Our christmas gift

Not the TV, but the electric fireplace!

I've always dreamt of a white mantel fire place! Sure this isn't real, but electric. I have to say though, that I totally LOVE it!

By the push of a button, I can decide the heat, flame and ember! Finally our family room is nice and toasty!

Tomorrow is Dec 1st!

Deck the Halls

Oh my! it looks like I will have a busy weekend! But I love it!

My princess helped me decorate the tree last night. She had a fun time, but she thought I had a little too much ornaments and lights...what? I didn't think you could have too much...in my book, you can not have too much on the tree!

Another mod podge project

This time I took a piece of scrap wood and turned it in to this:

I sanded the edges, painted it black, sanded parts of it again, then I attached a sepia toned picture and a scrap embellishment. I put several layers of mod podge on it, then I added a pretty ribbon. - a fun and easy new way to display photos, -or maybe a nice quote?!

Christmas plaques

This last week was a pretty lazy week, I just didn't feel like blogging much... I think I got a case of the blah... , the never ending mess, boring chores, lack of sleep and of course my weight that just wont leave... oh well...

I did craft a little though. I made these wooden plaques. (Well, I bought them last year for 99c each.) I painted them, attached some scrap paper on them, then I added some pretty scrap embellishment. Then several layers of modpodge.

A small piece of ribbon to hang them with - and there you go; cute Christmas pictures!

I love the victorian motifs!

Tilda

Tilda is a brand a Norwegian woman named Tone Finnanger made some years ago.( http://www.tildasworl.com/ )

She has the cutest patterns, fabrics and papers! I was so lucky to receive this Christmas craft book for my birthday! This week I will try to do some of these crafts.
Outside it's starting to look a lot like Christmas, which makes crafting so much more fun. I think I will try to make some of these gift boxes - they would make nice gifts for friends. -Filled with goodies of course!

Getting in the mood

Oh, how I love to look through Christmas books an magazines! I know it's just November but I simply can not wait any longer.

The wood stove, candles, music and a cozy blankets helps the (Christmas) mood too!
By the way the Gooseberry Patch books are so great!
Have a nice weekend!

New shelves

I got some new shelves for the kitchen, a project that should have been so easy that turned into a nightmare.... Everything was so crooked and off...

Anyways, they're up on the wall and I'm excited to have a place where I can easily change the decorations.

...1st Dec. it will be Christmas in the house...
And by the way, the rumor was wrong, we've been getting snow...

November ramblings

(these were taken in September)
Rumor has it that we are not supposed to get any moisture here for the whole month of November! Can they really know that a month in advance? If that is true that would just be so weird. We usually have so much snow. Since winter last forever up here, it's nice to get a late start. It does changes my ideas for our Christmas photo though...have to come up with something else. It's crazy how fast time flies between now and Christmas and that I need to work on Christmas cards already....

Today I start weight watchers...again... When will I reach my goal? (I've been trying for 5 years.) And for the first time in weeks I'm excited about exercising. I've been exercising about 4 times a week for five weeks now and I've finally reached the point where I don't mind! (I usually hate it with a passion!) I just hope I can keep it up, which is usually my problem.... and to stay away from all those things I don't need to eat....And by the way I'm taking Thanksgiving weekend off! Yummy comfort food I can't wait to eat you!

Yeah!!!!

Today I get to go to an all day scrap "retreat"! I am so excited! I am so far behind on my albums, so I can't wait to catch up.
-Imagine from 9 am to 9 pm, I will not be interrupted or having to do anything....nope, all day to myself!

Yesterday me and the kiddos went to the big city. I wanted to get some Christmas shopping done, it easily takes a month to ship big boxes to Norway.... Anyways it was stressful! Over 4 h. to go back and forth, big city traffic and two kids who decided to be crazy, silly and very loud! Especially the baby (who is almost 2), who only wanted to take off or be carried or scream with joy or anger.... and then the 5 year old wants to be carried because it's not fair....and the food is not right and it goes on and on.....

Oh yeah, some peace and quiet is welcomed today!

And tomorrow I get to make lefse!

Purple knitting

I have done some easy knitting lately.

- A cute hat for my baby,

booties for my princess

and booties for me....

Milk and cookies

This wonderful plate was a gift from my in-laws. They know my appreciation for Holly Hobbie! The plate says "Start each day in a happy way".
And that's just what I will do today!

Halloween

Halloween is over and we had a lot of fun! The kids dressed up as a bear and a witch. This was baby's first trick or treating and she loved it!
We gathered at a friends house for chili, a big group of us, then we all went around town. The kids were all so cute and fun!



I think theses glow in the dark skeleton pj's are so fun, and so does these little monsters!

Now, all fall decorations are going away, I have a lot of of cleaning to do....