It's Done!

It’s done! It’s done! It’s done!  I did it…I finished my second ever December Daily and I honestly couldn’t be more excited about it. I really wanted to get it done before the end of January and I totally did.

Thank you everyone whose been following along with my December Daily inspiration videos and process videos. It’s been an epic journey!  If you want to check out the playlist on my channel you can find that here.

Before I share my final walk through, I thought it might be nice to share some of the lessons I’ve learned this year…

1. Keep it simple! The only way to finish it quickly and get it done is to keep it super simple. Keep the spread simple. Keep the journaling simple. Keep the number photos simple. Keep the embellishments simple.
2. It’s okay to combine more than one day on one page. Last year I tried to give every day a two page spread but sometimes I felt like I was stretching for photos and felt frustrated. This year I gave myself more freedom and I really love the result.
3. Comparison is the thief of joy. It really is! I feel like during December everyone is posting videos and layouts and pictures and sometimes everyone’s amazing work can make you feel inadequate. To truly enjoy this project you need to let go of what everyone else’s projects look like and be yourself.
4. If you’re not going to work on it every day, take notes! Use a junk journal or a log book or something…TRUST ME. It will make the whole process easier.
5. Not every story in the month of December HAS to be documented and certainly not every story has to documented in your December Daily. First, there’s not room for EVERYTHING. Second, it’s too much stress to put on yourself. And third, this is suppose to be fun.
6. Buy a BIG album. Really, really BIG. No matter how hard I try to keep it flat, I can’t and it gets full super fast!
7. Have lots of extra adhesive and photo paper on hand – double what you think you’ll need because there really is nothing as frustrating as running out in the middle of a project.
8. Use the colours, embellishments, collection YOU love…don’t just buy what everyone else is buying. I loved the Ali Edwards kit but really, it wasn’t what I normally would have picked out for myself. I sorta wish I had gone with the colours and collection I wanted instead.
9. Include the little mundane things… it may sound silly but looking back I love those photos and those memories because they capture a moment in time. The things you don’t think will change totally do.
10. Make it your own and go on your own time schedule. Forget about getting it done when you think you should or when everyone else is…get it done when you want to.

Each year I do this project (haha this is only the second year) I feel like I discover a bit more about myself and my creative ability, my creative process. I’m ready to be done but I also can’t wait till next year.

What are some of the things you’ve learned this year from doing December Daily? I’d love to hear!

Okay, without further ado… here is my walk through video….