Not in a good mood

Tuesday: I went to bed really early on Monday and had a great night's sleep. Advent calendars:

 The two ephemera packs were from the Advent calendar swap, the gnome and minion washi are from mine and the decorative brads were from the 12 Days of Christmas swap.
Close-up of what's in the ephemera packs:

 And the Christmas one:

What I sent:

 Some chalkboard tags.
I didn't do much all day, just relaxed and read. I didn't get any mail. I did have a Christmas card in my work mailbox from a friend.
Wednesday:

 The ginger bread die cuts, trim and bling are from the Advent calendar swap, the washi and Snoopy journal are from mine and the Christmas ephemera pack are from the 12 Days of Christmas swap.
What I sent:

A mini journal that I altered.
I had signed up for a Favorite color tag Tuesday night, thinking I wouldn't worry about it until later as I will be doing my mailing on Monday next week, I woke up about 6:30, so figured I'd just go ahead and get it ready to be mailed:

 It's a journal. When I tried to find the person's address I'm mailing to, I couldn't find it in the database, so I tagged the person and asked them to post it. I saw they liked my post, but I don't see them adding their address. They could have had this by Friday, but by not following the rules of adding your address, they're going to have to wait until next Thursday at least to get it.
I did find out that I won a Winner Takes All on my mail group, and will be getting 32 pieces of mail from that. That totally made my day. I highly doubt I'll get any of them before I leave next week, so I'll have a pile of mail to open when I get home.
Work wasn't interesting. I got my presents mailed out as well as two ornament tags and a winter pocket letter.
I found a Christmas card when I got home:

 And a favorites tag:

Thursday:

 The mini notebook is from the Advent calendar swap, the lace from the 12 Days of Christmas swap, the gnome and Paris washi from mine.
I was really excited about the tiny notebook, mostly because she made it. I also got really excited about the gnome as well.
What I sent:

 Also a cute little notebook, not quite as small as the one above.
I was planning to go shopping, but then I got sucked into YouTube and ended up reading and watching TV and then my mom texted me saying we should get together on Sunday to exchange presents. She told me awhile ago that we should just do stocking stuffers because they didn't want to do big stuff. I wait until the big holidays, my birthday and Christmas to ask for big things that I want/need. Of course, I'm still waiting on the microwave they were going to get me for my birthday, so I guess I just shouldn't bother. Anyways, I kept with that. There were more things I would've bought for her, but every time I thought about it, I kept thinking of her wording of not needing more stuff, so I didn't. It worked out with my schedule this year to go on a short trip to visit my brother in Chicago, so we're heading out early next week and coming back at the end of the week. Mom seems all bothered about packing the stocking stuffers and taking them to Chicago. I can't imagine what stocking stuffer she has that she can't handle (or fit in a suitcase) to take to Chicago. Also, that means it would just be my brother and his girlfriend giving us stuff and us giving them stuff on Christmas, I'm not doing it, it's all packed and ready to go.
I'm just always so grumpy this time of year. I totally blame my parents. The first year I was with my ex, they said they were going to Rome for Christmas, when I said I wasn't interested in coming, they were just like, fine we don't care what you want. Thankfully, my ex said I could go home with him and that became our Christmas tradition. That was 2007. In 2011, my ex couldn't wait one day for me to come home with him, so he went home and basically never came back. He must've had some deep conversations with his family and decided to break up with me, because he never made contact with me after he came back. He finally broke up with me in a really long text message around Valentine's Day of 2012. Obviously I knew by then we were broken up, but this time of year just makes me grumpy. I think that's why I'm always going overboard with Christmas swaps and stuff and continuing into Valentine's Day with stuff. I just want someone else to give a damn about me.
No mail, which did not help my mood.
Friday:

 The gnome and washi is from mine, the stamp is from the 12 Days of Christmas, the rest from the Advent calendar swap.
So, that's 5 days of handmade stuff, 3 days being die cuts. I should have 7 more days of handmade stuff. There's only 4 more days left. GRUMPY FACE!!!
I'm thinking of putting all my gnomes and yeti's in next year's Advent calendar, I get so excited when I open days with those in them. I can't enjoy them except during this time of year, so I should put them early.
I'm definitely going down south shopping, if only because my mother pissed me off and that's how I deal with stress.

Toy story postcard

Sunday:

 The mermaid, unicorn coin purse, macaroon bath bomb and snowflake washi are from mine. The ribbon from the swap. I used the ribbon on the right to wrap a present already.
Day 15: what I sent:

I got my laundry done, watched some movies, and read a couple books.
I also got my mail packaged up for the week.
Christmas ornament:

 Christmas ornament:

 I usually don't allow myself to do more than one of a single tag, but I had some ornaments I wanted to get rid of, I was hoping to do 3, but the tag was Friday, so it was hard to get it in between my travels.
Gift for a friend:

 She likes Peanuts stuff, I figured she'd enjoy these. I picked Woodstock up at a thrift store last year and the socks at TJ Maxx.
A gift for a co-worker:

 Most of these are from swaps, she always says I can pass things on to her that I don't want. I did buy the reindeer candle holders and the snowflake. I didn't buy them this year, but I didn't want everything to be stuff I didn't want.
Monday:

 The die cuts are from the Advent Calendar swap, the washi, snowman and palm tree ornament are from mine, and the package of die cuts are from the 12 Days of Christmas swap.
I'm beginning to think all my partner made in the Advent Calendar swap was die cuts. To me, you don't really make those, you cut them out. Maybe if she'd done layered ones, that would be different. There are 9 more days left, we were supposed to make at least half of our items. I've had 3 days of die cuts and a day of handmade embellishments.
A close-up of the die cuts from the 12 Days of Christmas swap:

What I sent:

Some snowflake embellishments that I made.
Another one of my co-workers gave me a cute gift at work:

She made the cookies and ornaments. When she gave it to me, I was really excited about the ornaments, as I was admiring them, she says "there's cookies, too" I was more excited about the ornaments than the cookies.
My plan was to go shopping after work, but the boots I chose to wear are giving me a blister, so I went home and changed clothes and went shopping.
I found a couple pieces of mail when I changed my clothes.
RAK:

 I guess, I'm not sure, but it's cute.
A Christmas ornament:

 Very cute, but I almost had to rip apart the envelope to get it out.
I needed to find something for my brother's girlfriend, they have money, so anything they want, they just buy it. I usually just get her something nice.
My first stop was a local gift store:

 I found the star ornament and the snowflake ornament for her. I picked up the gnome for me. Total spent $13. I put the gnome in my Advent calendar for next year.
My next stop was a local toy store, they always have some interesting stuff. Totally just bought it all for me.

 scratch pack, stretchy lizard, sticky notes, nature activity book, green activity book, flowers dot-to-dot, tiny pegasus. Total spent $11. I put the scratch pack, the lizard and one of the activity books in my Advent calendar for next year.
Next place was another local gift store. I was looking for some fudge for my dad, I found this cute thing for me instead:

 Total spent $4. I put it in my Advent calendar for next year.
My last stop was a drug store. I wasn't going to go in here, but I thought I was there, I'd just look.

 Ghiradelli chocolate, keychains. Total spent $24. I had noticed a post about these mixed chocolate bags in my history on Facebook. I was extra excited when I noticed them, and then I found a bin full of Claire's stuff on clearance. These ranged from $8 to $10 each originally. I'd never pay that much for one thing, but I'll totally pay $8 for all of them.

 I think I'm done shopping. I'll probably put in some chocolates, but I'm done. My mom said we should just do stocking stuffers this year.
For my brother's girlfriend:

 the two ornaments I got today and a chocolate bar.
For my mother:

I feel a little bad that I don't have more for her, she's easy to shop for, because she collects Santas, but after she said she wasn't doing presents, I stopped shopping for her, I guess if she's disappointed, it's her own fault.
For my brother:

 He's also pretty easy to shop for, he collects reindeer. I picked up the Mario ornament because he played that as a kid. I also picked up the R ornament, because he likes green and his name starts with R.
For my dad:

The hardest person to shop for. I usually end up just giving him candy. Mom said that should be fine.

Weekly update

Sunday: I finished some altered library pockets:

 And got some tags packed up.
Grant a wish:

 She had wished for gel pens, anything Peanuts Christmas and junk journal supplies. I didn't find any Christmas Peanuts stuff on my travels on Saturday, so I chose some gel pens and put in some junk journal supplies.
Magnet:

 I felt a little bad about sending this as the magnet, but I didn't know what else I'd do with this magnet, I did include a magnetic bookmark as well.
Wish

 She asked for birthday mail.
Wish

 She asked for cartoon stuff, specifically LOL, for her daughter, and since I have a bunch of LOL stuff for some reason, I thought I'd send it out.
12 Days of Christmas Envelope swap:

 I had it mostly done except for filling the a few envelopes. I also chose to use a gift bag for #12.

 Monday, was a long day at work. I had a meeting at 3:15, I normally work until 1:15, so I stayed and and did some stuff in between, by the time I made it home, it was almost 5, I didn't plan for that.
I found some mail when I got home.
Wacky Wednesday: Flavored:

 Though I'm not entirely sure how a facemask is flavored, I'm not eating it.
Puzzle book:

 It's mostly my fault I don't like these. There's not a lot of puzzle books I enjoy. I think I just wanted to send off the puzzle book I had. I did that for a lip gloss tag, too. I don't use lip gloss, so I was going to be disappointed with that. I need to be better at onl signing up for stuff I will use.
Tuesday: I had the day off to make up some extra time I had worked. I slacked off all day. I had some mail when I checked.
Halloween pocket letter

I've got to stop making things for this group. I realize it's more of a mail group vs a creative group. But, I just wanted a Halloween pocket letter, just one.
Wednesday: was busy at work, we were short people and it was just really busy. I put together a Y tag:

 yo-yo's and yellow. I didn't participate in X because I couldn't think of anything and I didn't want an X-rated tag in return. I'm not going to participate in Z because I don't have anything and I'm not going to participate in the next alphabet. I've been more disappointed than thrilled about things I've gotten in return.
I had a thank you card in the mail when I got home.
Thursday, I didn't do much.
I received my grant a wish tag:

 I'm a bit disappointed in these, too. I asked for number stickers, and I realize these are number stickers, but I needed them for an advent calendar, they are way too big.
Keychain tag:

 Love this, even though I'll never use it as a keychain, it's a bit too big for me.
And a couple pen pal letters:

 Thursday was a pretty good mail day.
I also got my Garland Advent calendar items all put together

I tried to not have everything Christmassy, but wanted more Christmas than regular items. I also got the gift bags done, but was too tired to take a picture, that will probably come next week.
I put together a Sticky notes tag:

 Friday: I closed at the library, it was also a busy day, I felt very overwhelmed and then my co workers let me have the last hour in the back, and that totally helped.
I received a Wacky Wednesday: Silly

 I don't think of the emojis as silly and I hate the poop emoji. I passed these on to someone else.
I had signed up for a paper marbling class at my local art center after work. I was wicked tired when I got there and thought maybe doing it after work on a Friday night was a bad idea, but if I wasn't working, I'd probably find some reason not to go. It was fun, but they said all materials were provided, when I got there, the instructor said something about we should be wearing aprons, but did she provide any? Nope. This was supposed to be like those sip and paint things where you go home with a finished project and I do love the papers I made, it's just paper. It would have been nice to have a card, but there wouldn't have been enough time to do that. We were creating up until a quarter of nine, and I was definitely ready to go home and go to bed at that time.
Here's what I created:

 It was really fun, and I don't want to use my papers, cause they're so neat. I probably won't make more unless another class comes up.
I was so tired by the time I got home, my feet were throbbing because apparently I don't have comfortable shoes to be standing in for 8 hours. My co worker commented on my boots saying they looked cute and comfy. I had replied after 5 hours they were not that comfy anymore and she said no shoes were.
Saturday, I woke up tired. I don't know why, my body just hurt. I spent the day watching youtube and working on a book. It's a good book, it's just kinda dry and intense and the print is small.
I received my 12 Days of Christmas envelope swap in the mail:

 I have to hide it until December, so I don't open them.
I put together an SMS cozy tag:

 A junk journal tag:

 A destash tag:

 And a surprise tag:

I find the surprise tags to be really hard. I want to send something good, I probably over think them too much.