The Christmas Sweater.....

For our Christmas lesson in Young Women this past Sunday, we all chose a Christmas book to read to the girls and then had a gift to give the girls that went along with the story. 

My choice was
The Christmas Sweater; The Picture Book by Glenn Beck.

This book was adapted from his original novel, The Christmas Sweater. The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book is the story of a young boy who finds the true meaning of Christmas in the most unlikely of places. Eddie wants a bicycle for Christmas, but his mother knits him a homemade sweater instead. His disappointment is obvious, but a magical journey makes Eddie realize that the sweater is far more than it seems. Ultimately it teaches him that the true meaning of a gift is that it is given with love. 



The obvious gift choice was a sweater. After debating how I'd make them, I decided making felt sweaters would be the easiest route. For embellishments I picked up some rick rack, mini pom poms and buttons. Then I pulled some beads and sequins out of my crafting stash. My friend who makes jewelry, used his tools to make the hangers and when all was done, we had some incredible designs.

The Wrapping Bug is Catching in our Home!!

Hi everyone, I thought this Holiday Junkie better jump in and get this ball rolling. Circumstances haven't allowed me to post anything since Thanksgiving, but with some free days ahead of me, I'm back and ready to spread some cheer. And that cheer I'm talking about is catching. It slowly creeps up on you..year after year..and before you know it, you're a full blown wrapping junkie..JUST LIKE MOM!  Yes, I'm talking about my daughter. She has found Etsy to be her new gift store of choice. With some money from her summer job and absolutely NO direction from me, she proceeded to do all her shopping on her own. It's just one more piece of parental control I have to give up on, but at the same time it makes me bean to see her enjoying herself. 

Here theme for wrapping this year...OWLS! Owl paper, owl tags she designed, owl goodies, owl bags and whatever else she might find in the pile. With the addiction comes the mess. In my house, wrapping required hauling out tub after tub of goodies.  

 

 

Here she is in the center of the mess....

She was very proud of this one. Shes says it's Mom inspired! 

This is her pile of small goodies under the tree! Notice they are all her goodies...and no wrapped gifts from mom yet. NADA! 

Tonight she's wrapping her fathers gifts and getting them ready to ship to California. We have to keep those gifts flat, so here she used a recycled Christmas card from last year. 

Remember, I'll be back to share my  new lights in the front yard, our new Christmas Village and all other kinds of goodies. 

A Very Nemnich Thanksgiving!

When I married into the Nemnich family I tried to host a dinner, but space is pretty limited in my house. Some years we go to my Brother and Sister In Laws house, but my Father In Law has gotten to the point where he can only be transported in and out of Mom and Dad's house. This year we had the majority of the family home for Thanksgiving, however the patriarch of the family is current in the hospital in ICU. We all had a good time, but he was missed and everyone was a bit nervous because the last few days have been a little rocky for him. My brother in law Randy had a heart attack last week, so he was a little under the weather today, but he was there and we're thankful for that as well. He normally carves the turkey, but it was handed down to another "man" in the family. My bestie Byron was to join us this year as well, but he was at home sick too. Needless to say, it was one of those years that proves life continues on...regardless of the holidays. Good and bad, life prevails and you do your best to stop and remind yourself exactly why you are thankful for what you DO HAVE. 

I think I've reached a point, where I enjoy having the family in the kitchen sharing the wealth our our feast. I tend to be a little OCD at times..no big surprise to some...so changing things up each year can be a bit "challenging" for me. My Sister in Law Jodi, is completely opposite of me and I love it! I love the sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce Jodi made this year. I love the pecan salad Ann makes every year and all the desserts and dishes from everyone else were amazing as well. It's always a feast of the best, homemade food ever.  The Nemnich family isn't picture perfect, but I'm thankful they've allowed me into their family with open arms. 

Before I get started with photos, let me apologize for the quality. I left the big camera at home and for some reason, the smaller camera made everything look orange. As we say in the scrapbooking world, it's better to have some photos, then NO photos!

My Brother In Law Doug is the PIE MASTER in the family. His mom taught him some great pie making skills and he makes those babies from the crust up. We get fancy frosting, toasted coconut, homemade pumpkin and even little mini chocolate chips on the chocolate cream pie. Ciara said the coconut pie was the best coconut pie she's had. I'm not a big fan of cream pies, so I passed and stuck with the traditional pumpkin pie.

 

Then there are the kids. My nieces and nephews are growing up so fast. The boys are giants now. We realized tonight that McKay is just an inch or so shy of being as tall as Chris. 

Taylor's turning into a regular stud with his "Marine" cut and blue eyes.

My other nephew was off in video game land on the I-Pad so I failed to get a picture of him, other then in the far distance.

Landon was running around the house with bells tonight singing Jingle Bells. His little brother Landon, was not far behind. He had the cutest hiking boots on! 

Dustin is Uncle Doug's brother and he's here for a few weeks. His spirit is endless and it made me smile when he remembered my dad tonight.

Becky and Jason, the newlywed of the family stopped by for a quick visit as well. Here Camryn is giving Becky a bracelet she made for her today. 

Speaking of my niece Camryn. She's turning into a beautiful Young Lady. She even had on her little high heels today. I teased Ciara because Camryn has bigger heals then she has, but I kindly remind her that Camryn doesn't sprain or break her ankle 2 or 3 times a year. LOL 

Todd left early this morning from Utah and made it into town, just in time for dinner. He might be the wanderer of the family, but no matter where he is, he always makes it home for the holidays.

I'm thankful for our children and their silliness. Trying to get a family photo from this kid was fun!

And my daughter is the family clown!

Last, but not least, I'm thankful for my amazing husband. This man has opened our home and been so supportive, as I've cared and helped all the special people in my life. I couldn't ask for a more patient husband.

Introducing My Birthday Buddy!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let all my friends and family know about a special little guy I’m sponsoring as a Birthday Buddy this December 25th. His name is Isseiah and he’s a 12 year old boy foster care boy. I seen a story about Birthday Buddies on the news earlier in the year and have been excited to sponsor my first child. Being a foster child during the holidays is hard enough sometimes, but having a Birthday fall on Christmas can mean that it’s often forgotten. Most of you think I’d choose Christmas for obvious reason, but mostly I think about this day because my Grandma Freer’s birthday was on Christmas Eve and my Grandpa Freers’s birthday was on Christmas Day. As a child they never really had anything special for their birthdays, but an adult my parents always tried to make sure they had a special time set aside to make the day special.  

It’s been a few years since I’ve sponsored a family and last time you all came through and made Christmas special for that family. I know things are tough for everyone right now, but I’m asking again for help. Nothing big, nothing huge, just some small donations to make this boys birthday special. Because I don’t have personal info on Isseiah, I’m not able to give specific request, but they do suggest age appropriate Toys and Gift Cards. She did tell me though, that Lego’s seem to be a big hit with boys that age. If anyone is willing to pick something up, that’s great. If you’d rather me do the shopping, I’m willing to do that too. Please DON’T WRAP your gift. To ensure that birthday wishes come true and each child receives a safe, age-appropriate gift. Instead, please provide a birthday GIFT BAG along with your gift. Feel free to write a personalized birthday card to your birthday buddy. You may not know the details the trauma that child has endured, but it helps just to know someone cares.

I’ll be taking donations until Sunday, December 11^th. If you’d like to see more info on this organization, be sure to check out their website  http://www.birthday-buddies.org/ Maybe you can sponsor your own buddy this coming year.

Love you all, Michelle

New Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie...Have A Little Faith!

It's that time of year again. ABC will be featuring a new Hallmark Hall of Fame movie this coming Sunday to kick off the holiday season. It's titled Have a Little Faith! Be sure to set your DVR, they never disapoint. 

"A Very Gaga Thanksgiving"

PLUS

 Equals....

"A Very Gaga Thanksgiving"

I'm not sure how I feel about this one or just how excited I am, but with Lady Gaga you never know. For those of you who have "Little Monsters" as family or friends, this may be a fun thing for them to tune into on Thanksgiving. I'm not sure it's Thanksgiving worthy, but in our home, we'll at least save it on the DVR to watch later. I am curious to see the Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett version of White Christmas. 

Here are some details listed on Huffington Post. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Lady Gaga is set to celebrate the annual national day of gratitude, family, and overindulgence with her own 90-minute prime-time Thanksgiving special on ABC reports MTV.com.

Airing November 24, aka Thanksgiving night, "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving," directed by Gaga, will feature the singer performing eight songs -- including recent hits like "You and I" and "The Edge of Glory," as well "The Lady is a Tramp," her duet with Tony Bennett, and the holiday favorite "White Christmas" -- in front of her family and closest friends.

The pop star will also be visiting Convent of the Sacred Heart Catholic School, which she and other famous women like Paris Hilton and Caroline Kennedy attended, to chat with news anchor Katie Couric about her life and career.

"We all know Lady Gaga is a phenomenon," Couric said in a statement. "This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers... Lady Gaga as a high school student still bruised by being excluded from the party, Lady Gaga as a devoted daughter and caring sister, Lady Gaga as a 25-year-old woman embracing fame and fortune that seemed to come overnight. She will impress you, delight you and surprise you."

And because Thanksgiving is nothing without the food, Gaga and chef Art Smith will whip up a few dishes, including deep-fried turkey and waffles reports CNN.

The Winter Wonderland Papers are Limitless!

Every time I log into my email, I get an update about a wonderful new Winter or Christmas scrapbooking paper someone has for sale. I love how paper ties into the color trends in decorating. Do I love this new paper because it's a beautiful reminder of winter in the woods or do I love it because it's the exact colors I want in my bedroom? 

In fact, these are the new Evergreen Flannel Sheets I just ordered from LL Bean this past week.

And here's the Winter Twig paper collection

The Christmas Switch Has Been Turned!!

This week is definitely a transition week. Yes, I think about the holidays all year long, but once November 1st comes around, things go into full swing in my household. The stores have a few Halloween items on clearance, they are stocking their shelves with Thanksgiving foods and filling isles and isles with Holiday Joy. The commercials have started, Starbucks is officially selling Peppermint and Eggnog Latte's, I've completed 1/8 of my shopping and The Hallmark Channel is now playing Thanksgiving and Christmas Movies. YES... CHRISTMAS MOVIES!! It's like the PreSeason to the Season. Last year they did the same thing and to be honest, I thought it was a bit much, but in the end I really ended up being able to enjoy those shows more in November, then I did in December. Once the hustle and bustle begins, who really has time to watch TV. In fact, a couple of those movies are still on my DVR from last year. So here I am, with an early reminder of what's to come on the Hallmark Channel. Enjoy!! 

These are just the Premieres, here is the entire schedule for the weekend.

Movie Schedule - Holiday Open House

Check out the schedule of Hallmark Channel's holiday movies all weekend long, starting Friday, November 4 at 8/7c.

Friday, November 4
8/7c: Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle
10/9c: Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle
12a/11c: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Saturday, November 5
2a/1c: All I Want for Christmas
4a/2c: The Three Gifts
6a/5c: A Family Thanksgiving
8a/7c: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
10a/9c: An Old-Fashioned Christmas
12/11c: Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle
2/1c: Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle
4/3c: Farewell Mr. Kringle
6/5c: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
8/7c: Love's Christmas Journey: Hallmark Channel Original Premiere!
12a/11c: A Family Thanksgiving

Sunday, November 6
1a/12c: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
3a/2c: An Old Fashioned Christmas
5a/4c: The Nuttiest Nutcracker
6a/5c: Farewell Mr. Kringle
8a/7c: Gift of the Magi
10a/9c: A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain
12/11c: A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion
2/1c: Love's Christmas Journey
6/5c: Eve's Christmas
8/7c: Mistletoe Over Manhattan: Hallmark Channel Original Premiere!
 

Happy Halloween!!

I'm happy and sad that today is Halloween. Sad because it flew by so quick and I had so many things I wanted to do and just didn't have time to do. Haunted houses, baking, carving pumpkins, trunk or treat, crafts and the list goes on. Everything about Halloween makes me smile. Adults have fun, kids have fun and kids who think they are to old to have fun...let that teen stubbornness go and still have fun! Do I care that a few 16 year old kids showed up at my door...absolutely not. I'd rather them be begging for candy then be out doing BAD things.

I did manage to put this hat together one night. I borrowed an old hat from my friend who was a witch a couple years ago. I tore off the purple lace that came with it, added some of orange tulle, made a bow from my dollar store ribbon and last, but not least I added a bird from the dollar store. Needless to say, this piece was pretty inexpensive and turned out rather Spooktacular I thought. Maybe next year, I'll make a full costume to go with it. 

Halloween will soon be behind us and my favorite part of the year begins... Stay tuned!

Halloween...OLD SCHOOL!

These videos all bring back a lot of memories. 

Love me some Mc Hammer and Fresh Prince!

I also loved the Munster  and Addams Family growing up as a kid. I remember having lunch at my grandmas and making sure I was on that couch at the same time every day. I couldn't forget them.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

I went online to see what Sears had for Christmas blow ups, I immediately fell in love with this Hippo. Who doesn't love the song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". I love blow ups for Halloween, but they can be a pain at Christmas because you never know when they are going to be snowed in and unusable. But this one is a must have!

Here are some fun "Hippo" Christmas videos for those of you that love the song as much as my daughter and I do. 

If you want to sing along, here's a video for you too!

Walking In A Winter Wonderland...

Today is a perfect day to share this beautiful new "Snowfall" paper line by Bo Bunny. It's absolutely beautiful and I'm sure seeing it in person will be even better with the glitter accents.