Aaaaaaaand, 25 Days of December!

Without further ado, here is the second style of December Daily album I'm selling (see the first style here).

Introducing, 25 Days of December!
























I love this book mainly because it is SO. DIFFERENT. from Hello December. It is comprised of traditional Christmas colors - red and greens - mixed with a few pinks and even a woodgrain (ahhh... I LOVE the woodgrain). Where the other is fun and funky, this one is classy and traditional, with a peppermint twist thrown in. They couldn't be more different, yet still alike!

I plan to use this one to catch up on last year's December happenings.

Again, this mini album is sized 4x6 and has 15 sheets of high quality paper from Bazzill Basics, Paper Source and Crate Paper's Peppermint Collection. The papers are "scruffed up" and seem old and vintage-y. There are two nice envelopes for hiding trinkets, receipts, hand-written notes and ticket stubs or other special ephemera. The cover has a hand-stamped label and is decorated with a hand-punched, machine-stitched garland.

Everything you need to enjoy documenting the season is here! And, remember - snap the photo (I'm using my iPhone and Instax), print the photo, stick the photo in the journal and write about it (that's it)! One photo a day. Easy peasy and your whole season is documented for future generations.

Can you imagine if you had something similar from when you were a child? I would love to remember all the little things we did together during the holiday seasons of my childhood. Wouldn't you?

Again, I am including a little bag of coordinating goodies with each journal to help jump start your creativity. The numbers download that I will have on my blog next week will also coordinate with this style so you can number the pages of your journal if you want.

****And, for the first person who buys this mini album, I am including a FULL SHEET of coordinating phrase stickers from Crate Paper (!!!!) shown here:****



**EDITED TO ADD - The phrase stickers are gone!!**

So, there you have it!

If you have any questions about either album, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Introducing Hello December!

No...it's not December.

Not yet.

But, it's coming and it's coming quickly.

There are so many special memories and moments that I want to document each holiday season, but the time in each day seems to fly by and there are just not enough hours to get it all done. {Anybody else with me?}

That's where the December Daily project comes in handy.

Basically, the idea is to get your December scrapbook ready and then just pop the photos in as you take them, add some journaling about the photo or the day and call it done.

I like that.

This year, I plan to take all my photos with my iPhone or Instax polaroid camera. That's it. Easy peasy. No pressure to take wonderfully glamorous photos. I will print them from home and stick them in the album. {Repeat with me: No pressure. No pressure. No pressure.}

So, I got on the ball and cranked out my December Daily album a few weeks ago.

In fact, I cranked out two styles (one for last year and one for this year).

And, you know what else?

I made 5 extra of each style!! Yes, I did!

I'm going to sell them on Etsy. Yes, I am! {At least I hope I am.}

Here is the first style. This is the album I'm using for this year (2011).

Introducing, Hello December!





















The mini album measures 4x6 inches and is made of high quality papers from Bazzill Basics and Paper Source. The cover is hand-stamped and decorated with 3 stacked, hand-punched stars. There are envelopes to tuck fun memorabilia in and even a small pack of extra goodies to help get you started!

So, who wants to do this with me?

Come on! It will be fun! And, easy peasy. And, your kids will thank you one day. {Okay - that last part - I'm just a hopeful mom.}

Click here to view Hello December on Etsy.

I have a few downloads ready to help number your pages and I plan hope to update here regularly with my progress and ideas for my own album.

I'll also post the other style tonight, so keep checking back!

And let me know what you think!

And seriously, please consider joining me on this journey. I really think it will be fun!

Happy Christmas Journal-ing!

{Made it Monday} Olivia's birthday album

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey internets!

I'm so glad to be back in action!

My sweet lil' computer is back on track and we're ready to roll!

I finally got around to making Olivia's 6th birthday album right before my computer went away.

Let's keep it real here and understand that this is the *ONE and ONLY* birthday album I've ever made for her (or anyone else, for that matter). Don't get all judgemental on me and tell me about how you've never made even. one. album. for your child because up until now, I was in THE SAME BOAT, OKAY???

Anyhoo.

I like it. I think it turned out cute.

I used all the Instax pictures we took on the trip. The Instax camera was one of O's birthday gifts. She loves it. I love it even more. I love how cute and tiny the pictures are (the size of a credit card) and how you snap the picture and out it pops.

Instant gratification?!

I'm a fan.

So, here are a few pictures of the album. (Click each picture to make it larger.)




















While I was working on the album, Olivia glanced over at me at one point and asked, "Mommy, why are you spending time making a scrapbook for me? I know what my birthday was like."

I sat there for a few minutes wondering this myself. Why DO I spend tons of time putting together an album full of little memories of this, that and everything else during that one little trip??

Then it hit me. The answer.

It's because I have *NO* idea what I did for my 6th birthday. Or what I was like as a 6 year old girl or what toys I was "into." I remember my favorite friends (who are still some of my faves, by the way) and who my teacher was that year, but other than that, nothing. (Am I alone here? My memory is reeeeeeally bad.)

And, that's a little sad to me.

Am I okay despite the fact? Absolutely.

(Mom - stop tearing up. I'm okay. Really. Hey! By the way - do you remember what we did for my 6th birthday? Just wondering.)

So, that's why I do all this crazy scrapping for my kids (when I can). So they can remember. When they are older with families and children of their own, they can remember.

We can remember.

All the little details.

Not just pictures in a box, but the details of the good times. The details that are so quickly forgotten in every day life.

Will they still need therapy? I'm almost certain they will.

I'm okay with that.

What they won't need help with is remembering the details that are so often lost for me.

Hopefully, they won't need help with that.