Last summer, I saw the pattern for this doll in Alicia Paulson’s Stitched in Time: Memory-Keeping Projects to Sew and Share, and immediately thought, “Liliana would love that!”  Since Paulson had been to The Nutcracker with her girls, she thought it would be fun to give them a Clara doll–matching their personal specs (blonde hair, blue eyes; red hair, green eyes, and so on).  I’ve done the same with Liliana’s.  It was a cinch to make.

The best part?  The long narrow florist’s box I found to wrap it in.

Here’s a glimpse of the doll in Paulson’s book.  Note how you can change the mood of the doll, just with fabrics and color alterations.  So fun.  [And there are so many other delightful projects in the book.  You’ll have to check it out.]

You’re wondering how I’m going to mix dolls, Jesus, and Christmas Eve (as mentioned in my post title), aren’t you?

Well, I’m not.  I’m just going to segue into the next topic without a smidgen of creativity…

I always find it interesting to hear how other people view Jesus (since I myself am figuring out what kind of man/God he was), so I’ve included a link to Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP post on Christmas, where three people of vastly different backgrounds weigh in on the topic of Jesus.

And here we are…Christmas Eve.  A time for family, contemplation, quiet, chaos, ruffled feathers, sadness, happiness–a plethora of conflicting emotions.

Some of you have asked how we’re celebrating.  Well, we’ve told all the old stories to our little one, but we’re not sure how many have made sense to her.  We’re limited by her knowledge and understanding.  Our traditions will grow each year, as she does the same.

She knows there are presents under the Christmas tree for her (we’ve limited ours to two; the others are from relatives and friends), and she’s been unbelievably good at delayed gratification.  “Open presents on Christmas,” she announces every morning.  This morning, I was able to say, “Tomorrow is Christmas,” and her eyes light up.  Whole worlds of joy swirl in them.

We’re going to have a light dinner here (I’m thinking shrimp bisque and corn scones), then I’ll tell the Christmas story again.  Tomorrow morning, we’ll have crepes for breakfast, then open gifts, then be absolutely deliciously lazy.  Then comes Christmas dinner–not a huge affair, but special, nonetheless.  Who knows after that?  Games?  A movie?  We’ll play it by ear.

Some day, I’d like to take Liliana to serve Christmas dinner in a shelter or a church kitchen.  Perhaps that will be part of our holiday tradition–a miniscule way to give back.

The comforts and luxuries of home are reminders that sharing is imperative.  Jesus taught communal living well, but sadly, we’ve chosen when and how and where we want to listen.  These are things we think about on Christmas Eve (or Winter Solstice, for others of you).  A reminder that we have a brand-new year ahead of us–to live, to be kind, to reach out, to learn, to sing, to pray, to just…be.

Whatever holiday you’re celebrating (and even if you’re not), I wish you peace…and rest…in your heart, mind, and soul.

Love to you all.

Addendum:  My mom just sent me this recipe for Caramel French Toast, and it looks so scrumptious, I have to share.  Thanks, Mom…and Leslie!

CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST

1 ½ C. firmly packed brown sugar
¾ c. butter or margarine
¼ c. plus 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
4 eggs, beaten
2 ½ c. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
10 slices (1 ½ inch thick) of French or sour dough bread (I use crusty sour dough that is on the dry side)
3 tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. butter or margarine

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat,

stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Pour syrup evenly into lightly greased 9×13 pan. Arrange bread (cut into large cubes) over syrup.

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt; stir well. Gradually pour mixture over bread slices. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Combine sugar and cinnamon; stir well.

Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle butter over bread. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately. Makes 10 servings.