dresses

I’ve been making some dresses lately… I bought a pattern on Etsy (LOVE LOVE LOVE) and it’s so easy even an inept and only occasional sewer like me can handle it.  I put an album up on FB of pictures of the ones I’ve made for Maria and for her cousin Julia (coming tomorrow!  Along with Emmett!  YIPPEE!) and jokingly said “anyone want one?”… so apparently people do want them.  I can’t sell them, since I agreed not to when I purchased the pattern – but I will have people pay for fabric & shipping and make them for whoever.  In fact a girl I knew in elementary and high school had me make one for her daughter (the blue & green one in the photo). BIZARRE.

new

It was high time I replaced my work camera, the one that got stolen. And having taken advantage of the New Year sales, I've borrowed it for a smidge to finally show off some of the stuff happening around here lately.

For example: our Christmas tree. Note the paper chain that
Henry cut and helped tape together on the bottom.

here's one of my favorite ornaments.
(and part of the 25 feet of button garland I made this year,
Raggedy Ann's eyes, and the feet of my Spode dog)

Today when I took down the tree (it was D.E.A.D. dead) I finally replaced the "ornament storage system" of various and random cardboard boxes with a large plastic tub. It's much neater, easier to move, and safer... but I was still sad to get rid of this:

I guess more than 30 years is a good life for a box.
(I think it once held china given to my parents
for their wedding in 1969, but I can't be sure.)

"Mommy, I want some chocolate milk."
"No, Henry."

I am fairly sure Thomas the Tank Engine has been usurped as the
favorite Christmas gift, at least for the present time.

(check out that hand-crotched strap!)

well, I might as well...

... finish out the Nablopomo. I started a craft project today and am amazed at the progress I've made in just a couple of hours. But since my hand is getting painful again, I'll have to take a break until tomorrow.

Hey, yesterday was a great birthday. Henry and Timon had an angel-food cake waiting for me after youth and we ate it while watching The Grinch. Henry really liked it, and I was happy to share something I loved so much as a kid (and still do) with him. Christmas will probably be the most fun with Henry this year that we've had- he really gets it and is super-excited about Santa. However, when I told him that we have Christmas to say Happy Birthday to Jesus, he pitched a fit because "it was not Jesus' birfday, it was supposed to be MY birfday!!!" I'm sure he'll come around.

3 until 30

We just had a blast bowling and eating yummy dinner with our friends and some youth. I've hung our stockings by the tv with care and put the bells on the door. I'm about to sit down and learn some more crochet, thanks to an instruction book and some spare hooks from my sister. But first, this:

crazy post-bath hair

catching flakes