simple Analogy

Alphabetical Gratitude

Or what I'm thankful for this New Year's Eve in alphabetical order.

A - appliances (they have arrived)

B - boys, books, new beads, blogs, bamboo (it's growing!)

C - church family, Christ's sacrifice, crafty ability, cabinets, cocoa

D - Dorrie

E - everyone working on my house right now, enchilladas

F - family, friends, fabric, funky pj's, false fire alarms (long story)

G - God's love, game night on Friday

H - humor, health, holidays

I - ice cream (Haagen Das Swiss Vanilla Almond)

J - Joel

K - orange knitting needles

L - Landon, love

M - Mom's friendship, new magazines, music

N - Noah

O - opportunity to homeschool

P - paint, progress, peppermint frappucinos, my pillow

Q - quilts

R - yummy recipes

S - comfy sweats, sweet tea, soft socks, smiles

T - Target gift card in my wallet, tulips

U - unique ideas

V - Vintaj

W - weekends, wednesdays, watercolors

X - xactly nothing scheduled kind of days 

Y - you, Yia Yia Mary's

Z - zig zag stitch

Inspired by Blessed Roots.

Notebooks for Nieces

My sister-in-law is notorious for opening presents early.  She gets it from my mother-in-law.  It is a big no-no to open a present early at our house.  When I sent these off to my nieces, I plastered the outside of the package with "DO NOT OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS", "CHRISTMAS = DEC. 25TH", etc.  Tell the truth, Becky - did they open them early?

 

 

I used the Mini Patchfolio pattern from Craft Apple to make these notebooks.  Meg made me one a few years ago, and I don't leave home without it!  They are easy to make and refillable!

Mexican Stone Necklace

I made these for my sister.  Vintaj of course!

 

Post = After

Post Christmas post.

We had a very nice few days at my parent's for Christmas.  Mom and I made tamales for Christmas Eve and I made the best guacamole - if I do say so myself.  No recipe really, just happened to have just the right stuff to throw in with some perfect avocados.  Then we all went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service.  Noah was a candle lighter and for once Joel and I were able to be in the service and not in the nursery.  After the service we had dessert and opened presents.  I got to hold my cousin's baby most of the night.  He is an angel!

Christmas morning my guys played basketball and took a jog.  The boys opened their stockings and we had a huge breakfast spread.  Family Feud, Prince Caspian, Rook, Chess, The Christmas Shoes, Get Smart, and eating took up took up the rest of our day.

A few relaxing days right before our labor intensive work starts at the house.  Thank you Mom and Dad for such a nice Christmas vacation!

Christmas Wishes

Merry Christmas from us to you!

First  Corinthians 13  (Christmas  version)

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the  kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return;
but rejoices in giving to those who cannot. 

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust;
but giving the gift of love will endure.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and
endures all things.
Love never fails.

-Author Unknown

Last Minute Christmas Towels

I am a proponent of children making handmade gifts for Christmas.  As nursery director, every year I like to come up with a gift that the children can make for their parents.  This year we made Christmas Tree Kitchen Towels.  The kids did a great job!  Even the one year old class!  I know - I'm insane!  I even had my boys do some. 

Start with solid lime green fabric and a white flour sack towel.  Be sure to pre-wash.  Apply heat-n-bond, or any other fusible, to the wrong side of green fabric.

Cut a triangle out of the green fabric.  Mine are 6 inches across the bottom and 8 inches tall.  This is your Christmas tree.

Peel off backing, position tree, and fuse onto flour sack.

Using bright red thread, sew 1/4 in from the edge of the tree - or zig zag around the edge.

Using acrylic paint (and making sure to cover up with one of dad's old -shirts), allow the child to "decorate" their tree by having them dip their finger into the paint and press onto the tree. 

Let dry completely, then iron to set paint.  Wash and dry using normal settings.

Variations:  use more than one Christmas tree; vary the size, shape, color; use fabric markers instead of paint

This towel will forever commemorate their little fingers and can be used for many Christmases to come.

We're Giving Toilets

How's that for a Christmas present!  That's what Joel and I are giving each other.  Not the most exciting Christmas present, but VERY USEFUL.  On that note, I think it's time to be thankful for . . .

1.  Friends willing to help me out with the nursery Sunday night when my car acted up.  Thanks Rebecca and Beth!

2.  The boys not complaining while they were stuck at our house today with nothing to do, but watch me paint and Joel scrub floors.  He makes a very handsome Cinderella!

3.  My mom being willing to pick me up at the car repair shop and bring me home, so that Joel could continue working on the floors. 

4.  Mom's honest mechanic who squeezed us in and didn't charge an arm and a leg.  That's rare these days! 

5.  Our friend who came to Mema's while we were out and fixed her washing machine knob that I broke off.  Thank you, Mr. Messick!

6.  Luscious brown paint going on the walls in the dining room.

7.  The painting in the kitchen is finished.

8.  Slate guys started working on the bathrooms today.

9.  Kitchen cabinets being installed tomorrow.

10.  A dog who missed me and is content to sit in my lap while I blog.

11.  I'm almost done wrapping presents.

12.  The nursery Christmas party is done and we didn't have any mishaps with paint.  More on that tomorrow.

13.  A warm cup of cocoa on a very cold day.

14.  The anticipation of Christmas in just 3 days.

15.  The Savior's birth.

Third Time and All That

I'm trying again.

 

I love bamboo.  There's something so aesthetic about it.  It makes me want to take a deep breath when I look at it.  I like it's simpleness.  And it's supposed to be pretty easy to grow.

Our church secretary has one that thrives.  My sister's is going gung ho.  So what's my problem?  Why can't I keep it alive?  I killed my first one.  Tried right away again with another and killed that one too.  Then I decided that I am just not an indoor plant person and gave up. 

Until last week, when I walked by this one at IKEA.  It was so pretty and peaceful just standing there looking at me.  I had to try again.  I asked Tracy how she gets hers to do so well.  She said, "I leave it alone."  Bingo!  That's my problem!  I fuss over it too much.  Too much water I'm sure because my other ones turned yellow.

I brought it home gave it an inch of water and put it on the dresser.  I haven't touched it since.  Well, maybe I have, but I'm not fussing.  I promise!  So, those of you who are green thumbs (or are talented with bamboo if nothing else) pass on your wisdom to someone who is plant challenged - me!

P.S.  I recently read that bamboo takes toxins out of the air.  I hope I can keep it alive long enough to make the move back into my house.  The walls/ceilings are up, textured, and primed.  The ceiling is painted and we bought our first gallon of paint for the kitchen.  We begin painting today and I'll need that bamboo to get all the paint smell out of the house.

Too Much Fun

I've pretty much left you with visions of gumdrops and fairies dancing in your heads all week.  Too much work fun going on over here.  Isn't it great when work is fun!  My work this week consisted of finishing up school with the boys and all my handmade Christmas gifts.  I can't say that the former has been as much fun as the latter.  Homeschooling is work, but I do love being with my kids - that's the fun part.  As a homeschool mom, one of the most challenging things I have come across is teaching the writing process to boys.  Challenging!  But we've made it through yet another major report and didn't kill each other.  Actually I'm very proud of Landon.  I think he's getting the hang of the writing, editing, rewriting process and this report went much smoother than some of the previous ones!

So on to the really fun stuff... REVERSE APPLIQUE!  I've been seeing it around blogland and in books (Alabama Stitch really wet my whistle) and finally tried it.  HOOKED is all I can say.  I used this tutorial for my guide. 

Most of what I had been seeing was with knit, but I wanted to do it with cotton.  What about fraying?  I love this, but it was too involved for me, plus I wanted a raw, edgy feel to it.  This one was exactly what I was looking for.

 

I bought my niece Tickets to Ride for Christmas and made her whole gift around the ticket theme.  Ticket t-shirt and matching skirt.  Free pattern from Oliver + S.

 

Also, tickets to use at my house.

 

So to say that it's been work getting all this made would really be fibbing.  It was too much fun!

Fairyland

I do believe in fairies!  I do!  I do!

- Peter Pan

 

My new fairy.  I love her stringy orange hair!