Planning a Thanksgiving book.
Several years ago I created an album that was a documentation of Thanksgiving. It was a book inspired by Jessica Sprague. The album included photos from that day. Each family member and friend that was joining us for the day. The food that was served. Images of our family's morning traditions.
Very recently this book, which I keep out and easily accessible, was picked up by one of my kids. Before I knew it, all four of my at home kids were surrounding that album and asking me a myriad of questions. The photos book is 10 years old. My youngest is not even in the book. A couple of family members have died since that time. The book is in and of itself a testimony to a moment and a people and a tradition in time. It’s priceless.
It’s ten years later from that book. I am still taking photos. I am still recording our story. I am endeavoring to do an even better job that I have previously.
This year’s Thanksgiving book is inspired by this book pictured here. The Heidi Swapp Instax Vintage Floral Photo Journal. This beautiful addition to the Instax family is a most gorgeous photo journal.
The album is housed inside a sturdy boxed sleeve.
The binding is titled in gold foil and says Our Story…
as does the front cover.
The inside cover page says Feeling Thankful. That, my friends, when I saw that cover page, I knew just what I needed this beautiful album to do for me.
The coil bound mini album is full of plain + grid pages separated by vellum. The feel of this album is elegant and simply special.
I decided to pre-make a few pages and then fill the rest of the book in on Thanksgiving day. That way I could include additional family members plus story to complete the album.
To start, I used glitter alpha letters from the Gold Stationery Embellishment kit to add a date to the book. I cannot even believe I will admit this as a storyteller, but there are often way too many times I forget the date. I know, right? So this is your friendly reminder…get the date in your Thanksgiving book now. You can thank me later.
The first entry begins with a current image of my home. I wanted to include in this book what I liked about where we live currently. Whenever I do these type stories, I always wish I had the same of my childhood homes and what my mother thought about that house in particular.
These pages will follow the format as seen in place here already. The left side pages will be home to a journal or quote card. The right side under the vellum will be the the photo and the focus of my words of gratitude. Then I may add an Instax frame or sticker to the top of the vellum to bring it all together.
Here is how the rest of this book has been pre-formatted, with the idea to fill in the rest of the pages on Thanksgiving Day when all my family is gathered together.
Above I die cut part of a quote card to create a circle element.
Here I will write about a family tradition that continues to bring my kiddos together for breakfast.
The next few pages are current photos of my immediate family members. Take a look and see how I stayed with the same format throughout this album. This helped keep the elegance of this Floral Album intact, while also providing a simple way to create this book in just about an hour.
The embellishments found on these pages were kept to a limit. I used the Friend and Floral Instax Filler Cards. These sets also include the gold foil clear stickers embellished through out.
Heidi Swapp Washi Tape is always a must have to create hinged journal spots as well as a simple decorative addition to photos and pages and frames
Also, I can't help but make use of the Stationery Embellishment kits when it comes to adding glitter hearts and alpha letter stickers.
There was no re-creating the wheel with these pages. Simple variations on a theme helped this album to come together quickly.
Man. This image alone just makes this book for me.
I already know how much I will cherish this Thanksgiving book in ten years. Because of the one from ten years ago. How we all gather around those images and that time and place. These experiences and memories bring us together to that moment in time, and that is mutual love between these people.
The thing about the Filler Cards...there is always one that is just perfect for the moment I am attempting to capture.
This journal card is partnered with a heart from the Black Buzz Word pack. Love it.
My hope? That this book inspires the making of your own book. A beautiful Instax Album. Your people in printed photos. And above all, your stories to be told ten plus years from now. You will never regret the making.
supplies | Heidi Swapp Instax Vintage
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