Monday, November 29, 2010

Makes My Monday: Shopping Buddy

As much as I try to maintain denial, my kids are growing up.  So many things that I used to do for them are now things they do themselves, or things we do together.  I understand on some level that this is all an important part of getting them ready to launch, but it never stops surprising me.

Gone are the days of mom getting up to make a big breakfast for the family.  Now they hit the kitchen one at a time and make their eggs exactly the way they like them.  And while they're not coffee-drinkers yet, I notice every time one of them flips on my Keurig coffee maker to dispense hot water for their tea or hot chocolate.

Perhaps the most notable shift is the way we shop.  When the kids were very small I bought adorable outfits and brought them home and they wore them.  Then came the point where they actually had to try on things like jeans, so I went with them into fitting rooms.  Then of course, the girls preferred to make all of their decisions themselves and I was even banished from the "try on and admire" step.  Now if I'm lucky, I'm allowed to be in the store at the same time they are.  Jungle Boy on the other hand, would be happy wearing the same clothes every day, so his story is different.  He probably wouldn't mind if I came home with a bag of clothes every six months.

I was so surprised this weekend when Wasabi Girl wanted to go shopping with me.  Usually it falls on me to do 95% of the Christmas gift shopping.  I don't mind, but it's a big job and takes a lot of planning.  But just like she grabs an apron and inserts herself in the kitchen, Wasabi Girl jumped in and brainstormed over my lists with me.  She picked the store to hit first, and even split up the list so we could find things at the same time.

It was just like being out with a grown-up shopping buddy.  It was golden.  It meant someone else to help carry packages, to make decisions with - "do you think he'd like this one, or this one better?"   She was the perfect company for lunch and while she restrained me from a few impulse purchases, she also was absolutely insistent that we buy that tin of peppermint bark.  She was right.  We needed it.

Having another "grown-up" around to help pull off the holiday makes my Monday.  To see other Monday-makers visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Finished for Friday: Gnome

I found this cute gnome fabric from Michael Miller and had to have it.  But he looked a little plain, and he was giving the "thumbs up" sign, so I decided he needed a ric-rac flower to hold.  But the cutest part about him?  Is the back:

Hee hee.

I also fished around this week for an appropriate centerpiece.  I tried to make stuffed pumpkins, but they turned out a little boxy for my taste.


Thanksgiving was wonderful, although as usual, some of the family members got confused about which utensil to use.

Today is decorate for Christmas day around here.  (Yeah!!!).  Link up and show us what you've been up to this week.  Thanks for playing along!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Cooking lessons

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
Cooking lessons

Okay, maybe I didn't have her help with the pie, but she has helped with everything else.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Finished for Friday will be up by Friday morning (San Francisco time).

Monday, November 22, 2010

Makes My Monday: Merry Preparations


This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  I love planning and  fixing Thanksgiving dinner - especially this year, since nobody has blown up my oven yet this week.  I also really look forward to the day after Thanksgiving when I start getting out the Christmas decorations.  I guess you might say I enjoy anticipating the anticipation. 

Overachiever that I am, I always think I'll get a dozen quilts done in the next few weeks.  I wont, but I do plan to make progress on the hexagon quilt I'm making by hand.  I've just fallen in love with these.  Maybe because I can pick them up for 5 minutes and make progress.

Holiday plans and piles of stitching make my Monday this week.  Visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation to see more happy Monday thoughts.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Finished for Friday: Harry and Pillowcases

The kids and I are pretty excited to see the next Harry Potter movie.  We have our tickets for tomorrow.  To refresh my memory, I read the seventh book over again this week.  I re-read books quite often.  Can't wait for these to come out on the Kindle because our copies are pretty worn out.


I also started making pillowcases.  The local quilt shop is collecting handmade pillowcases for victims of the fire in San Bruno, which isn't far from where we live.  This is turning out to be a good way to use up my fabric stash.  Once I got in there and started digging around, I found all kinds of stuff I had forgotten about.  I'm enjoying using it for a good cause. 

I know many of you enjoy getting your links up on Thursday evenings, but next Thursday is Thanksgiving and I may be a little delayed getting that post up.  Apologies in advance!

Now show us what you've been up to!  I love seeing all of your creative projects.  Be sure to visit some of the other participants as well.  Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

It's Time to Believe in Fairy Tales Again.

Once upon a time, there was a fairy tale wedding that I got to watch live on television, sitting in my parent's basement in the wee hours of the morning.  I loved every single minute of it.  The marriage wasn't quite so dreamy, but it did produce this.


Hello handsome.  I've been telling my daughters they need to grow up and go meet him.  Just in case he wants to marry someone lovely from this side of the pond.

But he found one of these.

Oh my.  I guess since one of the requirements to be a royal is the ability to wear hats, and nobody else on the planet could pull off this little number and still look beautiful, she deserves the job. 

Congratulations William and Kate!  I'll be right there watching every minute.  I'll also buy the commemorative tea towel, and if it's reasonably priced, a plate.  Maybe a mug.  But that's it.  It's not like I'm nuts over this stuff or anything.  Okay, maybe a little.  Now I just have to break it to my girls that there's only one prince left.  They'll have to fight over that one.

Tuesday Toonlet: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Drug of Choice

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
Drug of Choice

Monday, November 15, 2010

Makes My Monday: Postcard from a Secret Friend

This postcard came last week.  On the back is a note to my kids, signed "Harry."  There is a Hogwarts stamp and it's postmarked "Hogsmeade."  It's fabulous.  Such a fun surprise.

My kids have no idea who it's from, but the handwriting looks quite similar to that of a friend of mine.  Probably just a coincidence.

Characters, whether real or fictional, who think of my kids from far away Make My Monday.  To see more Monday-makers, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.  And play along!  It's a great way to focus on something happy at the beginning of the week.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Finished for Friday: Cute and Cozy


How cute is this?  It's Wasabi Girl's first quilt.  She picked out the fabrics and pieced it all together.  I helped a little bit with the binding.  She tied this one, but next time I'll teach her how to do some simple quilting.

She also picked out some fabrics for a little tote bag.


Not sure if you can see all the cute colors.  It's really sweet and girly.  I think I need to make one of these for myself now.

What have you been up to this week?  Link up, leave a comment, and visit the other participants.  Thanks for joining in!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Makes My Monday: Undergardener

Sometimes my kids really surprise me.

It's finally cool enough to put bulbs in the ground without fear that they'll come up before December. I haven't been able to plant new bulbs for a few years because of my mobility problems. What a joy it was to go to the nursery and look at all the colors and read their names. I ogled the pictures of giant bearded irises and my favorite, grape hyacinths.

But I had to hold back on my shopping because I know how limited I still am with stooping or kneeling for long periods. So I only got about 40.

Jungle Boy happened to see the packages laid out by the front yard, and what did he do? He volunteered to plant all of them. I couldn't be happier. I let him lay them out the way he wanted them (not necessarily the way I would have done it) and showed him how to read each package to see how deep to set them. He loved using my bulb-planting tool.

I can't thank him enough. I'll be thanking him all over again next Spring when the show starts.

Having help I didn't expect makes my Monday. To see more Monday-makers, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Finished for Friday: Acorns

I've been working on some bigger projects, but wanted to share something finished this week so here's another tea towel I embroidered.  I used the colors indicated in the pattern but I'm not convinced they're my first choice.  I think I'm going to use this motif to make some gifts, but change the colors a little.

I tried a new tool - a marking pen that evaporates and disappears in 48 hours.  Of course that meant I got around to actually stitching these at about hour 47.  I ended up going back over some of the lines with the pen to make them darker.  I can just see myself doing this - retracing over and over because I get more ambitious about projects than I have time to do them.

What have you been up to this week?  Link up and let us see!  Thanks for joining in!




Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday Toonlet: Orange and Black

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
The Orange and Black

Congratulations San Francisco Giants! I'm heading out today to get the kids the commemorative shirts they asked for. Winning the world series is something that doesn't happen every day. Especially around here.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Makes My Monday: Candy Buyback

My kids get enough candy at Halloween.  In fact, what with their sturdy legs, determination, and pillowcases for carrying the loot, it isn't hard for them to collect too much.  Waaaaay too much.

I'm thrilled that this year, a local dentist is collecting all the "extra" candy and sending it to Operation Gratitude.  Operation Gratitude is a nonprofit that sends care packages to Military personnel deployed in harm's way.  The local dentist has also promised to donate $1 for every pound of candy turned in to our local education foundation.

Candy out of the house/donation to education foundation/care packages to soldiers.  Looks like a win/win/win to me.

For more information visit the Operation Gratitude website here or their facebook page here.

Makes My Monday is hosted by Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

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