You may have missed the party, but you didn't miss the prizes

Well, we've thrown our last Plumfield Party for the year and I finally got around to putting away all the merchandise that had been packed up like a mobile craft fair for the past six weeks.  I filled a basket with items to be photographed at a later date and posted in the shop.  It was a pretty full basket. 

I fully intended to put off this task until the new year, but the light was so lovely this morning that I just had to take some pictures.  In the interest of productivity, I decided to take pictures of things that needed to be photographed anyway, as opposed to Christmas ornaments or my egg salad sandwich.  But it was a really great sandwich, I assure you.

Most of these items were samples that I made up for the parties using exciting new fabrics.  Even though we plan to throw more parties in the spring, I plan to make different samples for those in springier colors and patterns. 

We are settled into the time of year when I can't show many pictures of what I'm doing, because what I'm doing is making Christmas gifts.  But it's fun and they're cute and I'm sure I'll do a big recap after they've all been handed out.  I love handmade gifts. 

I also love that we are traveling two times this month, which gives me two opportunities to pack up my new duffel bag.  I think that, of all my new projects, I am the most excited about this one.  I want somebody to order one, just because I can imagine how much they'll love using it.  I think it would be the perfect thing to spend a little Christmas money on.  Don't you love it when you get Christmas money?  Such a treat, to get to pick out one more gift for yourself after the holiday hubbub is over. 

There are only 12 days left until Christmas- can you believe it?  There are still so many celebratory things that I want to squeeze in!  I think that tonight we'll watch a Christmas movie and maybe wrap some gifts.  Sounds like the perfect end to a sunny day. 

48 hours of holiday fun

For most of our younger lives, Natalie and I were inseparable.  If you had plans with one of us, you had plans with both of us.  If you thought you'd hired one babysitter, you got two.  And, during the month of December, we were especially inseparable. 

I have so many happy Christmas memories and traditions that have her face all over them.  We'd shop for gifts together.  We sing the Twelve Days of Christmas while hanging ornaments with her family.  We'd work at the wrapping booth with my mom.  We'd host parties, plan surprises, and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. 

Distance is a hard thing.  These days, our Christmas festivities are limited to phone calls and one fabulous December weekend where we try to squeeze in all the fun we can.  I'm so thankful to still have that. 

We went on a dinner date, just us grownups.  The food and atmosphere were terrific and the company was even better.  We talked and laughed and shared meals and desserts and it felt like we might be in college again.  Natalie and I shared a love seat and went to the restroom at the same time and the handsome men across the table paid the bill. 

We hung around the house with the kids, usually all piled onto one bed or sofa.  I know I'm biased, but those are the funniest kids I've ever met.  Rose doesn't say a lot of words, but has a few favorites that she bellows out in a very low, throaty voice.  Just imagine ogre-like noises coming out of that sweet face.  It's hilarious. 

We cooked together and opened gifts and played games into the wee hours.  We listened to non-stop Christmas music and had the fireplace going morning and night.  We finished off a gallon of apple cider and a gallon of homemade Chex mix. 

It was the best kind of weekend. 

It's a good thing that I love our home so much, or I'd be feeling pretty melancholy today.  But I've got the tree lights on and Christmas music playing.  I've bumped the thermostat up a few degrees, as a treat.  My plan for the afternoon includes some hot tea and quilt stitching.  I've also got a few final Christmas projects for the shop to finish up. 

Still have some shopping left to do?  Everything listed in my shop is ready to ship, so you have plenty of time to order a few more gifts! 

Christmas favorites

Well, we decorated the tree.  But just with the straw ornaments, which was what both of us secretly wanted but didn't want to suggest, lest the other person want more ornaments.  It was a happy moment last night when we realized that we both wanted the same thing.  Don't you love it when that happens?

I love seeing Christmas piles all over the house.  Piles of pillows, piles of gifts, piles of packages on the front porch when I get home. 

I read a great blog post the other day about favorite children's Christmas books and it inspired me to put together my own favorites list, in case anyone is looking for suggestions. 

Favorite Christmas Movies: Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, Four Christmases, Elf

Favorite Children's Christmas Movies: Muppet Family Christmas, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, Charlie Brown Christmas

Favorite Chistmas movies that aren't really Christmas movies: While you were Sleeping, Little Women, You've Got Mail

Favorite Christmas Books: Miracle on 10th Street by Madeleine L'Engle, Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon, The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore

Favorite Christmas Songs: In the Bleak Midwinter, O Holy Night, Baby it's Cold Outside (which is really more of a winter song and can be enjoyed long into the new year) (As a fun side note: my roommate and I used to sing this to each other before one of us left the house in the winter.  I always sang the man's part.  My favorite line is when he says "waves upon a tropical shore", like that's an answer to her worries.)

 Favorite Christmas Colors: red and green.  You can alter the shades of red and green a bit, but I am not a "let's decorate with pink and blue to be modern" kind of girl.  Don't mess with a good thing.

Favorite Christmas Traditions: my favorite Christmas tradition used to be the three naps I would take on Christmas day, but somehow I can no longer squeeze in all three naps.  So now I would say that it's probably making peanut butter balls with Steve.  

 Favorite Christmas foods: I have very specific thing I like to eat for Christmas.  Appetizer dinner on Christmas Eve, special coffee cake Christmas morning, sausage and cheese for lunch, steak and twice baked potatoes for dinner.  In my family, you eat steak on Christmas.  I mean, we just had turkey last month!

This weekend we're going to do another one of my favorite Christmas things, which is have our annual December visit with the Winters.  I'm so excited! 

Hope you get to do some of your favorite things this weekend!

winter here

This week has felt like the official beginning of the winter season to me.  I'm sure all the Christmas decorations are helping, but there are other signs as well. 

Yesterday found me wearing slippers, socks, and slipper-socks.  Try saying that five times fast.  I was cold down to my bones and I wasn't even outside. 

I have made both creamy chicken stew and veggie chili.  Don't you love winter meals that involve steam rising from a bowl of some sort? 

All I want to do is burn candles.  All day.  All night.  Candles candles candles.  They are like little fireplaces all over the house. 

Speaking of fireplaces, Steve turned ours on this morning as a treat.  Doing the abs section of our pilates video is slightly more pleasant with a fire and Christmas music.  Slightly. 

When we go upstairs at night past this garland, I find myself wishing for a long nightgown and a candle to hold.  You know, like in Little Women?  Well, even if you don't know, you can take my word for it- super festive. 

Sewing is such a cozy activity when it's dreary outside and I am thankful this week for a long list of orders to fulfill. 

I am LOVING my new sewing machine and excited to do some more embroidery today.  So far, we've just played around with little scraps of fabric, but today I tackle my first real embroidery project.

I'm hoping to finish all my work and chores a bit early and settle in with a cup of tea and my quilt for an afternoon of stitching happiness.    

peace

Some tedious tasks are totally worth the effort.  Like this weekend, when we hung Christmas lights for six straight hours.  We put up lights at the entrance to our neighborhood.  We hung lights outside on our bushes and house.  We lit up our tree, and it looks so festive in its silver tin with those tiny white lights that I almost hate to ruin the calm with ornaments.  The jury is still out on the ornaments this year. 

But I (and I know that not everyone would) consider those six hours time well spent.  For the next month, I will enjoy those neighborhood lights everytime I drive or walk by them.  I will enjoy our house lights each night as I see them twinkling through the windows.  I'm enjoying the tree lights right now, at 10am in broad daylight. 

And that's just me!  Think about all the other people who will be momentarily cheered by the lights as they drive by our house or our street!  Or the friends who were here yesterday for the open house, or who will be here as the month goes on, enjoying the lights right along with us. 

Aside from spreading lots of holiday cheer, we ordered Christmas gifts and practiced some embroidery.  I don't have any to show yet, but soon. 

I've made a long list of December activities to do- things like "take a walk at night" and "have a fire and hot cocoa".  We like to schedule in plenty of slow, quiet things during this hectic month to balance out the speed.  Because as much as I love decorating and buying gifts, I never want to make the mistake of believing that those things make Christmas magical. 

From our Advent calendar over the weekend:

"He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be our peace"

Thankful for the reminder that what we are actually celebrating during this sometimes stressful time of year is Peace Himself.

snowflake machine

Earlier this week, I bought a fancy new sewing machine.  It's actually the first sewing machine I have ever purchased- Steve's mom let me pick out my first machine as a Christmas gift and my sweet former boss bought my serger as a going away gift. 

Who knew that a sewing machine would come in a box the size of a large dog house?  We almost didn't fit it in the car. 

I had several custom orders to finish this week and it was so much fun to practice on my new machine, while also getting work done.  I have mainly just used the regular old straight stitches, but it also does embroidery!  I think that we might monogram everything we own this weekend, just because. 

One feature that I particularly love are the snowflakes.  It was the only machine with snowflakes.  I'm not saying that influenced my decision, but let's be honest- it may have. 

I can't wait to show you some of the things I embroider over the weekend!  We've got big plans for decking the halls around here, plus a Plumfield Shop open house on Sunday!  Sunday afternoon from 3-5pm our door will be open, the cider will be hot, and tons of Plumfield Shop goodies will be on display- including plenty of items that haven't made it to the online shop yet.  I have lots of fun product ideas for the new year and need to free up some space, so everything will also be 20% off! 

Hope your weekend is merry!

over the river and through the Food Lion parking lot

Happy December!  You know I always love the first of the month, but December 1st is my absolute favorite 1st.  I love December for the music and smells, wrapping gifts and seeing my favorite people, white lights everywhere and hot beverages.  December is also the month that Steve and I started dating (8 years ago) and got engaged (7 years ago), so I find it especially romantic. 

This year, through a series of circumstances somewhat related to the fact that we currently have one car, we decided to bring our tree home the old fashioned way.  As old fashioned as you can really be when purchasing a tree from Food Lion. 

I like to think that we gave people something to talk about over dinner that night-

Husband: I was driving to work this morning and saw this man emerging from the woods with a Christmas tree on his back.

Wife: Have you been drinking again? 

Oh, because did I mention that after we purchased the tree from Food Lion, we definitely walked down the street a bit and stopped to take pictures in front of a big wooded lot, like maybe we had just cut it down?  Yes, yes we did. 

We're going to decorate this weekend and I can't wait.  I can't wait for almost everything about December. 

Today I am burning holiday-scented candles with reckless abandon and listening to a CD labeled "Christmas Music- 7 hours". 

Welcome back, December.  Why'd you stay away so long?