Advent Calender

I am ALIVE! I have been working like a dog the past two weeks getting out stationery orders and finally finished a HUGE project I was working on for a client. Now that I made everyone else's Christmas gifts to give and cards to send, it's time for me to do my own! Yay!

So, this past January, I found a Making Memories Advent calender kit on sale at Target. That week, I made it so I would have it for Christmas. I put little treats and notes of fun things to do in each of the little boxes. The kids have loved every minute!

I hope you are enjoying your days before Christmas! Baking and wrapping today!

A Special Card...

Every year, I make only a few extra special cards. Usually, I make them for the people that have touched me in some way. This year, I made a special masterpiece for my Uncle Gene. Uncle Gene is one of my mom's older brothers. He is hilarious, always has a story, a smile on his face, treats my mom and her sister like they are queens, appeals to the boys because he truly is disgusting. He also had a special bond with his mother, my grandmother. In the card below, Uncle Gene is pictured with my grandmother on Christmas Eve (I believe this photo was taken in 1998). This is a special card not only because of the picture on the front, but also because my grandmother was the one that started our holiday Traditions. Christmas Eve begins as our family sings "Silent Night" together and is celebrated with gifts, food, family, stories, pictures and love. Sadly, my grandmother passed away a few years ago this January, on my Uncle Gene's birthday. She is remembered every day, but mostly at Christmas time. She baked, cooked, made gifts (such as crochet afghans and slippers, stuffed animals and little purses), she loved the decorations and lights and was so full of joy, love and tradition. To me, that's what Christmas is all about... Tradition.

Since Grandmommy died, Uncle Gene has sent me a card at Christmas time. The card is usually super funny or gross, but it's what's on the inside that counts. He takes the time to write a special memory of a Christmas past: a story, an old photo of a decorated mantel, a family secret, and so on. I save them, I cherish them, I love them! I look forward to Uncle Gene's card every year... I hope he likes mine!

Meet Lucas Snowflake!

Hey there! Finally feeling better... shew! It was a rough 6 days of nasty cold and cough. It wore me totally out, and had to go to bed at 8:30 a couple nights in a row. But now, woo-hoo! Feelin' great!

So, December has begun... a month full of traditions, magic is in the air and my kids are wound up tighter than a yo-yo! They LOVE Christmas, just like any other child, but they really love it because our friend, Lucas Snowflake arrives the day after Thanksgiving.

That is Lucas Snowflake (our Elf on the Shelf). He watches the children and at night reports back to Santa of our daily events- naughty or nice. A couple of times now, Mac and Anna have left Lucas little notes and presents that they make, which in turn, I stay up after my bed time to reciprocate with a letter of thanks and gratitude. The letters from Lucas are always adorned with snowflakes! They are so excited to get up in the morning to see where he has hid and what he left for them.

I thought it was so cute when I heard Anna and Elan talking to him one morning and Anna said, "Lucas, Elan wants a new pappy for Christmas because his is broken with a hole in it." Mama's gonna get him that new pappy... and I know I shouldn't. 'Tis the season to make wishes come true!

It's a Cold...

My head hurts, my ears are clogged, my nose is running and stopped up. My eyes are watering and I can't stop sneezing. Ugh... not a good start for a Monday.
I have some fun stuff lined up to share for the start of the holiday season... can't wait!
Night, night!

Christmas Card for a Challenge!

I finally got my card finished for the Caardvarks challenge: COLOR! I loved how this card turned out, but it's definitely not one I will be making in bulk to send this year! I used a white, long card (4x9) for my base. Then I stamped the tree (CA Rubber Stamp Co.) on white and matted it on black, glossy paper and attached it to the card base. I used self adhesive borders at the bottom and stickers for the "dec 25". The tree is water colored and then I used glitter and rhinestones to embellish. I wrote "Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!" all around the border.

I am slowly recovering from Thanksgiving and all the family "togetherness." I did venture out at 4:30 a.m. for the black Friday sales- first time ever. I must say, I got lots of awesome deals, a good head start on Christmas gifts, and had energy for the rest of the day. BUT... the professional black Friday shoppers are C R A Z Y. It was definitely an experience...

Have a nice night and stay cozy before a new week begins!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so many things to be thankful for... too many to list actually. Mostly, I am thankful for a BIG, happy, supportive, healthy family. A warm, cozy home, three beautiful children, and a wonderful husband that adores me.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by the spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lightened the flame with in us. Albert Schweitzer

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you have loads to be thankful for!

*Quote is from Elizabeth Kartchner's blog... loved it, so I had to use it too!

It's been busy!

Sorry for the absence... I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post. Where on earth did the time go? I have been busier than busy and I'm just now cleaning up glue and glitter and tape from all over my desk and underneath my fingernails, left from this past week!

Temptations was a HUGE success! For those of you that came {thank you!} I hope you enjoyed all the vendors as much as I did. I got a couple of Christmas gifts and I am so in the holiday mood! The show does it to me every year! I decked out my space with homemade paper chains and little Christmas trees. I pre-wrapped some stationery, not only for customers to give as a gift, but also to use as a decoration! A couple pics from the show:

I have a few more BIG projects in the works for the holiday season. I hope to be back tomorrow to share a card that I am making for the Caardvarks challenge... COLOR! Until then, tootles!