For the mantel

I'm not decorating for Christmas this year due to the move. I don't want the stress of unpacking a tree and Jonathan's stash of one million ornaments (not kidding, our tree leans because of the number ornaments we have) and then repacking it all up. Even more: I can't even get to the closet where the ornaments are stored. Hello, we're getting prepared to make the biggest move of our lives! So of course I'm already prepared with lots of empty boxes.

But even though I'm not decorating this year doesn't mean I can't day decorate dream for next year. The year I will have a mantel. But I know nothing of decorating, and less of decorating a mantel. But when I saw Pretty Ditty's post on yarn trees, I thought: Well, that's right up my knitted heart alley. Can't you picture it?

House update

Digging starts soon. The builder says we can expect our foundation to be in place by next Friday. After that, everything moves quickly. Strange how the longest part of the process could just be waiting to get started.

Pixels & Ice Cream

It's like the digital world's Amy Butler, only for free. Can't wait to see what I'll design next. See the freebies for yourself.

Bird's the word

Pie tip

Forget smearing your work surface and rolling pin with messy flour. Just tear off two sheets of wax paper wide enough to roll out your pie dough to the necessary size. Your dough won't get those tears that seem to just keep tearing no matter how hard you try. For the dismount (this seriously is the hardest part of making a pie: getting your crust to your pie pan. I opt to wind my dough around my rolling pin), you can either peel your disc of dough from the wax paper, fold in quarters or wind it around your rolling pin. And then just unfolding or unwinding in your pie dish. Or do what I call the pop and drop. With this method, you only peel of one side of the wax dough and then flip it over (wax paper side up) and drop it on to your pie pan, and then peel off the remaining sheet of wax paper. Which ever method you choose, move quickly and efficiently. It takes some practice and patience.

Are you smitten?

I'm pretty sure than Jonathan and I don't have what it takes to pull off these "couple" mittens aka Smittens, but they're so cute. Perhaps a good prop for a winter photo op with your true love?

They say

buying a house is as stressful as getting a divorce. If that's the case, I'm never getting a divorce. The builder has yet to break ground, but they did break ground on the spec house next to us. I thought money talked. If so, why am I in line behind no one?

I'm getting ready to bake pies tomorrow, and all I can think about is my island. This time next year, I'll be mixing and rolling out on. my. island. I get little shivers of excitement thinking of all the cooking and crafting I'm going to do there. I'm picturing the people who will sit at the other side and talk to me while cooking. Maybe with a glass of wine in hand. I heart you kitchen island. You literally are my oasis of dreams.