A New Day

Shhhhhh! Don't upset your family with your screams of "She's alive, she's alive!". Yes, I'm still here, and I'm sorry it's been over a week since I posted. It's just, well, I haven't done much - okay ANY - crafting lately! There's just too much to do right now!

I finally got our big tree in the living room decorated, the mantle as well (my new holiday header - above - is our treasured nativity set, bought our first Christmas together), and I got the Christmas dishes in the china cabinet . . .

. . . and filled my grandmother's punch bowl with red, green, blue, silver and gold glass balls and put it in there as well.


A few of my favorite ornaments above - please forgive the really BAD collage - it's my first, and I'm proud of it, but it IS kind of hard to see!.

I got the 4' tree in the kitchen decorated (see pic below), all the gingerbread man decor on the shelves and even got the Christmas toppers on the windows. I made those last year, and I must admit they are adorable! In the process, though, of putting them up, I found a major leak around the window in the kitchen, so we'll be having someone in to check that out soon!


The little Santa Claus is actually electric, and you plug the tree lights into a plug on him, and he is voice activated to turn the lights on and off at your request. I'll try to do a video of that one day soon!

The window toppers - made very easily last year. The fabric was $1.00 a yard, and I already had the lace and ribbon. The fabric has a repeating pattern, and I cut it along those lines, hemmed and added the lace, then sewed the red ribbon for tabs - I love them!

My prized kitchen table and chairs - I got them (table with leaf, 4 chairs), already painted red and antiqued - for $120 at the monthly antique market near here a couple of years ago. The old lace tablecloth probably came from a yard sale.

I finished the Christmas shopping yesterday, but haven't wrapped a single one, but I can do that some time. I've got my holiday meals planned, but haven't started baking yet - by now I've usually made at least 15 dozen assorted cookies!

But amidst all the hustle and bustle and to-ing and fro-ing, I'm really trying to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus was born, so He could die, to save me from my sins, so I can spend eternity with Him in heaven. You know, the cuteness of Christmas and the birth of a baby boy sometimes puts a smokescreen over the 'big picture', but if you are a believer, the 'big picture' is truly what it's all about!

There's all kinds of stupid, selfish, pitiful things going on with both my family and my husbands family that are working to tear down and ruin our enjoyment of this season, but we are determined to make Christmas a joyful and peaceful time for us - "OUR FAMILY", and yes, there may only be two of us but we are a family! Many people with children don't get that, but you don't have to have 3 or more people to be a family unt, and to love and care for each other. Besides, if you add 'the girls' we are a family of four!!!


The next picture is proof of how blessed I am! My sweet hubby of almost 24 years isn't a very openly romantic peson, and I never get flowers just because, and birthday and anniversary presents are usually a camping trip somewhere reasonably nearby, but Christmas is different. At Christmas, and weeks and weeks before then, he spends much time and energy planning what he's going to get me for Christmas, and takes a day at home to lovingly (not very well, though) wrap each and every one. This is my stack for this year - 10 presents, and that doesn't count he stocking he will fill for me later! And he's got me stumped!!! Because NOTHNG I've asked for this year would go in that huge box on the bottom (the one wrapped in 2 different patterns of paper, lol), yet he says it is in the original packaging. I guess I'll have to wait 12 days or so to find out, and it's killing me, lol!


So, as I leave you for now, please determine what it is that means most to you this Christmas season, and dwell on that, and let the other 'stuff' fall by the wayside for a little while. Believe me, it will all stll be there in January, but maybe, if you've given your spirit time to relax and dwell on better things, you'll be more able to deal with them later on.

Blessings everyone, have a wonderful weekend! Becky G.