Lynn Carson Harris

Thoughtful Sunday

"Create your own Christmas from what is right here.

With boxes and crayons and cake-baking gear.

Get out your toolbox, there are toys to be built.

Cut up old clothes, stitch a colorful quilt."

Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas, Jan Waldron and David McPhail, 1997

Decking the Halls

Decorating for the Holidays is always a trip down memory lane for me. I love getting out the decorations that we haven't seen since January and recalling the history behind them.

These old favorites always make me smile. The one on the left made by M in third grade and the one on the right made my B with leftover plaster from a home renovation project. I love how they are like family so, different yet still alike.

 

This girl with the roses around her dress is another favorite. When I was young we had three of them on our dining room table. My sisters and I each had one at our place to admire during meals. We thought they were so very special. I hated to split them up at first but now I am happy that we each have one at our homes.

 

These deer belonged to my mother. We did not have them when we were young, she thrifted them after we left home. They do remind me of my mother's love of Christmas and her favorite quote from Santa, "It is better to give."

 

Holiday decorating brings new opportunities for memory making each year. The kids and I enjoy making decorations and I enjoy picking up a few "new" items like these during the year.

 

Yes, the holidays are a time to remember, share, and pass on the family traditions.

Gratitude

I am grateful for the skill and ability to make things and family and friends who appreciate handmade gifts.

Family At Home

I love times when we are all at home without a lot of planned activities. We had almost a full week over Thanksgiving holiday with both boys at home. Homework was finished early and there was a lot of time for games and activities. The boys showed a renewed interest in origami.

They both belonged to the origami club in elementary and middle school. The club met once a week and they learned how to make a lot of projects.

I had recently gotten out a few of our simple origami books for P. We did a few of those together. D and M, however, found some interesting projects online. Oh, the joys of a faster internet connection. I love the way they challenged and encouraged each other.

The project on the far right has a tiny, black, origami crane trapped inside. The red one on the left is made from one  piece of paper where the orange and green one on the right is the same shape made with origami units.

I always think of December as a crafty time when I like to make gifts for family and friends. While creating I think about the person the gift is for and what they mean to me. It is fun to remember people in this way. This year P and I have started a few projects together. I like to see her excitement in thinking about loved relatives and close friends. To me the spirit of the holiday season lies in making something (or thinking of something) that will make the recipient smile.

I think with these projects we are off to a good start on the crafty holiday spirit that I remember from my own childhood.

Also in the spirit of enjoying the season I will be taking a holiday theme photo a day. You can see more from others in the Christmas Countdown 2009 flickr pool.  Here is the first:

I know it is still fall but I'll probably not be taking many more fallish photos. I enjoyed fall much more than usual this year because I was out taking pictures. Have a look at them here.