a handmade christmas.

remember the ugly scarf i was working on...um...nearly three years ago? well, i'm happy to report that i finally finished it. and i finished just time in for the first ever handmade christmas gift exchange with my sister.

rather than spend money on something that neither of us really need, we opted to go the handmade route, with one caveat - we were not aloud to spend a single dime on the gift. it had to be constructed using materials we already own.

as i got thinking about what to make, i remembered that i had started a scarf for her. i opened my suitcase of knitting goods (and unfinished projects...we all have them), and pulled out the "ugly scarf." the yarn was still as fabulously thick as i had remembered it. and the green hemp that i weaved in was a nice contrast. i'm glad it took me this long to finish it because i ended up making it into an infinity scarf/chunky cowl of sorts! and the best part, she totally LOVES it! and so do i. so much so that i want to make another one, but i don't have enough yarn. does anyone want the leftover skein? if so, leave a comment below.

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when it came time for me to open my gift from her, i felt like a little girl on christmas morning, filled with so much excitement. i was so anxious to finally see what she had been created. as i was opening the box, i commented on how much i liked the string she used to tie around it. she chuckled.

yet little did i know that the string was what she used to hand braid a plant hanger for me!! isn't it soo lovely?? and if you look closely at the photo above, you will see that she sewed in different sized buttons on it, too. how clever is that! how creative! I LOVE IT!!! i really do. and she so adorably wrapped up the plant that's hanging in it for my birthday present. so the homemade plant hanger immediately had a friend. :-)

needless to say, a handmade gift exchange was a such a great idea! my sister and i are sold on doing it again next year and for many, many christmas' to come! because really when it comes to gift giving, the handmade presents are the most treasured of all.

p.s. the photos in this post were taken with my new ipod touch (thank you andy!) using the hipstamatic app. 

sister.

a happy birthday to my best friend and big sister!

my papa.

i started this blog, cafe taber, two years ago today with a post about my father's birthday. (it's hard to believe i've been at this blog thing for this long already!) i know he's one of my biggest fans :-) and followers here. so it is with much joy and happiness that i celebrate him and pay tribute to him here again on his birthday.

happy birthday, papa! i love you!

my granny.

this is my granny. she will be 98 years old soon...april 1st!

i visited her today. we ate chocolates. drank coffee. did our nails. shared stories. laughed. and hugged and kissed. she is a woman of so much strength and will, both of which i admire so much.

i was wearing my sunglasses when i first walked in to her room today and she asked to put them on. and boy can she rock these sunglasses. i think i'll have to get her a pair for her birthday in april.

snow :: skiing :: sisters

three of my very favorite things! fresh snow, skiing up in vermont and being with my big sister. a weekend with her was exactly what i needed...

2009.

some of my favorite photos from this past year...looking forward to all that lies ahead in 2010.

:: my sister looking out over lake champlain ::

:: picking the most delicious organic berries in vt ::

:: going to the beach with my besties ::

:: catching a game with my love at wrigley field ::

:: eating deep dish pizza at lou malnati's in chi-town ::

:: appreciating subway directions in other cities ::

:: making loads of decoupage bracelets ::

:: celebrating thanksgiving down south ::

:: celebrating in nyc during a snow storm ::

p.j.

a Q&A with p.j., my cousin's three-year old son, while he was eating his lunch.

:: august 24, 2009 ::


Q :: who is your best friend, p.j.?

emily

Q :: what is your favorite color?

yellow...pink!!


Q :: what is your favorite cartoon?

the einsteins!!

Q :: airplane or train?

airplane to go home. train to stephy's. and car to my house in california!

Q :: what is your favorite food, p.j.?

p.j. gets out of chair and runs away...


may god bless three-year olds!!

my guardian angel.

guardian angels...

we all have them. i believe that. mine is my great uncle bobby, pictured below. he was an amazing artist and teacher. he was obsessed with white (i think he passed that trait down to me) and painted everything in his life that color (is it really a color?). he also took such good care of all of the women in his family and brought so much laughter and love into our lives.


when i seek guidance in life and look to a higher place, i often think of him and feel him watching over me.

his birthday is today...on independence day. so today my yoga practice will be in honor of him.

happy 4th of july!

my papa.

"It’s only when you grow up and step back from him―or leave him for your own home―it’s only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it."

-- Margaret Truman, on fathers...

Happy Father's Day, Papa! I love you!!

happy 97th birthday granny!

special birthday wishes for my granny today! she's 97!!

margaret alida allen

on her wedding day...

granny, my aunt, my sister, and me

my granny and me

a letter from mama.

i was sorting through some old papers and photos recently and came across the most beautiful letter from my mother that she sent to my sister and me. i will post a picture of it later tonight (picture is posted below), but i want to share the words she wrote with you all now. hopefully it brings some inspiration to you on this very dreary and rainy day.

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May 12, 1985

Dear C and T,

"Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you!" - from Joys and Sorrows "Reflections" by Pablo Casals

As young ladies you have to be willing to take the daisies that are offered to you, without false humility. When they are not offered to you, you need to make the whole-hearted effort to pick your own armfuls of them. And always, no matter what, you need to be free enough to run barefoot through them.

Love,
Mom ("Mama")

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wicked.

this is a shout out to my cousin, erica, for being the hottest wicked witch of the west. she is starring in the wizard of oz this coming weekend at her college out in colorado. and i wish i could be there to see her perform. she gets to fly and melt...all on stage. i'm so proud of her.

sisters.

there's nothing like a sister. i'm blessed to have one in my life. and to have an older sister, for that matter. she is my heart and soul. since the very early years of my life, she has guided me through the good times and the bad times. she is my best friend without out a doubt.

this past weekend, i went up to visit her in beautiful burlington, vermont. what a great place by the way. i needed that get away more than i realized. it was so refreshing to be with her in a place that is so serene. the drive up there is long, i must admit. but it gave me so much time to think about my life and where i'm at today, and where i want to be in the future. it's funny. she says i'm a much calmer person when i'm up there. it made me wonder if i'm living in the right place...

i got to see my (our) kitties, izzy and gerty. they are sisters, too. we got them when we lived together about 4 years ago. they are the sweetest cats you will ever meet. so loving. so cuddly. so loyal.


this is izzy. the older sister cat. always has a concerned look on her face. yet she's so much more confident than gerty, the younger one.


gerty is very, very needy of attention. always crying...or meowing. wanting love from anyone that will give it to her.

i favor izzy. my sister favors gerty, which i find ironic since i'm the younger sibling. but they are equally loved by both of us, and the many visitors to my sisters (phat!) apartment up there in vermont.

even though i don't live with my sister anymore, she and i have made a pact that we will live together again one day. even if it is in a nursing home. ha! she is coming to visit this weekend. and i'm so looking forward to more "sister time" with her.

happy birthday, papa!

i thought i would start my very first post with a tribute to my father. the rock in my life. today is his 60th birthday. the picture of him below is one of my favorites. he had the sweetest little face when he was a baby. my father is the best. always looking out for me. making sure i have enough gas. new windshield wipers. good snow tires. alerting me when bad weather is approaching so i'll stay off the roads. always thinking of other people. i talk to him most every day. even if it is just for a minute or two. i love it. this year it was hard to pick out a gift for him. usually i have no problem. i hope he likes what i got him...