Merry Christmas!

Christmas Morning Smiles

I know, I know, the Christmas season is not all about the presents... but man, Christmas morning was sure fun when I was a kid. I mean, look at my face in the picture above. I am ecstatic over my doll... and that Knit Magic and finger paint set is also pretty darn cool!

We had a tradition growing up where my dad would tie a bow on our living room doorway, and we could not go in until my parents were both awake. As you can imagine, this was excruciating. I mean, how long would my mom take? Was she really brushing her teeth AND getting her coffee too?

The doorway had slats in it, and we'd scrunch our eyes, and peak through the gaps, trying to get a little clue of what lay behind. Finally, when the coffee was made, and my parents were ready, the door would open. It was magic. Presents piled high, and the tree glimmering with lights. We'd race to our stockings and being the frenzy.

We've carried on the bow tradition with my kids as well. They absolutely love it. They too have that same moment when the door opens and they see all the goodies! It really is magic.

Even with the present brigade, the season is much more than that - it's family, it's traditions, it's being together and enjoying the moment. I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with all those moments too!

Goodbye to an Old Friend

We said goodbye to an old friend this week... our 14 year old Jeep. It's been through a lot with us. It drove me to my wedding weekend and brought me home from the hospital with both kids. It bumbled up and down the streets of San Francisco, and commuted many years to Silicon Valley during the high tech frenzy. It went on countless road trips around the West, winding through the woods of the Northwest and cruising the flashy streets of Los Angeles. It spent many snowy days in Tahoe, and sunny afternoons at the beach. But most of all, it toodled around town and took us to places we needed to go. We loved our Jeep and will miss him dearly.

So, to you Jeepy, I say, "Cheers & thanks for all the adventures!"

Free Printable Hand Drawn Merry Christmas Tags

Free Printable Hand Drawn Holiday Tags by B.Nute productions

We're coming in to the holiday home stretch! Yesterday I made caramel for the first time. It was a simple recipe I found on How Does She called 15 Minute Caramels. Making them was easy, wrapping them up was a little more difficult, but either way, they are delicious and well worth the effort.

Felt Gift Card Holders with Vintage Jewelry Embellishments

Felt Gift Card Holders Embellished with Vintage Jewelry

I know, I know... gift cards can be so impersonal. I still do have a couple requests for some on my holiday list, though, so I decided to jazz up the delivery to make them a little more special. There is so much crafty goodness happening with felt these days. I've seen a couple examples of felt card holders on the web, but decided to put a little

Free Printable Vintage Ornament Note Card

Free Printable Vintage Ornament Holiday Note Card by B.Nute productions

Someday I'd love to have a Christmas tree filled with just vintage ornaments. The wonderful shapes, worn textures, retro designs would sparkle among the tree lights. I'd add a little tinsel too, just for more glitter and vintage charm. Since I don't own any of these

Free Printable Good Deeds Cootie Catcher / Fortune Teller

Free Printable Good Deeds Cootie Catcher by B.Nute productions

The holiday season always seems to rush by in a flurry of shopping trips, school events, and holiday parties. Many times my family can get so busy, that we start to loose focus of the real meaning of the season. To help remember the purpose, I've tried to carry on a tradition that my mom started when I was growing up. My mom would ask us to think up a good deed to do for the day during the holiday season. Then, at dinner time, we'd share what we'd done and talk about how it made us feel.

Free Printable Hand Lettered Joy Banner

Free Printable Hand Lettered Joy Banner from B.Nute productions

Here's to more joy coming your way! To match the sweet hand lettered printable JOY note cards I created, I've also made a festive holiday banner. Perfect for decorating a window, fire place mantle, door, or any place you want to add a little joy. En-JOY and have

Free Printable Hand Lettered Joy Holiday Note Cards

Free Printable Hand Lettered Joy Note Cards by B.Nute productions

As many of you may know, I just can't get enough of hand lettering! I had so much fun creating this free printable Joy Note Card. I've been experimenting with all types of drawing apps on my iPad and figuring out which ones I like best. For this card I used "Sketches." It gave me the graphic look I

Free Printable Homemade Goodness Tags

Free Printable Homemade Goodness Tags from B.Nute productions

Yesterday I spent the morning at a wonderful Christmas boutique at Filoli, a historic country estate in the Bay Area. The old mansion was decked out in all it's holiday glory, trees festooned with feathers, glitter and ornaments; gifts and goodies strewn about waiting to be purchased. At the end of the tour,