The Time of My Life

It's hard to believe that we're about to start the month of February...wasn't it just 2012?  Time has a way of moving ever so quickly, and while I can't stop it, I'm trying my hardest to capture bits and pieces.  I think all of us, as memory keepers, are working toward that same goal: to preserve our family's memories before they get lost or forgotten.

That's why I love making calendars - they're the best of both worlds; I get to preserve moments while planning and making new ones!  Over the past several Christmases, I've made calendars for my husband to hang in his office, and they've become cherished gifts for him.  (Of course, this year, I forgot to take pictures before he took it in to work!)

At the end of each year, I cut apart the calendar, and save the monthly layouts in an album that sits on a table in our foyer.  It's fascinating to skim through this scrapbook and see how our family has grown over the past few years (my first year making a calendar was 2008).

Here are a few glimpses of our calendar scrapbook:

This year, I ended up making three calendars: one for my husband, one for my Dad (which is in his office), and one for my kitchen. The one in my kitchen is from a My Mind's Eye kit that I found at Michael's.  These pages are 8.5 x 11, so I'll need to start a new album next year to hold the layouts:

I also just created a mini-album/calendar from a Teresa Collins kit.  I added lots of inking and glimmer mist (though I'm not sure they show in the photos), and I'm really loving this little book:

In a house full of boys, a little bling makes me happy.  This album has over 30 pages - there's a mini-calendar for each month, plus tags, pocket and journaling pages.  I'm looking forward to filling it in as we move through 2013.

And one last mini-album before I go.  (I actually meant to share this one last week, but I got an unexpected call asking me to fill in for a sick co-worker, and I've been busy planning lessons and schedules for two math classes.)

This is another one made from a Teresa Collins kit.  My boys are big fans of Christmas countdowns, so this is right up their alley:

The papers are cut down to 4" x 8", and they were designed to be bound with a single ring at the top, but I switched to double rings on the side because it's so thick. The idea is so simple...I think it could be adapted for just about any holiday. If only I could squeeze a few more hours out of the week, I'd make one for Valentine's Day.  :)

Are you a calendar maker?  Or do you make year-in-review albums? I'd love to tackle Project Life one year, but I'm not quite there yet (though I'd love tips if you've made one!).