domesticity

This is a charming addition to a guest bathroom… a mini box of individual soap chips. Both the soap chips and box can be customized with your name, address, or any two-line message. The handmade olive-oil based soap chips are available in five different scents using all natural essential oils (cinnamon orange; mango butter; white grapefruit; milk, almond & honey; and lavender oatmeal). I’m adding this to my list of holiday gift ideas for friends and family.

Once again, we are without electricity at home due to the severe wind storms last night. (I am having terrible flashbacks to last year's winter storm that left us without power for almost a week.) Hopefully Puget Sound Energy is able to restore our service soon since we have friends coming to visit us from Hawaii tonight!

Update: We only ended up without power for approximately nine hours. Whew!

QotD: A Little Something To Start With
What's your favorite appetizer to order at a restaurant?

One of my favorite appetizers to order are those cream cheese and crab wontons or rangoons. I have a recipe for these delectable treats that appears fairly simple, but somehow I just prefer to order them when I eat out. Yum!

This Lantern Festival bedding from kukunest would be so adorable for my little niece, but I have to admit that I wouldn't mind having these sheets for myself!

I spotted these OnTech self heating drinks yesterday while out shopping and tossed the hot cocoa rich chocolate with marshmallows version in my cart to try this morning at the office. The instructions to activate the self-heating mechanism are easy to follow and the beverage is delicious and just the right temperature. I noticed on their website that in addition to hot chocolate (with or without marshmallows), the company also produces coffee, tea, and soup. I wouldn’t mind picking up some of the soups to keep on hand at my desk for those days when I can’t get away for lunch. I'll have to remember to look for the other versions when I am out and about at the store.

I really like the “Family of Mr. Chin” products designed by Stefano Giovannoni... especially this whimsical kitchen timer. The products grew out of the wish of the National Palace Museum of Taiwan to open itself further to the international scene and encourage greater awareness of Chinese history and culture in the West. From a collaboration between Alessi and the museum, Alessi asked Stefano Giovannoni to image and design a sort of mascot for the new Museum of the 21st Century… and from this was born the Mr. Chin line of household products.

I know that it isn't really watermelon season, but I thought this would be another cute hat for my niece to wear. The design is based on the fruit cap knitted pattern by Ann Norling.

Now that I know how to knit in the round, I have been obsessed with knitting all kinds of hats. This itty bitty hats book features some really adorable patterns that I can't wait to try!

With the autumn season here, I decided to try and knit a little pumpkin hat for my little pumpkin of a niece. I can't wait to get a photo of her wearing it when we meet my family in Las Vegas for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Is it just me or does my niece not have the most wonderful play area? Lucky girl! Hmmm... I need a dedicated space like this for all my crafting! Something to think about...