Paige's first letter to Santa

Paige has gotten very excited about Santa coming to visit. About a week ago I told her she needed to write a letter to Santa. If she didn't, he wouldn't know what she wanted. Yesterday we sat down & wrote her first letter.

She told Santa she's been a nice girl, and that she learned to use the potty like a big girl. Then she asked Santa to bring her a pink present. The letter was written on card stock I use in scrapbooking. At the end of the letter she put all kinds of stickers for Santa. Here's where Mommy had a flash of brilliance. Instead of mailing the letter to the North Pole, we put it on the tree.

We've been telling Paige that Santa finds us because he can see our tree. We put the letter on the front of the tree, held in place by the special garland we made. (It's the same garland as what we made to take to the office.) Santa must have found her letter. He even wrote one back. He told her to keep being nice & to listen to Mommy and Daddy. That if she does, he'll bring her a pink present. He also told her he's very proud of her for learning to use the potty like a big girl.

These two letters will look so cute in her scrapbook. You know that's exactly where they're going, right?

Holiday Meme

Monica tagged me for a holiday meme. I promised her I would post it by the end of the week. And this is the end of the week. At least to me it is. So, without further procrastination, here it is.

Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate. With lots of marshmallows.

Does Santa wrap presents or put them under the tree?
Puts them under the tree. This year Paige wants a pink present, so he may have to wrap 1.

White or colored lights on your tree?
Colored. And blinking.

Favorite holiday dish (not including dessert)?
Gumbo. Doesn't everyone have that at Christmas?

Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I forget how old I was. It was Christmas morning at Granny & Paw Paw's. Me and Stephine got up early. We ran into the living room & there was 2 distinct sides of the Christmas tree: mine & hers. Mine had all kinds of Strawberry Shortcake under it. We had a blast playing that day.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I'm not sure. But, I'm pretty sure it involved my Uncle Kenny.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With lots of help from Paige & the cats. Usually with one of our favorite Christmas movies playing in the background: Die Hard.

Snow: love it or dread it?
Dread it. After living in Germany I can honestly say I hate the stuff. I live in the South. We don't get it here.

Can you ice skate?
I live in the Deep South. Our only ice is in sweet tea & margaritas.

Do you remember your favorite gift?
Not sure I could pick one. Each year I got something that I really, really, really wanted.

What is the most important part of the holidays for you?
Playing on Christmas morning with Paige.

What is your favorite dessert?
I can't pick just one. I love Coke Salad, Fudge, Pralines, all of it.

What is your favorite tradition?
It's a new one we started last year: matching jammies for Mommy & Paige on Christmas Eve.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
A little of both. I love picking out the perfect gift. But I also enjoy unwrapping.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
Little Drummer Boy sung by Bing Crosby & David Bowie

Candy canes: yuck or yum?
Yum for the first 1 or 2 then yuck. I can only eat peppermint in small amounts.

Ever recycled a gift?
Yep, sure have! I usually don't give it to someone else as a gift I purchased. But, if I get something I don't like, wrong size, awful color, etc, I've given it away. There have been the odd gift here & there I presented as if I bought it.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We pulled it off today! My team at work, Crystal, Marie & myself, with Ronnie's help, decorated our area of the office. We selected the area where Crystal & I sit. It's a bit out of the way, so we had more room to play with. The team who selected the training room or the one with the kitchen, must be aware of the rooms purpose, and design around it. The only ones who'll be inconvenienced is me & Crystal.

Please warm yourself by our fire.


Once your toes are toasty warm, take a step through our door...


into our Winter Wonderland. Complete with Frosty, Alabama style.

In case you don't recognize the hat, that's the style worn by Coach Bear Bryant from Bama.

Looking at the fireplace, it's made from poster board, construction paper, & tissue paper. The red & orange look more like bricks in person. Hanging above the fireplace is our stockings with garland draped around them. The garland is made from foam beads strung on plastic cording.

The doorway is a box cut into strips, wrapped in wrapping paper, then curling ribbon hanging from it. We needed something that would allow us to walk through to our desks and to the printer.

Finally, Frosty. This creation was Ronnie's brainstorm. He's actually made of butcher paper. It was cut and stapled basically into a beach ball. We stuffed each section with newspaper from the recycle bin. The buttons, eyes, nose & mouth are all construction paper. We filled in with trees, snow, stuffed animals, and a baby doll on a sled to round out the picture. There are also some snowflakes hanging from the window & ceiling.

I think we did a good job. I also think we did great on the spending. We took the challenge to heart when they said to try to use items you already have. We spent a whopping $12. We bought stockings, wrapping paper & ribbon. What do you think? Think we'll win?

Whew!

Finally. Exams are over. I'm free!!! Well, until I take the next class. After discussing it with Ronnie I will take that class over the summer, not in the next term. It'll be tax season and I just don't want the added stress of class on top of that.

Now that class is over I have all this free time on my hands. Yeah, right. I wish. We're having a decorating contest at work. I've been a crafting fool since Sunday to get ready for it. We're decorating tomorrow. I'll take some pictures and blog about it tomorrow evening. I think you'll be impressed. Just a taste- we made a snowman. He's about 5'5 or so. Just wait. You'll love it!

On a sad note, my sister in law, Connie, lost her cat last month. We knew Dave had been sick. He had a nice going out party & burial. Hey, they live in New Orleans, everything is a party. We got a lovely card in the mail yesterday. It looked like a Christmas card, only with Dave's vital information on the front, and a full obituary on the back. Leave it to Connie to come up with something like that. That's definitely another post once I get it scanned. Dave was 17 years old. He had a pretty good life.

With the holidays fast approaching there's commitments out the butt. Paige and I will be in the Christmas parade on Saturday. Sunday afternoon is Ronnie's Christmas party at work. Thankfully, all Christmas shopping is done. I don't have another gift to buy. I have plenty to wrap, but nothing left to buy. I asked Paige what she wants Santa to bring. She said a pink present. I need to go get some pink wrapping paper now. Santa usually doesn't wrap gifts, but he may need to this year.

I still have a few projects to finish up craft wise. I need to put together the goody bags for her classmates. Then I need to do the bags for her teachers. Their gifts are made, except for the chocolate covered pretzels. I just need to put everything together in bags & put names on them. Making the bags for all of the classmates will take more work. I'm looking forward to time to relax, read & blog. I just need to figure out when that time is!

I'm glad to be back. I will be much more regular with my postings now. Thanks for bearing with me during finals. It was only one test, but it was a really hard one. Monica, I didn't forget that you tagged me. I'll blog that before the end of the week.

I've been tagged!

While taking a break from studying tonight I realized I had been tagged. Heather was kind enough to include me in the game. I'm supposed to tell you 7 things you probably didn't know about me, and then tag 7 others. I think most people I know who blog have already been tagged. But, I'll share 7 things you probably didn't know about me.

1. Ronnie was my first boyfriend back in 9th grade. Paige was born 20 years, almost to the day, after we first met.
2. I was a broadcast journalist in the Army.
   
3. I drank beer at Oktoberfest in Munich. That was about a year after I went through the Panama Canal.
4. I lived in Honduras. And I loved it!!
5. I started college twice before finally finishing on my third try.
6. On average I read 1 to 2 novels a week.
   
7. I have a tattoo of Mickey Mouse on my right thigh.

See, just a few odd bits of trivia about Angie. Because, well, you always wanted to know where my tattoo was, right? I was in Germany, Panama, & Honduras while in the Army. I had fun in all 3 countries, and would love to take Ronnie to Germany one day.

Forgive me

This week will be very hit or miss with posts. I have ideas, I have pictures, what I don't have is time. Nothing holiday related. My final is Monday. I'm a studying maniac right now. I study at lunch and after Paige goes to bed. My weekend will be spent curled up with auditing books.

Once my final is over I'll have more time to do the things I enjoy, like blogging. I will get on here and post when I have a moment or 2. Just don't expect to see something everyday. Next week, things will return to normal.

Crafting fool

We had the usual busy weekend: after Thanksgiving shopping, putting up the tree, and crafts. I wanted to complete as much as I could before the holidays got here. It seems the closer we get, the faster time goes. Paige went to church with Aunt Wii Sunday morning & I got out the glue gun. I would work on one project until I had to wait for glue to dry. Then I moved onto the next one. I would alternate between projects until everything was complete.

Sunday I managed to complete:
7 teacher gifts for daycare
6 gifts for my Secret Santa at work
18 chocolate covered pretzels
4 Blues Clues game sets

I'm now caught up on in-progress projects. The only real project left is my on-going, scrapbooking. I do need to get that caught up. Now hopefully I'll have the time to do so.

Paige helped us decorate the tree. I'll post pictures of it in my next blog.