Christmas 2011

I was lax with my picture taking this year. I only took about a dozen pictures this Christmas (not including pictures of my craft projects). Typically my family feels like they're being followed by the paparazzi because I'm taking so many pictures. I'm not sure what was wrong this year. I just wasn't feeling it. . .

I did manage to get a few pics tho:




I love that G has tears in her eyes in every picture. She was so grateful for everything that she cried. The girls each only got 3 presents from mom and dad (including the American Girl dolls they got from Santa). G got a camera from mom and dad, and a photo album from her sister. She took lots of pictures - and most of them are better than you would expect from a 7-year-old. Maybe that is why I didn't feel like I needed to take any.

We've all had the stomach flu too - G and daddy were taken out on Christmas Day (second year of a tradition that I do not want to continue) and Bryn and I a couple of days later.

Blue beanie

Every girl needs a hat to match her eyes. thanks for the yarn aunt jen

second try

Take #2 on the angry birds hats. I still don't love them - and I know they don't look exactly like the originals - but I do think they're wearable. I do have to admit that they are much cuter in person.

the angry elmo and lop-sided monkey

So, I know that i used to be a better blogger. But I sorta got sick of the bloggy one-upmanship mentality where it felt like everyone was trying to prove that they were the funniest person alive, that their kids were the cutest, their husband was the hottest, and their life was the best. And I am not saying that I am above all of that - I totally fell into the "keeping up with the bloggers" category too.

In my attempt to prove that I am SOOO not that person, I present to you two of my recent craft FAILS:

Fail #1 - the ugly elmo hat. it started as an attempt to make angry birds beanies as christmas gifts. well intentioned? yes. well executed? no. Hell NO. The beanie itself is great. The face notsomuch. The eyes are too big and the eyebrows too cartoony. Time to unpick and try again. At least the model is cute.
Fail #2 - the lop-sided monkey. I'll admit that this was a failed attempt. At least the socks were only $1. I blame pinterest and a poorly worded tutorial. None of this was my fault at all. I did not make the mouth waaay too small. And I did not sew the legs unevenly - the sock was simply more stretchy on one side . . .

This is one for the trash pile. I bought sock monkeys from Target (my 5 year old is kind of addicted to sock monkeys. . .) and i will not be attempting to make my own again.

hats!!

i have been busy making hats for everyone i know. i probably shouldn't post them here, as some are gifts . . . but i can't wait for christmas. i'm too excited, so i have to share them and bank on the fact that i don't think many of my family and friends even read my blog. . .