Christmas Eve

Today there is so much to be done! I am at work currently for another 45 minutes! YAY! They are only making us work until noon today which is fantastic! Then I have to go to the bank and sign some documents on are car loan. Go get the oil changed before our trip to Grandma & Grandpa's tomorrow morning. I might just pick up an ice-cream cake for tonight's celebration just because it's easier than baking something and I really LOVE ice cream cake & I have a coupon! Then we have to go grocery shopping and pick up the meat for tonight. I am so glad we're having Christmas Eve at our house. I think it will help it feel more like home. We haven't had too many family things take place here, so having these memories will be nice.

I'm almost finished on the hat I'm crocheting. I have just a few more rows to crochet and then I can whip stitch it up and it's done! I'll probably get started on the scarf tomorrow afternoon after lunch. Maybe. I might want to take a nap instead! Haha...

I gave Claire a hair cut last night! A MAJOR hair cut. I pretty much shaved her. Her hair was getting pretty long and it seems that it takes less time for her to start smelling doggy when her hair is long. So I cut her hair, cut her nails, and gave her a bath. I also put on her sweater so she's not cold. I might try and crochet a sweater for her!

Well, I better finish up the last of things to do!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all are safe!

I'm so entirely bored today. I am at work... without any work to do. I have been crocheting and I had to work reception for the first part of the day. But now I am just sitting here... We had our ornament exchange here at work. That was a bit of excitement. I got a very nice nativity scene ornament. I gave a golden start that I had bought at Cracker Barrel at Thanksgiving. One of the ladies got an ornament of Santa trying to stuff a hippo down the chimney and it plays the "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" song. Very cute.
Tonight I have to clean the house a bit & go grocery shopping. My parents and siblings are coming over tomorrow night to celebrate Christmas Eve. We're having baked potato soup! Yum! It's the best soup ever!
I've been thinking a lot lately about traditions and realized my family doesn't really have any. It really saddens me. I hope that Phil and I can start a few traditions to be put in place before having children. I know it may be silly to some, but I have loved reading about the traditions other families have. It just sounds wonderful.

This weekend was a blur. Friday we had our work luncheon. It was very nice! They of course had great catering & even more wonderful desserts! Huge cupcakes stacked on a wonderful 3 tiered dish stand. They had a drawing at the end of the luncheon for the stand and I WON! I was so excited! It will be lovely for when we are able to have dinner guests someday.
After that I went home to a clean home! My husband, even though it was his birthday, cleaned the house. He's such a doll. So all I had to do was get a few things ready for our party that night-our 2nd annual Sibling Christmas party. It was a lot of fun and I got a gift card to Hobby Lobby. I was surprised that my brother-in-law knew me so well! Hehe...
Saturday was our craft sale. It didn't go as well as I had planned and I guess "dreamed" it would. We held it at our church in the foyer. Thankfully there was practice for the Christmas program for the kids that day. As their parents dropped them off and picked them up they browsed around and a few of them bought a few things! Most everyone just bought food that my mom had made. I don't blame them, she's an incredible baker/cook. I sold like 2 or 3 aprons and 1 of the stars I had made. So we kind of learned our lesson. Don't have a craft sale so late in the season & advertise much more! I think we might try to have it at another location too. It just seems every time I've had a party at the church, I haven't had a very good turn-out.
Yesterday we celebrated Phil's birthday with his family. Then we went shopping. We tried to find a bark collar for Claire. She never shuts up! Oh my goodness! "Yip, yip, yip!" That's all she does. They are very expensive and I'm still unsure as to whether I want her zapped every time she barks. Knowing her though it won't faze her and we'll have spent $130 on a collar. So... we're going to wait. I'm not sure if I'd rather go through 13 weeks of puppy lessons for about $100 w/o a guarantee that she'll learn anything OR spend that much money w/in a much quicker time period but with just the same lack of a guarantee that she'll stop barking. Oh... I hate these kinds of decisions. I love my fur-baby! I just wish she wouldn't bark at us. She was getting better just a few weeks ago and now it's started up again. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we can do about her barking?
Hope you all are almost ready for Christmas!

We got it!

I am so pleased! We found the vehicle we were looking for! We paid just a little more than we were planning, but this will be our family vehicle for a very long time... like until the car dies permanently. Haha...
I just can't thank God enough for His blessings and provision! It's amazing that sometimes even when we have little faith that it will work out, God will provide.
We got a silver 2006 Chevy Equinox. I'm really excited about it. It drives so well and it has some neat features! I've never had a newer car before. I know it doesn't really matter, and I don't want to sound materialistic. It's just really nice to have a car where everything works and a few extras!
I can't wait for our trip up to our Grandparent's for Christmas! Woohoo!

Today we are going to look at cars. I'm really excited. I really hope we can find something. It's amazing what you take for granted, such as having two vehicles!

Today I'm also working on crocheting a hat. It's going alright so far... I think it will take me a couple times to really get it down.

Last night I made two purses & 3 "clutch" purses. I still have to put buttons/fasteners on all of them. I will have to take pictures so I have a record of them. I really hope my stuff sells at our craft sale.

Nothing else is really going on. Finding the right vehicle and the finances for the vehicle are mostly crowding my mind. I'm trying my best not to stress over it though... Haha. I'm a worrier by nature, no matter how hard I try.

Anyway... Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

New Car

So the husband's car finally bit the dust... To fix the car would cost more than it's worth. We were planning on buying a new vehicle soon, just not this soon. So we don't really have as much saved up as we'd like. And because of that... we're possibly not going to get what we WANT. We are wanting to go ahead and buy a family car-the one I would drive, so that we have it when we do start a family(Which we are hoping to happen asap). So here is the vehicle I'm currently stuck on that is in our price range:

Now of course I would change the color to like, Orange! Haha... but tan is fine. I like this so much more compared to a mini-van. No offense to those who drive them. I just feel too young to start driving a mini-van. I don't know? I just really hope we find something similar to this, quick! Because until we do, I'm having to be at work at 7 so hubby can be to work by 8. It truly sucks. Lord, Please help us find an appropriate vehicle!

The Name Game...

I had to copy off of another blog... I'm not usually a person of originality, I'm a follower. Anyway:

Your Real Name: Kaitlyn Schneider
Your Gangsta Name: (first three letters of your first name plus izzle): Kaiizzle
Your Detective Name: (favorite color and favorite animal): Orange Giraffe
Your Soap Opera Name: (your middle name and the street you live on): Rae Prairie
Your Star Wars Name: (first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first): Schka
Your Superhero Name: (your 2nd favorite color and favorite drink): Orange Coke
Your Witness Protection Name: (your parents' middle names): Ray ann
Your Goth Name: (black and the name of one of your pets): Black Claire

If any of you read this... you should try it!

I stole this idea from a blog I read Newly Woodwards. This is hanging above our entertainment center and I really love it.

These are a few pieces of a blanket I'm going to make... I started crocheting back in September and I'm totally addicted to it now. It's a craft you can take anywhere with you and it's so easy! I'm still not great at it, my tension needs some work. But I figure that will come with practice.

This is the first really big project I did. I think if you click on the picture, you can see more of the detail in the gray area of the blanket. I did the most simple of stitches, pretty much to work on my tension. Claire loves this blanket.

My first apron! Isn't it so cute? This was super easy! I bought it at the fabric store. You just buy one yard and it has the directions and such on it. You just cut it out and sew it all together. It was a great pattern though. Below is the second apron I've made. I haven't put the pockets on it yet... but you get the idea... I'll be making quite a few more of these and selling them at a craft sale on the 20th. My whole family is involved and I'm very excited about it.

Below are Moravian Stars... They are usually hung during advent and in general during the holiday season. You can look up the history if you're truly interested... Hehe. But I will dip them in wax and sprinkle them with glitter. They are a beautiful handmade ornament, great for children to make (As long as an adult is the one dipping them in wax. (0; ) for a Christmas project. Anyway... I will be selling an array of these at the craft sale as well. ;o)

This is for kicks... not craft related at all...

My mom got me this giraffe that flattens out into a pillow. I keep it on the couch and use it as additional back support. Claire thought she would mimic it. hehe...

Just too cute not to share! ;o)

Sewing

Today I am sewing aprons! I have only almost completed 1 however... It's so much fun. Claire keeps interupting me though. You would think she was a real child...she has so many needs. Why did we spoil her? Oh well... Anyway, I will hopefully post pictures of the aprons later tonight!

I really just can't keep up with this! I am more interested in reading about everyone else instead of writing about me. BUT there has been so much that has taken place this past month and so much coming this month! I have so many pictures to post I probably won't. Haha... My birthday came and went (I have a few pictures I will share of that event). Thanksgiving came and went (Pics to post from that too!). And a few other little things I would love to post about. Right now I'm very busy making Moravian stars, crocheting, sewing purses & aprons, etc... We're having a craft sale (We as in my family) on Dec. 20th!! I'm so excited! So... there is much to do, much to say, and no time for it! I will do my best to get everything up in the next few days. ;o)