Roses for Springtime

I found this picture in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living. How gorgeous is this rose?! So pretty- it almost doesn't even seem like it could be real.

Last year was the first time in our new house and my first foray into the world of gardening, so I pretty much kept things as-is from the previous owners and tried to get my bearings. Maybe planting some of these gorgeous flowers needs to be on my list for this year?!

Garland Love

I came across this garland on the Purl Bee and fell in love... so pretty! So festive! So perfect for any occassion!

Picture from the Purl Bee

We're in the process of planning a baby shower for one of my oldest friends and I know that these will make their way into the decor... We're looking for pretty and playful (she's having a girl), but not too pink or over-the-top baby and girlie. The garland would fit in perfectly with this modern baby shower from Blueprint, one of my favorite inspirations for the event.

Happy 2010!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and New Year's celebration - I can't believe how quickly 2009 flew by, but am very excited for a fresh, new year to get started!

I actually made many of the crafts I planned to give as gifts, so a report on how that went is up next... but just wanted to first share the munchkins' New Year's spirit:

Frank and Boozer


Frank models his New Year's crown

Boozer models his snazzy 2010 glasses

13-Year-Old Authors- Help their Bestseller Campaign!

The children of J's co-worker just wrote and published their first book... how cool is that?!

A note we were forwarded by the kids is below... they're asking everyone who is interested to buy a copy (or two!) tomorrow, December 15 from Amazon, so that they can have a best seller on their hands.

Hello,
Our names are Owen and Dustin Schoenfeld, we are thirteen years old and we have written a book called It Isn't Just A Game.

It Isn't Just A Game is the story of two kids, Alex and Corey, who play a baseball video game. Whatever they do in the game actually happens to their favorite team The Chicago White Sox. Once they realize this, they plan their whole summer around the White Sox's schedule, hoping to lead them to a World Series title. As the plot thickens, Alex and Corey encounter crazy events and wonder if a game can really be more than just a game.

It took us a total of three years to complete our book and as most writers will tell you, it was "a long, yet rewarding project."

Now we hope we can achieve our ultimate dream, which is our book becoming a bestseller. Our best shot at this is if multiple books are bought all on the same day. The day we have chosen to take a shot at this dream is December 15th, the book's release date.

If you are interested in this book, we would very much appreciate if you would purchase our book at Amazon.com on December 15th. Please pass this email along to anyone on your mailing list that may be interested. This book would make a great holiday gift for any young reader or baseball fan.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this email.

Feel free to visit us at our website: http://www.itisntjustagame.com/
or email us @ it.isnt.just.a.game@gmail.com

Here is the link to Amazon if you choose to buy it on December 15th

Thank you again,
Owen and Dustin Schoenfeld

Baked Eggs = Yummy

There is this great little cafe/ coffee shop (Julius Meinl on Southport in Lakeview) in Chicago that introduced me to the most amazing breakfast food - baked eggs! They offer several options (J likes the bacon and swiss cheese), but my favorite includes yummy goat cheese. Rather than heading out whenever I have a craving for baked eggs, lately we've been eating a ton of them at home... if it sounds good, here's how you can make them too:

1. Heat the oven to 375
2. Rub some butter along the inside of an oven-safe dish (a small ramekin or bowl)
3. Crack two eggs into the dish
4. Add 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream (depending on how rich you want it!)
5. Sprinkle with goat cheese
6. Pierce the yolk of each egg 1-2 times with a fork
7. Put the dish(es) on a cookie sheet and into the oven - bake for 20-30 minutes, until the yolk is the desired level of done-ness (not sure that is a word!)


You're done - serve with some toast and enjoy!

Snow!

For the first time this winter, we're getting snow here in Chicago... not that I am complaining that it has taken so long- I would much prefer if we could skip winter all together. But, you have to admit, it can be quite pretty:

Picture from Mark Cassino

Photo from charlesimages on flickr

Craftiness: Wintertime Drink Mixes

I'm full of ideas for what to make/ create for the ladies in my life, but the men are another story. I think guys are just harder to shop for in general, nevermind craft for!


With some family get-togethers quickly approaching, I need a plan. Quickly. I am thinking that some drink mixes to make warm drinks could hit the spot... some ideas I've found and may try to pull off:

• Hot Chocolate:
  
  • Hot Chocolate on a Stick from The Givers Log (a review from The Kitchn is here) - maybe the cutest thing I have ever seen. Seriously.
  • Pepppermint Stick Cocoa from My Recipes
  • Mexican Cocoa from Sunset
  
  
• Cider (I looove warm cider in the fall and winter!)
  
  Mulled Cider Sachets from Real Simple
  
  
• Chai (my latest obsession)
  
  • Recipes found via Thrifty Fun
  • Recipe from About.com