December Daily™ 2011 | Day Seventeen

Welcome to December Daily™ 2011 | Day Seventeen.

A couple things before I share my page for today:

(1) There were lots of comments and questions about the longevity of receipts yesterday after seeing my collage of receipts page. I think I'll use this specific page as a test that we can revisit next December. I'm curious to see what happens to them. I looked back in my Project Life album from the beginning of 2011 (I've added receipts here and there) and they were all still intact (from Jan and Feb). I also looked back at my Week In The Life from 2007 which also included receipts - they were all still visible as well. So far it hasn't been my experience that they are all fading.

(2) The postal stamp that I included yesterday was actually stamped onto a piece of paper (as a receipt for something I sent) and I used a circle punch (1 inch) to add it to the metal rimmed circle tag.

(3) Now that the kids are out of school I might not get each of my posts up in the early AM as usual - it's still my goal. We are so close to Christmas!

Here's a look at Day Seventeen:

I took Anna to the Nutcracker Ballet last night and it was so cool. We'd been planning and talking about it for quite awhile - it was pretty magical.

The first page is a collage of photos using my December Daily™ Layered Template 6x8.5 set. I've got a tutorial for working with those files in Elements available here.

The "be jolly' chipboard accent is from My Mind's Eye Lost And Found Christmas.

For the second page I used a photo of Anna dancing at intermission.

JOURNALING | Sweet Anna Girl | This is how I want to remember our first adventure to the Nutcracker Ballet. You - spinning, twirling, dancing, jumping, giggling, and watching other little girls play and dance during intermission. You were so, so happy. The whole adventure was fun. We did leave early - you were tired - it was time. You really wanted to dance on the stage - I’m definitely going to sign you up soon for a fun ballet class. You wore a black dress with black tights and black sparkly shoes. We read the Nutcracker story a few times before we went so you’d know a bit about the story - you were excited to see Fritz, Clara, the Nutcracker, and the Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairy too. You had a little meltdown as we drove home - it was late and you were just done for the day - even crying, “I miss my brother.” When I asked you this morning if you want to go again next year you said “Yes, and next year I can go on the stage.” Love you Anna. Love experiencing life with you.

I love the little flag embellishments that are part of My Mind's Eye Lost And Found Christmas chipboard sheet. Star paper is from October Afternoon.

The last couple of times I've posted with text on my photos like this I've received a few questions about how I do it.

I'm not using any special technique - here's a look at my process:

1. I start by grabbing the T (text tool) and clicking on my image and dragging (while holding down the mouse) to create a text box. Doing it this way vs. just clicking on the image and beginning to type, is how you are able to create an editable text box (one that you can change the size of as you go along).

2. Then I start typing in my journaling. I usually get all of it in there before I start messing with returns and tabs.

3. After I've got all my words on there I start using the return key to create new lines where I'd like there to be a break (usually going around a body part or other "line" created by the image). I hit return and then I play with a combination of tabs and spaces to get the words where I want them. There may be a MUCH easier way (like creating a path and then doing a text wrap) but this is the way I'm doing it right now. The main thing for me is to make sure I know what I want to say before starting to mess with the returns.

Such a fun night.

And yes, my album is getting huge.


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64 thoughts

  1. Kylie says…
    12/18/2011

    Wow, another beautiful layout, you are AMAZING!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Denise KC says…
    12/18/2011

    Awesome memories and spread :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Becky W. says…
    12/18/2011

    Im really diappointed in myself, I had all good intensions of starting this book early. But just couldn't keep up. Im thinking I'll just make a book of what I have and call it good. (My son actually thought it was a cool idea, and he hardly likes anything at 17)

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      12/18/2011

      I think celebrating and embracing what you've done sounds like a great idea! If it's done, it's done :).

  4. Sarah says…
    12/18/2011

    You both looked so pretty! Great page!

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Lorette C says…
    12/18/2011

    BEAUTIFUL!!! And thank you for the tip about the text wrap... so useful! This technique I will use!! Love the picture of your shoes!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Jayne T says…
    12/18/2011

    This is so gorgeous. I hope to take my daughter to the Nutcracker when it is on sometime.
    So pleased I have started my album - some journalling and even developed some photos - maybe 'Santa' will bring me a wee photo printer to help with this for future years!
    Thanks for your inspiration.:-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Ruth says…
    12/18/2011

    I was lucky enough to work for the Royal Ballet School a number of years ago and spent a month watching Nutcracker from the wings of the Royal Opera House in London ~ so glad Anna loved it!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Annette says…
    12/18/2011

    So happy you two had fun! Anna is a year older than my girl, so it gives me such good ideas to read your blog and think that maybe she will be ready for something like this in the future. As always thanks for the inspiration and love to see your album filling up!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. heather Prins says…
    12/18/2011

    ali i just love looking at your book!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Estelle says…
    12/18/2011

    Mine is getting huge, too !!! I m happy to see yours too, because of the embellishments. I don't think it's possible to do less, and it is beautiful like this, isn't it ?
    Kisses from France !

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Michelle W. says…
    12/18/2011

    I especially love the photo of the two pair of shoes next to one another.

    Beautiful memories and a beautiful layout to document it.

    LOVE.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. joanne smith says…
    12/18/2011

    she is just too cute!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. audra says…
    12/18/2011

    Ali,
    It's hard to say for sure - while ALL of your pages are just wonderful & SO inspiring, this might just be my FAVORITE! It looks like you both had a WONDERFUL time! I'm so glad you enjoyed such a wonderful experience with her... that's what it's all about!

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Katie Scott says…
    12/18/2011

    I tried to post yesterday but I don't think it worked. 1. Loved the receipts pages. 2. My SIL also scrapbooks but has never read my blog until this December Daily project & she says she loves this project and wants to try it. She has been a chronological scrapbooker for years & I have been all over the place. 4. Love the shoes photo - my daughter picked out some shoes recently & only after she had them on did I realize she picked them out because they look like mine. I made a December Daily Page about it on my Day 13. It also made me realize that as a mother, I need to constantly be setting a good example, because our daughters really do imitate us. Still loving this December Daily Project & I am finally keeping up this year - note to the commenter above - I did this project for 4 or 5 years and did not keep up - so try again next year and fill in the gaps in the meantime, its all good.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Kimberly says…
    12/18/2011

    Love that you continue this project. It keeps me going, even though I'm days behind!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Carmen Pauls Orthner says…
    12/18/2011

    This is wonderful. I hope to have experiences like this with my daughter Sara when she is a little older and we are living in an urban centre. :)

    Carmen.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Susan Todd says…
    12/18/2011

    Wishing I had your focus for doing this. Have taken daily pictures, now just need to start compiling the book!!!

    What software do you use? Mac or PC? Any help is appreciated!

    Thanks for the continued motivation.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      12/18/2011

      Hi Susan - I use a Mac + Photoshop CS5. You can read my list of equipment here: http://aliedwards.com/about-ali/faq

  18. Tracy says…
    12/18/2011

    Such a special memory and what's really cool, you'll have many more years of sharing this magical evening with your daughter. Who knows maybe one day you'll be taking pictures of your very own "Clara" ;) Beautiful pages!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Susan says…
    12/18/2011

    Awesome pages! This is my first year sticking to December Daily. Past years I've stopped at day 3 or 6 and then no more. Now I can't wait to have my 12x12 pages printed and fill an album full of pages I've made digitally. I have a few 6x12 journaling inserts to put in also. Thanks so much for your commitment to sharing and inspiring.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      12/18/2011

      Awesome Susan!

  20. Kimber-Leigh says…
    12/18/2011

    love this page ali. we go to the nutcracker every other year...and love it. i'm glad you and anna enjoyed it too.

    i have found that some receipts last a long time...and others don't. i think the "shiny" paper that some companies use does not last as long as the traditional receipt paper that has been used for ages. (but even those do fade over time. i took a trip in the summer of 2000...and saved all my receipts in a notebook i kept for the trip. i noticed while scrapbooking that trip (in 2009), that almost all the receipts had faded. so there's a good chance that within a decade, they will fade.)

    i have taken pictures or scanned documents like that...for instance ultrasound photos...just to be sure to preserve them.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. celeste says…
    12/18/2011

    ali you can get the same effect with the text box by using text in a path. it's so much easier than dealing with the tabs and spaces. i'm sure you could find a tutorial online somewhere. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Carrie Alexander says…
    12/18/2011

    I love the first page with the pictures showing the two pairs of shoes, such a sweet capture! I just (as in 9 days ago!) gave birth to our second baby, a GIRL this time, and I am already so looking forward to mommy daughter moments like this. Blog post printed and stashed in my inspiration note book for my lil Miss Delilah Jane!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      12/18/2011

      Awesome Carrie - congrats. It has been the BEST thing :).

  23. Dori says…
    12/18/2011

    Ali, I absolutely love these 2 pages. What a precious Mommy and daughter memory!

    I'd love to hear your opinion about using page protectors for DD.

    Do you like using them?

    Do you think you will use them again?

    Thanks, Ali.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      12/18/2011

      Good question. I'm not sure yet. I kinda miss the texture but I also kinda love having it all protected. I could go either way right now.

  24. Shell says…
    12/18/2011

    I absolutely LOVE the photo of yours and Anna's shoes... really great! Thanks for the tips about adding text to photos too... that's going to be REALLY useful :) Merry Christmas from New Zealand xx

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Ali M says…
    12/18/2011

    Thanks for the tip! You rock my world on a daily basis...

    Reply 0 Replies

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