New Furniture

I love how blessings sometimes come so unexpectedly. 

August said the other day she wanted a desk for her room. She has started getting into scrapbooking and she also likes to do quilting and wanted a place to be able to work in her room. 

Kiley has needed a dresser and bedside table since we moved in here earlier this year. She and August used to share a room and a dresser but when we moved here and they got their own rooms, Kiley was left without a dresser. She has been using two small 3 drawer things on wheels and it wasn't enough space for her clothes. 

On this past Sunday our next door neighbor told Adam they were giving away a girls bedroom set, and would we be interested. When Adam got home from work tonight he went next door to bring it all over. A desk, a dresser, and a bedside table. What a wonderful blessing. God is so good.

It's beautiful too and matches a bedside table that August already had. It's a good quality vintage 50's or 60's set made from real wood, not particle board. Our neighbor said we are the 4th family to have the set and it's over 50 years old. 

Here is August's new desk and bedside table. Kiley took the matching bedside table that August had because it's a little bigger and wouldn't fit next to the desk. Isn't this just wonderful? 

I really love this dresser. I am such a sucker for vintage stuff. I tried to trade Kiley for my dresser but she wasn't going for it. She is so happy. 

God knows our needs and these types of blessings always remind me that he cares about little details in our lives. 

Merry Christmas. 

Christmas Countdown

Christmas is coming.....

I made each of the girls an advent calendar this year. These were fun to make, the girls are enjoying them each morning.I filled them with candy, cute ornaments and little prizes like chap stick, Christmas erasers etc. 

Haley's was the first. Hers is made with cardboard favor boxes glued together in a pyramid. I used my large hole punch and some Christmassy scrapbook paper to make the circles and then sticker numbers for the dates. I decided to mix up the dates on the calendars to give he girls a little extra challenge in finding their prize each day. 

 Emily is next. For hers I wrapped two paper grocery bags in Christmas wrapping paper. I glued little red and green paper bags on the front and added velvety red bows from the dollar store. I had to hole punch the top and bottom of each piece and connect them with ribbon. 

For Kiley's I had planned on making paper tree cones and having them sit up with prizes underneath each one. I ended up stringing some twine and using clothespins to string the cones up on our wall instead. I used the pattern from Family Fun Magazine. 

I modified their largest cone and made it bigger. Their large wasn't large enough for me.  Their small ones were also too small for what I needed them for so I didn't use that size. 

Julia's calendar is the only loose laying one. I made hers from toilet paper rolls. I cut scrapbook paper to the size of a toilet paper roll, glued it on and folded in the sides to make pillow boxes. I added a ribbon to tie them shut and of course each has a date so she can find her prize. 

Finally, August. Hers is very simple and not what I was originally intending to do, but it turned out great in spite of that. I added pretty paper to brown lunch bags  and clothes pinned them to ribbon hung on our stairs. 


The house looks really cute with the calendars as extra decorations. I look forward to doing this again for them next year. 


Also on our craft list....


The girls put together a Gingerbread house. We picked one up while shopping at Trader Joe's the other day. I really liked this kit, it didn't have pre-made yucky icing, instead it has you mix your own royal icing. The gingerbread pieces appear to be real and the candies are all dye and chemical free. 

Sorry it's a little blurry, I've been using my phone to take pictures. 

And lastly, I made some ornaments this year. I found this super cute tutorial on a craft blog I was looking at. These glitter mittens were so very easy and turned out so adorable. I used some of my great-grandmothers vintage buttons. 

We have a lot to do still to get ready for Christmas. I'm hosting Christmas Eve at our home this year. I'm both excited and nervous. 

Merry Christmas and God Bless You!

Pillowcases finished

For the last 3 days I've spent a lot of time stuck in my bedroom sewing gifts for my children as well as nieces and nephews.

I am making pillowcases and homemade play dough for my niece and nephews this year. I used a pattern from the One Million Pillowcase challenge - I used this easy roll up pattern.

MIA

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I tend to use facebook more since it's faster and easier to upload pictures and say what I want to say. However, facebook seems to be doing some creepy things lately, leading me to want to use my blog for that stuff instead.

Right now I'm in crazy cram mode. I have 5 stockings I'm frantically trying to sew for the girls' as their Christmas Eve gifts, (usually it's jammies). I'm also making some ornaments, and crocheting 2 blankets and some dishcloths. Each day seems to be flowing by like it's on fast forward. I am also hosting Christmas Eve dinner at our new home this year and I've not even begun to think about preparing for that. I've decided to not send out our annual family picture and Christmas card this year, because I have no picture and no cards, and I can't see where I'm going to fit it in.

Kiley, August and Haley are all playing extended season soccer this year and it's keeping us busier than usual for this time of year.

I have many other things and pictures to share, and I'll try to get that up as soon as possible.

Merry Christmas.