Snowy Family Fun

We headed to some local mountains today, for an afternoon of sledding and snowman buildiing.

Hubby said he thought I only went so that I'd have something to blog about. We did take the camera along and someone had to take photos. Right? And there hasn't been any crafting going on around here lately, so of course I have to share such cute photos......

Nathan and Daddy heading to the slope.

Nathan hitching a ride.

Faster than a speeding bullet....

Looking a bit wobbly....

And then, the bail out.

He was having so much fun that he wasn't entirely happy

about stopping to pose for a photo.

Warm and dry again, he slept like a baby.

A Merry Christmas to all.....

The tree and presents before the mayhem.

Nathan with a favorite toy.

A mini air hockey game that lights up and sounds like an arcade!

The aftermath.....

Exhausted. Glassy eyed. Surrounded by trains.

My Christmas Helpers

Elf Nathan decorating the Christmas tree.



George the Cat.....Chief Gift Bag Inspector.

(She fell asleep and was in there for hours!)

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The big reveal

Last week, I posted this tiny sneak peek for my Sweet Swap Sister Cindy...


(The photo is actually upside down, to make it more of a mystery!)

Cindy received her package yesterday, so now I can reveal the finished item in it's entirety.


Cindy posted a photo from the Anthropologie catgalog a while back. It was of two stockings and she said that she LOVED one of them. Stockings are one of my favorite things at Chirstmas, so I decided to copy the Anthro stocking and fill it with goodies for my Sweet Swap Sister. I had a ball going through my stash searching for just the right fabric and trim and button to put it all together.

I'm so pleased with the stocking and so happy that Cindy loved it! Thanks Cindy for making these swaps so much fun. Cindy is crazy talented when it comes to crafting. If you ever get a chance to swap with her, I highly recommend it!

You can see the rest of what I sent Cindy here.

And finally, a BIG thank you to The Goodness Girls, Rebecca and Lucy, for organizing this series of swaps. You girls rock!

My evening.....

Thirteen dozen Lemon Crisps.

What did you do tonight?

A tiny sneak peek and lotsa Swap Goodness

I mailed the last of my Sweet Goodness Sister Swap packages yesterday. I have neglected to torture Cindy with sneak peeks for this last swap. So I thought I'd make up for it and give the tiniest of sneak peeks now.

This is a very small part of one of the handmade items I included in Cindy's last package. Any ideas Cindy????? (Hee, hee, hee! Or should it be Ho, Ho, Ho?)

I was very lucky to have Cindy as a swap partner for these swaps. She is very crafty and creative. She's made some wonderful things for me. And she included goodies for Nathan with every swap package. It means so much to have a friend who is so generous to my son! Thank you, Cindy!


Here's Nathan's loot. A "Dear Santa" notepad. A robot pencil holder (he's already sharpened all 12 of the pencils), Reindeer Pez dispenser and stickers. And a darling set of dinosaur cookie cutters.


Here's the start of my loot. Some great vintage craft books, which I can't wait to sit down and peruse. A cute snowman box that was filled with a bag of Rolos (one of my favs) and a recipe for Poor Man's Turtles (using Rolos). Somehow, Nathan got it into his head that we'd be sharing the Rolos. He is SO wrong!


Vintage (?) elf ornaments and some lovely crocheted snowflake ornaments. Bead garland, chenille stems and Let It Snow letters to make a garland. There were about 10 more of the little crocheted ornaments, but Nathan was quick to claim them and hang them on the tree. They look very pretty among our other ornaments.


And wonderful handmade goodies! A necktie daisy and snowman pendant made by Miss Crafty herself. I can't wait to wear the daisy on my winter coat.


Finally, an incredible bag made from felted wool sweaters, embellished with fabric patches and buttons. There are lots of pockets inside too!


The back of the incredible bag.

Thank you so much Cindy! You've put so much thought and effort into my packages. I truly appreciate all you've done and admire you're creativity.

Soft, warm and VERY GREEN!

Ta-da! Another finished project.

Nathan has a new jacket that is soft and warm and yes, very, very green. Sort of a Grinch green. It doesn't look as vibrant in the photo as it is in real life.

During a quick trip to Joann's sometime before Halloween, I bought a pattern for this jacket and let Nathan pick out the fleece. He picked out the Grinch green, neon orange and purple. Luckily, I was able to negotiate the choices down to just the green, with white contrast in the zipper. (There will also be a hat someday that will be green and white.)

Nathan forgot his regular jacket at school on Friday and it was pretty chilly over the weekend. I pulled out his heavy winter coat and was a bit dismayed to see it is a size 4T. Nathan's wearing at least a 6 now and said the coat hurt his armpits. So, I did the reasonable thing and offered to take him shopping for a new coat.

Let's just say he was less than receptive to the idea of going shopping. No matter what we were shopping for.

I really had no choice but to make the fleece jacket for him. The fabric had spent it's fair share of time sitting in some random stack with umpteen other pieces of fabric. It did take more time than I expected, but overall, I'm quite happy with how it came out.

And after a rocky start on Monday morning, ("I don't want a new jacket!) Nathan's thrilled with it!

Yes, I still sew

And here's a finished project to prove it!

I was able to use scraps from a baby shower gift I made back in August to piece the top and a larger piece of the alphabet print for the back. I cut all the strips 6" wide, in various lengths, then tried to arrange them randomly. The arranging randomly was the hardest part for me. I don't do random very well. I'm more of an "everything in it's place" kind of girl.

The blanket was made as a Christmas gift for a baby girl who's just a few weeks old. It is part of my contribution to "Project Santa", which is a great giving opportunity for our family. For the past few years, a local online group I belong to has put together this Project Santa. There are about 50 kids signed up to receive gifts. All of the gifts will be donated by other group members. I'm always surprised when things like baby blankets and underwear appear on the wish lists. It makes me stop and think about how fortunate we are to have so much. I like doing this because it is a little less anonymous than other toy donations. I've gotten to know some of the families online and am glad I can help out.

And of course, I couldn't stop at just one blanket for this little girl.

Again, I used what I have and put together a couple pieces of flannel into a warm and cozy blanket. A nice floral print on the front and tiny pink rosebuds on the back. Neither of the blankets is anything fancy, but they'll help keep baby warm.

I did finish another project last night. But we were running late for school this morning and Nathan was out the door, wearing the finished project before I could snap a photo. Hopefully I can get him to pose in it this afternoon.

So, how are you Christmas projects going?

A word of advice....

When making 30 dozen or so cookies...

For other people...

Stick with cookies that you like.

Recipes that you trust.

Recipes that will be attractive to the eye, as well as the palate.

Don't try something new.

They may come out looking like.....






Reindeer droppings.

Normal Craziness

Yes, it seems my life is back to it's normal craziness this week.

Slightly more manageable than last week's extreme craziness.....sick kid, medicine battles, sick cat, new vet, exhausting search for an appropriate 80's costume, and co-hosting a Totally 80's Karaoke Christmas Party for 20. (I haven't seen that many pairs of black leggings in one room since.....well, the 80's!)


On Saturday, Nathan and I started our Christmas baking.

He only wanted to make sugar cookies. And he only wanted to make them because he wanted to put sprinkles on them. That kid would put sprinkles on everything if I let him. And yes, he had to use every container of sprinkles we have, including the Halloween variety.

I'm planning to make cookie trays for the employees at hubby's plant again this year. Of course, I have to make enough for each person to have 3 or 4 cookies. That means 300 - 4oo cookies! Some of the cookies from the batch above did make it into freezer bags, but it's not a great start.

I'm also going to make these (without the ice cream), Pfeffernuesse, Gingerbread men, more Sugar Cooki es and possibly some Italian Spice Cookies. Any other suggestions? What Christmas goodies are you baking?

A pretty pie and an almost finished WIP

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with some friends here in town. Everyone brought a dish or two to accompany a delicious turkey. We took Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes, an Apple Pie and a Pumpkin Cake Roll.

Here's my little helper. He LOVES using my apple corer/peeler/slicer. He insists on doing it all himself! Just look at that concentration.


And the finished pie! It came out perfect. It didn't brown too much. And the filling didn't bubble over onto the oven floor!

The Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes were a big hit. The other adults at dinner had never had parsnips, so it was nice to be complimented on the dish. (The Pumpkin Cake Roll was delicious too!)

The WIP, beginning of Day Four.

Yes, Day Four of our 8 hour project! Of course, they only say 8 hours assembly. They don't tell you how many people it takes to do it in 8 hours.

But we persevered and.......Ta Da!!!

Four days and it is almost finished. There are decorative "suns" which should be mounted at the roof peak of the fort, but Nathan doesn't seem to want them installed. There is also a picnic table which will go under the fort. That we'll get to soon enough, but for now, Nathan is thrilled with his ginormous new play structure!

WIP

Last weekend, we started on a family project.

It started as four rather large, rather heavy boxes sitting on the garage floor.

And progressed to this:

Supervising the hardware:



My little carpenter:


After 3 hours of work:

The 50+ page instruction manual says 8 hours assembly time. I think they lied! We still need to do the roof of the fort and the entire swing section.

Even unfinished, Nathan seems to approve of his new play structure.



Kid tested:

Cat approved!

Winners and Good Mail

Thank you all for the nice comments on my Blogiversary and 100th post.

I put the names of all commenters into a turkey......>

Yes, a turkey. What do you use, a hat??? Where's the fun in that?
(BTW, the turkey is a part of my swap package from my Sweet Swap Sister Cindy. She made it for Nathan and filled it with Tootsie Rolls. Thanks Cindy!)

Anyway - I asked my trusty assistant to pull two names out of the turkey and the winners are......Jessi and Le Anne! I'll put some goodies together and get them on their way soon.

Now....on to the Good Mail I've received this week.

First, from my Swap Sister Cindy:

She made a beautiful Thanksgiving garland for me. (I "borrowed" this photo from her blog because mine didn't come out.) I've hung the garland across the curtains in my kitchen so I can see it throughout the day.

Here are some of the incredible details of the garland.

Felt fall leaves and tiny acorns. She used real acorn caps and made the body of the acorn by modifying a yo-yo. Isn't she clever?


There are three images on the garland. They're each mounted on felt and embellished with buttons and stitching.


Some more goodies from Cindy - a fall themed framed print, menu planning tablet, school notes, a miniature quilt pattern (rotary cutting & topstitching! I love topstitching!), fall spreaders, elastic and softie eyes. (The elastic and eyes are for some WIPs.)

Thank you so much Cindy!

Recently, I was the lucky winner of Rebecca's 200th Post Giveaway. Look at the goodness she sent me!

A copy of Adorn, some cherry fabric and trim, an embroidered table runner, a zipper, a vintage paper angel, a tin shabby chic rose ornament and a New York postcard. (Nathan thought it was funny to have so many yellow cars on the postcard. I had to explain taxis to him.) Thanks Rebecca!


And another swap package. I participated in a Sewing Notions swap hosted by Julie at Red Hen Studios. My swap partner was Lori from Simply Made Kay.
She sent me fabric, hankies, some pieced squares, CDs for collaging and some srapbooking papers.


Also a beautiful tie dyed scarf, buttons, beads, scalloped trim, paintbrushes, a cloth doll, a handmade pincushion and a pile of yo-yo's! Thanks so much Lori! (She doesn't have a blog, but you should definitely check out her etsy shop.)

Oh how I love Good Mail!

A Big Day

Yes, it's a big day here at Mama Said Sew.

It's my one year Blogiversary. Care for a slice of cake?

And this is my 100th post!!

In honor of such an occassion, I've compiled a list of 100 things about me. It's probably way more than you'd ever want to know about me.

100 Things About Me
1. I like to make lists.
2. Hubby thinks I should make a list of my lists!
3. I’m a thrifter.
4. I could (and sometimes do) spend hours treasure hunting in a thrift shop.
5. I like garage sales too.
6. My mom started me on thrifting many, many years ago.
7. She wouldn’t buy me new Chemin de Fer jeans, so we hit the thrift in search of some.
8. I also wanted a pair of Dittos.
9. We still go thrifting together whenever we can.
10. My love of thrifting is rubbing off on my husband.
11. Having said all that, I recently bought myself a $100 pair of jeans.
12. I’ve finished 1 page in Nathan’s baby book. (He’s 5 now.)
13. My favorite color is pink. Any shade.
14. I have a pink wallet.
15. I’m a Diet Coke fanatic.
16. When a restaurant only serves Pepsi and the waitress asks if that’s okay, I usually cringe.
17. I don’t like to drink water.
18/ I do not have a green thumb. (I forget to water things.)
19. I was born on Easter Sunday.
20. I can wiggle my nose.
21. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. (Okay, more than a bit!)
22. I could eat Nachos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Hold the jalapenos please.)
23. I like to cook.
24. I have a hard time making a recipe without “adjusting” it.
25. I have a cookbook collection that collects dust.
26. I like to try new recipes from the internet.
27. I’m afraid of falling down. Tripping while walking. Tumbling down stairs. Running into a
tree while snow skiing.
28. I rarely wear makeup.
29. I wear very little jewelry.
30. I’ve always wanted a Movado watch.
31. I got one for my 40th birthday.
32. I wear it every day.
33. I listen to many different kinds of music, but prefer Country or Celtic Bluegrass.
34. I listen to Celtic Woman – A New Journey while crafting.
35. I love bagpipes. Especially playing “Amazing Grace” and “Scotland The Brave”.
36. I’d love to learn to dance the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance.
37. My favorite current TV show is Gray’s Anatomy.
38. My favorite childhood TV show was Little House On The Prairie.
39. I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder.
40. My favorite movie is The Cutting Edge.
41. I love books. Not just to read, but to have around.
42. My favorite book is “Where The Red Fern Grows”, by Wilson Rawls.
43. I’ve read it at least a dozen times and it still makes me cry.
44. I’ve love to own a book/fabric/coffee shop.
45. I once threw my brother into a fireplace.
46. It was about 25 years ago.
47. There was no fire in it, but he still brings it up to this day!
48. In high school, I drove a green VW Fastback.
49. Her name was Fraby.
50. I ignored the oil light and blew the engine.
51. I now drive a mini van.
52. With Stow N Go seating. (How did I manage for so long without it?)
53. I LOVE my mini van.
54. I got my first (and only) speeding ticket this year.
55. I’ve never broken a bone in my body.
56. I tend to take care of others before taking care of myself.
57. I have a hard time saying no to others.
58. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at pottery.
59. I don’t like scary movies or gory movies.
60. I love doing word search puzzles.
61. I like pedicures.
62. I don’t do manicures. They last about 2 minutes on me.
63. I’m not very good at making decisions. (That’s why this was so appropriate.)
64. The beach is one of my favorite places.
65. England is another.
66. I’ve been there 5 or 6 times.
67. My husband is English.
68. I love a good cup of tea. Specifically PG Tips, with milk and sweetener.
69. My dream destination is Paris.
70. I’d also like to visit Scotland.
71. I like cream cheese on my bagels. LOTS of cream cheese.
72. I like my bacon and hash browns extra crispy.
73. My first job was at Bread of France Bakery.
74. I took French for 3 years in high school, but can’t speak the language now.
75. I’ve picked up enough Spanish to get by when traveling to Spanish speaking locales, but not
enough to hold a conversation.
76. I was born and raised in Southern California.
77. I’ve lived here all but 5 years of my life.
78. I lived in Oregon for those 5 years.
79. I miss the seasons (and snow) of Central Oregon.
80. I can’t go to sleep with the closet door open.
81. I can’t go to sleep with socks on.
82. I have a degree in Biology
83. I am a registered Democrat (don’t tell my Dad), but vote for the person, not the party.
84. My first pet was a three legged dog, named Sandy.
85. As a puppy, she got hit by a car and lost her leg.
86. She was part of our family for 17 years.
87. When I was 6, I saw Santa Claus in the kitchen at my Grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve.
88. My Aunt Julie gave me a stuffed frog that year.
89. Daisies are my favorite flower.
90. I love having a bouquet of fresh flowers in the house.
91. Unfortunately, my cat likes to eat them.
92. My cat also likes to pull pins out of my pincushion as a form of entertainment.
93. I don’t let my husband do the laundry.
94. I’ve been called a tyrant when it comes to packing a suitcase.
95. I firmly believe in “A place for everything and everything in it’s place”.
96. My husband does not.
97. I love my husband dearly.
98. I also love my son dearly.
99. I can’t imagine my life without them.
100. I love bloggy giveaways!

Phew! That was harder than I thought it would be, but still a fun exercise.

Wait a minute....did someone say giveaway?

Yes, I did say giveaway.

Of course, I'm having a giveaway!

Actually, two giveaways. One for my Blogiversary and one for my 100th post.

I have no idea yet what the winners will get. And they may not get it 'til after Christmas, but it will be something handmade by me.

Just leave a comment on this post and I'll put your name in the hat. I'll pick winners on Monday, around noon. If you're a lurker, I'd love to hear from you too. What better time to delurk?

Thank you to all my blog buddies who've read and commented throughout the year. I've met some wonderful people and enjoy sharing this little glimpse into my life with you.

Looking forward to the next 100 posts!

Because I just can't help myself!

This morning, I was taking photos and packing up the goodies for my Swap Sister Cindy and thought.....hmmmmm, maybe I should take one more obscure photo....

Hee, Hee, Hee!

Thrifty Thursday

Taking a little break from crafting for a quick thrifting post.

I went to the Goodwill Clearance Center again today.

I spent 85 cents! And look at all the goodies.....

A Rubber Stamp book; 4 packs of initial notecards (for gifts); a package of new Mickey Mouse napkins for Nathan's lunchbox; vintage rick rack (black, ivory & blue); and 2 cards of vintage buttons.

The striped tea towel underneath is from Williams-Sonoma, thrifted a while ago.

Oh, I do love the Goodwill Clearance Center!