Same ole same ole bottle o' wine

Don't we all have those people in our lives who we'd like to get something special for but the budget is kinda small?  You know who I'm talking about:

Neighbors

Coworkers

Hostess gift

Kid's teachers

the staff at the vet/doctor/salon...

Friends at the dog park

...and you've given them the bottle of wine in the red velvet bag for the past three years.  It's time for something new!  And I have a couple of ideas up my sleeve.  

First idea:

Confituras!  My friend Stephanie is a literal jam genius!  I'm not kidding.  She comes up with flavors that are just made to go together and she gives you brilliant ideas on how to use them - from savory to sweet.  I'm promise you, her jars of jam beat that tired old bottle of wine every single time!  Perfect for a hostess gift, for neighbors that have a pile of family coming in, great for grandparents who just don't need a thing...you could give this jam to anyone!

My second idea:

My very own saint bottle caps.  These babies had a very humble beginning - when I was making resin pieces I would always have left over resin and I just hated throwing it away.  One day I had a thought - "wonder if I can put Tom Selleck's face in a bottle cap with resin?"  The Answer was YES!  And then it just spiraled...and I really do think that the saint version of these caps could be the answer to some of your gift giving needs.  They are super inexpensive at just five dollars and they can cover a wide variety of people because they can be used so many different ways:

St Francis for all of your dog friends

St Blaise for your vet

St Christopher for your travelers or the niece who just got her drivers license

St John Baptist de la Salle for the teachers

St Gerard for the new mommas out there

St Joseph for the dads

St Luke for all the doctors or artists in your life

And the list goes on and on and on... They are great stocking stuffers, great tied on packages, or jut give them as the gift itself!  Again, this beats the bottle of wine...I'm telling you, a dog lover is gonna be so excited to get something they can share with their furry friend!  

And if you just insist on the bottle of wine, think how cute it would be to tie one of these around the neck?

Happy holidays y'all!

Still moments.

There aren't too many quiet moments this time of year, are there?  I was just emailing back and forth with a couple of different groups of friends trying to plan some time together and it's like no one has a spare moment.  And I am probably the most guilty of all.  I sound like a broken record because I say this every year, but its hard to have your busiest time of year during the holidays, especially for someone like me who is such a Christmas dork!  I love it ALL!  I think I'm one of the few people who doesn't mind the stores putting out Christmas stuff just after the Fourth of July!  

So I have to find the still moments where ever I can.  Those quiet times where you can stop and just take it all in, enjoy where you are and who you are with.  It's hard to remember to do it when everything around you is all sorts of hustle and bustle.  But those moments are precious.  They are the ones I would like to slip into my pocket and treasure.

So in the midst of your list making, your frenzied shopping jaunts, the holiday party circuit, the marathon gift wrapping, the mad dash to get the stockings hung and the tree trimmed, the panicked search for THE perfect gift, the sheer pressure of it all, don't forget to find your still moments...sipping egg nog and watching Miracle on 34th Street (the best Christmas movie of all time) or bundling up in your robe looking out over a dark, frosty morning or plopping down on a curb after shopping with the family and just appreciating the fact that you have family you actually really enjoy being with...

Don't forget...

Family.

My family kinda rocks.  

That's just all there is to it.  A couple of days ago my grandparents and my aunt, uncle, and cousin drove in from Kansas...about a 10 hour drive.  And promptly after finishing dinner, that very evening, we all sat around the dining room table and priced my jewelry.  Yep, that's what we did...using the tiniest price tags on the planet I might add - notice the amount of squinting going on?  I was in a bit of a panic getting ready to load into one of my biggest shows of the year so instead of letting me head off home to work they put themselves to work.  My grandmother was kind of a rock star!  Not only was she determined to finish before heading off to bed, she was also a bit of a ram rod!

So today, today and every day, I am very thankful for my family.  Big, giant, monster hugs to every single one of you!

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you.  My hope for you this day is that it is spent with someone or someones that you love, that you get to fill your belly with at least one piece of yummy pie, that you are toasty and warm, and that you feel loved and thankful on this, my very favorite holiday.

edit:::: 

I'm late in sharing this with you.  One of my classic "I could swear I hit 'publish'" moments! Good grief! 

 But the sentiment is the same.  It's just Happy Monday instead of Happy Thanksgiving!