Fireplace!

We did a bit of construction around la casa this fall, and here (finally) is one before and after set.  

I give you, fire:

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

I know it's before-and-after-shot 101 that the "after" shot should ALWAYS have better lighting and be prettier than the "before."  But it's gloomy winter here which means bad light for pics, and this still gives you the idea.

Anyway, the fireplace is SOOO cozy and I love it entirely.  I thought maybe I'd hyped it up in my mind so much that there was no way that actually having it could ever live up to my expectations, but I. Was. Wrong.  Freya and I now conduct all of our business within a 5 foot radius of the thing.

And I can't say for sure, but I *think* the hubs is pleased with it as well.
 

The real, mega construction was done on the bathroom.  I've got good "after" photos, but I can't find the "before"s, so that'll wait for another day.

Love, J

Homemade gifts

I didn't make as many Christmas gifts as usual this year, but there were a few good ones.

Blank birthday cards for Grandma R:
 

Ninja turtle cap for B-I-L:

Hat pattern here.  (You may need to be logged into Ravelry to follow the hat link.)
Mask pattern here

I just knit them both up, then stitched the mask to the hat, so it can flip up or down, depending on how cold it is/how Ninja Turtley he's feeling.

Also, the hubs decorated a mug for his mom:

There is a very popular tip on Pinterest claiming that if you decorate a ceramic dish with Sharpies and then bake it at 350 for 30 minutes, the picture will be permanent.  This is a lie.  

AFTER sweet hubs spent hours on his drawing and tried baking it, we discovered that the ink would still scrub off without much effort.  A Google search (which I admit I ought to have done initially), revealed that it's widely known that this tip is a dud.  

So I coated it with Mod Podge and now it's a pen or change holder, rather than something to drink out of.  Still good.

Love, J  

Christmas 2012

Christmas Eve:  Tamales con la familia de mi madre; Secret Santa; Christmas neckties.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas day night: In-laws; gingerbread houses; and the most successful re-gift in history.

I spy some beagle butts, hoping for a dropped steak Christmas miracle.

Thanks for the great find, Aunt Micky!  She's been christened "Lily" and is veeeery loved by her new little friend.

 

Love, J

Sledding

We decided to caravan up the mountain, and as I pulled away from the house, Step-dad first instructed me to go West, then changed his mind and said I should go East.  So I looped around the block, with car 2 (hubs, BIL and baby niece) following.

Step-Dad:  They're probably wondering what we're doing.

G and little cousin (in the back seat):  *Giggle*

Me:  How many times do you think I could go around the block before they called to ask what was going on?

Step-Dad:  Three.  They'd talk amongst themselves for a while first, trying to figure it out.

Me:  No way, they'd call after two times.

Step-Dad:  No, that's too fast.

So we bet a cup of hot chocolate and began another trip around.  I'm glad that I won and the phone rang exactly as we rounded the block the second time, because all 4 of us were laughing so hard by then that my driving maybe wasn't 100% attentive.  But we composed ourselves and sallied forth.

 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Love, J

12.21.12

Snow days, old school:

Portland was very cool, and made me yearn for bigger city living.  But these photos change my mind back and make me happy with Spokane again.  I now live just a few miles from where these pictures were taken, and that's pretty darn cool.

Plus the snow wasn't even sticking in Portland, and who needs that?

Today I'm getting my knit on, in a scramble to finish gifts.  Tomorrow the Hubs and I are going tobaginning with my two favorite tweens.  Then Christmas activities commence, and I will be very happy to spend a few days with the family.  It's been a sort of long stretch without everyone, and I'm lonely for you all!

Love, J

12.16.12

Source: letterarypress.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I've got "A Moveable Feast" from the library, but it's a 2 week rental and even though it's not very long, I don't think I'm going to finish it in time.

The hill out our front window is so picturesque all covered in snow.  I always forget that, in between winters.

I'm going to Portland tomorrow for work.  The trip was dropped in my lap three days ago, which is nice because I'll be there and back before I have a chance to remember how much I dislike leaving home.  And my hotel's a few blocks from both a vegan restaurant and Powell's, which is nice.  (Maybe I'll find an old copy of A Moveable Feast?)

It is a gray day here.  I am spending a quiet Sunday with the bunnies, aiming for reflection and peaceful thoughts while trying to ignore the creeping despair that always comes after terrible times.  Like the shooting.  It is a nightmare to even hear about from thousands of miles away.  To be there, mired in it all...  I cannot wrap my head around the scope of the grief of those who are close to it.  I am sure it is without limit.

Love,
J

12.12.12

I'm having a good day, and this video is still the best minute of it, so far.

Love, J

12.9.12

Sweet Freya is officially the Hubs' new BFF, for reals.  She is unbelievably affectionate, to the point where she will majorly guilt trip us if we are ever not petting her.  Which makes it hard to get stuff done, but we find ways to work around it, because of how damn cute she is.  Of course I still miss my Lily girl, but Freya's cuddly in-your-face-ness has been a huge comfort.  In the picture above, Freya jumped up on his back when he stooped over.  They're both so goofy.

The year of the pie is still swimming along.  This month marks the halfway point, and so far we've done:

- Strawberry Rhubarb for July
- Mixed Berry (huckle, rasp, and black) for August
- Peach for September
- Apple for October
- Pumpkin for November
- Pecan for December

The peach pie was probably the best thing I've ever made or eaten in my whole life.

Blogger was "updated" sometime this year, and is now about a billion times less user friendly.  And even after I spend way longer on a post, it's never as cute and polished as I could get posts with the old system.  Bleh, progress, why fix things that aren't broke?  Anyway, that's my excuse for the downswing in post prettiness.

This weekend I'm wrapping presents and rooting for the snow that's falling very reluctantly.

Love, J