recap

A brief catch up of our last week or so...

Marshmallows...

The weird ornaments I promised...


Fabric wreath finished...
I have been working on a gag calendar for my boss at work. I took head shots of everyone and have been turning them into classic paintings. Luckily, I work with my mother, so I made her into the Girl with the Pearl Earring. She will kill me if she knows I posted this (Pam!).

And me as Frida. I re-did mine as Nefretiti because no one knew this painting. I'll share the other one soon. Kevin didn't know who I was in this one! He said "who is that guy?". Hum...

sequins and stockings

This is our Maine themed advent calendar. Eliot has been getting different rubber stamps each day so far with a few marshmallows mixed in. We made our own marshmallows this weekend flavored with vanilla beans..yum! Next will be peppermint. I am experimenting with some flavored sugars.

Eliot's Christmas stocking is now hanging up on our mantle where there used to be a fireplace and now is a radiator- close enough, ay? We got our tree up this weekend and it smells so good. We decorated it with the cast offs and childhood ornaments of my youth. Some are pretty funny, ie Santa in a track suit. I will have to share some photos.

I am trying to find ways to incorporate sequins into everything. I may have to make myself a sequin winter hat.

shes got legs

If I have to live through a Maine winter I might as well do it in style. Really, it's because it feels like I am wearing pj's all day. Heavy leggings with full leg length wool legwarmers are my new uniform under a cute skirt and boots. It is warm and comfy, highly recommended. This is the best sock site I have found.

This Christmas craft I haven't quite decided if I like or not. I made this from a Martha Stewart recipe and templates. I like the shape of the birds but not the texture of the dough. I am going to try lightly sanding them and then adding glitter. I think they may stay on our tree instead of being given as gifts. I may try this again with salt dough and see if it comes out any better. Or, maybe with a mod-podged mixed media look? It has potential.

Rainbow

We took a walk through the Audubon last weekend and I noticed a rainbow in my pictures. I guess in winter we still have color I just need to look a little harder.

Snowing and Making

Here are the pine cones I mentioned previously. They are opening up nicely and will soon be glittered.

This is another Christmas project Eliot and I are working on together. I hate to only give you half the story but I don't want to post finished products just yet...

Watching the first 'real' snow fall. Nice and snug between couch cushions.

We went and visited Santa. Eliot was so excited. He lit the Christmas tree via the bucket of a fire engine, ladder truck. That cemented Santa as the coolest guy ever. Santa asked what he wanted - a car. What kind of car? - a convertible that goes fast. That's my boy. Make it baby blue with white wall tires and I'll drive him to preschool in style.

a lit up walk

The moon has been amazing here the past few nights. It is huge and surrounded by wispy clouds. It almost out shines the Christmas lights around town.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving down on the Cape with Kevin's folks. Good food and family and very few pictures. The past week has been spent digesting and getting reved up for the rest of the holiday season. Eliot is into the advent calendar this year, so that has been fun, and a little challenging for me. He has had marsh mellows twice so far as I scramble to find things for the rest of the doors. So much for preparation.

I bought a wreath form to make a fabric wreath and I found a ton of awesome and easy ornament ideas on Martha Stewart's site. No matter what the blog world is up to I swear she manages to be a step ahead, or maybe I am a step behind? I also took some great pictures today in the woods hunting for pine cones and treasures, the river etc until I realized I forgot the CF card again! I need to hide backups everywhere.

Enjoy the lights around Portland: