Makeover

I've always wanted to be on one of those makeover shows. New hair. New makeup. New clothes. All of which would make me look amazing for one day and one day only, because there is no chance that I would ever be able to recreate it by myself at home...but, to have that one day where I was transformed. BLISS!

Since that doesn't look it will be happening anytime soon, I decided that SOMETHING needed a makeover. I don't have the money to makeover the house. I don't have the want-to to makeover the yard. So, the winner of the makeover was....

MY BLOG!!

What do you think? Isn't it amazing?

This beautiful and so "me" design is by a very talented blog designer. You can find her at http://www.blogsbydanielle.blogspot.com/ She is fantastic to work with and will do everything just like you want it. I'm so happy and so glad that I gave this little Christmas present to myself!!

Yes, No, and Some Longer Answers

I've started this post 4 times....nothing is workin' for me tonight. I think I'm too tired. I've had nothing but 3 hours sleep each of the past 3 nights. And last night's 3 hours don't count, because this insanely loud thunderstorm kept waking me up....





So, because I really want to post something new, but because I have reached beyond my capabilities of any type of creativity tonight, I'm going to steal this meme (I just learned what that word means today, by the way, so I feel super-techno using it here) and call it a night....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends what is going in 'em. If it wraps easy...it is wrapping paper for sure...but only the good kind from Hobby Lobby. If I can't wrap it without it looking like Tate did it....gift bag for sure.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial....always artificial. No mess and no sneezing.

3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever I can get the husband to get the boxes down from the attic...usually the week after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Last year it was the end of January....yes, I'm one of those people.

5. Do you like eggnog? Gross.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Toss up between the me-size Raggedy Andy doll or my wicker Barbie furniture.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom. So hard to wrap up that "Just want everyone to be healthy and happy" that she asks for each year.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself....my mother-in-law has me buy my own presents and wrap them for her....works for me.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes....a handcrafted one made in Thailand.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail...definitely.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A tube of toothpaste from my sweet Aunt Fay...probably one of the most hysterical Christmas memories ever. I think my cousin got Denture Cream. *my sister just commented and said that she thought it was actually hemorrhoid cream that my cousin got....that's even better than the denture cream! HA!*

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Ooooo...love Christmas movies. Not sure much beats watching the 7 day marathon of "A Christmas Story" though.....love the leg lamp.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Week of Thanksgiving....never before.

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but it wasn't the toothpaste.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate covered pretzels and Chex Mix.

16. Lights on the tree? Of course. White...always white.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Religious....Emmanuel. Secular.....Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home? You mean people really do that? Our little family has NEVER had Christmas in our own home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Probably...but, I'll need to sing the song for help.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Depends on whose house we're at. My mom is worse than the kids about waiting and ours end up being opened Christmas Eve. Kirk's parents are sticklers for the Christmas morning thing.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The emphasis and stress on gift-giving.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? No theme....see here.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm supposed to say that I don't want anything, right? I'd be lieing. I want one of those flash drive things that you can plug in and get wireless internet access through any cell phone tower you are near (I should probably know the name of that, shouldn't I? Way too tired to look it up tonight, too....)

Fun stuff....

Merry Christmas!

Trying to Move

So I'm trying to figure out how to get it back? My bloggy composure that is...

These last few blog posts (I deleted a couple based on conviction) have felt like some crazy, other-worldly, cheap episode of Dr. Phil therapy. I've felt myself tearing up just thinking about some of the circumstances that led up to some of my comments and words (and some of the ones that happened after my finger hit publish), and it makes me all weepy again. Therapy, of some sort, might ought to be in order.

So, although I'm moving past my rough couple of days in real-life, I'm still trying to figure out how to move past it in blog-life.

This is my journal. My record. It has been the one journal that I've actually kept up with with any consistency, and I appreciate this forum so much. So, even though I'm a brand new blogger, I feel totally at home here. I love knowing that people are like me...that they share the same bad-hair days, scream-at-your-kids days, and don't-want-to-get-out-of-your-jammies days. I love knowing about people's families, their discoveries, their passions, and their dreams...

But, I'm at a loss....

Not really sure where to go from here. I don't have any funny stories. No crazy anecdotes. No random thoughts to type haphazardly. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

So, all apologies for those of you that are even still logging on to see what I might possibly have to say (after the last few, I'm surprised that one of you hasn't called for the white van and the straightjacket!), but this is all you get tonight....

Tomorrow.....surely tomorrow.....

Off

Ever had a day where things are just off?

I don't mean off as in you giggle about things you wouldn't usually crack a grin at, or you eat something new for the first time and then either someone makes you laugh so it comes out your nose or you end up spitting it in a napkin only to have the preparer ask to borrow the napkin (both of which have happened to me...horrifying, I know).

No, I mean off in that you aren't even yourself. Totally an off day.

Started out with a bizarre little incident here at the house. Sorry to be so vague here, but it is in everyone's best interest...namely mine. I mean....really bizarre. Did something today that I've never done (but totally not in the good way) and then turned around and did something that I've never done (in the totally good way) to patch it...if you can call it that. Off.

Spent an afternoon of watching the clock run down time and not knowing at all where it went. I have so many projects to work on that just keep my family going that are so totally neglected. Projects like clean underwear and a dinner that consists of something other than a bag of SpiderMan fruit snacks... Off.

Have so much work to do on special orders for Nola Mae, but can't even get out of this chair to go work on it. It's like I'm glued. It isn't that I don't have the energy...I'm not a bit tired....just can't make myself do it. So instead, I'm sitting here watching VeggieTales even though every person in my house that is under the age of 9 is sleeping....again, can't get out of the chair to do anything about it, and the remote is lost in my couch. Off.

My dad threw a sermon my way this morning via the comment page on humbleness....maybe that is what this day is about....

Humility.

I guess everyone needs a day of humility to ground them.....I just wish mine wasn't today....when I had so much to do.

If I could relive this day....I totally would. I would have not been bizarre this morning, and I would have chunked the clock and just buckled down. I would have climbed my Laundry Everest, and I would have at least cooked a hot dog for the poor children. I would also have pendants out to dry and in my jammies watching a good movie by now.

Humility.

Still no clean undies....and still watching Larry.

Butterflies

Feeling a little panicky.

Tomorrow is Ribbons and Bows...my very first craft show. I've got a booth all set up and all my pendants are in place. I'm sharing my booth with Pet Panache, my friend Lisa's brilliant line of all things fantastically doggie (and kitty).

The booth looks very snappy...thanks to Lisa, and I've got about 200 pendants ready to go. But, panic is settling in the pit of my stomach.

I'm terrified that no one will buy anything and I'm going to come away feeling totally discouraged and down-trodden. Surely this is what everyone feels their first bull out of the shoot.

We'll see, I guess.....I'm sure that after a totally sleepless night and a few rounds of cold sweats, I'll feel much better!

*If you live in the area...come see us! My great friend, Stephanie, will have her very precious Addie Mae items there, too.*

Guess I Don't Know My Kids That Well After All...(a lesson in generosity)

One of my favorite parts of this Christmas season is giving. I'm like every other red-blooded human on the planet and enjoy receiving a good gift or two, but it is giving that really gets my blood pumpin'. I love every step of gift-giving, from the picking out to the seeing happy faces after the gift has been opened.

It is so hard in this crazy materialistic world we live in to keep our kids' focus on the true meaning of Christmas and on the importance of unselfishness. Especially when one of those kids is an ornery little red-head who is deadset on getting a BB Gun for Christmas and also feels as though the world revolves around him.

One thing that we usually do as an act of service to others this time of year, and that gives my kids an opportunity to take pause and actually consider the concept of generosity, is Operation Christmas Child. We have stuffed many a shoebox with our well-thought over (and sometimes fought over)tiny gifts of practicality and necessity. This year, however, the deadline crept up on me and we ran out of time. (Our small group at church and Keaton's class at school all packed shoeboxes -- so, I feel fairly involved, even though we didn't pack any personal boxes at home.)

But that left me without our usual charitable kid-oriented project. In all the craziness of the holidays and such, it actually had slipped my mind (yikes!) until yesterday and one of our usual run-into-Walmart-for-two-things-and-come-out-with-fifty trips.

Set up in the front of the store are the Angel Trees. Each tree is decorated with sheets detailing the Christmas needs and wants of area kids. I've passed by these trees a hundred times already this season, but haven't stopped to even look at the Angels. I've participated in Angel Tree projects before and know how rewarding they can be, but just have never done it with my family before.

I was on my way to waltzing right past them again, when Sawyer (the red-headed ornery one) stopped me.

That's a funny looking tree, Mom.

What's funny about it, Saw?

It is decorated in paper. How come?

Those papers tell people about kids who aren't going to have nice Christmases like you. It tells what they need and want for Christmas.

Who's going to buy them stuff?

Well, anyone who wants to. If you want to help a little boy or girl have a nice Christmas, you can have one. (I start to push my buggy on into the store.)

I wanna do that.

Insert gaping mouth and flabbergasted look....this after all is Mr. Center of the Universe...charity is not his strong suit...

Really?

Yes. I want to help a little boy.

So, my fellas and I shopped around for an angel all of our own. The boys were so excited as they circled the tree and searched for one that they wanted to buy toys for. We finally settled on this one...

We shopped and shopped for our little angel. We bought toys and clothes. Underwear and coloring books. Shoes and crayons.

And not once in the toy aisles did I ever hear anything about themselves. No "Can I keep it?" or "I want that for Christmas." They were so wrapped up in the Angel, that their own wants never crossed their mind. After getting home and looking over all our purchases, we prayed for our little Angel.

So, I'm left feeling a little guilty for thinking that my children don't have a generous bone in their bodies, and feeling a huge amount of pride in knowing that my children do get it. That even though they may act like hooligans and fight like cats, deep down they are beginning to understand one of the reasons for this very precious Season.

O Christmas Tree

I love Christmas. Aside from all of the religious significance, the season just makes me happy. It is impossible to stay in a bad mood while you are staring down the nose of a snowman stocking or looking in the eyes of a stuffed gingerbread man.

One of my most favorite things is my tree. It isn't fancy by any means, but it is full of very special memories. From tree skirt to angel topper, I can tell you every detail of each ornament's existence. Our tree has not one single decorative piece....every item is "us."

I was having a discussion with my sister the other day about trees. She has been blessed to always live in large houses, that have room to afford several trees with several themes. I know others follow this same suit, and I have wished in the past that I had a larger home, in which each room had its own personal tree. But, because we are so cramped for space, we just have one tree, and we haphazardly cram all our ornaments on it -- matching theme or not.

Last night, while we were putting up the tree, I was thinking how glad I am that we have our one very crammed tree. That our manger scenes hang next to Scooby Doo, and our snowmen mingle with the angels. I love it. We have reds and golds and blues. We have cartoon characters with elegant figures. But, this is just how I like it.....it is so "us."

Here is a sample of our hodge-podge, but perfect, tree....

One of our family traditions is that every one gets a new ornament in their stocking each year. It all started with this....the ornament that I received from Kirk on our very first Christmas together.

You may recognize this ornament, if you ever received a package that was gift-wrapped at JC Penneys in the '90s. Kirk worked there all through high school and college, and was one of the star gift-wrappers (he still wraps the prettiest packages!). When we were first married, we needed ornaments for our tree, and he brought home all the ornaments that they would decorate their packages with.....I still have them all, and I smile every time I see them. They remind me of that very special time in our newlywed lives.

We have lots of snowmen and Santas....each labeled with names and dates.

Here are some of Kirk's ornaments....every tree should pay homage to the Cards and Simpsons!

We have a whole collection of Chrismons....handmade in Thailand. (I have other ornaments made overseas, too....love that!)

We also have lots of ornaments that came from many a-game of Dirty Santa and ornament exhanges. This one is my favorite.....I fought hard for this one in a rowdy Sunday School party Dirty Santa game a few years ago! I think there are probably still some Adult 6-ers still holding a grudge over it!

We even have Elmo tucked in our tree.

I'm typing this while sitting in the dark just staring at the twinkly lights of my tree. Love it so so much! Even if it is all hodge-podgy and mis-matched. It is so perfect. Couldn't imagine anything better!!

Some of my bloggy friends have posted pictures of their pretty trees....just because Christmas trees make me happy, I wanted to share them with you....check them out here, here, here, and here.

*Another bloggy tree....this one is really fun!*