Post-Christmas Post

It's been nice having the better part of a week's worth of down time, and spending some of that time with family over the holiday.

When our daughter asked what her dad and I wanted for Christmas, we told her not to worry about shopping for us, but suggested instead that she might want to simply draw or make something, since she's a very creative person.

No pressure, right?   Well, I honestly didn't mean for there to be.

I was thinking along the lines of a line drawing or sketch, but she came up with better ideas.

She made Norm a leather cuff bracelet with steampunk accents—right up his alley!

For me, she did a very cute gouache painting of a deer figurine I had admired, and this awesome skull and scissors applique.  Love!

One of my first thoughts was:  How did she do that fabulous satin stitch when I have had both of her sewing machines at my house?  

She hand-stitched it!  Hundreds and hundreds of tiny satin stitches—amazing!

Love those little beaded pins in the bow.  She repurposed some of her old scrubs for the fabric applique and background.  Very creative indeed!

To top it off, she compiled some good music in a "Merry Mix-Mas" CD for each of us.  Lots of fun stuff.  HERE is one of my favorites from the mix,#11 on the list.

The Christmas get-together with the extended family was fun, as always.  We had our usual traditionally-nontraditional meal.  This year it was lasagna, and yes, it is possible to make a tasty dairy-free, gluten-free version.  Here's Great-Auntie P. holding five-month-old Cali Jean, who is a bit young for lasagna but enjoyed just about anything else she could pull into her mouth, including my fingers.  What a sweet, happy baby!

G-Aunt P. and Cali Jean

And here's Dad with my niece and daughter, a/k/a "Grandpa's Girls."  I managed to get guitar headstocks coming out of each of their heads in this photo.  I know, it's a special skill.

Shaina, Dad, and Michelle

Ultimately, we pulled some of those stringed instruments down off the wall and, among other things, hammered out a rendition of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain.  By about the second go, Russ nailed the bass line, and all those with double-X chromosomes in the room sang along with great enthusiasm.  Who knew it was such a party song? (Grandpa's Girls, who had requested it, that's who!)

What were the high spots in your holiday?