You Know Christmas is Coming...

... when there are sneaky children abound! (Sorry about the font size, I can't seem to get it back to normal for this entry!)

Today as I was working on some homework, I became so involved in it that I neglected to pay attention to my boys, who were ever-so-angelically playing together quietly. As I worked, sitting on the couch beside the Christmas Tree, I hum-drummed away, but became uncomfortable. I decided to take a break and only then did I notice that there was silence, and no boys to be seen. Where were they? Hmm...

I checked their bedroom. Nothing.

The laundry room, kitchen, dining room. Nothing.

The bathrooms were empty. Where could they be? I went back to the living room and stood in the middle with my hands on my hips, thinking I'd have to start hollaring and call hubby home to set up a search party. Then I heard something.

Giggling.

And crinkling. And more giggling. And then, I saw the tree wiggle, as if it were dancing and mocking me in my motherly pursuit. Hmph! I bent down, looking under the tree to see four little feet poking out from underneath it. I sat down on the couch, as I had been when I was working on homework, and leaned over the arm to peek behind the tree. There were the two heads of my two little boys, looking up at me, now laughing hysterically. They snuck under the tree with a package of graham crackers and thought they were just so clever! I hurried and snapped some photos, they were just too cute. And then I pulled them out and tickled them til they begged me to stop. Serves them right for scaring me, sneaky little stinkers!

And now for the fun Christmas Meme passed on to me by Noelle and Keke...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I use both. I prefer wrapping paper, though. I absolutely LOVE to wrap gifts!

2. Real tree or artificial?: We have had an artificial tree every year, but I prefer real ones because I grew up with them. I loved watering them and the smell... oh, so good. :)

3. When do you put up the tree? We put ours up the day after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually we take our tree down the week after Christmas, before New Years Eve.

5. Do you like egg nog? I love Egg Nog! I love egg nog toffee, too! (I had to mention the toffee. It was my new discovery this year!)

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A Pony Surprise. I had a pink horse with a white main and tail. I taught myself how to french braid on that pony's tail. She had two babies, a pink an a white one.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I have a nativity scene painting that is hanging on my wall. It's a beautiful print signed by the artist, Lynne Millman-Weidinger, who is a friend of my family's. My mom gave this to us for Christmas last year. It's a treat because we know the artist and the sentiment of the painting is unique to the season but so family-oriented that we keep it hung up all year round.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My brothers and brothers-in-law.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My boys! I love watching their faces light up when they see something they really like. Observing them makes it easier to pick things that I know they'll enjoy a lot.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing.

11. Mail or email Holiday cards? I prefer to send mine snail-mail, but I enjoy receiving them any way they are sent.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I'm not sure it counts as a Christmas movie, but I always watch it around the holidays. A Beautiful Life. It always makes me cry and it is by far my favorite Christmas movie, even if it wasn't meant to be! It just has that 'Christmas Season' feel to it.

I love the classics, like Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life, Rudolph and Charlie Brown, too.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I will pick a few things in October, but usually I start in November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Hmm... not that I can recall. I am not opposed to re-gifting, though. I'd rather someone give something away that they the can't use or don't necessarily like than to have it sit unused or be thrown away. I honestly can't think of a Christmas gift I've regifted, though.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Gingerbread cookies and Hot cocoa with marshmallows and peppermint candy canes swirled into it. Can't forget Egg Nog and Kringle, too!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I prefer white lights on my tree, but Bruce prefers the colored lights. We compromise and have white lights on the tree and colored lights around our balcony. :)

17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? We stay home for Christmas, but usually travel to my in-laws in the afternoon and back home again that evening.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course I can! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have one of each. The last few years it's been an angel, but I found a cute rustic star last year, so we are using the star this year. I like both!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open one gift each on Christmas Eve (usually new pj's or slippers for the kids) and the rest we open on Christmas Day. One year I begged and begged and begged so my hubby let me open one Christmas present for the last 5 days leading up to Christmas. Bwahahahaha. I am terrible! I can't stand surprises when I know about them, so I'm awfully impatient when I know there are gifts waiting for me to rip them open! :") It's torture to give me gifts that can't be unwrapped until Christmas Day, and I'll tell you so! "You're torturing me!!!"

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? It goes by too fast! I want it to slow down so I can take my time with everything. :)

23. I love most about Christmas? I love all-things Christmas!

Wedding Meme

People
Your name: Tina

Husband: Bruce

Maid of Honor: I didn't have one

Number or bridesmaids: I didn't have any

Best man: Didn't have one

Flower Girl: Didn't have one

Ring Bearer: Didn't have one

Place
Where did you get married? The Relief Society Room of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Why? We wanted a small, family-only wedding, and it was the perfect size. The Relief Society decorated for us, and provided beautiful flowers that I still have, dried in a jar. We didn't have music or dancing, nothing too fancy. It was short and simple because I was very sick at the time.

Age when you married? 18

Age now: I just turned 22

What time did the wedding start? 11 AM

Your dress? Periwinkle Blue

Wedding colors: Periwinkle blue and pale yellow

Bridesmaid dresses: N/A

Other details: We didn't get to have a big fancy wedding, not that I wanted one, but because of the circumstances it wasn't much. I hope we can have another, nicer ceremony to renew vows somewhere down the road on our anniversary one year.

Songs
You walked down the asile to: NA

First Dance as couple: NA

Dance with parents: NA

DJ or band: NA

Post wedding
Honeymoon place: Wendover, Nevada. I couldn't travel too far (and really shouldn't have traveled at all) because of being ill, so we opted for something close, but fun.

Length of honeymoon: Just over night. I couldn't be out and about too much and needed to be near the doctor, just in case, so we headed home the next afternoon. It was a lot of fun, though.

Were you be a virgin or not? Ha ha ha ha ha. :")

Tick-tock-tick-tock...

The days are counting down. Yesterday in my Design I class we were given an assignment that is due on Thursday morning: create three unique logos for three different companies.
One is a shoe company. Easy as pie! Already done.
The second, a pharmaceutical company. Took me some doodling, but I came up with an idea. Pretty much done with this one, too.
Last but not least, anything we want. Uh... ok. What? Anything? Well, I've wanted a 'logo' for my site, for Tattered Too, for quite a while... but when it comes to coming up with something for myself, I'm totally stumped! This sick desire to appease myself (and not being able to do so) is given me a creative block for coming up with a different company and a different logo. Hmm... any ideas? Anything? Please, I beg of you! Throw something out for me, I'll bite! Anything!

Ok, I'm not *really* that desperate, but I DO love feedback from other people. I love incorporating ideas from minds other than my own... because admitedly, sometimes my creative juices flow down repetitive paths. No one likes that, so if you have any little thoughts on a company or logo (which must be 'made up'), please, leave me a comment! :)
Thanks!

Pelo Fresco!

Ah! My hair feels SO good! I've been growing it out and it's the longest it's ever been. I've been in dire need of a trim, but I keep setting that aside (and I really shouldn't, but you know how mothers can be...) and it's taken it's tole on my hair. It's been dry, damaged and horribly frizzy. I've got split-ends galore and the smooth, bouncy, shiny, sleek hair I used to have has been gone for months. *cries* I decided to try a new shampoo though, to see if I can start to get some of that healthy looking hair back (until I can finally buck up and go get it trimmed and treated professionally). Ah, I was cluuuuuueless about what new shampoo to use, though! I didn't want to spend $8 on a bottle of shampoo and $8 more on conditioner if it wasn't really going to make any difference. I sat in the shampoo aisle at the store for a good 15 to 20 minutes reading bottles and bottles. Finally I found one that sounded promising. I purchased them, took them home and was able to try them out for the first time this morning. I wasn't expecting any difference, I figured it would take a few days, or possibly a full week to see any improvement...
Boy, was I wrong!
Loreal's Vive Pro Smooth Intense products are AWESOME. The shampoo has a great lather to it, it felt so good to massage through my scalp, and the conditioner really did detangle my hair easily as my fingers ran through it. When I got out, I was expecting that my hair would be it's usual frizzy way once I blow-dried it. Nope! It's smooth! Sure, thre's still some frizz to it, but not nearly what it used to be. Not even close! I am so happy! :D It's not only more smooth, but it's so shiny and soft now, too. I honestly was not expecting such a drastic change so quickly, and I love it. I've got to run quick because I have school starting in a few (phoey to school first thing in the morning!), but I think I'll post photos later on so you can see... yes, you can SEE the difference.
Perhaps this is a petty thing to be so excited about, but being that I get so little pampering time and energy for myself, things like this really lift my spirits!
Until later...

Merry Christmas TO ME!

I have been SO in the mood for Christmas this year! (This will likely be me just rambling on, so be forewarned! :")

Every year my hubby sets up our Christmas decorations on the day after Thanksgiving. That really got me in the spirit this year, I guess because my family was feeling so close (being that the boys were sick and very cuddly and needy - and they are feeling better now, btw!). I've been turning on the lights every night, and turning them off before I go to bed. We do that because traditionally (in Hubby's side of the family, I guess), we only turn the lights on ALL night on Christmas Eve. Even still, this little task has helped put me in the mood for the giving season, too. I get to admire our humble, little tree before turning out the lights each night.

My side of the family usually does a Christmas gift exchange. We draw names and buy or make presents for that person and it's a big guessing game (and really, no big secret *LoL*) of who has who... and we all eventually find out. But SHHH! Don't tell my dad that! ;) This tradition has extended into our extended families, too. My grandparents do it, my parents, my siblings and all of my siblings' families, too. Some years everyone opts out, but most often we try to do it, and for me, it's a fun family tradition that I want to keep going in my own little family, too. Anyway, we're doing homemade gifts this year, and I'm excited because I have mine done already and we have some great ideas for the boys' gifts, too. Bruce's gift is going to be a hit, I think his person will really love what he's come up with it and it should be fun to make, too. This is one of my favorite family traditions for the holidays, and Sheila's post about Memorable Gifts from Monday (I guess I tied Christmas gifts with traditions some how - oh yes, the gift exchange! *LOL* Either way, her post got me thinking!) had me reflecting on the many traditions we have in our family for Christmas. I love traditions!

And I love GIFT GIVING! If you know me at all, you KNOW I love to give gifts. I love to send packages or cards, I love to wrap presents and all of that sort. It's so fun and fulfilling! Anyway, due to personal reasons (that I won't explain here and now, but may eventually), every year I buy myself a gift for Christmas. I was talking about my hubby recently about how it would sure make things easier if more people were willing to just tell others what they wanted instead of making others guess about the gifts their loved ones would like for Christmas. I figured since I go out and buy myself something anyway, maybe I would just tell my hubby what I wanted this year and let him get it for me, that way I kill two birds with one stone... one less gift, but also one less worry for my hubby when it comes to what to get me.

It worked!

I got what I wanted.

I found a desk and cubby shelf set in the classifieds and emailed the seller to ask if they were still available. Sure enough, they were! So I emailed the ad to Bruce and he picked up the desk and shelf set (for super cheap!) the same night. Wuhwho! Merry Christmas TO ME! We've been looking for a cheap desk or set of shelves for months, with the intention of setting up a craft area in our bedroom for me to organize my crafty stuff better. We certainly hadn't intended to get BOTH the desk and shelf, but this was a steal and too good to be true! They were used, and handmade, but in really awesome condition and they're perfect - EXACTLY what we were looking for. I could not be more happy with them! Bruce even went so far as to bring them up inside, take down the door, and moved them into our room and set them up all on the same night. He's so sweet! They are covered in my crafts now, so I need to organize things, but I intend to post pictures when I do. :") Yippee!! It will be so nice to have my OWN little craft area now, instead of using our bed, or spreading my stuff all over the couch or table. *dreamy sigh*

Also, I got a BIG, totally unexpected package in the mail yesterday! Bruce brought it up on his way in from work and low-and-behold it was from my swap person, Sue! I had been thinking so much about what to get my swap person for the Christmas swap that my friend, Bonnie, set up, that I totally FORGOT (how in the world could I forget!?) that I'd be getting a swap package from someone else, too! I opened it up and right away the kids were all over the stuff *LOL*, it was filled with so many Christmas goodies and the boys LOVE Christmas stuff. It was far more than I was expecting (and considering I forgot I'd be getting a package, I wasn't expecting much at all - Haha!), she is such a generous person. Sue included a cute plate and Santa mug for 'milk and cookies' for Santa. That is SO perfect for our family, we love doing milk and cookies the night of Christmas Eve! She also sent some scrapping and card-making supplies which I LOVE (I displayed them on my new desk and shelf, touting it all like a proud, little girl! Bwahahaha!), and some cute candles, and a plush decoration that reads 'JOY', with a reindeer, Santa and a snowman holding the letters. Oh, in addition to all of that, she included some cute, Christmasy notepads and recipe cards, as well as a... well, how do I describe this? It's one of those little balls you put on your car antennae, but it's a Santa Mickey Mouse. *LOL* It's so cute! I gave it to Bruce to put on the car. :") We've never been to Disneyland before, and I know that Sue lives somewhere near there, so this was a fun little for us. The boys were very curious about it, really admiring the mickey bag it came in and the little ears poking out from the Santa hat. Anyway, if she or one of our mutual friends happens to read this, I want her to know that I really enjoyed the package and all of the fun Christmas gifts she sent for the swap! Thank you, Sue! And thank you to Bonnie for setting this swap up for us! It's been so fun. :) I will definitely be hosting a swap next year (hopefully January or February!) if anyone would like to join in the next one to come around.

I have SO many fun ideas for gifts this year. *sigh* Oh, I love, love, love being in the mood for Christmas. I've been a big scrooge in the past, but this year.... ahh... I LOVE IT!

Merry Christmas to ME, and to all of YOU, too!!!