A Crafty Christmas

I love decorating for Christmas of course.  And thanks to some well-placed sales over the years, we can be quite festive at this time of year.  But of course, like a lot of people, I like to do more.  FamilyFun magazine had an idea for making a wreath from sandwich baggies and as I was reading it, I suddenly remembered that I have a bunch of red fleece I haven't ever used.  So I came up with this:

It's kind've wonky looking but also kind've fun.  Until I see that Joann's has their blank wreath forms on mega sale.  And their Christmas ribbon.  And throw in ornaments from the Dollar Tree (love that place), and I did this: 

 A little more sophisticated I think.  Others can (and have) done better but I like our little wreaths.  And now the evergreen one is on the front door and the red fleece one is hanging on our fake ficus tree.  (Is that how you spell that?)  So we're festive inside and out!

So the girls have to get in on the action -- or at least one of them does.  Megan has been fascinated with "candy houses".  Then I bought Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson as one of our advent calendar books.  At the end of the story, Mortimer the mouse moves in to a gingerbread house -- and that was the end of it.  Megan has been asking and asking to make "candy houses". How could I say no?  Ok, I have to tell you that Chopper and I have made one every year almost all our marriage anyway so it wasn't that big of a request.  Chopper and I like to do it from scratch, but not with a toddler.  Then I saw this Wilton kit at Walmart -- 5 miniature houses for 9 bucks!  Candy houses + they're teeny tiny (which Megan loves) + I don't have to slave away over the gingerbread = fun fun fun!

 We assembled the houses the night before so they would be nice and dry for decorating and then after church yesterday, the festivities began!

 Megan enjoyed it for a while, until she started "tasting" the candy . . . 

 And then Chopper did the rest in somewhat of a hurry so that she didn't get too sugar high!

 But they turned out cute all lined up on our half wall (or whatever that thing is).

And look how artsy I'm getting with the camera!  Don't get your hopes up too high -- it's not bound to last.