It was a crazy December followed by an equally crazy January. Starting with Christmas we had two weeks of everyone being home with no work or school. I can't think of the last time that happened. It was nice.

So, here is what we've been up to:


Tim built some set pieces for our churches Christmas play - A Charlie Brown Christmas. I sewed a dozen woodstock costumes for the woodstock choir (aka all the children 6 and under.) I didn't get to see the kids in costume - I zipped them off, dropped them off and ran to my next gig. Such is December. I will try to get a picture or two from people at church because they were cute costumes and also very easy. Alice chose not to participate in the play this year. Her exact words were, "I think I'd rather do tech." She helped Tim and I behind the scenes.


Alice was over the moon on Christmas. She spent hours looking through the microscope with her new friend Julie.


In her new sweater knit by Grandma! (She loves it, Mom!)


Tim fixed a bunch of things - more record players than I can count for a local shop, a few tape decks, and my sewing machine. My machine didn't actually need fixing, but it did need to be serviced. After my horrible experience with our local Viking dealer where they said they serviced my serger (and charged me $$$$) but didn't, I had put off taking my sewing machine in. So, Tim did it for me!

Scary looking, huh?! He did a great job. He also took apart and fixed the ancient embroidery machine that we picked up from Goodwill. I appreciate how lucky I am that he can do this.


And, finally, Alice went through a rite of passage yesterday. She got her ears pierced. She has been asking TONS of questions about it in the past few weeks. Finally, after answering the same question for the 100th time, I asked if she wanted to go to the mall to just *look* at the earrings they use to pierce ears. She was excited about that but said, "I just want to look today." So we looked and she asked the ear piercer lady tons of questions. We walked around the store a little bit and I asked if she was ready to get her ears pierced. She said okay, so we went ahead and did it. She was very proud of herself.

I can't get over how old she looks!

Exhibit night #2!

Last night was the second exhibit night of the year for Alice's school. Less pictures this time - it was a crazy day. Alice and I went when it started, Tim met us there in time for Alice's vocal music performance and I left for my rehearsal. Typical for December. It was just as wonderful as the first exhibit night, though.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. These were taken with my phone.


1st grade made this enormous Venus Flytrap complete with bugs in the "mouths."

Alice's class built two kitchens - one that would have been used in the 1800's and one that is modern. They visited the Ramsey House on a learning expedition (aka field trip). The Ramsey house is an old plantation from 1797 that has been turned into a museum.


Ramsey house kitchen


Modern kitchen

There was also a display of watercolor houses that 2nd grade had painted in art class. Alice had come home from school complaining about this project a few weeks ago. She had said that she wasn't able to finish painting her picture because she had spent so much time drawing it. It had to be displayed half-way finished. When I saw her picture, my jaw dropped a little bit:

She's drawing in perspective! When did that happen?!


There was a Flat Stanley display inside Alice's classroom. Flat Alice was the most traveled of the whole class! Her teacher is happy to continue getting letters from Flat Alice's travels, so we'll see how far she can get by the end of the year!

Last night we went over to Jen and Ildar's house for a photo session. They had attempted to go to Portrait Innovations yesterday morning but they left after waiting almost an hour past their appointment time. Jen asked if Tim would come take pictures instead. It was fun - Tim set up in their living room with his enormous (thrifted) light bar and 15 minutes later came out with some great pictures.












We were trying to get Sasha to show off her new bottom teeth.


Daddy's girl

Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa isn't something one should agonize over. Yet, every year around this time, hot cocoa becomes a thorn in my side. Is this brand gluten free? How about that brand? What about that flavor? The artwork on the package has changed - has the formula also changed? Do I have time to call the manufacturer to play a game of 20 questions? (The answer to that last one is NO!)

Hot cocoa should be easy.

So, now I make it myself. Every ingredient in this recipe is a staple in our house. As an added bonus, I can pronounce and identify all the ingredients! Like most scratch versions of convenience products, this tastes miles better than any mix. I will NEVER go back to those little packets.

Hot Cocoa
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup dry milk
splash of extract if desired
hot water

Mix the dry ingredients in your mug. Add a cup or so of hot water. Stir. Add extract. Drink.

You can, of course, leave out the dry milk and substitute hot milk for the water. Hot soy, almond, rice, or any other kind of milk would work here, too.

Halloween 2011

There's something about sewing at the 11th hour..... We had "trunk or treat" at church on Sunday. I don't know if y'all do this up North or not. Essentially it is trick or treating in a parking lot. People decorate their trunks and hand out candy. There are usually other funfair type activities going on and it is an event that is usually sponsored by a church. We have a lot of "Fall Festivals" or "Hallelujah Celebrations" down here as an alternative to Halloween. Hell houses, too, which are the conservative Christian version of a haunted house. THAT warrants a whole separate post, though.

Anyhow, our church had a very small trunk or treat that the big kids hosted for the little kids. There were less than 50 people there and it was all very sweet. The problem was, I realized on Sat. night that I had to work all day on Sunday and wouldn't have any time for last-last minute costume shenanigans before trunk or treat. I hadn't done anything on Alice's costume.

Ooops.

Enter speed sewing. I made this costume start to finish in 2-1/2 hours. I have NO idea how I managed that. (The combination of the serger and ingesting too much caffeine is my guess...) My goal was to be done by midnight and I finished up at 10:30. I ditched the dress pattern that came in the envelope and made up my own. The dress is a front, back and two sleeves. All cut generously and then I used elastic for the neck and cuffs.

I didn't follow any of the instructions on the pattern. I actually threw them in the garbage after trying to read through them and getting confused. My way was better.

In any case, I got it done and it fit perfectly. Phew!

Alice as Laura Ingalls Wilder Halloween 2011