Wordless Wednesday: Strike a Pose

While I'm busy getting dressed in the mornings, Margaret likes to rifle through her drawers and put on fashion shows for me. Since shirts and pants are still a bit beyond her skills, she makes do with tights wrapped around her neck like scarves and diaper covers on her head.

Thanksgiving

Margaret and Fritz and I visited my parents in Vegas for Thanksgiving this year.

Margaret wore the pretty new dress Nana bought for her. Naturally, she refused a matching red bow and immediately kicked her shoes off once we arrived.

We had some amazing appetizers while we played Phase 10 and Disney Charades. I always insist on being on my grandma's team, because she openly cheats in our favor. ;) Margaret amused herself by talking to the dogs and eating half a box of crackers.

We sat down to dinner at a beautiful table.

We've been using these centerpieces since I was a little girl.

I love fancy butter!

Margaret reminded us all to pray before we started to eat. (We never intentionally taught her this trick. When she was about 9 months old, Fritz and I began saying our nightly family prayer in her room before bed. Just a few months later, she started folding her arms and giving us a pointed look after she finished nursing each night. She always reaches out to hold Fritz's hand halfway through the prayer.)

Then we all dug into our family's traditional frozen grapefruit and ginger ale appetizer.  The dinner that followed was delicious and filling, just as a Thanksgiving meal ought to be!

Here's a shot of Fritz enjoying his dessert. Boy loves his pie.

Wordless Wednesday: Handmedowns

My mom recently brought over a bin of my old baby clothes and handmade elementary school dresses.  Margaret rocked the 80s yesterday in my old sweater and knit skirt.

Ignore her "just got out of the bath" hair.

I had to pin the skirt.  That's a first for our roly-poly girl.

We also went ahead and put the kids' tree up in the family room, since I already had it out for pictures.  Margaret has had a great time rearranging and exploring the ornaments.  We got the tree, shatterproof ornaments, and garland all on sale after Christmas last year for less than $20 total.

Christmas Card Update

Whew, taking photos of Margaret was less fun than a trip to the dentist. We managed to get a few good shots for Christmas cards, though. What do you think?

Sweet Holly Story Christmas 5x7 folded card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

(Merry Christmas From Your Favorite Naughty Elf)


Here's the inside:

Click to view larger.

Craft Room Tour

When we bought this house, it was with the intention that we'd be staying here for a good long time. We wanted to put down roots long and strong. We also had an eye toward the fact that we hoped to have a large family (whether biologically or through fostering and/or adopting).

The long and short of it is, we ended up with a five bedroom house. Being that after our last set of foster kids moved on we didn't have nearly enough bodies to fill all those rooms, one became my craft room. Previously, I'd stored all my craft supplies in our office, and it worked just fine for my needs. But now I've tasted ambrosia, and I don't ever want to go back. I find I'm so much more productive with a dedicated craft room. Everything is laid out neatly and visibly, and I can leave projects out until they're completed without the family tripping over them.

When you walk in the door, you're greeted by two behemoth bookshelves brimming with supplies, tools, and discarded household objects waiting to find a new life.

Someday when I have a lot of extra time on my hands (ha!), I'd like to decoupage and label the lids.

Across from the bookshelves is my sewing wall.

I really need a larger bookshelf for fabric.

The baskets on the bookshelf hold embroidery supplies.

Open storage means I'm more likely to put things away as I go.

It's sad when your works in progress can fill a container that reaches the ceiling.

If I ever get a larger fabric bookshelf, I'll move my scrap pile to the bottom shelf.  It's reaching epic proportions.

Beside the large bookshelves are a few Ikea hanging hampers.

I swear I'm not a pill junkie.  Friends and family give me their old pill bottles, as they know I'll find some use for them.

Tucked away in the corner is an inspiration board.

Though how inspiring it can be stuck in the corner, I don't know.

Under the hampers and board is a perpetually-full tub of things to be repaired.

We had an extra TV when a family friend gave us theirs for our family room, so we moved this one into the craft room. It's nice to pop in a movie to keep the little one entertained while I work...

...or to watch some Hepburn while my husband is on a football kick.

My scrapbooking and papercrafts table is under the window. I have it lowered so it's comfortable to work sitting on the floor.

Our neighbors have such pretty yards, it's a pleasure to look out at them while I work.

I really need to work on my scrapbooking storage system.  Too many closed boxes wedged together.

I try to neaten the pile now and then, but it always gets crazy before long.

The closet houses big, bulky, seldom-used items, as well as giftwrapping supplies.

Someday I'm going to find a use for all these children's store hangers.  Until then, they're staying.

I save large boxes for mailing.

Under the boxes, there's order.

I had to remove anything not for Margaret before I took this picture.  Below the gifts are 6 Rubbermaid bins full of teen magazines from my adolescence.  I am teased frequently for saving these.

So there's the grand tour of where I spend most naptimes and nights when I should be sleeping a few hours before bed each night.