December Daily - Day 1

Yeah!!! It's finally here. The day we begin documenting the days leading up to Christmas. I have done my 'Day 1' a few days ago but I am just now getting the chance to post on my blog.

December 1 - We had a lot happen today so I did the journaling to share all of the those details inside the card.

So, here it is...

My journaling is inside the card.

Hope everyone else is having a great time on this project. I know that I am.

Cherri

December Daily 2010 - Foundation Pages

December Daily Foundation Pages - This is a project that I have done for the past two years. I have followed Ali Edwards in her quest to document the days leading up to Christmas. When I first saw her December Daily documentation on her blog I was instantly hooked. In 2008, when putting together my foundation pages for that album, I enjoyed the variety of the different shape, sizes, colors and the complete randomness of it all. So much so that I created a second album for my twin sister to be able to do. She wouldn't have had time to put her foundation album together otherwise. I was kind of anal about putting the number on the pages with the random sizes and layouts already pre-determined. I thought it would give me no flexibility depending on what happened on that particular day. However, I found that I truly enjoyed the challenge of just making do with what you already had ready for that day. I did the same type of album for 2009 also. Those two were extremely wonderful experiences. One that I look forward to throughout the year.

This year was a little bit different for me though. My husband has been going through a lot of health/medical issues recently and I found that I felt more comfortable with a more strict system to work with this year. I followed Ali's layout almost exactly for my 2010 December Daily Album. Each day has a transparency of some type (with the days number) and then the following page is her template for that same day. I have a lot of ideas and materials that I will add during the month that will add the variety that I love in this project but simplicity of the foundation that I am using this year, will help me document each day without the stress of having to be 'creative'. A lot of the time I put undue pressure on myself to make everything super creative. This year I need the simplicity to ensure that I can do this album and that I will not get overwhelmed and quit mid-way through.

Below I have documented what I have so far. Each of you know that it will end up looking so differently once each day gets done. I can't wait until Wednesday to begin. I have all of my supplies together and ready to go. I hope you enjoy viewing the beginning of my 2010 December Daily Album. I feel that my front cover is lacking and I will 'tweak' it a bit more once I get going on the album.

Day 1 - I have a circle that will go around the number 1 on the tape measure ribbon to bring out Day '1'.

Day 2 - I found these adorable heart shaped playing cards at a yard sales during the summer. I actually bought them with my December Daily in mind.


Day 3

Day 4

Day 5 - you can't really see it good but in the middle of the snowflake up top is a metal number 5. from Making Memories.

Day 6

Day 7 - I used a baseball card sleeve and will add things to both sides. The number '7' may find a new home also. I just have it stuck in there until I document the day.


Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11 - this is our Wedding Anniversary (years years) so I already know that I will be documenting something special about me and my hubby.

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19 - this is a page protector that I will slid something into depending on what happens on that day. I may stitch it in half and add more that one pocket...

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

So, here you have it so far. I made this album back in October but just got around to taking and uploading the photos. Good luck with your December Daily. It is sure to be a project that you enjoy enough to do it over and over again.

Merry Christmas, Cherri

Baby Shower Time!!!

This post will be very wordy and filled with pictures. Please excuse all the blabbing. I am just an excited 'Nana-to-be' so you will just have to over look it...I will be called CiCi. I always wanted to be a Nana but when I had Ashley, I came up with Nana for my mom. Now Brooklynn will have a Nana and I don't want to confuse her. So, I will be CiCi. Once of my nieces couldn't say Aunt Cherri when they were little so they just called me C. So, my daughter came up with CiCi. I like it. It also doesn't make me sound old enough to be a Nana, right? Well, on with the post...

Just a week ago I found out that my parents were coming to visit my aunt and uncle at their 'mountain' cabin. That is only about an hour from where we live so I asked Ashley, my daughter to come with them so that she could visit with us. She is pregnant (due in January) and we don't get to see her that often. She lives about 4 1/2 hours from us. I was last there for her ultrasound that told us that 'It's A Girl' in mid-August. I realize that was only about 6 weeks ago but you all know that 6 weeks can make a 'BIG' difference when you are pregnant. She is now showing and I got to feel little Brooklynn Elaine kicking around in there. It was so wonderful.

Since we knew that this was probably the last time that Ashley would come here before the baby was born, my sister and I decided to try and throw a 'surprise' baby shower for Ashley. Remember that we only had a week to do it in. I immediately designed a baby shower invitation and got them in the mail the next day. Then the other planning began. Now, Ashley was getting to my house on Sunday and the shower wasn't planned until Tuesday night, which meant, all that I was doing for the shower had to be done and over at my sister's house by Sunday afternoon. Yikes!!! I also had to hide all evidence that I had been working on a baby shower. I wanted to keep this a surprise if at all possible.

Well, there were times that I had to 'cover' up for things around my house and I had to be creative when going over to my sister's house on Tuesday night. Ashley wasn't dressed nice and hadn't done her hair. I told her that I wanted to take some 'good' pictures to document her pregnancy and I asked her if she was going to do something with her hair. It was just enough to get her to 'doll' herself up some...She looked beautiful.

When we got there, everyone was standing around the 'food' table as the surprise. Ashley was too buy petting Jackson (her dog that now lives with her cousins) and she didn't realize that it was a shower. I had to lean over and whisper into her ear, 'Happy Baby Shower Sweetheart'. And then, she got it... She has never been truly surprised. We totally pulled it off. I am so proud of all of us. Ashley said that we made her feel so loved, so cherished and so honored. (just what we were going for) She felt very special that we did all of this just for her.

















Thanks for taking the time to get through this entire post. Have a blessed day, Cherri

Today my baby is 17!!!

Happy Birthday Charles 'Matthew' Crisp. Seventeen years ago at 7:02pm you came into this world and made me one happy mama. At that moment I didn't think I could love you more than I did, but boy have I proven myself wrong. I love you so much and I am so proud of the young man that you are becoming. Keep at it.

Love,
Mama