Fa Ha Ha

I appreciate the beauty in solemn, formal, and elegant holiday layouts, but those three adjectives are so far removed from the way that I have experienced Christmas through the years.  Zany, lively, and colorful: now these are the adjectives that say "Christmas" for me.

It's always been that way in my family, as this layout attests:

This month's JBS Mercantile kits speak to my love for the holidays. They contain so many fun bits and pieces that are right at home on a layout like this. 

I tucked the journaling into a small vintage prescription envelope from the Antiquarian kit.  

(Psst, Santa -- please bring me a bunch more for Christmas!)

In the journaling, I shared my thoughts about the photo, and then went on to explain how, around this time, the "good girl" (me) and her "mischievous brother" started an annual tradition of peeking at our presents weeks before Christmas.  My brother was a pro at unwrapping gifts without ripping the paper, but he was terrible at rewrapping. Every year my parents would change their hiding place, but in a small house like ours, there were only so many hiding places. 

Now that I am all grown up (physically, at least) with my own family, I have used the super spy strategies that my brother taught me to assist me in hiding presents. I'm still terrible at wrapping gifts, but I have had lots of practice in unwrapping them. 

Happy Holidays!