simple Analogy

The Week of the Trees

This weekend, we cranked up the radio (set to non-stop Christmas music) and decorated the tree. This week is my week to decorate several houses for Christmas, so I make sure to get mine done first.  Joel and the boys dragged the boxes from the attic and helped me set up and fluff the tree.  Landon learned how to wrap the lights, and Noah helped me put on all the ornaments. 

"I think this is the prettiest tree you've done."  "We're paupers but we have a millionaire's tree!"  Praise from my husband. 

"Mother, THAT is a VERY pretty tree!"  From Landon.

"Ooo!  Pretty!"  "Where's my VeggieTales ornament?"  From Noah.

This is the view when we're curled up on the couch.  I use copper, white, and green ornaments with family keepsake ornaments mixed in.  Like Noah's VeggieTales ornament.  There are lots of snowflakes, ribbons, and flowers.  We also have a stuffed mouse that we hide in the tree.  I found some glittery copper palm fronds for half price at Michael's.  LOVE THOSE!  And we have a new addition... a fairy, which was a gift from the friend I decorate with.  Too wonderful!

I feel like a kid!  I can't wait till Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Noah was the first one up this morning and made this for me.  Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday.  When I asked him why, he said that he likes the mix of food, spending time with family, and relaxing.  I guess it's more low key and not as on-the-go as Christmas. 

Here is what I'm thankful for:

1. I am back in my own house for the holidays.
2. Cooler weather
3. Now I can listen to Christmas music without feeling ashamed that it's too early.
4. Hot cocoa
5. My grandparents are in town!
6. New green beans
7. My Christmas shopping is almost all done.  I know - you hate me now, right?
8. Cherry pie
9. Fun craft to do with the kids today
10. Plans to brighten a friend's day
11. My wonderful family
12. The beautiful landscaping my husband did in our yard.
13. Another batch of caramel apples
14. Noah's recital and offertory went well.  He's getting good!  So proud.
15. A week and a half off school
16. Holding a tiny baby
17. Cuddling under my quilt
18. My hair is almost long enough past my shoulders that it doesn't bother me as much anymore.  Growing out my hair is a trial.
19. Marshmallow socks
20. The comforts and freedoms that I enjoy living in America.

Wishing you and your families a blessed Thanksgiving!

Is Anyone Else Tired of Green Bean Casserole?

 

No slight to Campbell's, but traditional green bean casserole will not be on our table this year for Thanksgiving.  We're going fresh.

Mom asked me to bring the cranberries (of course!) and green beans this year.  I used to love the green bean casserole made entirely from canned ingredients, but the last few times it just didn't taste as good.  Maybe my buds are becoming more fine tuned, or maybe after three decades of eating that same casserole I'm just worn out on it.  Probably a little bit of both.

This year I'll be trying Tyler Florence's new take on that old dish.  It looks so tasty!  And Joel will probably even eat it because it's got FRESH green beans instead of canned.  Thanks for the tip, Michelle!

***  This really deserves a post of its own, but here is the recipe for my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip bread.  It'd be great for Thanksgiving breakfast!  It makes two loaves.  Sometimes I cut the recipe in half and just make one, but most of the time I make both and freeze one for later.  P.S.  I leave out the pecans 'cause I don't like nuts.

Favorites

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes!  Joel and I went out for dinner last night and then followed our yearly tradition of visiting Pottery Barn to see their Christmas goodness.  Joel's favorite.  He was really into the woodland theme.  My favorite.  I like the unlit version better and can totally see it hung with a wide velvet ribbon.  We also stopped by The Great Indoors to see their Christmas offerings.  Gorgeous!  I'm so ready for the holidays!

I started another project and I'm sure many of you know just from this view of the back what it is.  All those knots really slowed me down at first, but I think I've got a system and it seems to be going a little faster now.  Happy Friday everyone!

Fifteen

Has it been fifteen years since we stood at the altar and vowed ourselves to each other?  Marriage is truly beautiful!  Two souls united together by God as one.

The Great Reupholster

When we got married everything in our house was white.  White walls, white carpet, white countertops, even white couches and dining room chairs.  Of course you know what happened to the whiteness once our kids came along.  As the years went by, the white has been phased out.  No more white walls or countertops, no more white couches, no more carpet.  But the white dining room chairs have remained.  I know it's because we really don't use the dining room very much at all.  Out of sight, out of mind - at least my mind.

Joel has been asking me for about a year now to recover the chairs.  Mom even bought us the fabric to do it as a welcome home present after we moved back in from the hurricane reconstruction.  But there they've sat for 9 months just begging to be recovered.  I finally got around to recovering them for Joel's birthday last week.

This is the before picture.  Disclaimer:  If you're thinking the white wasn't all that bad, it's because I took a picture of the very best chair.  You should have seen the one Noah sat in when he was a tot.  Too embarrassing to show!

Mom came over and helped me recover them with a dark tan upholstery fabric that we found for $5 a yard!  I unscrewed the seat from the chair, she stapled the new fabric on, I scotch guarded and screwed them back on.  Every trace of dingy white has been erased from our home.  Um, everything except for the door to the garage which never got it's new coat of paint.  I don't really remember why, when we were painting EVERYTHING, that one got left out.  Guess that'll be the next thing on the home improvement front.  In the spring- 

***Thanks for you help, Mom! 

My Advice Is...

Another present checked off the list.  I was just hoping to get it done in time for Christmas, and look here it's not even Thanksgiving yet!  Just look at the underside of that skirt!  It has got to be the poofiest I have ever seen.  Ms. Magdis is going to flip when she opens it at Christmas!  Full view later.  The wind is blowing all that fluff around.

The directions were pretty straightforward.  If you've ever made a tiered skirt, you know the drill: gather, sew, more gathering, more sewing.  Only this one has oodles (and I do mean OODLES) of fabric to work with.  Plus everything is done twice because there are two layers.  Not to mention all the ruffles - of which I had so much leftover that I promptly sewed another layer on both tiers.  Might as well!

So, here's my advice if you've been thinking about making a pettiskirt...

1. If you've got the eighty dollars, buy one!  It's worth every single penny!
2. If the cash just isn't there, think really hard before jumping into this one.  I made this one for about $15 dollars and while that sounds like a great savings, it makes up for it in time and energy. 
3. If you feel you must make one for your precious bundle of pink, learn to shir or buy a ruffle foot.  I used the shirring method and it worked like a charm.  Trying to gather all of that fabric by hand would drive even the most patient of saints mad!  I'm planning a "how to make ruffles by shirring" post for the end of the week. 
4. When shirring, your gathers are able to stretch.  This gave me a bit of trouble when I was trying to attach the top tier to the drop waist because the tier was so much wider in diameter.  I worked through it by matching North/South/East/West points on the top tier with the same points on the drop waist then gathering and pinning all the extra fabric in between.  (I know that was probably confusing.  If anyone needs more details leave a comment and I'll try to be more specific.) 
5. Do not try to complete it in an evening.  Take it in small steps.  I must be truthful and say that there were several times I had to "STEP AWAY FROM THE RUFFLES" (think car alarm warning here) so that I could keep my sanity!
6. Oh, you'll need a trip to the chiropractor/masseuse afterward.  Or maybe it's just me.  My posture is horrible when I sew because my table is too high and my chair too low.  My shoulders get very tense.  I've had a kink for a few days that just won't work itself out.
7. If you're new to sewing, wait until you have a few more skills under your belt.  I'd hate for someone who's just beginning to give up sewing forever because of this skirt!  

On this end of it I can say that I'm proud I made it through, but I will probably never make one again.  Unless it's for my grandkids and that is a L-O-N-G way off.  Hopefully by that time I'll have the eighty dollars to blow!

A Lot of Fun Stuff

Picture from Beadaholic.com 

• Have you looked at the fun going on over at So You Think You're So Crafty?  "10 weeks, 10 crafters, 10 challenges.  Who's the craftiest?  You decide."  Each week a new theme is introduced and the crafters post their spin on the theme, this week's being leaves.  Go take a peak and vote for your favorite.  The winner will post a tutorial!

• A cheap place to buy beads and spacers that will fit Troll/Pandora/Biagi bracelets!

• Friday - Sunday is Houston Bead Society's Bead and Jewelry Show!  This is my favorite bead show in Houston.  They always have a good selection and a lot of good ideas.  And it's even better when you go with friends!  I can't wait!!!!!!  $1 off admission coupon here. 

• This stroganoff recipe is really tasty!

• Loving the Handmade Holidays at Sew Mama Sew.

Ok, that should keep you busy for a while.  Have a great weekend!!!!!

2:1

I'm feeling a little crazy right about now.  We've had a busy start to our week and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down either.  With company coming for the weekend and the subsequent cleaning of the house, last day of Bible study, haircuts, and school, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to sew.  I'm hoping for a few hours tonight after dinner because I'd really like to clear off the dining room table before our guest comes.  The dining room is where I sew and right now it is littered with my red fluff undertaking.  My husband (dear man) told me that it is totally unnecessary to clear the table and that we can just eat in the kitchen, but something inside of me just won't rest until that room is presentable.  We'll see how far I get! 

2:1 is the ratio for eating my favorite fall comfort candy.  2 peanuts to 1 candy corn = payday! 

Cherub Sewing

One of my favorite cherubs is turning one and I wanted to make her a skirt.  I knew the fabric I wanted to use, but it seemed like every pattern I looked at called for more than the amount of fabric I had.  Enter Sew Mama Sew's Scrap Busters!  Vintage Fern's Scrappy Skirt tutorialgot me out of my jam.  It was perfect!  Add some leggings and a onesie from Target and I had a very cute/modern outfit for said cherub.  Almost.  The onesie was a bit too plain, so I added a small ruffle to the front.  Wrap it up!