Christmas countdown

Christmas is less than a month away now, which is made more obvious by the growing crowd shopping for presents along with the shops overrun with all things festive. It is around this time of year that I try to wrap up my Christmas shopping as soon as possible because I am not one for the holiday crowds. This is a task I will endeavour to complete within the week with any necessary packages popped in the mail. After I have achieved this, by no means, small feat then I can truly enjoy Christmas. Out of the last five Christmases, I have spent four of them here and I feel like during this time I have been able to do all things festive that has interested me. I know this isn't completely true, but for now nothing has caught my eye and become a Christmas must-do this year. I did attend the Christmas at Hycroft Manor this past Sunday, but it didn't inspire me as much as it did the first time I went. The only Christmas related activity I have planned is a cookie exchange with some work friends, which I am really looking forward to. My Christmas wish list is also pretty empty this year, but I think I can attribute this to my recent spending both here and down in the States. Anyway, Christmas isn't about receiving gifts, it is really about spending time with loved ones possibly with a wonderful snowy backdrop. 

Musical musings for November

Time once more to rave about country music because that is obviously what I added to my iTunes library this month. All the music comes from artists I already listen to and have come to love. Furthermore, I am super excited that I already have two country concerts lined up in the first few months of 2014. There is also the possibility of a festival in August being headlined one night by the gorgeous Jake Owen. I hope all my musings about country aren't making some people run for the hills because I know it is not to everyone's liking, but maybe one of these will change your mind:

1. Get Me Some of That - Thomas Rhett
2. Ghost Town - Jake Owen
3. Take You Home - Thomas Rhett
4. When She Says Baby - Jason Aldean
5. Somewhere In My Car - Keith Urban
6. Beat of the Music - Brett Eldredge
7. Beer With Jesus - Thomas Rhett
8. Every Time I Fall In Love (feat. Clare Bowen) - Nashville Cast
9. Drink A Beer - Luke Bryan

If none of these can entice you then please bear with me as I continue to muse about country music on a monthly basis. Maybe I should change the title of these posts to country musings.

November's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Fall Farewell

I know that there is still almost a month left of fall, but it is hard to hang onto this thought when there is a chill in the air and Christmas everywhere. Once more I only managed to do half of my fall to do wish list with apple pie, high tea and cheap/fun things to do with friends eluding me. This seems to suggest I should stop making to do lists and just roll with it. I think I might take this on board for winter by embracing both spontaneity and a few well made plans. This is especially a good idea seeing as I am trying to take my foot off the pedal for a few weeks to catch my breath and remember what it is like to not have so many plans. At the present time I cannot think of anything I must do this winter, but I have no doubt that this will change as the season arrives. I must mention that fall has been kind to the city with the weather, it might be chilly here, but the rain has been pretty non-existent. I know it won't last, but I will just need to remember how kind Mother Nature was when this happens.  

Holiday cheer in November

As we moved from Thanksgiving to Halloween to Christmas in November, the scents in the air changed too. Pumpkin, cinnamon and apple have now become gingerbread, peppermint and eggnog, not that I like the last one. I try very hard not to get sucked into the Christmas vortex too early in November although I have already had a few festive Starbucks drinks and am thinking about present ideas. The most exciting thing I have come across so far was the bounty of Christmas themed goodies in Target this past weekend in Portland.

It was so exciting and a tad bit overwhelming to see what was on offer. I was also reminded of how superior the US is when it comes to Christmas stuff. I ended up walking away with a small Christmas bounty.

Oh who am I kidding, I am being sucked into the Christmas vortex one day at a time and I do love it. So now begins the present shopping, festive events and anything else Christmas.

Portland once more

Travel and I have gone hand in hand for many years now. This is why I tend to get a little bit anxious if I have nothing planned. Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit Portland this past long weekend. A definite highlight on the way to our destination was Von Trapp's where I jointly indulged in amazing fried chicken and waffles, which were actually scrambled blueberry pancakes. 

For the most part, the weekend mirrored my one previous visit with the exception of a trip to the Lloyd Center mall and some new eateries. Delicious food was definitely had from the likes of Voodoo Doughnut and Cupcake Jones.

I also shopped more than I should have, but I love my new, slightly indulgent purchases. How can you turn down tax-free shopping?

The rain held off for the most part and helped make it a great long weekend, which was exactly what I wanted.

Knitting update

At the beginning of September I mentioned about exploring some creative outlets including taking a beginners knitting class. Fast forward a couple of months and I am now at the tail end of a beyond beginners knitting class at Urban Yarns. During the first four-week class I learnt how to knit many different types of stitches without completing an actual project. I didn't complete a project because I wanted to work on basics first, particularly being left-handed and completely new to knitting. I was surprised at how much knowledge I retained as the weeks went on, although I still have no idea how to correct mistakes. The fact that I only had a swatch of different stitches and still had more to learn were big motivators for taking the second round of classes. I wanted a finished knitting project that I could be proud to say I had done. I can now say I have completed, with some assistance, an infinity scarf (pictured) and am working on my second one in a different colour as a gift. The completed scarf has a few flaws, which are only obvious if I point them out, but nonetheless is a good first attempt. I am definitely keeping this for sentimental value and can't wait to wear it on a non-rainy day. The other project I am working on at the moment is a newborn baby hat, again for a friend. I am hoping to have this completed before my upcoming final class. I am really glad I decided to try knitting and although it has been a slow learning process, I can't wait to knit more projects as gifts or for myself.

Dining in the dark

On Tuesday night, I had a very interesting dining experience. A friend and I ate at the Dark Table restaurant. It was such a surreal and disorientating experience to eat a three-course meal in entire darkness and I do mean completely no light at all. We had to rely on both the guidance of our server and our other senses, particularly touch, which was a new thing to have to do. Our appetizer and dessert were a surprise, but we did select our main prior to entering the restaurant. The main too could be a surprise if you so wished. Eating in itself was quite entertaining as I found myself hitting my face with pre-cut meat and long stems of broccolini. There was still a lot of conversation going on in the restaurant despite the fact you couldn't see who you were talking to. Also, going to the dimly-lit bathroom required the assistance of your server and the only other light you were ever exposed to was behind a heavy, dark curtain when paying your bill. Overall, it is a unique and cool dining option, one that I recommend everyone give a go at least once.