25 Days of Christmas ~ Relax

Yes, that's right. The house is decorated, it's the weekend and everything is under control. If you have some unscheduled moments don't you owe it to yourself to sit down with a nice mug of cocoa (topped with whipped cream of course), and enjoy the moment? What good is a lighted tree, beautifully wrapped gifts, and all the other joys of the season if you are overextended? Have one of those cookies you baked. I know, they're supposed to go in a gift basket, nobody will miss the one(s) you eat. Promise.

This year we find ourselves with a lot of free time. Less programs to go to, fewer parties, and the girls are spending more time with husband/boyfriend.  Today we went for coffee, did our grocery shopping before anyone else was at the store, and Earl even took some time to judge the teen cookie baking contest at church. Hey, it's a tough gig but somebody's got to do it ;>)

Now we're home and while he bakes his last dessert of the month (I'll share what his grand finale is tomorrow) I'm grabbing some down time. When he is done with the kitchen I'll make some biscotti. While I wait for the kitchen, let me just point out the awesome new slippers I got at Target a few weeks ago. Leopard print...and sequined all over so my feet sparkle when I walk. I know, hate me.

It's been a good season, and there's still a couple weeks of it left.

Enjoy as much of it staring at the lights, watching Christmas movies, and doing whatever else you find fun about Christmas. It's all about savoring the moment.

Enjoy your Saturday:>)

25 Days of Christmas ~ Make a Banner

So guess what I've been doing? Well ok, I did kind of give it away with the post title up there didn't I? But guess how I made the banner? !  Black Friday found me comfortably ensconced in my jam jam's not getting run over and abused by hoards of shoppers at the height of their good will toward men. Oh no, I was home ordering one of these , a silhouette cameo bundle. Actually, you can still get close to the the deal I got which is the whole kit and caboodle that you need for this for $129.99, (it's usually $286.93). It came with $35 worth of gift cards to spend on designs, and at 50 cents to $2 each, that buys a lot of stuff! No silhouette isn't sponsoring this :>( but I thought if you wanted a fun toy to add to your list, this is a cool thing.

UPS delivered it today.  I hate reading directions, but I did it anyway and I was up and running within about 30 minutes. Look how fun! There are tons of designs and I can tell I am going to get a lot of use out of this, and I'm not even a scrapbooker.  At any rate, I know it isn't a Pinterest worthy photo (sniff), but I had to let you know. If a silhouette machine has been on your dream list, now is the time to go for it.

Does anyone else have one of these? What do you think of it?

 

25 Days of Christmas ~ Wrap the Gifts

I love wrapping gifts. It's part of the decorating at our house, the gifts piled under the tree just make the tree complete and the sooner we can get them under the tree so people have to look a them and wonder what they could be getting, the better :>)

I do have a rule though, if you guess what's in the package (out loud) and get it right, the gift goes back to the store. You may think that's mean, but it was a rule set in place, not because our kids were good guessers, no the culprit was Earl and he was just uncanny in his ability to guess!

So I made the rule and now the surprise isn't ruined.

 Some years I am determined to get papers that coordinate, some years I just buy what strikes my fancy and they really look fine all mixed together anyway.  Like this sheet music paper. I couldn't resist.  I buy ribbon on clearance and use it over and over again, ribbon is a must. This year I dug through my sewing ribbons and found this deep red velvet, perfect!

 There is always some red, heck almost every package has red but that's the way I roll, and some should be shiny too!  I keep little gew gaws and gimcracks to add to make them pretty. I think the pinecone and bell pick came off a candle. I think the extras make them extra special :>)

And I usually set up a dedicated area to wrap. It's important to have a surface and area to store everything so I don't have to keep clearing the dining room table. This year I'm using my sewing table because I'm not getting a lot of sewing done right now anyway.

Do you like wrapping?

25 Days of Christmas ~ Bake some Cookies :>)

 I think one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is baking and decorating cookies. It's one of those things that doesn't call my name that much the rest of the year for some reason, but as a fun thing to do with friends and family it ranks up there among my favorite memories.

 I found this cookie stamp at Marshall's while I was out shopping last week and for $3.99 I couldn't resist.  Once I had stamped these sugar cookies I thought it would be fun to use the lines it made to guide my decorating.

I pulled out the decorating sprinkles and went to work. How many of you thought those little silver balls were bad for you to eat when you were little? My mom always told me to pick them off, as if they were actual little ball bearings put on my cookies by someone intent on feeding me something that would break my teeth. Imagine my surprise when I finally got brave enough to eat one and found it was just...sugar.

I love using them now, they add some sparkle and we all know how I feel about that ;>)

Do you make cookies to give away? Anyone hosting or going to a cookie swap this year? What's your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? Do tell!



25 Days of Christmas ~ Add a Little Glitter to it!

I have had these little cardboard houses stashed in my basement craft desk for years. You know how you get big ideas, and then things get busy, and then Christmas is over and it's just so over you can't even work up the gumption to finish those crafts?

Well I worked up the gumption.  I painted those babies and then I covered them in snowy micro glitter, because that's how I roll. Always. Pour a little glitter on it honey.

Now the thing you have to know is this, Earl considers glitter his nemesis.  He puts up with it because he loves me and, well, glitter runs through my veins. It is part of my soul. Sometimes I have glitter on my face even when I haven't been playing with it.  Love me, love my glitter.

Yesterday when I had finished these, Earl came out and looked at the paint and glitter spread all over the table. He looked at the little houses. He looked at me, (and smiled)...

♥And he said, "those are so cute, I don't even mind the glitter".

And then I kissed him, and he was glittered to ♥ :>)
Happy Birthday sweetheart!