Happiest of New Years!!

Cheers! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and you're celebrating this new year in style, friends! It has just been too long--what a whirlwind of a few weeks it's been for me and, of course, my resolution is more posts and soon. Needless to say, I have so much to share. Can't wait to catch up!

(Image found here.)

Into the Kitchen: Best of Gourmet Cookies

Just in time for the holidays, Gourmet has laid out this wonderful selection of cookies--vanilla crescents, kourambiedes, linzer bars, rugelach...ooo, the choices! We're getting on the road today for the holiday family & friends rounds--Kansas, Indiana, Massachusetts. I can't wait to land at S's parents and set to baking. Have I mentioned my mother-in-law is the most amazing confectioner? She makes caramels from scratch. I just love those old-timey candies and processes (putting the marble slab in the snow!)--they make me dreamy for all the special family traditions. What recipes do you celebrate year after year?

Blogger Book Love on The City Sage

Speaking of my bibliophilic tendencies...! You've heard me say it before...I love love love The City Sage! In a word, Anne's taste is impeccable. The rooms, the fashion, the recipes (the brioche--I tried it and yum!)--it's my first read for loveliness. You can imagine my delight as a guest in the favorite books series...! Thanks again, Anne--a complete pleasure!

A Vision for the Event: Sunshine in December

We had our first snowfall this week and today our house has been full of all this warm bright light. Looking out, I was thinking, wouldn't a bright and lively little Italian wedding party be great? Limoncello, struffoli, pizelle, tiramisu, espresso...casual and decadent, doesn't it sound perfect?





Image sources: Brides, Gourmet, Brides, JCrew, epicurious, Martha Stewart, Morris + Essex valentine, Martha Stewart, Jenny Yoo.

T-t-tagged!

The lovely Courtney of Under a Paper Moon has tagged me! Five things you might be surprised to know about little 'ol me:

1) I'm a huge reader. Huge. Okay, maybe you knew this already by way of certain posts (here, here, here).... From poems to art history to garden stories to memoirs to children's lit to novels to philosophy to...you name it, I'll read it up. I'm so excited for the winter break and snuggling up with some new reads--nonfiction, photography, craft, design, poetry, biography, baking.

2) Once upon a time, I was a competitive figure skater. Still, to this day, I don't think anything compares to flying on ice. What I miss most? Doing figures. Now obsolete, skaters used to work through rigorous tests tracing super-precise circles into the ice. I wish skaters today still had the opportunity to do this remarkable meditative practice.

3) I'm known--and consistently teased!--for my extended food cravings. One month I have a weakness for sushi, the next oatmeal, mangoes one month, chocolate cake the next. To say I looooooovvvvvve food might be an understatement.

4) I've lived on both coasts, the no-coast of the Heartland and in the Southwest. I grew up in New England, went to California for college, worked in New Mexico, and later, settled into the Midwest for grad school.

5) One of my very favorite things to do is volunteer at our local museum. It's so fulfilling--not only spending time around great artworks but to feel like you're inviting others to connect. Listening to children tell the stories of different paintings by Warhol and Thiebaud and O'Keeffe...I just adore it.

6) I usually like to have a little secret I keep to myself. Whether it's a little indulgence or a dream or a memory...I always like to keep a little special something in mind to inspire me.

How about each of you? What's your story these days? Any new realizations you've made about you?

Boo, Sick in Bed

So sorry for being such an absent blogger lately, dear readers! I'm sick (again!) with a terrible cold. Be back as soon as I can!

(Images from here and here.)

Great Blog: embloggery

Nicole's embroidered posts, so wonderful! Reading 12/3/08, I feel like we must be living parallel lives--that was my day in sum as well! She writes, "Basically I think blogs are hilarious and tedious projects are fun." Maybe we're kindred spirits too? Happy Friday, folks!

History of Heath

Beautiful shots by Laurie Frankel from an American Craft article on "one of the most celebrated, slighted and generally misunderstood workshops to emerge from California’s studio pottery movement," Heath Ceramics.

Nuts! Where are they?

Maybe this is a bit of a tangent from my usual topics but I was so surprised I had to share: The Washington Post had this article the other day and I couldn't help but wonder if here in Nebraska we were missing our acorns too. Imagine: acorns, altogether missing! Well, we walked our daily mile with the dog and we looked and counted and scanned every block. How many did we find? One little acorn--just one! Granted, we have some pretty fluffy, chunky squirrels running around but...it's all a little unsettling. Are the acorns missing in your neighborhood, too? Hmmmm!

(Napkin ties from here.)

Sweet Find: Donna Wilson

How fab and funny are Donna Wilson's monsters? Such imagination! Their little expressions (those eyes, mouths!) crack me up...!