Tag Archives: Christmas

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Show & Tell 1-6-2011

For your consideration today, here is the largest quilt that I have ever completed.  This is a twin-size quilt that I made as a Christmas present.  I finished it on December 24th!  Just in time. *grin*   I was able to snap a few pictures before I had to wrap it up.  The lighting wasn’t great, so the coloring isn’t true, but I think it looks beautiful anyway.  And the recipient loves it, so that is the important thing.

Here is the pattern.  This is actually the only quilt pattern that I have used (I have made 3.5 of them so far!  [Don't ask about the 0.5]).  It’s quick, easy, and fuss-free, so if you are looking to begin quilting, I highly recommend this pattern.

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On a related note, I have been reading a lot of ambitious New Year’s resolutions lists online.  Resolutions aren’t really my thing.  If I want to make a change or take on a challenge, I usually just go for it rather than wait until the date is 1-1.  Anyway, I do like the idea of creating one thing per week for 2011.  And since I have this little blog here, I think that my Show & Tell will be my accountability.  This isn’t too rigid and there aren’t really any rules.  But just look forward to seeing something fun and beautiful here every Thursday for 2011.

So what have you all been up to?  Please comment and share what you have been creating lately.

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Links I Love – Solstice Edition 12/21/2010

1) Michelle Obama in Vintage!

Our First Lady is so classy.  *Sigh

2)  Five Easy-to-Make Deluxe Gifts for Under $15, a guest post by Max Wong on Wise Bread

Wow!  I’m going to keep this in mind for gifts throughout the year.  I love the idea of giving orchids, succulents, and miniature rose bushes as presents.  And I am not even good with house plants!  But this article makes them seem so easy and achievable.  Also: re-purposing cashmere sweaters into hats & mittens?  Brilliant!

3) Free Simple Baking eBook by Jules Clancy of Stonesoup

I love Jules’ recipes.  They are spot on.  And her simple recipes (most with 5 ingredients or less) are delicious and easy.  Also since I’m usually only cooking for me and the Man, it’s great to see cooking and baking recipes for two people.  Yea for minimal leftovers! 

Anyway, I was thrilled to see this holiday baking ebook.  I have made the clafoutis recipe.  Amazing.  And I was drooling on myself reading the ice cream section.  And the cheesecake recipe.  Amazing.  I am planning to make the Little Bailey’s Cheesecake for a holiday dinner party I am having on Sunday.  Easy.  And amazing.

Happy Solstice!  Did you see the eclipse last night?  Me neither.  I was sleeping.  Anyway, we will have more daylight for a while.  Hooray!

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Current cooking obsession: Egg Nog

Every so often, I become obsessed with cooking/baking something challenging, usually something I have never made before.  I need to make it awesome one time, and then my obsession goes away.  Is that weird?  Probably.

I tasted real egg nog at a holiday party last weekend.  It’s delicious.  But clearly not for anyone is who is interested in restricting her fat or calorie intake.  Eggs, sugar, heavy cream, and preferably perhaps with a healthy dose of rum or brandy.  Yikes!  Plus most recipes make 30 servings or more.  Who needs that much egg nog?

And yet, it’s so traditional.  And it warms you up on cold winter nights.  And it’s fun for holiday gatherings. 

I have started to see recipes for egg nog floating around online.  I hadn’t planned on making it, and we already have Bailey’s Irish cream, wine, amarretto, Brandy Slush and ginger ale on hand for our holiday party. 

But it’s stuck in my brain now.  I might have to make it.  Just to get it out of there.  (Like when you get a song stuck in your head, and you just need to listen to it once to get it out.  Right?  Right?!?) 

Luckily, I found this recipe.  Twelve 1/2-cup servings.  Only two eggs.  I think it’s a winner.  If I do make it (which I probably will :P ),  I will post some pictures up here.  Because it may only happen this one time.

Do you have weird obsessions?  Have you ever made egg nog?  Did it go well or not?  Leave a comment and let me know. 

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Likes I Love 12/13/2010

1)  The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents by Leo Babauta

Someday, I am going to be an amazing blogger like Leo.  I wish I would have written this.  He writes about how advertising, shopping, and buying take away from what’s great about Christmas, which is spending time with family and giving. 

Also seasonally appropriate:

Three Steps to a Simplified Holiday by Robyn Devine of Minimalist Knitter, guest posting on Be More With Less. 

I love her advice.  Focusing on what is actually joyful and fulfilling for you will, I think, naturally lead you to follow these three steps.  At least for me, that seems to be the case. 

2)  The Downside of our Safety Obsession by Dave Feucht at Portlandize

How much should cyclists have to do to protect their own safety, and how much of the safety dilemma could be improved through better road planning and drivers paying attention/being better trained?  A fascinating discussion of the limits of personal responsibility for cyclists. 

And relatedly, bicycle fatality facts for 2009.  (Hint: Less people died riding bicycles than did from driving cars)

3)  We can learn so much from previous generations, especially in terms of simplicity and frugality.  Here are two awesome links about what these two women learned from their grandparents:

Dyno-Mom

Rowdy Kittens

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Holiday Cheer

The holidays are coming.  (Technically, Hanukkah ended yesterday!)  

Are you ready??

This year I was planning ahead.  I actually started knitting presents in July.  I made menus, grocery lists, present lists, budgets, etc.  Now that Christmas is two weeks away (Yikes!!), I generally feel prepared [although I haven't really started decorating yet]. 

I am using the plan from the FlyLady.  She pretends that she is going on vacation – a cruise – and needs to have everything ready for the holidays by December 1st.  And she helps her readers “cruise” right along with her.

Because of her system, I have put together a decorating station (so all of my wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, cards, etc. are in one place), I have made lists of presents to buy and make, I have reviewed my notes and recipes from our Christmas Eve party from last year in preparation for this year’s festivities, and I have bought all of the non-perishable food that I need for cooking and baking.  She has a small task for every day, and they definitely add up over time – kind of like a cleaning & organizing advent calendar.  I highly recommend her website to anyone who is scatter-brained, cluttered, and unorganized like me.  Although I didn’t finish EVERYTHING by December 1, I am already having a much calmer, less stressful holiday season because of her plan. 

One of her major themes is to give clutter-free gifts (she has lists of them on her website), because so many of us already own too much Stuff.  Since I planned ahead, I was able to make many of the gifts on my list.  For example, I am knitting a scarf for my father-in-law for when he has to shovel the driveway.  I built my mother-in-law a bird house because she loves birds and gardening and will hopefully enjoy it all summer long while she’s working in her garden.  My budget was $10 per person, and I was able to come in under budget on many of the gifts by making things using supplies I already had on hand, such as a scrappy, quilted stocking for my niece. 

This holiday organization plan was especially helpful since we visited my family in Wisconsin over Thanksgiving.  I finished their gifts and brought them with us so I didn’t have to ship them.  Plus bringing things in my suitcases to leave in Wisconsin made room to bring back some of my Stuff from my parents’ basement.  Which is perhaps the best (clutter-free!) gift of all, as far as they are concerned.

So, to anyone who may be reading this, what are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

P.S.  I also love this article by Leo Babauta about what’s important at Christmas time(ie spending time with people you love) and what’s not important (ie shopping).