I'm Back!

Happy Belated New Year! I wish everyone the very best in 2018.

We returned New Years' Eve from our San Diego Christmas vacation with the family. It was a great time, but exhausting being with four little ones five and under for the entire week! But I do miss them already!

After a much-needed morning sleep-in on New Years' Day I've been catching up on my December Daily. There was lots of activity in San Diego so it was a challenge to fit most of it into the traveler's notebook.  I am now officially finished and the book is bursting at the seams!

Days 23 - 24

The reindeer pocket on day 23 was the holder for a gift in my recent swap. It holds a tag with journaling.  On day 24, the journal card opens to reveal a vintage Christmas image and journaling. This was a special day as we met the parents of our oldest daughter's significant other after 5 years' of dating.

Christmas Day - Day 25

This was supposed to be a quiet day at home before leaving for San Diego on the 26th. But it turned out that the flights were all filling, so we flew to Albuquerque and spent Christmas with Dana, John and the boys before leaving for San Diego from there the next day.  The "joy" tag is also from the recent swap, the vintage Santa is from one of this year's Christmas cards and the top of the right page is a Christmas card from a friend years ago.

Days 26 - 27

We arrived in San Diego on the 26th and the entire family came in at different times. The decorated glassine pocket holds a tag with journaling. The "Ballast Point" image is a napkin from a brewery we went to. 

On the 27th we went to the San Diego Safari Park.  The two older boys were treated to a helium balloon ride which they loved. Later we grilled at the Air B'nB and had a fire in the fire pit and made s'mores.

Days 28 - 29

Day 28 was the Hollywood Bowl Parade by the harbor and the 5K Run which my three girls and one son-in-law ran.

On the 29th we toured the Midway aircraft carrier. The boys had a blast. After that they played in a large fountain in the park and we went to a Japanese steak house for dinner. Carl and Mitchell had never been and they enjoyed the show!

I had so many photos of the ship tour that I made a tag flip for them (see below).

Days 30 - 31

We went to the San Diego Zoo on the 30th. I pieced together several smaller scraps of patterned paper for the background and added photos and a title from the zoo brochure.

We returned home on the 31st. I decoupaged part of the Southwest napkin to the background paper and added "home" from a Michael's sales flyer.  The word strip at the bottom of the page is washi tape.

Back page - Jan. 1

This last page is for the new year. The background is tissue paper and the "peace" is a die cut from one of this year's Christmas cards.

And, I am FINISHED!

Here is the humongous album now. I think I will have to tie it closed!

This was such a fun project, my second year doing a December Daily. If you have never done one, you should really think about doing it next year. You can assemble your foundation book way before December to make it easier and any book will do.

Again, Happy New Year. I wish you lots of creative time this coming year!