Fun wrapping

Last year was the first year that I decided to start looking for things to wrap in that I can use over and over. I gathered up all of the cute tins that were scattered about and claimed them as wrapping containers.

I also picked up some nice boxes after Christmas to add to the pile, and Abby and I finally finished those Dinosaur cross stitch bags that we were working on FOREVER.

It takes up some space in storage, but it is fun and quick for wrapping, and will be a fun tradition, I think.

Lion and the Lamb

Snowflakes

Done!

Yesterday I turned in my final project for SPA 692; Spanish in the United States. It was a fun and interesting class, if occasionally frustrating.

I've now finished 6 of the 11 classes in my Master's Program. Over halfway there!

I did decide to take a class next semester- Options in Teaching Grammar -we'll see how that goes. :)

I've had another class with this professor, he's very organized and lets us know at the beginning of the semester all that will be required, on a week by week basis, so I think I'll be able to manage.

Or maybe I'm crazy. It's a possibility.

Yay for Christmas Break!

Mary and Elizabeth

My favorite part of the Christmas Story has always been when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. Seen here: 6:30-7:14.

What's your favorite?

Christmas Pillows

Every year I'm happy to put the Christmas Quilt I made on the bed, but it bothers me that I don't have Christmas Pillows to match. Finally this year I made some!

I had the green tree fabric in my Christmas stash, and backed them with left over red fleece from Anna's apple costume.

I found this giant Christmas scarf at Goodwill and backed it with some fusible fleece to make it sturdy. That took forever! I had some golden fabric in my Christmas box too, so no expense there.

But as I was feeling all self-congratulatory for using a 99 cent scarf to make my giant pillow cover, it occurred to me that I ought to also include the $7 for fusible fleece, and then it occurred to me that making Christmas Pillow Shams in the first place is not really all that thrifty, but it was fun, and they make me happy every day. So there.

Lucky Tummy

Talented Sarah made this lovely quilt for Tummy.

Matthew thinks from now on, all quilts should be Game Day quilts on the back.

I could look at it for hours, I keep finding new fabrics to love.

I'm so thankful for good friends.

As of right now, Tummy has two blankets ready and happily snuggled into the baby backpack, which I mended... Any day now, we'll get something else ready. Right?

I want to live here.

Sweet Potatoes

In Kindergarten, Anna drew a picture of her Thanksgiving plate and what she was looking forward to eating. Much to everyone's surprise, she included Sweet Potatoes, which have never been on the menu.
I decided to go ahead and look for a recipe and try it out.

I made this "Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic", which was a hit with everyone!...except Anna.

December 1

For all those expectant Mamas

A new favorite Christmas Album! The Dawn of Grace--Sixpence None the Richer

Always a treat to find.

I feel your heart beating
Inside my own skin
And I think of Mary
In Bethlehem

That night in a stable
Our Saviour was born
Yes, we have so much
To be thankful for

On the last Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
Without you

They're choosing the colors
Preparing your room
For one day; Midsummer
The advent of you

Together we wait for
A heavenly gift
Is winter a wonder?
Enchanted that this is

The last Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
Without you

See the stars shining for above
Hear the singing
Praise to the Giver of Life and Love
Maker of Beautiful things..

I feel you heart beating
Inside my own skin
And I think of Mary
In Bethlehem

When darkness was shattered
The dawn of God's grace
And the journey'd begun
To the first Easter day

On the this Christmas
The last Christmas
The last Christmas
The very last Christmas

The last Christmas (x 3)
Without you

We've been waiting...

Happy Thanksgiving

My hero

Matthew got out the tall tall ladder and washed the windows and dusted the ceiling fans and changed the clock and even dusted my little birds.

This picture doesn't even show how scary it is when he cleaned the top window.

Happy Thanksgiving to me.

The latest project

I found another fun kit at Goodwill!

These angels are pretty labor intensive, with sequins and beads and embroidery and multiple layers of felt, but so far I'm having a good time, and it does keep me sitting down, which is good.

We'll see if I can get one done in time for the tree this year.

A gift for Tummy

This weekend we were blessed with a quick visit from some Texas friends. I didn't take any pictures of the kids playing or the parents talking, but lots of fun was had.

And Sara made me this wonderful blanket for Tummy.

It's the first gift I've received for Tummy, and makes the whole thing a lot more real.

I can't believe I'm really having a baby.

At the very least, we have this snuggly blankie to wrap him/her in. Thanks, Sara! It's lovely, lovely work.

Paris Addition

A couple of weeks ago I went to an auction. It's been a long time since I spent all day at the auction, crocheting and listening. It was a great day.

I didn't get much of what I wanted, but I did get this picture, taken by my dear friend Cathy, and beautifully framed.

It goes perfectly in the Paris bathroom. I'm glad I have a place for fancy things.

Kiki notebook

I wanted to make Katrina a really nice notebook for her birthday, so using what I learned making my notebook yesterday, I made another, a bit nicer.

This one has the cardboard all covered with construction paper, so you can't see the corrugated insides of the notebook.

More Richard Scarry, more plastic cover, with nice paper instead of old scratch paper on the inside, and two envelopes, one for small things and one for tall things.

And I scanned and printed the new Dillon's layout and put it in the back-because it is very annoying when you can't find the pickles. :)

A fun and pleasing project.

Christmas Notebook

I used up my last notebook just in time to make one for the Christmas season.

These cute kids were on the cover of a catalog I got in the mail. No sense in throwing them out!

These pages are from a Richard Scarry book that Anna destroyed one day years ago. It was on it's last legs anyway. I saved the pages to use for something, someday. A perfect backdrop for my carolers.

Matthew's Mom gave me a package of old overhead projector pages. A perfect plastic cover to keep everything nice!

This was a fun project, and helped me to perfect some things for a very special notebook. (coming tomorrow)

Punkins

Because I was sick, I mostly just sat and watched all of the carving and scooping out of guts, but Matthew did clean one pumpkin for me so I got to make one too.

This is one of my favorite new fall traditions-Abby and Linda and Matthew and Betsy and Anna carving pumpkins on the porch at 5th St.

Apple darling

There's just something about this picture that I love.

Here's our apple, complete with worm. This was a super easy costume to make. The body of the apple is stuffed with plastic sacks. I got the idea for the apple construction here.

I used this hat pattern, and then just made a leaf and stem from felt and put them in when I sewed it up.
Anna traced her hand to make the mittens, and drew the face parts onto felt, and then I hand stitched them on.

Happy Halloween!

List o' dreams 5

5. See Over the Rhine in concert. (It's good to have some easier dreams.)

List o' dreams 4

4. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

List o' dreams 3

3. Sleep in the Treehouses in Oregon.

List o' dreams 2

2. Go to New York City at Christmas time.

(This song is pretty cheesy. Made me laugh)

List o' dreams 1

This week, I'll share some of the items on my list o' dreams. Maybe someday I'll finish this other enormous project that is stealing all of my time and I'll have some more crafty fun.

1. See someone really amazing play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major.

We have a CD of Heifetz playing this-I think it's my favorite piece of music. Here's the 3rd movement-with Jascha himself, from the movie "Carnegie Hall".

It's so helpful...

to remember the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

• To instruct the ignorant
• To counsel the doubtful
• To admonish sinners
• To bear wrongs patiently
• To forgive offences willingly
• To comfort the afflicted
• To pray for the living and the dead

It's so ridiculous...

that I have spent SO many hours on this one project, to the exclusion of all others. Is it almost done yet?

It's so easy...

to make your own beans. Beans, water, crock pot all day, mush them up with a little oil in a skillet, lots of salt, blender, done.

It's so frustrating...

To have to rip out this binding and try AGAIN. Why won't the bottom fabric feed nicely?

It's so decadent...

to have cookies squirreled away in my bedside table.

Napkin Rings

Abby and I made some napkin rings a couple of weeks ago using this tutorial.

I told her it would be easy, and I was scoffed at (I always think things will be easy). But we had no trouble at all. It took about 30 minutes to make 8 of these.

I think they turned out to be really pretty.

Fix!

Sunday was the first really cool day, and I was excited to wear my pink maternity sweater. But when I put it on--horrors! Two little holes.

I cut hearts from some pretty felted sweater bits I had left over. Two looked funny, so I added a third for balance.

I think Tummy likes it.