Christmas projects

When we were shopping at JoAnn's the other day (like the 3rd time in 5 days or something like that!), Brady found a little wooden train ornament. It's the kind you can paint and put your picture in. So I broke the bank and paid 50 cents for it!

I decided that every year we would get one of these little ornaments and let Brady paint it and put his picture and the year on it. Who doesn't love looking at things we made as little kids and our parents saved, right? So that will be our new little Christmas tradition with Brady and any other children we may have. To do a little Christmas project together.

Concentrating very hard! (Don't you love the very non-Christmas vinyl table cloth?)

Like the paint shirt he's wearing?

Finished product on the tree!

I've also been working on some projects of my own. For some reason, I've had a sewing bug lately and have wanted to make some projects. So I saw this idea on someones blog and decided to make stockings for our family. We didn't have any and these were too cute. Plus, there was a direct link to a website with print-out patterns and step by step instructions and pictures. For a non-sewer like me, it seemed do-able.

I think they came out really cute! I have them hanging over our back sliding doors since we don't have a fireplace!

I also made a couple cute things that 2 cute little 2-year olds are going to open for Christmas so I can't post pictures of those yet. But I'm sure my Mom will take loads of pictures of Brady and Ava together after they open them!

I'm not trying to get compliments here and say that I am the best sewer around, because if you look close enough at any of them you'll see that I'm not! But I am kind of proud of myself for figuring some of these things out on my own and actually completing a project on my own of something that I am not very knowledgeable about. Aaron was teasing me about being so domestic and told me I should get working on making our own soap now!

Actually, the next domestic task I should learn is to make a good pie crust! The last time I tried from scratch, I ended up balling up the falling apart and sticky dough (don't ask me how it was both of those at the same time!) and throwing it in the garbage. I buy frozen now! :)