intro, prep, & thoughts // December Daily 2018
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Welcome to the first post of many to come about my December Daily 2018! I’m happy you’re here. // What is December Daily®? Find out at aliedwards.com.
With everything that’s been going on this season, I realized I need this project in my life more than I’ve ever needed it in years past (passed? whatever.). I've been going to sleep watching flip-through videos (of Brandi’s + Barbara’s + Amy’s) and dreaming up different page layouts + styles to use! I haven't felt this creatively fired up in a while, and it feels so good to want to tell my story again - after the relative 'quiet' of the tough past few months I've had.
Upon opening the gorgeous Felicity Jane 6x8 album, you get met with the key players: my sweet little family, made up of myself and my cat-kids, Alejandro + Carmen. I dressed them up for Thanksgiving and snapped a few photos to get the two gems I ended up using. Then I wore an outfit that coordinated, and took a few kitty-filtered selfies (because if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em).
I adhered the three photos right onto a cream & gold foil striped patterned paper that I trimmed down to size and punched. I added a title on a cream colored cardstock, and found that “our little family” sticker when scouting through all my existing supplies. It got a little bent when I tried to peel it off the plastic backing, but I don’t care. It’s a small imperfect detail that makes it mine.
Another trend I’ve noticed in all my DecDaily researching this past weekend (ha!) was the desire for a lot of documenters to create pages out-of-the-page-protector. Let them be free, right? I felt that way making these intro pages. I wonder if it’ll be something that carries on throughout the month…
Opposite the first page of us key players, I placed a transparency that I embellished with a large “You Are Enough” gold foil mambiSTICKS sticker. Do they even sell those anymore? (Nope, I checked. Discontinued.) I have so many of these giant quotes, and LOVE how they make a spread feel special.
For me, the sentiment “you are enough” is what this last project of this tough year is for: a reminder of how ENOUGH I am, and this little family of mine is, right now, this season…ENOUGH, and exactly as it is supposed to be. I feel like I ‘survived’ a lot this year (anxiety, a break-up, going back to teaching) and a major leveling up is taking place - at a snail’s pace, but happening nonetheless. This album is a way for me to connect to that truth, which led me to my intention page…
Take time for reflection. YEP, that’s my intention. Another gold foil me & my BIG ideas sticker that works perfectly to highlight how I plan to use this album. I measured it out, digitally drew a line on my favorite bokeh photo from last year (taken with the @truebokehapp) and was able to place it right above it as a title.
To take it further, I journaled my intention for this project - which I have been feeling so acutely lately, I can’t even begin to tell you. Anyway, here it is, and that last line kills me…
Uh! “TAKE YOUR OWN HAND.” Such an opposing notion to my codependency problem. Also, the approach of writing a letter each day in December is key. It’s what Brandi Kincaid has done for the past couple of years in her albums, and I think it’s brilliant. It’s EXACTLY what I need to do for myself to wrap up this shit-hole growth-spurt of a year that brings up emotions I’m still battling to get through, so yeah…
Also making it about the letters takes it away from it needing to be about the photos. Lighting will be garbage, I know that already, so even if most days are paper play and a letter, I’ll be happy with that. I’m also planning on using a lot of last year’s photos, ‘cause why not?!
The end of my intro happens with this trimmed & clipped little bunch of inserts. In most of my past DecDaily albums I like to do a few memories I label ‘before December.’ It usually includes Thanksgiving and the few days leading up to December 1st, but in this year’s case it includes a couple of things that happened before Thanksgiving too - that still felt ‘season-y’ - like learning to make my mom’s cure-all chicken soup, and a cold girls’ night out to a local comedy club.
I tend to be a Thanksgiving-to-NYE type of December Daily-er. Thats’ just me.
To conclude this lengthy prep post, below are a fraction of the supplies I pulled from various stash piles and shelves and bins and drawers. (I’m sure you ladies can relate.) I love finding hidden holiday magic in supplies I’ve had for years that gives a subtle nod to the season, as opposed to a big ol’ Santa face insert.
Those ‘currently’ sheets were cut out of an old, unused Happy Planner®. That Venn diagram was a postcard from Urban Outfitters that they passed out in 2009 with their holiday coupon code on the back! (I love that friggin’ card.) I’m all about using what I got, and I can’t wait to show you how I do!
If you’re documenting December this year in any way, shape, or form, tell me about it in the comments below. I’d love if you’d link to any of it you have shared so I can take a peek. I’m telling you, I’m all about this project this year. I need it so badly, I might creatively combust! Cheers, friends! xo
