December Daily - Day Nine

and on we go....Day Nine entry into my December Daily album. I actually have done all the layouts up through Day 10 (hoping to do Day 11 tonight)!!

I started out this journey into the paper crafting world years ago as a stamper first! Even before I was married, I would walk the aisles of a craft store once called LeeWards (no longer around) and look at all the wooden stamps wondering what I could do with them..how would I use them, and never daring to try! Fast forward a few years. Around the third year of my marriage, the town I was living in opened up a stamp store!! Our women's league, of which I was an active member, had an outing at the store and we made some cards! It was a riot..my mom (who was also a member) and I laughed so I thought we would wet our pants!! Well, I was hooked!! I bought up a bunch of necessary supplies and set out to hand make my first Christmas Card! That was about 15 years ago, and with the exception of one or two years where I used a photograph of Miss Mandi on Santa's lap for our card, I've handmade them ever since!!

My Day Nine layout is based on this years Christmas card. I made these in October (I like to get a jump on things LOL) with a new stamp set I purchased just for them! I loved the simplicity of the Rustic Branches set, the color of the green and kraft papers and the added sparkle of the Stickles!! In my layout the color is a bit off...I couldn't get the card to scan correctly, but the ribbon does match the cardstock perfectly!! I think, however, that this might be my last "paper" card, as next year I plan to make a digital one (I'm really loving digital!) and in an effort to be more green, send it via emails!! We shall see though, maybe my stamping fever and paper addiction will win out..who knows! So, without further adieu, here is my layout for Day Nine!



Other news in my world..hummm...Mandi is officially on Christmas vacation! Sorry, that is what I call it..not Holiday break or Winter Vacation..in my world it is Christmas vacation!!! She actually got one extra day as school was shut down today due to a huge winter snow storm!! You seriously would not believe the amount of snow we got overnight..man! Thank the good Lord above I have a good plowing service this year...my little ol self did not have to shovel the driveway and that makes for a very happy Cricket!! I did clean off the back deck for little Oz, he was all bewildered this morning because the snow was twice as high as him!!

Ah well...winter in Chicago! I still plan on hitting the high road outta here once Mandi is done with high school...no sense staying someplace you can't stand just cause right? LOL I have tons of other reasons to want outta this area too...if I am forced into a life in Illinois, then we are getting a cool condo in the city and living where there is some life!! But, I digress and that is another post for another time!

Until next time,
Blessings!