Christmas Cookie Countdown!!!!

It is that time of year again, my favorite... Christmas!  Since this is the year with my husband's family it means that I'm the designated cookie maker!  Unlike, when we go to my Mom's and I can count on her to make all the yummy treats.

So, now to figure out which cookies I will make and start my list.  I know I will definitely make the following, my absolute favorites:

1) Butterballs
2) Sachertorte Cookies
3) Magic Cookie Bars
4) Peanut Butter Cookies with Kisses

There are dozens of cookie recipes every December in all of my magazines, I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of only picking 2 or 3 to try.  However, I'm armed with a whole stack of butter I bought at BJ's and I'm ready to get baking.... look for results in the coming weeks.

"The Shadow Wife" by Diane Chamberlain

This book was a really fast read.  It was the first I'd read by this author, but I'm definitely going to read more.  "The Shadow Wife" is about Joelle D'Angelo and the relationships taking place in her life.  She has a best friend who suffered an aneurism giving birth and has now realized she is pregnant herself.  Although she has fallen in love with her best friend's husband, she knows he is facing inner turmoil in being with her, so she chooses to keep her pregnancy a secret.  In turn, she seeks the help of a healer, Carlynn Shire, to help her best friend, who is in a home, and not functioning.  However, she really helps all of those involved.

I enjoyed that this book had flashbacks and delved into many different relationships.  Throughout the book you really get to know all of the characters and understand where they were coming from.  One of those books you are actually sad to finish.  I HIGHLY recommend this book and author!

"Mothers & Other Liars" by Amy Bourret

Although the title of this fictional book is a little shocking, it is definitely a great book!  The main character, Ruby, is a mother raising her daughter,Lark, as a single parent.  Then, a shocking piece of truth that she didn't know in the riddle of her own past makes itself known.  Ruby ultimately comes face to face with more "What if's?" than any mother should have to imagine.  She then has to make a decision more difficult than you can imagine.  I would definitely recommend this book, it is a page turner and you feel connected to the characters from page one.

Spring, a time to Organize...

So this spring is a time where we are definitely getting ready for change this year!  We are working on putting our house on the market in the next month or two, due to a work transfer for my Hubby being just around the corner.  Moving to a new area in the fall, but we don't want to miss the spring market, which makes us realize we'll probably have a little bit of limbo time.  Meaning in between our real home here and then there, which we hope for of course, because it would mean our house sold!  Just thinking about it makes us realize there is just so much to do...

For one, even though I've been working on being organized, I just don't feel I'm organized enough.  One day I look at a section of the kitchen counter and it's a mess.  I clean it.  The next day I look at my desk and it's a mess.  I clean it.  Then Little Man says, "Mommy won't you just play with me?!"  How I wish I could be doing two things at once.  I have to remind myself to just take it one step at a time, it can get so overwhelming.  I just know I want everything spotless when our house shows.  Not easy with Little Man and Hubby running around making their own messes too!  However, Little Man is only small once and I know one day he won't want my attention, let alone my undivided attention.  So, I feel so fortunate to be able to stay home with him, I don't know how I could get things done and still make special time for him if I didn't.

Also, I'd like to build up my Etsy shop a little more, how I wish I had the time, time, time.  There is only so much I feel I can do in a couple of evening hours that are free.  However, I know that the only way to sell on Etsy is to eventually advertise and it's not worth advertising if you don't have a lot of inventory for sale for the customers to see.  Kind of the chicken or the egg thing...

Well, tonight I organized my blog!  One of those things that has been on my to do list since I see it as my homepage every time I open the internet.  Now I can look at a cheerful spring/summer like design every time.  Now, I'm off to have some time to myself, relax and knit for sale!

Bella's Mittens... Finally

I finally finished my Bella mittens last night!  I'd flown through the first one, but took the second one slower while I got caught up in other projects lately.  Since I have longer fingers I made the body and the thumb slightly longer than the pattern called for, with the cabling it took some work so that they didn't end up looking like they missed the cable.  If I did them again I also would have increased the length between the wrist and start of the thumb for me too.  Overall I love them and they will sure keep my hands warm.

What I'm most thrilled about is that I've gotten really good at using double pointed needles, knitters out there know that is an accomplishment that takes some practice!

You can find the pattern for these mittens on Ravelry.com, they are called Bella's Mittens by Marielle Henault and are based on those worn by Bella in the movie "Twilight."