It seems that one of my goals every year is to simplify all the things – my home, my closet, my calendar, my life. Today I’m sharing how this general rule currently applies to how I’m documenting our adventures. Read on for my personal approach to minimalist memory-keeping.

I’m a fan of beginning with the end in mind, so about a year ago I thought about how I liked flipping through our albums, and I realized I love looking at one experience, month, trip, etc in a single layout: just two pages facing each other, maybe an insert, and that’s it.

Life is lived out in the details, but my memories are usually more general. When I reflect back on a period of time, I think of it in seasons or whole experiences, not every single moment.

So that’s how I’m documenting these days: single layouts devoted to big experiences, seasons, months, or whatever period of time feels appropriate. It means each layout tells a bigger story in a small space. That feels good to me right now, rather than a more detailed weekly format, which worked for me when my kiddos were babies.

Sounds all fine and good and maybe a little lofty, but what now? Here’s what this looks like when I’m designing a layout.

First: editing.

My husband and I take a gazillion photos, but when it comes to my pocket page album, I’m crazy about editing my photo selection. For our “big” trip to Spain and Portugal, I documented ten days in a single layout, choosing a dozen or so photos from several hundred. I try to let go of including every great moment (there are too many!) and think about what makes the most honest impression.

For our recent trip to Israel, I did the same thing: just fifteen photos to document an epic 11-day trip. 

Obviously, I didn’t include every experience. The text references the itinerary each day, but the photos just give a general impression of the trip. They’re meant to be a bit emotional without feeling gloomy, which is how our time in Israel felt to us.

I’m also working on a little insert to include some of the ephemera – ticket stubs, museum pamphlets, etc – that we collected along the way. Stay tuned for that.

Second: edit photos on my phone.

I used to edit photos on my laptop in Photoshop, but honestly my computer is over five years old and drives me insane. Plus, I haven’t been traveling with my DSLR, which means I’m using my phone almost exclusively.

The editing apps available these days are so robust, and the camera on my iPhone 6S is stellar. Lately I’ve been pretty happy with A Color Story. I like their fresh filters, but usually I just use the tools on the app to make any necessary adjustments.

Third: inject white space.

White space is so important in design. Why? It gives your eye a place to rest, it highlights design elements, and when it comes to photo projects, it helps the people in your photos shine.

I make sure to incorporate white space in the photos themselves, by zooming way out or using the “rule of thirds” to make sure the entire frame isn’t used. This has the added benefit of making room for text or embellishment.

I also add white space through photo templates. You can include more photos on the page without the pocket looking too busy. Win-win.

Fourth: keep the design elements really (really) simple.

I try to pick two to three design elements per layout. Even though I might experiment with different elements throughout the album, I find that I’m happier with the finished product if I stick to just a couple elements in a single layout.

In this layout, I chose the wood grain background, two fonts for all the journaling, and a few of Liz’s photo templates (see below for links). I included one patterned card from the Project Life Everyday Edition core kit, which was designed by Liz.

The resulting layout has a lot of photos and some modern design elements without feeling too busy. It’s my favorite kind of pocket page.

What are your design goals these days? I’d love to hear in the comments what you’re doing to simplify the memory-keeping process.

This week I’ll be back over on my blog with a video tutorial sharing my process for adding the text to these photos, including my number one photo tip and my favorite free fonts. Be sure to stay in the loop (and get exclusive access to some design freebies).

Wishing you a happy, healthy, simple, and creative twenty-seventeen!

xo, Catherine

Products used: 4×6 photo templates vol. 1, 4×6 photo templates vol. 3, 4×6 photo templates vol. 6, on my desk, Project Life everyday edition core kit.