Hand made tresures and Christmas!

Ok so this post has a THEME! every single photo in this post has something hand made in it. My family did a hand made Christmas this year and it made me start noticing that so much in my life is hand made.  One of my non member friends teased me because mormon girls learn cooking, sewing and other really useful skills very young.... at first I thought is was funny and laughed along but the more I think about it I not only think it is AWESOME that we learn these skills that the rest of the world is leaving behind, I am so GRATEFUL that I was raised this way... No I was not a pro seamstress or chef or anything for that matter but I've known how to cook a good meal, sew a button or pillow or ya know those kinds of things. for a long time. The world thinks that it's weird that we teach our children these things but you know what....?..... some of my faith in god girls don't have dads and have moms that work full time, and are gone a lot!  what a blessing for these girls to know how to make something as simple as pizza to eat!

So as the post goes on I will point out things that are hand made  by me or people I love!

This is Grandma and Grandpa Cranmer sometimes Brett and I call them Cranpa and Cranma!

Do you see all those boxes some are wrapped the others are white waiting to be wrapped. Well some of you may recognise those boxes, they are the treasured hand made, hand dipped and hand boxed Cranmer chocolates. Grandpa and Grandma start these the day after Thanksgiving, they make all different kinds and this is a valued family tradition that has been going on for probably half a century! They make home made caramel, peanut clusters, lemon, turtles, mints, cherry chocolates, orange, straberry and rasberry and maybe more. They are so beautful and there is SO much work put into making these for the people they love!

We were lucky enough to get to help box the chocolates, it took about an hour with all four of us and we packed 80 boxes. I couldn't believe when Granpa told us that they normally box ten boxes and then take a ten minute break... that would take all day! I am glad we were there to help! We kept sneaking mints behind granmas back... I think she knew but never said anything.... THEY ARE JUST SOOO GOOD!

 This is a fleece tie blanket that I made for Kyle for Christmas this year. We had his name and I thought he would like this and a camo scarf I tied too. It took me about a month to make and I finished the top (the part you see) on the plane to SLC. It was a little embarrasing when the big wig sports authority president (or somehting like that) got up to get off the plane and he had hunter orange fuzzies all over him... he was so nice though and didn't seem to care... after all he was wearing a camo hat and had complimented me on the blanket.... Kyle seemed to like the blanket on Christmas because within ten minutes of opening it he was passed out under it!

 This is a headboard I claim to have made....I pulled it out of the garbage after Thanksgiving and thought I could make it beautiful! I wish now I would have taken a before photo... it was looking pretty sad... the fabric part was added and before it was only the dark wood, behind the fabric there is a large gap where there were some metal dowels that  had been broken out and busted up... so I punched them all out so I had a huge rectangle gap and made the padded part out of cardboard, batting, fabric, buttons, stapler,gorilla glue, tape and needle and thread... I am very proud of the way it turned out. I have wanted a head board for a long time but we just can't afford one.... I am thankful I found this one by the dumpster! I really felt Heavenly father was blessing me when I found this... and I still think he was.

This was a simple one, I didn't make them but we did decorate them... our first stockings!

This is a wreath I made from left over branches of our Christmas tree! I worked on it for about 2 hours although you can't tell... I love it though! it reminds me of when I was younger mom would always do this.

This advent Calendar is my favorite Christmas decoration/gift. My aunt Georgie made this for us and gave it to me when I was home in October. Everything is hand sewn all the tiny sequense and stitching... this must have taken her a long time and I really really appreciate and love it so much! I have such good memories of racing to be the first kind up at home to put the next thing on the calendar that Georgie had made my mom... now I have one of my own!

 This is our Christmas tree this year! Brett cut it down two days after Thanksgiving and I couldn't wait to put it up! The hand made thing in this photo is the ornament at the very top just beneath the bow, it is a picture of Brett when he was a baby attached to a handmade pillow with lace around it. Grandma Burtenshaw made this a long time ago and use to put one of every grandchild on the tree. It was fun to go through them and see Bretts brothers and sisters too.  I love it so much and that is why it's at the top of the tree! Under the tree also is Grandma Burtenshaw's Christmas present to us, it's a collection of poems she has written over the last year, we read Where Is Christ... one of our favorite poemsof at our Christmas eve dinner, everyone loved it just as much as we do!

 These three things above our TV are hand made from some Trash that our friends were throwing out. I took there card board added batting, fabric, ribbon and buttons and wala!!! art that we can add pictures or in this case Christmas cards too!

 This was our table for Christmas eve dinner. There are three hand made things in this photo, over on top of the A/C untit (top right) is one of my most favorite house hold decor pieces. My brother Matt made these two matching containers they are green and bronze slab pots, he is really good at pottery and I would love if he made me some more! hint hint!

 The picture of Jesus was hand painted for Brett by an investigator in Germany. The quilted table runner was hand made by Grandma Checketts. She gave it to me a while ago but I can't remember if it was for a birthday or something... I don't use it as a table cloth usually just as a decoration cause I am afraid it will get ruined but it fit so beautifully on the table with all the other green and red decor that I had to use it!  Grandma is so talented at Quilting! The vase to the right of Jesus was made for me by Linda Hoffman my boss at Hoffman cleaners in South Ogden, she was such a nice lady!

The only home made things in this photo are James the Westbrooke's baby and Kaili the Hobel's baby... Kaili is in Tori's belly behind my head!

For Christmas mom made me this flannel nighty and Brett those matching pj pants. Kyle is SO good at leather work and made Brett a really awesome wallet  with his inititals on it that he will probably start using immediatly and he made me one to with roses and my initials on them... everyone we show can't believe my 16 year old brother made these!!!! I really can't either they are really nice! Thanks Kyle!

This is a hand made MESS!

My next project, a big ol B to go above our bed.

I am so grateful to have been raised by family who taught me to use my hands to create beautiful things for my family and others.  It was a wonderful Christmas, Brett and I stayed in the house all day and had a rock band session! the day flew by but we didn't do much of anything besides just be together and it was SO FUN!  I hope you all had as great a Christmas as we did!