Clips, Snips & Quips

Caleb's Big Night !!

It's been a long, long time since I've gone to a Christmas program for a little guy.  Probably about 20 years, I'm guessing.  I know I won't wait another 20 for the next one.  If I get nothing else for Christmas, I'm happy.  Tonight was what it's all about.

Caleb is now 4, going to be 5 in March.  He goes to the SonShine Christian Center preschool while Mom and Dad go to work.  Tonight was his night to shine.  He was the spokesman for his 4-yr-old group, reciting his 9 lines from the Book of Luke.  He'd practiced hard, but there was a moment when he looked out at the audience of probably around 200 and decided it was a bit scarey.  Then he found his voice and the whole room hushed while he told his story.

They followed it with Let it Snow, Let it Snow and a few more caroles.  And then, as quick as it started, it was over.  All 77 kids, from 2 up through kindergarten, smiled with pride as Moms and Dads picked them up and took them home.  Good stuff.

Of course, preschoolers still take naps, or at least they try to rest:)  Caleb has a new blanket for nap time.  This time it's a story book about the elves getting toys ready for Christmas.  Hope he enjoys it.  After tonight, he's more than earned it. 

Love you sweetheart.  You made Grandma so proud.

Christmas Quilt

I had the pleasure of hosting the Sew What (my Friday night sewing group) Christmas party yesterday afternoon.  The crunch had been on the last couple weeks to finish my new quilt, pillow shams and valance.  Friday night, after an already long day, I knew I had to get the pillow shams together.  For the life of me, I couldn't keep the concept of "right sides together" in my brain.  At least three time I did some really nice, long seams only to open them up and realize I needed a seam ripper.  Still, those pillow shams were going to be ready, one way or the other.  Sleep just needed to wait until I finished -- which I did shortly after midnight.  

The original fabric came as a Christmas gift last year from Carolyn Shelby.  She'd found it in a quilt store in Sedona, AZ while on a business trip.  They were so pretty, I just couldn't keep them tucked away in a drawer.  In October I went on another of The Little Shop's Mystery Quilt weekends, and this is what materialized in about 48 hours -- sleep, again, was optional.  

Here's what I learned along the way:  Buy at least twice as much "stuff" as you think you could possibly use.  Nothing's worse than getting settled in for an afternoon and realizing you need to get in the car and run out for supplies.  Next, don't believe for a minute anything takes as long as it's supposed to.  I "should've" had this done a month ago.  So why was I still up on Friday night, trying to miter the corners on those shams?  And third, when stuffing pillow shams, go down to Kohl's with a 30% off coupon and buy a couple of their $5 pillows.  Stuffing and unstuffing those things is such a waste of time.  They're pretty...but they're just for show.

So what do people do who have their house cleaned and decorated for the holidays this early in December?  I'm kind of at a loss.  I'm usually a December 23rd-type person.  Who knows what I'll have time for now!