Scrappy Hearts

December Daily: Day 20

Thursday, the last full day of school before winter break. Yippee. Afterschool we had a couple of errands to run and a baby to visit. So, we started with dinner out.This was the first time we attempted to eat out on the new "diet" we are currently trying. The Healthy Garden offered several options. I ordered the veggie burger wrap and it was delicious.

I finished a pillowcase for my nephew that needed to be mailed to North Carolina so that it arrives by Christmas Eve. I think this is my favorite of all the pillowcases I've made this year!Mark graciously voluntered to take the package to the post office so that I could continue with my holiday puttering and wrapping. I watched a couple of old holiday shows before I called it a night. Shopping is done, for the most part and now it is time to pull it all together.Just a few more days...

December Daily: Day 19

Wednesday was yet another great day this holiday season. It was all about little gifting. Immediately after work I headed over to visit my nieces and surprise them with the holiday pillowcases I had made. Such fun! They were not expecting so it was a quick, mid-week, surprise visit. Next stop, Emma's school to help my BFF deliver the toys from her holiday gift drive. We had not seen each other in forever. A quick bite to eat and then some holiday sewing. We talked for hours!Once home it was onto my holiday obligations. Christmas cards. The tape player was put to good use with the old holiday tapes and I addressed cards and organized our cards into one, co-mingled collection. I am seriously feeling married now!After staying up way too late I stumbled into bed feeling very relieved and satisfied. A few more items crossed off the to-do list, I am one happy camper!

December Daily: Day 18

Home right after work, skipped dinner and got down to the busy-ness that is Christmas. I started wrapping gifts since Mark was not around when I got home. 

There were holiday shows to watch and wrapping to complete. I decided to just deal with the wrapping paper tonight. Later in the week I will add tags and bows. So, just in case I forget, I labeled each gift in a sneaky little way on the bottom of the present.After presents, there were pillowcases to sew and a movie to watch.A great evening at home. Up a bit too late considering we had a faculty meeting on Wedesday. But, what they hey. Tis the season!

December Daily: Day 17

Mondays are not my favorite day, especially a Monday that sends me back to work when there is just so much to take care of at home! Fortunately It was an uneventful and quick day.The days go so quickly this time of year. Yesterday, after school, was filled with shopping and gifting. There were lots of deliveries and even a couple of gifts that were sent to us. Then, Mark and I proceeded to make a couple of recipes of spiced nuts. What a job!Mark bought a ton of nuts. Not sure we will use all of them, it was a big job last night for the little bit we got done!Playing Santa is one of my favorite roles this time of year. I have had a great time preparing for this holiday, I am enjoying each and every moment.

December Daily: Day 16

Getting ready for the holiday was the focus of my Sunday, along with my other Sunday chores. I just love Sundays at home!

Actually, I did venture out for just a bit to pick up thread at the quilt shop. But then, it was right back home.Mark also ventured out for a little more than a bit, a writer's get together. But again, once he got home we quickly finished up the trimming of all the trees. We now have all the ornaments in the house up on trees. I do not think that that has ever happened. It took 7 trees of different sizes to accomplish that, but we did!We stopped in all the business to watch "Christmas in Connecticut" which I haven't seen in years and I finished up my night by pinning the next phase of sewing on the pillowcases I am making. A wonderful day, too bad Monday shows up right after Sunday!

December Daily: Day 15

Saturday was a day of tackling the weekend to-do list. On that list, finishing up the decorating of the trees, starting the holiday sewing projects and making gift lists to keep track of everything.Saturday I was finally able to take down Mark's holiday boxes and sort through everything. He has such wonderful decorations, I knew they would be the perfect addition to what I already had. Mark thinks that the co-mingling of holiday decorations means that we are finally married. If that's true, we truly are stuck with each other for life. That's a good thing.

I think that Mark's Mr and Mrs Santa are the perfect addition to the hutch in the dining room, don't you agree?

In addition to decorating a bit more, I also placed many of our holiday purchases in boxes. This year I will be ahead of the wrapping. I don't want Jess to end up wrapping her own gifts on Christmas Eve! Sewing was also on the agenda for Saturday. I have quite a bit of holiday sewing to accomplish before I begin sending gifts through the mail. The fabric with the snowmen is my favorite. I am busy making some holiday treats for some special kiddles and I cannot wait to finish the projects and wrap them up!Saturday seemed to fly by. Mark and I did take a late afternoon run to Starbucks and then a quick stop at Target to pick up a few necessary items, like laundry detergent. We snuck a bit of holiday shopping in also. Dinner time is the best time to hit the stores this time of year!

December Daily: Day 14

Friday was my favorite school day of the year, it always is. Friday was the day that the students from High School East joined us to perform. The performance is one of our annual highlights.Mark stopped by school to take in the performance for himself. He also took a few photos, which is why I have a couple of photos to include in our album. We had thought we would go into Haddonfield for their Friday night holiday celebration but once I arrived home from school I fell asleep.Fortunately there were a couple of holiday shows on tv for me to enjoy while I made my holiday list and checked it twice!

Project Life, Week 47

Week 47 was the week of Thanksgiving. Thank goodness it was a short work week! It was the week I was suffering through my first cold of the season.Sunday Jason celebrated Thanksgiving with his friends. We made a couple of dishes to take over. I so love seeing Jason and his friends. It was so much fun catching up with so many great friends. Because of my cold we did not stay long but we had such fun.

Monday, a low key day at school. We practiced our play and had a nice day at school. After school, food shopping and then home. A quick easy dinner, some school work and then bed. Nyquil is my new best friend!

Mark and I saw the new James Bond, "Skyfall" and I did a bit of prepping for Thanksgiving. Jess decided not to come home so it was just Mark and I at home. Went to bed early despite the cooking that needed to happen, I really needed sleep!Thanksgiving Day, I slept through the parade. I finished up all the vegetables that were on my list to prepare and then we were off to pick up Jason at the train before heading to my mom's. It was a great Thanksgiving. Really low key and easy. We really had a good time watching football and just spending time together. 

Friday brought out the Christmas boxes and music. Time to get this holiday on the move! We were still planning on having our tree trimming party on the first, but keeping it very low key since we have both had colds. Keeping true to my work of the year, PAUSE, I am not stressing out about anything. What gets done, gets done. And, it is all good. 

Saturday we drove up to Pennington and Clinton for the Merry Mistletoe Tour. Clinton has their Dicken's Festival on this weekend every year. Kindred Quilts in Clinton is closing so we will probably not make the trip up next year at this time. We will find a new tradition I'm sure!

 We had a truly wonderful week despite the fact that I had a cold. This year seems to be flying by, I am hoping that we truly take the time to enjoy and cherish every moment.

December Daily: Day 13

Thursday evening Mark and I headed over to my mom's house to celebrate her birthday and to trim her tree. What a great holiday evening. I am sure this will become a new holiday tradition.We enjoyed a great meal together and then set about decorating the tree. It was fun reminiscing while hanging the ornaments I remember from years long passed. There were our individual ornaments and ornaments we purchased for mom and dad. There were ornaments that each of us made. And ornaments that were bought in special places. The Mickey jingle bell ornament was bought in Disney World, at the marketplace in 2005. I was with mom then. The next photo features two of the three wise guys that I gave mom way back in 1987. Actually I think I gave them to everyone that year.

The photos I print at home are very dark, I am not sure how to fool my printer so that they print a bit lighter, the problem here I think is the way I photographed the pages. Sorry.Decorating mom's tree was a perfect way to spend a holiday evening. Good times!

December Daily: Day 12

December 12 was a full day. After work I took a nap so that I would have energy to see my niece perform at our town center.Little dancers with their hair tied up in buns are just the cutest. They danced to "I Want Candy" and it was terrific. The town center looked terrific all dressed up for the holidays. Mark took all of the photos I used in my album for today! His camera is a bit better than mine for the telephoto and I really could not get close enough myself.Once home I put in a holiday DVD and tried to catch up on my business expenses so that I can finally submit them. Mark cooked a vegetarian dish that we will enjoy later in the week and then ventured out to a late movie. Me, I went to bed. This second cold is really knocking my socks off!