Merry Christmas, Y'all!

This is a blurry, blurry picture of my kitchen after buying some bookcases at Ikea and after my Christmas "Not-A-Party", as I am calling it. Cause it wasn't. A party.

Anyway. During Ikea pit stop on the drive home from Thanksgiving in NJ, I picked up two bookcases. I intended to put them against the chalkboard wall and use them as a place to store my cookbooks and growing vintage Pyrex collection.

Since most of my Pyrex is white, I painted the back of the bookcases turquoise with leftover paint from my living room. (Yes, that is really the color of my living room. I know I haven't shared that with you yet, but it's coming.) It was really easy to do, as anyone who has ever put together an Ikea bookcase will know, because the back of it is actually a thin piece of fiber-board that slides in at the very end. So, simply paint and allow to dry before you finish it up!

I'm really pleased. The Pyrex pops against the turquoise and the bookcases are a good height for staging a temporary bar. And my guests actually used the chalkboard, which made me very happy.

I did a little Christmas baking in the form of cupcakes, but only for the Not-A-Party. There are no gingerbread men or sugar cookies in The Works this year. Left over cupcakes make and excellent breakfast, by the way.

I've also been doing a little Christmas knitting. I have no pictures, however, other than this one.

Sad, I know. But it's hard to get decent pictures these days, what with the dark and cold and whatnot.

So, Merry Christmas, y'all! Here's wishing you all the best for your holiday. Be sure to spend it with someone you love and treasure every moment!

See you again in the New Year!

In which she makes something crafty

I had a Sunday at home for the first time in what seemed like months. I used the rainy weather as an excuse to lock myself indoors and do some nesting. Or, rather, crafting.

I had bought some nylon thread ages ago, with the intention of making a garland similar to this, but after decorating my tree this week, I felt it was a little empty looking. So, Christmas garland it was!!

I used felt, because it didn't need any hemming and cut about a billion little triangles with my rotary cutter and mat. You basically line up the corner on the bias line and cut horizontally and then diagonally. And voila! Tons of triangles.

Then you just run them through your sewing machine. I made the garland in three sections. It was more manageable that way and I could also gauge how much more I needed as I went along.

This was a really quick, easy and satisfying project and, at probably less than a 1/4 yard of felt, it was also very affordable I've dialed it way back on the crafts this holiday season and it feel pretty good. I'm looking forward to a relaxing Christmas season and I hope you all are, too!!

Wants and Desires

Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, I've been doing a little Christmas dreaming of my own.

Here's what my list for Santa would look like.

I'm still wishing for stuff for the apartment.

Some pretty and comfy linens.

A cool (and functioning) telephone.

Somethin' a little sparkly.

And, well, a girl can dream, can't she?