Wedding Christmas Ornaments

~ Emily ~ 2 Comments

I am definitely one to attach sentiment to objects.  I have several shoe boxes full of birthday cards because throwing them away feels like throwing away the person who gave it to me. After reading books like 7 and Organized Simplicity, combined with the hassle of packing and moving, I’m learning to separate sentiment from tangible items.

My wedding was the perfect test for this resolve.  The decor was so intentional, and full of me and Tim, that it was virtually impossible to separate sentiment from all the little details. Throwing them away wasn’t an option. Many of the decorations now spruce up our apartment.

The floral aspects were a different story.  Flowers are difficult to preserve.  My bouquet was gorgeous, but the dried version was uninspiring and sat on my parent’s porch for months after the wedding.  I thought that was the end of the road for my wildflower and twine spray until my mom visited over Thanksgiving.

She brought a special, handmade gift full of sentiment and love.  My mom crafted two ornaments from wedding decor so that the memories could hang on our Christmas tree year after year.

One ornament is filled with dried flowers from my bouquet, the other is filled with miscellaneous wedding ephemera (I love that word…). She used clear, plastic ornaments from Michaels, which come in multiple shapes and sizes.

Each ornament top was wrapped with twine that had previously been wrapped around the base of my bouquet. My mom’s first married Christmas tree was decorated with red gingham bows so she also fashioned me a bow from the extra twine to put on my first married Christmas tree.

Pieces of tea-stained doilies, fabric, tulle, lace, and tiny birds punched out of blue card stock mirror the decor detail from our wedding.

An ornament is the perfect way to preserve special memories and details.  The stuffings are free, the ornaments are inexpensive, and the sentiment will be cherished every year.

Paper Bag Christmas Card

~ Emily ~ 4 Comments

Crystal Regan, our lovely and talented Director of Children’s Ministry, put together a festive spread for the December elder meeting last week.  Each place setting included one of these sweet Christmas Cards made from a brown paper bag and scrapbook paper.

I adore the creative construction and use of such a common household item  Plus, clever folding produces a little pocket for a gift card or personal note.

All you need is a lunch sack, paper, scissors, and glue.  I constructed a prototype with a smaller sized paper bag, so the folds are approximate.  The paper measurements are for Crystal’s card, above, which uses a standard brown lunch bag.  Adjust the paper size according to the size of your bag.

Paper Bag Christmas Card

You’ll need:

  • Brown paper bag
  • Paper scaps – patterned or plain to your taste and design
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Instructions:

Cut your paper scraps to the designated sizes indicated below (also in the photo above).

  • 1 (3″ x 4 3/4″)
  • 1 (2 3/4″ x 4 3/4″)
  • 1 (3 1/2″ square)
  • 2 (3 1/4″ square)

Fold the paper bag inward on the dotted lines shown above.  On the bottom part of the bag that was folded over, glue along the edges to create the pocket.

Use the photo below to guide you in gluing the decorative paper onto your bag.  The second  3 1/4″ square is glued on the inside of the front flap.

These cards are simple and would be fun to construct with kids.  Plus, the design is only limited by the event or your imagination.  Have fun – I would love to see or hear about your card creations!

Update: I made a video tutorial for creating a sweet Valentine’s Day version.

 

 

Read Along The Road ~ Christmas Edition

~ Emily ~ 1 Comment

A list of favorite Christmas tomes that adorn my bookshelves:

Christmas With Anne by L.M. Montgomery.

  • A fellow Anne fan gave this to me a couple years ago and I have read it every Christmas since. Christmas with Anne is a collection of 16 holiday stories, including favorites like “Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves” and others that have never appeared in book form.

Christmas Cookies by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

  • I was charmed by Amy’s first book, Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons, and was so excited to see a Christmas themed follow-up.  Gorgeous illustrations accompany a delicious ABC dictionary of holiday lessons.
GRATITUDE means taking a minute to look around the table and be thankful for all the people and all the cookies.

 

The Greatest Shepherd of All: A Really Woolly Christmas Story by Holley Gerth

  • Grandpa Woolly shares the story of THE Shepherd to his little woolly grandkids – Faith, Hope, and Joy.  The whole Really Woolly line (brought to life by Julie Sawyer Phillips) makes me smile and this book is a prime example why.  Part allegory, part kid’s book, this little gem manages to be cute without being simpering.

Classics

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

  • It just so happens that one of my favorite novels also has plenty of Christmas spirit.  Little Women is wholesome and worth reading no matter what holiday is around the corner, but there’s something special about snuggling up to read the March women’s timeless story during the Winter months.

The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry

  • The twist ending in this popular short story has long lost its surprise, but O. Henry weaves a sentimental tale that continues to resonate with gift-givers everywhere.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

  • Beneath the ethical and emotional transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge lies the subtle comedy of Dicken’s literary genius.  The story is oft adapted, but the original definitely earns its classic status.

 

How to have a Mary Christmas

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How is always the hardest part for me.  What and why are simple enough, but how is a different story.

Where do you start when what you want to do calls for stillness, silence, and sitting?

I don’t know how to turn on a switch and be still.  If I manage to sit down, my mind is inevitably whirring with activity.

I’m realizing that having a Mary Christmas isn’t accomplished through action steps, even if the actions are stillness, silence, and sitting.  A Mary Christmas comes by choice – a choice to slow down and focus my mind.

When I make space to dwell on the season, I’m forced to slow down. I can’t hurry past my Savior when meditating on the joy, peace, glory, and wonder surrounding His earthly beginning. Slowing down is a non-negotiable when my soul is frozen in awe.

The how becomes inextricable from a heart meditating on Jesus. I take cues from the heart of other key players in the humbling narrative of Christ’s birth.

Sing with Mary:

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

{Luke 1:46-47,50}

 

Praise God with the heavenly hosts:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

{Luke 2:14}

Rejoice with Simeon:

For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.

{Luke 2:30-32}

Let our Savior inspire stillness with joy, with awe, with wonder. Let praise and glory bloom in the silence of your heart.

———————

My aunt shared these thoughts with me recently:

Someone once said something to the effect: the words don’t have to be spelled right, don’t have to be perfectly written to be beautiful. So it is with Christmas. The house does not need to be perfectly decked nor the presents perfectly wrapped. The most perfect of “home”  has already been set. The stable – no bells, whistles, decorations, fancy wrapped gifts – just God’s perfect plan. 

God’s perfect plan for Christmas is not perfection. A Mary Christmas follows His example of simplicity and a heart swelling with our Savior.

How will you celebrate a Mary Christmas?

 

Why have a Mary Christmas?

~ Emily ~ 2 Comments

Martha is the pesky option on multiple choice tests that is meant to distract you from the correct answer.  It seems viable, but misses the mark ever so slightly.  Martha is a deceivingly good option and is, in many ways, the right choice, just not the BEST answer.

Martha’s approach isn’t wrong, but her priorities are off.  Her service isn’t bad, but Mary’s stillness is better.

Why is sitting and silence the better way?  Why is it important to try for a Mary Christmas in a Martha season?

I discovered an answer in a commonly practiced holiday activity – decorating the Christmas tree, which Tim and I did yesterday.

Our Christmas tree extravaganza involved mucking around the National Forest with a chainsaw, seven strands of colored lights (plus one white strand, because two trips to Lowe’s in an hour is quite enough), and evenly dispersing ornaments throughout our large, but decidedly Charlie Brown-esque, tree.

During the process, which was spread over a couple days due to scheduling conflicts and sickness, I was reminded why I let my mom and brother handle the lights.  Now that it’s just Tim and I, lights are a troublesome catch 22: I either forfeit control and let Tim do it, or do it myself and be displeased with the less than perfect results…

Beyond my OCD tendencies with the lights, putting up the Christmas tree is one of my favorite traditions.  I enjoy picking out the best Noble Fir, untangling the copious strands of lights (my job since I don’t string them), and hanging all our family ornaments.

My absolute favorite part of the Christmas tree experience is when the tree is all decorated and someone turns off the lights – nothing is glowing but the tree.  We stand back in silence, admiring the beautiful scene.

Red, blue, green, pink, and orange glow softly, glistening off metal and glass hidden in the fragrant boughs.  I inevitably sit for hours gazing at the tree, letting my eyes rest on each ornament, my sight fixed on one memory after another.

The work of setting up the tree sometimes distracts me from truly appreciating all of the beauty and memories that have been created and will be created.  It is only when I sit and gaze a while that I fully absorb what each ornament means to my heart and my history.

A decorated tree takes work and the work is good.  Enjoying the tree requires time – time to sit still and look, see and remember.

The bustling and busyness of a Martha Christmas can be fun and enjoyable, but it is only when we choose a Mary Christmas that we intentionally slow down and can fully rejoice in the gifts from God that are celebrated during this season.