Speaking of Felt

Umm could this be any cuter? I don't think so. Find more details here. I am going to have to start in July for next christmas.

Speaking of a Handmade Christmas

Who doesn't need these?? oh my Thank you Melissa for even thinking of these!

Crafty Idea

I thought this was a wonderful idea- It's a little Christmas tree made of out of felted sweaters.

I found this at The Long Thread, which is a wonderful craft blog that I have been reading recently. She has wonderful ideas for home made gifts and toys. This is my favorite so far, probably because it's easy. She gives full directions at The Long Thread. The only thing she didn't specify is how to "Felt" a sweater but as far as I can tell from about 3 seconds research just wash a 100% wood sweater (or as close to 100% as possible) and wash with minimal soap in hot with a cold rinse. Then dry in the dryer on high until dry. These would make WONDERFUL gifts. I think that miss Isabelle and I will be going to Good Will This weekend in search of sweaters.

I have a confession to make...

I'm a scrap booker. Ever since Isabelle has been born Todd has been taking on new project and hobbies. I take that back. For the past few years Todd has been taking on new hobbies and projects which is GREAT! I love that he has found things that he enjoys, mostly because they benefit everyone in the family. Especially the beer making. However once Isabelle became more independent (thank the lord) I have been missing that one thing from my life. I wasn't sure what was wrong or what I needed. Then one day like a ton of bricks it hit me. I had given up all of my hobbies and things I enjoyed when Isabelle was born.
I shouldn't say gave up- I mean "put on hold" and I don't think I was ready to start any new big projects at that time. For Christmas this year I decided to make some homemade gifts including the scrap books for the great grands. Last night I completed 2 pages in each book I was up until 10:30. OK I know that isn't late but with a baby it is. It seems like forever since I stayed up working on something other than laundry or cleaning the house. It was wonderful. So 2 pages in each of the three books are done. And when Isabelle wasn't sleeping at 4 AM I was almost tempted to get up and go do some more!
So there it is, I'm a scrap booker. Who knows I'll probably become a stamper as well but if it gives me the relief from daily life that I need to clear my head. I'm there!

Keep the Home Fires Burning

This is a picture of what will be the newest addition to our home. We currently heat our house with a much smaller red central boiler wood stove. But today we were offered a great deal to up grade our stove to a bigger one, a much bigger stove. I know that bigger isn't always better but it is in this case because now Todd will only have to go and stoke the fire 1 maybe 2 times a day. Where as right now our little red he definitely checks 3 times a day if not more. This will also be nice for our wonderful relatives that stoke the fire while we are out of town. (WHICH IS MUCH APPRECIATED!). SO Welcome bigger stove we will appreciate your warm heat in just a week or so!

Projects, Projects abound

My house is clean, my mind is clear and now all I want to do is crap, I mean craft. I've started crap booking, I mean scrap booking. Let me qualify that, I am not a scrap booker, I wish I was however I'm not. I discovered that I was not a scrap booker after I bought all of the supplies for make a scrap book for Isabelle when I was pregnant. But I'm willing to trying anything once, even twice. Who knows I could grow to like it much like Beer and Squash, that is another story for another time. SO I'm scrap booking. I am going to make photo albums for Isabelle's Great Grands for Christmas. I'm excited. I've started last Sunday and I'm almost done putting the backgrounds on all of the pages.
Besides the scrap booking I'm hoping to finish I quilt runner that I have been working on for quite some time as well as a quilt for our soon to arrive new nephew or niece. Also with all the paper that I bought in preparation for "Isabelle's scrap book" I am going to make cards for every ones birthdays. So if you know of any good quilting websites, or card making websites send them my way I'm looking for ideas! Hopefully this new found desire to get projects done will last well into the new year.

Saturday at Grandma

We spent today at my moms house while my dad, Todd and my brother went shooting. I spent the day writing thank yous. I have a confession. I don't like to write thank yous. I am always so grateful for all of the gifts we are given but I always seem to have trouble getting the thanks yous out. So I got them done! YEAH! here is how Izzy spent the day:

This is a chair that I got from my grandparents when I was little. Isabelle loves it because she can crawl up in it by herself.
After some time playing alone it's time to find the "buppie" -puppies.

"Hell0 Belle, I've missed you"- yes my parents dogs name is Belle. I named the puppy before we find out we were pregnant, like 2 weeks before.

"I love you buppie" She loves the dogs too much if you ask me.

So she flys like Peter Pan why shouldn't she have a Nana like in the story. This is Jake my parents Dog. The Best part is Jake is in Love with Isabelle. At this point I had just asked Jake "Where is Isabelle" and he headed for the bathroom where She was taking a bath.

With thanks yous done it was all in all a very productive day.

The Plus Side to being up at 5:30 AM

A list of things I accomplished-
1) Printed Thanksgiving Cards
2) Packed For this weekend
3) Straightened my hair
4) Started a Load of Laundry

I agree that the time spent straightening my hair could be have been put to better use. I'll try harder next time.

Copyright

I am putting it out there- If anything from the previous post get published and someone other than Jessica and I make money on it I'm coming after you for Royalties. Just consider yourself warned.

Whats your view?

Today I'm the Optimist!

The "If I only had money" Christmas

A friend and I were talking today and we came up with a great idea. Two things you must know first:

1) We decided not to get each other gifts for Christmas. I love these friends but in all reality I don't need anything and I don't need them to spend their money on me when really all we would like it so spend time together. So that is what we will be doing.

2) This friend and I were also discussing the irresponsible people who can't afford the stuff they buy. (LIKE BUYING HOMES AND THEN JUST WALKING AWAY WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS OTHER THAN LAYING THEIR DEBT BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS. That topic, however, is for another time.) But for these people, including ourselves, we thought we should give people pictures of gifts that if we had all the money in the world we would give to our friends and family... the card would say something like that

"Merry Christmas! I have made a donation in your name to the (insert your name here) Visa Fund"

Or

"This year for you I paid my Mortgage so I wouldn't have to move into your house"

Here are also some fun pictures of gifts I would give.

I would give my mom a maid service.

I would give my brother a chance to drive around the Daytona Race Track.
I would buy my father a new ride.

I would give a friend a trip to Europe.

I would send flowers to all grandmas once a week. With a note that told them how much we love them.

But more than anything I would give my time. Time to make memories, to remember, to appreciate, to learn something new.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all of the Veterans out there who had the courage to serve our country so I can live so comfortably. Thank you to those in Active Duty that will someday be Vets. Thank you to all those Men and Women that have passed on for my freedom. Thank you for the families that support these vets while that are gone and when they come home.

I know these two words will never express fully my gratefullness but

I will continue to say them everyday.

THANK YOU

Hook & Eye

We put a hook on our bedroom door so now there is no escaping for little flying Wolinda.

Wicked

WOW is all I can say.. a friend and Iw ent to see this yesterday and it was AMAZING.

Peter Pan

My darling child thinks that she is Peter Pan and with dust from the shelving, a cute smile and a big enough will she can fly. She attempted this yesterday at day care off of a chair. Nothing major just a little rug burn and bruise ego. However not bruised enough to stop climbing the stairs at home.
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OK so I started this last Thursday and meant to put of photos of Isabelle's rug burn but haven't gotten to it. Ironically, however, miss Isabelle slid down our stairs this weekend. She cried for about 4 minutes, I cried for about an hour and profusely apologized to Isabelle and my husband, because she was in my care at the time. Isabelle is completely fine in fact 7 minutes after it all happened she tried to take a few steps from my mother-in-law to me and 15 minutes later she was trying to crawl up the steps again!

Where was I when this happened you ask. I had merely bent over a clean clothes basket and stood up and she was gone. Why don't we have a gate you ask. Because our bedroom door was shut. I don't know how it all happened so fast. I always thought something like this would never happen to me. THANK GOD she is fine. Even now 2 days later I still feed the ball in the pit of my stomach. Where was I? Why wasn't I there to prevent it?

Isabelle has forgiven me, My husband his forgiven me and now it's time for me to stop blaming myself.

Church Dinner

Just before our country turned a new page on history our family did. On Sunday I took my daughter to the church where my grandma was confirmed in the 1930's for the yearly All Saints dinner. Here are some of our favorite pictures.

Grandpa Wolf & Iz

Auntie Jess & Iz

Looking at the Lefsa

Eating the Lefsa- Good Norwegian Girl!

Iz with Great Grandma

Halloween

Daddy & Isabelle

Isabelle and her cousin visiting Great Grandpa!

Vote-I don't care who you vite for as long as you get out and do it! and if you need help finding your polling place let me know... I'll find it for you!

a little taste of halloween!

Our Day care provider brought Isabelle into my office for the trick or treating last friday. As you can see here this Bee Costume will will be used for the next few years! It's pretty cute however. Hope you all had a great weekend and guess what- My house is clean! Now I should have time to put of all of those pictures I have been promising!