A year in review...

(as always, click on the picture for a better look)

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2009 was a good year to us. We laughed, we sighed, we giggled, we yelled, we wept, we ran, we grew, we started falling apart, okay so WE didn't start falling apart. That was just me.

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But 2009 was a good one.

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Here's hoping 2010 is as good or better.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR.

SWAP-BOT Fav color received

I received this wonderful package for the SWAP-BOT favorite color match box swap.

I requested red, purple or orange for this swap.

Can you believe how much she managed to fit into this little box?!?!

Isn't it great. I love the sparkle in everything.

And that lollipop ornament is too adorable.




Thank you so much Andi.

Happy Birthday Morgan

Happy Birthday MORGAN.

(Yup, she's as moody as she looks. She's a teenage girl. It's expected.)

I can't believe I now have 2 teenagers.

I love you Morgan

It feels like home. It feels right.

I have consolidated my crafty blog with this one.

I am calling them both home here.

It feels right.

It feels like an old friend has finally come home.

All that I post will be right here at ICANTWANNA.

Sure, I may change the background or the banner, but it's still me.

It's all me.

WELCOME HOME. (ahhhhhh)

Ahead of the game...

It's over. The festivities are done.

Now all we have to do is to make it through the rest of the year. I am relieved and sad. I miss the wonder and excitement of it all. I didn't get done nearly what I wanted to do. I think I need the kids to be out of school for the 2 weeks before Christmas. That would be the real help in getting ready for Christmas.

While I did get a lot of things done in time, there are some that just didn't happen.

* We haven't made cookies yet. (But we will)

* I didn't make the gift tags like I wanted to.

* We just decorated the Gingerbread House yesterday.

* I forgot about a bag of goodies I have for stockings. (thankfully they're toys and will keep until next year.)

* I didn't document for Journal Your Christmas with Shimelle Laine. I really wanted to do this. I just wasn't organized enough.

That is all going to be different for 2010. Things will be MORE organized. I am going to go into the Holiday Season prepared and ready. How? You ask. Welllllllll, go to OPUS GLUEI and join us once a month (starting in January) in getting prepped for the Holiday Season 2010.

Once a month tips and ideas will be offered. We'll tell you how we applied them and show you what we did. Then we'll ask for your input and results.

One thing I have already decided is to make this picture into our Christmas Card.

I like it. It wasn't even taken until after Christmas. But I like it and it'll work.

First thing checked off the list for next year. (insert happy dance)

Jingle me happy

I love to blurf. I could waste days just cruising around other blogs. My fav's are crafty ones with a bit of life thrown in. Makes me feel normal. Those that include food, are just pure heaven. Anyway, I found JUST JINGLE in the past couple of months and have been visiting her regularly. She is witty and crafty and real. She hosted a Christmas swap, JINGLE SWAP 2009. Naturally I signed up. We were to send 10 items to our partner, 3 of which were to be handmade. Easy peasy.

I was partnered up with a woman who lives within a 30 minute drive. How cool is that!!! Once the hectic pace of the Holidays settles down, we may even try to meet for a coffee or two. Here are the wonderful goodies she sent to me.

Isn't that the most adorable Santa, the candle (made by her) smells delish, and the chocolates, 'nuf said...

And here are the goodies I sent to her. I sent her a handmade framed Christmas Tree, a set of Thank You cards that I made, and the flowers are actually pens. The cookies are my favorite this year, those snowmen just yelled to be hers, the blanket is one of the softest I have felt. You really can't tell but the mug is a little ornament, and the package next to it is a set of adorable erasers shaped like wonderful tasty desserts. I also included some sticky notes and a set of pens. You always have lists around this time of year. ( and the rest of the year too.)

If you remember, and I am sure you will because once you visit JUST JINGLE you are sure to keep going back, sign up for the JINGLE SWAP 2010. (Crossing my fingers that she'll host it again.)

Wishing you all a very

To Do... before I go to bed on Christmas Eve

Things I have left to do before I go to bed on Christmas Eve...

- Grocery Shop

- Make the grocery list

- Eye appt.

- Watch Christmas movies: Ernest Saves Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas

- Get one last present

- Spend time lounging with my girls and hubby

- Straighten up the house

- Bake cookies for Santa (and some for us too)

- Work the morning of Christmas Eve

- Visit Santa at the mall

- Wrap a few more presents

- Work on Opus Gluei for 2010

- Work on this blog for 2010

- Pick up the Ham

- Open a present on Christmas Eve

- Set cookies and milk out for Santa

- Set carrots out for Reindeer

- Write out Christmas cards (yup, they are late)

- Decorate the Gingerbread House

- Make fudge

- Drink a glass or two of wine

- Any other thing I've forgotten

Christmas preparations

Don't forget your Christmas preparations...

What's been going on....

Here are some of the pictures from earlier in the month.

I took them, just didn't get them posted. Ya know how it goes...

Reading is such a big part of our family. I couldn't leave it out.

Some of the candies of the season. I thought they looked so pretty in these jars.

The advent calendar I made while pregnant with Megan.

Danny painted all of the ornaments.

New advent calendars this year. First time for daily treats for the girls.
I made the matchbox ones, the other one came made already.
The girls decorated their own.

More to come. I don't want to overwhelm you, so I am posting them a few at a time.

More to follow, so check back.

Friday Fill-Ins #155

It's been a bit since I have filled one in...

1. No, we will NOT let my 15 year old pierce her lip.
2. We eat dinner every night at the old kitchen table.
3. I watched the steam rising from the hot cup of coffee (or tea) and thought: Damn, life is good.
4. My trip to the mall tonight is going to be okay.
5. I'll take whatever I want, whenever I want. (A girl can dream, can't she!!!)
6. I am right, at least from my point of view.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting home from the mall and Survivor and Pizza, tomorrow my plans include carting kids around and Sunday, I want to decorate the Gingerbread House and bake cookies!

I must have this...

EDITED: There is a Santa. Melissa requested a trip to the scrapbook store to buy my Christmas gift. Who am I to deny the wonderful little child. So I obliged. She bought me these papers, a couple of bottles of Stickles, some Teardrops and a few spools of ribbon. I love that kid. She KNOWS me.

This collection MUST become one of my possesions.

I HAVE to get it.

It's cute and Christmas-y.

And so Very Merry.

Happy Birthday Megan

It's happened again.

My baby has turned another year older.

My little angel is now the big 1-5.

Happy Birthday Megan.

I love you.

Anticipation is making me crazy... and a bit more plump too.

Whilst surfing this evening, I ran across this template from Ali Edwards. I, being a crafty person, thought to myself

"I can make a template like that."

And so I did.

Then I used Kim's freebie and made this layout.

You really need to check her out she is very talented and generous.

Thank you Kim.

Let me know if you would like the template. If I can figure out how to zip it, I will and then email it to you.

SWAP-BOT

I found a new obsession, er, ah, I mean, a new playground. SWAP-BOT is a hosting site for swaps. I signed up and browsed around. I saw these adorable little matchboxes that were decorated and then filled with lovely little goodies.

Naturally I signed up for one. I found a Favorite Color swap. You send your partner a matchbox decorated and filled with goodies in their color choice. My partner likes highlighter yellow and electric blue. Here's what I came up with:

The matchbox is a 32 ct in size. I had NO idea what that was, but there is a template available on SWAP-BOT made by the founder, Rachel. It is roughly 1.5 inches by 2 inches by 1/2 inch. It was easy to make. Felt good to cut it out and glue it up. I printed the pattern onto regular paper and traced it onto the pretty papers I used. My partner has a well filled out profile, so I was able to send her some of the things she liked. They aren't really in the highlighter yellow or electric blue category, but I think they worked well anyway. The wire and fruit used on the outside of the box can be taken off and she can use them for other crafts if she wants to.

And here are the contents of the box.

I sent things she wanted and things I thought would work.

I also sent some shells because I am in Virginia Beach.

Thanks for looking. I am working on my Holiday Fun Matchbox swap today.

Maybe I'll see you in one of the future swaps.

Ready for Christmas

"Ready for Christmas," she said with a sigh,

As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high.

Then wearily sat for a moment to read,

Until soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.

Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,

"Ready for Christmas, what do you mean?

Ready for Christmas when only last week

You wouldn't acknowledge your friend on the street?

Ready for Christmas while holding a grudge?

Perhaps you'd better let God be the judge.

"She woke with a start and a cry of despair,"

There's so little time and I've still to prepare.Oh Father!

Forgive me, I see what you mean!

To be ready means more than a house swept clean.

Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree.

It's the heart swept clean that He wanted to see,

A heart that is free from bitterness and sin.

So to be ready for Christmas - be ready for Him."

Myrtle Haynes

Christmas weather we want it or, nah, we want it...

I grew up in sunny, warm San Diego. Christmas was warm. Sometimes we would play with the hose or have water ballon fights. (yup, we fought on Christmas. But it was all good.)

Fast forward many, many years and here I am in southern Virginia. While we are considered the south, we are north enough to get snow some years on Christmas. (Okay, so I can only remember snow ON Christmas one time.) Usually we only get a bit of a chill on Christmas.

Today, it is chilly and rainy. The kind of rain that soaks to the bone and refuses to leave. So, what is a girl to do????

Why, take the girls to a bookstore for a book and a cuppa tea.

Oddly enough, we are ALL reading Vampire books. And we need the next one in the Morganville series.

Christmas colors are red and green. There is red in the blood, and green in my face when I think about the blood.

So that makes these Christmas-ey books. No????

Gotta go. There are about a hundred more books calling to me too ......

Journal MY Christmas - Declaration

I am riding along with Shimelle this December/January in her Journal Your Christmas class. It's a GREAT deal. Why? You ask. Because you pay for one year and get, are you ready,

ALL FUTURE YEARS FREE.

Yup, you are buying a life-time membership to the Journal Your Christmas Club. How stinkin' cool is that!!!

So, here is my Declaration:

I am going to enjoy Christmas, and all of the pagentry that goes along with it.

That's it. Oh, yeah, and along the way I am going to create an awesome little album about Christmas and all of the pagentry that goes along with it. I won't be stressing about getting the perfect picture. Or worried about getting the words down on paper well enough to impress Mrs. Brown from high school. (really I can't remember her name, but you know what I mean.) I also am not going to stress/worry/feel inadequate for scrap-lifting. No one who sees my album will know, and if I ever get a prize for it, I will acknowledge all the great, creative minds I can remember.

So, there it is. My December 2009 /January 2010 Declaration.

(note: By posting this a day late, I have already proven my commitment to my declaration. Just incase you were wondering how serious I was going to stay about this.)