for mama c. and papa

Away in a Manger from April Meeker on Vimeo.

Please excuse the dirty bottle in the foreground and the burp from Birdie half way through.

What can I say?

Things are a long way off from perfect these days.

christmas cones

Here's a festive and cheap idea for last minute Christmas gifts. I'm making them for my neighbors and friends.

Christmas Cones!

Supplies needed:

craft paper (or if you are really on a budget newspaper or old book pages)

pom poms

ribbon ( I used my sewing machine to ruffle crape streamers)

embellishments you like

glue gun

Scroll your craft paper into a cone. You can play around with different sizes. Hot glue the edges down. Using decorative scissors, cut around the top edge. Hot glue a pom pom onto the bottom. Use the ribbon to decorate the cone however you like. Punch holes in either side of the cone about a half inch from the top. Thread ribbon through the holes and knot it on the inside. Hot glue a strip of tissue paper to the inside edge of the cone. Make sure you leave enough paper on top to tie with a ribbon.

Fill your cone with goodies. I bought pistachios and chocolate covered cherries for mine.

There you have it. A seriously cute and cheap gift to give that special someone. Or that someone who you really don't like but feel obligated to give them a gift.

You know who I'm talking about.

Tis the season it be generous to everyone. Even Debbie, up the street.

swwwwweet!

Yesterday was Sugar Daddy's birthday. He said he wanted to take his kids to Disneyland. The guy doesn't even like Disneyland. How's that for being a sweet guy?

We decided to get a hotel so that we could be at the park when it opened in the morning. When we got to our room at the Hyatt it smelled like gym socks.

And there were no windows that opened.

So I made Sugar Daddy ask for another room, which he did, not because he wanted to, but because he's a sweet guy.

I stood by the elevators with the kids and waited. When he came back, Sugar Daddy smiled at me and said, "I guess it pays to complain. They put us in the brand new family suite."

I said, "Sweet! A Suite!"

Thomas had a room all his own with bunk beds and a flat screen T.V.. He thought it was pretty dope. (That's gangster slang for really neat.)

Birdie christened the new carpet with a big barf and we settled in for the night.

It was seventy-five degrees and the lines weren't too long. We went on every ride we wanted to. We had super sweet and delicious pineapple sundays at the Tiki Room.

Thomas got cotton candy and french fries and I got a charming pink and white lollipop to go with my Christmas decorations.

Yeah, all in all it was a pretty sweet day.

And then Birdie screamed her head off all the way home.

Happy Birthday Daddy.

francis

This is Francis.

He's our elf on the shelf.

Have you heard of this book? It's a great Christmas tradition idea and we have sooooo much fun with it every year.

Check it out.

P.S. You can name your elf whatever you wish. We liked Francis, but may I also suggest Edwin and Gregory?

hear ye! hear ye!

I will be teaching a stamp carving class...

at the Pink Pineapple on December 19th from one to four in the afternoon. Please come. It is my first time teaching at the Pink Pineapple and I don't want to feel like a big idiot if no one shows up.

Here's a couple stamps I recently carved for Christmas. Believe me, stamp carving looks a lot harder than it actually is.

The class is $30 and will include the use of my lino cutters, blank cards for stamping, a 3X3 inch square of rubber to carve, and a fabulous goody box full of fun card making paraphernalia.

Please come.

Please.

and then christmas decided to come out in full force

Christmas is officially in full swing. I know this because when I was drinking my apple cider this morning I noticed that my amaryllis has started to bloom.

That, and Sugar Daddy was singing carols. Sugar Daddy has had a long time repugnance to Christmas music too early in the season.

I decided to make all new decorations for the house this year. I really wanted a fun childish theme.

A few weeks ago, we inherited a bear cookie jar that was given to Ben's dad when he was born. It is almost seventy years old and absolutely charming. It was my inspiration.

I call it "The Sweetest Christmas Extravaganza".

I'm making silk flower brooches to tie on the packages instead of bows.

Last Monday it was raining like mad. The sky was so dark and the fire place was so cozy, I decided not to send the boy to school. Instead we read Christmas stories, cuddled up on the couch. Thom and Natalie assembled the gingerbread house. It rained all day.

I think it will become a tradition. One day every December, the kids will get to stay home and we will craft and bake and read and cuddle and make memories.

vintage hip christmas

Do you know Margie Romney-Aslett?

You should.

She and her two daughters, Megan and Brooke, are the brains and brawn behind The Girls Loft. If you are into scrapbooking or crafting in general, you must check out the site and also take a look at the new e-book they just released with Ella Publishing.

I got a sneak peek at the book a little bit ago and let me tell ya, it's chock full of really great ideas for the holidays. If you need a little decoration inspiration it's just the ticket.

AND it's only $5.99.

AND you can get 25% off this week if you enter this code: CRAFTY09.

Go here and get your copy!



Seriously.

Just get it.

the headache

Today I awoke with a headache which I really hope isn't fixin' to become the full fledged flu.


We didn't get our flu shots. I'm not totally sold on the whole flu shot idea anyway.


We don't get sick too often around here and I'm convinced it is because I'm not as clean as I used to be. Kids and dogs have had a way of bringing my cleanliness level down a few notches. Hopefully, we have all built up healthy immune systems from being exposed to small amounts of germs here and there.


Jenny was over helping me bake Christmas cookies last Thursday. Birdie was crawling around the kitchen floor fussing a little and so I took a handful of puffs and scattered them on the tile for her to find and eat. Jenny was dumbfounded.


After a little while she said, "Man you've come a long way since Thomas was little."

I took that as a compliment.

soul sisters

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Every year my soul sisters and I get away for a weekend together.

Correction: Every year we try to get away together.

This year we were only able to swing one day.


BUT-

it was a great day.

No kids, shopping, talking, laughing, crafting, eating, complaining, analyzing, diagnosing, crying, eating, laughing and talking.

I got home at three in the morning.

One of the highlights of the day was when I posed in this delish Anthro sweater but I was laughing so hard I fell into the fluffy paper puff window display.

I tried to refluff.

I apologized for being so obnoxious.


I love you girls. Next year we are getting out of Dodge for an entire weekend.

thanks lizzy

I wanted a really fun sweater from Anthro to wear to Thanksgiving dinner, but I didn't want to spend a hundred and fifty bucks.


This was a problem.


Until I clicked over to my good friend Lizzy's blog and found a little inspiration.


I went to Target and bought this sweater for nine dollars. Yes, nine dollars. It was on sale.


Then I came home and cut up and old t-shirt.


I created little rosettes and ruffles and voilà!


Birdie liked it so much she barfed all over it, but not until I gathered up all the compliments on how cute it is.


I love it when I am able to save money by being creative. It makes me feel like a real pioneer woman.


A well dressed pioneer woman.