Ready for the new year

Clearing out clutter, making things orderly, means I can breathe in my sewing corner now. Big deep breaths that energize me.

Ta-da!

Need something serged? We have the technology.

Grimoire

A delicious holiday project, finished tonight: creating a grimoire, as a prop for The Vampire Diaries.

December 28

I'm tired of muddy footprints on the tile. Perhaps this will help; we'll see. I had fun making it, anyway.

And now I've learned the Magic Loop method for when your circular needle is too long. It's quite possible that I'm becoming a knitter.

December 27

Possibly the best Christmas gift was one I don't know how to use. But I'll learn.

Mookie's birthday

I wouldn't like to have my birthday so close to Christmas, but I'm glad Mookie does. It makes it so convenient to celebrate with her. Happy birthday, sister-friend.

Christmas Day

Friends, family, food ... and baby Chelsea. Blessings indeed.

Star anise

Inhale. These perfect little stars smell like Christmas.

Victory

She finally mastered multiplying and simplifying fractions. I think the new pink lap desk helped.

Preparation

I don't know where half of the cloth napkins have gone, but with 21 coming for lunch on Friday, it's time to make more.

A night of firsts

Ian's band performed at The Roxy.

Before their set, we hung out at Book Soup, which would have been more delicious if we'd taken our glasses.

Getting there

A morning of last-minute sewing, and an afternoon spent gift wrapping. I'm getting there.

Wild

His shoes matched my bag. Wild.

$1240

It was a very expensive iced tea.

Shawna's new house has a Meyer lemon tree in the backyard. If I hadn't already fallen in love with the place, this would have decided it for me.

Remembering

An accident in the canyon had traffic at a standstill. I waited, thinking of another crash nearly thirty years ago that changed our lives forever.

Colour and texture

Don't want to stop. Who needs sleep?

December 13

I didn't plan on it being a big cooking day, but I ended up making four dinners and two desserts.

Chicken scratch

Even though I don't eat it, I like to make chicken soup from scratch.

Cozy

We were going to go to a movie, but it was cozier to stay home.

Glow

My very favourite part of Christmas is the tree lit up in a darkened room, with a warm fire flickering. We have a cold rainy weekend coming; so I plan on spending some time with this tree, getting all glowy and Christmas spirity. Ornament by Penny.

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance.

shiny happy

The beach looked so shiny and happy after yesterday's storm, I just had to stop on my morning commute and enjoy it for a little while. I didn't care that I'd be late for work. Or that I got wet up to my ankles. While wearing shoes and socks. Oops.

The mothership

Leaving work on a chilly wet night, grateful for a job, grateful for a warm home to return to, grateful that it doesn't snow in L.A.

Rock Pockets

When is a picnic blanket not a quilt? When it has rocks in its pockets.

Quicksilver

In the morning she hated me. In the evening she sang me love songs.

Almost

$170 in postage later, the Christmas gifts are mailed to Australia. Except for Jesse's. As usual, I have no idea what to give him.

Achievement

I learned to knit the two-circular-needles method. And I fixed the toilet.