Sneak peek

The reason I have dirty dishes in the sink.

And a basket full of unfolded laundry.

And sore arms.

A few good movies

Sigh. Hard to believe that we go back to reality tomorrow. I predict a hard week. Luke starts a new class at day care, and that's always tough for him. Work is sure to be crazy. And now our heat seems to be out. So I've been savoring these last few days by relaxing and watching some movies.


Up first: Lost in Austen. My friends Marilyn and Leah both recommended this movie, so I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed. It was originally a British miniseries, but now it's available on Netflix. In this movie, modern day Amanda goes through a portal in her London bathroom and enters the world of Pride and Prejudice. It's a must-watch for Jane Austen fans. Alex Kingston plays an over-the-top looney Mrs. Bennet.

(500) Days of Summer is a quirky story about a failed romance. I really like Zooey Deschanel (not only because she's the real-life sister of Bones), but it seems like she plays the same character in every movie. Entertainment Weekly called this one of the best movies of 2009. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it was enjoyable.


Finally, I got around to watching Julie & Julia.
I'm sure I'm the last person on the planet to see this. I really liked it too.

Okay, back to my pile of blankets on the couch. Maybe I can squeeze in another movie or two before I go back to work tomorrow.

TV on DVD

We decided to part ways with our cable company. I'd like to say it was an amicable split, but that would be a big fat lie. I'm sure it's hard to imagine how a TV addict like me could survive without cable, but we've worked out a pretty intricate system of Netflix, Hulu, and an HD antenna that gets the local channels.

We're also taking this opportunity to catch up on some TV shows on DVD. Up first: The Big Bang Theory.



I've heard lots of love for this show, so I figured it was time to give it a try. And it is hilarious. It's about a group of ubernerds and the hot girl who lives across the hall from them.

Other shows in the queue: Sons of Anarchy, Big Love (season 3), and United States of Tara. What else should I be watching?

Yarn, glorious yarn

Lucky me. I won a yarn giveaway extravaganza on Susan B. Anderson's blog. (She's pretty much my knitting hero. She's the designer of the lamb, the turkey, the tiny elf, Ribbit, and my mom's scarf.)

Here's my loot.


The main prize is the orange and yellow yarn to make the giraffe on the cover of her new book, which my sister got me for Christmas.


The rest of the yarn is for other projects in her new book.

She also sent me this cool Pom Tree.



Thanks, Susan! I can't wait to get started on these fun toys!

The last of the handmade Christmas gifts

Hat for my sister (pattern here)



Scarf for my mom (pattern here)

Hankie Apron

My grandma gave me her collection of handkerchiefs. I don't see any point in letting them sit in a box forever, so I'm trying to think of things to do with them. I think I can find some ideas in this book. And I'm going to try this too.

Today my mom helped me put together an apron to give my grandma for Christmas (is that a regift?) using two of the hankies and some coordinating fabric. Hope she likes it. We used the Apron in an Hour tutorial.

Orangey goodness

Did I mention I joined a quilting bee? A virtual one through Flickr. It's for beginners. There are seven members, and each member is assigned to a month. During each month, the member in charge sends fabric to the others and gives instructions for making a block. Then each of us sews up a block and sends it back.

I got the fabric for the first block this week. It made the long journey from the U.K., along with instructions to make a 12.5-inch improv block. Eek. A little nervous!


The woman who has January is planning a ROYGBV quilt, so she sent each of us a specific color. My color: Orange. Sweet. I'll be sure to post a picture of my finished block.

My month to send fabric is April. I have a plan in mind, but I'm sure I'll come up with 15 different ideas between now and then.

Wondering when your favorite shows are coming back after the winter hiatus?

Just click here for a handy schedule.

I'm marking my calendar for...
Modern Family (January 6)
Chuck (January 10)
Lost {If I have to...} (February 2)
and Burn Notice (January 21)


I've missed you most of all, Michael and Fi. Okay, mainly Michael...

Dear Santa,

I don't want a lot for Christmas. I won't even wish for snow {understatement}. But if you wanted to drop a few of these goodies from Fat Quarter Shop under my tree, I won't hate.

Blush Fat Quarter Bundle

I just want you for my own.

Calm Dolce Fat Quarter Bundle

More than you could ever know.

(The Elves at Fat Quarter Shop are helping Santa fulfill some last-minute wishes. Head over to The Jolly Jabber to join the fun.)

Stripes and polka dots

I made these aprons for two of the little people on my list.

This is the same pattern I used for Luke's apron. It's a great pattern, and I love the Velcro waist band and elastic neck strap.

I hope these kids get more use out of their aprons than Luke does. He doesn't want to have anything to do with it.

My new favorite thing

I think I need to stock up...

Frosty

The Christmas craftiness can't be stopped.

I put together this little snowman this evening. It's a very simple project. (The idea came from the December 2009 issue of Southern Living magazine. I'm not seeing a link online.)



The original project uses old sweaters, but I just grabbed a white flannel remnant from Hobby Lobby. I stretched it over three embroidery hoops and glued them together with Aleen's Tacky Glue. Then I glued on buttons and a felt carrot/nose and knit him up a little scarf. It seems like he needs something on his head, but Alabama snowmen never last long enough to really get cold anyway. It cost me about $4 for supplies. (I know what you're thinking--it looks like it cost upwards of $6 or $7!)

Giveaway winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway! There was some serious enthusiasm about the mini rotary cutter...I'm beginning to quesiton my decision to give it away!

I used random.org to come up with the winner. Lucky #132. Without further ado, the winner (out of 497 comments!) is

Congrats, Carolyn. You should have an e-mail from me. Just send me your address, and I'll drop this in the mail!

Christmas craftiness

Looking for my Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway? Scroll down or click here.



I just finished up this jolly little elf. Free pattern on the Spud & Chloe blog.



He was supposed to have eyebrows, but I ran out of room. His swirly hat makes me happy.



Luke and I had fun with this project. Even if you don't consider yourself crafty, you can make this crystalized snowflake.



Kind of hard to photograph. The points of the snowflakes start pointing in different directions as the crystals grow.

You simply twist together some pipe cleaners and then soak the snowflake in a mixture of water and Borax. (I found Borax by the laundry supplies at my grocery store.)


Ta da! Crystals. Impressive to 2-year-olds and 30-year-olds alike.

Instructions from Martha Stewart here (via Wee Wonderfuls)

Read it: Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

Looking for my Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway? Just scroll down or click here.

I {finally} finished reading John Irving's latest novel, Last Night in Twisted River. It's a long, epic type of book that caused me to rack up some serious overdue fees at the library. But it's a beautifully written story about a family's reaction to a tragic accident. The old logger Ketchum is one of the most interesting characters I've come across in a while. I really hate to say anything more about the plot because I don't want to spoil it!

I'd definitely recommend this book, but I might save it for after the holidays. It's definitely not a quick read! If you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day!

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Please stay tuned for a winner!

Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day is here!! That means you can expect my productivity level to plummet, effective immediately.

I've won more than my fair share of giveaways this year, so I figured it's time for me to share the love and host one of my own.

One winner will receive the following:



3 Fat Quarters from Heather Ross's Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries Line



One mini rotary cutter (aw...isn't it cute?)



A copy of Scrap Quilts: Fast and Fun. (My work library is closing, so I grabbed some quilting books from their fire sale.)

How to win: I'll make this easy. Just leave a comment on this post--any comment (might I suggest "ME! ME! PICK ME!")--and I'll pick a winner using a random number generator. I'll leave the giveaway open until December 6, and I'll post a winner on December 7.

PLEASE make sure I have a way to reach you, either through your blog or e-mail address!
This giveaway is open to everyone--I'm happy to ship internationally.

What are you waiting for? Enter now! Then head over to Sew, Mama, Sew and plan on spending several hours browsing the hundreds other giveaways.

Little lamb

This little guy is a Christmas gift for my cousin's baby. He stands up if you fiddle with the legs juuuuuuuust so. (There are straws in his legs.)



Love the hair.



Pattern from Susan Anderson's new book Itty Bitty Toys. I've asked Santa for this book, but I checked it out from the library for a sneaky peek.

Advent calendar loot

I hit the $1 bins at Target and Walmart and came up with this pile o' stuff for Luke's Advent calendar. I grabbed some cars, animal figurines, stickers, tattoos, books, candy, etc.

My favorite: Glow-sticks! Or the slap bracelet with a frog on it. It's a tie.
Luke's favorite is going to be the obnoxious microphone, a purchase I'm sure to regret.



I'm excited to get started tomorrow!

Thanksgiving: On the menu

I made Thanksgiving dinner all by myself this year, and I think it was a success! Here's my menu. I'm posting this not because I think you're going to run out and roast a turkey this week but because it will make it easy for me to find next year.

Roasted Dry-Rub Turkey With Gravy (very flavorful and not dry)
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Green bean casserole (a la the side of the French's fried onions can)
Paula's Cornbread Dressing
Sister Schubert rolls
Applesauce Pie (this recipe doesn't call for any cinnamon or other spices, so I added some)

My friend Leah sent some delish pumpkin cheesecake and fresh cranberry sauce with horseradish. Yum!

Tonight I'm polishing off the rest of the turkey leftovers with turkey-and-rice soup. Perfect for a cold and rainy Monday!

Kind of a bummer

We went to see The Blind Side today. It was sold out.So instead we saw 2012.

If you're keeping track, we swapped the feel-good movie of the year for one about the end of the world.

So how was it? Okay, as far as your apocalyptic movies are concerned. At least John Cusack is in it.