Hello..

photo found here

We had such an relaxing weekend. We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Ohio, getting to see all my little nephews and neice. We did Christmas decorating yesterday. I may take some pics of a tour of the house for the holidays. I am a bit obessed with little tinsel trees. I have a green, blue, and silver. I just love to see them sparkle. I love snowmen too. I have acquired quite a collection, much do to my in-laws feeding this obsession ;) I think my two fave things to decorate with is trees and snowmen, how bout you? I think it would be fun to do icicles on the tree. Even though they can be quite messy, the remind me of being a kid.
I have to say for some reason or other as soon as December was nearing I got quite tense. I am finishing up some stockings for a consignment order, and busy making stockings for my shop , and I think I'm feeling overwhelmed. As a mother to three little ones, they are at the age where Christmas is magical and the excitement is evident. I don't want to be a scrooge because of all the things I have to do. Quite frankly I don't need to make stockings and sell them, but I like to, but I think I get in over my head, thus, creating a stressed out mommy.
As I write this, my son is wearing a santa hat, pushing a toy cart that is to be a sled for Santa. The joy and thrill of anticipating Christmas is in the air.
I need to sit back and take it in.
Have a great Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving.. A Day Early

via sanrio.com


Have a Happy Thanksgiving tommorrow! I can't wait to eat a whole bunch of food!
See you in a few!

Hello Monday!

And we are back. My weekends are quite busy it seems lately with sewing and now shopping. I hit up some amazing deals at Target yesterday. I check the ads constantly during the holidays to find the deals. Now you won't find me up at 3 o'clock in the morning though on Black Friday, thats just too much for me.
I have been having fun making these little ornaments. I really want to whip up a ballerina too. Kinda sorta like the nutcracker.



I also made blueberry muffins for the first time on Saturday. They turned out quite tastey too. I will definitly be making these again. I found the recipe on Vegweb. I love that site. I have found so many allergy friendly recipes.



Have a great Monday!

Some Fun Ornaments

I have been working on Christmas things here for a few weeks, feeling as if I'm not getting anywhere, so I decided I would take a break from all my work to make something the kids would enjoy that was personal.
I asked them what characters they would like in ornament form.

My son pick Huckle from Richard Scarry stories. We love to read those books, and they even have a cartoon that is super cute.



My daughter picked one of my favorite characters "Hello Kitty." She was super easy to make too.



And my youngest picked an all time favorite for little one's "Elmo." He was an easy one as well!


It was quite fun making characters we adore around the house.
What types of homeade things do you like to make around the holidays, recipes included?

Bakin Bread...

Okay I really have gotten into baking lately, so when the lovely Emma at "From Scratch" shared her recipe I had to try it. She gave a recipe too that you bake your bread in a dutch oven. I had never heard of this before. So I was up to try it yesterday, and boy was I ever thrilled how it turned out. Simply delicious. We usually like to get a nice loaf at Whole Foods, so when my son said it tasted just like the bakery, I was flattered ;) It really is quite easy. And it has no milk or eggs which is a super plus. Seriously check it out, you won't be disappointed!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Thinking about Decorations

via weheartit

So I have been thinking about decor lately for the holidays. I am really into a vintage look. I have been trying to find some bottle brush trees ever since I saw "My Paper Sparrow" on flickr. She compiled the the most amazing collection of pics on her flickr.
Now if I could find some for a decent price.
I do a white tree for my main tree (fake). How bout you? But I also have a blue, and green tinsel tree. I love the little tinsel trees.
I love love vintage ornaments as well. I bought some look alike ones that Target did about 7 years ago. My mom has a awesome collection.


via weheartit

I have been trying to come up with some new ornament ideas. I made my son an R2-D2 several years ago that still dons our tree.


I really do love snowmen. I'm working on a plushie snowman slowly. I have never done a whip stitch on the edges, my first attempt, and it has been quite fun.
I really want to make an advent calendar of some sort. I have a couple of weeks before the count down will begin. Gotta get those holiday wheels a spinnin'.
I start decorating usually the day after Thanksgiving, although I have been known to do it a couple of days before. What about you? When do you like to start decorating?
Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend wrap up...

My husband and I (more my husband) worked on a new banner for my blog. The old one was a bit fuzzy, I'm kinda of not good at those sorts of things. I was trying to come up with what my blog was about so "Needles (for my sewing), Noodles (for my cooking), and doodles (well for any sketches or randomness). It made me laugh.

Friday night we watched one of my all time fave eighties movies "Sixteen Candles" with Molly Ringwald. I loved any movie she was in. She was able to capture exactly what it felt like to be a teenage girl . Really when you watch it, all those awkward feelings of growing up and wanting to fit in come back. I'm so thankful I am past all that ;)

I was looking through some of my suggested shops on Etsy and I found this beautiful print by "Zaraillustrates"

You have to check out the beautifulness that is shop "YellowGoat."
Check out this "Good Time Ring" made to look like a polaroid


Okay, have a super Monday!!

Some Things I'm Liking Right Now... And something funny

The other night I had been woken up by my son, he has been having some belly issues lately (he's getting better). I layed back down, it was around 4 0'clock, and it seemed like I tossed and turned for hours, never getting back into a full deep sleep. Sure enough the alarm goes off and I look at it and say "You have to be kidding me." I have been laughing about that ever sense. Do you ever have those "You have to be kidding me" mornings?
Its Friday, Yay! I have somethings I have been likeing lately.
I have really been liking wearing my brown converse for the fall. When I first met my husband he was a converse wearing cutie, and he instantly got me hooked. The go with everything

I know you really want to hear what I like to eat for breakfast, right? Well I actually don't like to eat breakfast, so instead, I eat it before bed. Not the typical way, I like to eat it out of the box with a cup of milk. I'm love the Oatmeal Squares.

Did you ever play with the Calico Critters when you were little. I have a set, that I loved so much, and now you can find them everywhere. Well as a miniature freak, I was thrilled when one of my flickr friends had a miniature version of the Sylvanian Family for her Blythe doll. Agh! I want one so bad!

Here's there website
Have a Super Friday!

Hello...

I really like Ben Folds. I have enjoyed Ben Folds for many years now, and I never get sick of his voice. I like his sense of humor in some of his songs as well. He can go from a really emotional song such as "Fred Jones Part 2"

His song "Hiroshima" makes me laugh everytime. He tells how he ran out to a show, and fell off the stage. I love this song because it shows he doesn't take himself to seriously.

I remember when we were naming my daughter, his song about his daughter "Gracie" I listened to like a thousand times.
Have a super Thursday!

Christmas Wishlist... Is it too soon?

I have been thinking about a little Christmas wishlist. My husband and I don't usually go all out for each other on the holidays. With three kids, we kind of shop the clearance sections after Christmas, and have our thrill of getting stuff really cheap. But anyways, here are a few things I have spotted recently that I wouldn't mind having.

Well I absolutley love Pip at "Meet Me At Mike's" so when she released her second amazing book "Sew La Tea Do" I was thrilled. Okay, and a fox quilt on the front. Can we say "Awesome."


I love paper dolls, and how did I not hear that the Emily Martin from "The Black Apple" was coming out with some. I love you her work, in paper doll fun.


We always frequent the toy aisles when we go to the store, and legos are a huge hit in our house. As a dollhouse nut I was so excited when I saw these now houses they are making.
Check out the Lego City House

My husband prefers the Lego Beach House

Now that I saw the beach house again, I think I like that one alot too.

Oh and an interesting read for Embroidery and mystery lovers, over on "Follow The White Bunny," Nicole featured author Amanda Lee of " 'Quick and the Thread." It is a cozy murder mystery about an embroidery shop owner. It sounds like a perfect winter read. She is having a giveaway to win a copy. I hope I win!


What are you wishing for this year?

What I've been working on..

I have a busy day ahead of me today, but I just wanted to stop in and show some of my newest stockings for this Christmas for my Etsy shop cowboybunny. I just finished the little German boy and girl stocking this morning, I just need to put a border on it. I was really excited about that one. And the Eskimo's kissing I was excited about as well. I guess I'm excited about my new one's. Anywhoo, thought I would share what I've been working on. Have a great Monday!

This Video Makes Me Laugh...

Friday!... What the.....

Okay, I have no idea where this week went. I have been like in turbo mode. I have been going going going it seems. Among these things are potty-training (the last one in diapers, Yay!), bellies hurting, making stockings, teaching, making more soft pretzels, and well other duties. I'm pooped out. The woes of being a mommy, I wouldn't trade it for anything. My littlest is sitting on my lap as I type this, tickling my foot and giggling.
I have been listening to "Explosions in the Sky" while running in the morning. They are an instrumental band from Texas. Really good stuff, check them out if you have a chance.
You know I have been wanting to watch " Julie and Julia" for ages. I noticed the other night while sewing that this movie was free on Netflix, score! I really like Amy Adams. I loved hearing her getting worried about her blog readers, and she had to make this meal or they would be let down. I think sometimes with blogging we can put alot of pressure on ourselves to be the hip blogger, the unique blogger, or the most read blogger. It really was funny. I really did enjoy learning more about Julia Child. I remember my mom watching her. I would love to get her cookbook though. Here's a clip from SNL with Dan Akroyd as Julia Child.

The French Chef
Uploaded by y10566. - Click for more funny videos.
Okay, I need to go draw with markers before school. Have a super friday!

Some more baking.... Soft Pretzels this time

We had a great Halloween weekend. I think I'm still recovering from not getting much sleep the other week with my son being up at night not feeling well, so things have been moving at a snails pace. I am slowly getting some stockings done . It seems that Christmas is right around the corner. I feel like I'm being pressured a little too early to get Christmas going when I visit the stores. I mean we haven't even at Thanksgiving people, lets slow this down. I can't hardly believe that this year is coming to a close so quickly. I really enjoy the holidays though. I love buying gifts, and most of all decorating. I get a little over the top with the decor sometimes, but the kids love it. I have little Christmas trees that sit everywhere, snowmen, stockings, well you get the idea. One thing that I would love to get a collection going of is snowglobes. As a kid I would stare at those forever at Christmastime. My mom had a couple that she would sit out during the holidays. I remember shaking them to watch all the snow fall so gently to the bottom. My mom loved to decorate as well for the holidays.

Over the weekend we really got the hankering for some soft pretzels. My brother and sister-in law had brought us some delicious ones from Indy the week before, so we were wanting more. I decided I would try my hand at making them myself. To my suprise they were quite easy to make. The best part is , is that the recipe is vegan. I found this one over at VegWeb

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 1/3 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups flour (half and half white/whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let rest ten minutes. Add oil, flour, salt, and knead for 10 minutes (or put in a bread machine).

Divide and roll into long ropes; shape into a pretzels. Place on a baking sheet (preferably covered in parchment paper) until doubled in size. The recipe says 45 minutes, but it only took about 20 today in 80ºF weather.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Bring water and baking soda to a boil.(2 cups of water, 2tbsp of baking soda). Liberally brush hot water/soda onto each pretzel and sprinkle with kosher salt (or poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc). Bake at 450ºF for 12-15 minutes, flipping baking racks half way through if you have two sheets.

Yield: 6-8 giant pretzels. Or 12 smaller pretzels for pot lucks and house guests.

They were super tastey. I plan on making more this week. Veg Web has so many amazing recipes.
Okay I'm off to teach some multiplication! Have a great Tuesday!