"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Okay, not really, it's September and it was 75 out yesterday.  But it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my craft room.

Last year, shortly before Christmas, I discovered that we've been so busy trying to fit-in all our extended family's Christmas traditions that we'd forgotten to make any traditions of our own.

Fortunately, Parker was only 3 months old, so I think I still have time to rectify the situation.  Several people I've talked to mentioned their special advent calendars, so I thought I'd try making one for our family this year.

Growing up, I LOVED the count-down to Christmas, I'd have five or six different calendars that I'd use to count-down the days.  It's actually a little shocking that I've made it this far in my adult life without one.

So, after a ton of Internet research, I found this pattern on Joann.com.  Of course, their pattern is held together with glue, but I couldn't do it the easy way, I wanted mine hand embellished and sewn together.  (I think next time I'd go with the glue)

So, for the past few weeks, I've spent every evening surrounded by rick rack, embroidery floss, and sequins.

I am really excited about the final result:

I even added a little card on the back, so that as each day passes, you flip over the stocking and the card says "12 more days 'till Christmas".

My long-term plan is to put a little note in each stocking with an Advent reading as well as a small Christmas activity to do with Parker on each day.  He'll be a little young to appreciate it this year, but I think it will be a fun tradition in the future.

The only problem is I've only come up with five or six activity ideas so far.  Anyone have any suggestions?  They don't have to be complicated, just reading a favorite story, or drinking hot cocoa by the fire, whatever you do to make Christmas special.  Let me know your suggestions!

Today's Project ~ Autumnal Wreath

One of my very first blog posts was about my catastrophic attempts at making an easy no-sew runner for Thanksgiving.  Since that colossal failure, I've had a pile of burlap & fall fabric sitting in my sewing room, mocking me.

Until now, the other day, I came across this tutorial for a bubble wreath.  It looked pretty easy, so I thought I'd try it out.

It turned out great.

I'm curious to see how it survives out in the wild.  Unfortunately, our fancy gutter system may keep the pine needles out of the gutters, but it seems to do a pretty good job of keeping the water out as well (it's GutterMaxx, if you're wondering, I don't recommend them).  So, our front deck gets pretty wet, hopefully the wreath survives. 

Friends

This weekend was a reminder of how lucky we are to have such great friends.

I got to take Friday night off and go out with some girlfriends.  We went bowling and out for drinks and laughed our heads off.  We also got home way past curfew (perhaps I should also be grateful for understanding husbands) and had a great time.

A week or so ago, after limping along for weeks, our microwave finally gave up the ghost and we had to buy a new one.  Since we have a fancy kitchen, we had to get a microwave that needs to be "installed" rather than plunked down on the counter.  So, Keith & Hume spent the better part of Sunday afternoon hanging the thing in our kitchen.  What a blessing to have (handy) friends willing to jump in & help us out on stuff like this.

Is there any question why I love this guy?

In the evening, Keith's two responsiblities are to clean the kitchen and hang out with Parker.  Often, these two activities are mutualy exclusive.  So, last night Keith tried out my sling to get Parker involved in the cleaning.

Aren't they the cutest thing ever?

Improvising

My parents are on a cruise right now through the Panama Canal (I'm totally jealous), which means that Jared is staying with us for the next 2 & 1/2 weeks.  This is great, because it means I have someone in the house (besides me) to eat all my baked goods.

With the rather abrupt turn in the weather, I've totally been craving something fall-ish and pumpkiny.  Coincidentally, today, Rebekah posted a recipe for "Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Glaze".  They looked so yummy, I knew I had to try them out (in a non-vegan version since I can't be bothered to get almond milk or non-butter-butter).

...unfortunately, Safeway didn't have any pumpkin in-stock.  I had Jared and Parker with me, both of whom were getting antsy, so I didn't attempt a "quick" stop at Central Market on the way home, and hoped to miraculously find some pumpkin in the freezer.

No such luck, so I thought I'd try adding a little grated apple & zucchini, since that's what I did have in the house.

I wanted a more uniform look, so I pulled out the immersion blender.  Haven't used that thing in a while, now that Parker likes his foods chunky.  I also substituted 1/2 applesauce for the oil, and added an extra shake or two of each of the spices to cover-up the paucity of pumpkin in the pumpkin muffins. 

For the frosting, I mixed everything up until smooth, before adding the milk.  Looks like peanut butter, doesn't it, but it smells like espresso (well, actually, instant Foldgers, since that's what I substituted).

I covered a couple with this "frosting", just to try it out.

Then I thinned it down and started dunking.  I went whole-hog and completely submerged the muffins for total glaze coverage.  It makes them a little more messy to eat, but they turned out yummy!

I made a couple un-glazed ones for Parker as well, he doesn't need that much sugar (like I do...).

And there you have it, my not-remotely-similar-to-Rebekah's "pumpkin" muffins.

I had other big baking plans for today, but within an hour of returning from the grocery store, I seem to have run out of flour, sugar, oil, and molasses (not to mention the instant Foldgers, but that won't be missed).  What exactly did I buy?

Telephone

Parker is OBSESSED with the telephone.

Whenever Keith calls home, Parker always squawks until he gets a chance to talk to Daddy (at which point he clams up and just looks at the phone happily).

Now he has taken to holding anything and everything he can find up to his ear and blabbering "blah blah blabla Dadda Dadda bla" and then handing his "phone" off to me to talk to Daddy.

When I talk to anyone else on the phone, once I hang-up, Parker points at the phone and starts screaming bloody murder "Bwahhhhh, wahhhh wah Dadda Dadda, bwahhhhh!"  Try as I might to explain to him that it wasn't his Daddy, or anyone else he'd want to chat with, he is inconsolable.

The other day I remembered this un-used phone we had sitting on a shelf somewhere, it has quickly become Parker's new favorite toy.

Today's Project ~ Dip Dye Infinity Scarf

Some time ago, I came across this tutorial for an infinity scarf.  I thought it sounded great and I really wanted to try it out.  Although I love scarfs in theory, in actual practice, I'm never quite sure what to do with them and all their ends flying this way & that.  So, an infinity scarf seemed like the perfect solution, no ends!

But, it requires 2 yards of fabric which is a pretty hefty investment in "I think I'll like it", so I haven't gotten around to it.  A few weeks ago, I thought, "I bet I could find a fun cheap sheet at the thrift store, and then do a dip-dye over the top to get a really cool look."

I wanted to get a totally colorful crazy-70's sheet like we had growing up, but ended up with just a white with blue flowers.

I set up the dye station in a bucket in our downstairs utility sink.  I dyed one end for about 10 minutes, then added about 1/3 of the fabric for another 10 minutes, and then dunked the rest of the fabric for a few more minutes.

I was quite disappointed in my dye-job.  I had been hoping for much more saturation (and contrast) in my colors.  I might try dyeing it again for longer later, but not tonight.

So, once it was cleaned & dried, I moved onto assembly.  Of course, the sheet I found was a fitted sheet, so I had to cut off the no-longer-elastic elastic band.

I decided to go with a raw edge, rather than sewing into a tube like the tutorial.  Not because I'm lazy, I just thought it would make for an interesting texture.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it was a lot more work than just sewing that one seam since I had to pull out about 2-dozen threads on either side to make the fringe look intentional enough, and I had to do a fancy seam on the one seam so that it looked tidy from both sides.

All done!

I'm not sure if I love it yet.  I really do want to be able to wear scarves without feeling ridiculous, but I'm not sure that this scarf is the one to do it.  I do think I might try dyeing it again to get more contrast.

I also have enough fabric to make one or two more, I might try making a purple one next time  I also don't think I would bother with the raw edge next time, I think that was just a waste of time.  Soon I will be drowning in infinity scarves, let me know if anyone wants one!

Today's Project ~ To Do List

I've finally come to accept that I'm a list person.  I've found that I can be amazingly efficient with my time with a list, without a list I find myself bouncing around and spending way too much time on the Internet.  I'm totally that person that puts a completed item on their to-do list, just so they can check it off.

So, tired of the million scraps of paper floating around my kitchen, I decided I needed a more permanent fixture for my list.  A white board would be nice, but we don't really have a spot for one in the kitchen, and they didn't really design those things for aesthetics, did they?

Guess I'm on my own...

I started by working on my photoshop skills, or, I would have if I had photo shop (which I don't), so instead I'm trudging through it in the Paint program....but I digress.

Eventually, I got a beautiful print-out.  Like my font?  I got it here.  Did you know you can download hundreds of totally cool fonts for free?  Me either, but now you do.

Then I covered the page with some vinyl I had sitting around after a previous (not-so-successful) project.  Also another handy use for my black duct tape left-over from the pelmets.

And there you have it, a handy-dandy wipe-off to-do list.  Of course, then there's the hunt for a dry-erase pen.  Couldn't find one anywhere, but I did come across three wet erase pens (where did those come from?!?!)  I finally stole one from Keith's white board that he uses for playing darts.

Now it's up in a handy, but hidden, spot in my kitchen.

That turned out so well I'm tempted to make one for Keith, but I think I'd have to forfeit my most-favored-wife status...guess it's not worth it.

Melts your heart

Parker refused to take a nap this afternoon, and so couldn't quite make it through his bedtime routine.

The Fair, version 2.0

Parker & I headed down to the Puyallup Fair again this week, but this time with my family.  He was notably more interested than our trip last year.

Jared wanted a picture of the race car, but then refused to stand in the shot:

"Look Mama, chicks!"

This little guy knew how to get into his dinner:

All worn out!  Parker slept from the parking lot straight through to my parent's driveway.

Today's Project ~ A little sanity

Things have been a little heavy the last week or two here in the Kruger homestead.  Keith's work has been chaotic, Parker's teething and super-cranky, and I've had a few issues come up that have me on the verge of melt-down.  So, I need a project, a fun, EASY project that I can start & finish in a nap time.

Every good project starts with a random pile of fabric.

A couple cuts...

A couple seams...

Turn it inside out, and viola!

You have new napkins!

Yes, these are strikingly similar to the napkins that Dianne makes.  And yes, I suppose that I could have bought these from her, except for two things:

1. I'm WAY too cheap to pay my sister to make something I could do in one nap time.  (She'd say the same thing about me, so I'm not about to apologize for this one)

2. I like my napkins to cover my entire lap, not just one leg at a time.  Although, considering Parker's range, I probably should be wearing a full-body bib.