Christmas House Tour - Come on in!

This sled greets you as you walk in the foyer. (I trash picked it probably 15 years ago, when living in Somerville)  Please notice this is where Sam (one of our elves) chose to hide this morning :)

This bowl is usually filled with beach rocks, but during this season it gets filled with Christmas Ornaments.

Our Christmas cards get put in the Merry Christmas sleigh.  This was my parents, but I snagged it a couple of years ago.  I went with white bows this year, and really like the simplicity. (I think I got the idea last year from "Journey to Our Daughter)

And here is our simple nativity.  It is paper cut out, and really beautiful!  I think it if from the Art Institute of Chicago.

This gets left for the big man in red.

Now on to the Dining Room....

above the piece of furniture we trashed picked back in the fall

wreath on the window (notice the lovely snow outside!)

and our table - sparkly silver topiaries.  I love em, John hates em!

And finally the Living Room

my collection of Byer's Choice carolers

Our tree.  This one has all the collected ornaments, including all the ones John got as a child

 

hey, we live on the coast, what can I say!

We have a tree in our room that has only gold ornaments on it, and an artificial tree (with colored lights!) in the playroom with nutcrackers on it, but those pictures didn't come out well...

Hope you enjoyed the little tour!

Christmas Prep

Well, here at Tickled Pink Casa we have been busy getting ready for Christmas! (and FINALLY got some snow to make it all perfect!)

We decorated gingerbread houses

Cookies were made for gift boxes...

(these are oreo bonbons - so easy and SO yummy!)

 

 

All packed up and ready to go to John's office... (well, I did stick some gingerbread house cutouts in that blank spot!)

The boys had their winter concert...

(hey, no chatting!!!)

J played the handbells (BIG deal for the 3rd grade!)

And we had our traditional lunch at the club after the concert!

So nice to see them all dressed up!  Although C did say to me while getting ready that he HATES the days I get to pick his clothes! lol :)  And then he asked, totally stunned, if this was what Daddy had to do EVERY day!  Yes it is...yes it is!

Christmas house tour coming as soon as I get some snow pictures from outside! :) Brrrrrr.

Not our Christmas card photo,

but I LOVE this picture of the boys!  It totally captures their personalities.  :)
Busy, busy with holiday prep.  Back soon with some pictures of our recent activities....

a few more glimpses of Christmas

Oh, where will you hide next, our elf on the shelf??

(this elf was one of my grandmother's Christmas decorations!  I always thought they were SO ugly, and now here we have it~and I think it's kind of cute..)

I needlepointed this for J and it was ready Christmas Eve on his first Christmas.

I'm still working on C's and he just turned 7 and is now attached to his stocking that I purchased at TJ's for 9.99 and put his name on.  Maybe the one I started for him will be for my first grandchild...

Our family room mantle.  The nutcrackers are from the show last year.  J's is the blue one and C's is red.  Surprised??  ;)

I think we are getting our tree tomorrow (after watching Santa arrive on the lobster boat) so I will have more pictures of that after it is up and decorated!

Christmas Craftiness

In becoming inspired by Pink, Green and Southern's craftiness, I have dragged the ole sewing machine out of the closet and attempted some sewing of my own this holiday season!  I am even reading the manual and really enjoying my machine!  I wish it had monogramming, but I did what I could!

Here is C in his new t shirt.  (I am even starting to figure out how to do simple personalizing!!)  J has one too (not sure if his 8 year old self thinks it's a little "too cute" but he says he likes it) only his has a blue "J".  I sewed teeny tiny buttons on for the eyes, but the rest is felt (most of which I already had!)  And the t shirts were on clearance for $3.00.  Not bad.... P,G & Southern, those curves are challenging!   Any pointers??
Both boys have said they will wear their shirts to our small coastal towns Christmas Tree lighting tonight.  Hopefully it will stay unseasonably warm :)
And I'm calling for hair cut appointments for the boys right now!  C looks a bit like a rag-a-muffin!

Book Group (otherwise known as great conversation!)

I hosted book group last night.  Only 4 of the 7 of us could get together, so we tabled book discussion and just enjoyed catching up!  We are a great mix of women.  Most have kids, but not all.  Many different choices for schooling our children:  Public, independent and Waldorf.  Makes for some great  conversation.  Some are work out of the home moms, some not.  We really have it all covered!  A couple of the women I really only see at book group, even though we live in the same small coastal town.  We have been meeting since C was a baby, so it has been almost 7 years!  LOVE IT!

I made recipes from the cooking classes I have been taking (YUM!)

Menu

Carrot and Parsnip soup with Grated Apple

Hearty Irish Barley and Bean Salad

Fresh Greens with pear, pomegranate and goat cheese

and chocolate covered pretzels for dessert!!

We were supposed to read this:

I have heard great things about it, so I'm glad we tabled the discussion until next time!

Instead, I read this!  I LOVED it!

The boys and I deliver the gingerbread house afterschool.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get it there in one piece!

The finished product

A group of Junior Aid members came over to decorate a gingerbread house last night.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  The first picture is what we started with (I made it using Bob Vila's plans!!)  Then we just went to town!  I am already looking forward to next year....definitely cutting out the windows and using Life Savers for the glass.  Maybe we'll even stick a light inside???  The possibilities are endless...

Now I'm off to deal with an exploded milk bottle in my fridge.  Yuck.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love my kissing ball that hangs in our living room!  Our candles are in the windows and we get our main tree for the living room this weekend.
Been super busy...last week C turned 7, I hosted Turkey Day, we went to opening night of the Nutcracker, had friends for dinner and took a nice break yesterday.  Whew!!!
Tonight some Junior Aid members are coming over to decorate a gingerbread house for the upcoming gingerbread house festival and I host book group tomorrow.  Yikes, I get tired just writing about it, but tis the season, and fun will be had by all!

Extra hour of sleep for who, exactly??

Still waiting (not so patiently) for the end of Daylight Saving to actually mean an extra hour of sleep versus getting up at the crack of dawn. I'm just sayin'......

Boo!

Happy Halloween!!

(too bad you can't see them glowing!!)

The Pumpkin Patch

The boys had the day off today (professional development day) so we took advantage of the gorgeous day and went to finally pick out our pumpkins. What a beautiful day it was. (when the boys weren't at each other!!)
They got candy sticks in the store.
Posed for pictures (almost perfectly)
never too old to pose in the pumpkins! (well, at least not too old this year!)
And back to school they go tomorrow. Phew! I didn't need any professional development today. ;)

Holiday prep...

Christmas cards ordered. Check. (go here to see many fun designs!) And these were on sale! Double check :)

Tagged!

I have been tagged by The Entertaining house to play along here! You can only answer with one word. I am supposed to tag 6 others, but if you want to play along, feel free! :)

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen

2. Your hair? brown

3. Your mother? witty

4. Your father? caring
5. Your favorite food? crazy maki
6. Your dream last night? no dream, migraine!

7. Your favorite drink? varies

8. Your dream/goal? working on it

9. What room are you in? Family room

10. Your hobby? art

11. Your fear? heights

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren’t? skinny

15. Muffins? pumpkin

16. Wish list item? granite

17. Where did you grow up? Lexington

18. Last thing you did? lunches

19. What are you wearing? jeans

20. Your TV? off

21. Your pets? fish :)

22. Friends? Fantablulous

23. Your life? busy

24. Your mood? mellow

25. Missing someone? my hubby

26. Vehicle? minivan

27. Something you’re not wearing? watch

28. Your favorite store?

29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? this morning
31. Last time you cried? ???
32. Your best friend? John

33. One place that I go to over and over? school

34. One person who emails me regularly? Jess

35. Favorite place to eat? LoLa41

Show us your life - What you make...

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is continuing her show us your life series and is featuring crafty bloggers this week. Head on over and get some early holiday shopping in!

I have linked my website up to her fun list of websites/etsy shops. Here is an "action" shot I took last week when I was finishing up a table and chair set. So much fun! If you are interested in seeing more of my work, you can go to my website here.

Grrrr

I just spent more on shipping than the actual items for C's Halloween costume. Grrrr. I had just realized that he needed the costume for a party on Saturday....

Playroom - Updated edition

Oh, how I wish Candice Olsen would pay me a visit!! Actually, maybe just the lighting genius of Chico...you can see the "before" pictures here. I really haven't done too much, but am attempting to have this room be more family friendly. The big white piece that housed our art supplies, is now in my studio. Moving the island has allowed for a lot more light and I had this striped fabric already (bought for another project). I just made a valance (the second is almost finished), hung some curtains ala Candice and slipcovered the dreaded poker chairs.
I have also hung some black and white photos (that I just ordered directly from iphoto and framed in $5 frames from Wally world)
From apple picking (last year, when I actually remembered my camera!)
One of my favorite shots from the summer! Doesn't get much better than being covered in sand :)

Now if only the ceiling and lighting fairy would come pay a visit. sigh.

Hi ho hi ho is back to work we go....

Once again I need my hand slapped for being a inconsistent blogger! Ugh. I have been working again though, and so my attempt to manage all aspects of my life falls short....

This is not the exact table and chairs I have been working on, but similar in design, with the monogram in the middle. Seeing as I have two boys, this is totally my girl outlet!! (no worries, my boys certainly have some hand painted, monogrammed items, just not pink and green!)

It has been quite an adjustment having them back in school. We had a summer filled with lots of togetherness, which was great, but Momma was ready to have her house back! And then they left... and I had no idea what to do! So it was perfect timing when an order came in. and it is actually fun to be working again. but, it is a bit scary too, because when I am painting, I get SO absorbed in what I'm doing, I lose track of my environment, and then we have pile ups of laundry, no plans for dinner, and a not so happy hubby. Maybe I need an administrative assistant. or live in help. Since neither one of these are realistic options, I proceed with caution.

John is traveling so it is inevitable that I have a child home sick. yep. J has been home for the past two days with asthma issues (we are having to "neb" him every four hours, and he is still wheezy.) But believe it or not, I have no dirty dishes in the sink! And I get to go out to cooking class tonight. Yippee! I will post the menu tomorrow, but think mushroom, squash, and scallops. Mmmmmmm.

Many thanks to those who checked in! I will try to be a more consistent blogger...Do you think there is a support group for bloggers who can't stay on top of it all??

Gabi