Holiday Bounty

Was Santa good to you? I hope so. He was certainly generous to me. Let me share...

My Santa always does a bang-up job on the stocking stuffing--too many fun toys and goodies to name. My favorites, though, are the bamboo yo-yo and the Scottish shortbread! Do you think enough yo-yoing could work off the calories in the cookies? I'm giving that a try.

Another favorite is the hand made gifts I received from Natalie and from Jessica and her brood. Sachet, personalized necklace, candle in a tea cup, and little grandson handprinted kitchen accessories. Sweet little hands (I'm sure their mother doesn't exactly agree on that every single minute of every day, though. )

Here's a very much wished for appliance--our new juicer from Natalie and Jesse! Just got back home from Costco with huge bags of carrots and apples to go with some ginger and lemon to make R Thomas' Frosted Champ! Boy do I miss those. If you're in Atlanta, go and have one for me, along with all their great food. Honestly one of my favorite places on earth. Hopefully, I can replicate the Champ and dream of being there, watching R with his birds.

Back to the gifts! Fred got me this wonderful little chest of stationery and every kind of card you can imagine. It pays to leave hints around the house around Christmastime. When the Victorian Trading Company catalog came a couple of months ago, I went through it and circled some wishes and starred some others. I got my wish! Now I can write real letters and send nice cards all year. He even found a wonderful hand made cartridge ink pen like the ones we used in school to learn cursive. I must brush up my best cursive writing to use all this! What's that nondescript brown leather thing in the front, you might ask? My new Kindle Fire! I didn't even wish nor hint for this and Fred used up a bunch of Amazon points and got us both one. This morning I watched a little of Age of Innocence on it for free, thanks to my complimentary month of Prime. Nice!

Mom and Fred both consulted my Amazon wish list and got completely too generous. And they didn't even duplicate--a miracle in itself. Well, not yet, anyway. They both say I have another gift from Amazon coming late, around February. Hmmm...I just read that the Principals of Knitting  that I have been fervently wishing for is being delayed until February. Coincidence?

These are all excellent books! I want to knit several things in the new EZ book, and this completes my set of all of her books, as does the Vogue Stitchionary 6--I have the first five and love using them. I have Custom Knits the first and am so happy to expand my study of Wendy's fabulous sweater knowledge with this Custom Knits the second. I have been happily reading The Yarn Harlot's latest book in bed every night. I know I am driving Fred crazy giggling while he tries to read his gifty books, but who can help that? I had been trying to read Little Dorrit every night, but switched to reading it in the morning as I get my dose of caffeine. Much better! I think I will finish it by Saturday. That's my plan, anyway.

Also in the plan for this, the last week of 2011 (what??), is to finish this Chocolate Wanda Nell (made with Hazel Knits Artisan Sock and Schaefer Nichole). This spot on the couch is where I have been spending hours every day and evening this week--just ask Fred. I am on the first sleeve, which I am changing to wrist-length for this sample, and am going now to try and finish that one and start the second sleeve today. I hope to be wearing this on New Year's Day! Luck wishes, please! Strong hands wishes as well!

Onward!

Thanks for stopping by!