My Sister

Is incredibly talented.  She would never toot her own horn this way but I'll do it for her, because that's what sisters are for :)  She's got a Midas touch (what?  you don't study Greek mythology?) i.e. everything she touches turns to gold.

She makes and gives the best gifts.  For a year (or longer) I've been bugging her to make me some dishtowels and a table runner.  I thought my constant pleas were falling on deaf ears until I opened this on Christmas.

(squeal, pinwheels in my kitchen colors!)

(gasp, it's reversible!)

(i know, she's got a thing for picking out rockin' fabrics)

(the boys have been told they cannot use these towels for anything...anything...doesn't everyone have decor towels?)

As if that weren't enough, my parents got me my very own kindle (still "the best gift ever" according to Mr. Cook).  After a weekend get away to the mountains before heading into my student teaching semester, I realized that my kindle was very chilly without a cover.  Maybe it had something to do with the conditions...

But I'll take it as a reason to support the seamstress behind knitty bitties any day.

And while sometimes it's rough to have a sister so talented (eh hem, comparison issues) most of the time it's pretty awesome!  

New Year's Eve

While other reflective and thoughtful posts are circulating around the blog-o-sphere about New Year's resolutions and goals, I thought I'd take a moment to help ya'll lighten up with a recap of our New Year's Eve celebration.

{it looks nice right?  a moment captured in time}

Mr. Cook finally made it home on Dec. 23rd.  Just in time for Christmas.  It was a very emotional two weeks of ups and downs, not knowing if he'd be home in time, attempting to plan a trip to Georgia if he wouldn't make it, finally being reunited and now re-acclimating to each other, to our new shared space, to life.  Needless to say some celebrating was desperately needed.

Enter failed surprise here, i.e. I planned a Welcome Home/Housewarming/New Year's Eve Surprise Party... and Mr. Cook knew about it, the. entire. time.  Awesome.  Even better?  He played along.  Did I mention what a terrible liar I am?  Sneaking off for text messages, phone calls, facebooking at all hours.  No worries, botched surprise aside, it was quite possibly our best New Year's Eve celebration yet.

Step 1:  Invest in Just Dance for the Wii.  There is quite possibly no better ice-breaker.  Strangers turned into old friends, old friends laughing at the audacity of friends they thought they knew so well, party in a box.

Step 2: Impromptu photo booth.  What began as a welcome home sign, turned into the photo op of the evening.

Step 3: Mediocre finger food and good drinks.

Step 4: A camera to ensure that embarrassing moments will forever be preserved.  

*please note* the invites did not ask guests to wear plaid, sheer coincidence

How did you ring in 2011?