Christmas craft of the year

When I was young, my mom always came up with a fun Christmas ornament or craft to make as gifts for "everyone." We had so much fun making and giving them. When I get out the Christmas ornaments, I always enjoy looking at the things we made and remembering how special each year was.

I was/am so excited that Little Man is finally old enough to work on a Christmas craft with me this year. True, I still end up dong a lot of the work, but his enthusiasm is priceless, and I love working with him!

We made blue snowflake ornaments by swirling silver and blue paint inside clear ornaments, decorating them with pretty snowflake stickers, and tying sheer ribbon around the top. Little Man's favorite parts were sticking on the snowflakes, cutting the ribbon, and packaging them in tiny gift bags and boxes. These ornaments will go to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and close friends.

packing

Meet my fabulous new-to-me vintage suitcase. It's an American Tourister, hard sided, tiara suitcase (circa 1960?) that I decorated with my own free hand designs. I love everything about it: the size, the color, the sage-colored floral lining, the price ($3!)... The only thing that I may regret is the fact that it has no wheels and can get pretty heavy.

Today I am packing it and the rest of our bags into our car in preparation for our week-long trip to Utah for an early Christmas celebration with Benjamin's family. It's going to be a wonderful week of cooking, catching up, decorating sugar cookies, exchanging gifts, doing fun stuff, shopping, eating, playing games, chasing little ones around, cooking, eating, laughing... It's going to be loud and crazy and fabulous. I can't wait! A few years ago this only child would have been overwhelmed by it all, but over time I've learned to hold my own with the best of them. : )

I must admit that as fun as I'm expecting this trip to be, it will be nice to be home again at the end of it. After all, "Through pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble there's no place like home."

p.s. I've written some posts ahead of time and scheduled them to post while I'm gone. This is the first time I've done this, so I hope it works!

my netbook cover's not-quite-identical twin

Today I was excited to get another custom order on its way! After seeing the photos I posted on Facebook of my netbook cover, one of my friends requested one like it for her computer since red, black, and white are one of her favorite color combinations. Fortunately I had enough fabric left over from mine to make another!

The main differences between the two were the buttons I used (pictured above), the size (her computer is a few inches larger than mine), and the way I put in the zipper. I think that the zipper design on hers will be better in the long run, but I was disappointed that it turned out a bit lumpy--something I'm sure will improve with practice.

It is so satisfying when someone loves one of my designs enough to buy it and enjoy using it!

monday menu

[cherry upside down cobbler]

This is going to be a nice, short week for me as far as meal planning goes since we're going to be heading south for Benjamin's family's holiday get-together on Thursday! Here's what i'm planning on making:

M-venison steaks, mashed potatoes, spinach salad

T-minestrone soup, fresh rolls

W-chicken curry, rice, leftover spinach salad

Th-sandwiches and fruit in the car on the way to vacation!

F-whatever my mother-in-law has planned : )

What are you making this week?

thanksgiving

how odd

to have one day of the year

devoted to giving thanks

when really we should

give thanks in everything

every hour

every day

every week

of every year

not that I mind the reminder...

this year

the tip of the iceberg

of my thankful list

includes:

God's unfailing love

His faithfulness

His grace

the love and esteem

of a godly man

the ways he surprises me

the way we are friends

my sweet little boys

their smiles and cuddles

and even the tantrums and traumas

my dear parents

friends, encouragers

givers of good

Benjamin's family

his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles

his siblings who make me feel less like a lonely only child

my wonderful friends

we rejoice together

and bear one another's burdens

my cozy home

complete with a "new" kitchen

a work of love

(and the wood stove that helps keep us warm)

music, laughter, art

joy, hope, peace

the list could go on and on

snow and ice

[one of my first attempts at close-up snowflake photography]

Well, after our lovely, long (for us) autumn, winter has set in with a vengeance. We have about 10 inches of snow on the ground right now, and yesterday had a balmy high of -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrr!

I am so thankful for the cozy blankets on our beds, the roaring wood stove in the basement, the furnace that helps circulate the heat, and the yummy stew we had for dinner!

In spite of the bitter chill and the inconvenience of bundling up, the snow sure is pretty to look at. I suppose that when it really comes down to it, I'm thankful for the snow too. : )

netbook cover

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to drive to one of the"big cities" that is relatively near us to go shopping for wedding stuff with a dear friend who is getting married this June. Besides getting a lot accomplished (we found many of the supplies she needed in just the right colors and patterns!) we had a great time talking, laughing, and catching up in general. She did most of the shopping while I encouraged, advised, and spotted good things. However, I couldn't be in such marvelous craft and fabric stores without splurging on a few goodies for myself...

See, my new-to-me netbook came with a painfully bright pink case. I've wanted to make a new case for it since I got it, and while I was shopping I spotted a combination of fabrics that I fell in love with even though they're a bit out of my comfort zone. I just knew they would be perfect for my netbook case, so how could I leave them in the store? : )

After reading a few netbook-case-making tutorials (this one and this one gave me some ideas), I came up with my own design.

The zippered bag is padded with a double layer of fusible fleece to protect the laptop inside.

On the front is a roomy pocket complete with a ruffled flap embellished with embroidery and button flowers in which to store my power cord and a USB mouse.

Oh, I just love that black and white print...I almost wish my computer was larger so I could have used more of it! : )

The bag is lined with a fun and quirky owl print that never fails to make me smile.

All right. Enough show and tell for today. I'm off to work on laundry and house cleaning. I have a big rest-of-the week ahead full of cooking and guests, Christmas cards and custom orders. Here's to an immensely profitable day...

monday menu

Well, good morning! I'm getting back into the swing of things after having a lovely night away with Benjamin in one of the "big cities" close to us (in Montana terms, at least). We had a fabulous time eating sushi and trying out the hotel's water slide but not at the same time. : ) After the refreshing break, I'm happy to be getting back to normal, if a holiday week can be considered normal... Here's what I'm cooking this week:

M-chili, rolls, corn

T-crock pot roast with potatoes and carrots

W-pasta with red sauce, grilled chicken, and vegetable

Th-Thanksgiving feast: roasted chickens (my mom and I are allergic to turkey), mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls, mulled apple cider, and apple crisp (no pies unless someone else brings them because I'll be tired of cooking by then!)

F-leftovers! (of course)

What are you making this week?

photos

This morning I enjoyed having a mini-photoshoot with some friends' two beautiful children. The goal was to get a Christmas card worthy photo of them together, and I think I was able to succeed though the individual portraits did turn out better. I'm telling you, these cuties sure struck some fabulous poses and made my job easy. The following are some of my favorite shots:

apple-ginger glazed carrots

My grandparents' good southern upbringings and their love of grits, sugary veggies, and bacon grease in [almost] everything, did not rub off on me. (I do, however, have a healthy appreciation for sweet tea... Ahem, I digress.) I am not a candied vegetables kind of girl. Most the time a little salt and the occasional dash of pepper or rare pat of butter is good enough for me. Every once in a while, though, I begin to long for syrupy carrots. When the longing becomes un-ignorable, I turn to this super-easy and tasty recipe.

Combine in a pot:

2/3 cup apple juice

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger)

2 cups sliced carrots

pinch of salt

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the mixture begins to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 15-20 more minutes, until the syrup is reduced and carrots are tender. Enjoy!