Introducing.... My top 12 Favorites

First of all... I just have to say .....

Ahhh...

Doesn't it feel good to have Christmas all wrapped up... ready to be placed under the tree... Doesn't that just "FEEL" better?.... ahhhh.... I'm soooooo happy for all of you !!!

I'm still working on it... but I'll be there soon!
I PROMISE!

I thought that I would just start off the 1st day of Christmas by taking the next 12 days to jot down my "top 12 favs!" ....I'm sure it is going to be hard to do - because I have so MANY favorites - but... one has got to start somewhere ... so for this year - it will be my favorite 12  things of Christmas.....

So... stay tuned... Tomorrow starts "MY TOP 12 FAVORITES!"

Here comes the WRENCH!

YEP! A wrench!

A BIG FAT wrench has been thrown in my plans.....

I'm working on the forgiving part ~ I really am... :)

Saturday, Nov. 20 marked my VERY last SATURDAY (well, actually my ONLY Saturday in 5 weeks) to get the BULK of my CHRISTMAS done.....

I had a LIST (surprise) of what I needed to accomplish THIS Saturday....

Yes - I'm sure it was a little tiny bit overloaded.... 

but I was determined to get most if not all done! 

I ended up staying up until 4:45 am on Saturday morning... (but I'm ok..) I knew that this was NOT going to be a good sign, but I had talked to Mr. and he KNEW what I needed to get done and I asked him to make sure I was up early so I could get my stuff done! 

WELL...... needless to say - he was being a SUPER KIND hubby - and decided that I NEEDED to sleep (I don't know why! I'm FINE!)  So I somewhat woke up about 9:15am...and continued to just lay there in a "non-coherent" state until 9:30 - at which time - I realized I was LATE for the girls Volley Ball tournament..... AND OH MY GOSH! I so did not have time for this! I must get on the road! THINGS TO DO! SO.... I began to "gather" my hoopla so I could get into the shower - which.... as I was just getting ready to get in - the phone rang and it was Elf #1 telling us that Elf #2 wasn't feeling well, and they needed me to come and get her...... agh....I asked Mr. to go get her.... He said "I need to shower"... ahhh HELLO! What do you think "I" am going to do????  I started to the shower then quickly changed my mind because I knew it would take me a good 30 minutes to get in and out and such - and Elf #2 would be FURIOUS!  So, I got out and put something "decent" on to go to the church house to get her. Mr. nearly ran to the shower at this point..... 

I got stuck doing something for the "dogs".... and then couldn't find my car keys .... 

I went back into the bedroom because I didn't hear the water running anymore and found that Mr.was out of the shower and he walked to the edge of the bed - he was complaining that he was "dizzy" and his head was spinning..... after a few minutes he decided to "lay down" - I made sure he was ok - then left to get Ris -  Upon my return - as I was running frantically because time was "ticking" away rapidly - and with this hair of mine it takes HOURS to dry - I knew I was going to be in for a long day... but a long day of wet hair it was going to have to be....

I walked into the bedroom and Todd says "I need a Nitro".... "WHAT!?!?! You said you were dizzy and light headed - you didn't say ANYTHING about your heart!"

Time: 10:15 am

I give him the nitro - make sure he is good - he assures me that he is and I run to the shower! Hurray as quickly as I can and as I'm drying off I hear a faint "Mrs.!"....  At first I thought I was just being paranoid ... so I continued to dry off.... "MRS!".... I poke my head out the bathroom door - he informs me that he needs another NITRO - it is not working...... 

Time: 10:33 am 

I give him another nitro - 

Run back to the bathroom, get dressed and TRY and brush my hair out.... 

Time: 10:45 am 

He calls me again and said, "Maybe you better call 911".... "REALLY????? SERIOUS??????"

"Well, maybe not, let me just change positions"

He moves around, and slides a pillow between his knees.... 

I return to the bathroom to attempt the snarled mane again...

Time: 10:48

"I think we better go to the hospital:".

 "OK....let's go"

He attempts to sit up and falls back down.... "I can't right now.... I'm out of breathe...." 

Ok.... what to do what to do..... 

Time: 10:50

called 911

Time: 11 something..... 

my bedroom is filled with paramedics, firemen, machines, bags of this that and the other 

and 3 minutes later.... stretcher in the hall.... 

Out the door they go... as I stand here with 3 upset girls....and a very wet mane! oh! And no make up either... SCARY!  Poor prarmedics! I do apologize... but at least I "smelt" clean... I hope.... :) 

SO.... all of a sudden.... my LIST was changed.... 

Did you see anywhere on there 

*SPEND NEXT 3 DAYS IN CVICU???? 

Well, I didn't either, so in order to make me feel that I accomplished SOMETHING on THIS my ONLY Saturday.... I just had to make some changes......

There! 

I feel much better now! 

Other than the fact that I'm not going to be done "CHRISTMASING" by Nov. 30th.... 

Oh well... it could have been so much worse! 

Feeling very blessed and grateful....

I think we'll just enjoy Thanksgiving and THEN we'll think about Christmas.....

Operation....

Projects underway....  and time is TICKING!!! OH MY! 

 It hasn't ALL been about Christmas ... 

Because you KNOW I love the fall as well! 

So, I had to sneak a couple of "GIRLS CRAFT WEEKENDS" in... 

And here is what we did.... 

I LOVE my "CHUNKY" Punkins! 

They stick around all of October and November.... 

I've had a set for YEARS! And everyone LOVES them - so this year - I cut them out and we "crafted" our PUNKINS.... 

I just LOVE seeing a piece of wood come to life! 

Then... we just HAD to get a bit more FESTIVE and we made the REALLY cute 

"Jingle all the way!" yard signs... again... very simple... 

 

And then.... I must admit... But PLEASE do not think of me any differently....

I have a "fabric problem" ... and the worse thing about it... 

(insert quiet voice) I do not sew.... 

I just had to have a Holiday pillow.....

 

Then, we decided to "SNEAK" in another "CRAFT TIME"... 

and we made THIS cute little yard sign!

 I know! I know! This is NOT helping me to accomplish my
TIS THE SEASON stuff.... 

But I'll get there - I promise... 

It sure makes me HAPPY though! 

Busy...Busy...Busy.....

I just don't know what happened to October.... and here we are half way through November! YIKES!!!!  It is coming so SUPER DEE- DUPER fast!!!! Will someone PLEASE slow down the clock!?!?!? Please.... I beg you.....

As I have reflected on the past 7 or 8 years and how much I have really NOT enjoyed Christmas... It saddens me.  I hope that I have not ruined my children.... I USE to enjoy decorating my house for every month and I USE to look so forward to the Christmas season... but life took a turn about 8 years ago and Mrs. Bah-Hum-Bug was born! I'm not proud of it by any means.... but it is what happened.....But this year.... THIS YEAR! MRS.MARY CHRISTMAS has come back!!! hee hee hee!!!  And I couldn't be more excited....

Yeah - I may not make my goal of being completely done by November 30th .... BUT I'm sure going to give it my best!  And I do know - I WILL NOT SLEEP THROUGH CHRISTMAS MORNING AGAIN!  I do know that I am going to TAKE TIME TO REMEMBER the REASON for the SEASON!  We - WE are going to enjoy the season as a family.... LIKE IT OR NOT!!!! :)  WE WILL!!!

As I look back in the past month or so, I feel like I'm getting nowhere - but when I look at my projects - they have been on going for quite some time... like most of them I started back in January - and a few of them I started a year ago in September... so it has been a long process - and I'm just hoping that the next 2 weeks... (15 days to be exact) I will see some SUPER progress and reach my ultimate goal of sitting back to relax and enjoy the holiday season the way it is intended to be.... at least "intended" for me!  :)  I just can't wait to get back to the "simple" things... the things that mean so much to my children and me too!  I've really missed it the past several years, I was too busy being a  "bah-hum-bug!"  I am just so determined to "enjoy" "relax" and "make the best of this year!".....

Now, I can't post EVERYTHING that has been going on in this "workshop" ... but here are a few glimpses of what I've been up to.....

Just a couple days after Halloween, I was in Wal-mart - and just happened to take a gander down the "close-out" isle... I stumbled across these black and orange bowls... the orange bowls had spiders and black cats on them... definitely Halloween... but the black ones... hmmm... surely  there was SOMETHING I could come up with - I mean come on  - they were 62 cents!  That's a deal!  One must think of something... so I grabbed 8 - (now I'm wishing I would have grabbed more - story of my life....)  anyway - for a few days I racked and racked my brain.... and finally!  Something came!.....Back when Mrs. Mary Christmas lived here the "ELVES" use to pay the kids a visit... every day the month of December... The "ELVES" would leave a "treat" or "activity" for the kids, OR sometimes it was a "note" reminding them that they need to work of being better.... because Mr. Claus was watching them... so thus, the ELF BUCKET" was created.... so so simple!  Just a few vinyl pieces cut and then slapped some "felt sticker" around the bowl... WAH-LAH!  ELF BUCKET!  And... this MRS and her little Elf Helpers will be delivering the "ELF BUCKET" with a treat and instructions to the doorsteps of our married kids .... Each morning, the REAL "ELVES" will deliver a "gift" or "note" to the bucket.... the kids are so excited... they can hardly wait!

Total cost for ELF BUCKET  about $1.50

Aren't they cute??? :) ( I let the 8yr old elf decorate! She was in HEAVEN!)

The ELVES and I have already made our trips to get most of the "goodies" for the Elf bucket... we just have a few "personal" touches to add.... 

I can hardly wait for those CUTE LIL ELVES! to visit! It's going to be so fun!  

I just LOVE the little reminders of the "REASON for the SEASON!" 

JUST LOVE IT! 

Stay tuned... there will be daily posts coming.... IF I don't fall asleep by accident! 

Good night, 

MARY CHRISTMAS! 

:)

This could be a WIN for you!!!

Well - it has been a while... but I've been busy... I'm running out of time!  I've found that the past 6 weeks or so - I've considered myself VERY lucky if I have gotten to bed before 3am!  Lately it has been more like 3:30-4:15.... BUT I would rather be doing that NOW instead of next month! I'm so determined to ENJOY the CHRISTMAS season this year! BUT.... let's just call this a BLUNDER based upon my lack of sleep, inability to "research" ... and possibly, YOUR GAIN! :) 

ONE of the many projects I have been working on this past SEVERAL months... and trying to bring the project to a close by months end....  A Family Recipe Book.

I have been working for nearly 18 months on this project and just thought I was so SMART and it was going to be a GREAT gift.... until..... UNTIL I discovered that the 9 books I'm putting together with a total of over 130 (2 sided)  pages of recipes.... was turning into a very COSTY project.... the biggest reason... all of those 130 plus pages need to be placed in "sheet protectors"..... BUT the problem is not the sheet protectors in general ~ it was the SIZE of the sheet protector that was adding up....I made the recipe books to fit a 5.5 x 8.5 size book, paper & sheet protectors..... AND I did NOT price the 5.5x8.5 sheet protectors BEFORE starting this project... My thinking was... it should be close to if not less than the cost of a full size sheet protector of 8.5x11.....Right??? I mean "logically" thinking.... well....  WRONG!!! Oh so WRONG!!! They are at least double and if you don't shop around, almost two and a half times more... SHEESH!!! Who knew!!! SO.... this began the next phase of "rethinking" the project.... I decided it would be more cost effective to print on full size sheets and remake my "menu" pages.... especially for as many as I was doing.... SO... here is where the WIN WIN for you come in to play.... I am now going to offer the 5.5x8.5 Menu Divider pages to any of you who may be interested.... Because, if you are just doing one or two books, it won't be nearly as spendy.... and depending on the number of recipes that you place in your book, well, that will make a great difference ... I tried to "omit" recipes from my book, but every one of the recipes are not only MY favorites, but some family recipes from generations back..... and even some from current generations.... and I was tired of having recipes written on receipts, scratch papers, lunch bags, you name it... I probably have a recipe written on it... yes even napkins! This was project started (as a request from my husband... he hates all my "recipe" cards that are tossed into the drawer)... and then, I decided to make it a goal... (being I'm working on my personal progress goals, along side my girls) ... and in one of my late night conversations with myself, I decided that this would make a great Christmas gift for family members..... So thus was born the "Family Traditions Recipe Book"..... 

I have ALMOST completed all of the 8.5x11 size dividers and this gift is just about to be wrapped and tagged and will be waiting for it's place under the tree!!!  I'm so EXCITED! But, I'll be sure to post a picture of the final product.... what a task this has been!  But a good one!  These are the type of gifts I LOVE to give!

I have 8 6sets of the 5.5 x 8.5 size Menu divider pages (all handmade of course) ... to include the following categories: APPETIZERS, SOUP, SALAD, MAIN DISHES, SIDE DISHES, DESSERTS, COOKIES, CANDY, DRINKS, BREAKFAST, BREAD and CANNING...

I will sell the set of 11 dividers for $10.00 (which includes shipping in the USA). If you want more than 1 set - take a 10% discount... if you want all "8" "6" sets... they are yours for $35.00.   So,  hurry - you know how that HOLIDAY shipping can be..... SEE! this is a WIN for you!!!! So, if you are interested - just shoot me a comment along with your email address - I will then delete your email information and contact you for shipping instructions...
(note:the paper/colors may vary slightly from the pictures on some sets.... I was trying to be "creative"...) 

I'm working on getting everything completed... 

It's so exciting to see this all coming together! 

How are you all doing???? 

Are you ready to ENJOY the season with me??

Oh I sure do hope so!

ALL RECIPE DIVIDERS ARE NOW SOLD!
THANK YOU!
I HOPE YOUR "RECEIVERS" WILL ENJOY THEIR RECIPE BOOKS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!