Christmas is Coming!

In less than 100 days!!!! I am never ready for Christmas, but, guess what, it comes whether I'm ready or not. Each year I think I'll be more prepared - ha - it's the thought that counts! This year I got a head start. I've been working with a fun product called Smoothfoam. It's a dense, lightweight material with a nice smooth surface that can be painted without prep, glued and, if you don't want to glue stuff to it, you can pin things to it! It's great for topiaries, kissing balls and a whole lot of other projects. I LOVE the lightweight part - at last I can make photo cubes that don't break my tree branches and store them in a box that doesn't break my back when I lift it. Here are a couple of photos to get you in the spirit and whet your appetite. There's a few more on my website, www.juliemcguffee.com/projects, but you can see them all - and the supplies used to make them at Michaels. There's a Christmas endcap in the general crafts section with a free - yes FREE - booklet. Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

09 09 09

What a cool date! Just think, after 12.12.12, we'll have to wait 988 years before being able to write dates like that again. The mind positively boggles! I wonder what kind of a world this will be then. Hmmm.... that is way too deep for a gray and rainy day.........

Speaking, or rather writing, of rainy days, makes me realize how much expectations affect the way we feel. I hosted an engagement party for my son this past Saturday and, don't you know it, it poured down. It didn't just rain, it POURED. I think we had 4" that day. I was SO disappointed. Obviously I wanted it to be one of the best celebrations ever. I had big plans - for outside. We had Tiki torches, lanterns to hang in the trees and we even dragged our white fairy lights out of the Christmas decorations stash to hang on fences, etc. Not only was it pouring rain, the bakery called that morning to say they couldn't make the cake I'd ordered, because the storms had knocked out their power! Aaaaargh! The party was still wonderful however, and I was so pleased that all their friends braved the driving rain to join us. Between you and me, I would not have ventured out on a night like that! Did I say we kinda live out in the boonies - roads tend to flood out here. The thing was, I had had everything planned out in my head for a few weeks, but it certainly didn't turn out the way. Expectations vs. Reality.... my expectations for the party were totally different, so I was SO disappointed, but everyone else just enjoyed the reality of how it was. It's still raining today - a week later. Hopefully this will alleviate some of the drought and next time we party, the grass will be lush and green.

Have a wonderful day!

Yours truly,
Julie :)