To work with your hands

Women Working with Their Hands

There were lots of busy workings hands on Saturday.  Our ladies "Holiday Headstart" brunch was this weekend. After a meal together some of us shared a few Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions with the group.  I came away with a few new ideas for our family holidays.  My friend Julie Bridgeforth did an excellent job of reminding us to make the real Christmas story a part of our family traditions each year.  She had some new fresh ideas to use.  I hope to find this a"What God Wants from us for Christmas" activity for our fam- and start using it soon.  Family LIfe always does such a great job with things like this. 

Then, we headed into the craft time - a favorite by all!  We completed three crafts this year....

1. A service project for the area nursing home resisdents  - tissue packs to deliver on a caroling trip

2.  Blessing Boxes to start a family tradition of writing down blessings through the year... and reading them on Thanksgiving... Used these cute take out boxes

                                                                         

3.  Beaded Ornaments - Way cool!  I am addicted to making these babies!  so fun to do!

I took a lot of pictures of ladies working with their hands.  They all thought I was a little wacky!  Oh Well!  I got some neat pictures.  And it was once again proof that women working with their hands together is a great way to meet new people or catch up with old friends.  It was fun to hear so many wonderful conversations happening all at once. 

Thanks to so many sweet ladies that helped me pull this fun day off!

I will post more pictures of this day in my "craft nights" album.

I've also been really busy getting some customers' projects completed.  I have already had a few Aggie Mom's contact me about creating albums for their Aggies.  (I did a mailing to the Aggie Mom's Club Presidents last week.)  I'm really looking forward to diving into these projects this week - I feel like I am reliving my AggieLand days through their pictures. 

On a side note, I made this little "treat" for myself last week.  Just a fun garland to hang out for the month.  I will be adding more to my Esty store soon.  Send me a comment with ideas for what words/phrases to use on more banners like this one.... Any ideas are appreciated! (So far, I was thinking :  Blessings, Oh Happy Day, Gig'Em Aggies, Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas...)

Happpy Monday!

Holiday Headstart

Yesterday was a productive day for me.  I got alot done around the house and some things on my "to do list" for the women's ministry for my church.  Sean and I have been a part of a church plant here in Allen, Texas for about 3 years.  Allen Bible Church was started by us and 6 other families.  It has been an awesome journey for us all.  We really do consider ABC our "family" here in Allen.

One of the areas that I have been blessed to be able to serve at ABC has been in the women's ministry.  I have had a ball planning various events through the years.  One of the favorites of the women each year has been our Girls' Gift Gala.  Every December, we have held a big crafting night - with lots of yummy treats to snack on, about 5 different crafting stations, and tons of girls chatting away all night.   It's been a joy to watch all the ladies work with their hands together and really enjoy one another's company. 

So.... here is how I've planned it and pulled it off each year...Take notes - And maybe you can have a Girls' Gift Gala at your house with some friends:

I usually find 5 other friends that I know enjoy crafting, and they each come up with an easy, inexpensive craft to help the guests make.  Throughout the evening, the ladies rotate to the different stations and end up leaving with 5 or more handmade gifts to take home - to share or keep!  Through the years, we have made stamped cards, decorated candles, mini Christmas trees, ornaments, hot cocoa mix, pancake mix, and chocolate dipped yummies!  We've also included a service project several years - once we made greeting cards for local nursing home residents and last year we made bookmarks for our HOPE pregnancy resource center.  I will open a new photo album with more pictures of our past Gift Galas soon.

This year, we are going to do things a little bit different.  Our event will be in November instead of December, it will be a brunch, and it will include some Thanksgiving crafts.  We're calling it Holiday Headstart.  We will also have a time where several of our ladies will share some of their seasonal family traditions and ideas.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.  I finally designed a postcard invite and some posters to advertise on Sundays around church.     

This book from Gooseberry Patch helped me get started with the planning.  Start thinking about it now so that the time doesn't slip away.  Let me know if you try this out!