Homegrown Hospitality

Merry Christmas

 
it's a world of laughter, a world or tears
its a world of hopes, its a world of fear
theres so much that we share
that its time we're aware
its a small world after all

CHORUS:
its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small, small world

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small small world

 
Merry Christmas to you and your family from me & my family! 

The Merriest Place On Earth

   We live about 30 minutes south of the "Happiest Place On Earth" and I think that the last time I was there, Jack was four and Ben was like .50 years old, yes..it was 1999.   Jack is now 14 and Ben is 10.75. (Correction, we did go there about 5 years ago because the X-Games was doing some exposition and it cost me a TON o' money for about 2 hours of aggressive and extreme sports) and then we went home.

My kids have never really been theme park kids which is a REALLY GOOD financial thing!  They prefer dirt tracks, skateparks and football/baseball/soccer fields...which is REALLY REALLY good for this mom....

but this morning, Grandma, Jen, Me and the kids are layering up clothes (it is only 47 right now which is DANG FREEZING TO US!!!) and will be at the gates of Disneyland for a day filled with friends, family and fun...and I am actually excited because it is going to be a totally different experience for me having bigger kids (although I dread them asking me if they can go off on their own with the other boys going...ughhhh.....it never changes, the life of a mom!)

My plan is to get so RAD pictures, yes, I said RAD because I hear Disneyland is unbelievable this time of year! I think I might have those little kid excited "Christmas is here" chills!

gotta go....see you tomorrow on Christmas Eve 2009...my favorite day of the year!!!

p.s. I just have to tell you that I LOVE TO SCRAPBOOK....After I finished typing this post, I pulled out one 12x12 page from 1999 to scan in for this post and it lead to me & my mom looking at about 25 more pages and all I can say is that I am sooo glad that I do it, that I am WAYYYYY BEHIND (but that is okay...) that YOU should do it because it is NEVER EVER too late to start and blessed to be able to do it for a living!!!

Got Love?

Yesterday I covered Joy and tonight is service #1 of ALOT of Christmas Eve services at Saddleback based on the topic of  

Radical

I am anxious and excited because I LOVE love and because he told us last week that it is going to be one of his best messages.  Mom & I are headed there tonight at 6:30 and I invite & encourage you to join us, you know, if you want.

Tomorrow we will be at the gates of the "Happiest Place on Earth" at 8am..yikes...not that I am not awake, but that is a  sign of a really long day but we are going to be with a group of wonderful friends so I look forward to making some new holiday memories..and a new tradition!

Hope to see you tonight!

 

Got Joy? Get Joy!

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRINT THIS ONE OUT AND READ IT OVER AND OVER..IT IS A GOOD ONE (AND KINDA LONG!)

I know I have said it just about every time I come home from church, but there was another home-run message  from Pastor Rick with Sunday's message.  I thought that it was ironic (but probably all planned)  that I had just posted a rather blue & blah post.  After I posted , we headed to church and my entire disposition was changed as I was reminded of several things, the most important being that we must "Always be full of Joy"

Always?  How in the world are we supposed to do that, especially in the current situation our world is in, heck even our golden state of California, or our counties...or our neighborhoods....or our homes?  I will say, on my own behalf, that I really really try hard hard hard to find the blessing in the battles and for the most part, do a good job in that, but, just like you, I am human and sometimes it all seems to just snowball and create a landslide...

I found out yesterday, or better yet, realized that I was seeking  JOY in the WRONG things, duh!

Until yesterday, I tried to find the JOY in "things" In situations, in accomplishments and yes even in the battles BUT I was  reminded that the only thing that we must seek is JOY in the LORD.  "In The" being the key phrase.  Here are some key points from my notes...

1. We MUST look past the pains and the problems in everything and instead LOOK TOWARD GOD.   It is important to remember that God has COMPLETELY FORGIVEN us, that HE is working all things for our good and that he is "FOR US", not just "WITH US"
2.  We HAVE TO keep on doing the RIGHT THING, even when we do not want to.  We all have this special skill of "Self-Sabotaging Ourselves"  and we, okay, at least I, create my own chaos way too much!  The phrase that made me say "ohh" out loud in Church was "When you violate your conscience...it will get even" "We know that in ALL THINGS GOD works for the GOOD of those who love HIM, who have been called according to HIS PURPOSE" Rom 8:28
3. We MUST be silent in the face of CRITICISM. This is a big one. Pastor Rick is a professional at this one because of all of the WORLD CRITICISM he gets and he absolutely REFUSES to let the press, the people, the world ROB HIS JOY.  He is only working for ONE and that is GOD.  "None of this fazes up because Jesus loves us" Rom. 8:37
4. We need to ASK GOD for specific needs. it is that simple.  "Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant Joy"  John 16:24

The best of all is that GOD will NEVER stop loving us, REGARDLESS of what we do. 

"Once I put my hand in Gods, it is out of my hands"

"I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from HIS love.  Death can't and life can't.  The angels can't and the devil can't.  Our fears for today, our worries for tomorrow, even the powers of hell can not keep GOD'S love away.  Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate from the Love of God that is revealed in Jesus our Lord"  Rom 8:38-39

I need you to know that I am the Poster Child for this one.  I should really have a buisness card that says I am an "Official Spokesperson" for GODS Forgiveness and Love. It is real, it is necessary and...it is FREE! (whew)

I do not know about you, but I am going to rick click, copy, paste and print this one out.  You can not just read it once, remember it and just move on ...it needs to be constantly re-read, practiced and put into action.  So who's tired of "Enduring" and ready for "Enjoying"???

I want to know..I want to hear your thoughts and I will send someone that leaves me a comment, the original doodle posted above, laminated and ready to be placed where you and others can see it, read it and live it...

 

Been preparing since 4th of July

A little Commentary from me (lucky you!)

Do you recall me reminding you that Christmas is right around the corner since the 4th of July?  Well, the reason I feel the way I do RIGHT NOW is because I begin anticipating & celebrating the feelings of the season starting in July. 

and how do I feel right now? Grumpy and fussy...and feeling this way makes me even more fussy and grumpy BUT, I think I figured a way out of it.  back to this in a minute...

I realized again this year that I fight a major bit of the blues when big events & holidays arrive and then are over.  Part of my blues right now are because when I found out I was pregnant earlier this year, pretty much the first thing I thought about was the fact that I would be pregnant at Christmas and for some silly reason, that made me happy as a silly leprechaun (and I am not even Irish!) but then in June our sadness happened.  I arm wrestle with the blues and as I recall, it happened with wedding #1...baby #1 and #2...Marathon...pretty much any BIG event.  My Marathon trainer told me that it is real and is called "Post Event Letdown" or something like that...My "HOLIDAY" problem (which probably is not really a problem) is that I enjoy the entire planning part, aurora, sounds (even the holiday hustle at the grocery store!) and people around the holidays...and as soon as this week before creeps up, I become blue because it is almost over.

Doesn't that sound ridiculous, or does it sound familiar???? 

for me, it is ridiculous because I am beyond blessed with so many things...but, I am human (in case you were wondering)  so when the blues come up, I deal with them a bit and now have taught myself to battle them with a little Creative Therapy, baking, running and...a little human contact.  When I come across grumpy people (like the lady in Aaron brothers the day after Thanksgiving or the worker lady in Wal-Mart last week) I just say "hello" or pat them on the back, or chat with them...it makes then feel better and it makes me feel better too!

and the grumpy is gone.

that is all it takes...a little human contact.  From this day forward, I am going to make a little more human contact.  That is my plan.

now, onto more Holiday Happiness (okay, that sounds weird after my little rant, but this is what I am talking about..)

Smells make me react..I LOVE the smell of MacIntosh Apple Yankee Candles, Cotton Blossom & Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works, first rain on the street..and baking.  As I was baking yesterday, I had this thought:

Snowballs are one of my favorite cookies so much that if I eat one, I eat like 5 and then I feel like crud.  Good thing I only make them once a year!  This year I did not even make the Graham Cracker Toffee because that, my friends, is what sends me over the sugar edge and I can not stop eating it so I made the executive decision NOT to make it. whew!  My "backside"and clothes will thank me in the New Year. 

Today we will be delivering Christmas Cookies to our neighbors and maybe, just maybe, I will get our Christmas cards addressed..I said maybe because I am up to my eyeballs in Valentines classes..and even thought my projects are not super fluffy-Valentine-ish-fo-fo..they are based on LOVE..and that is what is important.  Here is a look at a page from the project I will be teaching at the Red Bee in early February which reminds me that I HAVE GOT TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE TODAY...so I really need to go now.

oh..but wait!

Here is a look at my December 17th page for my  Remember December book.   I created this page from the bag that Ben decorated and brought home with another AWESOME handmade ornament from school. 

 Whether the boys are in 1st grade, 5th grade or 8th grade, these are the best and most precious gifts.  Ben  could not stand to wait for me to open it.  A I looked at his artwork on BOTH SIDES of the bag, I knew it would make a GREAT page!

It's The Week Before Christmas (& a VERY LONG POST)

I have invited my "Homegrown & Handmade Ezine Friends" and my "Remember December" blog readers here for the last week before Christmas. 

 I have once again, over committed myself (I have done MUCH better on NOT doing this in 2009!) to three blogs during December..of which was absolutely looney of me to do and will not be doing again.  Thank you all for joining me here and there for the past few months.  I will be adding the rest of what I had to add right here for all of us!

January marks my 4th Blog Anniversary and my how things have changed, evolved, grown...etc.  I love that I have this blog as a record of my creative journey as well as a journal for the past four years.  I suggest that if you do not have a blog that maybe in 2010 you should.  It is the beginning of a new DECADE & is a really good way wonderful way to record, remember and reminisce....seriously. 

I have been trying to re-read through my blog & as I come across some of my better posts, the ones that mean more to me, I have been adding them to my sidebar under "My Favorite Posts" and I invite you to read them to get to know about me a little bit better.  I seem to have more and more new readers (thank you Facebook) so this is an easy way to get to know me and my creative endeavors...

so onto Christmas..and Remember December..a book recording the crazy hectic jam-packed days before Christmas...THat..IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!!!

Here is a look at my list from yesterday and for today..

I figure that it might as well look cute because I am going to be stuck to it and I wrote a little note to anyone that sees it up in the right hand corner "This list belongs to Stephanie.  If you find it, please give it to her and make sure that she is on task"  Lists truly keep me on task, and if I don't have one, I am a "Whirling Dervish!" (even though I am anyway!)

moving on to a little Christmas cheer...Here is a Holiday "Trailer Park Martha" recipe for you that I made up from the things I already had.  

I grabbed the box of Rice Krispies, the can of Salted Nuts and the package of ("imitation") white chocolate almond bark and went to work.  It is really easy and Jack tells me that they are good (I did not try them)

Melt about three squares of fake white chocolate in a deep bowl.  Chop up about two or three handfuls of salted nuts ( I separated out the almonds, cashews and a few peanuts) if you have a "Slap Chop" from Vince the weird "infomercial" guy, that will work to chop up the nuts great!  I grabbed four handfuls of Rice Krispies (yep, hand straight into the box) and before I dropped them into the bowl, I crushed them. (a good frustration fix!) Now, just stir it all up and either drop scoops onto a piece of foil, waxed paper, or if you are like me and have 500, yes, FIVE HUNDRED little mini cupcake liners, I used those...and then just let them set. 

thats it...

The Candy Canes are dipped into the fake milk chocolate Almond Bark and sprinkled with Christmas colors...Kylah & Niguel say these are good, too!

and as promised to my Homegrown & Handmade Ezine...some felt for the Holidays...for all of you...

Here is an idea that you can do several different ways.

Cut your felt pieces (from the felt pattern page), add some hand stitches & button, layer it and machine sew it directly onto a blank card...

or...

create a "ravioli" ornament by layering the pieces together and instead sewing it to a card, sew it together, leaving an opening on top so that you can add a bit of stuffing and a ribbon so that you can hang it...

or

Create a GIFT CARD holder/hanger by stitching just the left. bottom and right sides together.  You can either punch a hole in the felt with a crop-o-dile, add an eyelet and hang it from there, or stitch a ribbon to the back side so that you can tie it to your gift bag or box...

and here it the link to the pattern page Felt Holiday Patterns

see you all tomorrow..... 

 

Reminder to Self

The reason for the season . .The reason for the season . .The reason for the season...The reason for the season

Reminder to self...(but you might need it too)

• Stay Focused
• Make a list and stick to it
• Say a prayer (or 10!)
• Keep calm & carry on....
• Keep repeating.."The Reason for the Season...."

(poor lamb!)

Just found this in my blog achieves from December 2006

http://homegrownhospitality.typepad.com/homegrown_hospitality/2006/12/a_better_decemb.html

Plans for 2010

I sat at a table with a very close friend on a very stormy Saturday night and started to lay down plans down for 2010 that I have been praying about for a long time.

I have to start off with a clean plate, a clear vision, and an organized plan.

Here is what I know right now. . .

I will be being A  LOT with Teresa

 
I will be clearing out & revamping the shead-teau

I will be returning to South Africa

I will be teaching atInspiration Unlimited in September and there are ONLY A FEW spots left!!!

We ARE going to Maui in August for vacation (dang it!!) and if you have a store or know of a store, I would LOVE to teach while I am there...or heck by the pool at the Marriott (NOT kidding!)

I have been planning and plotting like almost 24 hours a day since that Saturday at the table.  I am certain that the lack of sleep is going to catch up with me at some point but I wanted to throw out a few things for you to make notes on....

CHA-W January 2010

If you are a retailer and/or will be attending CHA, I will be working at a booth that I will want to suggest you RUN to when the doors open on Sunday...or Monday...or Tuesday...or even Wednesday because every day there is a different Make-n-Take and they are OUT OF THIS WORLD and you will want to make sure that you do one...I will have ALL of the info regarding this and all of the NEW Amazing product the first week of January.  (okay, maybe don't run when the doors open because the CHA Police might stop you or you may trip over a corner of carpet that did not get adhered down, or you might stumble across the velvet ropes that might be set up for Paris Hilton (JUST KIDDING, she is NOT going to be there)....

Here is how I plan to keep up "Creatively" in 2010

I got this book a few months ago and really can not wait for January 1st to get started..

you can check out the "Log your Memory"blog here and you can get yourself one of these books.

The entire idea is brilliant..kicking myself for not thinking of it myself! duh.

 

 
January 2010 - *Limited Edition" Create@Home Valentine Banner Kit...only 25 kits will be available online....comes with color instructions that will be emailed to you and EVERYTHING except for the tools that you need (pliers, sanding block, glue, trimmer, etc.) more photos and info to follow.  Shipping Details - All Kits ship the 2nd week of JANUARY via Priority Mail (US orders/Intl shipping rates apply) To order your kit NOW, go here.

 

 

January 30 - FOUR HOUR Valentine class at Oh, Scrap!...details to follow...

February 5th - Be My Valentine at MY HOUSE with Deena..space is VERY limited, projects are being created and details will follow the first week of January so be sure to watch.

February 7 - the Red Bee...project almost done...details to follow...

okay...gotta go...have a hustle bustle holiday filled day!

 

Just a little holiday reminder....

that you can find me at

The Remember December

Blog...

and there is a little sneak peek

over there that you just might not want to miss.... 

Inspiration Unlimited 2010..Registration OPEN!

thanks for coming back...so here it is..the exciting news o' the day....

 

We have very exciting news just in time to add that one special something to your holiday wish list…

It is FINALLY time to sign up for the

2010 Teresa Collins Inspiration Unlimited Event

at the  Green Valley Resort & Spa in Henderson Nevada, September 24-26th 2010

 
and WE want YOU to join us for a weekend packed with

6 Amazing workshops

A jam packed event store

Creative Inspiration from Fabulous Teachers…

Great times with old friends and wonderful memories with new ones

and much, much more but one of the greatest things about this event besides the things listed above is the INCREDIBLE PRICE…

Ready for this…Hold on to your seat…..

The event cost is $285.00

Wait, what???? Two Hundred and Eighty Five Dollars????? Yes, YOU are reading that right….okay, accommodations & food are not included, BUT Green Valley has set up a GREAT room rate for all of us Creatively Inspired Giddy girls…

This hotel is beyond anyone's expectations! It is just simply beautiful, restaurants, spa, pool area, and of course a beautiful shopping plaza right outside the doors.....
In the past some ladies have wished to extend their adventure by arriving earlier, or staying later a few days. Green Valley has offered the same great rate for additional nights as well for everyone attending Inspiration Unlimited.
Sunday through Thursday the room rate is $75.00 per night single/double occupancy Friday and Saturday the room rate is $125.00 per single/double occupancy.  The code when booking your hotel room is GCIINSP. You can register online NOW at

https://rooms.stationcasinos. or call the hotel reservations desk. The block of rooms will remain open for everyone in attendance of Inspiration Unlimited through August 20th, 2010.

Do not wait until it is too late...Sign up now!

Log onto Down to Details at http://stores.downtodetails.net/ and register now.. Remember that there are a very limited amount of spaces...so do not hesitate.  Do you have a question??  Please contact the IU Event Coordinator, Ginger at gingbugg@cs.com

We can’t wait to see you in September 2010!..

oh wait did I tell you who is teaching...

Teresa Collins Janna Wilson
Janet Hopkins
Elizabeth Kartchner
and Moi??!!

and an AMAZING Key Note Speaker

Melody Ross

run...don't walk..and go sign up...it's the best...it's really is...and I bring LOTS of Chocolate Chip Cookies!