Holidays 2012 Top Ten

10.  Making hats with Sara and Mimi.

9.  Eating vegan turkey.

8.  Meeting Baby Hallie.

7.  My new table.

6.  Girl's night!

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5.  Girl's night!

4.  A warm fireplace on a cold, snowy Christmas Day.

3.  Chilaxin' with San Antonio friends.

2.  My mom.

1.  Celebrating five years of marriage to Chris.

Obsession

Obsession
/eb'seshen/
Noun

1.  The state of being obsessed with someone or something.
2.  An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

Synonyms:

Paper Dreams

Last spring, I agreed to host a table at a women's event.  In my quest to host a table set apart from the usual pastels and florals, I found these adorable paper place mats with pop up details. I was instantly inspired by the idea of paper.

Many, many hours later, I had handmade paper napkin rings and vaseful of handmade paper flowers to match the paper place mats.

This Christmas, I again decided to decorate with paper.  After about a month of folding, I was able to  dress the Sias Christmas tree with my very own handmade paper ornaments and a matching paper star.

Paper really is a great medium.  It can be folded to look soft or rigid, flat or multi-dimensional. It comes in different textures, weights, colors, and patterns.  It is (relatively) cheap and is readily available.  I love the natural, simple look of paper.

A few years ago, I watched an awesome documentary about modern paper folders called Between the Folds.  The artists and scientists in the film create spectacular things out of paper, and they speak with passion about their creases and the forms they create.  While my paper creations are nowhere near the complexity and artistry documented in the film, I really enjoyed my paper Christmas tree this year.  

 

Grandmimi

My Grandmimi, Ms. Hallie Whitten, passed away this morning.  She was the eldest of four generations of women pictured below:

While the loss of a loved one is always sad, it's comforting to know that my Grandmimi lived 99 full years of life.  She had 7 children, 20+ grandchildren, 30+ great grandchildren, and a number of great, great grandchildren.  She lived at home up until the final weeks of her life.  Her mind did not fail her and in the end, she did not suffer from chronic illness or endure great pain.  She simply went to sleep and died in peace.  The next memory she will have is Jesus calling her home.

My Grandmimi's deep love for Jesus and her resulting sweet spirit left a lasting impression on my family, as evidenced by messages my family members posted today:

"My heart is heavy with the loss of my sweet Mimi but the promise of the great reunion is ours! What a day of rejoicing that will be! Those who have heard me speak of her know what a treasure she was to all who knew her."

 

"What a long, faithful life she led. She was an inspiration in devotion to us all and will be dearly missed. . . . Everyone that knew her knew she had a special relationship with Christ; a connection that can only come from years of belief and prayer. "

"She was the sweetest person in the world . . . .  She had the biggest heart and was truly an example of what God wants us to be like. We love you Grandmimi."  

Two days ago, my cousin gave birth to a baby girl and named her Hallie.  Two days after baby Hallie entered the world, her namesake went to sleep.  The birth of one Hallie and the death of another within a few short days is  a bittersweet reminder of the inevitible circle of life in this world of sin.  Someday, however, we will meet Jesus face to face and leave this sinful world behind us.  When that happens, I will proudly introduce you to my Grandmimi. 

To read more about my Grandmimi, click here and here.  To read about my Great Grandma Lair, who passed away at the age of 99 about six months ago, click here, and here.   

Bowling Fail

Tonight I went bowling.  It was a last minute decision, and I didn't have socks.  As it turned out, the socks were the least of my worries.  Take note girls: Never try to bowl in a denim pencil skirt because no matter how you roll it, hike it, or stretch it, you cannot achieve the range of movement necessary to effectively throw a bowling bowl and at the same time maintain your modesty and dignity.  It was a bowling fail.