Last week, I finally got my hands on the December/January issue of Cookie Magazine.

If you turn to page 42, look what you'll find...

Yes, that's me.  Well, it's another version of my packing list, at least!  I was honored that such a fun, cool magazine would ask me to contribute this little bit.  It was a fun project to work on to boot!  There is supposed to be a version on the Cookie website to download, but it isn't there.  I'll let you all know when it's up.  And if it is your first time visiting this blog, welcome.  I am so excited that you are here.

We had a nice Thanksgiving with my family and friends.  The weekend was low key with a bit of organizing thrown in for good measure (thank you, Georgia).  Today it is snowing and raining depending on the hour (snowing now) - I think it'd be a nice day to stay indoors and sew or knit.  Unfortunately, I have way too much on my to-do list to sit still.  Off I go to check off some things.  I'll be back in this space tomorrow.   See you all then.

Morgan sent the brown print, the green polka dot and the white fabrics for her month of the Virtual Quilting Bee.  I really love how this one turned out.

I hope she likes it too.

The pie crusts are made!  I'm off to slice and then dice bread for stuffing and make a lasagna for tomorrow night.  The house is a mess - gotta get on that.  I am not stressed - I am not going to let myself be.  And if I were, it'd be Caroline's fault.  She convinced me(and really, I didn't much convincing) to play hooky and go see Twilight today.  A mid-week, daytime, teenage love movie is such a guilty pleasure.

Back to cooking.....

For this month's round of the Virtual Quilting Bee, Alicia sent us the white fabric and the teal vine print.  She gave us very specific instructions which was a blessing.  I liked that I didn't have to think too hard about it.

Easy enough, huh?  I am almost finished with Morgan's block for October, too.  Back with that sometime soon.

Ok, time to make the pie crust.  That just didn't happen this weekend.  It might have something to do with a very fun 40th birthday party and a little too much wine.  I'm just guessing though.  ;)

Happy Monday

I was going through some photos and found these that I took while in New York a couple of weekends ago.  These are the Anthropologie windows at Rockefeller Center.  Just a little eye candy to get your holiday decorating ideas percolating.

I think it might be a good weekend to have the girls start making paper chains or snowflakes.  I'll be making pie crusts and finalizing my Thanksgiving menu.  Bring on the holidays - I can't wait!

Jane's friend Annabel had her birthday party this weekend.  On Saturday morning, Jane and I set about making her present.

This fabric that I bought from Leslie is a lightweight canvas, perfect for a tote.  Jane and I thought that Annabel might need a bag to carry her ballet stuff in, or to fill with things to do while waiting at rehearsal for The Nutcracker.  Jane wanted to embroider ballet slippers or something dance related on the pocket, but crazy enough, we didn't have the right thing.  She settled on Annabel's initials.

Jane drew the letters on the polka dot fabric with a pencil and embroidered them herself while I was cutting out the bag and making the handles.  When she was finished stitching, I made the pocket and sewed it all together.

Inside, we put a sweet bundle of embroidery supplies:  hoop, needles, lots of floss, three fat quarters of fabric and Hillary's Peppermint Fairy Stitchettes.  I told her mother, who shares her daughter's birthday, that she was going to love me or hate me.  I know from experience that this requires lots of adult supervision and help.  I think Suzanne was just fine with it - after all, she's one of my craft swap peeps.

Happy Birthday friends!

Since I just wrote a gushy post about Fatty last week, I'll spare you all.  But my fantastic and handsome husband turns 43 today.  I'm looking forward to more cake.  Happy Birthday, Fatty!

I am also looking forward to finishing the small painting project that turned big when I tore the towel bar out of the wall and had to repair the drywall.  I spent most of the weekend with a paintbrush in hand and paint in my hair.  This is the before shot.  I laughed when I looked at the photo.  I don't often walk around carrying empty toilet paper rolls, but I am collecting them for a school project.  Nice one, Erin.  Anyhow, I have repaired the drywall, painted two ceilings (this one and the one in the butler's pantry) and put a coat of tinted primer on the bathroom walls.  Yellow is a hard color to cover.  I'm hoping to get away with one coat of the green (you knew that, right?), but it might take two.  I forgot how much cutting in there is in bathrooms.  And painting behind toilets?  That pretty much sucks.  So yeah, keep your fingers crossed - I really don't want to paint more than one more coat.

The de-stash did not happen this weekend.  I will give you all ample notice before I post anything here.  I do have a couple crafty things to post.  I'll check in while the paint is drying.  Till then, ta ta.

Every year, I make each of the girls a t-shirt for their birthday.  Here's what I made for Kate:

I wish I could take credit for the idea, but that was all Kate.  Kids really have the best ideas!  Sometimes they aren't really practical, but they are always creative.  About a month ago, we were driving in the car and she said she wanted tally marks on her birthday shirt.  Perfect!  Of course, it was 6:30 on the morning of her birthday when I finally got around to making it.  Some things never change.  I do know what I am going to do for Jane's shirt (also her idea).  I have two and a half weeks to do that one.  Let's see if I can avoid procrastination.  Probably not.  (Just me trying to be realistic).

I am so thrilled that it is Friday!  I don't have anything big planned for the weekend.  I might paint our bathroom.  It looks like such an easy project, but it might be one of those that takes more time than I think.  I have some school auction projects to get started.  And then there is the studio - messy again.  I know that is a big project.  There will be some de-stashing, so stay tuned.  I also have some yarn I don't want and plan to offer that up for sale here.  Everything will be first come, first served.

Have a great weekend!

It's really hard for me to believe that my baby is seven years old today.  Time flies.  It does.

Somethings about Kate:

She's funny and has a heck of a belly laugh.
She's sweet to her friends and a bit sassy, too.
She says pink is her favorite color, but she likes green too.
She's a head taller than everyone in her class.
She's a good artist and loves to read.
Her favorite subject is math.
She's still afraid of the dark.
She loves to sing and dance and does both with her very own style.
She likes to help in the kitchen, but hates to clean her room.
She makes me smile.
She's stubborn.  (Wonder where she gets that?)
She challenges me in the best possible ways.
Her best friend is Jane.
When she grows up she wants to be a babysitter.
She likes to have fun and act crazy.

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl!  I love you loads.
xoxox