Handmade Christmas

Since moving to the East Coast and becoming grandparents - our holidays celebrations have enlarged.  And I don't just mean by 1 baby!  See, our son in laws parents live close and everyone is wonderful and amazing and we do Christmas as a large group.

For years now, I have made both girls and our SIL flannel pants for Christmas.  This year, a boyfriend was added to the flannel pants list.  I also make the 3 of them a pair of hand knit socks.  But what in the world do I make for our SIL's parents?!

This year when I stumbled upon this photo from Emily Hallman on instagram - I knew what I needed to make for SIL's Mother!  Sadly, I'm pretty sure I didn't take many photos.

Then the question was what to make for SIL's Dad.  hmmm. . . .
They love to travel.  It's always so hard to find your luggage at the airport - I mean everyone has the same black or navy blue suitcase and they just get lost in the crowd - so luggage tags with the same monogram I used for the napkins I gave them last year.  Done!

You can just see the luggage tag that SIL's Mom hung from her bag for their Winter Get Away.  These tags fold in half and close with snaps.  On the inside, I used the alphabet function of my sewing machine to type their surname, address and a contact phone number.  I sandwiched the two pieces of fabric, right sides together with a length of ribbon for hanging.  Sewed, turned, topstitched and then sewed 2 snaps on each tag.  I made 6 in total.

Both of SIL's parents like to enjoy wine and they recently moved into a new house, so a set of wine themed travertine coasters was the final item included in their gift. 

I think they liked everything.  Now, what to make them next year?  hmmmmmm (currently taking suggestions).

So Far Behind

~ I'm never gonna get caught up

~ After DC, we went everywhere - 5 states and a district in 10 days (DC, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.)

~ I was able to meet 3 blogging friends in person, but only took photos of one (which I've shared)

~ I went fabric and yarn shopping - didn't buy much of either.

~ We came home and the holidays were in full swing.

~ I was able to make some things happen this year by making them social (the holiday lights)

~ My friend Y and took Cuteness to see the gingerbread houses.

~ The theme this year was train stations and they were beautiful as always.

~ Cuteness loved the Merry Go Round.

~ Cuteness was scared of Santa

~ I did all my holiday sewing last minute.

~ It's still not done.

~ Saturday is my 17th Anniversary.

~I think I have enough apps on my phone.

~Anyone have a Nook?   I haven't downloaded a single book yet.

~The holidays are low key at our house and for that I'm thankful.

~Hope you had a holiday that was Merry and Bright and that you safely see in 2012.

~I miss this space and will make more efforts to be here more often in 2012.

~I miss my velveteen friends.

~Thank you all.

Happy Hollidogs

 Lucy, Abigail & Beau want to wish you a happy holiday.

I told them they could move when they did.

They were less than thrilled with sitting in front of the tree.

It's in the house and has lights.

that's about all I can say right now

we do use a living tree - maybe this year it'll get planted

last year it was only a 3' tree, grew about 2' in the pot in the yard.

Happy Holidays everyone  I hope to be back in this space with more sewing and knitting to show in 2011.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, opinions and friendship with me.

I truly appreciate it.

Not Your Grandmother's Gingerbread House

For the past 18 years the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle has been hosting a gingerbread display to benefit juvenile diabetes.

I've lived in Seattle for that long this time - but never knew about it until I saw a clip on the local Evening Magazine last year.  thankfully I was working downtown, or I never would have gone to see them.  Cake Fixation has a blog post with much better photos (2009 are here) - but I'll still give you my favorite photos.

Last year, having been the first year I ever saw them I think those were my favorite and everything else has to live up to them.  This year - the tree house is my favorite.  I love trying to figure out what all the 'building' materials are.  I also loved those trees and reindeer.  I've been to see them twice now this year and I think I'm dragging JB down to view them after my company holiday dinner next Thursday again! 

Does your town have a gingerbread house display? 

Fireworks

Big fun was had by all.

The photos are getting better.

But man, was it cold here!

Lookie What I Got!

Luna Moth Shawl

Knit by The Princess

Yarn: Road to China Light

It's was her first "real" lace project and it's lovely. Soft, beautiful, wonderful knitting.

Couldn't ask for a better gift - now if I could just get cool enough to wear it!!

A Peak Into JB's Mind

Scary thought - I know! This is how one of my gifts looked on Christmas morning. Can you see the magic marker all over the wrapping paper? I'm pretty sure you can't read it - let me tell you what it says:

*It's amaxing what runs by the back yard.

"&" where u have to ship to for quality workmanship . . . "Aussies"

The Fex Ex guy doesn't like paw prints for signatures either. Good things there's 4 of us to vouch for package & the Australian Sheprd . . .

What a b*tch! Lucy set her strait tho, anyway Happy Holidays - Beau, Lucy, Abby & Duds

So this is how his crazy mind works. He had an entire story worked out. See that little blue lump in this photo? Over here -->

That's a "dead lamb" that was Lucy's.

So - the dogs found "sheep" running through the backyard. Killed it (there's evidence of that) and then shipped it off to Australia to get something made.

Apparently, the Australian woman they were dealing with wasn't very nice - but Lucy managed to set her straight. When the package was delivered - the Fed Ex guy was less than thrilled with a paw print signature - but he eventually left the package.

So what was in the package you ask? My new slippers!

Cloud soft Australian slippers. Love them! Funny, but sadly true, story. Hope your holidays are filled with crazy stories like this one.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas I'm glued to the tree. I'm wondering what Santa has brought for me...

Could it be fat quarters or a pattern or lace? Or a quilt kit, I said with a smile on my face.

And that's when I heard him "Hi Santa," I said." You know...good little girls should be in their beds."

"I know I should, Santa and now I've been caught. But I was just so excited to see what you brought."

"Well, let's take a look in this room where you work. "He shook his head quickly And left with a jerk.

I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear "You've got enough stuff, I'll see you next year!"

A friend sent me this lovely poem. I hope that Santa brings you just enough of the right stuff. Merry Christmas to all.

Christmas Questions

There is a fun little set of holiday questions going around the blog world and since I haven't done much sewing - I felt like playing along. Have you started your shopping? Yes. I tend to be one of those really annoying people who do a lot of my crafty stuff really early - like January. Then I try to shop all year - when I see something I know somebody will like I pick it up. The problem I have these days is that I can't remember what safe place I put the gifts in. What is one of your special traditions? Every year on Thanksgiving we start a jigsaw puzzle. It's a family affair and everyone who's at the house has to help. The only condition is that the puzzle have Santa in it somewhere. Are you a Black Friday shopper? No! I've gone maybe once or twice. But really I hate crowds and I'm just not that into it. When do you put up your tree? Since we starting having a "live" tree about 5 years ago, we purchase our tree early in December, but it stays outside with lights until around the 23rd.

Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Well last year we travelled and this year we are staying home. I like being home - it felt weird to not be home at Christmas - didn't feel very Christmassy at all. What is your favorite Christmas movie? I love "It's a Wonderful Life" and make my family watch it on Christmas Eve every year. I also really enjoy all three of The Santa Clause movies. Do you like Christmas baking? What is your favorite? I don't bake. I cook, but I do not bake. JB is the baker in our house. He's good - but he doesn't do Christmas baking. I will occasionally make a whack of mini loafs of quick breads, but that's about it.

Do you have a fake or real tree? Not only do we have a real tree, we have a living tree - in a pot with feet and everything. After Christmas JB plants it in the yard. I think I'm going to start leaving ornaments in the tree with the year on them.

Are you wrapping on Christmas Eve? Yep! Generally I pass off everything to JB - except what's for him. I'm a horrible wrapper - because really I just don't care. JB loves pretty packages with beautiful bows and enjoys doing it - so I let him have the pleasure. What is your favorite Christmas music? I love, love, love - Garth Brook's album Call me Clause. It's lovely. My favorite songs - Carol of the Bells. Hands down every time. As others I've seen answering these questions - I've put in photos of some of my favorite Christmas decorations. The little snow puppy over there? It's an old starbucks ornament. I love it. There's a snow man walking his snow puppy. I had to move it away from bloodhound lips because Lucy thought it was new dog toy I put out for her. Isn't the dog eating a puppy a form of cannibalism?

Done and Done!

Wednesday night I finished the knitting on the lime green stocking. Thursday night I braided the cast on tail and the a few other strands I added to make the hanging loop and tassel. I need to get some better photos. Here they are hanging from my "mantle." I refuse to put them in the living room where the tree will be because the mantle in that room is simply a 2X6 above the fireplace. Then we hung the plasma over it. Plus I have long wanted a set of 4 stocking hangers - I finally found one and everyone is grown. Looking at the stockings together I don't care for the lime. While the colors all looked great in hanks sitting together - I think the lime is too bright for the others. Now to finish Christmas. UGH! Hope your holidays preparations are merry and you are enjoying the season. I feel like I'm running around like a chicken these days.

Happy Holidays

I found a studio that would let me take all 4 dogs in. So, I made an appointment when The Princess was home - and this is what we got. There wasn't one picture in the bunch where Beau had his tongue in his mouth! Back to Front:

The Musical One

JB, The Princess

Lucy, me, Beauregard

Dudley & Abigail Jane

{I'm currently in Costa Rica enjoying a bike tour}

A Bit O' Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day. May you all enjoy green beer with good friends.

The Princess' Pink Christmas Gift

The Princess used to have just one winter coat and it was white. Then she moved to Connecticut. She started buying lots and lots of Winter coats. Go figure! I will never understand these girls who have to have 15 winter coats. Thankfully, her pretty pink set matches more than one. Anyway, sometime in October I decided that I would make her a pair of fetchings to have handy for slipping on when she ran Little Ann out to the bus. Of course, when you live in New England in the winter you need to keep your ears warm too. Being a little bit obsessive, the cables on the hat had to match the cables on the mitts. Don't ask why, just know that they do. Also, they have to flow to the end of the hat, they can't just end and leave you with some stitch that wasn't there before.

So knowing this, I cast on for the hat using one size larger needles than I had for the mitts. I cast on enough stitches that the cables where in pairs, with 2 going left then the next 2 going right around the hat. I have no idea how many stitches that was - I didn't write anything down. I knit along for awhile and then dropped a needle size to shart shaping the hat. Then I did a couple of decrease rows taking out one of the cable pairs, went down another needle size, and so on until I had enough stitches left to pull the yarn through and bind off.

I don't know if she actually wears this set, but I made it and it's lovely. It's a beautiful pink merino wool. Sitting in the basement at the computer, I wish that I had made some for myself! It's 50+ degrees outside with the sunshining, but really cold downstairs. No Fair!

As Previously Promised

Remember this post? Well I promised to show the advent calendars. The first photo shows the original advent calendar made by my Sister-in-Law a million years ago. It has just a few ornaments on it already.

I asked The Princess to email me a picture of her advent calendar all decorated for Santa, but she hasn't done it. The Musical One lost one of her ornaments last year while she was in the process of moving back home. Anyway - she didn't put hers out this year.

The next picture is of The Musical One's bare advent calendar. As you can see - all the number pockets are embroidered. These truly were one of the first projects made after I got an embroidery machine. There are little gold stars scattered around the tree and some silver 'twisted cord' garland. I also made 3 different pieced and quilted tree skirts. The skirt is much straighter on the banner than the picture indicates :)

The presents were embroidered on organza and then cut out and the edges sealed with a wood cutting tool. Finally - it's hard to see, but I added a button hole by the trunk and placed a little teddy bear (who is on a shank button) there. I think these trees are much prettier bare than the original.

Here's a little close up of some of the tiny cross-stitched ornaments. It would appear that some more of these are in my future for 2007. I put a pocket on the back of the banners and labelled it "Extra Pieces." The Princess was quite upset this year to find out that the pocket didn't actually contain any extra pieces. The picture isn't close enough to tell, but the wreath has little red beads scattered for the berries, the white of the stocking is all beaded as are the faces on the gingerbread man and the reindeer. Now I just have to find the supplies.

Finally - I'll leave you with a fully decorated, but crooked, shot of the original calendar with all the new tiny cross-stitch ornaments. And the good news - the Sister-in-Law didn't even notice that the decorations for the tree had been changed!!!

Happy Birthday!

Said with the Frosty the Snowman voice. Hope everyone has a very happy, stress-less holiday and is able to spend time with family and friends doing exactly what they want. Thank you all for stopping by and offering encouragement when I'm down and depressed. For teaching when I needed lessons and for becoming great friends in the world wide web! Happy Holidays to all.

Life Lessons

Do any of you watch "TLC?" Well I do, alot. But that may change! Yesterday while watching the idiot box with JB before heading out on more holiday errands - I saw a new Life Lesson that I had never seen before. This was labeled Life Lesson #40, but I couldn't find a reference to it or a figuring on The Discovery Channel's webpage. Basically, it said that homemade gifts were only okay to make and give if you were under the age of 7! WTF? I don't get it. I make lots of gifts, and people seem to really enjoy them. Do you think they are just faking? Granted the 'husband' in the commercial had just given his wife a rather largish piece of a tree - either branch or trunk and was claiming it was a birdhouse, but still. A general don't make gifts if you're over 7 proclamation? I may have to remove Channel 36 from my televisions. Happy Holidays everyone. The in-laws are arriving today. The bedroom is painted. Half the bed is moved upstairs. Today, it's laundry (so I can felt), cleanup (so there isn't all the carp in my house from tearing the closet out in the bedroom) and more wild goose chase shopping (I certainly hope it's not a wild goose chase). I hope to be able to post before and after pictures of some of my felted goods tomorrow. I also hope to be able to sneak some sewing and wrapping time in :)

Busy, Busy

We're still super busy around here at the House of the Dogs. JB's last day of work until next year was Wednesday. You can bet I left him a long 'honey do' list. Starting with painting the room that was vacated by The Princess earlier this year. Today we will move the bed occupied by The Musical One upstairs to her new bedroom - which will eventually become the guest room if she ever moves out again!!!! I have to briefly go to work this morning. When you work for attorneys and what you do or don't do affects people's lives - sometimes you have to do when you don't want to. That's the boat I'm in this morning. I'll go and I'll smile. It should be fairly quiet this morning at the office, so maybe I can get some other work done. Then hubby has shopping plans. I plan on taking knitting with me where ever I go today. Two mittens needs to be made and one purse finished so all can be felted and wrapped before Monday. Happy Holidays everyone - time to let the dogs in.

As If!

Once upon a time somebody told me to act "as if." For example - as if I was a girl scout leader, as if I was happy, whatever. I think you get the idea. Yesterday, I was super busy at work. Slammed in fact. Then I got a phone call from my dentist's office asking if I could come in early for my appointment today? Appointment? Today? Sure! Left at 3, went to the dentist, went home and sat down quietly with a book and a cup of cocoa - where I fell asleep :) This morning I woke up with a headache (again) and a stomach ache. I wanted to climb back into bed. Instead - I acted as if I was feeling fine. As if I was a fully functioning human being. As if I was excited about the holiday season. I managed to get the lining sewn into The Musical One's computer bag. All that's left now is to seam and cut the plastic canvas and then insert the zipper. Moving right along. Will be finished tonight. Another thing I'm adding to my "As If" list. I'm going to act as if there is more time between today and Christmas!!!

While I Was Waiting

for something worthwhile to blog about, JB beat me to the computer last night. So, I blew my post a day - oh well :} I did get some sewing and some knitting done this weekend, along with all the eating, drinking and visiting. The back of the man sweater is off the needles and I cast on for both sleeves. I'm working them both at the same time. I also managed to get down into the "studio" (how pretentious am I?) after dinner and made one of the last pieces to my DWOA Secret Santa package. That little fleece bear in the back. The picture above is the package being mailed today. (She doesn't read this blog - so I'm safe to tell you all what's in it.) For the dogs - 2 soft squeaky toys, one purchased one handmade. A round stainless cookie tin with the bag of cookies in the front tucked inside. 3 rawhide wreaths and 3 yummy (according to my dogs) bone shaped cookies. For the human - a very wide and long mohair lace scarf. The pattern came from 365 Stitch Patterns - Lacy Zigzag on November 1st. I used size 10 mm needles to get a very open look. I cast on 35 stitches or 5 pattern repeats plus 4 stitches for a 2 stitch garter border. I knit through 4 balls of mohair that was purchased in England in the 80s. This is long and wide enough to use as a wrap, shawl, or scarf. I hope it is enjoyed. Also included for the human - a picture frame, a book, a rice paper journal and some tea. I was going to make and add some doggie themed magnets, but the Princess used my hot glue gun last and didn't put it away. Now I don't know where it is! I wasn't very happy when I figured that out yesterday. Finally - let me leave you with my beautiful scarf model. As you can tell - the scarf looks great with the color of his coat, but he wasn't very happy about modelling. According to Sheeba I must die for this humiliating event.

Hostess Gifts & Holiday Traditions

This is the view of the entry way. The banister was adorned with fresh garland and multi-colored mini lights. I'm going to have to get out the manual for my digital camera so I can take pictures of the outdoor lights and the tree. I can't get the lights at dark to show up. Will work on it. The party was wonderful! I had a great time. I wore the green sheath dress - without an apron. I made 70 or so meatballs and put them in a crockpot with bottled sweet & sour sauce to which I added a can of pineapple chucks, with the juice and one chopped green bell pepper. I also had a crockpot full of "little smokies" in BBQ sauce. We had a beautiful tray with crackers with a bowl of spinach artichoke dip in the middle. A huge platter of ham, salami, Havarti & cheddar. A bowl of cooked shrimp on ice with a side of cocktail sauce. 20 mini quiches - courtesy of Costco. They were very good and the perfect bite size. One of the guests brought crackers and a homemade salmon ball. Very good :)

On the kitchen table was a box of chocolate cookies that I picked up also at Costco. I was worried there wouldn't be enough food! I was almost right. Also there were a couple bowls of mixed nuts, a box of chocolates that was brought as a hostess gift and the cheesecakes made by JB. I was quite disappointed, when I went to set up the candles for the dining room table I found that all the candles I bought at Michael's last week didn't make it home with me. Bummer! We called, but they claim not to have found them. I'm disappointed - but was able to punt. I have lots of candles! In fact, due to the wind storm we had on Thursday night several of our guests were without power. I got compliments for having candles in every room of the house - just in case :) On to hostess gifts - I was given a box of "Pot of Gold" chocolates, a box of Godiva chocolates, and a box of Russel Stover's chocolates, a bottle of wine and a plant. I let the 8YO at the party open the Pot of Gold - it's mostly gone and I'm happy. This morning our mailman rang the bell as he had a box for us - too big for the mailbox. I gave him the box of Russel Stover Chocolates and wished him a happy holiday season :) I will be taking the Godiva and regifting it to the hostess at the party we are attending tonight. {It's okay, nobody at the party reads this blog.}

What traditions do you have in your family? We have a couple - some created for our blended family after JB and I got married and some started when I had kids. This is one of my favorites. Every year since The Musical One was born both my mother and my sister send an ornament to my kids. Generally the ornaments match each other. Some years they are handmade, some years bought. I love these ornaments. These are the two that my sister sent for the girls this year -

they were in the box the mailman delivered :)

What's really great about this year's ornaments is just last night The Princess said to me that she wanted to start collecting snowman ornaments for her personal tree :0] How appropriate are these? She will be getting the tall one in her stocking.

I did purchase a few ornaments for her this year, but they weren't snowman - next year I'll know to be on the lookout for the fluffy white guys.