hustle & bustle & videos

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there has been much hustle & even more bustle in thebelfry these last few days, which is why i have not been around to chat with you. unless you are vastly more together than i (& i suspect you are) you have been hustling & bustling as well, so not noticing my absence. shame on you.

it has been difficult, but we have managed to squeeze in some holidayness (real word). in addition to crafts & outings we have watched: miracle on 34th st (original & newer), elf, a charlie brown christmas, & a plethora of youtube videos. here are the videos getting the most play:

~peace.

summer is here

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how did you spend the first day of summer (winter for you upside downers)? we were on day eleventy billion of pestilence, so there was much crabbiness & tissues involved in our solstice celebration.

a dear friend shared her summer bucket list with me. what a great idea! i think i'll create a list of my own. do you have a list of must-do summer fun?

~peace.

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that's a photo of my first attempt at making my mother's famous yule log*. from the outside it looked quite well done. once sliced? well, not so pretty. but! it tasted amazing, & that's what most matters. manlyman proclaimed it a thing of beauty, & said that my mother would have been proud. sometimes that man o' mine knows just the thing to say. next year i plan to make a fancier version, but for my first christmas without my mother, it had to be just like hers.

i hope you had a fabulous solstice, & that your christmas (or if you aren't of the christmas variety, your weekend) was wonderful.

have a lovely end of the year, do!
~peace.
* it was actually nabisco's recipe, but as she made it for us each year, she gets credit :)

blessed be!



painting :: by thehobbit

 how wonderful to have a full moon & a lunar eclipse, both on the eve of the solstice! i hope you are able to see it where you live. the weather here most likely will hamper visibility, but i'm not sad. you see, i have an elfling, who woke me before 4am today. i would sleep through the full moon playing guitar hero in my bedroom at this point. i won't be seeing the spectacle, no matter the weather.

for those of you who are waiting to see who won the give-away: i have not forgotten that i was supposed to have drawn on friday. well i had forgotten, but have remembered since forgetting. i'll draw sometime this week, & announce the winner the next time i post. i'll include an extra mushroom for your patience. just to the winner, mind you. the rest of you are outta luck :)

that's all for tonight. i hope you have a glorious start to your winter/summer.

here comes the sun, do, do, do, do. here comes the sun, & i say: it's all right...

thursday things - little prezzies

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box of stocking stuffers: naturalkids (look! my acorn gnome kit!)

this installment of thursday things focuses on little prezzies for stockings & solstice. no chitter chatter, let's get right to it!

i am thrilled to have my acorn gnome kit included in the box of stocking stuffers you see pictured above. the boxes are fabulous if you have more than one child to buy for, or if you want to spoil your only child rotten.

set of houses: woodmouse

i love amber's toys. their rustic simplicity makes me swoony. if elfling were older, the caption on this photo would have read set of houses you can't have, because i just bought it, neener neener neener. she's hosting a give-away on her blog, by the way.

typewriter key jewelry: buster and boo

how about something for you angsty tween or teen? sara has just what you need. i adore this lock/key necklace beyond reason. i may have to buy it for myself. by the way, my own angsty hobbit has approved her wares for guys, not just girls. in case you were wondering :)

snake oil salve: muddyfeet



santa just ordered a jar of this yummy calendula salve for manlyman's stocking. golfing in winter leaves his hands dry & tender. she sells it with a regular grown-up-type label, but santa & i think the silly label is so much better. i'll let you know how manlyman likes it.

gardenia perfume oil: sacred waters soap co.

wives, mothers, sisters, girlfriends, etc - they all love smelling pretty. if shan's soaps are any indication (i use them exclusively), her perfume oils will do just that. her shop lists two other scents, if gardenia doesn't appeal.

that brings this edition of thursday things to a close. disclaimer: i do not get anything for the things i feature. they are always chosen because i like them, or because they have caught my eye. that said; i do know all of today's sellers. just thought i should throw that out there.

happy shopping!

~peace.