birthday cake

buttermilk pound cake with cherries and a powdered sugar glaze. sometimes the simple, non-traditional birthday cakes are the best.

Phew! What a month it's been...

Well, things have been quiet around the blog, and that's not necessarily a bad thing! Lots going on, and very busy days turn into very busy weeks, but I'm thankful for this weekend to relax and catch up on some things around the apartment (mostly, laundry. yuck).

The past three weekends have been full of family activities and events.

Weekend #1: Brother-the-Younger graduated from college (summa cum laude, whoo!!), so of course we made the trip back to my old stomping grounds to help celebrate. We enjoyed an absolutely delightful weekend with my family, a delicious celebratory dinner, and the chance to finally go home for the first time in over 6 months.

Weekend #2: Brother-the-Youngest graduated from high school! Not. Allowed. My baby brother is not allowed to grow up yet... because I'm not ready to admit that I'm getting older. He obviously didn't get that memo, haha! He's off to college in the fall, and I've already got some friends lined up to take care of him in college (he doesn't know that yet...). One of the most memorable events of that weekend: Brother-the-youngest trying coffee. His critique: "Very strange. It's like it's trying to be water, but just can't." Haha! This kid cracks me up.  My grandparents also came to visit us on their way home that weekend, so we enjoyed a nice dinner out with them and church in the morning. :)

Weekend #3: This was the weekend I've been looking forward to for almost an entire year. We finally got to meet our niece, and this may be the auntie pride speaking, but she's a cutie! D remarked that he's pretty sure she liked hanging out with me more than him, to which I responded that I'm E's aunt, and as such, I'm automatically cool. :) I've got some great ideas already for her Christmas and birthday presents... this kid sure is spoiled already... and not just by me!

Now it's back to work and house hunting, which is taking up most of our time (plus, you know, the 75 other things we have going on at the same time). Hopefully we'll find something and move in this summer! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. That's natural, right? The hardest part has definitely been trying to plan for our future while having absolutely NO IDEA what that holds. We could get a call that we decide to take in a year, or we could be here for 15 more years. And that makes it more challenging to know what to look for in a house and plan for the needs of our future family. What I do know is that God already knows what we need and what is in store for us, and he's taking care of us each and every step of the way. Not always easy for me to remember, but it's truly the most comforting thing ever!

Oh, P.S. I made this delightful Strawberry Almond Coffee Cake a few weeks ago (I substituted strawberries for the raspberries the recipe called for), and it was a hit! Just looking at this picture makes me want to make it again.

Welcoming my Niece...

My little niece (but really, she's not so little!) was born over a month ago. I'd been planning and crafting since we found out my sister-in-law was expecting, and I finally finished up the last few things and got it sent off recently.

I've been waiting to post pictures of her awesome presents until I was sure the box arrived, and now I finally can post them!

I'm convincing myself I didn't go overboard, but seriously, how can you pass up all the cute fabrics and patterns out there for babies? I just couldn't...

Baby Surprise Jacket! My knitting group did this as a knit-a-long this past winter, and I had knit this with the intent of sending it for my niece to wear and enjoy the first few months after she was born. Ten pound newborns don't exactly fit in typical newborn clothing, but I wanted to send it anyway as a keepsake. And honestly, those crayon buttons are just the cutest thing ever. :)

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Sport Self Striping, Boutique colorway

Then, there was the fabric buying spree. The animal ABC print was turned into a baby blanket, and the others became burp cloths. All of them were lined with various pastel flannel for extra softness.

Here's the finished burp cloths. Each of the cotton fabrics is lined with one of three colors: pink, purple, and yellow. You can never have enough burp cloths.

Meet Elijah. He's adorable, isn't he? I bought this yarn specifically for this pattern, and absolutely love the way it turned out! The pattern itself was pretty fiddly to knit, but you can't argue with the results!

Elijah by Ysolda Teague
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards, Berries & Cream colorway

 And finally, a photo of all the goodies sent to E. I found a cute elephant outfit to coordinate with her new stuffed toy, and it should fit her all summer long. The cookie monster bib was too cute to pass up. But one of my favorite parts of the entire box is the book. During our annual Children's Literature Festival, I had the pleasure of hearing one of the book's authors speak. I had purchased a copy of the book, and after Marie Smith's talk, asked her to autograph the book for my niece. She was delighted to do so, and I hope E comes to love the book as she gets older.

Welcome to the world, E. Can't wait to finally meet you!

Still behind, but catching up

 A few quick photos of some crafty goodness that's been waiting to be shown off... I'm feeling very behind on all my crafting lately (and a few other aspects of life, as it always seems to be). Slowly, but surely, things keep chugging along and projects keep appearing off the needles and from the machine.

Hopefully by Easter I'll be all caught up... wait. That's only 6 weeks away!

A late Christmas present for brother-the-younger. Beer pajama pants! Perfect for the beer snob that he is. :) When I kept telling him that it was taking a while because I was making beer, I'm sure he thought I was kidding. How clever, right? The best part? They even have pockets! (I can't be the only one who gets ridiculously excited about pockets, can I?)

Pattern: Butterick 5572

A little Pinterest-inspired Valentine's decorating. Super simple and cheap! It's amazing how much lighter it is in our living room when I took down the curtains (even though they were sheer and pale yellow). I like having more light, but it really feels so bare... It did give me a good excuse to thoroughly dust the blinds though!

One of my favorite things to look for at the after-Christmas sales are red, gold, or silver ornaments. I use them throughout the year: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, New Year's Eve... you name it, I use them. (I also tend to stockpile tissue paper, ribbon, Christmas cards, gift bags... lots of things that aren't necessarily Christmas-specific. Being thrifty and crafty makes me happy, can't you tell?!) The red shatter-proof ball ornaments I picked up last year on the after-Christmas clearance, and I found those heart ornaments in the clearance bins this year. As soon as I saw them (they're glittery, by the way!), I knew they would be perfect for a bit of Valentine's Day decorating, and I couldn't pass up the price. They're tied onto the tension rod with gold curling ribbon, doubled up for extra strength.

(Disclaimer: Yes, I fully admit I'm turning into my mother and hanging things like this in the windows. She loves hanging her snowflakes and beads during winter.....)

Multi-purpose ornaments! Capital!

More to come in the next few weeks!

- Mom's birthday present is currently blocking in the sink, and I just need to wrap up the other goodies I have for her (after taking pictures, of course!), then send them off in the post.

- D's birthday present arrived yesterday in the mail, in "unpolished form" as I told him. He  naïvely thought that it would take only a few minutes to polish it, but... it may be a few days before I can finish it up and gift it to him. 

- A few other projects I'm working on for friends that have no deadline.

- And of course, a few small baby items for my niece due in just a few short weeks... although I'm sure my sister-in-law's opinions differ on just how short these weeks are... :)

Here's to a continued flurry of crafty goodness in 2013!

A Splendid Fall Weekend

What a splendid fall weekend! The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and the fall colors absolutely gorgeous! First, I met up with my mom and aunts in Historic St. Charles. As a child, I always looked forward to our trips out there on Saturdays during the fall, and I was so excited to go back and explore it as an adult with a different sense of appreciation.

Daniel Boone Statue, a truly noteworthy pioneer 'round these here parts.

Main Street, Historic St. Charles

As always seems to be the case, some things are very much different than I remember them, but some things never change. Like the Ice Cream Parlor tucked back on a side street in the building's lower level. They were closed, but oh, what a treat it was to get an ice cream cone after walking around for hours as a child! ;)

The Gazebo! When I was a little girl, I dreamed of getting married here...

Two worlds colliding. The MKT RR built Sedalia in the 1860s.

Friday night two lovely and wonderful friends and I met up for pizza at Pi. Of course, we forgot to take a picture, but the hours we spent together were so relaxing and enjoyable. I do so cherish time with my girlfriends and always look forward to the next time we'll meet again.

Saturday, my parents and I spent the day in Hermann for some good old fashioned Oktoberfesting. We toured Stone Hill Winery, sampled the wines (and came home with a few bottles), and enjoyed some delicious German food. How can you say no to brats, sauerkraut, applesauce, and potato salad? :)

In the Apostles' Cellar. Named such because of the twelve archways in the room.

Some of the oldest bottles of wine vinegar.

Wine press with old, old wines in the background.

One of the many portions of the vineyard. The Germans originally planted their grapes on these hills, but they were burned during Prohibition. Replanted they provide not only grapes for the wine, but a glimpse into the past and a lovely view.

Star Crossed Oktoberfest Hat, knit for the occasion.

And of course, what's a trip without buying some new wooly goodness? These lovely purchases came from Knit and Caboodle, and I can't wait to see what they'll become! {Above: Manos del Uruguay Maxima, in the colorway Fire. Below: Classic Elite Yarns Liberty Wool, colorway Sunrise.}