Happy New Year's Eve & My First Year Part 1

It's been 1 year since I started this blog!!! I can't believe 2012 starts tomorrow!  It was a crazy year.  Lots of good things happened in the midst of bad things.  Overall, I think it was a pretty good year.  I went from being unemployed and financially stressed to being rehired by my old employer and not making a whole lot of money but enough to live comfortably in the South.  I went from crappy apartment living dealing with stupid drunk college students puking and fighting by the old apartment every weekend to renting a small house with a yard! The best thing of all was discovering gardening and that I didn't have a crusty, black thumb.  Gardening was my one solace in my time of stress and anxiety. Thanks Mother Nature! Anyway, in the beginning of the year, I started a Wish List. I definitely did not accomplish everything but I think I had a good start.  Here's a little recap at least Part 1 and what's going on this weekend as a new year begins....

Dream Wardrobe: Cape

I finally had some time off for the holidays and decided to finally sew for myself. At the beginning of the year, I listed a "Wish List" and one was to make my dream wardrobe.  One of things I wanted to make was a pair of sailor pants out of seersucker! I still want to do that but the trousers have evolved.  Hopefully I'll get to the trousers before spring. One of the other dream items is a cape!  I bought this wonderful plaid wool and it had been sitting around for almost a year now. It was time! So I made a pattern using one of my pattern-making reference books and spent the next day to sew it up.  Well, it turned out looking like a bag- at least that's what the boyfriend said.  And besides that, my sewing machine started to act up! Arrgh! The one time I decide to make something for myself and now I have to get a new sewing machine! Anyway, since I have a limited amount of the wool fabric, I started to take apart the cape and alter it.  Here's what it looks like at the moment:

front

back

Cinnamon Roll Sunday!

I've been thinking about what to do with the Japanese milk bread dough besides just making  a loaf.  Granted, I love the bread as a loaf itself but it's always good to make something new.  Well, the boyfriend suggested making something sweet with the dough.  I like to bake for the holidays as opposed to gifting something that can't be used up and besides having a brownie obsession, Japanese milk bread obsession, BBQ obsession- I can go on and on- I also have a cinnamon roll obsession.  I've been looking for a good homemade cinnamon roll recipe.  Every time I've tried homemade cinnamon rolls, I've been a little disappointed.  They're usually good, but the dough tends to be too bready and heavy than I would like it to be.  Anyway, so last night, I made cinnamon rolls with the Japanese milk bread dough and baked them this morning.

Mini Vase for Mini Flowers

My Thai basil that I'm growing indoors keeps flowering.  I know you're supposed to pinch off the flowering heads so that the leaves keep the licorice flavor, but the flowers are so pretty that I hate doing it.  The other day while unpacking more boxes, I found my mini apothecary jars given to me by my friend, Ashley.  One of the lids broke during one of my many moves so it was a perfect tiny vase for the flowers!

Spring in December!!

Look what came in the mail today!

I ordered seeds from Seed Savers Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  I was so excited to receive the packages today.  I think I was way too excited because I squealed with joy when the boyfriend pulled out the packages in the mailbox.  I was even happier because Baker Creek sent me a gift:

Thanks Baker Creek!! I can't wait for spring!!