Gifted

Happy 2011! We had some lovely holidays here. The kids were happy, Santa was sweet, much food and wine was consumed. Here are some of my most lovely presents (my friend Alana knitted the shawlette -- isn't it amazing?). Cooking, knitting, and vintage. What more could a girl wish for?

Merry Merry

I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve. Again. Here's a little gingerbread house that Ruby decorated at her Nana's house. Leena so graciously put it together the day before, which really is a job that I've sworn I've never do again (I'm not very handy with that royal icing). But Ruby and Henry both came home from a day with Nana with beautiful gingerbread houses. Hooray.

I did manage to make one Christmas Craft -- the Gingerbread Lady from one of Alicia's ornament kits. It was just one of the three ornaments, but I managed to finish it and gift it to Ruby's amazingly wonderful kindergarten teacher on the last day of school before break. Did I photograph it? Of course not.

Anyway, a happy holiday to all of you out there. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, have a lovely day. xoxo.

The Spread

So, we had a Christmas party. It was a little over a week ago and I'm still deep in recovery. We had about 60 people (including babies) come celebrate in our 1,000 square foot home -- do your own calculation to figure out how many square feet per person that works out to, but I'll assure you that space was tight.

I'll admit, the main reason I insist on a Christmas party every year is so that I can try new recipes and show off my collection of vintage tableware. I realize this is pathetic and kind of anti-social. But the food was glorious, with the Fontina Artichoke Dip and my mother's famous Olive Cheese Balls being the the out-of-the-park hits. I have most of my recipe hijinx documented over at the other blog. Check it out.

For now, I'm elbow-deep in Mod Podge helping Ruby with her super-secret Christmas gifts. Full report after they are unwrapped.

Bring on the Crafts

Craft fair season, she has begun. I'm trying to control myself, but this kind of replaces thrifting for me in these cold winter months. I'm also trying to stop myself from turning into a crazy Christmas lady. I'm not sure how well I will succeed.

p.s. That's a felt tea cozy you see. I bought it for myself, which I know is a pre-holiday no-no. But darn it, it does keep my teapot warm.

First I Took Manhattan...

Hey you guys. I just got back from a glorious three-day (and four nights) trip to New York City. I've been to NYC many times before, but each time it is completely magical in its own way. It really is a special place. I'm too tired to put it into my own words right now, but Andrea explains it perfectly here, likening a short trip to NYC to being in a game show cash booth, desperately trying to grab as much loose cash as it blows furiously by. That's how I feel, exactly. Thanks, Andrea.

Anyway, I did manage to grab some of that cash. Lots of it. Over the past few days I:

*felt like I had a huge date with my love, with lots of me time thrown in
*went to a remote part of Brooklyn to see a friend DJ
*saw some Wild Things art in REAL LIFE
*bought pretty dresses
*visited some pretty dresses that I could never afford
*ate the world's most disgusting Ruben sandwich (well, half of it)
*tried a New York egg cream
*walked about 200 blocks (no exaggeration)
*had a drink in the lobby of the Plaza. By myself.
*dreamed of Eloise
*hit Broadway, saw famous people acting in person
*cried before the Rembrandts in the Met
*walked through Central Park as the leaves fell
*drank a lot of coffee
*ate real New York pizza
*saw Leonard Cohen play a concert
*cried a lot at said concert
*kind of experienced my life changing at said concert
*saw the inside of the Guggenheim for the first time
*ate at a fancy Upper East side cafe (kind of pretended I was Blair Waldorf)
*ate one of the most delicious dinners of my life
*cuddled with my love in a movie theatre
*walked in the rain, got soaked, didn't care

and so much more. Sorry folks, no pictures. I didn't even bring a real camera -- I kind of wanted these memories to be private, just for me and my mind. But I'm sure you can dream of how lovely it was. Ah, New York...

Hold Me Close, Tiny Crafter

As I struggle to finish a knitting project before Monday (it's in a dead heat race with an Amazon order that I ordered in November -- and shipped Tuesday -- for my biggest holiday stresser), Ruby hit the craft table today. Nothing heavy duty -- I just bought a little ornament kit for us to do together and she loved it. Just some beads strung on wire and twisted into snowflakes for the tree. It was very sweet because she kept looking up at me and saying "Mama, are you proud of me? Are you?" as she skillfully slipped the beads on. What a girl.


And, I thought this deserved a photo. Some friends came by for dinner the other night and arrived with this gingerbread house that their three-year old daughter made with her grandmother. Since we didn't get around to doing anything like this this year, it makes a very welcome addition to our growing pile of holiday treats.

Love And Stuff

Happy V-Day! Like many I have a love/hate relationship with February the 14th -- I love the hearts and lace and flowers and candy, but I hate the disappointment and feeling like I've set myself up for heartache. I tend to make a big deal about things and since I was in junior high school, I've always dreamed of a big frilly heart shaped box full of bon bons. I have a perfect picture of it in my mind. Unfortunately, in all my years of dating, I've never actually dated a mind reader. Fancy that. But I think the man that I've chosen as my permanent Valentine has come as close as any mind reader ever could by treating me with....


Stinky cheese! This morning my sweetest of the sweet presented me with a lovely chocolate heart filled with Bernard Callebaut chocolates plus two blocks of Janice Beaton cheese! For those of you who don't live in Calgary, this is foodie heaven -- Callebaut is a world famous chocolate wizard and Janice Beaton is the queen of snobby cheese. In fact, urban legend has it that the two of them once dated! Can you imagine? Anyway, it takes a special man to give blue cheese as a romantic gift. I couldn't be happier. God only knows what I'd be without you, A.B.


The postman was also kind to me this morning -- look, another card from my Flickr swap, this one from Wendy. Thanks Wendy, this is beyond beautiful and I cherish it.


Finally, my first Superbuzzy order arrived. Two yards of amazing canvas. I especially adore the stacking dolls. I'm almost 100 percent sure these will turn into bags. I feel an addiction coming on.