We're almost to 2010!!! Isn't there something about that number that just rings happiness and fortune?!
I have one and only one resolution this year, to update unfinished photo albums and keep the current ones CURRENT!! I'm starting 2010 tomorrow!! I use Pioneer brand albums like the one below, always have!
I've been keeping
albums since I was a
pre-teen, for the last twenty years, each organized based on residence -- e.g., name of university & year or street name & year. Though unlike the no-frills ad above, I use cute paper, borders, die cuts and stickers!
I also keep individual vacation albums, my daughter's baby book (o-12months), holiday albums and individual family albums for those great Christmas card or school photos that family send in the mail, I just label and pop them in!
Actually, this is the album I have bought all these years, I buy them in bulk, each year thinking they might discontinue them!!
ARGH!
Needless to say, I have a virtual WALL of albums. And I have one very good tip for keeping anything collected in that number looking presentable: Buy the same (AFFORDABLE!) album, either in the same color, or coordinating colors.
On the spine of each, I stick a little engraved brass plaque with the name of the album "
APPLEHILL AVE 2001" which are only $4.50 apiece from Pioneer. I just ordered four -- one for 2010, 2011 and 2012, plus one for our upcoming vacation to Hawaii.
I don't see info on the plaques on the Web site, but shoot me a comment if you're interested and I'll unearth the ordering information.
Here's to an awesome upcoming 2010!!! May we all have the drive to accomplish our resolutions this year!! :)
Start your New Year out right with the most WONDERFUL daily e-mails (my first just arrived!) from BrocanteHome -- dubbed "puttery treats" -- these creative, daily reminders to make life special are worth every single cent.
Thank you all who take the time to read posts direct from our sweet little home, and leave such valued and insightful comments. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2010!! 
I am bursting with pride to announce the arrival of my baby nephew, born last night to my brother and sister in law!!! We stayed til the wee hours to catch a glimpse and he is BEAUTIFUL.
And on the backs she slowly, carefully printed their names, using letters they taught her to write.
I start with a simple shortbread recipe, rolling it out fairly thick and using large cutters...
Outline the edges with stiff-consistency royal icing...
Fill in the shape with watered-down royal icing, it dries very smoothly.
I tint the outline and filler the same shade -- green for the Merry Christmas tree, it took about 7 drops of green liquid food coloring to get the icing to this shade.
You can add additional icing work to the base icing once it's hardened ...
Squishing of the icing (and eating of the icing...)
Roof work...
A supply of gorgeous, colorful old-fashioned hard candies...
A happy cottage!! (It should be noted that I modeled the lattice window off of my friend's London home, I believe I am obsessed with the lattice window.)
My daughter specifically requested these to go in the bags: Iced gingerbread men and houses!!
And some little trinkets from the party store (the most fun to pick out...)
All packaged up in clear cellophane treat bags (30 for $2.50), tied with sheer polka dot ribbon...
Santa lollipops I made from cute little Wilton molds and meltable wafers...
And when they were passed out by my daughter just before the end of the day, the kids couldn't wait to get to their cars in carpool before pouring through the contents!!
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