Stocking and Mitten Advent Calendar

Another of my other favorite Christmas traditions was always getting a new pair of pajamas to wear on Christmas eve.  The very last pair of PJs that I got from my mom was when I was 14 years old, the last Christmas we had together before she passed away.  I've worn them every Christmas since.  Just last year, they wore out.  I just couldn't bring myself to throw them away.  So, I backed the thinned fabric with interfacing, cut numbers, made miniature stockings and mittens and hot glued the numbers onto the mittens.  A little ribbon and clothes pins makes a pretty neat advent calendar.



These little stockings and mittens pack the perfect miniature little treats.  The boys in my life love this tradition, as noted with a resounding MMM, by both.

Quilt 33 "Envelope"

Quilt 33, Twin Size, 2000

Five Bucks and a Thrift Shop

I was giddy with excitement over these scores!
Gap winter coat $2.50. 
"My Parking Garage" $2.99. 
Total $5.49.

Want to know how much the original parking garage cost?  $69.95. And I got it for 3 bucks!  It did need a bit of a bath and two screws to make the elevator work again (works perfect now!).  But I must say I love it.  I love it a lot. Isn't it so cute?

Only drawback, it only came one one car instead of the four it would come with new (everything else was there though!).  But I had a perfect solution.  A while back, I was placing an order and it came to $40, shipping $7.95.  If I spent $50, I'd get free shipping.  Instead of paying that money for shipping, I added these cars, raise the price to $50 and got free shipping.  So, essentially they were free or a couple of bucks.  And now I have the perfect use for them!

I must say that we *all* love this set!  My little one plays with it a lot and daddy plays right along too.  In fact, I've noticed my little one walking away and daddy still carrying out the rescue mission all by himself.  $3.00 well spent.

Every Christmas Framed

This has to be my favorite Christmas tradition.  For a buck a piece, I bought 10 frames and silver paint.  I painted the year on each one.  Each year, I've inserted a photo of us and displayed them. 

I love reminiscing as I pull them out.  Remember that first Christmas you had tall hair that I hated? (His hair grows into a tall fro...that of course a wife would nix once married.) The year I surprised you with cross country skis, that you had carried around in your trunk for weeks?  The first Christmas in our house?  The first Christmas as a family?  I get all sappy.  I think he secretly is tired of this annual game, although he plays along anyway.

At church today, our dear friend took a 2011 shot (below) that needs to be included.  I'm kicking myself that I didn't do anything more than throw my hair up, but nevertheless, we're a happy family.  It's hard to believe we'll be a family of four Christmas 2012!

Quilted Christmas Wreath Table Runner

Goodness, it seems like ages ago I made this table runner. I think I may have been in high school, working on making some holiday decorations for my hope chest (I was quite a kid).   It's good to dig through that box of Christmas treasures and re-discover those decorations you just love, yes?  Well, this is one that I love.  I saw a picture of the wreath in a magazine, made two, created a table runner. 

Not the best picture or the straightest stitching, but I used tiny one inch strips to create log cabin blocks that put together form a wreath.

What treasures do you re-discover from you Christmas box annually?

Trains!

 Trains.  This 14 month old kid loves trains.  And did you know that there's a train that is within audible range of our house every.single.hour?  Did you know that there's trains that go by at 2:30 am too?  Yes, we know that now, because we've been risen out of a cold sleep to our little one wanting to tell us that a train is going by. In the middle of the night. Thank you very much.  Aye aye aye.

And yes, this has been going on for about five months, and someone is still going strong with this train obsession.   He tells us by signing his version of train and doing "woo woo".  You know how many times I showed him that?  Once.  You know how many times I've modeled "mama" and he *still* won't say or sign mama?  Sigh.  But he has added signs/sounds/words for truck, bus, tractor and plane and now talks about those frequently and we know when those pass by.  But still no "mama".  I stand defeated.

Anyway, I was able to catch what he does to let us know.  Wasn't too hard, as we have opportunities to hear the train hourly every day of the week. 

He stops what he's playing as he detects a seemingly familiar sound.

He pauses for just one second, to be sure he's hearing correctly. 

 Then the eyes enlarge, the enthusiasm escalates as he hurriedly informs me the train is coming.  Never gets old (for him).

Being the good mama I strive to be, I have that train schedule memorized.  As often as possible, I take him on that mile walk to the tracks. We wait for the train and wave to the conductor.

Immediately afterwards, he's sports a surprised expression, although completely silent.  But no worries, five to ten minutes after that train, he's back to talking about those trains. Again and again.

Oh to see the world through the eyes of little boys.  How marvelous it is to have a son.

Homemade Boppy

I'm very blessed that one of my childhood friends from my church married my cousin. Friends turned family, how cool is that?  Now, what to get a soon to be mama of three? This generous mama let someone borrow her boppy and no longer had one.  I set to work, creating a pattern from mine, to make a boppy and cover.  

I used our 800 thread count sheets (oh so soft) that had a hole that kept getting bigger (darn cat claws).  It turned out to be the perfect fabric! 

A zipper...
 and some super cute gender neutral flannel...
 and there's an oh so cozy boppy cover.  The whole package is nicer than mine.  With this new baby coming, I may just have to make a duplicate for myself!