I’ve had a lot more free time this month to actually use some of the too-many ideas I have for projects. I’ve had this orange wool for ages. I got it in Williamsburg, VA when Joel and I went back in 2010. I bought a second skein in November of last year and I finally [...]
A brand new year always feels like the right time to do some planning. My poor little Wayside Violet shop was a little stagnant in 2011. I haven’t created any new cozies and, to be honest, I’m surprised that they are still selling like hotcakes. But the lack of freshness is going to change soon, because [...]
There are so many must makes for this time of year and I thought I’d share two of my favorite Christmas recipes today. Hopfully you aren’t in too much of a sugar coma from the sweets that the holidays bring! The first recipe, well, I don’t have a good name for it. Growing up we [...]
Today is my last day of work until the New Year. So exciting! So I wanted to bring in an edible office gift. Lottie + Doof has a wonderful 12 Days of Cookies series going on and day 5 was a recipe from Matthew Rice for Gooey Butter Cookies. Gooey Butter Cake is a St. [...]
I really like today’s Favorites gift guide, because it includes some of my favorite Etsy shops and because it means I can talk about my Christmas card drama. I had myself convinced that I could make my own cards. I’ve made them every year for years, but this year was busy. “That’s okay!” my inner [...]
I’m so looking forward to Christmas break this year! We’re staying home and having Christmas by ourselves for the first time ever. It’s not that we don’t like seeing family, but we’ll both have a week off from work without school. I can’t even imagine the free time. I might sleep the entire week! I’m [...]
Saturday my friend Abby and I went down to the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse to the The 6th Annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in Chicago. We’re quite the Renegade veterans these days, but I wasn’t prepared for the huge size of the crowd. It was a crazy-good turnout! Maybe I should have been and maybe [...]
I can’t believe December is almost here! I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping and soon the house will be all cozy and cheery and Christmasy. While checking my list of to dos I realized that I still needed to update the ol’ Wayside Violet shop with holiday info and I thought I’d share it here, [...]
I am so glad that I didn’t set foot in a single large store this Thanksgiving weekend. The thought of being mashed up in a frazzled crowed under fluorescent lights trying to reach things that don’t really have anything special about them? No, thank you. Instead, we spent our last day in West Virginia with [...]
I just wanted to get in a quick, albeit late, “Happy Thanksgiving!” to all of my American pals. For a lot of people today (Black Friday) means lines and crowds and spending lots of money at the mall. Sure it’s fun to do once or twice, but I think that buying handmade and local is [...]
I write about things I like: knitting, fashion, books, and other cozy, lovely things. Thanks for visiting!
Jessica on home again
Lara on home again
abby on recently on etsy
Jessica on recently on etsy abby on recently on etsy