...is for Irish.  With a name like mine, you'd never know I am Norwegian, too.

...is for indecisive.  I think this drives Fatty crazy.  Example:  I never can pick where we should go out to dinner.  I don't like making those kind of decisions.  I will tell him where I don't want to go, but beyond that he has to choose.  Yeah, the more I think about it, that has got to be annoying.

...is for inclement.   It was very rainy in New York yesterday.

...is for indulgence.  Rain means shopping.  Doesn't that suck?  We made some purchases.  At Purl.  And Purl Patchwork.  I will go back before we go home.

...is for imbibe.  All that shopping made us thirsty.  You have got to love vacations.

...is for H.  I collect them and am quickly running out of wall space.  I've had this vintage one for over a year, but just haven't decided where to hang it yet.

...is for hair.  My red hair has always been my most defining physical characteristic.

...is for house.  Houses of all types and sizes make me smile.  I am in love with our 96 year-old, beautiful and quirky house.

...is for hugs.  Big squeezes from the girls are my favorite.  Fatty gives long ones.

...is for haircut.  It was time.

...is for girls.  I love mine so.  When Jane was born, I didn't believe the doctor when she said, "It's a girl!"  I felt so blessed to have a daughter.  When Kate was born, that blessing doubled.

...is for guacamole.  It's one of my favorite foods.  I make mine without a recipe, but it always includes the same things.  My secret ingredient is cumin.  Trust me.  It makes the difference.

...is for grace.  I don't have it.  I can be rather clumsy.

...is for gregarious.  I am a social girl.

...is for green.  This is my color.  It suits me to a tee.  It calms me and energizes me at the same time.  When I wear it, I just feel good.  And who doesn't like to feel good?

...is for getaway.  Fatty and I hit the road this morning.  I have my alphabet posts already written for the next few days, but I won't be answering emails and responding to comments.  Thanks for taking the time to stop by - I truly appreciate it!

...is for Fatty.  Yes, I call him Fatty.  No, it is not his given name.  Yes, he responds to it.  No, he is not fat.

...is for family.  I am blessed with a wonderful family - the small little one that lives in this house and the much larger, extended one that lives all over the place.  I wouldn't be who I am without all their love.

...is for frogs.  I like these cute little critters.  I find them incredibly charming.  And that whole business about having to kiss a lot of them before you find your prince?  True.

...is for flip flops.  I have 7 pairs in rotation.  These are the dirtiest by far.

...is for  French.  I used to speak it fluently.  In fact, as a child I went to French camp (love that place!).  Of course, if I were to spend a week in France (wouldn't that be nice?), I think it would come back.

...is for fabric.  Of course.

...is for Erin.  But you knew that.

...is for edamame.  This is one of our favorite snacks.  It's also a good way to sneak some protein in to the girls' diets.  Shhh...don't tell.

...is for education.  Thank you Mom and Dad for putting an importance on this and paying my way.  I appreciate it every day.

...is for embroidery.  I remember doing plastic canvas embroidery as a kid and thinking that it was very cool.  I loved all the different skeins of floss, the bright colors and all the possibility.  I still love it and find myself doing more hand work as time goes on.

...is for energetic.  When I am full of energy, I am a force to be reckoned with.  When I am depleted, I am still a force, but one that takes an entirely different kind of reckoning.

...is for do-it-youself.  I hate paying someone to something that I can do myself.  That is if I have the time to do it.  I don't have carpentry skills (only because I have never tried to build something - I really think I could if I had the tools), but I like to paint.  Walls, not portraits and landscapes.

...is for dogwood.  I love this spring blooming tree.  There are so many in our city - it is absolutely gorgeous.

...is for Dansko.  I love my clogs.  I have three pairs - one is very old and well worn; the others are newer but just as loved.  I wish they came in my favorite shade of green.

...is for dark.  I can't sleep well when there is a lot of light.  Our bedroom is like a cave which is just perfect for me.

...is for diaphanous.  I just like that word.

...is for Chicago, my home town.  It is where I was born, where I grew up, where Fatty and I lived after getting married.  There are times I miss the big city, but we are very happy where we are now.

...is for candy.  The sugary kind - you know, swedish fish, gumdrops, orange slices, gummy bears, etc.

...is for caramel.  I'd choose this over chocolate, too.  Yes, I like sweets.

...is for corn.  Yummy, golden summertime in my mouth.  If we aren't eating it straight off the cob, we are having corn salad (recipe here).  You should try it.  Every bite is delicious.

...is for craft.  This is the all-encompassing blanket term for the things I love to do.  Need I say more? 

...is for crying.   I cry often, sometimes for no one particular reason.  It just builds up and then, boom - tears.  I cry when sad, when angry, when stressed, when tired.  Especially when I am tired.

...is for Burke - my maiden name.

...is for books.  And boy do we have a lot of them.  We actually have a small room we call the library.  And although there are bookshelves floor to ceiling, it still doesn't fit all the books.  We have them stashed other places, too.  Fatty's love of reading was one of the first things that attracted me to him.  I had never heard any other guy say he loved to read.   He certainly got my attention with that.  I like reading fiction and craft books best.

...is for bookmarks.  The kids are making them like crazy these days.  It was Jane's idea and a great one, too.  They draw, color, glitter and choose the embroidery floss and charms.  I laminate and help string the charms.  Easy-peasy, useful and fun.

...is for buttons.  I could spend hours in a button store.  Vintage and new, I love them all.  Sometimes I buy buttons and fashion a project around them.  Scary, I know.  Anyone know of a good source in NYC?  That's my next trip destination.

...is for bratwurst.  Bet you didn't see that one coming!  I eat mine with ketchup and onions.  I am not much of a mustard as condiment girl.  But I digress...I like to have at least one bratwurst each summer.  I haven't yet this year and time is running out.

...is for beer. Yep, if you are going to eat a bratwurst, you need a beer.  Actually, beer is my life.  In a roundabout way, that is.  My dad sells beer.  My husband sells beer.  Both my brothers sell beer.  And, you know what?  We all like it!

Brilliant!

...is for bicycles.  I like them all - old, new, high tech, simple.  Bikes with baskets are the best - just seeing them makes me smile.  I picked up this love from Fatty, who is a mountain biker.  I bought this ceramic tab on Etsy last winter - it hangs over our kitchen sink.  It reminds me of my first bike - a red banana seat Schwinn.  I wish I still had it.

...is for beautiful.  I use this word a lot, but I would not use it to describe myself.  I do think I am a beautiful person on the inside,  I just wouldn't describe my looks like that.  Yes, my self-image needs improvement.  I am working on it.  I swear I am.