A December to remember

December is always a busy month, and I usually enjoy the hustle and bustle, but could of done with a little less this year.

The month didn't start off that great: the car needed new tires, the roof had a big leak, and the washing machine died.

Not the type of purchases you want to be making right before Christmas!  On the bright side I feel safe driving around, I can enjoy the Washington rain again, and I found an awesome deal on a LG front loading washing machine.  The washing machine even plays a happy tune when it has finished - laundry was never so much fun!

I was so busy getting ready for Christmas I did not get a chance to post any of my favorite craft projects.

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is making home-made gifts.

My favorite project was making these hand-painted Toms for Jadyn of her favorite boy bands.

I found fake Toms in solid black and at Rite Aid for $10. 

For the fronts I copied and cut out the logos for One Direction and Justin Bieber on contact paper and stuck it on the shoes, and then carefully painted them on.

For the back I stuck on alphabet stickers and painted over them, and removed stickers once paint was dry.

I think they turned out great and my daughter LOVED them.

For my next project I really got carried away making these fun frilly scarves.  Each scarf was made from a XL men's T-shirts.  I also made matching flower clips out of the left over scraps.

For the scarves I followed the directions on this video from Studio 5.

My favorite ones were those made from sports t-shirts.  I am surprised that we have any t-shirts left in the house :)

I also had fun working with some of my co-workers decorating for our work Holiday party.  My favorite was crafting cone trees and Christmas Crackers.

 I must of made at least 50 cone trees (inspired by The Creativity Exchange) in all different sizes.  

With the close of the year, I look forward to 2013 and the opportunity to re-dedicate myself to improve.

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Working on a new look for blog

Trying out a new template for my blog and adding pictures for the sliders.

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Merry Christmas!

The best Christmas present ever!  

Everyone was willing to indulge me and take a family picture, priceless!

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Oooops!

I have been feeling a little glum with what seems to be a sudden realization that I am no longer a mother of 4 kids, but a mother of 4 young adults, and rapidly growing close to an empty nest.  Christmas is a little different with teenagers, as they tend not to show the same enthusiasm as they did just a few years prior.  

As I was putting up the Christmas tree I was feeling a little "grinchy", no-one wanted to participate, not even  Jadyn who for the last couple of years has put up the tree before I got home from my Black Friday shopping (although I should give her a break as she was not feeling well).

I was getting out the ornaments and I came across a box of hand-painted glass ornaments that I had purchased several years back. I had never hung these ornaments as I purchased them for the kids with a plan to add an ornament for each of them each year, and give them to them when they start a family of their own.  I went back and forth on the idea, but finally decided that since my kids are all acting so grown-up this year, why not have a grown-up tree with beautiful glass ornaments.  Jadyn finally joined in and helped me hang some of the ornaments and it was not too long before "Oooops!"

One of the large Nativity ornaments fell and broke on the floor.  I think I would usually of been quite mad and would have chastised her for not being careful.  However, this time it made me laugh, giving me the pick me up I needed, and a reminder that I do still have "kids."  

Plus I think it now shows a great view of the wise men who are on the back.

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Good-bye Sugar

No this is not a diet post, Sugar is a large golden brown stuffed dog.

Several years ago Sugar accompanied Jadyn everywhere she went, and held a prominent place on her bed at night.  A couple of months ago Jadyn became a teenager, and over this last year I have definitely seen her blossom from a child to a young woman.  Jadyn is the youngest of the family so it has been bittersweet to see this change.  Last year her room was stuffed with toys, books, games etc. and was often quite messy. Gradually she has purged her room of her childhood toys.  Posters of Tinkerbell have been replaced with Justin Bieber and 1D.  

Recently Jadyn completed another big purge, and this one included Sugar.  I don't know why it was so hard for me to see Sugar in the donate pile, as she had no monetary value, she was a 25 cent Yard Sale gift from Gran ma Nancy.  

When my kids were all young it seemed like they would never reach an age of independence.  

Now it is here and I am sad that it came too fast.

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