The house is always so depressing after taking the christmas tree down. It just looks so sad and naked. But this year is different. We finished some spiffy new curtains right before christmas (I’ll show you later, because damn curtains are hard to photograph and really they aren’t incredibly interesting) and because I got this print right before christmas. I’ve been itching to get it up ever since it came. The print is called “Noodles Over Salzburg” and it was made by an old family friend. I think my sister has the same one (right, Katie?). Anyway, I love it. It’s ridiculous and awesome.

Thank you, everyone, for all the nice things you said about the new site. A couple of you asked who designed it and hey! it was me! My husband did all the actual making of it, while I just said, “here, put it here, or maybe here, no move it over!”

If you have any more questions you can ask them in the comment section and I can answer them there too! I know I’m late to the threaded comments party, but I finally made it. And it’s awesome. So we can reply to one another and have real discussions there.  It’s like you came over, except you have to bring your own coffee.

Welcome to the new blog! I’m super excited about the new design for this little blog. Much thanks to the  handsome genius  I married to that made it all happen. And made it happen on 1/1/11 to boot. My old blog was pretty minimal, bare minimal really, and it needed to be redone.  I think the new design is still clean, but it is  more interesting.  There is a fancy categories page you can see above and a tutorials page too and I’ve even got my own library.  So look around and feel free to tell me what you think! Be sure to check out my fabulous sponsors on the right–they make the magic happen. Happy New Year!

Having been gone for a week or so, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by the internet. I am actually afraid of looking at my rss reader it’s so large. So I thought I’d go through my bookmarks instead. And hey there are some cool things on these internets that I forgot about. Check it out.

I think my new year’s resolution this year will be to see more art. I mean really get off my butt and go see the art not click the art. I wish I could have seen this amazing piece that combins a piano piece by Satie and origami which lasted an entire night. You can read about it on the upon a fold blog–a fantastic blog and shop too.  The resolution begins tomorrow by going to the exhibition called Handmade Meaning: The Value of Craft in Victorian and Contemporary Culture. It runs Dec. 17 through Feb. 6th at the James Watrous Gallery here in Madison and a friend of mine has some crocheted hair pieces in it that I am eager to see.  For those of you not local you can see more photos of the exhibition here.

I’m sure I wont be able to see the work of Victor Dubrovsky in person anytime soon, but you can almost feel it just by looking at the pictures.  I am quite taken with this wolf, but all of his work is pretty amazing. He even has some needle felting tips (this is for you, Helen!)–via well-crafted

It may not neccessarily be art, but it’s still awesome and afforable: Abbey from Aethetic Outburst has an etsy shop called The Eight Dollar Holler, where she sells all the good vintage bits she can find for 8bucks. Nice, right?

I would pay a lot more than eight bucks for someone to bring me buttermilk chicken in a waffle right now or even smoked salmon in a waffle or really anything in a waffle. Oh my god this sandwich looks good.

but that’s not going to happen, so might just make this. or maybe waffles.

I meant to post here this week, but like many of you I’m sure everything just got super busy.  I hope you have a lovely christmas and a happy new year–though I’m sure to talk to you before then. Merry Christmas everyone!

There have been some lovely things coming out of the oven these days. I always tell myself I won’t make a thousand kinds of cookies this year, but then well: there are the ones I always make and the ones my mom used to make and the favorite ones from last year and the new recipe I found this year. I kind of like getting carried away, but the problem is that I tend to favor the extra complicated cookies at christmastime and I come away never wanting to see another cookie again. This year that hasn’t happened. yet.

fig pinwheels: these were a favorite from a few years back but they are less exciting to me now. The dough is super delicious, but the filling is too figgy. I think next year I’ll make it with dates and orange peel.

english toffee: always good.

hazelnut thumbprints: I made these last year and didn’t give any away because they were so good. This year I made a double batch (so I could share) and filled them all with apricot jam.

basler brunsli: I think these are Swiss cookies? They are chocolate and almond and rum and so grown up and wonderful. I’m going to share the recipe with you next week.

alfajores: this was a new one for me this year and blazzam! they are amazing. Two little flaky cookies, like barely sweetened pie crust with dulche de leche inside. awesome.

mexican hot chocolate cookies: these are new to me too and they are lame. The cookies are boring and not spicy at all. Oh well, there has to be one crummy recipe every year.

gingerbread and ganache sandwich men: I think gingerbread and chocolate are the best together, so I made these little sandwiches. How could they not be good?

All of the cookies I’ve made so far are packaged up and ready to go, but I’m working on another list: christmas cookies just for us. So far I have down these (which I make every year) and these (which are a perfect new twist on an old christmas favorite).