Poinsettias

My new Christmas glasses, found at a local vintage store.

And vintage Vera, found at the same store.

(Umm, you can ignore the wrinkles... this is pre-ironing...)

Winter - Outside and In

Outside:

Inside:

Ornament from While She Naps on Etsy.

Shop Local

December was a month for Christmas shopping (the local, hand-made way), 

while drinking hot beverages.

Hot chocolate and coffee.

A Warm Welcome...

...to 2010, and to anyone who is still visiting this blog! I can't believe how long ago my last post was. I had all these posts planned for December, and then I had space-on-computer issues, and camera-batteries-dying issues, and loading-photos-to-computer issues. Most of those issues are now resolved, so I should be able to be back here more. And speaking of resolutions, mine is to blog more (and more consistently) this year. I'm not going to set a specific goal, just ... more. That should be doable!

Antique ornament on my tree - the photo on this year's Christmas card. Maybe I'll even get around to showing you the whole card...

I've also decided to unofficially join Project 365 this year. Unofficial, because (as you may have noticed) I sometimes have trouble posting things. Taking photos - no problem. Sharing them online in a timely manner - sometimes doesn't work out. I read about Project 365 last year, but too late to join. This year, I read about it again on Ali's blog, and in time to start it, no less!

You may have to wait awhile for my 365 updates, but in the spirit of Project 365 I have decided to share some of my recent holiday photos with you each day this week. Photos, and maybe a few words. But nothing as wordy as this post!

Taking time out from tree decorating to put up my feet...

...and drink some hot cider.

See you tomorrow, friends.

Halloween Party

For Halloween, I had some good friends over for a little dinner party. I was ready with decorations, which went up mid-October:

That cute "boo" banner is handmade in the US, and I got it from a local, independent gift store called Bibelot.

I found the pumpkin in the above picture (plus two more like it) at an antique store. They are from the '50s and made in the US. [And more about my little Max in another post...]

The maker of the crow above and the bats below will be featured soon on a "Friday Favorites" post!

The table was set with festive purple, green, and orange:

For an appetizer I made a version of the 'crazy gremolata' recipe from Nigella Express...

...and served it with a warm baguette:

Dinner was carrot soup, from the recipe of a good family friend:

Our friends brought some wine to share (which looks very Halloween-y in my green goblets!) and we made mulled wine as well (it was perfect for the cold night).

For dessert, I made 'candy corn freeze' from Halloween Tricks and Treats.

It's hard to see with the night lighting, but it is layers of yellow, orange, and white ice cream, topped with orange non-pareils.

And last but not least, my costume:

I dressed as Rogue (from the X-Men).

Etsy Favorites: While She Naps

Wow, it's been awhile! Things really picked up at work, and somehow almost a month has gone by since I last posted. How did that happen?!

I'm going to get back into the swing of things with another Friday Etsy Favorite: While She Naps. I just love her wonderful birds - they are so creative and beautiful. I bought this bird collage from her this past summer:

I love, love, love every part of it; the detail is exquisite.

I have it hanging up in my living room now, and it makes me so happy every time I look at it!

If you like it, don't forget to check out Abby's Etsy Shop, and keep up-to-date with her news (including her upcoming bird pattern book) on her blog.

At the same time that I got my bird collage, I also bought one of her pincushions. I have become obsessed with pincushions lately; you'll probably start seeing more of them showing up on my Friday Favorites! This one is so sweet - it's in a teacup and it came with the cute flower and leaf pins. Looks good with my geranium! (The photo is from August - there is snow on the ground now, and my poor geranium definitely does not look like that anymore!)

It has been snowing huge, fluffy, wet snowflakes all day today, and it's staying for the moment. I've got root veggies and squash from my winter CSA roasting in the oven, and the kettle's on for a cup of tea. It's turning into a very cosy evening! I've got lots more to share - I'll be back soon.

Etsy Favorites: Syko

You saw a blur of my bird and heart pillow from Syko last week, but here it is in all its glory:

I just love it. I'm so taken with the birds that are featured on many of Syko's items.

There's a cute tag so you know where it's from:

And a sweet green button sewn onto the back to close it:

It goes perfectly in my room!

Make sure you check out all of Syko's wonderful, whimsical creations. You can also visit her on her blog.

Wrist Warmers

When I wrote about my sweater, I promised pictures of the wrist bands, so here they are:

You'd think they would have been extra easy; just snip it off the sweater and it's done. Only I cut up the seam first, and then across. I figured that I would do a better job cutting the wrist part off the sweater if I was only cutting through one layer at a time. It didn't occur to me until after I'd made the cuts that I could still use the wrist parts, too.

But it was just a matter of sewing up the seam again, and then good as new!

[It feels sort of '80s, but I like them, and I've worn them].

Etsy Favorites: Frazzy Dazzles

This week's featured Etsy seller is Frazzy Dazzles. My order came sweetly wrapped including cute little buttons and an original drawing that matched my purchase:

Inside was Lish-ee, the bed monster, as well as some surprise Australian chocolates!

My bed monster promptly stole half my chocolates, but I managed to get the rest for myself:

Lish-ee's new home - my bed! (Very appropriate place for a bed monster).

[Somewhere in that blur is a sneak peek at next week's Etsy favorite].

Frazzy Dazzles is Big O-approved! Make sure to stop by her blog, too, to see all of the cute crafting that is going on.

A Warm Welcome...

...to the newest members of the Kittens' household (and they're not even cats!). These little cuties have actually been with us for awhile, but I have yet to introduce them to you. And so I present to you:

Abby the rat. She came to live with our family from the classroom I was teaching in at the end of the year (one of several class pets).

Next up is Bailey the rabbit. One day in early spring, I looked out my window into my yard and I thought to myself, 'What a cute bunny.' Then I did a double take as I realized the bunny looked like this:

That's not a wild rabbit! I went out and caught the cute little guy, and posted signs around my neighborhood. No one claimed him, so now he's mine!

And finally, my fish, who was also a classroom pet. Unfortunately, he died recently - but I just had to include him anyway.

You may be wondering how the cats feel about the newest members of our family. Well, I'll let you in on a secret: I believe that the term 'scaredy cat' actually originated with my kitties. They tend to shy away if Bailey or Abby are out and about. Not exactly hunters, but I prefer it that way!