New Year's Eve

 

 

 

I haven't really been up to much..just hanging with my boys.  I finished the first two buntings a couple of weeks ago.  The last lady gave birth to a daughter right as school was finishing up, so that one will have to wait.  I went to the December Coffee and we had an ornament exchange.  I made two heart ornaments as thank yous (in the smaller boxes and forgot to take a photo).  I've watched "Despicable Me 2" more times than a Mother should have to....I'll live.  I've read a little, baked a shit ton (and gave most of it away), and started re-organizing the stash.  I have a lot of trim...sickening amounts.  I need to use that in 2014.  :)  2013 was a good year for us...we got to move back to Germany.  And I got to take pictures of mushrooms.  I'm good.  :)  Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Just a Few Things Around Here

 

I finally attended a 3/2 Coffee.  They had invited me to the October Coffee and I was too chicken shit to drive in a new place.  November's was easier to find, but at night...it was dark.  But I had a good time and this was my "Welcome to the Group" gift.  It came with a 2CR pin as well....which I put on right away.

 

 

I've been trying to get caught up on crafty kits.  I finished my projects from the Little Pink Studio Boxes from August and October.  I need to find my husband's Dremel to finish September's box.  I made the necklace I bought from Andrea Singarella.  She offered up some kits from the "Sweethearts on the Home Front" Art Retreat and I bought one.  That is the first time I wire-wrapped.

 

 

I had some wreath forms that I needed to wrap. I was wrapping one of them and it had a bad spot on the yarn and I had to cut it  off and start over.  I made a pom pom with that yarn and couldn't stop.  I went a little nuts...I would still be making them if my oldest hadn't made a snide remark.   I'll make more and use up all my yarn when he's in school.  :) 

 

 

We woke up to snow on Thanksgiving.  It wasn't much, but it stayed the whole day.  It was gone by Friday.  Oh well.  We stayed home and got a crap load of Christmas shopping done online. :) 

What I've Been Up To

 

I finally finished the garland for my husband.  He wanted Christmas decorations- so he got a yarn wreath and a garland made of felt holly leaves.  I was inspired by this:  http://www.pamgarrison.com/2010/11/three-long-standing-favorites-.html

 

 

 

I rarely try recipes off of Facebook, but someone posted this yesterday and I had to try them.  There are actually two 9 x 13 pans of them.  They turned out a little too sweet...you were supposed to use Virginia Ham and all I could get was Honey Ham.  I think if I do them again (with the honey ham) I'll use different rolls.  They are totally edible.  :)

Spot the Mushroom

 

I've been busy sewing buntings, so I'm back to mushrooms. 

Small bits of awesome

+ Driving through the German countryside and seeing paratroopers floating in the air. 

+ A venti caramel mocha (thanks, Alisa for the urge for one of those)

+ Playing with felt.

+ A sunny day (after a crappy long ass weekend of cold).

+ The end of said long ass weekend (school is back in session...angels are singing).

+ The local Dehners and their cool Christmas supplies- trim that looks like a sweater.

Veteran's Day 2013

 

Working on Christmas decorations for Afghanistan.

Happy Colorful Mail

 

This set is for more bunting for brand new babies....I think I'll go with the green on the left.  I had ordered the swatch card and it is still hard until you get the felt in hand.

 

 

 

 

These I ordered for me...30 sheets of happy.  Okay, a few are for the bunting.  I love all that color.  I would have ordered the full pack of colors (one of each), but couldn't justify it in my mind.  I got this lovely felt from Benzie Design on Etsy.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/BenzieDesign?ref=em

 

 

 

 

I took a class with Liesel Lund at Handmade U back in September of 2012.  She posted about this brand of paint on her blog....twice (maybe three times).  I finally took the plunge and got two sampler sets and want to go back for all of them at some point.  They are just beautiful. 

 

http://liesel.typepad.com/adventures_in_pretty/2013/08/my-entry.html

 

http://liesel.typepad.com/adventures_in_pretty/2013/09/hi-in-exactly-one-week-ill-be-heading-off-to-art-is-you-in-petaluma-ca-to-teach-two-workshops-im-so-excited-i-love.html

 

 

I definitely need more color in my life.  It gets pitch dark here around 5:15 p.m. nowadays and that is not a happy thing. I guess I'll share where I got the pretty paint as well.  Go sign up for emails and you'll get coupon codes (that is how I finally allowed myself to buy some pretty paint).  They have all sorts of art supplies.....I ordered a cool watercolor sampler card as well. 

 

http://www.danielsmith.com/

 

Something that isn't a mushroom

 

Back in September, wee one was invited to a Birthday Party.  I haven't made much since we got here (baked plenty), but I made this bunting for her.  It is made out of felt (I love felt) and it has two yo-yos, two vintage doily pieces and two vintage buttons.  I figured you are all tired of mushrooms, but I didn't get a chance to take photos of my happy mail yet and it is dark already (at 4:47 p.m.).  :( 

The Mushroom of the Day

 

Okay...mushrooms.  :)  I got happy mail, but it got dark before I could take good photos.  So you will have to look at mushrooms again.  :)

Another Mushroom

 

I am going to bore you all with more mushroom shots this month.  I don't have a whole lot to blog about right now.  I will have wee one for five days...it should be interesting. 

Not a little boy anymore

 

Today is his birthday and he is 18....holy crap...time has gone way too quickly. 

Eeew...that's nasty

 

I have no idea what this is, but I had to take a photo of it.  Yucky.

An Adventure

 

Last Saturday, wee one wanted to go on an adventure.  So after we did our normal schedule of running around we went on an adventure (a walk).  He wanted to take pictures of trees and mushrooms.  I took them...he just walked and grabbed branches and leaves.  :)

Fall in Weiden

 

I just had to get out of the house the other day and decided to take my camera with me. 

Happy Birthday to Me

That is what the wee one went around saying today.  I think he gets it...I think he finally understands.  :)  He chose strawberry cake with strawberry frosting.  He helped mix the cake mix this morning.  He left when I got egg on my hand.  :)  He chose the cake decorations from the Real (German grocery store) and picked out his candle (not pictured).  He fell in love with Turbo this summer and wanted a Turbo Birthday party.  The only thing I forgot to order was Turbo wrapping paper....I had to use Cars 2 leftover wrapping paper.  He got AAA guidebooks from his Grandparents, a car magazine, a Bob the Builder lunchbox, tiny signs (the kind you get with train sets and toy cars...enough to fill the lunchbox), and Monsters University on DVD.  He even got an E-card from his Daddy.  He had a good birthday.  And most importantly he got it.  :) 

Government Shutdown...who cares??

 



Because I still have flowers and I found the world's cutest toilet paper at Norma's today.  :)  Things have been a little crazy since mid-August.  Hubby left yet again.  :)  I've been doing the single parent thing.  I had to learn how to drive here in Germany.  The first time was a few days before he left...I'm getting better.  School started not long after he deployed as well.  My oldest is a senior and that is throwing me for a loop.  I've been sewing lately...making yo-yos for my Sister and a bunting for a Birthday party.  My sister applied for a craft fair and got accepted, so I've been trying to help from afar...not doing a very good job at it.  :)  My Dad has been sending me a regular stream of coupons...they are good for an extra six months overseas.  That takes time as well.  Just a lot of little things and trying to keep my head above water.  Hopefully, things will slow down and I can just relax.  I know it is good to stay busy, but there is over doing it as well.  Delicate balance....you would think I'd have it down after as many deployments that we've done.  Nope...each one is different.  :)  Now isn't that toilet paper so me?? 

Little Pink Box

 

 

 

 

Okay, so I've always been too chicken to sign up for one of those monthly kit things.

https://www.frenchgeneral.com/

http://whathappensnext.typepad.com/what_happens_next/2012/01/join-us-the-gilded-girls-stash-society.html

I wasn't sure if I could justify it in my mind.  Well, Little Pink Studio decided to do a monthly kit and I wasn't sure again and missed out on June's....which looked really cute. So I signed up for July-Sep...you can get one month at a time or in three month blocks.  I got my box today...very cute.  I'm so glad I signed up.  You get a project and all sorts of things to play with all LPS-style...which I like..all very girly and pink. :)  If you are interested, go here and take a peek.  http://www.littlepinkstudio.typepad.com/

And if you are ready to commit, you can order from her web store or her etsy shop.

http://thelittlepinkstudio.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlepinkstudio

Hail and Farewell

We had our unit Hail and Farewell last night here in Weiden.  It made it a lot easier for us to attend together.  It wasn't too bad.....but after two weeks of home cooked Vietnamese food with Mom...it just wasn't as good.  :)   They had a buffet and a Mongolian BBQ set up.  Hubby has Kangaroo, Beef and Squid.  I just ate off the buffet.  Most of the team was there, so it was fun finally meeting most of them.  We had a nice time.   

http://www.liu-weiden.de/

Today's Flea Market Treasures

We went around twice.  I bought the folio and right hand stack of goodies in that round.  It was kind of crowded and I was going to give up, but decided to go around one more time.  Good thing I did....I found this wooden box of trim for 25 euro.  It was so worth it....it doesn't all fit in the box.   I got the left hand stack of photos before we left.  Not as many vendors as last time....a little bummed about that, but still a good haul.  I don't even have a picture of the Playmobil toys my Hubby got me.  :)  I almost forgot about those.  :)

Floh Markt Treasures

Okay...long time, no blog.  It's been a busy few weeks.  I got these about a month ago and never posted the picture.  I spent about 11,70 Euro on all those goodies.  That box is full of trim.  We went again two weeks ago...when my parents arrived.  I only got a few things that day.  My Dad got a crap load of stamps for 30 euro, so it was a good day (for him).  The flea market is back in town this weekend and I'm hoping to go.  :)

We're Having a Heat Wave...

oy...it's a wee bit warm.  :)  I have pictures of things, but it is way too hot to do anything.  We've had the funkiest weather since arriving four months ago.  It ended up being one of the longest Winters on record, a few weeks ago- record rain (and a lot of flooding), and now it is really hot.  There was a week and half of really nice weather and we enjoyed our backyard.  The weather is supposed to cool down soon.  :)  I am alive, but Hubby was on "use it or lose it" leave, so I spent time with him.  We hit as many German grocery stores that we could while the kids were still in school.  We are simple people.  We are just enjoying living in Germany.  I promise I'll have pictures next time....we hit the flea market and I spent a whooping 11,70 euro this time. :) 

Up for another round?

https://www.facebook.com/hopeforok

I was going to add a picture of what I put up, but I can't figure out how to make it right side up.....grrr.  I'll add it when I figure it out.  The second round starts on Monday and ends on Friday the 14th.....the Army's Birthday (or Flag Day to civilians).  I made a journal from a vintage book (it is up on the site) it is about 1" thick from the over 50 pages of papers.  There will be a bag of treasures to go with it.  Hell, here it is in all it's loppy-jawed glory.   :)

A Handful of Happy

There was a flea market in Weiden on Saturday. Hubby took me for my birthday.  I spent 19 euro and all those treasures fit in my hand.  I'm not sure what I'm more excited about the 2 rosaries or the Paris souvenir bracelet.  :)

Next year....

just two candles...those big number candles.  It got so hot...that it melted the frosting on the top of the cake.  :)

I Got Sunshine

For my Birthday...it has been beautiful today.  All things considered...any sunshine is good.  I made my many cakes for my birthday.  Here are the links for the recipes:

http://relish.com/recipes/coca-cola-cake/  That is the hedgehog looking one in the back.

http://addapinch.com/cooking/2012/09/05/salted-caramel-buttercream-frosting-recipe/  This is to the left.

http://www.bakerella.com/key-lime-cream-cake/  This is to the right. 


I'll let you know how they taste later.  I have to wait for my kids.....cake for dinner.  :)  Not really...maybe...we will see. 

Rain and cake

There has been nothing but rain for days on end.  There is flooding all over Europe...so sad.  I spent most of today baking.  It has taken a little longer for things to come to room temperature.  :)  I'll have pictures tomorrow.  I've got one more cake to go.....the frosting is done...it has to be made in advance.  Hubby took me to a flea market on Saturday and I still need to take a picture of my treasures...a whole handful that cost me 19 euro.  It started raining right as we were leaving.  It was fun and I can't wait to go again.....maybe my brain will catch up...I know my German numbers, I swear I do.  Well...it's bedtime..so until tomorrow....which will be awesome. :)

Happy Things

I know today is Memorial Day and it should be a somber day.  I don't like to be preachy about it...it is different for different people.  I figured I'd show some happy things instead.  We had a team event on Wednesday and we went bowling and had a potluck.  I always bake for potlucks.  :)  I made red velvet cupcakes using this recipe: http://divascancook.com/2009/11/the-best-red-velvet-cake-recipe-easy-homemade-moist-with-southern-flair.html  They turned out pretty good.  I made another Apple Cake with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting and remembered to take a picture this time.  I did forget to take a picture of the corn bread. :)  I shared some of the cupcakes with the van driver and aide for wee one and she gave me these flowers in return.....columbines...I love them.  We used to grow them when I was a child.  I splurged this weekend at the Real (German grocery store plus more).  I got some peonies for 4,99.....I know I bit steep for just three flowers but so worth it.  You can see part of some flowers I got last week....2 bundles of flowers for 2,99 each.  The best thing ever was this Playmobil set.....I've been wanting this one since we got here...it screams Germany.  There is one more Playmobil set I want...it is like a roadside stand with a chicken coop...awesome.  I love Playmobil sets with food.  This one was in sale...just to make it even better.  However you are spending the day I hope you have a good one and don't forget to drop by the auction site tonight and bid on something, please.  :)