Here Come the Holidays!

Whew! What a fun holiday! We had a great weekend, hope yours was as great. Thanksgiving was really wonderful, the shopping the next day was crazy and the decorating ever since has been really fun. But Brittany reprimanded me about my blogging, I have just been too busy! Here is our before tree.

And after. I love Christmas, everything just looks so much prettier!

I can't blog long, there is a sale at Snapfish. Half off of their books and now I am obsessed with getting a couple done. The sale only lasts until Wednesday!

We are going to Live!

Thank you so much for commiserating with me while I whined the other day! Today things are much better. Brittany is feeling better, the metal marble has made it reappearance and my friend Circe took my boys off to play. Saving both my sanity and possibly their lives. William's plane is in the air and with the boys gone he will actually come home to a clean house! Today I am so thankful for antibiotics, vacuum cleaners and especially friends!
As a treat for myself while the kids were sick and William was gone I let myself stay up late and craft, I finished some started. Nothing makes me happier. I have been working on these snowmen for a long time. I am so in love with them.
I am thinking of putting a couple in the shop.
I have had this pretty Effanbee baby I found at the thrift store a long time ago. She is so happy to be dressed now. I don't know where she is going to live, might put her in the shop too. Anybody know if that is esty-legal?

And this Christmas girl is all ready to go her new home. She is the only Christmas swap I participated in, couldn't resist a doll swap.

So I am just about ready for the big day tomorrow. Just need to make a couple of pies and a cassesrole.

Hangin' in There by a Thread

Okay, so remember I knew last week was going to be challenging? I had no idea how challenging. Nutcracker was wonderful, really beautiful. Brittany, if you ask her will tell you it was "awesome". However, it meant she and I spent every night but Monday up at Weber for performances or rehearsals, chaperoning or boutique work. Long week but I knew that was coming. Then you have to figure in the unexpected. Thursday night Joshua's eardrum ruptured. Off we go to the doctor Friday morning got medicine and hoped for the best. Saturday after the first performance Brittany wasn't feeling well but I thought she was just really tired, which she was, she napped and off she went to the last evening performance. Saturday night 15 minutes before we left to see the final performance, the one my family had tickets for Joshua again decided throw us for a loop.

See this cute boy?

See those little balls involved in Matthew's creations? Yeah, one of them is now inside my boy. I couldn't believe it! He has never been a kid that you had to watch with small objects. He has NEVER put a toy in his mouth. Apparently he was saving it for Nutcracker. So after a couple of calls to Wee Care and our beloved Dr. Mike we went off to the performance, slightly guilt ridden on my part. Then came home and had visit number two to the doctor at 11:00 at night. X-rays showed it was in his intestines and nature should solve this problem. So now I am poop patrol.

And the girl that I thought was just tired? This is her today. Strep throat. Doctor visit number three in four days.

William left for Canada for two days this morning. He is supposed to come home Wednesday. So help me if there is a storm and he gets stuck for Thanksgiving it just might put me over the edge.

End of whining.

Nutcracker Week!

This is what we are doing this week. Brittany is the first one on the left, front row. I am helping in the fun boutique they have in the lobby. They sell all sorts of things there, the one I like the best is a sign that says "We interrupt this family for The Nutcracker". So, so true. This is how she looked when we did her hair in curlers. Luckily they bought wigs so we don't have to do that everyday for a week.

This is what Miss Brittany would look like with long golden curls.

It is totally crazy but how can you resist this? See you again when it is all over!

A Perfect Day

I have wondered what my perfect day would be. Saturday I found out. I am going to schedule this to post later in the week, which should be a really crazy one, so that I will remember that we did have a perfect day.

First of all Matthew decided to create his own store with a box his dad had finished with.

See, he is selling Legos and other really cool stuff. I love when my kids have a streak of creativity that doesn't really involve me. Brittany joined in too and made a store in her room.

Wonder of wonders it snowed! Silly me, I didn't think there was enough to play in. Brittany and Matthew played out there all afternoon while Josh slept and I started a batch of monsters in my quiet house and William worked in the garage setting up his shop. I discovered this was an important element to my perfect day; I don't really want my kids to be gone, but I do want to be able to work on my own little thing and the quiet house didn't hurt. Then my kids settled in to scour the new Toys R Us add for Christmas wishes. I love that part of Christmas. I suppose once upon a time kids scoured the Sears Roebuck catalog, for my sister and I it was the JC Penny catalogue and for my kids it is Toys R Us.

Then William and I managed to get a babysitter and catch a quick dinner out and do a little shopping. Perfect Day! Good to remember they can happen especially when you have a crazy week planned!

Monsters in the Neighborhood!

This funny little guy is in the Shop!

Dolls in the Shop

Whew! Finally got these girls in the Shop! I won't be making anymore until after Christmas, rather tired of them to tell you the truth! Working on Monsters next.

Good News!

These girls will be in the shop Monday! Boy am I glad to have them finished!

Snow Ballerina

I just finished this pretty little ballerina for a friend. The recipient is going to be playing the part of snow in our Nutcracker. I tried to make her costume as close to the real thing as I could.

The tiara is my favorite part!

There have been quite a few late nights this week while I tried to finish the batch of Christmas Gingham Girls I have been working on. They should be in the shop this weekend by the way. So I have watched a few movies while I was working. I don't even remember putting this one in my holds at the library, I must have seen it on someone's blog. It was rather fun, a moment or two of crude language but over-all entertaining. The premise is that there is a door in the bathroom of a modern-day Londoner who love all things Austen. Elizabeth Bennet comes through the door and they change places. Of course major changes in the story of Pride and Prejudice ensue. Not as good as my beloved Cranford that I also watched, it just never gets old, but still I would recommend it.

Robot Boy

The kids decided to turn Joshua into a robot Sunday. I could hardly complain since the whole production took place outside leaving me with a blissfully quiet house. Then I found a can of silver spray paint to finish off the look. I am telling you the key to being a cool mom is spray paint. They love it when I get it out. Course they would love it even more if I would let them spray but that isn't happening.

After they outfitted Josh Brittany and Matthew had to try it on too.

My robot kids, love them!

Little Sweetie

Isn't she a little sweetie? I finally finished her today and listed her in the shop, although now I think I need to take another picture so you can see how cute her bonnet is. Anyway, she can be found here.

Reflections Contest

It was the big Reflections Contest assembly yesterday at my kids' school. It was a big day for Brittany and Matthew. The Reflections Contest is a big deal around here. For my part I think it is a great way to boost their self-confidence. I mean who doesn't want to sit on the stage and get a medal during a school assembly?

This year we were even more lucky that usual. Brittany won first place in literature for her poem Beauty:
Beauty is Outside
By Brittany Fitzgerald
Beauty is a summer night,
Beauty is, Beauty is,
Marshmallows toasted just right.
Beauty is, Beauty is,
Beauty is a Blue-Jay’s song,
Beauty is, Beauty is,
Not one single note wrong.
Beauty is, Beauty is,
Beauty is outside,
Beauty is, Beauty is,
Where loveliness doesn’t hide.
Outside, Outside,
Loveliness cannot hide.
It will go on to the next level.

She was just a little excited!
She also placed second in visual arts. I know I took a picture of her painting before we submitted it but I can't find it anywhere. This is her entry for 3-D art instead.

She also submitted this photograph in the photography category. Her theory is the more entries you have the better your chances of winning are!

Matthew also won first place, in visual arts.

This isn't the painting he submitted but it is similar. Beauty is the Ocean.

I loved his 3-D entry. Beauty is an alligator. He made it from scraps when his dad was building the shed. I wonder if they thought he had help? Oh well, that means we get to keep it and I loved it.

On another happy note, this is the scene in my backyard today. Can't tell you how happy this makes me! Can you believe this is November in Utah? We are enjoying it while we can!

A Little Flower Garden

I have been working on some new flowers. These are headbands.

The top two are pins and the bottom two are hair clips.

They are all in the Shop now and the shipping is free!

Happy Birthday William!

It is William's birthday today and he is out of town. My mom always says you should get to have your birthday off, like any other holiday. I think you should at least be in the same state as your family. My brother-in-law took these pictures a couple of weeks ago when we took the family pictures. Yes, I am in the tree. Because William put me there.

As morbid as it sounds I am going to include this picture with the instructions for my funeral (assuming I really was that great a planner). That is our relationship right there in that picture. I have so much fun with William, he always makes me laugh, feel special and sort of like I might still be 16. Marrying him was the best thing I have ever done and was the gateway to everything else wonderful in my life. Hope you have a great day Hon, the kids and I will have a big party ready when you get home!

New Faces

Hubby is out of town and I crafting as fast as I can!