handmade christmas: ornament from scraps...

Every year I make handmade gifts and decor for the holidays. Some for us and some to give. This year has been no exception. The little die cut snowman in this ornament came in my special edition Merry Swag Bag from Paper Issues. As soon as I saw his cute little face, I knew that I couldn't just use him on a scrapbook page that would live in an album. He needed to be displayed!

Earlier this month I had picked up a few clear, fillable plastic ornaments at the craft store for $1 each. I had no clue what to do with them at the time but, this idea struck this morning and within minutes it was done. Glitter paper circle, die cut snowman and candy cane and a teeny bottle brush tree on a bed of cotton ball. The backside holds one of our family photos taken this fall.

I'm linking this up to Monday's Pinspire Me at Paper Issues. We want you to show us what you've created! You can link up to this Pinspire Me in our Facebook Group...Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} You have until January 11th to add your creation to the Pinspire Me post/picture on our Facebook Group for a chance to win one of 2 awesome prizes!

Use code JENBOOM to take 20% off of your entire Paper Issues order...swag bags included! 

documenting december...

Happy Friday! My focus has shifted to a seasonal album this month. I really had no intentions of making a December album this year but, well, all of the pretty supplies kept calling to me. And, it is both our first Christmas in our house AND our baby girl's first! The events of the month begged to be captured. Rather than taking a daily approach, I'm instead creating pages based on events and seasonal happenings. This first set of pages documents our first big snowfall of the season here in NY.  The first several pages in my album were created with the Citrus Twist Kits December Pocket Life and Pocket Life Embellishment Kits, as well as the lovely CTK Christmas Stamp set. 

Our visit to Santa was a mixed bag. G LOVED him, immediately climbed on his lap and started rattling off his long wish list. J was terrified and wouldn't even look at poor Santa. A was more than skeptical but, we finally got a few half decent shots while holding her tight.

And  my last two shares capture our North Pole Breakfast. Our elf Dizzy returned atop a tissue paper pom bearing a fun, seasonal breakfast. The kids were thrilled!

These are some of my favorite details...

More to come very soon! I'm in the process now of printing more around snowfalls, birthdays and decorations. So fun!

Blog Hop: Holiday Wishes with Citrus Twist Kits...

Today the Citrus Twist Kits Design Gals are having a Blog Hop to share some of our holiday wishes and to make one of YOUR wishes come true...the chance to win a full, fabulous Christmas Daily kit! 

My Christmas wish this year was one that, at times, seemed nearly impossible. Yet, good things truly do come to those who believe and this past Wednesday, my family and I had our big wish come true as we closed on our dream home! My husband snapped the photo of our new home, under a blanket of freshly fallen snow, and our shiny new keys. The selfie shot of the two of us was taken the day before during our pre-closing walk through...just a little bit happy! I am using a Sn@p album to document our December memories this year, along with the CTK Christmas Daily PL kit. 

Please follow along with the Blog Hop below and, when you're done commenting on EVERY blog, hop back to the main Citrus Twist Blog and leave a comment there for a chance to win a Christmas Daily Kit! Now that is an one awesome prize sure to make any scrapper's holiday extra merry!! 

Kasia
Sam
Jen  <-------you are="" font="" here="">
Jennifer
Angie
Amelie
Sandy
Citrus Twist Kits

december daily 2012

Last year was the first that I decided to take on the December Daily project, though I had admired Ali Edward's albums for years. When I chose to take on the project, I knew I wanted to a) use up as much of my stash as possible and b) keep it simple. I read and read blog posts online, looked at photos of foundation pages by other artists and finally pulled together my own "kit" to get started.

Here's what I used:

• Avery mini binder (5.5" x 8.5") and a mix of pages - full size were Avery, 4x6" Staples brand photo pages (I trimmed off the excess plastic) and quad pages by Martha Stewart
• 4x6" cards were a set of overlays by Ali Edwards that I purchased from Designer Digitals. She makes a set each year (here is the LINK for this year's set). I printed them directly onto Becky Higgins 4x6" grid cards using my inkjet printer
• 12x12" Christmas paper pad by Basic Grey that I had on hand for a few years
• assorted washi tapes
• numbers and tags by Elle's Studio
• other assorted holiday papers and embellishments I had in my stash 

My process for the foundation was very simple. I cut the patterned papers to 5.5"x8.5" and slipped the papers in the full size pages, back to back, printed the daily overlays onto 4x6 PL grid cards, added a strip of washi and had those ready to go for journaling (they are pre-dated). All of my supplies were in one container and I used a very small selection so that I could spend only 5-10 minutes each night writing about the photo/activity/day and add a little embellishing. I print my photos at home so, that step was simple. I had the grid pages on hand in case I had a few days where I wanted to mix things up and be flexible, and was happy I did so. Here is the link to my FULL ALBUM and below are a few pages shares:

 

I'm so looking forward to taking on this project again, this year with the Citrus Twist Kits Christmas Daily PL kit. Unfortunately, this kit flew out of stock super fast but, the Christmas Daily Large Kit is still available in limited quantities (at the time of this blog posting). Here is the PL kit:

I'm still deciding whether to use a Sn@p album or to incorporate the project in my regular PL book but, will share more as I go through the process again!

goodbye 2012, hello brand new year!

2012 was very good to us. A beautiful new baby, celebrating three years of marriage, career advancement for Mr. Boom and being able to realize my dream of becoming a stay at home mom. We fondly bid farewell to the year and welcomed in 2013 with hope that, it too, will hold fantastic times for our family.

I left off my last Project life post with two weeks to go in last years album so, will share my final layouts now...

{December 17 - 23)

Baking cookies, photo ornaments, the true meaning of Christmas and a little pirate...

 Our nativity set arrives, we celebrated Christmas with my cousin and her family, made a gingerbread house and discovered Jack's new favorite play space:

 {December 24 - 31}

G's birthday (he has his own insert) and everything Christmas. The bottom two photos on this page are of the boys with their Santa gifts.

 G's THIRD birthday insert (back not shown):

 Even more Christmas insert (back not shown):

 More of our week of celebration...

I'll be very honest that I never finished an opening page for 2012 and am still working on the closing page. I'm not worried about either of these. The important stuff is in the middle. 

As for the rest of my 2012 PL album? There are a few things left to print. Photos from February (journaling is all done) and one week in the beginning of September that needs finishing with a LOT of photos. I'll get there. But, I'm not stressing it at all. Instead, I have moved on to a brand new year with new photos, memories and documentation. Bring it on!

santa success!!!

Last Saturday, we attended a pancake Breakfast with Santa at our local high school. While we had already visited with Santa the week prior and gor some great photos, this was another chance for both boys to have some more time with the guy in the big red suit. And, it was another success!

We have been teaching George about Santa and the Christmas story for the past month. The preparation all paid off! After two years of crying and fear, this year he was so excited to meet Santa. And Jack's first time? Complete awe!

sweets of the season...

Christmas is nearly upon us and our life from early November to now has been a whirlwind of G's second birthday preparations, a bout with the croup, getting our nursery ready to fit both our growing toddler and our baby-to-be, holiday shopping, crazy work schedules, my sister's wedding and a partridge in a pear tree ;-)

Though juggling all of this has had it's challenges I have also been very aware of our many blessings:

• a healthy pregnancy and feeling this new life move and grow
• a happy, healthy, energetic and sweet as can be toddler
• a warm home that we own and enjoy
• gainful employment
• the love of family

This past Sunday we attended church and gave thanks for all of your blessings while celebrating Advent.  After mass, we walked over to the church hall where a coffee hour and luncheon was set to begin.  George was enamored with the lights on the christmas tree and, of course, the many cookies ready to sample.

 Look at the joy on his little face!

And, speaking of cookies, this year I attended my very first cookie swap.  Though there are favorites I bake nearly every year, I wanted to try something new and festive for this event.  In one of my online groups another mom had posted a recipe for Peppermint Meltaways that seemed to fit what I was looking for.  Though more time and labor intensive than I had anticiapted (note: take butter out to soften before leaving for church), I was happy with how they turned out.  If you have a few hours of dedicated baking time before the Christmas festivities this weekend, you might want to give them a whirl...

Cookie:
1 cup unslated butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (or more to taste)

2 to 3 drops red food color, if desired

Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Combine butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes).

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls (I used a small cookie scoop for uniformity) of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets (be gentle with this as the still warm cookies are quite delicate). Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy. Alow to set out until glaze/icing hardens.

 

Note: I made a triple batch and decided to ice the cookies rather than use a looser glaze.  The frosting set up/hardened nicely when set out overnight. I ended up adding at least three times the recommended peppermint in the frosting as I preferred a stronger flavor.  Add more to taste as you mix and decide on the consistency you'd like.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and may all the blessings of the season be with you and yours...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas: a giveaway!

{Comments have now been CLOSED and winners will be announced soon!}

When I envisioned sitting at the computer to write this post, I figured it would be at home, after George's bedtime, comfy in my pj's on the couch or at our kitchen table.  Little did I know, Mother Nature had other plans and decided to throw winter and thoughts of Christmas our way far sooner than usual. Meaning SNOW. On October 29th. In metro-New York. This was the scene in our house yesterday as the snow fell hard outside our window:

George, with nose pressed against this window exclaiming, "Snow!"  Yes buddy, snow.

So it is fitting that tonight, as I sit on a recliner at a relative's house (we are without power indefinitely due to said snow, but that's another story), my thoughts are turned to our 2011 Christmas cards..and yours! 

For the past three years, I have ordered our holiday cards from Shutterfly.com.  I use their photo printing services regularly and also love their cardstock stationery, so ordering for the holidays was a natural extension. This year, the early snow has me considering our card design much earlier than normal...and wondering if I'll be able to get a good shot sans snow! Here are a few of my favorites designs right now, all so different and a lot of appeal to all. This first design is so much fun and appropriate to all we have experienced this past year and are expecting for next...

This is a bit more classic, allowing for both a family shot and a single portrait of George...

And, a beautiful traditional design...

I'm not sure how I'll decide until I get the photos underway but, am confident I'll find a design that fits our family this year.  Our Christmas cards paired with custom thank you notes will add the perfect personal touch to our holiday.

So, where do YOUR cards come in?  Shutterfly is generously giving away 25 of their beautiful holiday cards to three, yes, three of my readers.  I'm so grateful and thrilled, and hope you are as well. 

Here's how you can win your very own set of 2011 holiday cards:

1) Leave me comment on this post telling me that you'd like to win a set of cards and your favorite part of the holiday season

That's all.  No catch, no running around linking up posts.  Just a simple givaway from Shutterfly and me, to you, just in time for the holidays.  Pass it along to your friends and good luck :)  Winner will be announced on Thursday, November 3rd.

Standard disclaimer: Shutterfly contacted me to offer this giveaway and I am receiving compensation in the form of our holiday cards.  I only blog about companies that I have worked with in the past and where I am happy with the products and/or services I have received.

a december daily, of sorts...

2010 has been an extraordinary year in my life, filled with incredible joys and challenges. I've documented a lot of what has happened here, in part because I wanted a record that I could look back on and share with G one day. There are stories and letters that will eventually find a way into scrapbooks and photo books. Some memories will be held close to my heart and a few anecdotes will live on to be told at family functions for years to come.

December has always held special meaning for me because of my own birthday and those of several friends and family members and, of course, the celebration of Christmas. I love December, not the weather so much, but for the season of giving, sharing and family.

Over the past few years, I have seen fellow bloggers and scrapbookers take on the December Daily project, a journal to document the spirit of this month in a unique and personal form. While I love the idea behind the project, I have failed often enough at paper journaling to know that it wasn't for me. This year is no different. But, today I followed a link on Ali's blog to a different type of December daily and one that, hopefully, will be much more manageable for me while still keeping the meaning.

I've signed my commitment and joined #REVERB10 - "an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both. This December we invite you to share your story and join us in reflection."

I can't think of a better, more eventful year to reflect on than 2010.

Will you #REVERB10? If so, leave me a comment and let me know you are sharing in this process. Merry December!!!

you better watch out, you better not cry...

He was the best Santa I'd ever seen and such a nice man. We were standing right there. The event was at a private little shop near my parents house, very low-key and no crowds. You'd think it would be the perfect setting for a first introduction. Notsomuch. Poor little boy was just not impressed with the jolly man in the red suit.

G is normally very easy going and will allow himself to be held by anyone, once he gets the nod that his Daddy or I approve.

So, what is it about Santa Claus?

PS - My friend Sara commented about the cell phone in his hand. No, even the shake the dice game on his Daddy's cell phone, which normally brings on fits of giggles, would not quell the Santa terror.
I assure everyone that G was not actually traumatized and that he sat calmly for a photo with a mall Santa another day.

the gift of christmas, from afar...

I live a charmed life, blessed with a warm home, a wonderful husband, a healthy child and the love of family and friends. While the normal day to day annoyances crop up and there are inevitable bumps in the road, I am grateful for every one of my many blessings and count them often.

For years now, I have donated gifts at Christmas time. Sometimes they have gone to Toys for Tots, other times they have gone to my own workplace and children in the foster care system. But each year, when I am carefully choosing gifts for my own loved ones, I make a decision to also give to a child in need. This year, I'm filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

If you are looking for a place to donate a gift this year, you may want to consider this amazing project and fill a shoebox for a child in need.