The most wonderful part of having this blog is receiving emails with photographs from readers, like Nancy in New Jersey, of one of the projects I posted that she actually tackled…and some! She took THIS project to a new level. Nancy created this window as a gift for her nephew, Bryan, an architecture student and photographer. After cleaning up, painting and adding gold highlights to the old frame, she painted type in the top center pane and attached her nephew’s photographs with photo corners in the others. What a unique and thoughtful gift. Beautiful work, Nancy, thank you for sharing it!
The countdown begins to the sweetest little craft show north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Elaine Alexander puts on a wonderful holiday boutique every year at her church with 100% of all booth fees going directly to the church. This year I am tickled to be a part of it and loved designing the promotional material for it. (Click on image to enlarge.) I will feature some of the crafters’ work over the next month on my blog. So if you’re in the area or willing to take a fun drive into the wine country, come and shop. The crazy-amazing Holydaze & Vine folk art show will be right next door on the same day, so now what’s stopping you? (I heard a rumor that Oprah might just be in San Francisco for that weekend, think she’d pop up to little ol’ Petaluma?)
Watch for my new Etsy shop opening soon after the show!
Do you go all out for Thanksgiving? Do you host dinner in your home? Are you the wonderful cook?
I can’t even make myself reach into a store-bought chicken to pull out the extra parts let alone be trusted with a turkey. I can make a mean bowl of mashed potatoes or take on the crafty side of Thanksgiving, like decorating or making and sharing the holiday journal.
For many years we have shared Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law’s home in beautiful Napa, California. But the one year we did host Thanksgiving, I presented the family with this book. Words of Thanksgiving. In lieu of going around the table and saying what your thankful for, (no one really wants to say the deep stuff out loud), this book gets passed around all day. Not everyone chooses to write in it and that’s ok. But the thankful entries of those who do, give history to the happenings in the lives of our family over many years of gatherings.There’s a page of scribbles from Bennett at age 20 months. But my favorite page is the one that has an entry from each of my children:
“I im Thake for familys Sarah” This being Sarah’s first Thanksgiving with us since her mom, my sister, passed away and we adopted her.
“turkeys are what Iim I thankfol for Jamie”
“I am thankfoul for frends and famley. Bennett”
The book is a simple store-bought journal that I added a printed gold paper label to. You can get as elaborate or simple as you like, just be sure it’s not so overly decorated that it becomes too cumbersome to write in. Make a few extra for friends and neighbors. As with ours, yours can become a meaningful journal of the blessings in the life of your family.
The most wonderful part of having this blog is receiving emails with photographs from readers, like Nancy in New Jersey, of one of the projects I posted that she actually tackled…and some! She took THIS project to a new level. Nancy created this window as a gift for her nephew, Bryan, an architecture student and photographer. After cleaning up, painting and adding gold highlights to the old frame, she painted type in the top center pane and attached her nephew’s photographs with photo corners in the others. What a unique and thoughtful gift.
Beautiful work, Nancy, thank you for sharing it!
