This Christmas is our first since The Great Change.
The Great Change = a different way of doing business, life without credit card debt, and on one salary, which, by God, is very generous, and should be enough for any family to be very comfortable, even here in the US of A where we live like kings, I tell you.
Husband Styro's five nieces and two nephews are the last family members we provide Christmas gifts for, everyone else has outgrown the delight of a sparkly Christmas morning.
Two girls (sisters) are getting child-sized lap desks, which were el-cheapo at Michael's, but which Aunt Mary will lovingly personalize with her Cricut, and fill the pockets on each side with little craft-y things.
The twins are getting wooden puzzles, purchased unfinished on etsy, and painted with love and acrylics by Aunt Mary.
Noah's Ark is waiting to be sprayed with acrylic sealer.
And three siblings are getting hand-sewn pillows, the two younger children are getting fleece pillows, and the almost-a-teenager older sister is getting a quilt-top pillow, all lovingly pieced by Aunt Mary.
two fleece pillows
quilt-top pillow half- stitched, top to bottom...seamstresses are cringing...
That's the finished front of the pillow...see the problem?
I made it to the final assembly step before I completely screwed up. You should not be able to see the finished pattern during assembly, but because I am a dumkopf** I got cocky and didn't double check before I stitched. Hundreds and hundreds of tiny, little, zig-zag stitches.
my best friend right now
*No, we're not broke, but it makes a good title, doesn't it?
** Deutsche for "stupid-head." Really.
Schwarzkopf = blackhead
Weisskopf = whitehead
Scheisskopf = sh*thead
You're welcome.
The Finished Product:
