Wishing you all...

A very happy...

Enjoy your evening and stay safe!  I will be home, enjoying a pizza dinner with my little family.  Maybe watching a movie and mayyybe getting a bit of sewing in.

See you all in 2013!

Jen  :)

Sledding Fun

Did everyone have a nice Christmas?  We sure did.  I took this week off and we've been spending it at home.  Chilling out and just having family time.  I have been doing some sewing too and hopefully in a day or two, I will have the last of my Christmas gifts done so that I can show you.

We got our first big snow for the season and first good snow fall in a year.  We grabbed the sled and headed over to our local park which has some good hills and had some snow fun.

I was the official picture taker.  No getting wet and cold for me but my husband is a good sport.  We all had fun.

I have a bunch more pictures from our hour or so of fun but you get the idea.  :)

Enjoy!
Jen  :)

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!  Hope your holiday is filled with family and friends, laughter and good cheer.

Our family festivites start today (this evening) with traditional Polish Wigilia at my Grandmother's and then we move on to my cousin's house on my Mom's side of the family.  We pretty much party all day long.  Good eating happening tonight!  I can't wait.

Christmas Day is going to be very low-key which is the first for me.  For as long as I could remember, we always went to my Grandmother's house on Christmas Day.  And then as an adult, to my Mom's, in-laws or I hosted dinner.  This year, everybody is staying where they are.  We are chilling out at home.  No company.  No entertaining.  Nothing.  And I'm soooo looking forward to that.

Punkie's Tree - 2012

Hugs!
Jen and Punkie

For My Little Mommy

Last year, Punkie big wish was to get an American Girl "Bitty Baby" doll.  Of course Santa listened.  "Baby Amelia" has been a big part of her year.  Punkie loves to play "house" - just play pretend in general. 

This year, Santa is bringing her more accessories for "Baby Amelia" and "Big Sister" (that's me), made a few things for her too.

I found a tutorial for dolly cloth diapers on Lori Holt's blog and whipped out a few (7).  Along with the new cloth diapers, I made a simple blanket for Punkie's baby too.  I wanted to make some bibs as well but you know how it is.  Time ran out.  I'll still make some bibs; they just won't be under the tree.

I hope my Little Mommy likes them.

Enjoy your day!
Jen :)

No Candy Sleighs this year

Last year, Ellyn made some adorable candy sleighs and I felt the need that my family needed some as well.  I was going to make the same this year but found on Pinterest (!) something else that caught my eye.

These cute "Nugget Trays".

It's just Hershey Nuggets chocolates, wrapped in fun scrapbooking paper and sitting in a paper tray.  I didn't make any of the hanging tags that go with the trays because I would have made myself crazy.  Punkie and I made A LOT (and we still have 13 more to go).

But they are super cute and just a little something for the extended family.  I mean, who doesn't love chocolate??

Punkie and I plan on making the nugget trays for her classmates for Valentine's Day.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Ready?

I'm not.  I'm doing a major scramble this weekend.  All my shopping is done and most of my wrapping is done but I have some sewing to finish up for Punkie and wrapping all her "Santa" gifts.  My MIL called me this morning and asked if Punk wanted to spend the night over there to give me some private time to get things done.  YES PLEASE!

Enough complaining.  Let me show you what I've been up to.

I found some cute ideas out on Pinterest (again) and put some of them into action.  I have a Godson who is going to be 15 in February and what do you give a 15 year old boy??!?  No clue here so money it is!

I thought this would be a cute way to give my Godson some spending money.

Next, teacher gifts.   A bag for Punk's "main" teacher.  I made the Tahoe Tote and dug in my stash for some yardage.  Punk picked out this combo and I set to work.  I like it.  I hope her teacher does as well.

And a fleece blanket for the teacher's aide in her classroom.

And a little something for me.  About a week or 2 ago I got some happy mail.  Carol sent me a very sweet pincushion.  I just adore it.  Thank you Carol for thinking of me during the busy holiday season!

if you can't see it, Carol stitched "Pins" in the center.  Too cute.

There's a bit more I want to share.  I'll be posting again.  :)

Enjoy your day!

Jen

The holiday push

I'm scrambling over here to finish gifts.  Trying to find time but it's hiding pretty good on me.  I have a list and most of it is for Punk and whatever I work on, finished or not, I have to hide.  She has radar in my sewing room.

I am hoping, hoping hard, that I can find some sewing time this weekend.  House needs to be cleaned and Christmas tree needs to be dressed up.  Breakfast with Santa on Sunday.

It would be nice to show you some Christmas gift finished next week.

Fingers crossed!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Candy, candy everywhere!

Tis the season!  Time for gingerbread house decorating 2012.  For reasons that I can't remember, we didn't decorate a house last year.  But made a point to do one this year.  We gather at my aunt's house and get to work. 

We all take the easy way out.  Buy pre-assembled houses that come with the icing all done (no messy mixing needed!).  All that is needed is (extra) candy and a willing person to get messy.  We tried the house kits one year that come baked but not put together.  Yah.  Pain in the butt.  These are better. And while it's not "home baked"; who cares??  The kids want the candy, not the cookie house.  At least my kid is that way.

Here's most of the extra candy that we all donated to the gingerbread cause:

Hmmm, looks like I missed the OTHER end of the table because there was a lot more than that!

I wasn't sure how Punk was going to be.  In the past, she showed no interested or very limited interest in the house.  This year, she and I planned our decorating strategy.  What we wanted for a roof.  What other things she wanted to see on our house.  She wanted a chimney and we bought candy to make a chimney but we both forgot about it.  I took her to Walmart and spent a MINT on candy.  The cashier probably thought I was a bit late for Halloween for all the candy I bought.  LOL!  It's okay. We all shared.  She surprised me and was very excited to decorate and actually sat there with me and decorated.

Okay.  On with the show.

Here is Josh's house.  He is going to be a big brother TOMORROW!  I'm so excited!

he kept giving me "bug eyes" with his smile.  LOL!

And some of the others.  There were 2 other little boys there and then my 2 cousins and my aunt who all decorated a house.  Amelia and I shared one.  Next year, I will make my own.

And our creation:

Punk is eating a candy cane

By the time we were done, there was no rhyme or reason to the candy placement.  We just stuck it all on there.  Amelia and I added a candy sleigh to our side yard and everybody else followed suit.  It far from perfection but it was envisioned by my little girl and that's all that matters. 

We had a great time and hope to remember to make time and decorate again next year.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

This post is brought to you by the letters A, H, K and M

Pillows.  Lots of pillows being cranked out over here.

It all started with the innocent question on Facebook to my cousin of what would my God-daughter like for Christmas?  She and Amelia are of the same age - Hope being 8 months older but her interests differ a lot from Punk.  Amelia loves to play with dolls and play pretend.  Hope loves to draw.  I've given art supplies a few times but I needed something different.  One thing on her list was an "H" pillow.  Oh.  I can so handle that!

Gears turning in my head, I came up with an idea.  An initial pillow but with some pizazz.  Gotta have some pizazz.  Hmmm.  Turn it.  Yeah.  That works.  Turn the block a bit so it looks wonky.  Okay.  Now we're cooking.  But it needs more.  It's not speaking too loudly yet for me.  It needs more WOW!  Ah.  FUR.  Faux fur in a fun color.  Ooooo yeahhhh.  That's it!

NOW the pillow is talking to me.  It tells me is works just fine for a little girl!

Hope

Here's where the "lots of pillows" comes in.  My other cousin is Hope's sister's Godmother.  And of course, on Katrina's wish list was a "K" pillow.  When I answered my cousin on FB that I could handle an "H" pillow, my other cousin asked me ever so sweetly "Since you're making one for Hope, can you make one for Katrina too?"  Of course.  Part of me wanted Hope to be "special" and have her own pillow but I had a feeling that on Christmas Eve when the gifts are exchanged between the extended families, I would have been asked anyway if I could make one for Katrina so why not.  I'm on a roll with them as it is.

I couldn't stop there.  I have my own little one who will certainly spot the pillows and ask for her own so I had to make an "A" for her.  THEN I remembered that another one of my cousin's got married in July and his step-daughter is of "fun pillow" stage so I had to make one for her too.  That's 4 pillows so far.

But I needed a guinea pig pillow.  My LQS had this aqua fur on their shelves that totally remind me of Sulley from Monsters Inc.  This guy:

So I bought some "Sulley Blue" fur and got to work and put my ideas in action.  Since I had color choices already assigned to those above, I made a pillow for my friend's daughter.  We exchange a little something for the girls every year.

As I was working on Amelia's pillow, who by the way, picked out her own fabrics for her letter and outer borders - so much for that surprise - it dawned on me that there is one more little girl in the bunch who would like a pillow I'm sure.  So I added another one to my list and quickly decided on her color scheme so that I could order the faux fur for hers.

Total of 6 pillows.  I love how they came out.  I can't wait to give them out at Christmas.  If you happen to be wondering... Amelia can't have hers until Christmas morning.  It's going under the tree.  :)

Maya

Kaleigh

Amelia

Abbey

Katrina

This isn't a "letter" pillow but it falls into the pillow and gift category.  Out on evil great Pinterest, I found a tutorial for some cute applique Christmas ornaments.  They were too cute.  My hairdresser needed a gift and she appreciates all the work that goes into handmade items so I made one for her.  I really like how it came out.  I ended up doing an envelope back so that she can remove the cover and wash it or store it easier.

D'OH!  Forgot to take a picture of the ornament pillow and I'm at work today.  Picture coming soon.   

For the Christmas Through the Year Grand Finale - I can say that I made more Christmas gifts.  I started out the year just fine with some small gifts but then I ran out of gift ideas and sewing steam.  I will be better prepared for next year. 

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Baby Gifts - Round 1

I have 17 more days before the new baby of the family will be making his birthday debut.  I have been scrambling to get baby things made for my cousin to use with him.  My problem is this: I keep ADDING to my list!

I need to stay off Pinterest. 

Seriously.

It is toooo addicting.  Too much eye candy.  Too much of "ooooo!  I can make THAT!"

Instead of waiting for everything to be finished, here's what I've completed so far.

Bibs.  I found a very simple tutorial for the bib and I have 2 more in the works.  One patchworked and another with the waterproof PUL baby fabrics.  I should have modeled them on one of Punkie's dolls.

love the woodland animals



soft flannel for the back

 Next... burp cloths.  I think these are going to be the death of me.  I was a bit zealous and bought the 10 pack of cloth diapers instead of the 6 pack.

my favorite flannel in the bunch so far

And lastly, some flannel blankets.  Bigger than receiving blankets.  I have one more of them to finish.

On my Baby Gifts - Round 2 list are: last 2 bibs, finish up the burp cloths, 1 more blanket, a wipe holder and diaper clutch with changing mat and a soft fabric basket to hold some of this stuff.  Do you think I can do it in 17 days??  My cousin told me not to sweat it.  I asked her to hold him in a bit longer but she's really uncomforable (I remember that) and her c-section is all scheduled so I have no choice but to finish what I can and give the rest when Baby Boy #2 is here... the parents are still deciding on a name.  I gave them MY pick of names but they aren't biting.  Texas Ranger* (T.R. for short) was one of my picks.  *If you have seen the Will Ferrell movie "Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby", you will understand my "Texas Ranger" name reference.* 

Sadly, I have been calling the baby "T.R." since she found out she was having another boy.  I hope my bad habit will go away once he's actually HERE! 

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)