New Stitch

I am treating myself to a new stitch. It's not that I don't have enough stitches to choose from already but this one was just too cool not to learn. It's called the Catherine wheel. I found a couple of online tutorials but I have read it is in one of the big crochet books too. Sorry there aren't any links but I'm kind of busy crocheting. Hope you all have a happy New Year! We are staying in to protect Brinkley from the fireworks.

Comfort

So at some point I will show you the garage project... but since it is still not completed we will have to wait on that. I also decided to spruce up our room a little it was kind of drab. The walls are Grey-ish color. It's one of the Martha Stewart colors from Lowes. I LOVE it! Our room is the only room that I have painted more then once (3x) and this one is definately what I was going for.

new lights! Courtesy of Restoration Hardware - love that place! Especially when they are running sales!

Curtains courtesy of Pottery Barn. The shears came from my Aunt who had some extras (whoot!) The lighting in the picture is terrible but the drapes are a brown silk/cotton blend that for all of my worrying ended up looking great!

The best part was Uber loving it. He is amazed at what curtains and a few lamps can do. (He was skeptical)

This is what you do to your husband when he has found out his birthday suprise early and you are bummed about it.... I bought him another present and put it in the middle of the living room... : ) He cant have it tell his bday and it is KILLING HIM

Here's another picture of the organizer I did courtesy of the buyer!! Doesn't this room look like a fun place to be? The lighting is fantastic!!!

And last but not least the sneak peak for my mom of a project I am doing for her... I told you it wouldn't be much! Oh and happy late birthday!!!

Christmas in Boeblingen

Christmas was perfect. We missed the people that couldn't be here but had fun with those that could. We ate, slept late, watched movies, played Wii (our son brought his to loan to us) and ate some more. We got the boys a couple of silly things. You should have been here when the helicoptor got stuck on Brinkley's backside!!! My mom and sis sent gifts. I sent nothing and they sent me lovely things anyway. Handmade no less. Mom always sends you know who, Brinkely and Evie a gift too! You can see from the pictures that Brinkley thought all of the gifts should have been his! I hope all of you had as wonderful a time as we did. One day we will all have Christmas together again!

I did manage to finish this hat for a special order. I had to make it twice! The first one was too big. Sizing is hard, I'm just saying.

Isa and Sylvi

Here's the little custom project that I was working on in the beginning of December. It turned out pretty awesome even if I do say so myself! I was contacted on etsy to do an organizer for a new big sister and baby for Christmas. Are these names not the cutest?

Anyway their Grandma wanted it to have all the circles and colors of my owl organizer but with just their names at the top.

What an excellent idea!

Sadie

This is my grandparents dog Sadie when she was a puppy, she's two now.

she's a good puppy... I was brainstorming for design ideas for making a pillow for my Grammy and Papa... though I am not sure how much my Papa cares about a pillow...unless maybe he is sleeping on it...haha! Anyway I was talking to Uber and he thought the design should have something to do with Sadie. I had seen some really neat framed dog silhouettes in magazines a few months ago so it was perfect!

We just finished dinner and my uncle is making molten lava cakes right now... AGGHHHH!!! I am in heaven... I will show you later.

Sweet success

First of all I had a problem. No it is NOT that my oven is dirty, it is that my oven is small. It has the one rack and most of my baking things do not fit. Last Saturday my DH took me to Breuniger Land. It was already packed with people at 10 in the morning and he took me anyway. That is love. He took me there and bought me a small oven. You can see it on the right. It can hold a pan with 7 I repeat 7 pizza pockets that I am cooking for him tonight....... This little oven has helped to make my life easier.

So I baked. Some of you got boxes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.

By the way Jess, I have a larger set of star cookie cutters that I wasn't able to use this year. Why? Because I forgot I had them. Cookie cutters, it's an illness, what can I say.

So anyway, these are the boxes I gave to people. Whether they wanted them or not. Just my way of telling you all how much I appreciate you.

These hats are for two special people. Hopefully they both like them. I know one of them likes them, I hope the other of them likes it........

Christmas and cryptic messages......

Gifts and Baking

First a gift for me - Isn't this packaging great! It's from my Aunt and in it is a few of her favorite things

wash cloths they're yummy! I don't want to use them I just want to stare at them...

and my FAVORITE -- FELT BOWLS!! I had seen these on Etsy and now I have some! They're really cool. Now I just need some felted acorns... or rocks...

Have you noticed I am not great at the whole waiting to open things...

I have been baking like crazy

This stuff is SOOO delicious - Almond Butter Crunch

Sugar cookies

And this isn't even half of it! And don't knock my monkey pants. My mum made them for me.

I had a few trays to make up for people coming over, ubers work I also did up some fun little boxes for my work and of course sweets for us.

These are some bookmarks I made for one of the girls who is diabetic. She LOVES to read!

And boxes of goodness for everyone else

We are headed up to my Grandparents house in N.C. tomorrow for Christmas... 5 days without work!! I am SOOO excited!

Yosemite... a rather picture heavy post...

A month later you get pictures. I just finally looked through them all tonight and the first thing I thought was Yosemite was GORGEOUS. The second thing I thought was man we need a better camera. And the third thing I thought was WOW I look tired... in all of the pictures... HAHA....

We had a BLAST on our two day wander through the park. I would go again in heart beat... I would definately buy better boots though!

Here's Uber being one nature...

...and then he laid down and took a nap. (HA! He is going to kill me for that)

There were TONS of deer... I took plenty of pictures!

See I told you... Half Dome is in the background

I dont remember what this rock is called but it is the one all the famous people used to go out on and do hand stands (Teddy Roosevelt) and dances...you could SO not get me out on that rock - it's 3,000 feet straight down to the valley floor.... I think NOT.

What I really dig is the huge trees down below it in the picture if you blow it up they are really cool.

This view was AMAZING I mean WOW! Half Dome, Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls. It felt like you were looking at a painting.

Yes for Christmas I would like one of these

thank you.

There were funnier versions of this picture but I thought I should be nice.... (think bird in nest... WAHAHAHA)

Did you know that Sequoia roots are only 3-6 feet deep and extend up to 150 feet from the tree base and their bark can be up to two feet thick? Well now you do and I think it's ridiculous

DEER!

I was just trying to recreate being in the car with us.... that's all!

So this is slightly random but the dressed up couple in the picture just got married (eloped) so I took picture for them to use on their wedding invites. So where ever they are I hope they liked them!

Group shot. Ubers parents are on the left and Grandma is between Uber and I.

El Capitan! I don't know why it just seems like that should be shouted

This one totally looks like a mouth!

Why did the deer cross the road?

Yeah I don't know either -but I am running out of things to say!

Anyway hope you all enjoyed the glimpse of our trip!