Daydreaming in Blogland.......

For anyone who would like to keep notes for Christmas crafts for next year.  I would definitely keep track of this little cute house.  I am sure the kids would have alot of fun putting this together.

I also found this cute little blog called A Spoonful of Sugar.

She writes about so many lovely craft ideas that are just beautiful.

I did not find any time to read up on blogland about crafts

for Christmas, so I am taking notes of things that I can do next year.

I wished I had more ideas lined up.  Take a look, and I am sure you

will love all the beautiful things on this blog.  These gift tags are so elegant.

One new blog always leads me to another, so I found Simplify 101.

You can sign up for her newsletter, and she sends you a great email with 101 organization tips.  One of them I put to use right away this morning.  I cleared off my desk.  It always puts me in a bad mood.  I swear that decluttering your home is also a great idea before you begin cleaning.  I always spend an hour of putting away clutter before I clean.


I loved the look of Love, Obsess and Inspire.
Creativity is written all over this blog.

I found the cutest Etsy Shop called A Little Sweetness.
Her blog is full of the cutest artwork.

You Go Girl is another adorable blog full of beautiful craft ideas.
First thing I noticed.......

She is one of us.  She likes Ottobre, definitely worth reading.

A beautiful photography website called PeekABoo, and Sheyerosemeyer, Kara May.

Another sewing blog I bumped into is called Pink Penguin.  Lovely things to look at.

Ok, now I must go pay attention to my children before they disown me.
Oh, a bit of mommyadvice......don't send your two year old into her room to clean when she does not want to......



Oops had to add one more
Thoughtful Day.  So serene and worth reading.

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Saving a moment in time

I took this picture last night, as I sat in my kitchen eating dinner by myself.  I wondered if my neighbors thought I was crazy leaving this tree outside and actually lighting it up.  Oh well, the kids are happy that we did not toss it, and it definitely has brought us joy throughout the month of December, so why not allow it to shine on.

After dinner and putting the kids to bed, I quickly moved into my sewing room to finish up the T-Shirt I started for Olivia.  I don't like it when a project lasts too long.  I get bored with it.  Since I constantly envision new ideas for the kids, I tend to ignore finishing touches when I am bored.    Anyways, I turned on the TV, hoping to find something entertaining, but as usual on a Saturday night, there was nothing.  I then turned to Itunes to quickly download something funny and fun.  I decided on Funny Face, because I know I will watch the movie over and over again.  I love old movies, and Audrey Hepburn is so beautiful with her Givenchy wardrobe.  Who in the world does not like to watch her.

I attached the collar binding, and sewed up the side seams, and found myself staring at the T-Shirt lost.  It was not what I envisioned.   It looked like a pajama.  It looked short.  I was stuck.  I thought about adding things, changing the fabric for the pants, but no matter what I did, I was not convinced that this item was worth finishing.  See what I mean?  I always do this to myself.  Yesterday was not my best day, and I felt a bit braindead, so I just sat at my desk and watched the movie until midnight.

This morning, I ended up putting the T-Shirt on Olivia unhemmed over her pajama.

I am glad I did, because I liked it on her.  Still not sure what to do next.  The arms are too short, and although the length is good, I am not sure whether to add binding to the bottom or a ruffle.  I wanted to make a pair of wide pants to go with it.  I had planned on using a flower knit for the pants, but now I have my doubts.  It is too busy.  I assume I will just finish a pair of red corduroy pants for her, or make matching turquoise velour pants.  So I am stuck on this one, and it won't get finished this weekend.  I will make a few pair of pants before I attempt to finish this piece......because I just cannot envision what she will wear with it.  That is what I get for trying to make her some playclothes that are cute.  Why is this such a difficult task?

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Hello 2010!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve party with loved ones, and find themselves happy and healthy in the beginning of this new Year.  I must say that although I was surrounded by loved ones, this year is starting off a bit sad.   Even though we ate a "good luck" meal yesterday with friends, I was plagued by the thought of taking down our Christmas decorations.  I was not prepared nor willing to take the Christmas tree down.  It still looked so beautiful, and alive.  I felt like I was slaughtering a live animal.  It broke my heart.  Funny, because normally I cannot wait for January 1st to take everything down.  Not so this year.  I finally decided that because our tree still had so much life in it, to put it outside in our yard with all the lights.  It stands outside of our living room window, and will light up our evenings for another month.  I am not sure how I am going to dispose of it, but I will worry about that when the time comes.

Another reason for my sadness is the fact that my sweetie left this morning to go back to Kuwait.  It weighed heavy on my heart all morning, until I finally thought about how grateful I am that he got to come home over the holidays.  I am very lucky to have had him for ten days, no matter how hard it is to say goodbye.  In only 105 days his tour will be over, unless we are forced to extend.  But that is another story, and I am not in the mood to even think about that.

Resolutions????  Do I have any?  Maybe.  I want to start working out.......or walking again....eat less junk food.  I want to sew more.   I want to take a picture every day for 365 days and get better at my photography.  I want to clean out my garage and throw away all the junk that I found in the house.  I want to do things that make me happy.  Yes, that is it, I want to do things that make me happy.  I think that is a great resolution.

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Pardon the lack of words.....

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Less then 12 hours left.

My little Miss Olivia is sick.  She has the flu and a sinus infection or sinusitis.  So the last two nights have been very strenuous.  She stayed up coughing all night long on Saturday.  On Sunday she was running a high fever most of the night.  I finally called the doctor on Sunday night, and got her some antibiotics.    Today, she rarely coughed at all thank goodness.  In the picture above, she is wearing another pair of Ottobre Vilka pants that I recently sewed for her and the top is an Onion pattern.  I love it, and it fits better this year then it did last year.  I have been sewing, but getting nowhere fast.  I am working on a lovely nightgown for her, and I hope to have it done before Christmas.


Tomorrow, my Xmas present arrives at 9am in Atlanta.  That's right.   My hubby is on his way home.  I am sooooooooo excited (and a tad bit tired).  I am so looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break.  The house is clean from top to bottom.  I even managed to clean my dining room (don't laugh Sarah).  It is a joke.  While I have been undertaking one room after another to declutter and organize, my dining room became the home to everything that did not have a home.  After two months, you could not walk around the table.  It stayed that way for almost 5 months.  Now I think it looks fabulous, especially with my newly covered chairs.  Thanks David.

Found this lovely embroidery set for sale now on Dawanda or see more details here.  She makes such lovely embroidery designs, and I can just imagine this on some red fleece for a little girl.

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I am done!

Yes, Christmas can come tomorrow for all I care, even though I prefer it would not.  I have not mailed any cards, and I have not baked my favorite thumbprint cookies, but those are just minor details in the scheme of things.  I stood in line at the post office today, and mailed my last package.  FedEx delivered the last toy.  I can breathe, and I can relax.  Oh thank goodness for that.

So I spent the day with the kids today.  Olivia stayed home with me and baked cookies, and Nicolas was home at lunch.  Only four more days until Daddy is home.  I told the kids that their grandparents are coming, and they are both so excited.  It will be interesting to see how they react when they don't arrive. Oh the excitement, and the expectations are just killing me.   Today I almost let the cat out of the bag.  Nicolas came home and went straight to his room.  After a few minutes of him not showing up in the kitchen, I wandered back towards his room to find him with his entire head in his backpack.  I had the feeling something was not right, and I knelt down next to him.  He was crying.  He said he was going to miss his best friend Madeline.  I found out later that she and her mom went to look for him to give him an extra Christmas hug.    I know he is sensitive, but I had no idea how much until today.  I guess he thought School was over and that got him sad.  Or maybe it was the big girl who sat on him on the busride home.   I don't know, but it broke my heart.  I wanted to tell him so much that his daddy was coming home, because I knew that would make him so happy, but I just could not.  I did my best to make him smile and I managed to do just that after letting him cry a bit in my arms.    It's amazing how children take a grasp of your heart.

Tamron 18-270 lens

On top you will find pictures of my "Engelchoir"or Angel Orchestra from Wendt & Kuehn, a german company that has been making these angels since 1915 Ever since I turned 20, my mother has been giving me 1-3 angels a year as a Christmas gift. I have quite the orchestra, even though there are plenty of angels I have not yet collected.  They are still handcrafted and painted and cost anywhere upwards from $30.00 - $71 per angel.  I love them, and treasure them.  I wrap each individual angel in tissue paper and then store them inside all year long.  Another wonderful german tradition that I wanted to share.


On more thing.  I read a blog post today on Beautiful Blog designs.  According to her recent post, by sidebars are way too cluttered, so I have done away with my "Favorite Blogs", or better yet posted them on another site.  Just check out the link on the sidebar and you will find the new link.  I also read on another blog, that everyone hates the music.  So I turned off my music for the time being, however I left a poll on the sidebar for everyone to give their own opinion.  This should prove to be interesting.  


I am off to enjoy a wonderful evening, since both of the kids went to bed early tonight.  Good Night.

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Merry Christmas 2009

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Blunder of all Blunders

I really try my best to manage my life and that of the kids as best as I can, but today.......well, let's just say today I failed on all fronts.  No matter how you put it, or what excuse you come up with, I failed my son miserably.

I was so excited this morning, and a bit anxious, knowing that I only had three more days to finish up everything before the kids were home for Xmas break.  Everyday this week was taken by some kind of event - Christmas party, babysitting, hair salon - and I only had Friday left for shopping.  To be exact, only two hours for shopping, since our schools are getting out early on Friday.   So I sent Nicolas on his way to his field trip this morning completely dressed up in his pajamas.  He really did not want to get on the bus, but by the time I talked to him, not only was he wearing his pajama but a Santa hat to match.  I was so proud of him, as I waved goodbye to that little body peering out of that big bus.

I rushed to get Olivia off to daycare, so I could try and tackle all the stores in less then two hours.  It was pouring rain outside, but I managed to hit Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, and Sam's in two hours, and still unload groceries, hide the toys, and get back to Elementary School in time for the Xmas party.  I was beyond estatic.  Overjoyed that I managed to find everything I wanted and then some.   I ran into the classroom completely out of breath only to find an empty room.  The teacher stuck her head around her computer, and said Hi.  My first question was whether I missed the party.  "No", she said very quietly.  "I was just going to send you an email, because the party is tomorrow, as is the field trip."  My jaw just dropped.  How could I have gotten those dates confused.  I write everything down on three calendars, and each calendar said the same thing.  Tuesday.  Oh no, Nicolas.  Oh no.  His teacher realized what I was thinking and said "I tried not to say anything to him all day, in the hopes he would not even notice.  He does not seem upset. "  Oh no.  My poor little shy one, dressed up in his pajamas all by himself.  What did I do?  So I talked to him, and he immediately started crying.  He said everyone made fun of him on the bus.  My heart had just been broken into a million pieces.  Why did this happen? What did I do?  He asked that I take him home.  I signed him out of school and talked to him during the entire ride.
I don't think the kids were laughing at him, but laughing with him.   Telling him he looked like Santa.  He is very sensitive, and as his mom I was trying to find some way to appease him.    Once we got home, I hugged him again, and apologized for getting the dates confused.  His reply "It's ok mom, I can't wait for tomorrow!"

Two hours later, I am still mad at myself, but I feel better that he has obviously forgotten all about his morning at school.  Kids have a miraculous way of just throwing time and all the horrible events out of the window and leaving them there forever.  As an adult, I learned a lesson today, and that is to just forget about it too, and remember how great I felt this morning as I waved goodbye to my cute little Elf.
Christmas is about good things....the kind gentleman who helped me load my groceries into the car, the cashier that wished me a Merry Christmas, and the maillady who delivers a heavy package to my door everyday.

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Coupon Lady Beware

Nicolas was so excited, and could not wait to sleep in his new PJ's.  He has to wear them tomorrow, however I let him have his wish.  I love the pants, but I wish I was a bit more creative with the embroidery.

So, I ran into the queen of coupons today.  Not convenient at all.  I tried to accomplish a million things, as I always do on Mondays, so after the kids came home I ran some errands.  The kids behaved quite nicely, while I ran from one store to another grabbing odds and ends that I needed.  Last stop - the grocery store.  Now, I like to shop for produce and meats in one of the more expensive grocery stores.  I just like the fact that the blueberries taste like blueberries should, and that the meat looks and tastes good.  I try to avoid buying boxed or canned goods there because they are definitely more expensive then our local Walmart.  I also love the fact, that I can talk to the kids while I am in there, and get through the lines easily, and not have to fight the crowds.  So, I mosey on up to the cash register, where one lady was finishing up her shopping.  I pile my goods on the trolley thingy, and look to see her going through her wallet and a ton of coupons.  Ok, she was obviously thrifty, and I was not in a rush.  After waiting about 7-8 minutes and reading all the headlines from the magazines, I turn around to find out what is keeping us so long.  I peer over her shoulder and see her pull out a binder.   This was no ordinary binder.  Not the kind we lugged back and forth to school.  No this was a bank binder.  One of those 6inch binders they keep in bank vaults full of paperwork.  Everything was tabbed and neatly organized.  She started pulling out more coupons, and then what to my wondering eyes did appear????  Yes, another binder.  At this point, the kids were bugging me because they had to go to the bathroom, and there were four other patrons behind me.  At this point, I was no longer ready to stand there smiling, patiently waiting for my turn.  I huffed quite loudly,  tired of this ridiculous and inconsiderate behavior, but she did not even turn her head.  She was quite content saving her pennies.  I noticed that most of the coupons were printed out on paper.   By the time she finished, 21 minutes had gone by.  I let the cashier know that I was not at all happy about that.  She said that was nothing, they get far worse.  What????  I have never witnessed anything so idiotic in all my life.   If she was that obsessed with her coupons, then why didn't she locate them before she got to the cash register?  The cashier just smiled, and said  "In the time she wastes doing all that, she could get a real job, and her savings would be tenfold.  Alone the ink and paper she wastes is not worth the $12.00 she just saved. "
The moral of this story........beware of anyone carrying bags into a grocery store.  Just run as fast as you can, and get to the cash register first.

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That Christmas Moment.

I have been blogging about my german Christmas traditions since the beginning of December.  One of the most fascinating moments for both me and my children is when I pull out my german Christmas Pyramid.  It stands 3 feet tall, and when the candles burn, it spins for hours.  This is has been a family tradition passed down from generation to generation in our family.  The beauty is when I catch the children staring quietly in awe at all the wonderfully handcarved figurines that are present.  The top row has angels blowing their horns, the next level has the Nativity set, the third level has the three wise men and their camels, and the fourth level is full of guards protecting the birth of Jesus.  I cannot even begin to explain what this tradition means to me, and I hope I can pass it on to both of my children.

This is why we do it?  This is that wonderful moment that fills our heart with pure joy.  Yessssssss!  I did my job right.  That shine, that awe, that look in their eyes says it all.  I remember having that feeling as a child when my mom made our house shine at night with candles and pyramids aglow.  If anything, I know now that all the work I put towards Christmas decorations was well worth it.  The perfect memory was like a snapshot that stays forever in the back of our minds.  Christmas is beautiful and warm.  Christmas is for Children.

Today I received another wonderful gift from a customer of mine.  As a matter of fact, she was the last customer I had before I closed my shop.  BooHoo.  Yes I miss it.  She included this lovely photograph of her daughter with the nicest comment.   A gift.

Another gift is the one I am giving myself tonight by sewing.  I am almost finished, so I cannot show any pictures until tomorrow.  My son is going to love it, and I have enjoyed getting back on the machine.
.  Ok, enjoying White Christmas, my eggnog and my Bernina.  Good Night.

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Merry Christmas to me!

I had no plans this weekend.  Although I still have gifts to wrap, and cookies to bake, I wanted to just relax with the kids, and not have a repeat of last weekend.  I got the house clean, the laundry washed, and I knew Olivia was getting so sick, so my ToDoList had to be cancelled.  This allowed me to spend as much time with the kids and not stress out.  Plus the weather forecast called for temperatures in the 40's and lots of rain.  No chasing the kids outside when I needed a minute to myself.  No shopping or going out to eat.   Just us and lots of arts and craft ideas to keep us busy.
I managed to put a few things together for Nicolas pajamas for his Polar Express outing next week, when all of the sudden the doorbell rang.  FedEx?  I was not expecting anything.  A very large box.  It was...yes indeed...it was my new computer.  I just laughed.  Well, I was not expecting this thing until the beginning of January.

I received a fantastic deal on this thing.  I ordered, and received an email two days later telling me that the new status was shipped.  9 days later I called Customer Service wanting to get a tracking number, and was told that the vendor made a mistake and that this item was on backorder for 30 days.  Frustrated at the retailer for giving me the wrong information, I raised you-know-what with them.  However, I was stuck.  I had a special coupon and Black Friday discount that was so phenomenal, that I could not back out.  It would have been stupid of me to go somewhere else.  So I waited.   Well, it turns out they were all wrong, the item had been shipped as was first told to me.  Even after two of their VP's called me, apologizing for the mistake that had been made, they were all wrong.  Yippee.

What did I get?  The iMac with a 27" monitor for a little over $1100.00.  If the packaging is any sign of what this baby is like, then I will love it.  No cords, clean easy to read instruction manuals, everything loaded, and the most awesome screen I have ever seen.  The mouse is unbelievable, and I am still playing with it.  My colors on my blog look great (if I do say so myself).   I am not so thrilled with this little keyboard.  I miss my number keypad.  I could type numbers blindfolded, after working in the acctg dept. for two years.  I will have to get used to it, or add a number keypad.  I do love the size and how flat this thing is.  It really makes my wrist feel good.  I did alot of research, and I hope I made the right decision.  It was not an easy choice.  In the end, I decided to go with the Imac, because I love to learn about computers, and I am a gadget junkie, so this was new, and supposidly alot of fun.  Plus my entire family loves the Mac's so why not try it.  Right?  I have 30 days to return this thing if I dont like it.  Now I just have to dowload a few programs and set up my passwords.

Hoping to get a few things done, so I am off and running.

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Photography Tips & Flash

I was not sure what to write about today because nothing new is happening in my life. A whole lot of cleaning, washing, and blah-di-blah-da-boring stuff. However, a friend whose blog I always read, wrote about not wanting to post pictures because of the time she needs to upload them, and the quality of her photographs. So I gave her a few of my tips that I have learned lately. However, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to tell her. That is how I came to this blog post.

My first recommendation to anyone using a Point and Shoot (otherwise known as P&S) or DSLR would be to invest in Photoshop Elements. It is not that expensive (especially if your child wants it, and you can get the education version), and what a fun program. It will organize your pictures, load them in minutes, and let you make lots of changes. There are a ton of websites out there that offer lots of free advice/tutorials, and it makes for great bedtime reading material.

I also offered her tips on trying to use natural light on her subject instead of indoor lighting. Shoot your subject close to a window if you can. The more light, the more details you will be able to see in your photo. I sometimes use my reading lamp to take pictures of the clothing I sew. Watch out for shadows! I tend to find mine way too often in the pictures. If worse comes to worse, use your flash. I always did, and the pictures never bothered me. Yes, they tend to be blueish, and not warm, but oh well a memory is a memory, right? Sometimes, you just have to say, what the heck!

And speaking of flash, that brings me to the topic I have been trying to research. I know that Christmas is coming, and I own a Rebel XS. It is at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to DSLR's. I am happy that I have it. But.......well, it would be incredibly selfish of me to say that I wanted a better camera already, when this one is not even 7 months old, right? I guess I am selfish then, because yes, I would love to upgrade. That is a whole other topic. Let's move on. So here is what I found out about Flash Photography.

1. Always check what is behind your subject - like mirrors or glass - because the flash will bounce right off, and you will end up with a large bright spot on your picture.

2. Make sure your battery is loaded (fully charged). Your camera needs all the resources to feed that flash, so making sure the battery is loaded is a must.

3. Remember that the strongest point of the flash is right in the center. The light "falls off" or becomes weaker the further it has to spread. So make sure you have your subject focused in the center of your picture. Also remember, when photographing groups to keep them bunched up as close as possible. If they are standing behind each other, then your first subject will appear alot lighter then the rest of the gang.

4. Turn off the flash if you can. Why? Because the flash throws a harsh white light into the cozy warm picture you wanted to capture. Of course, if you are trying to capture alot of detail, then it may just be what you want. Place your camera on a tripod. Use the self-timer if you have one, for a longer shutter speed. (See below blog post for Shutter speeds). The camera needs about a 1/2 of a second for the Shutter speed, which will result in blurriness.

5. If you are celebrating a birthday party at night, then you may want to use a flash gun. They are more powerful then the flash on your camera. You can bounce the flash off the walls to soften the harsh light. "An external flash offers the user greater versatility with models that tilt, swivel, and many that can be positioned well away from the camera body. An external flash can create lighting from different angles and can be bounced off of a white ceiling or reflector to significantly soften any shadows and reduce any glare. An external flash is often able to recycle in less than a second and thus allows multiple shots to be taken in rapid succession." Red-eye is reduced.

The first photo above was taken without a flash, however I used additional lighting from my reading light. The second photo was also taken without a flash and no additional light.  Of course I had to edit both of them.  The first photo needed an adjustment to the white balance and the exposure.  I may have warmed it up a bit.  The third photo was taken with a flash and is Straight out of the camera.  So you be the judge and tell me which one you like the best.

I am currently reading Scott Kelby's book on Digital Photography, and I just love his books. He writes with such wit and keeps his book entertaining. I suggest looking his name up in Amazon to see everything he writes about.  He also has a book out on Photoshop elements.  Try it you may like it.  BTW, Adobe has a 30 day trial for all of their programs.  A word of caution......once you start playing there is no turning back. LOL.

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Warmth

I think this is one of my favorite pictures. I took it yesterday. The weather is cold here in Florida, only 47 degrees yesterday. My son took a moment from playing with his truck to take in the warmth of the sun. His face is full of peace and tranuqility. I love it.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments. I needed that yesterday. It always feels nice to know that others share your feelings, your worries, and that they care. I am better today. Quieter. The kids obviously knew that mommy was "Really, really mad" yesterday, so they tried to be on their best behavior. I took the time last night to sit and read a bit of my "Screamfree Parenting" book. The author always does a good job of directing me back into my chosen path. I was right, my life is over, because once you become mommy, nothing goes back to the way it was. Nothing. I felt a bit overwhelmed and anxious, and although I asked the kids numerous times to behave themselves, I was the one out of control. Today I opted to put them in time out every time they broke "the rules", and after both of them landed in the "chair", they got the point. I was not going to lose this race. I also told myself that I was piling my dishes way too high. I have to relax and realize that some things cannot be finished. Some of you may have noticed that this year I did not make an Adventswreath. This is the first time in 23 years that I have chosen not celebrate Advent with a big wreath on my coffee table. Yes, it saddens me, but I knew that I did not need the stress. I don't have to bake cookies this weekend. I can do it this week, when the kids are in school. Less mess, less stress. Instead I made brownies. The kids were just as happy, and it was less of a headache.

All in all, I had a really good day. I got to talk to hubby, who quickly reminded me that he would soon be there to help me. I felt guilty for telling him how I feel, because he noticed that I was overwhelmed. He does not need that kind of stress on top of everything else. However, he always seems to make me laugh. I feel his arms coming right through phone hugging me with every joke. I really cannot wait to see him. After the phone call, I started to clean and took the kids to play outside in the cold, but sunny weather. I also managed to clean up the garage, work on my son's Christmas homework assignment, cook dinner, bathe both children, and put them to bed on time. Now I am off to clean up my sewing room, because I want to sew this week. I want to make sure I find time for me.


Here is one more picture of another Christmas Pyramid. This is an older version, one that does not spin. However the handcrafted setting is always what gets me excited. Beautiful things always excite me.



Speaking of beautiful, here is a picture of Rebecca's house. I don't know her personally. She is another sewer whose beautiful projects I admire. I am in love with this picture. So much so I could make it the background on my computer. What a beautiful house. I thought it was worth sharing

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Sunday........Day of Peace

Sundays are always hard for me. For some reason, the kids always go to bed a little later on Saturdays, which in turn means that I stay up too late enjoying my freedom and peace and quiet. Getting up later on a Sunday is a given, and after I make the kids breakfast and sit them in front of the tv, my husband always calls. I usually do most of the talking, since his days are filled with work and other boring details that he would prefer not to share. I, on the other hand, talk about the kids, school, friends, family, and whatever else is going on at the moment in our life. Listening to every detail of our life, makes him feel like he is still a part of it. I also spend at least 30 minutes each night writing him as many details as I can about our day, plus I make it a point to send him a new picture every day. I take the time to make him happy. :)

After I finish talking on the phone with him, someone from my family calls, and then I usually get a phone call from someone in his family. Yes, my Sundays are full of phone conversations. Today, it was a total of 3 hours talking to family. I actually enjoy it, but by the time I am done, the house is a total wreck from ignoring the children and letting them watch too much tv.

So before I know it, I take my best friend - the vacuum - and go through the house quickly. I know I will need it again in the next four hours, so my friend stays parked in the hallway, waiting. Wow, it is lunchtime, and I am still in my pj's. That is so unlike me, and yet it is becoming a Sunday ritual.

What a difference my Sundays have become since my husband left. He was always a long sleeper on the weekend, but by 9am, we were always awake tending to our house and the kids. By noon, I would have everything done including myself, and be ready to attack a few projects or just relax and spend the day with family. I miss those days, and I long for them again.

Today I planned on getting the Christmas tree, but I am tired, and really hate to venture out. Sundays are meant as family days. Sundays are relaxing and filled with memories. I don't want to work today. I don't want to decorate. I want to nap, sew and watch tv. I guess being mommy is a 24 hour job, and with that said, I will put on my face, hop in the car and make the kiddies happy.

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Let the Decorations begin!

We spent the whole day outside with our neighbors putting up Christmas decorations.  It was fun, and tiring, but when all the lights went on this evening, it was such a beautiful feeling to see the kids eyes widen with such excitement as only a child could have during this time of year. Tomorrow I hope to get the inside done, and hopefully set up our Christmas tree.

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Christmas Crafting

I have always told myself that I would never get trendy and switch up my Christmas Ornaments every year, but both this year and last year I have wanted to change the tree from red and gold to white and gold and silver.  This year I fell in love with the Good Housekeeping spread of Green Christmas.  I just love the natural look of all that greenery around the house.  And oh the smells of a beautiful natural wreath is oh so sweet.  I think I have to hit Hobby Lobby tomorrow, or maybe Walmart.  I may have to buy some new bulbs.  Nicolas is in love with the star.

On top of that I also found some cute craft ideas to do with the kids, and I was really excited by the blog Girls in the Garden when she posted a link to the Christmas ball wreath.

Found this on Martha Stewarts site right here.

Lori posted a link to this site.

Other then that, life around our house was sort of boring today.  I  tried to get the house clean, but instead I did laundry almost all day.  I managed to accomplish alot of small things, but the general look of the house is still quite dirty.  Hopefully, we (and yes I mean the kids too) will be able to finish up the cleaning and head outdoors tomorrow.  Looking at my calendar today, I realized the first of advent was next Sunday.  OMG, I have alot to do, and so much to prepare for.  I always get excited about doing so much, until the holidays are here, and I am exhausted.  Hopefully my planning ahead will help out this year.  I think this year will be different.  Just the thought of him coming home for Christmas, sends an uplifting smile to my lips.   Yes, I am excited, and I have every reason to be.   Shhhhhh.....the kids sitll don't know.

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Christmas Preparation

I cannot believe it is already Thanksgiving.  Goodness gracious where is the time going?  I feel so unproductive this year.  Getting ready for Christmas I will have to prepare myself with a list of things to do and start working on my calendar.  Even though it does not always help, it gives me a sense of less anxiety, when I can look at my list and mark off a few things that have already been accomplilshed.   Anyone have any great advice?

Here is my advice for a great Christmas.
Six years ago, I decided it was time to keep a Christmas Journal.  It is split into four sections:
Decorations
Cookies
Gifts
Sewing
I update it each year with new pictures and recipes.  I like to take pictures of my decorations, so that when I pull the 20 boxes down from the attic, I am not overwhelmed.  I also do not like looking for recipes each year.  I have a few that I use every year, such as Martha Stewart's Turkey (absolutely fabulous), my mother's red cabbage recipe, and my Thumbprints, which seem to be the favorite cookie with friends and family. I always try a few new recipes, and if we love them they go into the journal.   

I also jot down what I need to buy for next year, such as lights or new ornaments.  I love to look at the Christmas decorations, and I buy something new each year.  However, I found that in the past I was buying things I did not really need, so I keep notes now.

Of course, it would not be my journal without notes about what I sew in the past, and what needs to be sewn this year.  Sometimes I think of great ideas for Christmas dresses, and I know exactly where to keep my notes.

It is great to keep a Christmas journal.  It is such a hectic time of year, and every mom wants things to go smoothly, so the more organized you stay, the easier it will be.  I wonder if someone else does something similiar.

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