Dare to....have traditions.

Well folks.  I always like to have a picture with every post. 

It's because I like to look at pictures.  I'm a visual person.

But, this post will not have pictures.  This post is about my most favorite tradition.  it is the tradition in which every male on one side of my family gets boxers for Christmas.  They have to open them in front of everyone.  And they are the really inappropriate Joe Boxer boxers.  They say things like, "how's it hanging?"  And a camouflage pair that says, "would you like to meet my elite unit?"  After the men and boys open their gifts, the fun doesn't stop there.  Oh no.  They proceed to put on the boxers (over their clothes, mind you) and do the cha cha cha line dance around the house.  It's fantastic.  So, while this is a lovely family tradition, because I'm pretty sure members of my family are the only ones who actually read my blog, I don't want to lose my only readership. :)

The best part of this tradition was that it was started by my 70 year old grandmother.  Unfortunately, Grandma is no longer with us, but the tradition continues.  and it is really fantastic.  Another reason this time of year is my favorite part of the year.

this is fantastic

Here we are again. It's friday. A week and a day before Christmas.

Do you have all your shopping done? Are the holidays more stressful than other times? well....take a minute to relax and look at these AWESOME pieces of 3d art.

These are pieces by Peter Callesen. They are like sophisticated pop-up books. Or those 3d puzzles, but so much better.


So elegant.



So simple.



So makes me want to go home and get out my xacto.



My brother always wanted me to design him a castle. Do you think this would do?

Have a happy weekend!

dare to...decorate

Well...this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but the hubs and I participated in Christmas celebration Part une of trois. We saw his family this past weekend, will see part of my family this coming weekend, and the rest of my family on Christmas. I know I know. But, you see, last year, we tried to make everyone happy and see EVERYONE during the roughly 24 hours of Christmas celebration. THAT. DID. NOT. WORK. So we're doing it differently this year. And next year, we'll switch off and it will be fantastic.

But, on to the craft of the week.

The challenge for this week's Dare to DIY was to craft a new Christmas decoration. Luckily for me, I was reading the most recent Martha Stewart Living, and she gave me a fabulous idea.

And voila! It's a Christmas Card wreath thingy!



This thing is super easy. Acquire a embroidery hoop. This one is a 16", I think. I got it at Michaels for a few bucks.

Glue (with wood glue) clothes pins on the hoop facing alternating directions.


In my case, I wrapped some ribbon I had on hand around the entire thing after I attached the clothes pins. I didn't use glue at all for the ribbon. Just wrapped it around and tied it at the top.

Used some pretty sparkly ribbon to tie the bow at the top and there you go.

Then, I just had to wait for Christmas cards!

falling in love...with fall

Ok folks...not completely. You know how I feel about cold weather, but...the colors of the trees where I work are so absolutely beautiful. I had to share. Of course, it's been a week or two since I've taken these, so all the leaves have fallen (and it's sleeting outside....at the beach....in North Carolina!).

Now it's just time to remember and wish for the spring.

dare to...give homemade gifts

Well friends....this post is a little risky. You see, I'm about to post a handmade gift...that I'm going to be giving to someone. Good news is, I'm positive the person doesn't read my blog. So I'm safe.

Another post for the Dare to DIY blog party the Newly Woodwards are hosting. This week (or the past few months) I made a scarf.

The pattern is a free...that's right FREE... pattern I found on ravelry.com that you can find here. If you're a knitter and are looking for a community of knitters, Ravelry is the place to be. It's a super cool databasing site that can help you organize your own work, as well as meet other people who love textile and yarn crafts.

This is a simple Lace scarf and it knitted super quickly. I'm a big fan of the super quick projects. I still have a yoga mat bag that is no where near the finish line. It's taking FOREVER.


These pictures were taken before blocking, but as you can see, it has a nice structure to it. No real curling on the edges unless you pick it up.






By the way....I'm not sure if anyone else watches Gene Simmon's Family Jewels on A&E, but if you do, the new season is starting TONIGHT at 9pm. I have to say that I freaking love this show. The hubs and I always catch the marathons on the weekends and could watch them for hours. It is SO funny. We have just become official watchers and put it on our DVR. I have to say I'm a bit excited.

this is fantastic

Have you seen these? I know they've been floating around the social network.

No, I did not take these images (though, if I had, I would be so proud). These were taken by Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock of NASA. That's right. They are from outerspace. Please take a look at the rest of these here. You will not be sorry. Just tell your boss that they're inspiring you to do more work faster :).

The Christmas flotilla is this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. The Christmas season is finally here for me. Have a great weekend and enjoy!