looking like Christmas

the kids and i have been crafting up a storm these last few days. of course not too many pictures of that yet. Aidan really wants to host his own craft show. {smiles} we have been practicing as we made the crafts. it's all very cute!

there have not been many of our personal touches in this house. we moved in June, but i've been totally overthinking the decorating. with the Christmas decorations up, it not only looks like Christmas...but it feels like home! not to mention i have made a decision to not hang on to any item for just sentimental reasons. would you believe i found ornaments or candle holders that were broken and still kept? i threw out nearly a half bag of decorations that i had been hoarding.

some of the decorations we made will not store well. i am looking forward to tossing them at the end of the season. like the paper chain garland. the christmas trees made out of old books.

this morning i had my last Christmas card class with a group at a local centre for providing respite care for parents and foster parents of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. i started with the staff, and then a few parents stayed when they dropped off their kids. considering the weather, we did very well. it was a fabulous time for them to spend some time doing something fun before the kids arrived. it helps to start the day off on the right foot. the moms who came were all foster parents. i was completely amazed listening to their stories. it truly is a gift to be a foster parent. the dedication and time spent with kids who could leave as quickly as they came. a totally unselfish act. it is really unfortunate the number of stories heard in the news about rotten foster families....we forget about the number of foster families who are dedicated to the children. a total honor to spend part of my day with them.


i took some time to look for different holiday inspiration tonight.

this wreath by Hollie K is so impressive. festive colours.

this is a pincushion by PennysByKristie. isn't that snowman adorable?!

or how about this gnome by TheTinyHouse. {you get three of them!}

it wouldn't be Christmas without something from Martha. this year i plan on making some chocolates with the kids. i think this one might be worth a try!



in other news, i just finished a project for an upcoming class at my LSS in January. i can't show the whole thing, but i thought i'd give you a few sneakies.







i think i did more experimenting for this design than i have on any other project! i was having a lot of fun trying different techniques, combining techniques until i picked a few of my favourites. surprisingly some of my "experiments" ended up being used on the project! love those kinds of surprises.

i have experimented before, but not always with success. i suppose i should share those stories too.


the weather here is truly "frightful". we have gotten about 20 cm of snow and many drifts with this blizzard. a good day to sit by the fire with a hot latte. i am hoping to squeeze in some scrapbooking for myself. i'm sure my family can spare me for a few hours....