Thursday, December 17, 2009

New Mantle Lights

I just bought [myself] the coolest little star light bulb covers for my dining room mantle.

I wasn't in the market for anything new - we have 4 BIG bins of Christmas decorations - but I was in a little country shop in town shopping for my secret Santa and found these along the way. Merry Christmas to me! How does that always happen????

Anyway, they are small silicon stars that just slip over the mini light bulbs so you can use them again and again. I love the way they look....


Someday, this room will be done :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

This was actually taken a few weeks ago...now our tree is naked....

Monday, December 14, 2009

Super Easy Superhero Cape

Just in case a little person in your life is in need of a superhero cape this Christmas, I thought I'd share the link where I found a FREE pattern and tutorial for the capes I made for Nathan's birthday party.

Remember?
The free pattern and tutorial can be found here at the apple cyder blog. Her directions were very easy to follow and didn't take long at all to cut out, pin, and sew together. I made 7 of these babies and it didn't take me very long at all....maybe 3 hours tops.
I ordered the superman iron-ons through etsy and in retrospect, if I'd had more time, I would have ironed them onto yellow fabric first and then cut out and appliqued the symbol to the cape because the iron-on doesn't show up very well on the darker fabric. I would have also made everyone's cape like Nathan's - blue on one side and red on the other. That was kind of an afterthought. The other capes were either all blue or all red.
Live and learn, right? :)
I'd love to see your capes if you decide to whip some up in the next 10 days before Christmas. That's plenty of time - hahaha!!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Christmas by the Numbers

to date.....

4 Christmas cards received in the mail - Really? Only 4? C'mon people!


0 Christmas cards sent out in the mail


80 Christmas cards waiting to be addressed and mailed out - this week, I promise


0 Christmas cookies baked


1 Christmas tree up and decorated


13 shopping days left


12 people I still need to buy/make gifts for


5 homemade stockings hung by the chimney with care


7 packages delivered directly to my door - LOVE online shopping :)


143 Christmas songs on continual shuffle play in the cd player
and still and always only
1 reason for the season that I love...

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Where did fall go?

Oh, yeah....

It was filled with lots of family time and celebration....

My mom's 60th surprise birthday party....


It was a blast! We rented a tent and lucked out with the only comfortable, non-rainy Saturday night in October. I loved all the white lights and the fabric garland my sister made (you can see it in the tent). In the end, my mom was not surprised that we threw her a party, but I'm pretty sure she was surprised with how nice everything was and how many people came to celebrate! We had a great time dancing and our friends and family generously gave my parents moolah to contribute to their European trip to Madrid, Paris, and London.

Then, at the beginning of November....

my baby turned 3!!!

I cannot believe my youngest is three already!

And all Nathan wanted was a Superman party....
So, I sewed all the boys, my nieces, and nephews Superman capes and made a Superman cake. Apparently, though, the cake wasn't good enough for Nathan....he wanted a cake of Superman flying. You know, the quintessential Superman pose with the one right arm poised above the head. Good luck with that, Nathan....and that night, he had already picked out his next cake....hot wheels. We'll see :)

Finally, we had our annual Thanksgiving pie baking tradition held at my house this year. My grandmom, Betty, began this tradition when I was a little girl and my mom, my sisters, and I have continued it ever since. We usually make pumpkin, apple, lemon meringue, cherry, and coconut custard as our standards. Then we throw in a peach or blueberry or mincemeat pie for fun. This year and last were the first time the kids were really into it. I bought the kids their very own pint-sized silicone rolling pins [a bonus find at T.J.Maxx!] and they all wore their aprons. It was a lot of fun....


And then we celebrated Thanksgiving. It was just my parents, my sisters and brother and their spouses and families and us. It was a wonderful time together at my parents' house.


Now, onto Christmas....