On 5^th day of Christmas

Movies
Who doesn’t like to sit down and watch a good Christmas movie?  Surprise, Surprise, I absolutely love Christmas movies.  (I have been known to even watch a Christmas movie or listen to Christmas music NOT at Christmas Time), I know, you are probably thinking, that’s crazy.  Some of my most favorite movies  are the “Christmas Shoes and the sequel the “Blessing”; Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, the “Note” and “The Christmas Card”.  I recently watched a new one this year called the “the gift of a heart”.  If you haven’t seen that one, it will move you beyond words to thankfulness and what is really important in life at Christmas time and gives new meaning to luminaries.    My husband (remember the bah humbug guy J) actually likes watching Christmas movies with me.  He calls them “feel good” shows.   Each one has a message and ends in a way that just touches your heart in a special way.

 I hope you find time this Christmas to watch a good Christmas move together with someone you love,  whether it’s “Home Alone, Santa Claus or Santa Paws” with your children or “it’s a wonderful life” which is a classic for the whole family. 

4^th Day of Christmas:

A Living Christmas Tree…

About 4 or 5 years ago, I had a stack of Christmas Card photos and I thought “what a shame not to do something with these”, so I decided that I would create what I now call my “living” Christmas tree.  I started making photo ornaments of all sorts of shapes, sizes and dimensions and each year I added a few more.  It is such a joy to decorate my tree each year, as I re-discover the old pictures of family members since gone and friends I now connect with only once a year when I send them a card with my chatty newsletter.

Sometimes it brings smiles and laughter as I recall the photo and what the event was and sometimes tears when I come to the ones of family members who are gone but I know that as long as I hold their memories in my heart and I see them once a year on my tree – that they are not gone or forgotten.   For  I have learned that as long as we hold them in our hearts – we hold them forever.  Last year I added some updated ones of the twin grandbabies and next year I’ll have yet another grandbaby to add to the tree.  I add a few plastic icicles and some kind of garland thingy just enough to make the tree seem full, but my main focus is the pictures.  It gives me so much joy when I look at each photo and remember as I place it on the tree. 

It is interesting how all the kids – even the big ones- go up to look at the tree and make sure their picture is on there and where it is as they always seem to end up in different places each year.  It’s kind of like an Easter egg hunt although I call it the “photo hunt”.

I hope whatever things you do at Christmas brings you much joy and wonderful blessings.

 

By the way, the last photo on the tree is me...when I was a teenager in my majorette uniform.  Talk about some nostalgia.

 

Blog – Day 3

Bell Collection: 

Bells have always been a fascination of mine.   Each one has its own tone and song to sing.

My bell collection started so long ago, I am not exactly sure how it got started.  Maybe because Ray (my late husband) and I traveled and moved so much, and it was a way to keep a little piece of everywhere I lived or visited.   My bell collection consists of over 130 bells from all over the Unites States and a few countries that friends visited and brought one back to me.

Bells seemed to represent a symbol of women to me.  Bells come in different shapes, sizes and colors.  Some are petite and soft in their ring tones, some are tall and skinny, some are short and more rounded, and yes I have bells that are large and brassy too.  I even have a cracked one and kept it because it reminded me of broken lives.  I patched it up with super glue to remind me of how God fixes all our broken and hurting parts.  Each bell also represents a time, place or season of my life.

This is just a sampling of my bell collection:

 

Bells to me are a symbol of joy which is why I incorporate them into my decorations and even in my jewelry at Christmas time.  I hope your Christmas will be full of joyous ringing bells.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas

On the 2^nd day of Christmas,

A Nativity Scene…

The first Christmas, after moving into Chuck’s house, I started looking through his meager Christmas Decorations, and I do mean meager.  It is important to note here that he does not share my love of all things Christmas.  He humors me, but throws in a “bah humbug” once in a while  just to remind me.  He says my version of Christmas is a “marathon”.  I’m sure he exaggerates.J

However, my quest was not in vain as I did discover an awesome treasure in his attic.  It was a nativity set.  He said it belonged to his mother and that year, it was one of the first decorations I put up.  He kindly said, “you don’t have to put it up just because it was my mom’s”.  However, for me it was the epitome of what Christmas is all about plus the fact that it belonged to his mother.  It gave me a chance to honor his mother, and bring a little of his family into the mix as I tried to find ways to marry our families and the traditions that were important to me together.

It is hard for me to fathom giving birth in a barn in the hay with animals all around; and what humble surroundings that was for Jesus to be born in.  Yet I can't help but think what a lesson that is to us.  It is when we are humbled that we are often most effective in our life.

When my son was small, it was so important for me to have a nativity set at the base of our Christmas tree.  I wanted it to be the focus under the tree not the presents.  People who came to my house were surprised that I would place a nativity set at the base of my tree with a small child in the house.  Even though he was “all boy”, he was so gentle with the nativity set.  He and I would sit on the floor in front of the tree and pick up each piece and talk about the role each of them played in the birth of Christ – yes even the animals.  These are things that never leave us as they stay in our hearts forever.

The 1st Day of Christmas

Day 1…

My love of all things Christmas – and an Advent Calendar

My birthday is on the 23^rd day of September so I start counting down to Christmas that day…it is exactly 92 days till Christmas at that point.  I am one of those annoying people who start reminding people at work of how many days it is much to their chagrin. 

What I love about Christmas, well it’s everything!  As a faith based person, it is a very spiritual time for me and has been ever since I first became part of the family of God.  But, it all really started with my mom, who was like me the lover of all things Christmas.  Her birthday was in December and all she ever wanted for her birthday was lights, Christmas decorations and a tree decorating party with us kids.  However, she was the one who put the tinsel on the tree and it had to be perfectly placed.  How many of you remember “tinsel”.  You younger folks, its’ ok, never mind, it would be a little like explaining the typewriter.

I thought I was the lover and knower of all things Christmas, however, I had an amazing revelation in church on Sunday.  Our Pastor spoke on the Advent.  It’s important you understand that I have made or bought advent calendars for years for my son when he was little, my granddaughter and even myself.  However, I always thought the advent calendar was just to keep kids from asking a hundred times a day, “is it Christmas yet” or just for me to count down the days?  I realized Sunday, that it is really all about announcing the coming of Christ.  About now, you are probably saying ‘duh’.   For me though, it brought a whole new meaning to the Advent calendar for me.  Just so you know, I am the mom who had a “Happy Jesus Birthday Party” each year for all the neighborhood kids, complete with birthday cake and ice cream.  I sat on the floor in a circle (not as easy to do  these days J) with the kids and read them the story of Christmas from the Bible, gave out presents to each kid and explained to  them why we put up lights and a Christmas tree and give presents to each other from a biblical perspective.  How I missed the whole point of the advent calendar, I don’t know.  Great news, I now have a new tradition for Christmas though that will include a spiritual advent calendar.  Our Pastor’s daughter, shared pictures of the one she made for her room, wow, what a talented young lady.  I wish I could post her picture here, but next year, I’ll post my own.

On each of the other 11 days of Christmas- Shavanna style, I plan to share at least one tradition, or meaning that is particularly significant to me.  While we all have our own traditions, I hope that sharing some of mine, will bless you, touch your heart in some way or bring hope and encouragement to you if you need it.

Christmas is so much more than shopping, baking, making the perfect Christmas dinner, having the right gift to give (even though for many of us, much of that is included in our Christmas’s).  It is about traditions, family, what’s in our hearts and most of all Jesus, “the reason for the season”.  I hope you will tune in every couple of days to see what comes next.

I know everyone is busy at this time of year, so I will try not to make these too long, because I would love for you to open this gift I’m giving to all of you and think of Christmas with peace in your heart. 

This is an older picture of one of our granddaughters.  When I look at this picture, I see so many things going through that little mind of hers.  I decided to post this picture to start with because I wanted say, let’s all try to see Christmas this year through the eyes of a child.  It could change our perspective in some marvelous ways.

Hello Blog Friends,

Today, I wanted to share a card I made for my Pastor’s wife as an encouragement to her regarding a task she is being called upon to do.  I used pearlescent card stock.   I rounded the corners then I cut the corners off of a square doily that I bought at the dollar store and placed them at the two opposite ends.  I matted the flowers in the pot that I stamped from my collection of “Heartfelt Creations stamps then I colored it with Copic markers.   I stamped a scripture verse on the same papers I used on this card and placed it at the bottom.  The scripture verse is from one of the scripture series from “Our Daily Bread Designs”.  An unusual card for me, no bling and no ribbon, go figure.  I think it turned out o.k. though.   

Also............

“An Exciting Announcement”:  Coming are the 12 Days of Christmas – Shavanna style…

Christmas is upon us…so tomorrow I will begin a series called “the 12 days of Christmas, Shavanna style”.  You won’t want to miss this series. Christmas is my very favorite time of year.  It all starts for me at Thanksgiving.  That’s when I begin making lists of things I’m thankful for and people who have impacted my life and how thankful I am for the things they have imparted in my life.  I begin making lists, lots and lots of lists, gift lifts, card lists, baking lists…well you get the idea – I’m obviously one of those list people.  It is hard to explain what happens to me at this time of year, but my heart just overflows with love, peace, joy, thankfulness and giving.  I give everywhere I can and as much as I can.  I have always thought it would be wonderful to be rich so I could give to the whole world, but I’m not, however, I realized I can give  something to all of you, so this series will be my Christmas gift to all of you who venture in.  I know many  are hurting this Christmas and struggling to pay their bills or put food on the table, and know that for those of you, I’m praying for you that those needs will be supplied, but this is a gift from  my heart to yours. 

             “Life doesn’t come wrapped in a bow, but it is a great gift”

                                                                                      Shavanna

We recently celebrated  Veterans Day and as usual, my mind and heart begins to reflect on our military.  My Grandfather served in World War 1, my father did his part in the 3C’s during World War II because he had 3 small children (he was raising on his own) and they wouldn’t let him enlist.  My oldest brother served in the Coast Guard prior to Vietnam and my second oldest brother served in the Navy during Viet Nam.  Currently, our son-in-law is a Captain in the Air Force and is currently deployed for the second time.  He and my step-daughter have 3 small children under the age of 5 and a 4^th on the way.

I wanted to share a card I made in honor of our veterans and wanted to share not just that but my love and appreciation for our son in-law Matt, and  Holly, his wife  who amazingly keeps things going at home (on her own) when he’s gone.

I decided to share this now, for two reasons, one because I didn’t want to take away from the day we are to honor just our veterans, and two, It is almost thanksgiving and I am thankful for all who serve.   I also thought it would be great if we could all  say a prayer and pay tribute to all the spouses (particularly moms)  who are at home serving their country  in a way that make it easier for our service men to leave.  Not to leave out the dad's who stay at home while the women are deployed as well.

Thank you Matt for your service and thank you Holly for your support of him.