Monday, December 31, 2012

Snippets of Christmastide

Warning: pictures, and lots of them.


Picking a good one.
 

It's about to get crazy up in here.



(Lest you think it's all glögg and pepparkakor around here, I'll say that hoo boy, we were all really cranky with each other that afternoon. But so it goes sometimes, right?)


 Spot the self-portrait!


Cookies.


And more cookies.


(I know these pictures are awfully blurry, but the blur captures my memory of that evening exactly.)


 Lucia Day breakfast.



Ha! I have no idea when this picture was taken.


Christmas Eve table.  Thanks to my bestie for the centerpiece (SO clever! It's a pop-up book--absolutely no effort required for beautiful paper flowers.)


Peppermint skirt!


Days winding down.


HOW MUCH? Oh wait, you're not advertising the vintage Singer? Sewing tease.


Hold on tight.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Five things I'd like to make or do this holiday season

Happy December! Here we go...

1. Felt mistletoe kissing ball


Because who doesn't need more kissing?

2. The Polar Express

Source: imdb.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Family movie night! Last year's viewing of Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas was heartily enjoyed by me, but my housemates Statler and Waldorf over there were not so impressed. Boo. Maybe this will be a bigger hit.

3. Some new/old holiday tunes


I have to give credit to Rae for this one. I mentioned this album to my man and he was like, "So, what do you like about Herb Alpert?" Really, the questions people ask me sometimes, I can't even.

4. Yarn-wrapped embroidery hoop wreaths



This seems like a fun idea to play with. I'm thinking maybe a bit more color, and go big or go home.

5. Holiday carousel

Source: uwkcblog.org via Sarah on Pinterest

The classics are classics for a reason, right?

What's on your Yuletide activity list?


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Weekending, x2

The weekend before Thanksgiving I visited a dear friend up North.



There were cozy accommodations.



A moody view.

And all sorts of crafty shenanigans. 



Crochet, my new nemesis...I MUST CONQUER YOU.



The caption for this photo was going to be "sometimes I am so dang clever I can hardly stand it" (look at that perfectly matched pattern!), and then I discovered, after sewing my new pajama pants together, that I'd drafted the pattern three inches too short. Grrrrrrrrr. I think I've figured out how I'm going to fix it, but, grrrrrrr.

And then, Thanksgiving.



At the table with my turkeys.



A little friendly competition.



I think I've found my forever pumpkin pie recipe.



If you are very careful and lucky with your sewing projects, the clothes you make may end up being worn over 30 years later. This is a pair of wide-leg wrap pants that my mom made in the 70's. They are polyester and completely crazy and completely awesome and I wore them to two parties in the space of a week.
 

And then, it was time for reindeer and elves.
 

And camels. Don't forget the camels.
 

The decadent season: that's whole-grain toast with Nutella and cranberry sauce, and I recommend you have some as soon as possible.
 

A little bit of thrifting to round things out.
 

Pumpkin pie can be savory as well as sweet. Lucky us! Recipe to come.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Thursday, November 15, 2012

It's almost my birthday and I'll post a wish-list if I want to

First, let me say that I know that there are real, actual problems in the world and I am...not doing my part to address them here.

However, the cold I've had for a week and a half has almost certainly morphed into a raging sinus infection, so I hope you'll indulge me for a few minutes while I distract myself by making a fantasy list of Nice Things.
Source: amazon.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I love Nigel Slater and am a sucker for cookbooks that aim to be encyclopedic and authoritative.


Fat quarters of the new Liberty of London quilting cotton collection. All of it? Yes, since we're fantasizing. I would like to make it into an x and plus quilt -- a pattern from Japan via Australia, featuring not-quite-Union-Jack blocks. Doesn't that seem appropriate, somehow?

Source: pfaff.com via Sarah on Pinterest

A quarter-inch presser foot. I'm told it will change my life.


Speaking of changing my life: I feel that I should learn to wear red lipstick before I turn 40. Time is running out.


This dress is no longer available, but I have to include it because the woman who designed it was clearly working from inside my head.


Clog boots that do not exist. (Mine would have a lower heel, and a natural wood sole. Why must you taunt me, Swedish Hasbeens?)


If I'm going to make birthday cakes for the rest of my family, I ought to have the right tools for the job.

Source: amazon.com via Sarah on Pinterest

This would help too.

Source: lodgemfg.com via Sarah on Pinterest

But one cannot live by fancy birthday cakes alone--one also needs fruit buckles and crisps. And cornbread.

Ahhh, thanks, all. I'm starting to feel better already.

What's on your winter holiday list?