Color Therapy

New Year's Eve Memories....

I made some Italian Hot Chocolate today, after walking my doggie in the frigid wind-chill. Boy did I need it! It was creamy and good--I added brandy to mine, and warmed up even more :) I served it just like Lex did in the original recipe and it tasted wonderful!

Next I want to try Nutella Hot Chocolate! I never thought to use Nutella that way!

I have been working like a fiend since yesterday, on this:


I uncovered it in one of my WIPs bags. Guess I needed a little Noro color therapy! :) I always seem to need that this time of year!

Here's my favorite new holiday recipe: Oreo Truffles. Need I say more?! These are incredible, and take about 15 minutes to make!

OREO TRUFFLES

2/3 of a bag of oreo cookies, 35 cookies or so (35 cookies make 35 truffles)
8 oz cream cheese
Chocolate for dipping, white or dark

Pulverize the cookies in a food processor until they are uniformly fine crumbs. Throw in the brick of cheese and process until it forms a ball of chocolate dough. You don't even need to bring the cheese to room temp for this!

Next, use a tiny ice-cream scoop to form about 1 inch balls of the dough, and place each on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Freeze for about 5-7 minutes to firm them up even more.

Melt your dipping chocolate, dip each ball and put back onto the wax-paper lined tray, and put the tray back into the freezer to firm up another 5-7 minutes. Then let sit at room temp--these get better even a couple of days later! YUMMY!

(Only cream cheese could have made Oreos any better!)

While you are sitting around eating bonbons (!) you can play this cute online game called Scarygirl. What a hoot.

WIP countdown:
Tonight I finished a sleeve of the Aran Wrap Cardi while watching the Bears lose to Green Bay. Only 1 sleeve left to go! My goal is to wear this wool sweater in January, so I think that another week ought to do it--I'll take it to work and see what I can get done at lunch hours this week!

Happy knitting y'all!
Aim

Bring it on!

I'm ready--are you?! Happy New Year!

I feel such a huge sense of relief that 2010 is over! Enough already. Now, in 2011, I feel like the world is my oyster (what a cliche--where'd that come from?!) But then, I always feel hopeful on January 1st....

How about New Year Resolutions? It's corny, but it is my tradition. I think it's a good time to consciously redirect your life. This year I want to:

• act my faith

• finish all current knitting WIPs (A list to come....)

• declutter

• take better care of myself

• take time to do things I love
  

• take control of my finances

• update my house
  

• get my career upgrades rolling--(I have plans, can't tell ya yet)....

No negatives there, I want 2011 to be as good a year as I can make it. There are many things I can't control, but my reaction to them will determine WHO. I. AM.


May the new year bring joy to you and yours!

Paranoidal Cyst

Mah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaa! That's a phrase I actually came across in the hospital! Giggle--(translation = pilonidal cyst).

Anyway, that was the highlight of my workday. Pathetic, isn't it :D

I love this idea for a pocket garden! What a cool original thought! Especially appealing to me now that the sky, the ground and the roads are all the same color. The season of drab is upon me, and anything green is quite welcome!

Oh, for all the time in the world, to be able to sew such a beautiful shirred duvet cover. Drool. Shabby Chic and quite restful to look at. I love that something so beautifully textured could be on your bed. And, look how cheap she made that (compared to buying it at anthropologie!) I. Want. One.

Lex is a genius, I love her tutorial on how to make your own pleater board. Great idea for the seamstress!


Okay. Done for 2010. Bye, you sucky year. May 2011 bring good things for all of us!

Aim

Surfing again

A wee bit of early morning surfin' yielded some really great finds:

For quilters, if you don't yet know of Paper Panache website, it is an amazing site with paper-piecing patterns that are available free for a limited time, after which they are sold by the designer. If you were lucky like me, and downloaded her paper-pieced nativity pattern while it was free several years ago, you feel truly lucky! While I haven't yet attempted making this pattern, I found a blog that is documenting all the work that goes into it! (link to Paper Piecing the Nativity.)

For the crocheters out there, here are some sites that show patterns for lacework: Fantasia di Crys, Edivana Crochet, You must use your own conscience to tell you whether it is acceptable to print and use these published works. If you are like me, just looking at them for the sheer inspiration is enough. I love eye-candy!

Or, look at SkyMagenta's blog where she made a crocheted pirate ship! Now that is fun!

I am indulging in surf-time, but it is time to get ready for work. Sigh. I am going to try to get some Christmas wrapping done this morning before I have to leave :)

Stay warm y'all!

Aim

Christmas Update

You know you're used to winter when 32 degrees doesn't feel that cold to you. I guess that's the only thing that makes winter tolerable--it's all relative.

I am reading the LEFT BEHIND series, by Tim LaHaye. I never thought I'd read this series, it sounded 'hokey' to me even as a Christian, but I have to admit, I couldn't put the first book down! It's gripping. I should've known I'd enjoy reading these, as Frank Peretti's books absolutely stunned me when they came out! How I wish I could write like that...:)

Bills are hitting hard this season, after a surgery, college classes next semester for DS, and the holidays all making extra expenses. I think much of America is in the same boat. I have had to have my car towed twice since I bought it in September (grrr), but thankfully that is covered on mfr warranty through next year. I just hope this isn't a trend that will continue.

Not much time to knit lately, but I'm still a fan! And I am expecting some yarn-time later this winter! I look forward to more family togetherness the next couple of weeks, then some alone time!

I am so amazed at God's goodness, how he provides for and cares for his loved ones. If only everyone would love him back. I am inspired by the Amish and their daily PRACTICE of beliefs. It is too easy to say you believe, but not act it. I am concentrating on that, like the book of James tells us. I am confident my God hears my prayers, and I rest in Him. I wish you all the same peace through Christ!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aim


p.s. I recently found out about a great online resource for bible study, that has concordance and word-study assistance for Greek and Hebrew key words!