Gratitude Mini Album

Several years ago we switched out how we celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. For more reasons than I care to bore you with, we gather for our Thanksgiving on the Sunday before the official turkey day. It all works out so well. We have the entire day to catch up with each other, enjoy a traditional turkey dinner, and talk about what we're most grateful for in the past year. The latter activity is met with some grumbling by a few of the kids. Eventually they all contribute to the conversation and all is well!

I switched things up a bit last year, took a cue from Cathy Zielske and created a mini album based on individual photos and written responses to the ever looming "gratitude question" at the dinner table. This approach was met with little resistance and I loved the end result. So much so, that I decided to do another Gratitude Mini this year but with a new twist.


Inexpensive photo album from my local Target Store
Canvas Buttons, Irresistibles Lettering, and Inks by CTMH
 

This 2012 edition includes a photo of each family member in attendance. But rather than a written response, I asked for one, two, or three words that describe gratitude, celebration, accomplishment, or where they're at in life right now.



I used the top of one of the treat boxes to make the title page. I added just one journal page.
The rest of the pockets contain 4x6 photos. Individual photos along with various candid shots from our day.
 

I opened each photo in PicMonkey and used the text feature to place each person's word directly on their photo:


This was really, really fun and super easy! The whole point here is to DOCUMENT and keep the album SIMPLE.  I gave myself one hour to pull supplies together, decorate the cover, make the title page, and write a short intro. It's not fancy but it is fun! It gets done right away and is ready to be passed around at every Thanksgiving for years to come!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Wishing you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and peace.

Marg Van Patten