* Well I'm all recovered from the cold except for an occasional nagging surprise cough. Being sick put a dent in my resolution to keep my resolutions. But I did get something done! Behold my pineapple cooler!

I'm proud of this one, think I finally got the hang of the stem stitch. The lazy daisies are too loose, though.
Edited To Add: washed the towel today and the french knot dots on the butterfly fell out but the daisies were all okay :)

This was stitched on an Aunt Martha's tea towel using DMC thread. Here's the funny thing - we have tea towels/dish cloths out the wazoo, so the last thing we need is more kitchen towels. But the designs are soooo cute!

The February stitch along has 3 themes: love, redwork, or weird and wacky. I'm looking at stitching a couple of lovebirds on the hem of a pillowcase.

* Hmmm, I think my Feb resolutions will be:

• volunteer more. My current place has reduced me to 2 hours every other week, and I need to be doing more than that. The Royal BC Museum seems to have a good volunteer program, and Fernwood was looking for people to distribute organic food boxes.
•  take my vitamins. I know my diet isn't the greatest so I try to supplement it with ... supplements, but I'm not always successful. 

Maybe that'll be it, since I'm still working on January's as well.

* This has been a good movie week. Today we went and saw The Artist. We had previously seen Jean Dujardin in OSS 117, a wacky take on James Bond spy flicks, and remarked what an expressive face he has. He was absolutely perfect as a silent film star. It was weird watching a silent movie, because in certain places it is really silent. 
A couple of days ago,  we got Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. HILARIOUS! I love me some horror movies, and this one takes those silly slasher tropes and turns 'em around. Plus, Alan Tudyk - Wash!

And Tucker & Dale gets bonus points because it's Canadian! well, half Canadian at least. Filmed in the province right next door! Between that and Fido being filmed over in Kelowna, I'd say the west has a lock on the funny horror flicks.

* I'm out of stuff to talk about, so later 'gators!

What's that? Hawaiian noises?

Aloha! Welcome to Fantasy Island "How You Can Give Hawaiian Parties" by Patricia Collier.


At first I was going to post just the drawings, but the lettering is so nice!

Let's star with the basics. "If you are lucky enough to have more than one lei, wear them all happily and proudly."

Ah, those Hawaiian nights, with their disguised posts and pillars.

"Would you like to entertain a fairly large number of women friends all at once? ... Then by all means go Hawaiian!" mmm, Green-and-Gold Rice Ring with Mushroom-Creamed Chicken!
I do love the lunching ladies all down the left side, wearing their leis and ... sitting on springs?

Next we have Buffet Suppers - "on the light side" sounds tasty.

"Curried seafood with fluffy rice, at least six accompaniments." According to the next page, the accompaniments for curry include bacon, chutney, hard-cooked egg yolk, lemon, pickled pineapple, and Bombay Duck (shredded dried fish). I don't think I'll be getting Bombay Duck any time soon.
And look at Mabel, standing there with a twinkle in her eye thinking, "that Bruce would be such a catch, he cooks divinely and sets a beautiful table."

Something tells me that Mabel is not his type.

How about a Hawaiian Bazaar? After all, "every club-woman knows that any bazaar or money-making affair attracts more attention and gets more good publicity if it is built around a theme."

I can just picture the little old ladies giggling as they plan their tropical bazaar.

Here's a little illustration from the Grill and Beach Parties section. I don't have a smart remark for this one, just that it's funny the ukelele/guitar stands out so much more than the player does.

These Hawaiian Suggestions can apply even to Christmas or Thanksgiving! Love the tiki idol and woman with the sunflower muumuu.

The last third of the book contains all the recipes. I was surprised to find that most of them sounded good. This one is an exception:

Peanut butter. Pineapple. Pimiento. Why not pickles, or prunes?

And finally, I leave you with a recipe from Bruce.

Thanks for joining me on this tropical vacation - sponsored by Dole Hawaiian Pineapple Company, LTD.

(Still in the mood for pineapple? Check out Pineapple Delight on Flickr!)