My Mom's Thanksgiving

I think I've mentioned before in this blog that my mother out-Martha Stewart-ed Martha Stewart long before anybody ever heard that name. She was an artist and her home was her canvas. (I'm not sure if her kids were her masterpieces or if we were the dollops of paint splattered along the way, but that sounds like another blog entry!)

While my firstborn was home from college for Thanksgiving we sifted through a pile of old snapshots from her childhood and I found a few that I just had to share with you tonight, before the day gets away from us.

This is the centerpiece on my mother's dining room table one Thanksgiving Day years ago. Nothing special, mind you, just something she'd put out when the season was right whether company was coming or not. Being the snap-happy photographer that I am, I had to preserve it for posterity. I'm glad I did.

What's Next...?

I'm currently trying to finish up that large order of Mini-Puzzle Ball Christmas Ornaments that I've mentioned before...I'll start #14 of 15 tomorrow...but my thoughts are already turning to what's next.

The calendar says the next big thing is Thanksgiving, which is always fun for me, because my husband is the chef in this family. It'll be a big family day with lots of food, football and fun. But before the day is over I will turn my eyes eagerly toward Christmas, my favorite time of year.

I think I figured out why I've always enjoyed Christmas so much. It's because that's the one time of year my mother would let herself be silly. Mom was very practical, efficient, thorough and out-Martha-Stewart-ed Martha Stewart long before anybody ever knew that name. She was always working on something, and there was plenty to be done around Christmas time, that's for sure. But I loved hearing a childish giggle and a shout of "You can't come in here!" from behind a closed door when she was wrapping presents, or a conspiratorial "Wanna see what's in this bag?" when she was planning surprises for someone in the family.

I come from a very imaginative family so we always had lots of special little things to make the holidays fun. I'm working on something I'll be listing in my Etsy shop soon that may be just the touch of fun your family and friends need this holiday season. I'd show you what it is, but I don't want to spoil the surprise....

I'm also checking my supplies to make sure I have enough on hand to make lots of custom promo buttons for my fellow Etsyians, so if you need some drop me a convo on Etsy and I'll be glad to help. (Check my Sold items to see ones I've made for others.)

In the meantime, I've been playing around with a re-designed banner for my shop and reorganizing my sections, too, so it'll be easier to browse through all the fun stuff you can find there. Take a look and leave a comment and let me know what you think. And be sure to check my shop on Black Friday to see what's on sale!