Ladies weekend and the Start....

We have made it back from the Annual Ladies Weekend Shopping trip in Lancaster PA. I think that we have officially supported that town for a good solid week! We had so much fun, I love getting away, we laugh and laugh... had a really good dinner together, laugh some more, and to finish with some ice cream from Friendley's with (click click) extra PB. We filled B's SUV to the brim, literally barely any room for a backseat passenger, but we managed. Everyone got most of their shopping done, or at least some ideas to start. On the way home we even did a Chinese Fire drill-Ha, have not done one of those in....YEARS! K was getting a little carsick so we switched! Good times. Like promised I would share what was in the gift bags for all my ladies: I sewed everyone their own "Santa" bag (in their fav color) in years past we just put bags after bags in the back and at the end of the shopping trip we have to go in every bag to see who's is who's-this year with a little help from the Santa bag we could just put our stuff in there and no extra time needed (sometimes I am so smart ;)), a small notebook, a pen, and their fav candy bar (everyone needs a little pick me up). It was such an awesome time, typically we figure out where we are going next year on the way home....but we were laughing to hard at ourselves....ladies...where are we going? I have attached a picture of the car...yikes, and of us.

Next on the list: operation Table top tent. Thanks to Jill from Homemade by Jill (http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/) she gave me the awesome idea for my little people for Christmas, I went and bought all the felt a couple weeks ago, and now....to begin. And I did, Monday night in my livingroom....I cut all the large pcs for the top, sides, and back (I choose a light blue so it would look like the sky when appropriate), and decided that perhaps I should start on a small end first, to get my feet wet. I figured the end with the barn on it would be the easiest...huh, well, um, not totally easy but I managed. I wanted to make sure the barn was completely level on all sides, and it HAD to have an "x" on the door, because all barns did. The little pig I made...super cute! Love him/her. I will post pictures once I sew it this weekend and its not held together by pins anymore.

On my way home from the shopping trip, well it actually may have been when I was in Christmas Tree Hill (I love this store) that I got the brilliant idea that I am going to put up ALL my trees this year. In the last couple years I have slacked off, I am not sure why, but I admit it totally. I am going to put our big, fresh one like always, then a little one that's about 3 ft and then another that is about 5 ft. The 5 ft one I am going to decorate in all white and red: snowflakes, mittens, etc. I am making all of the stuff! Yikes, yet another thing, but I am keeping myself busy. The mini tree I am going to have A (my daughter) help with. I want to do a paper chain, the old school ones, and something else....not sure yet. I love this time of year, almost a little sad when I have to take the decorations down. A and I are going to make that this weekend when my hubby is at the Penn St. game (Yahoo go Penn St.) and I am home with the kids. (only fair since I went away all last weekend.) I am also going to make some felt ornaments...due to the excessive amount I bought. To justify when you can get 50% off the bolt if there is less than a yard left at Joann's-I will!

We have family coming in this weekend, our cousin Jeff just got back from his (I believe) third trip to Iraq (thanks Jeff!) so they are coming over for a big family dinner...so excited I love cooking for everyone. I am going to make: Brown Sugar baked ham, homemade mac and chz, scalloped corn, apple pie, and PB/Choc pie. Yummy, its like um, Easter.

Happy crafting...

T.