The “We’re Really Excited” Post

So….this is a post where we tell you how excited we are about our latest Grow With Love class, Staycation.  I’ve called it The “We’re Really Excited” post because, embarrassingly, I used that phrase more times in our roughly 8 minute chatter than should be allowed.  And I know that calling attention to it will only ensure that you will notice it all the more, but I’m all about owning the goofy and not being afraid to giggle at yourself a bit.   But, also…it’s totally true.  We ARE really excited about this project.  We hope you’ll have a listen to our little introductory chatter to learn more about this adventure:

Chatting About Staycation: Really Excited

Grow With Love: Staycation is a summer adventure in everyday storytelling.  Designed with the hope of helping you focus on the {extra}ordinary details and moments in your everyday, squeezing every last drop of  fun, and finding the joy that lives in the overlooked “regular” elements of your story.  All the while, actively and intentionally creating memories you will treasure.  This class is meant to celebrate the everyday, embrace the fun of summer with fresh perspective, and encourage and inspire you to create and write the story you will document.  Our prompts, products, articles, and tutorials will be the tools you need to write your special summer story and create meaningful pages that reflect the beauty of your everyday moments.

And more than that, we hope this fun filled adventure will encourage you to be intentional in your memory making: setting out to inject the fun into your moments and creating moments worthy of legacy and your story.  And we are totally, sincerely and enthusiastically really excited about Staycation.

And we invite you to learn a little more {HERE} and in the Q & A thread in the forum.  And we also invite you to ask questions here in this post!  What would you like to know about the process and the class?  Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and we will respond to them as best we can.

Crystal and I addressed a couple Q & As in the audio, but I’ll share a few more FAQs here as well…

Q: What if it’s not summertime where I live?

A: That’s ok!  Apart from the fact that it will be summertime one day in your part of the world, we hope that these prompts can be kept close and used anytime throughout the year, any time you feel pulled to make an ordinary day a little something MORE.  There is room for these prompts to be used and enjoyed over any holidays or breaks or any every day.

Q: What if I’m not planning a “staycation”?

A: That’s ok too!  Even though these prompts can be used as a “staycation” in and of themselves, you can approach them anytime, over a period of time, once in a while, whenever it works for you.  It’s all about making memories with those you love and making the most of your every day!  It’s about having fun and documenting the process.

Q:  Do I have to register in the forum?

A:  No, you do not.  You’ll receive all the basic course materials which are enough to follow along with the series at your own pace.  That said, we really encourage you to register in the forum because, while we will send out some emails with additional content, the bulk of our bonus content and all of our exclusive offers from class sponsors and contributors during the “enhanced class period” will be posted in the forum.  If you’ve signed up for the class, or even if you haven’t feel free to register and join in conversation in the forum.

Q: What if I’m not comfortable sharing or participating very much?

A: That’s ok!  Crystal and I really understand that not everyone will want to participate at the same level.  And so we aimed to design the class in such a way that you can still participate with as much or as little involvement in the forum as you would like.  You can sign up for the forum and peek in throughout the class simply to snag the latest content or exclusives or you can get comfy cozy and join in and share.  It’s completely up to you!

Q: Is the forum private?

A:  Yes!  The Staycation Forum is exclusive to Staycation participants.   This will go live just before the official class start date of Monday 11 July. Only class members will be able to see and share in this forum.  There is also a general forum area that is visible to all Plant Your Story forum goers.  This area is for general chatter about storytelling and for storytellers and scrapbookers to mingle and be.  You are welcome to post anywhere and everywhere you feel comfortable.

Q: Is the gallery private?

A:  Yes!  The Staycation Gallery is exclusive to Staycation participants.  There is also a general Storytellers gallery that is open to anyone.  You are welcome to post and share in either the private gallery or in the public gallery, or simply in the forum, or not at all…whatever you are most comfortable with.

Q: Is this class only for digital scrapbookers?

A:  Not at all!  While Crystal and I both have roots in the digital scrapbooking community we feel sincerely that this is a class that any scrapper (traditional, paper, or digital or digital art) can find inspiration.   We have had paper scrappers follow along with Grow With Love, scrapping the prompts and we have LOVED to see the results.  In fact, you could adapt this project in to any craft or type of storytelling.  And while the exclusive kit is in digital format, it is produced in printable quality and can easily be used in hybrid or paper scrapping.  And the digital templates can also be used as basic sketches.  We will be offering some more traditional sketches as well, but we truly believe that anyone hoping to tell their story can find inspiration in this journey.  🙂

Please feel free to ask anything that comes to mind.  We will update this post as we receive and answer questions.  We’re getting excited!  Can’t wait to embark on this journey!  Staycation registration is open through Sunday 10 July, 2011.