Chichen Marsala

Back off ladies, he's mine.

Here's what hubs made for dinner tonight:

My favorite dish. Hubs' Chicken Marsala was better than any restaurant version I have tasted.

And check it out, bitches, homemade pasta.

You could make a meal out of Hubs' pasta alone.

Elving

This is what we woke to last week. Pretty, no? 

Surely, if this can't get me into the holiday spirit, nothing can. 

Well, by the following weekend it was raining and gray. Blah.

I grew up in the northern part of Michigan. We had snow banks taller than the average man. Christmas just isn't the same without freshly fallen snow blanketing the houses. Picture a nice little town, houses covered with pristine snow, smoke puffing from the chimneys and lighted Christmas trees in every front window. Get how I might be a little blue if it's raining when it should be snowing?

This morning we had the slightest cover of snow on the roads and a dusting of white stuff was falling from the sky. We had the day together, with nothing planned but holiday prep.

I've been wanting to make bread bags that I saw on one of the many blogs I read. We have some people on our list whom we love dearly, but who have everything. I like to give gifts that will get used up and not clutter the recipients home. Fabric brad bags with a homemade loaf or two seem perfect to me.

I gathered my sewing equipment and set to work. My grandma was a seamstress extraordinaire. That woman could sew anything and everything. I wish I'd had the desire to sew while she was still living because I know I could have learned so much from her. She did show me the basic way around a sewing machine and with a little gap-filling by one of my sorority sisters, I can fumble through some basic sewing.

I miss my Grandma so much still and she's been gone over ten years.

Anyway, I put together my own amateur plan and sewed most of the morning.

Although the size is not quite right for the loaves we bake, I think they turned out pretty well. Grandma would be so proud of me!

I just love the bird fabric. Not sure why, exactly, I just couldn't leave the fabric store without it.

Here's how it looks with the tasty bread inside. How would someone not love a homemade loaf of old-fashioned white bread?

It's so cute in a basket with other breakfast fixings. The gift for the people who have everything. Yes, sparkling wine included. We're on holiday, duh.

While I was stitching away, Hubs was tackling his own Elf project.

Yes people, my man bakes.

And what of those two sweet girls we adore?

Here's what they worked on while Hubs and I were elving:

Ho Ho Ho

Fall at camp

Where did the time go?  I've had these pictures just waiting to be published since October and now it's December.

Oh well, here they are. I was so beautiful up there that weekend.

I love fall. The crunch of leaves underfoot and the crisp air make me happy.

Lovie's enthusiasm for the outdoors is awesome.

I also love hot chocolate to warm us up after a leaf romp!

"Look! A tree!"