'tis the season! / by jen geigley


Can you believe Thanksgiving is only three days away? I don't think we'll actually be having any turkey this year unless I make it myself. For myself. I have married into a family of vegetarians.) Oh wait. We're going to my dad's house on Sunday, and we might have turkey there. YAY!

Am I the only one wondering how this came up so quickly? And running out to get evaporated milk/pumpkin/cool whip to make a pie? Maybe it is just me. [Awesome Thanksgiving-related illustrations from Natalie Dee.]

Oh my! I can barely contain my excitement. Have you seen the sneak preview of the December Red Velvet kit? This is going to be an absolute must-have for all your winter/holiday projects. It would also make a pretty sweet gift if someone on your list has been extra nice this year. This month's kit will be up for sale here on December 1st, so mark your calendar now!

I'm totally behind on this, but Kim and I posted a new challenge over at Work Your Soul on Friday.

Go check it - it's a super fun one and we have one seriously talented girl by the name of Patty helping us out on this one. Much love for this girl.

I keep bugging my friends to teach me to knit, but this is such a busy time of year for us all. I may try to learn to cast on and do a basic knit stitch here... or at least practice a little bit. Before I embarrass myself in front of them.

And check out these two. The one on the right is Francesca Lucia, circa 1980-something. She was mine. I, like so many other parents who had these in the 80s, was tempted by the new 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids. How dare they tug at our heartstrings with an emotional purchase like this?! (I mean, my dad probably had to knock someone out to get Francesca for me that Christmas in 1980-whatever.) I looked through the new dolls in the store to find 'just the right one' to give to L for Christmas but couldn't decide. Then I looked in the basement and there was Francesca, and in surprisingly good condition. I was pretty careful with my toys when I was little, and she stayed nice and clean - she's just missing some shoes, and I had to re-braid her hair and put in new rubber bands. I used to feel silly saving some of my old toys, but seeing Lo play with my old pal totally makes me grin.

Elsie's class is still going in full force. I have been making time (either during L's nap time or late at night) to do some fun projects - including this little pink girly doll. Yes, another doll. Lo's been sleeping with her all week.

And I'm addicted to making these little felt notebooks. It's bad. I can't stop.

Writing in a journal has honestly felt pretty good. Funny or serious or meaningless ... I'm not really over-thinking the outcome. Not worrying about the Sharpie bleeding through the back of the page. Just writing whenever I have time or a thought that is worth a little black marker action. I think coloring with Lotus lately has really brought back my love of markers.

Want to see something gross?! Too late. This is a bacon cheeseburger toaster sandwich from Sonic. Officially the grossest greasiest thing I've attempted to eat in awhile. And I'm a pretty big offender when it comes to fast food. But this may have cured my burger craving for awhile. Anyway, since I couldn't finish it, I used it for this page in my Wreck This Journal. I smashed it inside the book so the grease soaked through like ten pages. And I'm sure it smells like onions now. I have an even grosser photo but can't bring myself to show you. Don't worry – my most dreaded page/assignment is coming up which will surely make this book even worse and/or possibly wash away the smell. I have to take the book into the shower with me.

On a happier and less greasy note, my fantastic husband scored these two Eames chairs off Craigslist tonight. They were a steal. And in other Bo news, I have officially witnessed a new side of the guy this week. A new level of cuteness, if you will. He was bleeding and as a last resort, put on one of Lotus' pink Hello Kitty band-aids. This doesn't sound like a big deal, I know, but trust me, it was really cute. I didn't tell him that we have a new box of normal band-aids in the medicine cabinet. Ahem, Bo... we have a new box of normal band-aids in the medicine cabinet. :)