Home(made) for the Holidays

I decided to be extra crafty this year, inspired by JJ's craftiness last year, and I made almost all of my gifts.  Here are the hand-made, and at times silly, gifts.

Last year my mom got this book for Christmas...kinda hilarious.  I'm sure she didn't really expect me to use it but I couldn't resist.  One year later...a puppet version of my famous cat, Nikolas James Pumpkinhead, was born.

However, I felt bad giving her only a cat since she is allergic.  I found a recipe for homemade Tootsie Rolls (her favorite candy) and whipped up a batch.

It looked like Mud Pie at first...

Then they got rolled and wrapped and placed in a Mason Jar!

My sister, and fellow blogger, is about as crafty as they come.  Some months before Christmas I was telling a friend about some ridiculous story from our childhood and he said something along the lines of, "You should make her a badge for that."  Thus the idea for creating her own personalized Girl Scout sash and badges was born.  Sorry, I can't tell you all the stories as they aren't all totally appropriate for the interwebs, but here they are!

Badges: U.S.S., Cuddle Buddy Badge, Survival with a Bear Badge,
I Got Peed on Badge...

Badges: UFO Badge, Secret Agent Badge, Lollipop Badge,
You-Would-Have-Made-Better-Badges Badge
P.S.  For those of you who don't know...my sister looks
IDENTICAL to my mom in this picture.

My older brother is a huge fan of Star Trek.  For him, I whipped up a couple of Tribbles.  Sadly, I forgot to snap some pictures.  They were fuzzy.  And I made them blue.

Kirk and the Tribbles

His son, my nephew Nate, is in 3rd grade and still thinks I am cool.  He got a homemade pencil bookmark and a couple of pencils.

Dad (founder of Jim Howe Concerts) received mixed CDs with songs from some of my favorite artists of 2012, namely Aoife O' Donovan, a good friend's daughter.  She is on the up and up so look for her to soar in 2013!

My little brother Zach was supposed to get a toy version of his dog Buddy, as I blogged about earlier this summer.  Sadly, the pattern we chose disappeared.  Instead I decided to make a gift for him AND Buddy. Zach got a "Buddy" hat and Buddy got a "Zach" hat.  It worked out perfectly since Zach took off on Christmas morning for Maui and we had been dog sitting Buddy.  The poor dog missed his BFF so much...I think the hat helped just a smidge.

Buddy in a "Zach" hat

The "Buddy" hat, complete with Buddy's spot

Re-Gifting

As I pack, frantically tie up the loose ends of my homemade gifts, and check my list twice for everything I need in the next two weeks (including one grumpy old cat), I just had to take a minute to send a very special holiday gift to you all this year.

Every year for the last...oh, 4 years? 3 years?, I have received a very special email from Ballard C. Boyd.  Ballard and I met years back when I worked at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Brighton, MA.  He came to film a music video for Kristin Andreassen called "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes" which featured my talented 2nd graders.  Because of this lovely happenstance, I have been on the receiving end of Ballard's annual Christmas CD.  I anxiously await the email every year announcing it's availability for download.

So, here again, for all of you, is where you can download, for free, his album.  It is three short wonderful songs featuring Ballard and his ukelele, as well as some special kazoo-ing in track 2.

Merry Christmas!  There are about a billion people out there I wish I could give presents, hugs, and extra love to this holiday.  In my absence, please accept this re-gifting.  Plant yourself under a mistletoe, crank up the volume, do a little jig and ... besos from me! (Click on the album cover to download!)

Cover design by Kelsey Fox Bennet

With A Little Love

I, like many of you, struggle to understand what happened today in Connecticut.  How do I explain this to my students?  How do I make them feel safe?  The country has lit up in discussions about why this has happened, laws that should, or should not be in place, who is to blame, etc.  I'm angry, I'm confused, and yet I still believe something can happen.

When I can't find the words to describe what I'm feeling, I turn to the words of others.  Today, this old Hootie and the Blowfish tune does it for me.  Although the video is slightly strange, the words say it.  I hope you have someone to be with tonight.  And if you do, hold their hand just a little bit tighter.  I know I am looking forward to heading home next week.

With a little love, and some tenderness,
We'll walk across the water, we'll rise above this mess
With a little peace, and some harmony,
We'll take the world together,
We'll take em by the hand.

I'm So Freaking Thankful!

This year I have been blessed with so much.   I'm the happiest I think I've ever been, and it is all thanks to...

The two beautiful cities I call home...LA and

Boston

My companion on the journey, 14.5 years strong, Nikolas James Pumpkinhead

My Boston family, who always make me feel at home

My LA family, willing to get down and relax whenever I need to

My forrealwearebloodrelatedcantyoutell? family

My wonderful job that leads to moments like this...

The bestest friends any girl could hope for

Starting something new...

And loving the finished project, despite the mistakes along the way

Words that make my heart skip a beat

That I want to read over and over and over again

The little things that remind me of home

Reaching my goals

And setting future goals... Sister Plan 2013!!!

Yup, it really is that good.  Looking back at pictures from this year, I realize that a lot of moments and a lot of people aren't captured here.  At first I thought maybe I need to take more pictures.  Then I changed my mind.  Not only am I thankful for these moments captured forever in photos, I am also thankful for those moments that I was enjoying too much to stop and take a picture.  The moments I got so swept up in, the moments where friends stood by me when I needed them, the moments that a picture could never fully appreciate...you were all there and I am thankful for that too.

Knitting in LA

What the East Coast thinks we do...

...and what we sometimes think we do...

But this is HOWE we REALLY do it!

My cousin Diane and I are the lone Howe Family transports on the West Coast and we both live in SoCal.  Our families back East want us back there. We are constantly torn between which coast we belong to.  However, during a most fabulous cousin weekend, we took some time to work out, shop, dance....and knit!  Another "Howe" girl has joined the knitting team! 

look at the puppy!!!

its gonna be that kind of day. tgif. enjoy your weekend and get yo knit on!!!

It's Beginning to Smell Like Fall!

I give you....terrible pictures of me just after waking up.  AND CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN PANCAKES!!!  We ate the pancakes too fast so we couldn't snap a picture, but they were delicious!