Yay for Last Minute Christmas Suprises...

In the mail. That tricky Buttons Magee. Thanks, Rachel!

In the Last Few Minutes of the Day...

I'd like to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas.

Cleanish Day

I semi-re-organized (take that, PREFIXES!) the upstairs yesterday. Or, as I like to call it, the Very Hot Sewing Spot. I've really never called it that, but whatever, it IS hot up there. Here's what I have to show for my efforts: a packaging/wrapping station! It will never be this clean again, so I'm going to enjoy it now. Now, back to Christmas Fever!

Snowed In.

Ok, so, it probably isn't nearly as bad as I make it sound. Other people seem to be driving, albeit rather slowly. But we don't need to around here, so we're taking the day off. We made a pumpkin pancake breakfast, watched an extremely edited version of "Carrie" on tv, and did a little Christmas prep. As I type this, Husband is asleep on the couch with the KU game playing, and Baxter is curled up behind me on the office chair. All very cozy, don't you think? I love it.Another thing I'm loving is the package I got earlier this week from Angie of Cozy Nest. Look at how beautifully presented everything was! And look at the awesome goodies! Baxter, unfortunately, has taken to stealing the Flower Pin and batting it around the (cough) rather dusty floor, but a good brush off I'm sure it will be ready for a night out on the town! How great is that tissue holder? And how did she know that I've been meaning to make one of these for myself FOREVER? And the German postcard. Totally awesome. Thanks, Angie!

The Return of the Bento.

It's a fun pattern and all, but I think I'll wait a few months before I make another.

Presents.

My husband says I'm greedy for presents. He's right, and I made out like a bandit this year. Check it out. I can hardly believe that I now own a Denyse Schmidt Quilt. It kind of happened on accident, I was innocently shopping yesterday at this local discount-warehouse-store type place, and sitting behind the jewelry counter, there they were. Four DS quilts, all marked at $100. And in my bag, still in the pink birthday envelope, a $100 bill. Destiny, right? The other really amazing gift is this book, a collection of Windsor McKay's Little Nemo comics. If you haven't seen these, you really need to check them out, they're such beautiful examples of really great comic illustration. Jealous yet?

Sick Day.

Today was a sad sickly day around this house. but there were a few things that made it brighter. You see, I'm not the only one who gets excited wen one of these shows up on the doorstep. Also, my small assistant has to check to make sure everything is up to his standards. This box o' fun was purchased with some cash I got for my birthday yesterday, (although the order was placed a week prior, funny how that happens...) so soon I will have to show you the other loot that I received. The 30 Rock dvd set has proved to be invaluable in our pathetic weakened state, when inserting a dvd is about all we can manage. I also did these a few days ago, but have been to lazy to upload them. That's about as much content as I can muster up today, I'm off to the couch again.

Have I Mentioned, That I Now Own A Table?

I think, after a year and a half of moving from small apartment to slightly-less-small apartment, (4 in all) the thing I have longed for most is the luxury of a table. This may seem simple and stupid, but when you don't have room for a table, you lose a small piece of the idea of "home." Because a table, it's a hub, you eat at it, you stack stuff on it, you dress it up for holidays... Anyway, I'm being silly. but I finally have my dream table. Craigslist, people, seriously, I knew if I waited, it would appear, and it did. Small enough to fit our little nook, and a perfect two-seater when the drop leaves are dropped, but can accomodate ten if you put in all the leaves and, well, buy more chairs. The best part, though, is that now I can use all of the vintage tablecloths I have been collecting in anticipation of table-ownership. Tammis Keefe, anyone? Yes, please. Also, I can start taking artful photographs of the pretty things I eat for breakfast. Except, of course, that I leave the house before the sun makes an appearance and I generally breakfast on "fun size" candy bars...

What's Under My Tree.

Wow, that title sounds weirdly suggestive. I apologize for that. I'm just referring to my tree skirt, I swear. It's not quite finished yet, but I just couldn't wait to show it off.Now, beware of a shameless etsy plug coming up, in 3, 2, 1... And if you're looking for something to put under your tree....Wow. No. I just can't do it. But I will post the pictures, because, hey, it is a craft blog, after all. Hand-painted bowls, featuring deformed gummi bears and little leafies, and my new favorite thing to do whilst watching project runway.

This Happens Almost Every Day.

But the sandwich usually goes into a baggie.

What I Have to Show for My Weekend.

Goody Goody Gumdrop

Ok, so these pillows ARE fun. I think someone else already said that, and I thought, yeah, right, nothing that I have to shove batting into up to my elbows can really be FUN, but, seriously, these cushions are. And fast. I picked up the pattern yesterday at about three, spent about an hour sewing last night and about 45 minutes stuffing and sewing today. And easy, because, hey, I did it, and I have almost no pillow/stuffy experience. So, seriously, go out and get Amy Butler's Gumdrop pillow pattern, and I will be napping in the chair with my feet up.
(Also, the fabric, delicious, yes? From the Belle collection, Amy B again, of course.)

The Slightly Chilly Winds of Change.

Wow, so, I'm just getting silly with the headings now. Ridiculous really. Laughable. But, anyway, the point is, some things are going to change around here, namely, the deplorable header and the insane lack of any cohesive design. I'm not saying it will change quickly, but seeing as I've meant to do it for the past 6 months, it will at least START. Because other things have been changing here, in the physical realm, most notably, my sewing space. In my quest to find the perfect table for the downstairs, I bought a table that looked awful in its intended spot, but was perfect for the upstairs. Which is how I ended up with a dedicated sewing table and another table all for cutting. I know, at first it seems a little silly, or, it did to me, but oh, man, is it time-saving. I never realized how much time I spent shifting stuff around to accomplish different tasks, but it was A LOT. Now that I've started to get the room organized, it really feels like a much better place to work, and I think that will help with productivity. Next on the list: Flannel board for putting together quilts, and better fabric organization.