stress free holidays

ok so I wasn't totally stress free leading up the holidays -- I had other people's Christmas schedules and traditions to consider, broken sewing machines to mend, a hundred meetings to participate in for a new job position, and the need to find a cat sitter while I'm off elsewhere stuffing my face with mashed potatoes -- but compared to other years -- it has been realitively stress free and may I add, peaceful.

and I know why. It's because not once - not even to get one stocking stuffer, not even to get a wedding gift for a recent wedding... did I once step in a mall to get my gifts....

....okok so I went to Zellers, but it wasn't in a mall and while I was there I experienced this bizarre euphoria where everyone around me was rushing here and there; kids were whining and crying; and I walked up and down the aisles in my own little world... it was, dare I say... fun...

Anyway I'm happy to say that although I didn't officially pledge to buy handmade this year, I managed to mostly do just that. I made the majority of my gifts -- mostly napkins, table runners, and tote bags and then I bought a few things off etsy: some earrings from the wonderful Sulu, pottery from the talented Marymee Studio, and desk calendars from Anna Cote and her little design biz Modern Printed Matter. It was so fun getting this stuff in the mail -- who ever gets anything in the mail anymore!?

Update on my Dad's blanket -- I finished it this morning! I'm so happy I stuck with it because I almost threw it out the window.

I hope everyone has a Happy Christmas!
--lealou