Amanda Rose Zampelli | the blog

December Daily 2014 // days 21 to 25

She's done. My December Daily 2014 is done, and put in its own album. Using those red glitter me & my BIG ideas number stickers to mark the days, finalizing each page with a coordiating washi tape on the page protector's seam, and (mostly) journalling digitally has been my system -- and it's helped me to finish.

See a flip-through of my finished DD spreads days 1 to 25 below: 

Day 21 was a pretty great, lazy, chore-doing Sunday. I washed my sheets; Alejandro lounged. My cousin Claudia came over to spent some holiday time with us. Pasta and salad was for dinner. Tomas and my sister came over and we four played Cards Against Humanity for the first time.

That game is a lot of fun. Things were said, like, "Maybe she's born with it...maybe it's a stray pube."  Pretty ridiculous.

I had a regular workday Monday on day 22, but Claude was over, and later on when I went ot drive her to the train station for her field trip into NYC, we stopped and had the below photoshoot moment. I love the nine shots we got, and I love the page that came of it.

On day 23, I baked some cookies for Tomas's family. There are so many of them, and they all give gifts on Christmas Eve. To have something to hand back to them, I baked up two giant tubs of chocolate chips, placed them neatly in pretty Christmas tins, and labeled each one "baked with love from Amanda".

At night, we went to Tomas's sister Anna's house, and had dinner with his parents. It was a lovely, peaceful time.  

The next day was Christmas Eve! Day 24 had me wrapping some gifts, and singing Eminem's Rap God song, but with a different meaning. Then, I got ready for my traditional Christmas Eve spent with Tomas's wonderful Filipino family.

The night included the usual: singing karaoke, playing card games, a glorious lobster dinner, and handing out presents at midnight.

Finally, day 25: Merry Christmas! My dad gifted me a free Leo's Tire Shop t-shirt he got when his tire was fixed. ??? 

My sister and my best friend, Jamina, each gifted my an Alex+Ani bracelet. 

Then we went to Uncle Matt's for our traditional brunch buffet. We brought the karaoke, so people sang. 

We left around 2-ish, and my family went back to our house to take long naps. We woke up and had fried shrimp and more pasta. That's how we do on Christmas. 

...and there it is! Done. Days 1 to 25 of my December 2014 documented and in a book, and done. I wasn't able to finish my December Daily the past two years, so getting this one done makes me happy.

In many ways -- 2014's Christmas and all its happenings is the Christmas of my twenties. The same places, the same routines and traditions... I look forward to the holiday season morphing now that I'm in my 30s. Hopefully somewhere in the next 10 years I'll be able to host Christmas at my place, and my kids will be there. 

In the meantime, I have this album.  I love the the little washi tape party that I created by sticking a strip on the seam of every page. I shall be continuing that in my Project Life 2015. Stay tuned! Thanks for visiting! -- ♥ARZ♥ 

See my DD 2014 days 1 to 12 here. // 13 to 16 here. // 17 to 20 here. // See DD 2014 beginnings here. // See my DD 2013, 2012, 2011. 

snippets / december 2014

• the coolest Rudolph stamps I used to mail my Christmas cards

• sister shopping day to the outlets

• mom as the ribbon-whisperer

• girls night grab bag + Manny

• Claude & me x 9

• first wrapped present of the season

• that Friday evening in NYC to se eThe Christmas Spectacular w/ these clowns

• oh, hi, gym! remember me?

• Christmas karaoke

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a bit about snippets:

Blogger Manda Townsend posts snippets of her life every now and then, and after seeing her ode to snippets post, I commented that I would join her this year in 'snippetting'. :)  

What I find I usually include are those images that get lost in the shuffle -- ones that I would probably never include in a post or instagram, but are attached to a fun memory or a highlight of the month.

I plan to post snippets of my month on the last day of every month. 
(see snippets of Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov of this year) 

December Daily 2014 // gold glitter album cover

Happy December 26th, all! Here's hoping your Christmas Day was glittery and full of joy & happiness - just like the making of this December Daily 2014 album cover I threw together the other day!

I know I said in this post that I planned to keep my December Daily right in my Project Life COMEBACK album, without worrying about creating a separate book for it, but the album was filling up fast after completing DD/day 20. I'm learning as I go with this new 6x8 format, and first lesson: they get thick quick.

You can head over to the me & my BIG ideas blog to get info on the the gold glitter alphabet stickers I used, as well that 'Christmas Cheer' chipboard sticker on the spine - which gave the cover a nice pop of festive red.

I'm proud I'm four documented days away from this project being completed, and look forward to sharing the final days 21 to 25 with you soon. ♥ xoxo, Amanda

take some 'machine-gun selfies' this Christmas

Hi, all! It's your internet pal, Amanda, and I'm writing this morning to remind you to take pictures tomorrow and Thursday. In fact...take what I'm calling machine-gun selfies which refer to a bang-bang-bang series of silly-faced selfie pictures of you + someone(s) you love.

Set yourselves up against a red or green backdrop, turn on the self-facing camera option, make sure both of you are in the frame, and press that 'capture' button incessantly. My cousin, Claudia, and I followed these steps and we got the nine gems you see above (oof! that last one) perfect to use for holiday scrapbooking. In fact here's the page going in my December Daily album:

BONUS: Upload your machine-gun selfies to the PartyParty! app and you'll have the cutest 15-second stop-motion movie to post to instagram:

DOUBLE BONUS: Print your favorite one and gift it in an ornament!! See below.

Hope you try it! Have fun snappin'! Happy almost-Christmas!

December Daily 2014 // days 17 to 20

Zoom zoom zoom through December we go, and Happy Christmas week already! My December Daily is five pages/days away from being finished. I love that I'm gettin'er done this year in big part to the system I've been sticking to of using those red glitter me & my BIG ideas number stickers to mark the days, finalizing each page with a coordiating washi tape on the page protector's seam, and (mostly) journalling digitally.

See a flip-through of my finished DD spreads below:

Day 17 didn't have much going on except a bit of shopping in the evening. So to compensate for the lack of photos, I made one whole pocket Christmas stickers! Why not! Go nuts! 

When the sun went down on day 18, I laid down and caught a Coldplay concert on T.V. I watched the whole thing and sang along to each song, so that made it in the album.

Then, using more of those photo flips, I was able to include four more photos from day 18 of when I went to my friend Jamina's house and celebrated my first ever Hanukkah night!

Over each photo, I stuck a clear white mambiSTICK holiday sticker like I've been doing throughout my December Daily.

I was invited to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall on day 19, and I enthusiastically accepted the invitiation! That evening recorded below:

Day 20 had me up and at 'em to the gym, running Saturday errands with dad (surprise surprise), and meeting Tomas and his family for Chinese food dinner in Flushing. I documented those things below and embellished with tons of me & my BIG ideas holiday goodies:

Finally, I created a page dedicated to the cats and the tree because there's something about the Christmas tree that these cats (all cats? all people?) can't seem to get enough of.

That's it for today!  Thanks for visiting!  I look forward to sharing the final few pages of my December Daily with you soon!

See my DD 2014 days 1 to 12 here. // 13 to 16 here. // See DD 2014 beginnings here. //
See my DD 2013, 2012, 2011.

December Daily 2014 // days 13 to 16

Days 13 to 16 are in the bag...or the book, actually. I'm enjoying the system I developed of using those red glitter me & my BIG ideas number stickers to mark the days, finalizing each page with a coordiating washi tape on the page protector's seam, and (mostly) journalling digitally.

See a flip-through of my finished DD spreads below. I'm using a 6x8 SN@P! album, Ali Edwards stamps, and Studio Calico and me & my BIG ideas embellishments.

Now, let's walk through each day, starting with Day 13. It was a mostly lazy Saturday morning, followed by an errand-running afternoon with dad, including a trip to IKEA.

Day 14's morning and afternoon was spent crafting days 1 to 12 in my December Daily album. In the evening, my cranky, stressed college-semester-finishing sister went to dinner at SMASHBurger with me, and then I went back to her quaint & cozy apartment to help her with a new 48" T.V. I walked 3.3 miles home under the starry night sky and took pictures of lit houses.

Our burger dinner & a lit house can be seen by flipping up the pocket. Flip-up pocket found here. 

Day 15 was uneventful. I worked all day and watched Gone Girl with mom in the evening.  To document it, I filled up a blank calendar card, put my (15) red glitter mambi circle sticker where it belonged, and wrote 'gone girl with mom' in the notes section. I also used two self-timer portraits of Jack and I in front of the tree with mom's my new mug "I ♥ elves".

The right side 'I love having NO commute' page came from a spontaneous burst of creativity that occurs every now and then. It's something I've been thing a lot so far this cold December, and felt right to include in my DD.

My cousin Lauren's Birthday was Day 16, so the fam came over Tuesday night for dinner. A few collage images of the night was the page in my DD to document it:

...and that's all she blogged. Thanks for visiting!  I look forward to sharing the rest of my pages with you soon!

See my DD 2014 days 1 to 12 here. // See DD 2014 beginnings here. // See 2013, 2012, 2011.

RECENT PINS // DEC 2014

sources // 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

These are some pinned images I've recently added to my Pinterest account. To look at them collectively, you can tell what mood I'm in and where my brain's been at. This month...all holiday and DIY and pink + gold + plants.

1 // gift wrap in my colors + letter stickers and snarky holiday messages...HULLO!

2 // over-the-knee socks + to-the-knee boots

3 // PAPER. CACTI.

4 // must make this easiest gold garland of ever 

5 // mambi's jumbo silver glitter alphas to work on a plant pot

6 // christmas party table perfection

7 // a gallery wall to aspire to

8 // DIY gold leather him & her stockings with the furrr

9 // DIY pom-pom letters (!!!)

--- ♥ ---

Any particular thing(s) recently inspiring you?

(see past pins here)

December Daily 2014 // days 1 to 12

There's something about December. ...and there's somethng about early Sunday mornings that bang the craftiness right out of me! That's what happened all moring and afternoon yesterday: I banged days 1 to 12 of my December out into my Project Life Comeback album*.

I used those red glitter 1 to 12 circle mambiSTICKS to mark the days // see pages below:

Let's start with day 1 that was two weeks ago (time is flying!) -- Tomas left for his work trip to Chicago. I was getting ready for my trip back home to NY, neighbors' wreathes were up, and I stamped the word 'December' in a bunch of my notebooks:

There was a page dedicated to this year's christmas cards that I mailed using those awesome Rudolph stamps:

Day 2's highlights consisted of making this Oda Mae Brown frame as one of my sister's Christmas presents since we both love the movie Ghost and repeat that quote to each other all the time, and the night wine made everything better. :)

Day 3 had the evening that felt like autumn.  I had gone to Target for a case of water and left with all those early Christmas goodies to myself, including a gaudy bejewled iPhone case that I'm obsessed with. Then I drove quite a ways in the dark to get Chop Burger's 10 Pepper Burger.

Day 4 was a bit gloomy for me, but all in all, productive and good. I feel like every second of Christmas time can't be a great big ball of bliss, right? It's important to document those stressful, maybe even sad, moments in the name of 'real life', but I like to maintain a tone of gratitude and 'glass half full' a majority of the time.

Day 5 I left for New York and wished 'Happy Holidays' to the tiny Texas town that had been my home for three months prior. Then it was 3 airports and 2 plane ride with my kitties.

The next day, my family and I had a Thanksgiving Re-Do dinner. Day 6's page documented it:

Day 7, my sister and I decided to take a drive to the outlets. For this story, I took a Studio Calico card and changed it to fit the details that we dashed from store to store and that my sister spent sooo much money. ;) See that on instagram here.

That card also flips up to reveal my sister in the drive's seat of the photo. Flip up pocket found here.

Day 8 ended up being a whole page photo since mom & I put the tree up that day. I love how it turned out with the digital journalling and the clear white mambiSTICK.

I used another whole photo for day 9, with some digital journalling to tell the story. Besides this morning-cup-of-coffee-by-the-tree pic, I worked all day and didn't take any photos.

Day 10 was not my day, and it snowed.

That card also flips up to reveal a photo and story underneath, but that day was not my day. Moving on.

I went to the gym on Day 11, for the first time since...umm... Anyway, that was the most notable happening. I used the stamp trick Elsie exaplined about here on the top photo to make the pattern, and then stuck a red 'tistheSeason mambiSTICK:

Day 12 had me wrapping the first present to be wrapped of the season, and I did it in fancy white and silver woodgrain wrap from Target. It was to be brought to a Girls' Grab Bag dinner, which my friend, Danielle's, boyfriend ended up crashing:

There you have it, folks!  Somethings that have been working:

• using those red glitter number circles
• washi tape on the seams
• mostly digital journalling
• average 1 to 3 pics per day

Thanks for visiting!  I look forward to sharing the rest of my pages with you soon!

See my DD 2014 beginnings here. // See 2013, 2012, 2011.

 --- ♥ ---

*Remember last week when I said someboday at the airport stole my PL album from my checked baggage? Well, my bad! I had packed it away in a box to shipped instead. FedEx delievered it safely to my dsoorstep. I felt like such a boob! Haa!

revisiting this fun holiday questionnaire

First off, what is a MEME? A meme (pronounced 'meem') is an element of a culture or behavior that may be passed from one individual to anohter by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.

 

Oh, okay. Now I get it (sorta). I got the Christmas MEME below from here, and completed it two years ago here.  I thought I'd revist it and see if any of the answers changed. :)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate, hands down...and hot lattes in red Starbies cups. 

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

He wraps 'em, I wrap 'em, we all wrap'em.  Cute paper's where it's at! I goal to DIY some paper this year.

 

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Little bit'o both. Lately I've been having visions of a fake white tree adorned with pink lights. :)

 

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

I did in 2011. See here. But since then, no.

5. When do you put your decorations up? 

The past two years it has been tradition for my cousin, Claudia, to be over Black Friday and Christmas-fy the house then. This year, it'll be the first weekend of December when I'm back in New York.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?

Stuffed aritchokes, stuffed mushrooms, fried cauliflower, and broccoli & cheese casserole.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

Playing with the figurines in our nativity set...pretending that they were Bo Peep and TomTom from March of the Wooden soldiers. Also going to the meet-Santa Christmas Brunch at my elementary school. Also...Christmas Eve at Grandma's house!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 

I don't remember how I learned the truth, but I think when was in 7th or 8th grade.  

Yeah...I believed for a long long time, and then was in denial for about two years.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yes. Always have. Just one...or two...first at Grandma's, then at Aunt Laura's, and in most recent years at Tomas's grandparents' house.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

 No theme, no consistency...just years worth of collected ornaments and multicolored lights.

...and no more tinsel b/c we have kitty boops that could choke.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

 Love it when I'm off work and it first falls.  Hate it when I have work and it's old and dirty.

12. Can you ice skate?

 Yes. Take me, please?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Yes.  I was in 6th grade, I wanted to be Storm from X-Men, and under the tree was an X-men Movie Maker computer game.  I believe I was a hermit in the computer room the whole rest of that year's Christmas vacation.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The time spent with people you love.  It's so hard to get together regularly, and the holidays are designated 'be with loved ones' days. ♥ ♥

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

My tiramisu, and biscotti...for dipping in coffee and tea.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I love the making and mailing of our Christmas card each year, the trip to Rockafellar Center to see the tree with friends, and as of last year I love the idea of Christmas Karaoke.  I look forward each Christmas to making holiday traditions with my own future family.

17. What tops your tree?

It's been a star these past years.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?

I love giving a gift that I know the reciever will love, but I hate the pressure of needing to give gifts.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?

The smell: YUM.

20. Favorite Christmas movie?

Home Alone. 

21. Saddest Christmas Song?

Christmas Shoes.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?

See my 16-Song holiday soundtrack.

christmas cards // 2014

One of my favorite holiday activities is coming up with what my Christmas cards will look like! This year - with my new job working for me & my BIG ideas - I had my heart set on using their CARDS in an INSTANT™ system. BONUS: I had just the right photo to use inside of them too...

Yay! Alejandro and Carmen in their Christmas outfits! I put them in character last year and snapped a thousand photos before I got one of each of them looking straight up at the camera. Then I collaged the images next to each other, blurred the grass line in between and WAH-LAH! The cutest Christmas kitties photo of all time! 

I only made a dozen or so to send out to the key people in my life that understand my weirdo obsession with my cats and 'get' that they are my children. I also sent one to their vet, Dr. Hernandez, who is going to DIE when she receives it. I wish I could see her reaction. ;)

On the back I added a sticker from this mambiSTICKS pack to each card, letting everyone know (as if they couldn't tell) this card was DIY and I cut and glued and photographed and edited and printed them to life! I always feel like that means so much more. ♥

Thanks for letting me share! :) I mailed them successfully yesterday evening with the help of the cutest (!!!) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer postage stamps of ever! See instagram here.