Happy and New

Happy new year, everyone!
I am tempted to wax sentimental, to talk about new beginnings and taking stock of the past year. But I am genuinely afraid the lovely mimosas I drank last night will just turn my words to mushy gush.
For lovelier words than I could hope to produce this morning, please read my friend Mary's thoughts on the beginning of 2009.

Our last day of 2008 was a fine day. Emma and I pulled out her Christmas present - the one from just me - and played together.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, they say:

I thought about getting her a toy sewing machine, but I'd heard that they break so easily. I'm a big dork who gets sale fliers from my local fabric stores and I'd seen this little machine go on sale regularly. It's a Janome, which I understand to be a decent brand. And when Christmas time came around, I started watching for it to go on sale. It did and I was out of town, so my fabulous sister-in-law Mindy picked it up for me. I got a great deal on this little machine. It's pretty simple - it only does a couple of stitches, has minimal dials, and one speed. My Emma took right to it.

She and Andrew were invited to a New Year's Eve sleepover. She made a little drawstring bag to pack her jammies in and she was. so. proud.

I must tell you, she even squealed just like me when she beheld her finished project.
I think she'll have lots of fun with this. I have great hope that she'll be that punk girl in high school that makes her own clothes and has a streak of pink in her hair. Oh, I dearly hope so! (that refrigerator snowman was our present from my Julianna, who knows our family so well that she immediately thought of us when she found it)

Once we dropped the kids off at their sleepover, we headed home for a delicious pasta dinner that I kind of made up on the spot and an evening with Joe and Mindy. I think I'll put the recipe in my next post. Mindy asked me for it and if I don't write it down now, I'll forget what I put in it.
Oh yes. And since the kids were gone, we played Wii games.

We made toffee because I wanted some (sometimes a girl gets a craving that can't be ignored)and rang in the new year with a mimosa or two. The toffee was especially tasty served up on the gorgeous cake plate I got for Christmas.

I can't think of better company or a more fun way to wrap up the year.

Thank you all for being part of my life this year. The deepening of relationships, the renewal of old connections and the discovery of new friends here in bloggy land have all enriched my days in ways even I, with my very big imaginer, couldn't have imagined. I wish you all new blessings and joys in the year ahead.

Hugs & Kisses,
Christy