Gingerbread Party!

Here are a few pictures

from our fun graham cracker house
decorating party...
my computer is not loading half of the pics -
so it will just have to be a few...

Here is Miss Thang working on her masterpiece...

This nicely constructed house was made by Allikaye's friend, Mallory...
It was a serious explosion of decor!

Here are Allikaye and her two besties...
showing their sticky fingers!

Here is Allikaye's finished product #1...
I asked her if she wanted a marshmallow snowman...
she decided on a marshmallow caterpillar...
hmmm...

And here is finshed product #2...
complete with half eaten marshmallow...

This was super fun...
and fun to have lots of my friends come over!
This is definitely a new tradition!!

Next to come on the ol blog...
some dance recital pics!
I don;t have the video yet,
but the outfit is enough to make your heart skip a beat!

Christmas Card...

Here is our Christmas card this year!
Announcing You on Etsy
designed them for me!
I L-O-V-E them!
You can click on it for a super big card for ya!

"We know how dearly God loves us,
and we feel that warm love everywhere."
Romans 5:5

Merry CHRISTmas!

My Christmas Home...

Welcome to my STAR filled home!
My Christmas tree is no exception to my love of stars...
Stars have such an amazing meaning
and significance this time of year!

My bigger stars I got when we lived in Germany...
definitely one of the top things I took from our life there!
Speaking of STARS...
look who's peeking out from behind the tree...
STARRY CAT!!!
I love me some 'C's' too...
Here is our special advent Jesse Tree...
we've got an apple, rainbow, world, ram,
cradle, tent, colorful coat,
and some other favorite Bible story symbols!

Here is my chalkboard proclaiming the good news!

Our fireplace...
stockings...
and advent log!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Despite all my lovely and special decorations...
these are my favorite...
the decorations made by the sweet and precious hands
of my angel...

Most beautiful wreath I have ever seen!

Merry CHRISTmas to you!

Let me know if you share your Christmas home...

Starting Today...

We are going to build a well.

You are going to build a well.

(photo courtesy of Jody Landers)

Because we can.

Because you can.

How?

Right now sweet, generous, creative and caring women from all over the country are sewing, knitting, painting, shopping, blogging, praying.

Donating.

Over 100 items.

Handmade and heartfelt happiness.

Starting

December 14th

and ending

December 18th

Project 320

will be holding a virtual raffle.

10 prize bundles.

Each $10 donation to the well

earns one virtual ticket.

You get to choose how many "tickets" to buy

and which prize package you want to win.

On December 21st we will "draw" ten winners.

But most of all,

we will celebrate the victory.

The promise of clean water for a village.

Life.

Are you excited?

You should be!!!!

Because it is going to be awesome.

Spread the word.

We're Ready...

The cookies are made...
cookies and frosting in the middle...
yum!

The muddy buddies are waiting...
powdery and chocolatey...

The decorations are waiting to
adorn a beautiful graham cracker house...

The graham crackers are awaiting their frosting cement
to become beautiful creatvie creations...
stuck together with melted sugar...

The snowflake decorations are hung...

And the party attire is on...

Now we are just waiting for our bestest friends
to come and party it up!
We are so excited to start this new tradition
of decorating gingerbread houses...
well, graham cracker houses!!

After pictures are sure to come!

Also -
Allikaye's dance recital is Saturday!
I am so excited...
her outfit made me cry...
tears of complete and utter love and joy!

xoxo

Gingerbread Girl!

I am in lalalalove with this
Gingerbread girl shirt I just made!!
It may be because I have been cooped in...
thanks to the f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g snowy weather outside...
but I just can't get enough of this shirt!

Here's the lowdown on how to make this sweetie!
First I had printed Allikaye some coloring sheets,
which gave me the idea.
I used it as my template,
there's a boy and a girl!
Go here.
Then I traced it onto some felt...
20 cents at Walmart!

Then I sewed on some pretty ric rac...
I just love me some pretty ric rac!

After I sewed on a smile..with black felt...
I hand-sewed some sequin buttons for this pretty girl...
Starry Cat wanted to help...

Then added some more sequins for the eyes!

Next I sewed this gingerbread chick
right on to Allikaye's pretty pink shirt!

But I thought she needed a little more girly accessory
on that bald head...
so a bow was perfect!

How cute!!!
Allikaye lalaloves it just as much as me!

We are having a Gingerbread House Decorating Party
on Friday over here...
so this will be the PERFECT shirt
for the festivities!!

Oh yeah!

Advent Time Tradition...

A tradition that Matt and I wanted

to definitely carry on with our Allikaye
is our nightly advent time.

I love that our time isn't focused
on getting a treat every day...
even though we do that too - it just isn't the focus.
It is focused on the reason we have Christmas and celebrate it!

We have a Jesse Tree...
which is just a smaller Christmas tree.
But the only thing that goes on this tree
are our advent ornaments.
One ornament is placed on the tree
every night after our devotion.
I made our ornaments out of felt this year...
I am about two days ahead with making them
so I am sewing away!

The world was the first devotion...
we read from Genesis
and talked about how God created everything!
Next comes the apple...
and the rainbow
(representing what it was made to represent!).

I just love this time!
Here is a link to where we get our devotions.

I had to put this picture in from last year...
she loves her advent time too!

We also light our advent log.

Matt's dad made this for us after we were married,
carrying on Matt's family tradition.

A white candle is lit everyday,
red on Sundays,
and on Christmas all the candles are lit!
So pretty
and special!!
Sorry about the blurry pic!
We always end our time with Christmas carols...
or lately...
Matt and me singing
while Allikaye dances and twirls around!

This is such an amazing season
and it takes us to be purposeful about
focusing on what we should be focused on!

Couldn't resist...
here's another pic from last year!
Ah! She was so small!!

p.s.
I added 2 scarves
and camera strap covers
to my etsy shop...
just for fun.