My Week and a Half of Instagram

1. Waiting on the hubs to run in Walgreen's for a Pepsi, the gas station caught my eye.
2. My feet on the dash when the gas station caught my eye.
3. Making reindeer food.
4. Christmas Eve reads.
5. Un-wrapping.
6. Glitter crayons.....awesome.
7. The sweetest weenie dog ever !!
8. Loading the marshmallow gun, now this is fun.
9. Punch at Grandma's.

see ya'll

Merriest of the Merry

 I hope each and every one of you has the

Merriest Christmas Ever !!

Enjoy friends and family.

Eat good food.

Remember why we do this.

He Is Born.



Snow Jars

We made snow globes jars.
After seeing so many on Pinterest
we had to do it.
I read a dozen tutorials and took bits and pieces of each.

We gathered random goodies.
This was very impromptu, the only thing I didn't have that
I really wanted to use was snow.

I also grabbed a my bag of tiny rocks,
don't we all have a bag of tiny rocks lying around.
And  baby oil, I'll tell you why later.

I glued my spool to the lid and followed that with my tiny rocks.
I used hot glue ( I have no clue whether this will stand the test of time or not)
Be sure when you are gluing things to your lid that you leave the space that
the jar will need to screw back into the lid.
That is IMPORTANT !!

I glued all my other bits on.
Filled my jar with water.

I read on more than one tutorial that if you add glycerin it keeps the glitter and such

from sticking to the scenery.

I also read that if you do not have glycerin, which I did not, baby oil

was a great substitute.

2-3 teaspoons for each cup of water.

Stir.

Not quite sure why, I just figured I should stir.

I screwed in the lid with all the pretties attached and what happened next

was rather unexpected.

They glitter collected itself in a ball of oil and made a globule.

The glitter would not break out of the oil.

It moved and undulated but would not disperse.

Chloe LOVED this, she wanted to "play" with the glitter ball and was

most upset when I informed her that we would have to dump it out.

So baby oil - Big Fail.

I dumped out all the water, rinsed out the jar and the pretties.

Well, not what I had hoped for.
Glycerin must be the ticket.
My glitter is definitely sticking to my pretties.
Wish I had some snow.
Still cute though, it's a keeper.
I read if your lid leaks you can run a bead of hot glue around the lid to seal it, mine did not leak.

And you know we were not done until we made one "for Chloe"

She grabbed some legos, and an astronaut.

We made him a planet from a green pom pom.

She loves him which make it all worthwhile.

On a completely unrelated off note.

Where can I find a door like this...teal with nearly all the paint gone.......??

Christmas is coming ya'll.....

Today

Today is for .......
Eating breakfast at La Patisserie.
Taking Chloe to buy Daddy a Christmas prezzie.
Blogging alone by the tree while everyone else sleeps.....have you ever tried to get ice in a cup without
waking the whole house, nearly impossible.

Eating way too many cookies that were brought home from our annual cookie baking
party with Nana yesterday.
Bathing the doggies.
Shopping for Christmas Eve get together.
Eating the left over Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup from Wednesday .... delish !!

Cutting hearts for Valentine garlands for the holidays keep coming.
Washing bed linens.
Checking instagram and facebook often to see what all of the elves are up to.... I love the elf antics.
Wearing slipper socks, the granny kind with the grippy dots on the bottom.
Staying focused and not letting the hustle and bustle get me out of whack, it's not a serious thing, enjoy family, have fun, think of the Reason for the Season....yes !!


see ya'll

A Favorite Book

Reading is a very big part of my relationship with my daughter, Chloe.

I read to her before her first day on earth and I still read to her now.

It's not so much my love for reading that drives me, because I don't love to read I like it....dont' love it.

It's what it brings to our relationship.

Stories take us on trips to faraway places.

Stories put us in other people's shoes.

Stories tug at our heartstrings.

Stories teach us.

Then one day I realized there is more to reading that stories.

So I began collecting different types of books for Chloe, true stories, informational, fact books and poetry books.

The poetry book that has brought us the most smiles, laughter and that look of  " are you serious ?!!??"

is Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.

We have read this book cover to cover a dozen times....we started it again tonight.

We read a few poems, unless we are having such a good time that we read more, each night.

Homemade Boat is our most favorite poem.
I remember how it simply cracked Chloe up, years ago and it still cracks her up today.
She begs me to read it again....read it again....read it again......
That my friends is magic, the kind found only in reading to and with your child.



Shel has wonderful books.

The Giving Tree is another of our favorites.

Here is a link to his website where there is some fun for the kids and all of his books are listed there too.

You still have time to go pick up a Shel Silverstein book for Christmas.

see ya'll



Elfin ... Behind the Scenes (not for little readers)

I have really REALLY enjoyed the elf antics this year.
With Chloe getting older I can foresee that the "magic" of Christmas will begin to fade soon.
So, I really kicked it up a notch this year.

Ticky, our elf has been, funny, adventurous, playful and plain ole silly.

Cirque du Elf is my favorite so far.

This popped in my head when I heard a mention of Mission Impossible  on TV

I pictured Tom Cruise dangling from ropes inches from the floor and

simultaneously I saw Ticky dangling  from my cabinet tops.

Not in Mission Impossible fashion .... but in Cirque du Elf fashion.

A little behind the scenes of Cirque du Elf.
Google how to spell Cirque and du
Make a Billboard
Attach yarn to your elf, I used 3 attachment spots to keep him from hanging all wonky
Place yarn ends under large heavy bowl.

Done.
Cirque du Elf and lots of ooohs and aaaahhsss.

see ya'll

Gift Tag Idea With Something You May Have Lying Around

Do you have some flashcards lying around ?

Mine are vintage but really you can use new ones too.

Flashcards make cute and unique gift tags.

You can add fun embellishments to them or just leave them plain, I did both.

Some have stickers and trims sewn on...others are just the flashcard.

I also used some vintage kid's playing cards from games like Old Maid and Snap those are cute too,

especially for the kid's gifts.

Gift tags don't have to be boring.

Not many days left.
Time to tie up the loose ends.
Run down that gift list one more time, be sure no one was left out.
What ?!!?
You forgot someone ???!!!
Well head over to JaneSays and get a printable calendar...quick.  (wink)

On another note.
Sometimes my email spam filter misses a thing or two....tell me...why oh why would anyone open an email that looks like this:
To : lkiop92u3[r9 efowjeifa   Re:  k;ljfaeuf09wr[uww[''"""":PP))PPOP)))(()()()()()O&^%^&

Seriously, spammers....you can do better than that.

see ya'll

To Bandwagon or Not To Bandwagon

I am not a typical bandwagon jumper on-er.
Just because the rest of America is doing is doesn't mean squat to me.

I am slow to do what is "hip" at the moment.....I usually check it out way later.

I didn't tweet right away.
I just got an iphone a few months ago.
I got my first pair of cowboy boots only months ago too.
My facebook pages are not even a year old.
I don't like nor listen to Lady Gaga.
I was waaaay late to the whole Twilight thing.
What is Zumba ??? 
Never had a pomegranate anything.

Now Tim  Tebow is a different story.
I am full on, on this bandwagon.
I have jumped on with both of my waaaay too late cowboy boots.

I admire this man.
God is using him.
It's exciting to watch.
Enough said....his actions speak tons and all of America is paying attention.

And I am only going to say this because I know most of you are thinking it....and he ain't bad to look at either.  (wink)

see ya'll

My Week Of Instagram

Enjoy.....

1. The Reason.  I have a fondness for vintage manger scenes, if I had more space to display them I would buy every one I see and I see lots.
2. We tried a new restaurant Friday night, Midtown Sundries, not my favorite, Bummer.   Don't you just hate it when you pay a lot of money for mediocre food ??
3. My deer photo, from years ago, now it's snowing.  Ha!  I love my iphone. This app is called phototreats, fun effects.....like snow.
4. Well since I don't drink coffee, this must be mom's coffee from our favorite little breakfast joint La Patisserie.  Quaint, quiet and delicious.
5. Chloe can not....CAN NOT watch a movie without popcorn, and since I have been in an ELF and The Grinch kind of  mood we have been popping lots.
6. Plaid shirt, jeans, cowboy boots = uniform.
7. Shoot !!!
8. Doodling at work sometimes there is nothing better to do.
9. Old photo from Grandma's school days.  She is the first girl on the bottom row from the left, black dress, which knowing my Grandma this dress was navy or purple but with black and while  photo, who knows.  So funny this was years ago but her legs look like her legs look to me today. Pretty lady.

Alright get to shopping ya'll...... 7 days until Christmas !!!

Don't forget quick and easy gift print yourself 2012 calendars at JaneSays.  Get yours now.

see ya'll

A Sweet Affair

I am not a born hostess.
I don't love to have my house full of people that I have to entertain and feed.
Makes me nervous.
Just not my cup of tea.

So I decided to host a little sweets party for my family.....right my alley......right?? 
Wrong.

So every year since I have been born at least 37 25 years my grandpa has taken us out to
a "fancy" dinner the Saturday before Christmas.
It's his gift to us....he always chuckles and says " well, I got my shopping done."
Cute huh?
It's a night  I always look forward, it brings back warm memories.
Like...we used to always eat at place called the Hereford Barn, it was a big red barn and you ate in
what looked like animal stalls, it was a lovely lil' place.
When we left we always got an apple out of a big barrel by the door.

And....I remember riding up there when I was small and Grandpa's car was big enough to hold us all ( although that does not really seem possible maybe my memories are not totally accurate)
and I would sit on my Aunt Pam's lap and ride all the way to the Hereford Barn. 

Then there is always the ride home....we would ride thru some neighborhoods and look at Christmas
lights.  We didnt' look at lights when I was small this was later.....and by this time our family as so large that we borrowed the church van, my Uncle Johnny would drive and in all the cul de sacs he would do do-nuts and we would all laugh uncontrollably, except for Grandma she would be saying Johnny....stop !!

Fun , special times that I will never ever forget.

So as you can probably gather it's a pretty special event.
Well this year Grandpa is 84 and he just had open heart surgery 3 weeks ago like a champ.
He is doing so well.

I guess all the warm fuzzy memories of Grandpa taking us to eat and his miraculous speedy recovery made me wanna do something special with and for my family.
So I hosted this little sweets affair and it wasnt' so bad, it was even nice.
The food was good, my house was way cute and I saw smiles and heard laughing all around.
I did it...I hosted a small sweet affair.

Menu :

7 Layer Magic Cookies

Smores Bars

Booger Pie

Pina Coloda Cake

German Chocolate Cake

and of course chips for the salt to balance out all that sugar.

Thanks to the lovely ladies in my family for bringing a sweet they were all so very delicious !!

Thanks to Grandpa for loving us all so much.

It's going to be a good Christmas....it always is.....

see ya'll

Stocking Stuffer Idea You Can Make

So...as I am on facebook and instagram I have noticed something.
A lot of people are photographing their Elf on the Shelf everyday.

I am one of those people.
You can catch up on all our elf antics on facebook or instagram
there are links for both on the right..

Chloe has really enjoy the photos of her elf that we take each day....so I thought I
would love to make her a little elfy treat.

Stickers...Chloe loves stickers and it's something I can easily make.

I took all (so far) of the elf instagram shots, I used the instagram shots because I just love
the filters,  They make nearly every photo look .... sorta perfect.

I sized them all to 1.5 inches, made a document of 30 stickers, printed them on sticker paper, cut them out and voila !!

A perfect personal happy little elfy stocking stuffer.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

see ya'll

Tonight on Pinterest

So here is what I am seeing tonight on Pinterest.........

Who does not love free stuff ?
Paint the Moon is offering oodles of freebies for prettying up your photos.

Why didn't I think of this ?
I know why...because Little Gray Fox did !! 
All that color just makes me smile.
If this particular ornament broke onto the floor there would be such a swirling rainbow inside the Dyson.
Little Gray Fox....this is just genius.

Fried pickles holy grease and salt batman...I LOVE fried pickles.
Of course Paula Deen makes this sound easy.....but seriously
frying and especially deep frying of any sort worries me.
I have never had a grease fire and I don't want one, not even for a fried pickle's sake.
Feeling pretty fortunate that the restaurant right around the corner serves them...and they are goooooood.

Chloe has this exact metal bed  but not in scrum-diddley-umptious yellow
just plain ole brown.
Thinking I need to paint, and I may not even have to wait for warm weather
the days here have been in the 60's.
How's tomorrow sound ?

This makes me weak in the knees.
Adorable !!!
So simple to re-create....this is a must do project.

Pinterest you are the best time waster in the world !!!

see ya'll

Gifts Your Non-Frilly Girl Will Love

My Chloe is a non-frilly girl.

She does not love dresses and hair bows, she will wear them for me whenever I ask though, she is wonderful like that.

She does not love barbies and dolls, the only dolls she likes are the Disney Fairies and that is because

they fly, much like an insect or jet.

Chloe is creative and scientific and oh so athletic. 

She likes to know how things work and why why why ????

She loves animals and has stuck to the idea that she will be a vet when she grows up, she has not

wavered on this much.

Oh and she would want you to also know her most favorite thing in the whole wide world is running....she runs everywhere all the time. 

All of that being said.....Chloe is so hard to shop for.

What do you get a girl for Christmas that does not love the mainstream toys.....My Little Pony, Barbie....blah blah blah.........

Here are a few of the things I found that my non-frilly chap will LOVE.

A marshmallow shooter.

This will be a hit.

Since it's marshmallows I don't think it's something I will regret, I mean how much harm

can a little marshmallow do ??

Hmmm....ask me that again after Christmas.



Doodle books.

These are loaded with awesomeness.

I really think most kids would love these, but they are most perfect for my little artistic one.

As Chloe has gotten older she does a much better job in her doodle books....it was VERY hard for the anal creative bits of me to allow her to scribble and "mess" up her doodles books of the past.

Doodle books make great gifts.

BrainQuest Workbook.
We have the BrainQuest cards in all levels and the books in my opinion are even better.
They are in levels by age and grade just like the cards and we just love em'.
They make a great supplement to her school work too.

Magic Treehouse Books, have you ever read one of these ?

They are great adventure type books for young kids.

If Junie B. and books of that sort do not suit your little girl maybe she needs an adventure.

This may be just the series she will fall in love with. 

.

Test tubes and solutions and mixtures.

Perfect for my little scientist.

I got this as well as the marshmallow gun at drugstore.com at a great price.

Do you have more gift ideas for non-frilly chics....I would love for you to share.

see ya'll



Our Christmas Home As Told By Chloe

Want to look around my Christmas Home?

Not so much the rooms, but the festive spots?

I took the photos  and I'll do the typing, but the rest is up to Chloe.

This is essentially Chloe's post.

Sit back and enjoy Chloe telling you about our Christmas Home.

This is our kitchen table decorations.  We have three trees and three birds.  We  made the tree in the middle and the white tree is  my mom's favorite.  My daddy eats in the chair behind the white tree.

This is where we keep our Christmas cards.
See the one under the OW those are my best friends.

This is the red bench.
We decorate the red bench.
Today my Elf, Ticky is in that boot.
The boot is magical.

Those lolli-pops in the skate look so yummy, but we can't eat them because they are mom's
decoration and they are probably so old.

See the red H, that goes perfect with Christmas. 
Our last  name starts with H.

These three carolers are very old.
We got them at the Habitat Restore.
They were .25 each.

See those numbers ?
That is our countdown to Christmas.
We also had a countdown to our Disney Vacation one time.

The stockings are not really for presents, they are to  look at.
Those flowers are a special Christmas flower I am not sure of the name.

This looks like our dog Daisy.
She has a Santa hat on.
Sometimes when we see her we think it's Daisy.

This is Frosty the Snowman.
Last year his broom broke, we glued it.

These are all my presents !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The white house is magical.

One time I accidentally knocked off the steeple of the church....mom doesn't know that..Shhhhhh.

This is another countdown to Christmas.....my mom said we would draw an ornament every day.

We forgot. Ha Ha Haaaaaaa

So there you have it, a little tour of some of  our favorite Christmas spots in our home as told by Chloe.
She is correct, we did forget to start the Christmas tree countdown....we will catch that up...promise.

see ya'll