2012 December Daily: Week 1

Hello Lovelies! The holiday season is here :) And I have to admit that this is my most favorite time of the year! Everything about it makes my heart happy. And being able to document all of the wonderful things this season has to offer is such an amazing experience!

2012 was my very first year documenting December. I originally planned to do a little handmade Christmas Daybook, but when I found out I won Ali Edwards Studio Calico kit from Kayla Aimee's blog I was ecstatic! It was the first time I ever won anything... and an amazing prize it was!

My Prize | 2012 Studio Calico DD Kit 

There was so much fun stuff to play with that I didn't know what to do with myself! Saying I wasn't intimidated by everything would be a lie. I didn't know where to start! But after plenty of research and planning, and hours of browsing the internet for inspiration, I dove right in. 

Although I love Christmas, I'm not a huge fan of the traditional red and green theme you see everywhere during the holidays. Being true to myself and my style, I went with colors that were better suited for me. Lots of pink, aqua, and purple, with touches of black accents. The beauty of doing it this way allowed me to dig into my year-round stash of supplies. I used a variety of non-Christmasy stuff like pretty patterned papers, washi tapes, and embellishments to fill my foundation pages. I mixed up different designers and collections, bought new Christmas goodies in my color theme, added lots of free printables, and even hand made fun elements to use in my album.

2012 December Daily | Foundation Pages

Planning out my month and having my foundation pages ready before December 1st, was the smartest thing I did. I honestly think that was the only reason I actually completed my very first December Daily, the very first time. All I had to do was take photos each day and embellish the pages accordingly.

I was asked time and time again about how I managed to fill up my album. I was told, "We don't have something going on each and every day in December!" Well... neither did we. There were days that we had special plans, and I even captured lovely everyday life moments. But there was also days we didn't do a thing... nothing worth documenting anyway. And that's when I got creative.

There are so many other awesome ways to fill up your pages... some don't even require a single photo! Here are a few ideas I included in my album: Favorite Holiday Songs, Winter Beverages, Christmas Lists, Holiday Decorations, Traditions... the list goes on!

Here is my completed album in all its glory:

2012 December Daily | Completed

And how it begins...

2012 December Daily | Title Card

DAY 1 

2012 DD | Day 1: Traditions

2012 DD | Day 1: Add-On Page

I taped two Kraft tags together with washi to create a page to hold some 4x4 instagram photos. I added a handmade Kraft library card pocket for the bits and pieces of ephemera collected from Day 1.

2012 DD | Day 1: Journal Card

DAY 2

2012 DD | Day 2: Journal Card [with Photo]

2012 DD | Day 2: Our Christmas Tree [Chipboard Page]

DAY 3

2012 DD | Day 3: Decorations [Chipboard Page]

2012 DD | Day 3: Journal Card [with Photo]

DAY 4

2012 DD | Day 4: Journal Card

2012 DD | Day 4: A Cold Weather Drink

DAY 5

2012 DD | Day 5: Christmas Lists

2012 DD | Day 5: Add On

I made a 4x6 string-tie envelope from Kraft cardstock to hold our family's Christmas lists.

2012 DD | Day 5: Journal Card

DAY 6

2012 DD: Day 6: Journal Card

2012 DD | Day 6: Christmas Music

That's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed my December Daily post :) Be sure to check back next week when I share Days 7 - 12 of my completed album from 2012! If you're looking for more DD inspiration, browse my "December Daily" pinboard on Pinterest. You'll find tons of ideas, free printables, and lots of other lovely things! It's my "vision board" for this year's album which I'll be sharing with you in December as I go! So stay tuned....

You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Have you documented December yet? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by!