Back to School

Tonight I'm starting an introductory interior design class.  I've got to be honest, though, I hate the first day of classes.  I get butterflies in my stomach, just like the time I went to my very first class in college (ENWR 110:  Music in Visual Media, MWF 10:00-10:50).  I mean, do we have to play those name games every time?  And why did my mind's bank of top dog interior designers just go blank?  Wish me success tonight, friends, even if it is being able to recall that I have an affinity for retail window displays and built in bookshelves.

Mostly Martha

Since mid-last week, I have been reading Martha Inc.:  The Incredible  Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia by Christopher Byron, and I'm over halfway finished with it.  In short, I have loved Martha Stewart my entire life, and it's kind of funny to me that I really don't know when I first became familiar with Martha.  I do remember watching   Some of my dearest and most hilarious memories are from my mom and I cooking together.  We would mock the Martha Stewart Show (and by mock, I mean try to be like it); I was Martha, and my mom was Julia Child (a guest on my show, no doubt), and we referred to each other as such until our dish was complete.  On one of my birthdays in college, I received a package from my brother that had a set of Martha Stewart stainless steel measuring cups in it; no other measuring apparati will do.

I'm sure you can imagine that some folks have been laughing a little at my reading Martha Inc., but I don't get it.  Why wouldn't I want to read about a woman who turned poaching pears, embroidering napkins and whipping up homemade bath fizzies among other "good things" into a billion dollar business?  I just wish I could have beaten her to the punch (I can hear the rest of you echoing the same sentiment)...And let's be honest, who doesn't love her signature aqua/turquoise color?

Last night, H. and I were in Wal*Mart buying batteries for a Wii controller, and we found ourselves standing in the impulse buy section (aka waiting in line). Then something wonderful happened.  I glanced over at the February 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, and in the bottom right-hand corner read these words:  "How to Host a Crafternoon."  Sold.  I looked at H., pointed to the magazine and said, "That's why I'm reading Martha Inc.," and snatched it up. 

Dreams

Last night I dreamed that I was hunting in Antarctica and I got a polar bear.  There's no need to call PETA on me, but I remember feeling proud in the dream.  My dad's cousin has been working at the South Pole and sending "Penguin Reports" via email, so I suppose I have had the Pole on my mind.  Anyway, reading all about her adventures has been super interesting; although, there haven't been any polar bears in her writings.

I made a new dessert last night called "Duo Pots de Creme," which is a milk chocolate baked custard topped with semisweet chocolate ganache.  I ate one for breakfast today.

Something in me wants to make those marshmallows that I made before Christmas; they were heavenly. Here's an idea for a winter celebration (because, who doesn't want to celebrate something in the dead of winter?):  Hot Chocolate Bar!  The possibilities are endless:  homemade powdered hot cocoa mix  & marshmallows, peppermint sticks and/or Schnapps, Mexican seasonings, caramel syrup, cinnamon sticks, etc.  Hot Chocktails!  How long would it take me to get that trademarked?  Anybody want to come to mine? All I have to do is set a date...

 

You Can Keep Your Hat On

...because it's cold outside!  I finished my green hat and made a pom pom for the top of it, just in time for our predicted snow showers tonight.  As it turns out, you don't need one of those fancy-schmancy pom pom makers.  I made mine with my fingers, some yarn and a pair of scissors, and it turned out pretty good (for my first pom pom).  I fear that I've started an obsession.  Raise your hand if you love pom poms!!!

For All The Cows

Happy New Year everybody!  I thought I would kick off the new year by posting a picture of the most adorable stuffed animal on which I've ever laid my eye, besides my white cow Puffalump when I was a little girl (my friend Chels had the yellow duck Puffalump).  Did anyone else have a Puffalump?  I really hope that my mom still has her locked away in the attic because I want my little girl to have it one day.  After you've admired the Puffalump below, check out the adorableness that awaits thereafter. 

Via This Old Toy

 
Anthropologie presents Caroline Cow!

I am going to find a way to knit Caroline Cow for my children, or create a home for her on a shelf in my apartment.  In short, she is wonderful.  Before I saw Caroline Cow, I was planning to knit a stuffed teddy bear this spring, but in the project lineup, I am prioritizing the knitting of this stuffed cow, and I think I might color it like a Jersey because they're so sweet (but then again, I do like the cream and black, like a Holstein).  You can take a farm girl off the farm, but you can't take the love of cow out of the girl.