I hope you will indulge me in a Christmas post even if that was “so last year.”  If I don’t write it all down now, I will forget — and I thought this year was kind of cute.

Each Christmas, my husband and I have made our own gift tags.  Some years, they were fancy.  Some years, silly.  Some years I don’t think we could even remember why we started this, but now it’s a tradition — and (usually) fun.  The amount of fun seems to be directly correlated to the amount of holiday “to do’s” left when we start cutting them out.

This year we decided to do a photo booth tag.  I never know how these things are going to go.  Sometimes it’s all fun and games, and other years it’s more like negotiating a peace treaty.

2011 was a good Christmas tag year thanks to my husband.  He set up a mini photo studio on the floor of the living room (really just a roll of wrapping paper hanging down from the mantle in front of the camera/tripod).  We held up a blank piece of paper in each photo.  After we picked our favorites, he laid them out in a strip in Photoshop to get that photo booth look, and added in all of the words.

My husband is really big on conserving paper and ink so he likes to wait until we know exactly how many presents each person has before we print them out.  So on Christmas Eve, while I finished up the holiday baking, he printed the tags out on glossy paper with our Canon photo printer, cut them all down to size, and hole punched each one.

The best part (aside from the fact that I did not have to cut them out) is that I have a big collection of holiday photos of us (which almost never happens) — including a lot of pretty ridiculous outtakes.  Quite a few of our friends and family said “we should do this next year!” so I hope it catches on, and I can have a little collection of photos.  Having a real, live printed photo feels like such a luxury these days.  I think this would be really fun for people to do with their kids or pets.  Maybe by next year we’ll have a cat, and she can be in the pictures in my place.  I won’t even have to comb my hair.

I wanted to point out some of the fun holiday projects from years past just in case you missed them.

Silly Christmas stickers:

These are silly (free) Christmas stickers my husband and I made.  You can download them here.

Quick and Easy Christmas Stocking Pattern:

This free download includes a template and instructions to make a very easy Christmas stocking.  The pattern is designed by Russell from the Sewing Arts Center (with instructions by me).

Handmade Gift Ideas:

Looking for some last minute gift ideas?  Here are a few free patterns I’ve made that would make for great holiday gifts.

Reversible Eco Bag:

Find the eco bag pattern and tutorial here.

Gratitude Journals:

Here is a Gratitude Journal worksheet to make a custom fabric cover for any notebook.

Place Mats:

This version (above) was for Halloween, but it would be so easy to make a holiday version.  Simply use a tree (or other holiday shape) and some Christmas fabric instead.  Halloween Placemat tutorial here.

Sewing Needle Case:

Easy enough for a beginner and always gets tons of compliments! Sewing Needle Case pattern and tutorial here.

Hope your holiday is off to a good start!

Well, we had hardly made it to Friday, and the Advent calendar I made my husband had already fallen off the mantle 3 times.  It is heavily laden down with CHOCOLATE.  I spent last week cracking up every time I heard it falling from the other room.

I had sort of given up and thought I would jut let him pick up the chocolates off the floor.  (Is that bad?)  I know he wouldn’t mind.   Turns out, he had a better idea, and hung it from the bookcase where it appears to be staying put.  The people at the grocery store gave me that look when I brought home a frozen pizza and about three pounds of chocolate.

I have seen so many beautiful advent calendars out there, but this is a simple one I put together when we were first married.  I bought 24 different miniature stockings (on sale) and tied on numbered tags I cut out with a circle punch.  The first year I tried to be really creative about what to put inside, but realized all he really wanted was candy.  Now, I am smarter and put in enough so I get a piece of chocolate too.  Otherwise, by day 13 I’m a little bitter about the whole thing.

[Image above: the Advent calendar hanging in our old apartment from the ballet barre I had installed in the living room, circa 2006]

Last week, my husband was gone on a business trip for a few days.  Does that mean I get to eat Day 1 and 2 for him?  I’d hate for him to feel behind.  Nothing’s worse than that holiday pressure of needing to catch up.  I’m available to help where needed, you know.

I think I have an addiction to toast.  For the past five days or so, I’ve eaten nothing but pies, pie-flavored milkshakes, cake, and buttered toast.  I think there was a Thanksgiving dinner in there somewhere, too.  I am usually a fairly healthy eater, but someone purchased a loaf of white bread — and I’ve been on a downward spiral ever since.  I know I’ll make it back to my whole grain lifestyle, but right now,  I’m in the kitchen with the white fluffy bread and a stick of butter if you need me.

These photos are making me think of butter again.  All that yellow!  I told my husband that I think Thanksgiving is a waste.  Who needs turkey?  Where’s the holiday where you eat nothing but brownies and toast?

Our holiday was the perfect blend of getting out and staying in.  We even made it out for a nice long walk through the L.A. Arboretum on Saturday.  The ginkgo trees had turned bright yellow.  The dense, scalloped leaves looked like flowers wrapping around each and every branch.  Gorgeous.  I need to remember to get outside as much as possible this month.  It’s too good to miss.

The truth is that December is crazy busy.  I know it is for everyone, but I’m just saying “me too!”  Big deadlines.  Big changes.  Too much shopping to do and not enough time to meditate on the “perfect” present.  I am sneaking in some peace and joy wherever I can.  And I’m learning that I have to initiate that.  Grace doesn’t arrive automatically with the ornaments or the bows or the songs.  It’s something I have to ask for – daily.

(And interestingly enough, never seems to arrive at the mall or even at the holiday events.)

As we kick off this next season together, I wish you a huge helping of peace and joy too.  Are you ready for it?

St. Patrick’s Day snuck up on me this year!  I have always had a soft spot in my heart for leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and green shoes.  I am reminded of long days out in the yard circa 2nd grade.  I would meticulously comb through the grass looking for signs of a lucky clover.  Anyone else do this?

My parents assured me that it was theoretically possible to find a four-leaf clover, but I believe there was some discussion of genetic mutation, probability, and heredity involved.  In any case, I have yet to locate one in the natural world.  Thank goodness for my sister who has always been the best possible companion whenever a hunt for tiny, magic people is involved.

This year we’re keeping things really simple!  Today, I found some fabric I had been searching for, and I think it was almost as exciting as finding the end of the rainbow.  For dinner, we’re having cheddar broccoli soup.  Do I get points if the food is green?  Even if it’s not corned beef?