Memories and Giveaways

Remember the Hallmark commercial from a few years ago with the woman going through the box of ornaments in the attic and remembering when she got each one? That's me. Every year when we get out the boxes of ornaments, there are always those special few I've had for years that have to go on the tree first. For the past two years, I've been trying to explain to the Little Guy WHY they're special to me.



This ornament was tied to a present on my first Christmas. (I won't tell you how old that makes it!) My Mom passed it along to me when I moved into my first apartment. It's been the first one to grace the tree every year since then.


These two were made by my Grammy. When I was little, her whole tree was covered with beautiful ornaments she made herself - snowmen and Santas, beaded ornaments, crocheted snowflakes. She passed away three years ago and the cousins divided up all the ornaments so we'd each have a few that she made.



Snoopy was a gift from my Dad when I was 9. He loved watching the Peanuts specials with us; Woodstock was his favorite. This is our third Christms without Dad. I'm not sure it's getting easier yet, but the ornament always makes me smile.


And full circle from my first ornament to the ones that commemorate the year the Little Guy was born. The teddy is a "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament; the angel was a gift from a friend.

How about you? Tell me about your favorite ornament in the comments. I'll pick one commenter at random on December 15. The winner will receive a Luscious Lips Gift Set from my shop. Let's hear those stories!

UPDATE: And the winner (chosen by highly scientific random drawing) is... Vintage aka Vinty. Congratulations!

Cleveland Handmade Weekly Giveaway: Cranberry Bracelet

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our wonderful supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in member shops.



This beautiful red and purple glass bead crochet bracelet from Leah Ana Designs closes with a sterling silver clasp. The crochet design allows it to stretch slightly from 7 to 8.5 inches.

WIN Cleveland Handmade: Lucky Wishbone Earrings from La Petite Fleur

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our wonderful supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in member shops.



These simple Lucky Wishbone earrings from La Petite Fleur are hand forged from 16-gauge* sterling silver wire into delicate thin blades in the front. Light texture is evidence of their handmade nature. The earrings are tumbled to a high polish. Wishbones gracefully hang just a hair shy of 1-5/8 inches from top to bottom in the front. The backs are a bit shorter. These elegant earrings are sure to become a favorite.

"So I Was Having a Headache..."

Isn't that a great name for an Etsy Treasury? There are lots of great ideas here for cold and flu season, including my Lavender Eye Mask. Thanks for the love, NottyPooch!.

Maybe I should have a "Plan B"

So I'm planning to make Thanksgiving dinner this year for the Big Guy, the Little Guy and my Mom. It's not like I haven't done it before but it's been...a while. Like at least ten years. And both my Mom and my sister have set a pretty high family standard, turkey-dinner wise. Think I could get away with this as a decoy if the turkey is a disaster?

Now Why Didn't I Think of That?

Chalkboard tablecloths - what a cool idea! This would make sitting at the kids' table a lot more fun. And there are grownup uses for it, too. Like this, courtesy of Unclutterer.com:



Or this, from Elsie Marley's blog: