homemade christmas

this year nick and I decided to make christmas.  we thought homemade gifts would be a delightful treat...we're both crafty and thought sure we could take on christmas.

and so we did.  we cut, and glued, and hammered, and sewed we took on christmas. and christmas took us on. we canceled plans with peeps so we could stay home and craft.  I counted my blessings that this year I made cards on shutterfly instead of creating 30 christmas cards by hand.  and we CRAFTED.

some projects went smoothly...others not so much...there were even some that were created down to the wire.  I taught nick to sew as he created clothing for his pinecone elves, my dad and I bonded as we questioned whether my idea for my marble cutting boards came from bob villa.com and begged me to do a knitting project next year.  but our crafty christmas came together and was delightful

I made:

 etched bike glasses for my dad

 beaded necklaces for claires, emily, my mom, and nick's mom

 woven bracelets for claires, emily, lindsey, and kerry

 reinbeer for my brother and for joey and ashley

 dr seuss inspired trees for anyone who would take one (i have more if you're interested)

 Dino etched glass for nick

 a guster big friend for emily and nick

 bath products for my mom and elizabeth

 marble cutting boards for mom, emily, tim and elizabeth, claires and ME!

 a book bird for claires

 an etched READ glass for claires

 etched celtic knot glasses for nick's mom (there was an ND glass for nick's dad too...oops forgot!)

 

and a book necklace for claires

we may already be crafting for christmas 2012.

December 7: The Wreath

i havent had a real tree for years.  not since we had the incident where we all woke up to the house alarm, set off by the falling christmas tree.

but I love the fresh smell of a real tree.  and so we bought a wreath.

and we hung it inside so WE could enjoy it.

december 3: the penguin cake

when I want ridiculous baking accouterments, my mom and I have a system, she gives them to me as a gift...Nick can't complain when its a gift after all.  (and of course our cover is now blow...since nick will be reading this)

a few birthday's back, I received a pull apart penguin cake pan.  12 "cupcakes" that piece together to be a penguin.  I had big plans that year to rearrange the penguin parts to be a bunny for my birthday and later a turtle for nicks. on my b-day the cake got stuck in the pan, we had pen-gunny carcass for my bday, i didnt even try with nicks.

since they i have successfully made two penguins.  the first made me infamous with my teacher friend, the second was this year.  12 pieces 12 advisees.  PERFECT. i made the penguin, filling to the top like it suggested. it turned into the stay puff cake penguin man.  but then eventually because super cute. complete with magical rainbow snowflakes.

december 1: the mitten garland

While I am a true believer in Thanksgiving, and outright refuse to do anything christmas-y till after I do due justice to the turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.  The day after t-giving I swing into full blown christmas mode.  last thanksgiving we moved.  our first trip....our bed.  our second trip...the christmas decoration.  we were sitting on couch cushions on the floor, ordering pizza because we had no dishes, but our tree was up and decorated. 

its is december 1st.  my trees (yes all 5) have been up for days. it takes me an extra 5 min to leave work (or go to bed at home) by the time I unplug all my light strands.  Christmas movie number 1 was been watched.  Christmas is in full swing. And so I give you a daily dose

Since august I have been a slave to the mittens.  I decided I was making an advent mitten garland.  this meant 24 knitted mittens.  I had 4 months. translation: a 6 mitten a month quota.  school was out for summer.  I thought I can do this.

Augusts were finished early,  and I started in on september's.  September 30 I put the last stitch in on mitten 5 for the month.  I got caught back up in october, then spent all of thanksgiving frantically knitting. completing the last stick of mitten number 24 at 11:30 pm on November 30th. 

but it is done.  and has been filled with our christmas treats. 12 for nick. 12 for me. 24 days of christmas joys.

happy halloween!

it's halloween time again....how do I know....the signs are all there

the houses by my school are dressed to a T (though they looked better pre-windstorm.)

I rocked the pirate costume (complete with drunken parrot) at school on friday.

The day started with pumpkin scones and a pumpkin spice latte.

My pumpkin is carved and scarily looks out the window.

Im on the 10th and final day of halloween socks

and we sit on the couch decked out in our costumes drinking cider, watching halloween movies, and eating the candy we bought for the children because the children never came despite our brainstorming of not-so-creepy ways to lure children to our door....(come little children I'll take the away into a land of enchantment....)

backlog of blogs

it has been a whirlwind last week and a half....lots of things going on, which translates to lots of things to blog about, which translates to not a lot of time to blog, which translates to a backlog of blogs. and so...the last week and a half in pictures (mostly)

first we went camping which gave me a chance to use my headlamp for real, provided opportunities for general store photo opps, included delicious malt-o-meal breakfasts, included a bonfire, a trip to the beach on bike, a trip to wine tasting on bike, lots of watermelon, a return trip to the beach in car, the chance to use the hatchet I always fear falling on my head, and the opportunity to mangle a can with a swiss army knife (apparently it was someone's cruel joke to offer us this when we asked to borrow a can opener), then loaded the bikes back on the bunny, and headed home where we got stuck in pride parade diverted traffic.

. . . . .

Then there was camp invention. where on day two in pattern kingdom the kids played with bubbles because the provided curriculum sucked....who wants to measure lines of masking tape at summer camp?...bubble day was also crazy hat day. on the last day of camp king pattern came to visit the kingdom, and he turned in to king pattern-zilla at the end of the day

. . . . .

and then we went to the taste where we feasted on crazy potato chips (I want to try this with an apple peeler corer slicer) and chicago dogs (fabulously crispy dogs), barbecued turkey legs (delish as always...though if they injected the bbq sauce it would have been even better), crab cake nuggets (yum...crab, though I prefer my crab cakes unbreaded) , cajun meatballs (spicy...but good), sweet potato hashbrowns (would have been better if they were crispy), jerk chicken (translation: mouth on fire chicken) and hibiscus tea sorbet (hands down my favorite thing I ate), and chocolate dipped frozen cheesecake squares (100 % YUM...we even had 2 since the mobs wouldnt let us to our fried dough). the night ended with pictures and head kisses after giving up on ever making it though the mobs on the street, granted, we barely managed to get out minutes before stabbings and riots.

. . . . .

and then there was the 4th of july (preceded of course by my birthday but we can afford another post for that!)....when we spent the day being lumps...then rode bikes to the evanston fireworks

santa goes to my church

we took a break today from our crazy christmas baking extravaganza (which has now lasted several more days than initially anticipated) to remember the real meaning of christmas.

we put in our christmas finest,

ignored the blizzard warnings and the substantial layer of sleet that already covered the ground

climbed into the 4 wheel drive and headed to church. all went well until dad tried to adjust his parking.... and adventures were had...wheels were spinning, finally the car slid sideways so we could back back up the hill. the kids waiting for church in the car next to us had perhaps the best church ever. this of course gave us time to plot our next move. pictures with the manger.

nick got excited about cheese, wallace and grommet style.

I prayed with mary over the baby Jesus

did the church thing, bad homely, and then....SANTA. Im not sure what to make of this. church is supposed to be the reminder that jesus is the reason for the season. and then there's santa. at least he prayed over the baby jesus before going on his rounds for the night.

baking extravaganza day 1

the baking list grew longer this year...and some christmas shopping still needed to be done. so extravaganza will be lasting two days this year. here are the moments of day one.

all the happy helpers

even the cookies are smiling

sugar cookies

dad tries to eat a cookie

and he cleans up the mess afterwards so he can eat more

baked today:

mexican wedding cakes/russian tea cakes

sugar cookies

ginger bread boys and girls

molasses cookies

peppermint chocolate meringues

chocolate fudge

triple chocolate chip cookies

oatmeal raisin walnut cookies

spritz

still awaiting tomorrow:

more fudge

chex mix

raspberry pinwheels

buckeyes

chocolate covered pretzels

that is if my minions don't start a revolt.

day 2 and all the finished products tomorrow!

16 signs christmas is coming

other people have been b-logging about christmas for days. I will provide you with a condensed version of my christmas cheer with 16 signs that christmas is coming. why 16? you ask. because that's how many pictures I have of christmas that doesnt ruin any christmas surprises.

1. we run around in the cold looking at lights and taking fantastic pictures incorporating ourselves into the shot. I piiiinch!!

2. when you participate in (or just cheer at) various athletic events they give your reindeer antlers! go rudolph rumble!

3. there are wreaths just asking for your picture to be taken with all over the city.

4. snowmen moon you at lighting parades

5. nick turns into a burly mountain man

6. we get up early in the morning so that little bear has time to write her letter to santa before we go to work.

7. I make a penguin cake

8. I steal music from church that is needed for flute wars. thank you camera and chruch hymnal

9. stocking extravaganza for my homeroom and advisory

10. I create assignments that require my students to bake cookies and bring them in for my enjoyment.

11. I eat, drink, and sleep with matching penguin attire thanks to my penguin fleece pants, pillow, mug and plate.

12. our Christmas tree gets turned into a homage to disney characters despite our best efforts. this is what happens when you have received at least one mickey mouse for the past 25 years and your sister at least one winnie the poor for the last 20 (and just about every other disney ornament for a period of several years

13. I make christmas baking extravaganza list. game faces and aprons on. (this is also the time of year when family and friends unfortunate enough to stumble upon my house become indentured servants)

14. the soldering iron comes out to fix broken light strands.

15. all the clothing I pack to come home is red or green. (and I have been wearing christmas socks for WEEKS)

16. I actually have time to write this blog