Ok, so there were a few things that I needed to wait until after Christmas to share.
Like this guy:
Like this guy:
He’s one of a series that I made for my little brother who is a big Simpson’s fan.
(Don’t worry I won’t make you suffer through a photo montage of all the paintings that I made.)
I just free handed some of my favorite supporting characters onto canvases of various sizes and shapes. Next I painted the drawings in with acrylic paint and drew over the top of them with a black colored pencil. Sure, it’s a junior high art project but I’m still a little junior high so this was by far my favorite gift to make this year. (Seriously, I can’t resist drawing cartoons—and to make them big to hang on the wall—and to do it late at night while drinking soda and watching reruns—I was in art nerd heaven. Excellent.)
And while the Simpson’s paintings were my favorite to make these were my favorite gifts to give:
Packaged vintage patterns with the pattern and corresponding fabric precut and already to be sewn!
My mom has a sizable (and enviable) collection of vintage patterns that she likes to sew from. So this year I did a little snooping and a little borrowing and came up with a gift I would like myself.
I bought some fabric that I thought my mom would like then, using her patterns, cut out the pieces to complete some of her awesome vintage patterns. I then put the cut fabric and patterns together in plastic sleeves and wrapped them up as a set.
My mom is one busy lady and hates to cut out fabric almost as much as I do. But now at least for a little while she won’t have to. She can just pull out a package and start to sew and that, to me, sounds excellent.
And speaking of excellent…I have two last little things to share that made my Christmas, well, excellent.
Excellent Christmas Thing #1—
I didn’t wrap ANY gifts this year.
Simon (my 7 year old) wrapped them all.
Excellent!
Sure, they all looked like this.
And it’s true that this is the best looking one of the bunch.
But I didn’t have to do it or stress over coordinating ribbons and bows. He just slapped these things together in the time it took me to write the tag and WHAMO! Gift wrap accomplished.
He was happy and proud to tell everyone what he had done and I have to admit I was proud of myself for letting him do it. (As I’ve mentioned before sometimes I struggle with handing things over—even simple things like this.)
Excellent Thing #2—
Snow White came to our Christmas Eve party.
And while I would have rather had Snow White show up to our Halloween party so Grace didn’t look like THIS it was really fun to have her (or at least her dress) there with us that night.
Now, I usually make everyone wear nice clothes to my parents house on Christmas Eve. But not this year. This year I let each of the kids choose whatever they felt like wearing that night. Ruth came in pajamas and Simon of course chose jeans and a T-shirt but Grace decided to go all out and picked her Snow White dress and tiara.
Was it a bit over top?
You better believe it.
But I don’t regret it for even a second. She thought she was a princess and that made everything even more magical. Add that to Ruth and Simon’s comfort and I think we just started a new family tradition. Excellent.
Now, since this is like one of my favorite weeks of the year (yes the week AFTER Christmas) I need to sign off and get busy cleaning and organizing and putting things away but before I do I’m just wondering….when you read the word excellent does is it sound in your head like the creepy Monte Burns excellent way or in the most excellent Bill and Ted’s way?
(mine sounds like Bill and Ted…sorry Zach)
Anyways—-here’s to hoping you all had an excellent Christmas weekend—and um, party on dudes!
Love the princess dress. For weeks my little one kept telling me what she was going to be for Christmas, something different every time of course. I told her Halloween is when we dress up.
I love the week after Christmas too. I’ve reorganized all the Christmas boxes as well as four kitchen cabinets and I’m ready for a big trip to drop off at Goodwill. It feels good to reorganize after the Christmas chaos.
I absolutely love the cut out pattern pieces gift … what an awesome idea! I hate cutting out patterns!
You’re not alone. The stress is off. Only one more big holiday meal, and it’s an easy one with no elaborate desserts, appetizers, etc. No more wrapping, making presents, and compiling stockings. And I’ll be glad when New Year’s is over, too!
And I love the princess dress!
Those are all really great and thoughtful gifts. Your family is lucky to have you 🙂
Those are all really great and thoughtful gifts. Your family is lucky to have you 🙂
This year my mom, my niece, and my 10 year old did the majority of the wrapping…and I couldn’t be happier about it! I enjoyed not having to do it ALL. And so what if they weren’t perfect!
And everytime I read “excellent” it absolutely sounds like Bill and Ted. I’ve never been a huge Simpsons fan, but I love me some Bill and Ted!! 😀
Awesome presents! I love your idea of giving patterns with the fabric pre-cut. That is the WORST part of sewing, I think. And the Simpsons art is too cool . . . I would actually love to see them all 🙂
Definitely Bill & Ted! Have an excellent week. 🙂
So CUTE!!!! I featured your Hats For Sale today at http://shoprubyjean.com/2011/12/sew-crafty-tuesday-linky-3-and-features/
Ok, so many things to comment on, I don’t even know where to start! My son is obsessed with the Simpsons so he says bring on the photo montage, he is dying to see the rest, what a great gift!
And your daughter as Snow White is the cutest thing I have seen all season, I want to meet that girl.
What a great Christmas you had!
xo, Alexis
Ruth wore his PJs? That is so cool! Why didn’t I ever come up with wearing PJs on those dress-as-you-want-days?
Dont know what about your post I like most. Excellent gifts all around! You are such a thoughtful person… cutting out all the fabric pieces for your mom, what a great gift! Letting the 7 year old wrap the presents was a stoke of genius! He’s proud, your not stressed, and the perfectly wrapped present only lasts for a moment of appreciation anyway.
so fun! I’m so jealous of the vintage patterns I’d love you to add this (and any other posts you like) to my What We Wore and Made Party over at http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/search/label/WWWMW
Montanachic is right we are lucky to have you.
You are ‘excellent’ I love my mr. burns 🙂 Thanks again! I love it!
Bill & Ted’s! Totally!