What is going on in my world

So. The holidays are coming, and I feel that I am ready for them, for the most part. The kids are looking forward to Christmas, seeing their grandparents, and all the other festivities. All of which are quickly approaching. But let's back up a little bit.

My birthday falls smack dab in the middle of November. I had sent my husband a short list of things I would like for said birthday and/or Christmas. He followed through on some of the items, granted there were a few things on there that he just wouldn't be able to pull off, like ensuring that I would get or take a nap. Not a guarantee, and a little unfair for him. Granted I do ask Santa for the same thing when I take the kids to the mall. He kind of gives me a strange look as well. Do people not ask for naps for Christmas?

One of the things I was in desperate need of was a new battery for my laptop. The original one just could not hold a charge for very long anymore, and it was getting shorter and shorter by the day. So happy to get a new one for my birthday. Yea!

The other thing that I got was a quilting book that I had my eye on since Dana let us know it was available. I am so thrilled to have it as a part of my sewing and crafting book section of my studio. 

I only have a few books, and that is just fine with me because I have to really like what I know about it to add it to my collection. I love having a little part of bloggers I follow be a part of my little sewing corner.

I guess this means that I will actually have to make a quilt one day. Not a problem, it's on my things-to-do-one-day list.

Also, for the past couple of months I have been thinking about everything that has taken place in my life. Some milestones have come around. One being that 10 years ago my boyfriend proposed to me, and we got married the next year. I was finishing up my graduate degree and needed another job to replace the one I was losing so I went back to teaching gymnastics, and met my good friend (that I sew things for sometimes). We've been friends for 10 years. 

It's gone by so fast, and to see how much our lives have changed is just amazing. I know that we will always have a connection that few other people that we know share. I love that about us. 

And finally, sometime between my birthday and Thanksgiving I finished my thesis and turned it in to the Graduate School, thereby officially completing my Master's degree. The degree actually came a couple of months later in the mail, as well as a copy of my thesis, but it was such a nice accomplishment to be able to go home for Thanksgiving that year and have people who know how important education is, and how hard you have to work to accomplish something like that to be happy and proud of you. (side note: these people were not my family, but my future in-laws. My family is kind of oblivious to the work that goes into something like a Master's degree, which can be evidenced by a couple of stories I could tell you, but will not share because this post is getting a little long.)

So much has happened in the last decade. Life has changed. Jobs have changed. Things have gotten accomplished. New beginnings have occurred. It's been pretty fantastic and I look forward to what another decade holds for my life.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Giraffes, and pink/gray

Hi.
I've been away for awhile, taking some much needed time off work, working on a separate grant for the kids' school, and celebrating my birthday. Yea! My twin and I turned 70 together (35 individually). I had a pretty good birthday which I will try to share about later.

Anyway...
I don't always just make things for my kids. I do make things for a few friends when they ask, and sometimes even provide fabric.

I made this sweet giraffe outfit for a friend's little girl. It is her birthday outfit.

I found a giraffe silhouette online and used it to make the applique. I made the giraffe print ruffle pants using Dana's KID shorts pattern. Those pants are adorable. I hope the baby has a great first birthday!

I also made her this CUTE pillowcase dress. The fabric was $2 a yard at JoAnn's! Hard to pass up.

For my other friend that I have made more outfits for, we found this fabric and pattern at Hobby Lobby. The pattern is Simplicity 1793A.

So much cuteness! We could just stare it because it is so pretty. The matching ruffle pants are just too much. Gah!

I love how it ties in the back. Her kiddos look amazing in the outfits as well. Although, they did require some alterations. Somehow both of the girls' pants ended up too short. I did add another ruffle to the bottom of both pairs so that they would fit better.

I mean, it's just so pretty! Love it.

Monster Jam-mies

I have been wanting to use this Peek-A-Boo pattern for while now. I got some inspiration from the Facebook group in terms of fabric. People kept posting photos of things they were making with this completely adorable Monster Jam fabric from JoAnn's. I just had to get it. I knew my boy would love it.

I made him some Alex and Anna winter PJ's. I used the size 7 pattern size so that he would have some growing room.

Awesome! I used some purple rib knit for the cuffs. There is no purple in the fabric but the color works anyway. They look so comfy.

The fit is great is also. He looks cute from the front and the back. The best part is that he loves them as well.

The totally loves the rock 'n roll theme of the fabric. He's a rock star!

I have a raglan tee pattern that I am also going to make him using this fabric. I just need to sew it up.
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And I did just that...

Not the greatest neckline, but whatever. I love the color blocking as well. My son loves these new things that he can wear. He has worn the pj's several times already. And that makes me happy.

Halloween and snow

What is going on with the weather?
Halloween was a warm affair, the kids went trunk-or-treating and didn't need a jacket until the sun went down. The girl is Cinderella if you can't tell by the inappropriately short cosplay costume she decided to wear, hence the added clothing, her third costume of the Halloween season.

They had so much fun playing games and seeing all of the decorations on people's cars. They loved getting candy the most. We have a bunch of it!

And then we have the next day. Snow. A lot of it. Even with the ground temperatures being in the 60's. This was my working weekend so I didn't get to enjoy it with the kids. We didn't get any snow where I was working, but there was plenty of the white stuff at home.

Several trees were damaged from the snow. Poor Bradford pear. The leaves have barely started to change.

For the first time in recorded history, SC saw its earliest snowfall. And we got 4 1/2 inches worth. This is just weird. Snow!? On the first of November! In SC? What will the winter hold?

adorable photo of my girl! love it.

My husband called me at work to tell me it was snowing...a lot. I already knew that from fb posts of others who live nearby. I could hear the excitement in the kids' voices in the background. They woke him up that morning by telling him it was winter outside. He didn't really believe what they were saying until he looked out the window for himself.

My boy built a snow fort and the girl built a snowman, or snowgirl, as I am sure she would correct me and tell me it is not a boy.

By the time my shift was over the roads had cleared, as I can assure you the county was unprepared to clean anything like this. Good thing the snow fell on a weekend. I can only imagine the trouble it would have caused during the week with everyone else at work and the kids in school.

So that is how we do Halloween and November 1st in SC....apparently.