A Handmade Christmas: Sneak Peek

A quick glimpse of today's project!

One the books for tonight?  A little crafting with friends then more holiday elf work!

For tomorrow? 120 holiday cards for school between 2 Christmas church services.

For Monday? Complete a handmade baby album

For Tuesday? 12 fleece scarves

For Wednesday? 6 beaded projects

For Thursday? 2 batches of homemade fudge

and on and on...

why can't I just give gift cards????

Sister Suffragettes

I wonder if the women that fought so valiantly for equal rights for women would be happy with where we find women today?  I ponder this as I struggle to juggle work and family and house and everything in between.  I'm not trying to say poor me or anything like that, but I have to say, I'm tired! (draft started at 6pm Thursday night... coming back to it at 6am Friday morning...)

I don't know about where you are in life, but all I can say is that there is too much that has to be done!  Going non-stop from 6am to 10pm taking care of others or working leaves very little for me. My favorite tv show is The Biggest Loser, in fact, it's the only thing I watch all week.  This last season one of the women on it was Liz.  She's was just your average mom and yet, she resounded with me because I could so see myself in her.  She talked about how she gave all of herself to her family and that in the end, there was nothing left for herself.  This at the age of 49.  I can see myself in her as I struggle to take care of my family and at the end of the day not only do I not have the time or energy to exercise, but I haven't even done the laundry yet!

So here I sit at 6am having a cup of coffee and listening to the baby squeak that she's awake and ready to be fed, but I'd really like to finish this post.  My social and political leanings are decidedly left of center, but I have to say, that right now, I'm not too thrilled with where I find myself.  I'd like nothing more to just stay home today and take care of my family and me.  But reality sets in and I know that I've got to get ready for work.  As long as my job provides health insurance for my family, then I must go to work.  Really, I am so blessed that I really enjoy my job, but for today, can I just stay home?

And for all of the "sister suffragettes" I'd be interested in your take.  Mrs. Banks had a great life, a husband and two kids, a governess, a maid and a cook. She said that one day we would "sing in grateful chorus. Well done, my sister suffragettes." But in the end, even she needed Mary Poppins!

Gold, Common Sense and Fur

One of my friends emailed me this story.. So funny and cute! I am sure it is making the email rounds, but if you haven't read it, it's worth the time!

My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time) for five years but
hadn't been blessed with a baby.

I decided to do some serious praying and promised God
that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother,
love it with all my heart and raise it with His word
as my guide.


God answered my prayers
and blessed us with a son.


The next year God blessed us
with another son.


The following year,
He blessed us with
yet another son.


The year after that we
were blessed with a daughter.


My husband thought we'd
been blessed right into poverty.


We now had four children,
and the oldest was only
four years old.


I learned never to ask God
for anything unless I meant it.


As a minister once told me,
If you pray for rain,
make sure you carry an umbrella.'


I began reading a few verses
of the Bible to the children
each day as they lay in their cribs.


I was off to a good start.


God had entrusted me
with four children and
I didn't want to disappoint Him.


I tried to be patient the day
the children smashed
two dozen eggs on
the kitchen floor searching
for baby chicks.


I tried to be understanding...
when they started a hotel for
homeless frogs in the spare bedroom,
although it took me nearly two hours
to catch all twenty-three frogs.


When my daughter poured
ketchup all over herself and
rolled up in a blanket to see
how it felt to be a hot dog,
I tried to see the humor
rather than the mess.


In spite of changing over
twenty-five thousand diapers,
never eating a hot meal
and never sleeping for more
than thirty minutes at a time,
I still thank God daily for my children.


While I couldn't keep my promise
to be a perfect mother -
I didn't even come close...
I did keep my promise
to raise them in the Word of God.


I knew I was missing the mark
just a little when I told
my daughter we were going
to church to worship God,
and she wanted to bring
a bar of soap along to
'wash up' Jesus, too.


Something was lost in the
translation when I explained that
God gave us everlasting life,
and my son thought it was
generous of God to give
us his 'last wife.'


My proudest moment came
during the children's
Christmas pageant.


My daughter was playing Mary,
two of my sons were shepherds
and my youngest son was a wise man.


This was their moment to shine.


My five-year-old shepherd
had practiced his line,
'We found the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes.'


But he was nervous and said,
'The baby was wrapped
in wrinkled clothes.'

My four-year-old 'Mary' said,
'That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly.
That's dirty, rotten clothes.'

A wrestling match broke out
between Mary and the shepherd
and was stopped by an angel,
who bent her halo and lost
her left wing.


I slouched a little lower
in my seat when Mary
dropped the doll representing
Baby Jesus, and it bounced
down the aisle crying,
'Mama-mama.'


Mary grabbed the doll,
wrapped it back up
and held it tightly as
the wise men arrived.


My other son stepped forward
wearing a bathrobe
and a paper crown,
knelt at the manger
and announced,
'We are the three wise men,
and we are bringing gifts
of gold, common sense
and fur!!


The congregation
dissolved into laughter,
and the pageant
got a standing ovation!


'I've never enjoyed a Christmas
program as much as this one,'
laughed the pastor,
wiping tears from his eyes.'


'For the rest of my life,
I'll never hear the
Christmas story without
thinking of gold, common sense
and fur.'


'My children are my pride
and my joy and my greatest
blessing,' I said as I dug
through my purse for an aspirin.


Jesus had no servants,
yet they called Him Master.


Had no degree,
yet they called Him Teacher.


Had no medicines,
yet they called Him Healer.


Had no army,
yet kings feared Him.


He won no military battles,
yet He conquered the world.


He committed no crime,
yet they crucified Him.


He was buried in a tomb,
yet He lives today.


Feel honored
to serve such a Leader
who loves us.

May each of you have a blessed Christmas season!

A little digi scrapping while learning more about Photoshop!

Don't you just love this page!! I made it using Jessica Sprague's photoshop tutorial, click here to go to her website.  Her tutorials are outstanding and very user friendly. I am getting ready to take some virtual staff development courses using Adobe and I think I like her tutorials the best!

If any of you out there have taken online courses in Photoshop, let me know what you liked or didn't like about them.

Have a great day.

CTMH Megga Sale starts tomorrow (Dec. 2)!!

Close To My Heart is having a HUGE sale starting on December 2nd!  It's going to be fabulous!! Click here and go to my website for the sale!! 

Some of the cool things on sale are embellishments starting at just $1 a package! Paper packs starting at just  $4! Stamps sets starting at just $2!!!  Can you believe this???? I am pumped!

You don't wanna miss this if you have any crafting needs!

Email me if you want the pdf list of items.

Have a great day and plan ahead as the sell starts at 9am PST time Wednesday morning!