{ break time }

I need to take a break from blogging/flickr/reading others' blogs for a few days. I have a bit of Christmas sewing that I need to do, and then I plan on enjoying some cookies, hanging out with my family, and relaxing. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Less Than a Week?!?

I can't believe that there is less than a week until Christmas! I have a to-do list a mile long, and Ava has chosen this week to change her sleeping habits (like, NOT sleeping at night). Thankfully, this is the last morning of tutoring before the break. I have to finish three custom orders today before I can concentrate on my own Christmas crafting. I have a feeling I will be seeing some pretty late nights over the next few days. At least our tree is up...

.... I really need to get a tree skirt on there...

I had a great time at Community Arts Market last Saturday. There was a pretty good crowd even though the building was unheated and the forecast was bad. I actually sold a pretty good number of things and met some great people. I learned a ton of stuff, too. I'm looking forward to some more shows soon.... when it gets warmer, of course.

Update!

I've just updated my Etsy shop. More items to come over the next few days as I clean up and organize my sewing room. Community Arts Market was a success- more on that later! There are a few photos here.

Almost Ready

Community Arts Market is coming up fast! (Since when is it mid-December, anyway?!) This is my first big show, and I have lots to do between now and Saturday. I need to finish up a few more goodies for my table and get my tags and prices ready. I'll post after the weekend with a full report and pictures. Wish me luck! If you're local, stop by.

Christmas Meme

... as seen on Artsy Momma...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Definitely wrapping paper. I usually buy it on sale after Christmas and then find something else I love the next Christmas so I end up with tons and tons of Christmas paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Real. I've never had an artificial tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Around my birthday (December 9).

4. When do you take the tree down?
Around the first week of January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Ew. No.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Well, I wasn't a child, but last year on Christmas Eve was when I found out I was pregnant.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, two of them.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Probably my grandad.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
My mom and my girlfriends and sisters-in-law.

10. Mail or E-Mail Christmas Cards?
Mail-- and handmade!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
It's the thought that counts.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Beginning of December

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Cookies!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
This year we have a mix-- one strand of white, a strand of pink (I have no idea where they came from!), a strand of colored, and a strand of blinking colored. All of our white lights are outside this year, and I don't want to buy more until they are on sale after Christmas! Ava likes our wild lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Little Drummer Boy

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
I think so.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Early in the morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Crowds

23. Favorite ornament theme or Color?
Ornaments that have been gifts or that have been handmade. We have some ornaments on our tree that I made in first grade.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Mashed potatoes

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Hmmmm... anything crafting/sewing related. And books.

Feel free to play along on your blog if you like! Merry Christmas! Oh, and I've been mentioned at Sew, Mama, Sew! Very cool.

Free Rice?

So, my friend Nicole sent me this link this morning, and I've been playing ever since. (And I really should be getting my projects ready for school for tonight. But this IS making me smarter, right?) For every word you know the meaning of, this site donates rice through the U.N. I've always been fascinated by books and words, so really speaks to my nerdy side. Warning: this is addictive! Go play! FreeRice.com

giving thanks (a few weeks late)

I came across this post a couple of days ago, and I decided that I needed to make one of these Grateful Journals for myself. This was super easy. I cut two pieces of chipboard for the front and back covers (my covers are 8" x 8"). Then I gathered all kinds of papers: envelopes, old postcards, tags, scraps, tablet pages, etc. I put them all through my 3-hole punch and arranged them in a way I liked. I used 52 pages-- one for each week of the year.


Each evening, I will record something I'm grateful for that day. I plan on adding little bits of ephemera to the covers or to the pages as I go about my days. I may whip a few of these up for gifts. See another one of these here.

So Much.....

... for posting every day. We pulled out all of our Christmas decorations over the weekend, and they haven't made it any further than the laundry room. Rob did put up some outside lights last night, but that is all we've done so far. I don't have any crafty pictures this morning. Hopefully tonight I'll have something to show.

Meme, Part Two: Traditions

Outtakes from last year's Christmas card photo shoot:

• What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

I love the day when we go cut our tree and drag out all of the decorations. It is so much fun going through the boxes, reading old cards, pulling out ornaments, an finding new homes for everything. Oh, and watching the Christmas specials on TV.

• Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?

Our traditions are a nice blend of what we both did with our families.

• What do you love most about the holiday season?

I can't pick just one thing... I love so much: music, lights, decorations, making gifts...

• What do you like least about the holiday season?

I don't like when people allow themselves to get stressed out over Christmas.

• What is your favorite holiday food?

COOKIES!!

• Do you have a great recipe to share?

I'll have to think about this one.

Wow. Two posts in two days. A record for me! I'd like to try to post something every day for the month of December. So far, so good!

Handcrafters' Holidays Blog Meme- Gifts

Sew, Mama, Sew! has started a holiday blog meme. I'm taking a break from my grad school projects (ugh) to get started on it.

• Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?

I love to give anything handmade as a gift, whether I make it myself or purchase it from an independent artist. I also give lots of books.

• If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?
  

I'm making lots of things, but in case more people than my hubby and mom read this, I don't want to reveal anything!

• Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?

No good stories, really, but handcrafted gifts are the very best kind to give and to get.

• Name one thing on your personal wish list.

Just one? Well, I really could use a thread organizer.

• Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
  

Why, yes I do! WaldeckDryGoods