the idea of less obsessing – more creative freedom. That’s a GREAT goal! I’m really wanting to do a mini-album from my trip to NYC using memorabilia too. Kind of wish I would have been more prepared and done one of those scrapbook-on-the-road type albums so it would be done already, haha.