handmade gifts

The last few weeks have been a blur of stitching, trying to finish up Christmas gifts for my nieces.


Julia, who is three, will receive a handmade toadstool mouse house. Equip with two felt mice and handle for toting around.


and window boxes loaded with daisies.


always thankful for help from my stitching bunny.




Lilly, six, will receive a handmade diaper bag set for her baby. A few cloth diapers, a quilted changing pad, bibs, and a way-too-cute diaper bag.




stitching bunny stuck her nose in my pin container. one time, never again.

snow!

The girls were so excited for their first snow! They really weren't sure what to think of it. I was fondly reminded of the children's story Henny Penny - "the sky is falling! the sky is falling!"



India followed everyone around eating the snow off of their backs...until she realized her own back was covered in snow.


My nieces, Lilly and Julia came for a visit. They delightfully hold the family titles of Chicken Tamer and, of course, Chicken Tamer Assistant.



Lilly teaching them to dance for treats.

second-hand

Today is an example of why I love thrift stores. Not all of them though. Some are oddly overpriced - at least in my 1940s mind. Six or seven dollars for used jeans? No thanks. Five or six for a shrunken wool sweater? Pass. Today however, the price was right. Today was Customer Appreciation Day at the Fort Monroe thrift store... and boy did I feel appreciated! Welcomed with tasty cookies - and an amazing, melty chocolate peanut butter stick! mmmm... I'd go back if I hadn't cleaned that plate up!

Anyway, my steals.



I got three pairs of pants for myself (AE, Calvin Klein), three long sleeve shirts (AE & Target), jeans and two tops for Lillian (Old Navy), a striped dress and shirt (stripes by request!) for Julia (Gymboree), tons of cute baby clothes for Lil's doll.

And best of all...my pre-health-nut-transformation best friend would have arm wrestled me for... brown high-heel, annoyingly pointy Nine West shoes!

All of this, my friends... $5.00 + tax. That's it. That's all. And that's why I don't like buying anything new!
(Those Nine West shoes, new: $80. Thrift store: TWENTY-FIVE CENTS!!)

Oh, the high of second-hand bargains. Saving the planet, and adding to my wardrobe!

the gardens

A few days back we took a little trip to the botanical gardens. We were sad to see the trees are past their peak. Some of the Japanese maples were holding on though. But still, winter is clearly not far off. In fact, snow is predicted for this weekend, or so the rumor goes.








i love how hostas look when they are on their way out - they make me think of little plant skeletons.

thankful

The Smanlon family spent Thanksgiving with dear friends, here in Virginia, this year. Certainly missing our family, but so thankful for friends!

Thanks to the gypsy moth quarantine and the inspections required to ship even a single tree, we had to forgo our traditional holiday package from my dad. And so, for the first time ever, a Hanlon family member BOUGHT a Christmas tree. Thankfully, Lowe's had a good deal on our favorite tree, probably grown in Michigan, even likely grown by a cousin of ours. But importantly, bug-free.



the girls sharing their thanksgiving treat - gingerbread crumbs and grits!




Violet helped mom and dad decorate the tree this year.



made quite the haul from the scrap bin at Lowe's.

Keeping Promises

Yesterday I ran my first marathon. I've told myself for at least three years that someday I would do it - and I did!

The day was really perfect, 35 degrees or so to start and 65 or so to finish. Parts of the course ran along the James River, through neighborhoods with beautiful fall leaves and across a couple bridges, one with an awesome view of the Richmond skyline.

The best part however was the amazing running around my husband did in order to see me 7 times and my dear friends who certainly surprised me at mile 13 and at the finish! I'm so thankful for the support my dear and my friends have given me, yesterday and throughout my training!


Mile 1.


Mile 26!!


Finished!



Keep the promises you make to yourself.

best visit. best friend.

This weekend was the best. With my best friend. You know the kind of friend you can't believe actually exists because you have THAT much fun together and connect in a really mysterious and wonderful way? We used to often refer to ourselves as kindred spirits. And really, that's about the only way to describe it.

Food was naturally the main focus of our time together. Naturally. The first day we made our way to this pretty rad raw food restaurant. yuuummm... I'm still dreaming about the tofu-spin roll we shared, among a few other delicious samplings.





This was the Olamexi III. YUM.

We also did a little antiquing - found some incredible yellow shutters for Lizard's home and a tiny oval serving plate for mine.

We made roasted red pepper pesto for our grilled mahi mahi and grilled green tomatoes.

We attempted basil sorbet.

We dehydrated about a million apples.

We drank delicious wine and french-pressed coffee.

We really did, made, ate, and visited about 102 really fantastic things this weekend, but the best part, by far, was just chatting together. I'm so thankful for my kindred spirit.