Monarch Post

tales and a giveaway

Okay, here we go... I've been making more ornaments, and duplicates of these are here for you. Yes, that over-hyped giveaway is finally here folks...

So four handmade recylced, upcycled, sweet, sweater ornies could be yours-- for a comment:) How about your favorite or worst holiday story if you've got one too-- please do tell. Inquiring minds want to know;) Or just stop and say "hi!"

*****

So here's my Christmas tree decorating horror story: Christmas 1992. We had just moved back to Utah from a three-year Air Force stint in England. Mike had decided to take the Air Force early out option available at this time, and so we were able to settle down and buy our first home that October. We were excited to celebrate the holidays in our hew home as civilians. We had also promised the kids a dog after the move and house-buying. And so we did. We found a darling, young, spotted black and white shitzu mix at the pound. Ainsley instantly named her Spotley: in honor of herself-- Ains-ley, Spot-ley. (Because we are narcissistic like that sometimes.) Cute dog, cute house, cute kids. Christmas time. Life was sweet.

There was only one problem in the happy holiday homecoming story... I needed to have a painful, heel/bone spur removed before our military benefits ran out. Two days before Thanksgiving, I went in for the surgery. Two hours later, I woke up with a full cast (just below the knee) on my right leg. No one had told me any casts would be involved. No one?!! I was then told I would be in that cast for six weeks. I was an angry woman when I left the hospital... It was Christmas time, I had a seven-year old and an eighteen-month old baby, a new dog, and shopping to do. I couldn't drive. I couldn't walk. I had crutches. (There was no Amazon computer shopping back then.) It was icy outside. I had two pairs of sweat pants to wear for six weeks; jeans wouldn't go over my cast. I became an angrier woman in a hot pink sweatsuit. I looked ridiculous. Poor Mike.

Three weeks into cast wearing, it was time to get a new cast. The orthopedic tech asked if I wanted a colored cast this time. I somewhat sarcastically replied: ya, why don't you alternate the red and white cloth strips and make it look like a candy cane for Christmas... He did. Now I was an angry woman in a hot pink sweat suit with a candy cane cast on my right leg. And crutches. And Christmas fast approaching...

I think I'm making a long story longer here... Okay, onto tree decorating... Before my surgery, I made sure to bake dozens of our traditional gingerbread ornaments for the Christmas tree.  Four weeks in a cast had also made me a determined woman on crutches. I hobbled and hopped around the tree decorating the night away. I meticulously hung all those tucked-away gingerbread ornaments too. The tree was beautiful, and it was midnight. I hobbled to bed.

In the morning, I did my skip/hop/hobble downstairs to find a COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED Christmas tree. Almost every single ribbon hanger was empty of gingerbread ornaments. THE DOG HAD EATEN THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!! I learned that the cute new dog was apparantly part kangaroo, and could jump really high; while simultaneously eating gingerbread cookies. It never crossed my mind that I had made a tree bakery for the dog! (I grew up without a dog in the house.) I sat on the stairs and cried. After a really good feel-sorry-for-myself cry, I pulled everything off the tree and started over, minus gingerbread ornaments. I have never baked gingerbread cookies for a tree since, and I probably never will. As long as we have a dog in the house, anyways. Sheesh.

******* 

So tell us your stories-- good or bad about the holidays! And since you've stayed with me to the end of a post that was preeetty long, here's a little something extra.

 I've been making wreath brooches for my charity boutique this week.

They remind me of my grandmothers' and great aunts' pretty Christmas brooches. 

 
  

They're super simple to make. I'll post how-to's for sure next time:) 

And I'll leave this post up till Tuesday, Nov. 10th. Then we'll do a random draw. So pretty please... leave a comment or a story, I'd love to hear the tales!! xoxoKelly

P.S. If you are a local-- the MOTHERS WITHOUT BORDERS charity bazaar is this Friday and Saturday In Layton and Lehi, Utah. See above for details, and come if you can! 

Hallo-weekend

 
Well, that was a pretty long day or two wasn't it? Sorry. Halloween came along full swing, and I was feeling under the weather last week. It was a week I really wanted to enjoy-- so I did the best I could, in between a couple of migraines, and the last of a cold.

But we managed some yummy fun. I made all those mummy pizzas on the last post, and Sophey made these great cupcakes for Halloween. The decorating kits are from Wilton. We found the last package in Michaels (FYI) a month ago, and we tucked it away till last Friday. You'da thought we found gold. We've become baking geeks around here.

 

The zombie golfer had his bandages off by the time I got to his classroom party.So you'll need to imagine bloody, oozing bandages with golf balls glued to the bandages on top of his head. Nice, huh? Obviously, golfer zombies don't believe in wearing coordinated clothing with their bandages... And Caddyshack Rodney Dangerfield was out the door on Halloween night before I could get a good photo again. 

 

 But these girls werer happy to show off their costumes. Sophey the scary fairy and best friend Scarlett had a blast. (They could pass for sisters, couldn't they?)

And I'm working on finishing that giveaway I keep talking about... really, stay tuned. xoxoKelly

a walking exercise in creativity

 
After dropping the kids off at school this week; I drove to the old area of our little town, and took some long walks.  I needed a change of scenery from my neighborhood walkabout. And what glorious scenery there was to see right now!

I think my favorite things about fall are the brilliant colors, front porches decorated for Halloween; how excited my kids are for trick-or-treating, and their endless costume planning. And candy corn, of course.

 
Love the old Grandma houses in this neighborhood... 

And all the pumpkin decorated porches.

 
The methodically decorated houses.

 
The sparsely decorated houses.

And the porches which seem to suggest lots of children living there...

 
I'll bet the Rodgers family lives here, what do you think?;)

 

And so with all that delicious, autumness inspiring me-- I got busy. I've wanted to try and make a fall garland out of recycled wools and fabrics for a long time, so I did. (I know I said I'd do the ornament how to's this week, but ornaments can wait a week, right?) Fall is wonderful right now...I'll do a giveaway too, we haven't done that in ages. Next week for sure!

I thought it would be really cool to make chains from the wool. I was really wrong. After ten chains; my eyes glazed over. After twelve chains; my eyes rolled back into my head. I nearly had a seizure. Ridiculously TEDIOUS, I tell you! 

 
I then had a much better idea: strips of garland. Yes, strips are good, and a garland happens in no time. But I still didn't want to sew all those strips together.

Best idea so far: garage sale scrapbook brads! I had a whole tin of them sitting by me, just waiting for a new purpose in life:)

 

  
 
  Strips now mixed together with those tedious chains. Much better...

 

Leaves brad-tacked on, and mantel draped. I think it makes my dated family room mantle really perk up, and say fall la la la la! (Sorry.)

Well, we're off to buy our pumpkins at our favorite patch-- our porch is currently pathetic. And I'm stopping at the fabric store to buy one of those quilty template things to use with my cool, new rotary cutter. I have strips to cut, and more garlands to make!

Have a great weekend. xoKelly

loving it

 
Like about Tuesday, I realized my kids were out of school this Thursday and Friday. My crafting plans shifted into low-priority gear, while having fun with kids shifted into high-priority gear. Fall is really here now, the temperatures are apple-crispy. So refreshing. Yesterday, all I wanted to do was play with kids, bake, and hand sew things-- exactly what I managed to do:) (Don't you love it when your day  becomes your to-do list?!) 

I was also the spectator for a tough "boys vs. dogs" soccer match. I don't know who had more fun, or who won :) But they were all in seventh heaven for the afternoon...

 

And so was Miss Sophey. Haunted house painting and fall baking with Mom-- this girls' seventh heaven. She learned to bake a pumpkin pie yesterday too.

 
The finished" Haunted Henderson House". Accessorized with homemade clay flower pots. Sophey said, "It just needed a litle something more." She kills me.

And being the apple that didn't fall far from the tree...

 
she decorated the inside with old dollhouse furniture.

We decorated these little numbers too. Oh my goodness, can you say rich? Hershey's Kisses are now in candy corn flavor! (I'll post the recipe at the end for you.)

And then we decorated our favorite, old kitchen sideboard with our new art.

 
  
 
In and around and between kids, I finished a couple of cats for Etsy, and started on projects for the charity boutique. I've made about thirty Red ribbon pins so far... more handmade show and tell to follow next week!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  xoxo~Kelly

P.S. candy corn not included with cat-- who invented this stuff, and why do I like eating sugar-wax?

***HALLOWEEN KISSES COOKIES***

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Additional sugar

40 Hersheys candy corn kisses,unwrapped and then frozen. They melt too quickly if they're not frozen first.

In a bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.Cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll into 1-inch balls, then roll in additional sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie.

Press a kiss on a kid-- oh wait, that's my recipe ;)

green Wednesday

   

Sorry that pink Saturday post was left up so long. Jesse and I are trying to get over the stomach flu. We're starting to feel more human today, hopefully by tomorrow we'll be recovered. Nasty stuff.

Anyway, in honor of Earth Day today, HAPPY EARTH DAY everyone! Searching around for a photo for this post, I remembered the shoebox diarama Sophey made for her animal report last week. That works-- floating clay yellow seahorses, felted wool seaweed, shells and sand from our trip to the Outer Banks in NC. a few years back, and then my creative child decided goldfish crackers swimming and nibbling along would be the perfect finishing touch. I agreed! Tomorrow at school, the endangered animal fair continues with a singing program. Can't wait to see/hear that, too.

These last two children of mine arrived on Earth, seemingly already prewired to care for the environment. It amazes me. Last week our next door neighbor cut down their huge horse chestnut tree and Jesse was furious. He told me, "trees give the Earth oxygen and every time you cut down a tree it takes oxygen away from us!" He's still talking about the tree being gone, and he's still mad! Granted the tree was a little large for the space, but I had to agree, cutting down a tree simply because you're tired of it (the neighbor said) doesn't seem justified to me either.

And that's just one example of how conscious these two are. We haven't taught them this passion, it's just who they are. I am routinely reminded to turn the water off if they think I'm wasting it while cooking or cleaning. I am praised when I buy environmentally friendly laundry soap and cleaners (seriously!) After a thrift store shopping spree last week, they remarked that this was a good way of recycling too! And so partly because of them, I find myself wanting to do a better job being "green".  I now fully realize our children will inherit the Earth I leave behind.

My Dad was green way before green became cool. He held many civic positions over the years aiding the environment. Through wetland zoning to years of being the county riverkeeper, he understood as Native Americans do, that we are the Earth also. When Jesse and Sophia were born, he told me to teach them to care for the Earth. He said, "Everyone thinks we just live on the Earth, but that's not true, we are a part of the Earth." So true, indeed.  

Lots of love,

xoxoKelly

heavy hearts, a little art and a happy birthday

   Well it looks like I fell off the old blog train for a week again.

Can I just say, I've had one helluva week here... The decision was made by my Dad to put my Mom into hospice care Monday thru Friday of this week. He's done a remarkable job of caring for my Mom, but it's just more than he can take anymore. One week of extended family high drama has ensued... have you ever wanted to jump off the planet for a few days? I have.

It's all been heartbreakingly sad. My family has lived through six months of a very private, and personal hell. And it's so very sad to see my Mom rapidly declining from a form of dementia that is also rapidly taking the use of her body. She's in a wheelchair now, and is just a wisp of who she once was. Her nickname used to be flit- my Bristish grandmother dubbed her that. My Mom was like a quick little bird always darting around the house, never landing in one place too long. It's almost hard to imagine her that way now....

I spent Monday day and night in the hospice care center. That was a defining experience for me as well. It certainly gives you a renewed sense to make the very most of life, and not to wait too long to tackle wish lists...

Anyway, just thought I'd hurry and write this all out today. We're heading off for my Corbyn's baseball tournaments this weekend. And give you my very small and last  Valentine craft offerings. Most of it kid made- like the heart paperweight and watercolor art above, made by our sweet Sophia.

   Yes, that favorite photo and dog again... but I had to show the charming Valentine heart flowers my kids made a few years ago. Wooden craft store hearts, painted red and glued onto pipe cleaner stems. The bottoms are old string-along wooden beads painted green. The kids added micro beads to the hearts for a finishing touch. So sweet.

   Also made a couple of terrariums from dollar store glass vases. Anything green right now, anything green is good people...

   I only mangaged to spend about an hour this week in my craft studio. I halfway designed a piece of fabric collage. That's supposed to be a sunrise in the middle; my art work may need an explanation this week... Remember that Cat Stevens' song- morning has broken? -it's been rolling around my head.Why, I have no idea, but I want to put the words, "praise for the morning" or "praise the light" into this piece.

    And one more praise the light moment here... our gorgeous young man Corbyn William, celebrated his eighteenth birthday. We are so proud of the wonderful ,bright, caring, witty, person he's become. We love you Bo!

My Mike has been really sick with strep throat this week, and now we need to hustle for our trip.When it rains it pours... Sorry I've been so absent, sometimes life turns into a whirlwind of it's own making, and all you can really do is turn up your collar and live through the storms... We'll get there.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Lots of love to you,

 xoxoxo Kelly

cold brain, warm heart

         

LoVe

 

     is irresistibe.

     is a renewable energy source of vast potential.

     is not always easy.

     makes a house a home and a place a community.

     takes you into uncharted territory.

     makes you want to leave the world better than you found it.

     isn't blind. It sees everything.

     will find a way.

     is all you need.

 This quote was laying on my kitchen counter when I came home last night. I don't know where it came from, but I took it as a sign to post it. I think it's beautiful. I'll have to ask who left it there... I don't think I've had a remarkable thought in my brain all week. January does that to me. When I've thought about what I should write on my overdue blog, all I get is this (.....?.....) Yep, that about sums up my brain wave activity lately.

 I just want to hibernate. Bears are smarter than us. Get fat, go to sleep for the winter, have babies while you sleep, wake up in the spring- skinny. Yes, bears are very smart.

But I've kept working, along with taking care of three sick kids.. multiple schools, multiple germs. Hurry spring. I want to see butterflies.

So on my self-made heart art assignment, here's what I've come up with. And what we've done with our week ( again) at home. (I'll list heart art on Etsy tonight.)

    One thrift shop bowl I painted red and filled with my homemade fabric scrap hearts.

       I stitched  warm and wooly hearts. Inspired by magazines with those heart-shaped sugar cookies with the raspberry fillling... yum. I am a sucker for magazines with flowers and pretty cookies in January.   And woven paper heart ornaments, brought home from school by my kids... yummy, too.

 

I've been experimenting with my new wood burning tools

  It's harder than I thought it would be, kinda like learning to drive a stick shift- just gotta give it the right amount of pressure.

    I also tried to burn down my studio and the house.... Yes, follow the directions and do not leave lit candles unattended people! Just after checking on dinner, I walked back in to see shooting flames right below the lampshade. YIKES!

I am obviously desperate for a little excitement.

 It was also very, very foggy for a few days here. And I really missed the sun, so I pulled out our summertime Mr. Sun folk art piece and put him in the hallway; it wasn't enough...      Images of beautiful, light-filled cathedrals with stained glass windows kept coming to mind... so I made this piece of collage art on wood.

    Old jewelry pieces, batik fabric, polka dots, and green things growing are some of my favorite materials to work with.

   

But on most days the skies are brilliant blue in Utah winter, and I'm so glad. I've lived in other places with grey winter skies, and I think it's soooo depressing.

 It's been so cold here; the last snowstorm stayed on the trees for days.

   Look at this photo I took of my back yard at dust. No flash, and look at all the lights- anyone got any ideas about this photo- Traci?

And in between my creative spurts of energy, we studied for and won the class spelling bee, and then made it to the fourth round school-wide finals. Yay, Jesse!     We finished our science fair project too...

Winston is good for lots of things- he was even a very willing science fair experimentor- running timed races for treats.The conclusion: he likes bacon treats over chicken or beef treats ;-) And he says he'll be a science fair experiment aannyytimmme...

 

Just look at these two ridiculous haircuts. I'm not happy to have spent seventy-five dollars for this--

    Greta looks like she stuck her paw in a light socket, and Winston

     looks like a pig. Oink. The vet says he's gained four pounds this winter. Double Oink.

Been sprucing up around the house with a few heart items too, repainted a dark shelf white. Yes, I like to paint furniture in my kitchen, doesn't everyone?

         

And buying little things like this for a January picker-upper. Antique quilt heart art, from our towns' best gift shop- Just a Bed of Roses, thanks Brenda!

 

I'm liking it on my dining room hutch.

   

And why stop at the furniture-- today I decorated the old earlobes with hearts I made last February.

 

And added a wild thrift shop shirt. Yes, sometimes I find some great clothes there too- (now my high fashion secrets are out!)

Well, I guess that about wraps up the week here-- thrilling, I know... but hey, it's been January all week. 

Hope you're all doing well, and staying well and warm!!

Lots of love,

xoxoxo Kelly 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

wishing in 2009

     We tend to be pretty big New Year's Eve party poopers around here. We'd just as soon stay home with the kids and watch movies in our jammies most New Year's evenings--this year included.

But we started one new tradition a couple of years ago to make things a little more fun for the kids. We make a New Year's cake. Store bought birthday number candles, store bought funfetti cake mix, some crazy candles and flowers. Kid decorated all, with red hots and sprinkles to boot. Always homemade buttercream frosting here though- can't stand the canned stuff. And Viola- a New Year's Eve wish cake. We blow out the candles all at once, while making our own wishes for the coming year. I can't tell you mine- or it won't come true, right?

Happy New Year to you, my friends

      May all your wishes

     come true!

Lots of love,

xoxoxo Kelly

 

holiday fun

 

Well it looks like Santa is getting some much deserved vacation time in Utah. Hitting the powdery slopes, and parking the old sled for awhile... We've been doing the same the last few days. Pretty lazy around here.  Eating too much, sleeping in, putting toys together, cleaning up the Christmas bomb that went off in our house December 25th!... It's so nice to have this time home with my family, and even better with Mike off work until Jan. 5th.  

Now I have to admit, I lied a little about that skiing Santa photo... Mike and the kids always go skiing on Christmas Eve.  And he took the photo of Mr. Jolly and Mr. Elf on Christmas Eve.

Here's the rest of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

   They get an early start on Christmas Eve morning... a cup a joe gets the ol' eyeballs open!

   These two are always wired- no caffeine necessary.

 

This was Sophey's first time skiing. She had ski school all day. Ever the pink fashionista (this child hardly wears anything else.) Her Daddy was so sweet to buy his little girl a matching pink helmet and goggles.  But she was really bummed that she had to wear blue and black skiis/boots.  No pink available at the ski rental store! I think she looks like a pink frosted chocolate cupcake.  So funny.

 

Down.

 

Up and skiing! I'm sure it's the power of pink...

 

Of course he's a pro now- skiing for the past two years. He likes to tell you about all the "air" he gets... Jesse can tell the tall tales!

  

The older two daredevils.  Ainsley and Corbyn head to the black diamond slopes for the day. 

       

   I'm always glad when they're back home in one piece. 

     I have visions of Christmas Eve in an ER, although that's never happened. Thank heaven. But my poor Mom took a nasty fall on Christmas Eve and had to go to the ER. She cut her head quite badly, and was wrapped up like a wounded soldier for Christmas. I'm really glad she didn't break any bones. Poor thing.

I stayed home to get Christmas Eve dinner to my parents, and for my skiers. And to finally get my neighbors treats passed out. I made the labels from leftover Christmas paper.  The kids really look forward to our crazy Christmas Eve buffet. It consists of everyone's favorite foods. So it's really a mishmash. Weird but wonderful.

      The nice thing about children skiing on Christmas Eve, is very tired children. They all went to bed by 9:00.

  

Santa made it to our house after he went skiing too!!

 

 

Winston was the most excited family member on Christmas morning. He's like a three year old. If you ever get bored with life; buy a wire hair fox terrier... you'll never be bored again!

 

He opened his own present! 

 

And then happily shredded wrapping paper the rest of the morning! This dog kills me.

       And speaking of presents, well Santa Mike brought me just what I'd asked for...Emma Bridgewater pottery.  I've drooled over this pottery since I discovered it while living in England, sixteen years ago. I've always wanted to collect it, and now I'm on my way!

 

And Mike surprised me with one more gift- and yes, I've been drooling to have one of these babies too... That's right, a deluxe wood burner.  Nope, not diamonds or pearls for this girl, just give me cool manly tools- ha, ha!

 

I'm hoping you're having a cozy holiday break too, spending time with those you love most- and eating too much chocolate like me! ;-)

xoxoxo Kelly

Molly and Advent

   There's a tiny little "farm" tucked in between new houses at the corner of a subdivision in our town. The kids always want me to take this route out onto the main road.  My suburban kids love to see the sheep, duck, and goat who live in this five hundred square foot farm. 

Last week we noticed a new resident.

I had to stop and take her picture.

    

She certainly loved having her picture taken.  She gave me several nice poses.

   

 I think she's quite photogenic.  Just look at those big brown eyes and eyelashes!

 

 She really did love having her picture taken.  Walked right over for a closeup.

 

And then I noticed the stable.  And I knew I had to come back at night to see this sweetest manger scene.

        I met the owner of this beautiful, humble and so very special farm.  He was just coming out to feed the animals.

 

He told me her name was Molly.  She let me pet her for awhile. He told me he had planned to actually put a nativity scene inside the manger, but he didn't get to it this year.  I told him I liked it just the way it was. He said, "so you really like my Christmas manger?"  I told him I LOVED it.  He smiled. Our eyes met, and for a brief moment; we got each other. 

This December I've been learning what Advent really means. 

 With my Mom's health rapidly declining the past few months; I cleared my calendar of all things superficial this December. Just in case.  She's making it through, and now, in the meantime, there's been time. In a season I've never found time in before.  Before this year, Advent meant lighting three pink and one purple candle every December Sunday in church.  Not much more than a countdown until the big day. But now this season of waiting has taken on new meaning for me.  None of this intentional on my part, mind you.  But I think when I cleared my calendar I sorta cleared a space in my heart too, for lack of a better way of putting it.  It feels like a space where something new can be born out of love.  What, I don't know yet.  But this feeling has persisted all December.  It is hopefulness, expectation, wondering, waiting.  I don't know for sure what any of it really means, right now.  But I want to keep listening to Advent.

I know what I have learned for certain this month, and that is in every hardship, there are also blessings.  It's sometimes just a matter of stopping my car, and taking a few minutes to see what a good shephard has done- in a tiny town, on a tiny farm, with a string of lights and a star.

                            

 I wish a very MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate!!  

Peace and love to you all.

xoxox Kelly