Christmas 2015...

Our Christmas tradition begins with the kids camping out in our room on Christmas eve. There is no early morning rising, 8 or 9 is the usual time, but this Christmas it was early at around 7:30. James and I are the first to leave our room and we have our cameras ready....we have to get our stair picture. After torturing the kids for the right picture for about 5 minutes, we all head to the kitchen. 

Asher's First Christmas morning...we actually had to wake him up :)

His Santa present...

  Everyone has their stocking and an unwrapped Santa present waiting for them.  I start breakfast while everyone digs in their stockings. This year we had Panettone french toast casserole, scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, ham, and hash.
This isn't the best family pic, but it is priceless, especially with Samantha's hair flip...

By the time breakfast made it to the table, Asher was out for his morning nap...

 After breakfast, we clean up the kitchen and put away the leftovers.  It's then time to open up the gifts. We go around one at a time from youngest to oldest.  I totally forgot to take a picture of all of us in front of the tree, I also forgot to get one of the set table...it was a forgetful picture year for me :(

Asher was awake for the presents and we were suprised that he actually reached for his and started ripping the paper!

Mason loved his archer outfit and bow and arrow...this was the main thing that he wanted.

At around 2pm, we skyped Cameron and Kellsea in Hawaii...it was 80 degrees there and they said it didn't feel like Christmas. Well, it was 61 degrees here and it really didn't feel like Christmas time either.

I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  With love from my family to yours,

Tiff

Christmas Sewing...

We started the matching Christmas jammie thing years ago, and while I know that we are far from the first family to do this, it seems like the last year or so it has gotten quite popular.  I used to be able to easily find affordable jammies in all the right sizes, but not this year.  I even started back in September looking for them. I wasn't picky, they didn't have to be "Christmas" themed, they just had to match in size infant to adult. I looked and looked, some of my past places were no longer selling them, other places were out of my price range($50+ per set x 8), and then other places didn't have certain sizes.   So what was I going to do?  I thought, well, just buy some flannel pants...but that still wasn't working...couldn't find them.  So I decided just to make my own.

I orderd two coordinating flannels from Joann Fabric.  After a few shipping mishaps and then a few emails to work things out...I must say that Joann's has renewed my faith in big box stores.  Personal attention was given to me to make sure that my flannel would be here in time. It arrived overnight and then I sewed and sewed!

All in all, I made 7 pairs of pants, two pairs of long shorts, and one nightgown(for me).

They will wear matching white tshirts  as the tops(bought a 7 pack of men's t's at Sam's).

They are all washed and ready to wear in time for the annual stair picture tomorrow morning :)

Thank you Mary Ellen and Jill of Joann Fabric for turning a frustrating situation into a pleasant one. I truly appreciate your gift of the flannel for my Christmas tradition.  Merry Christmas to you both!!

Back tomorrow with Christmas morning,

Tiff

Christmas Kitchen...

I shared a lot of pics of the kitchen in my gingerbread party post,  but here are some more of other areas of the room...

This mama elf is super busy, my sewing machine is humming and I will be back tomorrow to show you some of the projects from it :)

Tiff

Christmas Countdown Day ?...

So much for my daily posts! The days just slipped away from me...sick hubby and baby, stress level too high, lots of little things to be made, and just too much going on.

I have resolved to let the worry and the stress go, things don't have to be perfect, I am who I am and I do the best I can.

Anyway, my 17 yr old daughter asked for a caroling outfit...so this is what I made... She was going out with her high school choral group and wanted to feel more festive :)

I even made a crocheted snood for her hair... I really like how it completed the look and I plan on making myself one for my old fashioned dress.

My sister's mother-in-law made this beautiful glass etched ornamen of Asher for us, I love it!

And a pic of my little sleepy head...he is finally getting over his cold.

Tiff

Christmas Countdown Day 10.. more decor...

 Here are some more pictures of the house...I took all of these the night of my gingerbread party.

This is the mudroom... I think this may be the first year I didn't have any lights in this area.

This is the front hallway area...

 I put all the vintagey stuff in this area this year...

Including the white tree with all my 50's and 60's ornaments...

And here is the downstairs half bath...

And had to share a picture of my poor little man today....his right eye is acting up, all red and goopy. He has had drainage problems with this eye, but it has been clear for 2 months...so he is either fighting off a cold or it's teething related.

Tiff

Christmas Countdown Day 9...Family Room...

I didn't put up the glass ornament tree this year, so there is just one tree in the family room, and I kept most of the decorations pretty simple...life with a new baby in the house requires that.

Here is the family room...no fancy pictures, no editing, just real life like it is...baby gear and all :)

 Yes, the blank oval frame on the wall is Asher's, I still need to make his silhouette.

Merry Christmas,

Tiff