Monday, December 22, 2014

Getting ready for Christmas....

I always think I am so busy when Spring gets here, getting the garden ready, tending the plants,  harvesting the produce and then...next thing I know I have to start thinking about Christmas...and I get busy all over again! :)

I've had a multitude of thoughts over the past several weeks, however I just never had the time to  set down and write them out. The maker room has been going hot and heavy since about mid September when I started working on the grandkids costumes. From there my feverish brain began to get "ideas" on what I'd like to make and give for Christmas and the maker room became off limits to the family for the rest of the season. I'd already informed my children that this year would be a "homemade" Christmas to which I followed with the oft used phrase my granddaughters use: "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit"!! Not that any of my kids or grandkids would ever throw a fit over anything I might hand out, but it seemed a fitting remark at the time since I wasn't completely sure where all these ideas of mine were heading! ;) Let's just say those "ideas" got a little out of hand and I ended up with a conglomeration of things, but I think there will be a little something for everyone in all of it!

And....I'm not quite done!! I would have been done, but a certain item I purchased back in November to help me along went kaput on me over the weekend. It is however, being replaced, free of charge, and I have been assured it will be here before Christmas, so I hope they know of what they speak and it arrives within the next two days. It's not that I couldn't give what I have without this particular thing, but it just adds that extra touch to the homemade-ness of my gifts and that was the part I was striving for. In the meantime, the idleness is killing me...I don't do last minute very well at all. I commend those folks who can wait til the last day or two before Christmas to do their shopping/creating, but I would have a nervous breakdown if I ever tried that! So what have I done in the meantime? Come up with another idea of course! LOL! Yes, yes I know...that could easily be considered last minute, but in MY mind, I can relegate these particular things to the "not necessary" pile...if it works, I get it finished, then GREAT!! If not, that's okay too because I already have gifts ready and waiting...these will just be extras!!

But it's the fairness of things that always gets me in trouble! This latest idea came about after seeing the newest post on a favorite blog of mine...it was necklaces made from clay and one particular necklace caught my eye because it was one I knew the youngest granddaughter would love to have...yes, it has to do with Frozen!! ;) I didn't have all the things that were listed on the blog in order to make it, but I did have some things I could substitute, or at least thought I could substitute, so substitute I've done. I realized I had the clay, I had the stamps, and I had some paint, so might as well give it a try. I liked where I'd gotten so far, but then that fairness thing kicked in...if I made one for one granddaughter I probably should make one for ALL my granddaughters....see how I get myself into trouble?!!! So this morning I've pulled everything out and made two more, in a different format of course, since the other two are older and not into Frozen at all. So far, what I've pulled out of the oven looks pretty good, now I just have to paint, glaze, and string them all and I'm done (see how I convince myself this was a quick and easy process?!). There are times when I fully believe I am my own worst enemy...especially at Christmas time!!

While I might sometimes work myself into a corner, I do love the making, but even more so, I love the giving and for me Christmas is just the perfect time of year to do that. I don't make near what I used to, or give to all those that I did once upon a time. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that my time is shortened so much with working that I sometimes do well just to get my own family taken care of. It's this time of year, that I often wish I was retired, because then my list would get to grow. I'd still work myself into a corner, but it would be fun to know I had the time to get to that corner! Still, I do enjoy my job and I enjoy my making so I've learned to make the two things work together as best I can...and if I get an idle day now and then? Well, I just make necklaces!!

Merry Christmas everyone...and may your own corners be happy and bright!!




~Patti