December Daily 2011

I just love this quote by Karl Barth, “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”

I love the notion that one way I can express my gratitude to God just by being happy in my life {imperfections and all!}.   It really spoke to me at Thanksgiving and I thought it would be the perfect inspiration for a December Daily scrapbook. 

This is the first time I’ve made a December Daily, but it’s really nothing more than a mini-album focused on the 25 days of Christmas.  Tripp happened to be out of town for several days a couple of weeks ago, so I dug out all the Christmas-y scrapbooks paper, stickers, and doo-dads I could find in my stash and put this mini-album album together while sitting at the bar in the kitchen and watching all the TV shows that Tripp hates.    And the idea for a December Daily is to get the album made ahead of time, so that all you have to do is add a few pictures and bit & pieces here and there throughout the month.

I made the cover of the album out of 6 x 6 chipboard and then the pages are a combination of my Christmas themed scrapbook paper (a paper pad by Paper Studio), envelopes, tags, and manila pockets (7 gypsies). Here are the blank pages.

The other thing I did while making my December Daily was brainstorm 25 things that mean Christmas to me and/or things that bring me joy during the Christmas season.  This list is my basic starting point…the things I put in the album might change (I kind of expect that) and that’s totally OK.

• lights
• decorations
• ornaments
• carols
• faith
• snow (? if we have it)
• family Christmas card pic
• food
• parties/festivities
• hope
• poinsettias
• charity
• anticipation
• homemade
• holly jolly
• comfort and joy
• frantic? shopping?
• wrapping
• coming home
• angels & hark the herald
• simplicity
• movies
• friendship
• night before Christmas
• family

My hope is that this album will capture the season of Christmas and the way we as a family experience it.  But I also hope that in the process that it will help me slow down and be more mindful – really experience the joy of the season.  One small token of my eternal gratitude.

Peace, Kelly