(why are my pictures looking so blurry on typepad lately?)

Emma was rockin' the guitar yesterday afternoon. She wrote a song about missing spring, which had me confused because we also had a barn cat named Spring whose life ended tragically early a few months ago. But when she started singing about leaves and flowers and sun, I knew what she was talking about. I told her it must have been a really good song that she wrote because the chorus was stuck in my head for the rest of the day...."I miss the flowers and trees...I miss the flowers and trees." Anyway. It was better 'live'.

Have you seen the Christmas paper punches from Martha Stewart crafts? Oh my. I'll be "reviewing" them over at babycenter later this week. It is an easy review. They are so fun and they've got great cutting action. They are easy for little hands to use, which can be both good and bad.

I did a little blog freshening this weekend--a new banner and I changed the font styles more times than I wish to admit. I'm still itching to update my "fresh inspiration" which isn't so fresh anymore. Not that the inspiration is gone, I just haven't updated it in awhile.

My goal this week is to get some Christmas cookie baking in. I haven't really been in the Christmas spirit yet. We are waiting for a box of our Christmas decorations to arrive from Wisconsin, so I think when it gets here, that will be all the inspiration I'll need. Last year I felt like we started a little early so I think that's why I'm dragging my feet this year. And maybe if I got a handle on my Christmas gift-giving, I'd feel better, too. One of my favorite things to do is just put greens and holly all over the house. Maybe I'll work on that this week, too....

Hope you're all having a lovely monday...