one of my FAVORITE things about Christmas day is the fact we just stay home. We do all of our family visits on Christmas Eve and it's always wonderful and magical (here is a picture of us at my sisters house on Christmas Eve)
we had dinner and then the younger children acted out the Nativity story as my sister read it for us. It's always been a tradition for the last several years to go to my dad's house and read the story.. infact my dad INSISTED on it.. before any gifts were exchanged.. it was the reason for the season. Last year was the only year we didn't.. I think we were all still so raw from loosing him, we didn't know how to cope and get through that night without him.. but something very special did happen last Christmas with my dad.. and Christmas eve.. probably one of my hardest and yet most favorite memories of last year. I wrote about it last year on christmas day.. you can read about that post here. Anyhow..
One of my favorite things about Christmas Day is just staying at home, hanging with my kids and my hubby.. wearing our pj's all day (except okay.. I do that alot anyway.. haha). Everyone playing with their new toys.. watching movies. Just low key.. oh and having a huge breakfast (which is a tradition we had growing up when I lived with my mom!).. love that. One thing I always love is that usually that is the day I do a project I have been wanting to do forever. not for work, not for someone else.. but for me. I would not worry about the messy house or the dirty kitchen and just craft or scrapbook (back in the day) or read that book I had been wanting to start. (I can't start a book unless I have time to finish it THAT day.. because I love to read and I get so lost in my book my entire house goes on "take care of yourself mode" until I am done! LOL) You probably know what I mean.
Well this year I was looking forward to it EVEN more.. because we had been traveling so much and had been gone so much. I have started making beaded wrap bracelets (many of you comment and ask me where I get the bracelets I wear in my videos).. . I love wearing a combination of leather bracelets that I have stamped words or names into and wearing it with a beaded wrap and then a simple braided bracelet out of thread or cord. I love just mixing and matching.. but wearing stuff that isn't clanky. Here is a few of the beaded ones I have made.
I spent a few hours before our Football trip last week gathering all the supplies.. cording, thread, beads.. you name it.. ready to just sit on the couch and watch movies and make all sorts of new bracelets for friends, family and myself. Well Christmas came and man for some reason.. after christmas morning and then after church.. ben and I came home... snuggled up on our couch and SLEPT until 6 PM!!! we didn't even eat.. let alone make that "christmas breakfast for our kids! lol..
We woke up to a phone call from our 15 year old asking us if we were going to come down to my dad's house for dinner.. since everyone else (my sisters and brothers)were already down there waiting for us to play games and have fun. I think we would have slept clear until the next day if he hadn't have called us. most of our kids were gone at down to my dad's house.. no wonder we slept.. the house was dead quiet! lol. and while sleeping wasn't a bad thing.. all day yesterday I kept thinking how BUMMED i was that i wasted my entire Christmas day sleeping.. the one day I get to really do what I want.. not feel like I have this responsibility to keep a clean house or answer an email.. or something! lol.. and I Slept! So all day yesterday while I worked I kept thinking.. oh I just want to go back and to yesterday and only sleep for like an hour and THEN make those dang bracelets! lol..
Today I woke up.. ready to get into my studio and paint.. as I have 20 or so new designs I had told my agent I would get to her by the end of this week for my portfolio.. (for the licencing show in January).. and I just could NOT get motivated! I had the inspiration.. I knew what I wanted to create.. but I just had NO motivation to do it. so guess what? instead of working today (and man I hope Jan, my agent, isn't reading this! lol i love you jan! ).. well instead of working.. I got back into my pj's.. sat in my bed .. watched the new show "scouted" and made bracelets.. ALL day. I kept texting my friend Meredith.. that I should be working, not wasting time.. and she kept texting back.. that she was proud of me! lol.
So the point of this post? well nothing really.. I had was just here in my office thinking how I was going to plan some fun creative blog for tomorrow.. about creating some wonderful art.. and yet I didn't do any of that today.. I just sat and made adorable bracelets for people I love.. I guess that sometimes those moments are just ones we need. This morning I woke feeling un-motivated and just not wanting to do ANYTHING.. and now..after spending the day just doing something I wanted to do.. but shouldnt have.. I feel TOTALLY inspired and motived to get back to work tomorrow and get all my assignments done before the new year. and it felt good. I hope you all sometimes take a little time out of YOUR busy day and life to just do something that maybe doesn't feel important or like you have time for but that makes you feel good. :)
Happy Tuesday!
In MY opinion you spent the day exactly as it should have been spent... LOVE that.
And I LOVE those bracelets. A lot. Seriously.
Posted by: sandi tygar | December 27, 2011 at 05:45 PM
those bracelets are very cool.. I make jewelry also.. There are some bracelets on pinterest made with ball chain and cording you would love. Its awesome that your kids just let you have a day such as this and not bug you to death with MOMMMMMMMMMMM.. ha ha..
Blessings,Gweny
Posted by: Gweny | December 27, 2011 at 06:23 PM
LOVE those bracelets!! sometimes we just need rest. and sometimes we just need to create something just for the pure joy of it...not because we have to. running my etsy shop is so much fun in so many ways, but it does feel good to create something just for me sometimes :)
Posted by: Alicia @ La Famille | December 27, 2011 at 06:34 PM
Way to go Christy!! You were taking care of you and what you needed to do!! Evan though I am anxious to see your next creation, you are allowed to do something that makes you happy,it can really make a difference in your outlook. I had a very quiet holiday as my family was gone, just the hubby and I. It was different, and guess I need to get used to it. But it didn;t feel like Christmas. So, I created 3 canvases that day, and loved every minute of it!!! Thanks for sharing your daily life on your blog with us!!
Posted by: Julie Williams | December 27, 2011 at 06:48 PM
A beaded wrap bracelet class in the future, maybe?!? :)
Posted by: Danabickley | December 27, 2011 at 08:04 PM
Your bracelets are gorgeous! Do you just wing a design or is there instructions you follow? I haven't made any sort of jewelry since I was in school.
Good for you for taking a day for just you. I feel like that is a needed thing every once in a while so recharging can happen. :)
Posted by: Katie M | December 28, 2011 at 12:42 AM
A lazy day was probably just what you needed, without even knowing it. A good way to regain strength for the future, you know charging your batteries.
Take care of yourself!
Posted by: Janine | December 28, 2011 at 02:07 AM
Sounds like you needed to "recharge" and you did just that. It is important to listen to our bodies and the message God is sending, so good for you! And I know your friends and family are going to treasure those bracelets, I love anything hand made because I do a lot of that myself and the time it takes, makes it mean more. Thanks for being so "normal" - lol.
Posted by: Donna L | December 28, 2011 at 06:17 AM
Ah ha you do read our comments on the class notes. I do love the bracelets and a tutorial would be awesome. Sounds like you and your hubby just needed some much deserved rest.
Posted by: Denise S. | December 28, 2011 at 09:40 AM
Ah thank you Christy for just keeping it real, and being just you! Blessings on your week...
Posted by: Sharon Osborn | December 28, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Christy, I love your bracelets and should have known you made them yourself.
Good for you getting your make-up day. You deserve the sleep and the play time.
Posted by: Michelle | December 28, 2011 at 06:47 PM
Love, love your bracelets!!!! Please show us how? Everybody needs a day of doing "nothing" but what they want to. Glad you took the time!
Posted by: Lisa Castillo | December 28, 2011 at 08:39 PM
Glad you took a little, much-needed, time for yourself. It is so important for all of us to do, yet we rarely allow it to happen...
Please, PLEASE show us how to make your beautiful beaded bracelets!! How about a jewelry class or pdfs we can purchase? Would love you to stock some supplies in your beadart store! :)
Posted by: kris a | December 28, 2011 at 11:43 PM
It all goes back to..."Do what matters most"! Sometimes I just can't sort out my priorities in an effective way because I have too many things at the top of the list. Well, this Christmas season I was knocked down a few pegs due to 3 herniated disks. I figured out real quick what mattered most!!
Thanks for reminding us to take care of ourselves and to do what matters the most!
Happy New Year!
Posted by: Dottee O. | December 29, 2011 at 10:10 AM
wow, you guys must have been tired. you have a very busy life, full of family, work, and travel. taking time for yourself is so important. never worry about the house when i'm reading. call it my mini vacation. and i love getting a book for Christmas. love your bracelets and that you took time to play for you. happy new year, can't wait to see what is in store for 2012. take care
Posted by: laura huffman | December 30, 2011 at 07:26 AM
Just love your beadingart!!! And then I must thank you for this year! I have learned to play with colors in a way I never thought I would dare!
I´m so looking forward to meet you in sweden in may 2012!
If you want to you can follow my link and see 2011 best She Art I ever created! I´m a little bit proud over it;) Hope you can find time to see it:)
http://www.lillblommanskapar.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-of-my-best-she-art-projects.html
And finally I wish you a Happy New Year!
Hugs from Ullis/LillBlomman!
Posted by: LillBlomman | December 30, 2011 at 11:13 AM
I just LOVE those kind of days. I'm going to have one today MYSELF (smiles). The laundry and cleaning tomorrow and back to creating on Monday. Happy New Year Christy!
Posted by: Sherry goodloe | December 31, 2011 at 09:51 AM
I too love the bracelets!! please show us how i would love to see a tutorial about them. those are the best days!! i love them don't get many with a active 6 year. happy new year looking forward to a all inspiring 2012!!!
Posted by: Lisa Hampton | January 01, 2012 at 08:06 PM
i sure appreciate your honesty. everytime i read a post from you i am amazed and happy to know that you have such a beautiful family and husband, you can create and inspire others through your art and heart, and only recently i learned that you also have a mutual 'friend' called FMS that tends to try and take us off track (and sometimes does, which means we do need to rest)but we don't give in or up. thank you for your 'all'. it inspires me in many wonderful ways.
Posted by: JoAnn K Delery | January 02, 2012 at 12:33 PM
Ok!
So, I'm wondering when I'm getting my bracelet! Ha ha A little tutorial would be nice. I love them. Happy New Year!
Posted by: Kat Baker | January 02, 2012 at 04:51 PM