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12.26.2012

It's Tradition

When Elisa posted Saturday, she mentioned that we'd love to hear your Christmas traditions if you'd like to share them with us. I thought I might try and get things going by sharing one or two of my favorites with you today.

I'm sure that today you're trying to recover from all the people, wrapping paper, and excitement of yesterday, so maybe you'll enjoy reading snippets of my family's day. =)

It's tradition for my younger sisters and me to have a sleepover in my room the night of Christmas Eve. Originally this started out as my way to ensure that I got a fair amount of sleep by keeping the girls with me for as long as possible Christmas morning. Thankfully, it worked. There have been no more hourly rushes for the tree starting at sun-up; for which I am extremely grateful.
But then, as time went on, I realized that they were pretty darn warm to snuggle up with, and that as long as I was quick to fall asleep, I could miss all the snoring. It really hasn't been such a bad deal. They get all excited about it every year. The past year or two I have been sick at Christmastime, and not up to having overnight guests. This year we were all sick, but since I've been taking medicine for walking pneumonia, I was feeling up to it.
Boy, did I forget how late we end up staying up.
I also forgot that at the first ray of light, my oldest little sister always wakes up. I can't wait for that to change in her teenage years! And when VW is up, it doesn't take long for her to "accidentally" wake up all the others; which in turn, means I have to coax everyone to hold on a bit longer. And if I'm too lazy to talk, I miss the crucial point.
Of course I missed it.
What with all their eagerness and all, you would have thought it was Christmas morning or something. Sheesh.

At the first sound of little feet running from the room, something amazing happened. I was overcome with terror, and I was blessed with a burst of energy.
"WAIT!"
Silence.
"Yoiucowmeback, kk?"
...
VW: "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"
Me: "SHHH! You'll wake me up."
VW: "...uh....Paige, you are awake."
Me: "That's what you think."

My middle little sister pipes up right about here, and says something to the effect that I am clearly awake, and that if I would only use my brain, I'd know that it was Christmas morning, and there are presents and candy waiting downstairs.

"And they'll keep waiting. Go back to sleep."
All: "But it's 7:30 already!"

I took this opportunity to remove my head from under it's shelter of three pillows, my arms, and a comforter. I squinted at the alarm clock just inches from my face, barely able to see the light of...gray....much less the glowing green numbers.
"So what if it is?" My voice cracks. "Wait 15 more minutes, ok?"
The girls reluctantly agreed.
And so began the 15 minutes game.
I bought myself extra time by coaxing Rapunzel (my youngest sister) to snuggle with me.
I had the older two (VW and Ladybug) brush their hair, and talk over snow plans. It has only been an inch at a time this year, but when Christmas Eve promises a brown Christmas, and the next morning there is as inch of snow outside, it's a pretty big deal. That kept 'em busy.
Too bad VW is getting so old. She didn't take more than two rounds of the game before she huffed and said it had been plenty of time, and she was going downstairs.
By this time, I was on top of my pillows while still under my comforter, so my reaction time was quicker.
 In a final attempt, I slammed a button on my alarm clock and hoped it was the radio.
VW stopped and came back, as it was one of her favorite songs.
Me = smug smile.

As the song ended, I pretended to be in control - doesn't everybody? - by saying, "So, it's just like I planned. It's ... eight o' seven and ... 37 seconds. Time for you all to get out of my room and - "
If VW and Ladybug had tails, that would have been all that was left to see of them.
Rapunzel rolled over and looked at me.
I pretended to pout.
"Are you going to leave me too and make me get all cold, babydoll?"
Two serious blinks. "No, I'll stay with you. Besides, you're warm. I don't want to get cold."

We chatted about the snow, brushed each other's hair, and went to go ruin Hunter's day by being the first faces he'd see. Mwaahahaha!

Turns out he was already awake. I ripped his blankets off and dragged him downstairs whining and complaining. Well, that was more or less how it went.
 ^ That's pretty much a morning tradition right there. ^

~

Usually we host Christmas.
We spend a frantic hour or two cleaning up the remains of our morning, pulling out more presents, cooking, roasting, filling sparkly glass bowls with candy, sneaking candy and getting caught, playing new games, fighting about who gets to do what first, and getting dressed.

This year we only had one of my Uncles over. And the entire day went differently because of that. No bowls of candy, no more presents, no roasting, and a lot of relative quiet. It was pretty nice.


~
 
The girls and I went outside and took some pictures. Tradition is for me to take all the pj pictures while we wait for Mom and Dad to join us in the morning. Silly faces, yawns, and camera snatching are pretty normal. Because I dropped my camera down a flight of concrete steps back in September, I didn't have a camera to do that with. I did get a new camera of the same model yesterday morning, but we'll be sending it back for a replacement since there is a line across the screen. Usually that is caused by water damage, but I'd only turned it on and off a few times, and changed settings, never going near anything wet. It wasn't me.
Anyway, I felt a little lost without a camera in my hands. 
VW, Ladybug, and Rapunzel went outside to play in the snow, and I joined them with my new camera.
VW
Ladybug
Rapunzel
This was supposed to be our nice picture. Thanks to VW... well, it's real. I also told Ladybug to leave her barbie out of the picture...
Typical. So typical.
 
Altogether yesterday was a blessed day.
Our crazy Christmas celebration with the rest of the family is this Sunday. So is a triple birthday party. Talk about crazy...and wrapping remains...and dessert stomach-aches!
If that's how it's gonna go, then let's do it right - that's probably my Mom's battle cry, haha.
 I'm probably going to be exhausted Monday. And heavy. That's a lot of dessert to live through...

We may or may not post Friday. Please don't count on it. I work all afternoon, and I'll have less than half an hour between getting home and leaving again for youth group Christmas party. Elisa will be busy too.
We'll see peeps, we'll see.


Again, we'd love to hear about your Christmas, or other holiday time traditions! Do you have plans for New Years? Did you get something you always wanted yesterday? Has your week (so far) been very blessed indeed? Do you think my face scares people? (<-- A legit question, lol)

We'd love to read your comments!

Until whenever,
 - Paige -

12.22.2012

Yuck! Sickness :P

Yep I'm still here. Don't ya worry about me. Just a quick post to show ya that I'm still alive :P

Sooo yeah Paige has pneumonia and I'm getting over the flu....fun fun fun...YUCK!

I haven't seen Paige in almost two weeks!!!!! :'( and I might not even see her tomorrow at church if she is still feeling icky.

Tomorrow evening is our candlelight service. It's, I guess you could call it, our Christmas Service. We always have it the Sunday before Christmas. My dad reads the Christmas story (Luke 2) and we have lots of singing and music. Sadly I will not be singing this year other than a choir special due to loss of voice these last two weeks (no way to practice). Paige, however, if she is feeling up to it, will be playing a piano special. I can't wait to hear it. If she can't play it tomorrow, I'll come to her house and force her to play it for me ;D
After the service we have food and fellowship or as my dad says Finger Food Fellowship with Friends and Family and Fun or something along those lines...

So I just want to know (and so does Paige cause I say so) if you have any favorite Christmas traditions you would like to share with us or any Christmas recipes? :D


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
God bless!!!
~Elisa


12.21.2012

The No Better Than No Post At All Post

Normally Friday would be a post that shows ya what we've been working on, sharing new listings, etc.

Welp, yo ain't gettin none o' that!

We still have several items from a week or two ago that I haven't "bothered" to photograph and list, but then this week and next are all about family, so we wouldn't have anything to show y'all anyways. 
And then there's the part about all of us and our families being sick...

Honestly, I could count on one hand the number of people I know who aren't sick right now. And sometimes I forget to use all my fingers. 


We hope you guys aren't all sick too!
=(


 Soon enough we'll put shipping back to normal and list new stuffs (just probably not very proactively). 
Oh, and for you fellow New Yorkers: if you decide to order last moment, all ya have to do is let us know, and we'll set ya all up to check out minus shipping. By fellow New Yorkers, I'm referring to neighbors and church family who might read this and who we could arrange a quick pick-up or drop-off for them especially. 
However, I figure we don't have to worry about that. That's just in case.

While around the subject of sales, we would just like to say a huge THANK-YOU!!! to all of you guys - this year's Christmas rush has been a little crazy, but 100% encouraging, beautiful, and exciting. We have big plans for next year (as always) but we may actually make it happen this time around. We can hardly wait to share everything with y'all as the time comes!


 The gal who has atypical pneumonia, is dying for a batch of homemade cookies without the snot and other "extras" that would currently dominate in any of our cookie dough, has yet to purchase most gifts, and is gonna finally decorate the Christmas tree with the family tonight,
~ Paige ~
 

12.14.2012

Let's Be Mutually Blah

I've been very sick all week; today is my first day being "better".
Elisa got sick Wednesday. 
Robyn has been fighting a cold.
We're all just plain yucky feeling. Sure, we had new items already lined up for the week, but this gal hasn't had the energy or the stomach to stand up, in sunlight, and take pictures. None of us have been up to drafting listings, and clearly, no one has been up to blogging.

Sickness is going around, so we're sure you or someone you know has "got something". Nasty stuff. 
Then there are the holiday season tragedies or losses. Way too many of those each year. 

I'm content to leave this post as a mutual blah and round of tears... and I don't think anyone will argue that that is just as well. 

Today would not be a very appropriate time to be all silly and cheerful anyways.

So are we agreed? I'll stop writing, you stop reading, and we each are ok with being like this until some other time.

Ok then!

Don't get sick!!!
- Paige

12.10.2012

Let's Do That Monday Stuff

I'm feeling extremely crummy and my head is pounding. My goal is to stick with what's necessary and leave it at that. 

N E W  L I S T I N G S


I N  P R O D U C T I O N
- 3 hats
- 1 sweater dress
- 1 sweater shirt to update an older listing


R E C E N T L Y  S O L D 
 ^ This was an updated 'original' listing ^


Also, we're slowly working on adding to our pages (the blue bar at the top) and today we added our Pinterest link. 
Nothing where we think you should follow us for big scoops or whatevs; just sometimes we add pins of things we're about to do or get, and of course, we pin our listings. If you'd like to see an occasional pinning spurt or a random lonely pin by us, feel free to follow. =)


- Paige

12.07.2012

You Know, That Special Post

Yeah, the one I mentioned I might do today when I wrote y'all on Wednesday.

Well, it's simply this. 
A photo dump....in honor of the
HOLIDAY SCENE STEALER
*finally* hitting the shop!!!

{cover your ears, we're gonna squeal}
{That was lOuD}
=D

About time, huh?

Now for the photo dump of the HSS!


Isn't it booo-ti-fuuulllll???
My fave shots are the black and whites of the necklace!


Merry Christmas!
-Paige

12.05.2012

Wednesday Update {12.5.12}

Let's start out with a new listing ~ 

A good way to start out, right?

The way we have it planned, there should be a new listing every single day until almost Wednesday next week. And even then, we may continue to have daily listings. Or we'll just list them in batches. Whichever works out.

Speaking of listings, we want to give y'all a heads up.
On December 15th, all listings will be updated to priority mail shipping so that any orders placed that close to Christmas have their best shot at arriving on time for Christmas. Most packages shipped that way, even across the country at this time of year, in our experience, arrive within two or three days from the day they were mailed out. If they are mailed in the morning, it's even better. 
Of course, the upgrade will cost more, but only by $2.50 or so. Not very different from any other place that close to Christmas. =)


Photos of our baking set (the ones I redid the same day it sold...which still slightly annoys me, but makes me happy as well, lol) like promised below. :)

Hopefully we'll have a special post this Friday....

Until then,
- Paige 

12.03.2012

Monday Forecast {12.3.12}

It's December.
Already?
No time to panic. 
Haha, right.
Oh well. I'll try not to think about the fact that I don't have a gift for anyone, I'm only still putting together some ideas, and that I'm not as rich as I like to believe.

However, my personal finances are no reflection on our shop since September! Thank you all for purchasing from us so faithfully! We have had several records set in the past two weeks alone. We cannot thank you enough for that! It just goes to show us that we really can survive taking our shop to the next level. =D
And we can afford Robyn. I think she'll like that. ; )

Coming Up:
The socks are done.
The jacket for the Holiday Scene Stealer is done too!
Please join me in waiting for good weather....
A super cute striped tee. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to list it...that's how much I love it. Still in progress.

New Listings:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/116797178/blue-and-brown-polka-dot-pajamas-for
Renewed, but updated and a new item added...basically, a remade listing.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/93292491/walking-in-a-winter-wonderland-4-piece

Recently Sold:
Roasting Chestnuts
Pink and Purple Baking Set
I'll have to remember to show you all the redone pics. =)
And of course, the custom order


Only 22 days
...
Merry Christmas!!!
- Paige -