December Daily 2009 Q&A and Holidays In Hand
Tags:In the comments yesterday I received this series of questions from Jennifer. I thought it might be helpful if I addressed them in a new post today:
The first thing I want to say is that THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO APPROACH THIS ALBUM. It can be anything you want it to be. I have been reading in the comments that some people are holding off adding the numbers until the actual day comes together to give themselves more freedom to move the pages around - I think that is a great idea!
I am one of those people that likes having a certain structure to work within and around - it's one of my favorite puzzles to solve (a design puzzle). I go with what works for me - go with what works for you (but don't be afraid to try something new too).
There's really nothing inherently special about what I have put together as the foundation.
1. How do you determine the size of the pages when you are making them?
There is really no rhyme or reason. I go for a balance of full page size and smaller sizes (and when I say "balance" I don't mean that I count them out - I go more by how it looks to my eye).
2. Do you have a general idea of what you want it to look like before you start?
I do have a general idea: I want it to be a mixture of textures and sizes. I want some pages to have photos adhered on the outside and some to be slipped into a pocket. I want to use white and red and green and beige/kraft as my color scheme. I wanted to include more vintage Santa elements this year. I also know that I want to include more full-page photos this time around. Is it mapped out? No.
3. I LOVE yours and like the style but don't know how to determine which pages to put where. For instance, I always visit Santa with my kids. However I won't know what day I will actually do this so don't know what day to use the Santa paper on. Does this matter to you?
The quick and easy answer is no. Here's the longer answer: I included Santa paper (and Santas) because they are a part of the season of celebration. It's likely that whatever day we do go visit Santa may not be a day that has a Santa already included on the page and I am totally ok with that. I am also ok with moving things around and making adjustments as I am working on the actual daily documentation. Maybe the Santa tag I used on Day 14 just doesn't end up making sense with what I chose to write about that day - I have no problem taking it out and substituting a different number and using the Santa tag somewhere else (and covering up the 14 with a word sticker). I try to be flexible and go with the flow.

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47 comments
happy b-day Ali!!!!
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Just want to say you are so great! You rock everything you do!
And...I see by a previous post....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
(Has it already been a year?) Wow!
Enjoy today!
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Also, did you ever get my email regarding searches on your site? Looking back for road trip stuff...Thanks!
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Happy Birthday!!
Thanks for the reminders. I'm a person who needs patterns to follow but tips like "leave the dates off for now" are lifesavers! Working on mine in bits and pieces but one will be flying to Australia so I can't take too much time.
Hope you have a great birthday -
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Happy Birthday, Ali!
Wishing you love, health, and much happiness for the next year!
Regarding the "leave the date off for now" suggestion, I did that exact thing last year. And although I had completed most of my foundation pages, I never got around to actually documenting my holidays in my December daily. The great news is, since I did not indicate the year on my album, I'm good to go for 2009!
And by the way, finishing up my Y&T Random Childhood Memories layout, and I think it might be one of my favorites to date. Putting several little stories together takes away the pressure of making a full layout for small stories, and makes for a much more complete picture of my life. Thanks!
Hope you have an amazing day, Birthday Girl.
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Happy Birthday Ali... have a great day... you deserve it!
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Happy Birthday!
I wanted to thank you for all the great advice! I've gotten my December album to the point of having all the pages and numbers put together! YAY!
Last year was when I first started going to your blog and I made a December book last year, but the hard part for me wasn't the getting started but the finishing it. I actually never put stuff in it! It's a beautiful shell now! There was so often that I'd be doing something holiday related and I'd forgotten my camera.
So... how do you organize yourself when it gets to the daily documentation of December? Do you take pictures of everything? If there's a day that's low key, is that a day you choose to take pictures of decorations? Or would you just write what you did that day? I'm a senior at UCLA and the first half of December includes lots of fun traditions... FINALS! I can't take a picture of me in my final, so what do you suggest? Taking pictures of campus? If you were to do Christmas shopping would you take a picture of everything you bought? Or the front of the store? ... I'm starting to ramble and ask everything little thing I'm thinking, sorry about that! My main question is: HOW DO YOU PREPARE PICTURES AND SUCH TO DOCUMENT IN THE DECEMBER ALBUM? I've never done a daily album so I don't know where to get started!
Thanks,
Teri
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Feliz Cumpleaños Ali!
Love the Christmas album, it is a great inspiration to get started on my very own.
Have a great day!
Tracy
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First of all, I hope you enjoy your special day, today - and take photos of YOU! :) Happy birthday!
I love your responses to Jennifer's questions. I can so relate because I, too, have a tendency to want all my ducks in a row before I do a project. At the same time, however, I adore the spontanaity and eclectic-ness (excuse my spelling and making up of words...) that your books have embraced and I want that, too. I made my first December Daily book last year and I love it and look forward to putting it on display shortly.
I wanted to suggest to Jennifer that she could perhaps prepare all her pages ahead of time, but use a three-ring binder approach. That way, it would be super easy to move her pages around if she wanted to use a particular paper on a particular day (but didn't know ahead of time what day that would be).
Hope that helps. Blessings...
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Hi Ali,
I stayed up late last night perusing your blog and your past December Daily posts. (So inspirational!) I also have some Q for you. We begin our Christmas traditions the day after Thanksgiving with gingerbread house decorating and we usually buy our tree in Nov too. How would you recommend incorporating these end of Nov traditions into the Dec Daily album? Next, and this is off topic, but did you knit that adorable sweater you're wearing in today's post? Very cute!! Oh, and Happy B-day to you!! Again, thanks for the inspiration.
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The last two years I've done a December Daily and I treasure them! This year, for my album, I got a few chipboard "books" shaped like a Christmas ornament with a binder ring at the top, binding it all together for a little book. (Got it at Michael's). Only 8 pgs. per book, so got several to make a whole December Daily and will just use a larger binder ring.
Question: I'm now wondering if this would be too hard for the shape of the book rather than having a square or rectangle book like I did in years past. I love how the big Christmas ornament looks, but the shape could make more work for me than necessary. What would you do (I could still get a different journal)?
p.s. Did you get my camera question via email? :)
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Happy Happy Happy birthday!
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Hi Ali, happy birthday!
I have just started putting my first December Daily album together. At first I was getting frustrated and overwhelmed, thinking its "not right, doesn't look ANYTHING like Ali Edwards" and then I had a scrapbook epiphany....I'm not Ali Edwards, anyone in my family that will look it doesn't even know who Ali Edwards (sorry Ali!) and this album is for me! I am very excited about it, am going to alter a CD to use as a page to list my favorite Xmas music...am just really excited about this project!
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Thank you for answering Jennifer's questions. I too, had basically the same questions and was struggling with trying to even begin my album. I tend to try to plan things too much and I find your approach to your December Daily album refresing. I hope to start my own December Daily album tonight using your go-with-the-flow, no stress strategy.
And last but not least Happy Birthday Ali!! My birthday is today too--hope yours is special!! :)
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Thanks for more inspiration, and hope you have a fabulous birthday!
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It must be your Birthday, so Happy Day to you!
Thank you for addressing some of these questions. It really helps get me excited about creating this album. I will start collecting my supplies this week & weekend. Like Jennifer, I have a tendency to get a little overwhelmed and not sure where to start. So, it's great to have a little inspriation and direction form you!
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Hi Ali. Happy birthday :) I think I am going to give this a shot this year but with a twist. On Dec. 1st we are visited by a couple of Santa's elves that stay with us until Christmas and I think this might be a great way to document all the fun stuff we do with them and all the mischief they get up to when we're not around as well as a great place to put all the notes they leave for my girls each night. Thanks for all the wonderful inspiration Ali.
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Ali, love your album this year. I have done this with you in the past, and wouldn't you know I already had a Prima album sitting on my shelf! I just did Donna Downeys fabric album last Dunday in VA with her, so wanted to do another one. It will be my version of your December Daily. I make it an advent book, and because it will be all ready for my advent journaling, I can focus on the daily experience of Advent! I will post pictures soon. Almost have my basic book done.
If anyone wants to add the same size grommets to the extra pages I found them at Michaels last night, in the sewing aisle, not the scrapbooking one. Same size and you get 8 sets for $2.79. my blog and website for pictures are http://dianemarra.typepad.com/ and http://adorehimcreations.com/
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Cool Elisa - I love that layout too :).
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AWESOME :). And I always tell people in my classes "I am not going home with you so do whatever you want!" This is for YOU :).
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