Archive for November, 2011

November 27th, 2011

Thanksgiving

by Christina

thanksgiving activitiesthanksgiving activities

It always happens to me when I host Thanksgiving. Somehow in all the hustle and bustle the camera gets set down and never picked up again and I am left with no pictures of the day. Ah, well, thankfully I have photographers in the family.

The day was delightful – all that I hoped it would be. Emily came over and cooked with me in the kitchen – cooking with people is always better to me than cooking alone.

When everyone arrived we took a long walk in our local forest preserve. It got everyone chatting and interacting and hungry!

When we arrived home I found that I had not timed the turkey perfectly… and he was a little brown. But that didn’t matter… I was enjoying myself.

The children had some fun activities to do… making Mayflower boats, decorating the front bushes with Christmas Lights (all by themselves) and watching White Christmas

The day closed with Trader’s Point Creamery’s eggnog spiked with run and some wonderful desserts made by Heather.  (if you haven’t tasted TPC’s eggnog – you must – it’s the real deal and very good!)

And so my friends, we have entered the holiday season. I’m trying to savor each moment… the year always closes with such rapidity… I hate to see time pass so quickly….

 

Oooh… I have to let you know – the Beekman Boys Thanksgiving menu was impeccable! I loved cooking it – I kinda felt like I was cooking a “designer” menu. I loved having something you made ahead, somethings that popped in to the oven while you worked on a few things on the stove top…. I thought it was very well thought out. I haven’t gotten my hands on their new cookbook, but now I can’t wait! So… three cheers to the Beekman Boys for such wonderful food!

I finished the Beekman Boys’ other book right before Thanksgiving. If you have not read “The Bucolic Plague: How two manhattanites became gentlemen farmers” you really should – you will laugh and cry with them and be inspired. I just want them to get a few sheep now so they can sell their own wool and I can do a few designs for them! =)

CategoryHolidays, My Life, Reviews | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
November 25th, 2011

Musing on Thanksgiving

by Christina

november woods

I always find myself getting rather sentimental and “in a musing mood” around Thanksgiving.

On the Winslow (my father’s side) of the family we are descendants of the pilgrims that came over on the Mayflower (Edward and Gilbert Winslow).

I find myself musing on what it would have been like for them November 1621. Death, hardship, cold, and hard labor were terms of life for them.

Edward’s wife, Susanna White, came over on the Mayflower with her husband William White and a young son. She gave birth to a second son soon after landing in the new world. And then lost her husband William that first winter.

By the first Thanksgiving the following year she had married Edward (probably a necessity to survive).

Can you imagine?

Sometimes I think life is hard.
But then November comes and I remember what my ancestors went through, I think again.

Categorymusings, My Life | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
November 24th, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

by Christina

Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I hope you have a lovely day – wherever you are!

I was busy yesterday cooking up a storm in the kitchen – my first time ever to roast chestnuts. One table is set, one to go… but because we’re eating in the evening this year I don’t have to hustle and bustle so much this morning.

This year, even though it has been a bit more pinched and lean than most years, I do feel like I have a lot to be thankful for.

It’s nice to have a day set aside to ponder and savor those blessings.

“There is no hearth so bleak and bare, but Heaven has sent some blessing there;
No table e’er so sparsely spread, but that a grace should there be said….
So count your blessings, one by one,
At early morn and set of sun,
And, like an incense to the skies,
Your prayers of thankfulness shall rise.”
Arthur Lewis Tubbs
(From the 1940 Cheerio’s Book of Days)

CategoryHolidays, My Life | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
November 23rd, 2011

Getting Ready

by Christina

ThanksgivingLittle John and I have done the last shop before Thanksgiving.

The stores were a buzz with activity. I absolutely adore seeing everyone shopping for their feasts – I don’t know why, but I do. It makes everything seem even more festive.

The flowers were purchased for the centerpiece, the fresh vegetables and all those last minute things that I forgot to get the last time I shopped.

Today is the cooking day… lots of things to bake and prepare… and guess what, I couldn’t resist – I just HAD to cast on with Jared’s new LOFT. After all, don’t we all need a special holiday project to work on? =)

Have you cast on something special? (or am I just crazy =) )

CategoryHolidays, My Life | Comment3 Comments »

November 22nd, 2011

7 Years Ago

by Christina

november hike

november hike

woodland spring shawl

november picnic

Seven years ago (on 20 November) JK and I were married.

It’s so hard to believe it’s been seven years. It seems like a blink of an eye. Is all of life going to be that way?

While lil John stayed at “Grammie’s” house for the day on Saturday JK and I visited a winery, had a hilarious wine tasting, went for nice long hike in the woods and had a delightful picnic together – and got to eat and TALK! Something that rarely happens now days… so much of dinner time is taken up with lil John’s chatter!

It was a wonderful, restful, blissful day.

How long have you been married? Does it seem like a blink of an eye to you too?

 

CategoryMy Life | Comment8 Comments »

Tags:
November 21st, 2011

Cooking with Mama

by Christina

cooking with kids

Do you remember cooking with your mama when you were little? I do. My mom is so down to earth and easy going she always let us help her in the kitchen. Now that I’m a mom I realize what a feat that was (and is). Sometimes at the end of the day it’s the last thing I want – a little person underfoot with tons of questions as I scamper about and try to prepare dinner.

But I remember my mother and how much I learned about cooking from those sessions on the stool right next to her.

So there is a stool in our kitchen that John hops up on and helps me. He is quite adept at cracking and whipping eggs for our morning scramble.

In the evening, when I’m working with the oven, he has taken to his little cook stove that I brought up from the dolls’ house.

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving Day and cooking and mixing with him.

So what do you do? How did you learn to cook?

CategoryMothering, My Life | Comment5 Comments »

November 16th, 2011

Saxon Merino Bliss

by Christina

Last week, when I was miserably sick, I decided to cast something new and fun onto my needles.

Using my Leaves of Spring Cowl as my pattern and adding 150 more sts (to increase that pattern you add multiples of 10), I cast on a cowl with some worsted Saxon Merino yarn from Catskill-Merino Sheep Farm.

The yarn was distractingly heavenly. I totally messed up on my  own pattern – but decided not to rip it out. The yarn is just too lovely (Merino pills easily therefore you really want to avoid ripping out).

Saxon Merino is definitely merino at it’s best!

For more wonderful inspiring knits visit Small Things’ Yarn Along!

happy knitting!

CategoryKnitting | Comment3 Comments »

November 15th, 2011

Wovember Pin

by Christina

Wovember pin

I have really been enjoying Wovember - a celebration of 100% wool and all it’s richness.

My Wovember pin arrived in the mail near the end of last week. I pinned it to my coat lapel immediately.

wool tweed pin

If you look really hard you can just see it by the blurr that is my hand.

Onward 100% wool!

Have any of you joined the Wovember campaign for wool?

CategoryInspiration, Knitting, My Life | Comment2 Comments »

Tags:
November 14th, 2011

Mothering Monday

by Christina

little boy sweater & hat

One of the joys of motherhood seems to be standing back and watching your little one discover new things.

One of our favorite things to do on the weekend is walking in the local city park near our house. Lil J has gotten accustom to these walks, what comes next down the path, etc. But he’s always discovering something new and being amazed by yet another thing.

Recently it was skipping rocks with daddy in the water.

The hardest thing about standing back and watching is the realization that you can’t hold these moments forever. They come and they go. Ah, that’s life.

happy mothering!

CategoryMothering, My Life | Comment2 Comments »

Tags:
November 12th, 2011

Weekending

by Christina

legwarmers from felted sweaterOne of the things I love about weekending is the tiny bits of time to carve out some inspiration – times of feeding the creative heart.

Knit Dress

I’ve been finding a ton of ideas over on Pinterest (and on the web, which I then pin to Pinterest).

knit dress

You can find more of my musings on my Pinterest boards here

happy weekending!

CategoryInspiration, My Life | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
« Older Entries