First Sewing Attempts

So, Tony's grandparents, aunt, and uncle bought me a sewing machine for Christmas! I've been wanting to learn how to sew and was super excited to get some fabric and make something. I decided that since I was in desperate need of an apron (and it seemed simple enough) I would try that first. I downloaded a pattern from Martha Stewart, got some fabric and thread, and got to work. Tony told me I wasn't allowed to open the sewing machine until Christmas, but I couldn't resist. Luckily he wasn't angry when he got home and I said, "I made an apron today!" I really had pretty much no clue what I was doing, but it seemed to turn out ok anyhow. Let me tell you, using a sewing machine is a thousand times easier than trying to sew by hand! It took me about 4 hours to sew my apron. Then tonight I thought, 'well how hard could it be to make a mini apron for Embry?' So at 9pm I decided to try it out. It took about 2 hours and is cute as can be, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if it actually fits her. I'm hoping it will fit her for a few years since at the moment she's not much of a help in the kitchen...unless you count hanging onto my leg and having me drag her across the floor while she cries...I don't. Here are some photos for your enjoyment:

Christmas Survey

A Christmas survey


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? - Wrapping paper, I hate gifts in bags, it's like the person giving it doesn't care enough to actually wrap it.

2. Real tree or artificial? - This is the first year we have a real tree and I absolutely love it!

3. When do you put up the tree? - Right after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? - I wait as long as possible. I love Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog? - no I do not, but I can make some good (according to other ppl) eggnog

6. What about Fruitcake? - I don't think I've ever actually had it, but it looks gross to me.

7. Favorite gift received as a child? - This is easy, a New Kids on the Block tape.

8. Do you have a nativity scene? - yes we have a precious moments one and a hallmark one.

9. Hardest person to buy for? - my mom and dad. They never want anything and so I have to guess what I should get.

10. Easiest person to buy for? - Tony, he wants a lot of things.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? - hmm, I can't really think of anything that was bad. There were a couple of things that I didn't particularly like, but the worst part about that is feeling so incredibly bad for not being as grateful as I should be to receive a gift in the first place.

12. Mail or email Christmas cards? - Mail and it's getting darn expensive with the cost of stamps and pictures and I'm fairly certain that hardly anyone even cares.

13. Favorite Christmas movie? - The Holiday (I also really like Christmas Vacation and Elf)

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? - all year long when I find something I know someone would like and it's on clearance.

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? - Christmas, no, except for white elephant gifts. Other presents yes, I've given a giftcard that I got from someone to someone else.

16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? - I love food. I love turkey in particular. I also enjoy sparkling grape juice and hot apple cider.

17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? - Colored, I do not like white lights for Christmas.

18. Favorite Christmas song? - Carol of the Bells is #1, but I'm also fond of Baby It's Cold Outside and Last Christmas

19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? - I like being home. I like having family over. I like watching Christmas movies and snuggling under blankets. That's more of an answer than anyone needed.

20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? - Yes I believe I can.

21. Angel on the tree top or a star? - We have an angel, it's beautiful, but quite heavy. We had a colored light star when I was growing up.

22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? - We always opened them on Christmas Eve because it is my brother's birthday. Now we do Christmas Day.

23. What is the one present you want most this year? - Hmm, well I got an awesome sewing machine, although with a toddler who hates to be in the office I don't know when I'm going to learn how to use it. Otherwise, I'd like to get pregnant...I think.

24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? - the most annoying thing for me is wanting to buy a bunch of stuff for people but not having enough money to do so and then waiting to see their disappointement when they open the gifts I got them. Oh and stores being out of stuff, like mod podge.

25. What I love most about Christmas? - Well, I love to shop and it gives me an excuse to do that. I love pretty much everything about Christmas. I love the idea that God came to Earth as a mere human and grew up just like the rest of us in order to be more connected with us. I also love Christmas lights and the tree and the food and the movies and just the general feeling of happiness and warmth that I feel this time of year. I wish it could last all year long.

Christmas Tree

I finally got a real tree!!!

We had a few when I was growing up, but mostly fake ones and I have longed to have a real tree every year. Since being married it just hasn't seemed economical to buy a real tree when we own a perfectly good fake one. Plus being in AZ they're darn expensive. Now that we have a house (and a high ceiling) I really wanted a huge tree. I'd have liked one that went all the way to the ceiling (so probably 15 ft tall), but I can't even find one that tall. The tallest was 9-10 ft and at Lowes that was $99 which is insane. I saw trees at Frys (a grocery store) and they had 9-10 ft Douglass Firs for $39...so I got one!

My friend Danielle and I took our kiddos while our husbands were at work and got our Christmas trees. We strapped them to the top of her jeep and she helped me drag mine into my living room and set it in the stand. That thing is freaking heavy! So I only tightened the top 4 screws and then put Embry down for a nap and went to finish writing the Christmas letter. I came back downstairs about an hour later to find the tree sprawled across the living room floor. Yep, it fell over. I picked it back up (no easy task) and tried to straighted in out. When Tony got home we put lights and ornaments on it, then the next day it still seemed to be leaning forward and to the right, so we tied it to the wall. It still looks like it's leaning, but it's definitely not going to go anywhere.