my itty bitty Project Life style card collection and storage issues

I actually fought the Project Life, pocket page trend, until recently.  But when I realized I did 3 albums for my first dgd's first year of life, I realized I needed to be able to get more pics in...
think about it 3 albums per year...if I just go to 18 years old...I will be handing her 54 albums when she graduates.   AND I now have 5 grandkids.   So, no, needed to find a better way to document their years.  So, I thought Project Life.

It worked, DGD #2's first year, actually first 14 months (she is an October baby) so I went birth in Oct 2013 to Dec 2015 in her first album....is all in one Project Life album!!

I have been thinking /planning  organizing, for a while now... I just do not know when I will be able to actually do it.   But here is what I have ...

I have this wonderful Ikea Cart...unfortunately the top has become a bit of a catchall. As it is closest to me.  Do you remember the old fashioned journal spots and cards..those are there.

This is my shelf ...1.5 of it is for the cards.   Yes, those are 3 empty shoe boxes...so I have space potential... But on the bottom it is just  such a pile up.

In one box...different brands

In this one, my feeble attempt to keep my Gossamer Blue sub together.

All the sheets I buy just for the cards.  I buy 2 each, as I like to use the background paper to coordinate, that is why I am hesitant to precut.   But I know precutting will get these into a shoe box....ahhh the quandary (yes, I spellchecked that)

Some of the actual Project Life.  I do tend to keep things together by collection....These I buy from Ebay...people who are splitting their core kits as a core kit is simply too much for me.  I did not take pics of the other 2 larger boxes...but they pretty much look the same.

and those that are packaged by box...or collection.or brand new

I like to keep collections together as I LOVE that they are pre-coordinated.   Like my papers are kept.
they are kept together by collection, but stored by theme...except a few Brands that I just LOVE, like Basic Grey they have their own section on the shelves.

So, with these cards, I would like to keep by collection, separate by theme.  The Girly ones, the ones for Boys, Pets, Holidays.   I would also like to label them by name.   Many of my Project Life partials do not have the name, you know, Kiwi, Honey, Olive....I want to do this so I will know what I don't have, so I can add to my collection. (insert cheesy smilie face)

So, this is the project awaiting me.   Hopefully, I can carve out some time Sunday afternoon after church.  

BUT if y'all are of the mind to show me how you organize your cards...I sure would love it.


non scrapbooking...very personal...

for the first time I watched Extreme Weight Loss (Trina's story).   I have been watching My 600 lb life, and one thing I've noticed is their excuses are my excuses.  But seeing them use them makes you go "What are you doing to yourself"...and then I realize...that is what I do.

Last night, with Trina,  I felt so much for her...was so hoping to see her succeed.  I too have a mother who thinks she was encouraging by being negative.(when I go visit her, "Why you still fat?")  (she is Japanese, so that is how she says it)

  A husband who tries to be encouraging....but cannot hide his frustration and disappointment. A daughter who seems heartbroken.

It was interesting, how Chris had Trina deal with her emotions...first and continually.  (I admit I only saw the beginning while at dd's house...and the end at my house, so missed the middle)

When the women at the end came up to be weighed, and they showed the 'before' bodies, dh was making disgust noises.  Probably not consciously...

Now, I am obese, I weigh 206 on a 5'5" frame (and yes, it was hard to type that).  I am starting to get the fat folds on my belly and back.   I don't think he realized how much his disgust spoke to me.  I know he really tries to treat me as though he loves me...and tries not to see my fat.

BUT dealing with what you are feeling instead of hiding them is the first step.  So it took a lot for me, but I did tell my husband how I felt this morning.  I think one of my problems is stuffing what I feel, I know even as a young woman...I knew I had two emotions..."okay" and "anger", I did not know how to really experience what was between. 

And you know what?  At first it was extremely difficult.  He wasn't receptive to my feelings, maybe embarrassed that I called him on it....But it ended up being a really good discussion about the things we both need to do to change our lifestyle and eating habits.   And we made the decision to be on the 'same page'.  that whatever changes I make, he will make.  If it is salads for dinner, he will eat salad.

We are both 55 and facing some health issues.  A healthier lifestyle will benefit both of us.

Now, I have done it before...even lost 50lbs at one point...years ago.  But have fallen back into some bad habits.   One thing that is still gone is my previous addiction to Pepsi, and fast food.  And I actually got where I enjoyed the exercise.  But once you let it slip a bit...it completely slips.

Soooooo, before these fat folds start filling up...I have to get back to that lifestyle that was good for me.  Part of my reluctance is that during that period, I was so obsessed with food...every food decision...and I just don't want to go back to that.  BUT I guess like an alcoholic, this is an addiction...and I simply have to make the decision to fight this battle...daily.

Thanks for letting me get this out there...promise I won't fill every blog with this.