Sibling Gift Ideas: Part One.

for abby,
from owen.

{click image to enlarge}

he picked the beads
he decided on the pattern
he made the bracelet
i added the clasp
we had a happy afternoon together.

Advent Calendar Activities.

Remember last year when I made this advent calendar? I know I'm a couple of days late here, but this year Ryan suggested that we add a fun family activity to each stocking along with our traditional piece of candy. Luckily, there have been a few great posts out there regarding this very thing.

I printed the chosen activities on these labels found here. Then I stuck the labels to some paper scraps. I was able to incorporate activities that are more involved for the weekends and simple activities like "drink spiced cider" on a day that I knew would be a bit busier. I also added activities that were already on our calendar like parties, and Easton's choir concert.

Here is our list:
-Make hot chocolate + read your favorite Christmas book
-Go visit the reindeer while they're in town
-Make a gingerbread house
-Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
-Wrap the gifts you've made for your siblings
-Salvation Army food box
-Write someone a letter telling them how special they are to you
-Make a popcorn garland
-Ward Christmas Party
-Deliver neighbor gifts
-Visit great grandma
-Bake cookies + deliver them to friends
-Sing Christmas songs
-Drink spiced cider
-Attend Easton's holiday choir concert
-Hang mistletoe
-Progressive dinner with cousins
-Take a drive to see some Christmas lights
-Annual Family Christmas dinner
-Family testimony meeting by the fire
-Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"
-Read the Christmas story from The Bible + The Book of Mormon

Oh, and I forgot to tell you yesterday, Happy December!

Inexpensive Holiday Decor: Stencils.

As Ryan pulled out the tubs of Christmas decor Saturday evening, I knew I wanted to change things up a bit this year. I still love our traditional ornaments but for some reason I'm craving simple. Easy. Relaxed. Unfussy. How was I going to completely change things up without braking the bank? Paper! It's cheap, pretty, versatile. Stencils are readily available at office supply stores, so that's where I started. A "Merry Christmas" banner for the kitchen and personalized gift tags for treat boxes were so easy to create, it should be a crime. I also stuck a few letters on the Christmas tree with clothespins. I love doing things the easy way.

p.s. The stencils I bought are a mottled brown color that reminds me of leather. You can find them here.

Free Shipping!

a little black friday love for all of you dearies. everything in the shop ships for free.

hurry! offer ends cyber monday 11:00pm pst.

The Boss.

Today, I'm thankful for Miss Audrey. She loves telling me what to do.

And I love letting her.

Shop Update!

Hooray! The shop has been updated with all kinds of happy, pretty things! Kristin + I are sharing a few of our most recent jewelry creations. You'll also find some new tags, brooches, and sweet card packs.

Thank you all for being so kind + supportive. I really love you. Really.

I just may pop in here a bit later for a This Very Moment... post. We'll see. I have a hot date to get ready for. Have a cozy weekend!

An Update + A Giveaway!

Hello Dears!

I have a slew of new pretty things to list in the shop. But before I do, I've got A TON of photography packaging to wrap up. Things will be quiet here for the next couple of days, but keep your eyes peeled for a happy post coming towards the end of the week announcing the shop update. It's going to be a good one.

Also, have you been visiting My Favorite Things lately? If not, please add us to your reader! We're in our second week of TWO FULL WEEKS OF GIVEAWAYS. Today, Simply Basic Designs has offered up this darling scarf. Isn't it the sweetest? Hurry over and enter. You don't want to miss out.

See you soon, friends.

Creating.

Hello, friends. Yesterday was an especially nice day here at the cozy brick house. The children were home from school + we had no where to be. We lounged around all morning in our PJ's. I packaged orders for the shop and they played + read + checked things off their chore charts.

The afternoon was filled with playdates, Ryan coming home early {hooray!}, movie watching, and crafting. I've been keeping myself busy making some new treats for a little show I'm participating in on Saturday.

If you're local {Tri-Cities area}, you should stop by. I'd love to say hello.

Johnson Home
8207 Camano Dr.
8am-4pm
More information here.

If you're not local, no worries. New items will be listed in the shop soon!

7 Months.

Oh, this boy. I love him so.

Oliver at seven months...

hates eating solids
also dislikes sleeping through the night
sporting TWO new shiny teeth
wears cardigans (sigh)
smiles a lot
splashes in the bath
sits + plays all day
loves his mama the best.

See more of Oliver + Abigail's photoshoot here.

Sunday Morning.

your move.

This very moment...

I'm loving the sweet photos Aunt Amy took of Abigail in her baptism dress.

I can't believe the a-maz-ing deals I scored this morning at Old Navy's outerwear sale. 5 coats under 100.00. This one is my fave.

Audrey is napping. Going on hour three.

Oliver is messing his drawers.

My brain is spinning around lots of creative ideas.

Brandi Carlile is echoing through the cozy brick house.

I am so happy.

Listed.

Are you starting to think about Christmas? Me too. We're still following our Want. Need. Wear. Read. tradition. I listed some new wood gift tags in the shop for all of you dears. Wood not your thing? That's ok. There are some old favorites there too.

My Favorite Things Calendar Swap.

I love paper. And calendars. They are like little pieces of changing art to enjoy all year. Do you love paper and calendars too? Well then, you'll be happy to hear Molly + I are hosting our very first calendar swap and we want all of your dears to join in on the fun! Signs ups start today. Go here for more information.

This very moment...

We're home from Trunk or Treating. The children are coming off the sugar and trying their darnedest to fall asleep. You should have heard the mother of all tantrums Audrey threw when Ryan plied her candy bucket from her fingers.
It. was. awesome.

We're deciding what movie we want to spend the evening watching.
Wolverine or The Brothers Bloom. Wanna guess who picked what?

Oliver's rash is gone. It's a Halloween miracle.

I received some really lovely happy mail from a kind friend today.
I love happy mail. And kind friends.

I'm wishing our Saturday were a little less scheduled and a little more relaxing.
If I can find a free second, I'm going to make one of these.
Doesn't that look fun?

Happy Halloween, friends. Sunday is November. (wha?)

Rustic Ghost Suckers.

Owen is pumped for Halloween. The boy loves to dress up and even more than that, he loves candy. (who doesn't?) Tomorrow is his big Halloween party at preschool so we spent a few minutes this morning making ghosts for him to give to his friends.

To make, you'll need:
Tootsie pops
fabric
ribbon/twine
marker

Cut your fabric into circles and wrap around tootsie pop. Secure with twine. These ghosts are so easy + have been around forever. I remember making them with my mother at my Kindergarten Halloween party (you know, back when they were still called Halloween parties and you wore costumes).

Owen + I decided to make our ghosts a bit more mysterious by adding a mustache. Miss Audrey loves them too. I'm pretty sure she thinks hers is a doll.

Where The Wild Things Are.

so dears, this is what happens when your child has a reaction to antibiotics. little oliver had double ear infections + was all around miserable. then...this happened. let the wild rumpus start!

my poor babe.

Blender.

does breakfast taste better when prepared in a shiny new blender?

yes, especially when said blender was a gift from your husband after you broke the one you've had for almost 11 years.

he did good, no?

Tiny Birthday Party.

The tiny party is over and boy was it fun! I like to think if I hadn't been sick earlier in the week I wouldn't have been scrambling as much on Friday. But who am I kidding? I'm a big time procrastinator. Luckily, everything Abby and I planned came together in the end.

One of the projects I was most looking forward to were the favors. We decided instead of doing one tiny treat for the guests, we would create little surprise balls for everyone to take home. I found a tutorial here that helped me figure out the logistics. I ended up changing a few things to simplify the process. Instead of using crepe paper sheets and cutting them to size, I bought a huge roll of 2 inch crepe paper. Each item was wrapped individually into the ball and then secured with a dab of glue once we reached the end. The little labels finished them off and tied in our color scheme of green, brown, and white.

Instead of a traditional cake or cupcakes, I made individual rice crispy cakes in mini form. The cakes were formed in cupcake tins. Originally, I planned on decorating each one with these candies, but at the last minute I knew I didn't have the time. Little flags look cute too, right?

Speaking of flags...the bunting was really fun to make. I took mini address labels I had mistakenly purchased a few years ago for Christmas cards and stuck them to brown + white bakers twine. I even offered to cut them into triangles, but Abby liked this look better. (thank goodness)

I didn't get a good shot of the tiny "Happy Birthday Abigail" banner but you can see a little of it in this last picture.

For games, we played relay races with mini balloons + a tiny candy eating contest. On the menu for dinner were homemade mini pizzas, little smokies, baby carrots and tiny cans of pop and baby bottles of water.

All of the girls seemed to have a great time and Abby was thrilled with everything. I still can't believe she's eight, but I love that she enjoys party planning and has an opinion about the details.

Hooray for Tiny Parties!

Tiny Birthday Invitations.

After bouncing back and forth between ideas, Abigail finally decided she wanted a tiny party for her BIG 8th birthday celebration. In keeping with our theme we created these teeny tiny invitations together. They are smaller than a business card and super cute in person.

We tucked the invitations inside mini glassine envelopes + added coordinating confetti that Abby punched out herself.

Wait until you see what other tiny things we have up our sleeves.

p.s. If you view my blog in a reader, take the extra click + hop on over today to see the pretty updated look that sweet Lyndsay created just for me!
I couldn't love it more.

This very moment...

This babe is sick. Again. Thanks to breathing treatments + modern medicine, he is finally asleep.
For awhile, at least.

All of the children are snug in their beds after a rousing night of Beatles Rockband.
They totally rocked Yellow Submarine.

Ryan is installing these sconces above our fireplace.
I love how my children can sleep through odd construction noises.

I'm typing away while Say Yes to the Dress is on in the background.
Is it strange that I am so obsessed with weddings?

I am determined to take my big kids to see this movie tomorrow.
I think I want to see it more than they do.

I can't stop thinking about a really, really awesome project my dear friend Lyndsay is working on.
I can't wait to share it with you all.


And...it's Friday! Hooray!

Mom Hands.

hard at work, and loving every minute of it.

I Spy Birthday Party.

I've been a little obsessed with birthday parties for awhile now. Abby's eighth is at the end of this month and we've been busy planning her special day. One idea I've seen recently and LOVED was the "I Spy" party my sister in law, Amy hosted for her nine year old daughter.

From what I hear, all of the girls had a great time at the spy party and Amy's creativity and frugality were super inspiring to me. See all of the party details here.

Pumpkin Butter.

Remember the invitations I made for the jam and butters class? Well, pumpkin butter was one of the recipes shared and I have to say, it. is. divine. Our favorite application so far is on top of crepes with fresh whipped cream. It's like pumpkin pie. For breakfast. Does it get better? I think not. Would you like to make some too? I knew you would!

Pumpkin Butter

1 large can pumpkin
1 c. apple juice
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices + sugar in large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
Store in refrigerator.

For canning-water bath 10 minutes.

DO NOT FREEZE

Audrey's New Doll.

Good thing Oliver has a sense of humor.

This very moment...

It's cloudy outside. And cold. I think we just may light up the fireplace tonight. And cuddle.

I'm missing the ocean.

I'm typing as fast as I can so I can shower and run to Target and buy this album. I know I could download it, but there is something about having it in. my. hands.

Speaking of music, the dear Passionista's October Mix is divine. This song just might be my favorite. It's happy and bouncy and fun.

I'm so in love with my husband. He's really good to me. And he makes the bed. Oh, and he's joined twitter. You should follow him. I do.

I'm planning on making a few of these this weekend. A happy fall project. What? You didn't know doilies were hot right now. They are.



Happy Friday, dearies.
I'll see your smiling faces Monday.

Our Family Theme.

Waaaay back in August on the eve of the children's first day back at school, Ryan and I catered our annual back to school feast a la Nie.

For weeks I pondered what we would focus on as a family in this new year. What theme would help my children battle through the everyday challenges life outside these safe four walls present? What could we focus on together that would strengthen us as a family and individually?

One morning after an especially difficult night with the baby I was feeling sorry for myself. I said a quick prayer and immediately thought of the lovely hymn "Have I Done Any Good?" Adjusting to life with four children and a colicky baby was proving very difficult for me. I found myself wallowing in my own struggles instead of focusing on serving others. That was where I was going all wrong. I know that by serving others I feel better. I feel more in-tune with the Spirit, with my Heavenly Father and with the Savior. I know that by forgetting myself and putting others first, I really find myself. I feel strengthened, uplifted and loved. Exactly the way I wanted my children to feel when they are away at school.

After discussing my thoughts with my dear husband, we decided this would be our family theme for the year:

Have I Done Any Good?

During our special dinner we introduced the theme to the children. We talked about little things they could do throughout any given day that could change some one's mood. A smile, a kind hello, an invitation to play during recess. Small acts of kindness and service.

And wouldn't you know it, President Monson spoke on our family theme during General Conference just this last weekend. You should have seen my children's eyes light up as our dear Prophet spoke of how children throughout the world were doing good. The very same things they were doing.

How grateful I am for a Prophet. For inspired church leaders that manage to speak to the very core of my soul on a semi annual basis. For the opportunity be a little better everyday. And to do good.

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.

-Anonymous

Doily Banner.

learn how here.

Hales Harvest.

Our kind friends the Hales raise the best crop of pumpkins and gourds you've ever seen. Actually, their three oldest children do. Ranging in ages from 4-8 the Hales children plant, tend and harvest the pumpkins and would like to sell you their bounty. If you're local {Tri-Cities WA area} and interested here are the details:

Hales Harvest

Sales will be after school (about 4pm) until dark and on Saturdays.
Available: pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins (decorative), gourds, cornstalks,
decorative gourd baskets

Prices: Gourds 3/$1
Pumpkins starting at $1
Decorative baskets $7-$15

Driving Directions:
Turn Left from 20TH AVE onto ARGENT RD., proceed 1.6 miles
Turn RIGHT onto N ROAD 44,
proceed 0.4 mi through roundabout continuing on Rd. 44
Turn RIGHT onto RIVERHILL DR .
2nd House on the RIGHT, 4310 Riverhill Dr.

From the RD. 68 & BURDEN BLVD. INTERSECTION,
go EAST on BURDEN BLVD., proceed 1.5 miles
Turn RIGHT onto N ROAD 44., proceed 0.6 miles
Turn LEFT onto RIVERHILL DR.
2nd House on the RIGHT, 4310 Riverhill Dr.


We're going to pick our pumpkins out this evening.
Hope to see you there, friends!

Two!

Can you believe this sweet babe is now an official toddler?

Me either.

To celebrate we put pigtails in her hair, left her jammies on all day {she's still a little under the weather}, and ordered a yummy cake from our favorite little bakery. We're also planning some pumpkin picking later this afternoon.

It is the first day of October, you know.

Recovering.

We're slooooowly starting to turn the corner on the funk that has been hovering over the cozy brick house for the last two weeks and we couldn't be more excited. Colds, ear infections, viral infections, rashes... you name it, my poor children have had it. Happily, the weather has cooled, [I'm wearing a cardigan as I type this], the sun is shining, and I'm delighted with some projects I'm working on. Stay tuned, friends. I promise there will be some crafty posting soon. Tomorrow, perhaps?

Until then, wash your hands... a lot.