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.