Back in the home reno game – beware!

I decided to paint Bj's office yesterday and today it is done! This kind of lickity split do good home reno thing has not been happening for me lately (see my many, MANY unfinished projects). But I did do it for a semi selfish reason, so I could move all my junk in! I need a place to stash my stuff while my room gets a make over. All though after scraping and sanding and panting and scrubbing floors I'm not looking forward to doing the den, so maybe I should have done mine first. Wait that wasn't the point of the post. This is:

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See this seemingly innocent finial sitting on this table?

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I lept out of Bj's hand from here (and nicked him along the way, he's not having the best luck on whenever he steps on things above about a foot; stools, ladders, they are all dangerous for him).

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It just went thunk (after Bj did this juggling move to make sure it wasn't going to hit his computer monitor) and we both stared at it. Then we started LAUGHING OUR ASSES OFF. Seriously I have not laughed that hard in a while. I would have never guessed: A. That this thing was so sharp and B. The table so thin. Bad combo.

Obligatory cute baby experiencing first Christmas photos and stories still coming. This was just too funny not to share.
 
 
 

Merry Christmas

The clock just rolled over to midnight as I sit nursing tutu. Christmas eve was wonderful, visiting with so much wonderful family that I don’t get to see nearly enough. Now I just need Miss New Christmas Pjs to finish up so I can climb back into bed. I pulled off a Christmas surprise and in addition to Bj new flannel sheets await me. Bj has been wanting flannel sheets and I managed to buy (at an insanely low price, deals baby deals), wash, dry and make up the bed without Bj noticing today. Here’s hoping your holiday includes a little magic too ๐Ÿ™‚

Also of note: the above photo was taken yesterday while Tuesday took a TWO HOUR nap. It was on my lap, but still!!!

Merry Christmas

Elf in Training

That was what was written on Tuesday's shirt today. I feel like an elf in training too, trying to get all the little things done. This really is my favorite part though. I'm so glad we are all feeling better (and are staple free ๐Ÿ™‚ so that we can spend these last few moments before Christmas enjoying each other and our little projects. 

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I don't really know how to embroider, it was a total guess job. But Bj loved the results (this is the beginning of the fourth one of these I did). There is something about seeing plain text or objects embroidered that is so neat (speaking of, I love this).

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Checking hat sizes. Still no teeth on top, I can not believe it!

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One new thing I started doing in the last few days is this method of wrapping gifts in fabric taken from the Japanese called Furoshiki. I made square pieces fabric from my stash and turned the edges under twice and sewed them down to make them nice and finished. Then used this guide to tie my packages up (I also printed it and cut out parts of the sheet for tags). I got the idea from a blog entry from one of my local fabric shops: Bolt. Check it out, they also list a cool book dedicated to the topic. Bj said, "Just when we have our cool wrapping figured out you come up with a new thing to try." It's true, I really do like our 29 cent a yard (from Paper Zone) kraft packing paper and simple re-usable ribbons (the idea is featured here on The Ribbon Jar ideas page), but there is still so much waste. This past weekend we got to spend time with Bj's parents, his step-sister and her family and when kids go at presents it can be mayhem! Plus where they live there is no recycling (which I still can not believe, it's terrible!) so even our un-printed, un-bleached paper got tossed, along with glossy plastic type paper and ribbons that will take a long time to break down. The fabric option is not going to work for everything, but for gifts with in the family, or people who you know would appreciate it, it works great. Plus I think it's super cute! Now off to wrap some more presents! 
 
 
 

Denile

Oh man am I ever in denile about how quickly Cheistmas is coming! I am trying to squeeze in little projects but I am sick. Ugh and sick of being sick! I powered through a whole box of Kleenex in 24 hours – go me! Since I had my christmas paper crafting goods out for the daily album (that sadly did not make my list of must fo projects) I decided to whip up some tags. I really like the tabs turned alien creature ones. Because this is a mobile entry I can’t add another picture to it, but if I could I would show you how Tuesday decided to “help” me by demolishing my card drawer. Time for more baby proofing! Oh and I edited this in Photoshop mobile, a cool free app. Hope you are all getting things done in time, and having fun doing it!

Denile

I call it optimism

So things are a little crazy around here. Husband with staples in head, daughter with the croup (it's getting better thanks for the well wishes), and now me with a sore throat, stuffy nose, cough… dare I say it? A cold! All this has not stopped me from working on ordering supplies for lots of Christmas crafting. First off True Up had a felt week and I just had to get some yummy part wool felt. I decided to try two different sellers to see what I liked.

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That lovely stack is from Giant Dwarf and it's 20-35% wool. 

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These are from Lit'l Brown Bird and are 60% wool. I'm not crazy about the packaging on the latter. I also got their color card, you know for all the wool crafting I'm sure to do:

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Of course that's not all the wool in this house, oh no. I still have fiber clubs coming to me:

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Hello Yarn Fiber Club

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Southern Cross Fibre Club

Now, never mind that Bj has banished my wheel to the basement since he thought it was getting dusty. 

And in case you didn't know there is going to be a new yarn shop in town called Teaslewick Wools (cutest name ever right?). The propitiator just happens to be my neighbor and friend. I am in so much trouble people. Now the baby is sleeping so should I sleep or craft? I think I might have to sleep, but hopefully crafting is in the very near future. Or I might just be making a bunch of IOUs!  

 

Uppa Baby Sale

Oops I meant to post about this earlier in the week. But if anyone is shopping for a stroller I highly recommend our Uppa Baby Vista. The invite sale site bTrendie has three colors of their stroller on the site through today. If you need an invite email me or leave a comment and I'll send you one. I don't get paid by Uppa Baby or anything (just love love love them) but – full disclosure – if I send you an invite and your order off of there I get $10. But you save $150 off the stroller (and free shipping), so I figured I should let you all know. Regular post later!

*edited – I just saw it's been extended through the 18th. ๐Ÿ™‚

My little seal

Well Tuesday decided that it just was not fair papa was getting all the attention, so the same night we were in the emergency room she went and got croup! I called the advice nurse at five AM and was like, "um my daughter sounds possessed…" Guess what that bark is called croup, who knew (I'm guessing all you moms out there, it was rhetorical)? I'm going to have to recap the last week, as I've decided I won't catch up on the blog otherwise. Tuesday and I went to Portland a week ago and got to visit some of our favorite people:

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My grandma, who made the mistake of having lots of beautiful holiday decorations, which made it hard to get Tutu to look at me. 

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After saying hi to my grandma we got to see my lovely god-daughter.

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Of course the kids were too busy playing for me to get very many pictures. V is so so cute and kind, as always. She has this awesome doll house and made sure that everything on the bottom two floors (the ones Tuesday could reach), were only full of big things that were safe for my little teether to munch on. Tuesday is doing lots of standing and almost walking and fell a few times while we were there. I think it scared V, and she came over to comfort Tuesday and pat her little head, adorable. Also V's artwork is all over the house. I can not wait until Tuesday is making masterpieces like that. 

We laid low for a while during the teething not so fun times. The tooth goes back and forth between sticking out a very little and not at all. When we went to the doctor for the croup I asked her about this and she said it was normal. Boo! Come on out little tooth! 

Saturday was the annual crew girl "gingerbread" house making party. Last year = no babies. This year:

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Lachlan, Kourtney, Tuesday and Kathryn. Lachlan is two days older than Tuesday, and she's got four months on the twins. Though I'm guessing they've got her beat in hair, weight, and teeth. Tuesday gained a whole 3 ounces in the last two months… probably because I had her weighed in the diaper for the first time. My little munchkin. She was all set to go to bed here so didn't make the group shot:

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Also how awesome is Beachwood?

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She had an ugly sweater party earlier and some of us couldn't make it so she thought she'd treat us all. That coupled with this expression kind of looks like crazy school teacher, right?

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Best part of my modern house: the fire pit.

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Best part of any house: Kathy's "brick" foundation (starburst quartered – genius!).

Sunday we went to a you pick/cut place and got our tree:

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Tuesday loves the outdoors.

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Our tree. We had them cut it (guys walk around with chainsaws – great idea).

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Group shot! 

Of course then the week decided to go crazy on us. More on that later. Or maybe I'll just skip that part and get back to the merry making. I am like a year behind on handmade gifts! And two years behind on sleep!!    
 
 

  

 

Safety Tip for the Season

Bj would like to remind you to get a buddy to hold your ladder. 

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Three hours in the emergency room and four staples later… Plus I'm guessing one major headache tomorrow. The doctor told me to wake him up a couple of times in the middle of the night. I'm like, "oh we have a baby at home – no problem!"

P.S. This is from getting the lights DOWN from storage. I'm a bit nervous for him to actually put them up now.