Melissa Runcie | Madabella

Creative Organizing

The aftermath of all that is Christmas from four family parties has settled and the house is just about back to "better-than-usual".... unfortunately back to normal is more messy than I would like! But such is life! So I will enjoy the organization for about a day or so and then it will be back to normal for sure!

I hate to admit it but this was one, if not THE, most unorganized Christmas for me ever! I had presents in their bags for weeks in my car, the house was a disaster until AFTER Christmas, I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. way too many nights...definitely NOT the spirit of Christmas that I look forward to each year....BUT all that DISORGANIZATION was fuel and motivation for REORGANIZATION! (That along with this simply magical little gift.)

One of the most challenging areas in my home (aside from my scrapbook room!) is the girls room and their TOYS! It's not really that they have a wealth of toys as much as there is just so little space! So when we get NEW toys - we must first purge and make decisions about what to keep because we just can't keep it all. So after three bags ready for Goodwill and a trip to Home Depot (and one very willing husband!), we added more shelves and baskets in two alcoves in the girls room.

The baskets make my life so much easier. Everything - down to that tiny Barbie shoe that shows up behind the couch - has a home. It helps my kids put away the things too and my older one who is 5, loves that she can READ the labels. Add some pretty tags and voilà, all is happy again in our home!

The tags were made with Holly McCaig's Ooh La La Digital Kit and 2Peas Swank Labels.

Merry Christmas!

This is such a special time of year for my family and I...I just love Christmas....and this season has been so exciting....it is not even Christmas Day yet and we have already had 2 family parties and 2 wedding engagements! But what makes it most special is pausing to really reflect on what the true meaning of Christmas is....and that's hard to do amidst all the chaos!

The real Christmas Story began many, many years ago....long before there was ever a manger. I made this family slideshow to try and capture the essence of why God came into this world. My mom looked up all the scriptures and I put it together with some pictures and music...

So if you have about 10 minutes...watch it! It's really neat! And just a firm reminder that Jesus, is indeed (still!) the reason for the season! I hope you are blessed by it! Enjoy!

Song Credits:
Joy to the World (Mariah Carey)
All Because of You (Kate Hurley)
Christ is Come (Big Daddy Weave)
We Are the Reason (Avalon)

My Creative Escape...

...is my art journal.

I never really have intentions of what I want to create. I just sit down and try to express what's on my mind or what's heavy in my heart. Then, when I look back at the pages, it's a reflection of who I was at that particular time...I did a lot of entries about my struggle to keep balance in my life, but that is something that I  have been actively working on and it isn't all consuming like it used to be. So it's interesting to walk down that path and see where I've been.

And as usual, there isn't really a grand plan, just a few scraps here and there. These few entries were done at different times recently, so they are all completely unrelated.   

"Goals"

"Art"

"Me Raw"

Merry December!

Happy December 1st! The Christmas season has crept up on us again! Christmas music is playing, our stockings are up by the fireplace and my scrapbook room is CLEAN again, as I prepare for new projects. As posted on my website, December 10th will be the last day that I am taking any orders for 2007. All custom albums and shadow boxes are 15% off.

Here's a recent framed layout I did (pictured without the frame) for an engagement gift. Framed layouts and shadowboxes are so versatile and they are neat gifts to give because you can really personalize them!

Besides making gifts this month, here are a few things that are on our Christmas Calendar. If you are in Southern California, you may want to check them out!

Glory of Christmas Play at Crystal Cathedral

December Nights at Balboa Park, San Diego

Winter Wonderettes Holiday Musical in North Hollywood

Holiday Toy Express

We are also taking the kids to see the play "Too Many Tamales" at the Teatro Carmen Zapata in Los Angeles. It's a really cute play about family, the Christmas season...and tamales! A big tradition in our family.

So we have lots planned. As you can tell we LOVE Christmas. And through it all, I have to remind my children that the greatest gift of all in the whole entire world is the birth of Jesus Christ! I will have a little more on that later... the mile high pile of laundry is beckoning me now!!!