Show and Tell: Teacher Gifts

Tis the season...to think of amazing, inexpensive, wonderful gifts for all those teachers your children are blessed by. They play such a major part in your child's life, and even if she's not the best teacher you've ever had or will have, she still spends so much time on your child that she deserves a heartfelt thank you.

Instead of the same gifts for all the teachers we need to give gifts to this year, I decided to mix it up a bit.

For Phoebe's teachers I made casserole carriers. They may not look like much here, but they are awesome and everyone should have one. It's a carrier and hot pad all in one.

I loaded them both up with PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS to show the teachers how to use them.

When you wrap them all up, it makes a nice carrying case for any pan you might be taking somewhere. You'd be the envy of the potluck!

All wrapped up pretty because I believe a well-wrapped gift is a part of any gift giving experience.

For the preschool director, I made a Christmas cake stand with a holiday plate and a candlestick.

Then I wrapped it up with some yummy cookies!!

For Eli's teacher, I made the traditional apron. I do love to give an apron as a gift! Her favorite colors are hot pink and green so I thought this worked out wonderfully! I used http://www.etsy.com/listing/61186264/apron-pattern-pdf-womens-50s-style-full?ref=sr_gallery_22&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=+apron+pattern&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade pattern to make it. Hopefully I'll get around to making one for myself, too.

Here's the back. See, no knot at the neck! I love that.

I wrapped this gift up in a cute sack, but forgot to take a photo. It was pretty, though, you can be sure.

Thanks for viewing my show and tell. I really just need a place to document all this stuff and you get to view it, too. What teacher gifts did you make this year?

A Fun Old-Fashioned Family Christmas

Sunday night we had a Christmas party with our Small Group. A Griswold Family Christmas Party.

If you know Brad, then you know that movie is his absolute-all-time-favorite movie ever. He was practically giddy about this party. Me, not so much. It isn't that I don't like a party because if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know I love to throw a party. I just don't like to dress up in costume or partake in a white elephant gift exchange. (I find white elephant gifts frustrating. My love language is gift-giving and I have tried to tried to have a more noble love language like quality time or words of affirmation, but I am what I am and I can't change it. For that reason, white elephant gifts drive me crazy!)

So I decided to have a nice "family" dinner while we were all dressed up like characters from CHRISTMAS VACATION. I feel like our Small Group is our "other" family, anyway, so it made perfect sense. I was especially proud of my table. It was beautiful if I do say so myself!

I made the trees from styrofoam cones and scrapbook paper. Oh, the wonders of ModgePodge. I loved the juxtaposition of the sparkle and the burlap. To further that juxtaposition, I used silver sparkly ornaments and silver bells tied with raffia.

Everyone else appreciated my table, too. Or at least I like to imagine that they did because I think the right atmosphere to a party makes all the difference...even if no one else does!

I baked a ham for dinner and made mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and rolls. I told everyone else to bring a dish that they always have at their family dinners. The one that if it was missing, it wouldn't be Christmas. I thought it would be fun to share it with our "other" family. It sounds dorky, I know, but it was really fun and oh-so-delicious.

Everybody really like that part!

I also took photos of everyone's costumes. There were some pretty good ones, too.

The squirrel and Frank (Clark's boss)

The tree and Clark.

Audrey and Eddie.

Frank and Ellen. (Kudos to Adley for being the only kid to dress up!)

Eddie and a quote. My shirt reads, "Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas!" See, I wore a costume. Sorta.

The boys.

The girls.

It was a great night and one with lots of memories...even if I would rather do dishes than participate in the white elephant gift exchange. (Oh yes, I did.) Sometimes it's necessary to just hang out together and be silly.

Show and Tell: A Really Great Apron

Apparently, I collect apron patterns. I can't help it. I *heart* a good apron and I really do use them when I cook...unless I'm in my pajamas already (hey, it happens), I wear one to make dinner almost every night. When I found THIS pattern, I knew it had to be part of my collection because it's so functional. You see, I'm also picky about how my aprons fit. I like them to go all the way around and not tie at the neck. Those big ties just bother me at my neck. This apron is looking pretty useful about now, right?

I cut it out of THIS fabric line because it was so pretty. Then I found some fabric that was more kitchsy so I decided I wanted an apron out of it instead. What was I going to do with this apron? Well, we had a party Friday night where we had to bring a $20 gift per person. My apron was perfect! It came together in no time flat and I loved it. The only alteration I made was to move the big pockets more towards the middle instead of completely off to the side. I thought they would be more functional that way.

Notice how the back ties at the bodice and not at the neck. Hallelujah!

I can't wait for the fabric I've picked out to get in. It's going to be awesome!

Oh, and the gal who won the apron in the Chinese gift exchange is a baker and she was so excited! Makes my heart happy, is what it does.

Elf on the Shelf: Week 3

I cannot believe a week and day from today is Christmas!! I'm kinda sad that it's going so fast and kinda excited because I love Christmas all at the same time.

Jack B. had a good week, too. On Sunday, he rode around in Santa's sleigh.

He caved to his sweet tooth on Monday. Eli wondered how he could really watch them if his head was stuck in the M&M's.

A snowball fight ensued with Batman on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, he had a tea party with some of our Little People, but, for the life of me, I could not get it to load. Maybe later...

He went into hiding on Thursday.

Friday he made a paper chain and decorated the mantle. I guess he figured it was too boring.

This morning, we found him catching up on his Christmas reading.

What did your elf do this week?

Show and Tell: Sassy Overalls

I made these overalls for Phoebe using THIS pattern. I used THIS line of fabric. And they were soooo easy. I can't wait to make a whole bunch more!

I think they might be just as sassy as she is!

Then again, that's a pretty tall order.

But I think they're both up for it. :)

The Story Behind My Ring

If you saw my TEN ON TEN post, you might have noticed that the diamond fell out of my engagement ring on Sunday. I knew one of the prongs had been loose for awhile, but I checked every once in awhile and the diamond never felt loose. Then on Sunday, while I was driving home from the NUTCRACKER, I noticed it was gone! I had no idea when I'd last seen it and I was in a bit of a panic. Not so much because I was worried Brad would be mad at me for being so careless, but because he might think I did it on purpose!

You see, I've been kind of angling for a new wedding set for awhile now. I got married at 22. I thought it would be romantic to steer my future fiancé in the right direction and then love the ring he chose for me. I thought I wanted simple. I thought I knew what I liked.

I didn't know jack.

And then I got on PINTEREST and started seeing all those lovely, vintage-inspired rings all the young gals were posting on their wedding boards. I loved them. I wish Pinterest had been around back in the day and maybe I would have seen something I just loved. Also, I've learned in the last 11-and-a-half-years that I don't particularly care to have Brad pick out my stuff.

I've had several friends ask how I could give up the ring I was given at 21 by my future husband. This new ring won't have the sentimentally the old ring did. I disagree. This new ring will mean even more. I love Brad more now than I did 11 years ago. We've been through some pretty rough patches and emerged from the storm a stronger (albeit a more realistic) couple than we were before.  I know there are still storms to weather, but there are no words to describe how I feel about him and about our marriage right now. Mere words would only cheapen the emotion. He's more than my best friend. He's more than my rock. He's more than the amazing father to my children. He's more than a man with his own demons and baggage who looks to the Lord for strength and guidance and ways to live his life. He's more than a man with integrity and generosity and an amazing work ethic. This new ring will signify all of that. It will represent what we've become as a family. It will mean as much, or more, than the old one. Plus, it'll be prettier. :)

I'm not trading in the old ring or anything. I won't let Brad trade it in to get a better deal on the new ring (because despite all the great things I listed about him earlier, he's also a skinflint). I'd like to melt it down into a pretty pendant to give Phoebe when she turns 16. It will mean something to her like it meant something to me. A representation of where she came from and where we were.

I am deeply sentimental about things. Just look around my house at my great-grandmother's quilts and my dad's childhood gun rack hanging in my son's room (it now holds lightsabers) and my grandparents bed in my guest room. What we surround ourselves with tells the story of who we are. I believe that things are beautiful if you love them. Why would getting a new wedding set change any of that?

We won't have time to deal with all this until after Christmas. At the moment I'm sporting a cheap-o ring from a local costume jewelry store (think: Sam Moon) because I felt naked wearing just my wedding band. But I can't wait! I'm trying to find a free 30 minutes somewhere to just go look at rings and decide exactly what I want. It's kind of exciting! But I'm trying to be realistic because, really, where am I going to find a free 30 minutes 12 days before Christmas. But a gal's gotta have hope, right?

So keep checking my blog and my hand. Soonish I'll be sporting a new ring to signify an old relationship that always feels new. It reminds of the quote by Mignon McLaughlin

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

The Nutcracker

Sunday we started what I hope will be annual tradition. We went to the Lone Star Ballet's Nutcracker. The story is timeless. The show is fairly short. It was great fun for these two girls. We left the boys at home to burp and scratch and play the Wii to their hearts content. Perfect for everybody!

I wasn't going to buy a new dress for Phoebe for the occasion, but then last Tuesday I saw THIS on sale at our local Gap. Even more on sale than the Internet! It was love at first sight. I knew she needed for The Nutcracker.

She looked beautiful...if only she had acted as beautiful! She had a bit of a rough day. :(

But we were determined to enjoy ourselves!

I had bought her a Nutcracker at Hobby Lobby with intentions to sparkle it up a bit (because, really, what's a Nutcracker without any sparkle?), but I ran out of time and decided I could just buy one of the Nutcrackers the Lone Star Ballet was selling in the foyer. My time was worth it...this time anyway.

When we got to the venue, it was crazy packed. But I elbowed my way past some other crazy moms to get to the counter. Phoebe chose a sparkly green and pink Nutcracker that was $30 and I was getting ready to pay (I think this is when my diamond fell out, btw). And then she saw a sparkly read one that she wanted even more. It was only $13!! Score! We bought the Nutcracker and watched the show.

She couldn't figure out why were going to watch a show about a Cracker, though. :) She was disappointed when the show "paused" for the dancers to rest and get their costumes changed.  It was all good when they "hit play" again!

One of the gals in our Huddle had several major roles and Phoebe spent most of her time looking for Baylee.  Thank heavens she was in almost every scene!

Phoebe's dance teacher was also in the show. That was very exciting!

We had lots of fun (except for the diamond losing part...post coming soon about that!) and I think she's already excited about next year.

My brother always says I have holiday OCD because I like to do the same things at the holiday in the same way year after year. It just doesn't seem like Christmas if you don't! This will be a nice symptom of my OCD tendencies. :)

Ten on Ten: December 2011

Oops!

I kinda sorta forgot to take my photos for TEN ON TEN yesterday, the actual 10th of December.
So I did them today. :) I had a great Sunday. Church. Lunch. NUTCRACKER. Home. Busy but complete. The perfect kind of day to take a photo an hour for ten consecutive hours. There was much life and beauty on this ordinary day.

Go HERE to see other 10 on 10 blogs and HERE to see the originator's 10 on 10.

Happy Ten on Ten! (or Eleven...whatever.)

Elf On The Shelf: Week 2

Brad has decided that I am having way too much fun with our elf, Jack B, this year. What can i say? I love all the magic of the season!

Jack B. got creative this week.

On Sunday, he watched the kids from the kitchen table chandelier.

He tried to remind us on Monday that we need to be thankful everyday for the very best gift ever.

Tuesday he got creative with the legos.

Wednesday he was the Superhero who saved Christmas!

Thursday was my favorite! He raided the kids underwear drawer and redecorated the Christmas tree. Eli was kind of worried that someone would see it and he'd be embarrassed. That kid is growing up way too fast!

On Friday, after a particularly bad day on Thursday, he gave the kids another chance and reminded them that everyday is a new day. And he gave them candy! The mirror read: Let's have a better day today. -JB

Saturday he found a warm spot by the fire and hung out in my stocking. Brrrr, was it cold!

Where did your elf show up this week?

ELF ON THE SHELF: WEEK 1