I thought it might be a little early, but of course not! The holiday season is upon us! So, let me know if you want a card or not! I need to get them ordered!

I'll collect addresses after I figure out who wants one!

These are a few of the presents that I'm giving this year.  They are hot plates or "trivets."  I think they're pretty darn neat-o and totally useful and awesome!  The multi-colored one is for the step-mom.  The two purple ones are for the sister-in-laws.  My step dad made the wood frame.  I got the tiles for free from work (they were throw aways) and then I used some Double Duty glue that I got from work (It was a partial container that was going to get tossed - free) and then grouted them tonight (pre-opened package that was left over from a job - free!)   Not sure if they'll be set enough to wrap and give tomorrow night, but here's hoping...
So, here you go.  Homemade Christmas :)

Oh, just thought I'd share some pic spam of my little poodle face, Aslan :)
He LOVES presents!

I got to open my present this morning!  Matt got home early from shopping, so I was able to open it before I went to work.



Aww...  Isn't he the sweetest.... *sigh* 




This one is a close up with the flash on, so you can see a little better.

And here I am wearing it!  
I took much, much better pictures earlier...  One was with the box and the card and the necklace.  The card is so sweet... I'll put it up later :)  Made me get a little teary eyed :)
FYI - I have the best boyfriend in the world.

I got this one from angyllina  and I thought it was a neat idea.

Step One

- Make a post (public, friends locked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

- If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, so that the holiday joy will spread.


Step Two

- Surf around your friends list (or friends’ friends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

My Christmas Wishes

1. I know that no one can grant this, but it is my #1 Wish - I wish that Matt and I could be together.  Like for good.  I want to skip all the money woes and the Visa and immigration crap and just go to being together.  That's what I want more than anything I can think of.

2. Tim Tams - It would so figure that now that you can get Tim Tams in the United States, sold under Peppridge Farm at Target stores, My Target (the one I have to drive 45 minutes to) DOESN'T HAVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *dies*  Dammit!  I just want to try them to see what all the hype is about!  

3.  A cross-stitchable Christmas stocking.  I'd like to do one for Matt, like the one that I have that my mom did for me years ago.  However, I seem to be unable to find a stocking that has the aida canvas on it for personalizing!

4. Anything Twilight related.  I've just bought Vanity Fair so that I can see the purty Twilight cast pictures they put in there, and... yum.  I really wanted to do a Twlight red and black Christmas tree, but funds are non-existant, so that's not happening.

5. Hallmark's 2008 Harry Potter Keepsake ornament.  I want it so bad.  And I just don't have the money for it.  If I wait until I do, I'll end up spending WAY too much on it, getting it on eBay.  My Christmas tree right now is a mix of ornaments from growing up, Gone With the Wind, I Love Lucy and Harry Potter ornaments!  I NEED it!  www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product|10001|10051|843295|215589;221071;221122|null|P1R4SO|stores

6. Cat treats that Aslan will eat/ will not yack up later.  For some reason, he just doesn't like any cat treats I have tried to give him.  And, the one time he ate one, he yacked it up.  I just don't know if they have a special one that is like kitty crack, but he's not having any of the generic ones!

7. Thinking about wish #5 - Are you thinking you have too many ornaments?  Maybe you need to get rid of a few?  Well, if you have any that are classic t.v. or classic movie related - I'd love to take them off your hands!   My favorites are I Love Lucy (Though I think I have all of those) Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Harry Potter, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, etc.  Just saying, if you were gonna toss 'em anyway...  I want to do my Christmas tree in a t.v./movie theme!

8. Books - Well, good book recomendations.  I love to read, and am always looking for new good books to read!  I love pretty much anything.  Vampires, as long as it's good.  I don't like evil vampires...  I love books set in Medieval history.  No, not historical "romance" with PG-13 sex scenes and 1/2 naked men on the covers.  But books set in history with a good story.  Love stories are fine, just no Harlequin crap.

9.  My passport.  Or, more importantly, the $100 for my passport.   To apply for it, I mean.  Not that I expect anyone to give me $100, but I can't go see Matt next Christmas if I don't have my passport!

10. Fat free/ sugar free/ low cal treats.  Not gross ones either.  Recipes, or just recommendations for goodies, or actual goodies themselves.  I am always looking for new things to try out!

My e-mail address is cass_errol@hotmail.com

If you need an address contact me and i will get it to you, however, most everyone should have it that is on my friend's list...

I hope everyone puts this on their journal! Maybe I have things I could contribute. I would love to help make someone's holiday brighter!</lj>

Naked Matt in a big red bow!  Unfortunately, I know that there's no chance of that one :(  I guess I'll have to go with a flat screen computer monitor so I can move my computer off my kitchen table.  That's pretty much the only thing I asked for... I'd like a gym membership as well, but I we'll see.
Really, I don't expect a big Christmas this year, and really, it doesn't matter.  What I want more than anything would be to spend Christmas with Matt, but as I said above, however, that's not going to happen.
I just hope that everyone likes their handmade gifts and that I get my dad's USMC seal stitched in time!

Matt and I are getting ready to mail our Christmas packages to one another.  That poses all sorts of issues when it comes to cost, mailability, boxes, bubble wrap, weight, etc. 
Apparantly, he has a hard time finding a box.  I mean... It's just a box, right?  But, turns out, they don't make boxes in the UK I guess ;)
Anyway, I saw this, and I had to giggle because I'm afraid this is what it will come to!