Don't put me in a box

He got himself into this mess, I promise. Either he thought the lunch box was bigger, he expected himself to be smaller, or most likely, he had no thoughts about it. Except, "That's not a real toy; I think I'll play with it."

Together

After a little less than 10 hours in the car to go a distance of 140 miles, my husband finally made it home on Saturday night. You'd think he would collapse into his favorite chair (or bed) and enjoy the warmth of his home. Instead, this is what he did:

We live on a hill, so before things were salted and totally scraped the kids had a few good runs.

Church was cancelled yesterday, so we had a quiet Sabbath. We listened to two outstanding messages on marriage by Voddie Baucham, had a nice big roast for lunch, played in the snow, and just relished whatever we were doing, simply because we were doing it together.

We also pretended it was Christmas morning, since we will be gone for the day (Lord-willing...they are calling for ice and rain the day we are supposed to leave for Florida) and the kids are still too young to know what day it is or what you are "supposed" to do. It was a classic Christmas around here, with Sweet A getting her first real doll and Coop getting a train set. Add the snow covered neighborhood and John Rutter and Cambridge Singers playing on Pandora (did I mention that I maxed out my 40 hour limit and had to fork over the 99 cents for the first time???), these cinnamon rolls, and it was pretty much perfect.

Coop is getting a little lecture/lesson on how to use his ping-pong ball gun.

Sweet A has been asking for a yo-yo for about a month. She had no clue what to do with it, she just saw a picture of one and decided she needed it. I couldn't resist putting one in her stocking, but it may take a few years for her to get the hang of it.

Sledding at the edge of the river...doesn't that look ominous? Don't worry Mom, it's a long way to water's edge.

Wonder-land

Well, we watched it snow, and snow, and snow, until I couldn't stay awake any longer. I'm afraid our excitement over the snow gave way to disappointment over dangerous driving conditions that made it impossible for WH to get home last night. Winter wonderland turned to wonder (?) land. Will dad ever be home??? He stopped around 7pm, after seeing car after car either wrecked or in the ditch. I am grateful he got a room; from the news reports others were not so fortunate and spent a chilly night in their cars. He is on the road now, going 40 mph and we're praying the sections of interstate reported closed will clear before he gets there. We're all pretty anxious about being together again.

This is the fire hydrant in our front yard:

I'm guessing we have over a foot of snow to play in, so we are about to put the baby to bed (lest we lose him) and put on the layers- we'll see how long the kids last. I have snow shoes, but not boots, so I'm guessing my feet will be cold in about 6 minutes. There is something about it all that makes even cold feet worth the fun.

In cheerier news, I've finished our family stockings, and they are filled with all kinds of treats I've collected over the last 6 months. I'm not sure who is more excited about Christmas! When my husband does get home, we will have our little family Christmas and open it all so the kids have time to play with their new things before we leave for Florida. More snow pictures to come!

It's coming!

The snow is already falling fairly hard, with 8-12 inches expected over the next few days! I can hardly contain myself as I watch the magical snowflakes drift- now rush- to the ground. Snow is still charming to this Florida girl. My husband has been out of town since last Sunday evening, and we are expecting him home before bedtime. It looks like we will be homebound for at least 24 hours. Is it wrong to be this excited about having to stay home?

My extended family has decided to do a gift exchange this year with the requirements (unless you are a certain family member who has a low regard for guidelines...) that the gift has to be used or handmade (not necessarily by the giver). Finances are tight all around, so this seemed like a creative way to address the gift-giving issue in a family of 19 people. It's a great idea if you have time but no money, but it does take a fair amount of time to make or hunt for a gift. I think it's testing our creativity. With WH out of town all week I've had long artsy nights putting together all sorts of projects, few of which I can post because they will end up under the tree. But after Christmas it will be a virtual parade of handmade gifts. On Wednesday my sister-in-law and a friend and I got together and made these little numbers. Pictures to follow. (ETA: This is a link to a great site where you can purchase these adorable headbands. We did our best to imitate them- maybe one day I'll get some pictures up), but if you want the real deal check out her Etsy shop.)

WH went to a thrift shop up in DC (in order to find gifts for his person) and found two sleds for $7. The kids have big plans to build a snowman family and spend the weekend sledding. And I think we will be more than ready for Florida when we leave next week!

Small town charms

On Saturday my husband, being the fun-loving guy that is he, decided we should start a tradition of going to the local Christmas parade. We were fortunate; our town holds it during the daytime, instead of the insane small towns around us that have them at night. At least it was only 34 degrees while our neighbors were parading.

So rather than describe it in detail to you, I think I'll just leave you with some pictures so you can get a feel for the effort that went into this event (and I must say that I am grateful that so many people got up on a Saturday morning in an effort to provide some Christmas cheer for the children. Really, I am).

Started out with the honor guard and police car...followed by every volunteer fire truck that would participate (always a treat for my kids):

Tractors are picturesque, especially with Irv's Car Wash in the background:

I'm thinking he built it himself...

A lot of time and care was put into this number:

and this one

This guy was on his cell phone the whole time, and I saw several others multi-tasking in the same way

And my personal favorite:

Points for creativity with the whole speakers strapped to the roof thing, playing "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" which happens to be one of my favorite Christmas carols.

I grew up in a big city, but my children have no such expectations of fancy parades, and thought that even though most people were carrying empty bags around (we were at the end of the parade so they were out of candy), the fact that they still took home two mini candy canes and two small pieces of candy made it a pretty cool way to spend a Saturday morning in near freezing temperatures. Although Coop did ask us several times, "Was that a REAL parade?" So I think he may be on to them.

Baby T found most of his entertainment from this stick, until he chewed it to pieces and I had to dig it out of his mouth. Then he had to settle for the parade. I forgot his gloves so he's wearing mine...

Don't you wish YOU lived in a small town?

For mom

A few months back I sent my Mom a collection of candid shots of my kids, as I do every-so-often, just to keep her updated on the grandkids. Pictures like these...I think the actual picture I sent was of the kids having sword fights in their undies, and I didn't really want to post it.
My Mom is an amazing decorator. See pictures of her beautiful home here. And here. So when she saw a picture similar to the one above, she didn't say, "Cute kids!" or "They look so happy!" but, "You still have no cushion for that rocking chair?" But really, who will tell you those things if your own mother will not? (Never been a problem for me).

And so the rocking chair, which was mine as a child, remained cushionless because the kids still play in it all the time and it was never a priority to make a mini pillow for the chair. I have Christmas cards to finish, and presents to make, not to mention laundry, diapers, and general day-to-day stuff. (As a side note, my Mom also suggested I open a Cupcake Shop in my spare time. What, between 10:15-10:30pm?)

But all that changed yesterday when I followed some sage advice by another wise older woman, and drank a cup of coffee and had quite a good many ounces of dark chocolate in order to speed through some projects. I finished a big project and while in the midst of making a pillow Cooper asked if he could have the cushion for his rocking chair. "I'll just make you one right now", I said in a Chip and Dale voice. And in 25 minutes the little cushion-that-never-was-to-be, was! I'm pleased, and in the end I must say (as I often do), that Mom was right and I should have done it ages ago.
If I drink more coffee and eat more chocolate (which means I'd have to go out and buy more because I emptied the supply yesterday) I think I could make all our stockings today.

ETA: If you'd like to make a project out of this lovely quilted fabric there's more in the shop!

Just like dad

I'm grateful to have a husband who lets his children be with him as much as possible. It's not always fun and sometimes it takes twice as long to get anything done (spoken from experience) but I know it's the best for them. And occasionally, we get some cute pictures out of the experience.

And the winners are...

Before I announce the winners, can I just say WOW to all the responses and the other great giveaways organized by SewMamaSew?!? I had so much fun visiting your blogs and finding new ideas- there are so many creative people all over the world! Sometimes my view of the world is limited to the 1500 square feet which is my house and what a great reminder of all the women near and far who are working to make the world a more beautiful place!

On to what you really want to know:

Winner of any repurposed pillow in my shop... #226 Lil Bean. She also has an Etsy shop and sells baby wraps and other fun items for children. And, she's international winner!

2nd Prize winner gets any two yards of fabric from the shop...#17 (and early winner!) Gretamargreta. I read some of her blog entries on gardening, cooking with whole grains, and crafting and it looks like we have a lot in common.

Thanks for all the visits to the shop! Our own winter illnesses have slowed down production so I don't anticipate adding many new things between now and Christmas, but there are still plenty of gifts to choose from. Happy Handmade Holidays!

Woke up to this:

And of course I got all teary-eyed when Coop said, "Now it's REALLY Christmas!"


Husband in the kitchen making Saturday morning breakfast: a tradition I grew up with and I hope to pass down. My daughter's-in-law will call me blessed.

And thanks to Kate, for reminding me that I don't have to be elaborate or fussy to create an Advent activity for my preschoolers. Sometimes I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, but per her suggestion, I've decided to jot down an activity the night before on the back of each ornament and then if we need to keep it simple (e.g., read a Christmas book) then so be it. They are only 4 and 2 yrs. old.

So here's what we worked on yesterday, made out of chipboard and patterned paper.

(I don't have a mantle or even a wide doorway, so everything goes on our bookcases...)
Today's activity: Make Christmas fudge for Daddy. This 5-minute fudge recipe is what we use; making it once a year is all we really need (or want). Happy Snow Day to you!

Giveaway post is here. Two more days to win!

Free from tree-skirt bondage

In the spirit of the Nester I laid aside my lofty goals of making a tree skirt and I "settled" on using this fun polyester I picked up at Goodwill for $1. A friend suggested I make a tree skirt using leftover fabrics from the stockings (yet to be made) so maybe that will happen next year.

In the mean time, the tree is up, the children carefully placed all the ornaments in one section (and their mother remembered that it is supposed to be fun, not perfect...and then she rearranged everything after they went to bed), eggnog consumed, and and everyone's mood is generally better just for seeing those white lights all aglow. I even put a strand up in the children's room, although the solar flare was a bit much for sleeping.

I have more Christmas projects than ever before, and yet for some reason I feel very little stress about it all. There is sense of urgency in needing to move forward every day on all I'd like to accomplish, but not tear-your-hair-out stress. I think it's because this is the first year- since we got married!- I have not had a baby under 7 months or been pregnant. It does make a difference.

The youngest puts the angel on top of the tree... a tradition from my family.

Loving their tree...

I'll be doing a lot of this...

Giveaway post is here.

A middle-school moment at the fabric store

(If you are looking for the Giveaway, it's one post down.)

I have a sweet friend who agreed to babysit my children every-so-often in exchange for an afternoon of informal sewing lessons. Yesterday she made a gored skirt from her own pattern; we're really just learning together and I'm helping her if she gets stuck.

But anyway...WH and I went out on a short date last night after dinner. In this stage of life, a trip to the grocery store without kids qualifies as a date. A thought that has time to be verbalized without interruption is what dates are all about. The plan was to run by Goodwill, the fabric store, Starbucks (I don't think that was in the plan but the Gingerbread Latte was a treat!) and a few other places. Goodwill took a little longer than my husband was expecting...lots of great finds there, including two gallon-sized bags of legos for $3. I'll disinfect them several times and give them to the kids on a rainy day. Next stop: the fabric store, where I needed to buy some interfacing. I told WH it would be a quick stop but apparently he was dubious so he set out to find something amusing. I took all of 5 minutes, checked out, and as we walked to the car he was chuckling to himself, all boyish and silly. He admitted a discovery of wind-up timers in the back of the store, and he set them to go off every five minutes, just in case I took longer than expected. Of course we weren't there to hear even the first one ring and it's not like you can "undo" a timer. So if you are an employee of the Joann's in my town, I humbly apologize. Although he was still laughing to himself at bedtime, so know you gave an overworked 30-something man a good laugh. (And I might have laughed a little.)

Happy Holidays to you! It's Giveaway Day!

Well, Giveaway Days, really. My shop, All Things Brite, is participating in this Bestowing of Fabulous Finds (along with many others) which runs through December 6th- and all you have to do to win is leave a comment! It doesn't get any easier than that. What perfect timing for those of us who are trying to find some of the best handmade products to give this Christmas.

So here's what could be yours: If you are the winner (and it could be you!) you will get to choose from any Repurposed Pillow in the shop. Pillow covers include pillow forms through the end of the month- a beautiful gift to give or keep.

Second prize winner gets to choose two yards of any fabric in the shop.* There's lots to choose from, so if you plan to make some of your own gifts this would be a great start.

So leave a comment to win! Winners will be chosen randomly using Random.org and will be announced on Monday morning, December 7th.

*Fabric prize excludes reversible quilted Christmas fabric but all others are yours for the winning (and the quilted Christmas fabric is yours for the buying)!

Giveaway Day is coming- Tomorrow, December 2nd!

Be sure to set aside a few minutes tomorrow to check out all the wonderful giveaways (including two from YOURS TRULY) sponsored by the Sew Mama Sew blog. Giveaways are not restricted to handsewn items...Mary is giving away soap, and there will be lots of fabulous handmade items to win.

I'm giving away a repurposed pillow from my shop and two yards of fabric- your choice! More details coming tomorrow.

Back to real life...grocery shopping, bathroom cleaning, Christmas sewing projects, decorating the tree, several long-overdue phone calls. See you here tomorrow morning!

Etsy Holiday Sale

This weekend only...through Cyber Monday:

Free shipping on select items, pillow covers include pillow forms for FREE, and some other discounts to help you get your Christmas shopping done in the comfort of your own home. Lots of sellers are offering sales and discounts on shipping so if you have a favorite item it would be worth checking to see if it's on sale.

Check it out and buy handmade!

Real thanksgiving

Brother-in-law playing Emma theme song on the piano with a baby on his lap. My own baby playing on the floor while I embroider names on future Christmas stockings. Turkey baking; mother-in-law bustling in the kitchen. Husband rocking on the front porch with his dad. Cranberry Apple Butter simmering. At one point I was moved to tears thinking of all the good gifts surrounding me.

And yet, it's all about what we choose to see. Gratefulness is choosing to see the abundance God has given and at the same time letting all the petty inconveniences- or even the real heartbreaking situations- fall away and and become less as Christ becomes all. So my picturesque Thanksgiving was a joy, and all the other things- sinus infection, weeks of poor sleep, ongoing extended-family issues, and other things not worth mentioning- those pale in comparison to the good gifts.

I hope your day was full of recounting the tender mercies of God and that your heart is moved more toward Him and away from your troubles. The troubles will always be there- but be of good cheer: HE has overcome all of those things and He will never leave or forsake His own. What a cause for Thanksgiving!

And now on to Christmas celebrations!! My kids are so excited and it's contagious. :)

A story for the rest of us...

Is this funny, or really really sad?? Maybe both?

The Ultimate Christian Novel

At last

This week did not go as planned, and included all five of us being down at once with some flu-like illness. That's a first for us but here we are at the end of the week and we are all alive. I've been ordered to keep a low profile and not try to make up for all that did not get done this week (or last week when Baby T was sick, or the week before when I was sick...sigh...) and so we are sitting around listening to Christmas music and making Christmas cards. I think a nap is my near future.

I made a handful of these last weekend and now they are in the shop, ready to fill stockings and give to teachers and neighbors. My favorite aspect of these notecards is the simple beauty, which also makes them less expensive to make. Most of us are looking for ways to bless those we love this Christmas without spending as much, and I hope these help someone accomplish just that.

Happy weekend before Thanksgiving! Can you believe the END OF NOVEMBER is already here??? I'm excited and ready for Christmas! (Well, not "ready" in the sense that everything is finished and I can sit back and drink hot chocolate and read books all month, but you know...)

It's been a good long year, Baby T

This was an unusual week of sickness, though this time it was the baby and not me. Spent most of the week holding a sick (as of tomorrow!) one-year-old, and it looks like we may have another night of interrupted sleep as he tries to breathe through his congestion. There's nothing like a sick baby to make you put aside everything that is not absolutely vital to health and living. Having other children does make that tricky since I can't really focus all my time and attention on holding the sick one, but they were mostly patient with me/him.

In other news... in no particular order:

I came up with this genius plan to only check blogs twice a week. My thought was that if I only had two "sessions" a week I would see how much time I was really spending reading and writing blogs. But then I found myself planted in a chair for days and so I read here and there. And I posted here and there. And it's not nearly as fun to comment on someone else's daily happenings a week late. I don't have the luxury of big blocks of time to do any one thing...if I quit doing everything that happened in 3-minute increments the only thing left would be sleep (and not even that some nights). So I guess I need to come up with a better plan for downsizing time spent on the computer. Any ideas?

We spent the weekend at my inlaw's house (which is a little over an hour away) and enjoyed grandparent time, good meals, and some R&R. I worked on stamping projects and Christmas cards for hours- a real treat. I didn't cook at all while we were there and I slept in with Baby T while the grandparents watched the older two kids and WH went on an early-morning deer hunt. (No deer were even seen.)

We switched to an all-cash budgeting plan. I made these to celebrate. Although I think I may make these as a more permanent solution. Both make it seem really fun to have cash in my bag! Even carrying around an empty wallet that looks this good is better than carrying around... hmmm. Well, we're doing the cash thing and we have these cute money holders, so that's that.

Reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. I hadn't rushed to read it because (not to sound cocky) but I knew I agreed with the premise and we have already made a lot of food changes around here. However, it's fascinating. I read half of it last night and if the baby keeps me up tonight, I may finish it by morning. I really needed another book to get me fired up about food. You might not want to talk to me for a few days unless you want to hear all kinds of mindless food history facts. It would be more fun for you to just read the book yourself.

I'm off to bed. Hope you had a great weekend! I'll leave you with these pictures of the birthday boy. I would say that I can't believe he's already one, but it's been a good, full year and we've loved having him in our family.

Why we want to farm

As usual, she says it better than anyone...she has a way of bringing me to tears, and this was no exception.

In Defense of Food, Land & Our Children

Another one bites the dust

We've whittled our way down to milk and tea (and coffee for the adults, of course) as the main beverages around here, but I still buy orange juice and let the kids have about 4 oz. a day. It's not much, but it seemed like a small morning ritual I didn't want to take away from them.

Until I noticed that my "from concentrate" juice came from many other countries. My goal: the juice needs to come from my same continent. Not real high standards here. I started buying "Not from concentrate" juice that was only from Florida oranges...still a far cry from the juice my dad used to squeeze from our three orange trees out back. I repent in dust an ashes for not appreciating that more, Dad. Pulp and all.

So, thinking that this was the better choice, I was willing to fork over the money for the pricier juice. We're not going through it very quickly anyway. And then, I had to go and read this:


Just reading the interview and the process of how juice is stored in massive tanks, stripped of everything, and then flavor packets of essential essence and oils are added back in- makes me want to swear off the stuff for life. And this is the process used for "not from concentrate" or "fresh" juice. It's SO HARD to find real food these days!

As a native Floridian, I found all the history behind orange juice- it's production, processing, and how it became a world-wide custom to drink juice for breakfast (only in the last 50 years, btw)- fascinating. I know, I'm a dork. But maybe you are, too.