christmas sewing

I had two sewing projects in mind for gifts this year.  First up, Jessica and I had agreed to exchange a handmade gift this year, and focus resources on the kids instead.  Jessica gave me a beautiful basket of soaps, lip balm, and crocheted washcloths (made by Jessica).  I made Jessica and her family a Christmas quilt!

Somehow I was under the impression I had already photographed her quilt, but no!  Nope!  In my old age my mind isn't as sharp.  So here it is - isosceles triangles, red border, and striped binding.  It turned out so snuggly and warm!

When I spied this pillow online I knew I would make it for Caroline.  It just looked like something she would love.  The clouds and raindrops are felt, and the binding is a blue and white stripe.

It's hard to tell, but I used blue metallic thread for the "rain" and cloud outlines.  

did you have yourself a merry little christmas?

We started off our Christmas festivities with a quick trip down to visit Aunt Jessica and her brood.  We packed up the van, the kids, and the presents, and set out for Virginia.  Cammy came too, so it was a full family reunion!  Emily and Britton played dolls 99% of the time, and Barrett and Jason played with Jason's kitchen.  

We took the opportunity of all being together to exchange gifts.  The kids all loved their gifts, though everyone wanted to play with the hammer and ball set Jessica got for Barrett!

Jessica organized a cookie exchange for Sunday evening, so all the ladies got into the kitchen to bake cookies while the men went to a gun show (seriously, it does sound gender-cliche!).  We made sugar cookies and peanut butter kisses.

Barrett was scared of Willow at first, since he has never been around a big dog before.  But soon he was snuggling up to Willow and laying on her.  He also slipped her food from his plate!

Our cookie exchange!  I got to catch up with Jen, which is always a treat!

On Monday morning, we packed it up and headed back to Pennsylvania.  And Christmas morning, we were ready for some Santa action!  Britton was up at 6:30 am, but Barrett wasn't, and I didn't want to start opening presents without him.  We decided that Britton could go check out what Santa had brought, but we weren't opening anything until Barrett was up.

Britton was so excited to see the American Girl Samantha doll, and Barrett got every Little People toy under the sun!

Barrett did finally wake up, and we got to opening!  Barrett loved these sensory balls, because he throws everything he can get his hands on.  

This bird sings to you when you whistle at her.  The hubs and I took turns stealing this toy and trying it out, and it works!

The hubs got me some awesome gifts, including this wall plaque with our birthdays and wedding date. I immediately found a place for it on the bookcase.  Barrett decided to ride in his giant Tonko truck, and Britton made a red velvet cake in her Easy Bake Oven.

We had prime rib for Christmas Eve, but switched it up for Christmas dinner and Memaw made Mexican food.  As I was clearing off the table, I caught Barrett hooking up Boomer with some chips. Partners in crime!

Other than all of us taking turns being sick, we had a great Christmas!  It was great getting to see Jessica and her family and Cammy, then going home for Christmas with Memaw and PawPaw.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

meeting Santa

We made our annual trek out to the Municipal Center for "Cookies & Milk with Santa." I avoid the mall at all costs, so a trip to the crowded mall for an hours-long wait to meet a Santa with a soggy knee wasn't going to happen.  Nope.  But I'll stick to a crowd of uppity parents, since the event is limited to 30 kids!  

We got there early, and once the doors opened we went straight to the ornament-making station.  Then the man in the suit came out, a ho-ho-hoing his heart out, and all the kids went into a hypnotic frenzy.  The hubs, the only one thinking rationally at this point, got in line for pictures with Santa.

Britton had decided the night before that she was not going to talk to Santa.  She was "feeling shy" and just didn't want any part in actually speaking.  So I compromised with her that she should at least write down her list of Christmas goodies, so at minimum Santa could read what she wanted for Christmas.

Barrett saw Santa and would have NONE of it.  He wanted no part of this stranger in the weird suit and hat.  The hubs created a buffer zone by sitting between Santa and Barrett.  Even still, Barrett wasn't quite sure this weird guy should be sitting so close to Britton!

Then I jumped into the shot, because I should at least have one bad photo.  Is anyone ready for this shot?  I had to make up for failing to get a picture of Barrett losing it, right?

On to frosting the cookies, ignoring the cookies, then just eating the frosting.  Heck yes!

Barrett was fine with just eating the sprinkles.  Then we packed up and headed home, with Barrett practically sprinting away from Santa and his helper elves.  And we were getting close to nap time.  Memories people, memories!  

a christmas pillow

I got a hankering the other night to make a Christmas pillow.  It had to be scrappy, and it had to be fast!  I decided on a dresden plate, and I love how it turned out.  The pillow has been residing on the recliner for a couple of weeks now.  

I had just enough yardage of my favorite vintage-looking deer fabric for the backing.  JoAnns carries it, and I know I better buy up the rest of the fabric I can find before they stop carrying it. 

A fun little project for the holidays!

barrett: 19 months old

Barrett's leap this month has been communication.  He is using his signs more often, and he is valiantly imitating every word I say when we read, even if the word isn't coming out quite right.  Barrett has definitely developed preferences, but he is oddly patient at this stage (I know, it's coming), pointing and babbling until we figure out what it is he wants.  

Barrett's new favorite thing ever is Sadie.  Britton never much paid attention to Sadie, probably because Sadie was pouting wishing she had remained an only child!  But Barrett, he runs after her yelling "Sadie! Sadie!" and wants to pet her, rub her, and hug her.  For the most part Sadie runs away in pure fear, which just delights Barrett because he thinks they are playing!

We've lucked out, with a few nice-weather days far beyond what I could have asked for in this region.  And Barrett wants nothing more than to play outside.  We went on a walk on the nature trail through our neighborhood, and that boy just trotted down the street, excited as all get out!  Memaw and PawPaw already got him some snow bibs, because I just know we can't keep him indoors all winter.

Likes:  reading books, building and then knocking down towers of blocks or stacking cups, spaghetti, coming into the bathroom with anyone who needs to use it

Dislikes:  Santa!

I triple dog dare you to not love our Christmas card!

Thanks to a photography session in the the middle of October and a lazy work afternoon at the beginning of November, I had these Christmas cards ordered, delivered, and ready to go out on Thanksgiving.  With such a late Thanksgiving this year, I wanted these cards to go out as soon as possible, but of course not before Thanksgiving.  

I've been mulling this card in my mind for a couple of years now.  And, honestly, it was about time we just went ahead and bought the leg lamp.  I knew that the lamp came in the "his end up/fragile" box, so that was a go.  I went ahead and ordered the bunny pajamas from the Christmas Story gift shop - it is an exact replica of the one from the movie.  That Red Rider?  It's not one - it's the Daisy bb gun my dad got me when I turned 10 years old.  And the glasses were found at Party City, thanks to their Halloween costume stocking.  Truth be told - that's the second pair of glasses.  Britton fell in love with the glasses when I ordered them from Amazon, and somehow they went missing.  I could not find them anywhere.  So, I stopped off at Party City and got another pair.  You know what happened next - I found the first pair a week after the photo shoot!

While I for some reason didn't mind shelling out a lot of money for the bunny costume, I was unwilling to spend a ton of money to replicate Randy's coat.  So, I ordered a Hanes hooded sweatshirt in maroon, and found a striped scarf.  The final touch was the rotisserie chicken, which Boomer had no problem eating but Sadie froze in fear.  Maybe she thought she'd get in trouble?  It's the only time she hasn't chowed down on food within 8 inches of the floor - what a diva!

For the back, we just picked out our favorite photo from the park photo shoot in October.  This is the first card in a long time where the adults are left out.  I like mixing it up, and while we most certainly will go back to the family portrait, I love this card.

Want some funny outtakes?

My stand-in to check the light

Memaw wrangled the doggies

I totally would have gone with a photo of Barrett stroking the leg lamp (it was just so spot-on with the movie), but I couldn't find a shot where I could see Barrett's face!

And, that's a wrap!  When one of your models goes tumbling forward out of the box, you're done.

64 months old

Can a five-year-old possibly be required to look at gifts under the tree and NOT need Christmas to be tomorrow?  Yep, that's where we're at.  Britton is eat up with this holiday season.  Everything amazes her - the Christmas lights, the Christmas carols she sings every time we're in the car, the presents shining underneath the tree, and prepping for milk and cookies with Santa and the Polar Express coming up.  And I think we have a trip to the outdoor ice skating rink in our future!

Lately, I've been hearing Britton sound like me. She'll be playing with Barrett in the family room, and Barrett will inevitably get frustrated and throw his cup or pacifier, and she'll say, "Well, now you don't have your cup/pacifier."  Or she will be trying to distract Barrett from chasing Sadie by trying to cajole him into doing something else.  She loves helping out with Barrett, entertaining him, and him finally being able to play with him and make him laugh.

Likes:  Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams cereals, playing on the hubs' skateboard, writing her sight words, doing journals at school

Dislikes:  waiting for Christmas morning!