Crazy January Start Four - Sapphire and Diamond Heart

Another Sweetheart Tree design from my stash.  I've tried  to make sure I have several small projects this time.

Crazy January Start Three- Borleux

This is one of Kathy Rees' designs from Needle Delights Originals.  I've been in a club collecting them from Fireside Stitchery, and hadn't started several.  Perfect opportunity to this month.  I like the colors and these work up very quickly when you actually -do- them.

Thank You Sean!

 My son got us some awesome Christmas presents!  For Andreas, he got a travel mug in the shape of a lens because of his photography bent.  He also got the perfect gift for me - a Tardis tea strainer.  Yay!  I know I'm nerdy to collect Dr. Who stuff, but it's fun to do.  Thank you so much Sean!

More Mexican!

Our second visit to Esperanza's Cafe in Fort Worth was as good as our first.  We had nachos, and got a major plate full.  They were hot and fresh, too.  Andreas' taco had great shredded meat, and his burrito was so stuffed he couldn't finish it.  I had caldo de res.  I guess I look too Anglo, because the waiter looked at me funny when I ordered it.  Considering I've been eating it since I was a teenager and I make it myself, he shouldn't have!  Anyway, it was excellent.  Unlike a lot of TexMex food, caldo is not meant to be spicy.  It's the Mexican version of beef stew served to be wrapped in tortillas with a side of rice.  To me, it's comfort food, and it hit the spot.  Makes me want to make more, but I'm pretty much the only one who eats it here in Moldova.  It's not one of Andreas' favorites and guests are just baffled by it.

Crazy January Start Two - Blackwork Challenge Two

I had the idea, while I was mulling over my selections for this year's challenge, that I wanted to do more blackwork.  I also wanted to do some stash busting.  And I wanted to be somewhat frugal.  Enter this Tam's Creations freebie.  It hit all the buttons above, except for fabric.  I didn't have my fabric stash with me, so I had to buy the linen.  Buying stitching linen in Fort Worth is hard!  The needlepoint places don't carry any.  I had bought the filament silk on a whim a week previous, and this allowed me to use it, too.

Crazy January Start One - William And Harold Return

I bought this kit when we were in Bayeux in July.  I knew then that I wanted it to be my first start of the new year.  What didn't really register at the time was the honking huge size of the piece.  It's over a meter wide.  That's why you only see the upper left portion in this photo!

Pretending To Be More

 When a place goes on about its artesanal drinks and then brings them to you in a bottle, you know it hasn't quite gotten the idea of chic down.  That's what happened at Eatcetera, a lunch place in Galveston.  The food was par for a quick lunch place, but the menu, while not lying, tried to make it sound like more than it was.  A ham and cheese ciabatta with an obscure cheese you've never heard of that's so mild you barely taste it is still just a ham and cheese ciabatta.  I understand the idea of wanting to build a reputation of cachet and exclusivity, but make it truly worth the hype.  Andreas' cubano was okay and there wasn't much in the way of special about it.  Please, restaurants, if you're going to hype your fare, live up to it!