97 Days

I make a lot of lists; seriously, a lot.  I think I would make a list of lists if I could.  It's the only way I seem to be able to keep track of anything anymore.  So, of course I am making another list today.  But I want this to be fun, simple and not time consuming. 

So today's list are of the things that we want to do during the holiday time.  Almost every year the fun extra things we want to do get put aside for the things we think "need" to be done.  So, today's Christmas list of fun things we want to do includes, Christmas movie night (or maybe the whole day - we love our Christmas movies), extra sleepovers with craft projects that the kids can take home and give as presents, riding to look at Christmas lights, making lots of cookies, and planning time to get together with friends.  Sounds like a list I definitely want to follow.

I'm carefully putting this list in my Christmas envelope.  I'm hoping by placing it with the traditional "to-do" lists that this list will get completed too.

97 days to go....

98 Days

Today, was a cool, cloudy fall like day.  The cooler weather helps me think ahead about all the decadent food, warm clothes, and time with family and friends that lie ahead.  Christmas is an amazing time of year, and I'm hoping this year I won't be so frazzled that I miss it. 

So, today I printed out my Christmas card spreadsheet.  I'm certainly not ready to look at it yet, but just printing it out and putting it in my special Christmas envelope makes me feel like I've done something.  It's all about breaking the process down into small, baby steps.

If you don't have your Christmas card list on a spreadsheet, I highly recommend taking the time to put in all the information.  It saves so much time in the long run.  As much as people move and situations change, it's so much easier to update on the computer.  I also don't have to hunt for my address book that's been lost for a few years.

I'm also thinking about all those little gifts that I forget to buy.  I have some ideas on how to prepare those in upcoming posts.

98 days to go!

99 Days

Today was hectic, as all days are now.  The thoughts of all the things that need to be done are overwhelming.  So, I decided to start off very simply in preparing for Christmas, because I know if I  do too much too soon, I'll start to put everything off.

So, for today I found a large mailing envelope and labeled it "Christmas 2013".  It will hold all my receipts, lists, addresses and other craziness.  I put it in my letter holder where I will have to see it every day.  Little visual reminders always help!

99 Days to go....




*** 2015 Update***:  It's hard to believe I started this idea two years ago!  After Christmas when you can't remember what you spent where, and what you bought for each person, this will become a lifesaver.  If you don't want to start a new envelope each year, just sort through the old information in the folder, decide what to keep, and change the year.  It's such a simple thing to do, but makes it so much easier to organize and keep on track each year!

100 Days

As I've been reminded several times today, it's 100 days until Christmas.  While I am one of those people who love to decorate and dive into the holiday season early, I am horrible at getting the essentials done without stressing myself and everyone around me.  So, this year I am going to try to break down the things that I need (or want) to get done into small tasks so that I can enjoy Christmas and get caught up in the blessings instead of the craziness.  I am hoping to still enjoy the changing of seasons and the importance of everyday life; I just don't want my to do list to become longer than Santa's list.  So, join me as I will try to post my ideas every week for how to break down the tasks.  This will either be a great success or maybe a flaming disaster. :) 

I hope to add paintings, new holiday crafts and homemade gift suggestions along the way for you too. If you have ideas that you'd like to share , by all means let me know.

Wish me luck!!

My latest painting is called "Closed on Sunday"  and is the first in my "Left Behind" series.  Some painting ideas come from a beautiful scene that I see, a flower blooming, the sun at the perfect angle.  This painting is not of a specific place, but came to me in my sleep (I have interesting dreams) as an idea of what we are leaving behind.

We are changing rapidly.  The phone we buy today will be outdated tomorrow.  The style of clothes or best song will be old news next week.  The buildings that we used to walk in, roads we used to drive on are still there, but are old and worn and not considered usable any more.

The buildings that sit with torn roofs and weeds growing around them were once thriving, important parts of our community.  We turn the other way, or simply ignore their presence as we have moved forward to newer, better and progressed along. 

To me, the buildings represent us and our greatest fears.  Our society values young and new, not older with character and wisdom.  We fear looking old and out of date; we fear being replaced or left behind.  There is so much beauty that comes with age, whether it's the worn boards with paint chipping off on the side of an old gas station or the wrinkles that come with a life well lived. 

Hopefully the paintings in this new series will remind us of the beauty and character that is all around us, whether it is a well worn structure or someone we see in our mirror. 

I am thankful that The Master Artist chose me to send these ideas too.  It combines so many elements that I love: old buildings, history, landscapes, and has something important to say. 

I heard this song by Matraca Berg years ago and had it my head while painting this.  It's a reminder that we are all beautiful at all ages and stages of our lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7SnVKRL_F4&noredirect=1


I hope that this painting will be a blessing to all of you as it has been a blessing to me.

Crocheting Hairbands

I love to experiment with paints, pencils, yarn (pretty much anything) to achieve new results.  After trying a number of different hairbands that were either too tight, gave me a headache, or just didn't feel right, I decided to try and make my own.  Here's the result of my experiment.  You are welcome to try this too and modify the instructions for the size and width that you would like.  The possiblities are endless.

I have pictures too, so don't worry if you're not quite sure about my instructions (I don't like typing all of them out and I might miss something... )

You will need:

-Any type sport or heavier weight yarn; baby yarn does NOT work as well with this. You need somthing sturdy that will hold its' shape.
-size G hook

Step 1:  chain 70, keeping the chain as straight as possible(this is the size that works for me and my daughter).  Wrap around your head going behind your ears to see if it works for you.  As long as you chain to an even number, this should still work for you.

Step 2:  chain 4, and then turn (this will count as your first DC (double crochet) and chain 1).  1DC in the 6th chain from the hook, then chain 1.  Skip the next chain, 1DC, chain 1 in the next (you are working in every other chain).  Repeat to the end, DC in the last chain.

Here's a closer view:

Step 3:  Turn, chain 4, 1 DC in top of DC, chain 1, repeat across.  DC in 2nd chain of 4 at the very end of row.

Note:  If you want your headband to be thinner, only crochet one row of double crochets.

Step 4:  hold ends together; single crochet in both ends all the way across while holding together.  Fasten off; trim ends.

Here's the final product:

I recommend hand washing these before wearing to make sure they aren't itchy.  By crocheting in every other space, it allows the hairband to be stretchy but still hold its' shape.  But the variations to this could be endless. 

If you're a Girl Scout Mom like me, you are currently surrounded with cases of girl scout cookies.  Hopefully your cases are getting empty quickly as all your cookies are being delivered. :) Fortunately our haul is dwindling.  I was getting ready to recycle all of our cases when inspiration struck.  Why not turn them into magazine and book holders for my daughters' bookshelves?

I've been looking at magazine/book holders for some time and couldn't find what I liked. The sturdy cardboard boxes allow for cutting, painting and reusing.  Perfect!

Step 1:  I cut off the tops of the boxes that fold down. At this point, you just have an empty box with no lid.

Step 2:  I then turned the box on its' side and made a diagonal cut from about 3 inches up to the top of the box, then across the top (as shown) and back down the other side to make them even.  You can see how to do it from the photo.

When set up this way, it can hold about 40 magazines.  Much better than having them stacked up or laying around!


Step 3:  Of course, I have to paint everything, so I took one of the cases of Peanut Butter Patties and sponged over it with red and white acrylic paint.  I tried to match the color of paint to the color on the side of the box just to make life easier.  I was very happy with the results!

 

Here's the other side:

You can also turn them on their side if you have shorter books and use them for small book storage too.  This was very quick, easy and inexpensive to do!