Dumpling extravaganza.

My roommate and I decided to make dumplings. It just so happens that the creation of said dumplings fell right around the time of Chinese New Year, a happy accident that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy with tradition.

According to an unverified online source, dumplings signify family reunion during the New Year. I’m just going to also assume that they symbolize prosperity, because lets be honest, Chinese people are all about prosperity.

This was my first time making dumplings, and I will definitely be making more. They're so adorable, sculptural, freezable, and giftable (not a word, but it should be).


Going to go ahead and start with the glamor shots. Oooooo....


Ahhhh.....


The uniformity and repetition reminds me of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

FOOD.

To my mother's surprise, I actually CAN cook. I absorbed a lot of skills from semi-watching her over the years and think I have pretty good instincts when it comes to cooking. These are some of most photo-worthy creations. I've recently been inspired to cook more frequently, so many more photos to come...


Pasta with roasted cauliflower and tomatoes.


Chicken curry with grapes on couscous.


Lemon, thyme, mushroom pasta.

Mustard Beanie.

I learned to crochet when I was really young. When I was in elementary school, there was a brilliant after school counselor who realized that yarn art is a great way to keep kids like me occupied for hours on end. My best friend, Neelima, and I would spend hours crafting ornate doilies and pot holders. Nowadays I usually make hats for friends. This is the first one that I made for myself.

While I was in California, I stocked up on yarn, because I'm not down with paying $15 for a tiny ball if it's going to cost me $50 to make a whole hat. I'm currently on a crocheting binge. I'll probably make a dusty purple scarf next, so stay tuned for that.

Useless fun facts:

1) Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune has her own yarn line called "Vanna's Choice." It's sold at Joanne Fabrics (If you're wondering, the yarn I used for this beanie is Lion's Brand Organic Cotton and NOT Vanna's Choice. I didn't even like any of her yarn.)

2) They FINALLY opened a good ol' Michael's Arts & Crafts on Columbus x 99th. It warms my heart to know I have easy access to stamps, Styrofoam balls, and cinnamon scented "silk" flowers.

Project Runway Season 7.

HUGE poster in Time Square. It's actually a poster for season 6, but it was still really exciting to see it. Lifetime has been doing an amazing job with the advertising. I can't go a single day without seeing a poster in the subway or on the side of a bus. Make sure to tune in on Lifetime's website or on Thursday at 10pm.

We worked REALLY hard this year and I think it paid off. The rooms look better than ever (But I think I say that every year...) BIG virtual high five to Katherine D., Scott, Katherine L. (aka Kevin), Steve, Luis, and Skinner. Oh and to our masterful painter friends, Vincent & Janelle.








This is our precious tape baby. Stay tuned to see how big it gets.