Life in a Northern Town

I like embroidering favorite lyrics or quotes onto muslin and making pillows/ runners/ wall hangings out of them. Although my house has very little country-feel to it, I love to decorate for the holidays with such homey, handmade stuff. I hope my friends and family do, too, cuz that's what they're getting! These little bits are going to be small pillows. They say "Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room," one of my favorite lyrics form "Joy to the World." I might make a similar runner for my table, too (Merry Christmas to me).
I know it seems weird to give a Thanksgiving decoration for Christmas, but when you are just setting up house, you need decor for every holiday, which is why my sisters-in-law will be getting not just Christmas decorations, but Thanksgiving and Easter as well! I am making both runners and pillows from this pattern...and aren't the fabrics great!?? I bought them for 80% off last year when our Ben Franklin closed.

This is a tag book. My step mom gave me one for Christmas last year and I loved it so much, I figured out how to make them for other people...
The book has 12 accordion-folding panels (6 on each side) with pockets that hold little tags. I decorate the pockets and tags for each month of the year. Then you can use the book as either a date book, where you jot down birthdays and anniversaries on the tags, or as a mini-scrapbook for the year. You just crop your favorite photo from each month, paste it on the tag, and write the caption on the back of the tag. These are great baby gifts because the mommy can record the baby's first year on the tags, with a photo and notes about height, weight, development, etc....good stuff. It's a great way to use everylast scrap of your favorite papers and ribbons.

I am also making tiny "quiet books" for my nieces and nephews (for church) with pictures of family and fun things we did this year, and some scripture stories, too. I also made a book of 35 Family Night lessons/ stories with accompanying games or activities (with that great laminator I got for Christmas last year)--they turned out great, although I still have a few lessons to laminate. Rich is doing some beautiful photography, too, but that's all I am gonna say about that!