After a five-year break, I’m finding my way back to Project Life, and honestly, it feels like coming home. The last time I scrapbooked in this format was in 2019, when I was documenting every single week and supplementing those stories with 9x12 and 12x12 layouts for the bigger moments. It was my favorite way to scrapbook, but it was also something I’d been doing for a long time. By then, creative burnout had started creeping in, our kids were getting older, and then 2020 arrived and reshaped everything. Somewhere along the way, Project Life took a back seat.

Since then, life has continued to evolve in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Our days look different now, fuller in some ways, quieter in others, and much less centered around little-kid milestones. What I’ve missed, though, is that steady rhythm of documenting the everyday moments. The small things that don’t quite warrant a full scrapbook page and don’t always fit into my more introspective traveler’s notebook journaling. With the release of the Story Foundations collections, I felt that familiar pull again. A reminder that everyday life still matters, and that documenting it doesn’t have an age limit. Even with adult children, my life is still very much worth recording.

My approach this year is intentionally flexible. I’ll be working primarily in a 9x12 format, with the occasional 12x12 page for busier weeks or vacations that need a little more breathing room. I won’t be holding myself to strict weekly spreads either. Some stories naturally stretch across more time, like this first spread, which covers eleven days instead of seven. The goal isn’t perfection or consistency for consistency’s sake. It’s telling the story in a way that feels honest and sustainable.

For supplies, I’m keeping things simple and cohesive. I’ll be relying mostly on the Story Foundations core collection and the monthly chapter releases, since they’re designed to carry a full year of memory keeping without feeling repetitive. That said, I’m also giving myself permission to pull in a random Traci Reed Designs collection when the mood strikes. I’ll be mixing in stamps from my stash and slowly de-stashing enamel dots, wood veneer, and other bits and bobs that deserve to be used instead of saved.

This first spread was created entirely with the Story Foundations Core Kit, and it really set the tone for how I want this project to feel. I leaned heavily into patterned cards, journal cards, and stickers, printing my journaling directly onto them. I love the cleaner, more intentional look this gives, especially since it allows me to tell longer stories without feeling cramped. Rather than filling entire pockets with photos, I prefer to let the color and pattern do some of the visual work, with photos printed smaller and layered on top of the cards.

That balance of words, color, and imagery is what keeps Project Life exciting for me. The spread itself feels full without being overwhelming, and cohesive without being rigid. There’s room for photos, room for reflection, and room for life as it actually happens. Returning to this format isn’t about recreating what I did years ago. It’s about adapting it to who I am now, and letting this project evolve right alongside me throughout the year.