Getting ready for the Festival of the Trees.

Same project. Different year!! It's time to raise money for the Twin City Balley Company. Some of my best buds are very involved with the Twin City Ballet, and for that, I will be devoting time, energy and moolah to help them succeed. Miss Linda (Linda Lou and Johnnye's mom) is the creative director for the TCB.

Our crew moves in a pack!! Where one puts their support, the whole flock kind of moves! This is Angie. She only has ONE SON!!! So, I suppose you can "Get" that she is only there to be helpful and offer her time. That's cool!

Paula and Tashia both have dancers in this year's Christmas ballet. Tashia's is having her last year here before college. I have about 15 ahead of me, so I hope they keep coming when MY kid is dancing and their's are married!!

Breanna and I have been working on our handmade ornaments every single week at dancing while our babies learned their very first dance moves. We sat in the waiting room and made big felt pompoms. We KNEW we would do a "handmade" tree, and knew we'd need every week to get it all done.

All of the trees start bare, like these.

Community businesses are asked to come in and offer all the ornaments, decor, etc for a chosen theme. In this way, the trees have really no expense in them, per se, and the TCB can auction them off (TOMORROW night at the Civic Center in Monroe... come on by!!)) and make good money from all the donated trees, time, etc.

I was also asked to take on this Mardi Gras themed tree. It worked for me, because I had lots of purple and gold left over from my LSU tree.

That's Maddi, Robin's daughter, who generously offered to come up there last Saturday and help me get my obligations filled. Oh, and Paula did a great job of holding the ornaments while Cindy put the mesh on the tree.

Cindy kind of floated around all the trees as well. She had her hand in many of the trees.

I bet some of you probably think the same little handful of us girls do everything together! Well, I guess we kind of do! We just support each other and the things that are important to each other. Lifelong friends. I am definitely blessed that way!

Breanna and I were still making ornaments the morning of!! In fact, she still has to sew a star for the top!!

And Maddi and Robin sat over in their corner and plugged away on purple and gold. Have I mentioned that Robin is working with me full time now, on getting my orders out, helping organize my art classes, just sort of helping me organize my life, in general!! For instance, today, she helped MMPT get their Christmas on!! Looks like the WM clinic threw up candy ornaments!! ANd I LOVE that!

Oh, and the one that for whatever reason, I didn't get a photo of, is the Lady Gaga table that Breanna and I did. It was a stroke of genius! Ha. All we had to go with was this shopping bag. So, in Lady GaGa fashion, we started making things out of trash... packaging, trashbags, tubes from the middle of mesh garland, bubble wrap, etc. I will definitely have to take a picture of that table tomorrow night.

And here it is.... the final product!

This year's LSU tree. As usual, we topped it with a Build a Bear tiger cheerleader!

I also put little canvases all over it. And I used the leftovers again, on a little extra wreath to go with it.

Robin did a bang up job on the Mardi Gras tree. The good thing about this one is that it really represents Louisiana and it can be up until February. And it can also be used as an LSU tree if a few little green things are taken out. Just sayin'!

Nothing more Louisiana than this!

And this is my all time favorite tree!! I may even have to take this one home with me!! EVERY single ornament on it is handmade!!

I did all the little paper mache mini canvases. We both worked on the felft balls and the funky cones, and Bre did all the sewn ornaments and garland.

Don't ya think this tree just screams "joy"!??

Emma and Ellie went out in the backyard and found these little pinecones. We decked our little elves out in felt.

Oh, and Ellie pretty much single handedly made the feather bunches for the tree.

This tree is a labor of love!

And I hope it brings the TCB lots of money. Unless I bring it home. Then, I hope it doesn't get many bids at all, and I get it really cheap. Jusssst joking!!

If you are in town, come to the Jack Howard Theater (Monroe Civic Center) and make a bid on a tree. There are about 35 or so?!! of them. There are also wreaths and tablescapes. It's $15 at the door. ANd it'll be a good time.

Leaving Friday morning for Memphis. Gooooo TeamJake. (so much for that resting!!).

Mo

Just the four of us.

Well, here's something you don't see very often! A slow, peaceful day at the Groves house. ONLY the four Groves in attendance!

Todd made gumbo.

I finished up the Christmas decorations.

Gabbi tromped around on Lizzie's new bed. (was found... but was supposed to be coming from Santa Claus)

And finally, and very deliberately, I sat on the couch and tried to do nothing. That does NOT come naturally for me!

In fact, I found it so hard to do that I finally got up and grabbed a book I've been wanting to get in to. I am not much of a reader. I like the "growth" books that I can take and read a page or two at a time, and if bored, put it down and come back without missing anything.

This one helped me find my strength. It came with a password that sent me to their website where I had to take a 35 minute test online to see what category my interests and predilections put me in. I was pretty shocked at the results. You should consider taking it yourself. I am looking at a new direction for my life in 2012, and I need to know if I am in my strength zone, and who I need around me to support me the best. This book helped.

As for Lizzie, we've had this bed since Canton (the second time). And this dog has NEVER laid in it until today!

I just knew she'd like it if she tried it. And she was soooo enjoying that warm little bed. Until....

Along came Ellie!!And so much for Lizzie's private time! But, they do look pretty snuggly!

Until Ellie felt like she should reposition Liz and pick her up.

Poor, Poor, Lizzie!

Hey, that might work!! E just brought her on over a blanket and a pillow and joined the Lizster.

and I think fed her a little left over ham from our Thanksgiving lunch.

Later....

as Todd and I were strongly encouraging a nap, this is the closest we got to that.

They told us they'd take a nap in the chair.

But, I think it became more of a spectator sport, as they watched the squirrels playing outside, and even the ducks as they are flying south for the winter, and landing in our pond out back.

All in all, it was a pretty relazing afternoon. I really am trying to make a concerted effort to NOT do something at all times. My mind has gotten a little woozie lately trying to keep up with my crazy, busy life.

And since I've now had TWO doctors tell me I just need to slow down, I am really going to try.

Waaaaay easier said than done!! But, I have less than a year with these two being at home. Or actually, NOT school age, so I am going to really try to spend more time with them in our home and make some sweet memories.

After all, isn't that what it's all about?!

MO