Christmas #1

Well, it is Christmas Eve night and there is a few inches of snow on the ground.  It really sets the mood for Christmas!  However, the snow has altered my festive plans for the evening, as the Christmas Eve Service at Church has been cancelled and the roads were a little too dangerous to make the trek to my aunt's Christmas Eve party.  So, I am currently, nuzzled under blankets and enjoying a relaxing evening at home.  I may even make a cup of hot chocolate later! :)

This past Saturday, my sister and brother-in-law drove up to Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas with our family.  I have a super large family, so during the holidays, there are several Christmas' that we go to, so this was Christmas #1 in my book.  I must say: my parents certainly do spoil us!

[caption id="attachment_228" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Lots and Lots of goodies under the tree![/caption]

A New Kitchen Floor

This past summer, my sister and her new husband moved to Virginia to begin their lives together.  The bought a house, but that house needed a bit of work... Thankfully, most of it has been done: fresh paint, new kitchen cabinets and counter, etc.  So this weekend, my parents, grandfather and I made the 5 hours trip to see them and finish a few last projects on their current list of things to do.  On the agenda: the kitchen floor.  Last summer, I laid a floating floor in my own kitchen, so when my sister said that they wanted to lay a floating floor, I knew that I could be helpful.

[caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="394"] The old flooring[/caption]

Busy, Busy Week!

It's been a crazy, busy week for me, but I wanted to update the good ole blog quickly!  Not only has work been busy this week, I have had a flat tire and spent the weekend at my sister's house - helping to replace her kitchen floor (I'll have to write about that at some point!).  Not to mention accidentally shooting myself with a nail gun - don't worry, it wasn't serious! :)

Twisting Turning Twine

Ever wonder what to do with all those empty bottles or cans that you have?  I have found a solution (at least for some :))!!  Hot gluing binder twine to them gives you an easy, handy up-cycle. 

Crayon Art

Who doesn't like crayon art?!  It's fun, bright and always one of a kind!  I've been seeing a ton of them on pinterest lately and decided to try my hand at making my own one-of-a-kind piece.  After my mind was made up, I gathered a canvas, two packs of crayons, my hot glue gun and blowdryer to start on my endeavor!  I decided that I wanted a picture of the sea with the sun shining over it.  And so it began...

[caption id="attachment_183" align="aligncenter" width="276"] Step One[/caption]

*Flourless* Double Chocolate Cookies

[caption id="attachment_172" align="aligncenter" width="310"] Flourless Double Chocolate Cookie[/caption]

Christmas is right around the corner and that means it is cookie season (in my mind, anyway).  In attempts to prepare for the season, I made my boyfriend the guinea pig for a new recipe. 

Christmas Mode

Apparently the Christmas bug has bit me and I have spent a good bit of time in the last few days decorating for the beloved holiday!  This is my first year decorating a whole house for Christmas.  Last year I had just moved out on my own and couldn't find my decorations in all the boxes that I had left to unpack, so my house was left bare (if you don't include the stacks of boxes in the corner :)).  However, now that I am all settled in, it's decoration time!!

When I first put up my little tree, strung the lights and put the star on top, I was a little concerned that I might have a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree on my hands.  The top was even leaning over a little bit because the star was too heavy!  Ek!

[caption id="attachment_159" align="aligncenter" width="377"] The potential Charlie Brown Christmas tree.[/caption]

DIY Christmas Wreath

I need a Christmas wreath!  Instead of spending money on one, I figured I could make one.  How hard could it be... right?!?! :)

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="608"] DYI Christmas Wreath[/caption]

FareStart

During my Seattle adventure, I visited a restaurant that I was quite impressed with: FareStart.  This restaurant is actually a training program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.  It takes these individuals, who have very few opportunities available to them, and trains them with culinary skills; hence giving them opportunities to be a chef once they graduate.  

Seattle Duck Tours

Quack!  That's right, I went on a Duck Tour during my recent visit to Seattle.  It was a ton of fun!  Very interactive and informative.  I've been talking about wanting to go on one for a little over a year now and I was not disappointed.

[caption id="attachment_130" align="aligncenter" width="800"] A DUCK!![/caption]

Fabric Wreath

A little while ago, I decided that my front door needed a wreath.  I bought a wire flower frame from Hobby Lobby and gathered all my old scraps of material.  I cut the material into strips about 6 inches long and 1 inch wide.  After that, I went to town tying all the fabric strips around the wire frame into knots.  About 4 hours later, this was the end result:

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving.  It happens to be my favorite holiday!  I love Thanksgiving for many reason: it doesn't have the commercialism that many other holidays have, it has a simplicity about it and, of course the food!  Each year, family and friends gather at my parents home to celebrate this holiday.  In order to keep us all in the same room, we have started to have our meal in the garage (a little abnormal, I know).  We had 15 folks at our celebration this year.  The garage is a perfect setting; we are able to stay in one room and spend time with one another.  I will say this: the garage doesn't look like it usually does, it's cleaned and decorated for Thanksgiving!  Being that Thanksgiving is not as hectic (for me anyway) as most of the other holidays, it does give time for reflection for all that I do have to be thankful for.

 

[caption id="attachment_119" align="aligncenter" width="656"] All the yummy food!![/caption]

Seattle Vacay

I am just wrapping up my vacation to Seattle.  So, hello from the Space Needle! :D  Out of all the sites to see, I never get tired of looking at the Space Needle.  It is visible from where I am staying and I have been using it as a guiding post "home" daily - I'm being resourceful so that I do not get completely lost in a new city!

[caption id="attachment_58" align="aligncenter" width="810"] Space Needle[/caption]

Safety Pin Bracelet

I decided to be crafty today.  I tried my hand at making a safety pin bracelet. The only supplies needed were safety pins, seed beads and a string/cord the would be able to stretch.  To measure out the cord, I wrapped it around my wrist loosely and added about 1-2 inches more, then I cut a second one of the same length.

Salmon in the Oven

I am a budding chef – or so I’d like to think.  In reality, I do not have a ton of experience cooking, but I do like to try.  I originally saw this on pinterest (this girl is addicted!) and then I modified it– it didn't have a valid website attached.

Needed:

Salmon, lemon, butter and salt/pepper

Hello World Wide Web!

Once I mentally decided to write a blog, I started having all these crazy ideas of what I would write about.  I should have wrote those ideas down, because now that I am actually sitting at my computer typing, those ideas have flown right out of my head.  Please know that my ideas were quite witty!   :)

Today I finished reading a book by Donald Miller called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  This book is all about how a life is a story.  Being that life is a story, every individual has a choice to decide what kind of story their life is going to be.  Not to say that there aren't set backs and obstacles in a person's story, but there has to be a decision to start living a better story: to spend time with family and friends, re-arrange priorities and perhaps, to go on an adventure.  I hope that this blog details the story that my life is becoming - mainly so that I can look back and remember my story!  Wish me luck!