Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Princess of the Bath

I think the week between Christmas and New Year's is an excellent time to clean up.


I'd take the tree and decorations down, but there would be a great mutiny, so I'll just have to be content with getting children to bathe at least once this week. A full week at home for the whole family means carefully choosing battles.

-- Posted from the iPhone of Awesome

Sunday, December 27, 2009

A five- year old is amongst us.

Maggie has a birthday! It's today! And everything she's wearing is PINK!



Also, she would like to go to IKEA for her birthday dinner. To eat macandroni and play in the ball pit. The girl has big plans.



In other news, I'm highly caffienated. And I'm turning a tea guy to the dark side. Turns out the obsessive tea brewing habits play out very well with the espresso machine of destiny.



I'm still baking...

Hope you're all having a lovely holiday!

-- Posted from the iPhone of Awesome

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The elves are very, very busy this time of year.

I know, I know. I haven't posted lately. I've been a little busy.



I'm taking a little break right now, watching one of my very favorite movies ever, "It's a Wonderful Life", with Paul. I think he's beginning to get Henry Potter. So I'd say signs of maturing are on the horizon.

We've done the pageants, the shopping, the mailing, the tree, the snow, the cookies, the eggnog, the parties... The thing that really (finally) put me in the holiday spirit? Paul getting that George Bailey really truly is the richest man in town.

Merry Christmas.

-- Posted from the iPhone of Awesome

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

How are your holidays shaping up?

Mine? Let's say beautiful things beset by small disasters...


(And yes, our fully decorated tree did fall down today.)

-- Posted from the iPhone of Awesome

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Busy, busy, busy...and yet

Okay. Here's my painful admission: I have not done ANY Christmas shopping yet. Since my gift projects have all been failures, I need to get cracking. Sigh. I could really do with an extra week before the holidays kick in. So what's been keeping me so busy? Well, there's the tea. And the plates. And this person has to be here and needs this and that person needs to be there and needs that...and...and...and...just a lot of stuff. Oh, and I put a giant hole in the sink, which means we need to replace the whole thing. Because there's so much time for home repairs right now.

My latest idea? Mini Buche de Noel cakes. Yeah. When am I gonna find time to do that? Crazy thoughts.

Oh, who am I kidding? You know I'm going to make them. I can't help myself. I may even work on the mini meringue mushrooms today. Because, you know. I have so much time.

Late update, because Jeffe asked...
I put a hole approximately 6" wide by 4" deep in the basin of our upstairs bathroom sink the other night. I was trying to salvage a glass votive on which I'd previously made a decoupage disaster (truly hideous). After soaking the piece for a few hours in the sink, I was scraping the old paint, paper and glue with my hands. Needless to say, it was slippery. It wasn't that far above the sink, but hit JUST RIGHT. The thing shattered (yes, in the water -- when I have accidents I like to go whole hog). Luckily -- and unlike countless other times -- I didn't require stitches. In fact, there was no bleeding at all. And, naturally, this all happened about 45 minutes before Charles got home, so I had ample opportunity to work up full remorse. To Charles' credit, he didn't blink. It was more of a "well, we've wanted to replace it anyhow" thing. He's a super guy.

I'd post a photo, but Apple has decided that I need to update my iPhone RIGHT NOW. I will when I get a change.

Also, to all my friends on facebook who doubt my DIY prowess... pffft. I mean, you're right and all, but still. Perhaps you remember my superglue and glasses incident? Is that it?

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

If someone can enlighten me...

as to how this happened, I'd really appreciate it. How can Paul be nine already?! As Charles pointed out, Paul is now halfway to 18. Honestly, that doesn't sit so well with me...

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Shameless Self-Promotion: New Plates in my Etsy Shop

At long last, I've added four -- count 'em four -- new plates to my nearly year-old Etsy shop. There's a pair of lions, an organ-filled torso, and two plates with beautiful red corral and starfish. With any luck, more are on the way this week. I hope you'll take a look...

And now, back to your regularly scheduled program...

Friday, December 4, 2009

It might snow tomorrow!

We're ready for a bit of snow -- doesn't quite feel like December to this midwesterner without a serious chill in the air, some ice and snow. I think there may be wintry precipatation running through my veins, owing to my Minnesotta roots (and late November birthdate). And Irish-Norwegian background. I am made for the cold.

So after hearing the weather reports this morning, I knew it was time to prepare the backyard for winter. That includes pulling the remaining tomato, pepper and basil plants (already blackened by a freeze), putting away the wagon, balls and frisbees, storing the coolers, chairs, lanterns and grill, and taking down the hammock. That last one was the bummer -- the hammock is the apothesis of warm, lazy days to me. Also, this spider is now homeless...


The snow shovel is out. The sled is clean. We're ready. Come on, winter. Show us what you've got.

(PS...If you need any rosemary, sage, or flat leaf parsely, knock on our door. We still have a lot growing!)

-- Posted from the iPhone of Awesome

Thursday, December 3, 2009

This Is My 200th Post and It Is Awesome (but not because of me...)

Have you seen this video? I think I've watched it a dozen times since finding it last night...





Until last night, I'd never heard a Lady GaGa song. I still haven't heard her -- this is all I need. At the end of the credits, there are a few links, and, being very curious about the talented people behind this... Jark and Mason. Very cool blog with links to other very cool projects. Can you tell I'm intimidated by the sheer awesome here?

This post comes close on the heels of my birthday -- 43rd, thank you very much. It's been one of those years where, if I look back and ask if I'm better off now than I was a year ago, honestly I have to say no. I'm not glum or anything, just stating facts. I'm hoping things improve soon. Creatively, it's felt like a year of stabbing in the dark, sometimes hitting, mostly missing. It's not for lack of ideas, but accidents in execution. Literally every craft project I've started this fall has been a disaster. Knitting that doesn't quite work, felting that looks like blobs, painting that...ugh. And the plates -- I don't know what's happening, but it is not good. Isn't this sort of thing supposed to happen before some sort of giant cathartic breakthrough? I could really go for that...