Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Elephant ornament

My handstamped ornaments were a hit last year! This year I am creating new designs. This one is an Elephant. The design has been stamped by hand and can be personalized with any name or phrase. This one is made in brass but I also offer it in copper and Nickel silver. You can find this listed in my Etsy shop!





Sunday, November 28, 2010

What the?

Seriously?  Less than 4 weeks until Christmas?  When in the heck did that happen?  I don't even have my tree up yet!
Christmas 2009

I just got back last night from a week long trip to Southern California and was feeling a bit reflective this morning.  I really enjoyed getting out and taking 100% of my time to enjoy the moment I was in.

Not worrying about anything but what we were doing at the moment.

It's easy to do that while on vacation.  But too easily forgotten when you jump back into your regular schedule.

There isn't a time of year that I love more, or get stressed out about more than Christmas.  So many things going on, so many things you feel obligated to do.

So, I sat myself down this morning and had a stern talk with myself.  I'm not going to try to do everything.  I'm not going to put my girls in matching outfits, curl their hair, beg and plead with them not to get the hair messed up, sit still, don't wrinkle your outfit, on and on... and take them to the Gaylord and take their pictures. And at the end of it all, they hate it, I hate it, my husband and I will be fighting because I was so stressed out I snapped at him.....bah!

I want to keep it simple.  I don't want to feel the anxiety to get my tree up NOW! Rushing the girls along.  Hurry up, let's get this done...

No.

I'm going put the radio on the Christmas station, make hot chocolate, and we're going to take our time pulling each ornament out of it's year long wrappings.  Talk about each ornament, where it came from.

More often than not, it will have a story.  What we were doing at that time in our lives when it was added to our tree.

So we won't have a fancy picture this year.  So what?  I bet I'll be able to catch true joy on their faces by really being in the moment and enjoying an activity together.

Hopefully the memories we create in taking the little things, and enjoying them, really enjoying them will make the best memories of all.

That's the plan anyway...



P.S.  This font is horrible. I thought I'd try something new, but you can hardly read it.  sorry guys.  I can't figure out how to change it.  But I won't be using it again!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Orders completed, packages in the mail, finally cleaning my house, and hoping to find the time to get the yuck out from under my nails.


The yuck is a combination of dark brown spray paint and etching resist. The resist is a black tarry substance that has stained my skin and my nails. My hands are in a horrible state. Between all the working with metal, and the cold weather my hands and nails have taken a serious beating!

My youngest has her school Christmas play tomorrow. My friend at http://foodiewithlittlethyme.blogspot.com and I are in charge of decorations. Scary. Foodie is really talented and creative, and I enjoy working with her. We get along well and have similar likes and dislikes. I'd really like to have my hands and nails looking decent before tomorrow morning, they're getting embarrassing.

I'm finally beginning (after I'm finished here) to clean my poor neglected house. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to have everything completely wrapped up by Sunday, so I can spend the entire week with my kids and husband doing nothing but Christmas stuff.

The pic is of my Mom's Christmas present. Don't worry, she doesn't follow my blog, so it won't be spoiled. I know she's going to love it.

I have only one pending order that I am really excited about. It isn't due until January. I have a custom order for 2 sterling silver rings for best friends. One will have a star, and the other a crescent moon. It will be something I have never attempted before, but I really think I can do it. Think? Nay. I KNOW I can do it. I am grateful for the opportunity to spread my creative wings with this commission.

I've got all orders and packages to family and friends in the mail. It feels great! It was dropping that last bubble mailer into the slot at the post office that got me over the hump to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I almost feel like I can just coast now. But not quite. Not yet.

Monday, December 7, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....



I have been busy, busy, busy since Thanksgiving. My mom arrived on Thanksgiving day for a lovely long visit, and left yesterday at noon. I always enjoy having her here, lots of shopping, visiting and pampering. I do stuff when she's here that I usually don't do. Like getting a luxurious pedicure, having my eyebrows shaped with strings, and too much shopping!

Last Thursday night the girls were in Grapevine's Parade of Lights. My oldest is in a Brownie and her troop had a float. The gracious leaders allowed siblings to ride too. The girls had a great time being in the parade. It was cold but a lot of fun.

Just before my Mom came, Arturo did a little early Christmas shopping for me. Ok, I'll admit it right now. I am totally spoiled. He bought me a propane/oxygen Little Torch set up, a flex shaft, and the coolest four hand soldering set up. Who ever thought the day would arrive that I would be so happy to get tools for Christmas? But I am thrilled! I have managed to set up the torch and actually know how to run it without blowing up my house, have used it a little, but haven't made anything with it yet.

There is one thing after another that NEEDS to be done before Christmas, and I don't want to do any of them. I want to go into my little shop and not come out for awhile. My head is abuzz with ideas and designs that I don't even know if I can make! Is it possible to tell Santa all I want for Christmas is more time? And a maid, a cook, a driver, oh yeah! and a personal assistant would be great.......