antique ornaments

holiday

While I realize this is a tad bit early, I don't believe I'm going to get a chance to post again til after Christmas, so...

Merry Christmas!
Have a wonderful holiday and a blessed New Year
I hope it's full of family, afternoon naps on the couch and lots of cookies!

AHHHHH-Mazing!

Last night was wonderful! And as always it went way too quickly! Here's a sneak peek of how it looked (during the day - no photographs allowed at the concert):


The rest of the pictures are here for your enjoyment! Have a wonderful weekend :)

a night on the town

Tomorrow we are headed downtown to see Harry Connick Jr and his big band play at the Chicago Theater. This will be our 3rd time seeing him in concert and we never get tired of it. His musicians are always amazing. It's a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!


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Can you tell I'm just a little excited?

But first we'll be stopping by Catch 35 for some scrumptious seafood. New restaurants are always fun, so I hope this one lives up to its reviews.

It will be almost exactly 5 years since M took me to my first Harry Connick Jr concert (also at the Chicago Theater) the night he proposed. What a fun way to celebrate by doing it again! I still have to decide what I'm wearing! And how ever will I do my hair?!

more!

Anne Benjamin : illustration and design



Tartella : letterpress by andrea daugherty

busy busy busy

Forgive me if I don't post very often in the next few weeks. Things have gotten crazy with work and the holidays, so my time is a bit more limited. For now, here are some of the vendors at Renegade that caught my eye...

1. Jennifer Pelzek : design/photography


2. Caseybots : cutest little stuffed animals
There was actually a little whale that I fell in love with but couldn't justify buying. I can't seem to find a picture of it, but here's one of the octolumps.


3. Spring olive : great letterpress


4. RAY MiN : very cool bags


I'll share some more tomorrow!

my adventures this weekend

I've very excited to be headed to the Renegade Craft Fair : Holiday edition this weekend with some friends. We attempted to make it to the one this past fall but it rained heavily and we stayed home. We're going to grab some good BBQ lunch and check out what the fair has to offer. If you're in the Chicago area, consider stopping by!

The big news for today is that Trader Joe's is finally opening one block away from me. They open at 9am this morning and I plan on being there first thing to see what it has to offer. Maybe they'll have some freebie give aways for the first few customers!? I can only hope.



But first let's make sure I've got everything:
1. Showered and dressed : check. (You'd be amazed how many days this doesn't happen since I work from home)
2. Trash to put in the dumpster on my way out : check.
3. Scarf, mittens, hat, downed vest and winter coat : check. (It's currently a whopping EIGHT degrees here this morning)
4. Purse with money : check.
5. A material grocery bag to fit in with the "eco-friendly" Trader Joe's shoppers : check.
6. A watch to make sure I return in under a hour : check. (Work beckons)

I'm off!

Edited to add:

And I'm back! Wow! Who knew so many people wanted to grocery shop at 9am in the morning?! I got there just before they opened the doors. There was a camera crew, a ceremonious cutting of a lei and more employees to help out than you could imagine. It's a great store inside; not too big - nice and manageable. I walked out with some egg nog, milk, a soft pretzel stick (which was AMAZING) and a tin of peppermint bark for our gift exchange at our Sunday school Christmas party tomorrow evening. Plus, for arriving early I got a free Trader Joe's tote bag for future groceries!

Oh TJ, you're going to spoil me!

december brings with it snow and other tales from the holiday

Well! It's officially December, which I hardly cannot believe. I'm not nearly ready for the Christmas season and it's already underway. We woke up to a fresh layer of snow on the ground this morning! I guess it really is becoming winter.

The holiday went much too quickly and only now am I realizing I hardly took any pictures amidst the flurry of it all! Oh well.

The turkey turned out wonderfully! So good in fact, that I'm tempted to try another. Yea for brining! (see previous post) The results are below:


Our full list included:
Appetizers
Artichoke/Spinach dip with toasted french bread
Party Mix (both thanks to our new friend Beth)
Dinner
Turkey (as seen above) w/ stuffing and gravy
Cranberry sauce (of the lovely gelled in a can variety)
Lancaster County off the cob corn
Green bean casserole (a staple)
Twisted bread sticks
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (thank you Barefoot Contessa)
Candied Yams
Dessert
Both Pumpkin and Apple pies (thanks to Mel)

Hope yours was just as enjoyable!

PS: I must add that I had wonderful help in the kitchen via my sister in law, who gave me moral support throughout the roasting process AND made the stuffing.