I admit I have a problem...

This is Bart again and I have hijacked Julie's blog. I am hijacking it because I have a problem and I admit it. My problem is... Well, we'll get to that eventually.

It started about 32 years ago. I moved around a lot when I was a kid and just about every time we moved we moved in to a new house. New house equals new construction. New construction in a new subdivision equals LOTS of scrap lumber. Scrap lumber equals supplies to build dozens of "creations". My parents had to put up with all kinds of interesting things including skis made out of 2 x 4's (not too successful) and a crate to store things (again, not too successful as it weighed more than I did).

The pinnacle of my early construction era was a soap-box race car that ended up being so heavy that had I actually gotten in it and gone down our hill, there is no way that I would have survived as there would not have been brakes strong enough to stop it. For this reason, my dad refused to put wheels on it. I thank him for saving my life.

Jump ahead to college. In college, my only paying job was working in the woodshop. One day my lovely girlfriend Julie mentioned that she wanted a study board. No problem! I worked in the woodshop and could have one cut out and ready in no time. I stopped by the local bookstore to get a better idea of the shape, found a piece of wood, and cut one out.

I showed it to Julie. She loved it. She then put it on her lap to use it and the sheer weight of it instantly put both of her legs to sleep. Apparently 3/4" plywood was not the right material. It was sturdy though. No doubt about that.

Jump ahead to yesterday. Santa brought a Greek tortoise to Owen for Christmas. Owen could not be happier. Santa did not, however, bring a cage for Steve (the tortoise). Santa left a note stating that Owen and I needed to build a "turtle table" for Steve to live in. OK. No problem. I built both of the boys dressers, cabinets in the basement, and a couple of cribs. I think I can build a turtle table. Some research on the internet and I started drawing out some plans. In an hour or so my "L" shaped table plans,complete with an isometric drawing, were finished. I proudly showed them to Julie and she said "Really?".

It was at this time where the intervention occurred...

"Does it have to be so big?"

Big? It wasn't that big.

"You have a tendancy to over build things."

Oh my gosh... She's right. Wooden skis. Death-trap go-kart. Parallasis inducing study board. And now a turtle condominium. I have a problem. I admit it.

"OK. How about a simple rectangular box?"

"Simple would be great..."

So this is what I ended up building. Just a simple box.

I showed it to Owen. He loved it. Steve seems to love it (although it is a bit tough to read his expression). Julie's reaction was...

"Wow it's big..."

Big? This is my scaled down version. Ugh... I still have a problem. Not sure if there is a program I can join to get help. If you know of one please let me know. In the mean time if you need an animal cage or something built that can withstand an earthquake let me know.

I heart Christmas trees

I love checking out people's Christmas trees.  Please invite me over.  I want to see all of your quirky ornaments and treasures.  Now that I have lived the "what would you grab out of your house if it was on fire" scenario that is just an abstract question for most, I realize that the box of Christmas ornaments is on the top of the list.  Nothing can replace the box of crumpled tissue paper that wraps up years of memories.  Here is a tip though:  wrap them really well.  Even if you think they will sit in your basement closet all year and not move - they may move to a moving truck, into an ozone room, into a crate, on a forklift, to another moving truck, and back to the basement closet. Otherwise, a few may be broken.

Aside from the needlepoint, which I talked about here, these are some of our favorite treasures - that mean so much to us, but no one else!

Raggedy Ann and Andy - a gift from the Lauer family in the height of Raggedy mania - 1974.  One of several ornaments on our tree that celebrates my love of Annie - but this is my favorite.

A wooden gift tag made by Bart.  I don't remember the year, or the gift which I'm sure I loved because Bart is great at gift-giving - but the tag is very much Bart.  Of course, its perfectly sanded.

Baby Jesus- given to me by my Nana.  Don't remember the year - sometime in the 80s.  I think my sister has one too.

Ceramic Brownie - 1975.  Made for me by the very eccentric artist mother of my childhood best friend.  Love that she is wearing the full Brownie uniform + beanie (as we wore in the day!).

Soldier made by my parents for their first Christmas tree, 1961.  They made a set.  Now, they have one and my siblings and I each have one.  I love that they were so crafty and I love picturing them making their first ornaments as newlyweds.

FAO ornaments by Christopher Radko.  I worked for FAO for 8 years and loved these beautiful ornaments that were made each year. 

Fisher Price ornaments.  I LOVE these ornaments.  I've already declared my love for vintage Fisher Price on my blog.  Kudos to whoever designed these perfect little replicas.  They just make me smile.

What can I say about this beauty?  I guess I've always been crafty.   Tutorial:  take an oyster shell, spray it with gold paint,  glue poinsettia wrapping paper in shell, glue on kindergarten picture in which you are wearing your favorite strawberry dress and blouse with large lapels, tie yarn at top, present to parents proudly in 1975.  Returned to me a few years ago to hang on my own tree.  We always had a real tree when I was little and the weight of the oyster shell always had to be anchored near the trunk for fear it would pull the whole tree over!

Hmm....just now realized that we have no ornaments from Bart's childhood.  Add to to-do list:  steal ornament from my mother-in-law's tree!   

Here's a first on my little blog.  A link up - show me (and the other 6 readers of this blog) your favorite ornaments.  Wait, let me grab some cocoa and put on the Christmas music.......okay, I'm back.  Go!

Scenes from my house

Random things keeping me busy:

Taking a bath with glow sticks.  So far this year, the favorite activity on the advent calendar!

Kindegarteners/Mom Gingerbread house night.  One of my favorite nights.  Kindergarteners + giant table of enormous candy selection =fun!

Crazy angel picture from a local shrine.

What is happening at your house?

Christmas shopping with Matthew

On Friday, I stopped by the men's fragrance area of Macy's.  Bart's stink water is listed on the contents list and since we only have one more month to be reimbursed for the items on the list, I thought I would check out the vast selection of pine and musk that Macy's has to offer.  I really had never noticed where men's fragrances were in the store.  I have to think its expanded for the holidays because it was crazy big.  Upon entering manland, an employee hands me a spritzed card and launches into her prepared speech  - something like "this is the number one scent in America, worn by Matthew McConaughey, its sexy yet romantic, manly yet light."  Um, okay.  Nothing against Matthew, but it wasn't a selling feature for me.  Not wanting to be rude, I put the Dolce and Gabanna card she sprayed in my coat pocket and even though I threw it away when I got home - you guessed it - I am taking the lingering scent of Matthew everywhere with me. Its weird to smell like a man all day when you're running errands - especially not my husband (who is still without stink water come to think of it.)

Tomorrow, Matthew and I are headed to Sam's Club to print out pictures and Trader Joes.  I even have a return at Macy's so maybe I will two-time Matthew and ask what scent Rob Lowe wears.  Although, after four days, Matthew's scent is growing on me.  Maybe that was Spritzer Lady's plan all along!

Hot chocolate!

Yesterday's activity on the Advent calendar was "make hot chocolate" - our first of the season!  We use the recipe from the side of the Hershey cocoa container:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
dash of salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil and stir 2 minutes.  Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature.  Do not boil.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Beat with whisk until foamy.  Top with marshmallows.

We prefer to use Fluff, instead of marshmallows.  It melts into the chocolate - so yummy.

Enjoy a cup today!

Favorite Things

Well, turn off the carols and take down the stockings, there's a huge void in this holiday season - Oprah's favorite things show.  I think in all the years that she hosted this screaming greed fest (yet we all tuned in), I only could afford or purchased a small handful of the items.  But somehow watching it became a tradition,  like Rudolph and Frosty.  We knew that Rudolph would start with the gliding snowman with the pocket watch and we knew Oprah's favorite things show would start with a blah stage set and launch with a snow storm and giant presents wheeled in by elves.    I noticed on the news stand that her magazine cover entices us with the promise of favorite things inside, but what can I say, I didn't even open it.  It wasn't the same without the pageantry.  And speaking of the magazine, remember how she always ended the favorite things show with giving away subscriptions?  As if the magazine was as exciting as the limited edition VW Beetles or the cashmere in every color.  It always seemed like a splash in the face back to reality, like when a roller coaster screeches to a halt back in the start house.

Just as I was secretly missing this show, I discovered that I am not alone!  It seems that many in the blog community are dreaming of sugarplums interrupted by memories of "flat screen tvs for evvvvvvvvveryone"

Anyway, check out the cute party idea at  thenester.com

Here are a few of my favorite things.   Would love to hear about some of yours!

The Latte bowls from Anthropologie  We all love Anthropologie.  They take merchandising to a whole new level.  The store is always beautiful - the prices, not so much.  But treat yourself to a $5 Latte bowl at each visit, and you are on your way to building a happy stack on your counter top.  Its the go-to bowl in our kitchen.

Candles from Bath and Body Works.  This is my favorite right now.  I have just switched from my favorite fall scent, Leaves.  The 3-wicks are $20 but you would be so silly to pay full price.  They are ALWAYS on sale.  I also like that the scents sold change with the season so it puts a little skip in my step when an old favorite reappears.  I know there are many candle parties in living rooms everywhere - but these are my fav.   One candle will make one entire floor of your house smell delightful.

Anything made by the company,  Coton Colors.  You'll find them on my side-bar-----------> 

They make my favorite Happy Everything Plate. Their goodies are sold in boutiques nationwide and on their website.  They have the cutest ornaments, including a wide variety of southern colleges.  I really hope this set of holiday casseroles goes on sale after the holidays, because they would match my house year-round!

Next favorite things: chalkboards.  I don't know why I love them, but they make me happy.  We have three chalkboards in our house.  The big kitchen chalkboard that serves as our weekly calendar:

The dinner menu chalkboard behind the stove:

and the stick-on chalkboard on our garage door:

The great thing about chalkboards is that they're cheap!  Our big wall calendar is just painted on (with molding), the dinner menu is written on a $3 chalkboard from the teacher supply store and the sticker on the door is from Hobby Lobby (I think about $14 when it was 50%).  We all know how Hobby Lobby's sales work so don't ever pay full price for anything!

Something for your little people-Lalaloopsies.  Also sold in large and medium dolls, these $6 minis are Caroline's favorite.  With cardboard houses, wee plastic pets and names like Pepper Pots and Pans and Crumbs Sugar Cookie- why wouldn't any girl want to collect them?!  Even my boys have Sir Battlescarred and Patch Treasure Chest.  Perfect size for stuffing the stockings and toting about.

And to end today's favorite things episode:  two yummies

My favorite blogging snack - a wedge of Light Laughing Cow cheese.  The light is only 35 calories per wedge and tastes the same as its caloric counterpart.  So so yummy on a cracker or pretzel.  Oh my gosh, I just noticed the cow's earrings.  So fashion forward - too bad the copyright symbol is tattooed on her neck!

And last, but not least, Vanilla Syrup.  I had this week, the best drink of my life - a Vanilla Coke from Johnny Rockets.  I had forgotten how much I love Vanilla Syrup.  Makes me wonder what else you could put it in - add that to January's to do list!

That's it for tonight my friends.  So sorry that I won't be sending you home with all of these goodies like Oprah- but this is a low budget blog.  I will however give you a free subscription to this blog and shout "you get a hug, you get a hug, EVE-RY-BOD-Y gets a hug!"