Only two more sleeps until christmas and its been super fun thus far at our house.  I'm really excited to have rediscovered my love of sewing.  I designed, drafted, and sewed an apron for my mother in law (she doesn't read blogs so this won't be a spoiler).  I love it so much I'm going  to make one for myself too.  Bonnie (my MIL) is much taller than my model and since she's not 16 like my model, a bit wider too.  I'm hoping that means the bib will fit her without the little gap at the neck.  I think this design is both flattering and practical (nice big pockets and plenty of coverage) so I'll probably use it again.
   Katie didn't actually wear the apron while baking (just posed for me) but she did make most of the gingerbread for our annual houses.  That means enough fronts, backs, sides, roofs and accessories for seven houses!  That's a lot of cookies.  It took three days.  The results were really fun though.  We used the Wilton Gingerbread House Mold to make them (easier than making templates and rolling and rolling...but you can only bake 1/3 of a house at a time). 
   Everyone in the family got to make a house (except Miles, who  wanted to share with Katie and since her friend Vittoria was over she got to make one too).  Coconut "snow" and gummy trees, santas, wreaths and snowmen complimented our mini m&m "lights."   
   All that sugar (I ate some of the candy-not the cookies, I haven't tried to make gluten free gingerbread yet) made me crave a green smootie.  So for breakfast this morning I did a christmas one with Kale, bananas and oranges layered with strawberries, bananas and oranges.  So yummy and pretty too.  Happy Holidays!

Owl Hat

I"m still doing fun crafty stuff (and really enjoying it).  Yesterday I finished this owl hat that also seems to double as a koala.  Its pretty cute either way.  In the background of the hat picture you can probably also see some house shaped ornaments.  Those are a direct result of my latest obsession: Pinterest.  My friend Liz pinned the inspiration from http://retro-mama.blogspot.com/2011/10/home-for-holidays.html and I had to make them.  Next time I will go to the quilting store to get fabrics that I love because my intention was to make 12 of them and I'm bored after three since they don't quite have the look I envisioned.  No worries though, there are plenty more inspirational ideas where that one came from!  Seriously.  Hours and hours worth of just finding ideas.  I had to set a time limit for myself.  For every hour I spend on there I have to actually make one project.  Its a win win that way. :) 

PS.  I made up the hat pattern as I went along but there are some great video tutorials on You Tube that could get you started if you wanted to do something simillar.