Thanksgiving

One place that is always open on Thanksgiving is the movie theatre, where I spend my Thanksgiving Day working. At work, we had a potluck. It was a sad potluck table, where my blackberry pie was the only delicious food to consume. We needed plates for the pie and while I was at the near by grocery store just across the street, I was thrilled to find a mini Thanksgiving feast with slices of turkey, mashed potato and gravy, and stuffing for $4. I ate half of it on my meal and decided to eat the rest for dinner with a slice of pecan pie; instead of the Marie Callender’s turkey potpie my firefighter had got for me to enjoy for Thanksgiving.

Yes, no big family thanksgiving dinner for me. My firefighter also had to work on Thanksgiving. I was in good company though, my lovable hairy friend Belle. I’m so grateful for Belle. For always welcoming home from work at the door with her wagging tail, making me laugh, our cuddling time together, how quick she learns new tricks, and for making days like this less lonely. On Thanksgiving, Belle was one of the things I was very thankful for.

Halloween in Wonderland

For Halloween, I joined Amanda and Christi at High Desert Church, in Victorville, CA, to pass out candy for their Blocktober event. We passed out bags and bags of candy at the Trunk or Treat section.

Amanda had mentioned that she wanted to be the Mad Hatter for Halloween and her mom Christi would be the White Rabbit with a fluffy tail and bunny ears for their church’s Halloween event. When they invited me to join, I suggested that we should decorate Amanda’s trunk in an Alice in Wonderland theme and I would dress up as the Queen of Hearts.

Amanda and I decided to decorate her trunk with teapots, teacups, and a “Tea Party Here” sign for a tea party theme. Amanda and I painted the cardboard decorations and Amanda out lined everything in glow in the dark puffy paint. Parents and their children enjoyed our themed trunk and asked us if we would take pictures with their children.

Amanda with the help of Christi made the Mad Hatter costume out of dresses Amanda wasn’t wearing any more. Amanda decorated her Mad Hatter hat and I stamped the bottom of her dress with my “Let’s Talk Over Tea” hand craved linoleum stamp. Amanda received many compliments on her homemade Mad Hatter costume. Christi’s White Rabbit costume was complete with a pocket watch Amanda made for her mom from cardboard and rope. My Queen of Hearts costume was an old costume I had already worn. The costume was too short and not appropriate for a church event so I wore white leggings and sewed felt hearts on the knees. I made the Queen of Hearts wand and was finally able to use it. The first time I wore the Queen of Hearts costume I forgot my homemade wand at home. I love the way accessories add more personality to costumes!

We had so much fun passing out candy and seeing people of all ages in different Halloween costumes. As we passed out candy, we keep throwing out ideas of what theme we should do next year. Maybe princesses, circus, bugs (butterfly, bee, and ladybug), peter pan…

I can’t wait for next years Blocktober event. Is it Halloween yet again?

Yee Haw with The Bookies

I know this is kind of late, but I recently got a hold of these pictures of us gals at October’s The Bookies book club meeting, that we had on Sunday, October 28th.

I really wanted to be a bumblebee for October’s book club. Due to lack of time, it didn’t happen. Maybe, I’ll be a bumblebee in February since I want to make Bee Mine Valentine’s Day cards.

There was no way I was going to book club without a costume. Dressing up is the best part of Halloween! After you grow up, you seem not to care for candy as much anymore. The day before my book club meeting I had to search my closet and my Halloween tote in the garage to see what I could scrounge up. Surprisingly, I had everything at home to be a cowgirl.

Disney’s Woody was sitting on my bookshelf; the Wrangler’s t-shirt was in the closet, which I got from my mom. The straw hat I got a few years ago at the 99 cent store just in case I ever wanted to be a cowgirl for Halloween. Sometimes you just have to think ahead. The boots were a gift for my aunt up north, who lives on a farm. I’ll be mailing her a picture of me as a cowgirl. I know she’ll get a good kick out of it. The horse on a stick (also from the 99 cent store) and toy gun (I got from a friend when he was moving out) I found in my Halloween tote. The tote stores my old Halloween costumes and many Halloween accessories, which I purchased for guests to wear if they didn’t come in a costume for one of my Halloween parties.

Amanda dressed up as Mrs. Lovett, with her meaty pie. Regina’s costume was inspired by the Day of the Dead, and Amy wore an “I survived a Hunted House” pin, made by Amanda. Amy actually did survive a hunted house! Okay, maybe not a real one. Amy writes for our local newspaper and had to write a review on a fake hunted house.

All the Bookies costumes were homemade. Yee Haw, for homemade costumes!

A Star Is Born

Jackie, one of my employees, had her first baby in September. While pregnant, I kept inquiring what nursery themed she was going to have for her baby boy, for baby shower gift ideas. For a while she was playing with the idea of a galaxy theme. No aliens or spaceships though. She liked the idea of planets and stars. 

Being a cross-stitch lover, I went on the search  for the perfect cross-stitch kit, with a galaxy theme, on Etsy, Amazon, and ebay. After wish listing many kits, I decided on “A Star Is Born” kit on ebay. The only problem, I would not be able to give Jackie this gift into her baby was born and I didn’t even know the baby’s name. Jackie was being secretive about it. 

I couldn’t give Jackie the cross-stitch at her baby shower. I did give her a moon nightlight and a frame, all matching the moon and star theme like the cross-stitch I was working on. At the baby shower, there was a banner revealing Jackie’s baby’s name – Orion Kai. Orion Kai! Like Orion’s Belt! Then it hit me; no wonder she was thinking of a galaxy theme nursery. I showed Jackie my progress on the cross-stitch kit and she liked what she saw so far.

A few days ago, I finished Orion’s cross-stitch baby announcement. I replaced the plastic hoop the kit came with for a wood one I painted in dark blue. I can’t wait to see Jackie’s expression when she sees it. I’m even more excited that this 5-inch hoop will adorn little Orion’s room as he grows.

Fall Candle Centerpiece DIY

My fireman and I made an ice candle a few months ago, it was just sitting on our dinner table on top of a glass candle plate, and it was time to Fall it up. This Fall candle centerpiece is simple to create. No clue required.

Supplies: candle, glass candle plate (You can also a regular glass plate), small pine cones, fake leafs, vine wreath, and a fake berry branch.

Place candle into vine wreath, then place both on glass plate. Tuck fake leafs under vine wreath. Put pine cones in front and behind vine wreath and place berry branch, in front, over the vine wreath.

Since this DIY requires no clue, it can be easily taken apart, and the candle can be decorated differently for the next season.

Stitch & Send

Wild Olive by Mollie is a blog I really enjoy reading. By reading her blog you can tell Mollie is a sweet and caring person and a stitching diva. In February, I participate in a Stitch Swap she was having on her blog. In October, Mollie posted about another stitch swap with a twist. Mollie called it a Stitch & Send. This time I would be making an embroidered patch and in return I would receive the wonderful feeling of making something for someone who is less fortunate.

I send my patch last week to Richmond, Virginia. I embroidered a little blue cloud raining on three smiling shaped flowers (flowers inspired by Mollie’s sketch). The flowers’ roots spell out Made With Love. The outer flowers, which are smaller than the taller one in the middle, are extending their pedals up towards the cloud.

Abbie, from Abbie Living, will sew the patches onto totes bags. The tote bags will be filled with donated toiletries and other living essentials for seniors, homeless, and families in need of Richmond, Virginia for Thanksgiving. The organization that puts this together is called The Giving Heart and I’m glad to be a part of it, even if just a little.

Today this Girl...

Today, this girl woke up early after spending the night before reading propositions and presidential facts. This girl is not a morning person, but around 7:15 am she headed to her voters’ destination, before work. She wore a white tank top with yellow, blue, and red hearts on it, a blank suit jacket, and an American flag brooch shaped as a heart to complete her outfit. She not only wanted be confident about her decisions, she wanted to feel confident too. She voted today because she wanted her voice to be heard, she wanted to be part of making a difference for her, her family, and the future, and to her voting is also a way to thank all those strong and determined women who fought long ago so women could vote. This girl doesn’t judge people who do not vote. To each its own. This girl doesn’t feel comfortable bitching about the economy; if she never even tired to change things with her vote. This is why this girl votes!

Digital Painting of Me

My friend and artist Chris Murray took a picture of me, from my facebook, with a little pumpkin on my head and created a digital painting of it. I love the way the digital portrait turned out and it looks just like the photograph. He has been cleaning up his digital painting skills little by little with every piece, according to him, in hopes to head into the freelance/commission zone. Check out more of his work on his blog by clicking here.

Ornament Swap Sign Ups!

I know, I know, Halloween was just the over day but next thing you know Christmas will be here too. So, why not add some new ornaments to your Christmas tree and give some out too, with The Morose Bee & Creativity Lizette’s first Christmas Ornament Swap!

How It Works:
You’ll get paired up with two people. You’ll make three ornaments, one for each of your partners and one to keep for yourself. The ornaments can be all the same or different to meet the taste of each partner. Then, you’ll mail out the ornament to your partners. In the end you’ll have three ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree. Swap participates must be US residents only.

Rules:
Sign ups open now until Saturday, November 10th.
Sign up by emailing me at creativitylizette(at)yahoo(dot)com.

You will be given the names and e-mails of your partners by Wednesday, November 14th. From there you'll contact them to ask for likes/dislikes and their address.

You should make and ship your ornaments no later than Friday, December 7th. That way everyone will have at least two full weeks of display his or her wonderful homemade ornaments before Christmas.

Any questions, feel free to contact Emily or myself.

Get into the Holiday spirit and sign up!