FYI: Merry Christmas 2012

 

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed the last few days full of family and good food and warm hugs and all things good.  We were fortunate to have lots of family around and several good meals and some thoughtful gifts.

 

 

 We also got a white Christmas. Just in time. It was snowing all day Christmas Eve and then sunny and blue and white on Christmas Day. So perfect.

 

 

The presents made it under the tree just in time too. This year I opted for all kraft paper with some red ribbons, and my new favorite--burlap strapping. It is such a generous width and comes on a very long roll. And it's got great drape. Such pretty bows!

 

 

I have always loved gift-giving and used to dedicate days in late November and early December to hunt through stores for just the right thing. It seems impossible to get to a store these past few years so it it's either an online purchase or something handmade, and I much prefer the handmade.

 

 

But it does take some time... so I had to cut a few things off my hand-making list this year. I accomplished a decent amount of sewing (these blankets for instance), but some I am saving some for gifts in the early part of 2013. They'll likely be more fun then anyway because they will stand on their own. Other things I just let go...

 

 

This was the first Christmas in quite a few that I didn't sew Christmas dresses for the girls to wear to church the Sunday before. It was relatively easy to let that "to-do" go because I had sewn last minute dresses for our beach/Christmas card photos. But the ruffled dresses wouldn't work on a snowy Christmas Sunday, so we found some to buy instead and the girls looked adorable. Part of me wondered why I don't just buy more and sew less--it is much easier! But I was telling my husband it's somehow hollow. So it's hard to know which way to go. I guess it's all about making the trade-off that makes the most sense at the time. I'm working on being able to discern that! 

 

 

I feel like I struck a pretty good balance this year. I hope you did too. I was looking for a peaceful Christmas and am praying for a peaceful new year. (Thus the more serene Christmas greeting this year--cards executed beautifully by Jill Means of Brightside Prints. I love the bamboo paper!) We all need some more days and nights where it is "calm and bright." That's my Christmas wish for you.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

My "FYI" posts share news or a perspective about something that's been on my mind. You can read them all here.