Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!
Today is a day to be grateful for all the blessings in our lives.
One of those things that I am so very grateful for all is my blog readers.
You guys are the reason I keep this thing updated. I believe that sharing our ideas with one another is what makes this wonderful paper crafting hobby so fun. And to be able to connect with so many people worldwide makes my heart burst with happiness.
GIVEAWAYS
I am very grateful to Shimelle to allow me to give away, not one, but TWO spots in her annual Journal Your Christmas class.
This is what started the yearly December albums for me. I have three albums (I have added them to the sidebar if you're interested in seeing my examples) that I did in 2006, 2007 & 2008. Shimelle's classes are amazing and the content, the message boards and pdf's she sends out daily through December + the 12 days of Christmas are so inspiring!
If you would like to win a spot in Shimelle's class, please leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, November 28th at 11:59 a.m. CST telling me your favorite Christmas tradiiton. I'll post the randomly selected winners Sunday evening.
I'm off to put the cherry pie in the oven (the pumpkin pie is on the counter cooling and smells heavenly)!
Have a fabulous day!
Though we are all grown women, my three sisters and I still meet at my parents' house to trim their tree. My Mom has saved all the crazy, faded and now without glitter little ornaments we made as children.
We laugh about how terrible they look but hang them anyway!
Posted by: Kymmie | November 25, 2010 at 10:54 AM
My favourite Christmas tradition is going for a walk on Boxing Day morning and returning to mulled wine/hot chocolate and leftover turkey sandwiches with mince pies. Can't wait!
Posted by: Juliab | November 25, 2010 at 10:55 AM
My favourite tradition is helping our girls make cakes to leave out for Santa! We always leave something homemade and it can vary from chocolate truffles to coconutice. They love the whole process from choosing a recipe to making it.
Posted by: Pauline | November 25, 2010 at 10:59 AM
My favorite Christmas tradition in attending Christmas Eve service at our church and then enjoying a delicious steak and seafood dinner with my handsome husband of 30 years.
Posted by: Pam | November 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM
WOW - thanks for the chance to win! Our favorite tradition - surprising someone with "12 days of Christmas" gifts. Nothing huge, just fun little things for someone that might need some extra love that year. ~TanyaS
Posted by: TanyaS | November 25, 2010 at 11:56 AM
Our favorite Christmas tradition is to gather all our little grandchildren together on a Sunday afternoon and make several batches of shaped sugar cookies then frost them. We have SO much fun and have delicious cookies to enjoy at the annual Christmas parade and for Santa's plate.
Posted by: Karen | November 25, 2010 at 12:05 PM
What a fabulous giveaway! Would LOVE this! :)
Our family tradition is the family game, which is labelled to all of us from Santa! My mum picks a new board game every year, and in the evening after all the food and visits are done we all have to take part in the newest game! Even after we moved out of Mum's we still have to be there for the family game on Christmas night :)
Posted by: Gayle | November 25, 2010 at 12:23 PM
My favorite Christmas tradition when I was growing up was our annual Christmas Eve open house. My mom would spend days creating the food, and to this day, I still prepare some of those recipes...and share them with my brother. We invited our neighbors, and, as my brother and I grew up, friends from school. The pictures are in my box of those that I will one day scrap, but the recipes have already been scrapped and shared!
Posted by: Julia Muscari | November 25, 2010 at 12:39 PM
My favorite Christmas tradition was making cookies for Santa. My mom would make he dough, I'd make the shapes with the cookie-cutter and then in the oven it went. Such fun!
Posted by: Lena | November 25, 2010 at 12:53 PM
My Favorite Christmas tradition is to have a huge breakfast Christmas morning after opening gifts! This was my Dad's favorite thing to do...
Posted by: Roshni Patel | November 25, 2010 at 01:47 PM
My favourite Christmas tradition is picking out our Christmas tree at the shop set up in a local park. We pick it out, then it is delivered to our front porch later that day. Love it!
Posted by: Lisa Kisch | November 25, 2010 at 02:17 PM
My favourite tradition is seeing the complete joy on my childrens faces while putting up the christmas tree.
Posted by: Vanessa | November 25, 2010 at 02:55 PM
My favorite Christmas tradition hands down is decorating the Christmas tree while watching "Christmas Vacation" on dvd. We always have plenty of baked goods on the coffee table to help make the mood festive and fun!
Posted by: Kimberli Sarsfield | November 25, 2010 at 03:20 PM
Oh goodness there are so many things, I love putting up the tree with carols playing in the background. When I was a small child I would go to bed really early on Christmas Eve and get up to go to church at 11.30pm, the nicest time as it is cooler (I am in Australia). During the service the bells would sound out midnight and my dad would lean over and wish me a Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday. When I was about 4, I appparently stated that as it was my birthday and we get to do what I wanted to do, so I thought it was a good idea to open our christmas presents then. Even today I am not sure if I came to this idea myself or if I was prompted by my brother, I suspect the later lol.
I wanted to wish you and your family Happy Thanksgiving and let you know how thankful for all that you do and share. You are so giving.
Posted by: Jen | November 25, 2010 at 05:09 PM
My favorite tradition is opening gifts from my siblings and 1 from my parents on Christmas Eve.
Posted by: Jen R | November 25, 2010 at 05:25 PM
My favorite thing about Christmas is the time spent with FAMILY and FRIENDS :)
Posted by: Lara | November 25, 2010 at 05:51 PM
When I was little it was going to Dad's church for Christmas Eve service and cookies afterwards. When my daughter was growing up,my Mom had made a Angel for our tree and my daughter had the honor of putting it on the tree...she now has it at her house and her daughter/my granddaughter now has the honor of putting the Angel on the tree.
Posted by: Martha | November 25, 2010 at 06:05 PM
First off i want to say that i LOVE the way you put this album together!! I have made one already but may have to remake another because this is just so stinkin cute! What kind of album/page protectors did you use and did you trim the smaller ones from a big one? and then stitch it?
Also i would absolutely love to win a spot in Shimelle's class...i have been tossing up the idea for a couple of years now, i know i should just do it, but winning a spot would be so much sweeter.
My fav. holiday tradition would have to be decorating the tree...and picking it out (as we get a real one)...All of the ornaments we have a mish mashed. We buy an ornament from every place we travel to as a memory with the date and all on them, so i really love taking out all the ornaments and remembering those special times we have shared as a family!
Merry Christmas!!
thanks for the chance to win!
Posted by: Bronwyn | November 25, 2010 at 06:13 PM
My favorite tradition is putting on our new xmas jammies, setting a fire and reading the night before Christmas to our son!
Posted by: Barbara T | November 25, 2010 at 08:11 PM
My favorite Christmas tradition is our Christmas book box. I really enjoying pulling out the stories in December and enjoying them all month long. Because they're only out for one month a year, the stories are really savored and enjoyed!
Posted by: Eryn Morgan | November 25, 2010 at 09:45 PM
My favourite tradition is singing in the Choir Candlelight program.
Posted by: Janet Zeppa | November 25, 2010 at 09:50 PM
I have quite a few Christmas tradition but my most favorite would have to be going out one cold night to just look at the lights in a local neighborhood. The entire neighborhood decorates Clark Griswald style! It's great! LOL!
Posted by: Yvonne Snellings | November 25, 2010 at 09:56 PM
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!! Gorgeous albums! I love so many things we do that have become traditions, like going out and looking at the Christmas decorations, and leaving milk and cookies for Santa, but my favorite has to be trimming the Christmas tree - especially now that I have my two little girls trimming it with me.
Posted by: Dolly | November 25, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Hmm...hard to pick just one fave Christmas tradition! After narrowing them down, I'd say taking my 5yr old dd to buy a nutcracker to add to her "collection"!
Posted by: Melinda | November 25, 2010 at 10:22 PM
HAPPY THANKSGIVING. well, since i have been married my husband and i haven't had a chance of really spending christmas together (both in the Army) but trying has become a tradition. haha. we will be together this Christmas so that's a blessing! ;o)
Posted by: ScrappinA | November 25, 2010 at 10:30 PM