Happy New Year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwT4GV9qkV8Sorry, this isn't the elegant solution, but Blogger is again acting up.

Just the same, if you were wondering with whom you should spend New Year's Eve, I can recommend Mr. and Mrs. Charles!

Happy New Year's Eve EVE

It's a great thing to celebrate, especially if you're in New York. There are some fantastic doings tonight at Patrick Soluri's Salon. Look it up in T.O.N.Y. or the Wall Street Journal, or Facebook if you're a vintage loving soul with a taste for good company and music. You won't be sorry!

We're staying here, I'm afraid, but don't plan to let it cramp our style. I spent today shopping for goodies. Tomorrow evening we're having a good dinner--filet mignon with some trimmings--and then we plan to nosh on some fabulous things: oysters, pate, caviar (flying fish roe), fruit and sweets, and wash it down with Champagne cocktails and Champagne.

As it's just the two of us we won't be going for black tie, but vintage pajamas instead. I haven't decided whether to go 20s, 30s, or 40s, but I've got them all, with slippers to match.

Another Christmas Gift

This is a box of marzipan I made for my husband with leftovers from the Christmas Cake. There are peaches, cherries, Delicious apples, avacado, and lemons.

I'll post photos of more knitted gifts as I find them. They're tucked away in various photo albums on my computer.

On this third day of Christmas, I hope you're having a merry time.

Merry Christmas...and Christmas Cake, Part III

Here it is...the final product. (And the star of tomorrow's Christmas tea.)

I wish the very best to you and yours, whether you celebrate Christmas, something else, or nothing at all. Enjoy your holiday!

Happy Booze Cart

These were taken at the request of a friend who is compiling a particularly boozy photo album. Yes, when this was taken we were out of gin (or as my husband likes to call it, martini juice). No longer...

A(n) F.O. for Christmas

If you're not a knitter, "FO" = Finished Object. This is the scarf I made for my MiL. The tan section is silk and alpaca, and the orchid is baby alpaca. It's from Boutique Knits. It's to be worn with the beret I made for her birthday, which is made of the tan yarn.

Christmas Cake, Part II

Here it is...now covered in almond icing; the holly leaves and berries are made from the leftovers. They're for the final decoration, after the royal icing is applied.

The almond icing needs to dry for several days before the royal icing goes on, as the oil from the almonds would otherwise stain it.

Yesterday I even bought a vintage cake plate to store and display the cake.

It's Coming

Christmas, I mean, and I can prove it.

1. I have baked five kinds of cookies, have a batch of dough in the fridge for number 6, and am running out of cookies already. (Christmas boxes to friends and family. I haven't even sent trays to the neighbors yet, or my husband's barber.)

2. The Christmas cake is now drunk enough, and is wearing its first coat of icing--almond (marzipan, really). I bought a glass cake plate and cover to show it off, I couldn't help myself.*

3. We're almost out of plum puddings...but we haven't eaten any. I did save four little guys for us. We'll eat the first two on Christmas eve.

4. All of the Christmas boxes have gone out. Nine this year. All containing gifts, plum pudding, cookies, and homemade jelly and marmalade.

5. It's cold. And about time, too!


*I do have photos, but the cord to upload them is upstairs and I'm not. Call me lazy (I do). There is also a photo of the scarf for my MiL. With any luck I'll get them posted before the New Year. Just in time to find photos of the other things I made and can't yet show off. If I can find them.