Its that time of year again... where i begin drooling over oodles and oodles of etsy goodies that I would just LOVE to have for myself and or the kids... Ill spend the next 4 days putting together the ultimate etsy wish lists for me and the kiddo's :) and maybe daddy too....

My favorites!
#1: Missy Industry: I WILL have this skull ring someday... and this Misfit necklace... does that count as two? Well... as long as they come shipped in the same box - its only one.... right?

2: AuntDedesBasement: This necklace holder would be SOOOOO amazing in my bedroom. Must. Have.

3: TieMeUpAprons: Omg. Omg. OMMMMGGGGG. I need this for baking. Eating low carb now I do a lot of from scratch dessert baking.... and I NEEEEED this. Need. Not want. Need. Its Kawaii. And Cupcakes. and a Panda. Enough said.
4: ReLovePlanet: Unicorns? And Rainbows? On a slouchy pink hoodie? duh. 5:Elsiegeneva - Crochet Hook Case - another NEED since they're all sitting in a wamart bag right now... would be nice to have a little organization for my new hobby!
That concludes my top 5 Etsy wish list Christmas goodies!! If anyone of you would like to do a review & giveaway here at the blog/facebook I'd love to host you!

Stocking I made for us :) Pink tattoo for Dixie & I, black tattoo for daddy & natural tattoo for Izzaq & Zavery. I LOVE Them.

Another Mentoring Monday post by Aymee! 


A Wonderful Life      As we come off the heels of Christmas approach New Years, it is time to reflect. Adam and I have had a pretty trying go at it leading up to Christmas. On my end: it all started with failing my class. Then had a Clark Griswold jelly-of-the-month-club moment at work. Then I forgot my phone in my car overnight, which wouldn't have been such a big deal if my husband wouldn't have been locked out of the apartment building all night in the Minnesota winter, and had to sleep in his car--a situation in which people have died. More drama at work; then, the day before Christmas Eve we developed a substantial leak in our apartment from the roof. A steady stream of apple-juice colored water was making its way down my window and wall, and soaking the carpet--the carpet where our Christmas tree and presents were.

Figure 1: Making the best of it: love is all you need.      In the Thurston household, we have a Christmas Eve tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life over cocktails. This year, it couldn't have been more therapeutic. Before he left for work one night, Adam turned to me. His eyes looked beaten, his voice broken. “Could it get any worse?” Yes darling, yes it could. We have a healthy, smart, beautiful daughter. We're not making bank…hell, I wouldn't even say we're “comfortable,” but we're making it financially. Work is rough, but at least we have jobs. We may have had to live like ducks for a day, but we have a place to rest our heads at night. Sadly, and hardest to swallow during the holidays: we are away from our family. But we have “family” in our friends--and no man is a failure who has friends.
Wishing everyone the best this holiday season,Love, The Thurstons

I was outside this morning sipping my coffee as ZaQ shoveled the drive... scraped the windows of the car and brushed off the 3 inches of powdery fluff... and i thought wow, what a pain in the butt... Then in an instant felt so selfish... Can you imagine what it was like to not have cars? I bet THAT was a pain... bitter cold... either walking or riding a horse in foot after foot of piled up snow... below freezing temperatures... etc.

Once upon a time my Great Grandma Burton told me a Christmas story... she had lived through the Great Depression & two major wars... THEY had it tough... She told me the story of how they literally had next to nothing... One very special Christmas for the was the year they traded food with the neighbors... They pulled out potatoes that they had buried in their cellar... and the neighbors walked two miles in the snow to bring them carrots... together they were able to have a real meal... yep, of carrots & potatoes... and it was a feast... the two families were so happy to be together and eat... and that was it. No presents... no giant feast of Prime Rib with all the fixins, no pies, cookies, or candies... no toys, no new clothes, or fancy electronics... just potatoes and carrots. Sometimes I feel like we have become so far removed from how tough things can get, that we forget to appreciate the things that we have. We complain about the smallest of things... Can you imagine if our generation were the ones living through the Great Depression? It makes me wonder if the human race would even survive... So I ask you on this Christmas Eve... be thankful for what you have... and even more thankful for what your about to receive tonight/tomorrow... be thankful for your friends, family, and good food.... because we really do have it so great... Even in the worst of circumstances... its still so much better than what it was.