Bon Scrapatit Designs: merry christmas and a small gift ...

Merry Christmas y'all!

No matter where you may live or how you celebrate this time of the year, from our home to yours, we wish you all a most joyous holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and an incredibly happy, healthy and prosperous New Year in 2012!

Since my last visit, I have been pretty ill (my bad :p) after having pulled an all-nighter to get my portion of the December Blog Train up and running. The bugs my precious little grandson was carrying decided to take advantage of my compromised immune system and they bit me hard somewhere between 3 and 4:00 am on December 1st! ROFL! Ouch!

I think I slept for most of the first two weeks. After that, it was hit 'n miss. I'd be feeling decent one day and then could not get up the next, so I listened to my body and simply took it as easy as possible. Lots of herbal goodies too. *smile*

We celebrated our family Christmas gathering a week early, just as we had our Thanksgiving, and I spent one day decking the halls and the following day cooking, serving and cleaning up! I was thrilled to have been feeling good enough to pull it all off with the help of my incredibly sweet and most precious man and a few of the boys (yes, they are sweet and precious too!). So blessed to have them all *sigh*

The photo I used for the frame cluster is of our grandson, Jace. He spent the night with us after our Christmas dinner on the 17th and waited patiently for Grandma to tell him that it was time to decorate the tree. Uhm, can we say distractions? LOL! I cannot effectively carry on a conversation and a chore at the same time these days. Fail.

After several inquiries as to when we would be decorating this poor, naked tree and Grandma responding with the same, "as soon as I finish cleaning the kitchen", Jace leans on the counter with his elbow beneath his chin and with a gentle whisper says to me, "I am going to decorate the tree myself". Oh. My. Gosh. I about lost it. I think I did lose it. *big grin* Are not we constantly amazed at what comes out of the mouths of babes? Uhm. Yeah!

So, there you have it. Jace preparing to hang Grandma's favorite ornament. Okay, I really have several favorites, but this one is really, really special! *wink* I always think of the song, Silver Bells. Back in the day, my oldest daughter and I spent many a night in the garage crafting. Yup. I actually created and sold at craft fairs and consignment-type stores. I forget what they were called, but it was a shop that would rent out space by taking a certain percentage of your sales each month. It was short-lived as we moved here to Copper just a few months later. I eventually found a spot here in town, but that was short-lived as well when the owner decided not to use his shop for anything other than what he was selling! Understood. *smile* Anyhoo, my daughter would glue and glitter the ornament bases and I would decorate them. What a team. My oldest son just mentioned to me the other day that my 'ol crafting days brought back very fond memories for him. *heart. skipping. beat.*

I do have a crafter's heart. I just lack the time and space to accommodate my stock of supplies! Someday ... maybe. *chuckle*

I hope everyone's hearts are overflowing and ready to take on the new year with all it has to give. I love renewals and/or fresh starts! So, be prepared for the upcoming departure of the January Blog Train, which shall be making it's way through Scrapland on January 1, 2012! There, I said it. WOOT! I guarantee you shall refresh your digiscrapping supplies! *wink*

My small gift today is the frame cluster at the top of my post (preview below). I will also be giving you a few flowers along with the leaves, newsprint postage frame and a couple of grunge prints this coming week, God willing. If you have not already dowloaded *Holiday Traditions*, you can find the link on my sidebar beneath the preview image. It will be available for downloading until the departure of the January Blog Train.

Don't forget to board the January Blog Train on New Year's Day, Januay 1, 2012! *big, big grin*

Thanking you all from the depths of my being for your continued support over the past year and here is to a more productive year for us all come 2012!

Oh, oh, OH! And I shall reply to each comment left for the December Blog Train. That is a given *smile*