New Traditions

So, it is not even Thanksgiving yet, but y'all know that I LOVE Christmas.  It is never too early.  There are only a few years in my adult life that I have been able to resist setting up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.  Honestly, I would prefer to have it up at Halloween.

This year my Christmas obsession is being fed by The Pintester.  I am participating in the latest installment of The Pintester Movement.

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS! I LIKE YELLING!!

Here's the deal.  Find an ornament on Pinterest.  Make it. Blog about it.  Follow the instructions here. Done.

Now for my ornament(s).  Back in the summer my friend told me the very exciting news that she is pregnant. I am so thrilled!  I am borderline obsessed.  I almost immediately started looking for craft ideas.  Lots of onsies, blankets, and booties.  I also ran across this:

I bought a pack of four frosted ornaments and some paint pens and shamelessly copied this pic.  The Pinterest Pin didn't link to anything but a google image (super annoying btw).  My friend isn't really a dress wearing kinda gal so I modified the design a bit.  I think it worked.

Here is my finished product:

I'm at the airport right now, on my way to the baby shower so I hope she likes it.

Now, because I was then stuck with 3 other plain frosted ornaments and a challenge from The Pintester, I returned to Pinterest to get some new inspiration (and to use the expensive paint pens I invested in).  I found several pins for inspiration.  There are some really cute ones on frosting & glitter. Now I didn't buy the cute pastel colors, nor did I buy a very big variety of colors.  Paint pens are really expensive.  I'm going to be using paint pens on everything from now on.  I may carry one in my pocket so i can graffiti, 'cause dang.

I gave cute a try:

Frosty doesn't have a nose.  I didn't have an orange paint pen :(  ...Or, now that I am looking at it, a mouth.  Crap.

I guess the blue heart needed to take a pee.

Then funny:

I didn't plan out the words very well.  "Snow" is a little wonky.

The snow flakes are ok though.

And then it hit me. A new tradition was born.  My family is kinda funny.  I will be making "This Barlow Life" ornaments for my fabulous Christmas tree for as many years as the fam will provide material.  I have quite a backlog, so I ain't runnin' out of ideas any time soon.  

First installment: This is a family joke which has endured for decades.

When I was a child, my parents, two older sisters, and I were camping in the mountains of New Mexico. My oldest sister was a teenager and not thrilled by hanging with her parents and two little sisters.  One night, we were all getting settled in our sleeping bags and she announced, "I'm going outside to read."  Dad replied, "If you see a bear, run the other way."  And then he commenced laughing at his own joke.  He laughed so hard , I thought he was going to die. She did NOT think it was that funny and the rest of us were laughing at Dad as he giggled and wheezed. You had to be there. :)

I hope my sister isn't insulted by my lack of artistic ability.  It isn't a very good likeness. 

OMG a bear with no mouth or nose!

Bonus:  Sleeping PS

Extra Bonus: Traveling PS