Christmas Day in Photos

Just a few of the things I loved about Christmas day at my parent's this year...

 

The tree...

 

Stockings on the stair railing... 

The garland on the piano...

 

The decorations on the fireplace mantel...

 

Ornaments in the window...

The table setting...

 

The green centerpiece...

 

Cinnamon and cider...

 

Peppermint meringue kisses...

 

Pickles rolled in ham...

 

Traditional deviled eggs...

 

Delicious fresh veggies...

 

My family...

 

My love and me...

 

Opening gifts together...

It was a beautiful day, abundantly full of the God's love and goodness.

What did you love about your Christmas this year?

My Ring & Some Gifts

A few of you asked to see a close up of the ring in yesterday's post....

 

This is one I made long ago and have worn several times so it's getting a bit tattered, but I love the color and will keep wearing it until I make some new ones. 

 

I plan on selling these someday but if you can't wait that long, you can easily make one for yourself. It's just a simple single crochet stitch! And the apple? A friendly reminder to myself to eat healthy over the holiday... It just feels better come January.

 

Speaking of Christmas, my gifts are all wrapped and ready for transport. If you're in a pinch for pennies, I'm tellin' you recycled grocery bags work wonders. 

 

And cheap yarn or twine can look quite fabulous if you wind it just so.

 

Make a little tag out of fancy paper, and you'll get plenty of bang for very little bucks.

 

Love this paper...

Happy last minute gift wrapping everyone! Today I'm making peppermint meringue kisses so off to the kitchen I go.

Love,

Two In One

This is a two-in-one post. I was feeling artsy today and decided to put on a fun little outfit and paint my nails when I suddenly realized it was Wednesday. So first, this is a What I Wore Wednesday post. And...

Second, this is a little show-and-tell post. I have never been a huge fan of the towel-topper towel until I made these lovelies per my mother-in-law's request. She loves towel-topper towels, and thought it might be a simple thing to make if I was struggling for gift ideas for her this Christmas. Little does she know I took her up on it!

 

And back to the outfit. Aren't hats just the best? The ones I especially swoon over have that wide brimmed feminine look. Unfortunately, I haven't yet mustered up the courage to wear one of those in public, much less to buy one I know I may never wear. 

 

The buttons on these darling towel-topper towels come from my huge collection passed down by my mom. I could probably make a thousand or so towels and still have buttons left over.

 

My ring is a Feminine. Unique. New. design and is reminding me that I need to make more of them to wear and share with others. 

 

Before I say my farewell, here's a quick peek at the back. Cute, no?

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy today so if you're in the mood you can check out some other What I Wore Wednesday outfits!

Happy almost Christmas everyone...

Finished & Framed

You may remember a certain project I had started for my mom's Christmas present.... The drawing is now finished and framed though I'm now second guessing things a bit. You may need to help me decide what to do. 

I painted the once gray matting to a vibrant orange. Here you see the glorious frame I had at my disposal. The wood is taken from my grandparents old barn!

 

I love the rustic weathered look of it! And against the orange? Yummy!

 

The picture below shows the drawing as is with no fancy photoshopped additions or subtractions...

 

And this other photo shows how I'm considering enhancing it. I would get a print made with a matte finish and then frame that instead of the actual drawing. What are your thoughts?

I'm not even gonna tell you what I'm leaning towards. It is completely up to your expert opinion to be the judge. Just keep in mind this is going to my mother and I really want to WOW her with my expert artistry skills! So really what we're deciding here is the "wow" factor.

Love to all my dear readers, old and new. I'm grateful for you!

Future Possibilities

Is it foggy or is it just me? We're in the middle of deciding what to do next in life now that I'm no longer tied down by school. I don't have my master's degree yet because I still have to finish my thesis. But my coursework is done which means I'm now a mobile student. 

Source 

 It's an exciting time filled with a million unanswered questions. However, I carry around in my heart the knowledge that though things seem foggy and blurred to my vision, God is seeing everything clearly and He is forever holding my hand and leading my steps.

   

Source

I envision beautiful things in the future and I believe in God "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." [Ephesians 3:20, NIV]
I'm feeling love for my Saviour...

Happy Thursday everyone.

A Little Art for Christmas

I love making things for my family at Christmas time. I love that they are more than willing to test my creativity. They are the ones who help me decide if something will be comfortable enough, practical enough, pretty enough, and enjoyed enough to be sold in my shop...

Here's a peek at what I'm working on for my mom this Christmas. 

 

She will soon be converting a corner of the basement into a cozy little study library, and she asked me to do some artwork for a special frame she owns and hopes to hang. The frame is made out of wood from her parent's old barn and has an awesome rustic appearance. How could I resist?...

This is my artwork. It's still an unfinished product but isn't it fun to see the progression and flourish of colors I keep adding? I'm using black ink for outlining, and colored pencil to fill in. These of course are photos of the actual drawing, but I'm loving how it's turning out. 

How is your Christmas gifting coming along?

p.s. Dad, don't let mom see this until AFTER Christmas!

Brown Paper Packages...

Ah, yes, here are some brown paper packages tied up with string. I wrap all my Christmas gifts in recycled grocery bags and sing that song from The Sound of Music with each gift I wrap. It's a wonderful way to save pennies on wrapping paper. And the unique beauty of each package comes from the ribbons and tags I put on them! All that to introduce these very special brown paper packages...

 

Inside each lovely envelope is a handmade item customized to match a dear friend's Christmas order. There are five packages total, wrapped and ready to give to my sister-in-law Aleah (my very first paying customer)!

 

I'm just a little bit excited about this. I've been working bit by bit making things for my future etsy shop and was thrilled to have an order placed even before my doors are officially opened...

 

Since I don't quite yet have a name picked out for my shop, I wrote my blog title and address on the little tags of these packages. That way each person who receives one will know where they've come from and who is behind the design.

This was such a fun project to complete. And I like to think of it as a little landmark on my journey towards owning a shop. Thank you Aleah for supporting my little creations! I love you...