Holiday Wrap Up

Just how easy was it to stick to the handmade pledge? Ummmm....Well, let's just say that it worked out well because we are poor and have to think creatively anyway. However, if I was makin' bank, I think it would have ultimately been very difficult for me to avoid the typical shopping festivities of the season. For the second year in a row, we made our own *edible* gifts for our loved ones, including an apple-ginger organic granola mix and mint cocoa:



Of course, Dan did all of the hard work in the kitchen and I just made pretty packaging...

As far as our gifts to one another went, I didn't succeed in the handmade portion as well as Dan did. His handmade gifts included:

• 1 personally handmade conceptual painting (more on that later)
• 1 personally handmade terrarium, complete with a plastic deer
• Two handmade wooden art panels (We like to collect framed cross-stitches and painted wooden panels from Goodwill and he has a knack for finding the funniest ones!)
• Potatoes. Yes, a box of potatoes. I reckon they were hand-planted and hand-picked somewhere.
• In fact, the only thing he presented to me that wasn't handmade was an ipod adapter for the car. You just gotta let that slide because the CD player in our car has been cranky and I NEED music for my commute, PEOPLE!

My gifts for Dan were a bit of a stretch in the handmade category, but let ye readers decide:

• A book on the history of football from Borders. Obviously we can't count a book that was made in China. I lose.
• A membership to the Oregon Brewers Guild, complete with a handmade membership card, and a tshirt and bumper sticker--which could be considered handmade by the lovely beer fellows here in Portland. Discuss.
• My final gift is too explicit to share in this format, or really, in any format, but let's just say it was completely handmade, involving a santa hat, a few dance steps, and a mixed CD.

Other fabulous handmade gifts included a hand-painted card from Allyson (see above) and our favorite cookies made with love by Dan's mom...

And the Grammy Goes To......

None of these artists. I was actually really surprised how much great music came out in 2007! '05 and '06 were a bit lackluster, and I almost gave up on music entirely, but Rhapsody, Paste, and wonderful friends, dragged me back in. Many of these are old stand bye's, but many are new favorites. Now, in no particular order, my favorite albums of 2007!

America's Next Top Model: The Wardrobe

Belated What Wednesday:What Is Your Favorite Christmas Tree Ornament?

Rocco: The owl with the big eyes.

Hobbes: The "H" ornament that mommy bought for "Hodel/Herzing" but we all know it means "Hobbes"

Leah: The black cat with the dress

Dan: The elephant that reminds me of my first stuffed animal.

The Most Decorative House on the Street

Oh Yeah. Full frontal lighting, yard perimeter lighting INCLUDING candy canes, rooftop glory, and TWO inflatable life-size snow globes.

Let the Christmas Season Begin....!

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Here we are, and the first weekend of December is upon us! Dan and I are getting ready to scour the neighborhood for jars for our homemade goodies (mmmm!) we will be sending to family for Christmas. Like last year, Dan will be in charge in the kitchen and I will take over in the design/presentation category. ..

Our little home has officially been decked for the halls, including our "Thanksgiving Tree" rennovated into a "Christmas Tree," complete with our favorite ornaments we've aquired since we got married, as well as:

• A string of letterpressed paper ornaments strung above the hallway (a gift from a friend who works at Egg Press!)
• Stockings hung by the TV with care (One each for Dan, Leah, Hobbes, and Rocco)
• Candles-A-Plenty
• A few snowmen carefully placed here and there...
• Our winter card ribbon, dangling in the friend quadrant* of our living room, displaying each card, photo, and letter we get from loved ones this season!
  

*One of these days I'll get around to posting on how I implement my own feng shui around our little home....!

And of course, there is no better way to usher in the Christmas season than the MUSIC! The following are on our playlists (several habits carried over from childhood):

What's On Your Fridge?

Congratulations to My Hubby! He is officially a Certified Landscape Technician and now, a Certified Landscape Professional! Aside from the co-owners of Dan's company, he is the only employee certified, as well as one of 30-40 professionals in the state of Oregon!

Yo Yo Yo...