if there were sunflakes, i'd make a sunman

an inspiration to play in the snow (can't believe there's a car under there)

a friendly reminder to do something that makes me happy

and a gypsy snow-woman was born!

more like ET's grandma or Rosie from the Jetsons. we named her Elsa

and then she was gone

wintery weekend review

baked homemade oreos from this recipe

received this botanical card (and xmas pkg with lovely kansas reminders such as sunflower and ku magnets)  from my mom :)

purchased ring from the brooklyn flea

popples did a thorough inspection of the gifts prior to our opening them. she wasn't smart enough to shake them and give me hints though

Luke and i cozied up in our homemade slippers, handcrafted by my nonnie. they are known as "Judy's Booties" and i've probably had at least 15 pairs in my lifetime!

i slow-simmered some hearty shrimp bisque

we indulged on islamadora, florida stone crab, dry-aged top sirloin steak, roasted asparagus, shrimp bisque, and washed it down with copious amounts of wine

as the snow started falling, we cheered on the chiefs at our local watering hole across the street, american trash. classy joint here on the UES

i enjoyed my first "hite" korean beer. i knew about japanese sapporo and chinese tsing tao, but this was news to me! it was cool and fresh

Luke created a peanut fort

we walked home in a blizzard

watched dreamily at our first snowfall in the city

Luke got fashionable with plaid flannels

mischievious, as usual

morning after the storm. hard to believe we grilled xmas steak, just the day before

city sidewalks, busy sidewalks. life goes on after the storm

meowy christmas from nyc

popples is in heaven today. she loves attacking the krinkly wrapping paper

cats in plastic bags? i don't think this is safe.

tonight we will feast on stone crab from islamadora florida. we started this tradition in denver. this is the postcard they sent us

arrrr!

sushi for santa

i started practicing making sushi at home last year in denver, inspired by my vegetarian friends, jen and erick, who made it seem so easy. the first time was a great success and after trying it out on real live humans (mason and alex), they also agreed it was just like the restaurants. so we opted for a somewhat healthy christmas eve dinner of philadelphia rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and tuna nigiri with wasabi, pickled ginger, avocado, and spicy sauce. yum!!!

faux fire

since our fireplace is not a working one, luke found this lovely crackling "screen-saver" on the tv. merry christmas eve, eve!

things are looking "heads" up

Luke came to my work for lunch today and as we crossed the street on 51st, I spotted a heads up penny, embedded in the ground much like this one! I love how the year it's from, 1980, is the year Luke was born (we have the same birthday, a few years apart). So now, I will always know it's there outside my work, just like the one in the street in front of our apartment :)

potato paparrazi

documenting the amazing potato soup preparation. i had to be patient, but it was well worth the wait, as is every meal he whips up ;) i love how my picture taking has rubbed off on him!

just me and the brooklyn flea

lobster santa said he would bring me seafood aplenty in 2011

i heart independent/handmade vendors!

i melted at the sight of these!  http://twigterrariums.com/

so darling. i want

to the vault downstairs where more vendors await

awesomeness

moss wreaths adorned with succulents, terrarium ornaments and homemade snowballs. utter happiness in my fanciful gypsy heart!

i'm dreaming of a sweet little christmas

spotted this holiday gem while passing by "something sweet pastry shop" in the east village

momofuku noodle bar

steamed pork buns (that resemble tacos and tasted AMAZING. sorry vegetarians)

luke had the brisket ramen – hand cut noodles, soy egg, grilled scallion

i had the momofuku ramen – pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg

Luke and I went on a date for some well known Asian food in NYC, momofuku noodle bar in the East Village. We felt like old people because we went @ 5:30 when they open. Everyone else in New York eats at like 10:00pm! Good thing we arrived when we did though because the place was packed when we left. (we had very happy bellies full of noo-dohs :)

surprise sewing package

Since I've moved to NYC, I've received more packages than I can keep up with :) This one came from Amy in Kansas (we both ran on the Riley County cross country team in high school and she was a badass!). I have had the pleasure of seeing her twice in the last few months (once when she raced in the 5th Avenue Mile and then again to see the NYC Marathon) and we both learned of each other's love of sewing! Mine is re-born since long ago in high school home ec class, while Amy is more of a veteran crafter (she has even sold some creations on etsy). I was so thrilled to have her send me some extra items that she had double of, and that I still needed for my slow growing sewing kit. Yay! I especially love the vintage look of the classic yellow measuring tape. THANKS AMY!!! Be sure to check back soon for gypsy projects in the making :D

santa-con

these imposters were probably in town for the santa-con NYC convention on the 11th. interesting. they didn't look very fat or jolly to me!