A little more Christmas Journal

Here are a few more Christmas Journal pages. I will get caught up. Consider it my final resolution for 2006. It won't get done before the end of 2006, but I promise to finish it.

Day 17: Gifts
Do you buy off the list or from the heart?
Usually I choose off the list, but there's always a few people who something special just screams out for. This year, it was Ang. I found the perfect Wonder Woman notecards that had her name written all over them!

Day 20: Special Packages
When I traveled to Germany I stayed with the Vaters. Bobby is a great writer of letters and sender of packages. We did a great job staying in touch for a long time. In 2004, they were in Sri Lanka to celebrate Christmas at the same time as the tsunami. Luckily, they were not hurt. But, we have really lost touch since then. I'm especially sad about that at Christmas.
P.S. This page was created as part of my new DT gig at Scrap-tastic. Their sponsor for the month is Making Memories. This AE lift features MM products (PP and rub-ons).
Day 22: Things to Do
Since I was so drastically behind on the journal, I had no idea what things I still needed to do to get ready for Christmas on December 22 (the day this prompt was posted). My alternative was to make a list of the Christmas-y things I never managed to get done this year.


Day 23: Stockings
We never hung stockings right before Christmas in my house. It was always the night of December 5th to wake up to treats from St. Nick the morning of December 6th. My mom made my stocking, and I've had it for as long as I can remember. I was so inspired by her craftiness that when I first moved in with Brad I vowed to make a stocking for him. I started it seven years ago and still haven't finished!
I have lots of other things to tell you about:

• Christmas returning
• Making ravioli
• A Fancy Word for Simple
• New Years' Eve plans

I'm hoping to post again later today.

I haven't forgotten. . .

about my Christmas journal.

I've been trying hard to make sense of a messy house, spend some "me" time, enjoy my friends, and get organized. Those are all the things vacation is for, right?

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I've found some time to play catch up on my forgotten Christmas journal. I've invested so much in it that it seems strange not to finish (even though I'm to the point that I'd rather scrap anything besides Christmas). I'm going a little out of order.

Here is some Christmas eye candy.

Day 15: Who will I visit during the holidays?

Day 16: What am I grateful for?
Day 19: Letter to Santa
Day 21: State of my house during the holidays

ONE LAST THING! VERY IMPORTANT!
Check this out: A Fancy Word For Simple
It's a creative venture Angie and I started yesterday. We'd love for you to play along.

Crossed Over to the Dark Side

Bet you've been wondering where I've been!

Truthfully? I crossed over to the Christmas dark side and haven't really been feeling very bloggy.

I tried my hardest to do all I could to combat Christmas stress. Here is a list of what I did:

• bought cupcake cookbook and made three consequetive weeks of cupcakes instead of any holiday baking
• joined Shimelle's Christmas journal group
• visualized the stress that would be Christmas to try to prepare and calm myself
• got fabulous new Christmas hair (Seriously hot hair!)
• bought fabulous new Christmas outfit (Okay. That's a lie. Bought several fabulous new Christmas outfits.)
• mailed my brother's package in time for Christmas arrival in CA
• searched out my favorite Christmas tunes

Alas, none of it worked and the dark side has taken over. I am in Christmas hell. Relatives, food, presents, blah, blah, blah. It's all over-shadowed by the prospect of too many people and too many places and too many miles!

But, I'm taking a lot of solace in the fact that my Starbucks is open on Christmas! HOORAY!

Christmas Music

A secret confession before you look at the LO below.
I used to be a big nerd.
Shoulder pads. Braces. Unibrow.
Harp player.
All-around nerd.

If that horrible picture doesn't bring you some holiday joy, I don't know what will!

Never enough weekend

Why does the week go so slow and the weekend fly by?
Why do I never seem to have enough time to get everything done?

We finished our Christmas shopping today (except the two gifts that I agreed to make).
We started (and almost finished) our wrapping.

Brad made fun of me because I packaged up the gifts in shopping bags according to each Christmas visit that we have to make. The total number of visits is currently at 4 (plus coffee with a friend). I estimate this will involve nearly 900 miles of driving between Friday evening and Monday afternoon.

Yes. That's right--900 miles. It's all fine and dandy that everyone wants us to be part of their Christmas traditions. But, with 900 miles of driving in less than four days, it just doesn't leave a whole lot of room for having any of our own Christmas traditions. Unless you consider driving in the car bitching at each other a Christmas tradition.

Anyway. . . enough complaining.

Here are the two Christmas journal LOs I finished today.

Journal Day 11: How has Christmas changed?
It was actually this little LO that prompted the rant you just read. Journal Day 12: Opening the Presents
What traditions does my family have surrounding the opening of the gifts?In other news. . . I'm completely going in to television withdraw. Why don't the producers of my favorite shows realize that I need the humor and vacation from reality they offer to survive the holiday season? Why, why, why are there no new episodes until January?!?!?

Check it out!

(Imagine the title of my post said in my very best Ferg-e-licious voice.)

I bet you're wondering why I haven't posted any Christmas journal pages, right? It's because I was HERE with HER working on this little Christmas-y project. Fun times were had by all!



But, have no fear. I cranked out one page for my journal this morning. I've been dying to use my Jenni Bowlin kit since it came on Wednesday. This is the magical creation I came up with.


The prompt (day 11) was about Christmas trees. Most of the other pages I saw focused on the actual finished tree. But, honestly? I think I like our traditions that surround choosing a tree more than the decorating.

We always, always, always cut down our tree. We bundle up and pack in to the truck (with the dog) and head out to find the biggest possible tree for the space we have. I love it!

Important Business (and more Christmas Journal)

IMPORTANT BUSINESS:
I'm officially part of the Scrap-tastic Design team. As if that was not fabulous enough, I'm on the team with some seroiusly talented ladies including Emily!

More IMPORTANT BUSINESS:
You have to check this out: Brandy's Christmas Album. Seriously. When is the last time you saw something so pretty?!?!?

Sorry to bore everyone with more of my Christmas journal pages, but I finished two more tonight. It seems like lately my blog has come to be dominated by my holiday-related scrapping.

Day 9: Holiday traditions
Most of our holiday traditions deal with food. None of them involve any kind of physical activity Guess that explains a few things about my physique. Completely, totally, and entirely scrap-lifted this LO from one in the January/February 2007 Simple Scrapbooks by Gabby Feteke. Her stuff is so darn cute!Day 10: Wrapping Gifts
The directions for this LO suggested I use some of my Christmas wrapping paper. Truth is--I haven't bought any yet! The only wrapping related purchase I've made is the strange pink ribbon included on the page.

Signs of the Season

Christmas Journal--Day 8: Signs of the Season
What sights mean Christmas to you?


Discovered tonight that Peppermint Mocha actually makes a trip to Walmart almost tolerable.

A huge shout out to my scrappy friend, Em. Wonderful things are happening to this seriously talented chic. You deserve it, Em.

Christmas Shopping

Last post for today--I promise.

Finished up my Christmas Journal entry for today. It was all about Christmas shopping.

I normally really love shopping. But, I despise Christmas shopping. I think it's the pressure to buy just the right thing. Plus, so often it seems like I'm buying just to buy not because I'm buying something meaningful. I know I could just buy things all year as they remind me of people. I know I could start early. I know all of these things. I just don't do them and end up at the mall the week before Christmas trying, frantically, to get all the shopping done.

Homeless No More

I know you were all very worried about where I've been putting all of my Christmas Journal pages. Well. . . (drum roll, please!). . . . Ta Da!


One American Crafts 3-ring album (8/5 X 11") covered with Basic Grey. I seriously should have bought stock in that company prior to embarking on this Christmas Journal journey. Have you ever used Tacky adhesive from Scott? It smells seriously funky, but this goop would adhere anything to anything. Really fabulous stuff. Try it for all your adhering needs.

I've also added--for your viewing pleasure--a shot of our Christmas tree. We had to cut about 12" off the top to fit it in our living room.


See those lovely biege curtains in the background? Those ones that top off the cream-colored mini blinds? Hideous combination, aren't they? I've been meaning to replace those since we moved in 18 months ago. Oh. And don't you just love the wooden curtain rods?!?!?

And, if you're thinking, "Oh, yuck. They have a popcorn ceiling!" You'd be correct. We do. Again, not my doing! And I was too afraid of what I might find underneath to scrap it all off. The best part (which you only really notice in person) is that it actually has glitter in it. That's right, dear readers. I have a sparkly ceiling in my living room AND kitchen.

It's so not the Pottery Barn house I dream of.

Also, a close-up, arty shot (out of focus) of the bubble lights that are strung all over our tree. We always had these as a kid on our tree. When I had my first grown-up tree I had to have them!

Made Brad prime rib for his big Birthday dinner. It's in the oven. Also made birthday cupcakes! Little minty, chocolately creations.

Still need to finish my Christmas journal page for today. Still need to finish the laundry. Still need to write birthday thank-yous. It's going to be a long night.

Another Journal Entry

This prompt made me think about all the Christmases gone bad.

• There's the one where I was puking my guts out.
• There's the one where my family was in the car and my sister was puking her guts out (into my dad's boots!).
• There's the one where my brother went to Space Camp and the rest of us spent a week on Alabama. NOT A FUN PLACE TO VISIT.
• There's the one where we had Christmas at my Grandma's nursing home.

Totally stole this rockin' LO right from Elsie Flannigan's book. It was just so darn cute; I had to take it. I've never threaded ribbon through paper like that, and I've never sewed on my own buttons. Very fun!

Advent Calendar

I love the Day 5 prompt (How do you count down to Christmas?).
Really, I did.

But, this page took up way too much time to be part of my stress-free Christmas plan.


In other news, if I ever manage to get our of my pajamas today I have lots to do:

1. Pick up Brad's birthday gift. (I bought him an iPod Nano. It's save to say this on my blog because he never, ever reads my blog.)
2. Grocery shop for Brad's birthday dinner. (He wants prime rib.)
3. Bake cupcakes for Brad's birthday. (Are you sensing a theme here?)
   
4. Buy a few Christmas gifts if I can even get close to the mall.
5. Get my scrap on. I have some crafty gifts planned.
   

Day 4: Christmas Perfection

If you know me, you know I can be a a big perfectionist.
Okay.
I am a big perfectionist.

So, today's journal prompt was great for me. What might your perfect Christmas be like? I took kind of a funny twist and made some outrageous requests for my perfect Christmas.

Hmmmmm. So far none of them have happened. I think the only one I'm even close to is having a Peppermint Mocha every day.

Christmas Journal: Day 3

The Christmas-y prompt for today was all about cards.

I've only gotten one Christmas card so far this year--Ang and Mike's cute card! And I decided not to send any myself. It was part of the de-stressing plan for the holidays.

I've wanted to do a LO like this (made from old Christmas cards) since I saw it on Ali E.'s blog last year. These cards are a compilation of some I've saved from the past two Christmases.

Tell me about your Christmas cards.

I refuse to be the Grinch!

I refuse to ruin Christmas for all the Whos in Whoville!
I want to open presents and sing songs and feast with all the other Whos!

I'm tired of Christmas being this big stressful affair where all I do is worry about which relatives I won't manage to cram in to the visit home or whether or not I'll buy the right gifts. I am going to have a stress-free Christmas this year.

Thus--my Christmas journal is born.
I will take time every day to remember the good things about the holidays.

I'm doing a Christmas Art Journal class hosted by Shimelle (whose love of all things cupcake might just make her my scrappy British twin). Everyone else is on day 5 or 6 of 37. Not me. I finished Day 1 yesterday and Day 2 today.

I'm behind.

That's just how it's going to be.

See?!?!?

It's working already! That's me. Not being stressed!

Day 1: Christmas Manifesto

Day 2: What kind of weather makes Christmas feel right?
Sorry for the bad pic. Can't get that color to photograph quite right.

Happy 27 to Me!

Had a fabulous birthday weekend topped off with surprise posts from super-thoughtful friends. Check them all out here. Tons of phone calls from friends and family, too. Thanks, everyone.

Wanted to share a quick pick of the fantastic-should-go-into-business Black Forest cupcakes that Angie and I concocted Saturday.

Cocoa powder. Heavy whipping cream. Plenty of cherry brandy. What's there not to love?!?

Sunday we went (in the freezing cold) to get our tree. No snow--just cold, cold, cold. Had to have a little Starbucks pick me up before braving the weather.SStay tuned for some pictures of the Christmas tree (sometime soon!)

I'm OKAY!

Okay. So, for everyone I've made nervous and worried.

I am pleased to announce (drum roll, please!). . . . . . . .

I am feeling fabulous today!

I still don't have my normal robust appetite (That's right. My appetite is not small, delicate, or lady-like. It is robust). But, I feel fantastic. No pain pills in about 24 hours.

Tons of good things happening to me today:

NON-Scrap Related:

• Emails from friends checking up
• Some very unexpected flowers from new friends
  
• A birthday package (Giada cookbook)
• A birthday card (with a martini recipe my grandpa clipped from the paper for me)
• Fun dinner at home with friends
• Great celebratory plans for tomorrow

SCRAP Related

• These absolutely fabulous new scrappy goodies. Seriously. This girl is a genius. I always thought my biggest scrappy girl crush was on Ali E., but this girl is giving her some serious competition.
• A cyber-crop at Scrap-tastic. How fun!
• A crazy-expensive package filled with scrappy goodies including (but not limited to): Hambly rub-ons, Hambly Christmas transparency, chipboard snowflakes, rubber stamps, more stick pins
  

Now that I have probably sickened all of you with my happiness, I'm retiring to my scraproom.