Catching Up

It's been a while since I've checked in - I've just been really busy with all the holiday shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, parties, etc...in addition to my ongoing piano lessons and volunteer commitments. Not to mention holding down a full-time job. No complaints, just not a lot of free time lately.

So what's been up? Several knitting projects completed, about 2 dozen cheesecakes baked, and the Steelers are circling the drain. I've also deployed my new snowblower with some success. Updates on everything that's been going on will be forthcoming now that I've got a bit of time to waste. Until then, Happy Holidays!

Trick or Treat!

I made these skeleton cupcakes for our Halloween lunch at work tomorrow:


They're kind of cute, huh?


Ok, so no one's likely to mistake them for work done by a professional decorator, but I still think they're pretty fun.

Actually, if you haven't already checked out the Cake Wrecks blog (there's a link on the sidebar), take a look. Maybe I could be a professional decorator.

Troy-O-Lanterns? Ben-O-Lanterns?

Look at my fun jack-o-lanterns:

Aren't they great?! I didn't freehand these or anything, so don't be too impressed. I used stencils to carve them. It was still kind of tricky, but I'm really pleased with how they turned out. And since my Mom wisely suggested using craft pumpkins instead of real ones, I'll be able to use them again in the future. My friend Train Brain, the Redskins fan, has threatened to come by and smash them. I don't think he would, but nevertheless, I think I'll put them in the windows instead of outside on the porch.

Any Steelers fans who admire them during trick-or-treating on Halloween will be getting DOUBLE treats.

Happy Fourth of July

This is almost exactly how we performed The Stars and Stripes Forever in high school marching band:


Come to think of it, Animal does remind me of most of the guys from the drum line.

Muppets rock, huh?

Mother's Day Socks

These are the socks I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. It's another Knitty pattern, one which I attempted last fall (intending them to be a Christmas gift) without success. I took another run at them this spring and finally cracked the code.


The pattern reminded me of quilt squares, which is why I wanted to make them for Mom - she's a quilter. I'm so pleased with how they turned out. Perhaps I'll make some for myself one day - hopefully it wouldn't take me 7 months to complete a second pair.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Happy Star Wars Day??

I've learned that today is Star Wars Day. Why, you might ask? (I wondered too.) It's because today fans can say "May the Fourth be with you."

(Groan) I am so not a fan of puns.

Anyway, in celebration of this momentous occasion (you'd think I would have had a bank holiday) enjoy this video of a non-fan who has never seen the movies explaining the plot. Hilarious.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

One of my very favorite Irish things (along with Baileys Irish Cream, Liam Neeson and Aran knitting patterns) is Father Ted. It's a fantastic sitcom that aired on the BBC about 15 years ago, about three misfit priests banished to the far-flung Craggy Island parish. I generally pull out the DVDs and watch a few episodes every year around St. Patrick's Day.

Some typical Father Ted humor:

Tom: Father...I've killed a man.
Father Ted: Er, well, we'll talk about that later, Tom. Right now I'm going to be on the telly!

And...

Father Dougal: God Ted, I've heard about those cults. Everyone dressing in black and saying our Lord's going to come back and judge us all.
Father Ted: No...no Dougal, that's us. That's Catholicism you're talking about there.

The episodes I'm enjoying today: Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading, in which the three priests attempt to give up their respective vices for Lent, and Are You Right There, Father Ted?, where Father Ted holds a "Celebration of Craggy Island's Ethnic Diversity" to convince the town he's not a racist. If you ever stumble across it on BBC America, it's well worth your time.

For those not fortunate enough to have access to Father Ted, but would still enjoy a St. Patrick's Day-themed laugh, I offer the Top 10 Worst Irish Accents on Film, courtesy of IrishCentral.com. My personal choice is Tom Cruise in "Far and Away." I freely acknowledge that I think Tom Cruise is a jackass and that likely influenced my selection. Who's your pick?