The Difference a Year Makes

With being part of the Mosaic Reviews Team, I started keeping track of statistics for my blog and other social media.  Most of them have changed a bit in the past year.

Blog Followers:            January - 38,  December - 47
Blog Facebook Page:   January - 22,  December - 38
Google + Followers:     January - 1,  December - 8
Pinterest Followers:     January - 46,  December - 86
Twitter Followers:        November - 16,  December - 17  (not such a big difference in just a month!)

Home & School Mosaics

The review group that I belonged to merged with it's sister site and is now "Home & School Mosaics".  Part of this new "position" involves writing an article a month for their blog.  This month's theme is "New Beginnings" and my article with be published on the 17th.   There will still be some reviews, as well.  They have a newsletter that will also contain exclusive content not included on the blog.  You can sign up for it on the right side of their page.   This is a somewhat of a scary endeavor for me needing to write for someone else's expectations rather than just my own.

Eugene Fitzherbert and Tigerlily

Emily has been asking for a Tigerlily reborn doll since my sister made one for an online class and Sarah has been asking for an "open eyed boy doll".  I bought some kits on sale in April and commissioned my sister to paint them for me.  I made their bodies and clothes with self crafted patterns.  Since I was doing a character baby for Emi, I decided to do a character for Sarah, too.  Since her favorite princess is Rapunzel from "Tangled", I made her a Eugene Fitzherbert (aka Flynn Rider).  I didn't have Eugene's vest completely done for Christmas, but far enough to be presentable!  My dad made the hooks for Eugene's vest as I couldn't find any that worked.

Progress:

All put together:

Eugene in progress:

Reference Pictures:

Tigerlily in progress:

Reference Pictures:

Merry Christmas 2013!

We had a few different gift opening times with the main one being on Christmas itself.  The kids took turns taking pictures of the adults opening gifts, so we got some strange angles and looks (never quite know when they are actually taking the pictures!)

The ornaments I made out of clay:

 

For the adults

 

For my kids

Gifts from Uncle Dean & Aunt Lisa:

Gifts from Grandpa and Grandma:

 

 

Gifts for Grandpa & Grandma from us:

Christmas Eve stocking opening:

 



Christmas Day:

 

From Andy:

 

From William:

 

From Emily:

 

From Sarah:

 

From Dan to me:

My razor died a couple of weeks ago and I was thinking I'd have to wait for awhile to get a replacement and save the money for more important things.  Well, Dan got me one ☺

From me to Dan:

 

From us to the kids:

 

 

The boys' big gift:

 

 

The girls' big gift (I'll be posting more on these later this week):