What to do with Christmas card pics

We love getting Christmas cards with photos from friends (especially when they include pics of the parents, and not just the kids...) and every year, we joyfully post them all up in our home. But what to do with them afterwards? Some may make the fridge, but these days, that's valuable real estate for kid art...
I saw this idea on pinterest (totally not taking credit for it)... Collect each year's stack and punch holes in them, bind them with book rings and make yourself an easy coffee table book to bring out with the decorations next year. What's better than a book of your favorite people's smiling faces (and their kids, too)???
For ours, I've managed to dig up a few from years past and put our family card on the front for the year it represents. This makes me so happy because I just love holiday cards and how else can I keep and enjoy them???

Presents gone, room for my tree skirt!

Presents gone, room for my tree skirt!, a photo by libby dibby on Flickr.

My consolation prize for the presents all being opened is there is finally room for my tree skirt!

Merry Christmas!!!

From the shepherds and angel!

Libby Dibby collision

I wore my Christmas Libby Dibby skirt to church last Sunday. It's a wacky one, with hideously bright vintage Christmas velvet (I love it).
Then I sat down and a friend walked in with her Day Journey skirt on and sat right next to me. I thought this image was really fun.. And yes, I do draw incessantly during church...

Morning drawing time

I have a 5yo boy who needs a lot of one on one attention. Especially after losing 3 little brothers in 2 years... This last one loss has really wounded him. Around here, we have stepped up efforts at loving each other well and here's one thing I realized is gonna pour into my boy and also feed my soul.
The last three mornings, a little boy comes to me at 5:59 am and says, "mommy, is the coffee maker ready for me to turn on and can you come draw?" (today it took a while longer for me to get up...) and together we have spent at least an hour in quiet talk as we draw. (Mimi gets a similar crafting time at night...) you can see, today we had to make tugboats, per order of the CEO. But I'm also finding ways for it to be reflective, adding in song lyrics or creative writing to the drawings, as I am prone to do. (if this type of meditative drawing is of interest to you, I'd recommend looking into the Zendoodle books, they're really fun, I got some for the kids recently)

Our annual Christmas pic

many of you knew to wait for our annual Christmas pic... Yes, the Worths are still silly. Yes, we still know how to have fun.
Peace, Love and Joy, from us to you in this holiday season.

Peaceful Christmas evening

There are so many happy things about this photo... Presents wrapped, fire off to the right, tree skirt almost finished, hubby's show "Person of Interest" on the tv...

Christmas tree skirt

I've wanted to make a Christmas tree skirt for years and never found a pattern that I liked until now... My friend and bee partner, Jennifer, recently made a pattern for one that was a spiderweb pattern (see it here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnyincal/6482475375/in/photostream)
Oh!!! Yeah, I want to make that!!!
So here's the top, made in one productive evening... Now just gotta finish it. Then I have to squeeze it in under all the presents under the tree where no one can see it, but I'll know it's there...

A good gift = love

A good friend knows that sometimes its not having the right words to say, but being thoughtful that counts. As for our recent situation, there aren't any great words of comfort to ease the pain. But some of my sweet friends have known that there are indeed things that help... Like cookies dropped on my doorstep by a new neighbor/acquaintance, a pack of sharpies that came in the mail with some slinky's for the kids. ...A text or voicemail that required no response other than to hear the love in the message. Spontaneous invitations to breakfast. Loving comments on the blog. Two different friends sent songs to encourage us. Some friends took us away for the weekend after Thanksgiving... Today this sweet and adorably wrapped tiny present came with a friend's Christmas card. In it was this sweet embroidered "L" necklace.
The giver has no way of knowing that though I was the only "L" grandchild to my grandmother Lillian, I never received any of her promised initial jewelry when she passed - and that makes this even sweeter.
I have been loved on by so many of you friends. Thank you for knowing that Sharpies do actually help ease grief and that healing comes in many forms - including necklaces and cookies.
You all know who you are and I'm so grateful for you.
(ps- the embroidered necklace had a tag that says "merriweathercouncil.com - in case you're interested, and the other necklace can be found at shopsanctuary.org - an amazing non-profit organization started by another friend)

Christmas at our house

Someday in the future, there may be a day when I don't live at this house. This is what I will remember about Christmas, when I look back. My (Bachelder tile, for those who care) fireplace is the part of my home that makes me happiest besides my front door. Old homes are amazing and somehow lend extra nostalgia to holidays, don't you think?

Best Christmas list ever

I love my girl.

G's quilt

Made for the very special baby boy who I held in my arms from 3 weeks old-16 months old. The entire process of being a foster mom was so distressing that my heart was too broken to start and finish this while he was here. I had to work on this in spurts over the past two weeks to get it finished without too many tears.
I will mail this out today and hope it reaches him safely.
"Baby, we had hoped to hold you forever and we miss you every minute."

Christmas spirit

Having not done anything Christmassy yet this year, the kids were begging to get started. (I'm glad they're here to keep the ball rolling)... After pulling out the first four boxes I remembered this week that I love Christmas.
A friend came over yesterday for a crafting lesson and we made some adorable quilty keychains that I thought would make adorable Christmas ornaments. After the first 10... I still have ideas for a zillion more... How happy are these?
Here's the tutorial that I used:
http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/06/scrap-your-stash-guest-post-living-with.html

Perspective from Lovell

Whenever I get down or feel like life is tough, I remember my friend Lovell. Lovell was one of 7 boys, raised by a single mom (i'm guessing sometime in the 50s). He's now an older, unemployed man living somewhere in my neighborhood. He makes his living by making people happy. Lovell dances every single day, all day long in all weather, collecting tips for sharing his one talent. He writes funny signs to make people laugh and he spreads cheer and love to everyone who stops to talk to him as they enter the local onramp. Lovell shouts to our car each time as we drive by, "I love you guys! Drink lots of water!" My kids love him.
He's sworn multiple times to me that if ever anyone disrespects me that he will go and "take care of them".
Lovell doesn't have all his teeth, but he's got one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. It lights up my day every time I see him.
And I think about perspective a lot when I see him. Lovell is also affected by the economy. I don't know if Lovell has a house. But Lovell always has a smile and something funny to say. And Lovell is absolutely amazing and beautiful in the best ways.
Here's Lovell's joke for you today.

These busy hands needed a ring

It's had been about 5 days since I made anything. (WHAT?!?!?!?) I saw this wire sitting on the counter and made this sweet nest ring... Found a stray weird bead and had something to wear today.