Moving Slowly into the Christmas Season

photo credit: Elena Ferrer

It's taken a while for me to slowly move into the Christmas season this year. Some seasons are like that, it just takes time for it to feel right.

After a busy Thanksgiving followed by some pretty nasty colds/viruses/bacterial infections that ran the gamut through the family, we are slowly recovering and getting into the Christmas spirit.  The tree is up and finally decorated.  One daughter is ordering gifts online, one is crafting away, and one is baking Christmas cookies.   'Tis the season at last.

I love the photo above, with the simplicity of the fresh greenery and the gingerbread cookie reindeer ... Won't work for chairs in my home since we have a big, furry, white dog that would surely eat the cookies as quickly as they were tied on, but I'm thinking maybe cinnamon applesauce ornaments instead and used as a window garland ... or maybe along the mantel

I've got a ton of ideas all tucked away neatly on my Pinterest Christmas board.  I thought you might like to take a look, there might be just the thing you are looking for pinned there.  I'll never make or do all I have collected, but I do love to have lots of options and ideas to choose from.  

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I've also got a whole list of simple, herbal gifts to make.  I will share a few of those with you very soon.

What is your favorite gift to make and give at Christmas?

Prayer Flags Project and More Winter Fun

Some of you asked about the prayer flags ...

Source: rhythmofthehome.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Yes, Jennifer I will share my completed project, but in the meantime (it may take me a while to finish them), you can see what inspired me!  

I loved this project when I first read about making prayer flags at rhythm of the home.  I pinned it to my Winter Fun board at Pinterest along with some other ideas to occupy hearts and hands during cold weather-

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Catherine on Pinterest

I have my fabrics prepared, supplies gathered, and a few prayerful words chosen:

FREEDOM (FREE is my word for 2012!)
PEACE
JUSTICE
MERCY
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE


I think seeing a string of prayer flags blowing in the breeze outside my window will be a wonderful call to prayer.

If you decide to join in and make your own prayer flags, please let me know!  I'd love to see what words and designs you choose.

 Weekend Blessings kind friends!

Crafting Christmas

Just a few days left until Christmas- has the countdown started at your house?  It started weeks ago for the littlest Loves in our family- only 27 days 'til Christmas, then 18, then 10 ... now just 8.  The excitement is building, the craft supplies are flying, and the finished, wrapped gifts are appearing under the tree.

This year I am making gifts for friends and family- simple things like:
(Friends and family please skip the rest of this post or risk ruining your surprise!)

Spicy Orange Potpourri- a last minute inspiration thanks to the bulk spice area of The Natural Grocer and a great sale on Sweet Orange essential oil! 
It's a pretty mixture of:
cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices and chopped orange peel, bay leaves, juniper berries, hawthorn berries, cloves, ginger, allspice berries, rosemary, star anise, orris root powder, and sweet orange essential oil.  Sorry I don't have an exact recipe, I just opened up bags and bottles and added and stirred until it looked and smelled lovely.
I mixed it up in Grandmother Love's crockery bean pot where it will meld and mingle all that spicy goodness together until I tuck it into little muslin sachets and hang them on the tree for gifting on Christmas eve.

Next on the Christmas Crafts list is Apple Cider Syrup. 

I have several other things on the list.  I'll share more of those next week.

My Christmas board at Pinterest has lots of pretty things to make if you are looking for some crafty Christmas ideas. 

What are you creating this Christmas? 

Simple Stress Relief

Please visit me at The Renegade Farmer for a few simple herb crafts for stress relief and sweet sleep! 

Herbal Treats for Your Valentine (or for You)

Some very nice herbal recipes for Valentines Day @ Mountain Rose Herbs
I think I'll whip up a batch of the Rose & Geranium Bath Bombs for myself.

I love rose geranium scent, it's my own personal "happy fragrance"! When things are going "not so well" with me, I grab the bottle of Rose Geranium essential oil and sprinkle a few drops nearby ... very nice!

My Laundry Helper ~ Poky

Here is the latest creation in my quest to liven up the laundry routine, a clothespin bag. A friend told me that hanging her clothes out on the clothesline is something that she enjoys because she can hear the birds, see the garden, etc. while she's working.

I decided it might be fun to give it a try when it warms up enough that the clothes won't have to freeze dry. Taking the clothes out of the dryer is the worst part of the laundry for me anyway. If you saw my tiny laundry room you'd know why, but I'll share that with you another time.

Here's my quickie clothespin bag, which is just a tank top that trimmed the bottom off of and stitched up. I pinned my "bag" onto an old funky clothes hanger that I prettied up with some Peony Pink acrylic paint. I painted the clothespins the same shade and then gave them a swipe with some Whitewash to soften the color a bit.

Isn't he cute? I love The Poky Little Puppy.


My favorite thing about the bag is the label inside...


passing4sane ... some days I can only hope I am!

Cute, Cute, Cute Craft

This little doll cottage is just the sweetest thing! I plan to make one or more for my daughter's birthday. I really love The Crafty Crow site, so many pretty things and fun ideas!