little lovelies handmade

Jellies

Due to a crazy schedule of laundry, shopping and vacation packing the rest of this week's blogs will take place in photo form!

So much for the romantic sunset shot...

Due to a crazy schedule of laundry, shopping and vacation packing the rest of this week's blogs will take place in photo form!

This is really more indicative if our relationship anyway, lol!

Sue that Contractor!

Due to a crazy schedule of laundry, shopping and vacation packing the rest of this week's blogs will take place in photo form!

Due to a crazy schedule of laundry, shopping and vacation packing the rest of this week's blogs will take place in photo form!

 

The offensive quail egg sushi. Shoulda used a flash.

Back for a bit

I hadn't intended to be off line for a few days, but the holidays will do that to ya. Especially a lovely extended weekend spent with family. Aaron is 30 on Friday and to celebrate the milestone his parents rented a beach house in Carmel to spend the Thanksgiving holidays. It was really lovely and as relaxing as any vacation can be when your children rise at 6:30 or earlier each morning. Thank goodness we went with family who love our kids (and us) enough to put up with how loud we are in the pre-dawn hours.

If you have never been to Carmel before, it is a must do on the California coastline. This town is straight out of a storybook. It always reminds me of what I imagine the Hollow from Mr. Toad's Wild Ride would look like. We went there for our honeymoon and this trip was our first time back. Not much has changed, though there seemed to be literally 12 galleries and restaurants on every block. Seriously a TON. Since we are uncultured and dirt poor in comparison to Carmel's residents and usual tourists it was not something we could really appreciate. And I'm sorry, people. Not everything slapped onto canvas or carved out of...whatever should be called art. But, to each his own, I suppose.

We window shopped, which was shockingly fun. Window shopping at stores where you can't possibly afford anything in them is actually enjoyable. I did buy a few things at Anthroplogie, but they were on the super duper crazy clearance rack. I also found some crafty inspiration there, which I'll save for another post another day. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and out for sushi where Aaron and I had the most disgusting roll I have ever eaten in my life. We made gingerbread houses, played on the beach and had tea at the Tuck Box, quite possibly the cutest little eatery eva.

Now I am back, knee deep in laundry and house cleaning and packing for yet another trip befor e my big tonsillectomy. We leave for Disneyland on Saturday morning. I know, what business does a couple of sickies like us have going to Disneyland? None, really but the "ahem* genius who reserved the trip didn't purchase vacation insurance so it's Disneyland or bust. Literally! Please please pray we don't get sick on this trip!!

Go Elf Yourself!

Thanks to Meg, this one will make its way across blogland!

Just in case you didn't know...

The holiday gift guide is still in full force over at the Handmade Parade Blog. It will be a great resource for those of us who took the Handmade Pledge. You know the one where you pledge to buy only handmade and ask for others to do the same for you? Yeah, that's the one. Well, I already technically busted the pledge about 30 seconds into it.

My mother and I were at Target *gasp* in the dollar section *GASP* and saw that they had their play food again. I mean come on! I bought them some food, aprons, chef hats and potholders for $12 before I even remembered the pledge. I curse the dollar section! So my mom took all the play food and will give it from her since she took no such pledge and can buy all the cheap forgien made toys she wants. I kept the aprons and hats because I am embroideing their intials and other cuteness to them. And I will call them handmade and not even feel guilty about it.

Here's how selective a reader I am. I completely missed the part "...and ask others to do the same for you." Damn. Guess I don't get a food processor this year.

I have no idea what I am doing.

I am making the kids quilts. I want to say that I am making them for Christmas, but I have a feeling that might be a bit optimistic. Especially since I have noooo clue what I am doing. I did a 5x5 swap during the summer and now have 500 5 inch squares (actually I have 450, because *ahem* one of us wasn't paying attention and sent 6 inch sqaures.). Anyway. I am sewing them into quilts for the kids.

So what if I don't know what I am doing. I know, I could tear it apart and re-sew it correctly. But we all know I'm not gonna.

I'm a Corporate sellout

Yes I am.

I'm a sucker for Starbucks and their Chai Lattes and stupid coffee cup holiday ornaments (yup, I bought one, but I waited and got mine half off after xmas).

I can't leave Target without spending at least $30. Ever. It just isn't possible to spend less than $30. (I really should say it isn't possible to spend less than $60, but once I spent only $30).

I know most people think Wal-Mart will destroy America, and maybe so...(but $2/yd fabric...so cute...so cheap).

I love Disneyland and 80% of Disney's feature films. I hate the way they pimp their movie characters before and during a movie's release, but there is probably no mother in America who dosen't.

Anyway, all that to say, only 3 more weeks till we are knee deep in the three year old begging for Daniel Boone hats and cap guns (which is what my husband did when he was a little tyke) in the Happiest Place on Earth. Course something tells me they probably won't be selling cap guns this time around.

Our previous trips Monkey was too little to care about toys and other stuff and we just never went into the stores with him, so I am not even sure he knows they exist. He does, however equate Disneyland with lollypops because 2 of the roughly 4 lollypops he has had in his life were given to him at DL. I hate lollypops and the styicky mess associated with them, so anytime he gets one is pretty dang memorable, even at almost 4.

In fact when we talk about this upcoming trip he talks about getting the biggest lollypop he can find and goes on to describe those big old fashioned rainbow spiraly jobs. we'll see about that. 

Two

When she toppled over my tea dangerously close to my keyboard this morning, I knew it would be one of those days... Amazing what a huge mess an 8 oz cup of chai tea latte can make. Really, it was shocking. I told her to go play while I cleaned up the mess. She went into the kitchen where we keep her play kitchen and I heard her happily banging around with her stove.

After a minute I noticed it got a bit quiet, so  went in there to find her smearing unfinished raisin bran all over the floor. Lovely. I cleaned that up, gave her a bath and decided (at 9:30 am, mother of the year here) it was naptime (she actually slept, so I don't feel bad).

This afternoon while Monkey and I were fiddling with some Christmas decorations she went into the bathroom and dumped two bath towels into the toilet and made sure they were good 'n' soaked. Another bath and some serious stern talking to was followed by a trip to Starbucks for hot chocolate. Momma needed a break folks.

But did momma think for one second about the consequences of a toddler and her own hot chocolate?

No she did not.