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.

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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?"

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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?

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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?

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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!

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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.

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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."

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"Winter Song"

 from Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson