Who's ready for some daily story documenting this December? Welcome Friends to...
I'm Monika and I'm tickled to share with you my largest "mini" album to date. Well, size wise anyway! Sit back and let me share my approach with this Holiday Memories mini album.
Supplies:Sleigh Bells Ring | Patterned Paper: “Noel” “Christmas Confetti” “Reindeer” “Blitzen", 6x6 Designer Cardstock Paper Pad, Alpha & Word Stickers, Decorative Tape, Gift Label Stickers, Treat Bags, Decorative Tags,Joyous | Patterned Paper: “Red Reindeer” “Carols” “Joy” “Dear Santa”, 12x12 Paper Crafting Kit, 6x6 Designer Cardstock Paper Pad, Mixed Bag, Alpha & Word Stickers, Decorative Tape, Decorative Tags, Gems Miscellaneous | sewing machine, adhesive, jute twine, Bind-It-All, glassine and kraft bags, kraft cardstock, paper doily
THE PROCESS
I've done December mini books in the past:
- ranging in size from 3" thick, starting on the day after Thanksgiving when we decorated the tree all the way to December 31st
- just jotting notes into a smallish embellished spiral bound notebook and not even including a story for each day
- that aren't finished...and it's been years since I began them...but that's okay because I was able to capture stories and photos for at least part of our December and something is better than nothing
If you're thinking, "Who has the time for that?" then how about this...choose a few activities this month that have meaning for you. Take some photos. Jot down the story about why these photos have significance for you and voila, you now have a snapshot in time of some lovely memories.
So this year, I'm giving myself permission to document our December story just on days that I want to. Or have time to. Because as you all know, December is so very busy and full of joy.
I'm not sticking to a rigid schedule, but we do have some annual activities that we do as a family and I've included pre-made pages into my mini album to help me document those events.
THE DETAILS
I'm making the glittered advent tags work for me and pre-designing pages for activities that I know are going to happen.
- 14 is for the year 2014
- 8 is glued on a Polaroid Frame chipboard element that has foam dots on the back allowing me slip a small photo behind...we'll be attending our town's Christmas tree lighting on this evening
- 5 is part of a two page design and has been embellished with a Gem and a Decorative Tag...I'll add in our #5onthe5th photos {a monthly project I do} and we're going to document our favorite ornament
- 2 is for the "2" of us - this page is just before my December 24th page and might appear to be out of order, but...my husband proposed to me on Christmas Eve and I'm going to try to get him to write a little note to tuck inside the Treat Bag along with mine
I love little surprises!
REPETITION FOR THE WIN
How gorgeous is that Dear Santa paper?
I adore it and actually used it for three pages in my mini album.
Yes, three times!
I have three kids, aged 9, 11 and 23 so I've inserted those Santa pages for the 9th, 11th and 23rd of December.
The Glittered Advent Tags were added to glassine bags {for the 9 and 11 year-olds} and then I added the 23 tag right on top of the 25 next to Santa for something a little different.
I can't wait to look back on these pages years from now, seeing their handwriting and their thoughts. And the glassine bags are perfect for holding pages from circular ads showing what they've circled to be added to their Wish Lists.
DESIGN TIP | adding pages to a spiral bound mini album
Drop by my blog where I share a quick + easy tutorial showing how to add photos, ephemera and more pages to an already bound album
here. Because we all know that if you give a girl a mini album, she's going to have tons more stuff to add!
Enjoy your holidays, however you celebrate them or choose to document them, and may you have love and joy in your homes.
