merry christmas, happy holiday!

Here we are folks, day away from Christmas; Hanukkah has passed and Winter Solstice is being celebrated tonight. A time for family, love and giving, I wanted to take the time to wish you the happiest of holidays and for visiting me here at The 60/40. I really enjoy each and everyone of you. I hope you are blessed with joy, peace and an amazing new year!

via weheartit

My husband and I are off to visit our family, friends, and will  hopefully see some snow! I may pop in before the end of our trip, but if I've drank too much eggnog that will explain my absence.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! <3 Roxanne

homespun holidays: how good have you been?

Ok, so Santa knows if you've been naughty or nice, but are you worthy of this ginormous stocking?

It measure fifteen by fifty inches! That's alot of stocking stuffers.

via anthropologie

If you're a knitter you can knit this giant, featured in the Anthro catalog, for yourself. The designer said she could use it as a sleeping bag if she wanted too (I mean look at it, on.the.floor!)

Better get crackin' for next year, this one is twenty-four by sixty!

via kid knits : pattern via ravelry

I hope your final preparations are falling into place and you're able to find a moment of quiet and relaxation before the hustle and bustle of family and friends. Thankfully I'm finished with everything and working on one last very special present! See you tomorrow.

happy weekend & spirit of giving winners!

Happy weekend loves!

This morning my husband and I are cleaning the house in prep for our travels and enjoying some quality time together. Gifts are wrapped, cards are sent, and my hometown is getting snow! I can't think of the last time we had a white Christmas and I am so excited that the forecast is calling for 60% chance on Christmas day!

via uptown avenue

My husband and I sat down together with some cocoa and read each and every one of your comments for the giveaway. Eighty-five replies; wow! You had us laughing and crying; laughing and crying at the same time.

I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we did and I hope you'll come back and visit me often.

Thank you for taking the time to share your traditions with me; I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and the warmest of hearts.

via weheartit

Without further ado, here are the two winners of the French Press Slipper Pattern! PS. Random.org wasn't working for some reason, so I did it the old fashioned way and let hubby pick!

A fleece cap and 85 scraps of paper.

The Winners!!!

#1 was Bridget. She said:

"One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making my mother's Holiday Cheeseball. It's nothing fancy, but she would make it every year, on Christmas Eve. She seldom made anything from scratch, so it was a big deal! I am the only one in my family who still makes it, though my sisters always try to get me to make one and send it to them. You *have* to make it on Christmas Eve - but you don't eat it until New Year's Eve!"

Doesn't that sound so yummy? Congrats Bridget!

#20 is Adrienne. She said:

"When my nephews were little, they would shake their gifts and I would always tell them it was underwear. Well, one year, I actually did buy them all funny boxer shorts. What is even funnier, was that they really liked getting the underwear. In fact, the youngest (7yo at the time) loved his scooby-doo undies so much, he wanted to wear them everyday!

So, my nephews have been getting underwear for christmas for a long time now. of course, the green stuff attached to the tags is appreciated too."

Congrats Adrienne! My husband has now requested scooby-doo under-roos that can be worn daily!

Ladies please email me, or send me a message via Ravelry (LilKnitVixen) to claim your prize!

My heart can't help but feel a little sad; I wish I had eighty-five things to give away; but never fear, there will be another giveaway very soon!

Happy weekend folks. There may or may not be a {flea} tomorrow; depending on my packing progress, but be sure to check back for lots of pretties and super duper last minute gift ideas next week.

homespun holidays: snowy inspiration.

I literally just realized today that there are eight days left until Christmas! And I still have so many things to do. Are you all caught up on your gifts and wrapping? Or are you behind, like me? I suppose it would be easier if I hadn't had a dropped stitch mishap last night as I was finishing a gift for my brother. He better eat, sleep and shower with it!

Here are some pretties to get you through the rest of the day; I know I needed them. Happy wrapping.

Totally hoping for some of this when I go home {i.e. snow and Anthro}

via poppytalk

via weheartit

99% sure this is what my suitcase home will look like.

via weheartit

via weheartit

Doesn't this tree make you smile?

via weheartit

via weheartit

After all these years, I still love spending at least a little bit of my Chrismakkuh with the Cohens.

via weheartit

Can you tell I spent some time on We Heart It today? It's the first time I have had a chance to sit down and explore there and I love it (or, um...heart it?).

Don't forget also to enter The Spirit of Giving Giveaway!

Winners announced on Saturday.

homespun holidays: the spirit of giving giveaway!

I have two favorite things about the holidays.

One is the feeling I get when I'm giving to someone else. Whether I'm giving love, advice, a gift, or a hug, seeing a smile on the face of someone I love because I took that extra moment puts me on cloud nine.

My second favorite thing about the holidays is tradition. Doing the same silly little things with my family every year, yet creating new memories is something you can't not love.

In the spirit of my favorite holiday things, I'm having my first ever giveaway!

Melynda of French Press Knits has generously donated 2 copies of her uber awesome French Press Slipper Pattern for my lovely readers.

Isn't she the best?

via french press knits : pattern via ravelry

This is the hottest pattern on Ravelry right now and let me tell you, they are super cute and an easy, quick knit. Seriously folks, I knit mine in about three hours. You can win the pattern just in time to whip up a few pairs for last minute gifts or for yourself!

Want to know how to win? All you have to do is leave a comment below about your favorite holiday tradition. You have from now until Saturday December 18th, 11am, eastern time. Then I will select two! winners at random.

I cannot wait to hear all of your holiday traditions! I recently wrote mine out in another blogs comments and would love to share it with you. It's a little lengthy, but give it a chance.

Holiday traditions are abundant in my family; it's what makes Christmas so special for me. We've been going to the same tree farm for 22 years and I still cry when they sing 'White Christmas' at the Symphony and we enjoy a fancy family meal after. But there's one tradition that still warms my heart. Every Christmas Eve when I was little my Bubbie and Pap would come for dinner. I would head to bed early, eagerly awaiting Santa, anxious for everyone to leave so the big man would show up. My dad would come upstairs to find me in my bed with what seemed like a million Christmas stuffies. He'd pretend he didn't know where it was, and I'd happily jump out of bed and grab the copy "Twas the Night Before Christmas" that had been his as a child. He'd crack my bedroom window, even if it was ten below outside, crack open the tattered cover and read. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas' by Clement C. Moore". The father in the story never "tore open the shutter..." he always "tripped over the pisspot and threw up the sash". Giggles ensued. And Santa's "bound" down the chimmney always meant jumping on the bed. And of course he never laid his finger "aside of his nose", but in the world my dad created Santa's only way up the chimney was to "lay his finger inside of his nose". Then it would happen. Bubbie and Pap had left and, unknown to me, taken my parent's authentic sleigh bells. My Pap would park the car around the bend and trudge up the street in any sort of weather and ring those bells. As any child would, I freaked out. "Santa, SANTA, Dad stop reading...stop NOW". And I'd rush to the window, lean out as far as I could and listen to the bells. Santa was on his way! I had to get to bed; but my dad would insist that we read the story one more time, that Clement C. Moore had meant for us to enjoy. Sure enough, in the morning, Santa had come and I got to tell Bubbie and Pap all about how I had heard the reindeer's bells just before I went to bed. When I was nine, my brother was born, and though I no longer believed, the magic still lived in him and I now had the task of cracking the window and saying to him "Do you hear something?". Even as a young girl, it gave me chills to watch him gleefully toss the stuffies aside and rush to the window. I'm crying as I write this actually. The bells are silent now; my Bubbie passed away and my Pap now only comes out on Christmas day. But every Christmas Eve in our new pj's my brother and I (now 15 and 24) still gather all those stuffies and pull that tattered old book of the shelf.I married my college sweetheart this year and even he knows that when we have children, Grandpa will park down the street and ring those bells for our kids. I'll never tire of my Dad reading that story to me; never. I still laugh; I still jump on the bed; and yes, I still hear the bells. "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night".

There you have it lovely readers. Be sure to check back next week for all sorts of fun things leading up to Christmas, and Saturday when I announce the winner!

super {flea} sunday, on a monday.

Happy Monday; the {flea} is coming to you a day late as yesterday my husband and I were having a fun time playing board games and watching football with friends.

How was your weekend? Did you find any goodies?

I'd love to see what you're picking up for the holidays!

This weeks {flea} isn't so much about 'finds' as it is about last minute gifts. There is only ten shopping days until Christmas and I know some of you haven't even started. But never fear, I've found some really great last minute gifts and diy projects that will make your friends and family smile.

Elsie of A Beautiful Mess has posted a tutorial for an easy peasy, ultra cute laptop cover.

This could easily be whipped up in a matter of hours!

via a beautiful mess

Hop on over to Martha Stewart and make your mum some of these pretty trees.

Can you believe they're magazines?

via martha stewart

If you're looking to buy, try this sweet little iphone case,

via pipoca handmade

Or some chocolate covered oreos (um, yes please!).

via kerri cakes

Try your local baker or craft fair for last minute gifts too. Searching Etsy for sellers local to you will insure the gifts arrive in time!

I know I haven't posted my wrap tutorial as promised; but I'm just not pleased with it and don't want anyone handing out packages that I don't think are utterly beautiful.

But guess what I do have for you? You'll have to check back tomorrow to find out (hehe).

See you then!

happy weekend.

The holidays are really catching up to me! I feel like I've been neglecting all the lovely things I want to do here at The 60/40 for December. But never fear; next week will bring good things!

What are your weekend plans? I hope to send out our Christmas cards. I was going to go handmade, but I just don't have the time. Luckily I found a pack of Somee Postcards at Barnes and Noble. If you don't read Somee you should, they are hilarious and full of sarcasm (just our style). I hope my family accept our sense of humor.

Tonight my friend Christy and I browsed through the holiday pages and laughed so hard we cried.

This is one of my favorites.

via sommecards

I also happily finished all of my gift shopping, but I still have plenty left to make. I'll be working on a pile of hand knits for loved ones.

I wanted to say too Happy Hanukkah to many of my lovely friends who celebrate!

If you are looking for a last minute holiday gift for a friend check out these adorable cards. That bunny sure does look cozy. I like to think its sweater is made of angora.

via dragon house of yuen

I sincerely hope the holiday spirit is finding you and you're enjoying it.

See you Sunday for the {flea}!

i'm dreaming of a white christmas.

It's no surprise that it was sunny and seventy-five here in Florida today. I've had multiple friends offer to "trade" me for their six degrees with snowy winds. And you know what? I'd take it.

via country living

I grew up in the snowy northeast and was blessed that my dad worked for a ski resort for over twenty years. Winters in my house were spent skiing, sledding, and warming up with hot cocoa by a crackling fire.

Hot cocoa just doesn't seem right when it's this hot outside.

via nature 55

I spend a good part of my day pining over pretty winter photographs.

Are you a winter person? Wanna trade with me? I'm game!

I really hope when we travel to Pittsburgh for Christmas that it snows for me.

via nyllet

I miss walking around the woods surrounding our home. The drive up my street looks just as good.

via phenolog

via harley mac

The rest of the photos in this set are so fun and bright. Love them.

via jeff jones

I couldn't resist this faux winter wonderland. Too cute.

via kup kup land

*Le sigh*; I'm really longing for some big chunky snow flakes and a chunky hand knit scarf. Soon enough. And guess what? My wrapping paper tutorial will grace The 60/40 on Monday! I'm so excited to share it with you; it's so easily made and a really inexpensive way to add a wow factor to your gifts!

See you tomorrow!

via mg shelton

homespun holidays: gifts for knitters

I can't resist a good knitters gift guide, being a knitter myself. There are a million and one options out there; but these are handmade, unique things I'd love to see under my tree.

Any knitter will love seeing Soak Wash in their stocking. Their scents are so yummy, and the new Ravelry collaboration comes in an extra cute bottle.

via soak : via ravelry

Accessories are a must for any knitter, but so many of them are plastic, cheaply made and just plain boring.

 I absolutely love the pretty things made by Karat Stix. If you search through her sold items, you can see some of the really beautiful custom pieces she's done.

via karat stix

Tie some stitch markers onto the top of a package.

These little snowmen make me smile.

via passion knit pieces

Pattern tamers are an item that I think aren't at the top of a knitters "to buy" list; so giving them as a gift is perfect.

via spotted sheep studio

To contain all of these goodies, this stylish knitting clutch is like two gifts in one. It holds all of your knitting notions, but doubles as a purse for a night on the town.

via persnickity knits

If you know a knitting mom-to-be, I highly reccomend Vintage Baby Knits by Kristin Rengren. Not only is Kristin one of the nicest people I've ever chatted with, but her book is full of easy to understand, pee your pants cute vintage baby patterns.

via amazon

 The knitter with a sense of humor will appreciate a shirt from Raging Wool. They have the flippin' funniest stuff.

via raging wool

For a truly special gift I highly reccomend some custom dyed yarn from Three Irish Girls, or any of her other luxurious colorways. I promise the recipient will shower you with hugs!

This is her colorway Campbell, but a for a few bucks more Sharon can turn a photo, painting or any other inspiration you have into a beautiful skein of yarn. In my book, this is the gift to give.

via three irish girls

There you are; gifts that any knitter will love for the holidays. Tie off pretty packages with yarn pom poms or braids and I promise you'll make the knitter in your life very, very happy!

Tomorrow you'll see my wrapping paper tutorial if it kills me! I've been tweaking it and it's almost perfect!

If you have other knitter gift ideas, or something else you want to see leading up to the holidays please let me know. Your comments seriously make my day!

super {flea} sunday: homespun holiday edition.

How was your weekend? My husband and I got into the Christmas spirit this weekend, got alot of things done and had fun doing it!

Friday we went to the community tree lighting with my friend Christy and her kiddos. I chuckled as all the Floridians bundled up in winter coats and scarves because forty-five degrees is "freezing". I grew up in PA and went to college in OH, so needless to say we got alot of funny looks for showing up in just sweaters. We also saw the movie Brothers; It was really intense, but I recommend it.

Saturday morning our knitting group had a holiday get together. We ate yummy food, laughed and swapped disclothes. Pat, who was my secret Santa, knit me a beautiful blue lace cloth and gave me some delicious toffee colored Lamb's Pride yarn and some Soak wash! Thank you Pat.

I spent the rest of the afternoon putting lights on our tree (more on that later in the week), hanging ornaments for the first time as husband and wife, and cried my eyes out at the end of the movie White Christmas.

And now here we are. It's {flea} day and I have so many pretties to show you! The stockings are hung, the fireplace is on. You ready? Let's go.

I've been meaning to show you these little gals for a while; Polly and Molly. They're wooden bobble heads and absolutely adorable. I picked up the handmade ceramic tree at the {flea} for $5; it reminded me of my Grammie who used to make them. I think it suits their smiling faces and paint chipped bodies well.

Please excuse my horrid pictures, all taken with my iPhone and poor lighting in my house. The tree is ice blue with glitter and all green lights. I love it!

I also scooped up another globe for $5 at an antique shop right down the street from my house. It's called Pink House and it is in an insanely bright pink house. Cram packed full of deals too.

I now have 4 globes scattered around my home; I think it's time to get the shelf I've been dreaming of. Maybe Santa will bring me one? I couldn't see putting them away for the holidays, so they all have big red bows adorning them.

I have had alot of luck at the {flea} lately. I snagged this vintage little Santa planter a few weeks ago for, you guessed it, $5 bucks! I love getting a good deal, and since I don't have a plant to put in his pack I filled it will silver bells. Doesn't he make you smile?

And last but not least I had to share my Owl. My friends know me to be quite the curb diver. During the summers in college, the town rotate weeks of "throw out anything you can put on the curb". Furniture, art, broken windows, you name it, I found it! I was super stoked to snag this yarn owl,in our new town, in the rain. He is fuzzy, enourmous and cheerily hangs over our couch. I had to dress him up for the holidays.

There you have it. Some holiday pretties, on the cheap! What is your best {flea} find for the holidays? I am all about finding things at the thrift and the like for decor and gifts. Vintage scores are the best!

This week I have plenty to show you and I hope you'll come back. Monday; a gift guide for knitters. Tuesday; a gift wrap tutorial. Wednesday; I'll attempt to share photos of my Christmas decor, along with some tips. Thursday; a gals gift guide. And sometime this week, my very first giveaway! I'm so very excited.

Enjoy your Sunday evening; I'm off to watch the Harry Potter marathon, warm up some hot cocoa, and finally felt my French Press Slippers.

homespun holidays, happy weekend: inspiration

I've been gearing up for more gift guides and what not, but I just can't seem to get to them. Between decorating my home, knitting Christmas presents, and a myriad of other things, I just can't find the time to sit down and share with you. Can you forgive me?

The end of this week and next is going to bring some really fun stuff; gift guides for guys, gals, and knitters; two awesomely inexpensive tutorials, and a giveaway. Yes, my very first giveaway! I'm so super excited.

Here are some things I love and I'll have a little something more to keep you inspired tomorrow.

Winter themed cookies.

via glorious treats

via andover cookie mama

This adorable mistletoe ornament. Squeal!

via wiste

Bright and fun Christmas decor...

via boopsie.daisy

...even for dollies.

via super*junk

Perfectly sweet softies.

both via fantastic toys

Happy Friday!

See you Sunday for the {flea} and an amazing gift guide.

homespun holidays: gifts for the military man.

My husband is in the Army and I know a few of my lovely readers are also military wives. Sometimes it is difficult to choose gifts for the man who wears a uniform almost 24/7 and has little spare time, no?

Hopefully this little gift guide will put a smile on any military man's face for the Holidays!

My husband takes a lunch to work every day and I pack what feels like a million of them. I love these Bento Boxes as a gift because they're stylish yet manly, big enough to fit alot of food, and diswasher safe.

What man wouldn't want to tote one of these to work?

via uptown avenue

Ahh the Camelbak; hydration at its finest. This is a great gift, but one I won't be getting my husband as we already have six in our home. But if your guy needs to keep his thirst quenched on the job, at PT, or while deployed, there are about a million and one Camelbak options from sleek to full blown backbacks.

via camelbak

Sure we could easily gift our guys head to toe in camo, but that wouldn't be any fun. We gave these soaps to the groomsmen at our wedding and they were a hit! PS. Don't give these to anyone traveling by plane; not a great way to end holiday traveling. If you plan on sending these to your man who's deployed, get the go ahead from your command first.

via stinky bomb

Art is a tough thing to give a military man; all of that drab green, beige, and things blowing up (unless your whole house is decked out in mossy oak and taxidermy of course). Becca over at Lovely Yellow Ribbons makes the greatest military inspired artwork. You can even contact her about a custom piece.

via lovely yellow ribbons

And yes, I know there are a bajillion options for custom dog tags which are always an option, but I love these Paracord (aka the idiot-cord) bracelets. A little reminder of your intertwined love.

via lost cabin

And of course I couldn't leave out my knitters. Knit your man a scarf or hat for off duty and a set for on duty, just be sure to keep within the color regulations which can be found here.

pattern via ravelry

I know my husband wears his fingerless gloves until they are worn out.

via knit picks : pattern via ravelry

Or knit a little bit of whimsy with this grenade. You can easily add a ribbon and it an ornament.

via the guardian : pattern via ravelry

What are you giving to your military man for the holidays? I have a few 'army' things in mind, they are under wraps for the time being but I'd love to hear your ideas!

Tomorrow I'm going to put together a really easy wrapping paper tutorial and another gift guide. See you then!