La Vita è Bella

Baby Steps

2012-01-26T14:03:00.000-06:00

January's not even over yet, so who knows how the rest of the year will go, but I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've only purchased one loaf of bread this month! So far, pretty good on my goal to stop buying pre-packaged sandwich bread.

We've been going through about 2 loaves a week (we don't go through that much store-bought bread, but maybe it's a sign that we should lay off the carbs a bit??), so I've made about 6 loaves so far this month. I've been using the White Sandwich Bread recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (I know, white bread, but baby steps...), and it's working out so well. I find that the recipe makes 2 good-sized loaves (as opposed to the three loaves the recipe claims), so it only takes me a little time each week to make our bread.

As a little incentive (though, really the homemade bread is incentive enough!), I made myself a bread bag.

It took 5 minutes to make the bag, and those hedgehogs? Too cute! I simply folded a dishtowel in half the long way and sewed up the open bottom and side. So simple, and it holds two loaves. Perfection.

Now, if only I'd given my husband a present for our anniversary, I'd be sittin' pretty.

Christmas Pants

2012-01-21T19:38:00.001-06:00

Oh, I love these pants. I can't even begin to describe how much, really. They're just so cute!

One of my Christmas presents to my boys (and myself, actually!) was matching pajama pants. I thought it'd be fun for all of us to have matching pants to wear to bed on Christmas Eve. Since we weren't home for the holiday, we didn't get to lounge around in them on Christmas Day, which would have been ideal, but it was a fun sentiment nonetheless.

Of course, these are just Finn's pants. And they're actually a little bit special.

I used the Quick Change Pants from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings, so Finn's pants are reversible.

I made all three pairs of pants with the flannel elephant fabric, which is adorable, but I have to admit that those polka-dots and gnomes have me swooning. LOVE.

I'm pretty sure that Finn loves them, too, regardless of which side is showing.

That's my boy!

New Year's NonResolutions

2012-01-02T17:48:00.000-06:00

I've written before about how I dislike the idea of making resolutions. So much pressure. The thing is, though, that the beginning of the year is when so many of us are thinking about the opportunity for change, how things can be new or different, myself included. It really is a great time to consider the things we'd like to see happen in our lives. This year, I'm not thinking as much about personal change or growth--I'm awfully content with my life, and I really feel like I've made a lot of progress on those personal goals over the last few years. No, this year I'm focusing more on the things I'd like to do, the more tangible, quantifiable goals.

Also, after I saw Janalee's Annual Resolution Review post, I felt compelled to put together a list of my own. It's here, in black and white, for me to reflect upon throughout the year.

Here they are, my Top 10 Non-Resolutions for 2012.

1. Sew curtains for the living room and upstairs bathroom. Bonus if I also get around to sewing curtains for our 3 bedrooms.

2. Start walking at least 5 days a week, at least 1.5 miles each time.

3. Stop buying pre-packaged sandwich bread and make my own.

4. Make myself a quilt design wall

5. Make a twin-sized quilt for baby #2

6. Start saving for our 10 year anniversary trip to the Cinque Terre and Florence.

7. Pay off at least half of what is left on my student loan (not so bad, considering I only started paying on it 3 years ago, and I'm already over half way paid off!!)

8. Build three more garden beds, plant lots of veggies and hope they grow!

9. Actually give Corey a present for our anniversary this year (um, that's 5 days from now, so I'd better get on it!)

10. Put together a cookbook of our family's favorite recipes. Have it finished as a birthday present to myself? That'll be a bonus.

Advent-ures: The Baking

2011-12-17T13:22:00.000-06:00

Oh, there certainly is a lot of preparation going on during this season of--well, of preparation. I've been fitting in some sewing and knitting when I can (it's easier this year, in that Finn wants to help--he presses the backstitch button when I need it, but harder, because he wants to press every other button while I'm sewing), and I've even done some baking! For as frustrating as it can be sometimes, it really is a blessing to have a little helper when it's time for holiday baking. He pours and stirs and sifts, and he's so interested in everything. On the agenda today: Eggnog Muffins.

Oh, yes. This is a favorite in my husband's family, and I've come to love them as well. I'm pretty sure the first year we were dating, I absolutely refused to try them because ew, gross, eggnog! I'm over that now, though.

Finn's certainly become a fan of eggnog (minus the rum--that'll have to wait until he's at least 3!) (Um, totally kidding about the 3 thing.), and he was so excited to make these muffins. Whee!

See that awesome KitchenAid mixer behind Finn? I totally should've used it to mix this double batch of muffins. Take note.

Anderson Erickson, an Iowa brand, is really the only store-bought eggnog I will drink. Nothing else is fit for human consumption, in my opinion. I'm totally itching to try out this homemade eggnog recipe, and I'm definitely curious about how these muffins would turn out with the homemade stuff.

Eggnog Muffins, Baby!:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)
3/4 cup eggnog
1/2 cup rum (the recipe mentions that it's important to use dark rum, but I don't really see how it matters)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or use muffin papers). Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the eggnog, rum, butter and egg and mix thoroughly. Spoon into tins (I fill about 1/2 to 2/3 full). Bake for 20 minutes (maximum--if the tins are less full, a bit less time in the oven might do it.). Cool before serving. Makes 12-ish muffins.

Also, in the interest of making these muffins kid-friendly (because I don't totally buy into the whole "all the alcohol bakes off" philosophy), I substituted milk for the rum in this recipe. Either way, they're totally yummy!

Freak Out

2011-09-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

I nearly had a heart attack just now, when Finn locked us out of the house.

He loves to play at the back door, out on the porch, with our keys. I love it because it keeps him entertained, yet still in sight. This time, though, I stepped out onto the porch to bring in my camera, and Finn shut the door.

The locked door.

Immediately I began my freak-out:
All the phones are inside, so I can't call Corey.
None of the neighbors are home, where will I go to use a phone?
Finn is completely naked, so I can't take him out anyway.

Of course, if you're smarter than I am, you've already figured out the solution to my problem. Finn was playing on the back porch with the keys. Seconds before my little freak-out, in an attempt to get into the house, I had moved his hand, with the keys in it, out of my way.

Good grief.

But crisis averted. Phew!

Together

2011-09-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Theoretically, I'm all about letting my son help me out in the kitchen. In reality, however, my control-freak self takes over, and more often than not I find myself baking or preparing a meal solo.

Today, though, I let go of all of the anxiety ("No, that cup of flour stays on the table," or "Make sure it all stays in the bowl. In the BOWL!") and we baked together. From start to finish. The whole shebang.

And it was fun.

Not too long ago, I saw a post on Creative Kismet which included a link to these vegan goldfish crackers. We are big fans of Annie's Cheddar Bunnies around here (I think they're way better than the goldfish), so when the recipe surfaced, I knew I had to make my own. Plus, they're so simple, with just a few ingredients, so they're a perfect project for mama and toddler.

I made a few modifications to the recipe. First off, I'm not vegan, so I used butter in place of the margarine in the recipe. Also, I couldn't find my onion powder, so I used garlic instead. It also occurred to me, though I didn't use it this time, that finely grated Parmesan cheese would be a fantastic addition to the crackers. Oh, yum.

Finn and I had a great time making these crackers together, and it had everything to do with my attitude. My son is not quite two; of course things will spill and splash. We'll get so messy. And that's exactly the way it's supposed to be.

A Life List, Revised

2011-09-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

For the last few years, I've had a Life List over there on the left-hand side of my blog. It's pretty self-explanatory--a list of things I'd like to accomplish in my life. A bucket list, I suppose. The list is always in progress; I add things that strike me in the moment, and some things lose their spot on the list if they no longer appeal to me. I love having this list, but it's time for an update.

*Travel to all 50 states
*Travel to all 7 continents
*Travel to Europe by ship
*Read all of my books (made significantly easier by the number of books I have given away recently!)
*Solve a Rubik's Cube
*Learn to speak French
*Learn to cross-country ski
*Live abroad, even for a short period of time (say, 6 months)
*Ride in a hot air balloon
*Donate hair to Locks of Love
*Own a teeny farm with a goat, chickens and bees (and a garden, of course)
*Plant a garden (this one is definitely a short-term goal--we're planning for next spring!)
*Make a quilt of my own design and sell it.
*Take a class at North House Folk School
*Take a canoe trip on the Boundary Waters
*Go WWOOFing
*Take a 10th anniversary trip with Corey
*Make a large braided rug for our living room floor

Of the things that were on my Life List before the update, one has been accomplished: I had a home birth.

My son is coming up on his second birthday in two short months, and I have yet to write out his birth story! I'm pretty appalled by the situation. I've started several times, so I do have a lot of the details scattered here and there in print form, but I haven't put anything cohesive together. So, replacing home birth on the list will be write out Finn's birth story. So sad, but it is what it is.

What's on your Life List?

Triumphant Return?

2011-08-31T14:17:00.000-05:00

We shall see, I suppose.

I have to confess that I really miss blogging. I've never been a pen-and-paper journal kind of girl, but I've always loved the idea. Having a record of my life to look back on years down the road sounds awesome to me, and blogging provides a way to maintain such a record without feeling like a total dork as I write Dear Diary.

(That's totally not to say that people who keep journals, or even people who actually write "dear diary" in their journals, are dorks. It's just the way I feel personally about the whole business. I'm super self-conscious, even about things that nobody else will ever see.)

I suppose it's true, though, that this extremely extended (with a few posts here and there) blogging break just reflects the fact that my life is BUSY. Parenthood--who knew? Perhaps that's the best reason to blog, though. My life is busy because my child is growing up (so, SO fast, ohmygoodness!), and there's so much that I'll want to remember about this time.

So, on this last day of August, a month which was absolutely stuffedtothegills with things to talk about, I'm returning to this space, and the plan is to be here regularly.

So, What Are You Doing For Education?

2011-05-25T12:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a saleswoman stopped by and tried to sell me some educational materials for my son, and she asked me the question, "What are you doing for education?"

Really?

My son is a year-and-a-half, and there are people who believe that now is the time to be starting his formal education (if I'm not already way behind!). (I didn't take the time to explain that, despite the fact that my husband is a public schoolteacher, we're not actually planning on any sort of formal education, now or in the future.)

I was completely blown away by the question, and sort of stumbled through an answer along the lines of, "Um, we read, we talk to him, we name objects."

Nobody has ever accused me of being overly articulate.

But, really, what should his education look like?

We don't need vocabulary lists or flashcards with colors and shapes. These photos--this is what his "education" looks like. He plays, he explores, he experiments. He observes and imitates and repeats. He touches and tastes and listens. I've never made any attempt to formally educate my son, and yet he's learning so much and having a blast while he does it.

Really, can there be any better education?

One

2010-11-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

Is it possible that this precious baby boy

has turned into this one-year-old sassafras?

No way.

Apparently, Not Everyone Minds Wet Hands

2010-08-05T22:54:00.000-05:00

This is Finn's new favorite potty pastime.

Oh, goodness.

UD 100

2010-07-07T23:00:00.007-05:00

The picture is a few years old. My goodness, I have so much less hair now!

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but the 7th of each month is "Us Day" around these parts. Corey and I began dating--officially, anyway--on March 7, 2002, which makes today Us Day 100. In general, we don't do anything special, but we do always acknowledge the day. It's crazy to think that we've been a couple for 100 months! Soooo many months! That's almost 8.5 years, which is almost a third of my life!

But they've been pretty great months. Obviously there have been ups and downs, but we've survived, to say the least.

100 more? Looking forward to it!

Ah, First Foods

2010-06-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

My boy's a messy eater.

The problem with using cloth diapers is that everything Finn eats lands on them. They're stained, very, very stained. Seriously, I washed one diaper over and over this week because I thought the banana stain on it was mold (very fast growing mold, apparently; I wash diapers every day. For real. I swear.)

Actually, I really love using cloth diapers. Um, but that's not the point here. Excuse me.

The point is this apron. Isn't it cute? It's from a Christmas swap I did a couple of years ago. This apron was my solution to the problem.

We tried strawberries today, and I wasn't about to have my boy going about in diapers that look as though he bled out all over them. I do have some standards.

Finn did manage to sneak a few strawberries under the apron, but it was so much better than it could have been. I suspect there are many more aprons in his future.

We're Mobile!

2010-05-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

Finn made his way from the bed to this book the other day. It's only a few feet, and he's still doing an army crawl, but my boy is officially mobile! Pretty exciting stuff, I tell you.

Well, not so exciting when he got into his (*cough* unemptied *cough*) potty this morning, but maybe he just had to go!

I'm so hoping that Finn will be a reader. Both Corey and I were, and are, avid readers, and I can't wait to watch my children find that joy as well.

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend! We'll be attending a wedding out of town, and hopefully having some fun on the side as well. If all goes as planned, I'll post soon about Finn's first trip to the zoo!

For Fun

2010-04-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Because it's been a while since I posted anything, and I think it's fun to see what kinds of thoughts these questions provoke.

1. When do you feel happiest?

I don't know about happiest, but I'm definitely happy when I accomplish a goal, when I see Finn developing a new skill, or when I get to spend relaxing time with my guys!

2. How do you take care of yourself?

I definitely take me-time. For instance, I let (though he might debate me on whether I let him or insist) Corey get up with Finn on Saturday mornings so that I can get a little extra sleep. Also, I finally got my hair cut :-)

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?

I'd be lying if I said that I'm never motivated by the people around me or various rewards and whatnot, but I also believe that external motivations ultimately fail to produce real results. Anything that is worth doing, that means something to me, will be done because I want/need to do it for myself.

4. What do you do for fun?

I quilt, play with Finn, read, knit, bake (occasionally!), play cards, take pictures, spend time just hanging out with the family, watch Corey do the dishes...

5. What intimidates you?

Having conversations with people I don't know. I worry that I won't have anything to say, and that makes me nervous. When the nerves take over, I can't think of anything to say! It's an extremely vicious cycle.

6. What is something you're proud of?

Having a home birth. Which totally reminds me, I should write about that sometime...

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________.

wash the dishes!

8. Favorite vacation spot.

Oh, man. This is probably the most difficult question! Honestly, if a place has water (you know, a lake, the ocean...), I'll probably fall in love with it!

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10).

I would say 10, but it's Sunday, and that means tomorrow is Monday, so I'll say 9 :-)

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know _____________.

that I often associate names (and sometimes other words) with foods. For instance, the name Jill makes me think of jellybeans.

springtime

2010-03-23T13:17:00.000-05:00

Seeds have been planted,

beach quilts are in progress,

and the bears are out of hibernation.

Happy Spring!

So I'm Not Mother of the Year

2010-02-19T13:49:00.000-06:00

Will you judge me harshly if I tell you that this was intentional?

In my defense, I did not set out to make my son cry. I just wanted him to pout a little, because his pout is so darn cute. I noticed, as we were hanging out the other day, that my singing--in a totally abnormal voice, mind you--was making Finn a bit pouty. I grabbed my camera and proceeded to sing some more while I snapped away. What started out as a sad face quickly devolved into a full-on upset.

Again, in my defense, it took less than 5 seconds to snap the six photos you see above--and these are all I took. As soon as the crying started, I put down the camera and snuggled my babe, and all was right with the world once again. I'm not a total monster, after all!

Or am I? What if he grows up to hate cameras or the Phantom of the Opera? Oh, my, what have I done?

But really, can you blame me? That pout is too much for a mama to resist!

A Place for Finn

2010-02-19T08:03:00.000-06:00

This was the state of Finn's room just a few weeks ago.

That's my baby sleeping in the middle of it all. I'm not proud.

We've come a good long way since then. Though his room isn't finished yet, it's quite livable.

We decided to use Montessori philosophy when setting up Finn's room, because we want it to be a place where he can just be without us having to watch over him constantly. The basic premise is that everything in the room is accessible to him, and everything that is accessible is safe. I think we may end up changing a few things--the little nightstand by the windows will be replaced shortly by a low bench, and I'd like to have a short, child-sized wardrobe in place of the dresser. I might also consider replacing the bookshelf with something just a tad shorter.

There are several aesthetic changes I'm planning to make as well.

Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson! has a great tutorial for fabric boxes, and I'm planning to make some for the middle bookshelf (and possibly the top one as well...we'll see!)

The print that is currently sitting on top of the bookshelf (Dream by Regina of Creative Kismet) will go over the bed once it is framed. Soon. Maybe.

The walls around the bed might be a bit...full. We'd like to put a square mirror at the head of the bed (under the print) and a long, full-length mirror on the long side. Also over the bed, on the long side, will go two large maps--one United States map and one world map. I'd like to put the maps in frames (without glass, so we can touch the maps), but I haven't found any that are big enough. If you have a source for frames that are at least 38x50 inches, let me know!

Lots and lots of mirrors in this room, I tell you! We purchased a square mirror for the space next to the door. It has a shelf and three pegs under the mirror, and it'll be hung low enough so that Finn can see himself in it. The pegs will be nice for hanging sweaters or jackets (or whatever he wants, I suppose!)--easy to grab on the way out. We may eventually keep a comb or some other grooming implement (??) on the shelf so he can fix himself up on the way out as well. I'm definitely planning more for a time when he'll be able to do things like that for himself. He is only 3 months old, but I know the time is going to fly by, and I'm certainly not going to become any less busy as he becomes more mobile. Best to plan a bit for the future now.

On second thought, maybe I should be working on a way to freeze these moments. Off to snuggle the babe!

Doing

2010-01-22T23:27:00.004-06:00

This is how things are getting done these days. When Corey is not around to hold or play with Finn, I sew, check email, take walks and eat meals with him strapped to my chest. I'm adjusting pretty well, and the babe doesn't seem to mind all the crumbs in his hair, so I think we're all pretty pleased with the situation.

Finn and I have tackled several WIPs recently (and maybe started a few new ones), and I'm excited to share those soon. His room is also nearing a livable state. We're not in too much of a rush, though. Since we co-sleep, we won't be using it for much more than pottying, tummy time and the occasional nap until he becomes a bit more mobile (or can at least sit up). Because I have no shame, before and after pics are forthcoming.

Happy Weekend!

4 years + 1 baby(björn) = Wedded Bliss

2010-01-07T14:12:00.007-06:00

At this moment four years ago, my new husband and I were preparing to leave our wedding reception and head to the post-reception get-together we had planned. We had such fun that day, dancing and eating cake and visiting with so many friends whom we saw far too infrequently. Oh, yes, and saying, "I do."

Of course, most vows don't actually include the words "I do." Ours didn't. But anyway.

The day was wonderful, and in that moment I couldn't have imagined being happier.

Fast forward to today.

This is how I'm spending a large part of my fourth wedding anniversary, and, let me tell you--

it's amazing.

The happiness that I felt on this day four years ago, though wonderful and overwhelming, doesn't hold a candle to the way I feel today. I've been married to an amazing man for four years, we have a beautiful, bubbly baby boy, and I am truly blessed.

Happy anniversary, Corey, and here's to many, many more. Love you!

(Somewhere down the line, we'll discuss pottying a 2-month-old, and just how amazing it REALLY is!)

Grounding

2010-01-03T18:59:00.007-06:00

We're all struggling a bit to get back into the swing of things around here after all of the holiday excitement. For Corey, it means up at 6 and back to work (at least for this week--next week he FINALLY goes on paternity leave). For Finn and me, things seem a bit more complex. His sleep schedule is all messed up, in part, I suspect, because of all the traveling and sleeping in strange beds, but also partly because he's hurtling toward the two-month mark and growing like a weed.

What we need--desperately--is to ground ourselves again. With that in mind, we're taking it easy this week--lots of snuggles on the couch with Boppy and Mary Poppins, hot mugs of tea, lots of fresh fruit (navel orange season is my FAVORITE!), and naps whenever mama can get them. Finn and I are slowing down and reconnecting with each other again (not that we were truly disconnected, but when there are so many other people who want to meet baby, hold baby, play with baby, comfort baby, it's hard to maintain balance for ourselves).

It's so wonderful to spend the holidays with family and friends, but my, oh my, it's good to be home.

2009-12-31T13:54:00.003-06:00

I've been guilty of neglecting my blog this year. It feels like 2009 just flew by! So much happened, and I often felt like I had no time to stop and take it all in, let alone write about it. It's my goal to be in this space a bit more in 2010 than I was in 2009. How that will work with a newborn, I'm not sure, but since Finn has come into our lives, I feel like I have so much more to share.

Wishing you and yours a happy and blessed new year.

Giveaway!

2009-12-11T16:55:00.002-06:00

Head over to Anina's blog and enter the giveaway for some BEAUTIFUL Wild Thyme fabrics!

Arrival

2009-11-16T13:03:00.003-06:00

Baby Finn graced us with his presence last Sunday, four days before his due date. The last week has been full of adjustments--new roles, new environments, new sleep schedules--but we're so excited to take on this new adventure!

Welcome, my sweet baby boy!

Giveaway!

2009-11-02T10:28:00.002-06:00

If you're a fan of Pink Chalk Fabrics or Cloud 9 Organic Fabrics, check out the giveaway going on over at Progressive Pioneer!

In the Bag

2009-10-08T10:29:00.004-05:00

I made myself a diaper bag! It didn't turn out quite how I'd expected, but I'm pretty proud of it nonetheless.

I found the pattern at A Mingled Yarn, and I think the pattern would be a breeze for anyone who has experience sewing bags or clothing. I personally have neither, but it still wasn't too difficult.

My problem with the bag (and it's entirely my problem, nothing to do with the pattern) is that I chose to use corduroy fabric instead of canvas. I thought that the corduroy would be heavy enough, particularly when coupled with the interfacing, but my bag is a bit droopy. I also used cotton, instead of a heavier fabric, for the lining, which I think is contributing to my problem.

I think it'll be a fine bag to use for short trips, when I only need to carry a few lighter things, and the pattern is simple enough that I think I could make a sturdier version for longer outings (if I finish all of the important things on my to-do list, obviously. I would never stray from the list... :-/) I love that this bag can be used for so many different things. Instead of the foofy, store-bought diaper bag look, it has a bit of maturity (so maybe gnomes aren't so mature, but I love them), and it can be used long after the need to carry around a supply of diapers has passed.

I can feel my list shrinking! Woo hoo!

So That Happened

2009-10-07T09:03:00.003-05:00

This is the sight we woke up to this morning:

Ah, so familiar. Brings back memories of high school.

Except, this was the scene inside the house last night. At 9pm. When Corey insists he heard something outside, but did not investigate.

They could totally see my messy living room! We leave the curtains on that side of the room open, mostly because we're too lazy to climb over the mess to close them. Oh, geez. In addition, as if that weren't embarassing enough, sometime between 9 and 10 last night, I had an itch behind my knee. As it is quite difficult for me to bend forward these days, my only course of action was to stand up and stick my hand down my pants to scratch it! I distinctly remember saying to my husband, "I hope nobody can see me through the crack in the curtains!" I was absolutely kidding, but after discovering the TP this morning, I will forever be convinced that I was spotted.

Sigh.

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-09-21T12:50:00.004-05:00

But only metaphorically speaking, of course.

I finally finished my Christmas quilt! This is the very first quilt I started (ahem, two years ago), and I'm so glad to finally have it off of my WIP pile.

I must admit, this quilt is not my best work. When I started on it, I was still figuring out my machine, including things like tension and which threads worked best, so I worry a bit that it's not as well put-together as it could be. The binding is also not my best, though for entirely different reasons. Were you aware that carpal tunnel syndrome is common during pregnancy? I was not, until I developed it. It's bad news, but thankfully I had some assistance in the binding department, which gave my hands a much-needed break (if only for a few minutes!).

On the whole, I'm just excited to have a fun little quilt to pull out at Christmastime for family snuggles or playtime on the floor or trips in the car during the holiday season.

And it feels so great to have one more item checked off of my to-do list! YEA!

One Down

2009-09-15T13:58:00.003-05:00

Yea! I finished my changing pad!

It was really quite a simple project, but OH, a pain in the neck nonetheless! It's nothing more than a little quilt, though instead of batting I used a bath towel for a bit of absorbency.

My machine does not like to sew through bath towels. After several attempts and many gross thread-tangles on the back of the pad, I finally got the tension correct and was able to quilt my two corner-to-corner diagonal lines. I can't tell you how thankful I am that a towel doesn't truly need to be quilted the way batting does!

I actually did all of that work back in May; all that was left was to attach the binding to the back of the changing pad.

I'll tell you a little secret--I kind of love hand-sewing binding. Shhh. The thing is, I ALWAYS put it off until the absolute last minute. The curse of the procrastinator, I suppose--though, at the same time, it's a great feeling to come back to a project that I've neglected for a few months (or years...) and be able to finish it in a snap.

If I'm quite diligent, I may have photos of my completed Christmas quilt to show off tomorrow!

The List

2009-09-13T19:44:00.007-05:00

Oh, my. I've been gone from this space for nearly four months. The absence certainly wasn't intended, and I thought often of coming here to write. I just...didn't. So much has happened in these last four months, and yet I was never really felt inspired to write about any of it. Maybe I just needed a break--one less thing to do during an incredibly busy time--but I've really missed it.

So, I'm back.

With a to-do list.

The last few months have been so busy, but the next two--and I'm just praying that I truly get two full months, because I'll need them!--will be full of activity as well. Baby is due in November, and I feel like I really need to get the show on the road if I'm going to be ready to welcome this new little person into our lives. So, to motivate myself to get going--hopefully, though self-motivation is not exactly my strong suit--I'm posting my TO-DO list. On top of that, I'm going to try to blog about all of my projects.

It'll be fascinating. Try to contain your excitement.

THE LIST, in no particular order, sort of:

1. Remove high chair to basement.
2. Finish washing old baby clothes--we dug a lot of my husband's baby clothes out of storage. This little one is going to look like it came straight out of 1982!
3. Swap out old computer monitor for new computer monitor
4. Remove towels from hall cabinets and put them in bathroom cabinets
5. Move games from bedroom closet to hall cabinet.
6. Move books from shelves in bedroom 2 to bedroom 1.
7. Paint bookshelves in bedroom 2
8. Possibly, maybe paint bedroom 2
9. Buy new twin mattress for baby's floor bed
10. Decide on and buy baby's co-sleeper
11. Finish hand-sewing binding on changing pad
12. Finish hand-sewing binding on the Christmas quilt I started two years ago
13. Sign up for childbirth classes.
14. Prepare birth kit
15. Decide: water birth or not?
16. Baby-proof outlets, cabinets and doors--it'll take me a while to figure out how to get around all that stuff myself!
17. Take car seat to hospital to make sure it's properly installed
18. Start working on a quilt for a friend's wedding in October. Or pick up something at Williams-Sonoma.
19. Buy wedding present for friends who were married three months ago. Oops.
20. Store fabric overflow in hall cabinets.
21. Organize sewing notions and store in hall cabinet.
22. Prepare cloth diapers for use
23. Organize and edit summer photos
24. Make curtains for bedroom 2
25. Prepare and freeze pumpkin puree
26. Plan, prepare and freeze some post-baby, mama's-too-tired-to-cook meals
27. Start working on 2010 family photo calendars
28. Make diaper bag
29. Order The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and The Diaper Free Baby
30. Take a nap

You see what I'm dealing with? I know there are things that I'm forgetting as well. I realize that not all of the things on this list--like making my own diaper bag or making new curtains--are MUST DO's, but they're things that I'd really like to do, and, as I expect it'll take a while to get into a rhythm with the baby and manage my time accordingly, it'll just be easier to do them before baby arrives. I'm defintely thankful that I was able to fit some stuff--like knitting the green and white baby mitts--before the morning sickness and the summer of busy took over my life.

Oh, there's lots to do in the coming weeks. Perhaps I'll start with number 30 and work my way up from there :).

Giveaway

2009-06-04T11:17:00.001-05:00

If you like Moda charm packs, you'll love this little giveaway. Head over to Anina's blog, twiddletails, and enter!

Long Time, No See

2009-05-13T09:14:00.004-05:00

It's really been some time since I last blogged--a little over two months, actually. Most of what has been going on in my life hasn't been worth blogging about, and the exciting things I really haven't been able to blog about.

Until now.

We're going to have a baby!! Oh goodness, I'm three and a half months along, and it still feels so surreal. This will be our first, and we're so excited! If only this morning sickness would subside, I could get on with the business of getting things ready.

That's the reason that I haven't been doing much sewing or knitting. Even when I'm feeling OK, the idea of knitting or sewing something kind of turns my stomach. I don't quite get it, but it's my situation nonetheless. I haven't picked up my needles at all, and I've turned on my sewing machine once in the last two months.

Once I'm back to normal (hopefully soon, though my mother had to go and tell me that she was sick the whole time she was pregnant with me, which did nothing to quell my fear that that's exactly what will happen to me), I suspect I'll have lots of posts about crafting-for-baby, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Leave Me A Message

2009-03-10T09:39:00.006-05:00

I received a phone message last night from my nephew, thanking me for the birthday card I'd sent. It started out like this: "Hi Sam, please record your message." Oh, goodness.

Lately, he's been a little obsessed with "leaving messages." If he gets our voicemail, he'll often leave a message stating that we should, in turn, leave him a message. If I call and he's not interested in talking, he'll tell me that he loves me and that I should, you know, leave him a message. What a stinker.

Oh, but I love him more each day. Six years of love is A LOT, and yet there's so much more to give. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to watch him grow, and I so hope that he never loses his sweet and silly nature.

I love you SB! Happy Birthday!

Orange You Glad

2009-02-24T13:20:00.005-06:00

I feel as though I'm on a roll lately! This is the third quilt I've finished this month. Granted, it is a lap quilt, as was one of the others, and it doesn't take too long to put one together, but I'm excited nonetheless. This one is a birthday present for my sister (and it's OK to say that here, because I'm pretty sure she doesn't read my blog).

I suppose you noticed that it's orange. Really orange. Overwhelmingly orange. I had no choice.

This is not simply a case of orange being my sister's favorite color. Oh, no no. Orange is the only color my sister likes. The only color. Isn't that the weirdest thing you've ever heard?

I thought so.

Ah, well. I love her anyway!

The Beast

2009-02-19T15:43:00.005-06:00

Another one finished! This one is twin-sized, which is my biggest quilt so far. I suppose a twin quilt isn't a beast, exactly, but it certainly felt that way as I was working on it in my small space.

Regardless, I'm pretty excited about having this one done and on display (since I did start it a year ago!), and it's made me excited to do more!

My next endeavor will be a birthday-gift queen-sized quilt. I'm hoping to have it finished by May, if it doesn't swallow me whole first!

Lurve

2009-02-16T18:54:00.003-06:00

Oh, I'm in love! I just finished my flower garden lap quilt, and I'm so glad I decided not to give it away! I don't think I could bear to part with it! I love all of the color, and it's great that no single fabric stands out against the rest.

Tomorrow I'll wash it, and then I might just carry it with me wherever I go.

When there's a quilt involved, it's perfectly acceptable to revert back to one's three-year-old self.

The Bane of My Existence

2009-01-27T09:08:00.002-06:00

In general, I suppose I have nothing against laundry. Actually, if I had to make a list of favorite chores (is there such a thing?), laundry might make the list. I do LOVE the scent of clean clothes, and it's wonderful to snuggle into a sweatshirt straight from the dryer.

However, I hate folding laundry. I usually leave that for my husband to do, which is why we often live out of laundry baskets...oops. Still, there's something that I dislike even more than folding clothes.

I detest having to walk half a block--outside--to get to the laundry room.

It's especially awful in the winter, when there are days where I don't even venture outside to get the mail (and, if you know anything about me, you know how huge that is. I. LOVE. MAIL.). I certainly don't want to be going back and forth in the freezing cold to do my laundry! And so, I get a pile like this:

It's not pretty, I know. I'm almost ashamed to share this with you.

Almost.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T20:31:00.003-06:00

A Start

2009-01-13T15:49:00.005-06:00

I've started working on another lap quilt, even though I haven't finished some other projects that just need to be completed.

Oops.

Anyway, this one has been formulating in my mind for a while. I have a ton of floral fabric, and I was inspired by my mother-in-law's gardens to make a quilt that resembled, well, a flower garden. I wanted something that looked like wildflowers with green pathways. I settled on a modified version of the log cabin block in Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, and I decided on the straight furrow variation to set the blocks.

I can tell just by looking at these blocks that it's not going to turn out the way I pictured. I think I should have used a single green fabric, probably a solid, to distinguish it from all the other fabrics. Still, I love all of the color and the busyness of these blocks, and I'm excited to finish it.

Life List, Sort Of

2009-01-10T16:00:00.000-06:00

I saw this meme on Chara's blog, and it reminded me of an activity I did in 7th grade. I participated in a workshop where we were asked to write out a "life list." It's pretty self-explanatory--we each made a list of things we wanted to do/accomplish in our lives. I honestly don't remember what was on the list that I made in 7th grade, except that I wanted to ski in the Tetons, but I have made a few lists since then. Some of the things mentioned in this meme are on my current list, and some are things I never would have thought of, but I might just have to add them:-) Just for fun, I posted my current list, which I made a couple of years ago, in the sidebar. That way, I'll (hopefully) never lose it!

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo’s david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in Times Square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

Wordless Wednesday: 3rd Anniversary Edition

2009-01-07T10:58:00.003-06:00

A New Year

2009-01-04T16:17:00.000-06:00

We've had a quiet, restful start to the new year, which was just fine by me. The last few weeks of 2008 were so busy, and I'm perfectly content to sit, reflect on the year gone by, and dream of the year to come.

I'm not a huge fan of resolutions--it's probably the word that I dislike more than anything else. Anymore, it's a loaded word, and I feel as though making a resolution is more like making a demand upon myself and allowing no room for setbacks, let alone failure. Frankly, it's a recipe for disaster in my world.

Of course, it's so important for a person to have goals, and the first of the year always has me thinking of the things I'd like to do over the course of the next 12 months; there are always going to be things that I'd like to accomplish, and that's how I like to think at the beginning of a new year--what would I like to accomplish. Not 'What should I do?' or 'What must I do?' Those things will always be there, and I really try to be mindful of them, but what I like to focus on at this time of the year are those things that I want to do simply because I feel that they'll make me happy.

These are some things that have been floating through my mind for a while:

1. Learn to knit. I've been so nervous to sign up for a class, but there's a free one being offered at the library, and I think I'm going to do it. It's a small class, and doing hands-on work with someone who knows how to knit has got to be the best way to learn.

2. Make more time for reading. Of course, being able to actually say, "I have two hours to sit and read," means that I will have to...

3. Learn to be better organized. It really has become necessary for me to learn to budget my time, and maybe even make a schedule. I truly believe that, if I can accomplish this goal, it'll be easier for me to accomplish others.

4. Seriously study German. We're headed to Germany again in June, this time for almost a month. While it is definitely the case that I can get by with knowing the little German that I do, I'm not really comfortable with that. I've dusted off my German textbook from college and started making vocab flashcards again, and I'm really quite excited to get started!

5. Take more photos. I dropped the ball on Project 365 last year, and it was primarily because I often felt that I wasn't doing things that warranted photos, and I would often leave my camera at home when I went out. I think the key here is to be more open-minded and to view everything as a photo opportunity.

6. Be mindful. It sounds very vague, but I think this is the most important goal I've made for this year. This one applies to every aspect of life, from the food that I choose to eat to the ways in which I interact with people. I'm excited to see how my life can be better by following through with this goal.

There are so many more things I could add to the list, but these are the most important to me. I think 2009 holds a lot of potential, and it's up to me (and you, too!) to make the most of it!

Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-15T10:40:00.006-06:00

I know it's not actually Christmas yet, but it is a Christmas party! Go ahead, kiss under the mistletoe. I don't mind.

This year my home isn't as festive as usual. We're a bit down about the fact that our lease prohibits a real Christmas tree, so we're trying to figure out what to do. The obvious answer is to get a fake tree, but I won't stand for that. Unless...I'm actually considering making a patchwork Christmas tree to hang on the wall. It's in the works, but it's not quite done yet. Eek. We'll see.

But on to the more festive side of things. I've done some cookie baking and some treat making, and these things are some of my favorites.

Except they're not supposed to be brown. A word to the wise: If you're going to make Christmas Krispies (which are simply rice krispie treats with Christmasy sprinkles), do not add the sprinkles directly to the marshmallow mix. They will melt and turn the gooey stuff brown.

Even so, a Christmas Krispie is a Christmas Krispie. I don't discriminate.

My new favorite cookies are Cinnamon Sugar Cookies. If you're a cinnamon lover like I am, you'll enjoy these.

2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons cinnamon (or less if you like)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
4 tsp milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt ONLY IF BUTTER IS UNSALTED

Cream butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla (works best if you mix the sugar and cinnamon together first). Add egg and milk. Blend. Add flour and baking powder and blend until all ingredients are combined. Divide dough in half and chill for one hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut in desired shapes with cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet.

If you like frosted cookies, try this stuff:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Combine cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla. Blend until creamy. Add powdered sugar. Blend until sugar is well combined. If you like, add food coloring. Frost cooled cookies.

Mmm...sooooo good. One of these with a mug of hot chocolate is like heaven, I tell you! HEAVEN.

I wish I had more to share. As Christmas gets closer I may post more photos, and I'll update about the patchwork tree if there's any good news.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T22:43:00.004-06:00

Swap Sweetness

2008-12-04T20:43:00.006-06:00

Ugh. I have been so off lately! I can't keep track of the days, and it's driving me crazy! I'm doing my best to breathe and focus, and I'm hoping this weekend will provide a chance for me to center and get back on track.

But that's not what this is about. Excuse me. We will now return to regularly scheduled blogging.

Earlier this week I received a beautiful swap package. Check it out!

In addition to the gorgeous apron she made, my wonderful partner, Trish, sent me some mini cookie cutters with sprinkles, tiny ball ornaments to hang on a tree, some blue and silver star garland, a Christmas CD PACKED with fabulous music (including my absolute most favorite Christmas song ever, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," by Gayla Peevey), and a bottle of dishsoap.

Dishsoap?! What?

Oh, look! We match!

Trust me, it's the same fabric. My bathroom is not the ideal spot to photograph anything, but it's the only mirror I have where I can see all of me.

Minus my head.

If I stand on a chair.

And whaddaya know?

We match here, too!

Isn't the dishsoap apron such a cute idea? I just fell in love with it!

At first I thought that the snowflake side of the apron was my favorite, but then I realized THIS:

The ball ornaments that Trish sent match the ornaments on my apron! I about flipped!

I'm telling you, it really doesn't take much to please me.

But this package was beyond much. I love it all! After I received it, I wore the apron around the house for a while. I didn't cook or anything--that might get it dirty! It's so pretty. You can't tell from the pictures, but the bottom of the apron (the skirt? Yes, let's go with that) flares out on the sides and is all swingy and swishy.

[Sigh of contentment].

Rabbit, Rabbit! (It's December, Baby!)

2008-12-01T11:40:00.006-06:00

My high school algebra teacher had this fun superstition: If you say "rabbit, rabbit" before you get out of bed on the first of each month (like today!), you'll have good luck. I always thought it was cute, though I don't think I've ever remembered to do it before getting out of bed. Anyway, the point is, it's DECEMBER!

Yesterday we had our first real stick-to-the-ground, I-can't-figure-out-how-to-drive-in-this-stuff snow. Normally I'd prefer a late first snow, but this year I'm ready for winter! The snow has put me in a wintry, Christmasy mood. I am so excited to go sledding and skating and snowshoeing (and maybe some skiing, too!), and I'm looking forward to spending some downtime with family and friends around the holiday.

I hope you take the time to enjoy whatever December has in store for you!

Wordless Wednesday: Crazy Family Edition

2008-11-26T14:19:00.002-06:00

KCMO

2008-11-25T21:22:00.004-06:00

Every year my husband's family makes the trip to Kansas City, Missouri, for the horse show portion of the American Royal. We were able to join them this year, and, as always, it was a nice weekend of shopping, sightseeing and horse shows.

I took Corey shopping, as I like to do, and I was inspired to have an impromptu mini-photo shoot on the street. The Country Club Plaza has some great architecture, and a lot of the decorative work looks as though it's Spanish-inspired.

I think he's quite handsome. He should totally be a model!

But not an ice-skate model. The boy could barely stand on those things in the beginning! I cannot believe that anyone who grew up in the upper midwest did not ice skate as a child, but his hometown didn't have a skating rink. This is only the second time we've been skating together, and those might be the only times Corey's ever been on skates. Absolutely absurd, I tell you! This year we live in a town with a rink, and I suspect there will be much ice skating in our future.

I hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-19T20:56:00.003-06:00

Finally, Some Downtime

2008-11-18T10:26:00.005-06:00

Ugh.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Last week was so busy. Since September I've been working in the costume department for the local theatre group, and last weekend was the fall production. They did Beauty and the Beast this year, which meant tons of costumes, which meant lots of late nights during tech week. In addition, I helped with the reception, ticket-taking and ushering, which meant late nights on Saturday and Sunday. In the midst of all of it, I made a quick trip to visit family.

Plus, I'm sick. What I hate most about being sick is that I constantly feel exhausted. Add all of the late nights and travel on top of my astounding lack of energy, and the only thing I was willing to make time for yesterday was this:

I slept until ten, watched a soap opera, did a little Christmas crafting, ate my yummy homemade(ish) tomato soup and grilled cheese, and stayed in my pajamas until about 4:30. So restful.

Today I'm feeling much better, and good thing, too. Today I have all kinds of errands to run and laundry to do (but not from last week--that's done! Corey has clean shirts again!), then tomorrow we clean up and put away the costumes that came from our costume house, and then Thursday we're off to Kansas City for the weekend.

Oh, the fun never stops!

Win a Quilt!

2008-11-11T12:55:00.004-06:00

You must check out this quilt giveaway! You'll never forgive yourself if you don't. Honest.

Dana at Old Red Barn Co. is giving away these 3 gorgeous quilts.

Scoot on over there and enter to win!

(photo from Dana's blog, used with permission)

One For The Lap, One For The Feet

2008-11-11T11:13:00.007-06:00

I finished my binding! It hasn't passed the wash test yet, but I think it turned out well. My stitches were a bit crazy at first, but I found that I quickly fell into a rhythm with the stitching, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected it to be.
This one's a Christmas present, so shhhhhhhhhh!

A couple of weeks ago I finished another quilt, this time for Corey. It was meant to be a lap quilt, but due to time constraints and an unfortunate incident involving my rotary cutter, it turned out a bit small.

He loves it anyway, and he uses it to warm his feet--he's a clever one, my husband.

Time Management

2008-11-09T13:47:00.004-06:00

I have something to confess. I have no time management skills. I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire, and I have the most awful time motivating myself to get things done in a more timely manner.

About the only thing I finished from yesterday's to-do list was the post on Grand Marais. I didn't finish binding my quilt (though I did get a bit more done), I didn't get to the laundry (my poor husband--he may be regretting this marriage thing right about now) and I haven't decided on a pattern for the apron swap.

I spent most of my time yesterday morning at antique stores. I've been trying to finish gathering items for the Vintage Pink Christmas Swap, and I spent a couple of hours just wandering around, trying to find a few more things for my partner, which pretty much threw off my plan.

Any tips on time management? Self-motivation? Where to buy new shirts so I don't have to do laundry?

Grand Marais

2008-11-08T19:32:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Corey and I got away to Grand Marais, Minnesota. It's on the north shore of Lake Superior, and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. I've always been a Lake Michigan girl--I grew up in a lakeside community, and I've always considered Michigan to be The Lake, no question about it.

Until now.

I may be a convert. I may just have to concede that Lake Superior is, well...superior. It hurts, but I can admit when I'm wrong (but don't tell my husband, because he totally believes that I'm always right).

Where the Lake Michigan shore is so developed (though still beautiful), the north shore of Lake Superior is relatively untouched. So much of the land up there is state or national park/forest land, and I think that has a lot to do with the small population.

Grand Marais is the exception. Though it's tiny, with a population of just over 1000 people, it's a tourist town. There are great restaurants, fun shops and gorgeous shoreline to lure people here, especially in the summer.

Because Corey had some time off of work, we were able to spend Thursday and Friday as well as the weekend on the north shore. It really felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! Though some places that we had wanted to visit (like World's Best Donuts and Angry Trout Cafe) were closed because the season is over, we still had such a wonderful time.

Today

2008-11-08T08:54:00.004-06:00

I'm home alone today--all day to do anything I want! Actually, that's pretty much my life Monday through Friday. Even so, there's something so special about having a whole Saturday to myself. So here's what I want to do today, in no particular order:

1. Finish hand-sewing the binding on a quilt. I've never hand-sewn ANYTHING (except a button), so I'm hoping the binding doesn't come off when I wash it! I'm so nervous!

2. Watch Avonlea. Have you ever heard of it? Great show, sort of a spin-off of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. I'll watch while binding--it's OK to multitask, right?

3. Laundry. Apparently my husband has been out of white t-shirts, which he wears under his dress shirts, for several days. I don't know what he's been wearing, and I'm afraid to ask.

4. Write a post about the trip I took last week. Or maybe just post some pictures.

5. Decide on a pattern for the Winter apron swap. And maybe cut out the fabric.

I know there's more. This can't be the whole list. Tonight, before bed, I'll tell you what I really did today.

My guess is that it won't look like the list above.

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-06T21:11:00.006-06:00

I am beyond thankful for the joy this little squirt has brought to my life. He is creative and silly and full of love--what more could an aunt ask for?

He's also not such a little squirt, actually. Check out his 5 year-old feet next to my 25 year-old feet:

I'm also thankful that we can share socks.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T19:42:00.001-06:00

I Voted

2008-11-04T07:30:00.003-06:00

How 'bout you?

I Heart Swaps

2008-11-03T09:53:00.004-06:00

I just received my Fall Swap package in the mail, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Isn't that "Thanks" decoration so cute?

And check out the rest of my package. I think the card is handmade--I'm pretty sure Alicia (my partner) is a scrapbooker, but I'm not positive because I can't actually get to her blog.

Alicia, if you're reading this, is there any way I can check out your blog??

She also sent some yummmmmmy Burt's Bees lip balm and cuticle creme and a candle. The cuticle creme is lemon butter and smells exactly like the most wonderful lemon-mint body scrub Corey gave me for my birthday a few years ago--definitely one of my favorite scents. The lip balm has clove oil in it, and it smells like green spice drops (or, at least, some kind of spice drops), which I also love. I am constantly wanting to buy Burt's Bees stuff, but I don't because I figure I should spend my money on other things, so I'm SO excited to have some!!

Thank you so much, Alicia! You made my fall even better!

(Sigh)

2008-11-02T18:33:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty much blissed out, as my husband would say. I just arrived home after an almost-four-day vacation with my most favoritest person, and it was just about the best vacation I've ever had.

Once I've gone through the 368 pictures I took and edit my favorites I'll post all about it!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T11:38:00.002-05:00

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-23T19:32:00.003-05:00

Today, more than anything, I am thankful for walks with my husband. Lately I've been feeling stressed and anxious, and getting out for a walk every day has been helping ease those icky feelings. I don't mind walking by myself, because I can sort of wander, lost in thought, but it's nice to have a companion with whom I can discuss whatever is on our minds. It's great quality time with a great guy--what could be better?

Christmas Creations

2008-10-23T15:54:00.003-05:00

So far I've finished three quilt tops, and I have three more in the works. My sewing room is a mess.

Actually, it's always a mess. Some things never change.

It's hard to get a good picture of a quilt top in my apartment, so these aren't great, but I felt that I had to share them anyway.

I've sort of been at a loss for what to write lately, so I haven't done much posting. However, this morning I read this post at My Inspired Heart, and I thought it would be a great idea to do Thankful Thursdays. It helps that today is Thursday, so I can start right away. Do you know how long I've been meaning to start Wordless Wednesdays? Well, a long time.

Ok, but I'm not going to start right away right away. It'll be a separate post this afternoon. I hope. Let's not let this be like Wordless Wednesdays.

Vintage Pink Christmas Swap

2008-10-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

A while back I joined the Vintage Pink Christmas Swap. I love Christmas, and I love pink, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Here are the answers to a few questions to let my swap partner know a little more about me!

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration? It's so hard to decide! I have lots of tree ornaments that I love! My favorite store-bought ornament is probably the hedgehog that I found at the Christmas Market in Chicago. Even more than that, though, I love the pinecone ornaments that we hang on our tree. We used the pinecones as decorations for our winter wedding, and I couldn't just get rid of them after! I decorated many of them with glitter, and I love hanging those on our tree every year.

2. What colors/themes do you decorate for Christmas? We don't have a specific color scheme, so I suppose our tree has a very hodge-podge look to it. I love red and gold or blue and silver together, but we really don't decorate much other than our tree.

3. What Christmas item would you love to have? Hmm...maybe a handmade tree skirt. I keep thinking that I'm going to make one, but I haven't done it yet!

4. Favorite goodie & hot drink? Mmm...I love hot chocolate and mulled wine, and my husband's christmas cookies are pretty spectacular!

5. Are you a crafter? If so what crafts do you do? I like to quilt, but I'm pretty much a beginner.

6. What is your favorite pink item in your home? Another tough one! Maybe my pink ice cream scoop :-)

7. What do you collect? At this point, I'm trying not to collect too much stuff, but I might have to say fabric or aprons! I love aprons.

8. Do you have special family traditions for the holidays? My parents and sisters and I like to try to get together and pick out our Christmas trees together, but that has been harder in recent years. Also, I'm trying to convince my husband that it's important to watch Eloise at Christmastime on Christmas morning. Christmas just isn't complete without Eloise!

It's also become our tradition to leave up our Christmas wreath until spring (or summer)...oops!

Quilt Giveaway

2008-10-13T18:07:00.001-05:00

Check out Elizabeth's blog, Pigtails and Snails, and win the fabulous quilt she's made! It's gorgeous!

Something's Missing

2008-10-07T17:45:00.002-05:00

At some point, these will be completed blocks. For now, however, something is missing. I don't have a fabric for that fourth patch! What I want is something blue, and I'd like the color to at least sort of match the blue in the swirly fabric. I think I'm going to have to break down and drive to a fabric store, which is a bummer since the nearest one is about an hour away. I was hoping I could find something online, but that didn't quite work out. Matching colors on a computer screen is far too imprecise.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Eatin' Dough

2008-10-07T15:59:00.004-05:00

If you're like me, you eat almost as much of the dough as you bake when you're making cookies. I love to eat cookie dough; I probably love it more than cookies, come to think of it.

Today I was making my grocery list and decided that I wanted something chocolate. Chocolate chip cookies sounded great, and then I thought, "No, no, cookie dough." So chocolate chips made it onto the list, and away I went.

The sketchy thing about cookie dough is the raw eggs. I'm always a bit wary of them, though they've never actually made me sick. Still, I figured if I was making the dough with the intention of, well, not baking it, I didn't need the eggs. So, instead of cookie dough, I made eatin' dough.

Mmmm, yum.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Eatin' Dough

1 1/8 ish cups unsifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter
3/8 cup brown sugar
3/8 cup sugar
dash or two or five of cinnamon
two heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
splash of milk
chocolate chips to your liking

Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour and baking soda. Add splash of milk. Stir and add chocolate chips. EAT!

This is only half a batch, which is why some of the measurements are a bit wonky. I really think it tastes the same, which is totally yummy! I'm going to try to save most of it for when Corey gets home.

Wish me luck!

All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

2008-10-06T12:41:00.005-05:00

This last week, my nephew lost his first baby tooth. HIS FIRST TOOTH! He's not old enough for that, is he? I'm pretty sure I was at least in first grade before I lost a tooth. I really miss being around for milestones like that; it's probably the hardest part of living away from family.

Still, I had to do something special for the occasion, so I made him a card.

I don't really remember losing my first tooth, but I'm sure nobody will let my nephew forget the story about how he lost his. My sister emailed me to tell me about the tooth, and the story she told was kind of...hilarious.

"This is how it went. He was supposed to be sleeping (supposed to be) and came flying out of his room and screamed, 'My tooth is falling out of my face!' Well, at that time it was just wiggling. The next day he was at mom's house and he said, 'Lookie momma... no tooth. Well, Mom, I was eating a chip and my tooth went down down right into my guts!'" He's a boy, in case you didn't know. They're really into guts.

I'm just perpetuating the stereotype. Don't mind me.

He's also a sneak! I asked my sister if the tooth fairy had made a visit, and this was her response:
"The tooth fairy did come! He made out with loot, too. He stole the quarters I was going to give him before I could put them under his pillow. So, I had to get more quarters to put there!"

I know stealing is wrong and all, but I couldn't help but laugh when I read that. It sounds like something I might have tried to get away with. Yesterday. Hey, I've never claimed to be mature.

Fall Swap

2008-10-02T08:38:00.004-05:00

I love SwapDex. If you love swaps and are not yet acquainted with this site, head over there. It's great!

I just signed up for another swap-- Laura's Fall Favorite Things Swap! I do love swaps, and there are so many fun-looking ones out there, but I truly do limit myself to those swaps that I absolutely cannot pass up. Have I mentioned that fall is my favorite season? Well, it is, and I couldn't pass this up! I'm so excited to put together a package of my favorite things for someone!

Fall into Reading

2008-09-24T21:42:00.005-05:00

I'm a bit late to the game, but I suppose better late than never, right? I just discovered the Fall into Reading Challenge, and it looks like a great way to get motivated to read. I've been puttering around since we moved, sort of getting things put away, sort of doing some sewing, sort of exploring the area...but it's been kind of a blah month. I think this challenge will put a stop to those blahs, and I can't wait to go to the library and dig in. As an added bonus, the Fall into Reading challenge might also help me get some of my books out of boxes and onto shelves. I have so many books that I've never read, and I keep saying I'm going to do it. Here's my chance!

Fall and reading--two of my favorite things! How perfect!

Here's my list, which is just a start. I hope to add to it once I make that trip to the library and go through my boxes !
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule
Giants in the Earth by O.E. Rølvaag
Hot, Flat and Crowded: why we need a green revolution by Thomas L. Friedman
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg (Do craft, travel and cookbooks count? I'll say yes!)
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes

I think I'm going to make it my goal to read at least two books a week. I think it sounds reasonable, and at that rate I might be able to get some other stuff done as well.

Happy reading and happy fall!

I Love Fall. Have I Made That Clear?

2008-09-22T08:28:00.005-05:00

I don't think there's anything about fall that I don't love. I'm sure that each time I discuss my favorite thing about fall, I talk about something different. On Monday I'll tell you that my favorite thing about fall is wearing jeans and sweatshirts; on Tuesday I might tell you that my favorite thing is the changing colors; on Wednesday it could be carving pumpkins or getting ready for Thanksgiving. Today, however, I'll tell you that my favorite thing about fall is...apples.

Now, in all honesty, if you give me a choice between an apple and almost any other fruit as a snack, I will, in all likelihood, choose the other fruit. Apples by themselves just do not appeal to me. Dishes prepared with apples, however, are just about my favorite things ever. EVER.

Last week I bought half a bushel of apples from a local orchard, and I was so excited to, you know, make stuff. I made apple bread pudding, apple pie, and a good bit of applesauce. I still have apples left, so today, if I can get my act together (not a safe bet--I'm just saying), I'll make some apple bread, some more apple sauce, and it's possible that I will have no choice but to make the deep-dish apple pie that my mother-in-law told me about on Saturday.

Sometimes these things are just out of my control.

Fall is for Quilting

2008-09-16T08:27:00.006-05:00

I think the fallish weather we've been having--practically all summer, which is just fine with me thankyouverymuch--is one of the reasons I've been so eager to work on some quilting projects. I crave the cool weather so that I have an excuse to wear jeans and sweatshirts and my furry slippers, and this year I'm also looking forward to having some nice, warm quilts to snuggle into as well.

Last weekend I found out about a new Bend the Rules Sewing swap; this time it was the easy lap quilt. I thought it looked like fun, but I wasn't quite sure about it. Corey and I did make a trip to get some fabric, and I ended up making the quilt for myself instead of swapping. I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

I think lap quilts will make great Christmas gifts. They don't require a lot of fabric, and they're nice for movie-watching or book-reading. I started this one yesterday, and I think it will be a Christmas present--we'll see how it turns out.

I did manage to find some of the goldfish fabric that I NEEEEEEEEDED to have for my nephew's quilt, and now I just need to decide which other fabrics to use! Yea!

It might be time for a walk, and maybe I'll do some cleaning to justify my quilting time.

Or maybe not :-)

The Search is On

2008-09-09T15:27:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking lately about what I'd like to give this year as Christmas presents. I know it's only September, but I'd really like to give as many homemade gifts as possible, so I need to figure things out early.

For a while I've been wanting to make a quilt for my nephew, but he's a hard boy to shop for! One minute he's really into this, the next minute he's really into that--you know the 5 year old boy type--and I want to give him something that he'll always enjoy, not just while he's going through a Spiderman phase. Then I got an idea, and it involves this fabric:
(This picture is from Tikitales, who is currently selling this out-of-print, hard-to-find fabric in her etsy shop.)
As much as I love shopping on etsy and support those who are talented enough to sell their products, I will not pay $20 a yard for this fabric.

BUT STILL I MUST HAVE IT!

I did bid on some on ebay, and maybe that will come through. As soon as I started thinking of a quilt for my nephew, this fabric popped into my head. He has two fish, a goldfish and a suckerfish (or sucker fish? I don't know.). He calls the goldie My Darling and the sucker Best Friend, and I just cannot get over how cute that is!

Is it only cute because he's my nephew?

So, I really think the goldfish fabric will be perfect for a quilt for him. I know he won't have the fish forever, but I hope he'll have the memories, and I think the best quilts (the best presents, really) are the ones that have great memories attached.

So you see, I must have this fabric. No other goldfish fabric will do, I tell you! I've searched most of the fabric sites I know, and I've looked on etsy and ebay. Any other suggestions?? I'm not giving up yet!

A Taste of My Childhood

2008-09-08T22:14:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness. I tasted a zucchini bar tonight for the first time in years...YEARS. They were a staple in my life for sixteen years, as was my great-grandmother, who was the maker of said bars. She made so many things that I loved, including banana bread, chicken rice soup, raspberry jam, rhubarb kuchen, beef roast and baked apples...oh, the list goes on and on! She had a real talent in the kitchen, and so many of her dishes became family classics, but I would argue that her signature dessert--really, her signature, period--was her zucchini bars.

I don't think I've had one since she passed away. After she was gone, nobody took on the responsibility of being the zucchini bar maker. In some ways that seemed appropriate, but it's been nine years now, and it's time for someone to make some zucchini bars.

Also, I had some zucchini, and what else do you do with zucchini? (Actually, I have an answer for that, but it's really not the point right now!) These actually turned out more like cake than bars because I used one 8 or 9 inch square pan instead of a jellyroll pan.

I think jellyroll pan means cake pan or cookie sheet with kind of high edges.
(P.S. Maybe I lied. My mom thinks a jellyroll pan is a cookie sheet with NO edges.)

Actually, I have no clue. That's what dictionaries are for, so if you want to know, you can look it up. I'm content in my ignorance. Want the recipe anyway? I'll share, because I think everyone should eat zucchini bars.

Bars:
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups zucchini (I use 1 whole zucchini, about 7 or 8 inches long), shredded
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup raisins

Combine sugar, oil and eggs. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon) and add to egg mixture. Stir until all ingredients are combined well. Add cherries and raisins. Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan (or a 9 x 13 cake pan, if you're like me and you don't know what a jelly roll pan is). You could also use two 8 or 9 inch square cake pans and divide the batter in half. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (use toothpick test). Let cool and frost.

Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
chopped walnuts

Combine cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until all ingredients are well combined and frosting is fluffy and creamy. Frost cooled bars--frosting should be kind of thick on top of bars. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.

The Last Dance

2008-09-02T15:25:00.006-05:00

Have you ever heard of the Farmall Promenade Square Dancing Tractors? They are truly a sight to behold, I kid you not, and I got to see them for the first--and last--time over the weekend.

This is a group of 10 men (8 regulars and 2 alternates) who square dance...on tractors. I don't know if there's any good way to describe it. The men, four of whom are dressed as women, drive their tractors in square dance routines, and it's such a fun show to watch.

The group has decided that they are no longer going to perform, which is definitely a loss for all of the fans. Most of these men are farmers, though, and being away so often for performances was getting to be too much.

I guess they performed all over, and were even invited to perform at the Republican National Convention this year. I'm so glad I was able to see the last show. The group is from a small town in Iowa, about 20 minutes from Corey's hometown, so I've been hearing about these tractors for the last seven years. I suppose it was about time I actually saw what all the hype was about, and I was not disappointed.

The rest of my Labor Day weekend was quite uneventful and relaxing. It was good to spend some time with Corey's family before the business of the school year sets in. I hope you had a great weekend and enjoy the short week!

So Much to Do and....Well, So Much Time

2008-08-27T15:06:00.001-05:00

Finally, all of our stuff has made it to our new apartment. Now it's a matter of cleaning up the mess! There are boxes everywhere. EVERYWHERE. But there's plenty of time for unpacking and cleaning. For the moment, I'm enjoying exploring our new town and thinking about some sewing projects.

On Saturday, our first full day here, Corey and I got up early and went to pick blueberries. I was inspired by this post and this post, and also by an email that said that Saturday was the last picking day of the summer. We did pick enough berries for a pie, which is fabulous and SO easy to make!

After blueberry picking, we went on to some rummage sales where I found some fun fabric :-) This stuff I'm thinking of using a red, white and blue quilt. Everything's a quilt these days!

Then, in the early evening, we took a walk on the Foundation Trail, which circles much of the town. It's a walking/biking path, and a pretty good workout with all of the hills. The area is quite hilly. Just an observation. My goal is to walk the trail every day, and maybe I'll bike it every once in a while. I'm looking into a raincoat and boots and a hat for those rainy day walks. Maybe something in pink :-)

I also have another goal, which is to bike (or walk) almost everywhere. There are very few times when I'll need a car to go anywhere in town, and everything really is in biking distance. If I put a basket on the back of my bike, I think I can even go grocery shopping that way. I'm pretty excited!

I'm also pretty excited about some projects. I'm working on finishing up this small quilt, which I think will end up being a baby quilt. I just need to quilt and then bind.

I also have a couple other quilts in mind. The first one is a black and white quilt, an idea that has been formulating in my mind for a while. I have a few pieces of black and white fabric collected so far, and this is the fabric I chose for the backing:

My planning hasn't gone far beyond that.

I also have grand plans for some hedgehog towels that my mother-in-law sent me. I plan to make one of them into a little half-apron, and with the other (plus the 5 or 6 that she's going to bring when she comes at Christmas--ohmygoodness I can't wait!) I'm going to work on another baby quilt. I absolutely love these towels. Though they're awfully stiff at first, they become so soft once they've been washed, and those hedgehogs are just too dang cute--and a bit mischievous, don't you think?

Speaking of towels, I picked these up at a store downtown! I really don't see towel calendars around much anymore, and I think it's a shame. These are great! There were quite a few that I liked, some going as far back as the 1960s I think, but I ended up getting the two from 1983. It's the year I was born and, let's face it, '83 was a pretty great year.

I don't know if I'll use them for drying dishes or what. Of course, if I don't unpack my dishes, that won't be an issue. I suppose it's time to get down to business and get everything put away.

Blah.

Suggestions?

2008-08-26T11:47:00.004-05:00

My nephew starts kindergarten a week from today, and I can hardly believe it. I always think of him as such a little squirt, but he's not. He's a big boy now, and I just have to accept it.

To celebrate the new adventure, I thought I'd send him a fun back-to-school package, but I'm sort of at a loss for what to put in such a package. He already has all of the basics--crayons, fun folder, new backpack, etc.--so what should I send him? Any ideas? I might head downtown to see what's what down there (and to get a library card because, you know, a girl has to read!), but I would love to hear your suggestions! I know people at least stop by here--probably on your way to bigger and better blogs, I know--so speak up! What would a 5 year-old boy love for back-to-school?

More later on our first few days in our new home and some new ideas and in-progress projects!

Some Things I Just Don't Understand

2008-08-19T16:10:00.003-05:00

I was just sitting here, minding my own business, cleaning the moldy onions out of my refrigerator (yum, right?), when the phone rang. Some random 800 number showed up on the caller ID, and I'm always hesitant to answer those. However, since we're moving and trying to get everything squared away--you know, disconnect this, hook up that--I figured it was best that I answer.

Hello?

[Silence]

Hello?

Hello, this is Time Warner Cable. If you have any questions regarding this phone call, please call this number [insert number here]. CLICK.

Well OF COURSE I have questions! What in the world do you want? Why are you calling me? If you have something to say to me, don't call with a pre-recorded message telling me to call you back if I want to know what you have to say, for Pete's sake!

Don't bother me if that's the way you're going to be. Leave my moldy onions and me in peace.

But Where Do I Put the Boxes?

2008-08-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

I thought it best to post a nice serene photo, because it's about the only thing in my life that's serene at the moment. It gives me something pleasant to look at, and it doesn't make me want to freak out!

I'm in the middle of packing up the apartment--but you wouldn't know it by looking at our apartment. There's stuff EVERYWHERE. Where did it all come from? Why do we have SO MUCH STUFF?

I kind of like to write in all caps. It's soothing.

And once I pack all of this stuff, where do I put it? There is nowhere to put our boxes so that they won't be in the way of the movers. It wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, if the movers were taking all of our stuff, but they're only taking the furniture. We decided that we'd pack and haul all of the boxed stuff ourselves since we had an offer of help (and, more importantly, trucks) from my parents. It also wouldn't be a big deal if the boxed stuff was being moved out before the furniture, but it's not. WE DID THIS ALL BACKWARDS! I honestly don't know what we were thinking, but I'm pretty sure my only option is to stack boxes in the tub.

It's going to be a stinky week and a half.

Love

2008-08-02T17:10:00.004-05:00

Life

2008-07-25T06:28:00.004-05:00

Whew! Life has been pretty crazy lately! The biggest, and best, news is that Corey got a job, which is so exciting and such a relief. That whole process was so frustrating and stressful, and I don't want to do it again anytime soon. We'll be farther from my family than we had wanted to be, but really it's still close enough that weekend trips will be easy to make. As a bonus, we'll be closer to Corey's family, so we're really pretty happy with how it all worked out.

We also just got home from a whirlwind trip to South Carolina. We left on Sunday to visit Christian, who just moved to Charleston last week. We had a fun time helping him pick out furniture and hanging out at the beach, but we did so much driving in such a short time, so I'm really glad to be home. Now we can get down to finding a place to live and packing up all our stuff! Fun times, fun times.

Taste of Summer

2008-07-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

Being able to buy fresh fruit at the farmer's market is one of the greatest things about summer. I love love love it! Of course, sometimes I go a bit overboard...I bought too many blueberries and peaches last weekend, and the two of us can only eat so much at a time! Luckily my mom bought me canning equipment for my birthday, and I made jam for the first time on Sunday! I'm pretty proud:-).

Did you know that mashed blueberries, when mixed with a little lemon juice, smell like kiwi? True story.

So, with the blueberries I made jam, but I still had a few pounds of peaches. So....

Farm market Georgia peaches are so incredibly delicious. I can't even describe it! And they're even better in peach crisp. Mmmmm....

Summer Fun

2008-07-08T15:00:00.003-05:00

Corey's cousin visited us for a few days at the beginning of June, and we had such a blast with her! Because of the storming and flooding, we didn't make it to Noah's Ark like we'd planned, which was a bummer, but everything else was fabulous! I know there are lots of pictures here for one blog post, but we did lots of stuff, and I really can't leave anything out, right?

Just as a disclaimer, some of them were edited a bit...crazily, but that's what happens with a laptop. Being able to adjust the screen to make everything look just right is a blessing and a curse. That has to be it, because it simply couldn't be editor error. Right?

That's what I thought.

Double Delight

2008-06-29T18:23:00.003-05:00

The other night I was reminded, yet again, of why I should always take my camera with me. Everywhere. For real.

We were out driving after a little-needed rain when we saw a rainbow right over the car. It was gorgeous, really vibrant, but the best part was that it was an entire rainbow; the whole arc was showing. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked out the window to take another peek, and there was another whole rainbow above the first. I've heard about them, but I've never actually seen a double rainbow before. It was so pretty against the dark gray sky, and I so wish I had been able to capture the image on my camera.

Starting today, I take my camera everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

In other exciting news, I finished my first quilt. As in FINISHED finished. It's bound and washed and everything.

I love it, and I want to keep it for myself, but this one goes to Christian. It was supposed to be his graduation present, and I suppose it still is--it's just two months late :-).

The pattern came from a book called Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. It's such a fabulous book; I'm dying to try so many of the projects. Anyway, the quilt was super-easy to put together, and with my new walking foot (yea for great husbands and great birthday presents!), quilting it was a breeze. I really want to make more of this design, maybe with different shades of one color or several alternating colors. Who knows?

I Heart Antiques

2008-06-23T14:03:00.004-05:00

It's summer, which means we spend a good bit of our time travelling here and there. Recently we traveled to Iowa to spend my father-in-law's birthday with him. He turned 60 this year, so there was big party and good times spent with people we haven't seen for a while. I have to admit, however, that the highlight of my time in Iowa was not the party or the yummy food or the visiting. This was the highlight of my trip:

There's this cute antique store on Main Street that is just stuffed to the gills with...stuff! Antique stuff. I like to visit the store when we're there just in case they have some of those Pyrex mixing bowls that my mom owns and won't let me have. On this visit, I stumbled upon the fabric stash, and I was in heaven. There were shelves and drawers full of fabric. What you see above is just a taste, but that's only because of my husband-imposed spending limit. Sometimes he just has to lay down the law.

But not very often :-)

Some fun pictures of our visit with Corey's cousin coming soon!

My First Celebrity Sighting

2008-06-06T20:04:00.003-05:00

Corey took me to the movies last night as a special treat. The movie was kind of...eh, but the highlight of my evening was my celebrity sighting at the theater. As we were leaving the ticket booth and walking across the lobby, I spotted a very familiar face. Of course, I had to share it!

Corey, I whispered. Thsmkmcrry.

What?

Thrsmkmcrry.

Huh?

Once the man was out of earshot and could not see me pointing, I made sure Corey knew exactly what I was talking about.

That was Mike McCarthy!

Really?!

It totally was!

OK, so it wasn't Brad Pitt or anything, but I was excited. For those of you who don't know (because obviously you live under a rock!), Mike McCarthy is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Frankly, I think that's more exciting than Brad Pitt.

Even more exciting was the fact that he and his wife ended up sitting right in front of us during the movie. Well, until they left halfway through. The movie wasn't exactly an inspired piece of cinematography.

But I totally saw Mike McCarthy at the movies!

I'm such a dork.

All Kinds of Excitement

2008-06-04T12:07:00.006-05:00

Whew! This week is just full of fun and excitement, and it shows no signs of letting up.

Today I received a fabulous apron from Elizabeth (aka Blanco Bunny), and it came with matching tea towels and a packet of fabulous looking teas! I tried the green tea with roasted brown rice this afternoon, and it was yummy! I'm going to have to add it to my collection if I can find it. Pretty soon my cupboard won't be able to hold my tea collection! YIKES!

We also finalized plans to have Corey's cousin visit us for a few days, starting on Monday. We're super-excited to have her, both because we don't see her very often and because it gives us an excuse to go to places like Bay Beach and Noah's Ark (amusement and water park, respectively). Of course, a visitor means that I have to clean the guest room. For real. Seriously. We had guests over Memorial Day, but they opted to stay at a hotel, so instead of cleaning the guest room, it became our dumping ground for stuff that has no place. We seem to have a lot of stuff that has no place. Oh, man.

ALSO, this is my last week of work. Our annual morning talent show has been taking place this week, and it's so great to see the kids get up there and perform. It's especially great to see the shy kids get up in front of the group, and I'm amazed at the talents that they've kept hidden all year! I think we have some future American Idols in our group ;-).

ALSO ALSO, tomorrow Corey is taking me to see the movie The Strangers (or is it The Stranger? I don't know.). It looks SOOOOOO SCARY, which I love, and which Corey does not love. Still, that's the kind of husband he is, and I love him even more for it.

Finally, the biggest news of all. Corey has an interview next Wednesday for a teaching position, and this is THE JOB. It's the one he really wants, and it's the one I really want him to get. Getting this job would mean that we get to stay close to my family, which is so important to me right now (and always, really, but especially now), and Corey would get to stay on at the church as choir director. We're all hoping and praying and crossing our fingers and toes and doing ANYTHING we can think of to send good-interview vibes his way. This will be his first interview, and I'm glad that's the way it worked out. This way, unless the administration takes a long time in deciding which candidate to hire, Corey will know whether or not he has to keep applying for jobs and taking other interviews. Since this is THE JOB, I'm glad he'll know about it early.

Oh my goodness, life is pretty darn great.

Summer Apron Swap: Done and Done

2008-05-28T14:16:00.003-05:00

I love love love that blue fabric! It just screams SUMMER! I really hope my partner likes it. I found the pattern on someone's blog (and if anyone knows where, let me know!), and I fell in love with it. There were no pattern pieces with the tutorial, so I drafted my own, but the idea was not mine, and it's important to give credit where credit is due.

Along with the apron, I'm sending a recipe for lemonade. Now, I'll be honest, I know it's a pretty typical summer drink, and I know a lot of people buy it frozen or as a powder, but in the summer I love to make it fresh. It's so easy, and it's a fun project to do with kids.

Fresh Lemonade
6 lemons
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (this is really personal preference)
6 cups water
favorite summer fruit (optional)

Juice the lemons and put the juice into a pitcher. Add water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. If you want to make it a fruity lemonade, add strawberries or raspberries or blueberries or blackberries or whatever summer fruit you enjoy.

See how simple it is? I almost feel like it's too simple, so maybe I'll send some other recipes with it, but I just think that lemonade is the best summer drink out there.

A Golden Day

2008-05-26T22:04:00.005-05:00

Happy Golden Birthday to my most favoritest person! Corey's birthday is truly one of my favorite days of the year. I love planning fun surprises and food and presents, and I know he appreciates it all, which is probably what makes it so great. I also love that his birthday always falls around Memorial Day, so we have a long weekend to celebrate. We had a great time this weekend playing games and exploring parts of the state that we hadn't visited, and it was nice to visit with people whom we don't often see.

Happy Happy Birthday, Corey, and here's to many more!

More Pictures and a Loss for Words

2008-05-21T14:39:00.008-05:00

These are some more of the pictures I took last Saturday. I think they're pretty good, and it really helps to have a scenic place like the arboretum as a background.

I thought that writing this week would be easy, since I'd be writing about Corey. Of course, there's lots to write, but I don't know where to start. There's almost too much to say. When I think about Corey, about what I should say about Corey, all kinds of thoughts run through my head, and there's no real flow or pattern or anything. Do I say that he's been totally obsessed with Legos for most of his life, but model railroading (or, rather, fantasy model railroading) has sort of taken over recently? Do I say that he's spectacularly messy, and I'm so grateful for that because it allows me to be my spectacularly messy self without feeling bad about it? Or do I tell stories, perhaps the one about the time he was pushed off the dock, into Lake Mendota, by a total stranger, which totally worked out in the end because he wasn't hurt, and we were planning on buying him new jeans that night anyway? Maybe I should tell the story of how my friend Jenny and I kidnapped Corey our freshman year of college so we could take him to the mall and dress him up. Maybe I should share those pictures.

There are so many great memories, so many stories to tell, so many of his quirks to share. Corey has only been a part of my life for seven years, but it already feels like I've accumulated a lifetime of stories and memories of him. Knowing him is wonderful and exciting and absolutely lovely, and I just don't know how to express that properly.

I'll keep trying.

Corey: A Celebration

2008-05-18T22:41:00.005-05:00

This is the week leading up to my husband's birthday, so I'm going to feature him on the blog this week. I thought it'd be fun, plus it gives me something to write about!

Today's post will mostly be photos, though. I've been wanting to have a "photo shoot" with him for some time, and this weekend worked out well. He's quite a willing subject, unlike some people I know.

See how he has to be restrained if I want a picture? That's his "No more pictures, Sam!" face.

But this week is about Corey.

I've been having such a fun time lately with Photoshop. If you want some great tips on using Photoshop (even if you don't use the full, professional version--I have Elements 4, which is an older, watered-down version, and lots of this stuff is still applicable), check out
Pioneer Woman Photography. It's a great site, and Ree is fabulously witty.

Ahem. Back to Corey. I'm looking forward to reliving fun times and great memories this week. Oh, man. Time really does fly, doesn't it?

It's Official

2008-05-17T19:20:00.002-05:00

I'm done. For real. I mean it. No more Bachelor's degrees for me.

This year.

Maybe.

Brain Freeze, or I Almost Burned Down My Apartment

2008-05-14T19:19:00.006-05:00

Oh. Man. I just got back from my second final (one to go, then FREEEEEDOM!). I was super hungry, and I noticed that the hallway smelled like toast, which made me even MORE hungry. I do love toast. The closer I got to my apartment, the more it smelled like burned toast, and as soon as I got to my door, I knew what it was. I my infinite wisdom (I am about to be a college graduate for the second time, after all), I left some tater tots in the oven while I went to take my final.

Hey, it's not like I'm getting a degree in homemaking or anything.

I totally meant to eat them before I went to campus (which is obviously why I was so darn hungry when I got home). Apparently the universe had other plans.

This is what those tots should have looked like.

This is what two extra hours at 450 degrees did to them.

It's not a pretty sight.
Let's not tell my husband that I also left the sliding door open. Deal? Deal.

Congrats!

2008-05-12T11:38:00.006-05:00

It's been almost a month since I've posted anything, so let's fix that!

Congrats to Christian! He graduated from college this weekend (summa cum laude, woot!) and was commissioned by the Navy. I think he has an exciting few years ahead of him. It's likely that he'll end up on a submarine, but for now he's still waiting to be interviewed and assigned somewhere. We're wishing him the best!

I think this post needs a little color, so here's a flower from his pinning ceremony!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

2008-04-16T15:48:00.005-05:00

When I was little, my great-grandmother insisted that if I ate too many strawberries, I would get hives. Of course, I paid her no attention when she spoke such nonsense. All I wanted was to get my hands on those ripe, sweet, juicy berries, and the temptation was great, as there were usually several quarts of fresh-picked strawberries sitting on our counter at any given time during berry season. I would eat and eat until I couldn't possibly eat another strawberry--and then I'd eat one more, just for good measure. Oh, how I love love love strawberry season. It's my favorite thing about summer.

Just last week, I saw that strawberries were on sale at our local grocery store, and they looked decent, so I bought a couple boxes. I just couldn't resist them, and when I got home I washed them and poured a few into a bowl for a little snack. When those were gone, I had a few more. And a few more. Soon, I had eaten almost an entire box, and I was feelin' it. Not only was I stuffed full of berries, but I felt a bit queasy. Immediately I thought of my great-grandmother (as I am wont to do in many situations; the woman was full of wisdom). I smiled, as I always do when I think of her. And then I laid off the berries.

A Bit of Downtime

2008-04-15T11:06:00.005-05:00

I haven't been up to much lately. A lot of reading (Jodi Picoult mostly, as my list indicates!), work, class and a little sewing. I'm quilting one row at a time, and I'm considering a couple of other small projects.

Soon I'll have a partner for the summer apron swap, and I'm considering fabric possibilites. These are the two I'm deciding between--so far. Of course, these may be things my partner has no interest in whatsoever, but if that's the case I'll use them to make aprons for myself, so it's a win-win regardless!

The blue one is summery in a more obvious way, but I think the dragonflies fit with a summer theme too. What do you think? I've already picked out the summer drink recipe I'm going to send with the apron, and I'll share that when the apron is all finished!

I'm very anxious for summer to come. I'm graduating in May, and Corey is only a few weeks away from being finished with his student teaching. I'm so excited about all of the possibilites that lie ahead--Corey has started applying for teaching jobs, so the reality that our situation will be changing very soon is sinking in.

Oh Man!

2008-04-05T17:35:00.003-05:00

This is most of the quilt top that I've been working on--well, one of the quilt tops that I've been working on. I only need to add the inner and outer borders, and then I can sandwich it all together and start quilting. Yikes!

I love the idea of making quilts. They're lovely and warm and cuddly, and who can't use a great quilt, right? But the idea of actually quilting something on my little Viking is kind of terrifying, especially if this quilt is to be a gift to someone (other than my husband). What if the quilting looks awful? I've tried some quilting on scraps using a darning foot, and it turns out looking pretty neat, but a twin sized quilt is another story. Oh, man! I'm so nervous!

Tea Bag Wisdom, 100th Post Edition

2008-04-03T11:54:00.004-05:00

"Socialize with compassion, kindness and grace."

This is my 100th post, which is kind of fun, no? I thought about doing something like 100 things about me, but that's a lot of things, and I don't know how interesting they would be.

Human Bio test tonight, woo hoo! I suppose maybe some studying is in order. Sigh.

I hope it's nice and springy where you are!

I Think I've Got It!

2008-03-29T14:13:00.005-05:00

I've been planning for a few months to make a quilt for my brother-in-law as a graduation gift, but I just haven't been terribly inspired. At first it was my intention to give him this quilt (in its finished state, of course), but I wasn't sure he would really like it. Then I thought maybe a nautical theme, since he'll be in the Navy, but I tossed that idea too. Then I thought, maybe a log cabin pattern in different blues, since blue is his favorite color. That idea evolved into this, which I kind of love.

I need to make some adjustments, and the idea isn't as clear on paper as it is in my head, but I suppose that's OK. I sorted my scraps this morning in preparation for this project (and also because it just needed to be done), and I'm so excited to get started.

Tea Bag Wisdom

2008-03-26T14:01:00.004-05:00

"The beauty of life is to experience yourself."
70/365

Sometimes I'm not sure what to make of the little sayings on my tea bags, but I like to share them anyway. Opening the packet is always fun; it's almost like a fortune cookie, but the tea tastes way better!