The Name "ChristmasGal"

Are you ready for Christmas?  My favorite part of Christmas is the preparation!  I know most people dislike that part, but I start early and go slow and steady.  If cards are ready to drop in the mail before December 1st, cookies are in the freezer, and gifts are purchased and wrapped, I can enjoy every single minute of The Season when it slips upon us!  .....It also helps that I love to make Christmas Ornaments year around.  That's how I chose the name ChristmasGal!  I can't wait for Christmas just for the reason that we get to get out the ornaments!

My fascination with Christmas Ornaments started when I was a child.  My mom took my brother and me to pick out one special ornament each year.  We often choose something that reminded us of an important event.  Other years, we simply chose one that interested us.  I remember the year I choose a vanilla ice cream cone with sprinkles on it (my favorite).  Another chosen favorite ornament: a small gift with a red ribbon and bow attached to it.  The tiny gift box is made out of squares of mirror.  My dad was a glass man at the time, (replacing windows and windshields) so that ornament reminded me of that.  I could go on and on!  The ornaments I chose over the years were given to me once I had my own tree to decorate. A whole set of ornaments full of love and memories to put on our tree the first Christmas after Tom and I were married.   

I have the same tradition with our two children.  They choose their ornaments with such care.  Each year when the tree goes up, it takes hours to decorate because we look over each ornament and reminisce over who chose it and where it came from.  We've also started the tradition of making one ornament each year.  The kids love that just as much as the ornament they have purchased!  

Through the years, I started crafting my own ornaments.   It turned into a hobby that I now enjoy all year around.  Sometimes it's a pretty "girlie" ornament that I've envisioned, and other times, it's something like this TaeKwonDo Ornament that I made for my boys, who love their Martial Arts TaeKwonDo class.  I made duplicates of each of their uniforms.  Each year I make new ones to show their current belt color.  They love to see them on the tree each year as they graduate to higher belt colors.  

And so the story continues.....follow me as I craft ornaments!    Tell me some of your crafting ideas and traditions.  

You can view more of my many ornaments on www.ChristmasGal.etsy.com