I have found my Christmas crush. I have found what all of my new year's resolutions will be. I have found that it will be a very sweet Christmas next year. Because I found this.
and a few other ones that I adore...along with the best pajamas from here.
(Mine are pink and brown, and the
other set is black polka dots. Yay!)
I'm just sayin'...these are the softest ever. And so darn cute! I got two sets. We found them in a little shop in Muenster, TX, called Girlfriends Boutique. It's so cute!
And her links. My gosh the links! I was all over the place finding new things the other night. I love that she is "Not Martha" but that she uses Martha's recipes sometimes. Go check out all the fun stuff on there. You won't be disappointed.
Workin on Christmas cards today (addresses) and cleaning out the boys' room for the holidays. What are you doing today?
One is fab...the other is so not. Sooooo....I got a little pink hair extension the other day at my 12 week hair checkup. (I always wait too long, but I have the most patient hairdresser that always makes a pretty do out of the thick mop on my head). Here it is:
Isn't it grand? I love the peek-a-boo...it's a treat to have something fun for a lil bit. :) With my aunt's help, we have decided that this pink hair will be in honor of my cousin who is suffering from breast cancer. We all plan to get one and take a group picture and send it to her. Lots of thoughts and prayers come with this pink hair for you, my dear.
And now, on to the dog pee part of the post(gross). So I went to work so excited on Friday...it was jeans day, you know...and sporting my favorite school hoodie. It wasn't so cold that day, so I thought...nah, I don't need to wear a shirt under this one. I was giving semester exams all morning, and at my computer most of the day putting in grades and making sure the little stinks didn't cheat. And, I notice a spot on my sweatshirt. About the size of a grapefruit. And another little spot next to that one. What the heck is that? So, of course I put my shirt up to my nose and UGH! Are you kidding me? DOG PEE! You see, we have a habit of laying our hangup clothes across the dining room chairs, and our boxer has a habit of sometimes marking things that lay there lately. So... The worst part is that I can't take it off! So I sit at my desk, and through lunch, and through some rushed Christmas shopping, in a peed on sweatshirt. It's a good thing he's so cute.
--in our house. If I could make the whole house look like a page out of a 1950s or 60s Better Homes and Gardens Decorating book, I would. But wait, I'm working on it. I found a new blog love today...Room Lust. Which is where I found this dreamy bedroom. I love the calm of the blue with the rowdiness of the orange in just a little speck. Beautiful...I'm dying.
And I would give up my scrapbooking stuff, cat, husband's StoreHouse chair for this one:
And still searching Craigslist for one of these. I really would like a pink one. But orange is just as grand.
This post could be a little embarrassing, it could be a little shocking, and it could change your whole opinion of me all in just a few pictures and words. But, it is also liberating, calming, and a sense of peace for me. The subject? STUFF. I have too much of it. I used to love stuff, until Dave Ramsey came along. Now stuff has a whole new meaning. I used to be a Target Clearance stalker, picking up anything that had a red tag on it and filling up a cart in 30 minutes flat, walking in the door at home trying to find a place to stuff the latest treasures I found. Not anymore...well...only if we need it. So, since we finished out Financial Peace University class, I have decided that it is time for some peace in the house if you will. Or zen. Or whatever you want to call it. I started with my bedroom closet. Oh, my. I had NO idea what was in there. Here is what I walked into every morning for the last few years. Not kidding...years.
OK. That's the embarrassing part. And so is this:
No wonder I was wishing the school would put all the teachers in uniform with khakis and tennis shoes. I can't find anything in this closet. Not even both shoes of my favorite Converse.
Well, this little (ugh...BIG) project took about 8 hours. And I am not finished. I still have 6 rubbermaid tubs to go through of stuff. Stuff I saved for the kids, stuff that I haven't seen since we moved in 5 years ago. Stuff that doesnt' fit and stuff that doesn't have a home in our closet anymore. Here are some things I did find, though:
5 rolls of scotch tape. I don't need to buy any to wrap presents this year.
vintage sewing patterns I had forgotten about
my baby book
the matches to my shoes! Oh, here are those Converse tennis shoes I love so much! I found them!
shirts that had fallen to the bottom of the closet behind all of the tubs
a toolbox with lots of scrapbooking stuff, from when it first got hot...yea, I won't use that. William inherited the toolbox for the garage.
These pretty shoes
Five bags, yes, FIVE, of bags. Not kidding. Gift bags from our wedding, Katie's baby shower, birthdays, Christmas. Yes, FIVE. Half went in the trash.
And that darn basket of mismatched socks....I matched the ones I could, and dumped a rather LARGE portion straight to the trash. Then my mom told me they make good dust rags. But I didn't go dig them out.
So here is what it looks like now. Now, mind you, I have bags of Christmas gifts stashed in there that will be gone in a bit. But we have a floot. We really have a WALK IN closet. My clothes are sorted by season; shoes are too. Katie plays in there now. It is her "house" and we were all invited in to sit and have tea. Yay!
I will have to take another of us playing on the floor in there to share. So cute! So, there you have it. My first purge. And while I was doing that, I cleaned out my little corner of the bedroom and came up with two boxes of magazines to give away. And I moved some things around. And now one of my favorite vintage finds has a new display shelf in the living/dining area. Isn't she pretty? And she has new ribbon, just for those sweet little crafty projects. I will share one soon.
Over on Elsie's cute little space she has listed her 2010 creative to-do list,
so I decided to do the same! I have so many things that I want to learn how to do, to finish, or to share,
and I think a list might encourage me to get most of them done. So, here goes:
1. Learn to knit and crochet (look at Elsie's cute finger-knitted garlands with polaroids!)
Making Chicken Salad has a little tutorial up about how to make these here. And these are soooo pretty....made of cotton knit. Neat that her shop is called Pretty Birdie. :)
I want to learn to make them in every color.
2. Learn to make soaps.
Pretty ones and ones that make you think you would rather eat them than use them in the shower.
So I have found some fun things for keeping the kitchen warm and cozy this winter. I am a frequent reader of the Pioneer Woman's blog, and I finally got to see her cookbook at Borders the other day. It's a keeper, and for that matter, one that won't sit on the shelf, but will be covered in flour patches and butter stains on the pages. Very nice little book, it is. I am hoping that Santa will bring me this one for sure.
He will benefit from this purchase *wink*.
Southern Living certainly has their holidays mapped out. I love their Christmas idea books every year, and this one was no different. Look at these dreamy cookies from their web site:
The dog (Jet) and I had a cold but quiet walk through the neighborhood tonight for just a few minutes. Twinkling lights along our path and houses lit in happiness escorted us through the nighttime and kept the chill from making it to the bone. I was wishing I had ear muffs, but Mr. C's fuzzy gloves helped keep me warm. I finally realized, too, at the last of our journey, that I had a hood on that I could use. And here is a little bit of song to go with the season. I have heard of Sufjan Stevens through a few favorite bloggers, here and here. Here you go:
Once upon a time two little boys ate Happy Meals in the middle seat of a Ford minivan. Not quite willing to eat the last few fries, they launched them out the door screaming, "feed the birdies!!" And so my journal of a road through motherhood and wifedom, with a little bit of crafting on the side...where everybirdy gets a french fry. And we're all happy about it.
