Shaking the Tree

I've been working on a quilt - it's one crazy quilt.  There are lots of fabric colors and designs, and I had this insane idea to hand embroider over the seams.  The squares are uneven and the embroidery is crude.  It's a bit of a hot mess, but one of a kind.  And I am spending a LOT of time to finish it.

When my dad died, I realized I knew almost nothing about my family name.  My dad was the only child of essentially a single mother.  That's when I became interested in genealogy.  I've been shaking the trees on both sides of my family since then and I've been amazed and amused at what I have found.  I have learned that even though it's exciting to know you are a descendant of Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor (really!), at some point the names become meaningless without some backstory.

O Picture Tree

Sometimes the most treasured Christmas decorations are the accidental ones.  Several years ago I found this gold gilded tree at the Great Outdoors after Christmas.  It was one of those things you would never pay full price for, but can't pass up with the deep discount because the deal is so good.  I bought the tree without any idea what I would do with it.  The same year I found some great little frames at Michael's that they were practically giving away. 

Because I could get so many little frames, I started putting pictures of my kids into them.  Every year we take these adorable Christmas pictures but never seem to have a good place for them.  I started putting a picture of each child (or together) each year, marking the year on the back of the frame.

Michaels sells these frames every year so it isn't hard to keep the tradition going.  The tree sits on the foyer table, so when you enter our home you can see our best gifts on the tree.  It's also the gift that gives every year because when I decorate I get to relive each Christmas with my kids.

cindy