ABDUCTED: Elf answering to ELF-is. Last seen 2011

OK ALL YOU CLEVER ELVES, who started your escapades early in November.

Do you THINK we don't hear about all of the wonderful mischief you have concocted?

Your pranks are filling up Pinterest, your "children" are bragging at school.

http://pinterest.com/bgall/christmas-elf-on-a-shelf/

Meanwhile, I am scrambling around in all of the buckets in my garage for any sign of you.
Panic is setting in as I am remembering that you were last spotted
in Colorado last year as we spent the week out there....
At least I am thinking you graced our presence there!

but I really am not sure.

And I am remembering you weren't that REGULAR easy to find ELF-is
(the name my daughter continues to call you, in her letters, on notes by her bed)....

So I ask, WHY on a holiday FILLED with plenty to do,
do we pack on another thing to coordinate?

Yes I know, he does it all himself! But hey! He DOES NOT CLEAN UP!

Parents need the ELF THAT DOES GOOD DEEDS AROUND THE HOUSE
fueled by KIDS WITH HUGE HEARTS AND APPRECIATION for
what PARENTS do!

And at Christmas, the time we should be remembering Jesus,
we have a TREE to get and decorate (I have to say it is my favorite thing!)

Does the Christmas tree have anything to do with Jesus?

And then there is that dude, Santa~
who really has little to do with the reason for the season~
and possibly evolved from Father Christmas riding a goat!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

But hey! real or not, he is everywhere! even in my brownies!

and NOW A DANG ELF that eats my boxes and spills cereal,
who is missed because he is NOT destroying the laundry room,
not squirting toothpaste everywhere, not playing in the potty.

So I thought~ should I dig into the stories behind these things?

Come to find out~ as A LOVER OF THE BROWN LIQUID THAT CLOGS
MY ARTERIES~  COCA COLA is behind the creation of the
American SANTA CLAUSE.

http://robwrite.hubpages.com/hub/The-Real-Story-Behind-SANTA-CLAUS

and the Christmas Tree?

I have to say this link is written by a biblical scholar, a bit dry in tone but hey!
Who KNEW the tree's message was so varied and so powerful?

The evergreen, that withstood the winter when a child was born in a manger.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thepastinthepresent/storybehind/whychristmastrees.html


The presents beneath are another issue~ isn't the GIFT of LIFE and the gift of time
with family, LIKE ON THANKSGIVING ~ ENOUGH?

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/why-do-we-give-gifts-at-christmas

As I wrap up this blog post with all of the new knowledge I have about this season
we call Christmas Time~
I am relieved that as new events evolve, new traditions are introduced,
I am reminded that

the most special reason for this season is LOVE~ the GREATEST gift of all...

and with that, the satisfaction of family member's joy as
they open their gifts, as they sip hot cocoa beneath a beautifully decorated tree filled with
hundreds of little mementos that remind us of great times together,
of the rare beautifully thought out cards we still receive from friends near and far,
of the angel trees with wishes still being fulfilled, of the churches singing praises
to our king.

We anticipate the giggles when they open the fridge to find
 (hopefully by FRIDAY according to my Amazon.com elf package tracking!)
not only that Christopher Lumpkis or POPKINS
or whatever version of the ELF that we can't find LOCALLY

but his new friend (YES THERE IS A FEMALE ONE NOW)

CHANDA BELL!

based on her CREATOR.  (an author loves a good success story now~)

all cozied up in the cream cheese.

Move over Rudolph!
 Elf on the Shelf even has an event NEXT WEEK
so you can make him a HOUSE
DECEMBER 18 at the library in Crestline!

AND YES there are different KINDS...SOFT, HARD, DIFFERENT BOOKS
and only the children probably know the skinny on THAT~
http://www.elfontheshelf.com/AboutUs/TheTeam.aspx

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/en-us/home.aspx
http://www.imaginatives.com

CHEERS TO NEW TRADITIONS!
AND MAY THE BEST ELF MISCHIEF WIN!

Be sure to share your ELF-IS experiences with me! I would love to post some!

AND REMEMBER~ DECEMBER 25 IS ALL ABOUT ONE THING.....
Merry CHRISTmas!

The rest of the days! are all about the FUN!

And if you want to read a bit about that date, which is really NOT the
guaranteed day of Christ's birth,
find it here~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

I will say, according to history, CHRISTMAS IS A GIFT TO OUR ECONOMY~

Maybe the story like THE MIDDLE'S this week where we make gifts and
sit around and sing songs together is not a bad idea AFTER all...
no elf, no tree, no presents, no Christmas cards.

But then, THAT would just be ANOTHER DAY....

I think I will STICK WITH THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE!

Blessings to YOU and your family!

Allison Adams


And if you haven't gotten ENOUGH information~
here is a link to an alternative view on CHRISTMAS.
Don't let it cramp your CHRISTmas spirit.

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm

CHRISTMAS GIVING

Christmas is my very favorite holiday.

There are so many things more important than the receiving of gifts.

For our blog a day assignment we were to add some pictures, perhaps relating to the holidays.

Here I provide a link to my many blogs and pages, all which have Christmas themes running through them.

www.facebook.com/fluffdesigners 
provides great ideas from pinterest and our own designs as we decorate client's homes for the
holidays.

We hope you will visit and get inspired!

A favorite is this video of my daughter reading my Christmas book
The 12 Days of Christmas Giving.

Hope you will snuggle up with a cocoa and some marshmallows and enjoy her reading
by the fire....she is seven.

Here I share a link to a source for remembering the reason for CHRISTmas and a tradition so that you might help your children and family understand.

It is from a fellow blogger's site. 25 Days of Scripture to help you remember the true meaning of Christmas.

THIS LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO PAGES YOU CAN PRINT AND CUT OUT:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yCHUG8GSA27D4i1qJ_GiY3fXhx0Xu7KOUDUx-pOHG1g/edit

Fluff! Designers

This fall I joined forces with two of my creative friends to form the 

LIFESTYLE DESIGN COMPANY

 that is all about the

Fluff!

the blog is www.fluffdesigners.blogspot.com

Lisa Marie McGillberry has had a company called “Choose Healthy Be Healthy” where she creates a healthy, custom designed menu and pantry stocking service for those wanting gluten free and healthy choices for their families. Lisa Marie has directed movies, acted and has a great eye for detail. 

While the new year approaches and HEALTH IS ON EVERYONES MIND, she will be available to

Fluff! your PANTRY! (meal planning)

Susan Wilkinson, married to Daniel, owner of Father Nature Landscapes , brings design experience for exterior and interior design (she has done design for some country music award winners she is too shy to mention and has a natural style). She was in broadcasting and will be our liaison for radio and television as well as design. Susan is Lisa Marie’s sister.

Fluff! your LANDSCAPE! (exterior and live greenery)

I was an interior design major at Bama and designed banks and medical facilities here in Birmingham for eight years back when my eighteen year old was a little peep. I qualified as one of less than 250 registered and licensed interior designers in the state of Alabama.  I have been missing that part of my life and looking forward to offering residential Fluff! as well as services to Fluff! and refresh tired commercial businesses. As an artist and photographer I can supply original works (some in the UAB collection) as well as represent other artists across the Southeast.

Our December focus is

Fluff! your Festivities (parties and holiday design)

We will all be involved in the transformation process of our projects and each brings unique perspective, creativity and talent in our various areas.

We will come in and Fluff! your home to make it ready for the holidays (by the hour) so you get the tree or we can. We can use your existing items in a new twist or add to what you have to make your home express who you are.

Call for a complimentary consultation at 205-914-2400. We charge by the hour for services and cost plus for items. You will have an itemized proposal before we start!

And for the links!  Pinterest BABY! It is my favorite source for visual stimulus!  

http://pinterest.com/allisonpadams/

Santa Taking in Some Sun and Fun

In case you were wondering what Santa is up to this weekend.

He is cruising on a Harley down in South Florida~

I took these in Key West a while back and thought I would have some FUN with them.

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving~ 

for when we get back from the weekend~

IT WILL BE ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS 

AT THE ADAMS HOUSE~

IN FACT, I already have our tree (thanks Chad!)

Allison Adams

For those who LOVE Christmas and celebrate

JESUS as the REASON and

CHRIST the main part of CHRISTmas,

hope you will check out my book

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVING

Available at Interiors By Kathy Harris Cahaba Heights

and A Tiny Kingdom in Mt. Brook Village

Visit

www.12daysofchristmasgiving.blogspot.com

for the story

The children are given twelve gifts wrapped under the tree to GIVE AWAY.

Written and Illustrated by

Allison Adams

$15 paperback/ $20 hardback

Can get them personalized by contacting the author

allisonpadams@aol.com

Photography

20 Days of BLOGGING 

Gone are the days of the old rolls of film where you shoot and shoot and hope something comes out that you can keep. I wish I could go back and re-live some trips with my digital camera. 

The memories are great, but now that I actually know how to select the ones that work, tweak them if they don't quite get there and DELETE if they stink, I would have loved to have those memories IN LIVING COLOR!

I recently took some photos of babies~ They make such great subjects!

Photography, another great source for all things CREATIVE~

(and on subject with my blog daily on creativity as well as today's about "what you are doing")

I am available to take photos on location where they are most comfortable~  

$50 fee to come to your house which includes access to one free photo for you to use.

A great way to capture that Christmas card photo or holiday gift idea~  

I also photograph your pet and create watercolor/ acrylic pet portraits.  

Creative A Day

I recently attended the SCBWI Conference (Southern Children's Book Writer's and Illustrator's). 

One of the most inspiring workshops was on illustration by Kevin Lewis with Disney/ Hyperion. He was so energetic. He loves his job. He works with illustrators all day every day to bring ideas to life. 

After the workshop I found myself intrigued with the idea of illustration. The portfolios were incredible, all by artists in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. 

  

Shortly after the conference, I ran across a request for an illustrator in the Birmingham area. I have illustrated two books of my own and done a number of covers for the Alabama State Bureau of Tourism and Travel Calendars and individual projects, but never an illustration job for hire.

I share these as a sample of how I have stretched all I know about illustration into something that became nothing short of an out of body experience. If you know my style, it is loose and colorful.

I have a number of others for this project, but out of respect for the author I will wait until he publishes to reveal the others, as well as a cover design. 

I will say, being creative does not just mean declaring, "Hey I paint!"

STRETCH yourself! Maybe your talent is hiding in a project to create a six foot gourmet gingerbread house with dripping icing in multi colors as your medium!  Maybe it is in trimming hedges to look like rudolph or santa, or carving ice sculptures!

I am blessed that we live in a world where the entrepreneur is still able to "make a living without a job". 

That is a book I bought back in the 1980's right out of college. I was laughed at for reading it. 

Where is that person now? He is doing more than one thing himself, after years of sticking to his "one thing" he told me I should find.

Artists are not made to stay inside a box. And sometimes, that box might just lead you down the street to a river. Yes, I am way out there, but you creative folks get the point!

May 2013 be your year of creativity!

Blessings!

Allison Adams

www.allisonpadams.com

Why I Love Being a WOMAN

Monday, Nov. 19 – Why Do You Love Being a Woman? That’s a simple question, but one that most likely has a complicated answer. So let’s write a blog post about it. 

This morning I hit the ground running with my two business partners in our new venture Fluff! Designers.

After a great meeting to plan a fun Christmas party for a client we veered off to everyone's favorite meeting place from coast to coast: "Starbucks".  There were college gals meeting up in sweats. There was a woman seriously asleep on her laptop (this was at 11:00 am). There was a line of men out the door, tapping their feet, one pacing in a four inch square so as to not lose his spot, another on the phone talking into his earpiece, looking like a madman bursting into laughter then serious face.

My girlfriends and I gathered at a round table. A scrambled mom came through with a baby on one hip as she juggled keys, a small wallet that she balanced on the table while still holding the hand of a toddler. She looked over at us, "please watch this and be sure it isn't stolen" she asked us over her shoulder as she herded them towards the bathroom.

As I had prepared thought for today's assignment by doing some quick morning journaling pages, the topic was on my mind. I wondered, would a man ever take a little siesta at a table in Starbucks?  Would a man ask someone to watch his wallet while he dashed to the john, completely trusting that we wouldn't take off with it? Would a man decide to gather at the table until the line died down (which it quickly did and we went right up to the counter to order as soon as we had unloaded files and a leather clipboard)?

As we sat there going over the schedule for setup and design for the party I shared with them my motivation to complete a blog a day through November. One said, "Oh I should do that!"

The man in my life wonders why.

And as we talked about our project, one threw out another project idea to add to the mix in January, the other an idea for some products to add. Then we bounced back to a recipe, then to talk about travel plans. Wow, I felt such a sense of relief. I have been living in the land of the man for quite some time. I think I forgot that I am not the only right brain~left brain that juggles numerous ideas as well as numerous "lives". 

My other female "sista" who is practically a younger "creating clone" of me (except way more organized) called to tell me some ideas she had for my small paintings and to check on me. When she called last night I had just melted my finger with hot glue (well not really, but hey, it hurt) and she had a BETTER idea for attaching those ribbons to the ornaments I was making.

I thought about how precious my "girl time" is. And not only is it enjoyable,  if spent on a regular basis according to research, will add seven years to a woman's life. 

When I told my friends today's topic while we were headed out the door, one simply replied as she flicked her long black curly locks over her shoulder as a man was opening the door for her to exit,

"What do I like about being a woman? Well certainly, NOT BEING A MAN."

Allison Adams

www.allisonpadams.com

Girlfriends In Paris

by Allison P Adams

available on notecards

or order your own custom design with YOUR girlfriends!