signing out...

Conan's home for two weeks.

I've got cookies to make.

Puzzles to do.

Presents to wrap.

Sweets to eat.

Weight to gain.

Reindeer antlers to wear.

I'll see ya next year!

{except I might not be able to resist sneaking in a good post. maybe.}

{merry christmas.}

{i hope I get chocolates.}

tote tutorial. totally.

Okay, I know it took forever, but here you go:

You say what? Here, I'll show ya:
with a little song, too. lucky.

{This is when you'd sew on your ruffles around the outside of your bag,

if you were to ruffle.}

Don't turn your interior right side out.

Fit it inside the exterior with wrong sides together.

Now follow this tutorial for your straps, except don't press the sides in

and cut your strap pieces 24" x 4", and without velcro.

Backstitch over the straps.

Done. You have a tote.

These totes below are just one layer of exterior upholstery fabric. I pressed the tops over twice to hide the raw edge of the fabric, and sewed the straps onto the outside of the bag.

Let me know how it goes!

I mean, if I totally confuse you, I'd appreciate a request for clarification.

the real life Polar Express.

I kept my kids home from school all last week. All of them. Because there was a puke bug going around our house and we could not afford to be sick over the weekend, no siree.

They all took turns throwing up, and then Joey woke up with a pink eye {heavens to betsy}. So they stayed home. All week long.

Friday came...no pukes...no pink eyes...halelujah. We drove the kids to Bryson City, NC to ride a real live Polar Express.

First we stopped in Dillsboro, NC for their lighting festivities downtown. It was still light out when we got there and we didn't see any sign of such festivities. Just an old, tiny street. I told Conan he'd been HAD, there's nothing in Dillsboro; so we drove to Sylva and ate pizza. After we ate we drove to Bryson City to catch our train and passed back through Dillsboro again. This time in the dark.

Oh. My. Goodness. Christmas heaven. Every building was in lights, there were luminaries lining the streets, a line at the tiny Town Hall to get pictures with Santa, the sound of kids singing carols in the distance. I squealed.

We found the carolers in front of the Chocolate Factory, along with a crowd of proud parents with little boys playing football in the luminary filled street. Every cute little shop had treats or hot chocolate in front for you to enjoy. And the lights were beautiful.

We found the best Christmas Shop ever and let each of the kids pick out an ornament. Kacie picked a pink doughnut, Joey a green robot, Andy a sparkly green pinecone, Jake a skateboarder, and Dani picked a very cool retro looking red reindeer; excellent choice.

Then we were off to wait in the cold for the Polar Express...

Dad passing out the precious golden tickets:

When it finally came we all piled on, took in our surroundings...

and then took our cold clothes off:

Then of course came the HOT CHOC-O-LAT:

The Conducter came to punch our tickets

just as they turned off all the lights so we could see

the North Pole out our windows:

{Joey was a little disappointed the conducter didn't do a speedy punch with a fancy word in his ticket. He said emphatically, "Dad, my ticket doesn't say nothing."}

After showing us where Santa and Frosty live,

where they make the hot chocolate,

and where the elves go to church,

Santa came on board to greet each of the kids

and give them a Christmas bell:

Kacie watched him very closely, and after planting herself firmly

in the farthest seat from the man, she said "Mom, I don't want that snowman."

Once I explained she could ask him for a Barbie for Christmas,

she smiled and warmed up to the red suit.

All in all, it was fantastic.

However, I think Conan and I hyped it up so much like it was the real Polar Express that the boys were a little disappointed. Jake asked when we were going down Glacier Gulch. He was shocked the train only went in a straight line back and forth. Andy was not just disappointed, but a little mad we didn't actually go to the North Pole. He told me later "Mom, I hope you know that wasn't the real North Pole at all. I just wanted you to know because you believe easy stuff.

But I know it wasn't, because it wasn't even icy."

You can't compete with movies. Real life just isn't as exciting.

But at least it's still magical.

a simple wish list...

folksy flannels - anna maria horner

Does that help, sweetheart?

just click the picture to the link, and buy.

go ahead.

click.

...are you clicking?

you're not clicking.

that's okay.

I have everything I need.

I just want to savor your love and affection

for Christmas.

and gift cards.

click already.

diy doily canvas bag by ashley ann photography.

Check out her tutorial for this fantastic and easy teacher gift idea.

I love it.

Her blog is good stuff.

placemats.

All right, I staged some pictures of a pretend Thanksgiving table with the placemats, and no silverware. Because we're not actually eating. And honestly, they're all dirty in my sink.

Now that it's over I wished I would have made them white with a red ruffle. Because Fall colors are so yesterday. It's Christmas you know.

I think my favorite part it the back.

These are easy guys. I don't have a full tutorial on them, but basically I sewed two pieces of fabric right sides together {with interfacing}, clipped the corners and turned them inside out. Then sewed around the edges, twice. Then, of course, added a ruffle. Because I can't stop with the ruffles.

Good food always tastes better with a pretty table.

Allow me to reminisce...

I am so deep into Red and Green and cookies and presents, I didn't post any Thanksgiving pictures. I was anxious to get on with it, I suppose.

It seems oh so long ago we were eating turkey {twice}, but yet like yesterday.

First we went to the Cruze's and ate way too much delicious food I didn't get a good picture of {without Scott's face in the way}; and then we took my new camera out to get some shots of the cousins. It was really cold, but I got some good ones I think.

And then I rushed home to check on my turkey that had been cooking for 3 hours with an orange, garlic bulb, cinnamon sticks, half an onion, fresh rosemary sprigs and sage for good luck stuffed inside its crowded body. My sister Corrie came up from Alabama with her family and we had another yummy Thanksgiving dinner. With the placemats I finished that morning. Again, no pictures. I was too excited my turkey didn't destroy all that was good and lovely.

The next day we were off to the park for some baseball and fun.

Corrie and I went to the mall that night. I haven't been to the mall in ages, and I actually cried in the Gap. I love the Gap. We sat on the comfy couch in Pottery Barn for longer than we should have and then went to Olive Garden for some bottomless Chicken Gnocchi soup. Heavenly.

Saturday we ate leftovers, played games {Conan beat Brian in Caylus. We will remember for always}, took the troops to the Museum of Art and had some good races in the Worlds Fair Ampitheater.

Sunday we ate leftovers and they went home. Then I ate leftovers and proceeded with my non-pneumonia Get-In-The-Christmas-Spirit parade that has continued to run through the halls of my home with gusto.

Goodbye Thanksgiving. I'm thankful you're done.

No offense.

ruffle baby legs tutorial.

Kacie is totally into socks. She puts on 2 or 3 pairs at once. She has baby legs under her jeans, on her arms, over her stripey socks, and ankle socks over her baby legs. She'll put on as many pairs as she can. AND she manages to fit 8 pairs of "pwincess pannies" over her little rear, too. She is quite padded these days.

So I added ruffles to her life. Because ruffles make everything better. I say.

Here's a new idea for your baby legs:

OR, you can do the same thing on top of a pair of socks.

I love her not-so-baby legs.

Especially with ruffles.

frosting recipe.

For Emili.

3/4 cup butter, softened
8 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Beat butter until smooth.
Slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix well.
Slowly beat in 1/4 cup milk and extracts.
Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar at a time.
Stop when it becomes spreadable, but not stiff.
Add 1-2 Tbsp milk if the frosting looks dry or crumbly.

Lavender Buttercream:
Boil 1 heaping tsp dried lavender buds in 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Remove the lavender buds and alternate adding your lavender water and the powdered sugar, mixing well each time.
Use the water instead of the milk, and leave out the almond extract.
This is so good on shortbread cookies or a lemon cake.

I love frosting.

it's officially official. It's not Thanksgiving anymore.

{My turkey was great by the way. Thing of the past. I fear cooking large fowl no more.}

{Buttercream frosting recipe coming. And another baby legs idea. And tote tutorial. Coming coming.}

{I saw slinky bracelets at the mall this weekend. I mean, really? It's like they raided my childhood and are throwing it all right back in my 30 year old face. Florescent splatter paint me, why don't you.}

i love buttercream frosting.

It's late. I should be sleeping. or finishing the placemats I designed in my head last night while I should have been sleeping. Or I should be prepping the sweet potatoes, or reading Food Network because I'm scared of cooking a turkey by myself. I dunno. Just stick the bird in the oven, right? Somehow it seems all too horribly simple.

I should be sleeping.

I keep the dictionary by my bed, because I like words. And I hate them; they make me nervous. So I study their meanings, their histories, their variances, their inferences, and instead of sleeping I practice speaking intelligently in my head. I pretend I'm having a really smart conversation. And then I fall asleep, because being smart is exhausting.

I feel distracted tonight by the word love. So I came to type fast about it {I like typing fast}.

It's a good strong word; I think the best ever actually. You don't have to be really smart to know that one. I love love.

I've pondered, analyzed, scrutinized, studied, and consumed that word. I want to plaster it on every wall. It's lovely.

It has more depth of meaning than I could ever conceive from a dictionary or written description. No picture painted or language spoken can lend pure comprehension to the point of mastery; love is divine. It was in the shortbread cookies with buttercream frosting this afternoon. And in the wiping and sweeping; in the time outs and tantrums; in the trying and crying. It's in me, not the dictionary.

And as I tried to tend to the tasks of the evening, aka sleep, I was distracted.

I love.

And I'm grateful.

{LaLa Love You by SparklePower}

i'm thankful for ms. methusula van wagon-heinen the third...

and for her generous offer of 1 free fortune reading per child on a busy Sunday morning.

I'm thankful for Pilot Rhonda Don DonBurger...

and for her kindness in agreeing to fly an unruly group of island natives to the sunny tropics of TahitaMamma for a couple hours...free of charge.

I'm thankful for the Master of Movies who opened the theater doors before its normal hours of operations for a special preview of be quiet.

and offered free consessions.

I'm thankful for Fancy Pants Face Painting Artist Extraordinaire and for her time consuming process of perfecting each mark of the warrior.

i'm thankful for this big sister.

{and for all of her lovely younger counterparts in whom she so beautifully entertains.}

i'm thankful for wrestlemania.

sneak peek for Andrea.

Don't lose hope, And. I'm so close to done it's exciting me.

little flower tee-shirt tutorial

We made this shirt for Camryn's birthday this weekend.

It was so easy, I thought I'd share how: