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

So......prom and so...... thankful

Hello Dear Readers,

Sorry for the lack of bloggage last week.  I worked both days at the Sewing Rooms and was catching up from Paris, but I'm back this Thanksgiving weekend.  I am thankful this weekend that I have a nice boss who let me work extra hours to take Thursday afternoon off, and I'm thankful that his graduate student, fellow American Mindy, could come by with a delicious sweet potato casserole complete with marshmallows (hard to find in England)! And just plain thankful that I have a job at all!  Well two in fact, go me!

 Here we are setting out the feast, with Patrick taking photos on his phone.  I made a nut loaf which came out pretty good, we ate it with cranberry sauce.  I also made a pumpkin pie from a new recipe I didn't read that closely. Turns out you are supposed to make it the night before and have it set in the fridge, oh well!

I'm also thankful this weekend for the photos my friend Jennifer (who visited this summer) posted on her shutterfly site.  These have already made the rounds around the Skippys and Facebook, but I want to post them here for my benefit too (and any non Skippy readers - btw, don't know if I mentioned it before but the group of people I hung out with in High School refer to ourselves as Skippys, may have to post about that sometime).

Here we are on our High School band trip to New York, can't remember exactly which year it was, but very strange to see the towers there.  That's my friend Susan on the left, Adam in the middle giving us a hug, and Devin smiling from the right.

So...... prom (the phrase heard 100 times in the last month of Senior Year).  Amy in a dress! Me in that tiara I misplaced at the post prom party and never saw again (Devin, perhaps your mother found it when they moved?).  Melch's red and black dragon dress which I made, and hammered all the eyelets up the back by hand. Jon visiting from Canada!  I love this photo, so many friends and memories.

And a few years later (Chris is now in the picture, check out that facial hair!).  At Adam's place for New Year's, my Sophmore year in college.

I'm so thankful for the internet and this blog which allows me to keep up with those friends, and for having the chance to see Jen and Amy this year.  I had so much fun with them, as if it was the day after the prom photo and not 11 years later. 

Hope all Americans had a lovely Thanksgiving, no matter where you had to spend it or with who, it's the thought that counts, and every one who is able to read this should be pretty thankful for what they have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sex(y scientists) and the City, or, Midnight(s) in Paris

Salut Mon Chers Lecteurs,

What a fantastic weekend I've had in Paris!  I took the Eurostar on Thursday evening with my friends Jacquie and Aurelie.  We stayed at Aurelie's Great-aunt's flat which was the cutest garret you ever saw, something out of a modern La Boheme. Slanted roofs and half a bath tub, complete with ornery downstairs neighbors who hit their ceiling with a broom. 

Paris is very much a city of art, but I didn't appreciate just how much there would be just around!  Apparently the famous graffiti artist Blek le Rat has kicked off a lot of it, and these little space invader mosaics can be seen all over the city.  It's one thing knowing Paris is a center for art and culture, but I was blown away by it.  I really came away with a lot of inspiration and ideas for new projects, one of the things I love about traveling. I regret that I didn't bring my sketch/idea book with me to capture it all.

 It also helped that we were with a local who knew which sites to take us to, such as this view of Paris by Night that we got on top of a famous department store.

 We steered pretty clear of the touristy stuff, though I got a good view of the famous tower by night as well.  We had spent the day walking walking and walking, starting with the local market places, going to Sacre Ceure where we had a sunny picnic (and I picked up some Linen fabric for a bath towel - so absorbent!)

 The last day was more walking walking walking, and discovering lovely historic architecture in the older part of the city such as the Marie.  We had so much bread wine and cheese, but really I could have stayed and eaten another week.  We had Corsican food, Aurelie's Great Aunt fed us crepes with homemade jelly and we also had traditional buckwheat crepes from a Brittany crepeerie.  The company was so good too, above are Aurelie and Elisabetta and me in Louis XIII square (I believe). Not pictured are Jacquie and Mirella.

The last evening we couldn't stay away from Notre Dame and walking on the Seine like all good tourists.  We also checked out the famous Shakespeare and Company, the English language book shop facing Notre Dame.

There was just so much to do and see, we are already thinking of another trip back.  I really need to take Chris next time too, it was really a romantic city and though Elisabetta let me hold her arm while we were walking on the Seine (she's Italian, it's very natural) it's not quite the same.  This was more like a taster to whet my appetite for more.

Mes amis au revoir!!

The Best Laid Plans

Hello Dear Readers,

Well I had big plans for this weekend, pruning the neighbors rose bush (it grows over into our garden) painting the office and kitchen, the full laundry of three people (incl. sheets) but Friday night I felt a sore throat and Saturday I had a full blown head cold, curtsey of Patrick.  Boys really do have cooties!

The only thing I really managed was to make this Itty Bitty Dress for my friend's daughter. I kind of tried to do a hybrid between the 3T size and the newborn one by shrinking the 3T by 25% and adding .5 inch on each side, but it's still hard to know if it will fit.  I used two old t-shirts, one from Patrick and one from another friend, and the butterfly is off of a pair of Molly's old jeans.....so what goes around comes around, a pretty eco-friendly up-cycled dress all in all!  If it fits and she likes it I plan on making several more as it perfectly uses up most of a t-shirt and I have a bunch of color combos and embellishments I want to try.  She my only friend with kids who has a girl, so unfortunately she is going to be at the receiving end of a lot of girly wear as dresses are more fun than trousers!

I also went to Patrick's Four's Head race this year, hard to believe it's been a year already.... Wasn't up for doing a brunch this year, though I thought about it.  Just too much going on.

I went in to work today because I was giving a short talk to some A-level (mid high school I think is the equivalent) students, but by lunch time I was dragging so I took the afternoon off.  Hanging out with knitting, pod-casts and tea, hopefully I'll be up to speed tomorrow.  This Thursday I take the Eurostar to Paris.  Can this really be my life?!?  Too much fun!

I'll take lots of photos and catch you up on all the fun, fashion and food of Paris next week.
Heather

Baby's First Halloween, or, an excuse for pumpkin hats

Hello Dear Readers,


Last weekend Chris and I took a trip up to Chez Brooke-Becker in Cambridge to visit my good friend Molly from graduate school.  I made a pumpkin hat for Katelyn and it was pretty much the cutest thing you ever saw, and we got a number of compliments on it from strangers.

She even wore it to the pumpkin patch, naturally, where we picked some pumpkins for carving and snacking on seeds. Molly made a cute, sorry, scary face out of the word BOO (left) and George made this fantastic screwball eyed beauty (right).

Chris and I tag teamed a Jack Skellington look alike (center), who hopefully spooked some kids last night.  We weren't home on Monday evening so we didn't get any trick or treaters, but I did see quite a few around coming back from the gym, lots of skeletons and witches, very traditional here.

I also got worms from Molly for my compost bin who will hopefully keep it going though the fall, though we are having a strangely warm November.  I had plenty of room to bring stuff back because I brought a bunch of stuff to share with them, including the baby skirt I made a while ago.  She's still a bit small for it, but I have no fears she'll grow into it quickly.  She also really loved the baby monkey, especially the red mouth, that one goes on the top of my list for baby presents in the future now.

All in all we had a fantastic trip, looking forward to going back in a few months for George's birthday if everything goes according to plan.

Cheers!