I hope everyone had an enjoyable New Year's Eve. Jim and I were still completely worn out from the wedding festivities, so we did, indeed, just hang around the house to welcome in 2010. I did a lot of knitting on my current project, but did not finish in time to count it as the last of 2009. That honor falls to this:
- My dear friend, Greta, sent me a fabulous skein of yarn for Christmas, and as soon as I took it out of the envelope, knew it had to become something to wear against my face. The pattern I chose, Spiral Cowl (free on Ravelry,) was perfect. Fast, easy, and pretty, it was perfect for the yarn's softness.
- The yarn is from a grower local to Greta - Deep River Alpacas. It is their Alpaca Sport, a blend of 80% natural undyed alpaca and 20% merino. Heaven!! Thanks so much, Greta! As you can see, it didn't languish in the stash!
Christmas Eve, we wrapped gifts and got ready to have Cory, Laura, and Laura's family (mom, dad, brother, and brother's girlfriend) over for dinner. I kept it simple, making baked chicken, fresh green beans, parmesan risotto, salad, and rolls. Dessert was creme brulee, made earlier in the day by me, with the caramelizing done at table by Jim and Laura. It was a lovely evening, with much laughter.
Christmas this year was a bit less hectic than usual, with a lot less presents given and received. With Jim out of work, and the impending wedding, we thought it best to scale it back. I'm glad we did, because it made us all concentrate on gifts that really meant something special. I got a nice assortment of books, videos, and music CD's, as well as a few trinkets in my stocking. Two of the books were knitting related:
The Joy of Sox and
Knitted Socks East and West. Then, as a bonus, my cousin sent me
Pints and Purls: Protable Projects for the Social Knitter. There were a couple knitting things, too.
In my stocking, I found this little pen.
Pushing on the head produces both a "baaaaah" and a very bright light.
And my big knitting present was this - The Hiya Hiya interchangeable needle set of my dreams!
Inside, a set of needles ranging from size 2 to size 8 (the 7's are in my current project.) There's also a little zippered pouch that could hold markers, small scissors, and a tape measure.
On the back, a larger zippered pouch holds the cords, ranging from size 16" to 42". I LOVE this set. The needles are lightweight and have a nice, not too sharp point. The cords screw on, and I haven't had any problem with them coming loose. Santa got a big hug for delivering these.
My really big gift was a painting.
Cat for scale. And yes, I know it's weird. That's why I like it! We have flying monsters on the right. Lollipops or flowers in the middle. And the sun exploding on the top. Wheeee! It was hanging in our favorite restaurant for a while, and every time I went in, I said how much I liked it, so Jim bought it for me. I don't think he had to fight off a lot of people for it, either.
Then, it was time to gear up for the WEDDING! Jim's mom, brother, and nephew came in on Sunday afternoon. His sister and her four kids arrived around midnight. They all went to the airport to welcome them, but I wisely stayed at home. Monday, Jim and all the relatives, except for his mom, went to Stone Mountain Park and climbed to the top of the mountain. It was cold and windy, so his mom and I stayed here and just relaxed. Considering what the evening and the next few days would bring, I'm glad to have made that choice.
Monday night was the rehearsal, followed by the dinner we hosted. There were 40 people in attendance. The food was marvelous, and the company a lot of fun. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves, and it was a great way to meet some of Cory's friends, as well as his new relatives. Laura's mom has three sisters, as does her dad, and all but one of them where there, along with assorted husbands and cousins. My best friend, Katie, flew down from Minneapolis for the wedding, and she made it in time for dinner, as well.
Tuesday, I was up and out early. I picked Katie up at the hotel, and we went to get my hair done. We grabbed a quick lunch, and it was time then for me to go to the salon for makeup. I usually don't wear much, and it wasn't hard to predict the reactions I got from family when they saw me - "Is that you, Jane??" Too funny.
The wedding began at 5:00, and it took all my will power to keep from bursting out in tears. Fortunately, Jim was a big help with avoiding that, as he took my tissues away to use for himself! The funniest moment of the wedding occurred when the fireplace, in front of which the ceremony was being performed, began to smoke - copiously! Jim kept looking up and whispering to me, "The fire alarm is going to go off!" I told him to forget about it and watch the wedding, but really, it was amazing that the alarm and/or the sprinklers didn't activate! At least everyone got a laugh out of it. Cory and Laura wrote the whole ceremony, including their vows. Laura made it through her's with a strong voice, but the Best Man had to deploy a hanky for Cory, who broke down half-way through his. He's such a sentimental guy, my boy.
The reception was fabulous! Despite all the anxiety and snarkiness on the part of the mother-of-the-bride regarding the affair, it was flawless. We ended up with about 120 people attending the wedding and reception, including a few friends we hadn't seen in quite some time. The band, "The Bonaventure Quartet" was amazing (there were actually seven musicians, which I found funny. A smaller group had played before the wedding service, as well, lending a lovely sound to the occasion.)
Of course, you want to see photos. May I state here that Jim and I, between us, took a series of the most spectacularly HORRIBLE photos ever! Thank goodness for the official wedding photographer. The ones we took may never see the light of day again after her's arrive. At any rate, here are a few highlights.
First, the rings. Cory and Laura designed them, and Laura's ring includes two diamonds from one of my mom's rings.
Cory's ring has the same knot, but in a different metal. His is white gold.
This is my favorite photo of Cory and I together. In the background are his best man, Rob, and one of his attendants, Jennifer (a friend from high school - as well, as his first ever girlfriend. She broke his heart in 8th grade.)
Cory and his dad.
The groom's wedding party, acting like Reservoir Dogs.
The wedding cake. Obviously, very non-traditional. The top layer was Vanilla Creme, the middle Chocolate Peanut Butter, and the bottom Death by Chocolate. I had the bottom! And there's more of it in my freezer, too. YUM!
The bride and groom cutting the cake (weird light on the right was from the official photographer's flash.) Laura designed her gown, and I'm looking forward to being able to show it off when the official photos come in. I don't think either Jim or I got a picture of Cory and Laura together from the front.
We partied late, and then continued on at the hotel bar for a while. After collapsing into bed well after midnight, we were rudely awakened at 2:15 AM by my cell phone. It was the security company calling to say the alarm was going off at Cory's house. I told them to sent to cops, and Jim hurried to get over there. While he was in transit, they called again to say another door had been opened. I was freaking, of course, but the next time the phone rang it was Jim, saying that all was well. A friend had gone in to feed the cat, and didn't know about the alarm. Ok, no harm, no foul, but were we exhausted the next day!
Wednesday, after getting up early to meet Jim's aunt, cousin and her husband for breakfast at the hotel (where we had stayed, as well) we came home, changed, and then met his sister and her two kids for lunch and then a two hour tour of the Georgia Aquarium. That was followed by dinner, and when we arrived home around 8:30, were were both punchy with exhaustion. I was in bed by ten, and although I had my early riding lesson on Thursday, it took me until today to really feel back to normal. I think you can see why we didn't go out for New Year's!
So, if you've made it all the way through this long post - thank you! Maybe it gave you a chance to relax after a night of celebrating. Either way, I'm very happy for all my friends, both real and virtual, and hope you all have a wonderful 2010. As for me, I'm considering hibernation for the next few months. I doubt that's a real possibility, but it sure sounds nice!