The beginning of the year always signals a fresh start for me. A chance to begin again, to refocus, to put whatever happened in the last year to rest. I welcome this opportunity for renewal with open arms.

For me, 2008 is going to be all about vitality (my one little word for the year). I have not felt healthy for a long time and I am finally, finally taking action.

What is one little word? The idea began last year and definitely had an impact on me personally. I loved focusing on just one word. It was simple and powerful. This year my personal reminders include a necklace and a wall rub on from Decorate Your Life (they also own one of my favorite scrapbook stores Treasury of Memories in Bellingham, Washington.)

Your own word is something that can live just beneath the surface and called up when you need it or you can create some sort of reminder that is right in front of your face daily. It can be a guide, a gentle or stern reminder, a theme, a focal point - really any of the above and more.

Many of you have already chosen your word for the year. It's never too late if you are just reading about this for the first time. Check out the 2008 collected list of words (and if you have time, read the really inspiring comments about the words here).

In addition, check out the cool challenge blog one little word for even more word-related inspiration.

New on my blog for 2008 is a Friday feature called Weekend Creative.

Here's the basics: Each Friday I will post a new prompt/thought/project to think about/do/add to you list for the weekend. Sometimes they will be really simple and other times a bit more involved. Sometimes you won't have to do anything other than consider a concept and other times, such as this weekend, there will be the potential for you to add a little project to plans you may already have in place. Some will be scrapbook-related and others will focus on different areas of crafts, photography, and creativity.

In addition, a new Flickr group has been started for sharing. Check it out here.

One of the things I have been interested in trying over the last couple of years is a 365 (or 366 for this year) photo project. I decided to go with a self-portrait theme (you can check out my photos here) but you can focus on anything: a photo of your child each day, your spouse, everyday things, etc. The process of taking one photo a day (many of you already do this) and putting them all together into a group is such a cool experience.

One of my favorite websites in 2007 was 3191 - a year of mornings (which is now being made into a book). The two wonderfully creative souls behind this site are back again this year with 3191 - a year of evenings. It is a wonderful journey into the beauty of everyday life.

Remember, this is a project you can begin anytime. It certainly does not need to start at the first of the year. And if 365 just seems a bit too crazy how about 30 days or 52 weeks?

And finally this week I want to introduce you to one of the big projects I have been working on over the past few months: an Everyday Life photo book for Shutterfly. Photo books are a beautiful and simple way to showcase your family's photos and tell your story. Check out more details on this book here.

You can see an entire sample of my book here.