August 2025

Jul 31

Written By stacy julian

Plot Twist Ahead !

As memory keepers we are practiced at self-reflection. This means we can be better prepared to meet life’s twists and turns and to recognize them as opportunities for change and growth. But sometimes we shy away from exploring the more difficult or challenging episodes. In August let’s look back at what was unexpected—perhaps even unwelcome—which ultimately led to something stronger, more resilient and eventually beautiful. **Let’s document a personal plot twist!**

Print the Calendar

August Dates & Details

New Month Meet-Up: Friday, August 1st at 11AM PT, Watch Replay HERE
Print your calendar and bring your planner. Let’s review our August plans and challenges, dates and details—plus deadlines for our next seasonal project.

Project Play: Wednesday, August 6th at 2PM PT, Replay HERE and Recap HERE
We’re jumping into our third 2025 seasonal project—a make-it-fast Short Story travel album—which we will compile in September. August’s session is for photo and product prep. We’ll gather to select images, set up a digital album and build a kit of papers and embellishments. We’ll also decide on album size. PRINT THIS!

2nd Saturday Saturday, August 9th from 10AM PT to 2PM PT, JOIN HERE
Finishers wanted—as well as our family history buffs and personal writing enthusiasts. Come connect and get some creative work done! REMEMBER: You do not need to register, but you do need a personal Zoom account and you will need the passcode: LYS25

WWW: Wednesday, August 13th at 4PM PT, Replay HERE and Recap HERE
Which innovations and modern conveniences have changed your daily routine? Which do you most appreciate, use and depend on? Let’s make a list, search our digital libraries and do some documenting of these everyday life things that we can’t live without!

Do It Together: Saturday, August 16th at 1PM PT, Replay HERE and Recap Here
This month we are identifying and documenting a personal ‘plot twist’ so you’ll want to come prepared with photos from a big moment, turning point or surprising event that has significantly influenced you!

Story Coaching: Tuesday, August 26th at 11AM PT, Replay HERE and Recap HERE
We’re gathering to encourage and advise one another on documenting the difficult. We’ll share why it’s so hard and how we can do it. Then we’ll start our journaling in letter form, beginning with the words “Dearest ________” (Disappointment, Depression, Dementia, Divorce) Be thinking to what you will write.

📬 15 on the 15th Video Message & Email

Download the ✅ Monthly Tracker. Click to PRINT

Hue & Me

Be sure to share what you find and create! Remember, you can download a folder with the full set of 2025 color swatches HERE!

August takes us from summer into fall. Perhaps this is one reason we LOVE the warm and cool combination of delicious late summer fruits (like plum and blackberry) cooked up in a cobbler with a dollop of cool or frozen cream. You might even say, "Sun-warmed fruit, kissed by crumbs—August in a bowl."

Our color this month—appropriately named Plumb Berry Toffee is a muted, moody purple and an earthy golden yellow which share warm autumnal undertones while leveraging the energy of opposition on the color wheel.

Enjoy with this warm and cozy harmony and see what yummy-ness results!

🌻 Middle Month Contest 🌻

At the end of July, in our Story Coaching (link coming soon) session I committed YOU to telling SIX additional stories—each with a SIX word summary—before the end of this year. August is the “middle month” for our summer season, so we are due for a contest. Here it is: Use our Plumb Berry Toffee color combination on one of these stories and then post it to our Facebook page by August 30th and make yourself eligible for a Happy Mail drawing!

Sketch This

Great stories often take us back in time to better appreciate a current ability, position, circumstance or perspective.

This sketch is designed for a Before/After or Then/Now narrative and features more room on a 6x6 layer!

You might use this sketch to help you document one of your SIX stories.

During our July Story Coaching, I issued a challenge—with a deadline—for identifying and documenting SIX important stories, each incorporating a SIX word summary.

Working On Video

This 2025 series is simply me involving you as I ‘work on’ a variety of memory-related efforts.
Back in January I set an intention to organize my collection of jewelry—with the idea of photographing some of my favorite pieces and documenting them in some way. This video highlights my process!

Story Process Video

Principles of Photo Freedom and my Library of Memories served me well for this 12x12 layout with a 4x12 pocket-page layer. Pattern paper led me to my Category drawers and a “Places to Remember” prompt helped me create a super-cool connected story for the Family History volume of People We Love.

REMEMBER 💛 In 2025, you're invited to join me each month in creating a Story Process page! Everyone who posts a finished page to our Live Your Story Facebook group, will be entered in a drawing to receive Happy Mail from me!

If you need a StoryDeck, it’s HERE.

What we do really matters. When we photograph and write what we see, remember and believe, we create the evidence that our personal experience is unique and important. We leave tangible proof of gratitude and perspective. We tell the future, “I want you to learn from me, so you will be better equipped for both the ups and downs of life!”

If we truly want a better tomorrow we must live and document an examined life.

I am always eager to hear your comments and questions. 💛 Feel free to reach out anytime! stacy@stacyjulian.com

Did YOU know? Members of Live Your Story now have EASY access to past courses, like 20in20 and Photo Freedom.
When you login, look for these on the list of options!