I. Love. This. Stitch.
This design sums up my approach to the holidays to perfection. If you're new here and haven't read my posts on Choosing a Quiet Christmas, here's Part One and here's Part Two, to give you an idea of where I'm coming from. I am a big fan of turning off the "Christmas Machine" and making the holiday exactly what you want it to be. If you love the Christmas Machine, by all means, enjoy! But if the holidays are a dreaded source of stress and exhaustion, I do hope my ideas will help give you your own ideas about how to change that for the better.
We normally wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do the Christmas decorating. I am not a Black Friday girl. I am a Chill Out and Decorate for Christmas Friday girl. We celebrate Thanksgiving and then we roll into Christmas. This year, though, I'm feeling I want Christmas to last longer. I want to enjoy the decorations longer. I want to listen to Christmas music longer. I just need more Christmas this year. It's been a rough year for us, as it has been for so many of you. A few weeks ago, I announced to Mr. Wonderful I wanted to put up Christmas decorations in mid-November this year. He's cool with it, of course. So that's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to it. This year calls for Christmas Therapy, I think.
Design & Finishing Info
Fabric: 28 ct. Muffin (flea market find; I don't know the manufacturer)
Threads: GAST Buckeye Scarlet & Otter Creek
Buttons: Jo-Ann Fabrics (gingerbread men; cookie assortment; micro minis)
Red trim: Hobby Lobby (home decor/upholstery section)
Rolling pin: Hobby Lobby
Wood plaque: Wal-Mart
Honeybee - I went back and read your parts one and two and the plans spinning in my head slowed down. Girl after my own heart ... Christmas quiet therapy longer ... and this charming project to be tucked into my basket for stitching therapy. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYou are so gifted in the finishing dept.
I love this stitchery and the way that you finished it. I love Christmas time. I don't decorate until December 1st. The first decoration is the Advent Calendar. Sometimes the lights go on the house before then, but they aren't lit until December 1st. I like your Christmas therapy ideas and your quiet Christmas ideas.
ReplyDeleteDesde luego el cartel es precioso, a mi me gusta decorar la Navidad, y mas desde que hago manualidades, disfruto con la alegria de mu hija de 11 años, pero para mi es estresante, no por estar de vacaciones que ojala, si no porque es la fecha del año con mas trabajo fuera de casa, trabajo en uno supermercado, y como supondras hay mucho que hacer alli...
ReplyDeleteI already said to hubby my Christmas decorations are going up early this year .
ReplyDeleteI want to sit back and enjoy and no rushing about .
Love your new stitch a great saying .
Enjoy your weekend.
That is too cute!
ReplyDeleteI put up our tree after Thanksgiving.
I have so many handmade ornament, some from friends, some from exchanges, some I've made.
I love to put up the tree, but don't do as much Christmas as I used to.
When your Mom is gone, it's not as fun.
Marilyn
How absolutely lovely, this design is delightful and sums up life perfectly. I am all about simplifying Christmas, this year I decided to buy presents for family only and all friends, people at church etc will do without. X
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful design you stitched and finished, Honeybee! Thank you for the reminder of your previous links on Christmas. Have an enjoyable Friday!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cute finish! Not a Hallmark Christmas movie fan, but I watch an occasional one :) I hope to get my Christmas decorations out earlier so I can enjoy them a bit before my grandson arrives and tears everything down--ha ha!
ReplyDeleteHoneybee: This is such a sweet design and finish.
ReplyDeleteI like to start decorating in November myself, I start the second week of November which means next Friday is the start day.
It has been a hard year, I hope all this crap is over soon.
I hope you post photos of your decorating.
Catherine
Catherine
Thanks HB! I'm one of those who gets frazzled and a week before Christmas, wish it was over already! On the other hand, I'm amazed at how fast the season goes! So I've decided that in another week, I'll put the Halloween away and bring out my nutcrackers that make me smile. I did one Black Friday and that was enough for me. That will be my epitaph, that I did one Black Friday, lol!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty and spot on! Lovely stitch.
ReplyDeleteWe decided last year to buy a second artificial Christmas tree for the TV room because our regular tree was getting too full. The new tree would be solely for cross-stitch ornaments. I’m so glad, because now I will have a tree where my hospital bed is. We use the LCD lights (low energy) so we could leave them on all night and I can see them. I got a tree topper that spins snowflakes on the ceiling. ;-)
I’m still doing some fall/Halloween stitching so we are waiting ‘til after Thanksgiving to put fall away.
Shhhh… our secret… I love cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies.
A beautiful finish!!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about Black Friday. I have never participated in the madness of Black Friday. I try to decorate the day after Thanksgiving, there is plenty of time to enjoy the Christmas decorations. Our tradition is not to take the Christmas decoration till after All Kings Day, Janurary 6th.
ReplyDeleteI'll gradually decorate throughout December, I keep my Halloween stitching up until the end of November! Obviously we don't celebrate Thanksgiving but Advent Calendars and Boxes are becoming very popular here.
ReplyDeleteI think we all need some seasonal cheer this year!