Merry Christmas!

Whatever your holiday persuasion, I hope it has been a merry one. I hope that you have spent your time surrounded by friends and family, basking in peace, joy, fellowship, and lots of yummy food. I spent the last few days making a mad dash to clean the house, wrap presents for E & L, and help prepare food for Christmas lunch with family.

During that time, I gave little pause to the crafts I intended to make for everyone. I'm disappointed in myself. I didn't even get half of them done. Okay, so I didn't even get 1/4 of them done this year. I'm sure glad I painted the North Pole ornaments several months ago. I have a dozen half finished sock monkeys waiting for their arms, ears, tails, and faces. My pigs are all cut up and waiting to be put together. The ornaments are only missing the hangers. *sigh*

I have a Christmas party on the 29th so now that the mad rush is over, I can get those ornaments finished up.  The pigs are just not happening this year. My hands are hurting just thinking about them. The monkeys will get done over the next couple weeks. The girls loved their Christmas presents. They especially enjoyed the computer, even with the crap ton of limitations and rules I put in place. Yay for parental controls!

My brother's Christmas has not been quite so happy. His mother-in-law passed away in the early morning hours on Christmas Eve after a near 8 year battle with cancer. She was an amazingly strong woman to have fought as long as she did. My sister-in-law is not in a good place right now, but she has my brother, her brother, and her father as an incredible support group. I think knowing her mom isn't hurting anymore will comfort her once she is able to deal with the grief. What is hurting them the most right now is that the baby is due in 2 months and the kid will not get to know his maternal grandmother. E & L took the news better than I expected. The visitation is Friday.

So the dishes have been washed, the left-overs put away, and the house put back in order. We are leaving the decorations up until after New Year's Eve like usual. The girls are in bed. I'm trying to decide if I want to spend the little bit of money I got from various relatives on more craft stuff, on the holiday clearance for little gifts next year, or on a camera. I have tons of craft stuff but I have staples that I run out of often and the girls are constantly raiding my hope chest for their own devices. The clearance gifts from last year pretty much saved Christmas this year since my parents had little money for gifts this year (Most of the gifts we did buy this year were either put on layaway for several months, came from a thrift store, or were purchased in January 2012.). My camera went missing over the summer and I didn't get one for Christmas (Mom forgot I wanted a replacement and got me a coat instead, although the coat was more a need than a want.). Decisions...

At any rate, I hope your holiday is restful and peaceful. I'm already eager to get the kids back in school and myself back to work. Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: Favorite 2011 Memories

I hope everyone is enjoying the last Friday of 2011. If you are getting ready to party tomorrow night, please remember to stay safe and keep it all in moderation. If you can't remember it, then how can it be any fun later on? Yeah yeah. Speaking of memory, that leads me to today's Friday Five. My favorite memories of 2011!

1. My brother got married in September! Yeah! Go bro! Maybe my sister-in-law can muzzle him and keep him grounded. :)

2. I finally "officially" moved back to Ohio in August. I live in the south since 2003. It was time to come home for a while.

3. I got my first e-reader in October. I have since downloaded about 600 free books and games. I intend to read them all at some point!

These last two were harder to come up with...

4. Occupy events started in September. I'm sad that it has come to demonstrations and civil disobedience, but I am very happy to keep the memory of Americans finally waking up in my mind.

5. Gay marriage legalized in New York in July. I am very, very happy that my friends in New York are legally entitled to marry their partners, but I really hate that it has come to be court cases and such over the issue. Up until 1996, there was no "definition" of marriage. Why do we need one now? The neighbor's marriage has no merit on someone else's. So yes, just like in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010, I am happy about the legalization, but I am still disappointed that people cannot see beyond their own egos to get over themselves and mind their own business.

Here is to a very Happy New Years to you. Stay safe. Have fun. Ring in the new year surrounded by those you love!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: Holiday Memories

I figured today's and the 30th's Friday Five could be about memories. Today's is my favorite Holiday Memories over the years. Next week, I'll list my favorite memories for 2011. :)

1. I've mentioned this before but my favorite holiday memory is the homemade Christmas ornaments my grandmother made over the years. We put them on the tree this year and I boohooed for a good bit after.
2. In 2005, I spent New Years with  my parents, my brother, two of my brother's friends, and a friend of mine. None of us thought to pick up alcohol. It was my first New Years after I turned 21. A neighbor gave us corn whiskey that resulted in a 6 hour tape of us singing a karaoke version of Cheeseburger In Paradise and Fins over and over again. Never again but it was hilarious.
3. When I was 16, I rang in the New Year with girlfriends from high school. I was introduced to the comedy of Eddie Izzard that night and an obsession was born. I still love the guy.
4. I may have the year wrong, but we had a blizzard in 1993 where the snow drifts ended up higher than I was tall. I was around 9 then so it may have been 4 foot drifts, but still. I remember making an igloo, several dozen snowmen, and sledding in the neighbor's field.
5. Christmas 2008 is my favorite for one simple reason. I graduated from college in December 2008 and Christmas was my first holiday with a degree. It was awesome knowing I didn't have to go back in January, that I could focus on work finally.

I could come up with a dozen more favorite memories but I have to help wrap presents tonight so I'll leave it here. What is your favorite memory during the holidays? Tell me in the comments below!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thought: Christmas Gifting

I found this quote this morning and absolutely love it.

Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.
Oren Arnold

Isn't that beautiful? I think I live my life that way as it is, but I'm not perfect. I don't forgive quickly, though I do forgive eventually. I don't know that I have opponents per say but I am very tolerant. I would give everything to my friends if I could. I've done the customer service stuff for close to 15 years (and was very good at it, not just a warm body filling a spot). I definitely give to charity... donations every time I pass the kettle, giving of gently used toys and clothes throughout the year, Angel tree gifts every holiday, serving at the soup kitchen, helping others around me when times are rough. I try to set a good example for all kids all the time, but especially E&L. I'm better about respecting myself. What about you?

Homemade Holidays Part 5

I got into the crafting mode again tonight (yes, I know I'm supposed to be writing but its the holidays man... I'm like a freaking raccoon OH SHINY!!!!!!). I found a very cute snowman set up and had to give it a try. And then I modified it to suit my own needs. Check it out!

Friday Five: Favorite Holiday Movies

I'm sticking with a holiday theme. :)

Top 5 Holiday Movies:

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Written by John Hughes. Automatically qualifies as #1 for that reason alone.
2. Hogfather. I have written about Terry Pratchett before. His Disc World series includes this story and it is a fantastic "alternative" version of a Christmas type story.
3. Prancer. This movie makes me cry every time. I considered Cloris Leachman's role as Mrs. McFarland her best until she portrayed Maw Maw in Raising Hope.
4. The Santa Clause. I discovered David Krumholtz for the first time as Bernard and crushed hard on him for years!
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas. This classic cartoon always gives me a feel good high.

Honorable Mentions in no specific order:
A Christmas Carol. This cartoon played every year when I was a kid. I have fond memories of yelling at Scrooge and then cheering for Tiny Tim.
Home Alone. Another John Hughes film. It only rates an honorable mention because I have to listen to Joe Pesci screech throughout most of it. No amount of John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, and Christopher Columbus can make up for that.
Babes in Toyland. This always played in school when I was a kid. I remember that because it wasn't a cartoon, a lot of kids didn't watch it. I did though. It was amazing.
Scrooged. Bill Murray plays Scrooge in this remake of A Christmas Carol. The story is slightly different, but its still true to the core of ACC. Plus, Bill is hilarious.
The Christmas Shoes. This was a made-for-tv movie based on a song of the same name. Kimberly Williams from The 10th Kingdom plays one of the lead characters and the role is tragic. It makes me cry.
Miracle on 34th Street. Mara Wilson's portrayal of Susan (the little girl) is brilliant. A great remake of a classic story.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Homemade Holidays Part 2

I literally spent all day working on the last three sets of ornaments and a couple angels. I started out with wanting to make a set of Alice in Wonderland inspired ornaments. I finished those and made a run to the craft store for more white paint when I decided to give a Wizard of Oz set a try. While doing the Oz set, I decided a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set was needed as well.

I'm sure others will come to me over the next few days but I promised my family I would let them have the dinning room table for a few days. What other sets can you think of for me to give a try? Keep in mind, it would have to be something that I have read/watched AND enjoyed.

Check the pictures below for the three sets I finished today plus a couple angels.

Homemade Holidays

I may or may not have spoken about my Homemade Christmas back when I did the Thursday Thrift posts. Either way, here is the story.

My grandmother made homemade Christmas ornaments every year for as long as I can remember. She had too many kids and grand kids to be able to buy presents for everyone. When a majority of the grand kids (we're all about the same age) were getting at that age where we didn't like anything anyone bought us (you know, that age), Grandma started making ornaments instead of buying cheap gifts. I know the first year or so, I didn't appreciate the handmade ornaments. I was too young to understand just how special they would become to me. As I got older, I learned how much love went into those ornaments. My grandmother died in February. I have every ornament she made me over the years. They are quite literally my most prized possession for the simple fact that I will never get another one. I have wanted to do a homemade Christmas for several years (it first came to mind the Christmas after Hurricane Katrina, when my family took toys to the kids since they weren't going to have much for Christmas) and when Grandma passed away, I decided to finally start doing it instead of wanting to do it.

Welcome to the month after! The month after NaNo that is. It is time to unwind and let the stress of last month wash away. For those of you that finished your NaNo novels, you have my permission to turn your inner editors back on and start working to make your novel the best it can be! Those of you that wrote but haven't finished your whole story (even if you crossed 50k), KEEP WRITING! I can tell you from personal experience, being able to write "THE END" on a piece feels amazing. It opens your eyes to possibilities that you will never realize otherwise. Keep going. You will reach the end of your novel with it is ready to end.

With the end of NaNoWriMo comes the beginning of my new daily posts. Today is Thursday Thought. Watch out for a post later this afternoon. I think I will try to find something about success, or finality, or something else appropriate.

I genuinely hope you enjoyed my NaNo journal, the daily writing prompts, and the little updates here and there. I hope that October's preparations were helpful for at least someone. From today, I will be alternating finishing the last few chapters of Immo2 and the final edit of Immo1. Still working on that cover for Immo1. I'll be there soon. Tentative goal: Immo1 ready for publishing and first draft of Immo2 by January 31st. :) We'll see.

Have a great month everyone. I'm making homemade Christmas ornaments, soaps, and tasty treats for everyone this year. I'll post pictures!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: Favorite Holidays

I'm not sure why I have holidays on my mind right now. It serves for a good Friday Five though. My top five holidays:

Easter. I am not particularly religious and I don't claim affiliation with any specific denomination, group, council, sect, whathaveyou. Easter is my favorite holiday though for one specific reason. As a child, I didn't spend much time with my natural father's family (long story for another time). I missed a lot of holidays with them, but I always spent Easter with my Grandma. And Easter was almost as exciting as Christmas for me as a kid.

As an adult, I hold Easter above Christmas specifically for the memories I have of my grandmother. Easter egg hunting, the "treasure" blanket, and salami roll ups always jump at me. The "treasure" blanket is memorable because Grandma had many, many grand kids and so was not able to buy a lot of stuff for us. At Easter, she set out a number of toys and trinkets (Slinky's, water guns, play dough, etc.) and then would draw a name from a hat. Each kid was listed in the hat a certain number of times based on how many things she got for the blanket. 

It was one of the most awesome experiences of my childhood... the thrill of wondering if my name was going to be called next, planning out what I would choose and alternates in case my choice was snatched up by someone else, and the general euphoria of sitting around with a dozen other children doing the exact same thing. It was awesome.

Click the jump for the other 4!