I'm so bad with tagging and such. I see it, let it sit for too long, feel guilt, worry about it until it falls off the radar, then I'm certain the "tagger" dislikes me. All in all, not good. I love when someone throws a little something out there, so thank you. I also get this slightly weird, "Brainiest Award" feeling from my high school days (I crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage on the way home and am now embracing braininess as cool. Craftiness too.). You probably don't know what the heck I'm writing about. But you know the "Red Rover" feeling of wanting to be called on, but disliking the whole calling process? I've never been good at anything that involves an invitation to join in because I'm always worried about not getting an invitation. Or about the people who are sitting at home. I know, get over it. It's tagging and memes and this is a blog. Hello. But I like a good, "join if you wanna" prompt. Sliding into a spiral of nonsense can I throw out there that those other reindeer were just rotten to Rudolph? It's all the two year old in this family wants to read, and I feel like I want to shield him from the nastiness. They kick snow on Rudolph until he's the best, and then they bow to him. The Richard Scarry illustrations are pretty cool though, and I especially love that even the reindeer who aren't chosen to go with Santa get jobs like cuddling Christmas kittens and trying out the trains.
The SMS meme is right up my alley and since I've been featuring all of the answers it sounded like good fun to add my two cents. So here goes (join in if you want to... Everyone's invited!):
Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?
I just really like when I find something I know the other person will really appreciate. My husband loves first edition books from his favorite authors and so something like that really matters to him. When we created the book about my grandparents' marriage I know it was meaningful to them. It's hard to find just the right thing, don't you think?
If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?
Oh, dear. I am making gifts (in the near future) but I'm afraid I've been lulled into a false feeling of preparedness by having a list of things for people and no actual items ready to give to said people. Photos to come, I'm sure. I have everything ready for napkins, kitchen towels and such. Does readiness count?
Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?
Speaking of napkins... A family friend gave us tons of sets of napkins and tablecloths she made when we were married, each with notes attached telling us what the fabric reminded her of in my childhood (i.e. they came to visit us when we lived in Japan so there's a set with a definite Japanese feel, etc.). It was so thoughtful and touching.
The boy has a beautiful quilt my mother's cousin created with the most amazing fabrics and quilting. It's a work of art and I feel so good tucking him into it at night.
My mother keeps us happily content with the best homemade jam every day of the year.
Last year I handcrafted a slew of totally great gifts for our playgroup Secret Santa exchange and in the back-and-forth to the car, pre-Christmas hubbub we left a bag with all of the gifts outside by our front door. They were stolen in the night (gasp!... And this a "good neighborhood" too...) so I had to remake everything (late). In the re-do I was tired of fudge (one of the gifts inside) so I googled an easy caramel recipe. Molly from MollyCoddle (is it MommyCoddle or MollyCoddle now, Molly?!) had just posted one, I found and got lost in crafty blogs, sewed up a storm all year long, became totally interested in photography, started a blog... All because my handcrafted goods were stolen.
Do you have any great gift compilation ideas?
Let's see... I think totes with picnic blankets and assorted picnic-related items are really fun. I collected some gift ideas here, and I liked this post I worked on for SMS in November. I like to pair books with related things (i.e. cookbooks with salad bowls and kitchen towels, etc.).
Name one thing on your personal wish list.
I think I'm covered. I want us to buy a house (I guess I'm thinking big this year) for our family, but that'll come.
Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
Not right now, but lots of friends and family members do! You can't go wrong with some jewelry from Trina or my sister Britta's beautiful art.
What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
We always gather around the piano on Christmas Eve and sing carols while my dad plays. I always tear up. It's so Norman Rockwell, in such a good way. Just people I love, happy together, out of tune and all. I also love that, while we used to have split pea soup for Christmas Eve, one year my grandma decided we were going to do fondue. Now we have this fun, '70's-style dinner with hot oil and lots of pot cords to avoid and it's so great. New traditions are important too.
Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?
Someone gave us a book full of prompts and blank pages about how your family spends the holidays, and each year I write a little about what we did, said, gave, received, enjoyed and celebrated. It's a lot of fun to look back on now, and I like that we started it before the boy was born and have continued to add more wonderful experiences as he grows. Also, one year my mom put together a selection of our Christmas photos in a little photo album, one for me and one for my sister. I appreciate it so much and decided to do a little one each year for the boy (so far so good, though this is only the third year!).
What do you love most about the holiday season?
I love the moments when everything seems to stop. You look around and see people you love. There's Christmas music playing, lights aglow and something warm to drink in your hands. A fire is crackling and there's a little laughter floating around. I love those moments when you pause and know you'll look back on the moment with happiness, always. It happens through the year, but it always happens at this time of the year.
What do you like least about the holiday season?
I dislike the pressure of feeling that someone's sense of how much I love, appreciate, and/or like them will directly correlate with the gift I'm giving them. It never, ever does so I just have to remind myself of that, make sure they know of my love, appreciation and/or like, and then move on to the aforementioned moments.
Anyone close to your heart that you’ll be missing this year?
My Grandma Lila. It still doesn't feel right to have a holiday or a visit to the farm without her. As I miss her and watch my boy grow I realize how much every little bit of everything right now matters. Time flies, doesn't it? I remember once, at the farm actually, not wanting to get toys out when a friend came to visit because I didn't want the fun to be over (before it started) and I didn't want to have to clean it up. I've always had a little bit of that feeling with the holidays. I think about not wanting it to be over before it's happened. I'm so done with that now though. The mess, the good stuff of life, enjoying the experience of right now is where it's at.
What is your favorite holiday food?
I have a problem with Mexican Wedding Balls, or whatever you like to call them. I have no willpower when they're near and you know they're almost all just butter, right? Yum. I really like hot apple cider too, and that fondue (which is holiday food now).
Do you have a great recipe to share?
Mom's Easy Fudge. Yum, again.
