Christmas Blessings!

Things I love about Christmas

:: a cozy fire on a cold night ::

:: ornaments that remind me of the gifts Jesus brought me: Joy & Peace ::

:: a Christmas tree, with its twinkly beauty ::

:: red decorations ::

:: wrapping presents for people I love ::

:: family ::

:: a precious baby ::

:: My Saviour! ::

Without the gift of His life 2000 years ago, there would be no Christmas.

No Joy!

No Peace on Earth.

Because of Him, we celebrate!

Because of Him, we have hope.

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the LORD!

Christmas Craft #2

Happy Monday, dear friends!! This post was supposed to be up last Thursday...but life happened! Hadassah has started teething, which means naps are shorter and baby a little more fussy. So I'm finding it a bit challenging to get everything on my to-do list crossed off. But I'm learning [slowly!] some thing about what is truly important. And some days, that means saying "no" to anything other than hubby, baby, and of course, getting some food on the table! I'm sure you moms can relate.... So, no, I didn't get much time to work on crafts last week, but I wanted to share a super-easy project I did for the Christmas brunch I hosted!

They are place cards that I fell in love with when I saw them on Pinterest! You just need to gather some fresh greenery [at your neighbors', if you're lucky like me! Or even better, at your own house], snap the branches into even-sized twigs and cut off the ends of the greenery. Use a hot glue gun to glue two twigs together on the ends, and then add a spray of evergreen to complete the card holder!

The actual place card can be whatever you choose! There are so many fun free designs to download online or at Pinterest, of course!! I chose to make my own, using some old music sheets [thanks, Amy!] with black paper to make them pop. They were a perfect accent to the Christmas decor and had a natural, outdoorsy feel. And...they were Free!! 

So what's your favorite place card holder? Any fun Christmas-themed ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Jesus for the Day

Our church has a long-standing tradition of putting on a Christmas play each year. This year, "Mary's Story" was the featured production. Everyone did an outstanding job and it brought a whole new meaning to the Christmas story for me. Since baby Truman couldn't be at church Friday evening, Hadassah had her first acting role as baby Jesus! This mama was just a little bit worried about how she'd do...she's usually a sweet baby, but hasn't learned just yet that there are certain times you just smile and act happy!

Here she is, talking to "Mary"!

And posing with Mary's friends...

And here's "baby Jesus"!

She actually did really well...other than crying before she was born! As soon as they started talking to her, all was right with her world and she behaved nicely for the rest of the scene!! Whew.

But this whole acting-as-Jesus got me thinking: what if we all were Jesus for a day? What exactly would change in my daily routine? Maybe I'd take the time to make a phone call to a friend that's struggling, or take a meal for the mom who just had a baby, or visit the lady who just lost her husband of 50 years. Aren't we supposed to "be Jesus" in real life? He isn't here in body anymore; we are! And He's counting on us to be His hands, His feet, His voice. I don't know about you, but I know that I want to "be Jesus" in my community and to my family. So many times, I've chosen to do what I want to do, rather than obey the Holy Spirit when He asks me to reach out in love. I think I'm too busy or too tired. But He didn't make any excuses. He came...willingly. How can I do any less?

Baby Dedication & A Giveaway!

Hadassah's Dedication


Sunday was a special day for our family! In the presence of God, family members and the church, Hadassah was dedicated to the Lord. 

Pastor Daryl was kind enough to pose with us for a picture! [even though we arrived 10 minutes after the time we had agreed upon. and no, it wasn't the baby's fault! it was more like mine. the clothes just weren't working! you ever have that problem?!] 

My parents drove down from PA to celebrate this special occasion with us.  

And Eddie's parents drove a whopping 12 minutes to join us too!! I love having his family so close by.  I also love pictures that are taken from my "good side". [Eddie said that it's his good side too! ha] 


But seriously, we owe so much to them both. We were taught about God, prayed for and loved. This in itself is a greater gift than most children ever receive! Now it is our turn. What a privilege! And what a responsibility. 

"Do you recognize your child as a precious gift from God and present her before the Lord in solemn dedication? Do you acknowledge your duty to see that your child be taught the meaning and purpose of the Christian life, and do you promise, with God's help and guidance, to encourage her to accept Christ as Saviour and Lord, and to make a commitment to Christian service?"


Yes! I felt very much like we were saying our marriage vows, but these had a whole different weight to them. Knowing that the responsibility of her training lies solely on our shoulders is sobering, but it's also a wonderful privilege. God, give us wisdom to mold Hadassah so that she will be everything You created her to be! Our prayer is that she will go far beyond us spiritually and that the love we pour into her will be poured into the lives of the people she touches. 

   
Here she is...our baby, who insists on sitting up like a big girl! Could she be more precious?! Yes, I'm her mommy! And I may be just a little bit prejudiced. But don't you agree??






Giveaway Winner!!


Now for the giveaway! Cue the drum roll...


Lou is the winner!!! 


A big thank you to each of you who entered; I wish I could give a canvas to all of you! But if you still would like to place an order, just let me know. I can customize it to fit your style! Visit my facebook page, Diamond Designs, to see more of the products I've created! Now I'm off to work on some projects for the brunch I'm hosting on Saturday! 

Tuesday To-Do: Christmas Craft #1

With all the inspo on Pinterest, I'm having way too much fun this Christmas!! I'm planning a brunch and Chex Mix Party exchange this Saturday, so I have several fun little projects I'm working on with that in mind. Here's round #1!


I love pinecones. And evergreen. And mistletoe! [I can't forget to sneak that in somewhere in the house to surprise Eddie! ha] Sorry, I ramble...in the evenings, especially. Back to the project! All you need are some mini pinecones, a foam tree and some hot glue. I had the pinecones and bought the foam at - you guessed it - Michael's! 

You just glue the pinecones onto the foam, starting at the bottom and working your way up. There's no perfect way to do this. 

Voila! You have a mini tree!! I just set mine on a flower pot and love the finished product!


The giveaway is ending tomorrow so don't forget to enter if you haven't done so yet!

Giveaway!!!

In the spirit of the season [and just because I want to!] I have a giveaway for one lucky person!!

I created a few canvases recently that I designed with Christmas in mind. One of them is currently hanging in my dining room and I'm loving it!

Here is the "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON" canvas that one of you will receive. It can be hung on a wall, propped on a mantle or an old dresser. It measures 11" x 14". 

Giveaway will be open until Wednesday, December 7 and winner will be drawn from Random.org. One entry only, please!

Now I need to bounce...we have a Christmas supper with the youth tonight. Happy weekend!!