A Presenty Preview

Annika's present for Cozy:


We thought she might appreciate this little mirror. It's one of those tiny $4 Ikea ones. I saw a friend doing something similar to frames and hmmm....had to try it.

Sadly, I must also admit that I bought the entire Whimsy "scrap stack" just to get this woodland print. (um...it was on sale?) We'll put all of that paper to good use somehow, right?


(Actually, the rest on those measly two sheets of adorableness is being put to good use in a secret, secret Christmas project as you read...bwahaha! Do you like my evil Christmas laugh?)

You can see the paper seams and we didn't line up the pattern, but I doubt Cozy will care. She'll just enjoy being able to make silly faces at herself in the comfort of her own room. 2-year-olds dig that.

Thanksgiving

How was your Turkey Day? Mine was excellent. I didn't do a lick of cooking - Wanda (my MIL) slaved away and the rest of us just enjoyed it. (I know. We owe her big time!) And then we got to spend lots of time with siblings and little cousins!

Sadly, I woke up with a turkey hangover (mysterious headache)on Black Friday. I hadn't planned on doing any serious shopping...but I also hadn't planned on sleeping the day away in a dark basement. Happily, it was a brief illness! By that evening, I was recovered enough to eat pie and be driven to Joann's. That $1.49/yard flannel - I just can't resist it!


...and, once again thanks to Wanda, all of my flannel is washed and I've cut out over half of my Christmas PJs! Her sewing room is to die for. It has me totally sold on the "cutting island" concept.


Tomorrow I'll post about a Christmas present I've been co-making with Annika. She told me she was going to buy all of her gifts this year. I was so disappointed...so I was thrilled when she ran out of money! ....it's adorable...and easy...and not sewn!

more embroidery

I made something for a friend of a friend.

Miscellaneous November Stuff

I'm making good progress on my embroidery. You'd think this would be a tidy project, but I've managed to litter half of our dining room table with embroidery floss. Time to invite someone to dinner (...so that I have to clean).


So...can you tell what it is now?

Also......my kids got their first report cards of the year. I won't tell you which is whose, but I have to say that I'd like to see a few more stickers on one of these report cards.



And....we've been attacked by leaves.


Personally, I think the leaf patio is a big improvement on the dirt patio.

Someone (I don't recall who) asked about our basement drainy sump thing. Well, when it rained a lot, we got puddles in our basement. I blame all of the roots they dug out with the jackhammer...


...and also something about our concrete being sixty/seventy years old. We want to make part of the basement into additional living space and thought the puddles might put a damper on that.

I hope you're all having a great November, with lots of leaves, construction, and good-to-mediocre grades!

Fifteen Down

Today was my fifteenth wedding anniversary. Tony gave me this...


...I gave him this...


Hmmm...blingy ring vs. sappy homemadeness? I have to admit that he won this round, but I still love him, because:

he pretended to like my present

he knows all of my secrets

he has started editing his work stories (in deference to me not wanting to hear anything gross)

he is understanding and kind and patient and loving and considerate (to me :)

...I am so dang lucky I married him (and, trust me, luck was a key ingredient to finding my perfect someone)!

To celebrate, we went searching for a new somewhere to eat. I really thought I'd never again want to eat anywhere but my favorite taco truck. Wrong. We went to Rockville town center and found a Spanish tapas place. Oh, man, I'm hooked.


...and how'd they know we were going to movie afterwards?


Every dish was delish.
Fried eggplant with yummy cheese sauce.


dates, stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon

flank steak and mushrooms

spinach with pine nuts and raisins

pork sirloin (also wrapped in bacon! I know, it's culinary cheating.)

....and...

chicken croquettes with garlic mayo


And then rice pudding with cinnamon and caramelized sugar on top.


A stroke of genius, they had Top Chef playing on their TV. Those shows always make you so dang hungry. Restaurants should be the only place you're allowed to watch them!

Then, of course, we went and saw Eclipse. (And ditched Sofia in honor of our anniversary. She was such a sport about it!) The movie made me think how that courtship drama was all fun and exciting, but...I sure don't miss it. Being happy and together is so much better.

Basement

All of that jackhammering and dust....













...and now we have a drainage system and sump pump. With my "laundry facilities" downstairs where all of the action was, I ended up pretty behind. So, that's where I've been. Instead of blogging, I've been washing, folding, and putting away laundry. (With a little covert stitching on the side.)

I changed my mind

That yellow should have been orange all along. I asked Sofia if she minded lots of orange and a teensy bit of yellow (instead of the other way around).


Sofia: Yellow...orange...they're pretty much the same anyhow.
Me: It's like I don't even know you anymore! Whose daughter are you!?! Are you doing drugs?

And the Winner is....

Wow.
That took me a while.
I blame Halloween.

Why, yes, there was something up with the sleeves on my new ModCloth beauty. Look very, very closely, and you'll see that the hem of one sleeve is facing downward and the other is facing upward.



Right. :)



Wrong. :( Who sews sleeves on upside down, really? I mean...I've done it....but I hope I never mailed that big of a mistake out to anyone.


SO...now I need to go fix my shirt, since it only fits if I have one arm raised.


I would say Jaesi and Miss Toone were the closest, so...any relatively easy project you've been hankering for...or would you like a box of randomness in the mail? FB me your addresses when you have a moment. Thanks!

Backyard

Have I ever told you that I live in my dream house?
This is her from behind. Dreamy, don'tcha think?


Some people dream of having a giant, fancy house. I {love} my little one, with just enough room for us inside and a shady, playable yard out back.

There's something about trees that just draw you outside. ...trees and the hammocks they support. Yesterday we put up a swing too.


Our yard slopes off suddenly at the back (about when you reach the hammock). I didn't think this would be such a kid attraction, but rolling down the hill is first on their list of things to do when we go outside.


Aahh...Fall.

Carrot Top

Someone must have called Odie "carrot top" at school, because he decided he wanted to be a carrot for Halloween. I suspected that he and his girlfriend might have had a theme going (like peas and carrots), but nope...she was a zombie bride.


That's her pre zombie makeup and veil. Odie and his school friends were terrorizing (I mean, politely asking for candy) a different neighborhood while we were plodding our way thru ours. (2-year-olds are SO SLOW!...but also adorable.)

Poor Odie. The general populace thought he was a pumpkin.

My Peacock

The shirt for Sofia's costume was the other thing I spent the day sewing on Halloween.


The whole point of me supporting her elaborate peacock costume idea was that she would be sewing something. She used to make things ALL of the time...and now never does. :(

But no, she had to be sick all weekend...and then we both had to rush through! ....otherwise she'd be back to this....



...Sofi's version of a gangster.

I guess it wasn't a total loss. She did make the headband...


...and the tail....


....and it was nice doing something fun together.

Speaking of togetherness, Sof, Tony and I went and saw Twilight at the Regal tonight. So fun! Sofi made so many comments that next week (when they're playing New Moon), I told her she gets ten tickets at the start of the movie. She has to hand me a ticket every time she makes a comment....and, when she runs out, she has to shut up! :) Anyone want to join us?

....and more Halloween....

Annika wanted to be an angel for Halloween. Easy. Especially since my sister provided the dress and Joann's provided the wings. All we had to do was twist a pipe cleaner halo and we were done!


She looks darned angelic, if I do say so myself! (But, that is pretty typical for Annika.)


Jonny wanted to be creepy hermit. (I told the kids that whoever chose a costume we already owned got $5. He's the only one who took me up on it.)


...and then, at the last minute, Sofi had dressed him up as a "creepy stalker with a moustache", complete with binoculars for peeping. Sadly, there's no picture of that ensemble.

Mario

When Halloween rolled around, I had 1 child with a completed costume (Annika's came in a magic envelope from my sister! Thanks, Sarah!) As a part of my last-minute panic, I ran to Target, resigned to buying James's Mario costume after all.

I needn't have bothered. They were fresh out, and I knew he would not settle for Wario or Luigi. ...and they weren't even on sale! Lame.

I ran back home and dug out the blue felt I had planned to use for Cozy's Gnome costume last year (until I found something cuter and easier). Seriously, 5 minutes later, the Mario overalls were done. I love felt. No hemming, no need to sew button holes...just snip, snip and you're done!




Sadly, our store-bought moustache wouldn't stay on. Sofia drew one on with a marker.


...and "WeeHee, Let's-a-go!"