December Decidedly NOT Daily

While I love the December Daily that AE and the rest of the world put together, I haven't got the staying power to carry this out, nor the finishing power to put it all together  (short attention span?!)

However I have been thinking for quite some time of putting together an album that captures a little bit of each christmas, a summary of sorts.  I thought it would be fun to include the christmas letter I write each year (a great way for us to look back on each year - I try NOT to make it one of those bragging letters that everyone dreads, but more of a catch-up-this-is-what-we-did-this-year highs and lows, written a bit like how I write this blog, complete with pics!) as well as a couple of select images from the christmas season. All in one album, it will be great to see how the kids have grown (and we parents have aged!) over the years. A couple of pages or just one, for each year. Depends how I feel, it will be go with the flow type of construction.

So I decided to start with some chipboard bracket covers that I bought AGES ago, and never used. Already the binder rings for use with this are driving me nuts. Even though I didn't want to purchase any new materials to make this album, I have a feeling I will be ordering a little 8x8 d-ring binder before too long...

I scratched through my drawer and found a heap of 8x8 page protectors. I chopped off the extra bit with the holes made for going in post bound albums, punched (oh, if only it were as easy as it sounds!) new holes in them and they fit nicely inside the bracket cover.

As you can see, I have both full page and divided 8x8 protectors. Just for some fun!  I normally recycle christmas cards the year after getting them (as in I have kept 2009's for reference this christmas, but 2008's went when I put away the ones from last year) but if I happen to get any wonderful handmade creations or something special, I could put them in the divided pockets easily.

See those bloody binder rings. It irks me they don't sit flat.

I prettied up the cover using AE's recent free download and a strip of paper. The graphic is printed on some old ledger paper I found yesterday when tossing crap out cleaning out my office (again...I had a box of stuff that needing dealing with months ago...you know me, ever the procrastinator)

I suspect the circle thing is crooked, but tell me it isn't and we will all live happily ever after, OK!

When I bought the brackets way back when, it was part of a kit and came with some christmas papers.

Not quite sure how I will tackle the rest of it just yet - although I do plan to tuck each years letter (the ones that I can find on file on my hard drive!) in a christmas-sy envelope.  I might do an AE and use some of her templates, or have some of these papers just sit there alone as a divider between years/decoration.  I really like the top paper, not sure that it needs any interference! Think it might be the opening page, with just a little type towards the bottom with a description of the album or something. 

There you have it, my Definitely Not Daily December Album!