Christmas Party Rockin' in the Museum Tonight!

Hello Dear Readers,

I meant to get this post to you on Sunday, but after recovering from my party week (Grandma would be so proud) and working Sunday morning, I was so exhausted!  I even went to bed at 8 last night instead of going to yoga, and I hate missing yoga.

Anyway, the NHM Life Sciences Christmas Party was, by all accounts, a rip roaring success.  Not to brag, but phrases like "Best party of the past 25 years" were thrown about, and it's certainly been a topic of conversation over the past week or so.  Perhaps I've missed my calling as an event planner, but then, it's never too late is it?

Here are a few photos of the night, which was themed "All that glitters......"

 This is me (on the right, recognize the dress?) and the girl who has been working with me for the past two months, Katie.  We are sparkle queens!  I had body glitter on, but this photo shows that clearly, I didn't put on enough.

One of the complaints I heard from last year which I tried to address this time was the lack of enough and good quality food, so this year we had tons!  Of course people complained when we ran out of alcohol, but honestly, I think we would have drank it all no matter how much we got..... You can see we were really cutting it up on the dance floor.

 Here is most of the Botany Gang. L to R are Caroline, Katie, Chris, Olivia, Sam, Jacek, James, Aurelie and Jacquie.  Most of them also helped with the setup-food prep, which was fantastic.

Jacek (who won best costume for guys) is emulating Lady Gaga's mirrorball dress that she wore at Glastonbury last year.  He can really pull it off, he reminded me of Luke Ward's famous shiny dress for the Ghetto Superstar number in the marching band talent show.....

We had so many people thanking us and saying what  a great party it was, it was so worth all the hard work we put into it, and I met a lot of people at the museum I wouldn't have had a chance to otherwise, so I'm very pleased.

In other news, I finished my Chickadee sweater, but I'm afraid that was not a success.  Phrases like, "frumpy old lady sweater" have been thrown around.  I'll have to take a photo so you can judge for yourselves.  That will probably be in Cyprus, the light will be better, and I'll have more time!

House Christmas dinner tomorrow night, Chris's cousin Christiana is coming tonight and we'll do Tofurky tomorrow (I found it at Whole Foods!).  Then, flying to Cyprus on Saturday at the butt-crack of dawn... I hate these Easy Jet flights......


Merry Christmas!

Heather

P.S. Incidentally, this is my 100th post!  Go me!

Christmas Week to the Max

Hello Dear Readers,

For the first time in what seems like a while I had no work this weekend!  I had a nice lie-in on Saturday, and did a bit of knitting on Chickadee (working on the boarder) and some other crafty things.

I inherited some old bleached sweaters from a previous roommate, and cut up the back into a new hat I sewed for my beautiful roommate Monica, who is modeling it splendidly to the left.  She moved from Australia earlier this year, so I'm helping augment her wardrobe for winter, what a great opportunity for experimentation!

Saturday evening I went to the birthday party of a friend from Kew, and managed to sleep in till 11 on Sunday.  More crafting, knitting and watching the new Jane Eyre again (mmmmm, Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester...), then I went to a party at my friend Jacquie's, and today I had another party knitting hats for the cancer patients at my mother's work.   Tomorrow is my Tuesday Stitch'n'Bitch Christmas party and Secret Santa, Wednesday is my work holiday party which I am helping to organize, Thursday is dinner with my foreign friends at work (or the "League of Nations") and Friday is dinner with my team from work!!!!!

I've scheduled a massage on Saturday, I'm going to need it before I teach knitting again on Sunday!

I've been thinking a bit about New Years resolutions, I always like to set goals to try new things for the new year, not so much like, lose 10 pounds or anything like that, but just to shake up my routine.  In the past I've taken up veganism, started to learn Greek, started a compost bin etc.

This year my thoughts are:

1. Cheat less on my veganism......though that's tough in Cyprus!

2. I got the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts from my friend Jennifer.  In the style of Julie and Julia I would like to work my way through the book this year.  I would like to try to knit everything from it, I figure if I knit the gift, the recipient will come!  I'm also going to try to knit only from yarn I have in my stash for the most part, though I would like to do a sweater for Chris and I think I will have to buy yarn for that.

3. I resolve to either mend/sew/darn, or throw out (well, into the fabric pile) any clothes/socks/underwear with holes/tears in them and start the new year with a respectable wardrobe.  This one is a bit hard for me, but so far it motivated me to stitch up a hole in my Care Bear undies, darn my first hand-knit socks that I LOVE and sew down some frays on a shirt Pat scored for free from work.....I'm trying, really.

4. Take more time to relax in the year, and travel around England (especially with Chris)!  More massages, perhaps a trip to take the waters at Bath...... we'll see, Chris has applied for a job at British Airways, who know where this year could take me!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season and finding time to be with friends and family they don't ordinarily get to spend time with.  I know I'm going to enjoy my holiday week to the max, it's such a privilege to be invited to and involved wiht so many parties, I truly feel appreciated.

Busy Bee

Hello Dear Readers,


Late post this week, I was pretty busy over the weekend working both days at the Sewing Rooms.  Sunday afteroon I was knackered, Pat even made me a sandwich for lunch:

All he's missing is a Kiss the Cook apron.  I managed some sewing, this cute little bag for a gift for a friend. 

And also this football on the left, which is part of an Amish Puzzle ball I've wanted to make for a long time since I read my favorite sewing book Last Minute Patchwork Gifts.  It's the gift that's a pleasure to make, a pleasure to give and hopefully it will give the reciepient some pleasure as well!

Today was a really special day because I got to see my good friend Molly (who actually looked exactly the same today!) who was down to be "standardized" for her teaching.  Remember I made this Itty Bitty Baby Dress?  Well Molly, being the good friend she is, gave me an action shot on the same day as me giving the dress.

This is a woman who knows how to appreciate a handmade gift (and ensure more will be on the way....).  So nice to see her and talk to her without baby interruptions, though I look forward to seeing Katelyn when she is more mobile.  I felt like I ate so much at lunch, but I'm hungry now!  Just  made some chocolate chip banana muffins with Nestle Chocolate Chips imported from the US, I think I'll go enjoy some.

Cheers