Old Time Christmas

Since my recent rant on my love for fall I have encountered the inevitable approach of winter.   Bah Humbug!!! A current of fear invades the back of my mind every time I hear the dreaded weatherman mention the four lettered curse word….s***.  

I find myself dreading the season for another reason this year.  Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s my recent ability to spend more time creating, but I am not enjoying the rush, rush, spend, spend aspect of Christmas this year.  It’s never fun standing in line, or spending endless hours clicking away at amazon, but this year I don’t want to buy anything.  

Before you get your knickers in a bunch…I didn’t say no gifts, just no shopping.  I used to make everyone gifts because I stayed home with my kids, which created a one income house, so it was cheaper.  Now we both work (heck even my kids living at home work) and everyone I know has two income households.  One advantage to these two income households is the ability to buy everything we need, or dare I say… want. 

What do you buy people who can buy what they want?  How can I show them I care?  I think I am going to go back to the homemade gift part of my life.  I think it might (I guess I’m hoping) mean more to my uncle to get some homemade mustard, salsa, and cornbread then another golfing calendar (I could be wrong here, he does like golfing).  Maybe Grandma will enjoy a set of 30 homemade all occasion cards to send out. 

  Perhaps my teenage niece will enjoy an altered notebook with a matching pen. 

With the internet at my fingertips for inspiration I should be able to think of lots of personal things to make.  Just the other day my inspirational friend Lauren sent me to a post by Becca at Blue Cricket Design where she shared a tutorial on how to make this advent project:

I loved it so much I had to make one…but who to give it to (my kids are grown).  The reaction I received from her upon giving it to her helped me realize how important the gift of my time and creativity is.  

Well off to find more inspiration…