Happy Birthday - Melissa!

credits:
KimB CATW Kit - papers, elements
Barb Derksen - festive sequins

Isn't Kim's kit perfect for this layout of my niece Melissa's birthday layout? I know, I'm sort of stuck on the 'cut people out and stick them in a frame theme' right now, but they do say practice makes perfect.

Melissa, we hope you have a LOVELY birthday - I'm sure your family has a lineup of fun great activities coming up, and ohhhh your gift, I'm sure its amazing. Melissa belongs to my SIL Judy, so you may want to pop on over HERE to leave Melissa a birthday wish and see Judy's layout too in honor of this special day!

I'd love it if you have a moment out of your busy day to check out the gorgeous card my sister has created - I love the writing technique, its giving me ideas. Just click HERE to see what I mean.

It is also my niece Rachel's birthday tomorrow, but I don't have a recent photo ... but I'm making a little free giveaway to say Happy Birthday to these two lovely young ladies!

And speaking of birthdays has reminded me that our countdown to Christmas is really a countdown to the day we honour the birth of Christ - the REAL reason we should be focussed on. So, I'm leaving you with this poem I found.

Somewhere amidst confusion in
the frantic Christmas race--
the deadline shopping, start and stopping
at a frenzied pace.

The name of Christ has been removed,
left off the Christmas scene.
Without the name of Christ, what then
does Christmas really mean?

No longer do the schools release
for Christmas holiday;
it's incorrect politically,
but Winter Break's O.K.

Now scenes of the Nativity
are banned from public streets.
Too much religiosity's
considered indiscreet.

Does Christmas portend Santa Claus,
whose sleigh and reindeers fly,
as Rudolph with a shiny nose
guides them through starlit sky?

For presents stacked high by the tree
the children eagerly reach.
What message does this scene present?
What lesson does it teach?

Is Christmas spirit portrayed here?
What it is meant to be?
Is it to wonder of those gifts
How many are for me?

There's nothing wrong with Santa Claus,
let's keep him on the scene,
but let's replace Santa Claus, with the name of Christ
to teach what Christmas means.

Another lovely place to visit to get into the Christmas spirit is over at my friend JanMary's place. JanMary lives in Ireland, and she's been blogging DAILY since Dec. 1st - all the traditions etc. Very interesting reading and wonderful photography... and its her daughter's birthday too! Just click HERE to be transported.

And here's my giveaway for you today - its fine for all uses, though you must credit me in your TOU upon use. Please do not share this file with your friends, I'd ask you send them here to download it for themselves.

I'd love to see how you use my products. Just send me a jpg and description and I'll post it here too!

fine for Personal, Commercial and S4H
(must credit me in TOU)

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Thanks for stopping by to see my show and tell items today. If you're visiting for the first time today and would like to find out more about the show and tell, or even sign up to join in the fun, just click HERE to be taken to Kelli's blog where you can find out all the details or add your name to the links list. At least I'm HOPING there's a Show and Tell today, for there's not much happening at Kelli's at the moment, but do check, it might go ahead.

Today I'd like to share a gift I just received from my dear friend Melanie. Melanie is very talented with crafts and over the past few years she's been experimenting with beeswax candles. She noticed I had a set of beeswax candles hanging on my tree last year, alas I had to throw them out because they were getting old and gummy and did not smell nor look so nice either.

Mr & Mrs Beeswax Santa Claus!

These are her version of the Santa Claus's in wax. Well, I think they are SO cute! I love all the small details she's tended to. They measure about 10 inches high and she was thoughtful to include the little dishes for them to melt down into - that is as if I'd ever actually BURN them...

Hmm... Santa's getting on in years, must wear glasses so he does not overshoot a roof anywhere? Or perhaps its for reading the small print on the googlemaps on his ipod...



And Mrs. C, well, she's got such nice pupils, must be straining in the dark to wait and make sure Mr. C comes home safe in the sleigh, right?



I love her hands. C'mon, we all know she's trained all those elves to do crafts, so its understandable the hands would be a bit swollen and arthritic, right?

I'm going to treasure these for years to come. Thank you Melanie, you'll be able to come and enjoy these sometime very soon, ok?

* * *

Its proving to be an extremely busy week. I was blessed to join over 100 women at an inter-church celebration on Wednesday - a warm time of fellowship with women from all through our valley and it was a nice way to begin the festive season.

And I'm expecting five guests for dinner on Friday night - so have put some time and effort into decorating and planning a tasty menu. And then ya, I try to do Christmas cards at the same time. I got real pretty fast though. I had to put everything on hold for an hour, take a deep breath and then p.r.i.o.r.i.t.i.z.e. Sometimes we get going 100 mph without knowing where we are headed!

And I ALWAYS take a few moments out to be blessed to visit with my one and only sister Nina (click HERE) to see what wonderful carding adventures she's been up to on her blog (she's a newbie, be gentle on her) only... she posts EVERY day... kind of like my friend JanMary (click HERE) who is blogging DAILY from now till Christmas, her Christmas decorating and traditions. I'm having a hard time keeping up, ladies? Not Complaining. I also love check in with my SIL Judy (click HERE) too, for she keeps me up to date on her side of the family along with some sweet layouts. Love my nieces to pieces, even if I rarely get to see them (hugs)

At any rate, I took a few moments out to finish up these little elements for YOU! I hope you enjoy them. I'd love to see what you make, so send me a small jpg of your layouts, along with credits and I'll publish you!

Thank you all so much for your faithful visits and especially for those comments... sometimes thats the very fuel that keeps me coming back.

And in case you live on Mars or somewhere just as far removed from earth and have not been told that KimB's and Linda's blogs are Christmas Central (meaning they ALWAYS have a fun post and a little 'sumfing special') then... if you just didn't know... then just click HERE (Kim) and HERE (Linda) to check them out!

personal use only
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