Sunday, December 27, 2009

Merry belated Christmas!

Merry belated Christmas, everyone! We had a wonderful first Christmas with our beautiful baby Ava (first Christmas OUTSIDE of my belly, that is...) We didn't really do presents, but she did get a new high chair this month :) Stephen and I are both impatient and practical; we usually stick to things we know the other person needs/wants, and we both feel like it's pointless to be staring at boxes under the tree for a month when we both know full well what is in them and how we could be using them already!! I know, I know...we take all the fun out of it. I'm sure someday when our kids are old enough to understand what is going on we'll thrive on the suspense a bit more.

I recently completed my first guest post on my sisters blog, We Are Deifieurs. Be sure to check it out and take a look around her blog!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Holiday Baking

Holiday Baking 2009 is officially over...ish.




Hair style complements of Deifiurs



Final goodie roster includes pumpkin bread, fudge, sour dough cookies, and peanut blossoms.









The pumpkin bread turned out great! I picked up a few mini-loaf pans at Michael's for $1 each, and this recipe made 6 of them. I was very happy with the way it turned out - Stephen ate it, and he doesn't even like pumpkin bread! I was really excited about these pans because they are the perfect size for the two of us. We ate a loaf and I froze the rest - I love having food on hand in the freezer for last minute guests. Not that we ever get any last minute guests...but the prospect is utterly thrilling to me, and if it ever did happen I love knowing that I would be prepared :) Did that sound as dorky as I think it did??

Monday, December 21, 2009

My first Christmas craft

I found this tutorial on how to make your own gift bow using only a page from a magazine and a few staples.

I love trying new projects, but I can rarely manage to complete anything that even remotely resembles whatever I set out to make on the first try. This, however, turned out beautifully. I'm not sure if that's a testament to the simplicity of the project or if I'm actually beginning to become a bit crafty :) In any case, click here to see the tutorial and give it a try for youself! Perfect timing for all my fellow procrastinators out there, and as a plus, it's eco-friendly!

I think it's funny that the first thing I thought of when I saw this project (and also the first thing most people say to me when I show them the bow) is, "you can do that yourself??" As in, "there's not some law that bows have to come from the Hallmark factory, manufactured through a mystical patended process??" Hmm...I can see a whole new world opening up to me...what else don't I have to buy?

Here's my finished product:




Saturday, December 19, 2009

Welcome to The Art of Making a Home!

Welcome to my new blog!



Since I became an adult, I became less enthusiastic about sharing my life with the internet population. Since I became a mom, I became more enthusiastic about connecting with other moms and comforted by the fact that no matter what I'm going through at any given moment, chances are there is someone else out there going through it too.



And so after months of reaping the benefits of the courage of others laying their lives before the world, I dive head first into the magical world of blogging.



And so it begins...