A Quick Knit Teacher Gift

This Christmas has been pretty quiet. I have the standard amount to do...nothing too hectic. With nearly everything checked off the holiday to-do list...

work parties
christmas shopping
wrapping
girl scout party
bake cookies for school concert
make stockings
host homeschool party
make 3 teacher gifts

I couldn't decide what to do for teacher gifts...I was playing around with an idea for slug ornaments (banana slugs are sort of a popular theme here)...but I realized stopping to make a pattern might take too much time. I was thinking and thinking of something that I could do that would be handmade, special and wouldn't take too long. Then my head got cold cause I was in the mudroom (we heat soley by wood, and the woodstove is in the living room), so I reached for one of my knitted headbands to put on. Then I looked up at the mirror in front of me and BOOM. OF COURSE! So I found the link to the tutorial for the headbands that I made last year.

I actually had to unravel a few old unfinished projects to get these done. (What a great way to take the stress off of ever finishing those projects!)

As I said last year...this is a GREAT tutorial (I can say that cause it's not mine). It's 8 repeated rows, and it makes a REALLY cool cable. It draws deeper from one side than the other so it makes a really deeply-ridged cable. Very dramatic...good for when you use chunky yarn like this. I used much larger yarn and needles than required so that it would knit up fast.

This thing is wide, warm and gorgeous. It makes the perfect teacher gift...unless you live in Florida. Thankfully, I live in Alaska. (beautiful snow covered Alaska)

Wrapped with hand-colored Luke-tags it makes it personal too.

Guess what I have to do now? Nothing...except enjoy my kids, my hubby...some eggnog and some more Christmas movies.

Personalized Christmas

Now that my shopping and decorating are done it's time to move into finishing the handmade things for this year. The largest project I'm doing is remaking our stockings (post to come). But a little sneak peak are these handpainted cards...which will be part of this years stocking project. (It will be explained in the stocking post)

But for now...just a little peak.

Things I want...

Valeriane Leblond

Diana Sudyka

Neiko Ng

And Amanda White

WHO SAYS I'M HARD TO SHOP FOR?!?!

Advent Calendar Banner Kit

This inspiration came from none other than Pinterest, which I converted for my own holiday idea: a 25-envelope advent calendar.

Oh...but it's SO MUCH MORE.

See, we moved to Alaska. (If you read this blog, you probably already know that) It's so far away from EVERYONE. And this year, for the first time EVER in my entire life I can't be with every one for Christmas. So I wanted to send something that would make every one know we're thinking of them this holiday season. And what better way than to give them something that they can look at every day?!?!

This project took a while, I won't lie. You could just grab 25 pictures of your kids and be done with it...but I didn't want to do that. We were sending these to different people, and we personalized them for each group. We made each one a way to express how much our loved ones mean to us. This is more than just something cute, it's meant to be meaningful...and meaningful takes time. (And hand cutting the decorations for 125 envelopes takes time...plus gluing, drying and packaging) But it also makes a GREAT family project...one that the kids can really get into. (especially when it comes to picking the prints)

Some things will make them laugh.

Some things might make them cry.

But the important thing is we will be there on Christmas morning, at least in spirit.

For these I bought:
Coordinating holiday craft paper
4x6 ivory envelopes
cotton twine (tied in a loop on each end, ready to hang)
25 wooden clothespins

Each set cost less than $5, and each was shipped as a pre-made, ready-to-hang set. The most fun part was selecting the prints to send to everyone. (I did the penny prints at Snapfish to save money)

We made one for ourselves too, and the kids get so excited to see the pictures I picked out for them. And at the end of the season we can pack it up and use it again next year with new prints. Plus, you don't have to limit yourself to prints, you can write jokes, memories, cards or even come up with a daily holiday to-do list (like string popcorn or watch a Christmas movie).

Plus, it packages small, I fit the whole kit into a standard sized manilla envelope. Next time I'll try to send it before December 1st though...

Finding a Purpose Through Homeschooling

I have always worked. From the time I was 14 (10 if you count babysitting) I began to earn my own money. I got my first real job on my first day of high school. I worked through high school, then through college. (sometimes working three jobs at a time while going to school)

After I graduated from college I got a job right away. Once I began working full time I never took more than a weekend between leaving one job and starting another. I rarely took vacation...I took a week off to go whitewater kayaking in 2003, and a week off for my honeymoon in 2004. When I had my first child in 2005 I felt the pressure to go back to work quickly, so I only took 6 weeks of maternity leave. Then again in 2008, I took 7 weeks with my second child. As for leaves-of-absence that is about it.

Then, all of the sudden I had a wake up call...despite thinking that we NEEDED the money (which we probably did), what I REALLY needed MORE THAN ANYTHING was to be with my kids. So, when we began our house renovation project Jon and I had a big heart-to-heart about it, and at Sonny's BBQ (during my lunch break) we made the decision. I was going to quit my job. Once I quit, we moved to the new property. We lived in bliss in a camper on our farm...playing, reading, gardening and farming for an entire summer.

Then, in a totally unplanned move...we took a chance of a lifetime and moved to Alaska. For an entire year I didn't work. I led a girl scout troop and filled in once in a while for a friend at the REC center. I worked out, and visited Laurel's class...and honestly I'm not sure what else I did with my time. I think I felt a little lost. I'm used to having a purpose, a time limit, a goal.

Since beginning homeschooling with Laurel I have found that I LOVE having a purpose to my day. Not only do I accomplish more with her, I accomplish more in general. My house is cleaner, our meals are better, I feel kinder and more patient.

I feel...happy.

I didn't even realize that I was floundering, but I guess I was. I needed to have a purpose, and I found it. I took that hardworking frame of mind I've learned after 18 years of working and focused it on my current goal of educating a whole child. (or rather whole-y educating a child...obviously I'm educating a whole child)

It might be the best goal I've ever had.

Thanksgiving 2012

My kiddos making the pies...pumpkin and caramel apple.

These aprons were made for my very first craft fair 4 years ago. It was the second item I sold, but three were left over, so I kept them...and we've worn them every Thanksgiving since then.

(the dog didn't move an inch until the cooking was done)

The kids set both tables all by themselves. The dining room table was set for Thanksgiving dinner and the coffee table was set for brunch, which we ate while watching the parade on Thanksgiving morning.

Laurel made pilgrim hat placecards for everyone.

The food was plentiful...the turkey lasted nearly a week...strangely the pies only lasted 2 days.

The homemade huckleberry sauce that we made from fall's late harvest berries at Settler's Cove came out GREAT! (but I was prepared with a can of back up cranberry sauce just in case...oh me of little faith)

I am so thankful for my family, without them I wouldn't be having such an incredible year. It seems like every holiday is better (and more special) than the last. And while I realize that these days of magical holidays with kids won't last forever...I'm thankful that they are here now (and for a few more years at least). I'm even thankful that my boy came to the table as both a vampire victim (puncture wounds on his neck) and a vampire (blood dripping from his lips) courtesy of crayola markers...because we just wouldn't be us without a little crazy at the table.

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

Our Girl Scout troop was collecting food for a needy family here in town, and I wanted to make something special to put the food in. While looking around online I ran across a project for a paper bag turkey (filled with popcorn no less!) on MSL.com (oh Martha you clever gal) and loved it. So I modified it a bit and used a box for the body (sturdier for all the food going in it), and then made the legs as shown; using a brown paper lunch bag. We stuffed the legs with paper, put the paper fringe on and hot-glued it to the box.

Voila. As for the inside, it's just white paper folded like a fan, stretched back out and glued in place (it just seemed fancier).

(Plus each girl got a turkey leg filled with popcorn for a snack.)

So while we're all giving thanks this Thanksgiving, I am thankful that we have each other and plenty of food. And it felt so nice to get the girls together for a good cause. Especially in a small city like ours, the need is there, and we're glad for good organizations that make the connection between the needy and those who can help.

Rock on Love Inc. your work is so appreciated in this little corner of Alaska and we're glad to be a part of it!

Our girls also made blank place cards for the box and for their own families. They all came out SO cute!