Festive Felt

I made this little Christmas tree using this pattern but the inspiration is from the trees below. They are from Garnet Hill but they aren't on their website anymore.  I used wool felt and a metal floral stick inserted in the tree to hold up the star.

 

The fabric watering can is from a German store and I got it on clearance! So cheap I sent Katelyn one too because I'm just that awesome!

Buck Bust

I used the miniature mode again to show my new decorations. I found a store here that I'd never been in and now am in love! It's called XXXL. It's a home furnishings store like Ikea or Momax but more like Breuninger without the clothing. They had the deer in several different colors (apple green, pepto pink, etc.). But they only had one Buck Bust! I guess that's what you call him. He's velvety!  They had to get him down from a display for me. He was only $9.99 euro. It was a steal I tell you!
I am loving these bright retro colors for Christmas. To me they are bright retro. Are they? I went to Target last night (hello love) and they have these colors there too.

*

 

num-nums

This are yummy no-bake energy balls. I don't eat vegetables or fruits so I have to get some roughage from somewhere. The recipe and picture (because my camera sucks!) are from the blog smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com . I made these today in preparation for my long (this time 11 hours straight) flight.

No-Bake Energy Bites

(I changed up the recipe a little because the original has coconut in it. For the original go here).

1 cup oatmeal (I used "extra thick rolled oats wholegrain" not instant)
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) I used Skippy Natural.
1/3 cup honey
1/2 chopped peanuts (I used the kind in the can made for ice cream toppings-pre chopped)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla (don't use more than this or you will only taste vanilla when you eat it. I made this mistake the 1st time..) 



Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated ( I used my stand mixer). Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
 

This is the 2ND time I've made them so I can really say they are awesome!!



Little Deers

Our 2011

Christmas Cards.

The template is from Vol.25 I love her stuff!!! And she always has sales that are 40-50% off. (I always wait for her sales and they happen often). I added a couple of things to the template from some of the other "rooms" that come with the Seasonal Room Collection.

Trying to take Christmas card photos with the point and shoot. I used the "Miniature Effect" mode. I LOVE that mode! For some reasons the color is better (not on the girls faces but look at the sign!).

Reindeer caught in the headlights? See how grainy and blurry these are??

The antlers are from a dollar (excuse me, Euro store) and the Merry Christmas banner is from Landofnod.com given to me by Jocelyn:)
*
Emily got a hair cut after this photo! It's now above her shoulders in a bob. Sooo cute!

Little Forest in Red

Remember this quilt? Well I have been itching to make it in another color and I finally did! The wall hanging version. I also washed it afterwards also it would get all crinkly and lovely. I don't usually like to apologize for the quality of my photos when they are bad but this is really bad. I have now broken ALL my camera lenses (so 3 lenses) except for the zoom. I can't use it unless I stand back 50 feet and my house is just not big enough to do that:) I bought another 50mm from my brother but that's being sent to the States so I'll have it when I get there but in the mean time, I have to use the point and shoot so everything is grainy and blurry. I took our Christmas card photos today and thank god the the photos don't need to be crisp and clear for what I'm doing because they are horrible!

This is a self portrait Ava did at school the other day.

She was really excited to show me and point out her boobies and her belly button. 

*

I would post more but I literally have to upload one photo at a time. That gets pretty old quickly. I will most likely save everything I've made lately for when I get to America because pictures load a thousand times faster there! A thousand times!

Jogi-Bussi

I love these gummy-marshmallow-ey little bits of heaven. They are my kryptonite. I can't stop at just one and would be upset if you offered me just one and didn't give me more. My friend Heidi introduced me to them probably a year or two ago and I love her so much for that:) I never noticed what they were called; I just knew them by sight. My German friend Connie is always saying, "mama bussi?" to her daughter (mama kiss?) and the other day when searching for my gummy's, I saw what they were called and just loved them even more. Silly I know. But my girls LOVE it when I say mama bussi to them. I can't help but repeat the things my friend says since I'm around her ALL the time. Another thing I find my self wanting to shout (for no reason) is "hin sitzen!!!". My friend is always shouting at her 2 year old to sit down while in her stroller. Oh that just made me think of my friend Jenny B who used to live here and would shout "Shasta neun" at  her dog (Shasta NO!). That and hin sitzen run through my head all the time begging to be let out.

I guess bussi is Bavarian for kiss. When I said "my German friend" I should have said "my Bavarian friend" because she says she's not German but Bavarian like Texans are not American, but Texans.

*

I got this off Urban Dictionary (my favorite part of that site is when words are used in a sentence. Thanks Jocelyn for introducing me to that site)

BUSSI

German slang for a kiss - meant to make someone feel better when injured. It's mostly used to comfort children and is generally seen as a childish/immature word.

"aww would you like a bussi to make it feel better?"

*

So really this post has nothing to do with anything. I just love these gummy thingies and I'm not even a candy-type person. More of a Chocolate lover but these are darn good!. Has anyone ever seen them in the States?

*

Thanks everyone for your kind comments about Jon being over there and us apart. But I do get to go home for Christmas! I will spend Christmas with his family and mine and it will be awesome:) We're going to Disneyland again. Yay!!!

Pizza and Schnitzel

Thanksgiving dinner is over and It's now bedtime here in Germany.

We went to a German restaurant with friends (6 kids total) and had salami pizza and the biggest portion of Schnitzel I've ever seen. It was one of the best Thanksgivings food-wise I've had in years. Usually the food is not so great and who really likes turkey anyway?

*

I have no decent pictures from tonight's dinner but I do have this of Ava after we got home. She LOVES peanut butter as much as Jon and I do. She brings me the jar with a spoon at least once a day sometimes twice. See her bangs? I cut them and immediately after thought, "oops". Then about two days later I caught her cutting them.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Albino Jerry Curl

Stockings commissioned by Miss Mary A. They were a trade actually.

I had finished the albino Jerry-curled bumble back in October and gave it to Mary when I went to Stuttgart for my birthday. Nicolas immediately ripped one of the eyes off and I knew right then and there that he and Ava were soul mates. That is exactly what Ava would have done:)

Mary's was finished the other night. I really had a hard time with hers because of Clarice and I'm really not happy with how she came out but I had to get 'er done! I also went back and sewed almost everything down (like the eyes, Christmas tree spots etc.) so hopefully over the years it holds up. I was concerned she'd loose the eye or spots and never replace them (because really, who wants to mend things that you didn't even make?). I hope you like them Mary. I miss you!

*

Just in case anyone wants to know, the stocking shape is from an old McCall's pattern. The over-all design of the stocking (the blue, red gingham, etc. and placement of it) is from Pottery Barn. The island of the Misfits characters were made by finding images online (I also had help from Jessica) printing them out to the size I wanted. I traced, cut out and sewed them on. For the names, I sent blank pieces of white cotton to my friends mom in the states and paid her do it. The back of the stocking look exactly the same except for the decoration (characters) and they are fully lined. Here's links to mine, Ava's, Emily's and Jon's.

Made special for my baby's daddy

As you may know, Jon is "over there" and has been for a while now. He will spend Christmas there. So I had to make him something extra special to remind him that we think of him constantly and will miss him like crazy. And I had to send it now to make sure he got it in time and of course he gets it in 5 days! Had I sent it in mid December he'd have gotten it in January. Anyway, this is only the 2nd Christmas in 19 years that we've been apart (the 1st was when he was in Korea). So of course I had to go with something Star Wars themed! He just got it today (but can't open the stuffers inside till Christmas morning) so I can show it off.

It's made based off of the pattern used to make the Chewie doll here. I used a regular full-sized stocking pattern, added the eyes, nose and teeth from the doll pattern (enlarged) and then made a ammunition belt  based on pictures of Chewie from the Internet. The whole thing is wool felt and unlined.

*

Here's Jon from just a couple of days ago. It's already snowing there!

The song below makes me think of Jon there and us here. 

I know it's not December yet but ...

"This is my winter song.

December never felt so wrong,

cause you're not where you belong;

inside my arms."

*

"Winter Song"

 from Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson

Halloween 2011

left: simplicity 5520 and right: simplicity 4944

On the left is the pattern I used for Emily's dress. On the right is the one I should have used but didn't discover it till just now. Boo. I had to alter the left one to look like the right one and I don't like making my own pattern pieces. Jenny's not good at it. 

I used a black satin with flocked moons and stars from (I think) Joann fabrics from years and years ago. I lined it with a cheapy poly lining and then lined the sleeves with this really cool two sided silver and black fabric. I forgot to include a picture of the back but I did a faux lace up. Although Emily's hat is not really the best match for this gown, I had the worst time finding one. The one I ordered online was so terribly thin and cheap and then they had nothing at the PX. I found this at a German toy store. It had green iridescent feathers, green pom poms and thicker netting on it along with the tulle you see. I took all that off and just left the tulle and fabric flowers.

*

Ava's dress and hat are from a German clothing store (Takko. Yes, it sounds like taco.). During fasching last year they had costumes. Not bad for $20 euro.

*

One other thing:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JON!!!!

Love you pooh shiv, you're the best.

10 years married, 19 altogether.   

Chewie, Leia and R2

I'm not going to apologize for the 15 photos of Ava. Because there is a crafting item in those photos! Look at this adorable Chewbacca softie from Pinterest! He was really easy to make...if you follow the directions. Which I didn't and he is actually Chewie #2. The first one is "the ugly twin". I won't bore you with the details but I will say that you should follow her instructions and make the back part with a seam and interface the whole thing (my instructions). Anyway, he's adorable and I love his teeth and ammunition sash the best. Which is made with black grosgrain ribbon and duct tape.

*

Here is Emily wearing the Princess Leia costume back in 2008 when Ava was but a wee babe of  about 10 months. The R2D2 is actually a phone I've had for years and years that of course does not work over here. Oh and Ava calls Chewbacca "Bock Bock". I guess that's not an easy thing to say?

Ludwigsburg Palace Pumpkin Patch year 7

This years theme was Dinosaurs!! How cool is that?? And we went on my birthday and with good friends. The only thing that could have made it the perfect day was if Jon was there.

*for last year and all the years before, look here.

year 6

year 5

year 4 (here here and here)

2005, 2006, 2007 can be seen here.

2

I think Ava looks just like my brother in the photo below.

I'll have to dig out a photo of him pouting at that age.

Who has the coolest shoes ever?

Ava's crazy.

Crazy I tell you!

These are the other kids we went with. Nicolas, Annabel & Sienna.

If you can take your eyes off Ava's crack, take a look at that huge pumpkin!!

Thanks Heidi and Mary for some of the photos:)