new year's eve

"Well, journal, this is the last day of the old year .. bid the new year welcome. God grant that it may never record unfulfilled aspirations, unsatisfied longings, or ungathered flowers. Good-bye, dear old year. You have been on the whole a very happy one for me."

-Lucy Maud Montgomery, 31 December 1889

goodbye, Tree

It's a sad moment but also a good feeling when the Christmas tree comes down. Sad because Christmas vacation is winding down and good because a new year is coming! I don't have a set day that I take it down every year but it's usually when I get that itchin' feeling to restore the living room back to normal and the notion to clean sweep the whole house in preparation for January's clean slate. I remember a Christmas when Ben was little when he cried as the tree was being hauled to the curb; broke my heart but we promised him we would get another tree and another and another and another ..

Funny how the putting up goes slowly but the taking down is zippity quick! Back to the attic go the boxes of treasures and I wonder if they jingle and sparkle to life until the next December in the attic like Toy Story toys. Every year we add more stuff; who doesn't. I wish I invented those plastic storage containers - such a good idea.

Even Miss Maddy loves tree -- yes I call it Tree as if it were its name, ever since I read this book several years ago. Such a beautiful story.


Goodbye, Tree.

toys. everywhere. you. look.

So it's 3 days after Christmas and the toys are still everywhere you look. We're good about getting rid of the wrappings, ribbons, cardboard boxes and plastic-thingies-that tie-toys-to-boxes that make them adult proof (hate those things!) at the end of Christmas morning but of course the new stuff remains in every room of the house, as if waiting ever so patiently for a home of its own. Surprisingly it hasn't really bothered me yet, too much, ok some but not that much, yet. I'm not sitting in a corner shaking with mini lego heads and arms around my feet, yet, but in the meanwhile I've started picking up random things and finding places for them. Ben gave me that cool brownie cutter which has to be tried out soon. There's a paper jams guitar and a scooter that need battery and assembly attention but thankfully there are other items being used in the interim. And by the way, if you don't have Wii Ski then you should ~ it's soooo much fun ... the closest to skiing I'll ever get.

The playmobil nativity set has seen lots of attention. When asked, Zack told me that the alien wanted to see baby Jesus too.

breakfast for dinner ... and a free pattern!

As I sit here by the cosy Christmas tree, the streets are covered with snow. Not as much snow as they had predicted for us but enough to make it pretty. It's been a full day of more playing with toys (love Pop the Pig game!) and I got to sneak in a few hours of channel surfing on the Hallmark channel with my stitching. I'm happy to report that all the Andes mints are gone.

Egg Nog Pancakes
recipe adapted from this one
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups eggnog *
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In another bowl, beat eggs, eggnog and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. (I used canola oil.) Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

*I used Lucerne Light Egg Nog but had to add some water to thin out the batter otherwise it would have been way too thick.

. . .

Here's a free chart for you!
Valentine Crowns 1787
C 2010 The Sampler Girl

Click graph to enlarge and pick colors of your choosing. Send me a picture of your finish and I'll show it on Facebook page.

Ok, I'm off for another round of Wii Ski ... hoping to burn some of these egg nog calories!

Merry Christmas!

Mid afternoon here and it's a napping house, a lego-building house, a play-with-all-my-toys house so I'm stealing some time for myself and have some recipes to share. Yesterday I made cut out cookie dough and chilled it so after the candlelight church service we came home to ready dough to cut and frost for Santa. (Yes, the peanut butter/kiss cookies are on the bottom - looks like someone took a kiss from a cookie!)

Sour Cream Cookies
recipe from J.C. Handmade

in a mixer, cream together:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

in a separate bowl, sift together:
3+1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

gently add dry ingredients to wet mixture and combine just until it's all incorporated (DO NOT over mix). form into a flat round, cover and chill for at least an hour. roll out to about 1/4-1/3" thick and make cut-outs. bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes, watch them the first time to know how your oven will behave - you don't want them to brown. cool on a rack and then decorate!

. . .

This morning I tried a new recipe and I had no doubt it would be good since it's from Pioneer Woman's blog. It was a winner - yum!


Make Ahead Muffin Melts - I halved the recipe
12 whole Hard-boiled Eggs, Peeled And Chopped
2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup (Real) Mayonnaise
12 slices Bacon, Fried And Crumbled
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
6 whole English Muffins Split

Combine eggs with all other ingredients. Fold together gently. Cover and store in the fridge overnight.
Spread on English muffin halves, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (Don’t set them too close to the heating element.)

. . .

Lest you think all we do here is eat ... there's a lot of driving going on.


We'll head over to my parents house in a few hours for dinner and more present opening. Best made the macaroni and cheese and sausage balls to take ... yes, more food. Merry Christmas!

dec 24

This is my husband's favorite breakfast that I make and it's one I fix around the holidays. We enjoyed it this morning. I adapt it to the 4 of us but it feeds a hungry audience. I never add the salt because there's enough of it in the bacon.

Country Brunch Skillet
6 bacon strips
6 Cups cubed hash brown potatoes (OR you can cheat with getting these with the onion and green pepper!)
3/4 Cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
6 eggs
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet over med. heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and set aside. Drain, leaving 2 tablespoons of drippings. Add potatoes, green pepper, onion, salt and pepper to drippings; cook and stir for 2 min. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned and tender, about 15 min. Make six wells in the potato mixture; break one egg into each well. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 min. or until eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

Christmas Eve excitement is in the air! Such a fun time. Here's my 3yr old yesterday adding yet more magnets to the frig. Why can't they stay this little forever?

cosy gifts

Nothing like the eve before the eve before Christmas to finally tackle the sewing gifts. It's so windy out and twas a perfect afternoon sitting at the sewing machine. If you're an expert sewer or master quilter, please squint because these are by no means perfect but my boys will love them anyway. Fleece blankies for winter = cosy warmth.

For Ben

For Zack

Now to plan the Christmas Morning menu and get to the store for supplies. They keep waffling on if we'll have any snow on Christmas but best have some extra goodies should the flakes fall over the week-end. Think the store will be busy? :)

3 days

Rest up to celebrate!

Why is it?

*You find the cutest craft projects to make for Christmas -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You want to bake every cookie recipe in sight -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You stumble on the perfect gift for somebody but you already bought them 4 things, ok maybe more.
*You decide you do want to send Christmas cards after getting so many in the mail and feeling guilty you didn't send any -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You tell yourself you will (you will!) start Christmas crafts before December next year and you never do. Really.
*You find a box of decorations that you had tucked away and have to put out but don't have the time -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You, finally, realize that the candy basket near the door isn't in a high enough location for little hands -- after its been there all month.
*You wait until the last minute to wrap presents when you have no energy and begin throwing labels on gifts left and right -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You know you have reached that holiday plateau of whatever when your kids have Andes mints in their mouths all the time.
*You print out free ornament patterns with high hopes of actually stitching them -- 4 days before Christmas.
*You wish to be snowed in even though you know cabin fever makes you feverish after 2 days cooped up with your high-energy kids.
*You think it would be fun to have a game night to slow down the pace but remember that the oldest always picks the game that last 2 hours.
*You buy duplicate holiday movies and get miffed that you are officially forgetting what you own.
*You're in a store and have no desire to go back out in the cold again so go down another aisle instead.
*You wish you could curl up with the cat but know she'd never give up couch space for you.
*You love Christmas music but if you hear Aaron Neville sing just one more time, you'll begin celebrating Festivus.
*You look forward to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service because then you won't be hurrying around and can just sit and enjoy it all.

Christmas at Nancy's House

This afternoon was our annual Christmas party with dear friends. Nancy hosted and it's always such a treat going to her sampler-walled home especially during a holiday because she adds a festive touch everywhere you look. Such a lovely and yummy time!

it starts with a finish and ends with a smile

My model stitcher had a project for me for a change ~ to finish her stitching for her granddaughter who swims. The design is called Leggy Swimmer and by Heart in Hand. You can find the pattern here. It's so cute! I matched the orange in the flip flops and think it came out very sweet.

Our snow lingers and caused a 2hr delay for schools this morning; I was very much looking forward to sleeping in but Zack has been waking up early ~ I think in prep for Christmas morning. So no sleeping in but we did go to Dunkin Donuts for a yummy breakfast before school drop off of big brother. The day sped by since everything was pushed back. The car needed an oil change so that was the fun for Friday here. They were extra busy so it was over an hour spent there waiting and thank goodness for phone game apps to keep Zack busy. It got so bad that we had to eventually watch a Caillou episode on it (love Netflix!) and I'm sure the entire waiting room was glad when our car was ready.

The boys are excited for Christmas but the whole Santa-is-watching-you-so-you-better-be-good chant doesn't really work with Zack. Either he doesn't fully understand or he doesn't care. He's been driving me bonkers lately. He's entered the boogie phase (I don't mean dance your heart out but rather pick your nose constantly) and well, that was annoying and gross when Ben was little and I forgot just how much so. Yuk. Did you know they now sell boogie tissues? Crazy.

Every night, just about, we do some kind of holiday craft. It keeps me sane. Honestly if I didn't have some structure after dinner for them, they'd run laps around the house over me or throw all the pillows on the floor (I have a pillow problem), or take the charge on my iPhone down to nothing or well, it's like a full moon every night lately. Z has given up the whole nap concept and tricked me into understanding the quiet time in his room for, oh, about a week. I keep thinking that once the new year begins ... order, we're gonna have order. I just don't have the energy right now to deal with it, change things, yell anymore ... so we have crafts. I've had a double ear infection that turned into strep throat for over 2 weeks now, so you can imagine how much patience I have had. A friend sent me the supernanny website which has great advice so I'm looking forward to putting tips to task in January!

Pizza night. See my smile?

s n o w

First snow of the winter and my littlest elf was oh so happy about it. My bigger elf was glad to get out of school early because of it. We're warm & cosy now full of hot cocoa and marshmallows; the winter wonderland outside is such a delight. Chicken and dumplings for dinner ... let the wind blow for now we have snow :)

10 days ...

... until Christmas!!

You do too, right?

Get distracted? Well, as soon as we got home from Zack's last preschool day of 2010 (don't even go there ... too soon, so much left to do with kid-free time but, yada yada) I fixed his lunch and lookee out the window, there's another Amazon box sitting at the doorstep. I snatch it up and notice a thin white box leaning against it. Hmmm, wonder what it is? I've ordered so much online this month that when the boxes come I have no clue what it is ... it's like Christmas. I know. Ok, so I come in from the ferocious wind and stash the Amazon box in some random overflowing closet, trying to think what it is, and oh I know!, and then back to the mysterious white box. I should say I was going to make my lunch but no, had to open the box. My child is eating and watching a Christmas video so I can quickly tear open this thing. Cool ... now I remember, the chalkboard placemats I ordered from Leslie and they are fab.u.lous. Well, that's when it started. The distraction.

I needed a place to put my new pristine chalkboard placemats. Good grief ... it was about an hour later when I was then up on a chair cleaning the top of the frig! Still hadn't eaten but I had already reorganized my favorite IKEA hutch-thingie and deemed the top shelf the perfect place for these new placemats. One thing let to another, still with me?, and then I was cleaning the toaster. The toaster!! Out came those crumb-filled bottom trays and they were getting a thorough cleaning. HELLO?? What a distraction. I was all over the place. Still no food, getting hungry, and happy with myself for putting in the longer Christmas video ... then back to more cleaning and finally, finally I wolfed down a snack-size can of tuna and crackers and next thing I knew ... Zack found a spider (not really - thought he did) so I brought out the vacuum and it was no stopping me now.

CRAZY. Not like I have nothing to do (orders piling up and coming in faster than I can get them sorted ... cupcakes for DH's office party cooling & awaiting my frosting attention ... laundry thrown on the bed earlier with big hopes of folding ... DR's appt in oh, about 20 minutes. Best get off this computer. If you have ordered EPatterns from me this afternoon ... please have patience. I didn't even get today's batch of orders out ... frenzied here. But tomorrow is another day. Plus, I found a spot for my chalkboard placemats.

You should be glad I didn't even mention yesterday's fiasto making chocolate dipped peanut butter balls for my book club's cookie exchange last night.

roadtrip

Well, a little one, to Leesburg for the Loudoun County Sampler Guild's annual Holiday Boutique, & potluck galore! Thank you again, Kathleen and Stacy, for inviting me to join in the fun and participating as a vendor. I still can't get over the abundance of variety in the potluck items ... yum! You all did such a great, and big!, job in the preparation and it was really great seeing you all again.

Here are some pictures of my display after setup.

My mom, Lucy Willis, had a table as well and will be going back to the group in March to teach a sampler workshop! There were several other vendors including Kathy and her sister from Carriage House Samplings; it was great to see some of her gorgeous, unique jewelry upclose! Lisa of The French Needle was there as well and I forgot to get one of her hedgehog needlebooks ~ they were darling.

Everything is unpacked and back in its place. That's my Type A personality at work I guess. Dinner out and no work for me until Monday morning. Till then ... enjoy your week-end!

Naughty or Nice? aka The Adam & Eve Ornament, last release of the year!

Goodness, the year is coming to an end sooner than you can say hot cocoa with marshmallows and peppermint stick ... so with it comes the last pattern release from The Sampler Girl. Here it is ... Naughty or Nice? aka The Adam and Eve Ornament.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
- Genesis 3:8

This is my favorite scripture from the Adam and Eve story as it is so powerful, so moving to hear God walk through the garden of Eden. Design is dedicated to my son, Ben, for his devotion to his Confirmation class.

Click HERE for details on this new pattern!

i heart my kindle ...

... so I named her, Phoebe. Why name her or why Phoebe? Well, glad you asked. I named her because she is my new best friend so she needs a name, of course!, and Phoebe after the main character of my first Kindle purchase and fantastic read.

If you haven't read this book yet or are in the mood to start a new one, then this is it! Written by Isabel Wolff, A Vintage Affair, will stay with you long after you finish the story. What a story it is. Hands down the best book I've read this year!! Beautiful, fast paced writing that makes you want to slow it down to savor every page. Phoebe is real, honest, fraught with regret and hopes to move out of turmoil with help from customers & various people she meets along the way in her new venture, a vintage clothing shop. Set in England and detailed with side venues, this story offers the reader so much and still is one unified novel.

Phoebe rests in a chocolate brown leather cover. I opted to not get a cover with a reading light and glad I didn't because my regular reading light snaps on the cover just fine. I can't tell you how many times I looked at the Kindle page on Amazon.com before ordering probably mainly because I thought if one more person bought an e-reader then bookstores and libraries would go out of business and that can't happen. Or maybe it was worrying what my grandfather in heaven would think of me reading books in this format since he collected books, real first editions with fragile spines and paper pages, for over 40 years but I think he'd be happy that I'm reading. Right? After all, he was the one who instilled my love of books. I think he'd like Phoebe.

sampler motif ornament wreath ... simple project!

Last holiday I offered these little sampler motif designs in kit form and have received inquiries ever since the kits ran out to please, please offer them again. No more kits however the pattern is available once again but this time fancied into a wreath using a wooden hoop and miniature clothespins! I love it. Chart is available HERE.