Christmas Garden

WARNING: this blog is going to get a lotta Christmassed out...so beware...we are borderline Christmas-aholics around here...

so bryan had the boys for a day the week before we left for Colorado and he came home and Bryson spilled the beans that daddy bought a Christmas tree.

at first i was upset because i love to pick out our tree, but then i saw this in our backyard.

my own little Christmas garden!

what a sweet, sweet man i married. what a lovely and touching present.

he knows i am a little bit excited about Christmas...okay obsessed really...but this little garden makes me so so happy.

i want to put some light on that little tree - perhaps when we put lights up on the house. I know we will have leftover lights because we have moved since last Christmas and our old house had a lot more front to decorate, so why not decorate the back too?

i am fortunate to have married a man that loves to garden, because i enjoy it so much, but dont have the patience (or the desire for physical labor) that he does. but thankfully he does enjoy it and he thinks this space should be a seasonal little garden. which i think is just lovely, because one thing California is lacking in, is seasons...so in case i forget i can look in our backyard and say...oh yeah...its supposed to be winter :)

Stocking Love

i posted last year about our family stockings...dubbed my labor stockings...read the story here.

so...i started putting up the Christmas decorations before we left for our Colorado trip to visit my mom for Thanksgiving. it was bothering me that Bobby did not have a stocking, so i whipped one up before we left.

aaahhh...now that is better! i had a little stocking making party of my own....listening to christmas music and sipping some coffee and a quiet house while the kiddos were sleeping.

i must say...i got super teary eyed looking at our mantle and seeing all of our stockings hanging.

complete.

our little family.

all represented by silly little handmade stockings.

but complete.

i think this won't be the last time i get weepy at this...

in fact, i have cried no less than 10 times in the past month just realizing that my baby-making days are behind me. a good type of crying...a nostalgic cry...or rather a complete-ness type of crying.

silly how stockings can make a mama cry! silly...but so representative of our family to come in the next Christmases...our building of tradition...our togetherness at holidays...

okay make that 11 times :)

I Love It! Present Edition - Bryson (Age 5)

1. if i hadn't just banned toy "sets" in my house (because i still catch bodie trying to swallow legos, dimes, batteries, gum wrappers...you name it) i would totally get this for him - ingenious idea!!!

2. bryson loves dressing up and i think he would totally dig this beard

3. Bryson loves to listen to stories before bed...when i don't feel like reading "Bats at the Library" or "Put Me in the Zoo" for the millionth time...he listens to a CD of stories - we are loving Jim Weiss right now

4. Cause its awesome and cause i want this myself too...The Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

5. He watched Karate Kid 3 with his dad and is obsessed with Karate...he and bodie steal my headbands (they call them hi-ya's) and kick each other...he would love this shirt

6. We decided that 5 was the age we would start the whole "chores" and teaching fiscal responsibility - we always did the coffee can thing, but this is a great idea!

7. Bryson loves helping me in the kitchen - i know he would dig these because a) they are knives and b) he loves all weapons

8. We all know how obsessed Bryson is with paper airplanes. Paige found these knowing that and tipped me off and I already bought him some because he is gunna go bananas for them!

9. Bryson also loves helping in the garden - he has a "real" rake and shovel (they are just smaller versions of the real thing made for kids) but he would love getting a "real" wheelbarrow to help dad in the garden

10. rashelle turned me on to olive juice - their unionsuit is so cute and would make the best christmas PJs!

so fun!!

I Love it! Stocking Edition - My Dream Stocking

1. My favorite chocolates

2. When I was in college I would go to church sometimes at the monestary - they roasted their own coffee and it was amazing! I just realized you can order it now!











3. maybe a pretty print like this one

4. i feel naked without a headband


















5. we always get practical things like socks and underwear...i need some of these for a cute navy skirt of mine!
6. I went to the Crow Bar Restaurant in Corona del Mar for my bday dinner...everything was delicious and when i asked them why (among other reasons) the waitress said they use rock salt in everything they cook...yummmo

7. the sweetest butter dish i have ever seen
8. oh, and this apron too please!







9. and i must have another tomte for my collection!


oh my...maybe i should add a bigger stocking to that list!

this was fun...therapeutic even! i think i should do the kids next :)

The Super Hoodie

this idea was inspired in the fabric remnant section at Jo-anns...which, now that i recall, happens fairly often...maybe because i hate waiting in the cutting line...so that means my impatience spawns inspiration, right?hmmm...i'll have to flush that out some more...anyway...there were these two remnants of satin and i thought it would be fun to make bryson a cape out of it....then i thought i could just attach it to a sweatshirt...then i thought i could make a built in mask somehow...












this was for his birthday (there is a number "5" on the back under the cape). Last year i made him a little cardigan with a "4" on it. i think its a good little tradition and if he doesnt destroy all the things i make him, maybe he can save them...doubting that right now as i think about the state of his clothes...namely ALL his jeans with holes in them...i was the same way, so i can't be too surprised...

i didnt know what to put on the cape until for my birthday bryson made me a card and on the back was the letter "B" but with an extra bump...he said, "its a super B mama" - awesome! perfect!

anyway - he was pretty stoked on it and helped me to design the mask part even, but then he kept complaining that it was too big. and then he started asking for additional things on it... aaaah! i've created a little monster...

i purposefully didn't tell bryan what i was making...he saw it and loved it and at dinner that night he tells me, "i did a domain search and super hoodies.com isn't taken" no....no....no...no...lets not start this again! i told him that this could be his thing if he wanted to do it...so...you just might be seeing a line of super hoodies by bryan....you never know with that guy!                            

Dance Class Update

JJ trying to explain the Shirley....for the millionth time

Remember when I mentioned I would be taking that dance class? well...i have been going pretty steady - only missed twice since then (and so sad to miss this last week...i came down with some 24 hour bug...yuk!) and it has been so so fun!

my cousin is in the class too - its an hour of jazz and an hour of tap. the thing is...i am HORRIBLE at tap! and jenny is amazing...(i called her a show pony last time because she is so graceful and elegant with her taps) not me so much...truth is, if she wasnt in the class i probably would have stopped after the first week because its HARD! mentally...but i am glad i didnt give up...it feels good to be challenged - mentally and physically (in an arena apart from babies) and its so rewarding when i finally get down a step...that is, when i get down a step...i haven't really nailed too many of them truth be told...but i AM improving...so hope is not lost!

Bumblee Zoodie and Holiday Ordering Promo Code!!!

goodness...miss ella jayne should get paid for this...i think for now she will settle for getting a free bumblee zoodie and a cupcake :)

i am going to wait to post this one to the shop until i can get a few better shots - horrible lighting+sugar rush+tired girl+super amateur photo skills=no good photos - but if you are interested just email me and it can be done.

i am also undecided about adding wings to the back. bryan thinks it could be simple since they just lay on the back...not convinced...what do you think?

on a separate note - if you were thinking of ordering a zoodie for Christmas - do it now!! i just realized that we are leaving a week before Christmas out of town...that means i need to receive holiday orders by December 1st to ensure holiday delivery.

And to sweeten the deal - i have added a promo code: HOLIDAY - for 25% off your zoodie order, but it will only be available until November 15th. So spread the word! 

I Love It! I Love It! I Love it!

remember when Molly Shannon did the joyologist on SNL? thats the title of this post...i wish you could have sound sometimes...

but i am loving posts lately that show pretty/cool/unique things on the interwebs...so i wanted to start my own - both for (hopefully) your enjoyment, but also selfishly as a way to keep things more organized - like, where did i see that cool chair again? i can't keep track of all the blogs...so here she goes...


i got these for my birthday and i love them! they make me feel a little punk-ish....they are my 5th pair of TOMS...i heart them...a lot...

This Snail Ukelele from Celentano Woodworks is amazing! all of their instruments are incredible...the avocado one is sweet! too bad i can't play an instrument to save my life...

i think my husband is glad that we didnt have a girl because he knows i would have made us grow broke buying little dress like this (found on GILT.com)

this red coat is also precious! From Little Dipper Vintage on Etsy:

a little halloween love - bryson would totally LOVE this zombie rabbit print!

and because today is my cousin Jenny's birthday (if you know her, go to her blog and wish her happy birthday!) and because she is a fellow dancer...and because i know she wants to look her best at dance class, i picked out this number for her to wear for her church dances

isnt it amazing? so literal...

Happy Birthday JJ!! and Happy Weekend All!

The Tiger Zoodie

this one was a custom order for a family member...so its not up in the shop...because A) they take me a really long time and B) American Apparel does not make orange sweatshirts...but if it is something you would like, email me (carlee (at) zoodies (dot) com) and i would do it...for a reader/friend! it is a bit easier now after already doing it before, but it is quite a bit of cutting and sewing compared to say...the horse! 

this sweatshirt is velour and from gymboree and i found it on ebay....

i can not believe how much Bodie loved it...he kept going "grrrr" and chasing bryson and myself around the yard...he is not yet 2 and already his imagination is coming out! love it!

Swamp Baby

if i would have thought of it sooner, i would have made us all gone as "Swamp People" for Halloween. our whole family is LOVEing this show...

Bryson constantly quotes (our favorite) Troy, "dassa big alligator. gunna haveta catch dat sucka!"

here is bodie dressed as "T Mike" yes...thats his name...T Mike...why? i dunno...but i love it! we had a bandana on him, but he took it off...PS look how buff he is!

but we are already thinking of having a Swamp People party...if you ever watch the show...and see their dinners they eat - its all completely beige...EVERYTHING is fried...so that would of course be the menu...fried gator, french fries, fried catfish...anyone know where we could find some gator?

The Texting Zoodie

when people ask me if i think ___ age is too old for a zoodie...i never know what to say...my niece katlyn is 16 and she requested one...my nephew is 10 and he loves his and asked for another one for christmas and so did my niece Hope who is 13...

so i gave katlyn her zoodie and she was all like whatever...i just wanna text all day long...she is probably texting her friend that her uncle bryan is taking pictures of her in a panda sweatshirt...but she, like, loved it...adult sizes are available in the shop!