What I like to see

The TV is off and doors are closed.  Christmas music is playing softly.

Children are enjoying a stack of their library books.

Can't wait to read these!  The Chicks Christmas is by Felicia Bond, author of Four Valentines in a Rainstorm, which I adore.  The Story of Holly and Ivy is by Rumer Godden, and the other little book is Christmas Is a Time of Giving (c. 1961) by Joan Walsh Anglund.  Sweet illustrations!

In other news--I am going to be starting a photography project in January that I have wanted to do for a long time.  I will need to have a good camera though (no offense to my current camera, you have served me well.  your pictures are not clear though.  I'm so sorry).  So, for photography people, what do you have?  I am looking at Nikons and Canons.  Nothing terribly fancy.  I don't even know what that kind of camera is called, the kind with lenses and stuff.  Pro cameras?  I pretty much say 'you know, the not-point-and-shoot-kind.'

cutest round stamp ever, pipecleaner christmas tree, and jean patching

I had a coupon code for Sweet Papery and got this cute stamp.  I've wanted one for years!  sweet papery

I love it.  Lily did the cutting there.

And I've been meaning to make this, from Martha Stewart.  Hint:  you need to double up the pipecleaners when you make the 'snowflakes', otherwise they're way too flimsy.  At least the pipecleaners I used.

And I am trying to get my mending done.  I wondered how best to patch the 4 holes (one on each top corner of my jeans pockets) and then I got some embroidery floss and sewed side to side and then wove it in the length of the hole.  I'll see how it holds up--hopefully no more underwear peeking through!

And this (darn fuzzy camera!)...I saw this a couple years ago now somewhere--it's like magic I swear.  To tie a knot--put the needle point facing the thread end as shown.

Wrap around a couple times, hold on and slip down the needle and length of the thread.

And you have a knot! It always stops about an inch before the end of the thread.  Amazing!

Hoop vid and etsy link

Short hooping video here.  Etsy link to hoops (and other stuff) here.

Wintry Wednesday

this is the wintery view from the upstairs window.  how I love looking out at the bare beauty of the old, old trees.

thrifting finds!

I spent a lovely morning with the children going to a library book sale and to Goodwill (half price day). They each took some of their money and purchased these nearly new books at the library book sale to donate to a toy drive. I got lots of books that I had been wanting to read, or that I have read before but don't own, or that look intriguing.

At Goodwill I got these cute vintage (or vintage looking anyway) plastic mugs, 4 corelle bowls and 6 saucers, 2 small milk glass dishes, a floral sheet, and a sweater for me to wear and one to felt up and make something out of.  And an expressiva nursing top (black w/ floral) Also, more books! 

I spent a total of $36 on the dot for all of this.  I'm striving to live in accordance with my values, some of which I wrote about here, and this feels good.  It's recycling, it's being over the entitlement of 'it must be new to be good enough for me', it's being a good steward of my money, it's treading lightly on Mother Earth, it's being mindful and having a purpose in what we're bringing into our lives.  It's all of that, plus it's pretty fun!