Merry Christmas, Love the Clark's

(Put detailed letter about 2010 right here.)

Hey if you read my blog you already know it all anyway. We're happy. We're in Georgia.

thanks for reading!

Henry: The Typist

Henry loves the computer. And by love I mean he likes to play with the key board. And sometimes standing by the computer desk is pretty tiring so I can understand why the above ensued. The smirk under the binky gets me every time.

The Christmas Tree

Taking a family picture ala tripod is not so successful with a baby. So I chose the one where Steve and I looked the best. There it is. The real tree I had to have and have given away since we're out of town for another family to enjoy.

Family Pictures 2010

Family pictures by Chelsea Johnson. If you're in Athens, she is highly recommended.

And Christmas card spoiler alert.

Simple Christmas Wreath

Remember this wreath? Well thanks to a comment from you guys, I thought I would add these felt roses to a christmas wreath I already had.

Then I hand embroidered this wreath banner to go with it.

Not So Simple Idea: Gold Pine Cone Garland

So I wanted to use pine cones this year in our decor for two reasons.

1. They are free
2. I think they are pretty

Henry and I walked down to the neighboring elementary school one Sunday afternoon and picked up a whole reusable grocery shopping bag full.

Then I spray painted them all gold with some paint I had in my stash.

Then I attempted to create a garland. This is not easy to do. I couldn't find a tutorial online so I pressed on alone with my glue gun, twine and high hopes. Well the high hopes quickly faded into dogged perserverance and after pricking myself (natural cones are sharp) and burning myself (glue gun) I came up with the above. Twisting the twine around the cones only worked for a few of them, then I had to glue the rest in place.

If I were you I would not try to make this garland. Instead I would gather a few pine cones, spray paint them gold and them put them in a shallow bowl on a coffee table.

Simple Idea: Advent Stockings

I was on the hunt for a cute advent calendar and couldn't really find one that I liked (go figure.) Growing up we had this awesome flannel wall hanging with Santa's house and each day had an ornament you would hang on the picture and by christmas it was full of felt toys and candies. We also had that wooden christmas with the pegs that you would hang life savers on. You know the one where the last life savers would be dusty by the time it was to eat them?

Anyway, I thought of this idea a couple of years ago and we used to have it hanging on our tree but I liked it as a wall display. 25 mini stockings, 25 pieces of candy. Yum. Stockings were made with scrap fabric but you could do it with 1/2 yard of festive fabric. Backs are felt. They are decorated with appliqued numbers and ribbon and rickrack bits. This could be fun to do with children.

My stockings are the even numbers so I get to eat the one for my birthday and they are filled with almond roca.

Steve's are the odd's and he has mini twix.

8 days until Christmas!