winter fun

In the last 2 days we have been to the snow hill twice! The weather has been beautiful and we just love having Daddy around to play ALL DAY LONG!

My little Sprout wants to do EVERYTHING just like Dad.

Today I heard the sweetest word pass through my little boys little lips, please. Yoda says he says it all the time for him, sure Yoda.

Everything is peeese. I love it.

(I tried to teach him the "l" sound, he just tries to catch my tongue and pull it. It will come in time.)

Only a few days left in 2009-I must go and clean so I am ready for fresh start in the new year!

Merry Christmas!

Sending you warm hugs this season!

xox Sassy & Family

hostess with the mostess tips

I found a few last minutes tips for being a great hostess right from Jen with HWTM here.

I am hosting brunch and dinner-The Chef (my big Bro) is my secret weapon, we started the planning and ordering weeks before.

Anyway these tips will be my mantra.....always looking for ways to be the hostess with the mostess! Enjoy!

1. Consider the special dietary needs of your guests.

Maybe you have some vegetarians on the guest list, a best friend with peanut allergies, or a pregnant sister-in-law. Make sure to have options prepared for them ahead of time so that they feel like an important guest and not an afterthought or a burden. You can even talk to them about it ahead of time, as they might have suggestions for the menu that will keep things easy on you too.

2. Set an example with your mood.
Greet everyone with a big smile – even if you’re a little more stressed out than you’re actually letting on (they really don't NEED to know that you just dropped an entire tray of desserts in the kitchen right before the doorbell rang and sent your husband to the grocery store for a solution, do they?!). The bottom line is that your guests will take their cue from YOUR mood. If you seem happy and relaxed, they will be too. If you look stressed out and totally frazzled, they might start to feel awkward or like their presence is an inconvenience, which is never a good thing!***

3. Take immediate steps to make people feel comfortable.

Make a point of greeting every guest personally (and very soon after they arrive) and introducing people to each other – which is especially important for guests that might not know anyone else.I also like to have a tray of signature drinks prepared that you can offer to guests right when they arrive. It's a simple thing, but people always seem to feel more comfortable when they have something to hold on to – whether it’s a specialty cocktail, a glass of wine, or a cup of hot chocolate.

Last but not least, designate areas for coats and purses so that your guests are comfortable and can keep their hands free for the important stuff - like food, drinks, and dancing!

Here is our dinner (a big thanks to my darling husband who insisted on helping me add humor to the menu)

rudolph noses!

The Sprout and I are having fun handing these out this merry season.

Rudolph Noses, get it! Ha ha!

Makes me laugh every time!

They are sour cherry balls...my favorite treat in the world! ( I love sour!)

Any creative ideas for us for next year?

Reindeer Reins could be twizzlers....or....

best gifts ever

Met up with Saucy and JL for a quick lunch today-I love girl time!

I was also surprised with wonderful gifts...so unexpected!

Saucy made me a personalized charm bracelet..theme-twist of lime! The best charm- a VINTAGE Sprout! This bracelet has a special place in my heart forever! She also had a goodie box of cupcakes for us! (I ate 2 while The Sprout napped!...oops again!)

JL treated The Sprout to the best puzzle EVER! Each side is a different family picture! -she could make a million if she marketed this! His favorite is "PA"-it seems to be all I hear lately..Pa, Pa, Pa..

And....this!

Recognize the cutie on the T-shirt? Yup, it's my babe!

I have it on right now-and just realized it might have been easier to photograph off.....ooops.

This will be worn to every family function this season! It is perfect and quite possibly one of the most creative gifts I've ever received!

advent cabinets

I have been in search of the perfect advent activity for The Sprout........ for next year. This project still needs a little TLC but I think it may do the trick. I like the idea of putting family activities and reading books for each day like aspertopia does. She is brilliant.

Now I need to fill the cupboards.......what are your favorite family activities to do? If you live in California or Florida or anywhere there is no snow and it is not -49 with the windchill please leave your address with your comment so I may come and live with you (Mc Dreamy and the Sprout are optional, but The Sprout is quite charming and it is often handy to have a DR around.....)! Seriously, it is -40 something today, our sneezes freezes mid air! (ha ha)

PS- like my idea......go vote for me! http://www.michaelscontest.com/uploads?page=6

which do you like?

Quicky question......

which do you like better?

...metal charm

or clay charm...

A good friend asked for a custom order of tiles for a gal pal get together for a recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

....these will be my treat of course, but I can't decide which I like better.

Thanks for your help!

Christmas Centre Piece for $10

As a reward for getting another 7 pages added to my 30 page paper I treated myself to a an artsy activity on my to do list.
This activity was to create a table centre piece for Christmas. I needed to keep it low. Low budget and low in stature so people can "talk over the art".
Jewels: $rama
Blinky Candles: $rama
Glass Jars: cupboard
Silver pillars: $rama
The jewels fancied up the boring gold glass jars quite nicely don't you agree? However, no where in the instructions did it say you need to be an octopus to apply them. If you have attempted to use these I am sure you know what I mean. If you have never attempted to use the stick on jewels BEWARE! They are both beautiful AND deadly! Oh well, the look it what I wanted....a sparkly Christmas-simple and elegant. I might even try this again to fancy up a vase the next time I give flowers.
Do you have a favorite centre piece idea to try this year?

"me"

I can't wait to come across these when The Sprout is a teenager. We made about 40 as gifts but I am already having a hard time parting with each one...but I will.

I am so proud of his "try anything for Mommy" attitude. I will cherish it as I know it will not last forever....the 2's loom just ahead!

1st draft of literature review is handed in. The commas better placed, not like my reference of the quote above that is sans comma...oops!

One paper to finish by Thursday. 2 pages down, 28 to go.

Online shopping and blogging squeezed into 5 minute computer breaks every hour.

give away!

You must go see Dionne at City of Dionne, she has a great give away for Christmas. Sweet Sassy Studio was ASKED to join in! The give away is HUGE and Dionne is a sweet blogger from Houston who always has interesting posts.

My big sis just put in her order for 3 of these sassy BE MERRY charms sets, lucky for her it was free stuff for sisters day! If you want your set I still have 4 left so go check out my etsy store! Go quick, the orders from Regina just keep rolling in!

What do 3 brain surgeons, a bus driver, a west jet flight attendant, a vet, a poet and a blogging grad student who should be working on her literature review have in common?

After an afternoon spent with charming ladies I rushed home at 4pm to feed an 18 month old who didn't nap all day, make 2 batches of nachos, bath a baby, make several pizzas, rescue husband who tried to cook pizzas, read stories to now very cranky and tired baby, act charming, load the dish washer, put really cranky and over tired baby to bed, glue bails onto 2 dozen necklaces for Christmas, load the kiln, fire the kiln, put in 1 load of laundry so I have clothes to wear tomorrow and now to drink a coke (or 5) and work on literature review. Please don't remind me Christmas is LESS than a month away. I think there should a be a law forbidding literature reviews due within 2 months of Christmas. I could be happily shopping online tonight but will be doing homework instead.......

giving, real giving

How do you teach the love of giving? Isn't it one of those things that you just know how to do or don't? I have no idea but I do know I want my son to know the importance of giving. Not just the go out to $ rama and buy a mug that Grandpa or an uncle would pretend to love-the kind of giving that shows you took time and thought and maybe even shared a little creativity or special talent only you have. The kind of giving where a drawing or poem on a scrap piece of paper brings tears to your eyes and you keep it tucked into the bottom of a drawer for years...maybe forever. If I could sing I would sing a song for Christmas gifts this year, each person's eyes would well up at the words and bird like melody of my voice.......what is the best gift you have ever received?

that McDreamy......

What is that nestled all snug in a blue box amongst the supper dishes.....

It isn't my birthday......

It is not Christmas......

Not our anniversary either.......

It is just that husband of mine treating me for no reason at all! (he says it's because I am such a good wife, I say good thing he likes crunchy rice, cold asparagus and warmed up BBQ ribs!)

So with rice stuck to my socks, strawberry smeared on my arm and grass stains on my knees from playing outside all afternoon, I feel like a true princess loading the dishwasher tonight!

ETSY store is OPEN!

I had the pleasure of packing up an order today after class. My brain needed an art break. Only a few classes left but the papers, oh the papers. Good thing I have so many distractions!

Cousin Saucy says pack with love, it is important to pack things properly to ensure happy customers......I like to use re-purposed fabric and twine for extra padding. These little bundles are off to the Queen city-a few little extras snuck in, I had too much fun with this order! I liked the heart clusters so much I decided to try them again. I plan on offering them in my etsy store as soon as I make up a batch of A-Z!

I am always up for new ideas!

What is the most creative packaging you have seen?

JL's pocket packets will always be a favorite of mine!

a few things

These pictures are of a few pieces that I made a few weeks ago and finally found a few moments to pull together into combinations. The idea came from a customer (thanks Barb! Yes, the top one is yours!) who asked about some of the "other shapes" I had made that she saw from a pic on the blog. I had told her that they were just trials and didn't really work out the way I wanted......but it got me thinking.....they didn't look right all alone but what if I clustered them....and VOILA! Yes? NO? What do you think?

This last week wiped me out! I had a major presentation due in one class, a 15 page paper in another, was informed that the contest I had entered my Dad's restaurant in had selected us to be a top 10 finalist and therefore had to submit a 2 page business case in 48 hours (Horizon Exteme Tech Makeover), presented at The Dr Stirling McDowell Foundation (Yoga and Youth Research Project) AND made 50 gingerbread cookies and a house to decorate for family pictures on Sunday.

What is keeping you busy this week?

perfect...

perfect news.......the pathology reports are in from Nana's surgery, the DR actually sent it back for a second review......NO SIGNS OF ANY CANCER! This is amazing news. The road to recovery will still take some time to travel but this news is worth cheering over.

perfect weather.......it is so nice to play outside and soak up the vitamin D!

perfect......friends. My gal pals dropped over 2 meals and brownies warm from the oven. It couldn't have come at a better time.

perfect husband.......as always he greets me daily with warm, loving smiles (even when I am stressed out and cranky) and he treats me to dinner at Spicy Garden.

.....all these wonderful events have almost erased the sting of backing into my dad's SUV, the ink covered assignments handed back this week with 4 more still to write, a sick baby that I couldn't dream of sending to daycare and the $10 parking ticket from on campus because when I arrived 10 minutes late for my night class on Monday I realized I only had 12 cents in my wallet. All seem so silly as I feel the warm sun and crunch leaves with my feet in the park thinking about how lucky I am to be able to plan a Christmas dinner for my family.....everyone.

Perfect.

What is perfect in your life right now?

a new look

Sweet Sassy Studio will be getting a new look soon! I've been thinking about my blog direction for along time, it is such a good creative outlet for me I really want to channel some freshness ideas my life.

Here is what I have been up to in the studio this week, my first custom order tile texts!

I really enjoy creating these for a new friend-visit my ESTY store to see a few more. I'm a little slow with my postings (The Sprout hasn't been napping! AND I have about 6 assignments that need to be tweaked! Ahhh!)

tomorrow...

Looks like the surgery will be tomorrow, I found out just before supper. Nana was well enough to walk down to the TV room today! 3 cheers for Nana!

need you again....

Nana has to go back into surgery for a quick tune up. It seems as though there is a hole in her esophagus they need to close. The surgery will be some time Tuesday. This means more breathing tubes, blood pressure worries and discomfort for poor Nana. Please pray for a smooth surgery, no infection, no discomfort and a speedy recovery for Nana.

Dad is worried about how much her weak body can take so lets be strong for him too.

have a little faith...

We went to see Nana tonight only to find out she had been moved to a new room. A few floors down and a couple of long hallways later we found her. She spent most of the visit talking about how much she liked her old room, how hot she was, how much she wanted to go home.....

TALKING!

SITTING UP!

COMPLAINING!

Nana looks great. Breathing tube is gone and she is being encouraged to eat small amounts. 3 days ago I was scared I was going to lose my Mom and now I am in a rush to get caught up on my Dad's laundry before she gets home. (it will likely be a few weeks yet)

What a wonderful feeling. I had picked up this book a few weeks ago thinking it would help Mom and I pass time in the hospital together, I am so lucky I will get the chance to read it to her.

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes...you saved my Mom.

Thank you Thank you Thank you