December Daily | Day 17 the Best Time of the Year

 
Today is the story a Monday around the house and running errands.  We took the kids to school and Ryan to work. We stopped by Lakshman's school for  a bit.  I have tons more teacher gifts to prepare and I am still working on it.  14 more!

While I work on my December Daily and Cocoa Daisy projects at home, Lakshman putters around the room with his toys.  And I find my daily story. 

I have this bright and colored numbered tree advent calendar which you fill yourself.  It is turning into a family tradition at this point and the kids eagerly awaited it again this year.  I fill it with sweets or little toys, erasers or marbles. Anything small enough to be a choking hazard next year basically. 

I slightly enlarged the canvas of this close up toy shot to include space for my journaling.  I printed the picture slightly smaller than 6x8 so I could back the page with patterned paper.  This paper is from the Cocoa Daisy kit, Pen and Ink. 

I also included some older number and star stickers.  

Lakshman posed for a picture with his animals and I had to include that too.  I actually made a pretty neat slide out photo.  You simply grasp the tab and pull.  I lined the area under the larger photo with a glassine bag so the photo could glide easily. 

I still ended up with part of the photo sticking out from underneath even when it was pushed all the way in so I put a strip of gold washi along the edge. 

A quick video of my photo slide in action. I love the real pop up book feel of this.  It makes me want to try some real pop up stuff next.  

Have you ever tried something like that in your December Daily? 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and magic! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch

DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 15 Happy Merry Cheer

I included this day in my catch up page, but I had more to share about the story.  

I also have to say thank you for all the people who reached out to me after I talked about what has been going on in our lives yesterday.  Her teacher is gone and she had a sub today.  I came to class for her holiday party and oh my, what a difference a sweet, normal person can make.  I doubt the sub was aware of the issues going on, but she came up to me anyway to tell me how much she likes Nandini and told me she is like an old soul.  

Her new teacher also came to find us and welcome her.  She was Avinash's old teacher and she said she wants Lakshman to come to her class also now.  There were so many wonderful moments of kindness.  And my daughter is feeling so much better.  We are trying to focus on the good now. 

And watching all three kids in their theatre shows was a very good thing.  I had the idea of trying to do a digitial collage with a series of horizontal photos with text in between.  

I originally wanted the stamped sentiment to preceed each line of text, but my spacing was not right.  

Instead I just stamped at the end of each text box and it worked out fine.  I wasn't sure if the red ink I have would smudge on photo paper, but I know the black is fine.  

I stamped these larger sentiments in between as well.  The stamp set is paislee press.  I just love their elegant feel. 

Also from paislee press, I have these puffy lightbulb stickers.  Unsurprisingly, they match the stamping very well. 

I stitched a line down the edge of the patterned paper border I added.  I placed one large black chipboard star on top.  

I just love those stars. 

And I added one more bonus full page photo on the back.  More strips of patterned paper along the border. 

How much do I love these balloon displays around Austin? And I think they look great with my ballooning belly !!

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and warmth! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch

DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

Days 13, 14, 15 and 16 | Oh what fun!

Life has been hard lately.  Like super hard.  Our health is fine, but when one of your kids is struggling at school with being harassed life gets complicated. And sad. 

I just want my children to feel safe.  I want them to be nurtured even when they have to be away from me. I think they deserve to live a childhood with some innocence.  I want them to know they are real people, equal people.  Who don't deserve to be punished for crying.  Who deserve to feel worthy of appreciation for who they are.  And not in spite of their faith or the way they look.  But with full acceptance.  Free from prejudice. 

The vast majority of people in this world agree with that.  Unfortunately there are irrational people everywhere too.  And something that should be simple becomes not so simple anymore.  So I spend my time consoling my child when she is home.  And am too emotionally drained to do much else after bed or ever. 

This went on for days and days.  And we are still working towards a resolution but the major stressor is out of the picture.  For now and hopefully for longer.  The school break could not come at a better time. 

Last night she was snuggled up between her two best friends watching a movie and I just exhaled.  I finally could. 

And that my dear friends is the completely unnecessary story of why I have made this page.  I could have easily made this page anyway.  

But there you go.  

So, I combined five days into one page.  The other reason why is I really wanted to use this piece of our wooden train advent calendar.  

It is a slim box that I cut up and kept the tabs in place. 

I took a photo of the box I was using and sized my photos to match up with the flip up tabs.  I printed it out on one sheet of paper.  Incidentally, the size was 6.65 x 5, so it was perfect for a 5x7.  All I had to do was make a canvas that size, print and then trim it after. 

I wanted to keep the embellishments pretty flat, because even just the top of the box was pretty bulky.  I stamped a small sentiment and edged the top of the flip up tab with thin washi.  

I am so thirsty for anything airmail.  I feel like I could use it on every page. 

Nandini at her sweet little violin recital.  I know it's not that easy to see here, but the look of concentration on her face was the best.  Nothing sweeter than a thoughtful-looking girl.  

And our balloon house adventure from Saturday morning.  I think I may print an enlargement of this one. 

And the picture from our otherwise super busy day that the kids were dying for me to take.  They love that I love their art.  And I really do.  They have the most amazing art teacher who never fails to send home projects that are display worthy.  If you could see that progression they have made in a few years.  Nandini went from saying she couldn't draw all summer to making real cartoon portraits or animals. 

Finally, this is what I put on the page, since the box is mounted on a clear page, I knew I need a backing.  Yes, I am going back and writing more about that Saturday.  I just haven't done it yet.  

If we can keep our spirits up, I just might. 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and warmth! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch

DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 12 Trail of Lights

After a truly horrible no good very bad day at school, sometimes things have a way of turning around at home.  Wednesday was that kind of day, but a spontaneous trip to see the Austin Trail of Lights after school and randomly running into a best friend there really helped.  

I used a big picture of Lakshman to back to the photo enlargement on day 11.   Embellished with a simple cork word and a few copper stars.  It definitely adds a lot of bulk to the album, but it is outside a page protector so that should help a little. 

I had lots and lots of pictures, so I had to add one more page to hold them.  I used this transparency sheet in between to hold the date. 

It is a large white chipboard number from the kit. The back is raw chipboard, so I backed it with a journaling card. 

The journaling card that I put on the back was cut down to the size of the number to seem more like a tag.  I also rounded some of the edges and adhered it right to the edge of the page.  

This is one of the old tricks to get these add ons to look more cohesive and finished. 

Typed journaling.  I just edged it in ribbon and added a tab sticker and a little heart. 

I used a whole bunch of stars from one pack because I love the ombre color scheme.  I also adhered a rubber charm to the photo of Ryan and Avi.  

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and special memories! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch

DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 10 Library

Welcome to my December Daily album, day 10.   On Monday and Wednesday we went to the Austin Central Public Library after school.  It is one of our favorite places.  I kind of wrote about our activities on both of those days here. 

 I took pictures of them in the big circle windows. Nandini even took my picture.

I used my big circle punch to cut holes in a plain piece of paper and layered the photos underneath it.  I used the gold foil letter stickers from the new Cocoa Daisy kit to add a title.  I love these stickers and I don't have to skimp because there are so many letters in the package! 

I stamped a sentiment on a piece of chipboard to echo the circle theme once again.  That is also why I chose that transparent page divider to hold the date. 

On the back of the date I added this gold foiled sentiment from an older Dec Daily kit. 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and special memories! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch
DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 11 Anthropologie Advent Calendar

Welcome to my Day 11! We had a pretty quiet day here of school and home and errands. I used this day to include my Anthropologie advent calendar instead. My kids always have a chocolate advent and we have started adding on toys and legos and tsum taums. This year, it was my turn to get one too. 

I love it so much!! I can’t tell you how fun it is to open a new box every day and get a little treasure out. 

I printed out a picture of my advent calendar on a wide white background. I added a strip of patterned paper from the main kit. I love red peppermint stripe in my DD and can use it almost everydat. 

I also added a title on the front with gold foil letter stickers. This tab serves as an invitation to open the photo up and see what is inside. I wanted to capture some of the fun of opening my calendar everyday. 

The page flips open to show the inside of my advent calendar. I added a picture of some of my items so far on the inside cover. I typed my journaling directly on the photo. 

I added a piece of chipboard on the inside to hold my date. I love these letter and number stickers so much! I did flip over one of the die cuts in the main kit because I wanted to use the plain side. 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and special memories! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch
DD Main Kit

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 9 Wildflower Center

Magic? Oh yes.  Another day and another fun outing.  This time, the Wildflower Center Illuminations night.  After three days of rain, it finally let up for the last night of this. 

We got there at sunset, and I love these pictures at twilight.  I enlarged one of my favorites on Nandini in front of the new fort exhibit.  

I embellished it very simply, two strips of patterned paper, a translucent plastic word from the main DD kit. 

I used one of the new 3x8 page protectors with two pockets.  You could always cut a regular 3x4 page in half too, which is what I used to do. 

A little chipboard and a tab sticker stapled in place. 

I printed out my journaling on a 4x6 print again.  I layered a journaling card on top with a wood veneer and gold number. I adhered that part outside of the page protector. 

A few more pictures on the back.  

Some of the supplies I am using:

American Crafts Hole Reinforcer Punch

6-Hole Paper Punch
DD Main Kit

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and special memories! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Day 8 Gingerbread Houses

This is another Austin activity that is turning into a yearly tradition for our family.  I love going out to make Gingerbread houses.  They buy all the candy and no icing is dripped all over the floor at home. 

The houses do all break on the way home though.  Can't win them all. 

But, how cute is that gingerbread man? I haven't shown it to Lakshman yet because I am afraid he will appropriate it. 

 I find it really easy to type up journaling on a 4x6 piece of photo paper and then attach it to my photos.  I have lots of templates from years past of December Daily, but skipping them is that much simpler.

I do like to leave a little space around the edges for embellishments.  I added a gold foil number and stamped a sentiment on top.  Love the mix of fonts.

We also saw Santa that day, the sticker is from a different Kelly Purkey kit.

I have a ton of these printed transparencies, and I decided to add one here in between pages. 

I added an extra photo enlargement of me and Nandini.  The patterned paper is from the Kelly Purkey TN kit.  I was never really planning on doing a TN this month, but the other kit I wanted was sold out.  And, I really love these papers and the quality so it was worth it for me.

 The full picture. The stickers are from a SC paislee press kit. 

Someone asked me for a tutorial on making tags, so I put together a little video I had taken a few days ago.  These tags are made out of photos, but you can make them from patterned paper too just as easily. 

This is the hole reinforcer punch that I use, and I love it! 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with magic and joy! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything

December Daily | Days 6&7 Hanukkah Lights and the Yule Ball

Today my stories are about celebrating Hanukkah together and going to a "Yule Ball".  I included an extra vertical photo of the ball, so I used the space on the back to talk about Lakshman playing with our Christmas Tsum Tsum's and his picture.

I used an old diamond transparency, cut in half to be a star of David embellishment for my Hanukkah page.  I don't have any dedicated stuff, so I get to improvise.  Fun! 

I printed out two 4x6 photos and then printed out my journaling and glued it on top.  The circle chipboard just barely fit int he leftover space. 

I added some gold foil letters asa title. 

the facing page is a transparency.  I already have the date recorded so I just used a title from the kit, cut to fit inside the circle. 

The pages together in the album.

The other side of the wood veneer holds the next day's date.  The large white number stickers are also from the main kit.

I cannot tell you what a dream it is to watch Lakshman play with those holiday Tsum Tsums over and over.  When I buy these things, I never can count on them lasting more than one season.  He is so in love with them, I just feel like a really great shopper and mom. Ha! 

I added a few red stars to match the big red star on the next page.  I rounded the outside edges of the 4x6.  

It is one photo with the picture and text printed together.  There is a strip of patterned paper glued in between this and another 4x6 photos, so that I didn't have to punch any holes in my photos.

Rarely, if ever do i get pictures back that I want to preserve. The photobooth here had a real photgrapher, with a real camera and a real photo printer. With great lighting to boot. I had to keep these pictures simple. The letters are on the outside of the page protector. Sometimes you don’t know how long letter glue will last, but foam and foil ones have been pretty good so I took my chances. The star is glued to the outside as well. 

I used a Studio Calico Harry Potter stamp set here o. The 3X4 card. I have gotten so much use out of that set. 

It is one of my all-time favorites. 

My HP pages in the album. 

Thanks for checking out my pages again!

I hope your holidays are filled with love and special memories! 

XOXO,
Niru

ps. You can see all of my December Daily posts here

Great Gift Giving Guide for the Kid who has Everything