Family Pictures & this year’s Christmas cards

Yes, it’s January already, but with the now infamous (well here on my blog at least) computer crash everything is still in catch up mode. I debated NOT sharing my Christmas cards but then thought- what the heck, might as well. What are you going to do? Point and laugh?

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I actually mailed these on the 23rd… I actually designed these back in November before I got my family pictures back from my sister (my photographer) but once I got them (and had my computer fixed) my silhouette software decided to break down. In fact it’s STILL not working. I have uninstalled, and reinstalled it half a dozen times and still can’t figure out why it won’t work. I need to email the silhouette guys again and see if they have another suggestion.

I created these ornament shapes, then using photoshop wrote our note (short this year with the limited space).

ornament-christmas-cards-silhouette ornament-christmas-cards-writing

Then I flipped the design and uploaded it to my silhouette, using the trace I created a cut pattern for them.  I took my favorite two pictures, one of the family and one of the kids (5 kids! Still crazy to me).  I added my pictures, printed and cut hundreds of them out…

ornament-christmas-cards-image Capture

Then I used a itty bitty hole punch and some teeny tiny rings and attached the top and bottom. Finally I added ribbon (so they could hang) and voila… done~!

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I love how they turned out, different than I’d done before- and certainly would’ve made more sense if I had mailed them in early December instead of late December, but I still love them.

Here is the two pictures we used:

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And now for the rest of my favorites from our family photoshoot (done my my AMAZING sister- Chelsea Peterson Photography)!!! We meet my sister down in Lehi at this great location she knew of. It’s in the back of these old connected buildings with these amazing walls, doors and windows! There were a ton of background options in the space of 100 feet.

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AND next to the buildings runs the train tracks so yet another amazing background! It’s terrific. Of course a ton of other photographers know of it too so there were tons of families, seniors, engaged couples and photographers.

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It was so fun to see everyone else, the clothing choices, color scheme, props… amazing! My goal was not to look too fat (6 week old baby) and have everyone look more or less like themselves… Mission accomplished!

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I love how DONE everyone is in this last picture on the right.  It was our last picture of the day and this is why…  I thought about printing it off and hanging it just BECAUSE it’s so perfectly worn out and blah!

I also got our yearly headshots taken!

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The Reader- Oh how I love this sweet, sensitive girl.  I can’t BELIEVE I’ve been a mother long enough to have a 10 1/2 YO.

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Computer boy- This little guy just turned nine last week, insane how fast the time is going.  He’s so much like me in so many ways and yet all boy at the same time.

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Lego Boy- could his eye’s be any lovelier?  I love this redish shade of chocolate brown.  And to go with it his newest fake smile!  So handsome either way.

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Destroying angel- sweet, lovely, and so devilish…  She has my mothers smile, couldn’t be a better big sister, and love to TORTURE her beloved older brother as often as she can.

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Baby Boy (clearly the most difficult)- the only picture with eyes, and not tears…  He was already smiling at this stage, but refused to show off in the bitter cold of the day.  Rudolf anyone?

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Couple shot- my husband hates nothing quite as much as having to “preform”, so picture days are pure torture for him, but he knows how much it means to him so he’s a pretty good sport overall. He just had me cut off all his hair (he was sick of it and wanted a change- I get that) so I look at these pictures with total sadness… I miss those lovely curls (and how in the WORLD do NONE of my kids have those?)

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Updated me…- not bad for being some 30+ lbs over the pictures from last year! I love how great my eyes look (my favorite feature), but when did I start to LOOK like I was in my 30′s? I’ve never minded getting older, and I don’t mind my crows feet at all, but it’s still strange to look older than I feel at this point.

Knit Reindeer Beanie

I have been on quite the yarn kick lately.  I have been loving both crocheting and knitting again, and especially hats.  After our pumpkin beanie and then the Turkey leg Thanksgiving hat I had to come up with something for winter!  I actually finished this just a few days AFTER Christmas, bummer, but I did make the hat bigger so MAYBE he’ll fit it next year (or my sisters new baby will?!?!).  I’m thinking about adding big round eyes and a big red nose if it fits anyone next Christmas.

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But for now it’s a cute winter hat, esp since he spends most of his time in the Moby wrap and his head is the only thing people ever really see!  And could be be any cuter?  I can’t BELIEVE he’s 3 months old already, the time goes WAY to fast for my liking.

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Baby Beanie

Materials:
Baby soft yarn- brown for this hat (I like Caron Simply soft)
size 6 double pointed needles (I use a long needle for the cast on)

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)

Gauge:
10 stitches per 2 inches

Cast on: 72 (6 months- 84, 12 months- 96, toddler- 108)
I prefer to use the long tail cast on for hats, it leaves a clean and flexible edge.

reindeer-hat-knit-pattern-double-pointed-needles

divide stitches evenly onto double pointed needles and join

First 8 rows a simple rib pattern: k2, p2 around

knit around until the hat is as tall as you want it.  I stopped mine at 4 3/4 inches and it’s a tad bit too long, I wish I’d stopped at 4 1/4 or 4 1/2.  But some basic size estimates is newborn- 4.5″, 6 months- 5.5″, 12 months- 6″ and toddler- 6.5 inches

now to start decreasing for the crowns, the k2tog then ssk creates nice even lines up to the crown instead of having your decreases curve around your beanie.  It’s a bit trickier, but totally worth it in the end in my opinion.

Crown:
row 1- k4, k2tog, ssk, k4 around (so there will be k8 in between the decreases)
row 2- k around
row 3- k3, k2tog, ssk, k3 around (now k6 between the decreases)
row 4- k around
row 5- k2, k2tog, ssk, k2 around
row 6- k around
row 7- k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 around
row 8- k around
row 9- k2tog, ssk
cut the yarn with several inches left.  With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end.

And the beanie is done!  A great base for any baby hat!

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For the antlers you have two choices, using double pointed needles you can make them separately and attach them later or, like me, knit them directly onto the hat!  Pick where you want your antlers (mine centered on each side, 4 rows down from the center- in hindsight I WISH I’d done my antlers more forward from the center) and slide 4 needles through 3 stitches on each side creating a square.  We want to start with 12 stitches.  Stuff it as you go.

Materials:
baby soft yarn- tan (caron simply soft)
size 4 double pointed needles
filling

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)
kfb- knit front and back (increase)

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Rows 1-9- k around (12 stitches) starting on the right side, then the bottom, then the left side, and finally the top
row 10- k9, kfb, k1, kfb (14)
row 11- k around
row 12- k3, kfb, k1, kfb, k3, kfb, k3, kfb (18)
row 13- k around
row 14- k11, kfb, k5, kfb (20)
row 15- k12, cast on 2 skip 7, k1 (15- with 7 left on a separate needle for later) (don’t forget to stuff as you go)
row 16- k3, kfb, k3, kfb, k7 (17)
row 17- k around
row 18- ssk, k9, k2tog, k4 (15)
row 19- knit around
row 20- ssk, k7, k2tog, k4 (13)
rows 21-23- k around
row 24- k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k6 (11)
row 25- k around
row 26- k2tog, k3, ssk, k4 (9)
cut the yarn with several inches left.  With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end (remember the stuffing).

going back to the skipped 7, add the cast on 2 stitches for a total of 9 and spread out evenly over 3 double pointed needles.
rows 1-4- k around (9)
row 5- k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k2 (7)
cut the yarn with several inches left.  With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end (don’t forget to stuff).

I had some wide holes where I knit the first row, so when I was done I took some extra yarn and sewed it a bit, tightening up the gaps, you can’t even see the gaps anymore!

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I did the same thing here that I did for the antlers, knit right onto the hat. I slipped one of the double pointed needles right into the hat. I started my ears 4 rows below the antlers

Ear

Materials:
baby soft yarn- brown (caron simply soft)
size 4 needles (I just used the double pointed ones I was already using)

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
p2tog- purl two together (decrease)
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)
pfb- purl front and back (increase)

reindeer-hat-knit-pattern-ears

slip needle into 6 stitches of a column on the beanie wherever you want the ears

row 1- k6
row 2- p2, k2, p2
row 3- k2, pfb, pfb, k2
row 4- p2, k4, p2
row 5- k2, pfb, p2, pfb, k2
row 6- p2, k6, p2
row 7- k2, p6, k2
row 8- p2, k6, p2
row 9- k2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, k2
row 10- k2, p4, k2
row 11- k2, p2tog, p2tog, k2
row 12- p2, k2, p2
row 13- k1, ssk, k2tog, k1
row 14- p4
row 15, ssk, k2tog, binding off as you go
Weave in ends

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And it’s done!!!  I love it!  I’m sure there are better ways to create this, and I’m still a newbie, but I’m so tickled it turned out so well!

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And here you can see what I was talking about earlier on the crown of the beanie.  The k2tog, ssk creates these beautiful and straight ribbed lines instead of a curved line from using just k2tog each round.  It’s personal preference, but this totally fits my style!

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And one last picture, I can’t help it.  I just love this sweet little boy so so SO much!  He’s getting to be so big and so fun.  He laughs now, and his smile melts every part of my being.  He’s found his thumb, and finds it often, but I can’t seem to get a picture of it yet!  He’s still an amazing baby, so happy all the time, rarely upset, very easy going and he makes all our lives better!  I’m so glad he’s a part of our family!

Girls night in with Duncan Hines

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com

Last week my friend Jennifer threw a Girls night in holiday wrapping party! It was great, we all brought our gifts and wrapping paper and sat around wrapping presents, catching up, gabbing and eating good food! I love getting together with good friends and had a great evening. I brought one of my all time favorite holiday treats, caramel brownies!

I don’t know about you but no evening or outing is complete without good company and GREAT food! The holiday’s are no exception, in fact the expectation (on the food, not the company) is even higher for me. Funny how we tend to make our best goodies at this time of year and ONLY this time of year. I think I might need to remember to make these goodies more than just once a year- that way I won’t gorge too much in December?

caramel-brownies-ingredients

Caramel Brownies
½ C evaporated milk
50 unwrapped caramels squares (about 14 oz)
½ C evaporated Milk
1 package chocolate cake mix (I like German Chocolate and Devils food)
¾ C butter melted
1 C walnuts chopped (I prefer pecans but I think my mom and sisters would have a heart attack if I actually changed the recipe to SAY pecans)
12 oz Chocolate chips

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Mix ½ C evaporated milk, cake mix, butter, and walnuts.

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Press 2/3 dough in bottom of glass pan (9×13) cook at 350 for 6 mins.

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While your working with the dough (chopping the nuts takes the most time for me) have your children unwrap all the caramels! I had this job as a child and it’s fun watching my children do it now! And if they sneak one or two it’s okay!

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Wile it’s the first 2/3rd of the dough is cooking pan melt ½ C milk and caramels.

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Sprinkle chocolate chips over the cooked dough.

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Pour the melted caramel over cooked crust.

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Spread the rest of dough on top cook 15-20 min at 350

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I know other people probably have different versions of this recipe but it’s a holiday staple for me. I grew up making these every year with my mom, I can’t think of a year these haven’t been a party of my holiday plate. These scream Christmas Goodies to me, my sisters, and now our children!

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Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com; to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective

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