Gehring Road

christmas wrap up 4... we're published!

 

 

 I'm wrapping up our Christmas well... wrap up, with my very favorite gift given to our loved ones this year.  Filled with recipes, stories and pictures from our life here on Gehring Road, our Tastebook was so much fun to put together and the perfect meaningful gift to give to our families and friends. 

 

 

We loved this gift, and can't wait to add to it.  If you would like to friend us at Tastebook feel free to email me... you will have instant access to our recipes and loved treats. 

I'll be a bit quiet here over the next few weeks, preparations for a return to work and school will be filling my days, to be followed by our exam weeks.  This little blog will be turning into a photo journal for the time being... so, with much appreciation for the visitors who come to this little space, check in on us and support my little venture,  I wish you all the very happiest of New Years... celebrate, enjoy, visit and rest during this happy season.  
      

christmas wrap up 3... under the tree 1

 ...My very favorite ornament...

Gifting was more about creativity for our family this year, which I absolutely loved.  Time spent with my sister and brother-in-law was an absolute highlight this year.  The day after Christmas was spent at Hartford Stage, our local theater company watching A Christmas Carol... it was exceptionally funny and wonderfully done (I loved the ghosts, students from The University of Hartford, especially)...

      

Bill Raymond as Ebenezer Scrooge   

 

"Noose Ghost" 

The show was wonderful and I can see it becoming a tradition of sorts.  It was the perfect after Christmas activity and we all so enjoyed it. 

My sister, an avid and extremely talented knitter, made me the most beautiful cowl out of Applewood yarn, a color and fiber I absolutely love (and cannot stop touching).  

 

This cowl feels incredibly warm and the detail that has gone into it blows me away.  Beautiful gift Amy, I love it! 

Rob and I decided to plan time together instead of giving each other purchased gifts this year.  Rob's gift to me is a day in New York visiting Purl and Mood... wonderful man I tell you.  My gift to Rob is dinner, a Jazz show in the City as well... very well chosen days indeed.  When we decided on creating days for each other, I had a day in mind right away, but an NPR program's discussion of Mike Colameco's Foodies Guide to New York sealed the deal.  Rob got the book for Christmas to help plan the day and I can't wait to spend some time in the city... oh and Kylie got Rob Alton Brown's book because he is wonderfully patient and the best dog walker/guy a Jack Russell could ask for. 

 

 

 My Mom gave me two gifts that I have been wanting for a long, long time.  Beautiful latte bowls from Anthropologie and the coveted Hemnes Linen Cabinet from Ikea... purchased yesterday in and despite 50 mph wind gusts and 10 degree temperatures.  Put together last night and only missing one piece... thanks Ikea! Luckily it is a very, very insignificant piece.  Here is the new loft addition in all of it's glory...

The assembly went really quickly, and Rob was very patient with my need to follow directions and double check things multiple times.  What's that you say? New Hope Valley fabric you spy? I say I plead the fifth, but tune in for a new quilt in the coming days weeks. Today will be spent organizing that fabric stash (and the mess around it) that fits beautifully in my new cabinet, I'm so pleased with it.  Until tomorrow then.  Enjoy the day!

christmas wrap up 2... eat your way through

 Rob's Triple Chocolate Cookies, recipe from Cook's Illustrated

 This Christmas/Solstice season was extremely cold and stormy here in the North East, and I think someone took cues from the weather when planning our menu.  Rob made some amazing and comforting treats this holiday season, triple chocolate cookies (with espresso) that were sinful I tell you.  If I had more time to contemplate eating, I'm quite sure I would have eaten them... all of them.  The cookies go out each year to people we really love, thanks to our Food Saver... you're welcome ones we love. 

Besides the cookies, Rob made Sticky Buns for Christmas Eve morning... they were heaven.  

Rob also made green bean casserole, steaks, a Prime Rib, crispy potatoes, pork roast and mushroom risotto over the course of the past few days of entertaining.  I can't tell you how amazing the food was and how much our guests appreciated the calm that is Rob in the kitchen.  

Tomorrow I'll share some of the recipes from our holiday merry making. They're collected together in one place and I've been so wanting to share our favorite Christmas present with you.  Until then, enjoy the week! 

christmas wrap up 1... happy campers

 

We're finally emerging from the fog and slight chaos that was this holiday season.  The dog is exhausted, Rob has cooked himself into legend and life is very full... very full indeed.  I thought I'd share a bit of what we've been up to.  I finished a quilt for Rob's mom in the 11th hour... I figured two hours or so for the quilting (it was more like 8 and a sore neck), two for the binding (making and applying - ha! you say, I laughed too before I cried) but it finally came together in all of its very bright glory.  I must say that if it were not for this little blogging community and their fabulous tutorials, this gift for Connie just would not have happened... specifically  Cluck Cluck Sew for the Orange Quilt Pattern and Wee Play inspiration, Red Pepper Quilts for the life-saving demonstration and tutorials on binding, backing and quilting. The fabric is a Wee Play charm pack, jelly roll (pre-cut 2.5 inch strips that I cut to length - a fantastic idea) Happy Campers charm pack and a Happy Campers jelly roll.  I used some on the back as well.  

  

 

And of course my partner in crime all things kept me sane, clothed (he did three loads of laundry while I figured out binding corners at midnight), encouraged and loved as I completed my first quilt.  I'm so ready to begin another... here's hoping you are too Honey! More on Holiday things made tomorrow... this time from the kitchen.  Hope these days are finding you merry and bright... 

happy solstice

Just popping in to say hello and wish you all a very happy Solstice.  Sewing, baking, packing, sending and wrapping have been occupying our time... there seems to be such things to do! I feel (though sick) much more content with sitting back and taking things as they come, much more so than Thanksgiving.  Possible denial you ask, possibly... but I feel our little mostly-handmade Christmas is coming along just as it should.  I hope you are enjoying this winter season with all of its reasons to celebrate as we have... Right now I'm loving...

* Rob's homemade Chicken, Leek and Mushroom soup... if you don't visit Cook's Illustrated you should - and fast!

* The distinct lack of fussing from my Bernina.

* Baker's Twine, though who knew you needed to buy it in September to find any for the holiday season? 

* Christmas in July... as in make your Christmas gifts in July so you actually have time to finish them.

* Little Folks fabric and this duvet... I have to make it.

* Tutorials, really thoughtfully detailed ones (more on this after Christmas).

* That the dog has reached her bad quotient with eating just one box of cookies and fudge and now seems to be decidedly sweet.

 

* Pottery Barn inspiration...

* Some time off to sew just because. 

* This dress for Christmas Eve, though silk and arctic air mass here in the North East just sounds cold.

Have a lovely holiday season, I can't wait to share all that has been prepared and planned for ours.  See you soon! 

 

unexpected

 
 
The sheer ability to write this post at 10:22 am on a Wednesday is thrilling and exactly what I'm loving today.  The most unexpected happened, forecasters were calling for very small amounts of snow and mostly rain which turned into some unexpected accumulation and a very, very unexpected snow day.  I'm not surprising you in mentioning that teachers love snow days as much as students... not when they're made up in June, but none-the-less I'm loving the calm of this morning that is all my own... the mid-morning nap with Kylie, the jealous man in the next room (Rob and many of his co-workers have been working exceptionally hard and insane hours on a job site in North Carolina...) and the afternoon of sewing that I have before me.  I could get used to this. I'll leave you with some images of time spent savoring these precious, precious moments of relaxation and noticing... 

  My snow-day uniform... cozy socks and pjs

  View from the window... very wintry.

  Mail to be dealt with... 

 Different kind of bells... are those still the cornstalks outside you say? I say nothing...

  Boots and the aforementioned pjs... perfect exploring outside gear...

 More snow than anticipated... at the perfect hour... the snow gods have been kind...

  Covered...

 Too big for the Gehring Road Solstice Tree? Nah... 

 Boughs covered...

 Stuck inside, still working... but at least not stuck in the Charlotte airport for the night... our thoughts are with you Raul...

 Happy birds...

  Sand and plowing our little street...

 

 

                

holiday finds

 

Votives from Ballard Designs 

I've been a little reluctant to fall into the Christmas-Hanukkah-Solstice season this year, I blame it on the plastic reindeer lawn set I spotted at Lowes in August.  My psyche repels a rushed holiday season and there is just something in me that doesn't love a short-changed Halloween-Thanksgiving.  Especially in this neck of the woods... I miss the leaves! Yet at the same time, I've found myself in the past few days itching to grab the boxes brimming with greens and reds and whites and celebrate the season.   

We've decided here in our house to try to make gift giving as meaningful and uncommercial as possible. It isn't that one of us doesn't love shopping for others (I'll give you one guess as to who) but I think we've come to a point as families (and older people... gasp!) where simplicity and small thoughtful gestures are a relief. Rob and I will be making many of our gifts when we can, and planning meaningful time together for us. Actually, the sheer time being put into some of these gifts make the season feel extended in some way - more fulfilling also.  I'd love to show you some of the things I've been working on, though a vast percentage of my readers just might be family and therefore gift recipients, so the big unveil will have to wait.  I will give you some gratuitous sneak peeks at the fabrics I've been working with... and loving.  

In the meantime, little images of holiday loveliness are everywhere in my internet travels.  I'm loving Anthropologie's holiday section... I might have to add one of their sweet ornaments to our tree this year. Their website is filled with amazing little treats and displayed in repurposed jar snow-globes no less... I'm the happiest of window shoppers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and this sweet jewelry box looks well loved and seasoned but new and fresh... 

Some of the other little gems I've found have actually come from the Ballard website.  I'm loving the tree-skirt and button-garland below... and of course, am convinced that I have the time and the vision to make my own.  This burlap creation has some amazing fringe, but I think would look pretty amazing with a different trim.  At $3 a yard at JoAnne's I just might have to give it a try.  

 

 

And these sweet little tags, also from Ballards, are paper representations of the Twelve Days of Christmas. I've also seen them used as a garland, and again, I'm almost positive I could make those... which is laughable, maybe I think I could make time while I'm at it...

 

So yes, I'm officially embracing the holiday season, in our own little handmade way, and it is very, very exciting... the preparing, the browsing, the thought of friends and loved ones, I'm so almost ready...