Giveaway!

http://myhouseandhome.squarespace.com/home/2012/4/2/it-is-time-for-a-spring-giveaway.html

Please click on link above to enter a great giveaway hosted by my crafty duct taping friend, Tasya. If you read my post earlier today, then you might be inspired to put your name in the hat for her duct tape giveaway. She's generously giving away some great colors of duct tape plus coordinating fabrics to make your very own bag. There are a few other fun goodies she's throwing in as well. Click on link above to follow instructions on how you can be part of this fun giveaway!

My New Puppy

Which is a photo, on a card, from the store! He's so cute that I couldn't resist. I have been craving a little puppy love lately. We would like to have a new dog in our family, but alas puppy love will have to wait a few more years. We have enough poop in our life with two tots still in diapers and two cats. Until then, I pin warm fuzzy animals on Pinterest.

This was our dog Harry, he was giving Sam a smooch. He was a big boy, our Fozzy Bear. We miss him.

Stay cozy-it's chilly out there!

Fresh Air

It's a beautiful day in Seattle.

Olympic Mountains

I drive down this hill every day and today it was quite a nice view.

Aah, pleasant words. I stumbled upon this poem thumbing through a book @ Alderbrook Resort on the Hood Canal a few years ago. I thought of it today looking out across the Puget Sound driving home from dropping my son at school this morning. The Olympics are beautiful on this sunny day in Seattle. Yesterday, I finally got myself outside and walked around Greenlake and again I thought of this poem. There is nothing more invigorating then some good old fashion fresh air. I forget about getting myself outdoors in the dark, rainy winter months here in Seattle. It's quite chilly out there, but gorgeous.

My husband painted this several years ago.

Here is the painting framed with the poem. I thought they went well together.

Hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air!

Merry Christmas!

Crafts & Cocktails

My crafty, creative, green thumb friends hosted a mini-craft bazaar for a select group of folks

to enjoy wine, snacks and shop handmade goods. What a great idea! I think I may even want to participate on the vendor side next year. This display of homemade pickled vegetables are sustainable as you can get. The veggies were grown just a few feet away in the backyard. I bought the garlic pickles for my brother to snack on Christmas day.

Another table with Toffee made right in the vendor's kitchen that very day. I sampled many bites and proceeded to buy a bag. Totally ate it all the next day.

This is my new earring holder. It keeps my earrings organized and doubles as art for my wall.



If you are interested in purchasing one of these handy earring displays, or any other items please contact Heather Lueck, info on card below.

Some of the shoppers plus one crafter.

Cozy Knits for sale

Candles

It was a fun evening and such a clever way to mix some holiday shopping with socializing while supporting local crafters/gardeners. What to make for next year's party?

Busy Busy...

Are you ready? Nope, not me. Projects, baking, sewing, decorating...the list goes on. I think I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes. Because ready or not, here comes Christmas!

The Lights of My Life

Christmas vacation is fast approaching which makes me a little nervous about...my nerves! Three kids at home all day long can get a bit crazy. Heck two all day long is crazy. But, alas I love these little monkeys. Sam Pickle, Sarah Pumpkin and my Marin Berry are the lights of my life! They are all such individuals and I am thankful I get to be with them every day.

They certainly get into trouble, creating messes for me all day long. We decorated the tree last night and today while Sam is at school the girls are enjoying taking the ornaments off the tree and leaving little piles for me all over the house. Heavy sigh.

What is on your list for vacation activities? We have workbooks, fresh crayons, new Trio Blocks, cookie baking, salt dough ornaments to name a few of the activities on our list. Wouldn't it be amazing if it snowed? I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

Trader Joe's Freebies and Great Wine

Have you been to Trader Joe's lately? I stopped by to pick up a couple items and look what I ended up with...free gift tags! Their paper grocery bags are covered in these cut outs for Christmas. I broke the rules and left the dotted lines with the tags because I like the look, kind of reminds me of stitching.
Directions, in case you get confused.

I tried this wine a few weeks ago and enjoyed it very much. I made sure to pick up another bottle. Organic grapes, too!

I bought this craft wrap @ Big Lots and think these paper tags from the bags will go quite nicely.

Strips to cut out and make a garland

At first glance, you might not notice these great tags, such a nifty and thrifty idea. Thanks, Trader Joes.

A look back at fall

Finally, this weekend we cleaned up the garden, composted the pumpkins and de-decked fall decor. Fall was full of fun memories and some important milestones for our snooter pickle, Sam. Some of our fall happenings include Sam starting Kindergarten and cross country running! We started a theme dinner for Fridays-Pizza Friday. I love me some Pizza Friday-this means no cooking, easy cleaning and everyone loves a yummy pizza. Since I have become "mostly" vegan, I look forward to my pizza on Friday. Other fall memories include having a CSA box delivered bi-weekly. CSA (community supported agriculture). Then there was the pumpkin farm visit, all those fall veggies, beautiful sunny weather to play outdoors, painting with friends and of course, Thanksgiving. The kids winding down after Thanksgiving



My sister in-law's wall in her living room. There's something warm and inviting about it.

Initial Place Setting Cards

At least the kids enjoyed their pie, dinner not so much.

Potato Painting with the kids over Thanksgiving break.

Messy fun!

I simply cut up my Trader Joe's shopping bags, cut shapes in potatoes and the kids dipped them in paint poured in the re-used applesauce cups.

Enjoying pizza and hot chocolate with friends.

Playing in the leaves

Our short and simple Autumn Fun List

Store front that caught me eye, so fall.

Getting ready to roast some fall harvest.

Kindergarten!

First day of school, exciting!

Our first CSA box. Having beautiful fruits and veggies arrive on my doorstep was the best.

Leaves collected from a fall walk in the park.

Our garden visitor.

Sharing marigolds.

Halloween

Cross Country with best friends is great. Pumpkin Run finished off the Cross Country season. Run through and then pick your pumpkin.

The "secret tunnel" described by Sam

Sam's stance here makes me flash forward to high school.

Picked our pumpkins

CSA in a basket

We have a huge chestnut tree in our yard. Every year we harvest them and every year I intend to roast them. They still sit on my windowsill.

Halloween party @ school. Best friends.

Turkey Punk!

More fall painting with friends.

Dinner Club

This was a random fall vignette. I put the doorknob rack on the table to glue one of the knobs that fell off and it all sort of worked for me so I snapped a photo.

Hope your fall was memorable. It's the little things that mean the most like walks in the parks, fresh vegetables, sunny days in the garden and sharing time together. I'm thankful for all the wondeful fall memories we have made this year. Now on to the Christmas season! I'm trying to kindle the Christmas spirit, but I'm not quite there yet. Any tips to get in the holiday spirit?