handmade christmas roundup (finally!)

I've had new-year-procrastinitis. Every day that passes makes it harder to get back on the blogging wagon. And...we had a sad month. Our big family Christmas gift was a Labrador puppy. One that we've known since he was in his mum's tum, who we've visited since he was two weeks old. We brought him home the second week of January, and three days later found out he was very sick with a congenital heart defect. We made the awful decision to return him to his breeder for further investigation, but sadly, he died two days later. It has been a heartbreaking experience, and we don't feel ready to look for another puppy.

The rest of our holiday was joyful, though, and full of handmade goodness.

Lacy baktus for my mom (details on Ravelry)

peppermint bark (using the recipe shared by Soule Mama)

Christmas cookies - we made what seemed like hundreds and gave little parcels of cookies to friends and neighbours in lieu of Christmas cards

Christmas Eve pj bottoms - using Folksy Flannel and Burda 9747

mama-made flopsy doll made with hand-dyed organic bamboo velour

beeswaxed play blocks Daddy made from sawn douglas fir and birch branches

sailboat made by Daddy

rockerboard made by a man from a Waldorf community in New York (thank you Waldorf Mama for sharing his details last Christmas)

playstand made by my friend's incredibly talented 15-year-old son - perfect for building dens