What do you do when you first get your kit each month?  Do you have a ritual?  I mean, other than squealing with delight that your box is HERE.  I totally do that, at least on the inside.  ;).  Then I open each package and enjoy the treats inside.  Don’t you love that they’re all individually wrapped?  It’s like extra presents on your birthday.  Once I’ve properly admired everything it goes in one of these trays.  I bought them (I have four) at Target and they’re awesome.  They are approximately 13 x 19 inches, the perfect size to hold 12×12 paper with cute bowls on the side for all my little embellishments.

Now it is time to get busy!  For my first layout, I am usually disciplined and try to work with the Main Kit only.  The pineapples in this month are too adorable for words and I really wanted to use them right away.  I also worked in the Cocoa Daisy Digital Cut Files for the first time (those cut out pineapples were part of them).  I have using the digital cut files on my list of things to use again.  By the way, did I mention I make a list of what layouts I want to create with the kit.  Do you do that?

Next up is my freebie layout, totally created with whatever inspires me most.  this month it was the dotted overlay.  I love the color yellow and I love polka dots and then the fact that it’s an overlay as well?  Swoon!

Of course, I must get my planner ready for the upcoming month.  I keep my pages in a mini binder that I purchased at Staples.  It totally fits my school teacher M.O. and I am able to change out the front cover each month which makes me happy.  (You can see my inside set up HERE if you’re interested).

Now this is as far as I’ve gotten so far, but believe me, there is much more paper partying to be done this month!  As I said, I am keeping a running list of my ideas.  I keep checking back to the Design Team Gallery to see what everyone is creating.  It’s all so lovely!  Last month I was totally inspired by the way Alissa outlined words in her patterned paper to create a title and used the idea on a layout of my own.  This month I am dying over the little bits that Ashli added to the centers of the circles on that patterned paper just under her dollhouse roofline here.  Do you see it?  I see sequins and that patterned paper doing the happy dance together at my house in the near future.

Now I love how Christine shares the different patterned paper combos on reveal night.  This is such a great idea and I’ve started doing it myself.  These two florals simply must be used together and that tag would be an added bonus.

And finally, there is Simon, the new love of my life.  Isn’t he the cutest thing?  I see him hopping onto some manilla tags just in time for Easter morning.

I can’t wait for you to say Hello to April too!  I hope you love it as much as I do!  🙂