Merry Christmas

I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday. We're still in lounging around in pyjamas mode, the kids playing with their toys while I try to coax a cappuccino out of mine. It was a zoo here for a couple of days, but a wonderful one, and Hubs cleaned the house yesterday while I lounged on the sofa watching 'Up' with the kids. What more could I ask for?



I love kiddos in matching jammies.

The presents were a success. Hubs built the train table and he did such a good job, I was afraid to paint it...but I think it turned out pretty well in the end.

The kids and I made a buche de noel with meringue mushrooms for Christmas dessert. I made one last year, but I didn't know what a jelly-roll pan was, so I guessed....and I guessed wrong. This year's attempt was much more successful.

I'm looking forward to a few more days of family fun, the Olympic Torch is passing near us on Tuesday, so we're going to go see that, and if the weather co-operates we'll do some tobogganing and skating. Other than that we've no plans beyond hanging out by the fire.

Happy New Year!

Cookies for Santa

Okay, I know it's a little late in the game to be suggesting a craft project, but this turned out so well that I just had to share it. I had all the supplies I needed when the inspiration struck me, but even if you have to go out and buy the glass plate, it's an easy project and your kids will love it. You'll love it. Santa will love it.



Supplies - clear glass plate
- acrylic paint
- acrylic gloss medium (this is your glue and sealer, any art store should stock it, though you could probably thin out some white school glue and use that....try 3 parts glue to 1 part water...both will go on cloudy but dry clear.)
- colourful pages ripped from old magazines

Step 1 - cut out your letters and any other decorations from your old magazines. (Most other paper will be too thick.) We made a simple tree, and used a single-hole punch to make perfect circles for the ornaments.

Step 2 - paint the underside of your plate with the gloss medium, and stick on your letters and decorations, so the good side is in the glue. Remember that your writing needs to go backward, so that it will be in the right spot when you flip the plate over. Brush more gloss medium over the back of your letters and decorations.

Step 3 - let it dry

Step 4 - paint the underside of your plate with acrylic paint in the colour of your choice. Go right over your letters and decorations.

Step 5 - let it dry

Step 6 - repeat steps 4 and 5

Step 7 - add a few coats of gloss medium to seal, and you're done! Because all the paint is on the underside of your plate, this is totally foodsafe. It is not, however, waterproof. So wash carefully, the bottom won't take more than a gentle wipe with a damp cloth.

The gloss medium and acrylic paint both dry pretty quickly, so you can complete this in an afternoon. Just let it dry well overnight before setting it down right-side up.

I hope Santa's good to everyone....Merry Christmas!!!



xo Badness

'Tis the Season....

...for the HO-HO-HOUSE TOUR!!!



...to send happy wishes to friends. Thanks Jen, for sending a card that co-ordinates so well with our silver tinsel trees! I love it when a plan comes together.

....to count down the days with anxiety, or impatient glee. Depending of course, on which side of the generation gap you fall.

....for sweet little elves to march in parades.

....and whisper secrets to Santa.



....for sugarplum fairies to welcome you in. I'm loving this addition to my favourite wreath. Genius? Why yes I am!

....to cut down big-ass lopsided trees and dress them up like a drag queen.

...for new stockings, hung by the fire. And just so you know, I'm much better with puffy fabric glitter than I am with MS Paint!

...for jolly old elves. My dad made this one for me for Christmas last year, and from now 'til forever it will be my favourite ornament. You know you love it too.

for pinecones and disco balls and candy-canes.

I love me some disco glitter. What do you want? I was born in 1975....

...for secret workshop projects. Bad asked Santa for a train table for Christmas, but Hubs and I had a few reservations. They're generally ridiculously priced and only sturdy enough to withstand average children. While we will encourage Bad not to jump and dance on it, we do try to live in the real world. Also, we were worried about Santa getting it stuck in the chimney. So Hubs built a tank of a table, and I painstakingly painted the storybook topography that no one will ever see under all the trains. Then I rearranged all the furniture in the living room so there will be somewhere to put this on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope that wherever you are, it's filled with Christmas cheer. Here's last year's post if you want still more...and don't forget to check out all the other stops on this year's tour.

Family Portrait

The Scene: Bad, muttering to himself, while drawing intently at the kitchen table. Me, face in the neck of my shirt, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Hmm...there's Grandma...what does she need? Yes! Hair! (ed. note - in real life the rest of us have hair too.) Hmm...there's Sally (ed. note - that's our dog) what does she need? Booger holes! Yes! Sally always needs booger holes!"





Booger holes indeed. We've all got them, we all need them. And I think it's a pretty good drawing from a boy who only just turned 3. Biased? You bet.

Captain Nudie-butt

That's what the Princess has started calling Bad - and she's chasing him around the house trying to dress him by force. I'm afraid to intervene.