working around things...

Besides being a master craftsman -- Rick also knows how to work around things -- such as -- piles of "stuff"...

...and Sofia!  :-)

Here is the same view at the beginning of the project...

better than holiday cookies...

...a new basement floor!

Rick just starting putting the flooring down this morning, so, there's not much opportunity for the "artsy"  photos.  This is the view from the stairs.  He started in the small closet and will continue through the foyer and down the hall.  The "pink stuff" is the underlayment.  We chose to go with Airguard Premium 3-in-1 -- because I don't want any nasty moldy stuff growing under my pretty floor in the basement.  The flooring is Red Oak Natural .  I'll show more photos as he makes progress.  I'm a little bit giddy about this.  Yay! :-)

holiday cookies...

Those delicious looking cookies in my new background were made by my sweet neighbor.  After tasting them, I had to know if she would share her recipe.  When she told me they were from Martha Stewart, I remembered that I received her Christmas Cookbook as a gift last year -- and the recipe is right in there!  Yay!  :-)

And... if you're wondering why I have an Ortega Loaded Nacho recipe in the photo too -- it's because I finally found it -- the day after I needed the recipe.  I spent quite a few hours looking for that recipe last week.  Oh well... guess I'll just make those loaded nachos to eat while we're playing Pictionary ~or~ Jenga ~or~ Sorry on New Year's eve.  :-)

Oh, and during my search I also found that I have two of the same Mary Engelbreit holiday cookbooks. Not sure how that happened, but I'm thinking it's time to organize my cookbook cabinet. :-)

just what I always wanted...

 Merry Christmas!  :-)

may all your christmas dreams come true...

the elves made me do it...

These little cuties overheard a conversation I had with "someone" today.  We were talking about elves.  I was a bit  upset when the person I was speaking to explained to me that her elves could finish all of her gift wrapping in just a few hours.  I began to think that maybe my elves have been slacking a bit...

So...since I had a 30% off Kohl's coupon PLUS $10 in Kohl's cash, I decided to do a bit more shopping.  I came home with three huge shopping bags full and gave them to my elves.  Ready... Set...Game On elves...! 

the elf supervisors are getting mean...

Put on those hats and get back to wrapping!!!

Only 4 days left !! (for gift wrapping) 

the sunday before...

...the elves are busy with some last minute sewing, and, the first batch of cookies are waiting to be decorated.

  

Santa passed by before with the firetrucks -- but he didn't stop!  Maybe he's busy too! :-) 

wrapping gifts...

Apparently, Sofia has her own ideas on how to use wrapping paper! 

10 days to go...

~ done ~

~ done ~

~ done ~

~ done ~

~ done ~

Not done...

Gift wrapping...

Baking...

Gift wrapping...

Last minute shopping...

Gift wrapping...

Not being done is part of the fun!  :-)

holiday sugar rush...

I think these guys better slow down on the holiday candy... ;-)  

I noticed a few people like this while shopping in the store today too. I think it's time for me to switch into the "stay home and wrap presents" gear.  It is only going to get worse out there -- and the only weapon I carry is hand sanitizer. :-)

folderol la la...

a little push...

This year...the elves seem to be popping up everywhere!  They don't seem to be making my tasks any easier -- just in case you're wondering ;-)  I'm sure you're all out and about right now -- busy with your own holiday tasks -- or, at least that is where you should be! :-)

I think that Gingerbread house in the photo is being built this weekend -- it's pre-baked, which doesn't matter because we never eat them.  Do you?  We have about 10+ days more before actual cookie baking takes place here -- those we do eat -- but only when they're fresh out of the oven!  

Time to go run some early errands...I am feeling a "little tug" on my sleeve...maybe those elves are helping me after all!  :-)

it's fa la la tuesday...

...19 days to go!  If you haven't found your "fa la la" -- it's time to go look for it!  Mine is behind that door... in the "shhh... secret... closet..." :-)

 

22 days to go...

...and the "real" elves have finally arrived!  I thought Santa forgot about sending me helpers this year...
















No time to waste!  Get movin' you little cuties!  :-)

put your elf hat on...

...I'm off to getting some "secret" elf stuff done...before the troops come home for the weekend...  Yes, the photo is from last year -- I don't think I can top that cute expression on Ozzy's face.  I did change the background -- as per the request of a loyal follower...wink ...wink ...  I also added some energizing music to rev you up for wrapping, or, hanging those decorations, or, elf stuff...  That's where I'm headed...

Happy Friday! :-)

wake up -- it's wednesday...

...November  30!  That means there are 25 more days...until...you know...  :-)

raking the leaves...

I've never seen it done quite this way.  Seems Sofia has her own idea about how to use the rake! :-)

what's wrong with this picture...

As of this morning, this is the display on my fireplace mantle.  For the past 2 weeks, the kids had either a half day of school, or, no school.  Rick was off from work also for the (4 day) holiday weekend.  Time goes so quickly while I am enjoying the company of my family.  The mantle display has given me this "food for thought"...

Today I am alone. I can finally take a step back and look at what needs to be done before the jolly old man in the red suit comes crashing down the chimney.  There's lots of (more important) stuff to do -- guess the mantle display will have to wait a bit longer... :-)

taking advantage of the great weather...

Rick just said "I hope the weather is like this in January -- when I have to take the holiday decorations down".  Actually, Rick didn't say that many words to me -- I did a bit of editing.  It was difficult for him to turn around and talk to me while the tree branches were jabbing him in the face.

Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather too!  :-)

budget buster...

How did I forget to put closet shelving in the budget for our basement project?  Wasn't it all about "the closet" when I began posting about this basement project?  Tsk...tsk...

So...here we are...Rick in his white socks explaining to me that the shelving brackets in the boxes on the floor cost $10 each.  There are 20 brackets in each box.  There are 2 boxes.  You do the math.  

After grappling with this for almost 2 days, Rick mentions to me that the style of the brackets that are in my bedroom closet -- the brackets that I "hate" -- are available and cost much, MUCH less.  He didn't want me to have the brackets that I "hate" in the closets he made for me.  How sweet is that!  :-)  So, I told him -- it's okay -- forget all that mushy stuff -- I can deal with the "ugly" brackets in the basement closet.  I would much rather spend those $$ on the flooring or -- his big screen TV.  ;-) 

    

where we have been...

It has been an entire week since my last blog post.  Yikes!  But we've been busy...

...growing some facial hair...

...since it's "no-shave november"...

Good things take time... ! :-)

basement project update...

...not far now! :-)

last night's sky...

...quite a lovely sight to behold.  Thought you might enjoy looking at the view from my front porch. :-)

high tech reading...

Rick won this at work!  It's an Amazon Kindle.

Not too long ago, he also received an Adobe Kobo.  Nicholas and Sofia fought over that for awhile -- and then forgot about it.  Now there's one for each of them -- soooo -- you guessed it -- they're ignoring both.

Anyhow, I kind of like it -- so I put it next to my reading chair.  :-)

what a lovely morning...

...just perfect for a bike ride?

Hope the guy driving the truck behind those two headlights sees him!

I'm off to switch my halloween window decorations to some fall/thanksgiving.  I had better hurry before those Christmas decorations start calling me...

origami love...

                                                              ~*~

                                                               ~*~

We're off to a beautiful Sunday.  Hope you are too!  :-)

chicken little...update

The girls are having a casual discussion about their pets. Sasha holds her parrot. Joan holds her wubbah chicken. Spectra holds her cat, "Rhuen". Suddenly, Barbie Astronaut, stands up and and drops her martian pet to the ground...



She screams  ...Duuuuuccckkk!!!!

Oooops...nevermind...Click here to see where ROSAT landed.

the haul...

Not as good as last year...

But...very neatly organized! :-)

happy...

...halloween! :-)

sweat, tears...

...and a little blood added to the details!

Whew...the "easy" costume is all finished and ready for tomorrow's halloween festivities.  Yesterday's unusual October snowstorm was not the least bit inspiring -- but Ms. Lori Holt's Pink Lemonade Party certainly was!  While it was snowing, and, as I was sewing, I kept thinking about how nice it would be to open the windows and have the spring breezes floating through the house while sipping on some of that lemonade...  I'm going to need some of that inspiration to get me through what looks like a loooonnnnng, cooooolllld, winter ahead.... 

best friend(s)...

them...forever...

mine...this week...

chicken little...

...the sky is falling...

   

Oh, no!  Astronaut Barbie has discovered that space junk is cascading towards the earth and will be here this weekend.  Click here to read all about it... 

technical issues...

This...

...does not bother me (yet).  Why?  because now I have an outlet on the landing in my stairwell to the second floor.  Yay!  :-) 

This is one of "those things" that took years to finally come to the "top of the list".  It then took my very smart hubby-- assisted by my very smart son -- two hours to complete -- except for that little patch of sheetrock up there in the 1st photo.  But, that's in the stairwell to the basement -- so I can live with it (for now...)

I was so excited to be able to plug in my halloween decorations that I even settled for the "brown" extension cord.  I WILL be going to the store, later today, to purchase a white one.  :-)

This...

...DOES bother me!  I do not like the way the skirt looks attached to the bodice -- soooo -- Miss Alice will be wearing separate pieces.  It will be much more flattering to her figure -- and, when it's done, will fit her just "right"...  

caturday thoughts...

brain booster friday...

While we were waiting for Sofia to go into school this morning, she pulled out her weekly "brain booster" sheet.  There are maybe 6 or 8 brain boosters on the sheet, and, if she guesses them all correctly, she gets an extra credit.  They are fun -- and give your brain something good to think about -- you know -- instead of thinking about silly, small, annoying things that you can't change and are a waste of time...such as:  Why do weathermen get paid even if their predictions are wrong?  Why do the politicians argue like a bunch of 3 year old children?

Anyhow...here is one of the brain boosters that I couldn't figure out -- so now it will be stuck in my head all day, or, until I figure it out.  Maybe you can help?

If you have never done a "brain booster" before -- here is an example of what it is.  The word in the photo below is "BUCK".  Notice that the letter "B" is at the bottom of the word, and the letters "U-C-K" are above it.  The answer to this brain booster would be...let's say it together now... "Buck Up"!  Very good!  :-)

So, if you think you know the answer to the first photo now, then leave me a comment...or not (do I really want to go back to thinking about the silly, annoying, waste-of-time things?)

Now that your brain is boosted -- go out and have an awesome Friday!

possessed...

 ...by the dress!

   

The sleeves and neckline facing are finished.  My client did not want the standard "alice" peter pan collar -- which would have been fine had she told me when I created the pattern.  I was able to do just a facing at the neckline -- and...my client is satisfied with how it looks.

Now I am moving on to the skirt -- but I need to measure my remaining fabric.  If I don't have enough for the fullness I want -- then it may be "off with my head"... Oh, wait!  That was last year...

Happy Thursday :-)