cravings

A few people have asked me if I've experienced any pregnancy cravings yet, but I think I always have cravings, especially for chocolate! I was surprised when, for several weeks, I had no interest in chocolate, and the permanent dish of dark chocolate candies on our counter lay untouched. I'm back to normal, though. A Whole Foods opened in our city a few weeks ago, and I'm so excited about good food. I didn't want to become a Whole Foods junkie, but when they offer you samples at the chocolate counter, how can you resist? I'm still vowing to shop at our local natural foods store whenever I can.


So these are a couple of snacks to fulfill that need for chocolate. My own creation--Dark chocolate drizzled popcorn, made with the most peppery popcorn--yum!


And from the chocolate counter--Piedras de chocolate or chocolate stones--aren't they beautiful? They taste even better!

holiday decor

This was one of those years that Christmas came before it really felt like Christmas. I know it had a lot to do with the 80-degree weather and the fact that our decorations didn't get put up until Christmas eve.


One of my vacation goals was to sew a new tree skirt to replace the old chenille one I bought years ago. I wanted something very simple, but with some embellishment. After sewing the quilt sandwich on the machine, the buttons, sashiko-inspired embroidery, and sequins made for great lap work.


Looking forward to a little more time to myself before returning to work next week. In my plans: spend some time in the kitchen making some sweet snacks (we'll just call them New Years cookies:)), a little deep cleaning, and most exciting--some baby sewing. I'm so excited about the fabrics I've bought!