Things are looking up

This picture is of me rock climbing on my honeymoon. It seems fitting to include this photo in a post to sum up 2006. I'm surrounded by the beauty of nature, and there has been much beauty this year, but I am also struggling to climb uphill, and my struggles have been many.

Let's talk about the bad before the good, as I always like to end on a good note. This year I've struggled with my weight and getting back to work as a dancer/choreographer. I've wallowed and mourned and cried oceans over the loss of our son, Liam. The medical aftermath of it all has been headache and heartache inducing. Physically and mentally it has been an exhausting year.

It is because these terrible things that I have become a more reflective person. I think I have a deeper appreciation for my life and what I would like to do with it now. I have found solace in crafting, caring for my home and finding constant inspiration in the beauty that is this blogosphere. Geek+Nerd made its first sale and I've begun to dance again, if minimally. Matt and I got married, he is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. We both got new jobs that are more fulfilling, professionally and emotionally, and for all of these things I could not be more grateful.

The good does outweigh the bad and things are looking up. 2007 will be an uphill climb, but I feel a little more prepared for it. I'm ready to grasp hold of whatever rocks and bumps this year has to offer. I want to start my journey to the top!

I'll be back in the New Year with resolutions, maybe a little less philosophy and some crafting! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

May your days be merry and bright!

Merry Christmas from the Costs to you! To check out more of our ongoing festivities visit our Christmas Flickr Set.

First Five

Apparently this "first five" business is moving like a little tidal wave through the crafty community. I was one of the first five over at Art Esprit. Here are the rules. The first five people that leave a comment to this post will receive some deliciously cute handsewn good from me (post Christmas craziness). E-mail me at sarah at geekxnerd dot com with your full mailing addresses. Cheers!

P.S. I already did a Christmas Meme recently here: http://www.geekxnerd.com/2006/12/christmas-meme.html so some of the answers might be similar!

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? BOTH
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wraps them.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Ahh this is a repeat answer, COPY+PASTE: Matt likes colored lights, I'm all about the white. (They didn't have multicolored CANDLES back in the day?!) We settled on these nifty white lights though. The bulbs are frosted so they give a super soft glow to the whole tree! Gotta love that. (Although, I am warming up to colored lights)...
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. My husband and I are disgustingly gushy newlyweds and we don't need encouragement from greenery.
5. When do you put your decorations up? The first weekend after Thanksgiving
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Nova Scotia Shortbread cookies
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? REPEAT:The first time I ever went to New York City, I was nine years old. At the time I had announced to the family that I was going to be a Rockette. (I'm 5'4" - this life plan didn't pan out). So my parents bought me tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was magical!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth?
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes on Chinah Dinah night
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Sorry Santa I ate them all.
11. Snow! Love it or hate it? LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE
12. Can you ice skate? I used to be able to - who knows if I can anymore!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Hmm, this is a tough one. I probably have to say that trip to NYC when I was 9. That was something else!
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays to you? Making my prezzies, playing hostess, making my friends and family smile
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? See fave holiday dish
16. Favorite Holiday tradition? Chinah Dinah Christmas Eve
17. What tops your tree? A wonky origami star that I made for our first tree
18. Which do you prefer--GIVING OR RECEIVING? giving
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? O Holy Night
20. Candy Canes? Only with chocolate

Tag! You're it....

The stockings were hung from the pot rack with care...

So it's no mantle, but I made new stockings for my hubby and myself today!

I have a little thing about giving him gifts with skull and crossbones imagery on it. He's a punk musician so he loves all of that stuff! I'm snagging an idea from MS Kids and I'm hoping to add a new thing/badge/charm every year. I had trouble picking out ribbon for the loop. This was the most "manly" ribbon I had, ha!

My first little addition to my stocking is a yo yo with a vintage button sewn to the middle. This has certainly been the year of the yo yo with all of the Bonnie Bands that I've been making this year. This button is one of my favorites that I couldn't part with when I was buying buttons for the Vintage Button Swap. It's a button from the Art Deco period and it's this really awesome shade of funky green, prettier than this pic I promise!

I only have two more gifts to finish, and that's better than previous years! I'm pumped! Hope everyone is enjoying this festive time of year!

Very Late to the Party

This is the darling Christmas apron that I received from the super sweet Evie-Dee. The fabric couldn't be more fun and perfect. This was my treat for participating in the What's Cookin' Apron Swap. We were SUPPOSED to write a post about our aprons as soon as we received them, and of course here I am...three weeks later. Sheesh! Very unfashionably late, I know! Thanks again Evie!

SIDENOTE: I was very saddened to learn today, via Not Martha, that Leslie Harpold has passed away. Not Martha was one of the very first blogs that I read, catapaulting me into this wonderful craft blogging world. I found Leslie's Advent Calendar through Not Martha, and my renewed love of Christmas sprang forth from eagerly reading that Calendar each year. When you spend five years reading someone's webpage you feel a sense of familiarity with them. I'll miss Leslie. She was only forty...so sad.

The Nutbuster

Phew! Well I haven't been posting because I just got done with our production of the Nutcracker. This is a picture of me as "Clara's Mom", or in our production Mrs. Jane Goodwin. A few years ago Ballet New England teamed up with Strawbery Banke to create a Nutcracker set in 1836 Portsmouth. Thus the main characters' names are mostly changed to reflect those of a real family that resided here.

Now it is back to slightly frantic finishing of gifts, mailing of packages and baking of treats. So there might be another posting hiatus. Hopefully not for too long!

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holidays! xo

Christmas Meme

I found this Christmas meme via Pixie Genne. I'm usually not much of a meme person, but in the throws of Nutcracker tech week, sans my husbands better computer, without photos and missing posting over the past few days - this will have to do! I tag Renee to answer this next!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps - Santa takes great pride in wrapping because before this gig he worked retail and likes to show off his fancy ribbon tying skills!

Colored lights on tree/house or white? Matt likes colored lights, I'm all about the white. (They didn't have multicolored CANDLES back in the day?!) We settled on these nifty white lights though. The bulbs are frosted so they give a super soft glow to the whole tree! Gotta love that. (Although, I am warming up to colored lights)...

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Hmm, I think I would have to say my memere's rolls. My cousins and I would forgo the main course to eat these rolls, that probably have eighty pounds of butter in them. Soooo good!

Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
The first time I ever went to New York City, I was nine years old. At the time I had announced to the family that I was going to be a Rockette. (I'm 5'4" - this life plan didn't pan out). So my parents bought me tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was magical!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. My family has a tradition of getting together on Christmas Eve and eating Chinese food from the CHINA DINAH! Really it's called the China Palace, but nooooobody in our family calls it that! We exchange gifts then, and the morning is just for me and the hubby right now.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Matt and I both have assorted ornaments from our childhood, so that's fun to see those yera aft year. This year I'm participating the Holiday Ornament Swap - so I'm getting all of these neat new ones. I've started making ornaments as gifts and each year will be different, so I'll be adding one handmade ornament of my own per year. I usually also add one storebought one per year.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Absolutely FREAKING love it!

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Nova Scotia Shortbread cookies, cut out like strawberries and dipped in chocolate and red sugar.

What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Religious: Oh Holy Night Secular: Mele Kelikimaka both sung by Bing Crosby. Christmas is all about some Bing Crosby for me.

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Used to be yuck, but I've recently found that once paired with chocolate they're delightful. That tends to work with most things...

Favorite Christmas Tradition growing up:
See above CHINA DINAHHHH - or performing in the Nutcracker - which I'm doing for the first time in three years.

Least Favorite Christmas Tradition Growing Up:
Okay - so I might go to hell for this, but going to church. Oh dear Lord, knowing those presents were waiting back for me at the house was torturous. And it was a special holiday so mass had all of this crazy additional crap. And then the caroling sing along at the end. Which we HAD to stay for. Every kid in the place wanted to jump ship and go home I'm sure!

Breakfast or Presents First?
Presents while eating breakfast.

Three Scarves

The pink one doesn't have the running stitch circles yet in this picture...but still! Two-ish afternoons of crafting to do these and I'm so pumped about the results!




This is what I look like when I wake up a little hung over* and decide to scarf model in my pj's - I'm awesome!

*Went to UNH Dance Showcase, and then partied with the bailarinas afterwards. Enough said.

Edit: I've been attempting to post this to blogger for HOURS and blogger is being STUPID, grr!

New ornaments for me and a tutorial for you!

I've started receiving my Holiday Ornament Swap goodies - so exciting! This lovely strawberry ornament came to live with me from Beth. Sweet Beth included a little story about how strawberries, although not "Christmasy," felt so to her in the 90 degree heat of California, where she has recently settled in. I'll definitely be checking out her blog, and I think this ornament will be living in the craft room year round! The second ornament I received today is a cinnamon dough Gingerbread "Monster." He smells delicious, and the tiny hand knit scarf is so cute! Thank you Abby!


Need to make a quick and easy Christmas gift? With a few simple supplies and easy stitches you can have your very own fabulous scarf. I've finally gotten myself a Flickr pro account, so I've uploaded a picture tutorial here. Cheers!

Wrapping things up

This is Matt and I at the King's of Nuthin' show on Sunday. The Growlers played two sets in a row that day headlining for an all ages early show and opening for the Kings of Nuthin'. Matt bought one of their CDs for me and I'm not regretting the purchase. Awesome, fun, loud rockabilly. I love this picture of us. We infrequently have a camera with us while other people are around, so we have very few pictures of the two of us together, aside from our wedding pictures.

Today I squeezed my husband extra tight as he told me the news of James Kim's body being found. My heart goes out to Kati and her little girls. I just can't even fathom losing my husband at thirty years old. It makes me want to make the most of every single day that Matt and I have together!




On to happier things...My mum came over today and we worked on crafty stuff. I started wrapping things up to temporarily put things under our tree before they get shipped off to family members across the country. I've gone temporarily insane this year and have decided to stamp my wrapping paper. Crazy...mmm, yes. But I think it's pretty! These are the "Pamper Packs" that I created for my nieces. Each contains a rice filled eye pack, lip glosses, sparkly topcoat nail polish and lavender sparkle soap. So fun and girly and sparkle filled! I hope that they go over well. I'm so happy with how cute they look wrapped up!

A few of my favorite things, apron swap spoiler, worry and relief

That was the longest post title ever! Sheesh, anyways, isn't this Santa a cutie! He's the first ornament that I've received from the Holiday Ornament Swap 2006. This Santa is paper mache and was made by Kate. One of my new favorites! I started browsing through the Flickr pool for the swap today and was just amazed! So many creative and fabulous ornaments. Everyone should look and take some time to do it, it's just amazing!

Every year my parents splurged on a "store bought" ornament. Following suit, I picked up this little MS caroler from K-mart. I can't even begin to describe how happy K-mart made me. When did it become cool again?! I should've posted of the great day of retail therapy that was my K-mart shopping trip last week, but last week yielded nothing but grey skies and crappy photos, no fun. So *loop* let's go back to that ornament. I saw an ad with the caroler ornaments in them, in Living, and was determined to make a special K-mart trip to pick them up. This little girl was the ONLY one left on...shall we call it dust bowl Saturday? The Christmas decorating section looked like it had been ravaged! I'm definitely going to go back to see if they get more in stock, because I would love to have different ones, (they designed boys and girls).

I've shown this ornament before, but now it is finally on my tree - a big thank you again to Rosa for being a sweet swap angel for the Red and Aqua Swap!

SWAP
SPOILER
ALERT
Selena
DO NOT READ BELOW!

I am so proud of this apron! I think that I've discovered a calling - boy do I love making aprons! This is for the What's Cookin' Apron Swap. Selena was a very interesting partner. I loved reading her blog, because in many ways we are quite similar yet very different! Her color preferences for example were pink and lime green. Not colors I would ordinarily put together for a personal craft project. And how to make it "holiday-ish"? The ornament pocket idea I actually got from a back issue of Kids. I hope Selena likes how it turned out, I loved making it!


I've been very worried the past few days about the Kim family. They are from San Francisco and own a very craft friendly store called Doe. They've been missing for over a week, but the mother, Kati and the two young girls have been found. James, the father, left two days ago to find help and has yet to be found.

This young family's story has really gotten to me, because it could've been anyone in this crafy blogging community that I adore. It just felt so close to home! I'll be praying for James' safe return. Light a candle, and hold your loved ones tight!

Christmas time is here

Christmas Past



Christmas Present



Christmas Future (for years and years to come)

The shop has been updated!

Go right now to www.geekxnerd.etsy.com for some Christmasy cuteness and other fun gifts. One of the ornaments sold the instant it was listed! That's never happened to me before! So you gotta know that they're darn cute!

Bonnie Bands are on sale for a limited time only! I've refined the patterns for the Bonnie Bands so that they are more to my liking, thus better, and because of the additional work I will be changing the prices. So if you'd like a cute Bonnie Band at a steal, now is the time to order!

I'd like to thank the lovely Jessica from Funky Finds for featuring my shop on her site! Thank you so much for your support!



Cheers,

Sarah