Thanks to the "current economic crisis" (a phrase which has been repeated so often, it has become just as annoying as Obama and McCain ads were at the end of October).....anyway, thanks to the current economic crisis, which hit home hard a few weeks ago when my man lost his job when a certain electronics superstore went South (yes, the very one he just got hired to help improve the image of, by opening an exciting 'new concept' store for them, a building that is 100% constructed and 100% ready to open - save the merchandise stock - but is now closed, before opening, thanks to the current econ...never mind), and thanks also to the tremendous amount of clutter I've decluttered over the past years and the fact that our children find sticks and bugs more entertaining than toys, we're participating in handmade holidays...
I haven't mentioned all that - the losing the job thing - on the blog, because it's kind of hard to mention "current economic crisis" (great. now I'm saying it all the time, too) and "lay off" on a "just, pure, lovely" blog. But, it's life. We're not worried; we've been on more shaky ground before, and have learned over the years how to count our blessings no.matter.what. Still, it stinks, it's a blow, it's not fun, but it's also not the worst thing that could happen and we did learn - the hard way - to prepare for rainy days. The sky does fall occasionally.
Okay, anyway, back to the Handmade Pledge, and off the run-on sentences...
We have so many crafty things in our closets/drawers/shelves that we can go crafty shopping at home. Seriously. I make the kids pay for what they take.
Okay, no, I don't make them pay. But we do have a big stash. So, for this holiday season, because money is an issue this year, because the landfill has too many of our previous castoffs and we don't need to contribute more broken toys to it, and because creativity is good for the soul..we have a goal of not buying anything for holiday gift-giving. We're still giving away gifts; we just have to make them. We're going to work with what we have, as much as possible, allowing for a run for glue or tape, if needed.
If you'd like to join the Handmade Holidays pledge, click on the above graphic link. You don't have to say you'll make all your gifts for this pledge, like we're doing. The pledge actually says you'll buy handmade this holiday season.
Guess what? I'm going to send something crafty to one of you this holiday season, too! I'm not sure what yet, but on December 3rd (Wednesday), come back to this blog at some point in the day to see what I gathered together to give away to one of you. It'll be either some craft items from our overflowing stash, or it might be something I made. You'll see on Wednesday. So will I. :)
p.s. If you'd like to have a crafty giveaway on your blog, too, please join us! Click on the above graphic link for more information.
