"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store..."

I just realized that it's been almost a month since I wrote anything... December gets so busy! I've been on Christmas break for a week, and tonight is the first chance I've had to just sit on my couch and enjoy some peace and quiet (although I have some craft projects drying on the porch, so I can't get comfy here on the couch for too long).

This year at church, our awesome youth ministry staff has been encouraging the students to consider an alternative approach to Christmas. We talked one Sunday night about an organization called Advent Conspiracy, which encourages a simpler approach to Christmas. Presence, not presents. Give to those in need. Give handmade gifts. Don't be crazy holiday consumers. I love ALL of those ideas. So I decided to adopt some Advent Conspiracy ideas this year. Namely, I decided to make all of my Christmas presents. Yes, all of them. It's funny--when I mention this to people, I usually get a laugh and some cynical comment like, "it must be nice to have that much free time!" Well yes, I admit that as a teacher I have more time off around the holidays than many other people do. But look--it's after midnight and I'm still up, waiting for a coat of spray paint to dry! My response is usually something like, "all that time you spend shopping... that's the time I'm spending making things." It's true, but I still get a lot of weird, when-did-you-become-a-hippie looks.

I have finished almost all of my gifts. I've delivered a few of them already. And I have been documenting the whole process on my iPhone. Once all the gifts are given, I'll post plenty of pictures!

Some thoughts on my alternative Christmas:
-It is exhausting. And it takes a LOT of time. But the only holiday shopping I've done this year has been at Hobby Lobby and Target, buying supplies. I absolutely love not dealing with crazy Christmas shoppers.
-I'm saving money. I made three gifts for friends the other day, and all of them were free! I used supplies I already had around the house!
-I discovered Pinterest at a very opportune time. I already had some ideas of things I could make, but thanks to Pinterest I have learned so many new skills! And wow, there are so many ways to "upcycle" old t-shirts!
-I am giving fewer gifts this year. I hope everyone is okay with that. Well, actually, I don't care if everyone is okay. I have never been more excited to see my family members open their gifts. Each gift was carefully thought out, and I tried to create things that I knew they needed or would love... so much better than just buying sweaters for everyone!
-I also decided not to buy wrapping paper. It seems crazy and so wasteful to spend all that money on paper that will just end up in a bag on the curb by mid-morning on Sunday. So I'm using old grocery bags, brown packing paper, yarn, and permanent markers to wrap and decorate my gifts. Again, it's time consuming... luckily White Christmas is always on TV, so I have something to watch while I wrap.

I can't wait to post pictures of all the gifts I've made... but until they're all opened, I'll just have to wait! I did deliver a gift today--a Memphis Tigers wreath, for a Tiger-loving friend. I branched out of my usual paper-rose wreath design and tried to make something a little manlier than roses... tiger print argyle! He said he liked it... but he also said he wants to hang it where he can throw a basketball through it. Maybe I should have hot-glued a net on the bottom... Here's a photo:

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas weekend with your family and friends.