Karla's Cottage

Holiday Mom-style Stress

What was the best part of your Christmas?

Mine was these smiles.  And lots of them.

The grand fairies seemed over joyed with all their gifts (even though Dewdrop didn't get the two front teeth that she needed).

We were blessed with multiple celebrations starting with a Solstice party on the 21st, then our big family dinner and gifts to each other on the 24th.  

On Christmas morning, we checked out what Santa brought, then had a big, buffet, brunch-bash with relatives.

 

With a table set for TWENTY THREE!  (Did I mention how much I love my newly enlarged space????)  We snaked three tables through the kitchen into the living room, and all seemed to fit just fine.

I'd had planned to set the table and make it fancy, but I was lucky to even get food done.  So, everyone had to get their own forks and plates and drinks, which seriously, no one minded, or noticed. There is only so much time, and I overestimated how much time I had.  

Which brings me to admitting that I over extended myself right along with the tables.

Which I think is pretty typical for the mom of the family to do.  

After prepping all of the big meals, I was done in.

 I loved, loved, loved, the family parts and the holiday traditions, of the weekend, but I have to say that I didn't enjoy fixing all of the food.   While trying to please everyone and make sure they all got their favorite things, making vegan, vegetarian, meat lover, and gluten free versions of the foods, I forgot to keep my Christmas spirit.  I got tired, I got cranky, I got resentful that I didn't have time to decorate cookies with the kiddos.

I don't know if it was because I'd been ill this year and am not back to 100%, (a medicine that I am on for another month or so can cause tiredness and muscle aches) or if I'm simply getting older and slowing down, or if I really did over plan and do too much.

Or maybe:

• I had shoes that were too tight.
• My head wasn't screwed on right.
• My heart was two sizes too small.

Cause I acted a little Grinchy while pulling it all together.  I'm a bit ashamed of myself.  

Yet, on the other hand, I sincerely, honestly love the holidays and it all means so much to me.  I did make a huge effort to stay positive and loving with the grand fairies, but I think I grumped and grinched a bit too much with the older family members and really shouldn't have let that happen.

And no, even though Honey looks a little like Max here, I didn't force her into pulling a sleigh. I wasn't full on Grinch, just annoyed that the food preparation never seemed to end.  

Like I said, it often is the way of many moms to stress out to make things perfect for Christmas.  Normally, I can kind of roll with it and keep our holiday simple while pretty.  This year, I'm not sure why, but it got away from me, and I was in over my head.

At least I learned a lesson.  Next year we will do a simmering pot of soup instead of a full  restaurant menu with enough food to feed a restaurant full of people.  I have to be able to treat my family special while not forgetting about myself too.  

Yes, I'll change the  dinner next time, but there isn't one other thing I'd change, it was delightful to be with people I loved and there is nothing better than that.

(and the leftovers were pretty tasty)

 

Aftermath

We had a very full Christmas, and I still feel a bit like Dewdrop did here at the end of our evening, over the brim with holiday celebrations.  

 

Gratitude, Joy, Merry, Thanks, and all of those wonderful words we need to use more

I hope your day is a Merry one! Isn't that a great word?  I love Merry and Joy both, I'm not sure which is my all time favorite word, maybe Joy.  

We've tried to make each of those words part of our celebrations.  Oh, there have been tummy aches, forgotten homework assignments. a case of the sniffles, and a few reminders that, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" here and there, but over all, I'd say the season was a joyful success at the cottage.

I've tried to say YES to any and all holiday activities that come my way, plus make up a few of my own to make Christmas last all month, not just a day.  

Some days, it can be as simple as a Cindy Lou Who hairstyle after watching the Grinch.  Other days, it is cocoa in front of the tree,  a special night out, or a ride to look at lights.  Big or small, it is the attitude of celebration that brings the fun.

And while I can't keep up the parties year round (without more naps than I'd have time to take for recovering), I think that we can keep up the Joy if we make our best efforts.  

I'm thinking about making that my New Year's resolution.  To create a smidgeon of Joy or Merriment in each day.   It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, of course, little things mean a lot. And this happiness should be shared, not saved just for family. It really needs spreading around.

My son is a master of this, and I'd like to emulate some of his moves.  Like always asking the name of a store clerk or waiter and using it is one of his ways of acknowledging others and showing care.

There are many more, like: Simply giving smiles to people you pass, or making a joke on a crowded elevator instead of looking at the floor and just waiting for the door to open.  

Stop yourself from snapping at your kiddo when you've asked them three times to do something, and try singing the request instead.  A silly or unexpected response can turn a day around.

LAUGH!  Even if you are all alone but especially with others.

Give a kiss on the head to someone as you walk by (which I have to admit, is a better idea with family than strangers).  

Post a picture of pure prettiness on FB and bypass those ugly political arguments.  

Compliment when you see something you like, speak up, if a passerby's coat is a great color, or if your husband looks nice in his shirt, or if some one is walking a dog that has very nice manners.  Don't just think it, say it out loud when you see something you like!

Remember the power of please and throw in plenty of Thank Yous.  

And be thankful-to others, to yourself, and to the world and god for what you have. Slow down and be grateful.  Nothing brings more happiness than letting yourself remember  all the reasons you have to give thanks.

I guess I'm saying that I want to work on not just noticing the good things around me, but speaking out about them.  And also creating moments that count, that might lift my own day as well as another's.

Saying YES to Joy.

Well, maybe I should've saved all of this for New Year's Eve?  No, probably not. It is never too early to get started on spreading cheer.  And maybe I'll start a new tradition for myself- making Christmas Eve resolutions.

And I'll start my resolution by speaking up about YOU.  Thank you to those who take the time to visit me on my blog, for listening to me blather on about what is on my mind, what I think is pretty, what I've made, or about my family and pets.  

It's been almost ten years of blogging for me and I've enjoyed every minute of it, and I am both grateful and thankful for all of you on the other end of what I write.

Please have the Merriest and most Joyful of Christmases!

 

Cracker bars

A friend made these delicious toffee bars from Ritz crackers and when I tried them, I knew I had to make some too.  Soooo simple to do and soooo addicting.

I took some pictures of the steps and was going to take a photo of the finished product, but MY FAMILY ATE EVERY LAST BITE!

Well, I just had to make some more.  I grabbed a pic fast, because those things don't stay in the house long at all. 

There are many recipes online for how to make these.  Once I read a few, I decided to change it up a bit to suit our household.  Here is a photo of what I used, along with pecans.

Because caramel goes sooooo good with pecans.  And yes, Im exaggerating my "sooooooo's", but I am NOT exaggerating how addicting-ly, wonderfully, delicious these are.  

Sooooooo delicious!  

That is, if you like salted caramel-ish, buttery, chocolatey, crunchy, goodness.

With chocolate!

First, you line a pan with parchment paper, then fill it with broken crackers. I let the kids do this part, and had them use a lot of crackers, not just a thin layer.  Over that, we sprinkled about a cup of chopped pecans.

Next, I melted a stick and a half of butter with 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar.

After the sugar dissolves, it needs to bubble until it looks creamy.  And it needs the pan's sides constantly scraped so sugar doesn't form on the sides.  If you don't feel like you can keep it from turning to sugar this way, when it starts to get creamy looking, put a lid on it, take it off the heat, and let the steam melt the sugar that  might have crystalized on the side of the pan.  If you stop the mixture from turning to sugar, then you get a rich, toffee/ caramel texture.  (This trick works with fudge and other candies where you have to boil sugar too)

Poor the mix over the crackers, then stir it up to make sure each bite is covered in gooey goodness.

Pop the pan into the oven for five to ten  minutes at 350.  But, please check on it, to make sure that it doesn't burn.  Ten minutes might be too much.  Five might not be enough. You just want it to brown and firm up, loose the wet look it had when you poured it on.

As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle it with chocolate chips to cover the crunchy layer and spread them with a spatula. The heat of the baked mix will melt the chips as you spread them.

I didn't use a whole bag. I was going more for more emphasis on the toffee portion of the candy than the chocolate topping.  But if you are more of a chocolate lover, please feel free to add as much as you'd like. Mine barely covered the cracker base.

The bars will set up in the fridge, and after a few hours, can be cracked into pieces.   

If you want to take a photo of your tasty treats, do it fast.

These don't last long.

They are soooooooooooooooooooo good!

A Craft day party (on my own)

This holiday season, I've been on a non-stop quest for filling my days with all of the holiday fun I could find and I've been pretty successful at it.  Parties, luncheons, play dates, cocoa parties, and more.

Last Tuesday, I had plans for a full craft day and lunch party with a few friends.  Sadly, no one could make it after all, and I thought I should probably get busy and do some Christmas shopping while I had a free day.  But instead. I decided to have a solo party. I got myself a candy cane and headed to the studio to make some stuff. I've missed creating, there has been a very small amount of it lately.

It was a  good day, even though I missed my buddies.  Whipping up this shadow box (made from the backside of a wood framed canvas, lined with a Christmas card and filled with bottle brush trees and a putz house) sure made me happy.

I even treated myself to a second candy cane while I worked.

Then, I painted this pup for a friend (the glue under the glitter is still a bit wet, the glitter will dry clear, not white.)

Earlier, I'd started this snow gal head.  I took advantage of my solo craft day to finish her.

Her body is a Victorian cruet bottle filled with fake snow.

Yep, a good day.  Of course, I missed my friends, but sometimes it is good for the heart and soul to have a day just to piddle around with supplies and make something.

Salt Shaker Snow Gals at a girlfriends' gathering

A few of our Birdsong Peeps gathered at Tami's house as she hosted one of her generous craft days.

At last year's holiday party, I was admiring her collection of salt and pepper shaker snow people.  So, when I heard that was the project for this season, I was thrilled!  Here are some that she made and that were sitting out as examples. 

She provided a bountiful supply of goodies to deck the snow gals out and we rolled air dry clay and glued pretties onto little snow ladies all afternoon, only stopping for a delicious luncheon.

Here are a few that friends made.

And here is what I made that day.  

Tami always goes all out to make our days in her studio special, so I wanted to bring her a special gift. Since she is a button collector, I thought a necklace made of vintage mother of pearl buttons would be a good idea for a gift.

Lovely ladies, fun projects, tasty food, non stop laughter, all made a perfect day-

Thanks Tami!

Annual Holiday Home Tour

We had lovely weather for the Holiday Home Tour this year and there was a great selections of houses to peek through.

This kitchen could've made me turn as grinchy green as those apples, with seething envy if I wasn't so in love with my own cottagy kitchen.  (well, maybe I was a slight shade of green)

Here is the room from another view.

What a wonderful, old home.

The details of the recent remodel were so smartly done.  Like using the original garage doors as siding in the TV room.

And at this house, they went all out with props to use for photo ops.

This won my heart as we drove up.  When I saw the tree tied to the roof of the station wagon, I knew the house was going to be a fun one to tour.

I was right.

Every  home we went to, was very well done.  I'll leave you with a few pics of the day.

A holiday dinner party at the cottage

Last week, I hosted the annual holiday book club party. Here is 2014 and here is 2015.  In the past, I've just done snacks and treats, but this year, I thought it would be nice to have a sit down dinner.

Since we have the new space, I was thrilled to have a chance to use it.  Plus, the book club ladies are a nice group, it is good to have a night where we can kick back and chat about things other than books.

The new space is ideal for entertaining. I picked up a small, drop leaf table that I keep in the hearth room by the door, and we carried it to the dining area, slanted the main table and added the drop leaf one onto the end of it.

Originally, I thought I'd get a gigantic, rustic, farmhouse table to fill the space, and to seat my large family.

 But then, I saw the price tags.

So, I bought a $60 drop leaf table to create more seating instead.

The drop leaf fits nicely, and solves the problem when needed. It is wonderful to have plenty of room to seat everyone without bringing in a folding table.  In the past, I'd have to move the island (I built it on wheels), set up a folding table from the studio, and cram in a few extra chairs.  

Now, all of the guests fit comfortably without having to move the island.  

As much as I like the look of a farm house table, I think I prefer having a more flexible set up. My dining table has 3 leaves and expands to 110", the little drop leaf adds space for 5 more people.  We had 11 for the party, and I think I can probably make three more fit if I got creative with where the chairs go.

Nothing on my table matches, and all of it is from garage or estate sales.   Sometimes, I think, maybe I should go buy some matching silverware, or glasses.... but honestly, I don't think anyone minds.  The lights are dim, the candles are lit, there is plenty of wine.  

For this party, I used white dinner plates, table cloths and napkins, clear and gold salad plates, floral bread plates, and clear glasses.   I added a string of battery power lights to a bowl of painted pine cones topped with Shiny Brite fruit, and put some sparkling branches with lights, a pink glass garland, and gold Shiny Brite balls.  

My local grocery store has $1.99 flowers on Mondays, and just happened to have some perfect ones for the party marked down and waiting for me. Pink and green, with a touch of red for the holiday.  

I was going for a white on white look with a splash of color.

I made vegetarian lasagna, and stuffed shells with chicken and butternut squash a week ahead of time, then pulled it out of the freezer to bake up that night.  I always believe in as many short cuts as possible when planning a party.  Everyone brought wine to share, I baked some bread, bought packaged salad, and kept the dinner part simple. 

Add a nice bunch of ladies, and it was a very nice party!

A girlfriends' day out on the town in the Big City

My pal, Angie, once again, generously invited a group of us to visit her apartment in the sky over looking the Plaza in Kansas City.

We started the afternoon with a late lunch at Union Station, and ended up with wine and desserts at Angie's home to enjoy this view of the Plaza lights.

As always, she went all out making it special for us.

Beth says that Angie is determined to bring some culture into our lives.  She takes us to museums, botanical gardens, and other big city things that I never think about doing, but adore visiting when I'm taken there.   

On this day, I did something WAY, WAY out of my comfort zone!  We explored Science City at Union Station, and all of us rode the sky bike.  

I'm terrified of heights, and have no balance. But apparently, this thing can not tip over, it is balanced by the load of bricks that hang beneath it.

 Hmmm...

It felt like I was going to plummet to the ground.  Bypassing that net somehow, of course.

But I did it.  Twice!  I did not enjoy either time, but it was good for my soul to give it a try.  Just like all of the culture Angie has me soaking up, that is a nice change from my typical days, a little change of scene has been good for me.

We checked out the Kaufman Gardens to see the Poinsettias, and goofed off with a photo shoot. I'm channeling my inner Zoolander here.

 

Silliness was the main part of the day, we played like little kids, giggled, and belly laughed all afternoon.  

In my opinion, adults need to get some childlike, joyous, laughing fits going every once in a while to stay sane.

I started out my day with some crafting, so was already in a very happy mood.  In the last month, I've not spent much time with my glue bottle.  I made up a few of these ornies to pass out at our lunch, and it felt wonderful to be doing things I loved again.

My heart rate seems normal, and at Science City, I could run up and down stairs without needing a break or getting light headed.  Looks to me like my cardiac procedure was a success, and I was celebrating feeling normal again.  

I don't think I realized how bad I'd felt for how long.  Most of my summer was droopy and tired.  

Of course, spending a day with fun friends, is always helpful.

I've been throwing myself headfirst into holiday happenings, and for a while was feeling like I'd over scheduled and it was too much, but just this week, I've gotten past that and am loving all of the activities and excitement.

Now, my problem is trying not to feel guilty about not getting any work done...

I'd told myself earlier that I'd just take it easy and not worry about work for a while, so I haven't updated my Boutique with new items for Christmas.  That was fine when I was still a little weak or droopy, but now that I'm flying through the sky on bikes, that seems a bit hypocritical.

Well, too late, the holiday selling season has about passed.  I need to let go of the guilt, enjoy feeling better, and plan for getting some work done in January instead. 

For now?

I am Merry Christmassing it up.  Going for the glory and the joy of the month.  And I am blessed by my new found good health!

 

Wire and lace angel wings

When we built the new mantle, I had hung a couple of my paintings and a mirror above it.  To keep them secure, we anchored the frames to the stone.  Which was  a good idea, but wasn't handy for changing out the pictures for the holidays, and I felt that the pink roses were a little springy for Christmas.

So, I covered the glass of the two paintings with burlap, using two sided foam tape, then hung some hand  made angel wings over that.

I wanted one large pair of wire and lace wings for the giant frame that used to be the top of a Victorian door.

To make them, I used wire wrapped in raffia.  I thought that roughness of the raffia would be a good surface to adhere the lace to, I'd worried that the plain wire might be too slick.  I'm sure I could've made it work by either wrapping the wire in ribbon first, or stitching the lace instead of gluing, but I also liked the rustic look of the brown raffia under the dainty lace I was going to use.

I cut two pieces of wire the same length, and twisted them into wing shapes. leaving a tail on each to twine together in the center to connect the two wings.

This vintage, beaded, lace dress was from a thrift store for $5.  I cut the lining out and and roughly trimmed two sides of it to fit over the wire wing shapes.

Glue guns are rarely my favorite tool, but in this instance, just what I needed.  I glued the lace to the top of the wire in small sections at a time.

Once the lace was attached, I flipped the wings over and trimmed the fabric down to about an inch of excess.

Then, I rolled it around the wire and glued it down on the backside too.

I liked them as they were, but wanted some embellishments.  I added a few white feathers, and velvet leaves, to the center, and tied on silk ribbon to hang them from, then glued a faded millinery bloom over that.

The silk is tied to a small nail I put into the frame.

When they were hung, they were a bit wonky. I think a heavier gauge wire would prevent that. To keep the wings from swaying and looking like a pair of droopy stockings, I stretched them out and used straight pins to attach them to the burlap.  They keep their shape ok that way, but if I make another pair, I will definitely use a sturdier wire so there is  no droop.

The ruffled pair of wings is similar to the tutorial Dawn has for angel wings.  I did these differently, but it is the same sort of style.  Mine are layered with dyed crepe paper and more of the beaded lace from the vintage dress, then embellished much like the wired set.

I'd drawn  my own pattern onto cardboard and covered it.   Dawn offers a pattern and full directions on her site if you'd like to make a pair yourself.  Plus, she is just plain old, nice to visit.