This is amish peanut butter. If you've never had amish peanut butter it's homemade peanut butter mixed with marshmallow cream. It's fantastic. This was made and given to me, along with some other amazing treats from a coworker of Brian's. This woman is pretty great; she homeschool's her kids, works two very demanding jobs and somehow makes time to put together gift baskets of wonderful homemade treats.

Do you know what I am capable of? Eating the peanut butter by dipping saltine crackers straight into the jar. And no I didn't use a plate; just stood there eating it right at the counter filled with dirty dishes. I know it's healthier to eat at the table with silverware but I cut SuperH's pajama top too short, and my hair was falling down in a crazy way and I had not had nearly enough caffeine.

Another friend was telling me how she ate russian tea cakes for breakfast (that's a little cookie covered in powdered sugar). I was instantly jealous as my mom used to make those at Christmas and I haven't had any in years. What does it say about my state of mind that I'm eating straight from a jar, while in a sewing trance, and am jealous of eating something healthy like cookies for breakfast?

Cest' la vi. Where do you fall on the spectrum of Christmas habits? On a scale from I-haven't-brushed-my-hair-in-days to I'm-completely-ready-and-everything's-wrapped (if that's you I sort of hate you, not really but kind of).

Oops I kind of fell off the radar there for a while. Sorry!! Christmas has this effect on me every year. I get so busy. It's a good busy but blogging always falls by the way side. I'm sorry I love you guys! I also find it difficult to blog about projects because I don't want to spoil anyones Christmas presents!!

This is me trying on a super amazing pair of glasses 

during our annual Christmas antiquing trip.

Wish my hair looked better, I keep trying

to get a good pic of the new color.

After Christmas I should have a few to share though. Today I spent the entire morning mending this really cool vintage coat that someone gave me. The lining had so many seams popped. After a couple false starts (where I mended the armhole to the wrong spot) I finally got it finished, yea!! Boy is mending the most boring kind of sewing there is. It's not at all fun like skirts, and toys, and pajamas.

The boys admiring the tree. Conster is

wearing two pair of underwhere here because

he told me that's what Power Ranger's do.

This year we got a real tree. I love it, it smells so good and looks delightfully non-perfect. Brian picked it out and brought it home for me, so sweet. He also stopped and picked up Christmas tree lights and he bought the big ones that look all 1950's. What a great man, he knows me so well! The lights and all my old ornaments really give the tree a vintage look. Simply perfect. This was the first year the boys were into decorating with me. They weren't actually very helpful but they were darn cute! I love that they're old enough to get excited for some of these traditional things.

If I look at this pile of projects too long I have a panic attack!

I hope your having a fabulous December. Any projects you want to share with us? Also, check back next week for a Christmas give-a-way.

Bye for now!

Oh Dear December is Upon Us.

Hello lovely readers. I'm a bit behind in the blogging but then I feel I'm a bit behind in everything. December has that effect on me. I hate it and try to fight it because I just love Christmas. I do not want to feel stressed about it. Truth is there's always a moment in there where I do feel overwhelmed but it usually passes quickly. This year is different as I've been battling major anxiety. It's so weird and scary and makes me feel guilty which, I think, adds to it. I finally talked to my husband and my parents and that helped. It helped a lot actually.

I cut back even more on my pie-in-the-sky ideas of what to make for whom and made a list and spent some quality time in the bathtub. Now I feel back to myself, excited for the season. All that to say I don't have much to share with you...yet but it's coming.

Our Thanksgiving was lovely and my very pink barbie cake was well received. How is making pink frosting you ask? It's glorious!

Not bad for a first barbie cake and using only
a sandwich bag to decorate with.

I was pretending the S&P shakers were
her dwarf friends.

 I also realized I had never posted about this skirt and bag. Not the best picture which is why it's cropped funny but you get the idea. The skirt is from the "Colette Sewing Handbook" and the bag is from Alicia's book "Stitched in Time." I like the bag and already have a bunch of ideas on how to improve it. I am also very cautiously attempting to sew the skirt from you-know-where that I never finished last year. I would love to wear it to the Christmas Eve Service, I'll keep you updated on that. The pattern is labeled "intermediate" and I had to regrade it since my waist measurements and hip measurements are nowhere close to each other. Wish me luck!

So how is your season shaping up? What are your tricks for enjoying the season rather then stressing. Apparently I need all the help I can get.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'll be honest the last six months have been pretty rocky and the last week in particular has been very rough. That being said I have so many things that I am thankful for. My husband, children, and home are at the top of the list. Dear readers you are also at the top of my list. Thank you for stopping by this little place on the internet to chat. Thank you for your warm and encouraging comments for allowing me to be real with you and for laughing at my many failures.

I am excited for Thanksgiving because I get to cook fun things but I don't have to clean since we'll be at my in-laws. I'm making homemade from scratch yeast bread (Whenever I make a loaf of this bread I get all proud and warm and 1950's on the inside), sweet potato casserole, and a barbie cake. Yup you read that right a barbie cake. My niece has her birthday right around this joyous holiday and I got tasked to make a super pink girly cake. I am pretty excited.

I hope your Thanksgiving finds you healthy and happy, and I hope you are able to get all decorated for the holidays with lots of glitter and sparkle.

Pinterest Monday.

I know it's suppose to be Pinterest Wednesday but the project I was working on took quite a bit longer then I anticipated. What you see below is an ordinary Altoids tin...

 Or is it...

It's actually a tiny little mouse house!

Because it's so little I expected it to go a lot faster but turns out because it's so little it's a little slower. There are so many tiny little stitches. Not hard, though, I just have to relax and enjoy the process. I have three mice made and need a total of four, with their homes for Christmas. Two of them will go in my boys' stockings which is perfect since we just finished "The Mouse and the Motorcycle." 

Interesting side note. I was dumping the mints out into a plastic bag and a couple rolled onto the floor. Ranger promptly ate them and his breath smells like NOTHING!! It usually smells like death in the barnyard but, now, it's delightfully neutral. I can't believe it.

I'm happy with the mice and think they're super cute and fun. What kid won't love having a secret mouse bed to tuck his little wool mouse into? The original pin is here and the pattern costs $8 but has been very worth it. 

Happy Sunday.

The bow ties were their idea. Yes this
is on here because it's just too cute!
Yes bow ties are cool.

Happy Sunday everyone. I'm feeling all cozy and Christmasy over here. I try to hold off until after Halloween to really get in the Christmas mood and I made it to about October 28th before I started listening to Christmas music. I won't decorate quite yet but Christmas sewing projects and planning are in full swing (I've even started my shopping already!). I know that there are real purists out there who don't even hum a line of "Jingle Bells" until after Thanksgiving, I am not one of those people. For one, it's cold here and the only way to make the grey cold days feel better is by making them feel cozy and I make them feel cozy with Christmas. Second, if you make a lot of things for Christmas then you must start long before December and if I'm making Christmas presents I want to feel Christmas! Third, it was already Thanksgiving in Canada and I used to live really really close to Canada.

I'll try not to bombard you with too much of it though, until the "appropriate" time that is. Just letting you know where I'm at.  That being said I finished this cute child's messenger bag for SuperH. I love the retro looking super heroes. I'm really proud to have a finished project for Christmas already and loved how simple this pattern was. Very easy to put together. I think he'll especially like it, not only because of the fabric but because his dad always carries a messenger bag and he loves to be like daddy (I hope that will last). It was so easy I'm thinking of making one for myself!!

I got to spend a day shopping with my mom Aunts and Cousins and came across the legendary vintage pattern finds you so often read about. They were priced at 1.50 a piece!! I had to force myself to be reasonable and not buy every single one. I also got some old buttons from my favorite vintage button company. Honestly friends, I experienced quite the shot of adrenaline.

The little girl pattern and that Christian Dior coat
pattern make my pulse race!

How is your fall going? I'd love to know where you stand on the Christmas issue. Are you a purist or do you leave your lights up all year (that's just crazy). Let us know in the comments.

Pinterest Wednesdays (I mean Thursday)...

So the last couple of weeks have been really strange. My mom and sister came for a cousin's shower and then they got trapped here because of the hurricane, which was lots of fun for me!! We shopped and hung out, did the zoo boo, and I got to watch the kids go nuts for their Nannie.  I did, however, loose track of time and forgot to blog; so sorry.

Any way I have a great Pinterest day lined up for you because my friend and neighbor threw her one year old a rainbow party and almost all the ideas came from there. So without further ado...

Yummy party favors original pin here.

I LOVE this. So cute. 

Balloon wall makes a great backdrop for photos.

Such a cute dress! Made by mommy.
Pin here.

I couldn't locate the exact pins for all the ideas and suffice it to say their were tons more ideas and if you  search rainbow geesh you could have a field day. I can't believe little Tbird is already one, life sure flies.