Under a blue moon

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites

 

• Is it too soon to think about Valentine's Day?  These soapstone heart paperweights would make a sweet Valentine and the purchase goes to an excellent cause.
• Okay back to New Years ~ here's a timely link for those of us trying to incorporate some new, positive habits into our lives (via a friend on a message board I frequent).
• An easy, stylish scarf to knit - I think even I can handle this one (and maybe even finish it...).
• Oh how I love this sweet little picture.  Love the photos and style on the entire website too.  The women at Euro Trash need to come redecorate my entire house.
• I've booked a room at the Glendeven Inn to celebrate a milestone birthday (Rick's, not mine).  We've always wanted to go to Mendocino. 

Have a Happy Friday everyone ~ and a glorious New Year!!

The Year in Review

As the year draws to a close I like to look back and see how I spent my year.  The cooking, the crafting, the places I've seen. 

I think it's fitting that on this final day of 2009 we are actually having a blue moon!  I think it is an auspicious end to the year and a great start to the new one.  I, for one, am really looking forward to what 2010 brings.  I think it is going to be a really good year!

January - A lovely start to the year should include a visit with the girls.  They are so sweet and comical.

February - Ready for Spring with a freshly painted $30 table, a $7 Ikea vase and bunch of tulips. 

March -  A project that worked from conception to execution!  I still love those ruffly little stool covers.
 
 

April -  The yard starts to explode with blooms....and mosquitoes.
 
 

May - Finally got the house painted.  Only took us eight years.  My favorite part is the paint color name for the front door - "Kitty Kitty"

June - One of my favorite pictures.  When I look at those jars of buttons I feel rich. 

 

July - A month of visitors and baking - my first clafoutis (why do I want to say "Bless you!" when I hear that word?) 

August - A sweet little pig.  That I couldn't leave alone and painted and silver-leaf'd and antiqued....

September - The Winemaker's Wife and I embark on a new canning crusade.  Well we got six jars out of it...

October - Oven quits - Andrea complains - Thermador comes to the rescue

November - Let the glittering begin!

December - one of my favorite projects of the year.  And one of the few decorations I actually put up this year.

Thank you for sharing this year with me and indulging me in a little reminiscing.

Join the fun and see other bloggers' year in pictures.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On the sixth day of Christmas...

Early in December my friend Karen and I were having an email discussion about the twelve days of Christmas.  I was explaining to her that they referred to the twelve days AFTER Christmas, ending with the Epiphany.  From there the conversation veered to food (King's Cake) like our conversations have a tendency to do.

I didn't think any more of it until just before Christmas when two packages arrived from her.  Just prior to that I got a cryptic email from her saying that two packages would arrive from me and I was to open the box but not thing thing that wasn't a box.  I was to open nothing in the box until further instructed.

In the box were eleven beautifully wrapped packages and the thing that wasn't a box (it turned out to be a mailing tube) was the twelfth package.

She sent me a present for each of the twelve days of Christmas!  Each day she sends me an e-mail instructing me which gift to open. 

It has been so much fun!  I was the most curious about the thing that wasn't a box and finally got to open it yesterday (vintage map of Paris).  So far I've received some high end eye-shadows, a makeup brush, chocolates, note-cards, an edger punch and the map.  I can't wait to see what the next six days bring.

I hope everyone is enjoying the lull between Christmas and New Year's.  Today I plan on housecleaning so we can start the new year with a fresh, shiny clean house.  I've already warned Rick that I'll be turning off the heat and opening all the windows.  The house is getting that mid-Winter staleness about it.

Tomorrow's post will be the year in review.  It's always fun for me to see what I did over the past year and what I accomplished (or didn't accomplish, as the case may be....).
 
 

Monday's Musing

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites

 

• Gorgeous knitting blog - and not to be sexist or anything but he's a HE!  I apologize in advance for sharing this because you are going to want to quit your job, ditch your friends and take up knitting full time after you look at his photographs and patterns.
• I can't wait to see this movie ~ I'm in the mood for a good English period piece.
• Interesting article my friend (and benefactress) Kelly shared with me on making a living via Etsy.  It's harder than all the fantasizing makes it look.
• Speaking of Etsy....gorgeous print from Get the Picture (via Laura DePonte)
• Adorable PJ bottoms - with the sweetest little ruffled hem.

I wish you all the Merriest Christmas!! 

 

Almost there

Everything is as ready as its going to be.  Rick is out tracking down a FedEx delivery as we speak (misrouted to Memphis, delays due to inclement weather, Andrea having a nervous breakdown....). 

I want to thank everyone that takes the time to come visit my little corner of the internet and for all the encouragement and kindness you show me.  It means more to me than you could ever know.

My Christmas wish for you is that you are living your dream and that 2010 is a magical, sparkly year for you.

Thank you and Merry Christmas Everyone!

~Andrea
 

Help!

I want to start researching new sewing machines.  And no, the one above is sadly not mine.  I think it is Sara's.  Or maybe Nicki's.  Then again it might be Kate's.  It was brought to a quilting retreat - that's all I remember.

I am looking for an all purpose sewing machine.  Not a ton of money.  Not necessarily meant for quilting (although quilt piecing and the occasional machine quilting will be done on it).  What I really, really want is a ruffling foot attachment.  It can't be super complicated.  I borrowed Nicki's old Bernina and couldn't figure out how to thread it, even after she painstakingly explained it to me, about forty seven times. 

Any recommendations?  Are refurbished machines an option?  Or to be avoided?

To recap:

Must be inexpensive (under $500 or am I in fantasy land?)
Easy to learn
Uncomplicated
Ruffling attachment
Ability to machine quilt (not complex quilting)

In short like this, only with a ruffling attachment:

  

Monday's Musings

Lime Meltaways

I am invited to a Cookie Exchange tomorrow.  I've never been to one before but as I understand it you arrive with six dozen cookies and you leave with six dozen cookies, hopefully of a different variety than the ones you brought.

I decided to make Lime Meltaways because they sounded refreshing and a bit different from the typical types of cookies you would make this time of year.  Plus I love lime. 

I used Martha Stewart's Recipe, doubling it.  I ended up with about 85 cookies.  They were a breeze to make and my hands still smell of fresh lime zest.

The invitation said to bring six dozen cookies, bagged in groups of six.  Since I didn't read the fine print I thought I was supposed to bring six dozen in groups of 12 and bought cute little boxes and cupcake liners to bring them in.  The boxes are too big for just six cookies so I need to rethink my delivery method.

Drat.  I thought the presentation was so darned cute.

 
 

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites

 

• I know it's cutting it close but this site has some cute packaging ideas for gifts.  Great ideas and the resources to buy.
• It's not too close to Christmas to enjoy this treat from the ever amazing Mari. 
• I'm enamored with key necklaces lately.  This is a pretty, vintage styled one.  Also in love with these delicate earrings from the same Etsy seller.
• I've decided on what I giving everyone for Christmas next year.  A postcard from here.  :o)

Happy Friday Everyone!