Merry Christmas

This is the Santa Clause that hangs on our tree every year.

Odd-looking, to be sure. But he has become an important family tradition.

And yes. He’s wearing a skirt.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Cookies make the world go round

I love Smitten Kitchen. Read it all. the. time. Every recipe looks yummy and I always think, “Oh, I have to make this!” But I’ve never actually done it. Until last night. I mean, how could I possibly resist making homemade springy, fluffy marshmallows?!

Welcome my first little batch of marshmallows into the world:

Aren't they sweet?

Not quite as square and pretty as the mallows on Smitten Kitchen. But they are definitely springy. And fluffy. And yummy.

My kitchen did look a little like the Ghostbusters movie after they shoot the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man with their proton packs and marshmallow flies everywhere. Yeah. Disaster. So the only option was to make the mess bigger and bake some chocolate cookies.

It was the only option.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any photographic evidence of my mess, which is a bummer because I love to record the extreme messes I make in the kitchen (for some odd reason). But I have two reasons: 1) marshmallow was sticking everywhere and I couldn’t get it off and I was sort of, kind of, just a little bit freaking out about it. I was afraid it would also attack my camera which would probably never recover, and 2) it was midnight by the time I was finished making these suckers and I was just too damn tired to take the picture.

Now after a little searching on the Smitten website, I’ve decided what to make next. A chocolate babka. An obvious choice for a Seinfeld fan, am I right?

 

Let it snow!!

It started snowing last night. Thank goodness!! There’s nothing I love more at Christmastime than a good old fashioned snow storm!

last night before I went to bed

snowy view from the front window

I love a good snowstorm for a lot of reasons. But today? The number one reason I love a snowstorm? I don’t have to go into work! Which is perfect! Because I’m way behind in Christmas gifts. And it doesn’t help that my sewing machine is being a total jerk.

Christmas will be spent at my parents in Florida. But Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year! So, of course, I decorated a little. I made some retro-y ornaments using this tutorial:

And I put together a little Christmas tree bunting (kind of) using this tutorial:

But I’m off to take advantage of this snowday. I’m gonna sew up a storm, bake some cupcakes and then watch Christmas movies until my brain is holiday mush. Happy Holidays

 

All the leaves are brown…

and in my yard. It’s safe to say I’ll be raking leaves for the rest of my life.

 

Bunting

I had to try my hand at some bunting. I mean, it’s EVERYWHERE I look! So, with a little chop, chop, sew, sew, I made my own:

And the best part was that, while searching for fabrics to use, I unearthed some of my Sound of Music fabric. Score! Bunting is so great, though – easy and fast to make. And it really cheers up a room.

The bunting really served as a little distraction from my quilted advent calender. I have reached my requisite freak-out point in the project. I’m way intimidated. I’ve finished making my pockets. Now, I have to start quilting.

Take a peek at the pile of pockets that are constantly taunting me from the corner of the room:

Bad pockets. Stop that.

 

Fabric stash of my dreams

Someday I hope to have a fabric stash that will live up to these!

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!

Yes. I am currently listening to Andy Williams’ version of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It’s never too early for me. Sure, I was outside raking leaves all day in shorts and a t-shirt. But in my heart it’s snowing and time for twinkle lights!

All this Christmas spirit is probably because of the project I’m working on now. It’s a little quilted advent calender. I saw the tutorial here on Sew, Mama, Sew! Totally adorable, right?

I thought this would be a good project since I could get a little intro to quilting.

So, I’ve cut all my squares and sewn all my numbers:

But I’m going to have to go back and re-sew some of these numbers. A few of them came out really weird and warped.  Maybe the zig zag stitch I was using was too big? The five looks ok. But the 13 is crazy:

Yeah. Definitely doing that one over.

 

I’m gonna make a quilt…for real!

So I’m the new owner of some lovely Amy Butler fabric…and I’m in love!! It’s so beautiful. I just had to have it.

It was the first time I ordered fabric over the internet. A breeze!

Usually, I buy beautiful fabric and freak out because I don’t want to cut into it. But I actually can’t wait to take the scissors to this batch…because…I’m gonna make a quilt!!

I am SUPER excited to make one. I’ve been trolling blogs for a while looking for inspiration. I think my best bet is to start off with a patchwork. But I think I’m gonna get one more style from the Love collection before I start. I just can’t wait! I’ve been drooling over amazing pictures of other people’s quilts and I’ve just decided I can’t wait anymore. I need a quilt. Now.

I’ll start simple, but someday I want to make quilts like this, and this, and this, and, most definitely, THIS!

The only thing possibly standing between me and my quilt is binding…it looks…scary/complicated/stressful?

 

Seriously, UPS?

I’ve been expecting a package. It’s arrival has been highly anticipated. Of course, I’ve been tracking it with UPS

It was out for arrival this morning. Yes!! So excited! I love getting packages.

And then I see this:

Really, UPS? Seriously? Way to play with my emotions.

 

Time out…embroidery is awesome!

I embroidered for the very first time last night… And I love it!

I always thought that embroidery was kind of for oldtimers. Little old ladies with bifocals and cups of tea… and maybe some finger sandwiches. But there are some pretty badass people embroidering out there!

I learned how to take that first stitch from this tutorial on YouTube by Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching.

The project I’m working on looks a little like this:

I embroidered the little chick’s legs with a split stitch (which is awesome!). I was surprised at how easy it was to begin embroidering. And I’ve been looking at some different embroidery around the web and it’s exciting to see all the different kinds of things people are making.

So, here’s to embroidery!

 

I feel the need…the need for…plaid!

So it’s fall! Hip, hip! And now all of a sudden I’m obsessed with plaids. I can’t get ‘em out of my head. I think it has something to do with the new Toast catalog. More specifically, this dress:

I. Love. It.

Love it.

So while I was at the fabric store (where else would I be), I couldn’t help but get some of this:

And a little of this:

ohhh classic plaid, how I love thee

and just a dash of this:

How much do I love the remnant bin at Hancock fabrics? That’s where I got the last fabric for just $1.50.

Now, I’m planning on using these fabrics for Christmas gifts. So, ha, it’s not like I just went into Hancocks, you know, and, like, roamed the aisles and, I don’t know, bought all this fabric with absolutely no idea what to make with it, like I usually do…or at least not like I did at my new fave fabric store when I saw this:

There was just NO WAY that I could leave the store without this fabric. I mean…this fabric and I were destined for each other.

I’d never heard of Micheal Miller fabrics before…but I. Am. In. Love.

 

coolest dress ever

I’m in love with this outfit:

Actually, not crazy about the hat. But crazy about everything else.

And I’d love to get my hands on some fabric like that.

photo here

 

Le Weekend

p.s. those are popovers

p.p.s. they were crazy delicious