Monday, December 31

Prosit Neujahr! Bonne Annee! Happy New Year!


It is the time for resolutions, change, renewal and reaffirming. How about survival? My resolution is just to survive the next year with my three kids, three dogs, husband and mother in law. Survival of my Etsy shop. Survival of my creative spirit. Currently my creativity is being strangled by the heaps of laundry that are waiting for my attention. The survival of my youth... perhaps some exercise and diet changes are necessary for that one. The survival of my children. Right now they are cruisin' for a bruisin', (as the saying goes) and my two year old will be lucky to make to three. (I am speaking purely out frustration and of course, would never actually hurt them, but I can now see how some parents snap.) So my resulotion this year is simply to survive 2008. Onto a creative tidbit..




If you haven't figured out what to do with all the Christmas cards this year, instead of trashing them, or keeping them forever, why not make next years gift tags out of them? It took only a few minutes, and now I have plenty of tags of different sizes, shapes and patterns for all my Christmas crafts and gifts next year. Or for scrapbook pages of this years holidays.



So, as the New Year starts, I send out loving wishes to you all. Please be safe, hold those you love dear tightly, and keeping stopping by to visit!


I just couldn't put this pretty Cardinal away with my Christmas decorations. So he is now perched in a flower pot on my mantel. Another bit of crafty goodness... put cranberries in your flower pots on top of the soil, around the base of your flowers to add a touch of holiday color. (You can see the berries peeking out from the pot above..)

Enjoy!

♥ Abbie

15 comments:

bj said...

A very Happy New Year to you!!
hugs, bj
Oh, I just saw the icicles you made for Mary at Little Red House and they are just beautiful!!

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to you for the new year, Abbie! May this year bring many blessings to you and your family!

Thanks for the tip regarding the Christmas cards What a good idea!

Sherry said...

Survival!!! What a wonderful theme/idea for the new year...I like it VERY much...and I wish you much happiness, joy, blessings and survival for the coming year!!! Happy to have met you this year, looking forward to sharing our creative spirits as we head into the new one.

xo
Sherry

Jeanette said...

Hello. I have been making gift tags from my Christmas cards for years. I just can't bear to throw them away!

ELLIE said...

First I want to wish you and yours a very BLESSED and BEAUTIFUL New Year...may it be filled with happiness, love and prosperity....
I love your idea for the christmas cards...I will have to see what I can come up with!!!
take care and thanks for sharing your life with us!!!
Peace--Ellie

Vee said...

Oh, I love the red cardinal still out...I always leave something of Christmas from one year to the next...a nice little bridge of sorts.

Hug that little one and then put him or her to bed. LOL! Pour a glass of something cold and sit down with a book and relax. Childhood all passes so soon...all too soon.

Rhondamum said...

Happy New Year to you Abbie! May this year bring you much joy and many blessings!

I love your idea for the gift tags! You could also use them on the tree itself with a piece of pretty ribbon.

I can relate to your bird on the mantle. I did the same thing with two birds I have. Great minds think alike!

God Bless!

Junie Moon said...

I love the recycle gift card tags, they're so cute and it's a wonderful idea. I also posted an origami project this weekend on turning the cards into little boxes. It's such a shame to just toss the cards so I've saved every one we've received since we got married. Now it's time to turn them into something to use again.

Anke Martin said...

Oh Abbie I send you lot's of energy over there! You can make it, we woman can be so strong!!!! Maybe you find a way to get once a week some time for yourself, I know how kids can drive you crazy and how desperate breaks are needed. I hope you find a way to give yourself a nice art retreat more often and can recharge. Love the tags, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing it. PS: Survival was kind of for me last year with building the house, being pregnant, further education....hope this year will be a little calmer....definitely need it too. Big hug, your friend from Germany ;)

Amber said...

I got so excited to see my card in your collection...I was sad to give those all away this year!

Mary said...

Happy New Year, dear Abbie! I love your theme for the new year -- survival. I can remember being completely overwhelmed at times when my kids were little. It's so hard to find any time for yourself. Hang in there, though...it gets better! :)

I love my icicles so much, I may keep them out all year, too. They might hang from the corner of a mirror or picture, or perhaps just draped over my jewelry box...

My wish for you this new year is time -- family time, creative time, and time to just be you!
xoxo,
Mary

Saucy said...

I surely need me one of them tag punches. I've spied them before but passed, and now you've got this dandy idea! I'm off to Michaels.

MeMeMe said...

Happy New Year to you!!! I support you in your plans... I will be visiting. Happy days.

Donna said...

Happy New Year to you Abbie! Wishing you the best. Love that Christmas card tag idea. I must do that.
Hugs,
Donna

CIELO said...

And blessings to you and yours during 2008, dear Abbie! A new beginning has been given to us… let us enjoy it! And remember: Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. (Brooks Atkinson)

Cielo