Tis’ the Season

To start off the Christmas Season I started a new tradition today. Katie, Keelan, Matt, and I loaded up in the car and headed to downtown Riverside, right by the Mission Inn, for some Christmas shopping. Every year I want to go see the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn and I never go. Luckily we got there to see them setting up all the decorations around the hotel. The kids are totally excited about going to see the lights at night so I doubt they will let me forget before Christmas ;)

Earlier this month I met up with friends Elena and Maryam at the Mission Inn where several local boutique owners and artists set up shop in a conference room to show their wares and have a little exclusive party (I was not invitied, just caught the tail end of it when I met up with E). Anyways, I never knew all of that great inspiration and good finds were right there near me!

So today I took the kids to start our new tradition. Every year I am going to take them all out shopping to pick out one Christmas Tree Ornament each. Then we'll add a little tag to it with the year and their name. When they start their own family, I'll give them a box with their “childhood” ornaments in it for them to start off their own ornament collection.

We started in Riverside and then ended up at Collective Journey in Redlands becuase Katie had seen some ornaments there that she liked. Katie chose a glass blown Christmas tree covered with cupcakes. Keelan chose a glass blown robot. I got one of those for Matt too. And then Katie got a glass snowflake for Qamar, who was at school today. Here are some photos we took along the way:

Last night I was talking to a friend about inspiration and my classes and projects. She said that my work is always “fresh”. That's what I like to think! LOL For the last few months I have really been trying to stay away from scrapbooking magazines, galleries, and the like as far as places to look for inspiration. I've really been going out of my box and checking out craft fairs, boutiques, home decor sites…anywhere I can see cool color or textute combos, somewhere to see new shapes. So whenever I go on one of these little trips I am sure to take my camera so I can capture any inspiration I see and pass it along. Hopefully it will inspire you too.

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.