Look what Travis made! It really was that magical. The neighborhood here gets together to sing Christmas carols around the tree every year. What an inspired neighborhood event.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
December 28, 2010
December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas
Two videos that made me love Christmas even more. I love you all! Merry Christmas everyone!
December 22, 2010
Piratey Christmas Pigeon
If you haven't gotten me anything for Christmas yet, you can get me this. He would make me laugh every time I saw him.
Doesn't he make you want to get your craft on?
Doesn't he make you want to get your craft on?
December 13, 2010
Teacher Gifts
We've done assorted gifts for teachers in previous years. Or maybe we haven't done anything! Yikes!
The girls have such amazing teachers this year, I really wanted to do something for them. So I made these little lunch bags that I'll fill with a jar of preserves. Even if your lunch is just pb&j, wouldn't it taste so much better in one of these?
I found the vinyl covered cloth very easy to work with. I used scraps I had, and made a rectangle. I first sewed on the binding, then cut the rectangle in half. After sewing the sides and bottom together, I pinched the corners and sewed so that the bottom lays flat. I've seen several patterns that have velcro closures, but decided to forgo. It took me less than 30 minutes each, so not too time consuming.
Are you making gifts for teachers this year? What will you do?
The girls have such amazing teachers this year, I really wanted to do something for them. So I made these little lunch bags that I'll fill with a jar of preserves. Even if your lunch is just pb&j, wouldn't it taste so much better in one of these?
I found the vinyl covered cloth very easy to work with. I used scraps I had, and made a rectangle. I first sewed on the binding, then cut the rectangle in half. After sewing the sides and bottom together, I pinched the corners and sewed so that the bottom lays flat. I've seen several patterns that have velcro closures, but decided to forgo. It took me less than 30 minutes each, so not too time consuming.
Are you making gifts for teachers this year? What will you do?
December 2, 2010
Presents for Jesse (for the next two years)
Merry Christmas Jesse! Happy Birthday Jesse! Merry Christmas 2011 Jesse! Happy Birthday 2012 Jesse!
This is the first of the two kayaks he bought. Ever so slowly, my irritation is healing. (we already own two. and we live in Indiana.)
But it's water under the kayak at this point. He gets half the money back in the account within six months. I don't buy him a gift for the next two years. And we're good(ish).
If you could have one present for the next 2 years, what would you choose? Personally, I would get a super fancy sewing machine and an ipod touch.
This is the first of the two kayaks he bought. Ever so slowly, my irritation is healing. (we already own two. and we live in Indiana.)
But it's water under the kayak at this point. He gets half the money back in the account within six months. I don't buy him a gift for the next two years. And we're good(ish).
If you could have one present for the next 2 years, what would you choose? Personally, I would get a super fancy sewing machine and an ipod touch.
December 1, 2010
Stocking Stuffers For Girls
You know that Santa always needs a little help with the stockings, right? He's great at putting in the Lifesavers Storybook, the orange, that kind of stuff. If I were a little girl, these are the presents that would make me squeal.
1. Hemp Barrettes, how darling!
2. Soaps with tiny animals inside.
3. Charm Bracelet, sterling silver with the girls' name engraved on their first charm.
4. Birdie Barrettes
5. Tough Girl Belt.
I found all of these cuties on Etsy. How's that for supporting small business!
1. Hemp Barrettes, how darling!
2. Soaps with tiny animals inside.
3. Charm Bracelet, sterling silver with the girls' name engraved on their first charm.
4. Birdie Barrettes
5. Tough Girl Belt.
I found all of these cuties on Etsy. How's that for supporting small business!
November 30, 2010
Gifts For Dad
Jesse is so hard to shop for. Luckily, this year he shopped for himself, for the next umpteen birthdays and Christmases. If he hadn't, I would have been tempted to buy him one of these.
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USB Cufflinks |
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Antiquey Gameboard |
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Vintagey Watch |
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Recycled Bike Tire Wallet |
Failed FHE
I had the brilliant idea to have the kids write their portion of the Christmas letter last night for FHE. Here's what they came up with.
"Der EvreBate
I strtid scorl
my vere best
frend hr nam
is Ady!
I hop you
are booing
grd love gwyn
I slep in the adic it is fun"
And
"Dear, everybody
in Maine
we ate a Lobster dinner
We moved to indanana!
it's suppposd to snow
in the winter
but so far it has been
disapointing.
we got a christmas
tree. I'm in third Grade with the best teacher in the world. Yea."
Jesse's letter is all about anything fun he's done in the past year; hikes, kayak trips, exercise. My portion is the least exciting with a list of what I like and what I don't like. Hm. I think the editing fairy
needs to make a visit to our home and whip us up a decent letter.
"Der EvreBate
I strtid scorl
my vere best
frend hr nam
is Ady!
I hop you
are booing
grd love gwyn
I slep in the adic it is fun"
And
"Dear, everybody
in Maine
we ate a Lobster dinner
We moved to indanana!
it's suppposd to snow
in the winter
but so far it has been
disapointing.
we got a christmas
tree. I'm in third Grade with the best teacher in the world. Yea."
Jesse's letter is all about anything fun he's done in the past year; hikes, kayak trips, exercise. My portion is the least exciting with a list of what I like and what I don't like. Hm. I think the editing fairy
needs to make a visit to our home and whip us up a decent letter.
November 18, 2010
Holiday Decorating
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Garnet Hill crocheted advent calendar |
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A sweet creche |
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Mini felted stockings from Etsy |
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Vibrant non-traditional holiday wreath. |
November 12, 2010
Card Me!
I LOVE Christmas cards! I love when you send me Christmas cards! I love reading about my friends and their kids. I LOVE Christmas letters in Christmas cards.
I need to start writing ours. I feel like it's the funnest creative writing assignment of the year. It has to be succinct, informative, and if there's a theme, even better! Mine tend to be silly, a little tongue in cheek. One year I had the kids tell me what they wanted to say. That one turned out pretty well.
Do you love receiving Christmas cards? Do you love sending them? Will you add a letter? Will you add a picture? Will you send me one?
image from here
Christmasy Excitement
Are you thinking about Christmas? Is it just me?
Jesse wants us to send cards this year. Really send them. (And the two boxes of Christmas cards, unsent, unwritten, from the previous two years means we're only out postage!)
I want to create beautiful, thoughtful, memorable gifts for family.
I've already made my neighbor gifts, well, the hard part. I'll give out apple butter, pomegranate jelly, and apple preserves with some home baked good.
I also have the two birthdays to think of. The Monkey turns 6 Dec. 29, and The Daddy's b-day is Jan 1.
And how will I help Santa stuff stockings? I always like to add a thing or two, something especially special that he may not have time to find.
Why is it that this year, I'm utterly thrilled, stress free, and excited for the holidays? Could it be that they are far away? And that I'm not hosting?
image from here
January 17, 2010
Perfect Presents
The Christmas when I was seven I got the perfect present. It was in my stocking an probably cost my mom less than $1. It was a jump rope. It was all I wanted and all I remember getting that Christmas. I'm sure I got plenty of other presents, but that jump rope was PERFECT.
G's perfect present this year was a set of Hello Kitty Crazy Eight's cards that Grammy Pammy put in her package. I'm not sure if Pammy knew when she wrapped them up, but they were PERFECT! She and Ada played Crazy Eight's all vacation (cheating to their heart's content, I might add). G has all sorts of Crazy Eight strategy, which she will gladly share with you. She even refrains from cheating just so I'll play with her.
I loved all my presents, but my perfect present came from my brother Dan. He gave me the softest, warmest hat and the softest comfiest pair of socks. I didn't know that I wanted them, but they are PERFECT! When it's just too cold inside, I put on my fuzzy socks and slip into my fuzzy house shoes (another perfect gift, but I picked them out, so it kind of doesn't count. sorry J). The double fuzzy comfiness thaws even the most frozen toes.
The possibility of giving the perfect gift is one of the reasons I love to give friends and family gifts. One year we found out that we had given the perfect gift when we had given Adam a whole bunch of Chinese calligraphy brushes, ink and paper. We'd purchased everything from the dollar store in Taiwan, so we really hadn't spent a lot. And we weren't even thinking it would be the perfect gift. But turned out, Ad had a good time showing Mikey how to draw calligraphy. Perfect.
And sometimes, what seemed like a nice gift later becomes The Perfect Present. At M's baby shower someone gave me an 18 month outfit. Honestly, I thought she was crazy. I couldn't imagine her ever fitting those clothes. But less than a year later nothing she had fit. She had grown so quickly and we had moved so I had no clothes for the poor girl (she was literally poor as she was the daughter of a new grad student). Then I found the purple outfit in the closet. Ta da! Perfect Present!
So thank you for the perfect presents and thank you for the almost perfect presents, because you never know. Next year, they may become The Perfect Present.
G's perfect present this year was a set of Hello Kitty Crazy Eight's cards that Grammy Pammy put in her package. I'm not sure if Pammy knew when she wrapped them up, but they were PERFECT! She and Ada played Crazy Eight's all vacation (cheating to their heart's content, I might add). G has all sorts of Crazy Eight strategy, which she will gladly share with you. She even refrains from cheating just so I'll play with her.
I loved all my presents, but my perfect present came from my brother Dan. He gave me the softest, warmest hat and the softest comfiest pair of socks. I didn't know that I wanted them, but they are PERFECT! When it's just too cold inside, I put on my fuzzy socks and slip into my fuzzy house shoes (another perfect gift, but I picked them out, so it kind of doesn't count. sorry J). The double fuzzy comfiness thaws even the most frozen toes.
The possibility of giving the perfect gift is one of the reasons I love to give friends and family gifts. One year we found out that we had given the perfect gift when we had given Adam a whole bunch of Chinese calligraphy brushes, ink and paper. We'd purchased everything from the dollar store in Taiwan, so we really hadn't spent a lot. And we weren't even thinking it would be the perfect gift. But turned out, Ad had a good time showing Mikey how to draw calligraphy. Perfect.
And sometimes, what seemed like a nice gift later becomes The Perfect Present. At M's baby shower someone gave me an 18 month outfit. Honestly, I thought she was crazy. I couldn't imagine her ever fitting those clothes. But less than a year later nothing she had fit. She had grown so quickly and we had moved so I had no clothes for the poor girl (she was literally poor as she was the daughter of a new grad student). Then I found the purple outfit in the closet. Ta da! Perfect Present!
So thank you for the perfect presents and thank you for the almost perfect presents, because you never know. Next year, they may become The Perfect Present.
December 4, 2009
Countdown to Christmas
We're getting ready for Christmas with a couple of advent calendars. The first one I picked up at Goodwill for 2.99 a month or so ago.
It had a creepy snowman climbing up the side of the house, so I had to do a little renovation and repainting. The house has the bones of the old houses around here, so I tried to be true to those. I need to repaint the drawers, but that will have to come next year as I have no stencil I like for the numbers.
Though I'm happy with it, there's not very much room for more than the slips of paper with scriptures on them. So, I made this.
I saw something in Good Housekeeping magazine when I was at the dentist last week. Inside are treats and toys to add to the theology the children were so unimpressed by. I simply sewed bags from fabric I had and some more holiday fabric from Mardens. The tags are from a free pdf online. The clothespins are from off the line outside, and the ribbon from the dollar store. I'll probably make some changes in the years to come, but it's ok for this year.
Though I'm happy with it, there's not very much room for more than the slips of paper with scriptures on them. So, I made this.
November 19, 2008
Getting Crafty
If you haven't noticed, I'm a little bit befuddled by blogging post Japan. I'm just not sure where to go with it. Our schedule is annoyingly monotonous and I've been pretty swamped with school (mine, not just Mermaid's and Monkey's).
But I think I turned a corner today. I dragged the Monkey on an excursion to Jo-Ann's because I've made PLANS! I'm getting crafty! Oh Yeah!
Both families have drawn names. I drew my niece Kjr and my super cool sisinlaw Amy. I've decided to blatantly copy things I've seen online. Namely Etsy.com. And the beauty of it is that neither my neice (she's only 4) nor my sisinlaw (nonblogger) ever look at my blog. Not much chance of spoiling surprises here. So here's the first creation.
One slipper. I haven't finished the other one yet, but it's on my to do list for tonight. And a big thank you to Mrs. Fuji who taught me to crochet, supplied me with hooks, and gave me the confidence to try this even though I've only made flowers.
More projects in the works:
*reusable cloth sandwich bags using my kawaii fabric supply.
*more slippers for my kids since they seem to like them.
*a new Christmas dress for Mermaid since she's grown about a foot since last year.
*new stockings. Our old ones are either in the Christmas decorations box here or gracing someone's fireplace in Japan (sorry mom).
*I'm also thinking of something for Jesse, love of my life. But he definitely reads my blog, so not even one little clue.
But I think I turned a corner today. I dragged the Monkey on an excursion to Jo-Ann's because I've made PLANS! I'm getting crafty! Oh Yeah!
Both families have drawn names. I drew my niece Kjr and my super cool sisinlaw Amy. I've decided to blatantly copy things I've seen online. Namely Etsy.com. And the beauty of it is that neither my neice (she's only 4) nor my sisinlaw (nonblogger) ever look at my blog. Not much chance of spoiling surprises here. So here's the first creation.
More projects in the works:
*reusable cloth sandwich bags using my kawaii fabric supply.
*more slippers for my kids since they seem to like them.
*a new Christmas dress for Mermaid since she's grown about a foot since last year.
*new stockings. Our old ones are either in the Christmas decorations box here or gracing someone's fireplace in Japan (sorry mom).
*I'm also thinking of something for Jesse, love of my life. But he definitely reads my blog, so not even one little clue.
December 29, 2007
Christmas Morning
With the cousins. So much fun, so many new toys. No guilt, since our kiddies have close to nothing to play with. Jesse made them a castle out of a cardboard box. Of course it's their favorite present.

And this is what I wanted, but he's already taken. Maybe next year.
And this is what I wanted, but he's already taken. Maybe next year.
December 22, 2007
I Found It
Handel's Messiah by the Philadelphia Orchestra on NPR. Learn a little about the history and enjoy two hours celebrating our Savior in song.
December 18, 2007
Musica
For me, Christmas is about the music. It's the Messiah sing-a-longs, the "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart" in the stores (even here), and the Mo-Tab. Last time we were abroad, I found myself hungering for the music of the season and not quite willing to buy ALL of it. But I found it for FREE on NPR. Bless Public Radio and its dedication to beautiful music. NPR even has its own media player that pops up and then disappears when you're done. Much nicer than the glitches with Realplayer and Windows Media.
This year I found their Christmas Around the Country concert and The 2007 Carol Contest winners.
I'm going to try A Holiday Mix from All Songs Considered if not today, tomorrow.
I can't wait to find more! I really want to find the Messiah. So if you find it, send me a link.
This year I found their Christmas Around the Country concert and The 2007 Carol Contest winners.
I'm going to try A Holiday Mix from All Songs Considered if not today, tomorrow.
I can't wait to find more! I really want to find the Messiah. So if you find it, send me a link.
Baaaa
December 7, 2007
Holidays
For me, they mean Christmas, birthday, birthday and birthday. And don't forget New Year's/birthday. But this year, since I'm a little low on responsibilities/expectations/social engagements, I've done a lot of shopping and seem to be almost done with the gift buying portion of Christmas. And since I can't show you after Christmas, here it is now!
The kids are getting Tokyo, Paris, and NY in a bag from Muji.

G is getting Popo chan from me and my mom. She picked out another doll, but I really like Popo chan and she has some classic outfits that just can't be duplicated in the states.
And M is getting a backpack for school next year. It's not this leather one, but a bit like it. It's also from Muji and the cheapest on around at 9900 yen. You can calculate that into dollars if you want to. I prefer just not thinking too much about it. She will be using this backpack for the rest of her life.
Of course there's more, but must save some for later!


G is getting Popo chan from me and my mom. She picked out another doll, but I really like Popo chan and she has some classic outfits that just can't be duplicated in the states.

Of course there's more, but must save some for later!
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