Holiday Shopping

Um, so, some slightly shameful self-promotion here today. I'm participating in Etsy's Cyber Monday promotion by offering 10 percent off everything in my store until midnight. To get the discount, just use the code CYBERMONDAY when you check out.

Also, because so many of the items in my shop are made-to-order in your size or special color requests they take awhile to make. In order to make sure your gifts arrive by Christmas, I need to have your order by  Sunday, Dec. 12.

Sadly, and happily, I suppose, my favorite earrings already sold today even though I just put them up for sale yesterday. I was kind of hoping no one would want them so I could keep them. But that's ok. I won't tell you what my other favorites are so you won't feel bad about buying them!

And, you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook if you want more updates about new items or holiday specials.

Thankful for Snow

1. I love the snow. I'm glad it's been snowing all weekend.
2. My car drives amazingly well in the snow, thank goodness.

3. We were supposed to go tree hunting today, but Husband had a migraine so we went to a tree farm in town instead. I haven't picked out a tree that way since I was a kid.
4. Decorating a tree takes longer than I remembered.
5. So does hanging Christmas lights. Especially in the freezing cold. 

6. My husband's family is much quieter than mine at Thanksgiving dinner. And they don't eat nearly as much.

 
7. It took three whole days off of work for me to relax and finally feel peaceful. Now I have to go to work in the morning.

8. Making jewelry always takes longer than I expect as well. I wanted to be ahead for the holiday shopping season, but of course, I'm behind. 

9. And that is all I can remember. Happy Thanksgiving to you.

A puppy gift

My family loves to buy and give gifts. We make a big deal out of Christmas presents and agonize over finding or making just the right things. I received many lovely gifts this year and gave many wonderful ones away (at least, I think they were wonderful).

But my favorite gift this year was from my husband and our two big puppies. In addition to the Clarisonic I've been lusting after for awhile now, he bought me this necklace. It's adorable, no? And it looks quite like our puppies (one is a pointer/dane mix and the other a pointer/pit bull mix--we really aren't sure about either but that's our best guess).

And the most endearing part? Husband off-handedly informing me that both puppies approved when he showed it to them. Yes, we love our dogs. And yes, they get to sniff approve Christmas gifts. And yes, my husband is adorable too.

Merry Christmas!

We are celebrating Christmas this year in Seattle with my sister and my parents. Husband's sister also lives in Seattle so tomorrow we have Christmas with his sister and her husband and parents.

Right now all I can smell is the monkey bread my brother-in-law is preparing. Yum!

Wishing you all a wonderful day...

Photo of my brother-in-law from my mom's iPhone from last night's tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve.

A tradition of cookies

 One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is making Christmas cookies.

We used to make huge batches of them. Most to eat ourselves and a few to give away.*  My mom--who makes cookies unlike any others I've tasted--would make the dough and put it in the refrigerator to cool and set (and I would steal pieces of the dough while it was in there). Then, we'd spend hours making the perfect cookies. Elaborate, fancy, beautiful cookies. My mom's were always the best. Mine always seemed to take the longest. And my sister hated doing cookies. I don't know why, but we never could get her to do her part. My dad came to do his required one cookie. Listening to Christmas music while the tree twinkled and we decorated and ate cookies and drank cider... that was Christmas.

The last couple of years I've had a cookie decorating party for a bunch of friends. This year with everything else going on we didn't make time. So I made a small batch at the first of December but had friends over the next day who ate them all.**  I tried to make more earlier this week and they flopped. I don't know why, but they were terrible. Before we could throw them away the dog ate them--which is a whole 'nother story.

I'm looking forward to Christmas at my sister's house in Seattle. My mom promised to have un-decorated cookies waiting. And I can't wait.

*C'mon... it's Christmas. Eating cookies was an institution at our house.
** Yes, I'm whining. I'm very territorial about my cookies.

Crate & Barrel Holiday Fun

Husband's house is much bigger than my house so I'm trying to figure out how to spread my holiday decor throughout the whole place (yes, I love decorating for Christmas so much I try to fit it into every room). I think it's a lost cause. Not being a very handy DIY kind of girl I think I trip to C&B may be in order...

I think my puppies would appreciate chewing up this  ridiculously expensive, yet nifty feeling pillow:

And I think this set of red sheets would add some fun color to the guest room:

And these pancake molds... just because I LOVE pancakes so much.

 Images from C&B of course

Friday Flutter

Christmas is already calling to me. I was looking for some holiday decoration ideas when I saw that one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Paloma's Nest, has a holiday collection. Hooray!

I love this set of holiday gift cards. Sooooo pretty and simple!