Thursday, November 27, 2008

I hope everybody is enjoying a...

Happy Thanksgiving!



A couple of sweet little birthday gifts that are perfect for the month of November and a Thanksgiving celebration.



Sunday, November 23, 2008

Christmas list



Well, the dreaded holiday approaches and I am tired of being reproached for not making a gift list =) It just seems so crass to me, as though that's all Christmas is about. But who am I to know about such things. I'm just a little shop girl who works very hard to convince people that they need expensive gifts for every single person they know or have ever known during their life time. So, under the influence of the master list maker, who's birthday and xmas lists are really more of art than a simple list, I tried to jazz mine up. I actually did brave Adobe Illustrator in order to make the cute little tree at the top of this post. It took a surprising amount of time, way longer than I expected, to make such a plain and simple little tree. In all honesty, you should save your money, since I'm far too spoiled, and you should not even consider buying me another thing. But, for those family members who insist and who prefer to shop from a list, I've made one for your convenience. I hope it helps! =)

On to the list:

One year subscription to Bust Magazine

Socks, Socks (Sea Breeze, Sundae, Waterfall), Socks (Mid-Grey 35-38), Socks, Socks, Socks, Socks Just some examples of cute socks!

Ear buds, two options

Camera

Salt Pig

Cuteness

Thanksgiving approaches



This year, for Thanksgiving, we're going to join a bunch of other people for dinner instead of having our own tiny thanksgiving. It should be jolly. I'll take a few things like sticky toffee pudding, maybe some brussels sprouts and things like that. All my favorites.



Even though thanksgiving is less than a week away, I have still found beautiful tomatoes at the farmer's market. I picked
up these big tomatoes and juicy limes a couple weeks ago.



Also, I finally got around to hanging my copper birthday bowls above my sink for easy access.



I like the coppery view of me taking the photo.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The best birthday!



I must admit that I usually have lovely birthdays. They are always a treat, but this year was really splendid. I felt more spoiled than usual, which is quite a feat, considering how much my friends and family pamper me, in general.



I actually saved my presents and cards up until the day of my birthday(something I never do, being the greedy little girl that I am) so they really piled up. I also hosted the most charming little party ever, a get together of some of my favorite people; we just sat around eating delicious snacks and drinking Belgian ales during the late afternoon.



All this added up to make my 27th birthday the best birthday I've had in a long time.

















Honestly, I'm not clever enough to make such gorgeous cupcakes as the ones I've plastered all over this post. These were given to me by a very sweet and talented friend. I must say, I'm so satisfied after this birthday because, I've often given people pastries and other darling little sweets for birthday gifts but they always look at them oddly as though they don't want them(and maybe they don't). Of course, I don't usually make such beautiful pastries as she does(she being a pastry chef and all), but I do buy them from nice little places. So, after years of bringing pastries as party gifts, I finally received some at my party. Anyway, these cupcakes were incredible, the perfect lemon cupcakes. Matthew was even floored by them and he doesn't take to sweets like I do.



So, to everyone I know and love, thank you for giving me a dear, sweet birthday. I loved all my gifts and cards and well wishes.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Little Flapper Girl



For the first time in 10 years, I didn't dress up as a pink fairy for Halloween. This year I decided to dress up as a little flapper girl instead. My costume turned out very well and everybody really liked it. It may be my new standard costume. How sad to replace the fairy costume, but it really is worn and old at this point. My wings are more a dull gray than the sparkley pink that they once were.


The costume idea came courtesy of my cousin, who bought the dress for me to wear at her wedding. As soon as I saw the dress I thought, "1920s...flapper...perfect halloween costume." Really, all the dresses she picked out were cute. They seemed to loosely represent different decades from the 20th century.



Halloween was fun, we passed out 1500 pieces of candy at work and all the children were so cute. I also made cinnamon cupcakes to pass out to the adults that work on our block. They really seemed to enjoy them. I certainly enjoyed making them and eating them as well.

Perhaps even more than in years past, Halloween felt like the last big hurrah! before the christmas season starts. Now it feels like the holiday ball is rolling and it isn't going to stop until the first week in January. There isn't a thing I can do to prevent it. Maybe this year I'll try to enjoy it a little more, sing a few more songs than usual, watch a few extra christmas movies and ignore the hated commercialization of it all.