Five Favorites - Winter Edition III

 I know everyone keeps talking spring, but I’m pretty sure winter is going to be here for a bit yet! Here are five things I’ve been enjoying this winter… 

1. A silk organza pressing cloth. 

I made myself a new one, and it is 18” x 24”, and I am loving it! Having a rectangular length is really handy, and I wish I’d thought of it before. It was especially helpful when making the two wool coats I did this year, since working with wool always requires a pressing cloth. 

2. Chicago

I took a trip with a friend to Chicago to see “The Phantom of the Opera,” and not only was it an amazing performance (such fantastic voices - almost as good as Sarah Brightman!), but it was fun to get away on my first trip in almost eight years! We found the cutest cafe with amazing croissants (Goddess and the Baker), window shopped, went to the Field Museum, found a cute bookshop in the bottom of Macy’s, ate wonderful chocolate, and had a blast. There was a cute Italian place we ran out of time to eat at, but I think I’ll use that as an excuse to go back… 

3. British Classics 

I recently rewatched the 1983 version of “Jane Eyre,” which I hadn’t seen since college. It was so much better than I remembered! I had vague memories of not liking it much (even though I’m a big Timothy Dalton fan), but a friend lent it to me, so I gave it another shot, and really, it was excellent. This made me want to rewatch the 2006 version, which led to North and South… I haven’t run out of options yet! 

4. Oil

It has been such a cold winter this year, and as a result the air has been so dry the skin on my hands seems to spontaneously crack, even when I use my top brands. I read a hint to add a drop of oil (I use almond or grapeseed) when applying hand lotion, and that has made a huge difference in keeping my hands moisturized, especially at night. 

5. Snow! 

Honestly, this winter has had some of the prettiest snow, probably because it was so cold that it stayed fluffy-looking for a long time. While it did put a damper on some of my social activities (and I had some VERY slow commutes), I enjoyed the extra time at home to be creative.