Ornament Exchange fun!

Recently I participated in a handmade ornament exchange - I don't usually have good luck with these things, but this year it was a lot of fun!  Claire hosted the exchange and I got Sarah.  When I chatted with her via email, she said: "I am a New England girl but I truly don't like the cold or snow, LOL.   When my kids get a little bit older, I plan on traveling with them during our colder months to somewhere warmer.  At least, that's my plan for now."  

How ironic - this was the ornament I made:

 She laughed and said it was a hit at her house.  Her girls took it to bed with them to snuggle - I should have sent her more than one!  She's been under the weather, so it took a while for her to send mine.  I completely understand.  But when I received it - wow!  Loved it!

 It's a little wreath made of felt and wool scraps with buttons.  So wonderful, I LOVE handmade things like this.

 It found a home on a framed print I moved into the sewing room.  Just makes me happy seeing it there!

She also sent the most wonderful handmade soap from a friend of hers at Keeping it Simple Soap.  It smells so good, can't wait to use it!  

Gina

Mealplan Monday #88 and the Chuy's parade!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving there is a Chuy's Children Giving to Children Parade.  I have never been to it before because I am always at work and Hubby has taken the kids.  But this year, I got to go!  

Monday - Dr. Martin's Mix, corn

Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Pasta, salad

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Beef Stew, rolls

Thursday - Grilled Cheese and Ham sammies, butternut squash soup

Friday - Mom and Dad out

Saturday - Dad grill

Sunday - Slow Cooker Maple BBQ Beef, mashed potatoes, green beans

Dessert this week will be those Gingerbread Oreo bars I made for Hubby's office - so good!

Look, it's the band! Bubbie is in there somewhere - the middle schoolers got to march with the high school band.

I even saw the hospital's transport team truck.  It reminded me I was glad to have a Saturday off to go to a parade - it was good to get a break!   

Gina

Turkey Trot 2013 recap

Turkey Day dawned and it was nippy in the high 30's.  Brrrr....but I had my jersey and I was ready!  All those afternoons of walking and encouraging myself.  I was ready.

In fact, I was pretty jazzed.

Scout and I moseyed through a giant crowd of people to reach the starting point, then I lost him until the end of the trot.  By now the sun was high and it was just gorgeous in downtown Austin!  There were over 20,000 people there; lots of strollers, lots of dogs, lots of silly costumes, too.

Around the 15th street hill I was wondering what had possessed me to think this would be fun.  But really, where could I have stopped and given up with that many people all doing the same thing?  And Turkey Trot raised over 300K for Caritas of Austin,  Read about them here.  It was as rewarding, if not more, than delivering Meal on Wheels for Thanksgiving Day, which we have done in years past.

Yikes.  It stretched out so far ahead!  And uphill a lot of those 5 miles.  I kept my head down and listened to Lady Gaga.

At the end, we were as smiley as the beginning.  We called Hubby for a ride home, drank gratefully the hot coffee he brought, and had a nice shower at home.  Then it was on to our own Turkey festivities.  What a great day!  And hard to believe that was over a week ago.

Gina

Shabby chic tree skirt

 I did it!, and the vision in my head of a burlap tree skirt turned out great!

At one point I was going to order one off Etsy, but I can sew fairly well!  So I headed down to JoAnn with my 50% off coupon.  I had no idea how much fabric to buy,  just eyeballed it at the cutting counter.

 When I got home, I ironed the burlap, folded it in half, and laid an old tree skirt on top of it for a pattern.  I estimate that this is about 2 yards of fabric. 

After I cut out my circle, I folded it in fourths and trimmed off the excess edges so it was perfectly round.

I then cut a triangle out of the top for an opening for the base of the tree stand.  I cut a straight line down from that small circle to the edge of the skirt.

 I turned in the edges all around about 1/2 and inch or so and pinned them together just to hold my place.  I wanted to add a ruffle between the layers.

At the top opening, I attached a strip of bias-cut burlap, stitched it, folded it over, stitched it again.  (I don't have a pic for all of that.)

 Before I folded over and stitched the lengthwise opening, I pinned in some jute ribbon as a tie.

 I added it to the skirt as well. 

I spent about an hour pleating it and pinning it just so.

 I couldn't resist laying it all out to make sure it was going to work.

 

 I was able to finish it up just before Thanksgiving  See the stitching holding the layers and the ribbon together? No? Good!

 Can't wait to put it out under the tree!

The two colors of burlap look great together and the ribbon being finished on the edges made it so easy.

I think it turned out lovely.

And some of the ribbon made it to the top of the tree!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #87 and some holiday organizing

 In the midst of prepping for Thanksgiving last week I pulled down all of the Christmas decor.

Currently, it all lives at the top of our master closet.  

I pulled out what I wanted to use.  I also made a tree skirt like the ones I'd been admiring on Etsy and Pinterest.

And here is is - neatly stacked and  ready for the day after Thanksgiving, when we visit the tree farm and put up two trees - one in the front room ( a real one), and one in the den (the vintage fake one).

Sugar was no help.  Moments before this pic was taken she had raced around the room, tried to eat a bit of trash from the floor, gagged on it, and vomited up all of the water she'd just drank.  Time to settle down, cat.

Monday - Smoked Roast Pork, loaded mashed potatoes, fresh veggie
Tuesday - Greek Chicken Pasta, salad
Wednesday -Freezer Meal - Sketti and a veg
Thursday - Turkey Pot Pie
Friday - Thai Chicken Crockpot, rice, peas
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - Taco Chili, chips, cheese

Gina

Thanksgiving 2013, in pictures

Turkey Trotters still smiling after 5 miles!

 A tired Girl, relaxing at the firepit

 Happy Hubby

T

Gina