I realize that this is going to sound bad, but I do love presents! I am excited for both the giving and the getting of Christmas, but truth be told, I do love pretty little packages just as much as the giving… the giving is fun (making is the BEST), but presents are just… exciting! I like to see what people think to get you… it’s so nice to get things you wouldn’t normally think of for yourself… it expands your horizons and leaves you with little reminders of the people you love.

The shopping in stores makes me anxious… Remember the Goonies where Chunk says, “I’m not all alone in the dark. I like the dark. I love the dark. But I hate nature! I HATE nature!” Me during the holidays: “I’m not overwhelmed in the holidays. I like the holidays. I love the holidays. But I hate shopping! I HATE shopping!”  I digress.

Since last Christmas I went overboard with asking for house books, this year I didn’t ask for any… and I’m feeling a little askers-remorse. Severe askers-remorse. My all-time favorite is Barbara Bestor’s Bohemian Modern: Living in Silver Lake, but I’m also really fond of Judith Wilson’s Harmonious Home, and Amy Butler’s Found Style. I just wish I had had some forethought to think of house books when asked for my Christmas list. Instead I just clamored on and on about a finished house and a camera (no no no no regrets there!) and said there’s not anything I want (not true!). I know I have a hard time thinking under pressure, but next time, think brain, think!

I’m feeling a little stressed out about the Holidays… especially since Christmas is less than two weeks away, but I guess since this happens every year, that it is just what happens. Although I remember one year feeling really prepared and excited for Christmas. I also remember another year, and the nervous break-down chart that was created amidst the rehab, where I scored a 9 out of 10 just before Christmas (I was making aprons for my mom and sister and a gardening tote for my mother-in-law… they all turned out as if a 5th grader made them. Good times, good times.). Maybe it was a 9.5, can’t remember. Anyway, maybe this is just what happens, and as my sister would say, “it is what it is.” Despite it though, I still love Christmas.

Next year I am taking the handmade pledge and will either buy handmade or make all gifts. It’s more meaningful and more fun anyway! I just hope next year (and the gifts I’m making this year), look as if an adult made them, not a tiny pre-teen. I am more of a Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none, so you never can tell what the end product will be.

Regardless, I am ready to sew this weekend. Fabric, check. Thread, check. Sanity… ?

I’m only making a few of the bags (down from the 10 I originally thought I had time for), but making stuff relaxes me, so I think it will be both therapeutic and relaxing! I hope.

Well, sort of. We had our company Christmas party on Friday and I whipped up some homemade wrapping paper for the occasion. I just printed it out on 13×19 matte photo paper (the thinnest I could find) and wrapped it up with a pretty brown ribbon (wish I had a picture). Thought someone else would want to print it out too! You can download a PDF and print it out if you want… might come in handy for a last minute wrap. I love making patterns! Love it.

I was searching Domino for gift ideas (actually I was searching for some of the stories in the most current issue because I only had a chance to thumb through it last night and it looked really, really good), and I found these really lovely posters for kids by Robin Rosenthal. I wish I were pregnant or had kids so I could buy them both.

I suffer from a severe and debilitating disease called buyers remorse. I also suffer from the sister-disease of order-remorse, but I’ve learned to live with it and it is far less draining to deal with on a daily basis since it really only comes out in restaurants (”I’ll have the Crab Cake Sandwich please.” I really wanted the Tilapia Reuben. Happened just yesterday. Should have ordered the Reuben, don’t know why I didn’t.). Anyway, today I ordered fabric for the Christmas gifts I want to make, and my anxiety is starting to fester, but I’m still a little excited about buying some Amy Butler fabric that I’ve been wanting for sometime now!

Here are my two choices:

On another note, Nathan finally hung the closet door downstairs. That is VERY exciting news! I’ve learned to live with not having closet doors, or really a bedroom closet for that matter, but I have always hated that anytime someone comes over, they see all of our stuff falling out of the closet… currently in the downstairs closet we have coats, a candle (in the case of an outage), gloves and such, a basket with dog toys, a rug we bought on sale and hated the second we brought home, vacuum bags, a tennis racket, tension rods for curtains, an Ikea stool, and loads and loads tools. And now, it can all be hidden with closing the door!

White Forest Pottery hot cocoa mugs… aren’t they beautiful? If I were rich I’d buy five or six or seven… and an iPhone.

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Lacy Crochet and Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi… which aren’t even released yet in the US. I don’t even know how to crochet (yet), but I’m interested after seeing these!

I just read that Amy Butler is offering free patterns online! Hooray! I don’t have any fabric… or a place to sew, but the lavender bags would be a great Christmas gift!

I was going to make little bags for mugs and tea, but lavender seems much better.