Merry Christmas, Darlings

I can honestly say that I've never had a better Christmas than this one. Evan and I spent so much time with family and got to see my wonderful nephews and little niece for so many days! 

You know me, though. It wouldn't be Christmas without me going a little overboard! 

Christmas presents remind me of bunnies...they seem to multiply when you're not looking!

First of all, if any of you have small children who just LOVE to help pass out packages, this is probably the best thing ever! Normally, we use tags and write people's names on their packages...but this year, I wanted to make it a little easier for the boys to pass things out. Since neither one of them can really read yet, I decided to use pictures! Also, since we had to transport all of our packages from Atlanta to Augusta with a nosy puppy in the back who LOVES eating ribbons, we needed something that was flat. Hence, the birth of my most brilliant idea so far: Face Labels! I printed out their faces on round labels and stuck them in the middle of our craft paper and washi tape packages. They were a huge hit with the boys (and my dad...he thought they were very cool. Thanks for thinking everything I do is awesome, dad!) as they sat there and said "Dat's ME! Oh Dat's Mama! Hey, Dat's BWODY!" 

A little dark, but they were having so much fun!

It was so much fun! :) 

Most of the presents I bought this year seemed to be alcohol-related...corksicles for my sister and aunt to keep their wine perfectly chilled, this gorgeous print of a photo-realistic Ketel One bottle watercolor for my dad, recycled wine bottle cheese plates for my cousins...and, for my brother-in-law, this:

Merry Booze-mas to Adam!

Yes, that's right. It's a Christmas tree made out of mini alcohol bottles. For the past few years, I've gotten Adam the newest Crown Royal flavors. This year, they came out with Crown Royal Maple. It's pretty damn good. But rather than just get him one bottle, I decided to make life hard on myself and make it into a Christmas tree! Yay! Great idea...

Seriously, go out and try this...it's good.

Basically, it's a styrafoam cone wrapped in washi tape stuck with mini bottles hot-glued onto skewers. I added the ornaments afterwards because I needed it to look a little more festive.  In retrospect, I would have gotten more minis...I was too tired to deal with it by the time I realized I needed more. 

I think he was ok with it though! :) 

For my last little art project, I decided to make the boys matching superhero capes! :) They turned out really well, I think. 

Want to know more on how I made these?
I'll post a how-to some other time!

I needle-felted the arm bands, masks and emblems before I heat bonded them to the satin fabric. My mom ended up going back over the velcro bits with the sewing machine because I had used iron-on velcro and, apparently, that is not strong enough to withstand these little guys. 

Brave Brody!

Loyal Luke!

I also made Cali a matching one so they could all play together! :) 

Courageous Cali!

And then I got bored on my day off and made this...

I really hate doing laundry...so I procrastinate. Sue me. 

All in all, this was an amazing Christmas! Evan and I feel as though we've been caught in a tornado (which we might actually be if this crazy weather doesn't clear up...tornadoes on Christmas...not cool, earth. Noooooot cool.) of family, friends, food and fun, but we wouldn't have it any other way! 

On behalf of our little family and our first married Christmas, we'd like to wish everyone we know (and those of you we don't) a safe and happy holiday season! 

Christmas Eve photos on the steps of the Old Cotton Mill in Augusta

May visions of sugarplums (or liver treats, if you're Cali) dance in your heads for many nights to come! 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

What goes better with Christmas than Eggnog?

Answer: Nothing. 

Well, actually. Velvet Hammers go best with Christmas, but that's a post for later. 

For now, I want to tell you a little bit about these delicious eggnog cupcakes I made. 

They're not just eggnog cupcakes, though...they're Bourbon Eggnog Cupcakes with a Caramel Bourbon Eggnog Buttercream Frosting. 

They're decadent. They're moist. They're...AMAZING. 

I can't claim the creative rights to these heavenly delights. I found them on pinterest, courtesy of the Cupcake Bakeshop. 

Yeah...this batter rocked. Almost didn't make it to cupcake stage. 

But they did...eventually.

Oh...did I mention they were filled with a bourbon eggnog custard? Yep...they were!

I did make a slight change with the caramel...inadvertently. I didn't have any heavy whipping cream on hand (some silly husband didn't pick it up...but he did get everything else, so I guess I can give him a pass) so I just used eggnog in its place. Yummy! 

Just as a side note, I was inspired to create these eggnog tasties thanks to Mrs. Ruth, one of my wonderful residents. She may not be able to see very well or remember my name (ever), but that woman knows how to make some MEAN eggnog. She makes this stuff from scratch and she didn't tell me until 1/2 way through the glass that she poured me (at work, mind you) that there was 1 liter of bourbon and 1 liter of rum in it. 

I might have wanted to take a nap, but it was so worth it!

Merry Christmas, one and all!

I need a hobby...

That's totally a lie. I have so many hobbies that sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about which one I want to do. However, I did just pick up a new one: Needlefelting.

What is Needlefelting? It's basically stabbing a ball of wool with a little needle with barbs on the end until the wool fibers are interwoven into a hard-ish mass. What can you make in this fashion? Lots of things!

I started with tiny versions of my furry babies:

I didn't quite get the one of Mercedes finished before she went to her new home, but I'm glad I have it now. These will be going on our Christmas tree shortly!

Reunited and it feels so good!

I'm pretty happy with the detail I got into the back of Merce.
Her stripes were one of my favorite things about her!

I also created a pillow for my boss for her birthday. We had seen a pillow a while back that said "Tonight" on one side and "Not Tonight" on the other. 

She joked that she would buy it if it said "Not Tonight" on both sides. So that's what we gave her! :) 

Thanks to my lovely assistant, Lisa, at work. Here she is modeling our pillow...

And here's the second side!  

I did the sides all kinds of wrong, but they ended up pretty cool!

I cut out the letters from a wool felt sheet and
placed them on the other sheet before needling them together.

The sides of the pillow pre assembly.

Just so you have an idea, this is what I used to create everything: 

The green thing is the needle tool. It's spring-loaded.
Much easier than the single needle tool I used for Cali and Merce! 

Make sure you have a pad or foam block or brush of some sort. Otherwise you'll stab yourself repeatedly. Which I might have done. 

I literally put my blood, sweat and tears into each of these projects! 

It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!

So happy with how this turned out!

I made a turkey. Like, by myself! Well, actually, that's not entirely true. Evan carved it and helped me move it all around and stuff, but I did the prep, basting and timing of it and, in my opinion, that's the real work. Ok...except the carving. That's definitely real work! 

Proof that he is awesome!

Anyway, for two days before Thanksgiving, I worked my butt off getting everything ready! I made my mom's famous sweet potatoes and my nana's cranberries and homemade whipped cream! Evan was a huge help, getting the bathrooms cleaned and bathing Cali. No one wants a stinky puppy around the amazing feast that is Thanksgiving at the Wing House. 

Fresh, never canned!

I went out to Hobby Lobby and Michaels to make this awesome centerpiece!

Pretty and good-smelling! Scented pinecones from Michaels are always a win!

The night before Thanksgiving, Allie gave us her grandmother's hand cross-stitched tablecloth for us to use. We ironed it, and set up our table! I will seriously find any excuse to use our fancy silver that we got for our wedding! 

I'm not gonna lie, I love the way it looked all set up!

We woke up and I definitely had a sweet tooth...so I made some yummy crescent roll cinnamon rolls! 

Yum...

Cali was really excited to have the windows open and was definitely on "smell patrol," making sure that no smell passed our window without her approval first. 

Haven't smelled this, haven't smelled that...

After what seemed like the longest 2 days ever, it was finally time to eat! Evan's family (well, the part that lives in Atlanta) came over with the most amazing spread of food! We had turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, "upscale" green beans, stuffing, mac and cheese (which was delicious...and not poisoned...Evan's twin brother made it, so I had to be somewhat skeptical!), rolls and taco salad! For dessert, Allie made this amazing cheesecake pumpkin pie! I wish I had a picture of everything. You'd be jealous. Instead, here's a picture of Evan and Cali...they are enough reason for you to be jealous. They're awesome!

They are so cute!

My favorite part of our Thanksgiving was the new tradition that we started. I have a friend whose mom always has everyone write what they're thankful for, the year and their name on their Thanksgiving tablecloth. I love this idea, but since I thought Allie's tablecloth was a little too special to destroy, I put my own twist on it! I bought cheap napkins from Target and gave everyone a sharpie and let them at it! I did lay down a set of guidelines: nothing sarcastic, nothing dirty, nothing "Cam" (sorry--had to say it). I should have specified no drawings, but we had to let Allie use her art major for something! I'm not going to read them until next year, but I'm really excited to see what they look like in 10 years! Tune in (if blogs are still cool then...if they are even still cool now...even if they're not, I'll probably still be using it) to see how they turn out!

See those napkin rings? One of my awesome residents gave us those for our wedding! 

As for me, I am thankful for my wonderful husband and whatever lies in our future! 

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 

Update -- Military Care Packages

Hey all,

I know I just posted, like, a minute ago, but I wanted to update you all on how you can help support our Military Care Package project! 

Look to the right side of the page here and you'll see a little PayPal widget. All you have to do is contribute through there! I've set our goal at $200 because I'm still not sure how much it will all cost. 

Anyone care to guess how much this will all cost?

I plan on going to the post office this Tuesday when I'm off work to get a quote. Again, any little bit will help! 

Anything above and beyond the actual shipping costs will either go towards future care packages for his company or to a Military-based charity! 

I really appreciate all of your help and support! Thanks for taking the time to do something to help our men and women overseas! 

To read the original blog post, click here!

- Shelly

A Letter to my Cat...

Mercedes. My sweet kitten.

If you've known me long enough, you've known that my cat has been a huge part of my life. She's been around longer than either of my nephews, my niece, or my husband. She's been on a TV show (look for her in the beginning and end!). She's moved with me from my college days in Athens to my first job in Duluth to my first apartment in Atlanta proper to a brief stint living with my best friends to the apartment where I lived when I first started dating, got engaged to and then married to my now husband and, finally, to the apartment where my husband and I made our first home. If you lost count, that's 6 homes in a little over 7 years. 

To say that this cat has been there for me through everything is, at best, an understatement. Hell, she was the costar of my very first blog! 

I'm not going to lie and say that Mercedes has been an easy cat; there's a reason her nickname is Mersatan. I don't think she has bad intentions, though. I just think she's misunderstood. 

That said, Evan and I have made a difficult decision (difficult for me, at least...he's been on the receiving end of some of Merce's worst temper tantrums). We have found a new home for Mercedes. 

I have known for a while that Mercedes hasn't been happy living indoors. She is pretty wild at heart and needs to be able to chase bugs and rodents and explore the outdoors. My coworker, Erika, has been amazing and supportive and has found the perfect situation for us all. Tomorrow, Mercedes will take up her new residence as a semi-outdoor cat. She will have a warm place to sleep -- in a wood-working shop, no less -- and 200 acres of farm land to explore as she pleases. 

This is not an easy choice for me. From the moment that I saw her on Craigslist and made the decision to save her life (she was going to be put down soon if they couldn't find a home. This is why we all need to support our local animal shelters...seriously, people. ADOPT), I have been in love with this little girl. 

I know we're making the right decision though. She'll be happier. She'll have more room to play and explore. She'll be a useful and loyal companion to her new owners. 

With much more back story than I intended on giving, I bring you my letter to my cat:

Mercedes,

I want you to know how much I love you. I always have. I always will. From the time I first adopted you, you captured my heart. I remember driving home with you in my lap. You were so tiny. And scared. As soon as I started to sing along to the radio, which I often do when I'm alone, you put your hands on my chest and stood up in my lap, purring and staring into my eyes. That sealed the deal for me. You always enjoyed it when I pretended to audition for American Idol in the bathroom. Thank you. 

This is the first picture I have of Merce...chasing rubber bands is still her favorite! 

Even though you were sometimes a terror, I knew that, if I ever really needed to feel better, you would do the trick. After every break-up, heartbreak or really awful day, you knew to come snuggle up next to me and purr until I fell asleep. 

She seriously knows when I'm feeling bad. :(

You are at your best when I am sick or sad. 

I could not pose her like this. 

Sure, you liked to attack my feet in the middle of the night. Sometimes you would wake me up destroying the plastic bag I left out. 

She was stuck in this bag for about an hour. 

Sometimes you would go just a little bit crazy an run all over the apartment, chasing whatever it was you thought you saw. You always snuggled yourself in the middle of or on top of my warm clean laundry. 

Warm laundry is the best! Plus you take my fur with you when you go to work! 

Boxes are your favorite. 

E says she's thinking: "If I fits, I sits." 

Not a day went by that you didn't try to drink the leftover milk from my cereal bowl or the water right out of my cup.

Can't make this up. Every day. 

But I didn't mind. 

You were my litmus test for men. You knew before I did when someone wasn't right for me. And you showed me. You attacked his leg as he went to the bathroom. You pounced on his crotch while we watched a movie. You clawed his thumb when he was just trying to pet you. But Evan was different. I told him not to pet you; that you were just not a cuddly cat with men. He sat down on the couch and you proved me wrong. Imagine my surprise when I came out of the kitchen to see you purring happily on his lap while he loved on you. You were right about him, too. He is a good one. 

She never did this with anyone but Evan...and his twin brother.
But I'm pretty sure she thought he was E. 

I know it hasn't been easy for you. We moved a lot. You had a taste of the wild and then I brought you back inside. Sometimes I was too busy to play with you. I wasn't the best about cleaning your litter. I dressed you up as a devil for Halloween and Santa for Christmas.

She was not amused.

 I brought an energetic, obnoxious, slobbery beast into your otherwise peaceful life. 

Mersatan observes the new invader of her fortress...

I'm making up for that all now. Your new home will be fun and exciting! You'll have room to run and play. You'll never be trapped inside again. You'll have the freedom to choose where you go! You'll have the great wide-open as your playground! 

Be nice to your new owners. Be courageous and fierce! Don't ever think that I don't love you. I'm doing this because I do. I know it's scary at first, but you'll see soon that this is much better. You can, once again, be the tiny lion I know you are. 

Saying goodbye is bittersweet. It is breaking my heart, but I know it's for the best. You will always be with me in my heart. You have a special place there. You were my first real baby. 

I know you'll be fine. I hope I will, too. Goodbye, sweet kitten. I love you very much. 

The loves of my life.
The one time they were all peaceful and harmonious together.

Love always, 

Mommy