Ok, on to today's post. :)
What are seasonal "Daily" albums?!
When I started doing Project Life, I loved watching videos to see other people's albums and processes. I noticed that many people were doing December Daily® albums. I initially thought, "oh cool, a Christmas themed album!" But it is really more than that. Ali Edwards's (the creator's) idea behind it, is to capture your story for the month, and your story every day. Some days it might be a big story, some days a little one. Other times it will just be a photo and the story is implied. However, the aim is to get you to focus on the reason behind the season of Christmas, and the "spirit of December" (as Ali puts it). Whether you're religious or not, it is easy to get sucked into the hustle and bustle of this time of year. I think it is so nice to have a moment where you can focus on the small moments, the important ones, and pause during such a hectic season. All sorts of documenting companies come out with supplies for this project, so it can be all done from a kit, or mixed and matched as needed! :) So customizeable.
Why I'm Doing October Daily:
I didn't do a December Daily® last year, but I plan to do one this year. Since I haven't done daily documenting before, I decided to also do an October Daily! I figured that practicing in October would give me some ideas as to what I wanted to do for December. I love October and Halloween almost just as much as I love December and Christmas! So I wanted to put the same idea behind the season of fall, and Halloween too!
Specifics:
Size: Traveler's Notebook (new to me!) - ~4.25 x 8.5 inches - I made mine using the papers I bought + black and white card stock. I used this method to make them. Because the paper is thick, it will take two notebooks of this size for the month.
Supplies: Pink Paislee's "Spellcast" range, see haul video below, + lots of orange, black, white, and gold (from my stash) - ok a few purchases..
Method: Capture one story every day. If I don't have a particular story to tell, at least share a photo, if I don't have a photo, capture something related to the season (a quote, a list, favorites, etc.) Intersperse a few sections that aren't related to a specific day. Ex. One page just has our fall decor on it. I keep a note in my phone of approx. what I did each day, so I can catch up as needed. I tend to write it out and map out what photos I need to print. Since the pages are smaller, I usually have to print 2+ day's worth of photos at once. I don't want to waste paper! (btw, my Canon Selphy is so perfect for this daily type of project. I LOVE how easy it is to print as I go!)
How it's going:
Before this I have only done 6x8 albums, and mostly in pockets (as you guys have seen! ha), so at first it was a bit tricky to get into this new size! I had to do a few practice pages just to play around with spacing, etc. Once I started going it got a lot easier, and now I am having a blast with it! :)
I also had trouble at first including some of the stickers, etc. I was being really literal about it... but I'm getting a bit better at it as I go. Adding those little bits, even if the story isn't about pumpkins, or witches, etc. There's no point in hoarding these supplies, I bought them for this album!
I've recorded the entire process of making this album so far, so check My YouTube next week if you are interested! :)
I'm having so much fun with this, that I kind of want to do one for November. Maybe make it gratitude themed... The only question then is... do I still do my normal documenting for these months? I think I probably will.. because it will bother me not to, but I won't feel compelled to have EVERY SINGLE PHOTO in there, which is something that I struggle with. haha
Thoughts on This Year's December Daily®:
I will definitely be doing an December Daily® this year. I have all of my supplies, minus a binder (depending on what size I choose). I am super excited about it. The only question is... what size?!?! The Traveler's Notebook size is super fun, but I may want to try a 4x4, or go back to a 6x8. Decisions, decisions. hehe
"Spellcast" Haul:
What do you guys think of the idea of a daily album?
How do you capture the spirit and festivity of a season or holiday?
What are your traditions?! - I'd love to know!
XO,
Alexandra
*this post contains affiliate links, if you purchase I might get a few cents. ;) As always, I share my true opinions with you all, and only link in items I am legitimately crazy about/using.*
