Pink Saturday-Christmas Decoration

Beverly of How Sweet the Sound asked the Pink Saturday participants to post their favorite holiday decoration. I would say that the holiday decorations that really warm my heart are those that my children made through out their growing up years. Sometimes they've hung on the family tree and other times on their own individual tree. I didn't get them out this year because I opted not to put up a tree for two reasons-1) we are having Christmas at my daughter's house and she put up a HUGE tree that I can just sit and enjoy and 2) I'm the one that puts it together and decorates it, then takes it down after Christmas. So we will see how this goes for me because I love to turn the lights out in the evening and just look at the Christmas tree lights. It's so soothing just to sit and look at it, much like watching a fire going in the fireplace. I do want to share with you a picture of a Jim Shore snowman that I enjoy putting out every year. I love all his angel and snowman figurines. Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful December!

More than two thousand years ago Joseph and Mary knocked at the door of an overcrowded inn and were told, "No room." Today, Jesus knocks softly at the door of our overcrowded hearts. With all the excitement and joy of making this a Christmas to remember, let us promise ourselves to find room for the One whose birth we celebrate.

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift-indescribable, inestimable, incomparable, inexpressibly precious beyond words. -Lois Lebar

Pink Saturday-Childhood Memory

I failed to get my name in for Pink Saturday but I will go ahead and post and who knows how many will stop by today? I want to welcome each and everyone and hope your December is going well and you are taking time out for yourself. Beverly asked that we share a childhood memory along with a decoration or photo. There are many that warm my heart and make me smile like this one I want to share with you....

I was about 8 or 9 years old when asked to play the part of Mary in the Christmas pageant at our local church. I was very thrilled and would practice how Mary would look by draping a bath towel over my head and making up lines to recite. I found out in the first rehearsal that another girl wanted the part also and cried to her mother about wanting it. Being so young at the time I did not understand, and my mother never said why, but the part was taken away and given to the other girl. I was devastated and I remember my mom saying how sorry she was but that she was proud of me for not throwing a fit like the other girl and carrying on. But I was crying on the inside. The program director wanted to make it right somehow and asked me if they could use my dolly as baby Jesus. That took all my sadness away! I was so thrilled that my dolly would play the part of baby Jesus! I chose my best doll blanket and the night of the play I carried it to the program director with great pride. It was the best gift I could give to the church play. I have many good childhood memories of holidays and family traditions but in the light of giving this holiday season sometimes just the simplest gift from the heart is the best gift of all.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Oh my! It was a cold one this morning! Some areas reported 24 degrees! To me anything below 40 is cold. I'm a native of this state and grew up east of the mountains where the winters are cold and snowy and the summers can be hot and dry but the older I get, the harder it is for me to stay warm in the winter. Even my little bug seemed to shake and shudder as I drove to work this morning.

Collage Suitcases

After a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, I invited some girlfriends over to do a little crafting on Sunday afternoon . Each one of us had found a small suitcase or train case to alter with collage images. After setting up our work stations and picking out the paper we rolled up our sleeves and started in. We tore, cut, and ripped up scrapbook paper, vintage images and other papers to cover our suitcases. Our fingers were coated with Mod Podge and liquid adhesive but we had a great time. Each one was so different and each finished piece seemed to match our personalities.

Charly went with a travel theme and chose images and paper that had scenes from various destinations. She chose not to cover her entire luggage.

Linda picked out some Amy Butler scrapbook paper and tore and cut pieces randomly to cover her small suitcase. It had a look of a scrap quilt!

Karen chose darker print paper to cover her suitcase. After tearing the paper, she would distress the edges before layering them on the suitcase.

Here's my train case in progress. I chose some Cavallini paper with bird and nest images. I also put some vintage children sitting in the birds nests.

All completed! We had the best time! A couple of the girls said they were actually going to use their altered suitcases in their travels. I will use mine to hold my craft supplies. This holiday season, have a few girlfriends over, mix with a little goodies and beverages, have a craft session and stir with a lot of laughter! It's a recipe for some good friendship time! Oh by the way, I have 2 more suitcases I want to cover... guess I'll get on the phone and call a few friends over!

Turkey Talk on Sunday

A Turkey Speaks

I never understood why anyone
would roast the turkey
and shuck the clams
and roast the croutons
and shell the peas
and candy the sweets
and compote the cranberries
and bake the pies
and clear the table
and wash the dishes
and fall into bed
when they could sit back
and enjoy a hamburger!

-author unknown

Pink Saturday

Welcome to my blog this Pink Saturday! I have been uncertain of what to post for this Saturday and it wasn't till I was going through pictures that I came across this one of my daughter taken 30 some years ago. Right away I knew I would share about this picture. Of course she has a pink coat on which helped for this post. I love this picture because of her chubby cheeks and happy face and little button nose. I think we were going to see her daddy at work.
But the more I looked at the picture I had to shake my head because she's sitting in the front seat of the car and she's not in a car seat or even buckled in a seat belt! Things are so different now. There's a lot of things that I may not have done right in raising my children but I think there were a lot of angels pulling double duty back then.
Now my daughter is a mommy, her little baby boy has chubbier cheeks and a cute little button nose like she had. I'm so proud of her. She just amazes me at how informed she is in giving the right care to her son and what will be good for his growth and development. If I could go back in time I would do some things different just because of what I learned from my daughter.

Stop by Beverly's How Sweet the Sound and check out more pink posts. I visited Ann-Kristin at Sweeter Living and I recommend that you stop by and see her pink post.