Are you ready for the Holidays?  No?  Me neither!  We had planned to get the outside of the house decorated today but it's raining.  No rain for 2 months and now it's raining so we are happy for the rain but really wanted to get a start on our decorating.  The inside of the house will just have to wait--I've got too much to do in my craft room!

I need to finish up (come up with an idea and make) my Christmas cards and I need to make other cards (birthday, get well, sympathy, and thank you cards).  There just aren't enough hours in the day to do all I want to do!

My mom started a tradition of making crocheted Christmas stockings for everyone in the family.  Each generation has a different color scheme:  My mom and dad's are burgundy and white, my generation is kelly green and white, my children's are red with white trim and my grandchildren's are white with red.  My mom passed away a few years ago and I was the only one who crocheted so I took over the job of making the stockings.  I have a new great-niece and so this weekend I have been working on her stocking (I meant to do this a few weeks ago and just never got around to doing it--too busy card making!)

This is the stocking I made for my grandson and like the one I am making for my niece 

 

                                                                 

It doesn't take too much time to make the stocking but the fringe takes a lot of time!  I want to get this new one in the mail tomorrow so I had better get back to crocheting!  

I have reached a point in my life where I no longer get stressed over the holidays.  House doesn't get decorated? No problem.  Cards don't get mailed before Christmas?  Well, there is always New Year's (a friend of mine sends hers out for Groundhog's Day!)  Seems like there's no time?  Take time for yourself!  Life won't end because everything doesn't get done and look perfect. 

Enjoy the holidays and don't stress over every little detail!