2012

Happy New Year! I hope the first days of 2012 are treating you well!

We lucked out this year and got to spend the holiday week with both our families. We were spoiled rotten by our parents, sisters, and families and have lots of goodies to unpack in the coming days.

2011 brought a very big change for me and Curt - we bought our first home in August and have been slowly moving in ever since. We hope 2012 will bring even more blessings our way! Like any good New Year's post, how about some resolutions?

**Become more green - I have grandiose plans to plant a garden this spring, start composting, make & utilize cloth napkins, eat lots of fresh food, and work on naturalizing my beauty regimen**

**Learn how to use my new serger :) :) **

**Stock up and sell in the shop**

**Work on more mini quilts as a method for trying new techniques and designs**

**With the help of my new shelf, make lots of pretty things from my fabric stash**

**Learn how to knit socks two-at-a-time, toe-up via this Christmas present**

**Keep a happy and tidy home**

**God willing, fill that empty bedroom with a screaming, pooping, demanding, bundle of joy**

**Stay in touch with friends via avenues other than Facebook**

**Start and keep a daily account of our life through something like this**

**Collect more of these**

**Hang more decorations on our blank walls**

Am I being overly ambitious? I don't think so :) What are your hopes and plans for 2012? Whatever they may be, I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year! 

The Goose is Getting Fat

Slowly but surely, Christmas has arrived at our house. Our tree is up, but lacks any kind of decoration. That's alright though, because we usually keep it up well into February (.. March .. April .. I was in a standoff last year and it was up for a long time) so we'll have plenty of time left to enjoy the glow when we DO finally decorate it. 

I did manage to make a Christmas wreath to hang on the front door. Styrofoam wreath + wide ribbons + lightbulb ornaments = this pretty little thing on the cheap.

On Sunday we went on a double date to see The Rockettes at The Grand Ole Opry House. The girls were lovely, with their high kicks and sparkly costumes. It definitely put me a little more into the holiday spirit. 

After the show we drove by Opryland to view the lights. If you are ever around Nashville during the holidays, do be sure to drive through! There's a lot more inside the resort, but these lights are free and stunning.

I've been chugging away with my handmade holiday gifts. I finished a tshirt quilt tonight, which was the biggest undertaking I had left on my list. The remainder of my to-do's includes an infinity scarf, a ruffle towel, finishing up a knit hat that required more yarn, and maybe knitting a couple dishcloths, which will likely turn into a car activity. 

Then of course comes the wrapping. This year I'm aiming for brown paper packages, tied up with string... yup, you're all singing it now :)

What are your last minute Christmas plans? Is everyone on your nice list check off? 

Handmade Holidays

You guys, I have been so busy preparing for the holidays, you'll have to forgive my bloggy absence and just believe these photos are proof that I have been sewing and stitching my fingers to the bone lately. More details after all the Christmas/baby/friendly presents are finished, I swear!

Are you making any holiday gifts this year? 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Curt & I spent Christmas in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with his family. We all stayed in a rental for the week in honor of his grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. 

We were right on the beach, which was strange since it was very freezing cold all week.

The beach is littered with these houses and hotels the colors of sherbet, a stark contrast to the wet sand and bleak winter skies. 

Sadly, a lot of these older hotels are literally being washed away into the ocean, held back only by these sandbags. 

But would you look at those colors?! 

Curt's uncle brought along a tree, which we decorated with handmade ornaments and bows, carefully cut snowflakes, and a popcorn and cranberry garland. It was very sweet and really turned the beach house into a special Christmas getaway. 

This little guy woke everyone up nice and early Christmas morning; it was fun to share Christmas with little kids again - they make the day a little more magical. 

These two had the honor of passing out presents to everyone. Among the gifts were a new camera, a Nook ebook reader, a new hat & scarf set, and plenty of toys for the little ones. 

I gifted Curt's family with this quilt I've been working on. Sorry I don't have better pictures, I'm working on obtaining some more. I finished the binding while we were there and never got a chance (aka I forgot) to take pictures of it in it's entirety. 

Curt's mom also got an iPad, so I now I will be making a sleeve for that.

We had a great time with Curt's family, we don't get to see them a lot, so it was nice to have time to catch up. We even got to meet the newest cousin for the first time, even though he was born way back in May. 

Because of impending snow storms, we all packed up and left the house on Christmas day. We headed up to Pennsylvania, which turned out to be a nightmare of a drive due to bad directions. After about 12 hours of driving we made it to our destination and called it a night (although it was really morning!) We spent a couple days with Curt's grandma and great aunt before heading back to Nashville. 

Overall we drove something like 37 hours and I have never been so sick of a car in my life! I was overjoyed to be home again, back to work, and back to my normal schedule. 

Since we were with Curt's family, we missed out on the fun in Michigan with my families, including this little cutie in the pants I made for him - yet another pair of Quick Change Trousers from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings. 

The pants are made from a burgundy corduroy shirt and a plaid shirt, both thrifted. When I saw the plaid shirt I knew it would be perfect for Christmas pants. The vest was already picked out, so it was a match made in heaven. The booty panel on the pants is the same plaid, and corduroy on the plaid reverse. I had plenty of fabric left over so I made the matching plaid bow-tie. I'm so glad to see it all fit and matched, making the sweetest outfit for his first Christmas! 

Hopefully I'll be getting more pictures of our holiday from other family members and I'll be sure to share those too! 

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and enjoy your New Year's Eve bashes! I have to work but hope to join a friends' party just before the ball drops. At the very least, I'll be able to give my honey a midnight kiss and make a wish for a wonderful 2011! 

Christmas in February?

So today was February 25, two months from Christmas. I published some Christmas pictures today for my family, and thoughtI'd put some cute ones on here. I hate putting pictures on my blog, they always go wacky and the formatting gets all screwed up. Anyone have any tips?

First, my grandma with the scarf I knit for her. It was a very simple garter stitch scarf and I used the 99 cent Yarn Bee Mosiac Twist yarn from Hobby Lobby. It was so easy to knit, and don't tell my grandma, but also super cheap (I used about 2 skeins = $2), but Grandma loves it so much, and to my surprise, it matches her winter coat perfectly. I choose to do the garter stitch because I knew that would be nice and tight and keep the cold air out. It worked, because she tells me every time we talk how much she loves her scarf, how warm it is, and how many compliments she gets on it wherever she goes. I think a homemade gift, regardless of the price or time, is all about the love that goes into it. Most people don't always get that, but grandmas are always happiest to get a gift that had thought and love,

and that's what I love about grandmas.

And here's a nice one of my parents, sister, Curt, and me. I think it's silly and really captures all our silly attitudes. Especially the look on my dad's face... he's probably the goofiest of us all, which is fitting, because he used to be a clown. His name is Goober. Silly, I know, but that's my family.

Now it's officially time for me to go to bed, I have to substitute tomorrow and I don't know if we are going to get that 2-hour delay I was planning on earlier.