Buon Natale a tutti voi! Merry Christmas to everyone!
I hope everyone had a lovely and blessed Christmas this year. It was a wonderful holiday for C and I and we're already looking forward to preparations for next year!
Now starts the final week of 2010 and while C and I are off of work, we have a lot to do around here. I hope to get some WIP updates posted soon in conjunction with my 2011 resolutions.
Until then...
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas Q&A
I saw this on Heather's blog and since she's starting to feel festive, I thought I'd play along and be festive too. :)
20 Christmas Questions
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping paper. I love picking out new paper and ribbons every year and making bows for packages. I actually worked one season as a gift wrapper at a department store and it was so much fun! But there are occasions where a present just needs to be in a bag, either because there's no proper box to be found or if it's a gift card, I love to put those in little tiny gift bags.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. We just bought a new tree this year, but I've never had a real tree in all of my 33 years and I don't have any idea how to take care of it. Plus I don't know what the crazy cat would do to a real tree!
3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving if at all possible. It's a great thing to do on a day off of work and when we're still recovering from a huge meal the day before.
4. When do you take the tree down? Some time during the first week of January. I love having the tree up, so I usually procrastinate on taking it down.
5. Favorite gift received as a child? That's a tough question! I had many favorite toys but I'd have to say my most cherished is a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale book that my aunt gave me when I was about 7. I have it tucked away in a safe place now.
6. Hardest person to buy for? I always have trouble buying for my husband. He doesn't ask for much, and his birthday is in September so I don't have much time to gather new ideas between then and Christmas!
7. Easiest person to buy for? My nieces because I can buy any fun toy or cute clothes and they'll love it.
8. Mail or email Christmas cards? The first few years that C and I were married, we sent out photo cards, but this year and possibly last year, I haven't sent any cards out. It's purely because of laziness though!
9. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story or Elf. I love comedies and it just doesn't feel like Christmas without Ralphie. :)
10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Not until December. I am not one to get an early start but it doesn't usually take me too long to get what I need. I like to shop online which makes it a lot easier!
11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. More than once. It's not always a bad thing!
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pumpkin Pie.
13. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? Either. This year we have all white, but I have sets that are red/green, red/white, and multi, so I like to alternate each year.
14. Favourite Christmas song? Any of the songs from A Very Special Christmas.
15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both. We travel the weekend before Christmas to see family that doesn't live in the area, but Christmas Eve and Day we stay in the area.
16. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? This year, nothing because we couldn't find an angel that looked right with the new decorations we purchased. So it's bare.
17. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Some of both. It depends on if we're too busy on Christmas Day, we'll open before we go to bed on Christmas Eve. But no matter what, we exchange one small gift on Christmas Eve.
18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The mess that is in our house for the entire season from all of the decorations and wrapping scraps, etc. I can't wait to get it all cleaned up!
19. What do you want for Christmas this year? A sewing machine and an iPad. I think I'm getting the sewing machine from my mom, but I doubt I'll be getting an iPad though.
20. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? Definitely red and green with some silver or gold mixed in.
I hope that you all have a very happy hooky week! Thanks for visiting!
Kelly
Monday, December 13, 2010
Chicago Chocolate Tour!
This past weekend, C and I went on a delicious Chicago Chocolate Tour with our family. C and I have done several tours over the years...we try to find one whenever we visit a new city. So far we've been on tours in Chicago (which is home), San Francisco, and New York City.
This tour started off with a bit of education on what chocolate is and where is got its beginning.
Our first stop on the tour was to More Cupcakes where they specialize in savory cupcakes including BLT, Bacon Maple and for the holidays, Sweet Potato. For the tour, we were given a sample of their most popular: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake. It was DELISH!
The second stop on our tour was to Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter (they don't have a website unfortunately). Here we were welcomed into the back where we got a firsthand look at how they make their delicious breads and pastries. We sampled a fantastic chocolate cake and a white chocolate bread. Of course they use only the best chocolates from Belgium. This was by far my favorite stop on the tour and C and I will be returning again on our own.
Our third stop was to Harry & David which is typically known for their specialty fruit baskets and more specifically, pears. They have started to expand into other areas, chocolates being one of them. We received a nice goody bag of 6 different chocolates and a pear!
The fourth stop on the tour was to Sarah's Candies. Amazingly, Sarah has been in business for 5 years and she is only 30 years old! One of her wedding cakes was voted as America's Most Beautiful Cake by Brides Magazine and will be on an upcoming episode of Food Network Challenge Cakes! We sampled a Royaltine, which is a chocolate candy coating covering a crispy something-or-other (have no idea what it was but it was good!). I only got one picture from Sarah's though, as it was very small and very crowded.
Our fifth stop was to Teuscher (toy-sher) Swiss Chocolates where we sampled a decadent champagne truffle. It was heavenly. Teuscher was another very small crowded shop, so much so in fact that we couldn't even go inside as a group!
Our sixth and final stop was to Argo Tea Cafe where we sampled a specialty drink: chocolate chai lattes and a homemade chocolate brownie. I didn't get any pictures at Argo, mainly because I had been there before and it didn't occur to me, but also because after almost 3 hours of walking, most of which was in the rain, I couldn't be bothered to bring out my camera for another picture. :)
But I did get a few other neat pictures along the tour:
With all of this Christmasy stuff going on over the last few weeks, I have had almost zero time for anything hooky. It makes me sad because there is so much that I want to work on, but I just don't have the time right now. I have a few projects in my sights for after the holidays though and I can't wait to get to work on those. But this is all for now. Ta-Ta!
This tour started off with a bit of education on what chocolate is and where is got its beginning.
Our first stop on the tour was to More Cupcakes where they specialize in savory cupcakes including BLT, Bacon Maple and for the holidays, Sweet Potato. For the tour, we were given a sample of their most popular: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake. It was DELISH!
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| Cupcakes! |
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| They were devine |
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| The unassuming storefront of more |
The second stop on our tour was to Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter (they don't have a website unfortunately). Here we were welcomed into the back where we got a firsthand look at how they make their delicious breads and pastries. We sampled a fantastic chocolate cake and a white chocolate bread. Of course they use only the best chocolates from Belgium. This was by far my favorite stop on the tour and C and I will be returning again on our own.
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| The owner (right) and one of the bakers. The only part not shown in the kitchen was the wall of ovens. Everything else is made right on these two tables |
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| Fresh out of the oven white chocolate bread loaves |
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| The Hendrickx storefront |
Our third stop was to Harry & David which is typically known for their specialty fruit baskets and more specifically, pears. They have started to expand into other areas, chocolates being one of them. We received a nice goody bag of 6 different chocolates and a pear!
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| The Harry & David entrance |
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| A lovely Christmas display |
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| C and I are the perfect pear! :) |
The fourth stop on the tour was to Sarah's Candies. Amazingly, Sarah has been in business for 5 years and she is only 30 years old! One of her wedding cakes was voted as America's Most Beautiful Cake by Brides Magazine and will be on an upcoming episode of Food Network Challenge Cakes! We sampled a Royaltine, which is a chocolate candy coating covering a crispy something-or-other (have no idea what it was but it was good!). I only got one picture from Sarah's though, as it was very small and very crowded.
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| Sarah also has her own cookbook |
Our fifth stop was to Teuscher (toy-sher) Swiss Chocolates where we sampled a decadent champagne truffle. It was heavenly. Teuscher was another very small crowded shop, so much so in fact that we couldn't even go inside as a group!
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| The teuscher storefront |
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| Some of the very tempting treats |
Our sixth and final stop was to Argo Tea Cafe where we sampled a specialty drink: chocolate chai lattes and a homemade chocolate brownie. I didn't get any pictures at Argo, mainly because I had been there before and it didn't occur to me, but also because after almost 3 hours of walking, most of which was in the rain, I couldn't be bothered to bring out my camera for another picture. :)
But I did get a few other neat pictures along the tour:
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| The John Hancock Building piercing the foggy sky |
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| The Christmas tree in Daley Plaza surrounded by the Christkindlmarket (see all of that rain??) |
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| The Christmas tree surrounded by foggy skies and beautiful buildings with the Picasso statue off to the left. |
With all of this Christmasy stuff going on over the last few weeks, I have had almost zero time for anything hooky. It makes me sad because there is so much that I want to work on, but I just don't have the time right now. I have a few projects in my sights for after the holidays though and I can't wait to get to work on those. But this is all for now. Ta-Ta!
Monday, November 22, 2010
I Got A Beautiful Blogger Award!
Thanks to my friend Gillian for the nice shout out! :)
So, 10 things about me...these are always hard to come up with!
10. I hate trying to come up with things for dinner. It's always a debate in our house because no one can make a decision.
9. I am addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper.
8. My favorite band is The Frames, all the way beautiful Ireland.
7. I have "startitis" that's really bad at the moment...I have WAY too many WIPs and can't focus on getting any of them done.
6. I am terribly afraid of storms.
5. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be Rome. It's one of my favorite places on Earth.
4. I don't like beans of any kind (except green beans, but they're not really a bean are they?)
3. I have worked at my company for over 9 years. Funny because I took the job on a temporary basis and never left!
2. My husband and I met online.
1. My cat and I also met online (via petfinder.com).
Now to nominate:
Dutchgirl Diary
Crafty Valley
The Garden Bell
MandasChallenges
Blissful Things
Happy Blogging!!
Oh, before Thanksgiving I'm going to post one of my favorite recipes! :)
~kelly~
Friday, November 5, 2010
Where Have I Been??
It's been just over 3 weeks since my last post. I've not really been in the blogging mood: reading or writing for that matter. I think you all know what that's like. :)
But I've been busy with the hook and the yarn, trying to get some UFOs finished, or at least closer to completion, because with the holidays coming up I am afraid I won't have as much time in the evenings to dedicate to crochet. Its not something I like to think about, so we'll just push past it.
I did recently dig out the Hexy that has been hibernating for several months. I think I'm about 1/2 way done. The first half seems to be the easy part. The 1/2 hexys and the border will be more difficult. The problem is, I'm just not loving it. When I started working on it, I was in love with it. I wanted to marry it. But now the honeymoon is over and I'm not excited about working on it at all. I put about an hour of work into it the other night, doing one row across of 9 hexys and I struggled, feeling distracted and defeated all at the same time. I'm NOT defeated, but I feel like I'm toeing the line a little bit. Here's where things stand:
Additionally, I finished and shipped off the afghan I made for my cousin's new little girl. It arrived at their house 2 days before Samantha was born, so hopefully they were able to use it for the trip home from the hospital (unfortunately I have not heard). I'm not sure if you can tell from these pictures but the border is just a single row of SC shells ([sc, ch2, sc] all in one stitch).
Well that's all for today. One of my cro-goals this weekend is to dig out all of the UFOs, figure out how far along I am and what materials I need to finish them, and get to work! I know I have a few Christmas gifts started and there are a few more Christmas gifts that I want to start and time is running out.
Looking ahead to 2011, I think one of my New Year's Resolutions should be: finish a project before starting a new one. We'll see how that actually works though. :)
Ta-Ta!
But I've been busy with the hook and the yarn, trying to get some UFOs finished, or at least closer to completion, because with the holidays coming up I am afraid I won't have as much time in the evenings to dedicate to crochet. Its not something I like to think about, so we'll just push past it.
I did recently dig out the Hexy that has been hibernating for several months. I think I'm about 1/2 way done. The first half seems to be the easy part. The 1/2 hexys and the border will be more difficult. The problem is, I'm just not loving it. When I started working on it, I was in love with it. I wanted to marry it. But now the honeymoon is over and I'm not excited about working on it at all. I put about an hour of work into it the other night, doing one row across of 9 hexys and I struggled, feeling distracted and defeated all at the same time. I'm NOT defeated, but I feel like I'm toeing the line a little bit. Here's where things stand:
I also started a 2nd Granny Stripe afghan. This one is for my husband using colors that he picked out (for the most part-I edited a little to get 5 that really worked well together). I'm calling it the Manny Stripe, because it is pretty manly. It looks great with our sofa and will be perfect for him to snuggle under for some TV time (and then I can have 100% ownership of the Monster and not feel an ounce of guilt over it). I don't know exactly how far I am into it, maybe somewhere around 25 stripes (50 rows). I think I'm going for about 70-75 stripes total. I've only been working on it for about 2 weeks. One of the things I love most about it is that the work is pretty mindless. I can have one eye on the TV and one eye on the hook/yarn and not make many mistakes. Maybe that's what's deterring me from the Hexy...I have to really pay attention to what I'm doing. Hmmmm....
Well that's all for today. One of my cro-goals this weekend is to dig out all of the UFOs, figure out how far along I am and what materials I need to finish them, and get to work! I know I have a few Christmas gifts started and there are a few more Christmas gifts that I want to start and time is running out.
Looking ahead to 2011, I think one of my New Year's Resolutions should be: finish a project before starting a new one. We'll see how that actually works though. :)
Ta-Ta!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
3 Years Past
Tonight's post is dedicated to my husband in thanks for a fantastic first three years of marriage.
October 13, 2007 we said our vows in front of a group of our closet friends and family and then proceeded to have one of the best parties ever. It was a fantastic day, one that I often reminisce about and long to recreate. We had two fantastic photographers that captured the day beautifully, so I thought I'd share a few of the pictures with you.
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| Checking out my hair. |
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| Seeing each other for the first time. |
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| Our rings |
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| During the ceremony... |
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| The platter I made for our guests to sign instead of a guestbook. Our vows are printed on the back. |
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| A fun shot from up high |
Friday, October 8, 2010
Back in the Saddle
Well, life has gotten the best of me.
I feel like for the last two weeks, I have totally abandoned my normal routine and with that went updating the blog. :(
Sorry friends!
Last week I was out of town working at a very important conference for work and the week before that I was over my head in prep work for said conference. I barely had time to eat a meal much less could I sit in front of a computer and do something not work related. And worst of all, I can't even believe it's true, for 6 solid days, I didn't even pick up my crochet. GASP!! I know, it was so sad, my crochet bag just sitting there in the corner of my hotel room (along with my lonely laptop). At the end of the day, I looked at it longingly but exhaustion won out and I had to let it go another day.
Needless to say, I did not finish my latest baby blanket for my cousin's shower last weekend, so I'll have to send it to her as soon as I am finished...Those stupid ends have driven me almost to tears. Please if you only take ONE piece of advice from me, let it be this: WEAVE IN YOUR ENDS AS YOU GO!!! You will thank me later, I promise. I have been weaving in ends for the last two evenings as much as I can, as long as I can stay awake. Tonight might be the night, then comes the border, and then finally maybe it can be packed up and parceled out.
I have some great upcoming projects that I need to get started on for Christmas presents.
I mentioned a while ago that I got sucked into the Big Stitch Crochet at Stitches Midwest and bought all of the yarn I will (hopefully) need for an afghan for my mom. I also bought a kit for a quite intricate wool afghan from Herrschner's that might be a Christmas gift, if I can get it done! I also have some baby hats that I would like to try out, and a few scarves for some of the ladies in my family... it's all very intimidating, but I think I can do it, most of it anyway. I also want to buy a new sewing machine, so time to start researching those too. Too bad my pesky job gets in the way of all of this fun stuff! :)
I feel like for the last two weeks, I have totally abandoned my normal routine and with that went updating the blog. :(
Sorry friends!
Last week I was out of town working at a very important conference for work and the week before that I was over my head in prep work for said conference. I barely had time to eat a meal much less could I sit in front of a computer and do something not work related. And worst of all, I can't even believe it's true, for 6 solid days, I didn't even pick up my crochet. GASP!! I know, it was so sad, my crochet bag just sitting there in the corner of my hotel room (along with my lonely laptop). At the end of the day, I looked at it longingly but exhaustion won out and I had to let it go another day.
Needless to say, I did not finish my latest baby blanket for my cousin's shower last weekend, so I'll have to send it to her as soon as I am finished...Those stupid ends have driven me almost to tears. Please if you only take ONE piece of advice from me, let it be this: WEAVE IN YOUR ENDS AS YOU GO!!! You will thank me later, I promise. I have been weaving in ends for the last two evenings as much as I can, as long as I can stay awake. Tonight might be the night, then comes the border, and then finally maybe it can be packed up and parceled out.
I have some great upcoming projects that I need to get started on for Christmas presents.
I mentioned a while ago that I got sucked into the Big Stitch Crochet at Stitches Midwest and bought all of the yarn I will (hopefully) need for an afghan for my mom. I also bought a kit for a quite intricate wool afghan from Herrschner's that might be a Christmas gift, if I can get it done! I also have some baby hats that I would like to try out, and a few scarves for some of the ladies in my family... it's all very intimidating, but I think I can do it, most of it anyway. I also want to buy a new sewing machine, so time to start researching those too. Too bad my pesky job gets in the way of all of this fun stuff! :)
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