Crafty Tuesday: Deco Mesh Wreath

Now that the holidays are over, I can share a few of the Christmas gifts that I made.  No one that I actually know really ever looks at this little corner of the internet (that I know of) but just in case I didn't want to spoil any surprises...

One of my coworkers started making deco mesh wreaths...and selling them for an ungodly amount of money!  I was pretty sure that I could figure out how to make them for MUCH less than she was charging...and I was right!  I only managed to get one made this holiday season, a gift for my mom, but I was pretty happy with the way that it turned out.  And the good news is that I have plenty of mesh for next year's gifts already on hand!

And this was the helper for wreath making...

For more fabulous craftiness, see what Carrie is up to for Crafty Tuesday!

Best Shot Monday: All Good Things

All good things must come to an end...and so it goes with Best Shot Monday. Tracey has said this is the last one, and I wouldn't dream of missing it!

May the start to 2011 be filled with some time to relax for all of you!

For the rest of this week's best shots, see what everyone else has to share at Tracey's!

The Bag Game

I assure you, after you get a load of our family activities you are all going to be DYING to be a part of our holiday gatherings...

So here's the game...

1. Take a paper grocery sack
2. Place it on the floor
3. Everyone has to bend over and pick up the bag with their mouth and WITHOUT touching the floor with their hands or knees.
4. Cut off 1+ inches and then go another round

How low can YOU go?!

Warming up before the game...















Yes, this was the winning piece of bag. That my sister picked up.
With her mouth.
Without touching the ground.
And without putting forth much effort.



The winner and the runner up.
With the size of the original and winning bag pieces for comparison.



You might think that we just came up with a random game, but you'd be wrong. My cousin introduced us to this little gem, and we have played this game just about every year since. And now we have a commemorative trophy to keep track of the winners. Seriously.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here's wishing all of you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and at least a few moments of relaxation during this busy holiday season!

The Little Things

I LOVE Christmas. I love the whole season - the decorations, the cards, the gifts, the parties, the celebrations, the hustle and bustle...I look forward to it every year.

Since no one seems to give out calendars to newborns, we're a 24/7 operation. Which includes holidays - and this year, Christmas Eve was mine. My mom still has a hard time grasping the concept of why everyone needs to take their turn working holidays, but that's a different story.

It might not sound like fun, working on Christmas Eve - and during a blizzard no less - while everyone else is celebrating with their families. But fun or not, yesterday being at work was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Her 90 minutes were spent with her family, making her know just how very loved and cherished and beautiful she was. And that deserves to be preserved and remembered. Given the combination of the weather and the holidays, there wasn't an actual photographer available.

But since I was working, my schedule was wide open.

There are other places that might have been more fun than work on Christmas Eve, but I'm still pretty sure that I was exactly where I was meant to be.

I hope that your holidays are filled with love, laughter, family, friends, and that the season shines for you in a million small and beautiful ways...Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Holidays!

Wordless Wednesday

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional

You asked, so just keep that in mind...

What the *(&@#! is up with the bag on Christmas. Well, allow me to explain.

My family is too poor to afford anything but a paper sack My family puts the fun in dysfunctional.

A few years ago, we were all sitting around at Christmas, and one of my cousins was talking about this game that she had played with friends of hers (my cousin was probably in her late 20s at the time): you take a paper sack, and everyone has to bend over and pick it up, using only their mouth -- nothing but feet on the floor (no hands, no knees, etc). After everyone does the round, you cut a strip off the top of the bag, making it shorter and the game a bit harder. Eventually (or in a fairly short amount of time, depending on who is playing) people start to fall over...

I think that this was originally started as a drinking game, but you need not fear. We had jello shots. For Christmas morning. Hey, they were red and green -- that's just festive. So we played. And, being some crazy yogi flexible, my cousin won.

She wasn't at Christmas, but we decided to try again. Because once again we had jello shots. On Christmas morning. Shut up - I told you we put the fun in dysfunctional.

One of the highlights was watching my aunt (who is over 60) try to get down that low.

My youngest sister was the winner. Although I am pleased to report that I made it farther in the rounds than I did the last time we played. Apparently getting older and fatter isn't a hindrance my flexibility is improving. And in second place was my cousin's husband...who is built not at all like a yoga master at least 6 feet tall.

Seriously, that is impressive.

For some more normal holiday memories that most likely don't involve jello shots see what everyone else has to share at Stacy's!

Best Shot Monday

This is my best shot from last week - or at least the best one I have come across so far...I am still buried under a MOUNTAIN of photos to edit...

For more best shots, see what everyone has to share at Tracey's!

Summary Saturday: Project 365, Week 51 and 52

December 20:




December 21:




December 22:




December 23:




December 24:




December 25:




December 26:




December 27:




December 28:




December 29:




December 30:




December 31:

Merry Christmas!!

May your day be filled with good food, good friends, and happy families!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Best Shot Monday - Plaza Lights, Take 2

Last week I said that one of my favorite things about the holidays was the plaza lights. And I of course had an accompanying photo. But it really didn't do it justice. So here's take 2...it really is beautiful...

And to be fair, I didn't take all of these shots myself -- someone else was taking some too, who admittedly had a much steadier hand than I do... So I am really not sure who took what, although it probably would be fair to assume that he took more of the good ones than I did...


For more great shots, see what everyone has to share at Tracey's!

Best Shot Monday - Plaza Lights

Every year, the plaza outlines all the buildings with lights. There is a big celebration on Thanksgiving night, and the lights are all turned on. And they are on every night until mid-January.

When I first moved here, I didn't really know what the big deal was. The lights were just Christmas lights, and they weren't even all the same color. But now? Now the plaza lights are one of my very favorite things - they remind me of Christmas. And more than that, they remind me of Christmas at my home - the home that I have picked and that I have made for myself. And that is awesome enough that I don't even care (too much) that the lights aren't all the same color...

For more of Best Shot Monday, see what everyone has to share at Tracey's!

Off the Naughty List

We all know that Santa is a major list maker (which I can respect, because I also make a lot of lists) - one list for the nice and one list for the naughty. It would never surprise me to be on the naughty list, but this year I was CLEARLY on the good girl list...because look at all the great treats I got!




A stone, hand painted sign with the Gaelic 'welcome' on it. What, you mean that you aren't surprised to find that I am Irish? Please, tell me - was it the freckles, the bright green eyes, or the red hair that gave it away?!




HUGE and fluffy bath sheets to replace my boring, old, and regular sized towels.




A sudoku game (although I am not sudoku crazy like most people) that looks like it could be maddening enough to make me completely insane fun to work on. I also got several other games, but I think you get the idea.



Cookbooks! I love to cook...




And I Kitchenaid Mixer! I am highly excited about this, because it will make baking things so much more fun easier!

My big gift from the boys is a gorgeous diamond and sapphire ring, but I had to have it sized, so you'll just have to wait to see that bit of beauty...but trust me, it's worth waiting for!