We had our ward Christmas Party on Saturday and the decor was crazy awesome. Like Pinterest awesome. I can't believe the work that must have gone into it! The food donation area cute mini presents stuck to the front of the stage The program backdrop and where pics with Santa will be later. Isn't that a sweet punch bowl? It feels so festive! Crazy marshmallows at the hot chocolate bar Giant Cardboard ginger people decorated the walls all over Can you believe the cardboard reindeer? That must have been soo painful to make... I have a hard time cutting out symmetric windows in a box house... Cute gingerbread men. Do you see the one with the casualty? Plasticware is not supposed to look cute at a ward party... Cereal and fruit. I love those huge containers. There was one of these at EVERY SEAT. hours. hours and hours is all I think of looking at this. My visiting teachee's family just had a new baby last month and they dressed for a nativity while the birth story in Luke 2 was read and I played "Away in a Manger" on the piano. When it was The Frog's turn to sit on Santa's lap, he crawled over and started barking. This one never breaks character... I thought Iris would like to talk to Santa and maybe Peach wouldn't cry if she was there too :)
We had a beautiful, sparkly, spirit-filled evening. We used a variation of Judith Hoopes Hamilton's program "The Women Who Knew Jesus", found at this site: http://www.homemaking-cottage.com/Special-Programs/the-women-who-knew-jesus.htm We shortened each speaking part a little bit to better fulfill our purpose. We had a baked potato bar and salads for dinner. And tons of yummy pies for dessert! Each sister that read her part was draped in a simple "costume" to add to the effect. Carrie shared a wonderful message at the end about us each being unique like snowflakes, yet each being united in our desire to come to Christ. Thanks to our wonderful committee for all their hard work and many hours transforming the gym into a beautiful, peaceful, room worthy of a wedding reception!! Pictures don't do it justice.
(image courtesy of lds.org media library) In our first ward as a newlywed couple, Matt and I sang in the choir, along with other newlyweds, and also some who had been part of that Provo ward for decades. One of those women warbled terribly. I often sat by her and found myself going off key ... Read More
This was an activity that was in the very early stages of planning when I got released. (Sorry it has taken me over 6 months to post!) While I do not have all of the details I will post what I do know as it was a huge success. First of all, I will tell you that my Ward had done "Christmas in Bethlehem" about 5 years ago (Before I was called) and it was far too unorganized and far too much work. The feedback wasn't necessarily positive after that, so when I suggested it as a possibility to my committee, you can imagine the looks I received. If you have never heard of the concept of Christmas in Bethlehem, you may want to first read about it {{HERE}}. I promised my committee that we would not be too elaborate and that keeping it simple would help to make it a success. They all agreed, especially because our budget was small. Who: Everyone! Objective: Fellowship, Build Testimony of Christ, Celebrate Christ's Birth Budget: (I am not sure what their budget was as I was release nearly 11 months earlier.) Flyer: We pretty much used the same verbiage as was found at the link above. Invitations were rolled up into scrolls and tied with small twine. Set-Up: The Relief Society Activity Committee helped the Ward Activity Chairperson in getting all of the assignments made. Starting the 1st Sunday in November, the sign-up sheets were circulated through. Unlike many wards, we did not ask classes or quorums to run a booth. (The downfall of the prior attempt 5 years earlier.) We wanted families to be able to enjoy the evening together and didn't want unattended children running all over the place. There were sign-up sheets asking families to run a booth (I think we had about 8-9 booth). We had sign-up sheets for those who could donate canopies for booths. And there were sign-up sheets to ask people to bring the following food items: Breads/rolls. Cookies. Cheese Cubes. Black Olives. Cut-Up fruit. Special Instructions: As each family arrived, they were asked to sign the Census. (Husbands of the Activity Committee were dressed like roman soldiers.) The soldiers gave each member a small bag containing coins. (12 pennies per bag. This was enough to get their food and then a few more items.) We were then all guided to the chapel. There we sang a Christmas Carol and the activity chairperson explained how the marketplace worked. The overflow area was set up with a little pathway (cardboard "walls" and battery operated candles in paper sacks) leading to the gym. They gave about 30 minutes for people to "shop" and eat before they were invited to be seated and watch the reenactment of the nativity. We have a lady in our ward who has all of the props and costumes for the nativity. She created these years ago for her children and extended family. Every other year we ask her to run that part of our Christmas program. She loves it. She gets all of the actors organized and rehearses with them. There are places in the nativity program for the rest of us to sing a verse of a Carol. We love it too, as it takes added pressure from the committee! Turn-Out: We had several people attend (I counted close to 100) and everyone had a wonderful time. I think the pictures tell the best story, so without further adieu... The committee basically flattened a ton of cardboard boxes and using really fat black permanent markers turned them into "buildings". They were cut, shaped and then taped together and set along the outskirts of the room. Here is the Water "Well". The Base is actually a plastic tub (Sitting on a step to make it taller), filled with ice and then water bottles, then covered with thick brown paper and the rim is a spray painted pool noodle. The wooden frame helped to keep everything in place and was cute. 1 Bench was brought from home, while the other three were confiscated from the Primary, YW, & Relief Society rooms. Booths were created out of modern-day canopies. Sheets were hung in between to create "walls". The insides were lined with Christmas White Lights and other things such as baskets. Poster boards were used for the sign shops. At David's Toy Shop we were "selling" little dreidels. The Committee purchased these online in bulk. There were other toys and trinkets that were in the activity closet from activities past, so we thought it would be a good idea to "sell" those too. The Bishop's winery had sparkling Grape Juice. (Grape Juice & 7-Up in punch bowls) The fruit market contained grapes, orange slices, banana halves, pineapple slices and apple slices, all donated by members (via the sign-up sheets). Ruth's Bakery contained rolls & honey along with several types of cookies and bars brought by the members (via the sign-up sheets). The Gift of the Magi was selling Gold (chocolate gold coin), Frankincense, and Myrrh. I don't remember was the Frankincense was, but 1 token got you all 3 and the Myrrh meant you got to use some of the lotion. Potiphar's Pita hut "sold" pita wedges and toppings such as Hummus, Cream Cheese and Honey. The Activity Committee supplied the food items for this hut. Benjamin's Meat & Deli was offering grilled chicken strips (provided by the committee) and "Deli Kabobs" of cheese cubes and black olives (provided by members via the sign-up sheet). Rachel's Rentals contained a basket full of blankets for those who did not bring one to sit on. One of the members brought these benches from home. The "actors" for the Nativity program sat here until it was their turn to go on stage. The back corner of the gym was set up with tables. It was announced ahead of time that these were for the elderly or for those who could not sit of the floor. The tables were decorated with simple burlap cloths and mini lanterns. This was taken after it the marketplace opened for business. During the Nativity. The lady who organizes this for us uses all Primary Children and no adults for this. When most of the kids are playing a part, it's easier to keep them from running around. :) That is a brief overview from our night in Bethlehem. I hope it inspires something for you! Good Luck!
Wow! This December meeting was incredible! We combined with our Temple 1st ward and Spanish Branch sisters, and also encouraged everyone...
It’s beginning to look a lot like a Glitter Christmas! With sparkles and glitz everywhere! I’m so excited to share with you the glitz filled Christmas dessert table I styled for…
Esta es una actividad de Barrio para celebrar el Fin de Año y la Navidad. Está basada en la película
Wow! This December meeting was incredible! We combined with our Temple 1st ward and Spanish Branch sisters, and also encouraged everyone...
In my ward we always have refreshments first:-) The plan for the activity is as follows: 6:30 Bless Refreshments/Socializing 7pm...
Are you looking for some awesome Christmas class party ideas to get the little ones in the festive mood? Here are 10 easy and fun ideas from ...
Last weekend I helped a few ladies from my church plan our wards Christmas party: A Night in Bethlehem. We wanted to create a Christmas experience that celebrated the life of Christ. I'm on the enrichment committee,
Get creative and crafty this Christmas with your holiday decor by using our tutorial to make beautiful DIY Christmas tree cones with poster board and fabric
Seven days of DIY Christmas decorations, with simple step-by-step tutorials.Hey! You've made it to day 3 of Christmas craft week, go you! If you haven't seen the first two days, you can check them out at the bottom of this post. Today we're going to kick things up a notch with some origami. Oh yeah
Celebrate the holiday season with these grinch christmas decorations. There are both indoor and outdoor grinch-inspired decor ideas.
There are plenty of examples of beautiful, elaborate table settings for Christmas dinner available online. But if simplicity, both in aesthetics and
About a month and a half ago, Paul came home from a church meeting and mentioned that the bishop (what we call the leader of our congregation) had asked if I would be willing to head-up the committee for our ward Christmas party this year. My first reaction was "No way!" but after some consideration of the fact that if I didn't do it someone else would have to and as I started to think about the other potential people in the ward to head the committee I realized that I was a very reasonable candidate since I have the fewest kids, I am a SAHM who-while busy-has enough time to tackle such a responsibility, my calling as gospel doctrine teacher isn't all the demanding, etc. So I said I would do it. I got really lucky in that I had an AMAZING committee of women who helped me put everything together and had super ideas and input. One of my committee members - my friend Hailey - pretty much took on all the decor herself when another committee member had to back out due to a surgery. We went with a loose Polar Express theme (tickets for invitations, a "believe" sort of message, and a train set for decorations) and it turned out really well. Hailey came up with beautiful centerpieces and arranged everything so beautifully. We were able to get 5 6+foot live trees for $15 each which we decorated with Christmas lights and then gave away at the end of the night. There is an older couple (actually, they really aren't all that old but all their kids are grown so that is what I really mean) in our ward who have beautiful Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes and they did a great job with all the kids. I was all about delegating for this party so I asked our Primary President to print Christmas coloring pages and order small boxes of crayons (like the kind you get at restaurants) for Santa to give out rather than candy canes since we had Santa come before dinner and I wanted the kids to have something to do before the food was served and not spoil appetites with peppermint sugar sticks. Clara did much better with mom and dad in the picture with her. I may look put together in this picture but I seriously was running all night long managing food levels and making sure the little program we put together happened, etc. I literally dashed from the kitchen and tore off my apron to take this picture, then headed right back in. Paul was such a huge help and played with Clara and engaged with our friends all night while I was all frazzled. We had a good turnout - we were planning for 350 and by my estimate (based on numbers of chairs that we put out) we had almost 300. The main dish was Barbeque Beef Brisket (my mom's recipe that she got years and years ago when we lived in St. Louis, MO from a guy in their ward who my mom always describes as "a bachelor"). It is SO easy and SO yummy and my mom has made this probably over a hundred times, especially when we have large dinner parties. I'm including the recipe at the bottom of this post. I pre-ordered 90 pounds of brisket from Costco (a full crate of meat actually) which meant that I was charged $3.99/lb instead of $5.99/lb (which is what they sell individual briskets for). Then we farmed out the cooking of the briskets along with the ingredients and recipes to various ward members since we needed a number of ovens but we wanted uniform results. It worked out great. We also had baked mac & cheese from Costco's deli - I seriously love this stuff but this was the one thing we had too much of, although my estimates weren't too far off. I bought 30 pans of it and we ended up with 6-8 leftover I think. For vegetables we had orange-ginger glazed roasted carrots and french green beans tossed with lemon juice, butter and sea salt. There were also rolls and for dessert we set up a table with hot chocolate and cupcakes. The cupcakes (chocolate/chocolate and white/white) were just from Safeway (a local grocery store) but they were actually quite good and I had ordered old-fashioned peppermint sticks to stick in them so that they would be "North Pole Cupcakes" and that made them look extra fancy. One of the families in the ward brought this incredible toy train set up for part of the decor which gave the kids something fun to look at before and after dinner. The Young Man in the blue jacket is Evan and he is our home teacher and made sure that the train kept operating in the event that little fingers derailed it. I had so much amazing help and I couldn't have done it without some of the women in the photos above. A number of people spent Saturday morning at the church helping to decorate, my committee members worked so hard getting things together beforehand, and we had such great help in the kitchen getting all the meat sliced as it was received and making sure the serving tables were never empty. It was EXHAUSTING being in charge of such a large event (remind me to never, EVER agree to taking on this responsibility again) but I was very pleased with how the evening turned out and that there was such a feeling of friendship and love and Christmas at the party. Barbeque Beef Brisket 5 lbs. brisket 2 tsp garlic salt, divided 2 tsp celery salt, divided 2 tsp onion salt, divided 2 tsp sugar, divided 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce SAUCE: 3/4 cup brown sugar 20 oz. hickory flavored barbeque sauce Moisten meat with Worcestershire sauce. In a little bowl, mix 1 teaspoon each of the garlic, celery, and onion salts, with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Rub in dry ingredients. Marinate overnight. Repeat process with the remaining spices the next morning. Place meat in aluminum foil allowing plenty of room for meat to steam inside. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour for each pound of meat. Remove from oven and tear away foil. Pour off broth. Pour sauce over meat. Return to oven uncovered and bake one more hour at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and slice to serve. * All of the briskets we cooked were actually between 8-10 pounds - you just need to make sure to increase the amount of your sauce and spices accordingly.
It’s an inside day today! The kids are home from school—some kind of teacher development day, the snow has been falling all night and it continues still. The snow plows have not been up our mountain road yet and it looks quiet and beautifully untouched. My daughter exclaimed, “Mom, I think it’s an inside day today.” I’m good with that. I thought this might be my chance to get a bit caught up and take some time to reflect on just a few of my favorite things during the holidays. The Polar Express Church Christmas Breakfast Every family received a Polar Express ticket as their invitation to this Christmas breakfast. Upon arrival the Train Conductor (Bishop) met them at the door, welcomed them and once everyone was settled cried, "All ABOARD! The train stopped at several depots; the Humanitarian Depot, Reindeer Games Depot, etc. Once all the activities had been attended and their tickets were punched a meal was provided along with a family photo and Polar Express bell ornament for their tree at home. Santa's Workshop Youth Group Activity Kids played pin-the-nose on Rudolph, wrote thank you letters to Santa, made Snowman cupcakes, played games, read Christmas stories, created a Christmas craft then...Santa arrived. While children were playing parents enjoyed a night at home with their feet up or a kid-free shopping trip. Neighbor/Friend Gifts Better to Give then to Receive! And so much more fun! Our teachers LOVED this gift: We bought a blanket for under $5 (they are everywhere), and then added a tag and some candy cane sticks or a gingerbread boy cookie. Takes 10 min. at the most to create! Neighbors warmed up to this gift: Hobby Lobby jar with a nob screwed in the top, fill with a favorite goody or hot chocolate mix. Then add a tag, a little baker's twine and all for under $5. Here's just a few more examples: Filled with Peppermint Oreo Truffles Filled the bag with all kinds of goodies including Kiss and M&M pretzels. Filled with Chex Munchie Mix My 11 year old daughter gave this gift to her friends: A homemade felt flower hair clip attached to a festive Christmas tag. Slip it into a cellophane bag with a little Christmas treat and Kate had a beautiful, handcrafted Christmas gift for all of her cute friends...all for less than 50 cents a gift. One of my most favorite gifts to give at Christmas is the gift of Family History. I've been recording stories and personal histories of my mom and dad and was not quite ready to document the history in a book yet. I decided to take a few of the favorite stories, print them out and then found these tubes at Rod Works, slipped the stories into the tubes, wrapped in cello with Kneaders candy canes and wrote a little note to family members that this was their first installment of the family history stories. More to come next year! In all the giving and all the getting our families most priceless memories of Christmas are the times we spend serving others. This year we started a new tradition of a Cousin Service Project. We scheduled an afternoon with the local Food and Care Coalition and spent several hours serving the homeless and hungry. The people we served were gracious and loving. The gifts we received while serving were priceless and will be remembered for years to come. January brings a little reprieve from the holiday bustle but also seems to bring about new resolve to do better and to be better. We look forward to new and wonderful things for 2013, both for our family and yours. Happy New Year!
This was an activity that was in the very early stages of planning when I got released. (Sorry it has taken me over 6 months to post!) While I do not have all of the details I will post what I do know as it was a huge success. First of all, I will tell you that my Ward had done "Christmas in Bethlehem" about 5 years ago (Before I was called) and it was far too unorganized and far too much work. The feedback wasn't necessarily positive after that, so when I suggested it as a possibility to my committee, you can imagine the looks I received. If you have never heard of the concept of Christmas in Bethlehem, you may want to first read about it {{HERE}}. I promised my committee that we would not be too elaborate and that keeping it simple would help to make it a success. They all agreed, especially because our budget was small. Who: Everyone! Objective: Fellowship, Build Testimony of Christ, Celebrate Christ's Birth Budget: (I am not sure what their budget was as I was release nearly 11 months earlier.) Flyer: We pretty much used the same verbiage as was found at the link above. Invitations were rolled up into scrolls and tied with small twine. Set-Up: The Relief Society Activity Committee helped the Ward Activity Chairperson in getting all of the assignments made. Starting the 1st Sunday in November, the sign-up sheets were circulated through. Unlike many wards, we did not ask classes or quorums to run a booth. (The downfall of the prior attempt 5 years earlier.) We wanted families to be able to enjoy the evening together and didn't want unattended children running all over the place. There were sign-up sheets asking families to run a booth (I think we had about 8-9 booth). We had sign-up sheets for those who could donate canopies for booths. And there were sign-up sheets to ask people to bring the following food items: Breads/rolls. Cookies. Cheese Cubes. Black Olives. Cut-Up fruit. Special Instructions: As each family arrived, they were asked to sign the Census. (Husbands of the Activity Committee were dressed like roman soldiers.) The soldiers gave each member a small bag containing coins. (12 pennies per bag. This was enough to get their food and then a few more items.) We were then all guided to the chapel. There we sang a Christmas Carol and the activity chairperson explained how the marketplace worked. The overflow area was set up with a little pathway (cardboard "walls" and battery operated candles in paper sacks) leading to the gym. They gave about 30 minutes for people to "shop" and eat before they were invited to be seated and watch the reenactment of the nativity. We have a lady in our ward who has all of the props and costumes for the nativity. She created these years ago for her children and extended family. Every other year we ask her to run that part of our Christmas program. She loves it. She gets all of the actors organized and rehearses with them. There are places in the nativity program for the rest of us to sing a verse of a Carol. We love it too, as it takes added pressure from the committee! Turn-Out: We had several people attend (I counted close to 100) and everyone had a wonderful time. I think the pictures tell the best story, so without further adieu... The committee basically flattened a ton of cardboard boxes and using really fat black permanent markers turned them into "buildings". They were cut, shaped and then taped together and set along the outskirts of the room. Here is the Water "Well". The Base is actually a plastic tub (Sitting on a step to make it taller), filled with ice and then water bottles, then covered with thick brown paper and the rim is a spray painted pool noodle. The wooden frame helped to keep everything in place and was cute. 1 Bench was brought from home, while the other three were confiscated from the Primary, YW, & Relief Society rooms. Booths were created out of modern-day canopies. Sheets were hung in between to create "walls". The insides were lined with Christmas White Lights and other things such as baskets. Poster boards were used for the sign shops. At David's Toy Shop we were "selling" little dreidels. The Committee purchased these online in bulk. There were other toys and trinkets that were in the activity closet from activities past, so we thought it would be a good idea to "sell" those too. The Bishop's winery had sparkling Grape Juice. (Grape Juice & 7-Up in punch bowls) The fruit market contained grapes, orange slices, banana halves, pineapple slices and apple slices, all donated by members (via the sign-up sheets). Ruth's Bakery contained rolls & honey along with several types of cookies and bars brought by the members (via the sign-up sheets). The Gift of the Magi was selling Gold (chocolate gold coin), Frankincense, and Myrrh. I don't remember was the Frankincense was, but 1 token got you all 3 and the Myrrh meant you got to use some of the lotion. Potiphar's Pita hut "sold" pita wedges and toppings such as Hummus, Cream Cheese and Honey. The Activity Committee supplied the food items for this hut. Benjamin's Meat & Deli was offering grilled chicken strips (provided by the committee) and "Deli Kabobs" of cheese cubes and black olives (provided by members via the sign-up sheet). Rachel's Rentals contained a basket full of blankets for those who did not bring one to sit on. One of the members brought these benches from home. The "actors" for the Nativity program sat here until it was their turn to go on stage. The back corner of the gym was set up with tables. It was announced ahead of time that these were for the elderly or for those who could not sit of the floor. The tables were decorated with simple burlap cloths and mini lanterns. This was taken after it the marketplace opened for business. During the Nativity. The lady who organizes this for us uses all Primary Children and no adults for this. When most of the kids are playing a part, it's easier to keep them from running around. :) That is a brief overview from our night in Bethlehem. I hope it inspires something for you! Good Luck!
At this christmas party, after a quick prayer with a blessing on the refreshments-- Part 1: We played Name that Tune, there was a clue ...
From fake cactus to rustic hanging sticks, we've found 19 fun alternative Christmas trees that will fill your house with festive cheer.
The other day I manage to get lucky enough to find this old ottoman. Granted it was in good shape, but I knew some new fabric could really make it pop! I pulled off the old fabric and gave the legs a new coat of paint. I thought the chair in my kitchen could really use a partner, so I found some new fabric that would coordinate. I use my staple gun and worked my way around the ottoman. My total cost for the project was around $7.00! What a deal for a brand new ottoman!! The other day I manage to get lucky enough to find this old ottoman. Granted it was in good shape, but I knew some new fabric could really make it pop! I pulled off the old fabric and gave the legs a new coat of paint. I thought the chair in my kitchen could really use a partner, so I found some new fabric that would coordinate. I use my staple gun and worked my way around the ottoman. My total cost for the project was around $7.00! What a deal for a brand new ottoman!!
"Christmas at Hogwarts" (additionally known as "Ring the Hogwarts Bell" or "Cast a Christmas Spell") was a Christmas carol sung at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A group of ghost carolers could be seen singing this song around Christmastime in 1991.[1] In the movie, it is first heard when the snowfall season takes place. We then see Rubeus Hagrid bearing a freshly cut big pine tree, intended to make Christmas tree as a decoration in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This i
The Polar Express church Christmas party
We had our ward Christmas Party on Saturday and the decor was crazy awesome. Like Pinterest awesome. I can't believe the work that must have gone into it! The food donation area cute mini presents stuck to the front of the stage The program backdrop and where pics with Santa will be later. Isn't that a sweet punch bowl? It feels so festive! Crazy marshmallows at the hot chocolate bar Giant Cardboard ginger people decorated the walls all over Can you believe the cardboard reindeer? That must have been soo painful to make... I have a hard time cutting out symmetric windows in a box house... Cute gingerbread men. Do you see the one with the casualty? Plasticware is not supposed to look cute at a ward party... Cereal and fruit. I love those huge containers. There was one of these at EVERY SEAT. hours. hours and hours is all I think of looking at this. My visiting teachee's family just had a new baby last month and they dressed for a nativity while the birth story in Luke 2 was read and I played "Away in a Manger" on the piano. When it was The Frog's turn to sit on Santa's lap, he crawled over and started barking. This one never breaks character... I thought Iris would like to talk to Santa and maybe Peach wouldn't cry if she was there too :)
Last weekend I helped a few ladies from my church plan our wards Christmas party: A Night in Bethlehem. We wanted to create a Christmas experience that celebrated the life of Christ. I'm on the enrichment committee,
Why Christmas Tress Aren't Perfect was the theme of our Relief Society Christmas Party. A wonderful evening that set the spirit of the holiday perfectly!
Our ward (a group of Latter-day Saints or Mormons) this year hosted A Night in Bethlehem for its annual ward party. We met first in the chapel where we received instruction as to how the events would unfold and had an opening prayer. As families, we gathered together outside the "gates*" of Bethlehem and waited to be announced by the Roman Soldiers (*the doors into the gymnasium). Each family was announced and a census-taken and recorded by the town scribes and paid their taxes (cans of food for the local food bank). In turn, each family was given a small bag of coins (pennies) in which to spend in Bethlehem at the various booths and Inns. Roman Soldiers announce each family Families were recorded on scrolls by census-takers (not shown) and taxes collected (cans of food for the local food bank). Ladies work at the Food Booth serving local delicacies: pita bread and hummus, olive spread, olives, cheese selection, hot lentil soup, dried dates, nuts, chicken filled pita pockets, orange segments and grape clusters... Our family settles on chairs and table at a local Inn to eat. Our shared platter of food. Little Susannah and Joseph. Hannah and Me. Shepard boy, Jonathan, plays the dreidel game. Jonathan and Joseph play dreidel for the "pot." Rebekah learns to write in several different writing styles at a booth: Early Hebrew, Middle Hebrew, Late Hebrew, Egyptian, etc... Susie holds our family's basket. The water well at the center of town. Local Town's leadership instructing a Roman Soldier before Joseph and Mary come into town late in the evening looking for an Inn. Another vendor selling Gold(painted stones), Frankincense (sugared ginger pieces), and Myrrh (incense cones) in a small pouch for coins. Another vendor took family pictures. Expectant Mary and Joseph arrive in town late and find most Inns full. An Inn owner shows them to a stable where baby Jesus (Edmund Brandt) is born and laid in a wooden manger. Wise Men appear to King Herod asking where the baby King has been born. Angels proclaim his birth, Shepherds come, and finally Wise Men come, sing, and make their way to the King with their presents. The Primary sang The Shepherd's Lullaby: Mary, Mary, hush see the child. Joseph, Joseph, look see how mild. This is Jesus; this is our King This is our Savior, His praises we sing. Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus (Richard, Catherine, and Edmund Brandt) Shepherd Jonathan with his skin bag. Various townspeople wandered the streets: tax collectors, beggars, shop keepers...
My ward Christmas party for 2011 was "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." I was torn about doing this because the Grinch isn't focused necessa...
I have been out of blogging for some time. Just got busy with things, but was itching to get back and do something. So started tod...
I really had fun working on my latest project…my French sheet music Christmas candles! I love the vintage look and the warm little glow that they are adding to my Christmas decorations this year! And…they were easy and inexpensive to create. In fact, I didn’t spend a penny to make them! This one has a star cut out for the tealight to peep through… …and this one was simply wrapped in the sheet music with the leftover cutouts from the star candle being used as a fun tag! And this one sports a Christmas tree design! And I bet you already have on hand most of what you need to make them! Here is what you will need: Glass jars in assorted sizes Printouts on regular printer paper of French sheet music found at The Graphics Fairy here Rubber cement Jute twine Tealights Matte finish tape Scissors Evergreens and berries to trim (optional) And here is what you will do for the candles with cutouts: Cut the sheet music to fit the jars. I used two lengths, back-to-back, for the jars with the cutouts. To create the cutouts, simply fold the sheets in half across the short side and cut out your pattern. Note: I practiced first on plain paper until I got the cutout the size that I wanted it to be. Unfold your sheet and you will see a whole star or tree. If you are uncomfortable cutting your own, you will find quite a few shapes online. Next, glue the two sheets together with rubber cement. It’s a great adhesive to use with paper since it doesn’t wrinkle and you can simply roll it with your finger to remove the excess. Wrap the sheets around the jar and secure with matte tape. Wrap jute twine around the mouth of the jar several times and tie. You can add evergreens or berries if you wish. Insert your tealight and light with a long match…or use a battery-operated tealight if you prefer. For the candles without the cutouts: Cut one layer of the paper, wrap it around the jar and secure with matte tape. Note: You only want one layer of the sheet music for this one so that the candlelight will glow through the paper. Wrap jute twine around the mouth of the jar several times and tie. You can add evergreens or berries if you wish. The cutouts from the other candles can be glued back-to-back to reinforce them, then punch a small hole and thread them on the twine. Insert your tealight and light with a long match…or use a battery-operated tealight if you prefer. And here they are…so fun and easy…and you can’t beat free! I've already planned where they will go. I am still working on my Christmas decorations and I can’t wait for you to see them! Can you tell I am going for a vintage-y, French look this year? And here are a few more fun things that you can create with sheet music…wreaths, candles and ornaments! Be sure to get a closer look at my sheet music decorations and check out the tutorials by clicking here! And for more Christmas-y fun with jars, here are my Mason jar Christmas candles! You can see how I made them here! But Baby Kitty says forget the decorations! It’s waaaay too cold here for November and he’s just going to sit by the fire! Actually, that sounds like a good idea...so if you will excuse me...:-) Remember to pin it! For more Christmas inspiration, check out the posts from these talented bloggers! The Creative Christmas Link Party is hosted by Janet of Shabbyfufu and the the bloggers of Blogging 50. Please visit all of the talented bloggers below! An InLinkz Link-up Thanks for stopping by! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays , French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday See you next time! À la prochaine! Also find me at… Enter your email to have Plate Addict's blog posts delivered Delivered by FeedBurner
With my husband having two back-to-back surgeries on his arms (a long story that I can't legally talk about), he has been out of work...which means, for the first time in years and years and years, we do not have a lot of money to spend this Christmas. As I was sitting on the sofa, contemplating my adoration of the Christmas season and gift giving, a strong feeling came over me that I do not want to sulk or feel sorry for myself. In fact, if my husband and I have to go through this trial (we don't really have a choice), I want our children, family and friends to see that we are going to be OKAY. Christmas 2014 will come and go. A few weeks from now, how much money I was--or wasn't--able to spend will not matter, but the memories we will share by spending time with our loved ones will remain indefinitely. My thoughts then turned to the book and film How the Grinch Stole Christmas and I was reminded of Whoville and this endearing quote... "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." Then a brilliant idea came to me and, after running it by my husband, the two of us decided to embrace the magic of the Grinch and go with a Whoville themed tree this year. This is what we came up with... Subway Art from scootapie Etsy shop And yes, my tree is up the day before Thanksgiving, but I have a wedding to go to this weekend and Monday is December 1st. TOTALLY justifiable!! :)
