Christmas Crafting

Hello! How are you today? Are you busy with Christmas activities? I've been crafting up a storm! Each day I've been working on our December Daily album and holiday decor projects. Today I will start making some gingerbread ornaments for our friends and family. Tomorrow we will head to the mall to visit Santa! Christopher is so excited! How about you? Have you been baking? Wrapping gifts yet? Christopher is the only one who has his gifts wrapped and under the tree so far! :)

Here's one of the decor projects I made this week, a Let it Snow frame.

The patterned paper I used for this frame is from October Afternoon's Very Merry collection.

I used a glue pen to trace all the snowflakes and added Crystal Fine Glitter from Martha Stewart. I love all the sparkle it creates!

The sheet music is from 1927 and I also outlined all the notes and bars with a glue pen and glittered them.  The tag, from Staples, was stamped with a Papertrey Ink stamp and glittered around the edges.

The snowflake in the center is a foam sticker from my local craft store. I topped it with a pink button and a pair of mini jingle bells. If interested, this is listed in my Etsy shop.

Would you like to see our latest December Daily album pages? I've seen many beautiful December Daily albums that are so inspiring!

For the 6th of December I created a page about working on our December Daily book! ;) I had to catch up from the weekend before and created three pages on the sixth!

I printed small wallet size photos of the three pages I worked on and tied them together with baker's twine and made a little library card pocket with a Papertrey Ink die. The journaling tickets and stamped edges are also Papertrey Ink.

In between the 6th and 7th pages, I added this transparency to jazz up our album a bit.

December 7th is all about hot chocolate! Yum! We drink a lot of it this time of year!

On December 8th we had snow on the ground and a morning temperature of only 18 degrees! That's cold for us, 20 degrees below normal! While I was uttering "brrrrr," Latte was sounding a "purrrrr" as he was curled up in the sun on the couch! ;)

I have one more share for you before I take off and work on this year's ornaments. For years I've wanted a Christmas tree in my bedroom. It stems from wanting to sleep under the tree when I was a girl! At 44, spending the night in front of the tree in a sleeping bag doesn't sound all the comfortable, but I still like the idea of falling asleep under the glow of Christmas lights. This year I found a sweet little flocked tree that I set up in the bedroom.

Here it is! Isn't it lovely? I took all the vintage mercury glass ornaments I've been collecting to decorate it. I think it's so beautiful and I feel so spoiled when I get into bed at night to read with just the soft glowing lights of this little tree! I am able to read without a light on because I read books on my iPad.

I'd like to leave you with a little assignment! That's right, homework! ;) Wait! It's good homework! I want you to do something special for yourself. Spoil yourself with a tree in your bedroom or whatever it is that would make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps that would be a hot toddy?!  If it means you have to spend $100 dollars, tell your husband that Kathy told you to do it! ;)

Twas the Day Before Thanksgiving...

...and all through the house, I was running around like a little mouse.  Making my lists and checking them twice, baking enough pie so everyone will have a slice. :) Okay, so poetry is not my strong suit! ;)

Today I'm making final preparations for tomorrow's big feast. I'm so excited! Thought I'd pop in and show you the wine glass initial tags I made for the martini glasses. They match the place cards I made the other day that you can see here.

We're having pomegranate martinis, a recipe of Oprah Winfrey's from 2005. They are so good that we make them almost every holiday. Love the red color and bit of bubbly from the sparkling water!

I'd also like to show you my son's place mat turkey he made at school. I think it'll look perfect at the table!

I think it's so sweet when children write what they are thankful for! Melts my heart!

On Friday, after we've stuffed ourselves like a Thanksgiving bird, we'll put up the tree and holiday decorations. It usually takes the better part of the Thanksgiving weekend and a lot of cocoa to finish!

Last weekend while hunting for treasures at my favorite antique stores, I found some beautiful vintage mercury glass ornaments. They came from Revival, SuzAnne's Antiques and Two Old Birds. We have a small silver tinsel tree that I bet they'll look fabulous on!

Well, I better run and attend to setting the table and checking my lists....again! ;) I may pop in tomorrow with some pictures of the food if time permits. I always make the cranberries and deserts first so I may tease you with something sweet and naughty! ;) Wishing you all the best tomorrow! Enjoy! :) Kathy