Days 23 and 24

Merry Christmas Eve!  or Merry Christmas if you are already into tomorrow!

Day 23

Warm Joy

Scrapbooking in the morning and lunch with Mark at 11.  We wanted to go to Cagney’s but the parking lot was full, probably since the kids are out of school this week.  So, next door to Mamma Mia’s it is!

When I let Asher out after I got back home I took a picture of the Oxalis growing along the edge of the house in the front.  It has been warm enough that I won’t be surprised if it blooms, too!

When I bake the pre-cut Nestles Toll House Turtle Chocolate Chips, I only bake 4 at a time!  Otherwise, we would probably eat the whole dozen in one sitting!  Good and warm with some milk!  YUM!  12/23/25

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Kristtorn Collection by Anna Aspnes

Day 24

Christmas Cheer

I had scrapbooking “work” to do today before I could start on my daily page for December.  It was a pj day until just before Mark came home at noon from work.  We took Nellie’s Christmas gift to her and went to Southern Lunch in Lexington to grab a bite to eat, but they were closed.  So we stopped at Arby’s on the way back home.  We didn’t want to eat heavily because Elisabeth had invited us to supper for lasagna.  We left the house after we fed Asher at 3:30 to go to their house.  Liz put the lasagna in the oven about the time we got there.  We played Rummikub until time to eat.  After supper we opened Christmas gifts.  Hannah, the now 21 year old, said to me, “since we are older now, we get practical gifts, but I’m not complaining!”  And there is also a noticeable difference in the lack of chaos in the gift opening!  The baby/kid days are long gone!  It was a great evening shared with my daughter and her family.  12/24/25

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 2 by Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Mini Palette Orphic (free with the purchase of Storytelling Scrapbooking class)
ArtPlay Palette Kristtorn by Anna Aspnes

 

December Color Play Coming Soon!

Beautiful collections that can easily mix and match between designers!  That is the purpose of the Color Play Collections!

I have been playing with 3 designer's portions.  The products won't actually be live until Thursday evening after the OScraps Newsletter gets emailed.  Click on the links to check things out and to sign up for the Newsletter.

Here's my playing:

Bah!  Humbug!

I truly am not really feeling very festive this year for some reason!  I think the year just got totally away from me and I can’t wrap my head around another year being all but gone!  If I feel this way at 70...what is 80 gonna look like?  I didn’t put up any decorations...not even my beloved snowmen made it out of the storage boxes this year!  BAH!  HUMBUG!  is all I can say!

Credits:

Merry and Bright by Mixed Media by Erin

Solid Paper, Kit Paper, Bah Humbug elements

No Cookies for Santa!

Santa doesn’t visit our house, so the cookies, if any get made, are eaten by Mark and I!  Too bad!  So sad for Santa!  YUMMY for us!  12/23/25

Credits:

Merry and Bright by Mixed Media by Erin

(I added the question mark and the “not” is mine)

Season of Joy

Oh! Christmas wreath upon the wall, 

Neath memory’s tender spell 

A wondrous charm doth o’er thee fall, 

And round thy beauty dwell.

Anna de Brémont (1864-1922)

Credits:

Season of Joy Collection by Joyce Paul

THIS ONE IS NOT IN THE COLOR PLAY GROUP

Leave Christ in Christmas

By Margaret Cagle

Christmas without Christ?

Tell me, how can it be?

So many people change it

To suit themselves, you see.

Can’t we say “Merry Christmas”

Instead of “Happy holidays”?

We take Christ out of Christmas

In so many different ways.

It is nice to exchange gifts

This special time of the year,

But what do we give to Christ,

Our Redeemer and Savior so dear?

Christ is really what makes it

A genuine Christmas season.

If we take Him out of Christmas,

We celebrate for the wrong reason.

I want Christ in my Christmas,

For inside my heart Jesus lives.

Jesus can be your Savior too,

For free salvation He gives.

Credits:

Time of magic All in One  by Natali Designs

Day 22 Merry Wintertime and 52 Inspirations Products

Day 22

Merry Wintertime

If I don’t do Mark’s laundry on Sunday afternoon, I do it on Monday.  So, that was the main task for today.  Plus washing the bed linens.  Asher has been puking a lot lately, so his bedding also needed to be washed.  I threw one of the heavy towels he lays on into the load with Mark’s work pants.  But it is so heavy when water-soaked that it causes the spin cycle to be off balance.  I ended up having to spin it by itself.

I think the Christmas cactus’ lone bloom is about bloomed as far as it will go.  We shall see how long it lasts.  It sure is a beautiful color!  

For being the second day of winter, it is pretty and sunny today.  It is a little chilly, but not too bad, especially if you are in the sun and the wind is not blowing!12/22/25

After eating lunch with Mark and Bob at Rancho’s, I went home.  On the way I watched for Mary and Joseph to see how far they had gotten on their journey to “Bethlehem.”  They were just before you get to the Amity Baptist Church, in the yard of the house this side of the church as you are headed south out of town.

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes
Sign up today to receive the 2026 52 Inspirations products at the low price of $34.99, but only until midnight December 31st. On Jan 1st it reverts back to the normal price of $39.99 Note: First download for 2026 will be available on Monday January 5th.

Go HERE to sign up for 2026 now! 

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52 Inspiration products used for this layout:
52 Inspirations 2025 No 52 Christmas Inspired Elements
52 Inspirations 2025 No 51 Christmas Inspired Papers
52 Inspirations 2025 No 50 Holiday Word Strips by Vicki Stegall 

 

Day 21 Sunday Afternoon

Sunday Afternoon

On the way home from church we debated on what we were going to eat for lunch.  I didn’t really want to go out, but the only thing at the house was frozen foods.  We opted for pizza and garlic knots.  

After lunch I placed a grocery order that I picked later in the afternoon.  The store is going thru a renovation/remodel and I can’t find anything, so I will gladly let them shop for me!

The Christmas cactus I got from Ilene has the most beautiful color of flower!  I am surprised it is still living considering the green and thick water it is surviving in!  The water that is “turning into dirt” according to Mark!  Whatever works!  I might just add some dirt to this vase!  Then the plant will probably die for sure!  My thumb is not so green!  12/21/25

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes
Warm Wishes Solid Papers by Sekada Designs (I changed blending modes on 3 different papers to get my bg)
Warm Wishes Kit by Sekada Designs

I used bits and pieces from Travel WA Clusters No 2 and Linger WA Clusters No 1, both by Anna Aspnes, to create my letter beads and word art.

 

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

The holly's up, the house is all bright. 
The tree is ready, the candles alight. 
–Carl August Peter Cornelius (1824–74)

Credits:

ArtPlay Kristtorn Collection by Anna Aspnes

Photo from Pixabay by GirlOnPhire

 

Day 20

Day 20

Sunshine Warms the Soul

What a beautiful day!  Plenty of sunshine made the low 50s seem warmer, unless you were in the shade!  I decided I needed to get out of the house, so I drove down to the cabin to see what Mark was into.  He was working on putting plastic up as a wind block around the porch.  Clear shower liners so you could see out.  Piper was enjoying laying in the sun by the fire.  I went back to the house to fix us some lunch and bring his flannel shirt back and a different hat as his coat and toboggan were getting too warm for him to work in.  We had pimento cheese sandwiches, Pringles, and chocolate chip cookies.  

I wanted to see where our new neighbors were going to be building their house, so Mark walked across the fence row to cross onto their land.  Those hills in the distance is the direction Mark gets all of the lovely sunset pictures.  He met the new neighbors.  The man told Mark to come over anytime to take pictures of the sunset.  Their house will be built to the left in the picture before you get to the row of trees.  Mark warned him about him and his friends shooting guns and our not-so-wild parties at the pits from time to time!  He said he liked to shoot, too!  He may even join them sometime!  Mark thinks they are going to be good neighbors!  Thank You, Lord!  Only 5 days until Christmas!  Mom and dad would have been married 71 years today,12/20/25.  

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 2 by Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Kristtorn Collection by Anna Aspnes

(I didn’t use the Artsy Layered Template or the Bonus from the Collection)

 

Designer Challenge

Done for designer challenge found here: https://oscraps.com/community/threads/december-2025-challenge-recipe.43225/

Spellbound

Emily Brontë

The night is darkening round me,

The wild winds coldly blow;

But a tyrant spell has bound me

And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending

Their bare boughs weighed with snow.

And the storm is fast descending,

And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,

Wastes beyond wastes below;

But nothing drear can move me;

I will not, cannot go.

Credits:

Vinterglod by A Whimsical Adventure

I used the Solid Papers, Mixed Media Elements, Mixed Media Papers

The Forgotten Wonderland Mixed Media Elements  by A Whimsical Adventure (bead scatter and deer - changed hue/saturation on beads) 

Miscellaneous

A Moment Like This

While working in the woods Mark noticed the beautiful colors of the sun as it was setting and captured these gorgeous photos.  Some of God’s handiwork!  Beautiful!  12/16/25

Credits:

WaterColor Template Album No 2 by Anna Aspnes

Paper Sentiments (one) by Joyful Heart Designs
In the Woods (three) by Joyful Heart Designs

HO! HO! HO!

I think if my brother, Joe, who is sitting between Mr. and Mrs. Claus, had on Santa’s outfit, he would make a great Santa!  However, he has lost weight, so he would need to plump up the suit with some pillows! 12/6/25

Credits:

Warm Wishes Solid Papers by Sekada Designs
Warm Wishes Masks by Sekada Designs
Warm Wishes Kit by Sekada Designs 

The Treasures of the Snow

Snowbound Kit by Art Addicts

Snowbound Wordart by Art Addicts

Snowbound Addon Kit by Art Addicts