Happy New Year and my new blog!

I wish you all a new year full of hope, love, creativity, joy and patience.
From now on I will be blogging from manyblessings.typepad.com. I hope to see you all there. Have fun celebrating tonight and be safe!

My New Blog

I just wanted to let you know that I'm in the process of turning this past year's blog into a book for my family. When I'm finished with that I will discontinue this blog as I'm starting a new blog on Typepad. I'll let you know when it's ready (hopefully by the end of the week). I hope you'll follow me there! Blessings, Jane

Love that Christmas Spirit!

Merry Christmas!

My Dear Blogging Friends, I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2010!
Peace and Love, Jane

Stained glass cookie ornaments

We made some very cool stained glass cookie ornaments today. I found the recipe here. Here is B crushing up the Jolly Ranchers. Out of the oven.

And on the tree.I also thought they'd look nice on the mantle next to B's votive holder.

I love this picture!

This darkest day of the year

brought comfort for an injured hand in the form of stuffed animals, Mrs. Pigglewiggle, beeswax, ice, Hershey's kisses and hugs (and mama's kisses and hugs).It also brought candlelight as a reminder that even in the darkest days the sunshine always returns.

And it brought poetry:

Welcome to you, Old One

Welcome to the snow and ice,

The bitter cloud of your breath,

The pillow-feathered snow

Welcome you in, this Winter day.

May your blessing hold us,

May your chills avoid us,

May the bright promise

Of each clear day

Remind us of your gifts.

Old One, cold one,

Though we fear your storms,

Yet we welcome you

Into our winter hearts,

With your cleansing breath,

To blow away the old year

And usher in the new.

John Matthews: Invocation to the Old One

Hope you're surrounded by warmth and family on this darkest day of the year. Welcome back sunshine!

A little gift for my mom

While Jeff was at the hardware store today he found some high-powered non-prescription reading glasses for my mom. She's been wanting some of these for a while but we could never find any-who would have thought they'd have them at the hardware store! Well, he brought home a couple of pairs and then I got to work making a glasses case for them. I'm hoping my mom will actually use this case (she tends not to use my presents and I usually find them in her basement). The one present she does use is a flower vase I made her as a child. Of course, she doesn't use it to hold flowers -instead she filled it up with sand and uses it as a door stop. Oh well, at least it's getting used!

1 day + 1 felted wool sweater = 2 upcycled hats

Sorry sweater! Elf hat for my little niece

Cat hat for B. I'm hoping he'll love this hat and give up on the baseball cap!

Thanks J for modeling the hats!