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Today and Every Day After


This admittance might make me sound old, but we didn't stay up to midnight last night to welcome the start of 2026. Instead, we watched college football (Miami upset Ohio State!), then headed to bed. Even if you don't see the ball in Times Square drop, it's still a new year when you wake up.

I already like when I get to flip a calendar page to a new month, so starting a whole new calendar scratches a deep itch. It's a clean slate. A reboot. A fresh start. I'm ready to organize my pantry, clean my closet, toss expired spices, and throw out old socks. 

At the same time, I've lived plenty long enough to know that I'm still me. I don't subscribe to the near-year-new-you premise, as if somehow we reach January 1 and become our true authentic selves, just 100% better in every possible way. 

What is new, though, is a promise that I rely on daily: God's mercies are new every morning. Daily mercies. Daily bread. The daily promise that I don't need to fear because the Lord never will leave me nor forsake me.

God with us — Emmanuel — isn't just a concept to sing about in Christmas songs, though I deeply appreciate those reminders. Emmanuel means that God is with us on December 25, and God is with us today, and God is with us every day after.

God is with me when I'm ugly crying, when I'm irritable, when I'm a disappointment, when I'm ashamed. God is with me when tears sting my eyes, when I feel overlooked, when I don't know the next best step to take. God is with me when I'm teaching a class, speaking on a stage, and writing a blog post. God is with me when I'm so full of joy my heart can't contain it, when I'm light with laughter, when all is well.

Emmanuel, God who became flesh, the God who has redeemed me, this Jesus who is the King of Kings — He is called Emmanuel, God with us. 

God with us today when the calendar is bright and fresh with the promise of a new year ahead, and He's with us every day after.

Spinning New Life on a Magnavox Record Console

Day 12 of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025

There are many reasons why I know that my husband loves me. One of those reasons is that when I ask him something like, "I was just on Facebook Marketplace and found a free piece of furniture that weighs 300 pounds, so will you please go with me to some random stranger's shed to pick it up and let me store it in our garage for four months?" he answers with "yes."


At least, this is what happened this past year when I found a vintage 1970's Magnavox Record Console. It was a frigidly cold day we picked it up, and let me tell you, it was a beast carrying and lifting it into our van. True to form, it also stayed in our garage, untouched, for several months until it warmed up enough for me to work on it.

The first steps, essentially, involved demolition. None of the electronics worked, so I pulled out the record player, eight track, radio, speakers, and all wires. After this initial gutting, I removed the external panels so I could strip away the old fabric that had covered the speaker openings. While dirty, this process felt productive.



The next leg of restoration involved giving every inch of the frame a thorough cleaning, which set a good foundation for the new finish.


I used Iron Ore, a deep charcoal paint, and covered the entire piece with two good coats before carefully sealing it with a protective coat of polycrylic for durability.



The next step was to replace the old fabric with new fabric, which I cut from a set of gray curtains that I picked up at Goodwill for $3 to fit each panel, using a staple gun to secure tightly to prevent any wrinkles. After this, I reassembled the console by reattaching the panels and securing the sliding top cover.


With the restoration complete, the final step was staging. We carried the console inside (lighter after the electronics were removed, but still a beast!), and I took a series of photos to show off various angles and the updated finish. I posted it on Facebook Marketplace, and within one hour I sold it for $150. Later that evening, a dad and his teenage son picked it up so the son could add his own sound equipment and store his growing vinyl collections.





This was such a fun project with a great before-after transformation! I especially love that the console has a new life in a brand new home.

Thanks so much for joining me through the Twelve DIYs of Christmas! I had a great time revisiting projects, and I hope you did, too. Here's an archive of all this year's projects — drop me a comment if you have a favorite!

May your DIYs be merry and bright!
Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025

Day 12: You are Here: Spinning New Life on a Magnavox Record Console


A Gallery Wall That's Going Places

Day 11 of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025


I like maps. For the past several years, I had a simple print of a United States map hanging in a thrifted frame in our finished basement. This fall I decided to upgrade the wall into more of a gallery by adding photos of places we've visited.


In the upper right, I hung a framed lobster post card and a nautical picture I took while boating in the Penobscot Bay during my visit to Maine this past summer.



The upper left showcases artwork and a photo from our hiking trip to Utah's Big Five national parks during summer 2024.


Our Pennsylvanian roots are well represented with this cleverly designed map of the state:


And, of course, Penn State gets a "WE ARE" shoutout with a metal laser-cut sign which I found at a garage sale.


While the layout certainly isn't to scale, the goal was to have some directional sense -- west locations being more more west, east locations being more east. (That's as good as I can get.)  I plan to add pictures from a few southern locations, too, like Naples, Florida where my parents live and Jekyll Island, Georgia, which is one of my favorite places ever. Once I thrift a few more picture frames, I'll add a lower tier to the wall.



It's a gallery wall that's going places, one that happily showcases the places we've gone.

May your DIYs be merry and bright!
Visit again tomorrow for final installation of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025!

New Life for a Vintage Tombstone Radio

Day 10 of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025


I have to admit something: a lot of antiques are ugly. But they've often got something really good going for them: they're build to last with quality craftsmanship. This past summer, I found something that fit this bill: an old wooden antique radio, which I purchased at a garage sale for $5. Much like the images above, the radio frame was solid wood. The electrical mechanisms already had been removed, but the nubby brown and orange fabric that covered the speaker remained. 

I loved the radio's arched shape, interesting grate, and quality wood, though. To restore it back to display-worthiness, I removed and disposed the fabric. I also carefully removed the wooden grate, patched where it was broken with wood glue and filler, and then gave it a coat of inky black chalk paint. For the arched radio frame, I gave it a careful sanding, then painted the circular border with the same inky chalk paint before reattaching the wooden grate with glue.
 

I love the contrast between the rich wood and the black decorative grill, and the arched shape echoes some other arched decorations that we have in nearby rooms, like an arched cabinet and an arched mirror. Repetition of elements, whether colors or shapes, makes spaces look cohesive and intentional, I'm finding.





It's a simple, unique tabletop decoration that would look equally nice by itself, or with either a faux plant or candle inside.

May your DIYs be merry and bright!
We're nearing the end, but visit again to see the remaining twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025!

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