December Daily™ 2011 | Hello December And A Few More Tips To Get You Started
1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. This project is not meant to cause additional stress or anxiety (there's enough of that going around as it is). Take it one day at a time, one story at a time. Consider it an opportunity to slow down and savor what you most love about the holidays through words and photos (and some other fun crafty stuff mixed in if you want).
2. MAKE STUFF WHEN YOU CAN. Some days I put my layout together first thing in the morning - a certain story will come to light and I'll decide that will be the topic for the day. You don't have to wait until the end of the day to document a piece of it. Most days I put my pages together in the evening - yes, it often means staying up a bit later than normal, but for me, it's been worth it over the years.
3. BE REALISTIC. I post everyday because I want to encourage you to keep going because the end result is really pretty awesome. You should have zero stress if you don't/can't/decide not to "keep up" with the daily posting, uploading, etc. Don't worry if you miss a couple days - you can always add them in when you have a bit more time.
4. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING. I don't approach December Daily™ the same way I approach Week In The Life. I'm not trying to document everything that happens from waking up to falling into bed. I look for ONE STORY per day - that's it. Keep it simple - one little story per day adds up to a big collection of 25 at the end of the journey.
5. THIS IS NOT JUST A PROJECT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE STUFF GOING ON. And your life is not too boring to document. There's so many things you could document in addition to where you end up on any given day.
6. TAKE THE TERM "DAILY" WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. If you have TONS of stuff happening there's no rule that says you have to tell the story only on the day it happened. Use the word "daily" loosely - as a guide - if you go to the Nutcracker on Sunday but already have a story you want to share for that day then tell the Nutcracker story on a different day. No big deal.
7. HAVE FUN. Yes, have fun. If it becomes not fun, switch things up. Do something different. Put your camera away and just write or put down your pen and just take photos or have a day where you just play with your products to create a cool collage of memories on the page.
8. THINK ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. Consider what you wish you knew about someone in your life and how they spent their holidays. What was their perspective, what did they love most? Get those types of stories into your book. I'm continually thinking from the perspective of what I wish I knew, and what I most want my kids to know down the road.
9. SPEND THE TIME YOU MIGHT BE SURFING AROUND FOR INSPIRATION WORKING ON YOUR PROJECT. I know how it goes. Trust me, I know.
If you want more specific ideas don't forget to check out the 25 December Daily™ Ideas and Story Inspiration post for more ways to get you motivated for telling your December stories.
Here's a few other great places to find, and share, December Daily™ visual inspiration:
Tomorrow I'll be back early in the AM with my DAY ONE post (I have to live it before I can document it). That post will include a place for you to link to your stories of the day.
Most of all my hope for you is that this album brings YOU joy.
Now go live your life, record some stories and make a little something.
Happy December!
TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY | The Daily Digi
The FREE Digital Scrapbooking Manual is a resource filled with information we wished we would have known when we started digital scrapbooking. We asked digital scrapbookers and designers from around the community what they wished they would have known in the beginning and we share that information with you; expanding on it to save you from making the same mistakes we did. The Digital Scrapbooking Manual is a free gift brought to you by The Daily Digi.
What a way to start December - Frost on the windshield this morning!! One guess as to my Decmerber 1 pic...my husband scrapping the car windsheild with is P.F. Chang's Warrior card (we're in FL)!!!!!
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I loved your 11/21/11 post about stories for December Daily so much!
I want to say that December Daily has become part of my holiday tradition - thank you for coming up with this project - it is completely awesome!
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Hmmm...I've been waiting for this day to come! My kiddos are 4 1/2 and 6 this season...the anticipation of Christmas and all that it encompasses is electric. I have a feeling this will be the best December Daily so far...bring it on!
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HI, Ali.
Thanks for reminding me that it is OK to tell stories on different days... I always have a hard time finding something I want to tell each day.
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This is my first time also. Thanks for all the tips this morning. I was totally overwhelmed until I read #4; I already know what my ONE STORY is going to be.
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So excited it's Dec 1st. I just finished up my album cover last night. So I am all ready to go. :) Now just need to get through my work day, so that I can go take a picture for today's page!
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Cheers, Ali! Thanks for this project...it has brought so much joy to my Decembers these last few years! :D
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Thanks Ali for the encouragement. You are amazing...we forget about TODAY too often! I've already taken my picture of the day..."Scout" the elf arrived at our house this morning! Too fun!
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Is the 2011 kit still available at Studio Calico?
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Yay! Let the games begin! I'm excited about this season, this project and this community. I didn't finish my first DD until April of this year and I am so glad I didn't give up on it b/c it was worth it. If nothing else ... throw your scraps, ideas and pics into a folder for later.
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Happy December Ali! Looking forward to finding the joy warpped up in December. Thank you for your continuous source of inspiration.
All the best for a light and joyful holiday season. :)
Suz
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Giving it a go again this year - but using a Smash book. :) Looking forward to documenting holiday spirit right along with everyday life.
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So excited to be doing Dec. Daily again this year. I love how it makes me more conscious to slow down, take notice, and savor all that I love about the holidays. For me (and I'm sure, so many others), Christmas is not just the day, but all that the season encompasses. It's full of loving, living, remembering, & making new memories. It's something that makes all my senses come alive even more than usual. This project definitely helps me pay attention to those things and highlight them. The end result ends up being a beautiful gift to enjoy for years to come. Thanks again, Ali, for the inspiration.
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Ali, #9 made me smile. I resemble that remark!!!
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So excited to start this year!!! I am all set and looking forward to seeing what everyone shares.
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Thank you ALI!! Well...I finally made my cover last night...not what I originally planned, but I found the GOOD in it! At midnight, I used the spray mist from the SC kit, and I'd never done this before, and alot more came out than I expected - I ended up with a case of the giggles....I'm going with the flow and already having fun. You are right, it doesn't have to go the way I thought it would every day - or even any day - it is still going to be wonderful!
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I'm so excited to start! this is my 4th year doing this album and I love it :)
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Happy December, Ali and everyone.
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Thanks for the inspiration! Love all these tips and will keep them in mind. I like how you approach it differently than week in the life to. Definitely takes the pressure off and a reminder to live our memories!
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http://crazylilthingcalledluv.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-daily-begins.html just finished my first day!!! So excite to get December going!!
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Just finished my book yesterday and working on my first day, no estress, really is a super fun project. Thanks for sharing us!! =)
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Thank you for doing the December Daily every year. I am finally making one this year. Although I can't find a chipboard album, that fits the finished project I am going for it and will get it bound later. I started with a 1" spine binder but it will not be big enough to handle all 25 days. What a joy to go through all my Christmas paper and ephemera that I have collected over the years to make the album!
Aloha, Kate
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It's my first year and I'm so excited.... this has been a seed in my mind for a very long time. Thanks for putting feet to it!
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This will be my first DD and I am looking forward to working on it. Still waiting for the album to ship from SC, and I haven't even looked at the rest of the kit materials yet. But I have been making a mental list of possible stories to document this season.
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Thank you Ali, today's post is very encouraging and a gentle reminder not to get overwhelmed but rather enjoy the process, days and stories that will emerge during the month. I was fortunate to have my story for the day unfold nicely when I overheard my husband telling my son a story and using the nutcracker to role play. It's a rare event early in the morning before school begins as my husband leaves earlier than we do. I captured a father-on moment both as a picture and story. Thank You!!!
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