Island Life

Our family recently relocated to The Bahamas for my husband’s work. Although our extended family lives here and we have visited often, nothing compares to the new adventure we are on. Traveling (and moving) with a toddler is always challenging.

Being based in California, London and Las Vegas previously, the island life is something you see in movies and photos on social media or are lucky enough to experience on a vacation or cruise (my previous experiences).  Although we will be back and forth, we will be spending quite a bit of time here and it is truly like a dream.  Spending the Winter in a tropical location adds a very fun twist to the normal cold holiday season.

Within a day of arriving, my daughter found a coconut that had fallen from a tree, cracked it open and we drank the water.  One of her favorite movies is Moana so you can imagine how excited she was!

If you want to escape the cold Winter this is the place to do it!  Check back often for more about our adventures in The Bahamas here or on our social media InstagramTwitterFacebook, & Pinterest

🇧🇸❤️

Jaimarie

My Own Elf

Today I made my daughter a red velvet Christmas dress with bubble sleeves and combined it with her red satin Elf/Gnome hat I made her last week.

I sew with Brother machines and needed both sewing and overlock machines (with wooly nylon) to make this happen properly. The bubble sleeves were really fun to make and this was my first time working with stretch Velvet which sewed better than I thought. It didn’t slip and slide nearly as bad as expected. It has amazing twirl factor which she loves. She is ready for Christmas & her new job on Santa’s team as his stylish little elf!

Merry Christmas!

Jaimarie

International Christmas Desserts

What are your favorite Christmas desserts? I love to travel (which hasn’t been so easy lately) and food from around the world. Some of the best times I’ve had traveling are during the holiday season, and traditional food other cultures celebrate Christmas with. Below are some of my favorites. If you try any, be sure to leave me a comment below!

Click the photos for links and recipes.

Happy Holidays!

Jaimarie

Lefse – Norway
Christmas Pudding – U.K.
Gingerbread
Buche de Noël – France
Panettone
Fudge
Turróne – Spain

Gratitude Cloche Hat

When the weather gets colder, it’s so much fun for me to create clothes and accessories to keep us warmer. One of the seasonal projects I just finished is a beautiful girl’s 1920’s style Cloche hat with an inside band of “gratitude ribbon”. It was ribbon I had leftover from another project, that matched my color scheme but it created the reminder to be thankful (and is now called the “Cloche gratitude hat” 😉).

Cloche is French for “bell” and the style of hat was incredibly popular in the 1920’s and originally created by Parisian designer Caroline Reboux. Here is my girl’s Winter version from a VFT pattern out of a holly thick fabric, with red satin lining and sewn satin ribbon rose. I am currently studying historical costuming and really enjoyed having an opportunity to remake one of the popular accessories from this time with a modern twist.

Happy Holidays!

Jaimarie

Ethel M – Travel Spotlight

One of my favorite places this time of year is a 40 year old chocolate factory in Las Vegas, NV (actually about 15 min away in Henderson) called Ethel M Chocolates. While you can have their sweets delivered (see their website) but the best part about them in my opinion is that you are allowed (for free!) to tour their factory in a self guided tour. You can see them actually making the chocolates by hand and at the end of a tour recieve a free sample. They have a cafe for lunch but they also have the largest Cactus Garden in the Southwest United States (over 3 acres!).

The company was started by the son of Ethel Mars (yes, of Mars and M&M candy) who moved to Las Vegas and opened his own company. During the holidays, they light up the Cactus Garden and have a walking tour throughout with music, hot cocoa and even Santa Claus (please check their website/social media as things are constantly changing due to the pandemic). Their chocolates make a wonderful Vegas souvenir for yourself or others and I find it to be one of Las Vegas’ hidden gems.

It is a must see on any trip!

xoxo

Jaimarie

Ethel M

Best Christmas Movies For The Whole Family

The Holidays are the time of year with short days and long cold nights, perfect for watching movies. Here are some great ones our family loves that are perfect for all ages (rated G up to PG-13) that you can watch at home with popcorn and hot cocoa. Click the photo for the IMDb links for more information about them and how to watch them.

Happy Holidays!

Jaimarie

Elf – PG
Home Alone – PG
Prancer – G
The Star – PG

Thanksgiving Leftover Meals (that aren’t sandwiches!)

We can’t wait for Thanksgiving but what is a foodie to do with all of those leftovers! You can only eat so many sandwiches, so here are some ideas of great ways to use your Thanksgiving dishes in meals the whole family will love.

Bon Appetit!

Jaimarie

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