Happy Belated Anniversay to Me!

It's been so busy around here that I missed my blog anniversary on the 29th. I was telling my family over the holidays how much I enjoy blogging. Between my blog and my flickr page, I have been able to push myself to become a better knitter, crafter and photographer. I have enjoyed meeting new friends through the comment sections and I think it's just plain crazy that anyone would want to read or look at what I post. I look forward to 2008 and what it brings along with it. Thanks for stopping by!

My last finished object for 2007 is another Zoe bag. My friend asked me to make one for her mom which I was pleased to do! I love this bag, but I'm not planning on knitting anymore anytime soon. I have stash longing to become sweaters and socks.

Lastly, I picked up a cheapo amaryllis at our local grocery store just before Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful blossoms that have bloomed in the last few days. The sun came out for a few hours this afternoon allowing me take some pictures with my macro lens.

Again, thanks for stopping by! I hope the New Year opens many new possibilities to you and your family! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2008! See you in the New Year!

Third Time's A Charm!

"Mom, will you make a purse for Mrs. V. She will really like it!"

"Sure Ry, I'll make a small one for you."

"No, I want a big one with a ruffle."

"No problem Ry. I'll whip one right up for you."

And that I did. Actually, they are simple to make. He wanted the same colors as the one I made in the Spring. It went all pretty smoothly and I know she will love it!

I give pretty generously to our teachers. Maybe it's because I taught for so long and I think a teacher should receive some perks to the job or maybe it's just a little bribery. Whatever it is, my kids' teachers have all been great and work hard while raising their own families. I give them a lot of credit.

Excitement Is Building!

Thank goodness I don't teach anymore. Thank you to all of you who do. Enough said.

The boys are overflowing with excitement and with that comes absolutely no listening to anything that is asked of them. Not sure if I'm going to be able to keep my sanity this year! Enjoy the pictures of the boys stringing popcorn. This was the only time my little guy stood still the entire weekend or the only time they were actually civil with one another. I'm not even going to place them next to each other on the same page for fear they might reach right out on the screen and start to wrestle. Good luck everyone on the final stretch!

Completed!

This alpaca scarf was just the softest thing that I have ever knit! The pattern was free from my LYS with the purchase of the yarn. I hope the recipient likes it! She is 21 and can be a bit picky, but this is what she asked for! I plan on making one for myself in January! Gotta go before the nine inches of snow in six hours arrives! Should be make for an interesting driving this afternoon!

Preparing

Oh man, I feel like I'm on a treadmill that's going a million miles per hour. Sleep evades me with worries that I'm not going to get things done in time. I know I will, it always does....but boy does it knock me down each year when it arrives.

We found the perfect tree this year! Thank goodness! The last two years we ended up buying from inside the barn because we couldn't find one in the field to cut. The tree farm is highly publicized so many come from all around for the country experience of cutting down a tree. Because of this, the field has been oversold and all that are left are small trees that are growing. In a few years, the farm will be back to where it was, but for now, not good. The boys don't seem to mind that we don't cut the tree down, and we do stay warmer and drier this way.

And because the normal stuff never stops in all this activity, I leave you with a shot of a typical Monday morning in our home! Laundry day! Notice our cat, sitting so pleasantly in the middle of the mess!

Friday Round-up

Lots of things to talk about today so let's get to it!

Book recommendations:

One of our all time favorite Christmas collections is by the infamous Jan Brett. The boys grew up reading The Mitten and The Hat and from there we collected all of her enjoyable and well illustrated books. Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury collects all of her "classic" tales and binds them into a large, one volume book. It is sure to become a favorite in your home during the holiday season.

Another one of my favorites is Eve Bunting's Night Tree. It's a nice story about a family who shares with the animals in the small woods near their town. My kids enjoy reading it each year and then making treats for the animals that live behind our house. We scatter all sorts of yummy treats that the animals love. The boys like imagining that the animals have their own Christmas feast.

Lastly, the boys always enjoyed Who Is Coming To Our House by Joseph Slate. It's a wonderful board book for little hands. All the animals are anxious for the arrival of Baby Jesus so the are sprucing up the barn. It is repetitive and gives parents plenty of opportunity to use animal voices. It also comes in a paperback edition.

Some of my favorites that I look forward to each holiday season has to do with coffee. Last year I was introduced to Peet's coffee. Love it! If you enjoy strong black coffee this is for you. Their holiday blend is outstanding!

My all time favorite holiday treat is Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha! I can't drive by a Starbucks (we only have one on my side of town...go figure!) without stopping and getting my fix. The lady at the counter tells me every year that they can make it all year long for me...but I save it, just so I can have my own Christmas treat each season.

Enjoy the snow....we've had a lot the last few days. It helps make the season a bit more bright!

Snow Day #1

Today was the first snow day of the year. We usually have about five so there will be more of these posts. The boys were wicked excited to know they didn't have to go to school...but of course they were up at the normal time and outside playing in the snow at 7:30 AM!!

We were busy most of the day. The boys are creating special presents for all of their relatives so they put some effort towards their projects today. I seemed to be multi-tasking all day.

Early in the morning I made these. The tutorial can be found here. They are super easy to make. I would have made more but I ran out of D-rings. These are going to be gifted to my friends along with something else. Since we all spend our time in the car I thought it would be a good gift.

Next we made peanut butter cookies. These aren't the boys' favorites, but I had a taste for them.

Finally, amidst all the shoveling, I sat down and worked on the alpaca scarf I am making for a gift. It is so soft to knit. Hopefully, the recipient will enjoy it, as she can be a bit picky.

If only my shopping was going as well as the other areas of the holiday season. Just can't seem to get up the energy to finish it.

Friday Round-up...A Day Late

Sorry this is a day late. I planned on writing this last night, but a trip to Urgent Care changed all plans. Ryan decided to test out my new rotary scissors on his index finger. All is fine, and the cut was fixed with a butterfly, but oh the drama of it all. Did you hear him at your house???

I have enjoyed reading all the gift and craft ideas out in blogland and thought I would add my two cents. So here you go! Our favorite books, both holiday and for general enjoyment.

First up:

Probably one of the best books I have read in a long time with my children. Ry and I read this together and could not wait until bedtime to read a few more chapters. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a wonderful book about giving and receiving the gift of love. The illustrations captivated Ry and the writing of Kate DiCamillo is outstanding. A must have in a child's library.

Next:

A true classic! The BFG by Roald Dahl has been a favorite with children for many years. Anyone who knows Dahl's works will marvel at his imagination yet directness to touch on issues that are important to any child. The BFG deals with being your own person and standing up to those of a group. Ry and I held many discussions about being different that probably would not have been started had it not been for this book.

Third:

This is for a bit older child. Matt and I surprisingly enjoyed Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pierson. As anyone who has read this or the reviews knows, you need to get pass all the spelling and grammatical errors in this book. Whoever edited this book for print has hopefully lost their job by now. This book could be used as a "what not to do" in Editing 101. Once passed that part, the book is full of action and typical ten year old humor. It's a new spin on Peter Pan.

Finally:

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry was introduced to our family by my husband. I had never read this book as a child and I have seen that it has been since updated for today's children. It a perfect book for today's "green" world.

I'll have more next week and the weeks following up to Christmas.

One last thought. I linked the Edward Tulane book through Chinaberry. Take a look at this site. They have all the classic books yet many new and different books that you may not find at your big bookstores.

That's it! Have a great weekend everyone!