Handcrafter's Holidays Meme

Well in case you are wondering - it DID snow over the weekend, Friday night to be exact! We had a breakfast with Santa Saturday morning so it was just a perfect intro to him riding in on his sleight. Our youngest did not enjoy meeting Santa and was terrified of the whole experience - a duplicate photo of last year's crying snapshot. It's a keeper!

I did finish two the Amy Butler bags for Morgane and her sister but the package to France has not been sent off. We are still in search of something unique for her brother - what do you send a French young man in his early 20's??? We'll have to track down something asap! I spent all day today decorating the inside of the house - putting up two trees this year (one upstairs and one downstairs). The upstairs in a noble fir and smells so good. It is decorated with hand-made ornaments and traditional colors and breakable (but cheap) glass bulbs. The downstairs is our artifical tree and full of our 10-year collection of ornaments. It was so fun to pull them all out this morning and reminisce the beginnings of each one. How far we've come and yet how far we still have to go. (The Big Easy and I will celebrate our 10-year anniversary this month!) My sweet little 2-year old was very eager to help place ornaments and did an excellent job - didn't break a one. She tenderly grouped like items together in low spots on the tree and didn't complain when mommy rearranged a few of them to other spots. The other two came home after school to a 'decorated' house and it was heart warming to hear their 'oohs' and 'aaahs' as they ran around re-discovering all their beloved ornaments, stockings, favorite Christmas books, stuffed animals and knick knacks. It made every maddening moment of decorating worth it. We decorated a pre-packaged gingerbread house kit (our first ever). Went smoother than planned despite a caved in roof. Hope it's still standing in the morning.

I love the website "Sew, Mama, Sew" and thought I'd get to answering the questions for their Handcrafter's Holidays Meme:

Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?
Every year Santa puts a toothbrush in our children's stocking and a Lifesavers Book (just like he did when I was a little girl!)

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?
(See the photos)

Name one thing on your personal wish list.
A Clover bias tape maker and a gift certificate to Broadbents (a 100-year old department store here that has the most fantastic assortment of quilting fabric not to mention tons of other odds and ends.)

Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
Not yet - maybe next year if things go over well this year LOL

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
We always have a family talent show on Christmas Eve. The kids often showcase their instruments and singing abilities. The adults do some goofy things like lip synching and playing kid-sized trumpets and pianos. My dad always reads Luke 2 and my mom always closes by singing "O Holy Night".

Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?
Wrapping gifts - Santa never wrapped our gifts when I was a kid, they were always just laid out when we went in the room. I think it's more fun to have them wrapped.

What do you love most about the holiday season?
Doing things together as a family whether it's just the 5 of us or with our extended family and friends. We are so lucky!

What do you like least about the holiday season?
When I feel stressed about getting 'bigger and better' and allow myself to get too materialistic

Anyone close to your heart that you’ll be missing this year?
Just those family members in Texas and Arizona that we won't physically be with - but in spirit we will!

What is your favorite holiday food?
Chocolate gravy. We have it every Christmas morning. People think it's weird but we've never had anyone that tried it, not like it. Think warm chocolate pudding on baking powder biscuits. We make the biscuits from scratch - split them in half, top with a pat of real butter and pour on the chocolate gravy. Served with a slice or two of ham and a glass of milk. YUM! It's a family tradition that's been done as long as I can remember and I'm going to be 41!