This Week in Crafts

Week of February 7, 2011

I have a wicked headache, so just a quick note about my crafty activities this week.

The installation of my project for the Iron Craft Challenge went well. I got a lot of great responses on Flickr. Sadly, though, I'm not doing so well in the polls. Last I checked I had 8 votes. But that's ok; I had a lot of fun making it...plus, I'm starting to connect with a lot of great groups and people on Flickr through these Iron Craft Challenges. So far I've added about 5 people to my contacts and I've joined 2 groups dedicated to sharing photos of vintage pyrex and bowls.

I made chocolate ice cream. It tasted more like the love child of a chocolate mouse and ice cream, but it was still very tasty. Evan and I ate it as parfaits with whipped cream and m&ms on top. I took pictures, but believe me, they're not worth sharing. I also tried the pizza dough recipe...and it worked great! The recipe called for pulsing the dough together in the food processor, proofing it in the fridge overnight, shaping it into thin disks, and then baking the pizzas on a pizza stone at 500 degrees F. So good!

I finished all my valentine's and even got them in the mail in time. (Big win!)

Have you noticed the new page? I added it on Wednesday and am quite pleased with it. I'm currently drafting a list of items to add to my Favorite Things page.

I totally jumped the gun on Homeroom. I was so excited about trying it out that I skipped a whole week. They open tomorrow and begin their regular hours on Tuesday. Never fear, though: I've already made to plans to visit this slice of heaven on earth on Sunday.

OK, time for bed. More crafty talk tomorrow.

Holiday Favorites

I've been a naughty, naughty blogger: I haven't posted in a while and I never posted pictures from last Saturday's (semi-disastrous) holiday baking session. I spent the week finishing Christmas gifts, stressing over lost and/or delayed packages (grr), hopping on a train to visit my Great Grandmoter for her 94th birthday, helping my Mom host Christmas Eve dinner, and throwing a very festive Merry Krampus party yesterday.

Here is a collection of photos that represent some of the more memorable aspects of this Holiday Season...or at least those that I had the time and energy to take.

1. Our Christmas Tree

...and its many eclectic ornaments.

2. Mistletoe

3. Gingerbread Man gift tag


4. Semi-disastrous holiday baking session

5. Holiday Candy Wreaths


6. My poinsettia and the Abominable Snowman

7. Evan and our new afghan.


8. Krampus cards for our Merry Krampus Party. Handmade by XXXLittWear and they arrived on Christmas Eve.

9. Christmas M&Ms. Minty goodness.


10. Embroidery floss. This floss belonged to my grandmother, who was an excellent craftswoman, master cook, and beholder of all holy handmade knowledge. Apparently she would get embroidery thread through friends in Mexico and saved every last scrap. When she passed away 5 years ago, her children--my father and his sister--inherited her belongings, including knitting needles, crochet hooks, and embroidery thread. And now some of its been passed onto me.

11. Christmas: An American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art, Vols. 31, 35, &36 (1961, 1965, & 1966, respectively). History, music, poetry, art, cultural anthropology.


12. Vintage Pyrex: an early birthday gift from my Grandmother.


13. It's a Marshmallow World by Dean Martin. Definitely in my top 5 Christmas songs.


14. Krampus Festivus beer Christmas tree. All 400oz consumed.


15. New little friends: piggy and alpaca finger puppets procured by our friend Jordan from a woman in San Francisco.


16. Post-Krampus Festivus breakfast: mini boyfriend-made pancakes with peanut butter and satsuma oranges.