merry Christmas to all!!!

and a bunch of randomness! this will most likely be my last post until after Christmas. i need to get busy and bake Jesus' birthday cakes, finish wrapping, get the makings for all of our Christmas eve dinner and finish making gifts for an after Christmas homemade gift party with the bagels. and that's just a start on my list of to-dos. but it's all good, i'm actually truly enjoying it.

• yesterday my niece leah came over and had a sewing lesson. scary thought to think that i'm the one giving it! grandma schneider would laugh! anyway, leah caught on really quickly. although she doesn't resemble me as much as she did when she was younger, she definitely reminds me of myself when i was her age. she is making a lot of her Christmas gifts-and some of them required machine stitching. i just wish i had pulled my camera out. we hung out after our sewing session and even had a sudoku race!

• yesterday, i wrote about a scrapbooking challenge, that i was challenging all of you to. i thought it would make a great Christmas vacation challenge. meant to write that when i posted. i know everyone is WAY busy right now. funny thing is, my schedule has really, really slowed down. i know i'm in the minority. SO the idea of the challenge, basically is to use older product that you can't bear to part with, but that has been around long enough that it NEEDS to be used. 8 layouts using the same basic design, older product and little time. i thought it was only fair to show you my results. otherwise you might doubt that i did this myself :)

 

i noticed when i snapped this, that i did cheat a little. i pulled some newer product in that was sitting next to my desk...so feel free to mix in some newer papers and such. but did you see that i used scrapworks fabric tabs from years ago? i was on their team at one time (that's a whole 'nother story! they went through some apparently tumultuous times, and we were all let go sort of unceremoniously. but it appears that they have moved on and are still in business) anyway, i really did love those tabs and didn't want to let them go to waste. i used a ton of them on these layouts. i also finished up a bunch of letter stickers that i had remnants of. and some oldie, but goodie papers. so there you go, my 8 layouts in less than 2 hours. the last half of extreme makeover and then an episode of desperate housewives. don't judge me.

• i finished "a thousand splendid suns last night. i read it in 3 nights, which is unbelievable, because i stay up so late, that normally i can only read one or two chapters, no matter how great the book is. there is something about the way khaled hosseini writes that really draws me in. i love the way he develops characters, and the depth of them. he gives such insight through both novels, of life in the middle east from the 60's to now. it makes me look at the war and all that has gone on in a new light. the innocence of so many, the corruption and disception of many others. so sad. as disturbing as both novels are, and sometimes predictable...i found them well written and was unable to put either kite runner or a thousand splendid suns down. if you haven't read them, just be aware that they ARE disturbing.
• i updated all the albums in the left column. finally!
• so proud of my man. about a year or so ago, he decided to be more proactive about his health. he made some conscious decisions, that have led to a much healthier situation. over the course of this past year, one of the most apparent changes is his weight loss. he has lost 37 pounds! and he's not done! he wants to lose about 15 more. he looks SO good! it's funny though, it's only been after 30 pounds that people have really started to notice. i think because he has such a muscular build, it's tougher to see? fortunately, he hasn't seemed to have lost his muscles :) he's done this so sensibly, not a fad diet, just cutting back. so proud of him!
• i'm taking a big box to goodwill today. i always try to purge before Christmas. out with the old, in with the new. with me, that saying isn't always entirely true, in it's literal form. i tend to bring in the old, well-loved and take out the new plastic version! feels good to keep things purged and neat though.

 

• i do love my old/new reindeer. i love that one has a twist tie around his neck and one has an ornament hook. these little dogs have become highly sought after and pricey. that is why i love my out of the way secondhand shops that aren't so affected by the trends. i picked these up for next to nothing...and had seen them in antique shops for double digits apiece. crazy man.
• it occurs to me that i am a high energy person. or maybe i'm ADD? i just know that i do a whole lot of living in a day. and to my discredit, i'm annoyed by people who think they're busy, when it doesn't appear that they really are? i think it has become, socially, the thing to do....complain about how busy we are, when sometimes it's not really the case. or maybe it's just a person's perception? i just know that it's a pet peeve of mine. and it makes me want to say that i'm busy less and less....just so i don't sound annoying to people who are much more busy and doing more life changing work than i am, you know? just a silly thought going through my head.
• i've had nothing but great experiences with my online shopping this year. the purchases i've made through etsy, jcrew, amazon, have all been awesome! and i've gotten some killer deals. i read something this morning about gift-giving, that struck me and it holds true for me. i don't buy gifts because of obligation. if i buy a gift, it's because i want to give a gift. it's from my heart. i want you to see that i was thinking of you, and put some effort into it. i am excited to see your jaw drop or your eyes to sparkle, and hopefully for you to think, "you did this for me?" i enjoy that. the reading that gave me these thoughts was my daily reading book by max lucado....and my writings are not a quote, but a very loose paraphrase of what i thought after reading his writings.
• i hope that you and yours have a most blessed Christmas!  i hope that all the magic of the season, and the reason we celebrate, are the foremost thoughts in your mind...not the obligations or tasks. God bless you and your families this Christmas!

Comments

[Julie - On the Dot Creations]

Merry Christmas to you, Becky! God bless us, every one! :)

[er]

thinking of you and all of our families memories as kids at christmas-
"the broken doll" skit.
peeing your pants, while a scheer tickles you to death.
grandma schneids scratchy kisses & cinnamon rolls.
your mom, bringing loads of gifts to us in a laundry basket.
your sister getting everything, and me playing with it all! her not caring because she's too busy reading her newest archie.
ahhh memories! love ya sis...
er

[norma]

merry christmas to you too!!!

[Kim]

Becky,
Just wanted you to know that you are not alone in your sense about "busyness". I see it and feel the same and have begun to hold back too! I think the Old Testament is really clear about complaining... and working hard. I also can't help to wonder what God thinks when I talk about being busy with perhaps a negative connotation, He has given me this work and He wouldn't give me more than I can handle. He desires for us to live with intention and unfortunately sometimes I am much more intentional when I am busy, not over the top, not in competition with my neighbor, but just doing the day to day things to provide for my family a comforting and relaxed wife, mom, and home. It seems that idleness, for me, is a snag that will trip me up time and time again. Thank you for staying authentic!

Have a very joy filled Christmas!

Kim

[Cheryl]

Becky,
I totally agree with you about the complaints of being too busy currently! We all have our commitments, responsibilities and obligations and I think we just need to live each day to the fullest and be thankful we are able to do the things we do. (Phew...that was a long sentence!) Anyway, I just wanted to wish you and your family a truly blessed Christmas!
XOXO
Cheryl

[maureen]

Merry Christmas Becky!

[kim Scrap to my lu]

Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I too agree with the busy talk........we all have the same amount of time, it's how we choose to use it. Sure there are those hectic days when there seems like too much to accomplish..........but when it becomes cronic.....it's about detatchment from your life.
My girlfriend Valerie is doing a Jesus cake......she does a black layer, red layer, green layer..... you can read more on her blog. She is listed on my personal links.