Project Pinterest: Felt Christmas Tree

I got this idea a few months ago after seeing this pin on Pinterest--a felt Christmas tree attached to a wall with removable ornaments that kids can decorate (and un-decorate) to their heart's content. It seemed like an easy project and one that might have a chance at keeping my child entertained for at least 10 minutes. I am happy to say that it was successful on both counts!

I bought a yard of green felt for the tree but did not end up needing that much--3/4 yard would have been plenty. I wanted a tree big enough for her to stand up and decorate but not so big that she couldn't reach the top. Obviously the size of your tree depends on the age/height of your child, and in my case it did not need to be very tall :) The finished height of my tree is 21" and is just about 24" at its widest part. I drew an outline of the tree on poster board first, cut it out, then used that as a template.

I attached some white felt to the back so that there'd be more felt at the bottom to attach the presents to. I went with white so it would look like snow (yeah, I know, an indoor tree with snow on the bottom? The whole thing requires imagination!). I used Heat & Bond and an iron to fuse the different colored felt pieces together.

Instead of using nails or tacks to hang the tree on the wall, I went with these adhesive picture hanging strips. So far so good--the tree has stayed securely attached to the wall despite some tugging by little hands.

I used lots of different colored felt pieces to make ornaments:

I kept this project hidden while I was working on it and brought it all out and hung the tree in the morning before she woke up so she'd be surprised when she came downstairs and saw it. I think she likes it.

As you can see from the picture progression, her favorite part was un-decorating.

Happy Monday (ugh, is it really Monday already?) to you all!

~Stacy

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Thanksgiving weekend is when we usually decorate for Christmas. Chad has some time off, the weather has been decent, and I love having the house all lit up and Christmas-y. It started lightly snowing last night and is still doing it this morning. I'm hoping for a white Christmas this year, then the snow can make an early exit until next December :) Here's peek at what we worked on yesterday:

And thanks to the wonderful thing that is the Internet, my Christmas shopping is done. I can now turn my focus to finishing the handmade gifts that are not really at all close to being finished.

On an unrelated note, today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

~Stacy

T-Day

Wow. I'm full. Thanksgiving was wonderful, and I hope yours was too. We normally eat earlier in the day, like around lunchtime or a bit later, so this year we did things a little differently and had Thanksgiving dinner actually at dinnertime. It was great doing it that way since I had plenty of time earlier in the day to cook, clean and lounge around before anyone got here. It also ensured that we were super hungry by the time the turkey came out of that oven. I made double batches of everything, since leftovers = great. I could send plenty home with everyone and still have lots left for us to eat this weekend (including for breakfast...I never knew sweet potato casserole could make such a delicious start to my day).

For those of you wondering, I settled on a table centerpiece (see all about that on this post). I went for a "simply nature" theme that included a bunch of sticks gathered by this:

I have a set of blue Wedgwood china that my Grandma gave me several years ago. It's beautiful and I've never used it out of fear that I'll break something. So it sits safely on display in our dining room china cabinet, where I can appreciate its prettiness while maintaining a safe distance. I decided to be brave and use it and I'm glad I did. I love the look of the fancy dishes with the casual centerpiece--a mix of styles is a good thing, in my book.

I hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous!

~Stacy

My Thoughts on Photos

I've been trying to get a good picture of Charlotte that will work for my Christmas cards. Shutterfly is having a 50% off sale on cards that ends today (of course) and I was really hoping to get a shot of her that was card worthy. So far, I don't think I've been successful. Either the lighting has been bad, something got blurred, she was wearing something that was stained/not a great outfit for a Christmas photo, her hair was a mess, or some other such thing. I was starting to get frustrated, but then I thought that maybe I'm taking this whole "perfect picture" thing too far, and maybe the best route would be to use a snapshot of her that's just simple, sweet and happy, doing something in her own environment that makes her smile.

I don't think I'm particularly hard to please when it comes to photos (unless they are of me, in which case I am incredibly critical and is why you rarely see photos of me on this blog. Also, I usually do the picture taking, so unless I hire someone to follow me around and take pictures I'll remain absent from most of them). But in general I really don't like posed, formal photos. I can't think of anything that looks less natural than sitting in a perfect arrangement according to height and wearing coordinating outfits and faking a smile. Baby pictures are an exception, particularly newborn portraits of babies sleeping. Those are adorable, always. Other than that, if you want a bad picture of someone just make them pose. I prefer capturing things they way they are naturally, and trying to be discreet about picture taking. I don't mean creeping around and photographing unsuspecting strangers, but rather staying on the sidelines and photographing an event as it's really happening. When I look at one of my many, many favorite blogs and see how they take great pictures, I'm always drawn to the ones who capture real moments--like children wildly opening their Christmas presents (not ones where someone hovers over and says "hold it up! Smile!" and it turns out totally fake looking), or a group of people laughing at a party, totally genuine and unposed, or a child blowing out a birthday candle or playing outside. When I see wedding photography, I love the shots of the couple having a sweet moment together that was unplanned, or even the outtakes that usually end up being the best, most memorable moments. You'll never remember which pose you liked best, but you will always remember the moments that made laugh, cry, or feel truly happy. You can't fake that, and that's what differentiates good photos from great ones.

I am not a photographer, but I enjoy taking pictures, improving my skills, learning about it, and researching my future "big girl" camera. I love looking at photography books and blogs with beautiful pictures. Pictures tell a story that words cannot. Where words can fail to give enough weight to a moment, a photograph can do it justice. In my personal photo collection, my favorites always end up being the ones that were taken on a whim, or one I thought would be a throw away, or ones where I caught someone (usually Charlotte) doing something adorable the moment it happened.

To illustrate my point, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving and all that I am thankful for, here are just a few of the photos that are my "forever" shots: the ones that I hold in my heart as a memory and on paper as a constant reminder of everything that makes my life one that I am so, so happy and lucky to be living:

 This photo was taken in November of 2008, when Chad and I went to London. It was a somewhat unexpected trip and we jumped at the opportunity to go but didn't have a whole lot of planning time. As a result, I hadn't really done any mapping out or planning of really any kind so when we arrived in London one dark, chilly, rainy evening, we weren't sure where to start. We got off the bus at a park in what looked like central London and started walking. We ended up here, which turned out to Buckingham Palace. The whole thing was surreal--there was hardly anyone else in the area and (though you can't tell from this photo), we were so close to the building. I guess I expected it to be quarantined off somehow, or protected by a huge wall or some sort of privacy shield and was shocked to find that it's just set right in the middle of everything, no sign, just Buckingham Palace hanging out in London like it's no big deal. To us: big deal.

 This photo is also from our London trip, when we took a day trip to Windsor Castle. I was having camera issues and was testing it out to see if I had fixed whatever the problem was and took this picture. There's something about it I just really like, like it's a screen shot from a Harry Potter movie or something.

 This is Henry and Howard, when Howard was just a few months old. They used to sleep in heaps like this, and I love how Howard is so relaxed he practically looks dead.

 This is Howard and Frances (my parents' old dog, whom he loved loved loved dearly). Frances would sit on the picnic table to get some relief from him, and he finally figured out how to get up there. Here they are, watching the world go by together, and I took the photo through the kitchen window.

 This one was taken on June 4th, 2011, right before we left the hospital to take Charlotte home for the first time. We dressed her this little outfit that said "Daddy's Little Monkey", complete with a tiny monkey hat. Sigh.

 Chad took this in October of 2011 when we went on a hike. I didn't know he took it at the time, and it's one of my favorite photos.

 I LOVE this picture. This was Charlotte's very first time on a playground swing, and the look on her face of pure joy and fun is amazing. I can't look at this photo and not smile.

 I've shown this one on here before, but I just love it. I took this shortly after we bought this house and it showcases my two boys perfectly :)

 Charlotte slept in her swing for quite awhile, and one day during her nap I snuck in and took pictures of her sleeping. There is no picture sweeter than a sleeping baby.

 I love watching Howard play Frisbee almost as much he loves playing it.

This picture was taken on our honeymoon in June of 2005. We took a cruise and one of our stops was Antigua, which is where this was taken. We took a tour and ended up at one of the highest points in Antigua. As we were walking back to the bus, Chad was trying to clean off the lens of the camera. To see if he'd gotten it clean, he just stuck his arm out and took this as he was walking. There's something about it that I've always loved, and to this day it sits in an 8'X10' frame in our dining room.

 Though not the best self portrait, this picture just makes me happy. We took it this past July, when we were in Maine. This was at the park area surrounding Portland Head Light. We'd just had a wonderful lunch with family we hadn't seen in years and then had a great time outside looking at the water and the lighthouse. We sat down for a second and took this and every time I look at it I remember how great that day was.

This is the first photo I took of Charlotte on my camera (we have earlier ones that Chad took and a couple from cell phones). She'd just been rolled back into my room in her little cart, the morning after she was born. She'd slept in the nursery that night and the evening before I was so incredibly exhausted that I didn't even really get a great look at her until this morning.

This was taken yesterday. You can't see him, but Howard was playing around with a ball and she was cracking up at him. I can practically hear her little giggle in this picture.

And last, but not least:

They are the reason for my thankfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. Have a wonderful day, and safe travels to those of you who are visiting friends and family!

~Stacy

Holiday Movies

The never-ending week is finally coming to a close. A peaceful, relief-filled close. The event that I've been consumed by organizing is over (it went very well, despite several interesting twists and turns this week) and my biggest 2012 work projects are submitted and out of my hands. I am SO happy to check these things off my list and move into Thanksgiving week with a clear head and much less stress.

My plans tonight? Watching this:

This is not only one of my favorite holiday movies, but it's one of my favorite movies of any category. This is one of the few movies that is just as funny in its edited-for-TV format, but assuming there aren't children watching you have to watch the unedited version. There are few scenes funnier than Steve Martin's f-bomb laced tirade at the rental car counter in any movie, ever. It's a must see, and Steve Martin is an excellent swearer.

While I'm on the topic of movies, and since I started writing this post with no plan or purpose in place ahead of time, let's talk about the best holiday movies out there. Every year there are tons of specials and movies that are usually quite terrible (Hallmark Channel, I'm looking at you. Hitched for the Holidays and A Bride for Christmas are just two of the gems on this year's roster. Seriously?). And there are the classics, like It's a Wonderful Life, that are universally loved (I have a confession. I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life in it's entirety. I tried once and fell asleep. I'm sorry.) Here are my favorite holiday movies, in no particular order:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Click for image source

Ok, I guess this list is in some kind of order because Christmas Vacation is, hands down, my favorite. I can (and do) watch this several times during December and never get tired of it. I'm not a huge National Lampoon's fan otherwise, but this movie is fantastic. Also, I want to live in the Griswold's house.

Elf

Image source

I saw Elf for the first time in 2003, when it came out. I was in Buffalo for a work event and had an entire evening to kill by myself. I went to see Elf, thinking it would be a good enough way to pass the time, not at all expecting it to be legitimately funny. I loved it so much that I took Chad to see it again when I got home, then bought it when it came out. We had a New Year's party that year and had a bunch of friends over and we put Elf on in the background but everyone ended up watching it from beginning to end. It has some of the best movie lines ("Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" and "You sit on a throne of lies", to name a few) and is one that I could watch any time of the year.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Aww, who doesn't love Charlie Brown? This one is a classic and reminds me of being a kid and excitedly looking through the TV Guide to find out when all the Christmas specials were on. It's a short and sweet story about the true meaning of Christmas, complete with an adorable beagle and excellent music. What's not to like?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Another childhood classic, this 1964 claymation story of sweet little Rudolph is still around and still just as good as I remember it (unlike some movies, which I watch as an adult and shudder. They shall remain nameless.). 

A Christmas Story

It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without Ralphie and A Christmas Story--especially because it plays all day long on TBS on Christmas Day. If you live near Cleveland, you can actually tour the Christmas Story House and Museum, which includes tons of props and memorabilia from the movie--including the Leg Lamp!

There are more (some guilty pleasures, some not), like Love Actually, Four Christmases, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Home Alone (the first and second ones only), but these are my top 5. What are yours?

~Stacy

Busy Busy

One week until Thanksgiving! Are you ready? Are you cooking the whole dinner or bringing a side dish to someone's house? Traveling out of state? Side note on the word "traveling": I am incapable of spelling it correctly the first time. I always add an extra L.

I went out grocery shopping last week and got everything I could for Thanksgiving dinner. I have a few things to pick up and I'm debating when I should go to the grocery store between now and Wednesday without A) losing my mind and B) harming myself or others out of my complete lack of patience. (See last post on Black Friday to understand better where I'm coming from :)).

This week has been busy for me--I have a huge event coming up Sunday that I've been working on organizing for the last couple of months and I had a big project due this week. It's been eating up most of my "free" time and causing me to rely on Sesame Street more than I would like to during Charlotte's wakeful hours. Thankfully it will all be over in 3 days and I can get some sanity back. Oh, and clean my house again. And work on holiday projects that I'd like to get done before the holidays are over. And cook something for dinner besides grilled cheese. And play Frisbee with Howard again, go outside for longer than it takes to get the mail, and not have to haul my toddler around to run work-related errands while she comes perilously close to completely losing her marbles in public.

Here's a brief look into my week so far, taken from my iPhone since my camera has been neglected for awhile now:

Charlotte hanging out with my brother:

The first snow!!

Fun with swings:

Three deer in my yard:

And that's all she wrote for today.

~Stacy

I Don't Bust Doors

Black Friday. It's less than two weeks away and all the political ads have been replaced with Black Friday ads. Stores are opening in the middle of the night (because really, 3AM cannot be considered "morning" yet) and many stores are now opening Thanksgiving night. This, my friends, is madness.

Now, my relationship with Black Friday is kind of weird. Even though I hate everything about the idea of going out shopping on that day (and any day after it up until Christmas), I still look forward to it. I get a newspaper the day before that weighs more than a box of phonebooks, bursting with ads. I love me some Black Friday ads, even the ones for stores I don't shop normally shop at. Maybe Black Friday signals the official start of the Christmas season. After all, that is the weekend we usually decorate and hang lights. But even though I devour the ads, I don't go to any of the stores. I refuse. I cannot bring myself to care about buying anything enough to get up while it's still dark outside, drive to a mall or store, deal with unruly crowds of people, wait in ridiculously long lines, and tolerate parking lots and traffic on Black Friday. 

One reason I feel so strongly about this stems from the Black Friday of 2007. Chad and I had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house and, while were there, combed through all the ads. We found some spectacular deals on things Chad wanted and some gift ideas for a few people. We decided we'd get up early the next morning and head out. It'll be an adventure! we thought. We'll get everything on our list and then have a nice relaxing breakfast after! Fools. Five years later and I'm still shaking my head.

We woke up the next morning at 4:00--the first store we wanted to go to opened at 5AM and we knew there'd be limited quantities of the things on our list since it's one of those places that normally stocks closeout deals. I'll withhold the real name of the store, but for the sake of the story we'll call it Jolly's. At Jolly's we were looking for a few Nintendo Wii games, a cordless electric razor, and something else that I can't even remember now. We drove there, bleary-eyed and caffeine-deprived, and arrived in the dark. We had Henry at the time and he was glaring at us from the back seat, disgusted at the whole situation. It took a lot to disgust Henry. He willingly ate frogs for Heaven's sake. 

Once inside I was shocked at the amount of people there. I worked my way through the crowd to the video game section. Nothing. I asked a clerk if they'd sold out. "Yeah, we only had 4 in stock so we sold out right away," he replied. "Four different titles?" I asked. "No. Four total," he said. ...Crickets... I went in search of Chad, after playing a rousing game of Marco Polo to find him. He was looking at the razors with a puzzled look on his face. "Is that the one you're looking for?" I asked. He said it was, but there was a problem. Apparently there was a misprint in the ad, because the box of the razor clearly declared "Corded razor", not "cordless." Just a few letters makes all the difference when you're trying to buy a safe electric razor for your blind grandfather to use. Strike two.

We wandered over to the tools/automotive section, figuring we'd get some things for my dad or at least a few stocking stuffers. A few seconds later Chad was stopped by a woman who either thought A) he worked there or B) he was nice (one of those is accurate) and proceeded to ask him about flashlight technology and recommendations for the next 20 minutes. When finished, we left as fast as we could. You'd think we would have thrown in the towel and headed home, but no, we soldiered on. Off to Target we went!

I love Target. I shop there quite a lot. I should never shop there on Black Friday. When we first walked in the store, it didn't seem too bad. The total lack of available shopping carts should have been a clue that trouble was lurking, but we ignored that small but important sign. We walked back to the Christmas light section and picked up a few boxes at 60% off. Woo hoo! The line was long--it extended all the way down to the makeup aisles. But all the registers were open so I figured it wouldn't be too bad, right? I got in line, only to have a crabby old bat a lovely older shopper grab my arm and point to her cart saying she'd been waiting in line over an hour and the back of line was back there, where she pointed to the back of the store. Yep, the line actually wrapped around the aisles and ended up back in the toy department. Not only did this mean that, unless I was purchasing an end to world hunger, there would be NO way I was standing in a line that long, but it also meant that a significant portion of that line would be spent in the toy department on Black Friday--aka A Special Circle of Hell.

I think Chad could tell that I was about 4.5 seconds away from ending up on the news, and no, not for my heroic acts of kindness. He gently removed the Christmas light boxes from my hands, placed them on a shelf, and we calmly left the store, drove home, carried our weary looking dog upstairs, and went back to bed until 10AM, vowing to never ever ever again ever go out shopping on Black Friday. Ever.

I still appreciate a good deal, but now I enjoy my Black Friday shopping (and really most of my holiday shopping) from the comfort of my couch, wearing pajamas, while I sip coffee and eat Thanksgiving leftovers and lounge by the fire. The only waiting I have to do is for a web page to load, or to update my virtual cart. I click my way through my holiday shopping and let UPS or FedEx handle the traffic. The only work I have to do is open the boxes that arrive on my doorstep and wrap them. I'll take it.

Howard's got the right idea.

Have a fabulous week.

~Stacy