Homemade

1.) Christmas = Buckeyes in the Giles home. It's the tastiest-most-delicious-morsel-of-yumminess that has ever been invented. Okay, maybe not the best in all the world, but the best in this house. We had fun making them this year as the kids and hubby were able to help and make it a fun family activity (of course it helps to know that they could eat their mistakes).

The assembly line.

2.) You know how women, late in their pregnancy, get the urge to nest - to clean, and organize their homes to prepare for the impending arrival. Well, I suffer from no such thing. In fact, when I wake up in the morning, take a look around the house and realize what actually needs to be done - I just have to urge to crawl back in bed and hope that little elves will come and have pity on me.

Instead, I get "crafty". I have this overwhelming desire to make cute things - or should I say things that look cute until I decide to make them. Of course it helps that I have to spend a majority of my time sitting with my feet up. So somewhere along the line I decided to make some things for Christmas gifts. I actually enjoyed making them, and finished them without having to rush to get them mailed out (a Christmas miracle in and of itself - especially considering my tendency to procrastinate and I assure you that it will probably never happen again).

For the sibling exchange, we had Christie and David on my side. I made them this needlework. I found the coolest frame at the World Market, but you can't really see it here.

For Trace's family, we had Todd and Jill and I made them something similar - although I didn't get a picture of the finished project. This was at the stage where I had finished the needlework, had distressed the fabric and was just waiting for it to dry.

For the cousin gift exchange on Trace's side, Aleana decided to make a tutu for Brittany. She did a great job. I also made one for Hannah. They are super easy. I found this video (click here) that really helped with a technique that "cut" out time with cutting the strips. I used elastic instead ribbon because just the thought of having to tie and re-tie the ribbon a ba-zillion times a day for a two year old made my head spin. From start to finish, it took me 40 minutes to make - and that was while I was watching TV.

Embroidered a dish towel for my parents.

Another one for the parents.

One for my Grandpa Scharf.

And one for my Grandma Baker.

And even though this wasn't for Christmas, this was something else that I got finished this month. I decided to try my hand at crocheting. I have tried a few times before, but the results were...um...let's just say not so pretty. So I decided to start out small and do the edge around a hemstitched flannel blanket for baby boy. I think it turned out okay, but I learned that I crochet tight. The next time I will just have to use a bigger needle than what the pattern recommends.

Larger view of the blanket.

And that's enough craftiness for now... :)