A Sweater for Julian

When I initially titled this post, Julian's sweater was still a work in progress - since then it is finished! 

Specifications are at the bottom of this post if anyone is so inclined to know about the yarn, pattern and modifications, and that is how I am going to structure my knitting posts in the future. 

Console Table Styling

Earlier this week, I talked about how I repurposed some holiday decor to make a new floral arrangement. That arrangement was put together casually, but was intentional as a whole, for the console table that Mel built for me.

No Shop January Update: Repurposing Decor

All the holiday decor is gone along with this amazing garland I made, and the house felt really empty after we packed it all up! My DIY hands were twitchy as well.

Thanks to Facebook Marketplace, Mel finally acquired the one tool he was eyeing: a table saw. I saw it as an opportunity to make a console/sofa table for our living room, particularly to house my mother's vintage Christmas village.

Mel did make the console table and it fit perfectly under the gallery wall that is between the living and the dining room - the problem was what to do after it once all the decorations were gone. The table was naked!

Make it with Michaels: Holiday Home Tour Part 2

Stockings (Hamilton Plaid, similar) and Glass Trees (Large on left, Medium on right): Pottery Barn (yay rewards!) * Garland: DIY with materials from Michaels (see below for details) * Stocking Holders: Target

Welcome to part 2 of the Holiday Home Tour - the living room! Part 1 is here, in case you missed it.

I want to start with the mantel because I really really love it. I was inspired by the garland Gray Malin placed over his fireplace mantel, and decided to DIY that myself. This year we added a tv over the fireplace, so  a garland with our two glass trees provided the focal point that I wanted, considering the limited space I had on the sides with the garland in place and tv mounted. 

Make it With Michaels: Holiday Home Tour Part 1

Today I am really excited to share the first part of my holiday home tour, the dining room and kitchen!

Light Fixture & End Chairs: Restoration Hardware (we live right near the outlet) * Dining Table: World Market * Dining Chairs: vintage from my godmother's dining set * Ginger Jars: Pier 1 * Faux Floral: Michaels * Console Table: Handmade * Curtains: Pottery Barn, no longer on site, but would love to also get these * Canvas Photo Print: Meteora from our trip to Greece in 2014. 

I inherited the crafting bug from my mom, and always love trying to replicate high end looks on a DIY budget. I draw a lot of inspiration from Instagram, and the Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma Home catalogs. 

Work in Progress Wednesday: Handknit Hats (and the Blog, Itself)

Even though it has been three years since I moved out to Colorado, I still am adjusting to life and there are days when my Imposter Syndrome is very real. And that to some extent affected what I love to do for fun, which is knitting.

Context: in the space of 6 months at the end of 2016, I moved cross country, got a new job, had Julian, my driver's license, and built a house in another part of the county. In that order. Some days I wonder how I did it.

Back in 2015, I was super blonde (because why not?). This was taken at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, aka Rhinebeck. I describe it  as "Knitter's Comic Con" to my students. 

Thanksgiving for Three (But Make it Blue and White)

This year, we decided to keep Thanksgiving simple and keep it just to the three of us. I have a week off from school, which means travel is feasible; however, my sibling-in-laws are coming over for Christmas and we are going up to the mountains then for some skiing, so a simple Thanksgiving was the best option. Come Christmas, I will be doing more après-skiing, as I still struggle with the mental block that comes with learning to ski as an adult. 

Moreover, traveling to Singapore and the Philippines over Fall Break this past October, while amazing, definitely took a lot out of me, so I was looking forward to relaxing on the couch and binge-watching "The Crown" and "The Mandalorian," the latter of which was pushed upon me by my 7th graders. I just caught up on all three episodes and I am enjoying it! What was hard was figuring out where the story placed in the larger Star Wars timeline, but I got it figured out (it falls after "The Empire Strikes Back," if I remember correctly. 

As for Black Friday shopping - I do more of that online since my birthday is next month and I take advantage of the sales so they are the treats to myself, as well as Christmas shopping for family (along with knitting many hats). 

Nevertheless, I could not pass up an opportunity to set the dining table. This was taken while the light in my house was still good so the food is not yet done (see my IG stories for that). 

Ginger Jar/Pitcher: HomeGoods * Drinks Glasses: Kate Spade Madison Square Double Old-Fashioned
(from our wedding, discontinued) * Runner/Napkin Rings: Target * Faux Floral: Michaels * Placemats: RL Home via HomeGoods * Napkins: Kate Spade via HomeGoods

I threw this together with the leftover ginger jars that I was not using for the holiday decor; I put the "Christmas edition" into the office for the afternoon, and set the table as you see it.