Goodbye.... Hello

Goodbye 2009!

Hello 2010!

Wishing all a very Happy New Year!!!

A new year brings new beginnings, new habits (hopefully good ones) and so many possibilities. I am not one for creating New Year's resolutions but love this quote from Albert Einstein:

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

My hope for the coming year is to experience more joy each day in even the small things, to try new things and create some new healthy habits.

What is your hope for 2010?

Build it and they will come...

Will loves spending time with his cousin and for his Birthday his Uncle Mark took him and his cousin to Build-a- Bear and then to lunch. In the last picture they both finished the day with a cookie. Will had just dropped his on the floor so his cousin split his in half and shared it with Will, a very good lesson in sharing if you ask me!

CONTEST CLOSED!!!! Holiday Giveaway!!!!

Nestle is offering one of my lucky readers free coupons from Toll House, Carnation Evaporated Milk and Breakfast Essentials, Stouffer's, Juicy Juice and Boost Kid Essentials, as well as products from Wonka and Rasinets. They will also be including a 4x6 silver photo frame and the Carnation holiday recipe guide. The prize value is approx. $40.

To enter:

Please leave a comment with your favorite holiday food.

Extra entries: (please leave a comment for each extra entry)

Follow my blog two extra entries

Follow me on Twitter two extra entries

Tweet about this contest 2 extra entries

The contest will close on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 pm. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!


For a chance to win $500.00 visit Nestle Family and enter the Holiday Memories Photo Contest.

This contest is being sponsored by Nestle and I will receive the same package as the winner.

Merry Christmas....

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, may all your wishes come true!

Just plain silly....

Happy Wednesday... just a few days before Xmas and so much to do, but some how we manage to squeeze in some random silliness.

I am hoping for a very productive day today and wish you one too!

Ho, Ho, Ho

Will has always been a little scared of Santa but this year really wanted to go see him. He waited with anxious anticipation and even asked for a Tic Tac right before it was his turn, I guess even when you are four you really want to impress Santa. Santa told him to make sure he brushes his teeth, eats well and cleans up his toys and Will told Santa to bring surprises.... (a parents dream).

How in the world is Christmas this week and soon it will be a new year. Time flies and that is why we all need to slow down a bit and enjoy some family time. I am looking forward to sipping hot cocoa, sleeping in and a lot of snuggling with my little guy.

Happy Monday friends, find joy in the small things today, no matter how small they are.

And the collection continues to grow...

center: very special beer holding, music playing off limits Nutcracker

When I was a little girl I performed in our local Nutcracker for many years so that is when my Nutcracker collection began and it has continued to grow over the years. The above picture of our mantel is just a fraction of my many nutcrackers. Maybe one day I can have a Nutcracker room in a bigger house but for now having them take over my mantel for the holidays is fine with me. Will also has a love for Nutcrackers he finds them fascinating and this year insisted on finding whole walnuts so he could try to crack them open... let's just say it didn't work so well. I do allow him to play with a few at a time but not my very special music box, beer holding nutcracker that my brother gave me for Christmas last year, that one is off limits.

What do you collect?

A Christmas Tradition

This past weekend we finally put up our Christmas Tree and I think Will hung just as many ornaments as I did, it is nice to have a little helper. Every year I especially enjoy hanging the ornaments since they carry such memories, many date back to when my husband and I were children to the new ornaments that we have added since we became a family. Some of our ornaments are over 30 years old, amazing that they have survived all these years. I especially loved that this year Will hung his special ornaments on the tree all by himself. Will has his own box and every year we add to his collection. I hope that one day Will also enjoys hanging his childhood ornaments and will carry on the tradition with his family. (btw Will has a thing for footie pj's right now and would like me to get a pair in my size, I told him they aren't available but he thinks Target has some)

Do you have a Holiday tradition that has been carried through the generations?

Root and Sprout... and a few good things

A few weekends ago I was a guest Michigan artist at the fabulous boutique Root and Sprout, in Birmingham Michigan. Root and Sprout has some of the most unique items that are safe for your family and kinder to our environment. While I was there I couldn't resist picking up a few items for Will (see below) They also are also carrying several items from my shop and one in particular is the expecting necklace. If you are local you must stop by Root and Sprout, the owners Kelly and Susan are very hospitable and will help you select a truly unique gift.




When I saw the Bye Bye Monster and Bye Bye Monster spray in their shop I knew I had to have it for Will. Will has told me numerous times that we have monsters in our house, so I thought it was perfect. When I got home we read the book and Will sprayed the entire house and guess what he tells me that the monsters are gone, thanks to his monster spray. It is a really cute story and the spray smells wonderful it is loaded with lavender and chamomile.



Root and Sprout also carries the Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, which are all natural and even have Vitamin C in them. Will loved them and I feel much better giving him a Yummy Earth Organic lollipop instead of a pure sugar sucker.



While I was at Root and Sprout I also met the lovely Sarah of Miss Sarah Photoart. Sarah takes the most beautiful photos and we discovered that we frequent some of the same blogs, what a small world.



You can read Sarah's blog HERE.


Happy Tuesday friends and make it a great day!

I think I found heaven

I spent the weekend working and caring for a sick kiddo. In between working I snuggled a lot with my little guy, he is much better but we have been in the house for days now. When I ran to the grocery store to pick up some Popsicles for Will, I discovered Haagen Dazs Peppermint Bark ice cream and it is to die for! Each and every bite was delicious, you must try it if you like peppermint. I am in the home stretch of working on my holiday orders and am looking forward to slowing down a bit and wrapping up my holiday shopping.

What is on your agenda today or maybe share something new you have discovered.

For the last minute shopper...

Just a few items that are ready to ship. They are three of my most popular necklaces, I made several extras before I got really busy. If you would like one of these please head on over to my shop Kristen's Custom Creations.

Happy shopping!

Are you done yet?

picture of Somerset Mall (one of the best malls on the planet)

Are you done with your holiday shopping yet?

We are almost done with Will but I haven't even put a dent in our other shopping. I tried to do a little yesterday and got really tired lugging around bags, hot in my new puffy coat and even more tired trying to carry my tired 4 year old, who by the time we got home spiked a fever, no wonder he was so crabby. I suppose I will have to hit the web in between finishing up orders.

P.S. The cut off for custom holiday orders from my shop is today so if you would like something please head on over!

Happy Wednesday...

Happy Wednesday from our family to yours!

Can you believe Will actually would like more Ugly Dolls for Christmas. I have to admit I think they are really cute too and very soft!

Still taking orders....

I am still accepting holiday orders so please do not delay if you would like something. Visit my shop to see the entire collection HERE.

Will has decided that he likes to talk on the phone and his conversations are very animated as you can see. These photos are from a phone call he had with his Dad, he talked hubby's ear off about some truck he wanted.

Happy Tuesday!

Head down....

Head down and working..... A LOT!

So sorry I have been MIA, I have been very busy working on holiday orders. I did discover that I can watch some of my favorite shows on my lap top while working so I have indulged in watching some General Hospital... I don't know why watching soap operas makes me feel guilty. It has been years since I have watched a soap opera.

If you would like to place a order please place it ASAP to ensure that you receive it by XMAS.

Happy Monday and I am wishing for a very productive day today!

men of a certain age....

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I am a TV Junkie and the opportunity to review a new show is something I just can't pass up. men of a certain age also happens to have a few of my favorite actors in it, Ray Ramano and Scott Bakula and it also has Andre Braugher who is also fabulous. I think this show is going to be very funny and love that it isn't another female dominated drama, it is about three men and gives you a peek into what it is like being a guy and what it is like when hanging with the guys. The show uses humor to address serious issues, which is always a surefire combination. I personally found it entertaining and think many others will too! This will be one more show to load into your Tivo for men and women.

Be sure to check out men of a certain age on Monday December 7th, 10/9c

Two things that get me in the holiday spirit

The movie Home Alone and my favorite Christmas song Rockin Around The Christmas Tree! I am not sure what it is about the movie Home Alone but it is one of my favorites.

What gets you in the holiday spirit?

Lunch at the Estate

Last week we had lunch at The Henry Ford Estate with my parents. It is a special spot for us since John and I got married there and yet John hardly ever gets to join us! They are only open during the week for lunch and cater weddings on the weekends. The ambiance and the food is amazing. They had the estate all decked out for the holidays. We are never disappointed!

There is so much history and if walls could only talk!

play, play, play, play..... sleep

Thanksgiving weekend I spent most of the weekend working on orders and hubby and Will had a blast building forts, playing with lego and reading more Dr. Seuss books than you can imagine. On Saturday night I came into the living room to find these too sound asleep. I am so glad that they can spend quality time together since I feel a little guilty that I get to work out of the house and stop when I need to and snuggle up with this little guy. I also find that sometimes I get caught up in my work and need to slow down a bit and really appreciate my time with my little guy. I think I still can't believe that it is December!

Happy Wednesday... make it a great day!

Shop until you drop....and Hello December

How is it December already? Will and I did some last minute shopping for Thanksgiving at Trader Joe's (heart Trader Joes) and Will made sure he got all of his favorites. I really don't think Trader Joes intended on the carts being this full. He was stopping traffic and telling customers that he was getting all of his favorite food. Towards the end of the trip he had to really put some muscle into pushing his cart. I think this was one of the funniest trips to the store I have had and it will surely be a lasting memory for us both.

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? If so what do you love?

We love their chicken tacos, gingersnap cookies and so much more.