Finally! I Was Feeling Like The Last Kid Picked At Recess!

Sharon sent me an email today letting me know she tagged me for this Christmas tag--she said something like you're the &%ittiest blogger I know, so I tagged you. It's fine. I can take it, I'm sure it was meant in a constructive way and I'll try harder. So Sharon, you mentioned little faith in my ability to complete this in a timely way too (Sharon, you mad at me or somethin? ;-) so here ya go!:

1) Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Do.Not.Care. It's what I get that counts, right?
2) Real tree or artificial?
After 40, I'm all about artificial parts trees!
3) When do you put up your tree?
Thanksgiving weekend--earlier if the stain just won't steam out!
4) When do you take the tree down?
I don't fight trees, it's mean and it's just too awkward on the pin.
5) Do you like eggnog?
Oh heck yes...beginning at 6 am all the way through New Years Eve (day)!
6) Favorite gift received as a child?
Velvet Doll, Green Apple Perfume & a radio like Sharon's (I'm a glutton)
7) Do you have a Nativity scene?
Of course!
8) The hardest person to buy for?
Always the last person on my list, usually on Christmas Eve day.
9) The easiest person to buy for?
Me. I can buy myself just about anything and I'm always happy to see it under the eggnogartificially homey-g tree!
10) The worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Toenail clippers--that my Johnny still to this day insists was a nice little practical gift we were given (not saying who). He says this with a loving smile on his face. As he clips clips clips clips clips clips.....
11) Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
I can email Christmas cards?
12) Favorite Christmas movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!
13) When do you start shopping for Christmas?
When John's bonus arrives...so this Friday. We'll be the couple getting stuck in the front door because we're pushing each other down to run out and spend the moolah first. Pshh, that's always so embarrassing!
14) Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I made a mosaic out of dyed toenail clippings--does this fit here?
15) Favorite things to eat at Christmas?
My Grandma Cleva's date bars. All of them. The whole dang batch! Now that she's gone, I make them myself, although not quite the same. But good enough. I bake them knowing I'm probably the only one that'll eat them. But enough eggnog goes around. And nobody notices.
16) Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Is this an eggnog pre-driving test or something?
17) Favorite Christmas song?
Mary Did You Know? sung by Shannon every Christmas Eve at our church service...it completes the evening. Last Christmas by the Beatles is a close second, it speaks to the drama queen in me.
18) Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home, simply by default. I'll travel. Who wants to see us?
19) Can you name all Santa's reindeer?
Oh for sure--and Rudolph isn't up for debate, he IS part of the herd!
20) Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star. It was on sale.
21) Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Eve! Because Santa leaves the good stuff Christmas morning.
22) Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Back to that stupid 'stuck in the door frame' scene.
23) What is the "corniest" family tradition you do or miss doing?
No lie, we go to Christmas Eve service at church then head to Applebees. I've been busted--at school, Alex wrote a paper about it last year, not knowing it was 'odd'. And our friends laughed us out of the school. And THATS why I homeschool now. (Pam, don't you feel guilty now?)
24) Ugliest Christmas decorations ever invented?
I'm with Sharon on the big plastic blowup things in the lawn--especially the Simpsons. What and why? If Homer were something to look at, I could get on board....
25) Which looks the best...theme trees or homey trees?
Ours is homelyhomey, but if you've got an eggnog tree, I'll be over in a sec.
26) What does Christmas mean to you?
In all seriousness, the profound meaning of Christmas has been profound to me only these past few years, even though I've known the meaning for many. Although I've considered myself a follower of Christ for several years, when I think about it, now, the profoundness of Christmas is stunning.

Christmas! The day our Father gifted His love to us us and His desire for us to spend eternity with Him.

That gift, delivered by Mary, was no less than His Son. Given to us in the form of a human; a human who interacted with the regular Joe's, the lowly and sick, the children, the tax collectors, the untouchables, the ugly, the beautiful and the rich. It didn't matter then, it doesn't matter now, He loves you, He loves me. I'd say we were a pretty difficult bunch of folks to shop for, but he sure did get it right! xo

I'm going to tag now...but I think most of you have already done this. The one I think I'm certain probably hasn't maybe done it yet would be....my new friend Maddy. Maddy, have you done this too? Am I the only one who hadn't? Anyone who hasn't done this, please don't wait for the tag, do it!! Let us all know about it too.

No You Make ME Smile....All Y'all Do!

Edit: I'm in the process of updating my blog template and have lost all my links and awards, etc. I'm rebuilding them--but it takes time. If you're not there yet, I still love ya, I just got tired.

I have been fortunate enough to make a new blogger friend this week, Trinity. She's a beautiful wife, mom and much much more over in Indonesia. This is the gal I was talking about who was hosting the giveaway in honor of all the family celebrations coming up! I'm certain she'll make sure I receive the top prize, right Trinity? Right?

Ahh, well, even better than the prospect of winning a prize, she says I make her smile. It amazes me when I read all my friends blogs, all of you, and you lift me up so high, I enjoy every single one of you, and then one of you tells me you noticed something about me. It's humbling, indeed, and I never get used to that. Listen to me, I'm sounding like a movie star accepting an award--but it's the truth. Okay, okay, I'll get on with the award (and Trinity, I'll do my tag next week, thanks for the post idea!!).

And I have the pleasure of passing this along....I think you've all met my friend Cat--you know we met online in another website for Christian moms and turned out we were practically neighbors. I met Cat for lunch, then a movie, then from that point on, she's been a dear friend of mine. She and her family have blessed our church by becoming members, and we couldn't love them more. How does Cat make me smile? Cat makes me smile mostly in our little Wednesday study we're doing with our pastor. We sit on the couch together and it's hard not to just burst out with laughter sometimes. Ask her how she spent last week sucking up to the pastor, all intellectual and stuff! Cat, you make me smile.

Another goes to a new friend I've made--Karen. Karen is new to our church family as well and what a welcome addition she is. It isn't always easy to come into a new church and slide right in, I know this, but Karen and her family have done that. She's got a blog too, couldn't believe it! It's used mostly to update friends and family on her family, and if you want to peek inside a beautiful, giving family's life, go check out Casting Crumbs.

Next, Kathleen (Coffee Mom) who STILL patiently awaits the DD coffee I have promised her--Kathleen, it is here, I promise I have not drank YOUR coffee although I'm out and I'm tempted. I will get it mailed and you will be very surprised. Kathleen lives in Canada and homeschools her children too. I can't tell you how many giggles and flat out laugh-till-I-cry moments I've had on her blog--she doesn't take herself too seriously. I like that. If I start taking myself seriously, I read her and remember I'm not all that!

Everyone I know knows Sharon. Sharon Sews--in fact, she's been so busy sewing up my pink jacket she forgot to get my mailing address to mail it to me. Email me, Sharon, I'll send it right over. Sharon is not ONLY a seamstress to be reckoned with but she's also a supermodel now (her modeling post is HILARIOUS! She's beautiful & funny.)

One more blogger has been on my mind of late. My friend Cheryl at Word Quilter. Cheryl is a beautiful person inside and out. Of late, her life's been quite jumbled with ups and downs and looks like on the uppp side of life right now, and I just adore her. She makes me smile because I've never known someone who can have so much dumped on her plate and turn around and indicate she knows for certain this will all be alright. Cheryl, love your curtains, but you need to update that blog. So here ya go!

Alright off to do housework now. I finally took the weekend off from typing--I feel so free! Tonight is bunco night for the women at church and I'm sooo gonna win prizes there. And of course, you know I'll have someone take my picture so I can post me there winning.

Sharon, Welcome To My Jungle!

Sharon tagged me eons and eons ago--it was a sewing tag. And because I almost never get to my room anymore :( I just keep forgetting that darn tag--but Sharon, I am going to show you my room. And I want you to know I haven't packed for tomorrow's big three day trip to Branson--yet here I am past midnight photographing my sewing room because you're that special to me. Not only that, but the first little collage is the route to my room--which explains everything. It's in the farthest, darkest corner of the house. And it is a mess my friend. A true seamstress will gasp in horror, I know.

Pretty please just ignore the walls and stuff in the basement--in the two years we've been here we're moving slowly and haven't gotten to it yet. I'm going to need to finish what I started upstairs first, though.

So, down the stairs, around the corner (past John's 'cave'), turn turn and down a short little hall and there it is! See? There! (click the pic to enlarge them)

This is it. This is my baby, Sharon, and the reason I chose this song today! It's mostly housed on this nice "L" shaped desk I got on Craigslist (I posted that tip on Pattern Review btw). This room is a disaster--kind of had to go back to work on the fly. Then come down to quickly hem something for a friend, whatever, and it piles up. I have the cutting table behind that desk, which as you see is covered with fabric (very sad, I just got the order when I had to start typing again!), an old radio and...paper towels, have no idea why, lol.

Finally, Sharon, this pitiful mess here, this pile of beautiful fabrics all wadded up and shoved on a few shelves (won't show you the Rubbermaid tubs shoved unerneath) is where I shop my stash. You know, just writing this, just being down there, I'm renewing my committment to get down there, clean that up and spend at least one hour a week in that room. I adore that room (when it's clean).

Now....my friend Leslie, my little FAQ, has a contest going on and she's looking for self-portraits. I thought it'd be fun to do that, so here you are, Leslie, this is what my self-portrait looks like.....for today. Tomorrow, it may not be that, girl, I'm a chameleon, no doubt about it! Today, I'm overwhelmed, out of time yet very excited. And quite happy about my life. The part without the drama, the drama I hate, but here at home, at church, even online with my blogger friends, I'm greatful for every day. *tip to my friends online, so far (hehe) I am the only submission. Looks as if I'm the only nut brave enough to submit a self-portrait. So, Gigi, you know what this means, right? I might win....yes I might!

I'm getting a little loopy now, so I'm gonna get a few hours of sleep. I'm very excited because I might (cross my fingers) get to meet my good blogging friend Gigi, known to most as Girl Gone Wild. She happens to be at Silver Dollar City at the same time I'm going. We have GOT to ride Fire In The Hole together, no worries, I'll hold her hand if she cries. I'll probably be on over the next three days, but just in case internet fails (Murphy) I'll have pictures next week for ya. And Gigi, I'll wear a special shirt for you to recognize me...what can I wear...what. can. I. wear.....

Don't forget, there's still time to enter my giveaway--that fantabulistic little personalized CD--just follow the link HERE (or just scroll down a few days) and get ready to get your rock 'n roll on (said that kinda like a Pinks & Blues girl, lol).