December Fun~Not

I’m thinking there are books about everything happening backwards. Most people have a garage on their home, and then some turn it into a nice recreation or another room of some sort. When we bought our house, the previous owners had turned the attached garage into a room, put in a fireplace and then built another garage that isn’t attached. However, they didn’t do the best of jobs. They didn’t plan well at all, they didn’t raise the floor to match the rest of the house (maybe a good thing after all), and an important thing they left out when they did the fireplace was to first put in a footer. So, that is where I get to the part of my story about things happening backwards. After these 30 plus years, the fireplace and chimney weight was pushing the outside wall off the house foundation. So, we had the fun of tearing it all down, brick by brick and then replacing the wall. Plus side is that it will be turned into a garage again. One room minus and one garage a plus, I think. 🙂

So this is my month in photos for sharing over at Mona’s Picturesque  (be sure to scroll down on her page to find the link of sharings on there by people). Christmas did happen in there, but not a big celebration this year since we were in a mess and the kids had other places to go so it worked out for the better.

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas (and did not have to deconstruct rather than construct)…haha…and so far that the New Year is treating you well.

Pop on over to Mona’s to see how others spent their December.

~hugs ‘n giggles ‘n blessings~

Peabea

Crafty Tags

Every year, I end up making my own tags for my presents. Some years, it has been recycled Christmas cards from previous years or making a scrapbooking card to add to each present. This year, I used a tag .jpg that I found free on the internet, added a picture I wanted to use or a scan of the wrapping paper to make my own tags.

Punch a hole in the tag, and then I slid it down the ribbon and added some elements with my scrapbooking punches.

 

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas or however you celebrate and enjoy this holiday season. Time off work to relax maybe or just enjoy every day as it comes. 🙂

~blessings hugs ‘n giggles~

Peabea

If you don’t have a tag to use, you can find some at HERE  compliments of The Coffee Shop Blog to download. They’re useful for other holidays as well whenever you’re tagging a gift. Have fun creating your own. I’d love to see some of your ideas so share away in the comments or with a link to your site.

 

 

 

Santa~The Bishop

Wondering the story of Santa Claus: Here’s one version I found.

From St. Nicholas to Santa

How did this St. Nicholas become a North Pole-dwelling bringer of Christmas gifts? The original saint was a Greek born 280 years after Christ who became bishop of Myra, a small Roman town in modern Turkey. Nicholas was neither fat nor jolly but developed a reputation as a fiery, wiry, and defiant defender of church doctrine during the “Great Persecution,” when Bibles were put to the torch and priests made to renounce Christianity or face execution.

Nicholas defied these edicts and spent years in prison before Constantine brought Christianity to prominence in his empire. Nicholas’s fame lived long after his death (on December 6 of some unknown year in the mid-fourth century) because he was associated with many miracles, and reverence for him continues to this day independent of his Santa Claus connection.

A religious icon representing St. Nicholas is shown.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEMIS/ALAMY

Nicholas rose to prominence among the saints because he was the patron of so many groups, ranging from sailors to entire nations. By about 1200, explained University of Manitoba historian Gerry Bowler, author of Santa Claus: A Biography, he became known as a patron of children and magical gift bringer because of two great stories from his life.

In the better-known tale, three young girls are saved from a life of prostitution when young Bishop Nicholas secretly delivers three bags of gold to their indebted father, which can be used for their dowries.

“The other story is not so well known now but was enormously well known in the Middle Ages,” Bowler said. Nicholas entered an inn whose keeper had just murdered three boys and pickled their dismembered bodies in basement barrels. The bishop not only sensed the crime, but resurrected the victims as well. “That’s one of the things that made him the patron saint of children.”

Above excerpt from National Geographic Article that you can read the complete story here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131219-santa-claus-origin-history-christmas-facts-st-Nicholas/

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus tomorrow, Christmas Day, we can also celebrate a Bishop who loved people and his Lord named for us as Santa Claus. Sure, we’ve elaborated on the whole Christmas scene, but what fun it has been over the years from childhood and continues to adulthood. I always felt that I was being truthful when I told my children that Santa Claus would be coming. He came in the back door of our house the whole time my children were growing up. Yep, he came in the back door from the garage where he collected the presents that we would place under the tree. His name was Dad. He worked, he made the money to pay for the presents, and I considered myself as his helper as I worked and contributed also to the joy our kids would know as Santa Claus. We merely took over where the original Santa Claus left off; maybe in different ways, but the wonder on a child’s face is Christmas. And, I don’t think it takes away from the birth of Jesus in any way. They’re both wonderful in their own ways, and to me, I think Santa is a gift from Jesus. One more miracle.

Wishing All A Blessed Merry Christmas, A Happy Birthday to Jesus, and Peace On Earth

Peabea

Enjoy the Songs ~

Furbaby Poses and a Free Gift

Sometimes, just sometimes, Razzy cooperates. I asked him to sit in front of the tree so that I could try a technique that Jill Wellington  (you will find some awesome photo tips that this photographer shares on her site and newsletter) mentioned in her newsletter about Kevin and Amanda’s blog on how to make the lights on the tree look like snowflakes, hearts or whatever you choose. Well, as you can see, I didn’t achieve it, but kind of like how the home made filter captured the picture. You can find the technique HERE on their page.

The sparkles were made using a star brush that Jill shared.

Razzy sat as long as I wanted him to until I told him he could go. Sometimes, just sometimes, he listens…but then other times, he’s the boss with a mind of his own.

 

This one, I think he’s thinking, Please someone walk in and make her stop

The Coffee Shop Blog has this free Santa hat give away on her site and I thought would be fun to put Razzy under it in this photo using her Santa hat. I left it big but can be resized. 😄

 

A gift for you from Razzy. Made using Photoshop Elements. You can download it  free HERE without my watermark.

Razzy and I are wishing you the best and safest and happiest holiday season ever. Merry Christmas. 💕 🎅 ✨ ✴

Joining others at Life Thru The Lens…come visit and see what they’re up to with their posts. 🙂

 

Advent ~ JOY

Week three of the Advent theme with the group I’m following is JOY. As a child we have so much JOY when we anticipate Christmas. The belief that Santa will bring us delightful surprises. Same with our Faith. Jesus is a wonderful gift who will and always brings us delightful surprises as we travel through this earthly life. One surprise was the way he arrived (a babe born in a stable), and another unknown surprise at his birth was that he was sent to make a sacrifice that would give us unconditional forgiveness. All he asks is Love One Another.

God is peace, and if you let him, he will work in us a comfort and peace beyond understanding. Stay faithful and blameless awaiting the return of Jesus. Live in Love and Peace and enjoy the JOY that life brings.

Lord of Peace
God of Peace
Great Shepherd
A babe born for you and me

(c) Peabea Photography

 

 

(c)opyright peabea 2015

 

Love this that my Grandson drew for me. Love Kid’s drawings..all I added were the printed words for him.

 

Merry Christmas week three.

Peabea

Hebrews 13:20-21
Romans 16:20

Advent ~LOVE~

We are in week two of Advent. Cannot believe how fast we have arrived to the month of December, let alone Christmas is only another week and few days away. Plus, this week the weather here in Ohio may reach 70 by the week-end? I’ll take it. Let’s me feel like I might be spending Christmas in California with my kids or somewhere South. lol However, the colder weather has promised to return next week. brrrrrrrrrrrr

This week as I share along with His Kingdom Come’s Advent, the theme is Love. God sent his son to forgive, and also to know that he wasn’t changing the commandments, but to add ‘LOVE ONE ANOTHER’. Wow, that doesn’t seem so hard now does it? But with the way things are lately, sometimes I wonder. My human nature sometimes just doesn’t feel much Love. I was taught that you never Hate, and if you even said that word when I was growing up, I probably found my mother in my face reminding me, we don’t hate. So when I’m not feeling much Love, I’m reminded by Scripture as well as my mom’s voice in my head. 🙂

I especially Love the season of Christmas or as some prefer the Holiday season because it does seem Love is more prevalent. Maybe because during this time, perhaps just perhaps, Jesus comes down just a bit further to be with us and spread the feeling of Love so that it generates from within us just a bit more than usual. After all, it is his Birthday so he might just want to feel a bit closer to his presents (us), and have us feel a bit closer to the giver of the present (God). I don’t know why, but I’ll just take the smiles as they come, the excuse me when shoved in a shopping line, or the warm Hello that people share at this time of year before we head back into the reality of January and a New Year approaching.

My page day 11, 10, 9 and 8 of LOVE Advent week:

Blessings, ~hugs ‘n giggles~

Peabea

For more advent sharings visit His Kingdom Come

 

Advent – Day 3 Emmanuel

 

My journal page for Day 3 ~ HOPE-God with us-“EMMANUEL”

Come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King…God is with us.

Happy first day of December. This is basically my first year of delving into Advent.

I’ve been reading and journaling my way through the Bible so doing Advent this year is much more meaningful. I’ve heard, read, known excerpts from the Bible, but never read or understood some of the scriptures. Still don’t on some, but it is a learning curve. There are many miss-communications about the Bible until you actually read it in it’s entirety.

So, Blessings as we head toward that fun time of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and family. ~oh, and presents too~ 🙂 We already received the best present of all with the birth of Jesus, but I’m sure he won’t mind if there are presents under the tree for you and for me. 🙂

~hugs ‘n blessings ‘n giggles~

Peabea

Sharing over at  His Kingdom Come and you’re welcome to come join us in our study through Advent even if you don’t journal it. Just visit and enjoy the beautiful paintings and postings everyone shares.

Yay, it’s snowing on my page!! A big thank you to WordPress for the lovely snow action they add to the pages each season.

 

Reflections

What fun a mother has at Christmas time. When it’s time each year to set up and trim the Christmas tree, it is like receiving a multitude of presents. With each box that is opened revealing the ornaments and trimmings for the tree, there are gifts inside. The gifts of Christmas past. This year, I just wasn’t in the mood for Christmas at all. As empty nesters for quite a bit now, the memories flood in of all the Christmas times we’ve had when the kids were still at home. Some memories are of tiny tots, school age, and even as teenagers verging upon adulthood. This year, it was just me trimming a tree. (hubby is inspiration as he sits and observes..lol, but that’s okay by me). No more do we have little hands hanging ornaments wifty/wafty here and there; mostly hanging from the bottom branches. I finally did venture up to the attic to bring all the trimmings down. I’d decided I would spread them out, take inventory, and decide what to pitch to the thrift store. I ended up pretty much not being able to part with anything. I’d forgotten the Santa ornament that was on the first present that was given to our firstborn by his aunt 48 years ago.

I’d forgotten the handmade crafts that I’d made when the kids were small as I filled the early days with things to keep busy while some napped or just played on the floor.

Large one is candy dish snowman

Christmas egg ornament..fun to make.

I’d forgotten the Santa made from Reader’s Digest in school by little hands.

I’d forgotten the ornaments that house pictures of my little ones including now the grandchildren ones given as gift ornaments. I’d forgotten that each had their own unusual crocheted stocking (a MaryJane crocheted shoe for the girl and tennis shoes for the boys) that have been handed down to them as they celebrate their own Christmas.

 You can tell this is first one I made, got carried away and made it too large.

I’d forgotten the three bears that I crocheted as a gift to my young son when there was little money for gifts, and the heartbreak of realizing he thought it was a coveted gift he wanted when he saw the large wrapped box, but the heartwarming way that he hugged them and said he loved them when in essence he didn’t.  He is 43 now and each Christmas we laugh about the three bears, but still have them. 🙂

So, with each box that I opened the memories were and always are the best gifts for me as a mom of the Christmas season as well as the true gift of Jesus’ birth.

Merry Christmas

These Angels were easy and fun to make. Just gauze pretty much soaked with glue and formed over a styrofoam cone. I used kk_Sophia on the background of the Angel collage to share with Texture Tuesday:

 Merry Christmas from Razzy to all your Fur-babies too.

Cuteness for Christmas ~ Yep

These are adorable and so easy to make…I know, Thanksgiving first, but Christmas is on the way and we all know how we love to sew. I made these a few years ago, and thought not too soon to share them again.

I got the pattern for these from Crap I’ve Made’s blog site. She has lots of really cute crafts there. Anyway, these were so easy to make that I actually couldn’t stop and made about a dozen. On some, I added the name in glitter of my grandbabykins to hang on my Christmas tree this year. The fun was that I could use up some of my scrap materials to make since I didn’t think that they actually had to be Christmas theme. The six year old grandbabykins liked the idea so much, and his that I made, he wanted to take one home for his tree at home plus he decorated his own with glitter. Bonus…kids would have fun decorating them with glitter or adding their special touches after you make some.

If you like to sew and do crafts, visit ‘Crap I’ve Made’s page for the tutorial and pattern for these, and have fun!!!  http://www.crapivemade.com/2012/11/gift-card-stockings.html  You’ll love browsing her site for other crafts to make.

Thanks for visiting, and leave a comment or just say hi so I know you were here. If you make some, I’d love your sharing a photo of yours in the comments section.

Stockings on the tree…so cute!!

 

Couldn’t leave without saying I hope all have a Blessed Thanksgiving

Awesomeness

Mr. Razzy (my furbaby) decided to get me up at 6:30am so I’ve already been up and into the pumpkin pie this morning. It is delicious. Using it to wish all a Very Merry Christmas. 🙂

Hope you enjoy the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy…

Peabea

I should add that Mr. Razzy went right back to snoozing, but me ~ so much for my ‘nice winter’s nap’