I love, LOVE this little tradition of spending Valentine's Night with my cute family. The presents we gave the kids were summer shoes for hiking and the foor? This year it was all pink and red. Glazed Salmon, Strawberry Asperagus Salad, Homemade bread and Raspberry Smoothies (and to top it all off I loved spending it in my newly painted dining room! Thanks Husbandface!)
ps- yes, I did get my love note. It was the best!
JJ
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Speaking of traditions, this one is another one of my all time favorite traditions... HOMEMADE GIFTS! Every year My siblings and I homemake our gifts to eachother. Every year it's different and fun and always heartfelt. It just brings such a personal touch to the gifts and puts their personalities in our lives and in our homes. We went to Florida a few weeks ago for my nieces baptism and it was so fun to see the same decorations and family themes decorating their house too. As I was getting ready for this post I realized that in EVERY room in my house you can see evidence of homemade gifts over the years....
A tableloth pieced by Teri in Owen's room.
In our living room, Sean's Photography... (I wish I had more!)
In my kitchen, Emily's recipe boxes (she took all my Grandmother's and Mother's recipes, typed them up, printed them and laminated them for us one year... This is probably the MOST USED GIFT EVER!!)
In our entryway, from April and Gentry the ledges (he made those!) and from Spring and Sean the Santa cross-stitch (yeah, crazy, I know but, I love it!) and that picture of Christ? It's cross-stitched as well, My Mom made it for me 15+ years ago. (now are your starting to see where we get the craziness from?)
and in every bedroom, This year Teri and Chad gave us Christmas Pillowcases... (the kids are so mad at me because I took them off today to wash them.)
This year my Mom also made me a Santa Quilt, it's in Lorali's room and it's so beautiful. Santa's from around the world, all appliqued on, I LOVE IT! ...
This year Sean and Spring gave us a super thoughtful gift, it's a little candy cane countdown to Christmas, exactly like the one I grew up with (makes me smile every time I see it.)...
Then Emily really out-did herself this year, I have no idea how the heck she found the time to make this with her busy schedule but, I'm not complaining it's perfect and I have the perfect spot for it this fall in my entryway...
and what did I make this year? All November my dining room was turned into a leather workshop, Yep, more leather projects just like last year. I now realize how my Grandpa had it as his lifelong hobby. It's addictive! I already have ideas for projects to keep me busy all year. This time it was just for adults... Blank Leather Books. Fishing Logs, Hiking Logs or Journals, whatever they're used for they're all personalized.
I've already made some for most of the grandkids but decided not to give them at Christmas but to give them to the kids one at a time for thier birthday's this year...
and for Dad's birthday I made him a few more Fly Fishing Reel Pouches...
Now, I'm off to start planning for next year!
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My 3 Favorite Christmas Traditions....
1. The Nativity on Christmas Eve ----
The 3 Wise Men Guys....
Our Shepard, Angel, Mary and Joseph...
2. Playing Chimes on Christmas Eve ---
3. Lining up on Christmas Morning ---
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Owen's advent calendar this year, fully opened by December 12th....
At least it made it this long??
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This year's party was the least stressful one I've ever hosted. It was a blast and I honestly wouldn't change a thing! It was unscripted but because the company had other 'goals' to the game it made the flow so much easier then other unscripted Murder Mystery Parties we've had in the past.
You can see/download more pictures of this years party HERE.
and a little trip down memory lane....
A Taste of Translyville Terror (2010)
2009 Decor here.
Flapper and Gangsters (2008) aka- the year Joanna tried to please everyone... and failed.
In the Crystal Palace Saloon (2007)
Another Pirate Party (2006)
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Okay I think I'm finally recovering from the holidays and thought I should post more about the big day... and the big tradition. Esp. since I'm already thinking about what I should start for next year.
This year I decided to do everything with leather. I had never worked with it at all and new absolutely nada about it but, I was determined to make something my Grandpa Smith would have been proud of. He actually gave me my first homemade gift that I remember and it was leather braided belts for the boys and leather hair pieces for the girls. I knew I wasn't quite to his skill set so when I walked into the leather store I had them dumb everything down for me but, I still think they turned out pretty good.
For the men? Fly Fishing Reel Pouches.
(Dad has already made a request for 3 more!)
For the women I took the same idea but adjusted it to something that they'd use. Hiking First Aide Kits. Inside I put in a few essentials, MoleSkin, Band Aides, Ointment, Mini Sun Screen, Ect. The boys got pouches too, a little bit bigger in size for things like toy cars or a DSi. They were all actually different designs but in my rush to get all 28 done I didn't take pictures. (Dear Family- PLEASE TAKE PICTURES and email them to me, please!!)
Then the little girls got the idea that started it all... Hair Bows, barrettes and headbands. Again, not many pictures because I was on a mailing deadline but I think they liked them.
And my favorite one of all of them?? Seriously, I wish I had a baby and I could have kept this. I WANT A BABY! Instead I get to live vicariously through Emily. My baby sister is having a baby girl!! So I made her this. (It will look better on Baby Abby then it does on Baby Owen but remember I DON'T HAVE A BABY ANYMORE!!)
The Back looks like this...
You just wipe it off when they;re done and I swear it's the prettiest, most functional bib I've ever seen. I love it!
For Mom We made something a little different. Last summer I had all the grandkids here... remember that craziness?! It was awesome. I had all the kids write their name and draw a little picture around a GIANT table cloth with some washable markers. Then I embroidered everyones names in by hand. (Again, FAMILY can someone take a picture of the finished product for me?!) I think it turned out pretty awesome!
Now it's onto this years..... time to start making a list!
Looking for ideas to start this tradition at your house? Here are few of my past homemade gifts...
2009 - Finger Puppets/Books.
2008 - Nativity Boxes.
2007 - Red work Christmas Quilts.
2006 - North Pole Aprons.
2005- Christmas Needlepoint. (I stitched them and Doug made the frames.)
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This is the event that makes me happy to live in the South. Every year at this time I am homesick, I am missing family and I and struggling everyday with the fact that I don't live out west. Then I take my kids to a once in a lifetime memorable event that only exists here and I feeI better. Seriously, if you live anywhere in the South and have young kids this is one holiday event that you totally do NOT want to miss!! Last night Doug and I took the kids up to Bryson City, NC to see (according to Owen "The real-live Polar Express!".
After a 2 hour drive and a quick change into new Christmas jammies we were ready to present our Golden tickets to the Conductor for punching . We were off in a vintage first class dining car ready for an adventure!
The staff greeted the kids by grabbing them to dance and sing.
Then it was time for the all important Hot Chocolate!
and pastries... and marshmallow treats... and cookies. (Because apparently the kids needed to be even more hyped up for the ride!)
This is when the kids stopped even noticing the grown-ups and really did enter their own magical world.
Or maybe it was the the grown-ups turned into kids themselves.
And just when the kids were getting bored... the train ho-bo showed up!
And the frost set in.
The stage was set for something very magical to happen.
And someone very magical to meet.
Do you Believe?
We do!
If that doesn't get you in the Christmas mood nothing will!
*We took the kids to this back in 2007 and I have to say it was WAY better this year! The bells were better, the staff was better, the souvenirs were better.... and most importantly Santa was better. So kudos to GSMRR for up-ing an already amazing experience.*
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Another tradition that makes me heart melt to see carried on in my own house.
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We don't get the same snow storms here that I got growing up. My kids will ever have the joy of getting white washed daily by the cute boy down the street when they get off the school bus, or experience the delight of making morning snow angels in December and they will never get to have a snowball fight with their Georgia cousins and neighbors.... well, unless they come over the day Grandma's annual Christmas package comes because that's the one day a year we're guaranteed to have a snow storm.
(For the record; Doug saw the mess and thinks I'm crazy....)
(and for the record; I heard the giggles and didn't care about the clean up.)
(well.... until about this exact moment. The phone rang. It was the realtor. She had a family that wanted to come by and look at the house asap.)
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