Kiddo's New Bed

New to him anyway. His older cousin got a room makeover over the holidays thanks to his Dad's 2 weeks off :) So with the help of Uncle Pat, his super duper drill, a few jokes & giggles, some pizza and a beer...Ta Da! New bed! It'll be great when the bottom mattress is gone & the small bookcase & toy box can move in to leave more play space elsewhere.


Last night I had him sleep on the bottom. Mom was too worried about tumbles down the ladder without time to practice getting up & down. Waking up at 2:30am to walk to the bathroom with him is one thing...waking to a thump & cry is another.



Now he just needs to practice climbing the ladder....

"See mom, I can do it!"

"Can you find me?"

"Okay, that was hard work"

"Time to rest - please leave now Mom"

Friday Food: Soup Storage

I love soup in the winter. The only problem I tend to have is the size of each batch. I want enough to last for a few days. But the problem is....it lasts for a few days. A few too many once life gets in the way and dinners change. I tried freezing them in individual ziploc bags. Filling them up and lying them out on a baking sheet to freeze flat. This was okay, but often messy. Leakage from unlocked tops. Small tears in the bags. Even the frozen wrinkles were a pain when thawing.

The solution...use the bowls I eat the soup in originally. Well, the ziploc bags are still there, but better. Finding the right size bowl was easy for me since I have such a mish mash of kitchen goodies.

Simply put a serving of soup into the bowl and place inside a freezer zip bag. Then, well, freeze. note: it's easiest to label your bag before the initial freeze.

Removing them from the bowls was tricky at first. But if you treat it like an ice cube...slight twist & pop, then it's easy peasy.

I am usually able to pop the frozen soup out right inside the bag. Much cleaner than popping them out and having to get them back into the bag without getting your fingers all ooky.

You are left with frozen bowl shaped popsicles of soup. When it's time to eat, just heat and serve.

If you want to save on bags, just freeze (carefully) with bowls sitting on a baking sheet...they shouldn't be in there long enough for freezer burn. Then pop the 'sicles into one large bag.

Now I am off to figure out what soup I will cook up this weekend :)

Happy Birthday Blogfire!!!

This month BlogFire turns 2!!!

Birthday Card by Nature Manipulated ...a Blogfire member :)

January 2009 saw our guild's first blog carnival. Did I manage every carnival...no. But I hit most months. My goal this birthday is to make sure I hit every month...and each carnival in at least half of them. Hey look...I got one down - woo hoo :)

Happy Birthday everyone!!!

Birthday Cake Whipped Cream Bath Mousse Parfait by AJ Sweet Soap

Let's toast!

Hand Painted Champagne Flutes with Swarovski Crystals by Handpainted Gifts

Big thanks to Guildmaster Alicia Mae! And don't forget to check out her blog, Crafts and Cooking.

Wordless Wednesday

Kiddo's Toys

Santa was very good to my youngest this year. And yet, he still only got about a tenth of his list...go figure :P

It has been fun watching him play with everything. For a kid who can't sit still, he has been playing intensely. Building like a maniac. And coming up with some very creative "stories" for when the toys intermingle. This often involves "contraptions". What exactly his "contraptions" are, I have no idea. It seems to involve one object moving into another and sending that object moving onto another. Kind of like dominoes, but being carried. Oh, he got dominoes too...Spongebob.

Onto the goodies....

We have the Imaginext space shuttle. A huge hit. It has been exploring the vastness of out 800 sq ft first floor like it was the size of Jupiter.


Legos...so many. Here we have a Power Miners set. This took all morning to build. All by himself.


Star Wars Legos were in town as well.


They seem to have run over some clone buddies...


Lego Atlantis set. Um, yeah, not yet completed...but well kept in their own little bowl.


Under the tree here you can see his Wolf Mountain car set and Marble track thingy. The wolf howls...loudly.


But it is not quite as loud as Stinky here. Stinky was from Santa. He knew Wyatt wanted one way back in October when they were on sale at Target. Not that Santa shops at Target....nope, must have been the Target elf room up at the North Pole ;)


Poor Snoopy. Got all tuckered out with all the playtime. Nap time for him.

Too bad the little guy never tired out. I know I sure did!!!

New Year - New Hair

I have been slowly going shorter and shorter. It's never been as long as it was 2 cuts ago (no pic...just add 3 inches to what you see in the before below). The look of the longer hair is great, but not the hassle and the in your face annoyances. Eventually I want to get back to my short short hair...but not until I slim down. I like hiding behind the hair still :P)

And apparently a camera...

before...

after...


from the side...it's longer in the front than the back...

I am going back and forth on the bangs to first longer length transition...not so sure about the bluntness. But I will most likely wait until the next haircut when another couple inches or so get chopped.

Anyone know a good site with hairstyle examples or even "try ons"?

Wordless Wednesday

Etsyblogger of the Month: Pruitt Handcrafts

Straight from her profile: "I am a Breast Cancer Survivor & Grandmother of 25 grandchildren and all-around creative person! I blog about family, inspiration and creativity." And she still finds time for 3 shops and a blog!! I wonder just how many hands she has for her handcrafts?!?

That 25th grandchild...she just arrived earlier this month. Wanna see the sweetness?

And now to show off some of the things you can find in her shops:

Breast Cancer Lap Quilt

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Pruitt Designs: Hurry on in to this one....it is closing on January 15th...
be sure to read the shop announcements for special store closing sales...

Pink Lampwork Bead Bracelet

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"Helping you make the music of creativity"

Square Flat Green AB Beads

Awesome Xmas Outfit

Why a tux you ask... well, because he can :)

and if you love the Jayne hat, you can find it at Ma Cobb's on Etsy

Happy Holidays

Wishing you the best...from my family to yours....

Wordless Wednesday

Etsyblogger Carnival: Holiday Traditions

This carnival is brought to you by Ms. Moo from Spotted Cow Soaps. These were the choices:

1. There are many different holidays and celebrations this time of year. Share some of the traditions from your holiday celebrations.
2. Share your favorite Holiday recipe and tell us why it has become your favorite Holiday recipe.

I do have a new holiday recipe that I love to make, but I have written about it before. So I will go with traditions.

Fist off...the tree. Every year we get an ornament from my mom. She always finds the perfect one. My tree is covered with most of my ornaments for as long as I can remember. Well, except for those few I left at her place. It's always fun to search her tree for some old faves. My boys and hubby also get one. Someday this tree will be dripping with ornaments. Until the boys move out and take some to their places.

Traditions tend to change over the years as family is moved and added to. Hubby and I got lucky in that there was not too much overlap once we merged traditions. We always did Xmas Eve at my dad's parents with all his sibs & their families, the morning was the usual immediate family opening Santa's gifts at home followed by Xmas afternoon at my mom's sisters with her side. Hubby did Eve at home & church and pretty much the same thing again the day of. Big difference in family quantity living nearby.

So, since his family stuff was the same group both days & mine were different sides, we still hit everyone. Eve has moved to my parents house for my dad's side - very convenient for me since they live closer than Grandma. We leave just a bit early so hubby & the boys can get to the church service (depending on how awake the little guy is). The morning is spent just us opening our gifts to each other...and from Santa. We have brunch with hubby's sis + family & parents. We have switched to our places instead of his parent's since we live about 1 mile from his sis. Very nice :)

Xmas day afternoon is still at my aunt's. We don't spend quite as long as we used to, but long enough to visit for a bit. Bonus - she is just a few blocks away! It also serves to be the marker for us to grab my parents and head over to their house for the last stop on the Xmas tour. This is the most relaxing portion of the whole shebang. It is just us - me, hubby, the kids & my parents. We nibble on leftover goodies and open our gifts to each other. My brother would join us except he was a traitor and moved down to the Nashville area. Sheesh - just because you are offered a fantastic job, in a beautiful area & can live in a gorgeous new home...can't understand why they would defect to , um, well, okay, so I know why. I just miss 'em so I have to rag on him a bit :)

Sounds hectic, but it really isn't too bad. Lots of family - very lots with mine - good food, fun gift exchanges and not too far away. And we do not have the kind of family that fights, so even better. Hope your holidays are as happy!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Okay, yes, the teens are cold. But add in the wind and you get this...

...negative teens. It is kind of funny to see the heat index at 10.

Bottom line - school is out. The roads are horrid. Ice underneath the snow makes for an interesting drive...as I found out last night on the way home from the Ypsilanti Holiday sale at Riverside Arts Center. Normally it would take about 45 minutes. Last night, doubled. Cars off the side of the road...a couple dozen easy, in just a 3 mile stretch. Thankfully it looked like no one was hurt. But 30mph was about the limit.

It was a happy ride though. Why? Because the show went well. It was 2 weekends long which helped. Big thanks to Dee for setting everything up! I sold most of my small zip pouches, some larger wristlets, a large painted tote and my large giraffe hobo bag that never even got as far as my shop. That felt nice :) I think I may make more...what do you think?

I have some fun prints in this same textured fabric - almost a burlap feel, but sturdier.

Now I have to decide what to do with the rest of the bags that I am no longer going to create more of. Sale? A fun giveaway? Or as someone at the show pointed out...I should keep them as is & just point out that not only are they handmade, but only X amount of that pattern was ever even made...generally less than 10 and never the same material twice. Hmmm...

Either way, I need to buckle down and make some Xmas gifts before I do anything else shop-wise. That is one problem with this time of year...I want to make everything for everyone and make it now. Can't happen. Two hands and one brain can only work so fast. Especially when you sprinkle in the 5 year old LOL!

Wordless Wednesday

This week's Wordless Wednesday inspiration...my newest treasury on Etsy: Geek Out the Tree

Gobble Gobble

I hope everyone (in the USA anyway) had a great Turkey Day...free of drama and full of goodies! I know I did. I did the usual - the dessert. But I took the easy way out this year...mostly thanks to a migraine the day before. I did make a couple apple pies, but I bought some cheesecakes. they were SOOOO good! Our neighbors across the street recently opened a new cheesecake shop. Everything is made there by them...so many flavors to choose from! I went with pumpkin (of course), almond and plain. If you are ever in the Metro Detroit area, I strongly recommend stopping by Peteet's and grabbing some of these delicious treats for yourself.

And as for the turkey, well, I am 95% vegetarian, but I did try a nibble. Now these turkeys...these I can see having...

One Dozen Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies by The Sweet Shop Cookie Co

Shades of Brown, Thanksgiving Card by Paper Creations by Laura

Autumn Turkey Fabric Wreath by Soo Boo Designs

Custom Boys Turkey Tee by Pirate and Princess Couture

Turkey Pig Greeting Cards by Pigatopia

Been Busy

My busy has been a hodge-podge. Not enough of any one thing and too much of everything else.

Creative-wise, not enough. I did manage a photo shoot. I lost my light halfway through though. No big surprise in Michigan this time of year. I was lucky to get any at all. I still need to edit them though. The majority of the pics were of these fabric baskets. I hope to get them in the shop before the end of the week.

I did get some actual sewing done as well. The paler pink pillow actually has 2, with different applique and backside strip placements. The darker pink pillow was a single. I hope this find their way to the shop soon also.

Exercise. Remember my post last week? Well, I have been doing pretty good. I had 2 sessions with a personal trainer at our gym. He worked me out perfectly. Muscles burned and stretched and built. Not so much as to cause pain, but just toasty enough to know the job was getting done. I am thinking of taking this bag out of my shop & keeping it for myself. It's the perfect size for the gym. A pair of shoes, small sweat towel, book & iPod fit just right. It's all I need. Or I may make a whole new one just for the heck of it. Hmm....I just can't decide.

I did not get to the gym for a 3rd strength session...the weekend was packed. And it was all the big guy. Friday night my son's band No Alternative, had their first gig. It was awesome! They totally rocked. The owner of the cafe forewarned them not to expect too many people, maybe 50 tops. There were about 120. They also played longer than they thought. I was such a proud mama. He had a bass solo in Welcome to Paradise...I teared up. The pic below can take you to a video of it. You don't see much of him during the solo, but it is audible :)

And then the next day was the parade. The marching band...the State Champs by the way...marched in the Royal Oak parade the next morning. They sounded great rocking out Rudolph.

There was still more to come. In the afternoon I took him to Harry Potter. He & his friends kept making plans to see it, but with everything going on it kept getting put on the back burner. So I took him. With just enough to spare for the Choir/Orchestra concert that night. The men's ensemble which he is a part of did a great job with In the Still of the Night. Again, click the pic to get to the video :)

So to sum up...great exercise sessions, fantastically proud mama moments for her awesomely talented young man, decent photo session...just not enough sewing. Maybe next week.