I’m getting all fidgety, and when I get all fidgety, I get kind of freaked out and when I get freaked out, it means I need to keep a pad of paper next to me all day long and write down all the shit I need to do (so then it’s there, and i no longer have to be responsible for remembering it all) and it also means i need to just spit out all the random shit in my head so that it’s out there, and no longer floating around inside my brain and it lets me kind of breath out a big sigh and move on with my life.

So here you go! Random shit in my head! Get ready, because it’s going to be FANTASTIC!

RED, RED WINE
We had folks over on Sunday and it was very lovely. We don’t entertain very often. What can I say, we’re shut ins. Plus, we don’t have many friends. It comes with being shut-ins. But our friend got engaged and we needed to celebrate, so I said, “Hey come over, our basement will be done by then!” It is (basically) done, but far from the kitchen, where the life of the party is always at, so while folks wandered down and had a look (at my table with shit all over it, and the toys strewn all over the floor) and said, “Very nice!” they all wandered back up, because you know, that’s where the food was.

And the wine. Let me just say, that I have not been this drunk… well, I’m going to have to go with ever. There was this one time in Atlanta (which was over 10 years ago now) that might have rivaled it, but that was a long time ago so the memory is hazy, and this was just a few days ago, and the memory is fresh, so i’m going with this one! It was great fun Sunday evening, when all the drinking took place, but not so much great fun Monday morning, when the getting up and going to work needed to take place. If not for the fact that our cleaning ladies were coming, I would have stayed home. But I braved the cruel big world, and wandered out of the house (ha – out of my bed!) with a sick, vaguely unsettled feeling in my gut. No headaches, thanks to the large glass of water and tylenol James brought me the night before, but … unsettled. Like a big hair hand was holding on to my esophogus and threatening to throttle me. It wasn’t nice.

The wine was very good though, I will say that.

THE KIDS, THEY LIKE THE CHRISTMAS

So all last week we had our tree, set up in our family room, but sad and naked, bereft of all trimmings. Saturday evening we got out the christmas boxes and tossed everything on the tree. I bought a lot of stuff last year after it all went on sale, so it looked very magazine cover-y, until that is we got up sunday morning and the kids had “finished” the decorating with the stuff we hadn’t used. So there are gobs of silvery and teal beaded bauble-y garlands all between the 3 1/2 foot and 5 foot section of the tree where they could readh (there was a little foot ladder that they employed) all done while james and I were snug in our beds. It’s pretty cute really, and James finally convinced me to keep it instead of redoing it after they go to sleep. “It’s cute!” he says. And then he says, “we’re probably going to have to start getting you your own tree, aren’t we?”

Yes, yes, we are, because the kids REALLY want to put the colored lights on the tree, and WE’RE NOT HAVING THAT. BECAUSE I SAID SO.

Christmas is all about the love!

CUTE LITTLE GIRLS. STOLEN, LITTLE GIRLS

Remember that list of things that I was so proud of NOT BUYING? Well, ahem.. I bought the last one, which was this kit to make Santa Lucia dolls:

I was so excited when it arrived, and that evening sat down to do some painting. Painting little wooden heads with black, red, brown and yellow hair is so therapeutic. I set them down to dry, where Jocelyn spotted them like a hawk and instantly carried them off. She has taken them to the store (in a little purse), she has taken them to quiet time, she has taken them downstairs, she has taken them to school.
So much for my Santa Lucia dolls!

Just kidding, I don’t grudge them, we have doll pins aplenty, and I went out looking for the round heads to paint more, but couldn’t find any. So I ordered some more online, and as soon as they arrive, we’ll have a little wooden clothespin girl factory around here, because THE CUTENESS. IT’S JUST SO CUTE. Ethan, and .. dare I say James? even likes them, they’re so darn cute.

Ahhhh I feel better. I think that’s enough brain gook for one day.

So, Thanksgiving, huh? What a weekend! It was wonderful, my brother and his family came over for the day (instead of the several days earlier anticipated) and it was great fun. I got most of the cooking out of the way the night the night before, so it was truly a nice, relaxing day. The food all turned out great, the kids were all behaved (with the the exception of Ethan, who kept wiggling and kicking and showing the food in his mouth to everyone, luckily the 3 little ones were at the “kid table”) and then naps, monopoly, Wii, pumpkin pie and chocolate cake ended the day. It’s so nice having some of my family near by! This was a first for me!

The rest of the weekend was nice too, I had visions of getting the tree and decorating it Friday, but the actuality of it was less appealing than the idea of it. I did take Jocelyn and get a tree on Sunday however (let her pick it it, because my track record isn’t that great) and so it is up, but undecorated.

Lots of craftiness ensued, the kids and I painted butterflies, hearts, and christmas trees — all things you cut out on a fold, paint, and then fold again for symmetrical paint blobbiness (and then when you’re done with the paint, that’s when the glitter is sprinkled) – it was great fun. My kitchen floor is all glittery now 🙂

We also did some gumdrop sticking, and I made some Martha Stewart paper ornaments, and a couple of hot pads. I need to take pictures of everything to show off.

My gumdrop wreath:

Ethan’s gumdrop tree:

Jocelyn’s gumdrop tree:

Grumbling (from Ethan mostly) came along with Monday morning, but the promise of taking detours on the way home to see people’s christmas lights helped to assuage that.

There was also lots of shopping done, and despite my wish to make it low key and do lots of hand made things, there are closets stocked with presents already. On the plus side, I think we may be done! Waiting for a few things to be delivered, and need to go over all the lists, but largely, I think the shopping is pretty much done.

It was a lovely holiday.

Hard to believe such an AWFUL picture of Ethan…

Could be SO DARN CUTE.

Jocelyn’s didn’t turn out quite so well… I need to retake her picture and make sure her body is turned also. Still cute though:

… my brother Larry, has started a blog:

He and my brother Joe participated in The 24 hours of LeMons race a month or so ago.

The 24 Hours Of LeMons is a 2 day, 14 hour car race, held at a race track, and restricted to cars that are worth roughly $500 or less. […] It was the most thrilling experience of my life. It was incredibly intense and outrageously entertaining. It was like being in a Mad Max movie.

How Joe convinced Larry to join the fun:

Some months previously Joe, my youngest brother, had sent me a link to a video article on the first 24 Hours Of Lemons. It looked like great fun. Yes I wanted to do it. Yes really. Yes enough to help fund a car. I knew better than to think this was one of the half-ass schemes Joe would lose interest in. His history demonstrates the crazier the scheme, the more likely Joe will follow through to the end.

Truer words have never been said of my brother Joseph. They drove an old Toyota MR2. Here it is, with Larry as the cake topper:

It was like playing Tetris with your body parts (not in a sexy way). At some point your ass juts awkwardly out the door as you unfold the rest of yourself into the seat.

I’m not all that much in to cars and racing, and figured I would skim through the few posts about the race that he put up… but I read every word until I was done. Exciting stuff!

Welcome to the blogosphere, Larr!

I don’t know why I freak out about this every year (and it always seems to be right around this time of year, too) but Jocelyn is freaking tall. SHE’S TAAAALLL. 4T pants still fits her, but it seems like her tummy (still big baby tummy) is showing from all her shirts being just a bit too snug, so I got her a bunch of new 5T shirts when I was at Target the other day. FIVE-TEE. SHE IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD! The kids had a “thanksgiving brunch” at their school last week, Ethan’s was on Monday and Jocelyn’s was on Tuesday. The parents came, everyone eats some fruit and cheese, and then each age group got up to sing some Thanksgiving songs. Jocelyn was a good FIVE inches taller than anyone in her class. My sweet little amazon! 🙂

I also got her hair trimmed by a professional this weekend. I seem to weeble wobble between wanting to get her hair cut into a short bob and leaving it alone, and I don’t make anything better by constantly asking her (constantly = once every couple weeks) if we should cut her hair. She really goes with however I phrase it (Should we cut your hair?-YES! Should we leave it long?-YES!), but I think she likes her hair long, so I am trying to restrain myself. The trim did her a lot of good though, the ends were getting a bit ratty, and Mommy doesn’t do the best job at trimming the bangs. It looks much cleaner and the slightly too-short bangs (which will be fine in about 2 seconds, her hair grows so fast) is very sweet.

More on Thanksgiving later!

both for thanksgiving (omg tomorrow!) and christmas crafting:

1. finish the thanksgiving grocery shopping (i have most of it, just a few bits left)
2. finish recovering my chairs – I just realized that we are going to NEED them to sit on around the table! They won’t actually be *finished* because they’ll need piping, but I can still make them serviceable by tomorrow.
3. do prep cooking for tomorrow.

Now the fun list! Christmas crafting:

1. Gumdrop wreath

image and tutorial by alicia from posy gets cozy
– Have the wreath form, need to get wire and gumdrops

2. elf clogs

picture and tutorial by Jenny B from All Sorts
– have felt, have floss, need pom-poms – maybe make my own? not sure i have proper colored yarn

3. hot pads
no pattern, no author, i figure i can manage these with little trouble. If I like how they turn out, I may make them as presents for family

4. silhouettes of my family
– need to get pictures of everyone in profile

5. cork board/inspiration board for over my table
– need to get cork, need to decide what i actually want to do.. simple cover cork board with fabric? or maybe something fancier?

6. amy butler’s gumdrop pillows

– we need ottoman’s in front of the sofa in the basement and I was thinking these woudl be a fun alternative.
– need everything to do these, including pattern, fabric, stuffing. it’s kind of low priority.

7. my martha stewart christmas crafts from michaels:

And gosh darn it if the one i REALLY want is never in stock:

so cute!

-amy

… since I’m feeling a little bit guilty for spending recently (nothing major*, but amy ruppel christmas stuff at target, martha stewart stuff at kmart, more martha stewart at michaels, some stuff off of ebay (christmas is coming, get off my back!) and let’s just say that’s not the end of the story and leave it at that, ok? i do have a marriage to sustain here, and you know the key to that is SECRECY AND LIES AND HIDING THE EVIDENCE SO MUM’S THE WORD), I would like to show you some things that I managed to NOT BUY, even though the item(s) BEGGED me, LEAPT into my cart (online or physical) and yet I DID NOT PURCHASE.

First off, this was actually in my target cart, and I DID NOT BUY IT. I got to the checkout, and put it aside. NOW THAT’S WILLPOWER PEOPLE.

FLOR at Target is just so mean. I mean, they KNEW it would be SO HARD TO RESIST. Poopyheads. *pout*

The aforementioned Amy Ruppel print over at ReForm School.

the white 5×5 expedit bookcase from Ikea. I’ve been watching for this sucker on craigslist for the last 4 months and there’s been birch, there’s been black-brown, there’s been 4×4 but NO 5X5 IN WHITE. I admit, I would own this now if James hadn’t have talked me down off the ledge. I can wait. It will show up on craigslist. I CAN WAIT– she says testily.

Now if you have a 5×5 white expedit bookcase and are ready to move it along.. please contact me!

Oh and then there’s the fabric…

I add it to my cart, but then never check out.

even though i want them..

nay.. I NEED THEM..

I MUST HAVE THEM!!

ARGH!

And finally,

LOOK AT THE SWEETNESS!!

I am kind of sort of hamming it up with all the other stuff, but I seriously had to bite my tongue down.. HARD.. to not order these. And I may give in. Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy is selling these sweet “Santa Lucia and Attendants
Clothespin Dollmaking” kits for only $20, and they would a) be awesome fun to make with the kids and b) look great on my mantelpiece (along with my martha stewart snowy village from michaels *cough*) I am aching for it a little bit. I only have a little while longer to waffle about it though, before they’re gone for good – so you go get some now, won’t you?

The sad thing is there is more that I have managed to not buy that I’m not telling you. Some things which sound kind of crazy, like polyfill in bulk. It’s hard, but I managed to not buy it.

I just want credit for my amazing will power for these things! Is that so much to ask??

that is all.

-amy is a huge talent. she’s kind of a big deal**

*a SKRUVSTA chair off of craigslist for $50 isn’t major, right? RIGHT? RIGHT?!!? I need it to put my yvestown cover pattern to use! Which I’ll of course need to buy fabric for! At least the pattern was purchased some time ago.

**isn’t that guy on Project Runway just WEIRD?! I can’t tell whether I love him or hate him!

… posting .. not every day, but quite often. I guess I haven’t really blown that yet.. (have I? I’m not even sure. You have no idea how often I look at my *own* archives, how sad is that?) I had kind of an eye on nablopomo .. like a “if it happens it happens, i’ll try to post a lot” sort of an eye. I knew it wouldn’t really happen on the weekends, but I’d see how I could do. Seriously though, don’t you think there’s a better month than November? There’s SO MUCH SHIT going on in november! They should pick .. you know… february for this. when we’re all winter blah and need more blog posts than normal just to get us through the month! Ahh well.

So Jocelyn’s blankey is a big big hit. I finished it and then laid it on her before I went to bed, and she came into our room the next morning dragging it behind her with a big grin on her face. WHICH NEVER HAPPENS. the grin part. Not the coming to our room part. She does that often. She is OFTEN a sour grumpy puss in the morning, so it was a pleasant change. She likes it a lot. I must say, I do too!

So next week is Thanksgiving. Holy Cow. I mean really, how did this happen? My brother James and his family just moved to Virginia (as in, they arrived 3 days ago) and this is the first time I’ve had family on this side of the mississippi since I first moved out here (here=east side of the US, not specifically VA) (which has been…. oh.. 11 years now! Leapin’ Lizards!) So this is very cool, and they will of course be coming over for Thanksgiving. Not just arrive on the day and eat politely and leave by 5pm.. I’m expecting them and their 4 boys (all between the ages of 4 and 13) to descend with sleeping bags and voracious appetites and running and playing and possibly some bones breaking in there and OOHHH I JUST CAN’T WAIT!

Except that yes, I can, because there’s a zillion things to do before now and next week! OMG 1 week exactly! Scary! We still need to get the basement situated with the final details, the guest room needs some help, and then there’s the general cleaning and tidying and decluttering and do you think they’ll mind if we have candycorn decorations up still? Actually, I know they won’t, but *I* will and hey, that’s what matters so there’s another thing on the list. And that’s not even counting the food planning that needs to happen!

Well I’m off to freak out some more and maybe get some stuff done.

AND WATCH PROJECT RUNWAY YIPPEEEE OMFGWTFBBQ!! so excited over here.

carry on,
-amy

ps – yeah, i’m silly in the head. i havent’ blown it. i just posted 3 days in a row! go me!

flower stitch detail:

Also made a pillow:

and 2 christmas pillowcases