O Christmas Tree....

So to take my brain and emotions off all things political for the moment.....I've been hunting down some of my favorite Christmas tree items on Etsy and made a Treasury.

I wish that more people would realize the quality of handmade items that are available on places like Etsy and Ebay, and support local artists, and the more we spread the news......the

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTYzMjU5NnwyNzIzNTM3ODc0/o-christmas-tree?ref=af_own_favtreasury

Now THAT was FUN!

OK...so this is Florida, right?
Well, you'd never know it by the way we've had to dress at the Thursday and Friday night's performances of "The First Noel" at FBC, Leesburg. Friday's night's temps were at about 40 degrees, with a pretty strong wind blowing in from the NE, which was at our backs......brrrrrr!!



God bless everyone who has worked so hard to pull of such a phenomenal event, all to the glory of God!
We have been graciously fed in the fellowship hall each night, thanks to Deb and her crew. And because these temps have been so frigid, the volunteers at the Men's Center prepared hot chocolate, hot tea, cider and coffee, to warm us between shows.


When arriving, one is taken on a tour through Bethlehem, where the people of the town present the good news of the King who has been born. Afterwards, a concert telling the story of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection is presented by worship members, led by Stephen Wolgamott.

Aren't they PRECIOUS???? I got to hold the little brown one, and could kick myself in the you know what, for not having my camera with me at the time!

Some of the worship team members, who were faithful and brave to endure the cold temps, to bring the story of the birth of our Lord to the city of Leesburg.....
Can't wait until next year!!! :)

Bye Bye Best Buy

In reading Sunday's ads for the upcoming Black Friday sales, I took note of one that has my husband and I saying, "Bye Bye Best Buy".

They have decided in their ad, to wish all a "Happy Eid al-Adha", which is an Islamic holiday, but yet they will not allow anything that says "Christmas" in their ads, or for their employees to say "Merry Christmas".
And WHAT happened to Thanksgiving? A holiday that was started by our forefathers who came here to worship God Almighty, and gave HIM thanks for the opportunity to do so in a new land - free from the iron hand of government dictating to them.

According to Wikipedia:
Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īdu l-’Aḍḥā) "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is a holiday celebrated by Muslims (including the Druze) worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God.

To SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT - Abraham fathered two sons - Ishamael, who is the father of the Arab(Muslim) world, and Isaac, who is the father of the Jews.
The Koran's teachings are FALSE when they say that Abraham offered up Ishmael in an act of obedience to the Lord. It was Isaac, who was the chosen son to which the Messiah would come through. It was Isaac, whom the Lord told Moses to sacrifice, and because of his obedience to the Lord, and His faithfulness, Isaac was spared.

Any company that shuns the Lord and His birth, but will allow their ads to give praise to Islam, no longer has my respect or another penny of our money!

Am I Politcally Correct? NOPE! Am I going to sit back quietly? NOPE!

Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak at what I'll be offering tomorrow night on the
TDIPT Mercantile

OoAK Santa in Vintage Wool

Santa Bear made from Vintage Wool

OoAK Make Do Santa in Vintage Wool

Let it Snow!

Just listed in my Etsy shop, this OoAK vintage style snowman - a new design for Winter 09.
He comes with a set of blocks reading LET IT SNOW, which I made from painted and sanded white pine.
Lots of German glass glitter, to give him that wonderful frosty glow!

Ho Ho Ho

Another Santa finished and listed in my Etsy Shop today.
Dressed in traditional red/white, this make do Santa is OoAK.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Oh just wait til you see all the wonderful items that will debut tomorrow night on TDIPT Mercantile, for our Open House!

You can find unique and One of A Kind primitive and folk art decor for your home, or if you need to shop for that perfect Christmas gift, there's a little of everything to choose from, so hurry on over tomorrow, October 31, between 9 - 10 p.m. Eastern, for first pickins! :)
The next group of offerings will debut between 9 - 10 p.m., November 14 - this will be my first month offering my items on the 14th, and let's just say...
Ho Ho Ho!

*We will also be having a drawing for some fabulous door prizes,
which you can take a gander at by going to our Blog.*

Time for the September Update on TDIPT Mercantile

I don't know where August went, but it's that time again for the TDIPT Mercantile Update!

There will lots of new goodies from the artists - everything from Halloween to Thanksgiving, to Christmas.

Get there early, so you get "first pickins" of all the great works from these very talented group of artists!

Here's a sneak peek at my offering for this month - A OoAK Belsnickle type Santa, done up in traditional red and white. You'll have to stop by my page on the Merc to see additional photos, which show more of the details of this jolly ole fellow.

New Belsnickle Santa on My Website

Just listed on Little Sister's Dolls- this 12" Belsnickle, dressed in recycled upholstery fabrics and wool, with vintage buttons and accessories.

Perfect size to tuck in among your other Prim Santas or Christmas decor!

New Listing on Ebay

Today I finished up this Belsnickle, and listed him on Ebay.

He's dressed in vintage wools and suede....carries vintage lil deer that's SO adorable, it was hard to part with!

Christmas Greetings

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HURTS!

Last night, we went to my sister Deb's house for a family Christmas Eve gathering, and it was wonderful to spend time not only with my sisters who live here in Florida, but also some of my nieces and their families as well.

Let me share my beautiful family with you -

The Willis Girls

Judy, Kathy, Deb, Janelle

The men in our lives -
Wallace - Judy's husband, Bill - my husband, and Jim - Deb's husband
My niece Allison, Abby and Adam
They will have one more addition to their family before next Christmas!

My niece Angie, Lexi and James

Deb and her girls, Allison and Angie

My turn holding baby Lexi

LaLa's turn holding baby Lexi

Proud Nana with her two baby girls

Wallace with his baby girl, Mary

LaLa, Mary and Deb enjoying some dessert

Now the ONLY thing missing, were my family - We have kids and grandkids in Nashville, and Sarah and Jon live in Lugo, Spain.

Maybe one of these days, I'll be able to get EVERYONE together all at once!

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

Janelle

O Holy Night

Today I want to share Luke 2: 8 - 14 - the great announcement to the world, that the Messiah had come...

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeard to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ' Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger".

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly hosts appeard with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and earth peace to men on whom his favor rests".
This brings to mind, my favorite Christmas song, "O Holy Night" -

O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Til He appears and the soul felt it's worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn



FALL ON YOUR KNEES

O HEAR THE ANGEL'S VOICES

O NIGHT DEVINE, O NIGHT WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN

O NIGHT - DIVINE, O NIGHT O HOLY NIGHT



I tell ya, when I hear that chorus begin with, "fall on your knees", mine always buckle and the waterworks begin....

Thank you dear Heavenly Father, for your perfect gift found in Jesus........thank you for so great a love for each of us, that you would be willing to become one of us make the perfect atonement for our sins....



Merry Christmas Everyone.....

The Peace of Christmas

In hard economic times like our world is facing, many are worried, stressed and depressed daily; with the holidays just a few days away, it seems to make all those anxieties grow even worse.
There is an answer and a solution to it all, and Paul writes in Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident that the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus".
Paul tells us to rejoice - repeating himself to emphasize the importance to us. I think the phrase in verse 5 where it says, "the Lord is near" could mean two things - 1. His return for the church, but also 2. his ever constant presence with us who are believers. It's that presence of his Holy Spirit that brings us into a place of his perfect peace - replacing the doubts, fears and anxieties brought on by the world.
Take the time this Christmas season to enjoy your family and friends. It's not how much you give, or how much something costs - it's always the little things in life that bring the best and the most memorable moments.
My daughter Sarah surprised me a year or so ago with one of the most invaluable gifts I could ever receive on Christmas - it was a dvd of a show that aired on TV when she was little, and we'd watch it each year. It was called "Claymation Christmas", and she said that her memories of that were to where she wanted it to be a tradition her new family participated in each year. Now I knew they enjoyed the movie when they were little, but I had no idea of the impact it made on their lives.
My son's most precious gift to me wasn't wrapped in paper; last year on Christmas Eve morning, I got a phone call from him, where he was telling me the names of streets in my neighborhood and that he couldn't find mine. He worked til midnight the night before, and then drove all the way down here to Florida from Nashville, to surprise his mama for Christmas. HE was my present, and there's nothing that can be bought anywhere that could ever come close to that!
Think about what you and your loved ones can do together this year that will bring cherished memories, instead of fretting about presents or the lack of them. I promise that your Christmas will be filled with the peace that came to us in the form of a little baby in a little town called Bethlehem.

The Christmas Store

Today, Bill and I are going down to The Christmas Store, an outreach by our church, 1st Baptist, Leesburg.
Families who need help at this time of the year with providing a little something for their children, will come and get ministered the love of Jesus, then get to "shop" for presents for their little ones.
We will be in the wrapping area, and will escort the parent(s) to their cars with their packages, then walk over with them to get their children from the area where they've been playing and also being taught about the love of Jesus .
I am so blessed to be able to contribute a few hours out of my Saturday to do whatever the Lord leads me to do and/or say, to these families who need support and the knowledge that there are people out there who truly care about their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
In my favorite movie of all time, "Miracle on 34th St.", "Santa" says to Maureen O'Hara, "Christmas isn't just a day, it's a way of living".
That says it all to me - that we should have the same spirit of giving, of love, and of compassion year round, and put that into action each and every day.

UPDATE: We just got home, and I feel more blessed than the recipients of the gifts!
There were over 600 children registered to receive Christmas presents, and I got the pleasure of spending time with and helping probably 10 - 12 sets of parents pick out their presents for their children; some only had a couple of children, and then there were quite a few who had up to 7 or 8 kids!
Many were single moms, and you could tell how appreciative they were. It truly was a blessing to be able to minister Jesus in this way.
Each child received one large and one small gift, and the parents were given a Bible and The Jesus Movie, along with some literature explaining the plan of salvation through Christ.
A group of teen boys were eagerly helping take the packages out to the cars, and then escort the parents to pick up their children.
Have a blessed Saturday, and remember that Jesus IS the reason for the season.

"FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN"

I wanted to do something this month, that reflects what Christmas is really all about, so I am offering this 8 pc Nativity Set for December on the TDIPT Mercantile.
http://tdipt-littlesisters.blogspot.com/ will take you there, so you can read the description of materials used, and see a slideshow that features each doll seperately.

May the Spirit of the Christmas Season fill your hearts all throughout the year.....

Janelle

New Santas by Kathy Jankiewicz are HERE!

OH I am so excited to show you the three Santas that my oldest sister Kathy Jankiewicz, brought over today for me to photograph and list on my website! These are all available for purchasing at http://www.littlesistersdolls.com/
I'm here on the left, with my sister Kathy, after enjoying a wonderful day of Thanksgiving in my home. We're the "bookends" in our family - she being the oldest daughter, and me being the youngest. We're the two that took up an interest and a love for art, painting, fabrics and sewing. When I was a little girl, I would see the drawings she would do, and the items she could make by sewing, and wanted so badly to be able to do at least half of what she was able to do!
I could go on for a long time about the amazing talent that is in the heart and hands of my sister, but instead of me rambling, I'll just share some of her works with you. :)


I posted not long ago, about where all her works have been featured and sold, so I hope if you haven't read the bio on her, you will take the time to do so.
She calls this line of dolls, "Santa Fe Santas" - expressing her love of the Southwest, and the beautiful colors found in the native Navajo wares found there.



Two of them are 23", and the other is 17". They are made with Vintage Pendleton wool blankets, leathers, faux fur and suede, and each come with so many handmade goodies, it's hard to decide which one I like best!
*TO SEE FULL SIZED - CLICK ON PHOTOS BELOW. WHEN FINISHED, CLICK YOUR BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE*

This is her 17" Santa Fe Santa, complete with two little doggies and even a kitty with his own little toy! He rides in the goodie bag on the back, along with another kitty who is sewn into place.

Close up of this beautiful Santa! I am forever amazed at the detailed hand work my sister does on each of her items, especially their facial features!
I just love this 23" Medium Santa Fe Santa - he's got three little dogs with him, all on leashes. She hand made these too, from an idea she got from a book in the library by Mary Englebreit.
This shows the back view, with his green velvet and leather fringed bag full of goodies.
His green hand sewn sequin eyes inside his face made from suede, just sparkle against his green velvet and wool suit!
This blue and white Santa Fe Santa with his cute little dog is stunning! The Pendleton wool blanket used for his coat has stars, which Kathy adorned with Vintage crystal buttons and rhinestones. His little dog walks on a faux pearl leash.
This rear view shows a doll in his goodie bag, who has clay head, hands and feet. She too, is dressed in the beautiful blue wool.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and let me share my sister and her remarkable creations with you.

Thanksgiving blessings to you and yours..

Janelle

The Christmas Tree is UP!

Today after doing my running around I decided I wanted to turn on some Christmas music and set my mood for decorating the living room for Christmas. I usually do this on the day after Thanksgiving, but this year my oldest sister LaLa is coming over for Thanksgiving, and I wanted to have the house decorated for that.

Tonight when Bill got home after work, we ate supper and then he helped me get our Christmas tree up and decorated.

It's decorated in red, white and gold glass ornamants; some being vintage ones that I've collected from my ventures to the local thrift stores and yard sales.

Also adorning our tree are:

• some small cinnamon stars and cookie shaped ornaments, sprinkled with German glass glitter and tied with natural raffia


• fabric candy canes I made


• reproduction vintage postcards of Santa

Underneath and beside the tree are two larger Santas - one being the one my sister LaLa made me, that I blogged about a few days ago. I've put one of my large stick horses that I did in a great cranberry red, inside his right elbow.

The other Santa is one that I made, that I'm glad didn't sell! He was featured on: so I'm glad that I get to keep him and pass him on to my children and grandchildren! He's sitting atop an RC Harley that Santa brought Bill a few years ago.

Our tree is topped by:

TINK!
Everyone who knows me really well, knows that I just love Tinkerbell, and a couple of years ago we found this topper at Disney Village in their Christmas shop that's open year round. She's no longer in production, so I really treasure her even more!

To the right of the tree, I have a small distressed black table, on which I put my collection of all my favorite vintage Santas I've been gathering little by little. I think my most favorite out of all these is the one who is sitting in the sled with his hands under his knees. He was calling out to me in one of our local thrift stores... :)

I tend to move things around a LOT before I'm completely happy with the way they are arranged, but for now - this is how it's going to be!