easy christmas card photo books

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One of my favorite parts about Christmas is receiving the cards from all of our friends and relatives. I especially like the photos.

They make me smile from the day I receive my first card until the day I finally take them down from their display…which is usually one of the last things to come down.

Over the years I have been saving the photos in a drawer in my desk. You see, my aunt had albums full of christmas card photos and every year I loved to sit down on Christmas day and look through them. Although I didn’t know all the people, I learned to recognize the familiar faces year after year and enjoyed seeing how families had grown, adult children had gotten married, etc. My plan was to eventually start some albums of my own.

Last year I found this photo on Pinterest…

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Maddy on Pinterest

I figured this would be easier and less expensive than photo albums, but I never got around to doing it.

As I was trying to find space in the drawer in my desk for our cards from Christmas 2012 I finally decided to just put the darn books together. I mean, for goodness sake, all I needed was a hole punch (I used a 3 hole punch and a single hole punch), some chipboard, some rings, and a glue stick!

easy christmas card photo books

All of my cards were organized by year, so I started punching holes.

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{That’s my mom and dad in Italy}

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I used two holes of a three hole punch so that I would eventually be able to line up the cards that were differing sizes and shapes.

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Then I cut some chipboard that I had from the back of some thrifted frames that I won’t be using. I cut the chipboard a little larger than the largest card…three of the books ended up being 9″ x 6″ and one is 8″ x 6″.

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I punched holes in the chipboard and glued our christmas card to the front.

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I also made back covers for the books so the cards are protected on both sides of the book.

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This year our card was a post card and I wanted to include the back of the card, so I put it on the inside of the back cover.

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In less than an hour (it actually took 2 days, but I had to start and stop multiple times for various reasons…kids, dogs, cats, husbands, etc.) I had books from the last 4 years put together!

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For now, they are in our basket of photo books in the family room. I think, eventually, I will put them in the attic with the rest of the Christmas decor so they will be a fun tradition to pull out of the bins each year.

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Notice a change to the bookshelves? I’ll fill you in on that quick project this week!

Stay tuned…

spring fever

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I’ve got a bit of Spring Fever in the middle of winter.

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I posted this photo in my Instagram feed yesterday and a few people asked how I made it.

I originally wrote a post about it here…May 2011.

may flowers

{when i looked at the post i couldn’t believe that there were Instagram photos on it…i guess i was an early adopter}

I used a tutorial for a ruffle wreath from Jones Design Company.

Her tutorial for rolled paper flowers is basically the same technique for how I made the felt roses.

Anyway, that wreath has been around for a while and has held up pretty well.

I may even make a few more…maybe even put a couple in the shop.

routine

Otherwise, I’m just trying to figure out a routine around here with the kids back in school.

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For the last 3+ years I have had housecleaners come every other week. While it was a sanity saver when the kids were babies, I decided it was time to give up that luxury this year. I have found a great sense of accomplishment, and even joy, in keeping my house clean. I want it clean ALL THE TIME now, instead of just one day. In fact, I think I’m becoming a bit obsessed with cleaning…that’s not a bad thing, though. I am even making my own natural cleaning products to use and I will eventually share what’s working with you here.

That being said, I am trying to find time for all of the things I enjoy…creating, running, thrifting, blogging, learning.

As you all know it’s a juggling act, but it’s fun to learn how to keep all the balls in the air.

“snow” days

In the last week the kids have had two “snow” days due to ice on the roads. They really weren’t snow days as the ice was caused by freezing fog, but we took advantage of them by making morning fires in the fireplace and doing some crafting and Valentine’s Day decorating.

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I used Emily’s rolled paper flower tutorial to make these Valentine’s Day roses last year.

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This paper garland was another Valentine’s Day craft from last year (similar to the Christmas paper garland from Christmas 2011)…I did make some more this year with patterned paper and larger hearts that I will share on another post.

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Some recent sunshine and longer days has us dreaming about spending more time in the yard.

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Odyssey misses sharing coffee with me every morning.

light at the end of the tunnel

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I always manage to fit in a bit of thrifting…this week we found some vintage fisher price.

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home is…sunny days ahead.

secret tunnel

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There is a tunnel that the kids like to walk through to get to school.

This morning it was snowing on the other side…

snow on the other side

 

home is…a “secret tunnel”.

happy paper flowers

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paper bag flowers

Lorelai’s room has been going through a transformation, again.

I’ve moved the bed three different times, hung and rehung artwork, and changed the placement of the tissue paper puffs that were originally decoration for her first birthday party.

I pinned this photo months ago planning to add these flowers to the tissue paper puffs that were on the wall above her bed…

Source: aplaceforusblog.com via stephany @ on Pinterest

I saved paper bags over and over the last few months, only to put them in the recycle bin or in the compost.

The other day I came home from Trader Joes with a bunch of paper bags and decided I needed to finally make the flowers.

Here is the awesome tutorial from A Place for Us.

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I got to work on them Sunday morning. The tutorial was easy to follow and the results turned out perfect!

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I secretly wish this room was mine. I love the handmade flowers and vintage goodness in her room.

home is…happy paper flowers.

{2013} beginning

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So, here it is. My first post of 2013.

Just as 2012 is completed, 2013 has just begun.

be·gin

/biˈgin/

Verb
  1. Start; perform or undergo the first part of (an action or activity): “the Communists have just begun to fight”; “it was beginning to snow”.
  2. Come into being or have its starting point at a certain time or place: “the ground campaign had begun”.
Synonyms
start – commence – initiate – open – lead off – launch

Unlike last year, our house is no longer a “blank slate”. Don’t get me wrong, there are still projects to be done, but most of them are out of my scope of expertise.

I have the designs for a new kitchen drawn up in my head.

I know what kind of wood/laminate flooring I want in our main floor.

I have great ideas for our master bath.

And, our second floor pop-up over the living room and dining room is all planned…just need an design/build group to work with to finish the details.

None of those have to get done for us to be happy in our home, though.

So, we’ll wait until the time is right.

For now, I will begin by picking a white to paint over the red walls in our kitchen and the blue sponge paint in the kids bathroom.

And, I have a fun idea from Pinterest for Lorelai’s room…

 

There will be more projects, more thrifting, and more fun adventures with the kids.

This is just the beginning.

home is…to begin is half the work.

{2012} completed

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Yesterday I tried a new yoga class at our health club.

It was tough.

It was relaxing.

It was thoughtful.

My muscles are sore today, but more than that, I came away with a clear mind.

The instructor talked about COMPLETION.

com·ple·tion

/kəmˈplēSHən/

Noun
  1. The action or process of finishing something.
  2. The state of being finished.

She talked about looking back on everything that happened in 2012…good, bad, or indifferent…and consider it completed.

Shake hands with it, give it a high five, a hug, or whatever you need to do…and move forward.

I usually say, “Let it go,” but I really like this idea of COMPLETION.

We cannot change the past…it is completed.

Good, bad, or indifferent.

We CAN focus on NOW and look forward to the future.

I’m looking back at 2012 with COMPLETION.

Moving forward with ANTICIPATION.

Enjoying the NOW.

Happy 2013 to all of my friends, family, and those of you who are neither, but choose to read this blog because it offers some inspiration to you.

I hope to be more INSPIRING in 2013.

home is…2012 almost completed.

christmas unwrapped

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I haven’t had the words to write lately.

I haven’t even taken as many photos as I would have liked, but I soaked up the holidays.

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Lorelai didn’t want to stand up on stage and sing with her classmates.

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Reece was an “old pro” as a kindergartner. He nailed his lines, kept his costume on, and even sang a little bit!

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santa at playgroup

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Reece brought a handwritten note…

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and necklaces that he made especially for Santa.

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Lorelai was brave and sat in his lap and told him she wanted a princess watch and a sleeping bag.

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After eating and drinking, we went caroling…a new favorite tradition!

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our home

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And, just like that, it’s over.

Bittersweet.

Ryan and I decided that we need to have something to do on Christmas Day after the presents are opened.

We’re thinking of heading up to the mountain for some fun in the snow next year!

What do you do on Christmas Day?

home is…Christmas wrapped up.

mending

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Thursday evening I took the kids to our local outdoor shopping center to see “snow” and get a peek at Santa.

santa

It wasn’t until the security guard walked by me that I remembered the shooting at another local mall just two days earlier.

My thoughts immediately shifted to, “what would I do if somebody started shooting in the crowded center court that was currently filled with happy, screaming children chasing fake snow while moms and dads snapped photos nearby, and other families waited in line for their young children to talk to Santa?!”

snow

The next morning I took Reece to his kindergarten class like I do every weekday. I gave him a hug and a kiss, told him I loved him and that I would be back to get him after lunch.

One hour later I learned of the heartbreaking news in Connecticut.

I wanted to rush to Reece’s school and bring him home.

I didn’t .

I wanted him to enjoy his morning with his friends and his wonderful teachers.

Instead, I sat on the sofa glued to the TV with tears streaming down my face counting the minutes until I could leave to go pick him up.

We shouldn’t have to worry about our children being safe while visiting Santa or going to school, but now we are.

My heart is broken for the families.

Our broken society needs to be mended.

I don’t know what the answer is, but let’s start with LOVE.

home is…grieving, mending, loving.

an early christmas gift

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We’ve been toilet training Lorelai for a few months.

I went hard core for one day…we literally sat in the bathroom for hours.

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It was miserable…for both of us.

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And, terribly boring for her brother.

The problem was that she wanted to wear underwear, but I told her she had to use the potty.

She refused…and would rip the diaper off and go put underwear on when I wasn’t looking.

Eventually, we agreed she could wear underwear until she asked for a pull-up to go potty.

This worked well for us.

I was still “changing diapers”, but she was learning about what the feeling of needing to go potty felt like.

Eventually, after a little more than a month, I asked her to sit on the potty with her pull-up on when she went potty.

She put up a little fight, but gave in pretty easily after I told her I would give her a chocolate coin each time she sat on the toilet to go potty.

For about a week, this is how we did it.

I solicited her brother’s help and told him that HE would also get a chocolate coin each time Lorelai used the potty.

This was just the incentive he needed to be a great cheerleader!

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About a week ago, I asked her to try without the pull-up.

She did it.

SHE.

DID.

IT!

She asked for a pull-up once.

I told her she could go without it and she said, “Oh yeah!”

#2 took a couple more days and then she was ready to do that on the potty, too!

She hasn’t had an accident.

She wears a pull-up at night and it is usually wet, but has been doing awesome during the day.

Today she even used the toilet at school.

I’m pretty sure my days of changing poopy diapers are over.

Now, that’s a Christmas miracle!

home is…an early Christmas present.