Happy New Year!

I don't know about the rest of you but I've had way too much of this....

and this...

and, oh good Lordy, this....(white chocolate peppermint popcorn!)

It's pretty clear what my New Years resolution is going to be.  Salad. 

But first we have a party to go to tonight, I've got to try to be good, smart, listen to my body instead of my tongue.  And then one more family party this Saturday.  We are taking non junk food to both. I'll let you in on what we are taking and the recipe tomorrow. It's good, let me tell you, but only in moderation of course:>)  In response to everyone who has been concerned about my health, I am much better. I should be feeling great by next Monday when I head back to work. *sigh* Isn't that just the way it goes? But don't worry about me, I'm well enough for a little party here and there so how bad can I really be? 

  I see changes ahead for me, but one thing won't change, and that is how much I appreciate each of you who takes the time to visit and comment. It's a treat and a day lifter and  when days go bad I can always find a friendly and loving comment right here. Thank you.  I will be working on a give-away in the next week or two to show my appreciation, so stay tuned. I think you'll like it:>) Lets start the new year right!

Happy New Year everyone!
Photos taken by my wonderful daughter Victoria with my new camera! She is a fantastic photographer no?

I hope everyone's Christmas was happy. Ours was wonderful. We dragged our gift opening out as long as possible and then we just ate, visited grandma and watched movies. Perfect.

Of course, just like many of you, we still have some family parties to attend. Tomorrow is our party with Earl's family and it is one of my favorite events. Earl and I always host Thanksgiving and his sis usually takes Christmas.  Since there are so many of us, we have let each other off the hook for the most part on gifts. I made a few things for the nieces and I put together these cute mittens for a sweet step-niece and her family.  FIlled with dipped pretzels and candy they are just a little token that says we love them.  I got to use my new sewing machine to embellish the edges;>) Yay! My upper respiratory thing is just hanging on so I am napping, and watching movies in between little projects.  I plan on doing very little in the next few days and hoping I can get better. Why can't I be sick when I'm not off work, that's what sick days are for right? lol. I'm off to do a little more playing and a lot more napping. I hope you all do the same. Christmas isn't over you know!  There are still lots of good things to enjoy:>) I hope you are enjoying them all. 

Mosaic Monday

I'm linking up with Mary's Mosaic Monday to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I will be taking the rest of the week off, so no Handmade Holidays post tomorrow. I seem to have managed to catch an upper respiratory infection so I'll be taking things easy and just trying to enjoy this week without passing this on to anyone else! I hope you all enjoy this coming week. Don't sweat the small stuff, and have a merry time with all your friends and family! God bless us, every one:>)

Fourth Sunday of Advent- Love

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Is love one of the attributes people think of when they think of you?

I can't believe how quickly this season is flying past. It seems this one got away from me. I still have shopping to do, I have called it quits on decorating more than the minimum this year. I have lots of lights and candles up, but little else. The Christmas tree is finally decorated thanks to my dear daughters getting together this morning while I was at work and hanging the ornaments. Thank you girls! I haven't baked one cookie (I don't want to eat them!) but I have had so many cookies baked by other sweet hands that I couldn't hold one more, (In other words, I ate them anyway!) My baby brother picked up my youngest earlier this week and brought her home . He stayed for a little Christmas cheer and I can hear him snoring on the sofa in the next room.  Victoria is wrapping gifts at the table and Earl is cleaning up the kitchen (oh happy day!) I just got home from my last day of work for two whole weeks. 

In spite of the minimal decorating and the rush of the season all is well. My family is home and healthy, God has provided for all our needs and even some of our wants, which are surprisingly few.  It is time to relax, quit fluffing the decor, stop worrying about making everything perfect and just enjoy this coming week. Some things are more important than one more bauble right?

I hope that if you are feeling rushed, you can stop, grab a hot cup of something good, put your feet up, and consider what is the most important thing you can do this week?  Who do you want to spend it with? What do you want to do with your time that will make a sweet memory that will last so much longer than the excitement of one more gift from the store that will not be remembered at all in a few years?  Think about the precious gift that we have been given already. This time with each other. This joyous time we share.  Some gifts are meant to be opened slowly, maybe all week long :>) I wish you all one of those gifts, spent with the ones you love.

Handmade Holidays

A big thank you to everyone who has shared their Christmas projects each week on my little list. It's been fun and I have met some new people:>) I have a teeny little project finished this week, since every waking moment has been dedicated to my big project for Christmas. I made a few tags. Old sheet music, stamped words and micro glitter. Seriously, could we HAVE Christmas without glitter? I think not.  Christmas is clearly the season of Jesus, love, joy and glitter. I love how these tags sparkle with the Christmas tree lights and they are practically free to make and have so much more charm than the packaged stickers at the store.

I am finally getting my decorating done. The dining room table was returned to the dining room Sunday and things are slowly getting rearranged and decorated.  We got the tree last night and I will wait until Victoria gets home from University Thursday to decorate it with my girls. I don't think I have ever waited this long to put up the tree before. My take down date is New Years! I probably won't even take all the ornaments out.  I will, however, be baking and lighting and cuddling and wrapping. Christmas is just so much more Christmas when the kids are home:>) So, Share the latest handmade fun you are having. Whether it be baking, glittering, thrifting or making I want to see and hear all about it! Don't forget, thrifted decor counts too! For even more crafty fun check out A Soft Place to Land and Todays Creative Blog.

Third week of Advent-Joy

And the angel said unto them fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

Handmade Holidays

If you are one of my children look away now. I mean it......ok. I made good progress today and I am counting it toward my Handmade post because, well, it's handmade.  I had taken a personal day from work to be here for the plasterer and decided to really cram on getting these finished, or as close to finished as I could get.  I was so focused that I completely forgot that tonight was our Christmas dinner party at work until one of my co-workers called to remind me that we were car pooling.  At first I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Car pooling?  Oh yeah! dinner tonight, and I needed a shower and had just enought time to get ready.  Casting one last longing look at my project, because I was really into it you know? I showered and got ready, slipped some shoes on and ran out the door.  And now you are about to learn something about me that you didn't know.  When I am focused on something... I mean really focused, I don't pay attention to anything else.   I mean, sometimes I can't hear when people speak to me when my attention is elsewhere.

Which explains how I could get to the restaurant, and not notice that I was wearing two completely different shoes until I went to the ladies room and happened to look down at my feet.  Yeah. you would think I would notice one closed toe shoe and one open toe. At least they were the same color.  Kind of.

Sometimes I'm a little absent minded.  Sheesh. 

Take my mind off this please. Share your handmade or thrifted holiday gift or decoration below.  And check your shoes, I've found it comes in handy sometimes.

In spite of an early start getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic, the unfortunate insertion of Earls foot through the dining room ceiling has kept me from doing anything really significant about decorating.  For one thing we had to completely empty the dining room so the plasterer could come and fix the hole. He is here today and he's Irish. Golly, I could listen to that accent all day (and actually I will be).  I'm baking fresh bread to thank the workers for speaking in my presence fixing the hole and working frantically on the quilts that I am making for the girls Christmas. Yes, three weeks before Christmas and I am still piecing the tops and praying that I can find someone with a long arm quilting machine who can get them quilted in time for Christmas morning! My goal is to have the tops finished end of the week at latest. All other projects, plans, and any invitations are on hold until they are finished. Earl is here with me to deal with the workmen so aside from baking bread, which is really just a few minutes mixing and baking, I am chained to the sewing machine today.  Wish me luck. Once the dining room ceiling is fixed we can get our Christmas tree and I can do a little decorating, but the season is rushing up on me and if I have to scale back on the decor to have a peaceful season I will.  In the meantime, I  need to get back to sewing and I hope you will join me tomorrow for Handmade Holidays.  Have a great Monday!

Second Sunday of Advent - Peace

 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!’

  Luke 2:13-14

My prayer for this country and the world.  Peace.