I'm still dividing myself between panic, distraction activities,
and actually trying to get everything done.
End of the outgoing mail last week.
to B.E.
to Mila
to Max (with pun on back, as
he always gets a pun)
Suzi
Ricky and Teresa
to Iliana
I made good use of the Christmas Seals Connie sent me!
Every Christmas season, I start crafting late and fail to finish (or even start) some items. My anxiety mounts, making things even more difficult.
Preparation. Annie at Annie's Musings had a personal challenge this past year to work on something each week throughout the year--she didn't limit herself to gifts, but made cards, tags, or decorations--anything Christmas. I'm going to try to set me up a schedule of some sort to do this and make something for the holidays every week or so, or even once a month, so I won't be starting late next year. I'm going to try anyway. :\
Wrapping. Although I couldn't use the furoshiki wrapping method for everything, I made an effort even if the fabric pieces were not square or large enough. I found a bunch of pompoms I made in my stash and used them, then I found some embroidered brooches and wristbands that were from past-year-makings, finished them up, and pinned or tucked them into the girls' gifts.
So...if they don't want their "wrappings," I'll gladly take them back and use them again, and I found a use for things I'd made in the past.
Tree. The buttonhooks came out again this year. Now that the cats don't seem as fascinated by the tree, Fee got them out and hung some on the tree.
Self-gifting. * This year, I'm giving myself a gift: a correspondence with Sherlock Holmes. I'm fond of Sherlock and love all the book pastiches like The Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas, Donald Thomas' Sherlock books, Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes novels, Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (yes, that Kareem Abdul-Jabaar!), the Stoker & Holmes YA books by Colleen Gleason, Emma Jane Holloway's steampunk Holmesian YA mysteries, and those are just some of my favorites.
When I found Dear Homes, which delivers a letter with clues to a mystery that comes by snail mail, I couldn't resist. I'll receive the first letter in January. :) I'm claiming I'm checking it out to see if I want to give this gift to another Holmes fan, but you know how I am about mail--I want this!
Do you ever give yourself a gift?
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Terrific Christmas collage mail! I love mail...but not necessarily at Christmas time. It’s a fixed list for card greetings, therefore it becomes more of a chore than a spontaneous gift of mail. Which is why I tried to make some ahead of time. I need to work on that part of it better during this coming year. Your wrapping is a great idea. I love the added brooches and wristbands! And to take them back (if they don’t want to treasure them) and use them again is right my alley of gift decorating. LOL. How fun your buttonhooks are decorating your tree! I do give myself a gift. Your self gift sounds like such a lot of fun and will last all year? Maybe you’ll share your mystery search with us on your blog...maybe. This post is full of Christmas spirit. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annie! I have trouble getting in the mood to do things early, so I'm going to try to use your method of making things ahead of time. I read some statistics last year about wrapping paper that stunned me. Some Sobering Facts. I already preferred brown kraft paper and making reusable bags because I like the look and the ability to reuse, and yet still used some Christmas wrapping paper. Further research about the amount of money and trash from Christmas wrapping paper was amazing. Who'd a thought?
DeleteI only got a 3 month subscription to Sherlock, but I'm looking forward to it!
Have a Merry Christmas, Annie!
You may feel as though you are in panic mode (and I do too), but some pretty amazing things have been going on at your house. (I like the idea of working on something Christmas throughout the year!) The outgoing mail is some of your best, no doubt. And, I absolutely love the embroidered pieces that found their way into your girls' packages. Happy Christmas to all of you!
ReplyDeleteAnxiety always occurs at this time of year and probably most folks experience varying degrees, even the early planners who don't wait until the last minute. I'm hoping that my tendency to procrastinate will be foiled if I work on things throughout the year. :)
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours (including Millie!)
Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYour wrappings are gorgeous, very creative. Thank you for the Sherlock link. It looks interesting.
Thanks! I'm planning to use more fabric next year. I have some bags that I started last year and didn't finish, so I'll get those done for next year. I may piece together smaller left over pieces of fabric as well--that would be a good project to work on for any kind of gift giving.
DeleteI am excited about the the Sherlock letters and hope they are fun!
Merry Christmas!
As always your embroidered pieces are incredible Jen. And buttonhooks on your tree? LOVE!!!!!!! But what are they? Don't think I've ever seen one but they look antique and super cool. Used to button shirts? Or am I just having a senior moment and it's not clicking for me? Ha ha! Help...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! Buttonhooks were used to pull buttons through the buttonholes on everything from shoes to gloves to the tiny button on men's collars. They were made from silver, silver plate, celluloid, pearl, ivory,wood, and plain metals with advertising. They are about two inches to a foot long, depending on use. We bought our first one on our honeymoon, a medium size one with tiny painted roses on it. We have collected them ever since. :) Until about ten years ago, I'd tie them on the tree with tiny bows, but the cats put an end to that. This year, with a much smaller tree and much older cats, Fee got them out again. I love having some of them back on the tree!
DeleteI would have been so pleased to have a button hook when I was learning ballet - I used to use a hairpin in place of a buttonhook to do up my character shoes!
ReplyDelete:) Buttonhooks can be useful in many ways!
DeleteMerry Christmas! Last year was the first year that I bought myself gifts. I was always too busy getting things for others and resisting getting anything for me, in case someone had planned to give that particular thing for me. It is a very nice change to gift myself and I plan to do that ever afterward. Working on holiday gifts throughout the year is a great idea. I did it once and it does save a lot of stress.
ReplyDeleteHope your Christmas was wonderful! Just got back from the camp where we spent Christmas with no WiFi and limited cell reception. I am looking forward to my first letter from the Sherlock letters--it will arrive in January! Good for you for gifting yourself. I plan to make it a habit, too. :)
DeleteI love your fabric wrapped gifts! Everything looks so festive. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Hope it's been a special holiday!
ReplyDeleteThe fabric wrapping was a success! We had a Christmas full of loved ones, fattening food, and lots of fun! Hope yours went splendidly as well, Iliana!
DeleteHappy New Year! I have missed blogging, so I'm back at it. It is good to visit here again!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to discover your new site, Debra! Hope your new year is full of paint and joy!
DeleteSo much in this post! Love the buttonhooks for ornaments. Really, I'll have to start looking for a few of those.
ReplyDeleteTalk about gift wrapping success! Did everyone give the fabric back? Have you considered making drawstring bags? (Those probably wouldn't come back.) Too bad I bought clearance paper bags, and I'm good at rescuing and reusing paper boxes, tissue, bags, etc. I have a big collection which I share with my girls. Reduce, recycle, reuse.
Have a wonderful 2020!
I'm glad the cats are older and fatter so we can again hang the buttonhooks!
DeleteYes--the fabric as gift wrap was a success! Of course, the fabric bags didn't come back, but most of the fabric did and will be used again next year. :) I found some fabric bags that were almost finished (from 2017!) that I'm adding to my list of things to gradually work on throughout the year. I think I'll also be using fabric for birthday gifts. It's fun looking through the stash for appropriate choices--whether for bags or plain wrapping.
Reduce, recycle, reuse will be one of my intentions this year! Hope your 2020 is full of quilting and sewing projects that you enjoy, Mary!