Celebrate Christmas All Month Long

I really love Christmas.  I tend to go all out.  I start playing my Christmas music before Thanksgiving.  I get out the books I have on Christmas customs and traditions and reread why we do the things we do.  I try to make my yearly ornaments to give out in early December.  I try to make the holiday last as long as I can.   

While looking for a celebration to write about this month besides Christmas, I found there are all kinds of days in December set aside to get you ready for the big holiday itself.

December 6^th is St. Nicholas Day.  In some parts of Europe and even here in the States, this is the day when St Nicholas (Santa Claus) comes for an early visit.  There actually was a St. Nicholas who was an Archbishop in Turkey back in the 5^th century.  He became the patron saint of boys and December 6^th is his birthday and on this day he is known for bringing little gifts for the good children, and sticks for the bad. 

If you are Christmas Card sender, December 9^th is Christmas Card Day.  If you haven’t gotten your cards yet, this might be a good day.  Or maybe this is the day to make cards.  Wouldn’t Grandma prefer a hand made card from the little ones than a store bought one?

Poinsettias, considered the flower of Christmas, have their own day on December 12^th.  So make sure you get out to your favorite garden store to pick out your festive plant.  December 14^th is Roast Chestnuts Day.  If you are not much of a chestnut person, how about picking up those other nuts you might eat.  A favorite part of Christmas growing up was going to the local grocers to get our bag of mixed nuts (only available this time of year).  They would have bins of unshelled nuts.  My favorite then and now were the walnuts.

And what is Christmas without the cookies.  Well, December 18^th is set aside just to get those holiday sweets completed for Santa’s visit with Bake Cookies Day.  And so you don’t forget that tree, Look for an Evergreen Day is December 19^th.  And while you are getting ready, why not take a break on December 20^th and celebrate Go Caroling Day.

If by now in the month you are bogged down with shopping and decorating and feeling a bit overwhelmed, there is a day for you to go ahead and just feel a little like Scrooge.  December 21^st is Humbug Day.  Just don’t let it last more than a day.

And finally on December 24^th, hopefully all the preparations are done and you can sit back and enjoy a little eggnog for it is not just Christmas Eve but also National Egg Nog Day.

If you are one who likes to have Christmas last as long as you can, go ahead and celebrate it all month long.  And Merry Christmas to you.

©2018 Cheryl Fillion

Creativity in your Holiday Shopping

After attending the International Quilt Show in Houston recently, I was reminded that all the quilters who made those beautiful quilts had to start somewhere and so I decided to repost a blog from last year about adding a little creativity to your Christmas shopping.  You never know what you may start.

What do I mean by Creativity?  I mean make sure you buy someone you love some art supplies, craft supplies, or a craft kit or two.  You never know what life long love you will start in a young child or help someone older continue to enjoy a lifelong love.  You might even help a future artist or quilter end up in an international exhibit.

There are all kinds of activities out there from model airplanes and cars to assemble to adult coloring books.  The other day I saw a kit to paint a set of nesting dolls (I almost bought it for myself).  There are looms of every kind and step by step books to do all kinds of needlework.  And of course you could provide the supplies for one of the crafts I have done a tutorial on and show them this blog.

And also consider a gift of music or dance.  Either provide some future performer with lessons or an instrument or take them to a holiday concert or ballet.  I bet there is a Nutcracker Ballet going on somewhere near your hometown this time of year. Going to a performance is a memory both of you can share.  I still remember going to a simple children’s Christmas concert at a local junior high with my mother when I was visiting her one holiday.

So add a little creativity to your holiday shopping by giving a gift of creativity in whatever form your heart desires. You can never give too much. Happy Shopping!!

©2017, 2018 - Cheryl Fillion

I Went to the Houston Quilt Show

Last week a group of quilters from our local quilt guild rented a bus and went to the International Quilt Show in Houston, Texas.  I hadn’t been in years and even went into training to prepare myself.  (Training?  - yeah, I did more walking to get ready for the walking I would do at the Convention Center. hahaha).

I am so glad I did.  There were over 1000 quilts and hundreds of vendors.  All of it was inspiring and overwhelming.  The quilts were magnificent; definitely the best of the best of quilting. (for copyright reasons I can’t post any pictures.)  They came from all over the world.  I saw quilts from Japan, China, and South Africa as well as quilts from my state of Texas.  You could just be walking along and hear languages from all over the world.   It is truly an international event.

I was inspired by what I saw.  The use of color and imagery was amazing.  There were a lot of special theme exhibits.  One was having to do with Mother Earth, another with Elvis Presley and a group of wall hangings from South Africa.    The different interpretations of each theme were astonishing.  It just shows how diverse people are in their thinking and quilting. 

There were a lot of traditional quilts that made you say Wow when you saw them (I said wow a lot).  And lots of abstract art quilts and pictorial quilts.  Some of the picture quilts looked like photographs until you got up close and saw that they were fabric and thread.  There was a group of thread painted quilts that really did look like photos.  In fact friends I have shown my pictures to can’t believe they are not photos. Look up thread painting on the internet and you will see what I mean.

At times I would think “Just hang up your needle and thread, Cheryl.  You will never be that good.”  But when I would see another different design or color scheme, I realized all quilts are wonderful and all quilts need to be included even my own.

I am new at the craft of art quilts.  I told my brother after seeing these quilts, I now want to try and see what I can do. And that is what quilt shows are all about.  Not just to put a quilter’s work on display but to inspire other quilters to keep on quilting and strive to be the best. 

If you go to a big quilt show like this, go with a friend or friends.  It is much more fun to share the experience.  You don’t have to look at the quilts together; everyone looks at art at a different pace.  But generally sharing the experience together makes it more memorable.  I will remember the bus trip there and back as much as the show itself.

And dress for comfort not fashion.  You will be standing and walking a lot so you might as well be comfortable.  If you want to buy food there and not carry a lunch, go for it.  But I had a feeling there was going to be long lines at any food area so I brought my own water and sandwich.  I didn’t want to waste any time waiting in a line when I could be looking at quilts.

I am trying to use the supplies I have so I didn't buy much but I have to say the vendors were amazing.  If that is what you like to do the most at the quilts shows, bring a totebag to put your purchase bags in.  You don’t want to be worrying about dropping or leaving behind some purchase because you can’t hold on to all the bags holding your treasures. 

And most definitely watch your money.  This is just the place for those who can slip their hand in a purse and walk away with your wallet without you knowing.  I brought a purse with a flap that covered up the opening and kept that flap toward my body when it was on my shoulder.  One friend wore a jacket with breast pockets and that is where she kept her money and credit cards.  She said it did get warm with the jacket on but she didn’t mind as long as her money was safe.

And I joked at the start of this blog that I went into training but I have to tell you, I am so glad I increased my walking time before the quilt show.  I started off with short walks in August and gradually increase the time and distance.  I have done quilts shows before and have come home so sore I could barely get out of bed the next day.  But not this time.  Oh my feet were sore but not hurting.  And my back has felt better since I have been walking more.  (Now just don’t tell my doctor it was the quilt show and not her medical advice that got me walking more.)

My advice to you is if you have a chance to go to a big quilt show and especially if someone else is driving, GO!  It is well worth the time, the money and you will be so inspired to do some more quilting.

©2018  Cheryl Fillion

Be Grateful For…

November is when here in the States we celebrate Thanksgiving.  It is a day developed to be thankful for the harvest and the good growing season.  It has become a day of wonderful food, family and friends, parades and football.  November also has become a month where people put on their social media the items in their life they are grateful for.

I have mentioned before in this blog that I teach at a local college.  For many years I gave an assignment called the Gratitude Inventory (I still use it occasionally when someone needs some extra credit).  The assignment was to “Make a list of 20 things for which you are grateful.  Think about your family, friends, and talents as topics of gratitude.  Look at your life.  Respond to something in the news or the course content that you are grateful happened or didn’t happen to you.  Gratitude does not have to be something dramatic and life changing.  You might just be grateful that it is Friday.”

It was a great assignment and often the students would comment that they would continue   doing Gratitude Inventories because it reminded them of the good they had in their lives.  What would you put on the list if you had this assignment?

I decided today to give me this assignment.  So here is my Gratitude Inventory:

1- My health

2- My brothers

3- My parents

4- My home

5- A heater when it is cold

6- Air Conditioning when it is hot

7- My friends

8- My fish

9- My fingers

10- My eyesight

11- My hearing

12- My tastebuds

13- My job

14- Clean water

15- My embroidery ability

16- My needle felting

17- My spool knitting

18- My Etsy shop Heartfully Cheryl

19- My blog Heartfully Cheryl

20- That it is Friday.

© 2018 Cheryl Fillion

 

Cook Something Bold Day

Cook something Bold Day?  Sound’s interesting, doesn’t it?  This year Cook Something Bold Day is November 8^th. 

Now cooking something bold is really in the eye of the beholder or should I say the tastebuds of the beholder.  What is bold to one person might not be bold to another.  And what one would consider bold might be bland to someone else.

So what would you cook if you wanted to be bold?   Something spicy?  Something pungent?   Now it doesn’t necessary mean that you create something with disgusting ingredients intended to make people sick to their stomach.  Actually one description of the holiday suggested an original dish with new uses of herbs and garlic and maybe some hot pepper.

You want to make something that is edible but with a taste you have never tried before.  How about some Indian food or Mexican with lots of jalapenos?  If you are not one to do spicy food, how about using some vegetables you have never tried before like asparagus or an artichoke?  Or maybe trying cooking some fish, if you have never done that before.  Or just trying a new twist with an old recipe.

The fun part of this day is to use your creativity to determine what you consider bold.  So get out your cookbooks and look for something bold and tasty.

© 2018 Cheryl Fillion