Just in time for Christmas

This was one of the first (and last!) "Christmasy" pictures I took before our camera broke. BROKE! Can you believe the timing? I love that all I could muster for the holiday season was a screaming baby and some matching pj's.























While the hubs tries to fix the camera himself with tiny chips and boards and fuses and whatnot, I am trying to figure out creative ways to keep up with out a camera! Well, that's kind of a lie. I am secretly thrilled with the break it gave me from Etsy work, but especially from documenting family life.
We keep a little blog for friends and family of the kiddos - which I love doing - but during a time when events and busyness can overtake a little family, it can be just one more thing to do.
At first I felt odd and unprepared when we headed to two different Christmas sing-a-long/pageants for the four year old with out my camera. Then there's decorating, Christmas crafts and outings, dressing up on Sunday, Christmas parties...etc. I have been forced to enjoy them all first-hand, with my own eyes, relying on my own memory and I am loving it. Not to mention the time I've saved not uploading, editing and blogging every move the kids make.
It won't be forever, but my forced technology fast has been a welcomed change.

















As for The Shop, thankfully I am like a little squirrel stashing acorns away for winter - I already had a slew of new things made, photographed and ready to list...so no long breaks for me there. New goods on the way this week!

To You From Me

Now through the end of December, use the coupon code "MERRYANDBRIGHT" and receive 20% OFF your entire purchase in the shop. Just a way for me to say thanks to you all. I love getting to do this, and your support makes it possible. Thank you!























Endless possibilities when you hand-draw on your gift wrap like this!

Fox & Squirrel

My kids are four and one and they just got their first stockings. Pitiful, I know. We just never got around to it, and the four year old didn't know any better until this year. So we got away with it for a little while. :)


















This cutie set of woodland creature stockings was a team effort from my husband and me. He did that lovely whip stitch you see around the top edge - pretty, huh? I did everything else. I don't say that with disdain. You must know, I almost loathe stitching things by hand, but sincerely appreciate the craft. Anyone who does it gets a dozen extra points in my book.
Fox & Squirrel is a sweet, close to home theme. My son has always had a set of "silly words" he has kept in his vocabulary since he began talking. For a while it was "no-nee, non-ee" and he would never tell us what it meant. So my husband made up a bedtime story a few years ago with a fox and a squirrel and little message the wind tells the fox, and the fox passed it along to the squirrel, and the squirrel passed to a little boy named Judah...you can guess the message: "no-nee, non-nee". Anyhow. Fox & Squirrel quickly became a bedtime favorite and still gets told around here at night.
We thought it was only appropriate to appoint each character to a stocking. My son is the squirrel - who is also eating snow the way Judah loves to do. And it was obvious who the mischievous little fox would be....I love my wild child girl! :)



































Here's to full stockings... Cheers!