Dear Edna

Tiny Toques

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I'm reached the time in my life when everyone I know is expecting a baby. At least it feels that way. Think I'm exaggerating? I know of at least six babies that are due in the next two months! I love to give handmade gifts, especially for babies, but unless I quit both my jobs, there's no way I can possibly crochet six crib blankets by April. In a moment of panic, I decided to think smaller and try my hand at some baby hats. Not only would they be faster to make, they're also adorable. Finding this pattern from hollanddesigns sealed the deal. I knew I had to try it. In fact, I tried it twice. And here you have them!

I'm not going to lie to you, it was a pretty tough technique for a sort-of-beginner. I probably shouldn't have ignored the Intermediate label. There were a lot of pulled out stitches to start and and I'm still not completely happy with the top. But I did learn a valuable lesson in yarn weights and how much they can affect the look of your final product. I bought both these yarns in Portland at Knit Purl: the blue is worsted weight 100% superwash wool and the grey is a fingerling alpaca/merino/bamboo blend. This was the first time I had ever used non-synthetic (a.k.a. "fancy") wool and there were no crochet guidelines on the labels, so I felt a bit uncertain and intimidated from the start. I was second-guessing myself the whole time. "Maybe this yarn is too delicate." "Maybe I'm using the wrong hook size." Herein lies the moral of this story: when in doubt, trust the pattern. At first I thought the grey turned out too "holey", which is what made me try the thicker wool. But now that I see them together, I like the shape and texture of the grey better. Which is what the pattern said to use. So there ya go.

Love Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:08:00 +0000

Valentine's Day isn't a big deal in our house. I guess we're just not a teddy bears and poetry type of couple. But we're also not the type of couple that turns down an excuse to go out for dinner and stuff ourselves with sweets. So, in the spirit of things, I decided to whip something up for my honey this year. Unfortunately, all google turned up was a million and one heart-shaped sugar cookie recipes. That just wouldn't do for my chocoholic. I remembered this cake-decorating stencil technique I pinned awhile back and decided to try out a mini V-Day version on brownies. I don't have a tried and true brownie recipe either, so decided to give this one a whirl, trusting there was truth behind the title. Aside from a couple minor changes, they turned out pretty darn amazing. So dense and moist. And cute to boot! I don't know if they're the best brownies ever, but they're certainly the best I've ever made. Give them a try and let me know your vote. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Best Brownies
adapted from allrecipes.com

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. Usually for square recipes, I line the pan in foil so that I can more easily remove and cut them later. To each their own.

In a medium-large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Mine took a full 30 minutes.

To make frosting: combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm. I found the frosting to be very dry and difficult to mix. Try adding a couple tablespoons of milk, combine with a spoon so the butter doesn't crumble and then mix with an electric beater until smooth.

To make the hearts, simply cut a one-inch heart out of paper, place over each brownie and lightly sprinkle with icing sugar. I used a small strainer to help me sprinkle. Ta da!

My Creative Resolutions for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Photo via HappyDeliveries

February. Huh. I wonder how many people have defaulted on their new year's resolutions already. One way to avoid that? Don't make any until the first week of February! Ha! Another way is to not make any at all. But, I actually quite enjoy the process. I tend to overwhelm myself with all the things I want to do and setting goals really helps me focus that bit of crazy in me. This year, I'm going to push that focus just a little further by sticking to only creative goals that can realistically be accomplished in the span of one year. For example, fitness and nutrition are off limits. Sound good? Well, let's get started then.

Photos via Sew4Home and Freshly Pieced.

Patchwork
Last year I made a vow to make more for me rather than just my business and learned how to crochet and cross-stitch as a result. I am so proud of the things I made and my stubbornness to make time for them and hope to keep that crafty momentum rolling this year. However, I'd also like to learn a new skill.... quilting. My grandmother was a talented quilter, so I've wanted to learn for many years, if not my entire lifetime. Mike bought me a great sewing book for Christmas that illustrates all the steps really well and I have some patterns on their way from my sweet Aunt. It's time.

Scrappy
One of the biggest things holding me back from starting a quilt is my overwhelmingly large and unorganized scrap pile. Actually, it could probably be more accurately described as a scrap heap. The basket above is only half of it. Sounds like an intern job to me. Wait, I don't have one. Hmph.

Sergio
While I'm introducing embarrassing parts of my sewing room, meet my serger. We are not friends. Yet. Conquering this machine is a carryover from last year's resolutions. But I'm determined to learn this year, or else! Technically this guy is only on loan and if I don't learn soon, I'm afraid the owner will snatch it back. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is.

Screen Time
My doily tote was the first Dear Edna item to get attention and it continues to be my best seller through the wedding season, but after two years, it's due time I try out some new designs. My ultimate dream is to print my own textiles and there's no way I'm going to get there without getting my hands deep in emulsion. That sounds kind of dirty. It is... but not in the way you're thinking.

Photos via BlueMoonLights, Tuuni, Tonic Living

Office Space
This was on my list last year and I'm proud to say it was the first I crossed off; however, after the initial set up, I dragged my feet on the details and never finished the job. I still need better overhead lighting, curtains, and storage for my paint supplies. It seems so simple, and yet it's not done. Speaking of renovations, Mikey J and I are also planning to gut our entire kitchen this Spring. I may as well set up a tent at Ikea now.

Showtime
For all the stress and nervousness, I really did enjoy participating in my first craft show this year, the Beehive Summer Craft Fair. I was hoping I'd get to be a part of a Christmas show too, but ended up getting far too busy filling online orders. I'd like to make it a goal to participate in at least two craft fairs in 2012. That doesn't seem like too much to ask. We'll see if that opinion changes when July rolls around.

Dot Com
There's nothing wrong with getting started with an Etsy shop and a blogger account, but after two years, I found myself fantasizing about seeing DearEdna.com on my business cards. I don't know if you noticed, but thanks to my live-in IT guy, that dream was realized this week! This blog can now be found at http://www.dearedna.com/! Boom. This is phase one of a three-phase grand master plan that will take over the world. ... Haha! Just checking if you're still listening. Really, it will hopefully eventually result in a professional, polished website, complete with an online shop all my own.

I have a few more really exciting things up my sleeves for this year, but because I'm pretty superstitious about jinxes, I'm going to have to stay tight-lipped about those for now. All I can say is 2012 is going to be big —a game-changer — I can feel it. I hope you'll come along for the ride and cheer me on! Woo!

Vivez la langue

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:59:00 +0000

Just because we could all use a little more français in our lives.

How much do I miss Paris? Ah!

Happy Friday, mes amis!

E xo

(Thanks to Beaux Mondes for sharing.)

Detours

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +0000

I wish I could say that I've been taking my down time seriously, but honestly, I barely have anything to show for the last two weeks. My mending pile hasn't budged, my crochet hasn't made it past the fourth row and my 2011 numbers remain uncrunched. In my defence, I did take four days to go to Ottawa, and I count that as an accomplishment, as we drove there during the first real snow storm this area has seen all winter. Drivers were cautious, the roads weren't properly plowed, and there was an accident every 10 kilometres it seemed. By the time we reached Kingston, a usual 3-hour drive, we had been driving for 7 hours! It was getting dark at that point and we were exhausted and frustrated, so we decided to drop anchor for the night and make the best of a messy situation.

That night we had an amazing dinner at Olivea, window-shopped along Princess St. and then stopped off at The Toucan for a night cap. On our walk home, suckers for old architecture, we found ourselves whispering and tip-toeing up to read plaques on private homes.

The next morning we woke up to complimentary breakfast in bed (!) and sunny skies. There wasn't much happening in town and were dissappointed that the Penitentiary Museum was closed, but we received a warm welcome at the Kingston Brewing Co. (Ontario's oldest brew pub and Canada's oldest wine-producing pub). The beer was tasty, the conversation was friendly and the decor was entertaining.

We also went on another self-guided architectural walking tour to find McIntosh Castle (of course) and some other stunning pieces of heritage. 134 Earl. St. was built in 1866 and was once inhabited by Sir John A. MacDonald. Can you even imagine living in these places? I bet they have tea time.... and ghosts.

When we hit the road again we were well-rested, the roads before us were clear and the snow-covered scenery was a tourist attraction in its own right. Our detour in Kingston was probably the best decision we could've made and just goes to show you there's something to the saying "it's the journey, not the destination."

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:56:00 +0000

If you're scratching your head right now and double-checking the date, let me explain: it's not you, it's me. For me, the new year didn't really start until last Friday, when I shipped out the last of my orders from 2011. If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you'll know that there were a lot of them.

The holidays were very kind to Dear Edna this year. I've said it before, and I'll never stop saying it, thank you! It was crazy in the best way. But after two months of long hours hunched over a cutting table and sewing machine, creating 6 or 7 aprons a night, packing up all those orders, answering emails and blogging, and then waking up to a full day of copyediting and doing it all over again... this girl is seriously looking forward to some down time. That's probably not what a business owner is supposed to say. But it's the truth.

I used to dread this part of the year and all its depressing lack of sunlight, bone-chilling cold, and anti-social hibernation, but I think it's actually starting to become one of my favourites. After a season of go go go, it's a time when I can finally just stop and take a breath. It's a time when I can give the machine mentality a rest and give my ideas and creativity space to grow. It's a chance to get my ducks in a row. It's a time to relax, reflect, recharge and play. It's like recess for grownups. Haha!

It's also a time to plan. Now that I'm officially living in 2012 with the rest of you, I'm naturally setting some goals and intentions for the upcoming year. There are some truly excited things in store! I can't wait to share them with you, but in the meantime, I think I'll let them ruminate a little longer while I enjoy more of that glorious down time — I'm off tomorrow for a little four-day getaway to Ottawa and Kingston. Fingers are crossed that we don't get stuck in a snow storm halfway there. Snow or no snow, we'll be seeing this fine jokester performing live...

... and hilarity will ensue.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

E xo

P.S. That's my new calendar in the photo above. Isn't it pretty? It's from one of my favourite stationary companies, Rifle Paper Co., and I bought it in the fall, so I was pretty excited to finally put it up. I took it as a sign when I flipped to January and realized the colours matched perfectly with the art I already had on the wall. It's going to be a good year!

The Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

EMILY MIZE! I hope you have fun choosing how to spend your $50 credit at Dear Edna! Please throw me a quick comment here or by email within the next 48 hours to confirm your prize.

Thank you to everyone that entered — I hope to hear from you again soon!

Happy New Year!

E xo

12 Days of Christmas 2011 Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Well, folks, my 12 Days of Christmas series of posts is complete for another year! Again, I had a blast writing them and I'm shocked I made it through in time. Another big thank you to all of my guest posters — I couldn't have done it without you. In case you missed any along the way, here they all are in one convenient list.

12
Things on My Wish List

11
Things for Himself

10
Hamilton Happenings for the Holidays

Gifts for Kids

8

Ornate Ornaments

7

Fresh Christmas Tracks

6

Pyrex Party Pieces

5

Hopsy Holiday Brews

4

Ways to Shine-up your Holiday Look

3

Quick Christmas Crafts

2

Tasty Treats

1

Gift, One Winner

I hope everyone has a very merry holiday with their families and loved ones, full of relaxation, laughter, full bellies and fuzzy heads. Thank you for another fantastic year. I'll meet you back here in 2012.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

E xo

One Gift, One Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:13:00 +0000

I know gift certificates can be impersonal gifts, but I can't exactly send you all an apron — I'd be sewing until next Christmas! So, as a thank you to all the lovely customers who bought handmade Dear Edna items this holiday, to all the readers who stuck it through all 12 of my 12 Days of Christmas posts, and to everyone who supported me and my business, morally or otherwsie, over the last year.... I'm giving each of you a chance to win a $50 gift certificate! That's one reversible apron, one men's apron + shipping, two personalized totes, one tote and one cosie... the list goes on. Haha!

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment below. Plus, if you mention Dear Edna and this giveaway on twitter or facebook, you will get another entry for each. The contest is open to everyone, in all locations; family and friends, don't be shy, this contest is a thank you for your love and encouragement too! The contest ends on December 31st at midnight and the winner will be announced here. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours of the announcement, I will redraw.

Good luck!

2 Tasty Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:08:00 +0000

I like to go to town in the baking department at Christmas. I think that's something I've picked up from my mother, but let's save that for therapy, shall we? This year I decided (at Mike's insistence), to limit myself to baking only four items and two new recipes. The good news: I finished all of my baking in one evening. The bad news: one of the new recipes was a bit of a disaster...

Salted Caramel Shortbread
I followed the recipe in the Feb/March issue of Readymade Magazine, but boy do I wish I had looked online first, as there are some major problems with the recipe. First of all, the shortbread dough would not hold together. I added butter to remedy the situation on the fly, but the end result was still pretty crumbly. Another problem, the caramel turned out much too runny. I boiled it a little longer than the 5 minutes recommended and hoped it would thicken when chilled, but it didn't. Caramel ooze everywhere! They were pretty difficult to cut into bars, for this reason. I only got one or two nice squares out of it. The rest looked like a natural disaster hit my pan. Finally, this recipe is super time-consuming: I baked at least 4 dozen other cookies in the time that I was making these 12 bars! All that being said, I agree with the many comments on the site that these are really "tasty little messes," so I think I'll give them another chance, with adjustments (included below).

Shortbread
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup less 1 heaping T icing sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

Salted Caramel
1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp crushed sea salt

Chocolate Topping
7 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Either mix the shortbread ingredients together in a food processor or do it the traditional way by sifting the flour, cornstarch, and icing sugar into a large bowl, adding the cubed butter, and using clean fingertips to rub together until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap; put dough in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare a 9-inch-square pan, lining the base and sides with a single piece of foil or parchment paper. Use the back of a spoon to flatten rested dough into pan.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prick the top of the dough all over with a fork and bake for about 40–45 minutes, until light brown and starting to come away from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before you make the caramel.

To make the caramel, put the sugar and cream in a heavy-bottom saucepan set over low heat. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon as it comes to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the butter and stir. Bring the caramel back to a boil and let it bubble gently for 10 minutes or until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Take the caramel off the heat, add the salt, and stir vigorously to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed in. Then, working quickly, pour the caramel on top of the cooled shortbread. Put the pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool and set.

Once the caramel has set, melt the chocolate following the instructions for tempering. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the caramel and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Allow the chocolate to set before lifting the shortbread out of the pan (using the foil or baking parchment) and cutting into squares with a hot knife. The squares will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Creams
My second new recipe came from the book Marie Claire: Zesty and was much more forgiving than the above, thank goodness. Be forewarned, however, hey are very very rich, so you may want to dust them with icing sugar rather than the cocoa powder, as the recipe suggests, and I don't think they really need to be sandwiched. But what's done is done and they look cute. So grab a glass of milk and choke those suckers down, ok?

Cookies
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
heaping 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Chocolate Cream
2/3 cup chopped chocolate (I ran out of chocolate and used chocolate chips)
2 tbsp light whipping cream
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, then fold through the dry ingredients. Refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes or until just firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll into one-inch balls and place onto cookies sheets. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until firm. Cool slightly on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

To make the chocolate cream, heat the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Stick the bases of the cookies together with the chocolate cream and lightly dust with cocoa or icing sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 40 cookies (20 sandwiches).

3 Quick Christmas Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Crafting is an addiction and the internet is our pusher. There are so many festive tutorials and inspiring projects out there, I can imagine myself happily hibernating and crafting my life away for the duration of the winter. Alas, like most people, I have a full-time job and a part-time job and shopping and baking and cleaning to do during the holidays, so I typically push my crafty cravings aside. But not this year! This year I found three easy projects and I made the time to try them. I love how they turned out and since I had all of the supplies already on hand, each took less than an hour to make! I hope you can make a little time yourself to try at least one of these out. Let me know if you do! xo

All three of these adorable crochet ornaments/gift toppers can be found on The Royal Sisters blog with really easy-to-follow instructions that this beginner certainly appreciated after stumbling through this not-so-easy pattern. Each one starts the same way and uses the same basic stitches to get the various shapes, so you catch on pretty quick. I got these down to 15 minutes a piece. Let's race!

The inspiration for this little fella came from this cross-stitch pattern by andwabisabi . I purchased the pattern, and fully intend on cross-stitching it, but I wanted something smaller and quicker and have been thinking about making stitched brooches for quite awhile. Plus, I don't have a Christmasy brooch - crazy, I know! After I shrunk down the pattern and transferred it to fabric, I quickly realized it was much too tiny to cross-stitch, so I tried simply embroidering it with little satin stitches. This was my first time embroidering without cross-stitch, and I think he looks pretty good.

To finish it, I traced the brooch shape onto cardboard, trimmed the fabric so it was about a quarter-inch longer than the cardboard and cut out an oval piece of quilt batting to place in between the fabric and cardboard. On the back, hand-stitch along the edges of the fabric, pull tight and tie off. Then secure both the fabric and pinback to the frame with hot glue. I bought this gorgeous wooden frame from artbase in the Fall, but I'm sure it would be lovely without the frame too.

This pretty ornament idea came from a book I scored at the Hamilton Public Library book sale in the summer for a dollar, Gifts from your Scrap Basket. I gave myself a pat on the back for thinking of Christmas in the middle of the summer and another pat for the sale. If you want to go for a hat trick of back pats, try using all recycled materials, like I did: fabric scraps, cardboard headed for the blue bin and old ribbon. I dare you!

To make, cut out two leaf-shape patterns (8cm x 14cm and 6cm x 12cm) and proceed to cut 6 pieces of the larger shape out of fabric and 6 pieces of the smaller shape out of cardboard. Glue the fabric to the cardboard — when you get to the tips, fold down the fabric over the point first and then the sides. Using an exacto knife and ruler, slice along the center of each piece, being careful not to cut all the way through, and fold. With wrong sides facing, hand-stitch along the edges. Keep doing this for all the pieces. Attach a loop to the top and any fancy adornments you'd like to the bottom before sealing it up. Don't worry if the ends seem kind of open, just keep stitching and pulling tight and they'll close up.

{Guest Post} 4 Ways to Shine-up your Holiday Look

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:28:00 +0000

When I was drowning in a sea of fabric, bandaging sliced fingers, and running myself ragged to meet my holiday deadlines, a very kind and generous lady volunteered to be my sewing slave. As tempting as that offer was at the time, this woman also happens to be somewhat of a fashion and blogging superstar, so I traded it in for a blog post. And here we have it! Please give a warm welcome to Jentine of My Edit! Thanks, Jenine! xo

When you wear something shiny in December, people call you "festive"; when you wear something shiny the other 11 months, people call you "tacky". Mostly I'm tacky, I guess, but in December I just fit in. Here's a guide of how to add some shine to your holiday from a little touch of sparkle to over-the-top. I recommend over-the-top shine.

1. If you want to take it easy in the shine department, stick to a eye-catching necklace. This allows you to share the spotlight with the mini quiche that you handcrafted. Is handcrafted a word you use when describing mini quiche? I've never made them.

2. A vintage sequin clutch is a good way to convey some holiday shine. The key is to find one that is just big enough for a little flask. I love my family very much but for some reason they think that one bottle of wine is enough for a whole evening. Someone tell my mom... it's not enough.

3. A sequin top is an easy find at the thrift store. The person who owned the top before you probably wore it over the holiday season or they wore it in the 80s. From what I understand, it was a sequin party every day in the 80s and I want to be part of the social movement that brings that back. Please join me...

4. When you wear sequins from navel to toe, you've probably crossed past dressing "festively". I wore this to Matt's company party this year. It was a little crazy but a lot of fun to wear; though it hardly left room for any mini quiche... handcrafted or otherwise.

XX

5 Hopsy Holiday Brews

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:43:00 +0000

What's a holiday without a festive adult beverage... or five? Last year I wrote about three of my favourite wines, but this year I thought I'd venture into the world of beer, a drink I enjoy quite often, yet rarely talk about for some reason. Some breweries release special edition holiday/winter brews this time of year, which makes it a perfect topic for the 12 Days of Christmas and an even better excuse to indulge in a taste test with my favourite beer-drinking companion.

It was an unfortunate decision on our part to drink many of these (plus a few that didn't make the cut) in a single evening, as holiday brews tend to be extremely rich stouts and porters, and thus had us feeling pretty sick to our stomachs by the fourth pint. This no doubt affected our ratings, so I've listed them in the order they were drank. Also, keep in mind that I am much more of a summertime blonde and blanche type of girl, so you will notice this reflected in my ratings as well. If you've had a chance to taste any of these beers or have another holiday favourite, I'd love to hear your opinions in the comment below.

Cheers!

1. Great Lakes Winter Ale ~ Ontario, OCB
6.2% alcohol 750mL ~purchased from LCBO
A slightly hoppy, dark copper ale with a spiced tongue and malty finish. We felt it went especially well, if not better, with food.
Erin: 7/10 Mike: 8/10

2. Muskoka Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout ~ Ontario, OCB
8% alcohol, 750ML ~purchased from The Brain
A nice, rich berry front with a very dry, dark chocolate finish. One bottle is plenty for two and it goes down even smoother with a delicious cheese platter from The Brain. Bonus points for the awesome bearded label!
Erin: 5/10 Mike: 7/10

3. Ayinger Celebrator ~ Germany
6.7% alcohol, 350mL ~purchased from The Brain
Aside from my glee over the fact that this beer came with a necklace, we both found it overly malty and oddly reminiscent of prune juice, albeit with orange notes. It starts off unique, but ends up tiresome. Keep in mind this review followed a cheese plate and the rich double chocolate stout...
Erin: 4/10 Mike: 4/10

4. Samuel Adams Winter Lager ~ USA
5.5% alcohol ~purchased on tap from The Ship
This copper-coloured lager is the clear winner, with a nicely balanced malty front, light hops, and distinct flavours of cloves and oranges. Between the two of us and the sweet bartender, it was agreed, "It just tastes like Christmas!"
Erin: 8/10 Mike: 9/10

5. Wychwood Bah Humbug Christmas Cheer Ale ~ England
5% alcohol, 500mL ~purchased from LCBO
We had high hopes for this one, after falling in love with it a few Christmases ago, but we were disappointed to find it had lost the strong cinnamon and spice notes we had remembered. It is an amber ale with a slightly caramelly malt front, lightly spiced, very mildly hopped, and smooth, but a little bland for a holiday brew.
Erin: 6/10 Mike: 6/10

{Guest Post} 6 Pyrex Party Pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Pyrex Ad "Bring Your Christmas List... (1948)

Hello again — it’s your friendly neighbourhood redhead back on the Dear Edna beat for another round of her annual 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year, however, I’m leaving you to your own devices to figure what to wear to your Christmas parties, and instead I’m telling you about holiday Pyrex!

Over the past year or so, I have become completely obsessed with collecting vintage Pyrex pieces (I now have what it known as “Pyrexia”—don’t laugh; OK, laugh), and while my maniacal fandom has centred around hoarding the various patterns of a certain-sized bowl, my subsequent thrifting adventures into the world of vintage dishes have caused me to become completely and utterly delusional. I now buy items, Pyrex or not, that I think can be used at a dinner party. Uhhhh, WHAT dinner party? I have yet to host a single one. Yet I dream…with seasonal themes in mind. This month, it’s all about Christmas table settings with appropriately coloured plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, and serving dishes. It’s a sickness, people. Stay away from kitchen finery. That is, with the exception of these beauties…

Black Snowflake casserole dishes; Golden Poinsettias, Golden Pine, and Holiday serving dishes; Season’s Greetings Santa mug (front and back); Christmas Holly bowl; Holly Days mugs; Turquoise Snowflake casserole dish

This post was written by Carla of the De Facto Redhead blog, where she writes about fashion, books, baking, thrifting, and "any other fun, girly things that women out there like reading about." She is a regular contributor here and you can follow her on facebook and twitter.

7 Fresh Christmas Tracks

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

I love a golden Christmas standard as much as the next girl and I even appreciate a little cheese (I do own the Kenny Rogers Christmas album, remember?), but there is something to be said about a new original Christmas song done well. Right about now you are probably going a little nutty from hearing the same songs over and over pretty much everywhere you go, so here's a little playlist of festive songs you may not have heard before to refresh your holiday spirit and your love of carols again. You can be sure that I was singing along to all of these while sewing your orders this year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! :)

A Very Edna Christmas 2011 by Erin McIntosh on Grooveshark

Gotta love that James Brown. Buy my aprons! Come to my craft shows! Edna loves you...

8 Ornate Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:50:00 +0000

One of my favourite holiday traditions is the one I share with my "Toronto girls". For the seven years we've been friends, we've gathered together for a gift exchange. It started out as small gifts, and we tried a cookie swap once or twice, but for the most part we've given each other Christmas ornaments, and there couldn't be a better gift for this group of Christmas-loving girls. I love shopping for them each year even more than receiving them, and I have to say it feels pretty warm and fuzzy knowing I have a special place on all their Christmas trees!

I always seem to buy my ornament last-minute, but if I were on the ball (har har!), I would have ordered one of these unique beauties from Etsy. Perhaps I should pre-order for next year, ladies?

left to right, top to bottom

1. Reindeer by Raceytay
2. Origami Christmas Decoration by aboutCRAFTS

3. White Felted Wool Heart by FishHollow

4. Snow Scrabble Tile Ornament by hendersweet

5. Candystripe Ticking Ragball Ornaments by smilemercantile

6. Custom Wood Snowflake by TimberGreenWoods

7. Miniature Bows by cornflowerbluestudio
8. Winter Wonderland by TwigsandBlossoms

Santa's Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:44:00 +0000

I sent off the last of the Dear Edna Christmas orders to be shipped today! Woo! And now I can breathe.

It's been an incredibly busy holiday season this year and I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for shopping handmade this Christmas and for supporting my little business. I couldn't have asked (or sewed) much more. In the middle of the craziness, Mike reminded me of how special it is that I get to be a part of so many people's Christmases all around the world. It's so true and it's what kept me sewing night after night. I felt like Santa as I trotted to the mailbox everyday with my bag full of prezzies. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now it's time to sew all my local friends' orders and to enjoying all the things I love so much about the holidays! Speaking of which, let's get back on track with the 12 Days of Christmas programming, shall we?

{Guest Post} 9 Gifts for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Surrounded by friends and family who are expecting or already have a little one (or two) in tow, I knew I needed to add a gift guide for kids this year, but nowhere near the baby game myself, I had the sense to ask for some help in curating it. I immediately thought of Bess, from the English Muffin Blog, and I'm so glad she agreed, because she found some of the most adorable handmade goodies, perfect for kids of all ages! Thanks, Bess!

What a fun little blog assignment this was! Erin approached me about curating a children's gift guide a little while ago, and I jumped at the chance to share my holiday gift picks with all of you. I have to admit that I'm a little new to the world of buying gifts for kids, mostly I work on the other side of things, creating artwork with little ones in mind. However, over this past year we've had some new additions in our extended family, and my husband and I will be welcoming our own little baby early next year. So, needless to say, my Etsy favourites and Pinterest folders have been filling up with gifts for kids that I love.

1. Vintage Handmade Wooden Truck Toy & Blocks by ethanollie, $29 USD
2. Rocket Musicbox by esthex, €29.50
3. Wooden Berries necklaces for girls by Koukku, $20 USD
4. Upper and Lower Case ABC Blocks by cornflowerblue, $27 AUD
5. Bandit Fox by adatine, $33 USD
6. Butterfly Doll by fidoodle, $46 USD
7. DIY Paper Puppet - Bear by Furze Chan, $8 USD
8. Woodland Masks Pack by Mahalo, $56 USD
9. Wooden Toy Camera by twigcreative, $35 USD

10 Hamilton Happenings for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:28:00 +0000

Maybe I've always been too busy at this time of year to notice (shame on me), but I was shocked at how many festive events are going on in Hamilton this month! I just may allow myself to be lured away from my sewing machine for some of these. Have fun, stay warm, and shop local!

Santa Shuffle Fun Run and Elf Walk / Dec. 3 / 10am / St. Mary's H.S. / This 5k run has become a tradition with me and my friend Carla ever since we lived in Toronto together. It was the first race I ever ran and it ignited a love of running that took me through several marathons. But this is the first year I've run it so completely unprepared. I haven't had my runners on since September! But, isn't tradition what the holidays are all about?

Maker's Market Holiday Edition / Dec. 3 / 10-4 / Christ's Church Cathedral / Skip the mall and come out to support our vibrant local art community. From handmade jewelry and art, to delicious baked goods, you are sure to find some unique one-of-a-kind gifts here.

A Kenny & Dolly Christmas / Dec. 8 / Carmens Banquet Centre / Anyone that saw me carrying around my newly purchased Kenny Rogers Christmas album at last month's art crawl can attest, I love me some Kenny. I also love me some Dolly. Unfortunately, that's a lonely island of love, so I doubt I can convince anyone to join me for this tribute so I'll throw on my record instead.

Art Crawl / Dec. 9 / James St. North / A great opportunity to pick up some unique gifts and support some amazing small businesses. I imagine the evening will be full of holiday treats and surprises.

Dundurn Castle / Dec. 9-29 / There are some wonderful events planned for Dundurn Castle this entire holiday season, from baking and craft workshops, to caroling and, of course, seeing the castle all decked out for Christmas. I've been meaning to revisit for awhile now and this unique opportunity just might get me there.

Kitestring Christmas Spectacular / Dec. 16 / Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts / This third annual bash features a holiday pageant accompanied by a candy buffet, a Cake & Loaf cookie and milk bar, a Red Hill Coffee bar, and food from Gorilla Cheese. There's also an after party complete with live music, spiked snow cones, and cupcakes. It sounds like the party of the year and all profits benefit Culture for Kids in the Arts!

Toronto All-Star Big Band / Dec. 17 / 2 pm / Hamilton Place / I had the opportunity to see this big band play a few months ago and was blown away. These kids can really belt out the oldies. When I heard they were playing a holiday show in Hamilton, this carol lover couldn't resist!

Gingerbread Holiday at the Market / Dec. 17 / 10-2 / Hamilton Farmer's Market / Perfect for the kiddies, make traditional gingerbread cookies and a unique holiday ornament with guest cooks Jennifer Haartman and Kelly McKinney. Santa just might drop by for a cookie.

The McQuesten's Childhood Christmas / until Dec. 31 / Whitehern / I have a strange fascination with Whitehern and the family that lived there, so I'm pretty excited to see this historic home decorated as it would have been for Christmas in the 1880s, complete with a whimsical Christmas tree, original toys, and a table set with special-occasion china.

Outdoor Skating Rink Pier 8 / Discovery Drive / weather permitting / Ice skating is one of my absolute favourite winter sports, but for some reason I haven't laced up my skates in years. This is such a perfect spot to do it, with a view of the bay and Williams hot chocolate only a few strides away.

Image by Andrew Joyce

{Guest Post} 11 Things for Himself

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Hey, I'm Mikey J... you may recognize me from being mentioned in such blogs as this one, and my part time stint as an Etsy apron model.

Below is my official list of must haves for himself - the modern gentleman - in this year of 2011. If this list, made for purely selfish reasons, helps any of you clueless shoppers out there, you're welcome.

I apologize in advance for any lack of the exclaimation (!) you may be accustomed to in a Dear Enda blog post.

top to bottom, left to right

1. Paradise by Slow Club: I'm hooked on the song "Two Cousins" (a high pitched number I've been attempting to sing around the house, much to Erin's chagrin), among other tracks from this solid second album. Really, this could just be a list of albums (Wilco, Bon Iver, Cults, etc.), but that's probably not good blogging.

2. Windowfarms: The future is here and it's me growing greens and herbs indoors all winter, while remaining the worst at watering.

3. Leather Belt by robynchristopher: I need a belt - mine is an embarrassment. Also, this buffalo one is a good choice from Amy Kenny, whom Erin got my badass bike grips from for my bday.

4. Canadian Wool Blanket by Old Faithful Shop: Sold out but also available from the source, Macausland's Woollen Mills - I dream of a day when I can lie on the couch and have both my feet and my upper torso covered by woolen warmth at the same time. A thousand curses on you short throw makers.

5. Felted Moose Slippers by FeltingbyEglut: Erin's been singing the praises of slippers for years and I think I'm ready to join the slippered masses with these moosed-up fellas.

6. Demetri Martin live: last minute entry: I've watched all of the episodes from his show, his special, his Daily Show correspondences and I own his book (albeit unread). My brother and I even did a homage to his sketch pad routine at my mom's wedding 4 years back. I need this.

7. Soft Core Wool Vest by Outlier: I know, I'm hooked on their gear... it's crack for the bike commuter. It's too pretty to be technical.

8. Letters of Note by Shaun Usher: I've been a regular on this site the last year - perfect material for a book.

9. Merino Socks by pawfelts: Warm feet are always a theme this time of year and merino has to be near the top of my all time favourite wools list.

10. Rushmore / Criterion Collection: Probably Wes Anderson's best just got the Criterion Blu-ray treatment. All that quirky better pop. Also accepting The Darjeeling Limited.

11. Desk Caddy by PegandAwl: I think this may be the difference between an organized painting nook and my painting nook. Next step: painting something again.

12 Things on My Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Last Saturday marked the first day of Christmas, meaning there is one month until the big day! It's pretty hard to believe with the 13-degree weather we've been having here in southern Ontario, but it's coming whether we're ready or not, so I'm going to do my best to get us in the spirit. It only comes but once a year, after all, or so the carol goes. I had a lot of fun writing the 12 Days of Christmas series here last year, so I'm going to give it another whirl. Get ready for 4 weeks of gift guides, crafts, recipes and a few special guests.

First up, MY wish list. I was pretty lucky to receive a few of the items on my list last year, so fingers crossed it works again. I hope you spot a few things here for the ladies on your list too!

1. Norwegian mittens by olga2201: I'm always attracted to mittens for some reason, and these would look super cute with my black puffy coat once the temps go unbearably sub-zero. I believe White Elephant carries similar styles (hint hint).

2. Vintage Step Ladder by Hindsvik: The only chair I have in my workspace is a rolly office chair, which means I threaten my life every time I use it to reach the top of my shelves. Unfortunately, this gorgeous vintage step ladder is sold out, but it's a beautiful illustration of my need for a step ladder in general, don't you agree?

3. Marlie leather wallet by leoniesaliba: It's tough to part with my current wallet, but I bought it in Korea about 6 years ago and it's splitting at the seams, so I think I shoud say my goodbyes. Plus, my purses seem to be shrinking, so I need a much more compact version. This will do quite nicely.

4. Ontario Brooch by ME2Designs: Yet another excuse to flaunt my love of my hometown.

5. "Design Sponge at Home" by Grace Bonney: I read the Design Sponge blog every single day. Therefore, not only do I want this book, I deserve this book.

6. Light Pink Infinity Scarf by SoliSellsScarves: Again, this chunky beauty is sold old, but perhaps Soli could be persuaded to knit another for a girl it would suit perfectly? Hmm?

7. Antique Edna Locket by thecuriousbead: I think this one goes without being said. (Thanks, Jane!)

8. Teapots Print by lauraamiss: I have been a fan of Laura Amiss for quite some time now, and still do not own one of her pieces. This one seems made for me and any tea lover on your list.

9. Personalized Recipe Box by exquisiteinks: This recipe box is extra special with its personalized engraving and hooks on the inside of the lid to hold your recipe while you cook.

10. Deer Stamp by norajane: I need a stamp that says how much I love stamps! Haha! These deer are pretty darn cute, especially for the holidays, but I wouldn't be picky about receiving any of the tiny, detailed rubber stamps from this shop.

11. Wool socks by milleta: My feet seem to lose all blood flow in the winter, so I can always use another pair of thick woolly socks.

12. "Wounded Rhymes" by Lykke Li. Get me some.

Carrot Cake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Curious about the cookies in my holiday product shots this year? They may look like some kind of oatmeal chip cookie, but they're actually carrot cake cookies. Genius. And delicious! Stomach-ache because you've eaten six in one day delicious! They seriously taste like you're eating a mini carrot cake, especially when you do them up proper, sandwiched with cream cheese icing. Plus, with oats, carrots and raisins, you could almost pass these off for healthy.

The recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's version in Cookies. You can also find the recipe online here. We used fresh carrots we had just pulled up from our garden. A part of me thinks they were extra good on account of our carrots. We didn't have raisins, so we cut up some dates and soaked them in Maltese honey liquor. Because we're fancy like that. We didn't have ground ginger, so we put in a pinch of all spice, but I doubt that made any difference. For the icing, I used delicious cream cheese from the farmer's market (way better than Philadelphia) and also added about a quarter-cup more icing sugar to the icing, because I don't like icing that tastes too cheesy.

Ok. On with the recipe, already!

Carrot Cake Cookies

Cookies:
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
1 cup raisins (or dates)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In an electric mixer beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.

4. Bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add butter and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in icing sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

6. Once cooled completely, spread about 2 teaspoons of cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Hamilton Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Ever wonder what this happening Hamilton is that I keep going on about? This slick video put out by the Hamilton Economic Development does a great job of conveying many of the reasons I love to live and work here. I'm so proud to call this city my home!

On that note, I'm off now to enjoy it, with visits to the Farmers' Market; Mixed Media, my favourite local art store; and, later, Hamilton Place, to see Chantal Kreviazuk perform with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

E xo

Shop Update: The Holiday Collection 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:28:00 +0000

If you've been following me on twitter or facebook, you'll know that I've been gradually releasing holiday items for about a week. It is all available in the shop now, so go check it out!

As you can probably tell, I like things to be practical and versatile, so I made a concerted effort to make sure many of my holiday items wouldn't have to be packed up at the end of December. I'm also trying a few new things with this line, such as wine bags (oooh) and fabric choices (ahhh), so please let me know what you think.

Thirty-nine days!

Holiday Cut-off Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Since the Christmas shoppers have started to trickle in this week, I figured I should let you know the holiday cut-off dates for Dear Edna orders. And because I have SO much time on my hands, I cross-stiched it just for you! Don't say I never gave you anything. :)

Of course I welcome orders after these deadlines, but I can't guarantee they will arrive in time to make it under the tree. Local customers are welcome to pick up their purchases right up until December 23rd.

Happy shopping!