Forever Praise We...

You know how people (who don't have/like animals) always tell you that the reason your pets like you is because you feed them? That all of the purring and snuggling and tail wagging is designed to get you to give them some pet chow?

Well of course you know I don't believe THAT. I know they love us.

And I also know that not everything that motivates behavior on this earth is food or shelter or some other primitive need.

I know that some things exist solely to give us joy.

One of the ways I know this is because I heard this on the way home on Christmas Eve.

Now listen to that and then tell me that that gift she has serves some utilitarian purpose. I won't believe you.

That is a gift  meant purely to enhance the joy of humans on earth.

And does it ever.

Joy is good. The sense of lightness and fun we all share for a few weeks at the holidays is really a treasure. I hope you are enjoying it, no matter what you're doing, or where you're doing it.

In addition to the joy, I always think on Christmas of our brave men and women who won't spend this Christmas at home, and their families getting through the holidays without them. Today on the radio, a General said "remember the empty chair."

So in honor of both human joy and the empty chair, here is one of my favorite Christmas songs on my Ipod, but with a very special twist :) Welcome home to the troops headed our way, and God bless all the rest.

(click here if you don't see a video player)

This Christmas I decided my card should be merry and bright! You know by now that I love to make monochromatic, sort of subdued Christmas cards, but I decided to step out a bit this year into something splashier. More joyful.

To make them, I used my Aqua Painter and Poppy Parade, Summer Sun and Tempting Turquoise reinkers and painted stripes around four sides of Naturals White cardstock and punched that out with the ornament punch. I got 20 of these per sheet for a total of 8 sheets of cardstock. Then I cut 1/8" strips of silver glimmer paper. This was a wee bit more than half a sheet total. Then 80 sheets of Whisper White, the stamped greeting from Peaceful Season and the music from Nature's Pace and voila! 160 handmade cards for $19.75 in consumables - or .12 a card!

Add the joy of making handmade cards and what do you get?

Priceless.

I hope your Christmas is joyful. And filled with pie. :)

Loveyameanitbye.