Our Black Friday

This year we have been shopping in the land of recycled.  The day we made the desk (below a few posts) and went alley picking, we found a lot of extra wood as well, we have been hoarding wood :)

For Christmas this year, don't be surprised to get something home made and most likely recycled from us.  So for our Black Friday we worked on our Christmas present to each other, an ottoman (yea no lines!).  We spent about $15-20 on the entire thing, fabric, foam and all.

This is a very multipurpose ottoman, we can use it as a leg rest, we can use it for step ups for our workouts, and it lifts up with lots of storage space underneath (to hide our weights)

What started out as a few pieces of wood

And some tools

Lots of cutting using an impromtu work beanch and me sitting on the wood as a stabilizer (I have to admit I don't love being close cutting objects and I was a little scared as Ted cut it with me sitting on it)

Seeing if the cuts are right 

(Ted is lucky to have mini me wife, I am short enough to fit inside the box ha ha)

Using my yoga skills to hold the wood with my feet and screw it to the larger piece of wood

Then I went off to a fabric store I had seen, we have a similar one in Arizona, best prices on fabrics anywhere!  They get all the factory leftovers.

I was in fabric heaven!  Got the fabric for the ottoman for $10 and it is thick home fabric, they are going to get sick of me at this place!

Then home to sew, and sew and sew some more....

Before the slip cover is on it

Done

Looks pretty nice I think

Relaxing after a long day of building, finally somewhere to put our feet!

Lola is scared of it, she loves the space heater though ;)

The Final Line Up

Here was the final line up of my 24 hour cooking/baking binge:
(Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, honey butter, apple pie, rolls, bread, monkey bread)  It was a lot of fun to make all of it!

Turkey (19lbs!) and Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce, soooo good!

Rolls (first time kneading and making the dough by hand)

(The dough recipe was huge so I made the rolls and the next 2 things all with the same dough!

Bread - Ted couldn't wait for me to take a picture,

he already had a slice at this point :)

Monkey Bread 

Apple Pie (my first lattice attempt)

Here are picrtures from our Thanksgiving dinner that we had with our good friend Katrina and her daughter.  We are lucky that she moved to Cali from AZ a year ago, she has showed us all the ropes, and now she lives within walking distance of our house!

Stuffing

Place Settings - name tags and all

The food

Katrina and Lexie

Ted and I

Before the meal

After Ted and I fed Lola a thanksgiving meal 

(Stuffing, Turkey and Mashed potatoes - just a little)

She LOVED IT!  She liked her bowl clean a few times!

I made honey butter for the rolls it was good!

Ted carving the turkey

Katrina cutting the pies

We had a great time!  It was fun to have a quiet night last night too after the dinner.  

But we did miss our families a lot!

Pre - Thanksgiving

With a recent trip to Boston, Ted and I decided to stay in our little El Segundo for Thanksgiving.  Our friend Katrina and her daughter are going to spend it with us.  I am in charge of the Turkey, Stuffing, Rolls, Home made cranberry sauce, and an apple pie.

I love the look of Thanksgiving in my fridge!

I started with the apple pie yesterday

Made some messes trying to peel them with my hands (that don't work)

But easy clean up so oh well!

Some actually did get in the bowl

Apple pie ready to be latticed....where is Ted to teach me basket weaving.

After a few arguments, I finnally understood what he was saying,

Look I did it!  Aren't you proud Ted!?

Baked and ready to be eaten!

This morning was an early one, stuffing and Turkey

The bread didn't get crispy enough from leaving it out over night.

I resorted to putting a heater on them, and then broiled them in the oven.

Feewww!  It worked!

The goods to put in the stuffing

The bird getting ready.  I learned that if you stick butter chunks under the skin it really helps to keep the turkey moist.  I just slide my hand all over and put it everywhere.  Then I brush the top of the skin with more butter and salt and pepper.  

The stuffing hot off the oven

Stuffed Bird, YUMMM! 

My Grandmother's stuffing recipe, the best!

More to come with the finished products too!

Ted yesterday while I baked he worked.  We have a deal no working today though.  

The Boston Brazilian Wedding

My camera was having some issues.  So I didn't get that many pictures.  But the wedding was a lot of fun!

Valrie (Ted's mom) and me after the ceremony 

The aisle we walked down (after the ceremony)

I LOVED the little flower girls, 

the one in the white dress sang, it was so cute!

My new little friends :)

Half of the brides maids on the Brides side 

The other half on the groom's side 

The whole wedding party

The reception after was very nicely done, great food too!  

It was underneath the chapel

The Bride and Groom sat on the stage, probably a nice break to be alone

Isn't she gorgeous!?  The Wade, the groom, looking very dapper as well!

The cake

The place settings were really pretty as well!

It was at this point my camera was completely done for the night,

so...I improvised with my phone, not the best but at least something!

Ted and I at our table

Ted's cousin Andy (left) and his new friend who won $1 from Andy

(I loved his little bow tie!)

Jack and Valrie (Ted's parents)

Grandma and Grandpa 

Ted's Grandma got to walk her son down the aisle.

Me in my dress afterward in the hotel room.

This dress took a lot of work to fit right, my friend in our church here in El Segundo worked really hard to make it fit nicely and even added some nice adjustments to the little jacket with snaps (poppers) that hooked to my dress.  It turned out perfectly, thanks Judy!