We Need a Little Christmas

Last week I was in my mother-in-law's home and saw the Sears Christmas Wish catalogue on the coffee table. Doesn't it seem like it comes a little earlier every year? I can't decide if it is added pressure and stress or if the early reminder will relieve the pressure and stress in December.

My oldest daughter has always loved Christmas music. I used to start listening to it in late September because the month of December just isn't long enough to really enjoy all the great seasonal music. Every year, my daughter tries to convince me to put in a Christmas CD a little earlier. Last month she had an idea. Maybe I would let her and her sister play some one day a month, say the 25th since Christmas is on the 25th. The idea sounded fine to me, so I agreed, sure they would find it a novelty for one month.

Guess what yesterday was. That's right, the 25th. I assigned the kids the chore of washing all the walls and then went into the office to do some work. When I came out to see how things were going, they were singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. When my husband came home for lunch and heard what was playing, he just rolled his eyes. He maintains that Christmas music should only played in December and put away on December 26th, but he determined years ago that he lives in a weird household and tolerates our quirkiness with a smile.

So this family celebrates Super Bowl Sunday in our own peculiar way and we listen to Christmas music on the 25th of every month. It keeps life interesting. What strange things do you do in your own families?

P.S. I apologize in advance to my daughter's roommates. I hope you like Christmas music!

As Promised...

I mentioned early in December that I would post pictures of my projects. So here is where my creative energies went for the last month...



Handmade books for friends and family. This was the first time I'd tried this technique and I'm addicted. They are so much fun and fairly quick to do. And the possibilities are endless. I learned how from this blog. I think I may make a bigger one for all my blog posts from 2007 and another one for my posts from 2008. I been wanting to print them off as a sort of journal, but wanted to find some other way to store them than in a binder.



Another project was Christmas dresses for the girls. I don't do this every year, but they both needed something new. I thought it wouldn't be so complicated when I first mentioned it as they both tend to go with simple styles and fabrics. Imagine my surprise when they both wanted fancy this year. My older daughter picked this style. The jacket is out of sari fabric - satin with gold threads woven in, and the dress is chiffon lined with crepe-back satin. Let's just say shifty and slippery, but the final product turned out quiet nice. She looks so grown up and beautiful in it.



Without knowing what her sister picked, my younger daughter decided on a jacket as well. She loved this shiny blue fabric I had, so her dress hardly cost me anything. The blue was just too much for me, so I broke it up a bit with some silk ribbon embroidery and swarovski crystals across the front of the dress. With only a little stress I managed to get both dresses done to be worn the Sunday before Christmas.



The next things that had to be done were the things for my brother's family. We rotate families every year and so I got to sew for them. The girls and I decided to make the gifts for my niece and nephew to use up some of the things we had around the house. The leopard was fun and so soft that I almost had to make another one to keep at the house for my own kids. I also made the bookmark to go in one of the handmade books for my sister-in-law. I haven't done a lot of embroidery in some time, but even when I stressed a little over cutting fabric threads (and accidentally did cut one and had to reweave the fabric) it was relaxing and I remembered how much I enjoy doing it. The actual bookmark is only about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long. There's better detail if you click on the picture.



The last things I had to finish were the pajama pants for one of my girls and the robe for my son. I stayed up until 2:30 am the night before Christmas eve to finish them. I'm not as young as I used to be I guess. In college I would do all-nighters all the time to get school work done, but that late night really set me back. I did get a nice nap the next afternoon while my husband was setting up the tables for Christmas dinner.



I had fun doing all this. Making things with my hands has always brought me great pleasure. My only complaint is that people don't say thank you for anything anymore. So many times we give gifts and then wait to hear if the recipient liked it or if it was just another gift that got lost in the shuffle of Christmas. Of course, we don't give just to have people tell us how wonderful we are, but it would be nice if people remembered the basics of good manners and did the whole thank you thing.

I sometimes wonder if it is because we all receive too much. When I had my kids call their grandparents to thank them for the Christmas gifts, they had to get it straight in their heads who gave them what. When people received less maybe they appreciated it more. Anyway, most of the things I made I will never see again, never really know if the person received them and certainly never know if they liked it or not. It doesn't change anything. Next year I'll make myself busy with projects again, because I love doing it.

Of course, I'm starting out with all sorts of good intentions to get going in January, but with renewed focus on writing, several prom dresses to sew and sewing for my daughters ballet classes spring recital, I'll most likely be frantic next December as well. What's December without a few late nights anyway?

P.S. My husband noticed in the pictures that the girls had blank faces. He's wondering what side of the family that comes from.

A Needed Break

I think about this blog often and even try to think of things to say, but I'm still trying to catch up on the Christmas things and not spending much time at the computer. I'm getting closer to being ready for next week and the girls may actually get to wear their new dresses this Sunday instead of in February. This happens more often than not - Easter dresses in August are not uncommon. Although if they get them in August I guess they're not really Easter dresses anymore.

Anyway, I spent the evening away from the sewing machine and the computer and went to an elder's quorum party with my husband. It sure was good to relax for a few hours. Good company, Chinese food, and a few games made for a great evening. We played one of my favorite games called signs. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I needed a good belly laugh. Now I'm off to bed and I plan on sleeping in until at least eight before I get back at the sewing. I feel more refreshed already and I'll be able to tackle the chores tomorrow with renewed energy.

This 'n' That

First of all, Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband. It's been eight interesting and wonderful years. He keeps us all laughing and takes such good care of us. I love him more all the time and can't wait to see the interesting things we get up to this year.

I can't believe how close Christmas is. Every day the kids remove another day off the advent calendar and I get a little more worried about getting everything done in time. Somehow I always manage though.

The sewing room is filled with projects. It looks like a fabric snowstorm in there, but everything is organized in piles and it is slowly but surely getting done. I told the girls I would make them Christmas dresses and that has added more than I planned on. Usually they both opt for simple, but this year they are looking at fancy, which is so much more fun to do, but much more time consuming. The girls and I have also been working hard at some other crafts for Christmas presents. If I can get everything done, I'll post pictures.

I haven't started much in the way of baking, but I did make fudge tonight. Usually it is easy and delicious, but some years it doesn't set properly. I'm still waiting to see if this is one of those years. If it doesn't set, I guess the kids will really enjoy it on some ice cream.

The kids are trying to figure out when we can take them shopping. Everything has been so over-booked this December that we are having a difficult time finding the right time. I still haven't even done the grocery shopping for the month. I'm hoping to get that done tomorrow and then the baking can begin in earnest.

Funny how all those things add up to make for a busy, crazy month. I sometimes sit down and wonder how to simplify everything so we can actually relax a little. The truth is, I enjoy all the sewing projects. I only do such a wide variety of baking at Christmas and the kids look forward to it. They are also getting big enough to take over some of those projects. My biggest problem this year is not knowing what to get the kids. That's right. Two weeks until Christmas and I still don't know what to get the kids. I'm hoping inspiration will hit soon.

And just for fun, I took the "Blog Readbility Test" - genius, I have my doubts, but I'll take it.

A Busy Life

Every so often I get asked why I haven't been blogging as much as I used to. There really are a lot of reasons why I've spent so little time on the computer lately.

With Christmas coming, I've been trying to get as much sewing done as possible. It would be easier to just buy gifts, but since I have so much fabric left from the store I used to own, it is much cheaper to make something - and in the long run, hopefully the homemade gift is much more appreciated. I'm a little behind where I want to be, but the projects are coming along, although I will probably be looking at some late night sewing sessions, depending on how much work I get this month. Maybe I'll post some pictures of the finished projects when they are all finished.

Another reason I haven't been around as much lately is the work I do at the school. It's been many years since I worked out of the home and I am still trying to get used to the whole balancing act. In fact, I'll be working tomorrow and possibly the rest of the week. That is going to cut into my sewing time, but we need the money and I'm grateful I can work so close to home and walk to school with my kids.

Then there is the whole Christmas season which has crept up on me. I'm amazed at how quickly my calendar has filled up. Between elementary school concerts, high school band and choir concerts, staff dinners, church functions and community events, my month is already pretty full. Since my kids are involved in half of those and I'm involved in the other half, I can't just skip out and stay home no matter how tempting it is. I miss the days when the kids were really young and our evenings were spent at home making Christmas cookies and reading stories.

I haven't even been doing much reading which is quite unusual. Sometime this month, I will be reviewing Abinidi by H.B. Moore and My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison. Both are great but I won't say anything else until the actual review, so stay tuned.

I guess none of those things are good excuses for not blogging. In fact, they should give me lots of ideas to write about. But since I seem to be suffering a serious lack of coherent thoughts, if any of you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know.

12 Things About Christmas

Tristi just tagged me, so here goes...

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (Josi doesn't even know what the m-word is but she's trying really hard to think of all the dirty words that start with M that she's ever heard. Tristi thinks the "m" word is Meme.)

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

Drum roll please...

1. I love Christmas music. I have been known to listen to it as early as September.

2. I buy a new Christmas cd every year and try to have a wide variety of styles to fit every mood.

3. I usually prefer to make most of my gifts, but over the last few years I have cut down on this because time seems so short, and so many people don't really appreciate them.

4. I love to light all the candles and the Christmas tree lights and just sit and watch them.

5. I used to have a step-mom from South Africa who still used real candles on her real tree. Now that is a spectacular sight.

6. Every year, I look forward to the Christmas baking and always end up making more than I should.

7. After the baking is done, we load up the plates to give to neighbors, family and friends.

8. I love putting up my Christmas tree and decorations around the first of December (I can't put up the tree until the local store brings them in), but I also love taking everything down around New Years and having the house cleaned up and back to normal.

9. On Christmas morning the kids aren't allowed in the living room until everyone is awake, then Dad goes into the room and turns on the tree lights before the kids file in, youngest to oldest. We hand out the gifts one at a time and take the time to enjoy each gift before opening the next one.

10. I unknowingly started collecting nativities. Now the kids like to make a game of counting them and seeing who can find the most.

11. Both my older kids believed in Santa until they were teenagers. When my daughter finally figured us out, we passed the torch to her and told her she had a responsibility to be a Santa and serve all those around her who needed a little Christmas cheer.

12. I still believe in Santa. There have been too many difficult years in my life, when Christmas just shouldn't have happened, but somehow the gifts under the tree are always plentiful and the kid's faces always light up on Christmas morning.

So there are a few things about Christmas. I'm going to tag Mandi and Autumn. Do it quickly girls...only four more sleeps until Christmas. I will get to the seven things about me tag soon, but I figured I should do this one before Christmas becomes a memory.

Real Trees for Me

Tomorrow is the day our town does its community Christmas. The businesses in town will stay open until nine, offering goodies and sales. There will be a craft show and Santa will be there for the little ones. Carolers will fill the air with music and there will be a bonfire to warm chilly hands and noses. (It is only supposed to be about -13 C) It is a great time to get out and visit with our friends and neighbors, pick up a few Christmas gifts and enjoy the crisp winter air.

The Trading Company will be bringing in their fresh trees tomorrow as well, and we'll be there to pick the perfect one for our home. I love the smell of real trees. In years past, we have often had the stereotypical Charlie Brown tree. They are the ones that look pretty funny until they are decorated with love and turned into the most beautiful tree ever. Many times my husband tries to talk me into buying a fake tree after Christmas when they are on clearance, but he hasn't managed to convince me yet.

Every year my daughter likes to listen to Christmas music as early as she can. I don't mind it early, but my husband likes to save his Christmas music until December. We all give him a hard time about it, especially the kids. This year I had a great idea. We could get the fake tree, then next year the kids and I could set it up the day after Halloween, early enough to go with the early Christmas music. But I think we will be getting a real tree for many years to come.

Counting Down

On Saturday, I picked up a copy of "Noel", Josh Groban's new Christmas cd. I love Christmas and I love Josh Groban's music, so the cd made my day. Once I got home, it occurred to me that if the stores were starting to carry Christmas merchandise, then the holidays were probably closer than I wanted to acknowledge. So I checked my calender and counted ten more weeks until Christmas.

I remember when the children were little. I could usually have the Christmas presents ready by now. Sometimes I would let them pick their own gift in the store, knowing they would forget about it before Christmas morning. But the older the kids get, the longer it seems to take me to find the perfect gift. There are always the standard things. I give the kids books every year and they usually get some pajamas. But other than that, I am stumped.

I remember Christmases when I was growing up. Our family didn't have much money, but somehow Santa Claus always left some pretty cool things under the tree. Waking up on Christmas morning seemed so magical and we were never disappointed. Now I make many of my gifts, and there are also the little things we get the kids, but I like to find one gift to put under the tree that makes their jaws drop and the magic light up their eyes. The husband and I went shopping Friday night, thinking we would get some ideas. No luck.

The oldest daughter is very frugal and her Christmas lists tend to be frugal as well. She asks for things like new socks, pads of paper, books, and other things she thinks she needs. Nothing too exciting there.The youngest daughter still gets stars in her eyes when she reads the Sears Wishbook. She lists many toys that I know look good in the pictures, but wouldn't be played with very often. She has almost grown out of the toy stage, but not quite. Then my son makes his extensive list. It mainly includes electronics that are far beyond my budget, even if I didn't think most of them were a waste of time. And then there is my husband, my step-kids, our parents, etc.

I usually have good intentions in January. But the plan to work on Christmas all year long fizzles out right around the time of my daughter's birthday in February. Now I sit in the middle of October trying to get myself into the Christmas mindset. It doesn't help that it is still so nice outside (not that I am wishing for snow quite yet.) So I guess I'll put in the new cd and get my mind focused, because I only have ten more weeks until Christmas.