Project Pepernoot

Little Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet

Let me start this with a very short explanation of the title. A Pepernoot is a traditional Dutch snack, similar to gingerbread cookies. We eat it around Sinterklaas. We celebrate that Sinterklaas comes from Spain with his boat and his Zwarte Pieten and brings presents to all the good children by dropping them trough the chimneys into shoes that the children place there before they go to bed. It's basically Santa, but on a horse and boat instead of with a sled and reindeer. And it is on December 5th.

As this holiday is bigger in Holland that Christmas -presents wise that is- i decided to make an additional album about the weeks leading up to this big day, and I called it project pepernoot.

In it I will try and capture everything that happens and how my now 2,5 year old son experiences it all. All his funny quotes, surprised looks, his wish list, what he actually got, how much candy he ate (hopefully without being sick!).... The whole story.

Above is the opening page. The decorations I hang the first day, and below is the story about how he reacted to them ( he thought it was his birthday!)

The wish list we made to give to Zwarte Piet. And of course I made a copy to give to Zwarte Piet, otherwise he would not get anything :)

First present in the shoe! Looking a little unsure about singing to a chimney :)

The invite for the boat ride we made in Amsterdam to see Sinterklaas arrive in his boat. Thijs is on the invite as well, cause i made it ( i work at the canal cruise company). I stapled it inside a full page page protector.

We had a blast and I love recording all these precious stories! But, the festivities do not end until December 5th, so there will be more!

If anybody wants to join me, use the hashtag #projectpepernoot!

Love,

Cindy

December Daily (tree to tree)

Hello tree

I am  so excited about December Daily! This will be my first time joining in and I can't wait for December to start.

However, here in Holland, we have another big, BIG holiday in December: Sinterklaas. He is kinda like Santa, only he arrives on a boat and has his "pieten". To help him deli er presents to all Dutch children on the 5th of December. They donthat by walking over the roofs and dropping gifts through the chimneys, were the land safely in the shoe of the receiving child, carefully placed there the evening before. Usually with a carrot for Sinterklaas' horse, instead of your milk and cookies. Maybe that is why Sinterklaas is a little skinnier then Santa, now that I think of it.....

This means the first couple of December days are fully taken over by the anticipation of this big night.... And Christmas is still far from our minds.

So I have decided to start my album as soon as the christmas tree arrives in the house, and to stop ones we take it down (usaullynthe first weekend in the new year). 

Album prepping

I am having a hard time starting it without having pictures to work around. But, I did start on my album & cover page!

So..... It took me some time to work up the nerve to actually do it..... But I decided to stamp the year on the outside of the cover in white. And I am SO glad it work out as I hoped!!!

Minor detail: don't know what to stick into the label holder now..... I know, huge first world problem, but I know it will keep me up tonight LOL

I have also made the title page. It simply says "Christmas" and below it a gold element from the Ali Edwards/Studio Calico kit that I am using saying "Twenty Thirteen".

I did not add a last name, as I am not married to my boyfriend, so we do not all have the same family name. Never bothered me before, but seems to be a problem for me project-wise ;)

Just now, I decided to add this reindeer ornament ( and because it is dark now, the picture is not that great, but I will replace it with a better one tomorrow)  that is supposed to to in the christmas tree.... But I have three more, so I figured the tree would be fine with one less. I noticed I have developed a slight obsession with deer this christmas, so I thought this was a nice symbol of that obsession.

On the back of the title page, I am planning to stick a family picture in the polaroid frame.

That's it. That is all I am going to do until December 6th. Not completely true, I will definately browse through the kit atleast 10 more times. But i will start the real work ones I have pictures to work around.

I am planning to do a lot of B&W pictures, to make sure they do not clash with the kit colors to much.

Butif you know me a little, you know I change my mind all teh time! So check back in a month and see what really happend!

Thanks for stopping by!