'Tis the Season!

I have to start off this post by saying how much I love this little blog world :) Check out the goodies that Krista Walker sent last week! She was one of the winners of the Japanese Fat Quarters set that I had in last month's give-away and loved them so much that she sent a little "thank you" package chock-full of fun (mini purse, business card holder, coffee cozy and dipes/wipes holder)! I think that Sydney will be fighting me to use the mini purse (on the left) - it matches her pants!

Before I forget, Happy Holidays everyone! And for everyone who celebrated Christmas last week, I hope you had a fun day filled with carols, cookies and friends / family :) We spent Christmas Eve day with my in-laws in Boston and had such a fun time - a big part of the day's success was that the kids were incredible! Sydney was a champ and gobbled up all of the attention (I finished the skirt!)

... and Ben was in bliss being held all day by everyone. Definitely a ladies man! Christmas wasn't really as fun - hubby was on call at the hospital and spent most of the afternoon there. Sydney was cranky from not napping the day before and generally being off schedule, and Ben decided to start an eating marathon at 2 am (and didn't stop until ~ 10 that night). We did have fun opening gifts and hanging out all day - just wish we were all well-rested!

I didn't get to make as many hand-made gifts this year as I'd have liked to, but there's always next year :) One of my favorite gifts are these fun coasters (from this book):

I love them! The perfect little something for anyone! I used 2 layers of batting and added a layer of PROCARE (the stuff that I use as the inner liner of my wetbags) to help make them waterproof. They aren't flimsy at all - I definitely recommend making them! I also made a matching bird. I tried to be true to the bluebird and give him a tan chest and white lower body... kind of silly, but my Dad is nuts over bluebirds and he'd be disappointed if he saw that I gave him a white chest :)

I'm not crazy about how he turned out - I haven't sewn a ton of "little" things like this before, so I found the smallness of it a little hard to manage. It is an adorable pattern though, so I'll definitely try it again. This gift set went to Auntie Re, one of Frank's Aunts who now lives in the nicest assisted living facility I have honestly ever seen (and I've seen a ton!).

I did finally finish Auntie Lou's scarf - I flipped out though one night when I lost one of my knitting sticks... I had a couple inches left to go! Luckily I found it under the sofa:). It has a keyhole opening at the end so you can stick the other end through it and keep it snug against you.

Hubby loved the scarf so much that he wants a "really long one" for himself. I've got about 10 inches done so far and a loooooooong way to go!

I do have a few other gifts to share, but I have to wait until they've been gifted (I'll be seeing my family in NJ/PA in the new year - can't wait!)

Didn't know if you all had checked out Amy Butler's Free Patterns lately, but she's got some FABULOUS things posted there!

Off to bed now... sweet dreams everyone! We'll be getting lots more of this stuff tonight...