SweetAnd Condensed

Oh my, oh my has it been a crazy month: welcome to December! I feel blessed, I feel happy....I feel...tired.  I heart the holiday season there's just so much to do and so much going on... 

I love being busy though and made some cookies for the 2nd Annual New York Holiday Cookie Swap event today organized by Bloggers Without Borders to benefit the Cookies for Kids' Cancer charity.  So many great blog friends to catch up with and new ones to meet.  Oh and did I mention all the cookies?!  

So, someday I'll catch up on blog posts about flower arranging, (birthday present, 2 Thanksgiving dinners, 2nd year of amaryllis for a big fashion client), canning (Brooklyn Swappers event and Justin's first pickles), sewing (new book and material to make my first skirt), knitting (another beautiful book and lilac-colored socks), felting (have the tools, don't have the time), paper crafts (squirrel place cards and so many great friends who are into this!), craft fairs ('tis the season), friends visiting from out of town (yay!), holiday parties (double yay!) and holiday projects (oh so many in mind...)  

But this week is the busiest one of the whole month for catering, so I'll resurface very soon.

Here are some much better recaps of the event, enjoy:

Three Many Cooks: thank you so much for organizing such a fun, tasty event!
Justcook NYC: in which he made THREE kinds of cookies, oh my
The Diva That Ate New York: with a video!
Sweets by Sillianah: she even volunteered for the event
One Tough Cookie: my award for best presentation with her cookie TREE
Healthy Green Kitchen: mmm iced ginger bars...
Abby Dodge: sooo sorry I didn't grab a piece of her caramel 
macadamia coconut shortbread before they all got snapped up
Open Mouth Insert Cookie: an amazing picture summary of the assortment

Hop To It!

I am waaaay too hopped up on Easter ideas and Cadbury Eggs to focus today (sorry for the bad pun, but I was up til 2 a.m. last night wrapping these crepe paper carrots from Martha Stewart -- they all have treats inside!)  I've got about 48 hours before my family's Easter celebration so I'll be a busy bunny.  Here's a round-up of only some of the amazing things I've seen on the web today, 

wish I had time for them all!  

[by Ali-Bee's Bake Shop, seen on The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle 

from a Facebook post by Glorious Treats] 

-- phew, just want everyone to have credit!

Gorgeous upon gorgeous egg cookies from Alison of Ali-Bee's Bake Shop: these are all done BY HAND with a pastry bag and brush embroidery.  No stencil, no cookie press, just sunning.  My fave is the flowered one in the middle on the right, wow.

[by Stephaine Jessica Lau on All About Ami seen on Craftzine 

from a tweet by Whip Up retweeted by The Long Thread] 

-- really I just love how ideas are passed along

I so heart the expression on the faces of these amigurumi bunnies and the fabric that lines their ears. It's been a while since I did any crocheting, hmmm, maybe it's time to dig into the yarn stash.

[by Stitch Craft Creations seen on Pure Joy Events]

I haven't tried felting before, but this makes me want to!  I love the colors and the little chick peeping out.  Cute egg crate too.  

[from Southern Living also seen on Pure Joy Events]

I think these beautiful eggs are just the right shade and the speckles are very pretty.  Last year I dyed my eggs a little too dark since I went out to take a walk while they were in their little bath.  
Ah well, it was a really pretty day.

[by Nikki, In Stitches on the Pure Joy Events roundup]
Nikki says these are simple, but I'm so impressed.  Need a lotta patience here, but they're very interesting.

Hey, did you know you can print out this "Kawaii Easter Kit" from Creative Mamma for free?!  I already printed her Spring To Do List and even though I haven't crossed everything off, it's too adorable to take down from my cork board.

[from Martha Stewart Living]
And I started this Martha Stewart pussy willow nest last night, but the stems I had are a little dry since I got them a while ago.  
Have to find some that are more bendy.

Phew, ok, I think that's enough just for now.  Gotta get some lunch and finish the work day so I can power through tonight: floral arrangements, strawberry frosted egg cake (like the award-winning cupcakes!), cookies, jell-o eggs, etc. etc...
and maybe some laundry too...it's been a while.

Happy Easter prepping!

Happy Holidays with Cookies and Flowers

Merry Christmas Eve!  These are a few of my favorite things, as I've mentioned.  We've been pretty busy at work prepping for the holiday season with lots of yummy, fragrant things...

I didn't get to make a gingerbread house myself this year, but the pastry department was busy making 3.  They still had time to make a little ginger friend though.

Then in the hall I found some beautiful orange roses that we ordered for an event.

Then back in the kitchen the rooves had been iced and chimneys added.

Over in the office we'd had a delivery of dozens of white roses.

Then it was candy time in the kitchen.

And I went to the conference room to get the green, white, orange and pink roses, and the pink and white peonies into water

and when I got back to the kitchen there were some little trees too.

And lots of cookies!

And sprinkles!

And then the houses were done and ready to be packed

and delivered to the parties

along with all the little cookies.

Later I walked by L'Olivier Floral Atelier, which I'd visited in the spring and their fluffy pink and purple trees, a fun twist on the holiday.  Best wishes for a Merry Christmas this weekend!

Last Holiday Craft Fair Review

Went to the last spree of holiday craft fairs for the season last weekend.  When we were in Brooklyn we were within walking distance of FOUR different events!  First, here was a little friend who got stuck on our window sill for a little while.  I guess he was just saying hello. 

In downtown NYC we went to a special Holiday Pop-Up sale with Liddabit Sweets (got a "Slurtle", a drunken turtle with beer caramel, potato chips and a dark chocolate shell) and CookieBar (got World Peace Cookies from Dorrie and Josh Greenspan -- oh my gosh, were these amazing, I almost walked back after I finished one).

Saw some Snoopy ornaments in a window near Chinatown.  I have a Peanuts Christmas collection, so I was tempted...

First stop in Brooklyn was at the Lyceum where we went to a great fair in the spring.

Then to the the Brooklyn Craft Central's Legendary Holiday Market in 2 Locations: #1 was the Textile Arts Center.

I totally want to go back there for a class or an event sometime soon now that I know how to get there.

Cool, pretty stuff, including the best quote on a tote bag ever: "I knit so I don't kill people", haha, love it.

Then to Littlefield Performance Space.

And then over to the gifted holiday market of the Brooklyn Flea at Skylight One Hanson.

What a breahtaking space!

At a wedding this summer some of the original tables from when the building was a bank were used in the dining room (photo by Boutwell Studio).

The Big Social Holiday Market takes the Hester Street Fair indoors on Mulberry Street.

And last, but not least, the Jersey City Craft Mafia held a Holiday Market too!  Phew, busy season...

Can You Knit a Marshmallow Today?

This is City Bakery on 18th Street and yes, those are marshmallows hanging from the ceiling.  I got some nice comments on my heart marshmallows so I know people love 'em and City Bakery is hosting their 18th Annual Hot Chocolate Festival TODAY, Thursday, 2/18 with unlimited hot chocolate and hot chocolate themed knitting workshops for the price of a ticket, wow!  You can read about the event on Grub Street, where Chef-Owner Maury Rubin says that "knitting feels like hot chocolate".  I agree! and thanks to my friend Jenny for reminding me about this.

It's sponsored by some of my favorite yarn shops in the city: Downtown Yarns, which I also mentioned here and Purl Soho (there's the ad for the event in the window):

They also have Purl Patchwork, a fabric store!

I have a work thing and can't make it to the event tomorrow, so I bought a few ginormous chocolate chunk cookies on my way home, but if anyone goes let me know how it is!

From the bakery I also had some other errands to run:

I stopped by Anthropologie (love the sweet clothes, charming fabrics and dishware and the Mistral soaps, even though I just made some of my own).  Hey, is anyone watching Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel about buyer Keith Johnson's adventures procuring product for the stores?  Also got some wool for a present at Lion Brand Yarn (which I heart! as I explained here).

The bunch of ribbon is from Paper Presentation: an incredible store that I could get lost in for hours.  I heard about it from awesome prop stylist Leslie Siegel.  Seriously, check out her portfolio: it's amAzing!  Those are also some little pink pinking shears up in the pic.

I passed Cupcake Cafe and even though I posted about Valentine-themed store windows yesterday I just have to include this since I love how happy the polar bears are with their treats.

When I finally got home my sweet friend She Crafty had sent me Making Candles & Soaps for Dummies.  I've been experimenting with both lately and need some pointers, so I can't wait to dive into this book and see what I can do to improve. 

She Crafty's profile pic is her adorable French bulldog, Crumpet (love her name!)  One of my all-time fave movies is Best in Show and on Monday night a Frenchie named Bru won best in the non-sporting group (first time for this breed!) at the Westminster Kennel Club 2010 Dog Show.  Go, Bru! and thanks again, She Crafty!

Lists, oh lists

I got my love of lists from my Dad.  His last name is Lisco, but it might as well have been (terrible, cheesy joke coming up): List-o.  Actually, I think he'll like that joke.  Here are my Mom's recipe binder (yes, that's Martha!) and my Dad's 36-point weekend To Do list.  A sampling:

- #10: load video editing SW on Dell Desktop (it took me a sec to figure out what SW meant, that's how tech-saavy I am)
- #19: fix washer/dryer water shut-off valves (he also took apart a radio when he was 5 and taught himself how to put it back together a few years later)
- #26: canisters on Generator (huh?!)
- #30: insulate ceiling holes in garage (pretty chilly in there today)

On his To Buy list: #6 P16T8 26" fluorescent light for oven and #9 R13 foil back insulation for attic lights.  I think he should start a handyman business.
My Mom always did crafts and project with me and my Brownie troupe when I was little and my friends still remember her baking cookies for us when we got home.  She also used to make candles, something I've been getting interested in here and here.  She may still have some molds left, probably downstairs in their basement/workshop/craft corner.

Hopefully they won't mind me posting their basement pics; it's actually really organized right now thanks to my Dad's #16: assemble storage cabinets in basement and #21: finish basement workshop cleaning.

My Mom also does Peter Rabbit storytime with kids at our local library and volunteers with her church group.  So they like to keep busy, like me!

And thanks to my 2 new overnight followers.  I'm fascinated by this blog:
Οι Συμμορίτες which you can translate right on the page with Google Translate to http://simmoria.blogspot.com/.  My horoscope fits me I think:
LEON (heart) 
The best tonic for the brave but arrogant and your heart is the Calendula.
Alternatively, we suggest a little melissa necessary to stimulate the heart and soothes the intensity of your demanding roar.