Warning: TVyarn Spoiler...and some favorites

My December shipment of the TVyarn Chick Flick series arrived yesterday. I was going to wait a few days to post about it, just in case you might be waiting for your package. Unfortunately, I just cannot wait, so you're going to have to avoid this post if you don't wait to spoil the surprise. Sorry to force you into the grownup role...because I decided to take the child role. Hey, what can I say? You'll have to deal.

If you're new to the blog, you might not know what I'm talking about here. The Chick Flicks club is a three month sock yarn subscription. I wrote about it before here. This one is wonderful, through White Oak Studio, and I highly recommend it. This month's movie was Love Actually, which I'd seen before but couldn't remember. I knew Hugh Grant was in it, and Brian convinced me that it was the one with he and Julia Roberts. Ann would kill me for believing him and not realizing that he was thinking of Notting Hill! Anyhow, Brian rented it for me, and we watched it last night...LOVE it! Can't imagine how I did not remember what it was, but really I think you should run right out and rent it yourself because it's interesting and hilarious. Why is it so much funnier when British people say the F word? No idea, but it truly is.

Alright, I hope you've clicked away if you don't want to see the shipment, because here goes:



Here is everything. Well, almost. You'll have to imagine how cute everything was, all wrapped up. Jana does such a cute job, and everything was in red tissue paper and cute little snowmen baggies (Or was it Santa? Can't remember.) I love how festive and cute it all is--makes me feel special to open it.



The yarn is sport weight for me, this time. It's super bright and colorful. I dig the printed paper Jana includes with the reasoning behind the colors and everything...nice touch. I tried to capture the colors and the vibrancy, but I don't think I did them justice:





I received the yarn, along with a matching stitch marker. All the goodies are packaged in little bags or the sweet little Santa boxes you see in the first picture. Jana included a Bee Bar hand cream from Honey House and their lip butter, as well. There is a Nutcracker ornament, a candy cane, and Christmas Spice Tea. In the 30 minutes I had free today, I enjoyed the tea. Let me tell you it's delicious! For the record, I consider free time to be any time that I am not in the car, driving, doing laundry, cleaning or cooking, and am also not changing a diaper or giving a bath, etc. So sitting on my couch while children literally climb on me DOES count as free time, to me. Just wanted to clarify that. I adore the colorway right away, but my favorite part is the stitch marker. Just love the look of it and can't wait to use her. (Yes, I have decided that the stitch marker is feminine, you know, like a ship. What???)



Pretty, no?

Actually, I lied. My favorite thing is this:



The Honey-House Bee Bar. I know, it seems weird. It's a lotion bar. Yeah, I said it was weird. I liked the little round box, but was sceptical. Then I opened it. It smelled awesome, but what was it? I took it out and felt it, however I didn't really understand what to do with it. The bar was smooth and slippery. I rubbed it on a few fingers to see if it sort of rubbed onto my skin, mostly because I couldn't think of what else to do. I held the odd item and wondered why anyone would make something so stupid. Then, while I held it, it sort of...warmed up. It softened and became a little more creamy. When I smoothed it against my hand, it spread pleasantly, and --wait for it-- it really works!! Oh, I love it. Sort of one of those things where you can't explain it. Someone just thinks you're crazy for liking it until they try it themselves, you know? Only no one will ever try it, because I'm going to hide it an never, ever share. Just Kidding. No, not really.

I've been making some progress on Holli's Christmas sweater. I just don't want to ruin the surprise of the finished product. Suffice to say, I've finished the body, neck ribbing, and one sleeve. I have the second sleeve left and to sew the bottom of the pocket. That's it! My plan is to show it after it's given, but you know me (child role), I may not be able to wait. Favorite part of the sweater: How the contrast color is only on two rows of the ribbing, instead of the entire ribbing. So cute!

Fun stuff today...Keegan and I made a Gingerbread house at the YMCA today, and it was a blast! O.K., truth be told, it's really a graham cracker house, but we'll just pretend for the boy's sake.



He did a great job, don't you think? My favorite part? The little walkway. He decided to make a tiny "sidewalk" to the house with pieces of graham cracker, like paving stones. Love it! And he put a pretzel out the back of the house. Um, sort of just sticking out there. Go ahead and chuckle, it's kind of funny. We determined that obviously the reason for the pretzel is that it is a flagpole. We'll be able to hang a cute little holiday flag outside on the house. What a sweetheart!

I couldn't wait to ball up my new Love Actually yarn. Now I know you want to see it...



The colors really jump out more from the ball. What should I make with it?

And finally, you'll be happy to hear that Ann is doing well with her knitting. An attempt at purling was made, but was...er, we'll say..."disappointing". Our plan is to work on purling next time. Ann dutifully makes squares and then unravels them and starts again. Yes, she is practicing! What a perfect pupil...

Favorite thing about teaching my sister to knit? She's found a new recruit of her own! Her Sister-in-Law Mandy showed some interest, so Ann shared the book with her and let her have a go at it. Ann says Mandy picked up some needles and yarn of her own, so now they can learn together. Isn't that cool!? I'm really excited about it. Good luck to both of you! I'll have to get some pics of their swatches to share with the gang, don't you think? Yes. We will have to. So, Ann and Mandy, if you peek by, drop a comment with how you're doing, O.K.? Inquiring minds want to know.