our holiday

how fun and cute are these?? unfortunately i won't have time to make these like martha did before our 20 guests show up for new year's eve dinner. yikes... 20 guests.
my christmas break has been wonderful so far. i've been breaking in my new present. hubby got me the middle one. it's wonderful and warm and cozy and was a complete surprise. now if i could only get out from under it to clean the house for those 20 guests.

steve and i also made pioneer woman's cinnamon rolls christmas eve for the neighbors and, well, frankly, for us too. they're awesome. if you haven't tried them, you must, simply must. i did change the icing to a vanilla cream cheese one.

steve went hunting yesterday and brought the little one back like this. she cut her foot. she's off to the local vet this morning for probably stitches.
steve, pixel and i wish you all a happy and healthy 2010. thanks so much for stopping by pixelimpress, the blog this past year!

merry everything and happy always*

our christmas card photo. this year the card was all about pixel. steve and i were merely a backdrop to her.
this photo was taken by our friend jared. he and his wife sarah are very talented photographers now living here in seattle. as soon as they have their website set up, i'll share it with y'all. along with some of the other photos from our photoshoot. it was a fun day.

here's the card. i was dying to use my new baker's twine from divine twine. the twine held together the card, the photo and pixel's letter (below). pixel's profile even graced the postage stamps.

pixel fit time into her busy schedule of hunting and napping to share her thoughts on the year. (click to enlarge.)

i'm off for the next few days to enjoy the holidays with steve and the crew (that'd be pixel, cali and beauty). tomorrow we're going to make these to pass out to the neighbors. i can't wait. i hear they're amazing. i'll let ya know.


merry christmas!

*one of my customers asked me to customized her christmas photo cards with this saying. i loved it! so it borrowed it for here.

at 16

what were you doing at 16? i was probably cramming for the sat's, adjusting to contac lenses from coke bottle glasses, pestering my big sister, playing insane amounts of tennis, studying hard to get straight a's to get into a good college, and hitting the local mall on friday nights with my bffs and then coming home to watch dallas. typical of a nerdy high school sophomore.

look at what this young lady is doing at 16. jessica watson is trying to become the youngest person to sail solo and non-stop around the world. wow. again, wow. it will take her almost 8 months. she's sailing on ella's pink lady, shown here.
ok, this photo just makes me sick. motion sick that is. which i can get merely by soaking in the bathtub. granted, this photo is beautiful... the blue water, the blue sky, the serene-ness of sailing on the open water. that is if you don't get motion sickness. all of you who do know what i'm talking about.

and then there's these. amazing sunsets. recently jessica scaled the mast to check the rigging in preparation for entering the southern ocean. according to her website, this is one of the most dangerous tasks a solo sailor can do and jessica was totally prepared for it through extensive training and drills. i can barely look at this picture. look at how high up she is. and i'm sure she's swaying from the breeze and waves. scary.
she's a brave girl. i wish you success in your journey, jessica!

you can follow her journey on her blog.

happiness is...

photo credit joanna henderson, found here

for me, it's a cup of hot chocolate and a really good book. this is my goal for the next week. many cups of hot chocolate, this kind, cause i bought it yesterday, and it really is the best.

and from what i've heard i simply must pick up this book.
by the way, if you still need to do some christmas shopping, williams sonoma has a special going on this weekend. for every $50 you spend, you get a $10 coupon to spend in january. so if you spend $100, you have $20 to spend later. and you can find a gift for anyone there. we asked for this this year and i suspect that is what's sitting in the ups box under my tree right now.

from here

steve and i were loving the fresh pasta we got at the farmer's market this summer. now we can make our own! how fun.

i also saw this at the store and almost bought it.


but then i figured i needed this too. so i didn't buy both. but maybe i'll go back with my $20 coupon in january and buy them. since we love pancakes! it's our once a weekend deal.
hope y'all have a good weekend. i'm off to finish a few last shop orders, run some errands, and then collapse with my cup of hot chocolate and a good book. it's been several long, long weeks and i'm ready for a break.

quick, hurry

over to cecily ink's blog to enter her giveaway for one of her new 2010 dayplanners. these will not be sold to the public. they are only for her design clients. this is your only chance to own one.

and how could you turn down a chance to own that face above.

i have alex's 2009 calendar from her cecily ink paper shop which she closed (sadly for me) earlier this year. if this is anything like that calendar, it'll be fantastic. go, hurry, enter now.

are you listening santa?

i usually don't put together lists of wishes for christmas but thought i'd do it this year, just for fun. i can't decide between these 2. the harder sole would be best for taking the puppy out but i love the stripes. so maybe both??

found here

after seeing julie & julia, twice now, i'd love to learn more about julia child. this would help.

beautiful italian cotton ribbon. i'd probably never use it, just stare at it.

from here

this i would need for christmas eve. because it's not christmas eve without a cup of hot chocolate with vanilla marshmallows. i've had it every year for the last several. don't have it this year. need it. desperately.

from here

new pajamas. again, desperation here. desperately need a new pair. and santa, while you're at it, bring me a body that can wear horizontal stripes across my hips. (of course, santa, if maybe you didn't bring the hot chocolate and marshmallows i could wear horizontal stripes. just sayin'.)

found here

image via here, photography michael wells.

this is pretty much perfection for me. banquette seating. white cabinets. wood table. spring green colors. small gallery of floral prints. industrial shelving. tv in the kitchen. schoolhouse lighting. lots of windows. dark wood floors.

perfect timing

i shipped out 150 packages this week. i'm exhausted. steve will be hunting tomorrow with pixel. i'll be home alone with the cats and this. it's the new issue, just out, and sure to satisfy my craving for pretty.

mommy's busy, pixel here

it's the old trick... maybe if i lay my head on my hard bone mommy will feel sorry for me and let me out of my crate. never mind that i was working on her nerves by jumping up and trying to eat her sushi which is why i'm in here in the first place. or that i kept wanting to go outside and it's 26 degrees and she kept having to put on her coat, gloves and hat just for me to not go potty. i fooled her. then she just had to take everything off again.
thank god daddy's on his way home. he's been gone for awhile. and all mommy does is work. she shipped all these out today.
she works all day long. maybe daddy will have time to play with me when he gets home and then i won't have to act up to get attention.

must be nice

to have the time to sleep in front of the fire. every. single. day.

not red or green

leslie of a creative mint posted these gorgeous vintage ornaments on holly's decor8 blog a little while ago as part of one of her color me pretty posts. i love them. her color me pretty posts that is and these ornaments. i love them because they're not red and they're not green. i love non traditional christmas colors at christmas.

i want one!

you must go see this. it's hysterical. i've watched it 30 times. via a cup of jo.

update sunday: i've now seen it 67 times. makes me laugh every. time.

yum

these are almost too pretty to eat. almost. buy here.

adorable

while catching up on a few blogs over my 5 minute lunch break, i found these on mint. aren't they adorable? little ornaments made from vintage feed sacks. clever. i love them. you can find them here.

i need 3 more days

in this week. or 6 more hands. i'm swamped. literally. can barely keep my head above water. lots of shop orders and prepping for 2 craft shows this weekend. wish i could prep in this space. it's hers. and yes, i know we've all seen it a thousand times. but it's dreamy. it's inspiring.

i'm so busy i went to bed last night leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. hasn't happened in years. it's my pet peeve. i HAVE to come downstairs to a clean kitchen in the morning. wonder if martha ever leaves dirty dishes in her sink?
probably not. see ya over the weekend. i'm gonna get back to work.

tree pickin' day

yesterday we picked out our christmas tree. we drove to the tree lot where a local boys' club sets up shop. they earn money for summer trips by helping out at the lot. this was our view a few blocks from our house, mt si.

another mile and we're there.
there were rows and rows of trees.onto picking the right size. if it's only up to your elbow, it's too short. sorry little tree.

no, honey, still not quite tall enough.

walk around, walk around. look at the pretty lights.please don't be jealous of our sunny skies here in seattle. no, it wasn't evening. it was 3:30 in the afternoon.
there were a few of these running around.

but, no worries. the staff is prepared if they get out of hand.uh oh. i think someone's found just the right one. ah, perfect. he's the one. he's noble. no, he really is. a noble fir.
now if i just had little elves to decorate it.