Christmas, back to the basics.

Christmas is different when you are a kid, you have the excitement of every little thing. Somewhere along the way it becomes a little less fun, little more chaotic.

Things are simpler when you are a child and that's ok. They don't care that you tried to make your tree look like one out of the sears catalogue, or the presents don't have bows because you forgot. 

I think children are the key to Christmas and to truly be happy you need to channel your inner child and let the rest go.

I came to this epiphany after leaving Chapters the other day with Charlotte. She wanted to buy a book by Usborne that was filled with pages of patterns to cut, fold and glue. Pages and pages of Christmas joy long forgotten by me.

Over the next few days we spent hours folding papers and cutting pieces out to make snowflakes, folding angels and makings garland. Remember that? Cutting out strips of paper and taping them together to make paper chains to decorate the tree?

Spending that time in front of that book brought back memories of a simpler time when Christmas meant more than perfection.

Whenever I would question something, like two coloured being alike on the paper chain, Charlotte would say, " But that's ok," and you know what? it is.

I have decided to try to let go of the ideals of perfection when it comes to the holidays, the fun in the process is better than the end results.

I will let Charlotte wrap presents, sometimes they are horrible balls of paper crumpled and taped beyond recognition but she is having fun. I will make cookies and let her decorate them however she wants, I let her put her paper chains and hand painted wooden ornaments on my "perfectly" coordinated Christmas tree and didn't lose it or cry when one of mine shattered on the floor. (Only a few tears shed on the inside)

When it comes to Christmas it seems the key to be happy, at least for me, is to be 4 years old again. Or at least to relive that though Charlotte's eyes. 

Off the Wall Photo Wall Collage

When I moved into my house in April I looked at my blank living room wall and thought "it needs something." I then looked at the massive amount of photos the movers, aka hubby and friends, left in the office and I thought I have to find somewhere to put those.

Wall meet pictures, pictures this is wall.

Now that they have been introduced I got to work putting as many together as possible. I had always wanted a wall collage but thought the frames needed to match and I didn't have the money for all new frames. Guess what? They don't need to match. These are all the frames I already had except the 3 photo frame on the bottom, that was a gift to myself :)

Focus on what you want to see and where, you can buy guides, find them on line or cut out paper in the shapes of your frames and tape them up first. Me being who I am did none if these and decided to wing it, I will never take them down in my lifetime or hubby will see all the holes in the wall where I put in the picture hanger and then needed to move it 2 inches to the left or so. So don't be me and follow one of those suggestions for having a plan. 

I showed my sister my creation and she said " how very Pinterest of you. " 

Does she spy on me???  

So I like Pinterest, I am pretty sure stealing ideas if what it is there for! See my big C? ( For Cummings if you are wondering) Pinterest steal. I also saw someone have other things beside photos on the wall and I thought that was cool. It feels good to have my little carved turtle from Belize on display instead of in a drawer. 

So there. I managed to get multiple photos on the wall and still look like I had a plan from the start. I love when that happens.