Merry Christmas

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2: 8-14

Christmasy Stuff

Even though we are running behind on Christmas due to combination of a) leaving things until the last moment, and b) a horrible virus that caused us to lose an entire week of December, we've still managed to get a few Christmasy things done.

Thanks to Walmart One Hour Photo, I manged to slap together a Christmas card!


And we finally hung up the sparkly snowflakes that we glittered in early December. Yay for toddler art projects! And for finding something for this really strange, large, open window!



It's December 22! I'm still getting out Christmas decorations! Oh boy. Next year I am going to be done with gift shopping early... as in September!

How are you doing? Are you ready for the big day?

100 Days

There are only 100 days left until Christmas. Less if you're on the other side of the world.

Don't believe me? Check out the Christmas Countdown Clock.

Cause you know, we all need more stress in our lives - countdown clocks really ratchet up that old spazz level. You can sit there and watch it tick down. Freaky.

In twelve hours from this writing, there will be only 99 days left . . . double digits! Omg.

Pause for freakout.

I am unprepared.

Extremely unprepared.

For a lot of things actually . . . not just the 100 days until Christmas (lists? sewing? what?)

Slightly less than a month and half after that lovely little Christmas Countdown Clock hits zero and resets to 355 (actually my favorite part) I will be releasing my first novel into the wild.

Pause for slightly larger freakout.

Maybe I should create a countdown for that . . . just to see how high my blood pressure can get as I watch it tick down. It would be like a medical experiment!

There are also less than 7 weeks to the start of November, which means NaNoWriMo!
Planning, outlining, deciding how the darn thing ends?
Sure. Whatevs.

Not pausing for a freakout here because I am in d-e-n-i-a-l.

It's September. I now live in Montana. It could snow any day. Fall is like the blink of an eye here, at least that is what they tell me.

Pause for huge, out of control, I-have-no-winter-clothes-and-wear-flip-flops-everyday freakout.

But enough about me . . . and the celebration of the Christ Child's birth . . .

The biggest, most important countdown clock is this:

There are only 13 regular games left in my team's regular baseball season!

Thirteen.

Mind blown.
Whatever am I going to do with myself after the season is over?
Maybe, you know, finish editing that novel, sew those Christmas presents, buy some real shoes, or curl up in a ball and cry until spring training.
It's really a toss up.

Meanwhile, we are 3 back in the division race and starting to make some noise in the very intriguing wild card race . . . so GO ANGELS!
The rest of it can wait.

At least for another 13 games or so.



(gratuitous cute kid picture with Angels tie in. Um, yes, he's restrained with a jump rope, he seems ok with it, my kids are weird.)

My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Movies

Ok, so I am a leeeetle bit late with this, but it's still the Christmas season, so there is still time to watch some awesome Christmas movies. Here are my top 5 . . . I realize this could be a very controversial list!

5. The Santa Clause

Why? Cause it's fun!

4. Die Hard.

Yes! It IS a Christmas movie! And has the best quotable lines ever! And the sexiest villain! ("Shoot the glass!")

3. A Christmas Story.

Hilarious. I watched it almost 4 times in a row this year (setting up the play kitchen), and you know it's a good movie when it's just as funny the FOURTH time. Also, haven't we all had at least a few A Christmas Story moments? We had one this year when we took Maddie to Ho Ho China for her 2nd birthday and they put a candle in the almond cookies and sang to her in Chinese and English. But, we didn't have any duck . . .

2. It's a Wonderful Life.

Of course. Jimmy Stewart . . . 'nuff said.

1. White Christmas

This is my personal fav. It is a much watch. Here is the secret of White Christmas . . . it has almost no plot! I am convinced it was just a vehicle for all of the extra songs left over from other musicals. But you know what? I don't care! It is the total awesomesauce and no one can convince me otherwise. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye equals total win (side note: my mom and my husband are both huge Danny Kaye fans . . . totally irrelevant, but just thought you should know).

So what are your favorite Christmas or Holiday movies? Are you horrified at my list? Are you shocked I left out . . . Miracle on 34th Street . . . or Charlie Brown Christmas (I swear it would be #6 if this list went to 6) . . . or insert your favorite movie here?

Handmade for the Holidays

Hello everyone! We are still recovering from all of the Christmas activity! I thought you might enjoy a quick recap of some of the handmade gifts I did this year. I didn't get to do quite as many as I'd hoped!

Kindle cover for my Dad. This was probably the most difficult project . . . and it seemed so easy at first! It probably was pretty easy, but I manage to complicate everything. I used this tutorial from Chic and Jo.

The tutorial is for an older model Kindle, so I faithfully did all the math to fit it to the newer model. Literally a page of math. I haven't done this much math since college. At the very last minute I forgot to increase the fabric measurement and so the first "tube" of fabric I sewed was therefore too skinny for the cardboard to fit into. So I decided to go with a heavier weight more "guy" fabric, and got some khaki, but that presented problems too because it was so stiff it didn't give much when trying to push the cardboard in and so I bent the first piece of cardboard. Extreme frustration. In the end I finished it right before it needed to get wrapped and go into the mail package. I wasn't entirely thrilled with my pocket (it seems bigger on one side to me), or my slipshod slipstitching job, but it is functional. Yay.

Laptop sleeve for my Mom (yes, that is some of my hoarded Nicey Jane stash, I must really love my Mom). I used this tutorial from Crap I've Made for the basic measurements. I tried out a new kind of ruffle, it was pretty fun and easy, and I think it works.

I told my brother that he might have to clue my Mom into what it was when she opened it, but she figured it out right away.

Next up, new bathroom curtains for my Grammy. Grammy's previous bathroom curtains were washed a little overzealously in the washing machine, and so have been hanging in the bathroom complete with tears and rips for a few months. Grammy would just fluff them to hide the tears . . . new curtains were on her to-do list, so I went ahead and got some pretty blue eyelet and made curtains.

I may have been sewing them Christmas Eve while Ed assembled the play kitchen . . . and we may have watched A Christmas Story on TBS 3.5 times through and finally gone to bed at 6 am . . . maybe. The kitchen got assembled and the curtains got made, that is all that really matters. And Grammy loved them, that matters too.

This is Maddie's third Christmas, so I figured it was about time I stopped procrastinating and made her a stocking. I used a charm pack of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas and made a red and green stocking for Maddie and a green and blue stocking for James.

I absolutely love this fabric line, it is so fun, but still has a classic Christmas feel to it.

I enlarged the stocking pattern I drew for the Nicey Jane stocking (in other words, I stuck it on a bigger piece of paper and drew about three inches around it. . . and made it longer, I love long stockings. I use some white fabric with a flowery pattern on it that I inherited from my Grandmother's fabric stash for the cuff and the lining. Then I made a pieced the cuff with some remaining 12 Days of Christmas pieces.

There are a few details I want to redo on the cuffs, but all in all I am really pleased with them.

I am thinking about doing a stocking tutorial - for the simple ones like the Nicey Jane stocking, and for ones with the piecing - thoughts?

I do still owe a few handmade Christmas gifts that haven't been completed yet, so there may yet be a secondary handmade holidays post in my future.

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

Getting a Handle on Christmas

Let me preface this post by admitting that I am a total nerd . . . and I like to gift-give and plan . . . and (just to reiterate) am a total nerd.

So there are only 88 days until Christmas! That may seem like a lot, but it will whizz by before you know it! And I only have four paychecks left before I'm done with the whole working full time thing (at least for now) so I want to make sure I have Christmas all sorted out.

You may remember me posting awhile back about wanting to win a gift code from CSN stores so I could get the kids this for Christmas:

How awesome is this kitchen? They also had it in pink (oddly for like $40 less than the red which I guess is more popular), but as James is the one most fascinated by play kitchens I think we should stick with the uber hip retro red. I really, really wanted to get this kitchen, but it was $174, and I just could not justify spending that much. So I set out to win a CSN gift code giveaway. And I did! I thought if I could win at least $60 toward it I would be able to justify it in my own mind and I won $125 CSN gift code on Mommy I'm Hungry! $125! Which brings my grand total for this kitchen to $54! It is on it's way, via UPS, to Grammy's (whose garage I am using to stash all of my presents) at this very moment.

I also have a stocking stash in my desk at work, mostly little coloring books and stuff I have found in the $1 bin. It seems to be all Toy Story and Winnie the Pooh related - except for the Tinkerbelle socks.

So with the big present out of the way, I was able last week to work some amazing couponing and sales magic at Toys R Us. They were having a buy 2 get the 3rd free on several items, and I was able to use two $5 off of $25 coupons as well . . . here is the loot I got!

Three Disney princess items - the Cinderella is for Grammy to give to Maddie, the Snow White broom and cleaning set is actually for both Maddie and James, to compliment the kitchen - they had these sets at the princess house at the fair and both kids went ga-ga over them, the princess makeup set was my free item ($15.99) and Maddie will be thrilled as she loves applying makeup, especially lipstick which she calls "stickie."

The regular size Toy Story action figures were also buy 2 get 1, and while they were out of Woody and Jessie, I managed to snag the last two Buzz Lightyears in the store, one for each of the kids (Maddie is obssessed with Buzz Lightyear, obsessed is actually too mild a word) and got a free green alien to go with the Buzzes ($7.99).

The Cars toys are for the Jamie-miester and were $3.99 each, with the third being free, and the Winnie the Pooh and Toy Story books are for both kids, while the potty training book came home early. It makes all sorts of fun noises and the kids love it. I got the Winnie the Pooh book for free at ($4.99).

So, add this all up with my $10 off and I have a total savings of . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . math was never my strong suit. . . $42.96! And you can't be taxed on free (suck it Sacramento!), so that is another 4 bucks saved! Suh-weet. Let us pause for a moment as I congratulate myself.

Still pausing . . . still congratulating.

Ok. I am good.

So basically, I am almost done with Christmas for the two tiny people. There are several more things I am making for them, but the buying is pretty much done. And I am pretty much awesomesauce. Oh wait, I said I was done congratulating myself. Ahem.

How are you doing on Christmas? Have you started shopping yet? Started thinking about it yet? I will admit there is something also to be said for waiting until the last minute and striking like a ninja at 8 p.m. on Christmas eve. What are your thoughts?

Just for fun, here is a picture of James being attacked by a wild Tigger:

A Present a Week {'Til Christmas}

Ok, you may be thinking, Christmas . . . what? But I am telling you people it is closer than you think! There are 17 weeks until Christmas! 17 weeks may sound like a lot, but it isn't really, it goes so, so, so fast!

Deb over at Works in Progress is doing an awesome um, what would youc all it? sew-along? craft-along? present-along, called a Present a Week 'Til Christmas. This is week 8, but you can jump in at any time, and you don't have to do a present a week, it can be a present every two weeks, or whatever you can manage.

You can follow along here . . . and if you post your projects on Sundays you will be entered to win a 1/2 metre of fabric from Deb!

I have been working on my sewing list . . . I also have several projects that are pending, so I have to add those to my to do list as well!

Also, way too many people I would be making gifts for read this blog. So I am going to be posting only my list for the kiddos!

Both Maddie and James:

Christmas stockings

(still owed from last year)

Christmas scarves

(pre-Christmas deadline so they can wear for pictures with Santa etc.)

Special Christmas quilts

Maddie:

Coca-Cola Skirt

(still pending from last year as well!)

Pooh Bear scarf

Pooh bear zippy pouch / purse for her figurines

James:

"Wheels" scarf

Hat

Boy zippy bag

(he likes holding mine when we go to the store)

So here is a little sneak peak of something I am working on to complete my list, there are actually multiples of these being made for people other than James, but he was my test subject.

Look at that little chubby hand, I love it!

Something that is really going to help me in getting all my little lovelies sewn is my brand new sewing machine! Oh yes! That is right! I ordered myself a gorgeous new machine and it shipped today!

:::happy dance::: :::happydance:::

I can't wait to share it with you all when I get it! I am going to be such a happy little sewer, I am going to have to be ripped away from it to eat, work, sleep, etc. And omg, did I tell you I got liek 7 extra feet? All the quilting feet my little heart could desire? I can barely breathe!

PS: Don't forget to enter the Nicey Jane giveaway, it ends tomorrow!! I am so excited by all you new followers I've bribed into being friends with me ;)

Christmas wrap-up

It seemed to me that before I did any 2009 year in review or goals for 2010 type posts, I should probably do a quick wrap up of our Christmas.  I will admit that the tree has yet to come down (I'm working on it today . . . really!) so I suppose this means it's still ok to be talking about Christmas!

Maddie and Jamie both got a lot of great stuff - mostly from family and friends and a very generous Secret Santa from church.  Their main gifts from Mom and Dad were stuffed characters . . . a Winnie the Pooh for Maddie and a Mike Wazowski for James.  Here are some pictures from Christmas.

Opening their foam alphabet tiles from Grandma and Pop Pop

James with his Mike Wazowski

Maddie and her Winnie the Pooh

James mastered the unwrapping concept

Maddie wearing her hat from Grandma, scarf from Tori, and shirt from Liz

All in all I think that we had a successful Christmas :)

A purse for my Mom

As a Christmas present for my Mom I made my first purse using the pattern for the Phoebe bag from Rebeka Lambert at artsycraftybabe.  I had no ink in my printer to print the pattern, but luckily Ed has a huge screen on his imac (24 inches!) so I sized the pattern on the screen to 8 1/2 by 11 and traced it.  Clever, clever me . . .

Here it is hanging on my sewing chair

The inside of the bag, with a pocket.

Inside seams, I am actually really proud that I managed this step right the first time. 

So, yay for me that I managed to get it finished in time to mail for Christmas, so glad it got there in time!  I think that the exterior fabric is awesome because it's adult enough to use for everyday and then the interior fabric is lots of fun with the butterflies.

Christmas projects

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

I was only able to get two of the stockings done before Christmas, and those went to Liz and Daniel. I love the reindeer!

I do think I am going to have to level up to a more advanced sewing machine soon as it was so difficult to go through so many layers of batting, fabric and the loop all at once. But the stockings did turn out pretty great, even if I did break a needle half way through.

My first quilt top

Here it is . . . my first finished quilt top:

Ta-da! I call it the "Zaney Quilt." All the fabrics except for the yellow and orange are from the Robert Kaufman Animal Party Line (in Fall colors), and I think they are super cute!

The blocks are randomly placed, but I find it funny how you kind of end up with patterns, even with randomly placed blocks. . .

I still need to quilt and bind it, I have been practicing quilting with my free-motion foot and am a little nervous. Maddie added her own artwork to the Giraffe Panel, there is a pen mark in the bottom by the grass, luckily it fit in with the style of the print.

This quilt is a Christmas gift for Zane, the two year old son of my friend Victoria . . . I didn't get it quilted in time to mail to Australia for Christmas, so I had to send photos instead :)

Here is Zane on Christmas, isn't he a cutie?

The quilt is kind of an odd size because Zane is in a toddler bed, so I made it larger than a crib quilt but smaller than a twin, the exact measurements escape me at the moment, but it is five 10 inch square blocks wide by six long, so I have to subtract the 1/4 inch seam allowance . . . hmm, I'll get back to you, Christmas has wiped my brain out.

And the panic sets in

I've been sick with a horrible cold for almost a week now. Midway through the week Maddie caught it, and now James has it too. It is less than a week until Christmas and I still haven't even mailed (*cough* *cough* finished making) my gifts for my family on the east coast. I only have one more thing to do, which I hope to finish before the post office closes today.

I worked all day on projects yesterday and I still have this wonderful pile of fabric waiting to be made into stockings:

Detail of the awesome fabric I got for Jamie's stocking

(no flash, the lamp makes the greens a bit muted though)

Well, aren't these cute . . . I wonder what lucky people get these fabrics?

The trick is to get them done before Christmas Eve or they are kind of pointless (for this year anyway).

The only fabric I am not 100% sure about is this green that is going with Maddie's Santa toile:

I do love that Santa toile though!

I couldn't find anything I liked for contrast and just snagged it off the wall at the last minute. I shouldn't have been shopping for fabric at Joann's anyway . . . but I'd had a horrible day out shopping (ok, really just to the church to pick something up and then to Joann's for some interfacing and snaps), but in that time we had several mishaps. These include, but are not limited too:

a) Maddie throwing up,

b) the double stroller not opening

c) carrying Jamie around the store while I pushed Maddie in the cart with the other hand, I had to switch off sides to give my sprained wrist a "rest" (side note, my five month old is the size of an average one year old and heavy!)

d) Jamie's chubby little leg getting stuck in the side of the shopping cart as I tried to set him on top of Maddie for just a minute while we were in the bathroom - yes all of us in the handicap stall . . . his poor leg was too fat to come back up easily and he was not happy. I kept having visions of the fire department having to come cut him out of the shopping cart, luckily he did eventually get un-wedged with only some minor bruising.

I was really just not in the mood to go to a quilt store to look for better quality fabric, especially once we got outside the store and it had gotten dark. Jamie loves riding in the car during the day, but he gets car sick or something at night and screams his head off the whole time he is in the car seat.

So, I pretty much like everything but this green which is kind of cheap fabric and feels somewhat like thin cardboard, may have to get her a different contrast. . . or wash the heck out of it and see if that softens it up at all.

We shall see how these turn out, as I am not following the pattern I bought, but meshing it with another I saw online and modifying in my brain as I go. . . hmmm, sounds dangerous.

I would tell you all about the project I made yesterday (of which I am very proud), but the recipient of said project reads my blog . . . here is a sneak peek though ;)

Ooooh, what could it be?

No, really, don't guess, it's for my Mom and she would see your guesses!

There do appear to be butterflies involved, however . . .

ETA: Only an hour until Santa, no one is bathed or dressed (both babies are asleep actually), and apparently the post office closes at 3 p.m. on Saturdays! What!?! Will have to mail off my east coast gifts Monday. The package is light so I am hopeful I can send it first class and get it there by Thursday . . . nothing like cutting it close to the wire!

Oh, Christmas tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

How steadfast are your branches!

Your boughs are green in summer's clime

And through the snows of wintertime.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

How steadfast are your branches!

We finally have a tree! It isn't decorated as of yet, but it is up in the living room. It's very cute, if a bit tipsy-looking as it lists to the side. Maddie is very excited about having a tree inside, and keeps saying "tree!" and asking me "wasthis?" when she wants me to confirm that we do, indeed, have a tree sitting in the living room. The plan is to decorate Mr. Tree tonight after we go see Santa (his sleigh is stopping at 5 pm on the street behind ours for pictures and canned food donations).

Here are some pictures of our tree finding adventure. This is the same lot we've been going to since our first Christmas together 8 years ago. We stopped there Christmas Eve on the way back from our honeymoon in Solvang. Side note: both kids and mommy are sick, which explains the slightly spacey looks on the babies.

Maddie and Daddy strolling the tree lanes

Maddie's come hither look . . . why, yes, those are her pink Winnie the Pooh sneakers, thanks for noticing ;)

Posing in front of a "Charlie Brown" tree while we wait for our tree to get a stand and netted, don't they look so into it?

James on the roof of the car with our tree, he is master of all he surveys . . .

One of Ed's (in)famous one-handed family portraits