Pretty, pretty yarn

I love yarn. Here are some recent acquisitions. The first one will become hubby's hat.
This ebony merino/cashmere blend will become a hat for my cousin.
And this fun, colorful treat is going to be something rather pretty for me. :)
I hope I will get a chance to grow my stash in 2010.

My mama is a crochet queen

This morning I walked into my cubicle to find a beautifully crocheted hat on the chair. (My mom works for the same company as me). It warms my heart to know I have wonderful parents who care about me so much.
This piece of art was created by my sweet and caring mother. Thank you, mom! I will always cherish it. (And dad, you know I love you, too - your wisdom and affection mean the world to me).
Then I came home to find a clean and organized home, and my husband making me a delicious dinner. My hubby is a dream boy. I am so grateful for my loved ones. Nothing else in this world is more important.
I know I am being sappy - but I don't mind it. :D

Holidays with in-laws

Hubby's family decided to celebrate on Sunday, since we were all snowed in on Christmas. Food was delicious, the treats were yummy, and the presents were plenty.
We also played Cranium. I think only my sister-in-law and myself enjoyed that game. It was a nice and cozy get-together.

Winter Wonderland

I am not a fan of winter. But even I marveled at the sight in my backyard this morning. There is something magical about the weakened sun, long shadows, and sparkling snow.
Pretty.

Christmas Eve with family

We spend every Christmas Eve with my family. This year was no exception.
Here is my sister Ami with the fine merino silk yarn and the J.Crew headband I got her.
And below is my sister Adji with her new headband and shoes. My sisters always look gorgeous.
My handsome husband opening his gifts.
I got my mom a necklace with a heart pendant.
And my dad was spoiled with awesome presents.
Despite the recession, a lot of presents were exchanged in our family.
We also built a ginger bread house.
It was a messy job. My cousin Budo helped.
Dad grilled salmon.
The table looked so festive and the food was delicious, as always.
It was a great night. There is nothing like the holidays with family.

Celebrating holidays with friends

My bffs came over on Wednesday night so we could celebrate the holidays together. We decided that in lieu of presents, we would bring food and drinks to share.
After eating, we drank wine and played Scategories. It was a very pleasant evening.
AJ brought garlic pesto rolls, Spomi brought bruschetta, and Desiree brought spinach dip and a cheesecake. I provided sushi and pretzel cheese bites. It was way too much food.
I love my friends. They are kind, caring, and interesting people. I am so grateful to have them in my life.

Fun times with the niece and nephew

My hubby was watching his niece and nephew on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I had to work and miss out on all the fun.
They played hide and seek with the dog. Maggie hid under the table, but Wally quickly found her.
They also took a nap together. Wally was in heaven. He loves kids.
They are so cute.

How do you say "finally, the shelves are up" in French?

I got my package from Amazon today after work - it contained my latest big splurge: Rosetta Stone! I am so looking forward to learning French. I plan on visiting France in the spring 2011, so I might as well start with some basics.
Other good news... our house's walls are very, very thick. We've been wanting to put up shelves for two and a half years now, with no luck as the screws would not go into the wall. Well, today my hubby's friend G came, and the two of them were able to drill those holes together.
Here is one side of the room with the shelves. Later the other side was added. I will show you populated book shelves tomorrow (or whenever I get to moving the books from the boxes onto the shelves).
My home will finally look the way I envisioned it. Yay!

You spin me round...

My dearest hubby gave me my Christmas present somewhat earlier. It's a yarn ball winder with an umbrella! I love it! I am a very practical knitting gal. The type of yarn I buy is not wound into balls, so I had to do this myself manually - a process that takes a long time and takes away from the precious knitting time.
This wonderful gift will help me wind yarn in the matter of seconds. The skein is put on the adjustable umbrella and one end of it is put on the winder. As you are winding the handle, the yarn is being pulled and the umbrella is spinning around.
The result is a perfectly wound yarn ball. Thank you, honey! You are beyond thoughtful and sweet. Every gal should have a guy like you.

Happy 19th birthday, little sisters!

Instead of going out to eat, I suggested we celebrate my sisters' birthday at home. I picked up my sisters at 6pm at the campus, and then we headed to our parents' house, where the dinner was waiting. We had salmon, asparagus, linguine, mushrooms... It was quite a feast.

M, dad, mom and Z, getting ready to eat.

Mom also made cakes for my sisters. They were made from scratch. Absolutely delicious!

The girls blew out the candles. Aren't they cute?

And then it was the obligatory picture time. Me and my beautiful sisters...

Mom and dad with the girls...

One with just dad...

...and one with mom.

Then it was gift-opening time. I got the girls UtiliTea electric kettle for their dorm room. They

really needed it. I also got them tea infusers and cup lid sets each, with lots of different tea samples.

And mom and dad got them nice tea thermos so they could take their freshly brewed tea from the dorm room to their class room this winter.

As you can guess, the theme was "tea time for the twins". My idea. These girls like their tea!

Happy birthday, twinzies! Wishing you all the best in the world. Love you!

Birds of a feather...

My sisters are fashionistas. These girls have style. While trying to figure out what to get them, I stumbled upon LoveMely on Etsy. Sister Z is big on pretty feather headbands. So while browsing for her (shhhh... you'll see her present later), I found this beautiful headband for me. :D
It matches my fair skin and hair, so it's not too flashy. The feathers are bleached peacock, and it has a nice vintage button at the bottom. I can't wait to wear it this holiday.

Mundane Monday

So today I had nothing exciting to report, so I decided to go through my Monday night routine.

5:00-5:15pm - checked the mail, took dog out, put on my slippers and put away my coat and boots. I received these superb knitting needles in the mail today! Addi's are the best.
5:15-5:30pm - scanned through my e-mail and Facebook friend comments
5:30-6:00pm - refilled daily vitamins, unloaded the dishwasher
6:00-6:15pm - sorted clothes and loaded the washer with the one load of laundry
6:15-7:00pm - prepared dinner, ate, and cleaned up the kitchen. The food consisted of wild rice, shrimp, roasted veggies pilaf, with some water and dried berries. Good and healthy!
7:00-7:30pm - balanced the checkbook, paid some bills
7:30-8:00pm - tried out my new knitting needles, prepared lunch and breakfast for tomorrow, packed workout clothes for tomorrow
8:00-8:15pm - put away the first load of laundry, loaded the washer again
8:15-10:15pm - worked on the final school project (a marketing campaign analysis presentation) and drank Chamomile tea
10:15pm - Time for bed!

Exciting, eh?

My favorite kind of Sundays

I spent the entire day in pajamas knitting and reading. It was divine and not very productive. But I needed this.

The day did not all go to waste, though, since I did produce this beautiful hat.You have to understand the lack of color in this next picture, as with the absence of makeup, I look like a cast member from Twilight. Here is the front...
...and the back.It's soft and cozy and warm, and I am wearing it around my house right now. Can't wait to show it off tomorrow.