While I love the decorating, crafting, shopping for presents, the build-up of anticipation, Christmas music, and the yummy foods, I think what I look forward to most about Christmas is the downtime we have once the bag of wrapping paper is taken out to the trash and the dishes are done. We do puzzles, watch movies, eat leftovers, and live in our jammies. We sleep in, don’t put anything on the calendar, and mostly stay at home. I just really love that unhurried, unscheduled, open time with complete permission to rest. I also take the time to paint, draw, read, knit, and take art classes. In a busy world, it’s a sweet, slow time that I thoroughly appreciate.
In addition to my Christmas break, I’m going to take off the first two weeks of January for a creative stay-treat. I guess that’s a thing! If you can have a staycation, why not a stay-treat? Of course, it’s ideal to get away from making lunches, driving the boys to school, doing laundry, and preparing dinners, but taking time to press pause on some aspects of my work to make space for pondering, planning, and enrichment is still worthwhile even if I don’t travel.
So, I’ll be singing off of my blog and social media for a few weeks to celebrate the holidays, enjoy my family, and then take some time to think through questions, to read and digest, to create simply for the joy of it, to dream about the future, and recharge my batteries. I don’t have anything specific planned, but I know I want to work on paintings and read art books, listen to podcasts and books that fill me with encouragement and ideas, write down my thoughts, and I have a few places I’d like to visit, including a little art museum right in our town. I’ll probably work on some organizing as well, but we’ll see if I feel like tackling that during this mini hiatus.
I hope to come back to the online world feeling full and refreshed.
As always, thank you so much for coming to my little corner of the internet. Thank you for your comments, encouragement, and support. I’ve always believed my blog audience is made of some of the best people on the internet and I still do.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I’ll see you in mid-January…
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Oh, that sounds wonderful! Thank you for the inspiration and I will be looking forward to your return!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Merry Christmas 🎄 I love your blog! Enjoy your time away
Miss Marion, do you have a detailed set of photographs and instructions for the mural you painted in the dinning room? I plan to do something similar
Enjoy your Holidays and your “stay-treat”, you certainly deserve time off. But…we will miss you. God Bless you and your family.
Good for YOU!!! I’ll miss you. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas to you and yours! Wishing you only good things in the coming year. I love what you do and take away so many good ideas and inspiration. Glad you are refilling your well of enthusiasm.
You’re a woman after my own heart. We’ll be eating lots of soup, reading, afternoon naps and taking a wool felt appliqué instruction class online. I make dinner for my friends having health issues on New Years Eve but other than that it’s down time. I so appreciate your blog. Your crafting ideas are perfect. I can’t thank you enough for all the useful information you give us. Merry Christmas and may 2024 be a good year.
Many blessings and much peace during this time! May you and your family have a most blessed and Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!🎄
Enjoy your break❤
Merry Christmas! I have always loved Boxing day. The holiday glow, the feeling of relaxation and great leftovers. You deserve every minute of family time and creative introspection! I’m planning to spend time next week crocheting garlands using your pattern.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy and cherish these family times…they pass so quickly. You continually bless us with your delightful blog and I am happy you will have a chance to “recharge” your creative battery…looking forward to a new year with you!
You will be missed, but no one deserves some rest more than you! Enjoy.
Thank you for a year of inspiration! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Happy Holidays to you and yours. You so deserve a break. You will be missed but I’ll take some time to pour over your past posts, instructions and recommendations whenever I feel the (frequent) need for some Miss Mustard seed in the next few weeks. See you in 2024!
It sounds just perfect! I’ll look forward to seeing you back next year! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Bless your heart, you have contributed so much. Enjoy your time away. I hope Jeff will be able to have some time also. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Sounds like a wonderful plan. I will miss your daily blogs, but restful time is well deserved. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family, looking forward to your return mid January! God bless!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I know you will thoroughly enjoy your stay-treat! Sounds like heaven!
Merry Christmas to you and your Family. Thank you for all you do🥰!
Merry Christmas and many good wishes for 2024, Marian! Thank you for all you do. Your site is a quiet blessing for us all.
Marion, have a blessed time of rest and relaxation! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
So grateful for all of the inspiration that you share with us. I’ve been with you almost from the beginning and you are the only one I follow. I’ve always loved being creative, but somehow in following you I feel like we give ourselves permission to create what we love, and take the time to do it. Along with you I got into painting and take moments almost every day to have a little happy painting time. I think I started with the art work when you published your Barn Quilts Book, with colored pencils, and then I moved onto watercolor. I’ve loved your journey; painting furniture along with you, decorating, and art. Thank you so much! Happy Christmas to you and your wonderful family!
Merry Christmas, Marion! You are a blessing to those of us who follow your blog. Every day I feel as though I’m opening a gift when I click on your posts. I look forward to seeing your posts show up in my mailbox next year. Enjoy the season with your loved ones.
I appreciate that you devote so much time towards your blog. Merry Christmas!
I hope you enjoy your time away, you deserve it! Happy, happy holidays, Marian!
Merry Christmas 🎄. I love your blog. Enjoy your break.
Enjoy!
Merry Christmas! Your blog posts this month have been a wonderful treat along with being a reminder of balance, beauty and joy.
Marian,
I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas and wonderful, healthy and happy 2024! Thank you for all your inspiration in 2023 and I look forward to all you have in store for 2024. I personally love the week after Christmas and like you its a time to rest, re-group and go slow.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you for your inspirational ideas!
Happy New Year!
Very merry Christmas! I have been greatly blessed by your presence on the internet. All the best to you and yours.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!! Have a god and well deserved break!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family Marian. Enjoy your break an respite time. Looking forward to time with family and friends also.
To think and to be, to ponder and to breathe—May your time of reflection be very rich! Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
Enjoy your stay treat! I’m doing something very similar. Insta Pot dinners, usual farm chores, but
no appointments, no on call duties and no home renos for the first week in January. Just me and my sewing machine happily purring away.
Have an enjoyable and relaxing stay treat! Thank you for a wonderful year of following your renovations and decorating ideas. Looking forward to what’s to come. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
MMS Marian,
In these few short days before Christmas, may you drawer nearer to the One who anchors. you in love and peace. And, may this carry over into your “stay retreat” as you hourish yourself with all that feeds your soul.
Much love in the One who anchors us in love,
Diney on Mercer Island
Merry Christmas, Marian. I hope you have a blessed and restful holiday and retreat! You totally deserve it. Thanks so much for your wonderful blog full of creative ideas for all of us. We appreciate all you do to make our lives more fun and interesting. Can’t wait to see what you have planned for the new year!
Heartfelt blessings to you and your family for this wonderful Christmas when we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Merry Christmas, Marian! Your words inspire me, your skills awe and motivate me, and your humble, compassionate spirit blesses me and fills my heart with good. You are a gift to your world. Thank you!
I teach at and own a tiny preschool and am very active in my church. I cherish the days over winter break. I focus on calm, quiet moments, and resetting what needs resetting whether it be my body, my school, or my home. Enjoy the calm. Holly
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your downtime. You are always an inspiration in so many ways. Hope you have a new year full of blessings!
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas week and enjoy your downtime in January. Best wishes for many blessings in the new year. You are such an inspiration in so many ways. Can’t see what you are up to next year!
Merry Christmas Marian! May God Bless you and your beautiful family! Enjoy your well deserved “stay-treat”.
Thank you for all of your inspiration, encouragement and entertainment. See you soon…right back here😉
You will be missed but enjoy your stay-treat!
Happy 2024!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and enjoy your stay-treat! It sounds so calming & peaceful. Thank you for all you put into your blog!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I really appreciate what you do and you definitely deserve a break. I wish you joyful heart and so much fun during the festive period.
Could you please tell where you purchased that beautiful MUSTARD colored sweater in the photos?