MERRY Toe Sock Tradition Layout

whole layout
left side

right side

I created this layout to commemorate my first Christmas EVER without seeing my parents. Maybe commemorate isn't quite the right word, but it marks a moment I shared with Aly as the only immediate family I had left in NY for the holidays now that Elise and my parents have moved south. Our grandma from VA sent us a small package to open, and as usual it included a pair of holiday toe socks. For some reason these goofy pair of socks that you have to squish your toes into individually always brings a smile to our faces and I thought this year would be the perfect time to photograph and scrapbook the unspoken tradition. I traced my giant foot on the left side of the layout as a journaling spot. I stamped the red snowflakes, matted the photos, and added the word fetti stickers and gems.

Butterfly Tattoo Adventure

So, my younger sisters have been bugging me forever about us going and getting a tattoo together...and since they will be moving to North Carolina in a month or so, I gave in and we made an evening of it at Saratoga Ink. Our tattoo artist, England, specializes in small detailed tattoos...so that was perfect for what we were going for. Something small, meaningful, and in my case for teaching, hideable. Elise and I went with the traditional colors of the monarch butterfly and Aly went blue to match the tattoo on her chest. They all came out gorgeous and I was impressed with the cleanliness and professionalism of the place (they changed my point of view and expectation of tattoo parlors!). We were there from 4:30-9:30 and were starving by the time we were done. We settled down to watch Twilight on DVD with some pjs and a large cheese pizza and I passed out half way through the movie. It was a long day, and painful, but I'm sure once it heals and I can admire my minature work of art, it will all be worth it.