DD6: Girl Things

Today was a day full of grand ideas and plans that didn't quite work out.  M and I planned to surprise the boys with specially selected ornaments for each of us at breakfast. Technically, we did that, but B's broke before he got it on the tree.  I "thought" today was going to be Christmas book day for the kids as a fall back, but didn't find any I liked for the boys.  Instead, it became girl day. 

As with E's post on day 4, today is M's.  Today ended up being full of girl things.  We had our surprise for the boys, a shopping trip complete with literal running in and out of the store, because we are strong, fast girls that love to run, this special book time, and dance class together later.  (Not to mention all the pink and glitter that is M to her toes in this picture.  The journaling on the front is her letter and the journaling on the back of this page is more the "right now" descriptions (so sort of the inverse of E's, but you can see how I do the journaling and arrows on his post if you want an example of how it fits together). 

(Crafting note - all that shimmer is not embossing this time it is green and red stickles filling in the stamped chevrons and sprinkled across the journaling.  The stamp is yet another from my favorite stamp set this year - Jingle all the Way by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday). 

This book -The Nutcracker Ballet: A Book, Theater, and Paper Doll Fold-out Play Set -  is awesome and only $10.  The left pocket is the soft cover story of the Nutcracker ballet.  In a pocket to the right is a set of paperdolls to punch out with all of the Nutcracker characters and each can be made to stand on the tree set stages that are the following portions of the book.  So, for example, you have the Mouse King on Stage 1 where the fight takes place after the Christmas party. Turn the page and there is a pop up version of a winter wonderland and then stage 3 is the kingdom full of sugary sweets in the background.  For each stage there is a floor where the characters can be made to dance and have fun. Then they all can fold back into the original pocket and a band around the outside keeps it all together.

SO fun!  I was really impressed with her memory and comprehension of the story.  As we set up the paper dolls she could recall who did what and when and put them in their proper stages as well as tell me bits of the story relevant to that part.  And on her first reading of this story!  The idea behind all of this is to prepare her for her first trip to the OKC ballet to see the nutcracker with Tracie, Sarah, and I in just over a week (oh and to have lots of fun in the meantime). 

I also had time for a regular layout as the temptation of my newly arrived SC kit was too much.  This page is almost purely from kit materials (minus the grid washi).  It tells the story of carrying M in her peanut sling when she was a tiny baby.  

Sadly, in the midst of this I somehow managed to step on the blade of my paper trimmer and have a one inch slice through the pad of my foot (which is pretty impressive given how callused my feet are).  We discovered we apparently don't have any large bandaids the injury is padded with gauze and my foot is wrapped in medical tape today and a trip to Target is scheduled for better supplies.  The good news is I have a happy fun layout and another happy Day of December in the books!