Laowai

For New Year's Eve we went to ‎⁨La plaza de Espanya to watch fireworks with a huge group of people. They also had a drone display at the same time which was very cool. I was very tired and we almost got crushed to death on the way home but it was very memorable.

We were having more fun than it seems in the photo below – ha.

When midnight came many people did the tradition of eating 12 grapes for good luck.

Look at all the phones! And you can see the drones above – they made all sorts of images and patterns – first time I've seen a drone show in person.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After Christmas we took a trip to Spain. We arrived in Barcelona on December 30th and began walking all around – seeing all the sights.

Barcelona is really such a beautiful city. It's architecture is old and new and so bold.

A big area of Barcelona – called Eixample – is made up of unique city blocks that were designed to let light and air flow. It took me a little while to realize the unique design. The blocks have their corners cut off so they become sort of octagons. The system was designed in the mid 1800s and today city leaders are trying build on the system and make even more pedestrian only and green areas. It all makes for an interesting walking city.

The temperatures were between 50 and 60 degrees F. I get a kick out of seeing the local people bundled up in puffy coats while I was feeling completely comfortable in a sweater. No shivering for me.

We enjoyed our typical Christmas traditions in Mildand. And I hardly took any photos.

Now we're home and back to our regular routines. I put the all the Christmas decorations away today. I feel like we have passed on from a certain era and I am a little sad. The time when my kids were little and it was so easy to wow them with Christmas magic is over. Now – I feel like I'm putting up the tree mostly for myself. It's fine… Things change… New things are around the corner…

We're wrapping up the year. Brian took me to the Chicago Symphony to hear Handel's Messiah and I got to wear my new long plaid skirt. That was nice.

I finished up some homemade gifts – a pair of mice and a pair of socks.

I went for my last Chicago Botanic Garden walk of the year and felt grateful for all the beautiful days I enjoyed there.

And since that was my last 2023 walk – I completed my little photo project. Here are 52 photos of one of my favorite spots at the gardens.

So now we're in Midland celebrating Christmas and then we'll take a little trip to Spain to ring in the new year. 

I recently made a short dress and a long skirt.

The short dress is the new Amarena Dress pattern from Liesl + Co.

I found some heavily embroidered fabric on Etsy and the Amarena dress felt like the perfect pattern for it. I wanted to make something that could be a bit dressy but I also wanted a pattern that I knew I could have success with.

Also, it has pockets!

For the long skirt – I found a length of plaid cotton at a rummage sale this Fall and I was admiring this skirt from Talbots.

I decided to try a pattern called the Hanbok Wrap Skirt – It's based on traditional Korean dresses.

The wrap part makes it easy to fit. I wish I could have made the plaid appear more vertical like the Talbots dress – but other than that I'm happy with it.

I feel like long skirts are so fun to wear.

Our weekend was filled with Christmas stuff from beginning to end. We started out with our annual Gingerbread party with friends on Friday. Saturday evening we had our Swiss Christmas celebration – complete with raclette cheese and presents. And then on Sunday we got to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden's light show. What a fun weekend!

I've been taking a ballet class for a few months. I'm so happy to have found a great teacher and it just feels so good every time I go. My old shoes were ready to retire. 

Let me tell you about my most recent walk through the prairie at The Chicago Botanic Garden.

The raindrops were like cold bulbs clinging to branches. The temperature was hovering right around freezing, and then a hazy sun came out, and it was like someone turned the lights on. 

I've almost come to the end of my year of taking the same photo each week and I've learned some things. I've learned that I shouldn't wait for the nice days. The days that seem ugly when you first look out your window are often the most beautiful. 

Also, If you come regularly, you’ll see that winter is not gray it’s actually full of color and contrast and saturation.

I'm looking forward to putting all 52 photos of that one spot in a book. And will I do it again next year???

My sewing room is usually a disaster. I love it. Now and then the fabric piles get too big and I have to clean up. And by clean up – I mean start a project to use up all those precious fabric scraps. So I spent a bunch of hours over the weekend finishing this quilt top. And now I feel free to move on to the long list of sewing projects I want to tackle.

The quilt is just a lap size – I'll find some backing fabric in my stash and start quilting it in January.

While I was sewing like a mad woman. Brian was away a whole week and over a weekend too. 

He was working in a town outside of London – seeing some clouds and some sun.

Then he took himself to Brussels over the weekend. 

The Manneken Pis was looking festive.

He found fondue.

Meanwhile back at home another frenzy of sewing was happening. Bea has been doing lots of rock climbing lately. She made two new chalk bags (one for a friend).

That white-ish stripe is reflective fabric.

She and I are very crafty!