Extra post--Excited!! We are wrapping things up...

Oh we are so close aren't we! Where did the month go? Somewhere along celebrating Advent, creating and crafting, sewing, crocheting, baking, playing, blogging, and making new friends-- the winter solstice has arrived. Will you be up in the wee hours to watch this lunar eclipse? We are going to try!!

Meanwhile, we are "wrapping things up" around here as some of my handmade projects for Christmas are coming to a close. My little elf happily helped me on this one.

I was so fortunate to have my mother bring me back some handmade Japanese washi papers this past fall. They are so pretty I almost hated to use them. But my goat milk soaps (which I had so much fun making!) are naked and need to be covered, so here they go...

Hope you have a beautifully rare and momentous evening and week!!

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good." ~ Dr. Seuss

So in this year of transformation, we have become significantly more conscious of our gift giving. We question where the gifts come from, how they are made, and who sells or makes them.  In that process, we have also discovered the joy of making our own gifts. The process was not just about being more responsible, but the change that happens in a child's heart when they can feel the joy in making a gift for someone else.

On this day, we scrounged up all of our broken crayons and gave them new lives.

In any transformation, the process is the same. First, strip all of the old coverings off. Some coverings actually stick to the core a bit, especially if they have been there for a long time, so you really have to dig deep and scrape. Second, break down the matter into smaller bits. This may be tough, but with persistence and and little strength, it can be done. Third, melt the old forms into any new mold that you want. Let it cook for a little while, while it really sinks in. Four, revel in the stunning transformation. It is a beautiful thing...