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

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

Candy Sleighs!

Ellyn posted some very cute candy sleighs that she made a few days back.  I put them in the file for "next year" and then, as always, I needed to make them NOW.  I made a list and hit Target on Saturday (finished my Christmas shopping, btw) and loaded up on chocolates and candy canes.  Amelia and I set to work last night and we finished what we could this afternoon.  We had enough mini Hersheys for 11 sleighs.  I have one lone one waiting in the wings.

I intend to buy more mini Hersheys (and Kit Kats) when I get back from my business trip to make more.  I have another whole box of candy canes to use.

Cute, huh?  We'll be giving them out to the little kids in the family and maybe some "big kids" too.

A little bit of sewing has been happening here.  I'm almost done with those coupon clutches but they will have to wait until I get back this weekend.  Unless I find some spare time to finish those up before I leave.

Enjoy the rest of your day!
Jen

Okay. Christmas can come now

Last December while scrambling to finish all my other Christmas gifts, I felt I NEEDED to make stockings for our family.  I got one made for Punk and hadn't thought about them again.  Fast forward... Sharon had a fabric sale this Spring?  Summer?  and I bought fabrics for my stocking and Chris'.  You would think having all Summer off from work that I would work on them.  Because believe me, the fabric stared me right in the face and I totally ignored it.

Then the scramble started.  Thanksgiving weekend.  And I finished them last night.  I'm happy.  We don't have a fireplace or mantle so they are hung on our staircase.  It's the only good place for them.

Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Chris

Christmas Candy by Riley Blake for me

All three together

Ahhhh.  That's better.  Santa can come fill our stockings now.

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas greetings to all my bloggy friends!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of family and friends, joy and laughter!

Punkie's tree - 2010

Merry Christmas!!!
Hugs!
Jen and Amelia :)

Gingerbread House

We have a little holiday tradition among us cousins and we get together and decorate gingerbread houses.  Last year, Amelia stuck on 2 pieces of candy and was all done.  Here's the link to last year's house.  This year, she actually sat with me and we decorated together.  I came up with the chocolate tiled roof.  The rest of the house design was all her own.  Only thing I was in charge of was putting the icing where she wanted it.

Here's the front:

The back:

and one of the sides:

A few photos of the whole group's.  We are missing one.  One person had to leave before we snapped our photos.

Next year I'm going to do some research and get different candy supplies and possibly my own house.  I've seen a few out there and people are so creative!  I just like to be a copy cat. ;)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Secret Santa Swap Received and A few other things

I was Judy's swap partner and she made me a very cute wallhanging.  Amelia already claimed it as her own.  I really like it.  Judy did a beautiful job on the stitching.  I love the label on the back.

Thank you Judy!!

And something that I finished.  Vickie shared a tutorial on her blog on how to (quickly) make up an XL hot pad.  CLEVER!  I liked it so much, I made two!  My Christmas table is going to be very festive!

I also got some quilted items back from Sharon.  I'm working on getting the bindings on now. Once I'm done, I'll show them off.  :)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Okay, someone heard me

Look what I bumped into this afternoon...

And yes.  I ordered the pattern.

Sigh.  I'm going to make ONE new stocking this year.  For Punkie.  IF and big IF I can find the fabric I want to use.

That is all.  No more.  The other two will have to wait until next year.

I have some things to show you but I'm not feeling it today.  I caught a bug or a cold or something.  So I'm going to take my sick self to the couch and veg out the rest of the night.

*cough cough*
Jen

Someone needs to stop me

I want to make the three of us new Christmas stockings.  I just don't have the time.  Someone please tell me that there's always NEXT year!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Tote Mania!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving holiday? Good I hope. Ours was very nice. Spent most of the weekend away from home so today, I'm tired but it's back to work time!

I was off from work starting at Noon on Tuesday last week so I did get some sewing done on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. I'll show you what I was working on.

These are the Claire totes that I did for my Mom and my MIL for Christmas from Punkie. These aren't my Mom's thing but I figured she could carry her lunch it in for work.

After getting all the bits and pieces cut, the tote goes together fairly quickly.

Here's a shot of the inside of one. Love all the pockets!


And MY tote. I started this one back in September but put it aside to work on Christmas projects. I had time on Wednesday afternoon and it was pretty much done. I just had to join the outer piece and the lining together so I got my own tote done. LOVE IT!

Pattern is the Bring Your Own Bag II from Whistlepig Creek and it's really big. Good size for an overnight bag. This one has lots of pockets too. I added a snap at the top as well.

The machine embroidered "J" is from SWAK Embroidery. The WPCreek pattern has you make a circle and then applique a letter in the center but I wanted to be different. And I'm glad I did my own thing.

I brought my bag with me to Thanksgiving dinner to show it off and my SIL wants one, just a little smaller. So after the holidays, I will make her one.

I also worked on another project yesterday that went really quick. I need to take its picture and I'll show you.

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

More Fleece Blankets

I put together a couple fleece blankets and coordinating pillowcases for my cousins to give to their respective god-children for Christmas. I gave one to my god-daughter last year for her birthday so now all three kids in the house will have one.

This one is for Katrina, the oldest. I have no idea if she even likes turtles but this is what she's getting. LOL!

And for Julian - pirates. He's BIG into construction vehicles and tractors but we didn't find any suitable fleece for him. So pirates it is! I love the fleece. It's a big treasure map!

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)