Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

Talk to you next year!

"Medetai" group in "Girls Night Out" bag!

The pattern is called "Girls Night Out" by Turkey Track Designs.

Made by Stacie Wachtel

Thank you Stacie.
This would be great with a black dress and red earrings at a party.

Materials Needed:

4 fat eighths (9" x 22") of coordinating fabric
3/8 yd fabric for lining and strap
1/3 yd lightweight batting
4" x 6" poster board

This bag is using a combination of fabrics
from the Medetai Group by Hoodie for Blank Quilting

Medetai---------#5468 Black
Maneki-neko --#5464 White
Lucky Coin-----#5465 Red
Ume-------------#5467 Black
Doodle Check--#5465 Red and Black

Inside fabric
Rock Candy by Mark Hordyszynski for Blank Quilting
#4875 Quartz

Santa needed snow!

Snow, Snow, Snow....












My son couldn't wait to go to the mountain when he saw the snow.

He setup a rail in our back yard.Then, he opened our back door to get in and my dog Chowder sneaked out into the snow.

Chowder ran and ran in the snow somewhere. I couldn't see him.
My son called him but he didn't come back.
I changed to ski wear and snow boots.
I called for Chowder and then he showed up in our front yard.
He was still flying in the snow.
I called him again and went to our front door.
He looked at me, followed me and said,
"Mom, it was awesome, I enjoyed it a lot."
I guess.
He finally got inside. He was in the snow at least 30 min.
"Don't do it again, please Chowder!"

After this happened,
My son went into town to hang out with his friends in the snow.
I shoveled our driveway and sidewalk in the snow. It took an hour and a half.

I love snow very, very much. BUT............

We wish you Happy Holidays!

Finally our tree is up and decorated. We worked on it from last Thursday until today. We will keep it up until the end of 2008.
I always say to my son when we are decorating our tree,
"These ornaments will go to your kids."

Now I just need presents under our tree.
I hope Santa is coming to you and I!

Shop - "Hoodie in the box" is OPEN!

Finally my own shop is OPEN!
You will find many more products here than were in my Etsy shop.
I couldn't put all my products in yet, but it is open before Christmas.

I can't believe it. It is 15 days to Christmas, 21 days until the New Year.

If it is not too late for your Christmas shopping, go to Hoodie in the box

Seasons Greeting Cards -
These are actually my art that you can frame and hang on the wall or use as a room decoration.
Christmas and Happy Holiday cards will be in the shop until end of this year and will be back in October next year 2009.

Sewing patterns and Accessories are also in the shop.
Accessories are made with many different antique Japanese fabrics.
No duplicate fabrics. They are individual, just for you!
They are great gifts for Christmas or as Birthday or special presents.

Purchase by December 20th and I give you guaranteed arrival by the 23rd at your place.
You just pay first class mail shipping, I will send them Express mail or FedEx. (US only)
If you wish this service, notify me "Emergency Christmas or Seasons Gift" in the notes area as you checkout with my secure shopping cart.

Orders received after the 20th December, Shipping will be normal way as per your choice in checkout.

My fabric group postcards, "Morning Call" and "Medetai" are available to the store owners who are carrying my fabrics.
10 postcards $5.00, If you purchase 50 postcards $25.00 + Free Shipping.

You can shop using your Credit Card or Paypal. Hoodie in the box is a secure SSL encrypted site for your protection.

2009, I will put all my products and more information will be posted on my blog.

Here is our "Hey Jude'" picture on Dec 7th!
I was nervous, so I made a mistake. I was singing the wrong words in two sentences. Oops!
However I didn't get into a panic, I just continued to sing to the end.
No one realized my mistake. It was a good job.
After recital, a couple of parents commented to me,
"It was enjoyable. I didn't know you could sing!"
"I didn't know either." I answered.
One mother said, "I want to try to do something similar with my child but no singing for me."
I encouraged other parents!
About his piano, it was a little faster and louder than we practiced but no mistakes! Overall it was successful event. "I like it" according his piano teacher, Kerry.
We now have received new music that is a DUET from Kerry. We will play piano together for the next recital before my son's skill gets better than mine. Actually he is more talented to play in a dramatic way than I play.

Father and son's Turkey on Thanksgiving day!

Thanksgiving day was also my son's father's birthday this year.
He came over and cooked a Turkey.
My son is not living with his father since he was two and half year old.
We started this combination of two celebrations (Thanksgiving and Birthday) having a family dinner eight years ago at my house.


















This year,
Father handed his Turkey recipe to his son.
Turkey recipe - Soften 2 sticks of butter at room temperature and mix in herbs - basil, garlic, pepper, parsley (chopped). Clean the Turkey and then rub the butter mixture over the breast, legs and thighs. Any left put inside the turkey along with a quartered lemon, stick of celery and a quartered onion. Also put inside salt and pepper. Warm up the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the turkey 20 minutes per pound and then let stand outside the oven for 15 minutes before serving.

Uncooked turkey is pretty much scary looking to me.
I know when a turkey gets tan, he is really good looking!

Our turkey was getting a little tan after one hour in the oven. Father put potato around it.
Potato recipe - Boil them for about 10 minutes so they aren't quite cooked then put them around the turkey for the last hour of cooking.





We waited another two more hours.







Look at our turkey,, gorgeous!

Potato were still in the oven.
Father asked son to cut a turkey. Son struggled to cut it too much. So father needed to show the way of cutting.

Hurry up. "I'm hungry!" Mom said. (It's me!)















It was a delicious dinner, the potatoes were especially great!!! Crispy and tasty. Vegetables were cooked right but he forgot to cook stuffing. Ready made stuffing was on the table but we did not approve of that taste.

My son was asking where is the whipped cream when I was preparing our desserts.
My son opened the refrigerator without me seeing what he was doing. I said, "Don't use it!"
His father was taking a nap at the chair because he was tired from cooking or Tryptophan in Turkey?
Our son setup the Video Camera and put shaving cream instead of whipped cream on his hand.
His father was half wake and ate it. Oh, my,, he was spitting it all over the floor.

Two of them blamed me because I didn't let my son use whipped cream!