BEST gifts of 2009

I know it seems a huge cop out not picking the ONE best, but this year was just too hard! SO the winner for best gift(s) of the 2009 holiday season are. . .

Fred, the cardboard moose trophy from my sister and lined crocs from Lisa!

THANKS!

Dominic the Donkey

This just may be my new favorite Christmas song!

Mmm! Matzoh Toffee

Spring means Easter and Passover!

You canhave your hard boiled colored eggs that get reused into egg salad (yuck)! We, from the Jewish side of the fence, celebrate without leavening, Charlton Heston as Moses and Matzoh Toffee!

A classic Passover treat that's great anytime - and you don't even need to be Jewish to like it. But if this had fallen from heaven instead of manna - we'd still be in the desert!

Chocolate Toffee Matzoh

4-6 sheets of matzoh 
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• Preheat oven to 350
• Line a cookie sheet with foil, and top that with wax paper - it gets really gooey and sticky
• Lay matzohs on baking sheets - break in half to fit gaps if you want
• Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat - stirring constantly
• Let mixture boil and continue cooking for 3 more minutes
• Remove butter/brown sugar mixture from heat and pour over matzoh
• Bake approximately 15 minutes - don't let it burn
• Remove from oven and quickly sprinkle chocolate chips over the top
• Let chips melt for a couple of minutes then spread melted chocolate with back of spoon
• Sprinkle nuts over top of chocolate and press down lightly to stick
• Refrigerate until set, then break into smaller pieces and look out - you can't eat just one piece.

Green Menorah

The Recycling Center at Columbia Cllege Chicago along with the Hillel group is holding a Green Menorah competition.

My student design group decided to join the fray! This is my submission!

"Papyrus to Pixels and Beyond"

Since the invention of paper, artists and designers have put their mark on communication.

This menorah celebrates this fact in changing from simple paper (swatches) to early printed media (newspapers) through four color printing and the offset press (Pantone color swatches) to the advent of the computer (the keyboard) to communicating virtually (the internet and wires). These materials were applied to a tube which represents the pipeline of information and how these various media have informed and changed the way we, as designers, communicate.

Materials used: Paper from swatchbooks, newspaper, Pantone color swatches, computer keyboard, wire, cardboard tube, gator board and laser caps

Back from NYC!

One of the highlights of New York during the holidays are the Holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman.


This year they chose the theme of the seasons. The sheer volume of contents and the imagination of their dressers is amazing!

Happy Holidays!

We ALL should have a dream.

Reading the words of Martin Luther King today drew me to this one line.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

Let us all hope so.

Infineight

Happy Boxing Day!

And for your reference. . .a template!

Mele Kalikimaka

As the song goes. . .

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun will shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun will shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun will shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun will shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas
Merry Merry Christmas to you
Merry Merry Christmas to you

My parents got a Christmas Tree this year!

This is the FIRST time in my life that they have done so. Here are the stats!
• It is a beautiful Blue Spruce;
• It is approximately 75' tall;
• The ceilings in the house are approximately 9' high;
• It will NOT fit in the front door;
• It needs a little pruning!

All kidding aside! This is what my parents woke up to Sunday morning. Their neighbors' 40+ year old tree came crashing down to the ground Saturday night/Sunday morning in a wind storm!

The good news is, my parents huge pine tree seems to have deflected the tree from hitting the house and suffered the breakage of two or three solid branches. Good thing as if the tree fell in its path, it would have hit my parent's house and created much damage. As it is, it simply lies across their front yard. We cut a path through the tree so they can walk straight out their front door!

The police tape is for safety. When the tree was uprooted, very shallow root ball, it pulled up a power line to the neighbors outside lamp. And the tree is lying across the sidewalk. But is makes it look all CSI!

Seven Swans a Swimming!

Today is the 7th day leading to Christmas, seven swans a swimming. I am giving Lisa gifts according to the song this year. Today she received one of the most unique gifts I ever gave, a 75" long inflatable swan perfect for tubing on the river at camp!

Not everyone can give or receive such a gift. But when the two connect it is PERFECT!

If Lisa wants to share her other gifts, hopefully she will post them!

A Charlie Brown Christmas!

While at the HOW conference, I received a small pine tree in the conference bag. I brought it home, planted it, watched it grow for a short time and then slowly wither away!

I couldn't bring myself to throw it away so it stayed in it's pot on the porch all year! Well, here came Chritsmas and what a treat to actually have my very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree! I am hoping the neighbors help decorate it too.