One sure thing about the holidays: as the family gathers together there will be a discussion -or worse argument- about something that happened at a past holiday gathering. The kids received duplicate gifts 2 years ago -or was it three? Uncle Joe hit the eggnog a bit too hard and ended up sleeping it off under the tree when?? A simple way to help provide evidence of all the fun-filled events of holidays past is start NOW to document the evidence -uhm create a holiday memory scrapbook.  But how shall you do this?

I believe in "short time" holiday decorating-limiting the exposure of Thanksgiving and Xmas decorations to something close to 10-14 days. It's a personal choice that makes seeing any of these items appear much more dear to me. The one exception to this rule is the door wreath. Wreaths can decorate doorways years round - either changing the actual wreath by the season, or changing some element of it to indicate the seasonal changes. Wreaths are one of the simplest items for anyone to make and decorate themselves, making them a perfect crafty project for a winter afternoon.

This year in honor of Veteran's day, how about spending some time- this weekend, perhaps?- sewing up a couple small items that can shipped to our deployed troops to say "Thank You"? Or reaching out those volunteer operations creating personalized items- and find out how they could use your talents? Operation Support for Deployed Military began as Operation Pillowcase in August, 2004.:

The holiday season is only a couple weeks away, so many of us are starting to make details To-Do lists for all the parties, festivities and family gatherings being planned. Count our dinner plates, check the good silver (then consider locking it away?), getting out the serving pieces and table cloths. We're making sure all the basics will be ready to go at a moment's notice. For the FIRST big holiday of the season -Thanksgiving- let even consider using a centerpiece to dress the table. Most of us put off doing a centerpiece for good reasons:

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose life often feels like one big social network experiment. Like many others, I know that my blogging has suffered at the hands of Twitter. At least once each day, I find myself sharing fascinating links via Facebook. And spending time searching new way to find those links to share - besides other people's Twitter and Facebook links.

While walking her dog, BlogHer member Kelly Wickham (MochaMomma) passes a neighborhood church that lately has an interesting sign in front: So you Don't Want or Need to go to Church? Where do you Learn About Compassion? On the Internet? For Wickham-like many of us- the experience has been an overwhelming "Hellz Yes!" 

Next Saturday, neighborhoods everywhere will place host to goblins, spooks, and ghosts. Which means this week will be filled with craft projects to help build the properly spooky ambience. Let's turn to the blogs to find a few quick projects to help: At the Long Thread, use thin cardboard and a stick from your yard or a field to make this Bat Mobile.

In the next few months many of us will decide we have to "buckle down" and create all the presents and decorations that are on our imaginary -or sometimes not-so-imaginary- To Do List.  We have deadlines- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's Day.  And we cannot disappoint others by failing to create all the wonderful things that are swirling around our heads.

When it comes to Halloween costumes, I have always pulled the working mom excuse and bought costumes for my kids.  Sometimes we got hand-me-downs or found deals at costume swap events, but for the most part, we forked over large sums of money for costumes. This year was different!  I was somehow inspired to make my daughter’s costume and it cost less than five dollars.  If you’re already crafty and can sew, move along, you will be seriously underwhelmed!

As the seasons begin to shift toward autumn, I starting more about giving -and especially charitable giving.  Money for food banks for holiday meals, home-made biscuits for the animal shelters, and crafts for whichever charities can use them.  Sewing, quilting, crochet, and knitting are the key crafts where charitable appeals are aimed. With limited time, what are some of the charities that looking for charitable crafting?

Today is final day of National Sewing Month.  One month for learning new sewing skills -learning how to how at all; for finishing projects begun earlier; for leaping into the ReStyle/ReMake themes of the year.  I'm wondering how everybody did this month. For myself, I did little sewing. I took part in a tiara-making party for a friend's birthday celebration -which required a small amount of sewing along with lots of be-dazzling and glitter.  And I did tackle all the items in the mending pile. That was, however, the extent of my sewing.  How about others?

Art is subjective; it can be quantified as being beautiful, inspirational or for the early painters a form of reporting the events of the day. Kitsch is more like syrup on top of ice cream. It is of the heart, the emotions and a strong dose of guilty pleasures. There are times when it is hard to tell what is art and what is kitsch.