DIY Trunk Show & Birthday Spoils

I guess I forgot to mention, but last Friday was my birthday. I wasn't really planning much, except to take the day off of work and hang out with my husband. It's not that I hate my birthday (though the last two have been pretty crappy - in 2011, I was super sick and in 2010, I was sick and had to learn how to sub-q my newly-diagnosed kidney cat at the vet. Very fun!), but I just don't get excited for each one the way I used to. I've been working a lot of extra hours this month, so I mainly just wanted to knit a bunch, drink a few beers, and get a mani/pedi.

On Friday morning, we honored a newly-minted birthday tradition by heading to Hot Doug's. Our strategy is to arrive at Hot Doug's shortly after they open so we don't have to wait in line too long (my fellow Chicagoans know what I'm talking about - by midday the line is around the building and the wait time can be 45 minutes to an hour. AND IT'S WORTH IT!). I'm sure you're wondering why a vegetarian would love a place whose slogan is "There are no two better words in the English language than 'encased meats, my friend," but I have to say, they make a mean veggie dog and delicious fries.

I spent the afternoon knitting on the pedicure chair, then headed home to open presents and hang out with Tyler. I got some awesome stuff - here's a few of the knitterly bits: yarn, a YarnPop! project bag (oops, not pictured - already in use!), and hand-knit Malabrigo Arroyo cowl, and several new books to have fun with - Deborah Newton's Finishing School, Carol Feller's Contemporary Irish Knits, and Tanis Gray's Capitol Knits! My husband also tracked down the three Holly Golightly records that I'd missed out on in recent years, so now I have music to listen to while I knit!

My birthday also continued into the weekend, as another tradition Tyler and I have is to buy tickets for a show that always falls fortuitously close to one of our birthdays or anniversary. On Saturday night, two bands I've really been digging (Radar Eyes and The Fresh and Onlys) were playing at my favorite Chicago venue, Lincoln Hall. It turned out to be a pretty good show, though there wasn't a very good turnout, which meant that they kept the balcony closed all night. Our strategy is usually to arrive early so we can snag some seats on the balcony, allowing us to enjoy the show from a comfy spot with a great view all night long. This is the first time that strategy backfired!

Earlier in the day on Saturday, I went to the DIY Trunk Show, which I didn't get to attend last year since I was under the weather. I'm glad I went - there was a nice selection of vendors and it was great to see my pal Sam selling her beautiful yarns from The Wool Dispensary. I found a super-cool stocking stuffer for Tyler that I'll have to share once the holidays are over, but other than that, I didn't make any purchases (I've gotten enough treats this month!). I did snag several business cards so I can shop online at a later date, however.

All in all, it was a pretty good birthday - certainly better than the last two, though that isn't saying much. I'm looking forward to the holiday season and seeing what 2013 has in store for me.

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handmade by stefanie

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