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Today I spent more time on a Christmas present that I will not be able to reveal until after Christmas, and I'm bursting to tell!  I am quite excited about it but I can't tell yet.

Yesterday my son and I spent some time together at the Krohn Conservatory for the 2016 Holiday show to see the Christmas decorations.  I enjoyed touring it with him, and then we hit Five Guys for lunch.  Yummy!

Steven in a train carved out of a tree trunk:

Pretty cool, huh!

Finally a view of part of the holiday scene.  The buildings are miniatures of buildings in Cincinnati, as is the train that circles throughout the whole thing.

And finally, some quilting!  I cut out 13 hexagon shapes from paper for my modern quilt from Craftsy's 2012 Block of the Month by Amy Gibson, and 13 3 1/2" squares.  Here's decision time for fabrics.  I hope they work!

And cutting around each paper form on my new rotating mat!  I used my glue stick to keep the fabric squares attached at this point.  It worked!

Next up:  hand basting.  This from the girl who doesn't do hand sewing.

Oh, check out Sew Mama Sew for giveaways, but they're almost over so hurry!

One more for those who like art of all sorts:  check out JessicaPutnamPhillips.com for a ceramics artist.  I've been following her on Periscope while I quilt my surprise.  I've learned a lot about ceramics watching her scopes.  I still choose quilting, but what she does is amazing!  She shares my view that art allows me to focus on what I'm doing instead of worrying.  It's a way to just be and find my place.

Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!

It's time for caroling and happy energies this season because of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Peace can be had in spite of the world's turmoil.  In spite of personal turmoil.  It really can.

Add a bit of quilting to lessen anxiety too or at least something creative helps spill off stress.  Maybe it's cooking, coloring, dog training, or biking.  Find it though.  I'm not being overly light about it:  stress is real and so is anxiety.  Add some scripture and meditation time and this season should feel lighter still.

I added another journal to my collection.  I've been wanting a paper journal again rather than typing up entries on the computer.  This takes me up to three journals.  A small 5-year journal that I'm gleaning events from past calendars and Facebook, a spiritual journal, and now this one.  After I took the picture, I colored on the front cover since it looks just like the backside!  Another way to de-stress.

Today my son and daughter put up the Christmas tree and we discovered we have too many decorations.  Nice problem!!!

We put this new Christmas tree skirt I just pieced and quilted under the tree.  Our tree, as my kids put it, is a 3D family history tree that commemorates all our major events through the years.  We have tried to collect an ornament that marked something of the past year; some years that resulted in homemade ornaments.  Long story short:  our tree is a scrappy sort of tree so the scrappy tree skirt fits beautifully!

Our beautiful tree, Smith style:  

And Saturday I picked up the Olfa 17" rotary mat for a song, courtesy of JoAnn's 60% off coupon.  Gotta love those when it works out!