Thoughts for Today...

I saw this on Anne's blog, and thought I'd share my version...

I'm feeling ...excited about the New Year and all it brings...new hopes and dreams...new ideas...new starts...and a new President! But mostly, im feeling very fortunate and full of life!

I'm seeing ...Jordyns toys in every nook and cranny of this house!

I'm thinking ...where am i going to put all her new toys! :)

I'm appreciating ...the comforts of home...a warm quilt in my lap, a toasty fire, and my family cozy on the couch together!

I'm cooking ...homemade pea soup...mmmm...one of my favorite soups!

I'm planning ...a relaxing New Years Eve at home, with cocktails and a yummie feast with family! (no traveling whatsoever!)

I'm reading ...Well, about 2 hours ago, i finished "the Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. It was a fun read...i loved the character, August, and the women were interesting, but it would not be on my top 10 list. Im glad i read it though :)

I'm wearing ...mountain folk essentials...sweatpants and a sweatshirt...hey, its 13 degrees outside, who cares what i look like! Im warm and comfortable!

I'm creating ...this is the table topper i made for my mom for Christmas...


I finished the binding this morning, and now its packed up to send to her along with some other goodies! I love making these things reversible...that way, if you spill something on it, you can flip it over till it gets washed. I also like to make them in different color combos on both sides, so they are more versatile! Ive got several other projects in the works, but this is the latest one :)

I'm hearing ...the click clack of justins laptop and the soft sighs of jordyns breathing as she sleeps next to us on the couch. The fireplace is crackling and the heater is running. I guess silence isnt so silent :)

I'm enjoying..all the new movies we received for Christmas...right now we are working our way thru the James Bond set...and next up ...the Matrix boxed set!!! Yes!!!

I'm sharing ...a photo of our recent trash raider, and maker of yellow snowmen...

thats right...i caught this little stinker peeing on our snowman, and also on jordyns snow slide...doh! His footprints were ALL over the slide too, so i guess he thinks its his own personal lookout tower :)

May 2009 be filled with Peace, Love and Happiness!!!

Merry and Bright...

Here are some shots from the "big day"! As you can see, Jordyn made a disaster out of the living room in no time at all :)

But no matter how many presents you give a child...they are always most fascinated with the box...the wrapper...or, in this case...the bubble wrap!

Mommy puts down the camera long enough to help Jordyn with more presents, and get in a shot. Im the phantom mom...always the photographer, and never in the photo...doh!

Stockings are always fun...kids kinda forget about them with all the chaos that packages bring...so when Jordyn finally settled down a bit, i pointed out the fact that we hadnt checked her stocking yet! And what was inside....

well, many things, but obviously chocolate scored high on the list! Quick...somebody grab a wet wipe!

This is her new art table from Grandma and Grandpa Williams...and its awesome! She loves it!

Later that evening, we headed up to Aunt LeAnns, so Jordyn could show her the new dinosaurs she got from Santa. She is also modeling her new jacket from Connie...isnt it cute!
Christmas was wonderful, we didnt have to travel anywhere this year, and that was totally awesome! We slept in, lounged in pj's all day...visited neighbors in the evening and then ate a delicious meal of prime rib and snow crab! Warm, Healthy, Safe and Happy! Hope yours was the same!

14 hours to Santa~

The countdown begins...only 14 hours till the "big visit"! Of course, its really a guess, as i have no idea when exactly it is that Santa stops by with goodies...but i know its sometime after midnight! :)
For fun today, i thought i would post a few photos from the last couple days...

Here is the table runner, "Hugs and Kisses", i finally finished! As you can see, i chose a colorful background of ornament fabric, so that the runner can be reversible. I hope the receiver likes it :)

We received this awesome gift basket from our friend Pete in Michigan. Its filled with fruit, nuts, candy, cheese & crackers, and jelly...a yummie basket indeed! Thanks Pete!

And last, here's a shot of Jordyn and Daddy playing cars on the new rug that Daddy brought home! As you can see, the rug was a big hit!

Im signing off now for Holiday Fun...May you all have a safe, peaceful, happy holiday!!!
Namaste~

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Well, now that my mom has received her gift (and is wearing it), i can show this photo of the necklace i sent her. I purchased it on etsy.com from sprout jewelry. I stole the photo from her site, but its to share the image and may just bring traffic to her site, so im sure she wont mind :) I also bought the little earrings to match.
If youve never seen her work, please check it out...i love it! And, for those of you unfamiliar with etsy.com...go check that out...its a great place to buy handmade gifts!
Anyways, the house is empty...jordyn and daddy went to grandpas to set up the Lionel train, and im at home finishing up those last minute Christmas details, uninterrupted! So i guess i better not linger on here too long or i wont get anything done :)
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!
cheers! and Happy Birthday Mom! xoxoxo

Elf Yourself!

Okay, so we did this last year...but this year you have 4 dances to choose from :)
Here's ours...enjoy!

One week countdown...and still sewing!

With only one week left, i think im doing rather well! First, ive included a more recent photo of our tree, since we have added at least 12 new ornaments...lovely gifts from my mom, sister and mother-in-law. Im waiting to put presents under the tree until Christmas morning, when Santa has added his...mostly because my nosy little 2 year old would have them all opened already...but also for the sheer surprise it will bring to her face when she sees it all for the first time!
Jordyn is the perfect age for Christmas, and she loves everything about it...the decorations, the lights, the shows (Frosty has been looping on the big screen for days), the snow, all things shiny, and lets not forget the treats! Christmas cookies, fudge, gooey cake, brownies, candy coated pretzels...eek! No wonder she's driving me nuts...shes been on a sugar high for days! :)
Needless to say, its taking me much longer to finish these little quilts than i thought, but they are almost done...here are the finished tops...

Remember the Christmas star swap i did last year at this time? Well, these are the half square triangle fall offs that i decided to make into table toppers...not too shabby for fabric i normally would have tossed! Since being a part of the about.com quilting forum and chatting with many of you in blogland, i have learned soooo much...namely, that all fabric can be made into something great...even the littlest pieces! This first one, a table runner, will be called "hugs and kisses", because depending on how you look at it, you see X's or O's :) Its a gift for my boss(who is also a good friend)...if i can finish it in time.

This little table topper is for my mom...which means it will be mailed late (since shes in California, and i have a bit to go still) Her birthday is on the 21st though, and that present will be on time...a lovely piece of jewelry purchased from Sprout Jewelry on etsy. Check it out if you have a chance...the pieces are really unique and reasonably priced.

We also went to Justin's company party this week, dinner at Rodizio's Grill. This is an image i stole from their website...i hope they dont mind :) These Brazilian Gauchos bring different skewers of meat, fish and vegetables around, and there is also a fantastic salad bar. The website is for the Denver location i believe, as the one we went to has only been opened for about 2 weeks...but it will give you an idea of the menu...very good stuff! :)
Anyways, that about catches us up on things here...it has been crazy busy, and i haven't had much of a chance to visit my favorite blogs, but i am trying...so if you haven't seen me in a while, dont give up on me...ill drop by eventually!
cheers~

Only 10 more days...

Only 10 more days till Christmas...where does the time go :) I do have two projects im trying to sew in time for the big day, but i have ordered a lovely back-up gift just in case :) They are small, simple projects, so its not an unobtainable goal...just dont seem to have the energy to work on them when the two year old finally goes to sleep. Last night, just as i put on my nightgown and climbed into bed to read to my daughter the pager went off...doh! At least it was a medical call indoors, instead of a car wreck...i didnt want to be outside last night in 0 degree weather! All is well though, and it only interrupted an hour of my night :)
Here are some fun pics from the weekend....enjoy!

Does anyone else see this as a recipe for disaster?

yep...just as i expected! But she brushed it off and went down again (with the same results i might add)

Here we go...a nice belly slide...cant really get hurt in the worlds puffiest snowsuit!

Hope your weekend was warm and fun! May the creativity flow, as the deadlines approach! :)
cheers~

Our new Hamster

Dont you just love this little hamster :) i saw him on Calamity Kims blog and had to get one for myself. If he looks hungry, just put your curser in the cage, click, and you will feed him pellets. When he's full, he'll drink some water and then go for a run on his wheel. too cute! If you would like to get one, go to abowman...there's all kinds of fun stuff there.

Deck the Halls Meme...

Christine and Amy did this, so of course I had to, too!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I dont particularly care for either, unless theyve been spiked...too rich for me :) Otherwise i would prefer a hot buttered rum!

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree?
It used to be both...but now he just places his gifts under the tree unwrapped ;)

Colored lights on tree or white?
i like both, but i purchased new lights this year that look like colored gum balls :)

When do you put your decorations up?
usually December 1st...if im going to go thru the effort, i want to enjoy them all month!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Lasagna

Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Every year my grandma and grandpa would spend the night and my sisters and i would all sleep in the same room. we would be up half the night giggling and whispering...with numerous threats coming from my dad down the hall. I dont think he minded much though, as we always left out beer and cookies for Santa! In the morning we had to make sure the parents and grandparents were up (and in position) before we could go into the living room(which usually meant us hanging out in mom and dads room jumping on their king size bed :) weeeeee!
i just thought of another one...
wrapping gifts, my mom would make me wrap them...she would tape the boxes shut, write a name on it and slide it over to me to wrap. She kept coming out of her bedroom with more and more boxes. Then she would recycle the boxes every year, so there would be a name crossed out with a new name written below. Over the years, we would laugh at how many names were on a box...in fact i have one saved that was used about 6 times :)

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I guess at some point you become more "aware" of Santa, but i never stopped believing...thats the magic of Christmas after all :)

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
My sisters and i each got to open one gift...however now we spend it with Justin's family...so we open gifts from each other there...and then do our own family Christmas here on Christmas morning.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
well since i have a 2 1/2 year old...we decorate it with child proof ornaments...in a few years ill get the fancier ones out ;)

Snow! Love it or Dread it?
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!! I grew up in LA, so the snow is still magical to me! In fact, its just not Christmas if there isnt white stuff everywhere!

Can you ice skate?
Yes, but i suck at it

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I dont know if i have a favorite memory of a particular gift...though last years big screen plasma tv is still in my mind!

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with family and friends, without a lot of time in the car! :)

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
I usually skip the dessert, which is hilarious since i make fudge every year. Im a salt lover, not a sweet lover!

What is your favorite tradition?
Well, since my daughter is only 2 1/2...we are still creating our own family traditions...but as a kid i loved watching the christmas specials on tv. My mom would mark them in the tv guide so we wouldnt miss them...then my dad would make the worlds biggest bag of popcorn, served in a paper bag that was stained thru with butter. We would all gather around and watch with excitement as Rudolph escaped the clutches of the abominable snow man and be chosen to lead Santas sleigh!

Which do you prefer, Giving or Receiving?
I love to give...not that receiving isnt nice...but i really do love to make and give gifts to others.

What is your favorite Christmas Song?
The Christmas Song!

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Dont really eat them...but i dont think theyre yuckie...those cherry flavored ones are pretty good though!

Ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes...but only because i already had it, and figured it was easier than returning it to the store :) (is that so wrong? :)

Go forth and meme :)

Christmas Trees

Chookyblue has asked for folks to post pictures of their Christmas trees...she discovered a blogger with 28 trees, which inspired this post. I only have 2...one outside, and one inside.

Of course, the tree inside has 11 new ornaments on it since this picture was taken...gifts from family and friends :)
Anyways, enjoy our trees!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

Well, since its now Thursday, and i waited tooo long to post...its almost a Wordless Wednesday :) Here is a shot of Jordyn with her new book that Dawn sent with my ALQS quilt...as you can see, she loves it! Thanks again Dawn!

Spots, Dots, Circles...and Santa!

Today we took a trip to town to see Santa! Jordyn was thrilled to see him and wanted to chat about all the decorations surrounding them..."look Santa...look Santa". Grandma Pat came with us and she had a ball...so much so, that when it came time to go home, Jordyn would have no part of it, so she went home with Grandma instead. Hurrah! Sleep over at Grandmas, and a break for Mommy! :)
I only go to town every other week or less, so i had large quantities of groceries to put away...which wouldn't have been a big deal, except there was a package from Turkey sitting on the table. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was my ALQS quilt...i had been snooping on Dawns blog, and really wanted to see what she was working on cause i thought it might be mine (she refrained from posting a photo, only teasers) so the quilt was a total mystery.

The quilt was delicately wrapped in "hamam cloth"(i hope i got that right) and there was even a little gift for Jordyn.(I'll post a pic after she opens it).

When i opened the cloth wrap, i discovered these traditional oya flowers sitting near the label on my quilt. Too cute, and i cant wait to use them in some of my crazy quilting! A letter detailing the quilt was included, as well as some yummie recipes i look forward to trying...

And this is my lovely new quilt...


Be sure to click on it to see it full size...this quilt is absolutely gorgeous!!! I LOVE it!!! It is entirely hand quilted and hand appliqued, and its all mine :)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you sooooo much for this lovely quilt Dawn! Its perfect and i cant wait to hang it in the Black Bear! And thank you Kate for hosting another fantastic swap!

Another Fun Adventure in Snow ~

Today we created an entire yard of fun...

First we built a snowman, then another snowman...

Then, what started as a snowfort, soon became...

a slide! Weeeeeee!
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
In the meantime, please send me the crafting bug, because i seem to be in a rut and havent picked up my sewing in weeks.

Another Photo Shoot......

First, i wanted to share this little cartoon...i thought it was hilarious, and fitting to the last holiday! I found this on the Shoe Box Blog, a fun blog and worth exploring! To quote the site, "Only about 20% of what gets turned in gets accepted and becomes a Shoebox card. Here, we feature the other 80%."...so in other words...the really tasteless, naughty stuff we love :)

It started snowing yesterday, and continued thru the night, so we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland! I havent shot our Christmas card yet, so i had the brilliant idea to take Jordyn outside for a photoshoot...never mind that it was 8 degrees outside, and still snowing...but, i had to get the cards ordered in time, so out we went.

It actually didn't go as bad as i thought, though it was very similar to the Halloween photo shoot.(i will refrain from adding the commentary this time around).

Mostly, i just followed her around the yard snapping photos, though i did stage the bridge shot.
We got cold very quickly, and once she took a tumble over these rocks, i knew the photo shoot was over. She was a good sport though, and i did get a few good ones in the end. (im saving the final image till after the card goes out).

But i will share this shot of her whining to me about going inside because she was cold...and me being mommy dearest, trying to get just one more shot :) hehehehe
It is now -1 outside, and we are cozy inside.

And since i havent blogged anything crafty in awhile, i will share this fabulous collection of buttons i scored at Joannes during their 50% off sale. I saved about 37 dollars...not to shabby! (and i didnt knock anyone over and kill them to get it...that story still irritates me...especially as an EMT!)
Anyways, thats about it up here on the mountain, hope everyone is safe and warm, and have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Turkey, Turkeys, and a Kiss~

For Thanksgiving my mom flew out from LA, and we all gathered at my Aunts house in Denver. It was a full house, 16 people total, but it was a lovely meal, and we all stuffed ourselves good!

My mom was here for a week, but being from sea level, our altitude is too much for her, so we stayed down in Denver instead. We did some holiday shopping and snacked on left-overs, but mostly we lounged around and visited with family. My mom hadn't seen Jordyn in 17 months, so she had fun getting to know her again.

She also hadn't seen snow in 20 years, so it was nice to have a little winter dusting for her. Jordyn kept calling her "mom" (probably because thats what i call her), and my mom thought that was cool. She also chuckled every time Jordyn showed attitude...reminding me that i was just as bad, and that revenge was sweet! doh!

Jordyn also enjoyed the company of another little trouble maker...Parker :) Here they are stealing a kiss...aren't they cute!
I must admit it was tough having Jordyn out of her element, and off schedule for a week...tempers did flare a bit, and folks got cranky...but it wouldn't be the holidays if we didn't show a little of our true selves to one another. It was still a beautiful visit...but i am glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed! There really is no place like home :)
Hope you all had a safe and happy turkey day!
Now...lets get back to those holiday projects!!!