Trying something new

So, I don't really have a new years resolution per say, but I am going to try something new. I printed out Heidi Swapp's 10 Things last year and made a list. It is crazy because I accomplished a lot of the things on that list. Yes, unplugged one a week didn't make it, but there are a lot of great things that did.
I was clearing off my cork board to start fresh this new year. After taking several things down, I uncovered a list that I made of goals when I was reading The Power of Less by Leo Babauta. I surprised myself because I had completed everything on that list. Whoa....say what?
I also finished my december daily. Now, I have made them the last 2 years and have not officially finished them. They are very piece-y. No journaling. Very incomplete. This year I didn't embellish my book before hand. Just made plain kraft pages in 8x8 size. My motto was to keep it simple. I printed out 1 4x6 picture at home and that was it. I was really not making it more complicated than it needed to be. I made an conscious effort every night to write out my journaling and I did. It all came together very well. There is one story left to tell and I am closing the book. It feels really good.
Soooo.........what am I doing different this year? I'm making a conscious effort to be a more positive person. I have so much going for me in my life that I should be a positive person, but I feel myself in the dark area of life and I bitch way to much. Why?
I'm making a conscious effort to follow the mantra, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
While watching Cougar Town, there was a whole episode about Andy being a positive personal and no matter what they did, they couldn't squelch it. I want to be that person. Everyone loves positive people. They are infectious. The only people who don't are the type I people I have become. Ughh.....hurts a little to type that out loud.
So, follow me on this journal. My positive journey if you will. I'm going to need all the support I can get.

A cute picture from last night while watching polar express.

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December Daily | Day 3

a quick 4x6 photo with ali's dec 3 overlay. typed in a tree for your room and printed right here at home. used some white cardstock and had wrote my journaling. a quick bit of pattern paper and i'm calling it good.

December Daily | Day 4

no pictures from today since nolan unexpectedly stayed the night at a friends. james and i went to panda express, so i grabbed the bag the egg roll came in and journaled right on it. added a quick number 4 thanks to thickers and called it good.

December Daily | Day 2

day two is documenting our new advent event. i picked up 23 holiday books at the library and wrapped them in plain white paper. each night nolan gets to pick a book, unwrap it and read it before bed. this helps him earn points for school to win prizes and helps his reading. i love this idea instead of candy or gifts. i will be incorporating the title of the book on each day throughout the album.

put in an award he got in school during his school community meeting. 

made myself a long journaler similar to ali edwards. pretty easy in photoshop. used the rectangle took, the stroke to fill it a specific color. used the line tool the stroke again. typed in a little text and voila, i had my own journaler.

used ali's overlays on day two. modified it a smidge by erasing the line that created a little text box or a place for pattern paper.

a little double ribbon and done. keeping it simple. 

December Daily | Day 1

Day 1. i'm keeping it very simple this year. looking through the december daily images on flickr, i see so many complicated books. oh, some say they are not complicated, but to me simple is what i have.

i found over the last two years that when i get all fancy in the beginning, i haven't finished or it has taken months to go back and finish, then i'm just not happy with what i have. not only that, i don't remember either. oh, i do journal what is going on, but my thoughts are just snippets and do not flow like what i would have written on the page.

this year i got some manilla file folders. cut those to 8x8 and covered that with craft paper. the craft paper was just to thin to stand on it's own. yep. that is my base. 25 days of craft paper.

we had an eventful day 1. i am hoping to use just standard 4x6 prints, but sometimes i'm sure i will add more. on this one, i stuck with 4x6's and a basic white block for journaling and a pattern paper strip. simple.

lots of little stories to be told today. you can see that my photos are not perfect, especially the one with santa, but it completely captures the excitement nolan had for seeing him. to me that is what photos are about.

Opening page of December Daily

I have never had an opeing page to my december daily before. in fact, i don't think i have ever decorated the cover to my december daily either. there is this huge christmas tree at a local shopping center, and with nolan in his pj's and slipper's for a polar express event, i quickly snapped this picture.

i came home, quickly uploaded it, gave it a little 8x8 crop in photoshop and giddely pressed the print button. i so heart this photo and i'm glad it will be one that will be seen often.