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Best Made Plans

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Yesterday morning I rose early to head to the grocery store before dawn, before my girls woke up, and before my “To Do List” really got moving.  I returned home at 6:30 am, with arms full of groceries, and two little girls with pink eye. How quickly all those plans on my “To Do List” were put on hold, and a new (much better, I must say) plan developed.  Cookie-Baking Day.

The girls felt great, but still unable to attend school, dance class, and tumbling lessons, so we just stayed close to home and had ourselves a wonderful little day.  It’s these moments spent with my little ones in the warm embrace of our home that I will remember most as the years move on.  I will never forget their baking experiments with flour strewn all about the kitchen, their voices in the play room as my seven year old reads fairy tales to her little sister, or the tiny fists full of cookies being shoved as quickly as possible into their smiling mouths.

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Some Christmas Sewing

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As I mentioned last week, my Singer has been calling my name lately.  I’ve found myself nestled in front of the sewing machine more and more, busy creating some goodies for the holidays that are so quickly approaching.

The first item I’ve completed this week is a felt garland for our homemade Christmas tree.  (We have one Christmas tree in our home, specifically designated to house all of the homemade ornaments the girls have crafted over the years.  It is one of my favorite spots in our house right now.)  I actually got the idea for the garland from my daughter’s piano teacher.  And the best ideas are always “borrowed” from others, right? Thank you Ms. Nelson for the fabulous idea!

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I am also working on our annual Christmas jammies for the girls.  I’ve completed one pair of pants so far, but I think I’m most excited for what I have next in the works…a sleep hat.  My little four year old requested a snuggly hat she can sleep in.  So the PJs are coming first, with a matching “sleep hat” to follow.  More on this to come 🙂

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What are you making for the holidays this year?  Feel free to share your homemade project ideas in the comment section so that others may become inspired by your craftiness.

Winter Sewing

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My sewing machine spent it’s summer and fall days collecting a nice little layer of dust in my basement.  I never really felt overly drawn to it during those months.  I’m guessing because my time and attention focused on all of the outside work that needed to be done, and sewing never really seemed to fit with that particular rhythm.

But now all of that has changed.  It’s darker earlier, it’s colder outside, and it’s time to begin sewing again.  I have quite the stack of projects in the works, because I couldn’t decide on just one project to start.  It all seemed so fun!  I have forced myself to get a bit more organized in the past few days, and I’ve now completed a pair of nice flannel night gowns for my two favorite gals.  My little ones much prefer to wear night gowns than any other form of pajama, and I’m happy to oblige.  For is there anything cuter than a little girl snuggled up in a warm comfy night gown?  I cannot think of anything better.

Let There Be Light

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A few months back, my girls and I were thrilled to read “Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candles” by Amber Ek in Taproot Issue 7 :: Gather.  The notion of making our very own candles seemed like such fun!  The article drummed up memories from my past when I use to make my own hand-dipped candles in middle school while working as a volunteer at Midway Village, an amazing museum with a Victorian village.  I remember the experience with such fondness and I wanted my girls to indulge in the experience as well.

So, last Tuesday we ventured to the stove, and with a whole lot of adult supervision, we crafted four pillar candles that later lit our Thanksgiving table.  We had such fun that I’m sure candle-making will become an annual crafting experience in our home.

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Celebrating

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As I so often say in this space, Thanksgiving through the New Year is my favorite time of the year.  I love the decedent foods that warm your soul, the many adornments that work to embellish even the most drab of locales, and the melodies that seem to interweave their way into my thoughts.  But most of all, I cherish the quality time spent in celebration with family and friends that this time of year brings to our lives.

This Thanksgiving was a true celebration of family, which was a much welcomed change over last year’s cold and flu-filled Thanksgiving celebration.  And I must say, my favorite part of the day was the spontaneous dance party that broke out in the garage while our frogmore stew was cooking away.

Here is a peak into our weekend of celebrating…

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I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and I wish you a very happy Monday!