Really Late

Is there a statute of limitations on wedding presents?  Because I mailed one on the couple's 2nd anniversary last week.  I was about 3/4 of the way finished with the gift when we went to Montana for the wedding.  Then we got home, things got crazy (OK, I got crazy, somewhat literally), the present ended up in the craft closet and I didn't finish it until this summer.  The hubby said if it was him he wouldn't even send it, but I did.  I love the couple, and I really like how their gift turned out, and there was definitely a high guilt level that I didn't give them something sooner.  Anyway, here's the finished product:

I think this is my favorite cross-stitch project.  I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's just a really cool pattern.

These are Celtic knot wedding shoes.  I think they're fun, but I really want to color them...

I like this.  I would like it better in a color.

These are really fun.  I would attempt to tolerate the thing between my toes for a pair of Celtic Knot sandals.

 

Sparkly!  I would let someone else tolerate the thing between the toes for this pair.

I love these.  Why would I want to stand on the coolest part?

I like these, but they're not my favorite.  I appreciate that they're hand painted, though.

I'm hoping a 2 year late wedding present doesn't make me as big of a dork as I feel like I am at this point.  Dang, I used to be more organized than this

Lights

Today had me thinking about light.  It's the Winter Solstice, which means it's the shortest day of the year.  Less light and more dark, but starting tomorrow that balance will start back the other way, little by little.  Advent is like that as well.  We wait in darkness for the light that is Jesus to come into the world.  Each week we light one more candle on the Advent wreath, adding more and more light.  I was also noticing Christmas lights today, first on the seester's 2 trees, then on the tree at a friend's house, and finally on all of the houses as I drove home in the growing dark.  I love the lights this time of year.  Here are some Christmas lights for you to contemplate.  They won't light up the darkness in a literal sense, but maybe they'll make you smile a bit.

If I had these I would have worn them while decorating all the trees this year.

This just makes me want to cross-stitch (while also reminding me that I have a cross-stitch project waiting to be finished that is looooong overdue).

 

I'm not exactly sure what these are in terms of decorations, but they are certainly festive.

Wait, these might have better arch support for the decorating...

Yep.  The shoe tree needs these.  Maybe not in purple.  Maybe in a multicolored strand?

Hmmmm...it occurs to me that I don't actually have any Christmas socks with lights on them.  I should probably remedy that situation one of these years.

 

Not socks or shoes, but fits with the theme, and they're cute!  Double A could totally do this, I wish I'd thought of it before she went to her mom's!

My family and friends are definitely lights in my own darkness.  I spent time last night and today teaching Flower how to crochet a granny square.  She's still working on memorizing the pattern, but she is doing awesome.  Pretty sure she's way better than I was at 9.  Laughter has more energy than 10 kids and sometimes makes me tired just looking at her.  We painted with water colors today, and she made a map so we'd know where we all lived.  This afternoon was a Christmas open house at a friend's house.  She and her family recently moved into a new house, so it was a house-warming as well.  Her kiddos also crack me up.  And then tonight the seester, Flower, Laughter, and I all sat together and watched White Christmas together.  What a perfect end to the day.  

Thank you to all of you who bring light to my darkness!