Merry Christmas.

Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy all your family time.  

Please remember all the military members who aren't home this season so that we can all have the time with our families. 

Won't be posting again until after the 27th..

Going to be spending time with the family.

I can say the blog will go back to full posts as this page break is not working for me.  I thought I'd like it and it does make the page load faster but I just don't like it.

Until then- 

peace.

tammy

{boys- enough said}

Thanksgiving.

The time for family and being together.

Josh came home from college to spend it with us.

And what did his younger brother want to do to welcome him home?

yeah that's right

Go out in the backyard and wrestle.

  

Boys are such dorks.

{place cards by sophie}

For the past couple of years we have tried to make place cards for the big family dinners.  

One year I made them for Thanksgiving and my sister said- thanks set the bar high.

She then made adorable ones for that Christmas.

This year Sophie made them.  They had done some at school and she asked her teacher for a copy of the pattern.  She did them all for our meal.
   

She is very serious when concentrating. And can't do a thing without that tongue out.

  

So THANKFUL for that little stinker.

{cookie time}

Well we had to bake cookies for that Holiday open house so I got the kids involved.

You know - why not make it messier and more fun?

  

Yes, Jack is a future tv host. 

  

She has the method of one on the cookie- one in my mouth.

do you bake with the kids?

{ my helper }

The Carolina Artists' Colony had a Christmas Open house and of course I volunteered to do too much.  

It was the evening of the day Liz went home - so I was a bit bummed but we had to get it all there and set up.

My little helper and partner in crime- Sophie came to help.

She got bored once it was all set up so one of the artists - Taylar painted her face for her.

  

She wanted a butterfly. 

  

I think she likes it.  Don't you?

  

{eat in area Christmas decor}

I had big plans on getting a lot decorated this year but then with the booth and kids - well that all changed. 

I decided to do "less is more".  

And I have to say I am enjoying the small displays that just shine on their own without any over the top, elaborate scheme.

Our small eat-in area off the kitchen has so much light that I just wanted something small and simple.

I thought just a stick in my champagne bucket and put something on it...hmmm what?

Then I received the most amazing gift in the mail from my Canadian friend Heather from Inspire Me Heather. We met on the Cottage Living boards that then switched over to Cottages and Bungalows boards. We have sent gifts and surprises to each other for a couple of years.  This year she sent me a bag of miniature vintage mercury glass ornaments.  

LOVE THEM.  

And they are just what my little stick needed.

 Aren't they just adorable? 

Thanks Heather so much- I love them.

Now the stick, limb, twig whatever you call it- was from a dead dogwood.  

I just sprayed it with some white paint to lighten it up.  

Stuffed it in a piece of Styrofoam and covered it with some burlap.

All and all - simple.

Just what I was going for.

Are you decorating simple this year?

tammy

{hmmm...}

Just wonder what she is thinking.

Kind of scares me a bit.

   

{visit with Liz}

Every year since we have moved to North Carolina we have been so fortunate that my best friend Liz from Texas- God's Country, has been able to come out and visit.  

She usually has come twice a year- spring and fall. 

She has been here right after Sophie was born and a couple of times with her hubby. 

 Most times she has planned them around my Cameron Day shows but this time her baby got married then so she came out around Halloween- beginning of November.  It is always a great time but is usually so short and believe me I cry every time we take her back to the airport.  

We are always so busy and forget to take pictures- well and she and I hate having our pictures taken- haha

But I got this one before we left to take her to the airport..

   

 gosh I miss her terribly

{lights at Dale's Nursery}

After meeting Santa for the first time we walked around and enjoyed the lights.

  

  

Then of course it was time to get cookies and hot chocolate.

And it wouldn't be a good time if we didn't give mom a stupid photo.

  

 

 Happy holidays to your crazy family too.

{kids and santa}

Up until this year we have no photos of the youngest two with any holiday characters. 

Why?  

They have always been terrified of costumed people- 

be it Monkey Joes or Chuckie Cheese - they don't like them.

We went to look at the lights at the local nursery and Santa was there.  

Just like every other year, I asked," do you want to go see Santa? " .  

But to my surprise, Sophie said - " I'll try". 
   

 So proud of them.  I just wonder what crazy things they asked for. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

May your day be filled with family and food. 

May you be blessed with happiness.

happy thanksgiving from us to you.

A girl and some tags.

My daughter and I are really into crafting together.  She wants to sell things and we are trying things I think she can excel at and will sell.

This afternoon, after homework we moved onto a new project.

I have seen the clay tags all over the blog universe and thought that is something we could do together.  She also added to her pile a few ornaments for the tree later on.

Here she is busy at work:

 

She is so concentrated when working.

Then I got to making some also:

And I'll leave you with a close up:

They are now drying so I will show them after their final phase when completed.

Happy Veteran's Day Daddy

From two of the best little military brats out there to their daddy. 

following in her mommy's footsteps

My little girl has sold her first craft piece and her second and third.  

She is always working in my studio with me.  And she and her aunt came up with an idea of things to sell that she could do.  She and I sat down Sunday to work on them.  

She painted them and came up with the whole idea of how to do it.  

I merely did the hot glue gun.  And I have the huge burn blister on my finger that proved to her she at the age of 6 is not old enough to tackle the glue gun. 

Take a look at her blog to see her creations.  

She is showing her logo today and will share her creations tomorrow.  

I couldn't be prouder of my mini me. 

Love her so much.

Here's to my partner in crafting:  

Halloween 2011

Well we started the day with school  Since we are no longer allowed it seems in American schools to celebrate Halloween..ridiculous if you ask me- Sophie wore the Halloween clothes we had amassed.

 Then we got ready for the real event..trick or treating.

 

 

Then the rain started.  It was already cold but we didn't need the rain.  

All in all it was fine by 6pm.

And the witch came out.

 

Her Aunt also came wearing her witch outfit.  Though no one got to see it after she arrived as she spent the evening sitting on the porch in her jacket and covered with a down throw..sad right?

 

Jack could not make up his mind..go with the werewolf or the skeleton?

 The skeleton won out. 

It was a great night-. lots of kids came to the house.  We scared most and made some cry.

We ran out of candy which means it was busy.

Now, how do we top it next year? hmmmm

Ridiculous Day....

Today is day two of drug awareness week at Tramway elementary.  

It is ridiculous day.  Wear crazy clothes and crazy hair.

My kids love this day as you can see.

Jack and his multicolored hair and funny shirt:

 

Then Sophie picked out her clothes and we had fun with her hair..

fun times I guess.

After the rain....

After the rain, we got the nice cooler temperatures of autumn and this surprise:

Of course, Jack wanted us to run down the street to find the end.  Fortunately, it left as quick as it showed up.  No running to look for it- thank goodness. :)

Soccer anyone?

Yes this takes up a lot of our time:  SOCCER.

The season is almost over and it couldn't have happened sooner - thank goodness. I am soccer'ed out.

Here are the munchkins doing their best:

 This girl is awesome at soccer.  She is fast and has no fear.  The only thing holding her back this season is a team that is not up to her level.  She gets a bit frustrated with their lack of skills. Oh well, she is awesome.

He is not a lover of soccer.  He is not as fearless as his sister but the boy loves to run.  So, he plays forward now so he can run the length of that field as fast as those long legs will take him.

We will be taking off from soccer in the spring.  Decided fall is enough.  After a long winter with rainy weather all the time and it getting so dark so early, once spring comes they hate to go to practice.  They just want to play outside.  So, this spring we will do just that- PLAY. 

bubble time

Sophie has been trying to learn how to blow a bubble..look what she accomplished today?

 

Way to go girl..I told you just keep trying.

National Night Out 2011

Our little historic district had National Night Out on Tuesday.  It was so hot but it went well.  Kudos to Ashley Jewell for the AWESOME job she did planning and executing it.  Only one thing needs to change- we need to have ours in October like Texas does- it is too dang hot to have this kind of thing in August.

There was a food tent for all.

Of course my daughter who hates hot dogs informed me that she hates our hot dogs that Mr. Paul does them great.

Ashley made things for kids and the theme was Pirates - arrrghhh.

Can't go wrong with this now can you?

Two of my favorite guys just talking..dad and son.

And nothing would happen in this neighborhood without the ever giving couple:

Mike

and his better half- Nancy

Thanks to all those who helped and came out.  Yes it could have been cooler but it was fun all the same..here's to next year - hopefully in October.

till the next get together - tammy