Tuesday, December 20, 2011

We've Been...


...sending and receiving Christmas cards
....celebrating 18 years of marriage (on the 18th) xo
....enjoying family time
....saying goodbye to another season of the Nutcracker



....wrapping and more wrapping
....still shopping
....talking about some big family decisions


...thankful for the teeny tiny bit of snow that fell Sunday morning
.....going on a date with Will to see Hugo in 3D!!!
....thinking of the New Year and what it will bring

....keeping in mind what's really important.



Thursday, December 15, 2011

Ziggy and Gumdrops and Snowflakes



He's a good dog.
Especially when he's been 
at Doggy Day Care.
I was able to knock out
most of my shopping today.
Finally.
Tomorrow
I wrap.


Last weekend
(I know it's Thursday and I'm just now posting about last weekend)
We made these gumdrop ornaments.
When all the cousins were here
I set up a craft table.
I think everyone
except Hannah
was burnt by the glue gun.
So maybe this craft should be
13 and up.



Styrofoam balls
pins
gumdrops
ribbon

I love the all white one Hannah made.



So, it looks like 
we won't be having a 
white Christmas this year.
I'm seriously bummed out.
We live in New England for crying out loud.
I guess the paper snowflakes 
will have to do.







Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Weekending with Family


It was a really good weekend.
But also a stressful weekend.
For me.
Stephen, my oldest child
got his license Friday. 
Now, obviously I'm not the only mother
who has experienced this stress.
But, when it's your child.
Your child who takes the keys
(to YOUR car)
and walks out the door
and out of the driveway 
and down the street
ALONE
for the first time..
...just let me say
OH MY GOD.
I cried
and almost ran after him
screaming like a mad woman.
I'm so not ready for this.

The rest of the weekend was fun!
I had my whole family
except for my brother David and his
daughter Cameron...who we missed ...
here for dinner.


My mom buys each of the grandkids Black Dog tee shirts
and we try hard to get them all together for a photo.
Two of the kids didn't want to pose
but Ziggy sure got in sporting his Black Dog bandana.


Really not a great photo
but I didn't spend much time snapping pictures.



One of my favorite things about Christmas..
being together with family
and making memories for our children.



Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas Pantry and Cookies


Every other year
I've hung real garlands of pine
around my pantry.
I love how it looks for about
ten minutes.
Then it starts drying out and the needles
fall all over the place.
I couldn't fine any fake stuff that I liked this year.
So I ended up with lights and my trusty 'ol
leopard ribbon.
And the clothespins.
That was the other crafty thing I was 
working on the other night.
I bought a bunch of clothespins
and glued Christmas paper on them.
I'm going to hang all my Christmas cards
on the ribbon.
Notice I only have 2 so far.
C'mon!
I love getting Christmas cards!
Where are they??
I should talk..
mine are still in a pile
waiting to be addressed.


from a VERY old Bon Appetit magazine.
October 2001..
They're so good
with a cup of tea
and fun to give in pretty packages.
:)



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas Crafting



My glue gun and I
were up late last night.
Humming along to
Pandora's Christmas station.


Back at it this morning
along with my little elf
Griffin.
I seem to be running out of 
room at the craft table.


We're making our own version
of a snowglobe.
We've done the ones with 
the distilled water and glycerin
and glueing the tree on the cap.
I thought we'd try
this one.
It's just Epsom salt
bottle brush tree
craft paper on the top
and a ribbon.

It's pouring rain today.
And as much as I love
a rainy day...

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas.



Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Christmas on the Porch


This weekend I want the kids to 
go in the woods and cut me down 
a little tree for my porch.
Until then..
my basket of greens 
are at the ready.
I'm constantly snipping them
and putting them all over the house.
Even the decoys get bows
and a little greenery.


I strung little white lights
around my porch.
And they'll be staying up year round.
I love how it looks out there now!
Notice the NO SNOW on the ground.
It was 60 today.
Yuck.



Let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow!!!!





Monday, December 5, 2011

Corners of My Home at Christmas


I think I could decorate every corner of my home
if I had the time.
I like to walk through each of the 
rooms in my home and see 
a bit of Christmas.

I cleared a shelf in the study room
and declared this room to be a 
crafting/wrapping room for the month of December.
I love having all my wrapping supplies
not just ready to go
but looking pretty in glass jars.


I had to include this one
with Griffy and Ziggy
in the kitchen coloring.




Wrapping paper
ready to go to work.
Now I just need 
presents to wrap.
Seriously,
when am I going to start shopping?

And as I was posting this blog
thinking Griffy is coloring nicely
on his paper


he was coloring his face.

Happy Christmasing!




Thursday, December 1, 2011

Our Advent Tree


December 1st means our Advent Tree!
Last year we started this new tradition.
The kids love it.
This year I bought these bags for the little gifts.
So fun!

Griffy opened first today.
No picture..but he got a moo-ing cow.
Dollar bin at Target.

Happy December!

And love that so many of you listen to 
George Winston's December.
It's my all time favorite.
:)




Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Right Now..


I'm loving my white tree in the dining room
trimmed with jewel tones!


 We're happy that Buddy the elf is back!


I'm proud!
Stephen received the  Outstanding Sportsmanship award 
at his rowing banquet.


It's warm.
Too warm.
I want snow!



We're knee deep in Nutcracker performances.
We've got 16 of them this year!


...I'm wearing out the Christmas Radio station on Pandora.
And my George Winston December CD..

...I'm happy!
Happy it's December!
Happy to be
decorating
planning
shopping
wrapping
cooking
baking
crafting
for all things Christmas!!





Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Thankful Weekend of...


Cooking
Baking
Entertaining
Decorating
Dancing
Dog Walking
Raking
Cleaning
Sleeping
Volunteering
Mothering






Friday, November 25, 2011

Cheers!


May you be
happy
healthy
safe
and warm
:)




Monday, November 21, 2011

A Winner..and We've been


Ok
I have no idea how to do the random generator thing
so I picked a name and

Five Little Moberly's won! 
:)
Can you email me with your address
and I'll (finally) get the book off to you!
I hope you like it!
I'm trying so many new recipes from it!


Life has been crazy lately.
Like really busy crazy.
Steve just got home Saturday night 
after being gone for two weeks.
Vietnam, India and Dubai.
We are so happy he's home.
And looking forward to some 
much needed family time.

I've been busy preparing for Thanksgiving.
I love all the preparations.
My dining room is
upside down.
Last year
we were painting the walls.
This year 
I'm painting the chairs. 
I started with the chartreuse..
wasn't crazy about it. 
So,
I brought
(in Burnished Olive)
to my local paint store and had them
match it.
Love it.
It looks so good with the red walls
and all my teal accents!


We're also busy with Nutcracker.
Hannah is a soldier this year
and double casted.
Which means 16 performances.
Wow.

Even though our lives are 
so full and busy right now,
I'm trying to stop and relax
and enjoy these days in my life.
I often think about the years to come,
when I don't have a house full of children
to care for.
I know I'll long for these days.
Even the crazy busy ones.

I have much to be thankful for.








Thursday, November 17, 2011

Making Me Smile Today...


....Our Thankful leaves.
....DOGGY DAY CARE 
.....The smell of Murphy's oil soap


....painting my dining room chairs chartreuse!
.....my starbucks peppermint mocha latte.
.....the holidays are here!


....my rosemary plant
....watching an episode of Mad Men while Griffy naps


.....magazines filled with ideas
....the playground with Griffy 
....doing all my Christmas shopping online
.....Steve is almost home.









Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Plimouth Plantation and I'm Giving


The kids had no school on Monday.
I thought it was a great day to go to 


It's literally 15 minutes from my house.
And it's the first time I've taken the kids.
Will has gone on a field trip with school
but the other kids hadn't been.
We had such a great day!


Learning how to make a boat in the Wampanoag village


The Indians and Pilgrims are all in full character.
She was making a belt.
I said to her.."wow, that's a big belt"
she just kind of stared at me.


Visiting the huts.


When we got to the Pilgrim's village
I said to the kids..."oh I could totally live here!"
Seriously, look at that view.
Can't you just see the Mayflower sailing in?


Bad picture
but I had to show her open shelving.
Love that.


wonder what her view from her kitchen sink is.


Stephen loves history.
And was pretty much quizzing me on the way home.


We ate lunch there
and of course visited the gift shops.


I bought this cookbook.
I love it! 
So many great photos and stories and recipes.
It was on sale
so I got two.
Want one?

Leave a comment telling me
if you make your own pie crust or cheat and buy the frozen kind.
:)

















Monday, November 14, 2011

Weekending


My mom and sister
and her 3 kids came to visit this weekend.
We have so much fun when we're all together.
We celebrated little Richie's 7th birthday
with a candy cake!


I made salmon for dinner with 
this yummy couscous salad.

Sunday morning we all piled in to two cars
and went to Michael's. 
Who takes 6 kids into Michael's?
My 50% off Martha Stewart coupon
was just burning a whole in my pocket.
I bought the star punch to make luminaries.
I am so psyched!
(sad, I know)

Then we all went out to lunch
and my mom bought me an early birthday present.
Woohoo!
Thanks Mom!
My feet are happy!
And 
thanks for coming to visit!
The house is just too quiet.
:)