First up: a free download for all of you lovely readers. We’ve made a little tradition of designing a homemade calendar each year, and even with our kitchen renovation underway we squeezed in a quick project while the wood putty dried.
In past years our calendars were primarily text-based. For example, our 2010 calendar gathered a dozen quirky family phrases and inside jokes and laid them out in bright, simple colors:
And in 2011 we used numeric facts about our family to represent each month (for instance, May, the fifth month, read “Five years in Richmond,” while July, the seventh month, read “Seven years spent together”).
This year we moved away from text-on-white and created a photographic calendar.
Each month in our 2012 calendar features a photo we shot that same month in 2011. It’s a fun, personal way to look back — to remember exactly what Clara looked like a year ago. A photo calendar isn’t revolutionary, but 2011 was the first full year we’ve spent with Clara, so it felt right to capture those months visually.
To give each image a slightly “historical” vibe we used a free Photoshop action called “Heartland.” Then we added color back in with a bright, curving border along the top and bottom of each page. The calendar text uses the free Lobster font.
You can download our Photoshop file with all twelve colorful frames and personalize it yourself. The downloadable file lets you:
- Place your own photos as a layer behind each frame in Photoshop.
- Install the Lobster font if you want to preserve the original typography; otherwise text may revert to a default font.
- Apply the Heartland action to your photos for a similar tone, or choose black & white, full color, or any style you prefer.
Once we get a new color ink cartridge we’ll print the calendar on cardstock, trim it, and hang it in the kitchen — likely clipped with a binder clip so the pages can be rotated as the months change. The kitchen still needs finishing, so it might not be on display until February or March. In the meantime: happy almost-2012! Have fun making your own calendar or whipping a few up as gifts.
On a different note, a little package arrived from my Secret Santa. I participated in a blogger Secret Santa this year, and the gift arrived festively wrapped with a “Peace On Earth” ornament on top.
Inside was a sweet silver Pottery Barn box that reads “Good things come in small packages,” which made this 5’2″ gal grin. The contents included three little ornaments labeled with our initials and a tiny glittering bird — all lightweight and unbreakable, perfect for our household.
I’m still guessing who my Secret Santa might be, but I’m enjoying the suspense. A few possible participants included fellow bloggers like Mrs. Limestone, Michelle from 4 Men 1 Lady, Bryn Alexandra, Emily A. Clark, and many more.
- Mrs. Limestone at Brooklyn Limestone
- Michelle at 4 Men 1 Lady
- Bryn at Bryn Alexandra
- Emily at Emily A. Clark
- Shelley at House of Smiths
- Melissa at The Inspired Room
- Janell at Isabella and Max Rooms
- Paloma at La Dolce Vita
- Jacin at Lovely Little Details
- Nicole at Making it Lovely
- Marian at Mustard Seed Interiors
- Lauren at Pure Style Home
- Tanya at Save the Date for Cupcakes
- Michelle at TenJune
- Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick
- Laura at You Stir Me
The ornaments went straight on the tree — the three initials and the little glitter bird. I love that they’re non-breakable, so they go well with our paint chips and ribbons and are fine to hang where little hands can reach.
The red on the initial ornaments complements our ribbon accents, and the glitter edges catch the lights like sparkly snowflakes. Our tree has filled out a lot lately because many ornaments from our homemade advent calendar have been moved from the door and onto the tree, with Clara and I deciding where each one should go each day.
I adore holiday traditions. Simple seasonal activities and crafts — like our annual calendar and the ornament advent calendar — don’t cost much or take long, but they’re so fun for the family. When you’re gearing up for days of cabinet sanding, priming, and painting, a little holiday cheer in a half-torn-apart house keeps you smiling. Maybe we’ll crank up some Christmas music while we putty and pretend the sawdust is snow.
Update: You can find a roundup of our favorite holiday decor picks — many under $15 — in our holiday decor favorites list.