Lots of sewing

Despite all of the writing lately, I have managed to put my sewing machine to work a bit here and there.  There are quite a few cute babies in my life right now so I made some baby gifts and used some new sewing materials at the same time. First up, a terry velour hoody towel for my tiny niece and it even had a little colorful wren on the outside fabric!

Then I used a fuzzy blanket fabric for a baby blanket for a friend's new baby girl. I used the tying technique to 'quilt' the 2 layers with pink ties!

Oh, there have been some zippers in my life lately as well.  My cousin Laura, who just learned how to sew just a few months ago, is already onto zippers! We made some valentine zipper pouches.  We also found a sewing notion store 2 blocks from her house that has a whole room just for zippers!! All colors, all sized. So we have some more zipper plans...

Finally, some snow, a lot of it.

Well, the Blizzard of 2013 occurred here in north jersey.  We got about 15 or so inches, it was beautiful and quiet and still.  And the sun came out after all of the snow fell. A perk of being a renter: you get to stay inside view the pretty white snow with warm coffee in hand, while the hired (by landlord) people take care of the driveway. My back thanks you guys.

Mike, happy that our landlord had the driveway cleared!

warm and sunny inside

our backyard

It has been a crazy few months: writing writing writing my dissertation draft.  Finally, just yesterday, my Dissertation Chair sent out my full draft to the whole committee for my first Full-Committee Review. If all goes well, I will get feedback, work for a few weeks to make changes and defend it!! Cross your fingers...then walk in May...

A lot of path models in my life lately. 

After a long week of late nights writing, my valentine treated me to gorgeous flowers, the best Indian take out around (which is my fav), and yummy dessert.

And now for the Saturday paper and a yummy hot beverage (we might have gotten a really fun new kitchen appliance that involved steamed milk). Because this Saturday and Sunday, I will not be writing or reading or editing my dissertation.  Not for a minute.

almost snow but very cold

It has been SO cold lately.  Not much snow, although I took a few photos today while there was a tiny dusting of snowflakes on the ground before the sleet, freezing rain, and rain move in later.

Mike and I made a yummy soup dinner the other night to beat the cold so I thought I would link the recipe.  It was SO delicious.  I made a tiny bit of adjustments: instead of all carrots, I added a few parships and one tiny tiny sweet potato in with the carrots. I used ginger lime salt when I roasted the chickpeas - these are such a yummy little treat to have around to throw in soup or in salads. We made BLTH's to go with the soup - bacon, lettuce, tomato, and hummas on pumpernickel! It went so perfectly with the soup!

This is another wintery soup, healthy and good.  It is more brothly than a traditional chili and we added a lot of toppings!

Keep warm!!

Cold winter days and celebration

We had a long weekend to celebrate MLK and Obama's second inauguration. I had to work on my dissertation for some of the weekend, but luckily, I got a treat too.  Kevin and Holly and the little ones came from a visit in Brooklyn to our house for a visit. We had a big family dinner at Donna's and then got to chill all day on MLK day. We took vidoes of littest O, which turned into Kevin and Mike taking videos of videos of videos (long story).  But here is a cute one. 

Its funny, at 9 weeks, O is finding her hand! At 2.5 years, O1 was reading 'organic' and 'chocolate' on his milk box.

Sam and Orion building things 

FOOD

Early Winter Days

Well, I turned 38 recently, which seems wild to me. I received lovely gifts and had a lovely chill celebration. Two lovely people gifted me hot beverage treats, which is my favorite, but also fit nicely into my guiding word, as the gifts helped me slow down, sip, enjoy, breathe in and out, and take some moments for myself. I have been sipping and enjoying Downton Abby lately. I am in Season 2, so trying to catch up. (I do think I was meant for early 1900's England...)

We went to see Cake right in town.  It is so fun when good bands come to our town, the venue is lovely and it is just walk away (or really quick drive).  You stay out late but home in a minute.

And just this weekend, I got to meet Sam, my good friend's baby who was born 4 weeks ago. What a lovely new baby in my life!!

How is this early 2013 winter treating you lately?

Mike and Sam

Jessie, Sam, and I

CAKE

My new gaiwan and special tea 

Donna's pretty table for the best Indian food I have ever had

 I am hoping for some photos to snow soon...it is January after all.

Breathe

Last year, I chose a guiding word for 2012, 'embrace.'  I used it as the overall guide for things I wanted to do in 2012 and thought out more genearl goals that fit under my guiding word.  I think my guiding word was with me all year.  It helped me get back to mindful self a bit, to be in the moment as much as I can, and to find the 'strawberry' or golden nugget in everything that came my way.

This year, I decided on a word that is a bit more for self-care.  Not that 'embrace' wasn't, but I think I need a more inner-self word.  So, I have selected 'breathe' as my 2013 guiding word.  I need to take a step back, a slow step back these days.  I find that sometimes, I am rushing so much or feeling stressed or so annoyed at the traffic in front of me, that I am holding my breath.  I need to pause and breathe with attention and care for my inner self and for my body.  I need to take a breath of fresh air more often.  I need to pause and focus on my breath; I need to get back to yoga breathing.  I need a little, simple silent mantra "breathe breathe breathe." 'Breathe' makes me envision oxygen going through my body, giving me strength and I need to do more physcial exercise breathing this year.

There is a wonderful yoga teacher in my town that does a class just for women with cancer.  Her mantra "Breathe in all that is good, breathe out what we don't need' is so powerful and I need to focus on this exercise more often.  I can't get to her class very often these days because of work, but I can sit and do this exercise on my own.

I think my word will help me shift that tiny bit when I need it most.

Last year, Jessie and I made banners with our words.  I am hoping to make a new one for 2013.

Under my more general ideas and hopes for 2013, I hope to finish my dissertation (?!?!?), to read a bunch of fiction, to vacation with Mike (a few times!!), to walk more with Mike, to sew clothes, and to make shakes (with Kale!).

Holidays and Happy 2013

We had a whirlwind Christmas, it seems to go so fast.  We had a lovel visit in RI, which included several parties and gatherings to celebrate together, Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  I think I was allowing myself to be in the moment the whole time we were home so I didn't take out my camera at all.  Except for this sweet moment when these two little munchins were playing with Nolan's new kitchen.  Christmas was filled with lovely family time, delicious good, too many cookies, and sweet moments.

a very serious 'cheese'

Our christmas stretched out until Sunday night, our last holiday gathering at my aunt's.  During appetizers, we all made some snowflakes to send to help decorate the new Sandy Hook Elementary school, which is opening its new doors in January.  There was a call for snowflakes to help decorate the new school, to welcome the students into their new school. It is a simply gesture but part of a large project that will hopefully help just a bit.  I hope snowflakes made with a little love will be hung all over the school and will send little hugs to each child as they enter their new school location.

Mike and I enjoyed a slow New Year's day morning, ate some rasberry butch baby, and bought a new couch!!

Happy 2013, we are ready!!