On the 4th day of Christmas...

... it is snowing again (that is a relief after that yucky rain) and blowing that hard-hitting northern wind... but still am glad for the wonderful Christmas we have had.

Just a quick post for the moment... I want to share a website of a friend that you might find interesting... it is Smackie Beads you can find it by clicking on the name... she is a sweet lady & she has some awesome things that she is creating.

Better go get ready for church... hopefully the white-outs will subside so we can make it there... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Christmas Wishes

That is the greatest reason I am with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Christmas Eve's Eve... busy busy

Just wanted to get in a quick post... it is bedtime & I am definitely feeling it tonight! Did more cookies for our church Christmas Eve service & delivered them... started working on a project for a gift... ok better late then ever????

The pics are of a project I finished a couple days ago... I did 3 of them for gifts... guess I would call it a praise or promise book... I really enjoyed it I saw one like it on Courtney's blog... loved how mine turned out... thanks Courtney for the idea.

Well, best get to bed... maybe I will actually sleep past 4 a.m. tonight!!!!!

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

I have felt that this year I am so behind with all Christmas prep... is everyone feeling that way? You would think that this year with me not having a job... I would have so much extra time to get things done... but... okay, I must confess... I am one of those "people" that tortures themselves by waiting to the last minute... you know those people... "I work better under pressure"... OK, maybe that is the lie we just tell... you know if a pressure cooker is under pressure for too long it will eventually explode... although I really am surprised at myself & how carefree I have been about a lot of things lately.... hmmm wonder what that could be???? Anyway, here is a pic of some of my sugar cookies I finally decorated on Saturday... they aren't fancy, but I thought the trees were pretty. Do they look good enough to eat???? *Ü*

I do have something else I want to share with you... getting back to the whole "pressure cooker" thing at Christmas time... we women do put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get everything done & then we usually end up feeling exhausted & unappreciated... usually blowing-up at our dear husbands... here is a little encouragement I came across this morning...

This is written by Barbara Rainey -- "I think we wives need to give our husbands some grace...to not know how a woman feels, or how we function and operate as the other sex. I used to think, 'Why doesn't Dennis just understand what I'm going through? Why doesn't he do things the way I want them done?' But I had to learn that he doesn't automatically know where I am emotionally, or what I expect in different situations, unless I tell him. And if I come across as judgmental, he'll get defensive. I need to bestow some grace. Ask the Lord to help you understand that your spouse may do things differently than you, and give grace instead of condemnation."

When I read this it spoke to me & I felt compelled to share it because someone might read it that really needs it today... besides we all need to give some grace on a daily basis. Thanks for stopping... remember only 3 days 'til Christmas... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

I'm still here...

So sorry it has been too long since I last posted... life has been so busy... the funny part... I am not really sure why???? Baking... decorating... cleaning... a lil' shopping... no time lately for craft/paper time... what is with that???? I have some Christmas projects that definitely need to be done & soon!!!! I always send out homemade cards every year... I had already decided I would not be sending out as many because of the cost, but I really miss coming up with this years design for my card & then "mass" producing it... ok maybe not "mass" but usually 40 or 50 of them... since I don't have a Christmas card made for this year I am sharing last years card with you... hope you like it...

This is one of my favorite times of the year... the problem... I try to get too much done & put too much pressure on myself... I am trying to stop some of that & trying to enjoy & remember what this season is all about... yes, it is all about the Gift...

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NKJV)

Have a good day... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Christmas season in full swing...

Just thought I would stop by & share a couple pics from last nights Christmas party at our church... every year the church staff gives all the people serving a fantastic Christmas party... and this year was no exception... being in the new facility made it all very exciting & definitely more of a challenge... but in a good way. It is so great that almost 300 people can be shown appreciation for their service to the Lord... sure that is not the reason for our service, but it is still nice to be remembered in this way. If you look closely you can see the paper cone trees I helped create... that is me in the red... did Luke get my best side???? Luke & I were table hosts & we had some very sweet people at our table. Sorry the pic is kind of dark but the lights are kept low for the ambiance.

Anyway... it was a super night... I am so thankful for my church family and that I have the chance to serve with such awesome people! Luke & I were talking as we fell asleep last night about how great it is for us to be a part of a church together... where we can serve together. For any of you that don't know... for the first 15 years of our marriage Luke & I went to & served in 2 separate churches... we made it work because we both felt we were where we belonged, but when God moved us to northern Michigan... we saw it as a gift from Him to let us find a church where we could serve together... WHAT A GIFT!!! The other way was OK, but like the song says "I'm never going back to OK!"

I know, this short post has now turned into a book... but it has been a few days since I posted... with all that being said... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Delightful bookmarks...

Just a quick post for today... I have been quite busy this week helping get things ready for a Christmas event at our church... see being "crafty" can be used for good not just evil !!!! *Ü* We made 112 paper cone trees in varying sizes & colors... great helpers got it done after a few hours of work... OK maybe it was more than a few hours, but we had a lot of fun... I will post a picture of the tables with the trees as table decorations later in the week.

These are some bookmarks I made for a friend of mine... she is going to put them in her Christmas cards... the pic is not the best, but you get the idea. This is the second time someone has asked me to make some items... I am thankful for people that appreciate my hobby... I would do it for my friends for free if I could afford it, but right now even a little extra $ helps. Thank-You Lord for the ability.

CS: Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, white; Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke; Misc.: DP from SU from a couple years ago, cranberry ribbon, silver cord, flower punch, silver brad; stamps: Verve verse stamp, SU Hope Is...

I had breakfast with a friend today... thanks H... it was good to just sit & talk... we also went browsing in a couple stores... I say browsing because neither of us saw much that we liked... oh well you don't spend money that way!!!

Thanks for peeping... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Christmas cards...

No, I don't have my Christmas cards done yet... but I was peeking at an ecard site and came across some really beautiful cards... I loved this one with the verse & the snowflakes... so I am sharing this with you today... hope you like it!

Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving??? Ours was great... not too much drama... it is always good when the "drama-meter" is low!!! *Ü*

I have a busy week ahead of me... and once again God is blessing Michigan with lots & lots of beautiful snowflakes... so it will make the going a little more complicated... but I will survive!

I know it is no longer a monday before Thanksgiving but I just have to add something more I am thankful for... I am so thankful for the good family God has given me... especially my parents who did the best job raising me they could (I was a handful at times)... since I am not a parent I don't totally understand why parents still feel responsible for their grown children... but what I do understand is that my parents may not have done the best job teaching us about handling our "treasures" here on earth, but they did a great job of showing us the Way to our "treasures" for eternity... isn't that what is most important anyway??? Thank-you Mom & Dad... I love you!

with a grateFUL HEART, carin