Get out your yule logs and egg nog, because I raided Kristine's Christmas scrapbook that she's been working on for like EVER, and had my way with her layouts.
There are a couple of very specific things I love about Kristine's scrapbooking:
1.) She can fit multiple photos on a layout better than anybody I know.
2.) She's not afraid of patterned paper... and we all know how much we love patterned paper!
3.) She's got EVERY embellishment ever known to man (and then some) and she's great at finding places to put them on her layouts.
Her only weakness? Journaling... so if you see some blank spots, you can assume that's where she'll (eventually) insert the stories to go with the photos.
So let's take a gander shall we?
Don't worry! Kristine didn't go off and have another baby... this is her niece. Since she's got a house full of boys, she loves scrappin' her in-law's baby girls.
And with these little cuties, how can she resist? (There are two more nieces awaiting First Christmas pages of their own... I noticed one was halfway completed, laying on the scrap table when I went to steal her album from the Penthouse.)
(Look, a blank journaling box... ha ha.) I love the colors on this one... it's always fun to use nontraditional color schemes for traditional holidays!
And I love this one of her great grandma...
Go on with yer bad self Great Grandma!!
Another cool thing about Kristine's layouts is that they (for the most part) actually have teenage BOYS in them. Yes that's right... God has blessed my bestie with boys who don't feel like they have to leave the room every time the camera comes out. The fact that they play along is a testiment to how much they love her... they're really sweet boys.
And may I just say that I'm a little covetous of the fact that she's remembered to bring her camera to every single tree picking excursion they've ever made. Dammit. I remembered to bring my camera... once... when Miss Priss was three.
Oh, and another great idea that she's had is this...
Christmas isn't just about the big events... it's about the everyday interaction and fun with family around the house during Christmas break.
And speaking of fun with family, I've gotta tell you one of the best things about having a friend who loves taking photos AND comes to spend Christmas Eve with your family every year, is that you (I) get to see yourself in her layouts when you bust into her personal territory and steal her stuff for your blog.

(Did I mention that she has a talent for incorporating a GOZILLION photos on a page? She's good, I tell you!)
And Kristine is my best friend, my sister really. Her family is MY family, and it makes me the happiest girl in the world to know that she considers Christmas Eve at my mom's scrapbook worthy...
And of course each year we have to take the obligatory family photos...
And with a gorgeous family like this, the photos are always a treat!

I love how she used the smaller photos to capture the outtakes... yet another awesome idea Teeny!!
And finally, don't forget the elves... if you happen to catch one snoozing on the job, then you're in luck...
Okay... I'm feelin' the yuletide lovin' for sure after looking at all of these layouts! And for approximately twelve seconds, I actually forgot all about the 98 degree temperatures outside. Oh I can't wait until Christmas!!
(Is it too early to start making my wishlist?)