Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Merry Christmas!
We had a wonderful 1st Christmas with Kenny this year. I haven't been able to write as much in the past, and I wonder sometimes if I'm done blogging (because I love Instagram...) but I can't say goodbye to this space. I think I'll be back with more in 2019, or I at least hope to be.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
A Christmas (Stocking) Story
But when Dan and my now brother-in-law joined the family, we weren't sure what to do about stockings. At first, we added individual mis-matched stockings, but this resulted in Dan's candy melting last year as his was a longer length than the others over the fireplace. We considered replacing all the stockings, but after 30 years with our old ones, my sister was heartbroken at the thought of retiring them.
After Christmas she texted me, "What if you make us some, Aubrey? You could find more like these."
Motivated as a big sister could be after a plea from the baby of the family, I scoured the internet using random search terms like “80s stocking fabric rocking horse” and similar ilk. To my surprise, I found two lots of the original stockings for sale on eBay, in the same prints as my stocking and Sissy's. I bought them all! They must have been sitting in someone's fabric stash for all this time, and I never would have found them if not for the power of the internet.
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| Adding fusible felt interfacing |
I found enough to make four stockings in each design, meaning as our families grew, we would all have matching stockings. I received the fabric, and it sat on my to-do list for a while. But then I got pregnant, and I realized that it just wasn't moving up the priority list fast enough. I wanted them to be finished in time for my sister to come home for Christmas from Arizona, her first Christmas as a married woman!
So I called my Mom via FaceTime in November and showed her the fabric. You should have seen her face when she saw those old prints! We decided we would make them over Thanksgiving, as I would be home in Indiana this year. It worked well since we were sort of an assembly line together.
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| I pinned, Mom sewed |
We went to the fabric store together for notions, which was kind of a funny experience. When she made our stockings in the 80s, she lined them with felt as batting, but that seemed like a lot of work to me. I suggested a fusible felt interfacing to stabilize the fabric, which we could iron directly onto the pieces and then sew. She was skeptical, but in the end it was soooo much easier than the old days when she sewed in loose felt! The new stockings are actually more sturdy than the old ones as a result, and we were more efficient in pinning and sewing them together. We used bias tape for the top trim and loop for hanging. It's a little different in color from the originals, but that's just fine.
Now, Mom has all the stockings up by the fireplace, in the order that we each joined the family. I love that she hangs them up for me and Dan, even when we aren't spending Christmas in Indiana that year. And she already has one ready to go, with bears just like mine, for my little one's first Christmas in 2018!
The 80's stockings live on!
Monday, December 25, 2017
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Christmas (in food photos)
Dan and I spent a week over Christmas in his hometown near Pittsburgh, and I think I gained a few pounds! My husband isn't a shutterbug, so after the holiday I realized that my photos from our trip were kind of typical Aubrey snaps: food and cats. But since the food was pretty special, I figured I'd share what my Christmas looked like, in food pics. Like, a TON of food pics. I warned you.
(I'm sorry, New Year's Resolutioners. I'm with you, I'm counting points again and working on getting my waistline to reduce... but I couldn't not share, because this is NOT the normal Midwest Christmas fare I'm used to! Definitely a unique thing for me. I don't think I saw ham or a pumpkin pie I don't think.)
Where Dan grew up, there's a place called Mac's Donut Shop, and it's delicious. It's located a block from a Dunkin Donuts, and yet it's packed every morning because the donuts are so good! The family that runs it now has had it for three generations. I loved their frosted cake donuts especially.
There's a large Italian population where Dan grew up, and he has Italian heritage in his family. So my plate, at every meal, looked like a smorgasbord of homemade Italian goodies! This plate is all kinds of wonderful: braciole, meatballs, roasted chicken and potatoes, pasta in sauce.
I even got to learn a bit about how to cook things from my mother-in-law, including making ricotta gnocchi...
...meatballs...
...and of course sauce.
My MIL also made seafood to celebrate Christmas; I do like crabcakes!
And I can now add Italian Wedding soup to the short list of soups that I like!
We didn't dine out much, but when we did I could never finish my plate! Here's a meatball calzone I had at Vesuvio's... I ate almost half of it and saved the rest for Dan.
Dan also took me to one of his favorites, Burgatory. I had a burger that had bacon in the patty and added rubs, sauces, etc. for a really rich, custom burger. Not bad! We also had Salted Nutella Crunch milkshake to share, and it was over the top.
At homes we visited, they also had these Italian nougat candies; I liked the vanilla flavor.
Now, here's something I didn't anticipate... cookie platters. When we were at my niece's high school graduation, there was a huge table "buffet" of homemade cookies out. I thought it was just because she loved cookies! Dan thought I was weird because I mentioned this was a strange tradition... as it turns out, it's regional to the Pittsburgh area. He had not idea that everyone else didn't do this.
Everywhere we went, everyone had cookies! The cookies with Hershey kisses were especially popular given Hershey is in PA. Here are three I snapped. I also saw lots of pizzelles, an Italian waffle cookie.
As you can tell, it was a Christmas filled with plenty. It's hard not to look at these photos and think about how rich my holiday was, and how fortunate I am to have more than I could ever want to eat. But I also think about the love that went into making so many of these from-scratch foods.
And since I love a good cat photo, I leave you with a snap of my sister-in-law, Agnes. :) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!
(I'm sorry, New Year's Resolutioners. I'm with you, I'm counting points again and working on getting my waistline to reduce... but I couldn't not share, because this is NOT the normal Midwest Christmas fare I'm used to! Definitely a unique thing for me. I don't think I saw ham or a pumpkin pie I don't think.)
Where Dan grew up, there's a place called Mac's Donut Shop, and it's delicious. It's located a block from a Dunkin Donuts, and yet it's packed every morning because the donuts are so good! The family that runs it now has had it for three generations. I loved their frosted cake donuts especially.
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| Pretty much every place I saw with donuts had black & yellow ones... classic Pittsburgh. |
There's a large Italian population where Dan grew up, and he has Italian heritage in his family. So my plate, at every meal, looked like a smorgasbord of homemade Italian goodies! This plate is all kinds of wonderful: braciole, meatballs, roasted chicken and potatoes, pasta in sauce.
I even got to learn a bit about how to cook things from my mother-in-law, including making ricotta gnocchi...
...meatballs...
...and of course sauce.
My MIL also made seafood to celebrate Christmas; I do like crabcakes!
And I can now add Italian Wedding soup to the short list of soups that I like!
We didn't dine out much, but when we did I could never finish my plate! Here's a meatball calzone I had at Vesuvio's... I ate almost half of it and saved the rest for Dan.
Dan also took me to one of his favorites, Burgatory. I had a burger that had bacon in the patty and added rubs, sauces, etc. for a really rich, custom burger. Not bad! We also had Salted Nutella Crunch milkshake to share, and it was over the top.
At homes we visited, they also had these Italian nougat candies; I liked the vanilla flavor.
Now, here's something I didn't anticipate... cookie platters. When we were at my niece's high school graduation, there was a huge table "buffet" of homemade cookies out. I thought it was just because she loved cookies! Dan thought I was weird because I mentioned this was a strange tradition... as it turns out, it's regional to the Pittsburgh area. He had not idea that everyone else didn't do this.
Everywhere we went, everyone had cookies! The cookies with Hershey kisses were especially popular given Hershey is in PA. Here are three I snapped. I also saw lots of pizzelles, an Italian waffle cookie.
As you can tell, it was a Christmas filled with plenty. It's hard not to look at these photos and think about how rich my holiday was, and how fortunate I am to have more than I could ever want to eat. But I also think about the love that went into making so many of these from-scratch foods.
And since I love a good cat photo, I leave you with a snap of my sister-in-law, Agnes. :) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!
Friday, December 25, 2015
Merry Christmas!
This year for our Christmas card, I had Rachel of The British Rule do a portrait of us in our wedding attire, including our kitties. I used this card from Minted as our template.
I love how it turned out, and she turned it around very quickly. I highly recommend her for your portrait needs! I plan to print out a copy of this (and our portrait from last year's card) to frame in our home.
To see our past Christmas cards, click here! :)
Monday, December 14, 2015
Christmas at Belmont Mansion
My friend Lindsey and I enjoy being "ladies who lunch" every once in a while. We've traveled a lot together, and we also love attending events like the Afternoon Adagio at the Olde Pink House when we lived near Savannah. There's just something about dining in a beautiful old home, eating off china, and celebrating friendship.
Recently, we decided to buy tickets for the Christmas luncheon at Belmont Mansion, with a silent auction and proceeds benefiting the Belmont Mansion Association, the non-profit organization in charge of repairing, restoring, researching, and furnishing Belmont Mansion.
I had no idea this mansion was hidden in the middle of Nashville, but pre-Civil War was far from the hubbub and center of town! It was designed and constructed by a wealthy lady who loved art and Nashville. It was never a plantation home, but more like a resort home as an escape from the city center. The mansion is now attached to some more modern buildings, and it's definitely hidden from view off any main roads. We were surprised (and delighted) how it sneaked up on us!
The room where we dined was decorated beautifully, and we also spent some time on our phones browsing the silent auction items! Lindsey and I both won items (I got an autographed Puffy Muffin cookbook!) and had a ball! We also enjoyed a delicious lunch and some festive "poppers" with our friends at the table afterwards.
We also took a photo together (we've been friends for a decade, we need to capture the memories) and we thought it reminded us of a cruise ship portrait... but pretty nonetheless! It's probably my favorite picture of the two of us this year.
Lindsey and I joke about how we will someday end up like the Golden Girls (I'm a Dorothy, in case you haven't guessed) and I hope we're still attending events like these together until we're old and grey!
Recently, we decided to buy tickets for the Christmas luncheon at Belmont Mansion, with a silent auction and proceeds benefiting the Belmont Mansion Association, the non-profit organization in charge of repairing, restoring, researching, and furnishing Belmont Mansion.
I had no idea this mansion was hidden in the middle of Nashville, but pre-Civil War was far from the hubbub and center of town! It was designed and constructed by a wealthy lady who loved art and Nashville. It was never a plantation home, but more like a resort home as an escape from the city center. The mansion is now attached to some more modern buildings, and it's definitely hidden from view off any main roads. We were surprised (and delighted) how it sneaked up on us!
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| This is the historic dining room display of the Mansion |
The room where we dined was decorated beautifully, and we also spent some time on our phones browsing the silent auction items! Lindsey and I both won items (I got an autographed Puffy Muffin cookbook!) and had a ball! We also enjoyed a delicious lunch and some festive "poppers" with our friends at the table afterwards.
We also took a photo together (we've been friends for a decade, we need to capture the memories) and we thought it reminded us of a cruise ship portrait... but pretty nonetheless! It's probably my favorite picture of the two of us this year.
Lindsey and I joke about how we will someday end up like the Golden Girls (I'm a Dorothy, in case you haven't guessed) and I hope we're still attending events like these together until we're old and grey!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Dickens of a Christmas 2014
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| Me and my friend KD |
Friday, January 3, 2014
Bits and Pieces
Just some bits and pieces of what I've been up to lately, other than shopping and eating. Well, some of this involves eating. Apparently I love pictures of food.
I went home to my parents' for the holidays, and got to see a lot of friends too. I saw 47 Ronin with my family (Dad's request, better than I expected given I had zero expectations... Keanu Reeves after all). I met up with friends at local bars and eateries. I met up with friends at a friends' house to indulge in amazing Chinese hot pot (like spicy Chinese soup fondue). I made casseroles and celebrated with my extended family. All in all, it was awesome, and I watched a lot of HGTV since my parents get cable and I don't. I also spent the New Year with Dan and saw American Hustle (great acting and hair!). Fun. So yeah, here's a little peek into my winter ways!
I went home to my parents' for the holidays, and got to see a lot of friends too. I saw 47 Ronin with my family (Dad's request, better than I expected given I had zero expectations... Keanu Reeves after all). I met up with friends at local bars and eateries. I met up with friends at a friends' house to indulge in amazing Chinese hot pot (like spicy Chinese soup fondue). I made casseroles and celebrated with my extended family. All in all, it was awesome, and I watched a lot of HGTV since my parents get cable and I don't. I also spent the New Year with Dan and saw American Hustle (great acting and hair!). Fun. So yeah, here's a little peek into my winter ways!
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| Bear as my copilot |
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| Mom's Christmas Monkey Bread |
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| Local bar with friends |
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| Chinese Hot Pot |
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| Casseroles, pre-baking |
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| Some of the desserts at the family potluck... Aunt D's family red velvet cake is the BOMB |
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| Christmas Family Photo |
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A Very Merry Christmas
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| Runcible Reunion! Baby C stole the show. |
I had an amazing trip
home to Bloomington. It was short, but my days were so full it felt
like I was there for longer! I arrived on Christmas Day, and spent a
relaxing evening at home with my parents. (Watched the John Wayne
'Christmas with the Duke' marathon with Dad!)
The next day, I met up
with a group of high school friends at Runcible Spoon, a truly local and
quirky little restaurant. It was so good to catch up, especially since I
hadn't seen some of them in years! Then I went home to help Mom with
the preparations for our big family Christmas party. My sister arrived
that afternoon, so we were able to open our Christmas gifts! I was very
spoiled.... I got an iPad, clothes, and more from my parents, and my
sister went way overboard and got me an orange wool coat, Calvin Klein
grey business suit, and a Kate Spade New York bag! OMG!
The Christmas party was
fun, and I had a lot of laughs with my relatives. It was strange not to
have Grandma there; it was the first holiday without either of the
Williams grandparents. I made my Dad a photo book of many old pictures
I'd scanned over the past few months, and it was a hit.
Loss makes you
appreciate what you have even more, and I was so happy to be with my
family. And the food was delicious! My Aunt DW made the sugar cookies I
love, and my cousin AV even made my beloved pumpkin pie. In my family,
I think everyone believes I live on pumpkin pie! And I'm not complaining a bit. :)
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| My Family |
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Christmas caroling
It's hard for me to get into a real Christmas spirit in the South... don't get me wrong, there are Christmas decorations and happenings going on all the time in December! But with the weather, it just doesn't feel cold enough to be the holidays. We rarely ever see even a hint of snow.But last night, I am happy to report, it felt like Christmas. My friend SB invited me to go to dinner and Christmas caroling with her church, and since I haven't had a busy work schedule, I drove out to join her. There were tons of people, mainly teens, and we went to houses of elderly church members and sang to them. It was moving... They were all in walkers or wheelchairs, and they seemed so happy and surprised to see us. Some sang along with us, others sat quietly and teared up during favorite carols. It was one of those feel-good moments, where something so simple as singing a song made a difference to someone. One lady said it really felt like Christmas because we sang. And that is a feeling I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Thanks SB for reminding me what Christmas is all about!
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| Me & SB |
Monday, December 27, 2010
B-town Roundup
I loved my trip home! I just felt like I had the Christmas spirit all around me the whole time. There were so many wonderful things to love about it...
-Nick's English Hut, Yogi's, Lennie's, and Serendipity with old friends, including some Upland Wheat Ale like a good townie
-Cally the cat's 15th Christmas with our family, sitting under the tree just like when we got her for Christmas '96
-listening to Mom and Dad be hilarious, as usual
-FAMILY. Seeing everyone after so long away was wonderful. I'm so lucky to have so much family to fill my life with love.
-Having none of the lottery tickets I got for Christmas be winners... I already spent my luck getting home!
-Two words: Spam Musubi
-Oliver Winery wines... Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chambourcin
-FOOD... all the favorites for the holidays, in Midwest-sized portions
-Presents! Sweaters, accessories, a SEWING BASKET, lots of things I love!
-celebrating Dad's birthday by watching True Grit, because Dad loves a western and Mom loves Matt Damon
-getting my butt kicked in Jazzercise with Mom
-celebrating JM's 28th birthday with Funfetti cake (I can make cakes from scratch, but that's what he wants)
-watching the snow fall, big and fluffy, just in time for a White Christmas!
-buying my first sewing patterns
-shopping with Amy and Mom, a Williams family tradition every time I come home
Every time I come home, I want to stay longer.
Always,
Aubrey
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Back Home Again in Indiana
They say home is where the heart is, and as someone who has lived all over this planet, home has a lot of meanings for me. It's where I live, but at the same time, Bloomington, Indiana, will always be home for me.
After my Dad got out of the Army, when I was about ten years old, we moved to Indiana, his home state. After a nomadic lifestyle, we were finally settling down. Bloomington, as the place I've lived the longest in my life, will always be home to me. Quirky, both rural/town, friendly, approachable, it's just one of the best towns in the world.
I couldn't be happier to be here for Christmas, for the first time since 2007. There's snow on the ground, gifts under the tree, and that Hoosier Christmas spirit welcoming me home.
Always,
Aubrey
Mom wasn't kidding when she said there were enough snow shovels for everyone to help clear the driveway!
Monday, December 13, 2010
A Gleek Peek: "A Very Glee Christmas"
I know I'm way late in my review of the latest Glee episode, but since there won't be a new one until February, I figured I had a little time. I've been relaxing at home and only blogging minimally, but I'm feeling ready to get back in the game!The latest Glee episode is the Christmas episode, filled with songs that I love from the Glee Christmas album! I really liked this episode, especially coming off the heels of one that I didn't care for so much. I'm a sucker for cheesy Christmas songs, and I even enjoyed the storyline of Brittany's quest to help Artie walk through her belief in Santa Claus. Sue's Grinch storyline was great too, as she is the quintessential Grinch of McKinley High. I really felt like it was tied together well, and the old spirit of Glee was there for me in the way the kids were all close and working together for something good, unlike the way they were for Sectionals.
As for the music, I loved it all. But today I will leave you with Rachel singing "Merry Christmas Darling," a song that is so sweet you'll want to play it on repeat as you're curled up on the couch by the fire drinking your cocoa.
Always,
Aubrey
