In case you’re wondering, this is what the belly looks like these days:

I’m 17 weeks along, and all is well.  My energy level is much improved, which means I want to do things like paint the living room and clean up the backyard.  I will say that I hate taking my vitamin every day.  Ladies, is it common to feel that way?

I’ve been researching bento boxes too.  Emily starts preschool in the Fall, and I want to send healthy, happy lunches with her each day.  Bento lunches seem to embody all my ideals, plus they are an exercise in creativity.  Here’s a great post on Parenting to get you inspired.

While I’m sharing links, here are some great blogs that are new to me:

• I’m crazy for Pink Friday, a Swedish blog with lots of color and cheer to go around.
• Emily Henderson won Design Star on HGTV and now has a show of her own.  I like her blog.
• Nana Company has lots of pretty patchwork and inspiration.
• Bare Wunderbar is another fabulous Swedish blog with beautiful interiors and inspiration drawn from a variety of sources.

And some shops I’m loving right now:

• The Wheatfield, which you’ve probably seen, has the most beautiful watercolor prints I’ve seen anywhere.
• Pop Chart Lab is perfect for the nerd in your life, be it you or your man or your best friend.  There’s something for everyone.
• Need a new clock?  How about an old one instead!  Clockwork Universe has some of the most adorable vintage clocks I’ve seen gathered together in one shop.

Finally, I’m fully addicted to Pinterest now.  How did it take me this long?!  You can find me here.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

It was a good year, I do believe!

1. nifty fifty in the am, 2. pinecone elves, 3. lamp, 4. Christmas in pastels, 5. Decking the halls is so much more fun when you have a friend!!, 6. Christmas ornament, 7. red in progress, 8. christmas game, 9. Sven-Anita & Agnes, 10. Stylist Anna Richardson, 11. number 13, 12. These are a few of my favorite Tins………, 13. Boopsie Pose Dolls!, 14. happy friday!!!, 15. Untitled, 16. Hoots holiday!, 17. Hero in a half shell…, 18. holiday flickr favorites, 19. Untitled, 20. IMG_8624, 21. playing, 22. stacked, 23. Untitled, 24. joy, 25. in the window, 26. Russas, 27. It’s Time!, 28. Simple Pleasures (10-12-09), 29. Elfin, 30. goods by atlantic treefox, 31. the guardian of the forest, 32. Gnome’s House Hand Bag, 33. mid-century modern furniture hoops, 34. Oldschool/retro toys, 35. rice dk aw09, 36. sofia’s room

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!  I’m busy making gingerbread cookies, eggnog, and Christmas presents; watching Christmas specials on TV; building towers with Mega blocks; and dancing around the living room like Tinkerbell.  All of which I highly recommend.

a.) for abandoning y’all for a week, and

b.) for what I’m about to share.

I was roped into making zombie treats this past Friday.  Here’s the deal: 4 TV’s, 4 XBox 360s, 4 copies of Left 4 Dead, and 7 males = Zombie Gamer Party.

At my house.

So.

This was a sheer test of my love for my husband.

And here’s what I made.

First, the cheesy eyeballs that didn’t look much like eyeballs, but I did try.  And they did taste good.

Found the recipe here.  (And if you decide to make these, add some water to the mix!)

Second, and I really do apologize, disembodied zombie fingers.  (Actually,shortbread cookies with strawberry jam and sliced almonds.)

Found the recipe for these here.

Now.

I really don’t want to give my readers nightmares, so I’ll be back later today with a pleasant post. :)

Oh, and the fingers were a hit, but I ate most of the eyeballs.

This is me wingin’ it with what I have…

• 3 c. oats (I used quick-oats because I accidentally bought the wrong stuff.  Worked great.)
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/3 c. wheat germ
• 1/3 c. coconut flakes
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 325.  While that’s warming, heat oil, sugar, and honey in saucepan over medium heat until sugar has just dissolved.  Then thoroughly coat oats, wheat germ, coconut flakes, and cinnamon with melted mixture.   (I used my hands for this.)  Spread in 2 greased, shallow pans.  Toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, stir, and then toast for another 10-15 minutes.  Remove and let cool before storing in air-tight container.  Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit. :)

What I’ve learned about granola is that you can do it up any way you like.  You just need some dry ingredients and some wet ones.  Once you figure out the proportions, really you can put in whatever you like.  Or whatever you happen to have in your pantry.   I like to add raisins and milk to mine because I’m a notorious cereal junkie.  But I think it would be particularly delicious over fresh peach or baked apples.

Photographing my breakfast.

Like this lady.

So how about a healthy dose of Vitamin C?

In the spirit of A Year of Mornings, I present to you a tangerine diptych.

Happy Friday, everyone!

EDIT: How do you like my new, orange-y banner? :)

Seriously.  Have you seen this yet?

Hey, thanks for the couch love.  I feel affirmed.

If you don’t love the couch and are too polite to say so, that’s okay too.  We can still be friends. :)  And I’ll even be friends with those who used words like “ugly” and “fugly” in reference to my new love (*cough* male friends *cough*).

Here are two of Emily’s Christmas presents.  Since she can’t yet be sneaky and doesn’t even know why she should be, I can actually show you what I’m working on.  So here’s a bear hand puppet in the spirit of her much-loved (ha!) Halloween costume and a dolly based on One Red Robin’s free Ruby pattern.  That pattern is fantastic, by the way.

If you have any more gift ideas for babies and toddlers, please tell me!  I have maybe 3 crafting days left before we exchange gifts.  So I’d better get to it!

P.S. I made these crackers, and I highly recommend them.  Add garlic salt & parmesan for extra yum factor. :)

We’re a little late this year, but typically I like to put up the Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas decorations. And having a little family party of sorts while pulling out all the remnants of past Christmases warms my soul.

So we had a little pre-party involving candles and fudge brownies and attic boxes, and then we went to our Christmas tree nursery.

This is the only place we’ve ever bought a Christmas tree as a couple.   Sorry to get all sentimental on y’all.

With Jake-Jake crawling, nom-ing things, and pulling up on anything he can grab, we thought that a table-top tree would be best this year.

The nursery made no bones about it. All their little trees were appropriately labeled “Charlie Brown Christmas Trees.” Seriously.  Jammed into a tiny hole in the ground was our perfect evergreen shrub.

It was only $8. I mean.

That’s alright with me. Even if it is already starting to lean from the burden of ornament-holding. As long as it doesn’t snap in two, right?

Finally, it feels like Christmas around here. *happy sigh*