making a list…

Checking it twice…

This morning I am making a list of all the things I need (want) to get done before Christmas!

We had a wonderful time in Colorado despite the fact that the majority of us were sick the entire time.

I lost my voice the day after we got there and didn’t get it back until the day after we left.

Oh well.

I wanted a “do 0ver”, but the most  important thing was spending time with family and that is what we did.

The kids played, we saw deer and elk, and there was even a 10 minute snowstorm the night before we left!

So, now we are moving on…

Our lights are up outside.

I just ordered our holiday cards.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

home is…going home and coming home.

{colton+cadence} the dolls

I’ve been doing instead of dreaming around here lately.

Well, to be honest, I am still dreaming of a craft room where I can accomplish all my doing, but the dining room table is working out for now.

I’ve been using my sewing machine, and I am addicted!

Between finding new ideas on Pinterest and trying them out on my machine I am having a blast.

Here is my latest project.

Meet Colton…

and Cadence…

…the dolls.

My mom used to make handmade dolls when I was little. She made them for my sister and I. Made them for gifts. And, even made life sized dolls that were used as “gag” gifts for 40th birthdays, etc.

I wanted to be able to do this for my kids, too.

And, I can!

I found this pattern and tutorial online, and tweaked it a bit.

{There were quite a few ideas and patterns on Pinterest and etsy, as well}

I plan to make lots more of these dolls in the future.

Look for them in my future monthly giveaways and possibly at colton+cadence.

On a side note , the first version of the Cadence doll went missing after only 24 hours. She is either hiding in the house somewhere, or somewhere in the SW Portland area. So, I quickly made a second version…with yarn pigtails.

home is…handmade.

*Today I am linking up with Today’s Creative Blog

some random and a winner

I have been up before 5 am the last 4 mornings.

On Friday, the little guy complained that his ear hurt, so off to urgent care we went. He has an ear infection. His first.

On Saturday, baby girl started coughing.

On Sunday, baby girl woke up at 4:30 am with a coughing fit.

On Monday, baby girl woke up a little after 4 am with a coughing fit.

On Tuesday, baby girl woke up at 4:19 am with a coughing fit.

Today, baby girl woke up at 4:42 am with a coughing fit.

We get a snack, snuggle a bit, then the little guy comes downstairs (this morning at 5:20 am), we eat some breakfast, then another breakfast, then a snack.

Baby girl hasn’t lost her appetite.

Yesterday, we were able to do a lot of crafts. It was fun.

The little guy took a nap. He never does that. I think the early mornings are catching up to him.

I know they are catching up to me.

He had a bit of cabin fever yesterday afternoon, so we took a drive to get gas, and stopped in at Target to get a treat at the dollar bins.

I didn’t even stay up to watch Parenthood last night! I DVR’d it, so hopefully I can watch it after Modern Family tonight.

I can’t workout when the kids are sick since they can’t go to the childcare at the club. That’s a bummer.

Well, enough random.

On to the winner…

Thank you all for the comments and giveaway entries!

I hope you will all enjoy following my blog via e-mail or Facebook.

I also promise that I will have some fun stuff coming up with colton+cadence in 2012.

I used random.org to pick a winner…

That would make this comment from Cindy A. the winner!

Thanks for tweeting, Cindy!

Please contact me at homeis@stephanytaddeo.com so I can get your information and get a package to you!

******

And, keep coming back…I will be posting the December giveaway in just a couple of weeks!

That was fun!

home is…early mornings, lazy days at home, and a winner of my first giveaway.

decking the halls

I’m not listening to Christmas music, yet.

That will come the day after Thanksgiving.

However, I am beginning to deck our halls.

I know. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet.

We’re going to visit family the week of Thanksgiving this year.

That is the week that I normally drag the bins down from the attic and get our Christmas on.

We usually go to cut our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and decorate it over the weekend.

It will be a little different this year.

We’ll be cutting a tree a week later, and recovering from a week of travel and family activity.

So, I want to have the house decorated so we can fully enjoy the Christmas spirit for as long as possible.

Anyway, I started working on a few of the decorations today.

I got this idea from Pinterest.

Source: rachelsimonsen.typepad.com via Stephany on Pinterest

And, I made lots and lots of paper garland to put on our tree.

I’ve got presents to make, family ornaments to make, and some other fun projects.

See why I could use a craft room?!

Remember that today is the last day to enter {my first} november blog giveaway!

And, stay tuned…you might find some of the above mentioned projects in the December giveaway.

home is…getting my craft on and decking the halls.

*today I am linking up with Today’s Creative Blog and Tatertots and Jello

green with envy

I dream of a place for all of my stuff where I could also have a place to work.

And, leave my mess behind a closed door.

I was able to transform the closet under our stairs into a place to store my craft stuff, but it also houses a bunch of craft stuff for the kids, and various other things.

I peruse Pinterest and countless blogs and am so jealous of the craft spaces that some of those women have.

Do you know what I would be able to accomplish with this?!

Source: theivycottageblog.blogspot.com via Stephany on Pinterest

I would absolutely LOVE this!

Source: sewmanyways.blogspot.com via Stephany on Pinterest

And, I would love do this with our dining room, but then we would’t have anyplace to eat as we do not have a breakfast nook in our kitchen!

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Stephany on Pinterest

There’s nothing wrong with eating in front of the TV on fold out tray tables every night, right?!

I really still love the idea of a creative cottage out back…replacing the dog runs with a big old shed for all my stuff.

There is one more day to enter to win {my first} november blog giveaway!

And, I am already putting together {my second} giveaway for December…stay tuned!

home is…there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, right?

self portrait

my first {november blog giveaway}

Here we go!

My first ever blog giveaway!

Here is what I have for you…

I want to let you all know that I am thankful for you, and this giveaway revolves around giving thanks.

1. happy harvest wood block set;  2. wooden “N” I found thrifting; 3. turkey dessert plate; 4. paper pennant banner (these will be in my etsy shop);  5. glass hobnail votive candle holders;  6. gratitude journal;   7. silpada designs turquoise necklace

Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks in advance, for checking out my Etsy shop once it is up and running!

I am hoping to get colton+cadence up and running in early 2012. This giveaway, and (if all goes well) future giveaways, will showcase some of the things I will be selling in my shop.

colton+cadence will be a little bit of everything…a little bit handmade, a little bit found, and a little bit vintage; it will be a little bit for you, a little bit for those you love, and a little bit for your home.

To enter please do the following:

Answer the following question as a comment on this post.

What are you thankful for?

For (4) additional entries you can:

• like home is what you make it on facebook
• like colton+cadence on facebook
• tweet about the giveaway with my link
• subscribe to my blog via e-mail (up at the top left of this page)

{to be official, please mention each additional entry in a separate comment to count}

Deadline is Tuesday, November 8th at 9pm pst.

Winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 9th!

home is…having a lot to be thankful for.

thankful

So, this month we celebrate Thanksgiving.

There are countless ways to show gratitude.

I see friends and family members posting each day on Facebook, some have a special place to write it down and display thanks in their home during this month, and some write it in a journal everyday.

I have decided that I am going to let people know that I am thankful for them with a handwritten note that they will receive in their mailbox from the USPS!

I used to be good at writing thank you notes.

I used to love to pick up a special card for friends or family at a specialty card shop or the grocery store.

I’ve lost my touch.

So, I am going to write one note a day to a friend or family member to let them know how I am thankful for them.

I have already put 3 notes in the mail this week, so I am on my way…27 more to go!

By the way, how are you choosing to be thankful this month?

{Please share your ideas in a comment on this post}

One last thing…check back tomorrow for my 1st blog giveaway!

THANKS!!

home is…a handwritten thank you note.

too much candy

I’m done with my detox.

I’ll write my thoughts about it soon.

All I can say right now is…get the halloween candy out of my house!

I just made myself sick eating candy…UGH!

I’m dropping the rest of the stash of here this afternoon.

Also, I am aware that I have a giveaway that I teased you about last week and did not post about.

Stay tuned on Friday…I promise it will be here!

home is…a tummy ache.

my heroes