Happy Christmas!

Joy to the world

The Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart

prepare Him room,

and heaven and nature sing

and heaven and nature sing

and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!

May your Christmas be filled with joy!
Wishing you a Happy and Merry Christmas,
See you next year, friends.
Greta

Citrus: The Gift of Winter

Today is the first day of winter. Of all the seasons, winter is my least favorite. Oh yes, there are aspects I like: hot soup and fresh baked bread on a cold night, hot tea and baked oatmeal in the morning, the sound of rain, a trip to the snow, crisp days of brilliant blue skies and bright bright sun, but eventually, I long for spring. And especially summer.

I admit I am spoiled, Winter here is not very bad. OK, it's a breeze! If it's 50 degrees outside, we have to really, really bundle up. Or just stay in on such a cold day. And that doesn't happen all that often. So I don't really experience the full effect of the winter season in the way, say, a New Englander might. Except in one way.

Fruit.

I miss summer fruit. I miss it already and it's only the first day of winter. That's not very encouraging.

I miss cantaloupe. Watermelon. Peaches. Oh, the white ones. And plums. Deep purple, and so juicy you just eat them right over the sink. Apricots.

If you tell me that you don't love summer fruit better than all the rest, I will never believe you.

And then, yesterday as I was thinking about summer fruit and missing it so, I looked out my window and I remembered.

Citrus. The gift of winter.

These oranges are from our tree. They hang just outside the dining room window. Their color is so gorgeous. I do love orange. And they are sweet. So sweet.

We squeeze them for juice in the morning. Eat the slices in the afternoon for a snack.

There are so many wonderful kinds of citrus fruit to choose from.

We use Meyer lemons from my parents' trees for lemon bread, lemon bars, lemon curd. Meyer lemons are so sweet, they even smell sweet. A bowl of Meyer lemons on my dining room table makes one of the most intoxicating scents I know.

And tangerines. Of course there are the Clementines. Everyone knows them. And they're good. And they have a great name--a name in the running if we ever have another daughter.

But have you tried Satsuma? Find them. They are so sweet and so good and just so full of tangerine flavor you will think you died and went to heaven. Ask for them at your farmers market. I have been known to eat more than 10 in a day.

We are planning on planting a Satsuma tangerine tree.

Blood oranges are amazing too.

Every time Aaron cuts into an orange, he tells the boys it's like looking at the power of the sun. And I think about how God made these bright citrus fruits to be ripe now, at this time of year; just when we need that little bit of sunshine most.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: we live in an amazing world.

Happy first day of winter, friends.

Greta

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There is another thing I like about winter. A fresh new year, ripe with possibilities and new things to be learned, discovered, tried and explored.

One of my first new adventures will be this recipe. Almond, orange and puff pasty--it sounds like a winner. to me. I'll report back. But it won't be for a while friends. We are still knee deep in Christmas cookies over here!

Stormy Skies

Our first real winter storm of the year.

I love wet windows.

Wet leaves on the sidewalk.

And stormy skies.

But it's nice to have the sun peeking out again.

This is, after all, the sunshine state.

Or is that Florida?

Or Missouri?

I think that's the show me state.

Whatever.

2 Sites to Share: Kiddie Records Weekly & Pup and Pony Press

When I was little, I had this record player. My grandma supplied my brother and I with countless records she picked up at the thrift store. We spent many, many hours listening to those records. I still remember lots of the stories and songs we listened to over and over again. I can ever remember the pictures on the covers and the design of the record labels.

Just thinking about it makes me want to head to Ebay right now and bid on one of these record players.

Or, I could just head over to this fantastic site here, and listen to some of their free, that's right. free kids' records.

And we have been. A lot.

I highly recommend you go to the site. It's called Kiddie Records Weekly. You can pick from all sorts of records. And all of them are available to listen to for free on your computer. My boys love it.

I love it.

You can even download the art from some of them. And the art is amazing.

And so are the stories. There are so many to choose from. This is one of our recent favorites:

I am not very computer savvy, but I would like to figure out if I can download some of these onto my computer and then burn onto a disc. If I could, they would make fantastic gifts for the boys' friends. If that is not doable, or is stealing of some sort, we are happy to just listen to them on our computer and enjoy hundreds of great old stories.

Although, I must say, it just isn't the same as listening to my old record player.

Aren't I too young to be this nostalgic?

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Now for the other site I am recommending: Pup and Pony Press. Pup and Pony is run by one of Aaron's former professors, who also used to be our neighbor. More importantly, Wendy, Pup and Pony proprietor, is a fabulously talented artist. She has an Etsy store you should check out here. Her cards are all designed and letter pressed in her backyard studio. They are clever and witty and have a vintage look that I love. Like I said, Wendy is a great artist.

You should also check out her blog. It is a look at all sorts of wonderfully designed things: her home, old cars, vintage Fisher Price toys, and a link to Kiddie Records Weekly. Do you see why I like Wendy's blog? We are kindred spirits.

The funny thing is, when I stumbled upon Wendy's blog, I didn't even know that I knew her. But when I read the post about her house, it sort of clicked. I love that about the blogging world. It's a small world after all.

Go check it all out. Who knows what other wonders Wendy might introduce us to?

Christmas Moments

Christmas time is so filled with big events. It's busy. it's hectic. There are parades and parties and shopping and baking. It is all a lot of fun. And sometimes a bit tiring.

But my favorite moments of the season are just the simple, quiet moments that fill my heart with joy and peace.

Like the moment the Christmas lights are lit for the first time.

They might not even be on the tree yet.

But it is still magic.

They're beautiful.

They make me happy.

What are your favorite Christmas moments?

Itty Bitty Craft Project

I am beginning to think that I should just take the whole month of December off from blogging. I can't quite figure out the reason, but we are always sick, sick, sick this month. I grow weary of it. It seems they feel worst at night, and there go my few, sweet hours to blog, craft, read or just be kid free...

And right now, well, I should be working on the Christmas card, or making felt food, or getting to that Mt. Everest of ironing, folding laundry, or a million other things. But I posted once last week. And I miss it. I get the itch after a couple days off--I'm really itchy right now.

So here goes:

If you are a mom, a sailor, a barista, or just anyone alive and kicking during the Christmas season, you are busy. And if you are busy, you don;t have time for big, complicated craft projects. But don't you just want to make something sometimes? Don't you just want to add a little bit of homemade loveliness to your home?

I do.

But time, as I noted above, is tight these days. So I do what I can. I do itty bitty craft projects.

This is one. It is similar, OK almost exactly the same, as the one I did here. That made it go even faster!

We have a wall of family photos hanging in the hallway. They are all black and whites--some by me and some by the fabulous Jeremy Dodgen of Dodgen Photgraphy. Long ago I painted these black Ikea frames prettier colors. Then, we had to figure out an arrangement for them. I wanted to hang them salon style, you know--free form. Aaron agreed. But salon style to him is not free form. He did a complete lay out for the frames and even included the exact location of the light switch. See?

And it was that empty spot next to the light switch that was really bothering me. It needed a little something. It needed to stand out from the rest of the frames. It needed to be different.

Of course, it needed to be red.

I took that little frame I got for $2.50 at Urban Outfitters, painted it fire engine red, popped in some colored paper and added the # 5. Because we are, after all, 5.

I think it fits just perfectly.

This itty bitty craft project took me an itty bitty amount of time. But it gives me a great big amount of pleasure every time I walk past it in the hall. It doesn't take much to add a personal touch to your home.

A little paint. A little paper. A little imagination.

So tell me, what itty bitty craft project do you want to do?

On a related, crafty note, I want to tell you about a giveaway over at a new favorite blog. The blog is Prudent Baby and I am really loving it. They have some great crafty projects, as well as some good recipes and other diy ideas. They are also hosting plenty of giveaways this month. This one is so unique and beautiful. Go here and check them all out.

I may be back tomorrow. I may be back next week. Between sick kids, Christmas day fast approaching and that Mt. Everest, it may be a while.

But either way, I hope you'll share some of your crafting ideas with me. It will brighten my day.

Cheers,

Greta

Greta's Gift Guide: Patchwork Long Beach Part 2

So I've been gone for a bit. It feels like ages since I've been here. I did manage to get in one post over at Lilly and the Brothers, but let me tell you, late night holiday frivolity and sick kids do not mesh well with blogging. Especially the sick kids. In fact, just now, as I begin to write at 11:59 pm, a child somewhere in our home begins to cry. Thankfully my husband went to him and let me stay here. This mama needs a little break.

And what better to tonic for my weariness than these great gifts from the indie arts and craft fair, Patchwork Long Beach. I know, it happened ages ago. But you know that you still have shopping to do, and so...here are a few more of my favorites.

First, check out these belt buckles from Domestic Nest.

Do you see the pink one? Do you? I was in love instantly. I love a good belt. And I have been longing for a big ol buckle like this for a long time, but I have never seen one this cute. The one with stars is pretty awesome, too.

She also has these pendants. They are sweet, simple, modern and rustic. Really, could you ask for anything more? The pendants are made from leather, too.

Please go visit the Domestic Nest Etsy shop here. They also have a blog, here. (They are having a giveaway right now--a leather coffee cup cuff and a $10 Starbucks gift card. Go visit!) I'll be visiting the shop soon myself. I'm saving my pennies for one of those buckles.

Next up are some things by Random Nicole. I loved her wall hangings. Birds, fabric, witty sayings, mention of hammocks--I'm in love.

I also loved these mobiles. I love that they are fabric and totally unique. They are actually sold as kits so you can make these babies yourself.

Random Nicole also had great bags and clothes. You can see those things at her shop here.

She is also part of a very, very cool place I have just discovered. If you are closer to the OC than LA and you want to take some great crafting classes, please check out The Craft Kitchen here. It looks amazing.

Jenny and Jimbob are the creators of these great little necklaces and the fabulous matchboxes they come in. There were so many choices, but I am pretty partial to the # 3 myself. They sold out of the # 5, or I would have gotten it. I like 5 right now.

There were a lot more than numbers, though. I like that bike a lot. Ginger, my sailor friend, really liked that anchor.

You can find these and many, many more on Jenny and Jimbob's website, right here. You are sure to find something perfect for your neck, or the neck of someone you love.

Next I found rebe. I liked so many of her clothes, but this jacket was at the top of my list.

It is all the details that make it spectacular. The tie rather than buttons. That it ties on the side, up high, more interesting and flattering. I like how the fabric on the hood and the tie match and add a bit of color to the jacket. I like how it is way, way cuter than a sweatshirt but could be worn just as easily. Oh, my wish list just keeps growing.

You can find this jacket, some great dresses, and much more right here at rebe's shop.

Last, but not least, one of my most favorite shops around, Rock Scissor Paper.

I have been a fan of Rock Scissor Paper for at least 7 years. Maybe 8? The great thing about them is that they just keep getting better and better. Their stationary is amazing. I am a HUGE stationary fan. I have been since little girlhood. The stationary store in downtown Fallbrook was one of my favorite haunts.

But this is about RSP.

While I am still madly in love with their cards and other stationary products, they have so much more. Check it out.

Can I just get this whole mug collection?

Or these owl pillows for the kids' room, and my room and the living room....

And these bags...

What I love most about Rock Scissor Paper is their cheerful colors, their bold and simple graphics and their message: Be Happy, Smile.

When I look at their stuff, I do.

Please visit their online store here, and their blog here. Look at the owl in the wreath on the blog. You will swoon. So amazing.

Oh, and check back here Friday to see what I made with some awesome Christmas coasters I bought from them. (Well, as long as these sick kids don't keep me tied to the bathroom, the Kleenex box and the washing machine.)

I hear there is going to be another Patchwork Long Beach in the spring. I'll keep you posted. And when it comes, go, go, go!!! Tell your friends.

Until then, remember, don't go to the mall, buy your gifts from these peeps. They are doing what they love so show some love back.

Merry Christmas friends. It's good to be back. Hoping to be here tomorrow too.

But maybe not cause now another baby is awake. It is 1:36 am. Oh bother!

Greta

Greta's Gift Guide: From Patchwork Long Beach

Hello friends. Are you ready to do some Christmas shopping? Are you still hunting for the perfect gift? Please, let me help. Don't forget to look at my first gift guide, and then, you can peruse this one. Have fun!

This past Sunday, I attended Patchwork Long Beach, an indie arts and crafts show. It was fantastic. Really, I was so inspired by all the talented artists and crafters who were there, sharing their passion for handmade goods. It was a good time.

Being a mommy to 3 little people, I was also inspired by the number of parents and kidlets I saw at Patchwork. Some of the artists were there with their babes, and many, many parents were walking around with babes strapped, tied or attached to them in some way. I liked the idea that these people were here, sharing beautiful things with their kids, outside, teaching an appreciation of art and not cruising the aisles of Toys R Us, or at home playing their Nintendo Wii.

It's nice to branch out.

My boys enjoyed watching shirts being silk screened to order by We Love LB.

James liked looking at records with his Daddy. My boys listen to records in Daddy's studio on the old hifi we inherited with the house.

And I, well, I found a lot of sweet, sweet handmade goodness to share with you.

First there were these dolls by Girl Always Falling Designs.

I love them. You can reach the artist at her email: girlalwaysfallin@aol.com

This little girl with the green scarf is my favorite.

Next I saw these collages by Lisafaye Dawson. I especially loved that wood grain, the Paris map and those bird cages. You can reach the artist at her email: teamdawson@charter.net

Next up these wallets and small bags made by Amanda Mesna Designs. She makes her bags from vintage tweeds and other interesting fabrics. I like the color combinations and the simple, modern lines.

She also had these adorable bows, also made from vintage fabric. She had intended them as package decoration, but they would also look lovely tied around a wrist or a ponytail.

You can see more of Angela's goods here.

Last up for today are these perfect little bags from B's Bags.

They are reusable snack bags and are just genius. Lined with nylon and machine washable, they are great for those times when you need something less bulky than a plastic container, but don;t want to waste another plastic bag.

I plan on outfitting my kids with these.

Here are the fabric choices. Can you guess which one I like?

B was doing so well selling her bags that by the time I got there she didn't have many left. Here are a couple of them.

You can see more here.

She did have a babe strapped to her and "does a lot after bedtime."

You gotta love a momma like that.

And, she came with this beautiful sewing machine.

Industrial art. I love it.

Please come back tomorrow for the rest of my picks from Patchwork Long Beach.

And consider buying handmade, instead of mass produced somewhere across the ocean.

Until tomorrow, Happy Christmas!

Bookmark This For Next Fall: Making Turkey Stock

What did you do with your leftover turkey bones?

I made stock. It couldn't have been easier, and it made some great stew afterwards.

In case you've never done it, here's what you need to know.

It's easy.

This is all you need. Oh and water, a turkey carcass, and some peppercorns.

I think you can do it. You'll feel so domestic, so 50s housewife, or Martha Stewart, so frugal and dollar stretching. You'll really feel good when you turn that stock into turkey stew and taste how good it is.

Here is the recipe I used for the stock.

Here is the recipe for the stew:

Dice 1 med onion, 3 carrots, 2 stalks celery and saute in butter until soft.

Peel and dice 2 potatoes and add to pot.

Add turkey stock to cover.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are fork tender.

Add any leftover turkey meat you may have.

Add half a bag of frozen peas.

Cook until turkey and peas are warm through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

OK friends, this is the last post of autumn.

It's Christmas time.

It's winter.

It will be 70 degrees here tomorrow.

But we'll still be singing White Christmas and reveling in the Christmas cheer.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Vintage Cool

Well, actually vintage hot.

Check out this vintage electric roasting pan.

It's seen some wear and tear, but is still works like a charm and it is a beaut.

My Grandpa gave it to my Grandma for Mother's day or something like that, (That old romantic! And they still had 6 kids!) and now my mom has it.

I used it on Thanksgiving.

I like old things.

Bookmark This for Next Fall: Turkey Handprints

Do you make turkey hand prints with your kids?

Sadly I didn't start until last year, but now, it has become tradition.

I like to see how their hands, and artistic technique changes from year to year.

Last year Lilly was only 6 months old and I couldn't get her to lay her hand flat, so she did a turkey footprint. Isn't it cute?

That year we used paint, brown for the body (palm) and red, orange and yellow for the feathers (fingers). Then we painted on the legs, beak, eye etc with paint brushes.

This year I made it easier and we used a big red ink pad for a whole hand print. Then we used markers to add color to the feathers and, in the case of Lilly, the rest of the picture.

I love that last year she couldn't even lay her hand flat and this year she was scribbling all over her page. William's turkey has fat, fat legs and James took extra special care to write his name neatly.

These are sweet, simple keepsakes and you know I am a big fan of simple.

Thanksgiving Rolls (or Christmas, or Easter, or Just Because)

Remember I wanted to find the perfect roll recipe for Thanksgiving dinner?

Well, I think I succeeded.

Perfect for me meant I could make them ahead of time, put them in the fridge then pop them into the oven right before dinner.

That turned out to be harder than I expected.

The 2 recipes that I tired first turned out rolls that were rather dense and heavy. I wanted light. But after 2 failures, I was concerned maybe refrigerated dough and light couldn't coexist.

This tells you 2 things about me as a baker.

1. I don't have a lot of patience to try recipe after recipe. 2 recipe failures seemed like a lot to me. (I do have 3 little kids though, and not a lot of extra time to spend in the kitchen, so cut me some slack.)

2. I don' really know anything about the science of baking, rising, yeast, gluten and all the rest. I think I want to learn more, even though reading anything scientific means I have to really concentrate. That is hard to do when you have 3 kids running around or, when they're not, you are tired. But I think I'll still give it a whirl.

In the end, the 3rd time was the charm and I found a recipe for Chive and Thyme Pull Apart Rolls in Sunset magazine. The thing that caught my eye about this recipe was that I could put the rolls in the fridge after the first rise, pull them out and hour and a half before baking time, let them rise again, bake and voila! Fresh, hot homemade rolls!

I found the recipe in their November issue, but you can just click here and get it.

I made a few variations in the recipe, as all good cooks do, right? I didn't use the herbs cause I thought my audience might want traditional rolls instead. I think next year I'll do a batch of each.

I also didn't cut the dough into strips to lay in the muffin tin. Instead, I made 3 little balls of dough and put them in each muffin cup. It worked perfectly.

So perfectly that I didn't get a picture of any rolls before they were gone. In the mad rush that comes after the turkey is sliced, the gravy is hot and the rolls are coming out of the oven, I forgot all about taking a picture of my rolls.

But I promise you , they were good. Next year I'll be in charge of the turkey and the rolls.

Bookmark This For Next Fall: Waxed Leaves

I know, I know. The calendar says December 1st. So it should be all Christmas, all the time. Right? Well...the calendar also says there are 4 days until winter starts. That means 4 days left of fall. And so I give you, just a few more fall posts.

Save them for next year.

To start you off with a craft in hand for next fall, how about Waxed Leaves.

Have you made them before? I never have. The boys and I had a blast making them. Also, they turned out to be beautiful. I don't think you could ask for more in a craft.

Here's what we did.

First, scour the neighborhood for beautiful fall leaves

Second, lay them all out on a paper covered table top or other flat surface, like so.

Next, cover with another piece of paper and some books. Leave them overnight.

If you don't have any lying around your house, get some wax. I tried craft stores first, but when I called, the employees couldn't even understand what I was talking about. Our conversations sounded like this:

"What kind of wax?"

"Paraffin wax. Like for canning."

"You need a wax for cans?"

"NO. For canning. Like making jam."

"Umm. We don;t have wax for making jam. I think we might have wax for making candles."

I hung up.

And then I called my local mom and pop hardware store and asked the same question,

"Yep. We have it. In stock."

And that is why I like mom and pop stores better than big stores with moronic teenage employees.

But, back to the waxed leaves.

Melt your wax double boiler style. but be sure to use a pan that you don't care about getting all waxy. I also chose one that was wide enough to lay a big leaf in with plenty of room to spare.

Once your wax is melted, strap your 1 and a half year old into her high chair with snacks, and begin dipping leaves. (I didn't figure that out until my 1 and a half year old climbed onto the table with boiling hot wax and tried to dip leaves into it like her brothers were. Just trying to save you a few gray hairs)

I chose leaves with long stems for easy dipping. The boys could hold the stem and dip without touching the hot wax. These are all leaves from Liquid Amber trees.

If you leave the leaf in the wax for longer than a second or too, the wax coating is too thick and it doesn't look that pretty. But after a few tries, we learned how to do a quick swish and then they were perfectly lovely.

See?

We let them dry on pieces of waxed paper. Then, we, well I, used embroidery thread to string them into a garland for our window. They made a perfect, simple decoration for Thanksgiving.

We also used the leaves as decoration for our Thanksgiving table. They were lovely there, too.

I wasn't sure how long the leaves would last after being waxed, but the leaves on my garland are now curling up. I stored the flat ones we put on the table in a ziplock bag and they seem fine. I don't know if they'll make it to next fall, though.

Two questions:

The boys were so into waxing the leaves that they want to wax other things. But I am drawing a complete blank. They want to wax something for Christmas decorations. Any ideas?

Also, I really wanted to let James string the leaves together for the garland, but I was afraid to let him use the needle. Should I have let him do it? It seems like this would be the perfect type of craft to start learning needle skills. I am determined to teach my boys to sew (maybe I'll learn too!) but for some reason, I wasn't ready to let him do this yet. When did you start letting your kids use a needle and thread? Or when will you?

All right friends, just a few more fall type posts and then, let the Christmas posting begin!