Scheme, scheme, plot, plot

I have a birthday party to throw this weekend, another to throw next month, and the hubs & I still need to decide what we're buying our family members for Christmas & what I'm going to make. (I do a lot of homemade gifting for the holidays. Mostly b/c I'm broke, but also b/c it's what I would prefer to get, so I force that preference on the ones I love.) To me, there's nothing better than a homemade gift. It's one-of-a-kind, you know the person had you in mind while they made it, and there isn't the guilt that the person spent to much money on you.

Each year I make a picture slideshow for my in-laws & put it on dvd. I skipped a year b/c I was afraid they might get tired of them, but my mother-in-law has mentioned several times that she's ready for a new dvd. :) It makes me happy that the woman who NEVER EVER EVER tells people when she wants something is actually dropping hints for this Christmas. We stopped making gifts for my sister-in-law & her husband. One year we got them a gift certificate for their favorite restaurant & I made a free babysitting certificate to go w/ it so it would be a little more meaningful & cutesy. The next year I made them a slideshow that they never even watched. 2 years in a row was enough indifference for us; we gave up giving them anything.

When we have the extra money I bake cookies for our close friends. I'm going to try very hard to do that again this year, but who knows. I've had to give up on it 3 years in a row b/c we've just been too broke. This year is shaping up to be about the same, if not worse.

I love making little goody bags w/ tissue paper or cute containers & tags to pass out some yummy treats in. I don't particularly enjoy the baking part b/c I hate doing anything that involves a kitchen, but it's a small price to pay to show a few people that our family cares about them.

I have also tinkered w/ making no-sew fleece pillows. I'm not terribly skilled, but they were decent enough. I might try making no-sew fleece blankets for our niece & nephews this year. I had a lot of fun making tutus, but since we only make/buy/give gifts to the people we spend the actual holiday with, I won't be making any tutus for Christmas. I do get to make one this week for my adopted niece's bday.

I guess I just love crafting, even if I lack expertise. I have fun picturing the person who will receive the gift & putting as much of their personality into it as possible. I have so many great gift ideas this year (thank you Pinterest). Too bad I lack funds & time to fulfill my psychotic inner-crafter. In addition to the Christmas gifts & birthday parties, I have also found a woman on craigslist who wants a play kitchen for her granddaughter. So I told her I'd make one by refurbishing an old entertainment center. I made sure she knew it would take time (I still haven't found an entertainment center), but I want to have it done before the beginning of December. And then there are the Blessing Bags.

I want to make as many of these as possible & throw a "bag making" party so that others can join. Every time I commit myself to a bunch of stuff, I get that sick feeling that I overdid it. I stress & worry about how I'm going to pull it all off. And then, at the zero hour, I pull it off. I think I might be magical.