Free 2012 Photo Calendar and a Secret Santa Surprise
First things first: we’ve got a free calendar download for you. It’s become a little tradition here to design a homemade calendar each year, and despite being mid-kitchen renovation, we carved out a moment (while the wood putty dried) to put together a new one for 2012.
From Text-Based to Photographic: Our 2012 Calendar
In past years our calendars were text-based—simple layouts with phrases or numerical facts about our family. This year we switched things up and created a fully photographic calendar. Each month features a photo we took in that same month during 2011, which makes it an easy, sentimental way to look back and remember exactly how little Clara looked month-to-month. It’s not a revolutionary idea, but it felt right since 2011 was the first full year we had Clara with us. And yes, she can totally pose like a pro.
Design Choices and How to Customize It
To give each photo a slightly nostalgic, “historical” feel we applied a free Photoshop action called “Heartland” from the Pioneer Woman and then added bright, curvy borders across the top and bottom of every page. We used the Lobster font for the month titles.
You can download our Photoshop file containing all twelve colorful frames and personalize the calendar by adding your own photos and text. To customize the calendar:
- Add your own photos as a new layer placed behind each frame in Photoshop.
- Download and install the Lobster font if you want to change the text; otherwise system defaults may alter the appearance.
- Apply the Heartland Photoshop action if you’d like the same vintage feel, or choose black & white or full color for your images.
Once customized, print the pages on cardstock, trim to size, and hang the calendar in your kitchen, office, or mudroom. We’ll probably print ours once we replace the color ink cartridge and finish the kitchen repairs—we might not hang it until February or March—but either way it’s an easy, thoughtful DIY gift or personal keepsake.
Secret Santa: A Festive Package
On a different note, a little Secret Santa package arrived for me recently, all festively wrapped with a “Peace on Earth” ornament on top. Inside was a tiny silver box that read “Good things come in small packages,” which made this 5’2″ gal smile. The box held three small glittering ornaments engraved with our initials—one for me, one for my husband, and one for Clara—plus a cute glitter bird. Best of all, these ornaments aren’t breakable, so they’re perfect for a family tree with kids.
I don’t yet know who my Secret Santa is, but the mystery is fun. A number of bloggers were part of the swap—just a sampling of participants includes Mrs. Limestone at Brooklyn Limestone, Michelle at 4 Men 1 Lady, Bryn at Bryn Alexandra, 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, and Laura at You Stir Me.
Tree Decorating and Holiday Traditions
We added the new initials and the glitter bird to the tree right away. The colors on the initials matched our red ribbon trim and echoed the glitter on our snowflake ornaments. Our tree has filled out a lot over the past few weeks because many ornaments that were part of our homemade advent calendar have been moved from the door onto the tree—Clara and I have been enjoying choosing where each one should go each day.
I love holiday traditions—little seasonal activities and crafts like our annual calendar project and our ornament advent are simple and inexpensive, but they create sweet family memories and get everyone in the spirit. With cabinet sanding, priming, and painting on the horizon, a bit of holiday cheer in our partially torn-apart house keeps us smiling. Maybe we’ll even play Christmas music while we putty and pretend the sawdust is snow.
Update: you can find a curated list of favorite holiday decor picks from our blog—many are budget-friendly.