WhatKnot

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2010-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hark! I have some dissimilar pieces of information to compile for a blog post!

Mama's bag...

Although she's not technically a mama (yet), I made this purse for my BFF from Soulemama's newest craft book. Such an easy, instant gratification kind of project. My fave. I used some thrifted heavy-weight fabric for the outer material and...had enough left over to cut out an EXACT MATCH for myself. Ahem. So my BFF's purse will have a BFF of its own.

Ducks...

From a trip to our wonderful, practically-backyard Rhodie garden.

And, home haircut...

Not as memorable as these haircuts (the latter, of which, Tracey so graciously recalled for me. Thanks Tracey!) But Holden's been growing his hair out for yikes, well over a year?? I cut off 8 inches, not quite the 10 inches that we hoped he had for Locks of Love. But oh well...there's always next year (he decided to grow his hair out again, after a mere 5 minutes post-haircut).

Some things never, ever change around this Whatknot household...

Quilt for a Babe

2010-03-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Here's how blogging's been going lately: I sit down, write a few lines about this, that, who, how and why and then run out of steam, dwindle, drop the ball, FLOP!

And here's how crafting's been going lately: I have an idea, a very bright and fantastical idea that wakes me up at 5:45am and beckons me downstairs to sketch, color, sketch some more, overthink, yawn, yearn for my pillow, and then FLOP! Yet again.

It is a theme, for sure. But I'm embracing my flops and forging forward.

This quilt is for a sweet new little baby boy named Emmett. An incredibly cute and nibble-worthy baby. Nine months in the making (the quilt, not the baby) (well technically, I guess the baby, too) with loops and linen and splashes of color to keep him cozified.

And now, I must rest my brains in preparation for my early morning crafty wake-up call. g'night!

begin and end again

2010-01-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hello blog. It's a new year and I have thoroughly and shamelessly neglected you. Truth is, life never really returned to "normal" after our move...and I'm finding that "normal" is not high priority these days anyway. "Keeping calm and carrying on" is more our style, however trendy and cliche it may be, so we're going with that until life resumes a new normal, whatever that may be.

But! I continue to craft and have things to show and tell. Like these, the last of the Twelve Square quilting bee installments.

The first is for Jona. She asked that a selvage be included in her citrusy/tropical themed block, so I popped that Amy Butler into the design. The colors make me pine for a summer fruit salad. Yum.

The second is for Chris. Her instructions were to "row" the vintage fabrics that she supplied, asking that any additional fabric be white or vintage. I loved that each of the fabrics she supplied had some play of white, so just added the strips on the left to follow that theme.

And voila! 12 square is complete. I loved working on this project with this amazing group of women. There are murmurs of continuing the project after a bit of a break this year, so I look forward to more bee-ing.

Giving thanks

2009-11-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

Blessings abound in our little corner of the world today.

Happy T day to you, yours (and mine!). (Banner was inspired by this beautiful creation.)

A new blogger in the mix

2009-11-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

After a few conversations about the whys and hows and whats of writing, a certain little someone has decided to start his own blog (especially after noting the lack of Indiana Jones, Lego and reptile references on my blog...ahem).

So, without further ado, I present to you: Holden's Frog Blog (a collection of thoughts on the life of a five-and-3-quarter-year-old).

note: the phonetic spelling is kinda fun to decipher. He "writes" until his thoughts run too far ahead of his hunt & peck skills, and then I decode and take dictation. Emergent blogging skills, if you will...

Into fall...

2009-11-09T21:05:00.001-08:00

...because I'm finally accepting that summer has ended.

So, a few pics to show what we've been up to this lovely Fall season.

And a few images that are threatening to inspire a Fall-y quilt.

And glory be to the supreme goddess of craft, I'm finally getting back into a crafty groove (fingers crossed that it sticks). But not before I share pics of Indiana Jones and his trusty chicken...

And now...onto crafting!

Summer revisited -- bullfrog roundup

2009-10-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

Some images from our recent bullfrog roundup -- a day spent amongst the reeds, muck, cloudbursts and sparkling waters of Whitaker Ponds.

Organized by Portland Parks and Rec, the intent was to gather American Bullfrogs, an invasive, non-native bully of the ponds, so that the native species have a chance to thrive. The frogs are either donated to the zoo (mountain lion lunch) or kept by PP&R for educational purposes.

So with nets in hand and waders on feet, we headed toward the murky waters of frogdom. The day cooperated by providing wonderful lighting for us photo-oppers, but the frogs must have caught wind of our frog-napping intentions as the group only caught one feeble-looking, bug-eyed little guy.

Or, quite possibly, their little tympanic membranes picked up the thunderous, giggly approach of excited frog-catchers and they decided to lay low and watch the antics of the day.

Smart frogs.

My Summer Blog Vacation

2009-10-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that we are indeedily residing in our new home amongst our finally-unpacked old stuff, and thought it apt to share some highlights of my impromptu and extended (ahem) summer blog vacation. To get my rickety typing fingers back in shape, I thought I'd play catch up for a few days here, so bear with me while I delve back into summer memories (while the outside temps steadily creep toward winter...)

So here's a bit of what we've been up to:

Cooking,

Canning,

and Mudpie-making...

In other words...Sustaining!

The blues

2009-07-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm casting a feeble little "hi, i'm here" wave from behind the remaining boxes awaiting to be unpacked. I'm almost there, and can see the glimmer of craft-time hope in my newly adorned and adored craft room at the end of the tunnel. Must. Push. On....

But I decided to take a "break" today for some blueberry picking, sans kiddos. A friend and I headed south-ish to a little farm tucked into the corner of Hubbard, OR, a true treasure trove of perfectly sun-kissed blue beauties waiting to be picked.

And picked we did, 3 1/2 hours worth ending up with 26 pounds each! Aside from my friend getting stung in the face by a yellow jacket(!), we had a truly lovely time amongst the berries.

So now, I shall add to my not-so-short to-do list the task of putting these little blue beauties by. A task I'm all too happy to undertake. And then, back to the boxes!

Signing off

2009-07-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

The fixtures are in, the walls are painted and the van is reserved....we are moving!! But not until I share one last completed project before the craft room is packed up: Sarah's quilt block for 12 square.

I adore all these prints and picture the perfect summer quilt or picnic blanket once it's complete (but that's up to Sarah, of course).

Please excuse me for a bit while I pack up and fly off to our new location. I'll check back in when we're settled in our new nest. Happy 4th of July summer bbq apple & cherry pie firework wishes to everyone!!!

Slightly past due

2009-06-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is my craft book challenge project for May. Finished in June. And LATE June at that.

Yes, I’m behind. And even though I’m probably the only person holding myself accountable, I still feel guilty. And to make matters worse, I don’t even own this craft book. Just had it on loan from the library (that counts, right???)

Anyway, this is the Mendocino dress from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. Such a fast, easy and FUN project. And to make it even faster and easier (and funner) I used a vintage pillowcase to bypass the tasks of hemming and side-seaming. Every little bit helps, right? It was perfectly sized for Esme’s 3yo little self and will likely be wearable well into her 4yo + 5yo days.

Let’s just say, getting a picture of her sitting still was the hardest part of this project.

Ahem.

The little capris, Esme’s summer wardrobe staple, are from this sweet etsy shop.

I heart this little dress so, so much. And luckily, my twirly, skippy, moving target of a daughter does too.

Excuse me, there's a quail in my quilt

2009-06-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yay, we're back! Just in time for mini quilt Monday.

This is the placemat made for this fabulously fun swap. But since it's quilted and it's mini, I think it qualifies as a mini quilt (right?)

Holden picked the quailie bird and I picked the summery colors and prints in honor of solstice.

As expected, a week of frolicking in the desert without the web did me good. We turned over rocks and found baby scorpions (ick), we explored a homestead site at the High Desert Museum, and I read this book in 3 days. And now, I have a pile of laundry and blog reading to attend to.

Happy Monday!

This will be good for me

2009-06-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

We're running away to the desert. OK not so much running, as visiting, and we were invited. I'll be without internet access for a week or so, so I'm bringing books, some hand sewing and a positive attitude. We're also bringing the contents of our CSA bin because even desert visitors need fresh veggies.

Oh and these are completely unrelated pictures of our day at Oaks Park. And yes, that's my daredevil daughter riding the rollercoaster while Holden and I stayed on the safety of flat, non-turbulent ground.

She can only aspire (because she's too short to ride)

Anyway, here's what became of last week's veggies:

Scapes: Goat cheese + scape grilled pizza. Good in concept, but I did something entirely wrong with the scapes because they came out very, very not tender. Sad, because I think that was our only allotment.

Potatoes: Oven potato fries, a kid favorite.

Cauliflower: Sauteed with indian spices. YUM.

Basil: Pesto, and some in lentil pasta.

Everything else was either eaten raw in salads & such (lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, onions) or inhaled on the spot (strawberries, snap peas).

This week we received:
more peas + strawberries (yay!)
kale
zucchini
broccoli
potatoes (yukon gold)
parsley
salad mix
carrots
beets

And...we're off. Have a lovely week everyone!!

Sneak Peek

2009-06-11T21:30:00.001-07:00

Shhhhhhh, it's a suprise!

for this swap...

I hope my partner likes it. A small bird shall be flying her way very soon!

eat pizza + save the earth

2009-06-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you're in Portland, and like pizza, and like the earth, be sure to eat at the Hawthorne Hotlips pizza on Sunday, June 21 (aka, Father's day). Hotlips has committed 100% of their sales that day to reduce their carbon footprint. Eat pizza, save the earth. Can it be any easier?

If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, check out the genius that is carrotmob.

Endings and starts

2009-06-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Today was the end of year celebration at Holden’s preschool. He got a little verklempt on the way home when the true meaning of “last day of school” finally sunk in. But, promises of a blossoming summer and keeping in touch with preschool friends cheered him up.

On the other end of the spectrum, we picked up our first beloved CSA box of the season today. It’s overflowing with promise of fresh, local, organic veggie-inspired meals. I’m most excited to try some veggieness on the grilled pizzas we’ve been ~~obsessed with~~ consuming in very large quantities lately. I’m thinking garlic scape and goat cheese pizza tomorrow…that is, if I can keep my little garlic scape lover from eating them all first.

So with preschool behind us and a box of veggie goodness at our feet, I’m excited to embark on another season of Veg Friday. Like last season, I’ll attempt to document our fearless journey through CSA veggie-eating whilst conjuring up clever Veg Friday post titles each week (aka, the hard part). This year we’re receiving a full share of veggies rather than a half, but we’ve forgone planting a garden in favor of finishing our house renovation so I think it will all balance out in the end.

Once again, I’m determined to see No Veggie Left Behind (or, put in the compost pile). Care to join me?

In the bin this week:
Red leaf lettuce
Carrots
Cucumbers
Snap peas
Basil
Sweet onions
Garlic scapes (aka whistles)
‘Red gold’ new potatoes
Cauliflower
Strawberries

Today

2009-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today we were anthropologists, discovering newly unearthed relics of ancient times.

Today we were civil engineers, creating intricate tricycle pathways through cities of ants and grass and moss.

Today we were rocket scientists, building towering spaceships that flew and blasted and fought faraway space wars.

Today we were “antemologists” (as holden coined), studying the habits and antics of tiny creatures.

Today we were poets, physicists, storytellers, naturalists, lyricists and rulers of the world.

Today was a good day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Giveaway winner!

2009-06-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

Wow! So many super sweet comments on my giveaway, thanks! Random.org says Maricris from Zen Ventures is the winner:

Maricris Zen Mama said...: unoriginal or not, I love it! So please count me in!; 2:37 PM

Congrats, enjoy and happy June to everyone!!

SMS Giveaway day, the sequel

2009-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sew Mama Sew giveaway day: View blogs with awesome giveaways, comment, win. Easy peasy!

I'm being unoriginal and giving away another activity tote + crayon roll, same as last time. I had something else in mind but accidentally spent 6 hours at the zoo yesterday. So yes, I am shamelessly blaming the penguins and meerkats for my lack of originality.

I'll pick a random winner from comments on this post on Sunday, May 31st to win either the black floral or the spaceman activity tote pictured here, winner's choice. More pics/views of both totes & crayon rolls are in my shop.

Good luck! And, be sure to check out the other giveaway goodness via SMS!

Mini quilt monday

2009-05-25T07:34:00.001-07:00

It's Monday in May which can only mean one thing: it's time for another mini quilt, of course.

I call this one "ode to vintage fabric" because that pile of vintage fabrics in my craft room doesn't get used quite as often as it should.

The big blocks on the front are my all-time favorite print (right now) and I have a couple large panels of the same fabric destined to become curtains in my new craft room.

I plan on hanging this little quilt on the wall, to be all matchy-matchy with the curtains.

That is, if a small fish doesn't claim it first!

Happy day, all!

Goats (not bugs)

2009-05-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

That bug picture was creeping me out so I'm posting a few shots from our goat farm adventure today. Goats trump bugs anyday.

We had goat milk ice cream: super yummy! It doesn't taste goat-y at all!

I adore goats and their unfussy, aloof ways. I always thought it would be fun to have one roaming around, nibbling the lawn, keeping us all in check. But I learned today that they are browsers, not grazers as I thought (they prefer to snack on the tips of woody shrubs and leaves). Bummer. Seems sheep are the lawn mowers and I'm not a big fan of the sheep sooooo, livestockless we will remain for the time being (although I've been eyeing some mighty fine chicken coops around blogland lately. Hmmmmm....)

Happy weekend everyone!

Name that pupa

2009-05-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

...or larva or chrysalis or whatever heck form of baby bug it may be.

We found it in the yard today, buried in the moist ground. It's a little over an inch long, dark red in color and has a hard, armor-like shell that ~~makes your skin crawl~~ makes you really super enthusiastic about researching this little backyard neighbor of ours!

It took all my courage to take these pictures and as I type, I'm trying my hardest not to get overtaken by the eebie jeebies. I'm not a fan of the bugs.

We've half-heartedly poured through our insect field guide but all these little critters look the same (I'm sorry, I hope that doesn't sound insect-ist of me). Any bug enthusiasts out there that know what this thing is?

Cookie meatballs + quilt blocks

2009-05-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

After reading Mary Beth's post yesterday and noticing that "make cookies" mysteriously appeared on our day's to-do list (ahem), I decided it was time to take the Clean Food Cookie plunge. Or make "meatball cookies" as Holden later declared them.

Ahh, that's a better, non-meatball-y shot (somewhat).

I was so glad to see the footnote about using unsweetened carob chips because I have an overflowing jar-full that I mistakenly bought awhile back and haven't been able to coerce my kids into eating. But it looks like chocolate!!!???? No dice from my chocolate purist children.

I changed a couple things. Ok, that's not true -- I changed a lot of things, but the cookies are still the same in spirit, right?

used white whole wheat flour

swapped cardamom for the cinnamon

used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 canola oil

used brown sugar instead of maple syrup (didn't have any on hand, otherwise I'm all about the maple syrup)

used pecans instead of walnuts

used unsweetened carob chips instead of the chocolate

The sweet, patient cookies stood up to all my wacky changes (whew) and are delicious.

In crafty news, I finished Kathryn's requested 9-patch block for 12 square,

and here is the state of my 12 square quilt. I arranged the blocks on my bed (ala Kristina) and am trying to figure out what color sashing to use, if any. Any suggestions? It's a little confusing with my bedspread down there in the lower left and the light solid is blue, not white.

Speaking of blocks, here's a teeny peek at a quilt that I've started for a very special someone. Working with these fabrics instantly raises my spirits because who can be grumpy around these colors?

improvements

2009-05-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

Good (in theory).

Better (but still makes me wince, even in pictures).

Best!

Have a wonderful weekend, mothers and all!!

Craft Book Challenge: April (in May)

2009-05-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

Just in time for May, here is April’s Craft Book Challenge project: quilted coasters from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. And Last Minute they definitely were – I finished sewing them as a birthday gift for my BFF a half hour before she arrived. Whew.

These were so fun and easy, I’d highly recommend making them. The concentric quilting is mesmerizingly relaxing and the construction fast and easy. It took me less than an hour to make 4 coasters (not counting the humming and hawing over the perfect fabric choice for BFF).

The only part I struggled with was inserting the batting into the sewn fabric pocket. This would probably be easy for normal people, but I go bonkers over dreaded tasks like putting the comforter inside the duvet cover. Once I finally decided to listen to that annoying voice in my head that said, “it’s just a coaster. Leave it be” things improved. And those little bumps and tucks disappear once it’s quilted anyway. Yeah, I need to listen to that little voice of reason more often.

Anyway, BFF hearted them and agreed that I should have a matching pair, so I’ll definitely be revisiting this pattern.

Happy birthday, sweet goil. And go fuzzballs!!

edgefield

2009-04-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your sweet anniversary wishes. We had a wonderful day amongst the fairy gardens and brew pubs of McMenamin's Edgefield. I'm already looking forward to next year's visit. And the next and the next and the next.....

It was a pretty drippy day outside, but I did manage to catch a few shots of the grounds. Edgefield is truly a magical place.

We had the pleasure of seeing wilco play there a couple summers back and we have tickets for deathcab for cutie this summer. I couldn't stop pestering the staff for information about the rock stars that stay there. [So, for the curious...there is a rock star VIP area. No need to show up the morning after the concert in hopes of breakfasting next to Chris Isaak] [Not that I was thinking of doing that] [ahem].

So anyway, the day: we didn't reminisce about the past, we didn't plan for the future, we just steeped in the pleasure of the present -- and I do mean "steeped" quite literally, as the grounds boast an outdoor heated soaking pool. Think 102 degree chemical-free 3-foot deep pool that meanders through an oasis of beautifully landscaped stillness.

Yes, we spent quite a bit of time steeping. Morning, noon and night.

A quilt for a fish

2009-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Esme declared this a quilt for her fish, Bloop. Meet Bloop:

Who could not love that squishy fishy face? I’ve had this mini quilt in the works for awhile now but just needed that extra little kick-in-the-pants to get it done, which A Stitch in Dye is so graciously providing with Mini Quilt Monday (thank you, malka!).

So, mini quilt it is. The triangles are cut from a disappearing nine-patch that never quite made its way to the quilting table.

The binding is my all-time favorite binding fabric that adds that tiny touch of coral which every fish needs.

I wish I’d used a different color bobbin thread for the back. It’s a really light blue which is barely discernible, even up close. It just looks brash white (I need to consult my paint color chips for the perfect brash white description). Anyway, It’s too contrast-y for my liking.

But bloop is not picky (well, not with his quilts at least) so he will take it, overly contrast-y lines and all.

And I do realize that I'm a little premature with the whole Monday thing, but Brian and I are heading to this fantastical place, sans children, to celebrate our 7 year anniversary. Seven wonderful years, nary an itch to be had!

Nutty Hippy Hummus

2009-04-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Holden weighed in at 5% for weight at his 5yo check up last week. He’s been in the string bean category his whole life so his doctor isn’t worried, but his poor mama worries constantly. Both kids will eat fruits and veggies until the cows come home, but instantly turn their cute little button noses up at anything resembling a calorie.

So I’ve been relying heavily these days on our old standbys: peanut butter and hummus (not together).

I thought I’d share my super easy fast & yummy hummus recipe in case you have little protein snubbers as well (or, if you just so happen to like hummus)

But first, I must share these conversations between Holden and his nurse because they had me laughing off that tiny chair in the pediatrician’s office.

Nurse (in sing-songy nurse-talking-to-preschooler voice): Can you count to ten?
Holden (in exasperated why-is-she-asking-me-this voice): onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten. What’s that thing around your neck?
N: It’s a stethoscope. Can you draw a triangle in the air with your finger?
H: (drawing triangle in air with finger) What’s a thethostope do?
N: It listens to your insides. How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
H: Two. My insides, like my brain? (pause) Did you hear that?
N: Hear what?
H: My thinking.
N: No. I can just hear things like your heart pumping and your lungs breathing.
H: Ok. Good. (!!!??? I was too afraid to ask)

And then later:

N: Can you dress yourself?
H: Yes.
N: Can you climb?
H: Yes.
N: Can you skip?
H: (pause) oh yeah: one…three…five…seven…nine…

OK, thanks for humoring me! Here’s the recipe!

Nutty Hippy Hummus

Handful of nuts (walnuts preferred but I’ve used pecans, almonds and cashews in a pinch)
Can of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed.
A couple glugs of olive oil
A clove of garlic (use more if you like garlic. my kids aren’t fond of it so I use it sparingly)
About 2 tsp curry powder

1. Process the nuts in the food processor for a couple seconds. I like to leave mine fairly large, like lentil-sized. Don’t process too much or you’ll get nut butter!
2. Take the nuts out!!! Don’t skip this step, otherwise you’ll have hummus-y nut butter.
3. Add the garbanzo beans, olive oil, garlic and curry powder. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. The trick to creamy hummus is water! Add a few tablespoons at a time and process until you get the desired consistency.
5. Stir the nuts back in and salt to taste.
5. Eat with chips, pita, celery, fingers…whatever.

And speaking of star wars (not), check these out. So Funny. MTFBWY and happy weekend!

Quilt Fest!

2009-04-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm joining in on Amy's fabulous idea of an online Quilt Festival today, sharing my favorite quilt.

I've written about it before here. But with time between, it remains my favorite.

These first little drawings of Holden's are still so magical to me. I wanted to preserve the memory of his memories of the world around his 3-year-old self: some birds from a field guide, his hand-held sister, a swirly snail, a little skeleton man...you know, all the important things in a 3yo's life.

We're not afraid to use this quilt: backyard picnics, zoo trips, an extra layer of warmth on a foggy day stroller ride. It's beginning to show the wear and tear of a much-loved quilt, which makes me love it even more.

And now, as little glimmers of big-headed, pokey-footed people and animals begin to appear on Esme's canvases, I'm beginning to dream up the colors and design for another favorite quilt as well...

I'm off to peek into some other favorite quilts in blogland. Be sure to join in, there are some great quilts to see and some great prizes to be had!

**Edited to add: This quilt was inspired by a similar one done by soulemama which I mentioned in my original blog post but felt I should add it here as well to give credit where it's due. OK, back to regular programming...

Random desert ramblings

2009-04-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all. We are in Central OR, breaking away from the not-so-fast pace of city life to give the hubby some one-on-one time with our not-yet-finished house renovation because I oh-so-badly want to move in. OH so badly.

I forgot my camera cable thing-y otherwise I’d be showing scenes of desert life, mainly us all snugged up indoors while the weather outside has a freakout. We planned on leaving tomorrow but I’m terrified of snowy mountain driving so may stay an extra day or two…or seven depending on the elements. I really hate driving in snow.

I don’t have my crafty provisions here, but I’m having fun vignette-ing with Photoshop (thanks Tracy for the tip!) Recognize those socks, steph? Yes, they’re yours and no, you can’t have them back. I'm holding them ransom until you hang out with me again :-P

I have been semi-productive: I wrote a letter to Martha Stewart informing her that the recent smattering of High Fructose Corn Syrup ads in her magazines are definitely not a “good thing” and that I’m willing to discontinue my ~~love affair~~ subscription if the ads continue. Needless to say, I’m not holding my breath on this one. But knowing that my subscription dollars are supporting an industry that I very strongly disagree with…well, I’m just not feeling the MS Living love anymore. I’ll let you know if she writes back (riiiiiiiight).

And speaking of crafty love, I’m excited to participate in Amy’s virtual quilt festival next week. Check it out, and join in if you have a favorite quilt + story!

just because

2009-04-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

our tea party needed more color.

we have a winner

2009-04-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you, sweet peeps, for the quilt love! And now, onto the apron winner........

RNG says it's Lia! (check out Lia's wee wonderful make-along doll, so cute!)

Lia, please email me your mailing address and I'll pop this into the mail asap. Picture of apron-wearing husband is optional, of course.

And now, I'm off to see Handmade Nation with a crafty cohort of mine. But not until we're properly happy houred first.

Happy weekend, all!!!

Emmy's Quilt

2009-04-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get too overly excited about a new quilt when 1) you have to give it away and 2) your 3yo was up for 3+ hours in the middle of the previous night. But here I am, semi-awake with a done quilt to show off. (Please excuse any brash grammatical insults, I'm running purely on caffeine today)

This is the finished auction quilt, sortof the quilt-y offspring of this quilt and this quilt. It's going to a sweet little artist named Emmy.

I'm kindof in love with the mary engelbreit backing material which just may showcase itself as a sundress or spring skirt in the near future. I hope that it, along with the flowery binding fabric, adds that extra magical something that little girls fall in love with.

But my favorite part of this project was the help I received in making it. Holden's getting pretty good at machine sewing (with a box under the foot pedal, so cute!) so I let him help with quilting the straight(ish) lines. Esme was in charge of transferring the pins to their pincushion home and measuring herself repeatedly with the tape measure. It truly takes a village, people.

Esme was a little bummed that this quilt wasn't for her. She requested one just like it for her new room which elicited a happy dance from me since I plan on hanging this quilt on her wall. It's not often that I'm one step ahead of her, so I'll give a little woot here. Woot!

And thanks for all the apron love! Check back tomorrow when I'll be drawing a random winner from the magical RNG machine...

March Project -- Check (and giveaway!!!)

2009-03-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Modeled here by my patient and all-too-willing husband is the Cup Half Full apron from Anna Maria Horner's Seams to Me, March's Craft Book Challenge submission.

And then everyone else wanted to get in on the modeling action.

The pattern was awesome, as is the rest of the book. My only issue was figuring out where the 1/2 inch seam allowance line is one my sewing machine. (Hint: it's the 4/8 line. Coffee would’ve helped with that monumental insight.)

I love this apron but after making it, I had a ding ding ding moment: I really don't wear aprons.

I adore them from afar. I collect vintage ones. But apron-donning is not my thing.

So, if any kind, caring apron-wearing readers out there happen to fancy this apron, leave me a comment and it may be yours. It needs a good home! I'll draw a random winner at the end of the week and mail it out to you in time to bake up a storm of easter bunny cookies (or whatever your little baking heart desires!)

on colors

2009-03-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

This picture denotes our current knee-deep-in-paint-samples status around here. We're picking colors for our new-to-us, soon-to-be-moved-into house and it looks like Benjamin Moore threw up in our dining room. Picking colors for one or two rooms is frustrating and stressful, but in a fun way. Picking colors for a whole entire house, inside and out, is pure idiocy.

The funnest part has been reading through all the paint names. I admit, I gravitate toward (and yes, sometimes choose) paint colors based on their charming/witty/snarky names, like rectory red, wasabi and enlighten mint. Sadly though, our chosen trim color will be the inaptly named 'mayonnaise.' Just, ick!

I'm lucky enough to have one small room dedicated to crafting and thought this would be the easiest to choose a color for, but its not. I've flipped and flopped between most of the brazenly bold colors that scream to me from the palette sheet: "pick ME! I'm original and unique and so unlike cream and sage and sky blue! I promise not to repulse or annoy you or decrease your resale value," but I don't believe them one bit.

My husband keeps having to remind me that we're choosing room colors, not quilt colors. But wouldn't life be so much more interesting if we painted our homes like we design our quilts? I wonder if Ben Moore would be interested in a "Craftgirl Crazy" line?

OK, enough about paint. But before I return to the insanity of picking a porch ceiling color, let me leave you with a list of my favorite paint color names so far (and be sure to let me know if you have any good ones I've missed!)

Arsenic
Sweet marzipan
Heirloom quilt
Approaching dusk
Dried chervil
Blackened (which is a very light gray)
Elephant's breath
Dead salmon (I kid you not)
Ointment pink
Pale hound
Gervase yellow
Sulfur
Antique glassware...

...and my all time favorite...

Smoking pants (ok, I'm kidding. my husband made this one up!)

mom, can you knit this for me?

2009-03-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

pretty please? (i adore this. from here).

OK I haven't just been goofing around on the internet all day. I did manage to complete Tracy's block for 12 square.

I loved all her fabric choices, warm grays with pops of color, but I stressed out a bit on the design. She asked for some textural elements so I cut and sewed strips of the light grey, included some raw edges from the linen and rust fabrics and incorporated the silver embroidery thread that the fabric stacks were tied up with when they arrived.

I loved working on this block, I hope she likes it!

for fun, see here

2009-03-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Not sure how/where/why I found it, but this site is my latest ~~waste of time~~ obsession (just start clicking colors on the palette). If you like fiddling with colors and checking out a multitude of cool flickr pics, take a peek. But please don't go there if you value things like being productive. It's not the place for you.

Consider yourself warned ;-)

Bad hair day

2009-03-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

If you have curly hair, take heed...

...if remote control helicopters are overhead.

Yet another case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong hair texture.

Family of faces

2009-03-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is my brother with his newest freaky beard-thing. I love that he always has a new facial hair-do every time I see him. He even has names for them. He told me the name for this one but I was too intently focused on the big beard-void in the middle of his face to hear him.

He was even nice enough to try making little curly ends on his mustache at my request but we didn’t have any mustache wax so used lansinoh instead.

Turns out, lansinoh is not an appropriate substitute for mustache wax (go figure).

This is the face of someone who hasn’t napped in 3 days. Esme is ready to enthusiastically throw her afternoon nap to the wind.

Not pictured: my very unenthused face over saying farewell to afternoon craft time.

Finally, the mud-splattered face of a very happy boy after a rainy day bike ride. Boy + bike + rain = all is right with the world.

And one last peek at the ‘face’ of this quilt before it’s backed, quilted and bound…the home stretch!

on my sewing table

2009-03-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

More red-threaded embroideries destined for quilt-dom. I've mentioned that I'm predictable, right? I offered to make a custom quilt similar to this one for a school auction. The winner provided the drawings (well, her daughter did) and chose the colors/style of this quilt. So light blue linen and red embroidery thread: we meet again. Mwah, ha haaaaaa.

I love tracing and embroidering children's artwork. With the multitude of big-headed stick figures I receive on a daily basis, I sometimes forget to appreciate the clean, simple line and form that the under 5 crew are capable of. Check out this sunflower:

Isn't that SO a sunflower? I love it.

And for the grandparental reader types: playing hide and seek with a 3-year old, for your amusement:

this little squirrel...

2009-02-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

…along with a friendly hedgehog and a pair of the cutest little red booties ever will be making their way to a sweet little one soon. I wish I could meet this colorful little lady, but will just have to trust that she’s amazingly adorable (and really, I have no doubt about that).

These woodland friends also complete February’s quota for Craft Book Challenge (just in time!). Although I veered from the original project ever-so-slightly, the embroidered onesies are from Alicia Paulson’s Stitched in Time. I had the pleasure of meeting lovely Alicia at a book signing recently and seeing many of the beautiful creations from the book firsthand, so I’ve been itching to get going on this project.

The embroidery patterns are Sublime Stitching’s Forest Friends (extra credit for using an embroidery pattern?). And the little booties + pouch are from Tiny House (her shop is freshly stocked with LOTS of cute new stuffs – check it out!)

And now, onto March!

birthdays & such

2009-02-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Holden’s fifth birthday. If you told me five years ago that my sweet little newborn with his punchy little arms and kicky little legs would someday be five, I would not have believed you. I probably wouldn’t have understood you anyway due to sleep deprivation.

Sunday was Esme’s third birthday. Ditto on the disbelief that my sweet, sleepy newborn would be three someday. In the three days that she’s been three, she’s already had a lifetime’s worth of tantrums and nuclear meltdowns. I remember this when Holdden turned three, too. What is it about turning three that makes people insane (but incredibly cute)?

The top hit birthday gifts this year were: 1. a thriftstore-bought kid-sized sewing machine that doesn’t work quite right 2. a set of thriftstore-bought screwdrivers to take apart said sewing machine (when the novelty of trying to make it work wears off) and 3. brian’s old legos, complete with already-constructed-by-childhood-bri spacecars and other lego-y contraptions.

Random: there’s a spider living in the dashboard of our car. I’ll get a funny feeling like someone’s staring at me while I’m driving and I’ll look down to find Herman staring up at me. I named him to reduce the creepy factor.

Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! Now that birthdays are out of the way, I'm shifting back to craft and cooking mode and can't wait to peruse my two new bday gifts. And I haven't forgotten about Craft Book Challenge. Nosiree. I have Feb's project done and a post all thunk up in my head, just gotta get them out the door. It's a race to the end of the month!

a short list

2009-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

1. today's my bday

2. we just returned from a 3-day getaway at the coast

3. if you ask holden about it, he'll tell you about the sharks at the oregon coast aquarium and the dead bird on the beach

4. if you ask esme about it, she'll tell you that she slept in a bunk bed and threw up all Saturday night (but feels better now)

5. aside from a slight debacle involving our mini van and a tree, it was an amazing weekend

6. if you ask me about it, I’ll tell you that we need to get out of town more often.

Feb Soup Swap

2009-02-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Poor blog. You are so bottom-of-the-list these days. I promise to return to you as soon as the to-do list starts containing less life changing items. But for now, bear with me as we're rearranging our life plan yet again (we do this every few years, no worries).

But soup! Soup shall always remain up there with the most important things in life (filed under 'soul sustenance').

So, to participate in Jessica's Soup Swap, and to assure everyone that we're still alive and well, I shall share a family favorite: Mushroom barley soup (I have this annoying suspicion that I've already shared this recipe but am too lazy to search through my blog archives) adapted from my beloved go-to-first Moosewood Cookbook.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1/2 cup raw pearled barley
6 1/2 cups chicken stock (I use handmade or better than bouillon)
3-4 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
3 tbsp butter
1 clove minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
handful of kale (optional)
1 plop of pesto (optional)

Cook the barley in 1 1/2 cups of the stock right in the soup kettle (love that term 'soup kettle!') until tender.
Add remaining stock and tamari.

Meanwhile, saute onions until translucent in butter (about 8-10 minutes). Add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Add mushrooms. When they're tender and have released some of their liquid, add to barley, being sure to include the liquid from the pan. Simmer 15 minutes over low heat. Add greens and pesto and simmer for 5 more minutes or until greens are wilted to your liking.

Salt to taste.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out the other yummy-sounding participants over on Turkey Cookies!

Feb is Good

2009-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure what happened to January, but one good thing about it almost being February is that it’s my month for the Twelve Square quilting bee!!! Squeal!!!!

These little stacks will be making their way to the other Twelve Square Bee-ers very soon, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what becomes of them.

I tried not to overthink the fabric choices, as I love doing. I walked through the enormity of fabric depot, took deep breaths and waited for the right fabric to yell out “I’m The One!!”

Well, there were many waves and whistles and downright brazen displays of fabric-y goodness, but in the end I went with this simple amy butler print combined with a pretty robin egg’s blue solid. Props to me for not going pattern crazy, as I also love doing, and for not having a meltdown in the middle of FD [patting myself on the shoulder]. I added a graphic-y green, a plum-y floral and thrifted pinky-plum solid from my stash as well as those vintage pink florals. I think those little pinks would look cute nestled inside log cabins, but haven't decided if I want to theme it out yet... hmm...

Feb is good for other reasons too: one month closer to spring, the kids’ Bdays, my Bday and a new edition of Blue Yonder’s Book of Days, which we’re enjoying immensely! (more on that soon!)

Happy weekend, all!!!

for the love of craft books

2009-01-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

I’m a craft book junky. I blame it mostly on blog chatter but Powell’s cleverness of displaying the newest, most must-have-est craft books of the season right at their entrance gets me every time. So much potential behind those beckoning, high-gloss covers. So, so much cute stuff waiting to be made and given and had.

But alas, I confess…I’ve never completed one single project from my repository of craft books. Not one. I’ve gleaned ideas and earmarked and added many a project to many a list but have never actually sat down and followed a project from page to page.

Shamey, I know. Because if I devoted the ginormous amount of time and love and patience that quite obviously goes into writing a craft book, I’d be pretty pissed (or hurt or bewildered) if the purchaser did not take the time to sew one stinkin thing out of it.

So…sew I shall! Once a month, in fact, out of my very own collection of craft books. Mostly ones I already own but I’m saving a few slots for some books that are due out this year (and that I’m already giddy with excitement to get my crafty little hands upon) OR that may be unearthed and rediscovered once we get our stuff out of storage. It’s all about justification here, people.

Since January is more than halfway done I picked an easy-ish one to start off with: Heidi the Headband from Bend the Rules Sewing. It’s little, I know…but it’ll get my rusty, atrophied sewing muscles warmed up for some bigger tackles.

Headbands are most difficult to photograph, especially when sitting atop the head of the photo-grapher. I will try it again with a more willing subject, as I have a second one underway for Esme. So just trust me that it’s adorable and easy and if you have this book…go sew a headband (or ten) and see for yourself. Like now!

Go!!!! (and, please join me in my crafty adventure if you’d like!)

piecing it all together

2009-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

I've been quiet, I know. Nothing's seemed very blog-worthy lately unless you count Holden's newest realization that he can smell differently from each nostril...he's binostrilous, we decided.

My super-smeller turns 5 next month which means we need to decide which schooling path we want to follow...public, private, home? And within each of those, which is the right choice for us? Too many options, I'm overwhelmed. It's especially frustrating because I feel like we've already made the decision in our minds to homeschool, but we keep revisiting, reevaluating and revising our plan once new information arises. I don't do well with decisions, but I do even worse with indecision.

And of course, my brain is too consumed with indecision to create. It's one-tracked, I suppose, at least for now. I did manage to get one thing done, though...

This is my latest installment for Twelve Square. It's for Leslie, who I've enjoyed getting to know via her very cool blog. I loved her fabric choices: so bright and cheerful. I can almost taste the rainbow sherbet-y color scheme and only added that one tiny bit of gingham because I was tickled that it matched all her fabrics.

I enjoyed this project. I kept in mind what I wanted the finished product to look like, cut the individual pieces and let them fall as they may into their places. I wish all my decision making could be that easy!

Soup Swapping

2009-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's definitely soup weather around here, so I'm excited to participate in Jessica's soup swap again.

This is one of our favorite tummy-warming soups from the Martha Stewart website. I don't have a pic, so check out the website for visuals. And I can attest to the fact that this soup really is as pretty as pictured, even without the matching edamame-colored napkins (she's so perfect!)

Edamame Corn Chowder
(I stay pretty true to the recipe except for a couple of small tweaks, italicized here)

Ingredients:
:: 3 slices bacon (4 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (I use pepper bacon from the meat counter for extra bacon yum factor)
:: 1 medium onion, chopped
:: 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I use homemade stock if I have it or better than bouillon)
:: 1 red potato (6 ounces), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
:: 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (I make a bouquet garni with whatever herbs I have laying around + a few peppercorns)
:: 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
:: 1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn
:: 1/2 cup half-and-half
:: Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

2. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, potato, and Italian seasoning. Simmer until potato is just tender, about 8 minutes.

3. Stir in edamame, creamed corn, and half-and-half; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until edamame are tender, about 8 minutes. Serve chowder sprinkled with crumbled bacon.

Join in and/or visit some other soup sharing blogs here, and have a happy, warm-tummied day!

pre-day ramblings

2009-01-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

It's 2:30am and I can't sleep. I suppose folding the mountain of laundry that's glaring at me from the corner would bore my restless brains back to sleep, but instead I think I'll blog about my dinner. Ahh, brussell sprouts...

I tried out this recipe from 101 cookbooks the other night, and swooned. It's fairly fast and easy but must be served still steaming hot otherwise the potatoes get weird and the bru spros get chewy (hence, it was made after the kiddums were in sleepy-lands). I omitted the mint sauce, added goat cheese and used pre-bought, pre-cooked beluga lentils from trader joes (the same ones atop these little vehicles of yum). Oh and fresh, high quality ingredients made a big difference, even down to the salt.

Speaking of salt... That cute little blue labeled bottle came from this amazing store on a recent rare afternoon outing sans childrens. The Meadow specializes in chocolate, wine, flowers and finishing salts, a place I'd love to be accidentally locked in overnight to really understand the difference between the contents of all these pretty, pretty bottles (because I admit, my palate is not sophisticated enough to discern all the lovely tastes that these salts supposedly boast).

And don't even get me started on the wall of chocolate. oh my.

And now, I've bored myself with this, my first food-related post of '09 and calmed my mind perusing this lovely new endeavor to attempt sleep.

'night!

belated

2009-01-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

I meant to stop by sooner and wish everyone health and happiness in the new year but the gods of internet connections had other plans. So please accept a belated happy new year wish from me and many, many thanks for stopping by my blog this year and being such a swell bunch of online pals!

So…the new year. We don’t make resolutions around here because that word scares me, but we do make goals for the year. A ~~nosy~~ inquisitive grocery store clerk asked the difference and all I could come up with was – a goal is a gentle, more forgiving resolution…something to work toward rather than feel guilty about breaking come February (for me, at least). She wasn’t convinced and I wanted to scream, “just let me have my goals miss grocery store lady and leave me alone.” But, I didn’t do that because atop my list is “be more patient and kind” (stolen from last year’s list…and the year before…ahem).

Following "be patient" are all the usual suspects: drink more water, lose 10 lbs, think up more creative bowling names, learn to knit, blah blah blah. But here are some other, fun-ish ones that I’m excited about:

:: Wake up 1 hour before kids get up [ok, it’s not fun but it’s a follow-up item to last year’s “No TV.” I’m not a sadist, just need more me time. And I’ve already blown this one by sleeping until noon on New Year’s day]

:: Make our own soap

:: Improve photography skills

:: Homeschool for 1 year, then re-evaluate

:: Less big box store shopping [we’ve already cut this down a ton but “No big box store shopping” sounded unrealistic as I couldn’t come up with a viable solution for buying our socks & underpants. But avoiding the cutesy woodland creature decorations at Target? That I can do]

:: Take kids yurting

:: Do more canning/bulk buying/freezing/preserving

:: Write down usernames/passwords [OK this one is lame but I’m embarrassed to admit how much time I spend trying to remember this tedious but vital-to-my-blog-existence information when I’m automatically logged out of bloglines]

:: Eat 100% local produce throughout farmer’s market season (and anything else we can eat local without driving ourselves batty)

But first and foremost: to have a happy, healthy, and productive year and I wish you all the same!

oh, snow

2008-12-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

According to a certain, rather dramatic 4 ½ year old, today is the worst day ever because all the snow around here has melted. And after being blanketed in fluffy whiteness for a week or so, I’m also missing snow’s many personalities: feathery clumps falling swiftly into snowball and snowman-making ready piles; single dry poofs of intricately-flaked entangled masses; dart-shaped pellets of ice and snow combined.

I can’t say I miss everything about it (I admit, I haven’t driven our car since the first flurries appeared…I’m a wimp like that), but I’ll continue to romanticize its presence within our memory as Portland’s whitest Christmas ever.

As the snowfamilies melt and the city thaws and returns to its soggy, above-32 degree state, I’ll relish in the pictures and memories of our snow-filled holidays and hope for maybe a few more flurries this season…you know, to appease a little one’s wishes.

Checking (off) my list!

2008-12-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Snow falling…check!
One last minute stocking made for one small fuzzy family member…check!

Baking ingredients lined up, ready for duty…check!
Last minute items felting in the washing machine…check!

One slightly wonky hat crocheted for hatless husband...check!
Gifts wrapped and waiting in the sidelines for their morning debut…check!
Kids ready to explode with excitement...double check!

Other than searching down some catnip-laced stocking stuffers, we are good to go over here in the WhatKnot household. Here’s hoping your holidays are merry and bright (and full of catnip if that’s your schtick)!

xo & hohoho!

stockings hung

2008-12-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

Still snowing!

So I just keep on crafting.

Even kitty is overseeing some last minute gift-making (she's our official lap warmer).

The weather-peoples keep promising warmer temps just around the corner.

It will be a race between the warm, snow-melting temps and a whiter-than-Portland's-ever-seen Christmas.

Either way, we'll just keep on crafting, cookie-making and candyland-ing.

Because it's gotta stop sometime before July, right?...

...we shall see!

VLMS (very last minute shopping)

2008-12-19T22:55:00.000-08:00

Going on 6 days of the snow-melt-freeze dance and we’re starting to change our ‘let it snow’ tune around here. The grandparents arrived last night. Yay for back-up candyland players and online last-minute Christmas shopping. Speaking of which…

Check out these fabulous etsy vendors that I met at last weekend's craft show (all images are borrowed from each individual shop):

holden lee tees is a collaboration between a very clever mama and her 6-year-old son Holden(!) to incorporate his drawings and character bio’s into cute, silkscreened + appliqued t shirts. I love all the designs but decided on this one for my own dino- and robo-loving Holden.

better late than never makes jewelry out of vintage plastic doilies. I didn’t even know vintage plastic doilies existed, let alone that they could be made into such fracken cute jewelries. But, they do (and do!)

Namaste Works makes clay, mosaic and stained glass pieces and 10% of their sales go to Heifer Intl. I bought a little mantra, just for me.

Reimagined Musings
I happened to meet this supernice etsy vendor in the superlong, sanity-busting post office line when we were both shipping internationally. The kids were going postal, needless to say, so it was nice to have someone to keep my nerves in check. All her creations are made out of recycled junk mail…so cool!

ReThink Crafts makes super cute recycled sweater mittens and other items. I got a tote similar to the one pictured made out of a recycled sofa cover. It’s my new favorite bag, baby.

I chatted EclectiKid's ear off (or was it the other way around?) during some down-time. Cute cute CUTE designs. The toast guy says it all…

Yay handmade! Yay local! Yay, my Christmas shopping’s done!!!! (I have more non-Portland etsy treasures to share…next post!)

Wintering In

2008-12-15T22:06:00.001-08:00

The weather (and road conditions) outside are frightful
But candyland, hot cocoa and crafting are so delightful

And since we've no place to go
Let it snow let it snow let it snow

We're having an Arctic Blast! Here in Portland, we love our snowstorms so much that we name each one as well as shut down pretty much the whole city in honor of cuddling in...

Or, tricycling in our snowy backyards...

Or, simply watching the snowflakes fall...

Stay warm, be well and I hope your December days are filled with coziness!

this n that

2008-12-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

The feverish dash to the 25th begins!! And I do mean feverish literally as I'm recovering from my upteenth sinus infection of the year...tis the season!

A few things I'm thankful for:

2 1/2 -- I just love this age with all its excitedly incessant chatter. Esme enthusiastically exclaims as soon as I walk through the door, "I. got. the. ife. cream. cone...you. know?" in her sing-songy robot-like 2 1/2 year old way that assumes I know exactly what she's talking about when I usually don't. A quick glance around the Candyland-strewn room instantly updates me on her ramblings.

4 1/2 -- (ok, I pretty much like all the ages). Holden's ability to lose himself in imaginary dinosaur land for a 4 1/2-year-old eternity, which equals approximately 1 hour in craft time.

The beautiful collection of vintage fabric scraps from Kristena for December's 12 square block along with instructions to make a scrappy log cabin...my favorite quilty pasttime.

This bill moyers interview with michael pollan. I love pretty much everything mp says (except that he won't consider the secretary of agriculture position. sad face.)

Finding a home remedy for aforementioned sinus infection; rediscovering the wonderful feeling of breathing through my nose. ahhhh.

Esme's love for her big brother, which has recently translated into doing everything he does...including standing up to pee. Not too excited about cleaning up the aftermess, but any progress toward potty-learning is fine by me.

My etsy elves for updating my shop with new activity totes...and fabric depot for restocking my favorite Alexander Henry print (Leo the Lion, with his oh-so-soulful eyes). OK, the elves are on strike, so I'll be updating the shop myself sometime today-ish.

And finally, all the sweet new babies and babies-to-be announcements that are popping up in blogland lately which makes me want to add a new little baby of my own to my Christmas wish list this year (j/k, we're done)!

A Winner!!

2008-12-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Thank You, Thank You to everyone for visiting my little blog and leaving such lovely comments! Every single little email *ping* that came through gave me the warm n fuzzies. I read all the comments and appreciate each and every one.

To show my appreciation, I'm offering blog readers a 10% discount in my shop until Christmas. I have a pile of in-progress totes stacked aside my sewing machine and will be updating my shop (while also getting ready for another craft show next weekend, ack!). Just mention that you're a blog reader in the 'comments to seller' field and I'll extend a refund via paypal. Thanks to those of you that have placed orders, I've already processed your refunds. AND I'll most definitely be doing another giveaway, so please stop by again!

Ok, now onto the winner!

Congratulations to Katie!! If you're reading, Katie, please email your mailing address to melandbri (at) comcast (dot) net and I'll pop the tote in the mail asap.

Thanks again everyone, have a great weekend and please excuse me while I go check out all these lovely new blogs!

Giveaway Day!

2008-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all! In hopes of helping to check one small item off of someone's holiday gift list this season I'm having a giveaway today in honor of Sew Mama Sew's Give-Away Day. I have to be honest here -- I fretted a bit about what exactly to give away and finally decided on an activity tote because it's the most popular item in my shop. I hope you like it:

It includes a crayon roll and two handmade notebooks inside plus a couple other small items I'm throwing in for the giveaway, just for giggles. More pics and a description can be found on this listing.

Please leave a comment on this post between now and Friday, December 5 and I'll announce the winner Friday afternoon. I hope this tote makes someone very happy...good luck! (edited to add: please remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!)

Oh and don't forget to visit the other participating blogs via Sew Mama Sew. I'm thinking this day will go down in blog history as the biggest giveaway day EVAR!!!

giving away

2008-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to mention that I'll be participating in Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day tomorrow, December 3rd. I'll be giving away a homemade something-or-other, so please stop by and say hi! There are lots of other blogs participating as well, so be sure to stop by SMS for the master giveaway link list!

Also wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful ideas for homemade Christmas tree ornaments. We'll be doing a handful of them throughout the next few weeks, so pop back to check them out as well!

OK, that's enough blog promo for the day ;-) See ya tomorrow!!

advent re-invent

2008-11-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

So Holden asked me yesterday when "that special day" is going to be here. I asked him to clarify since a *special day* to a 4 1/2 year old could mean anything from Christmas to garbage day to that one glorious day a year when we wash our car. He replied, "you know, that very special day when we get lotsa stuff." And my heart immediately sank to my toes.

What I wanted to do next was talk his little ear off about commercialism and consumerism and sit him down in front of this and this and this (thanks julie!) and force into his impressionable little mind the idea that Christmas is about more than just 'getting' or 'stuff' or blahdy blahdy blah...

But thankfully, I did none of those things. I sat on my hands and said nothing.

Instead, my brain took over and remembered these 24 little Christmas-colored opportunities to focus on giving rather than receiving, on spending time together rather than spending money, and on the importance of appreciation, friendship, gratitude and any other concepts of value that can fit into those 2" by 3" envelopes (which is quite alot, I think).

I have a little list going, including things like Make Glitter Pinecones! Donate to our local Food Bank! and Candyland Marathon Day! Today began big with picking an animal donation via Heifer International in lieu of gifts for the adults in our family. Because what's more fun than giving a family a water buffalo for Christmas, I ask you?

When we were done picking our animals, Holden asked if he could give some money from his piggy bank to the kids in the pictures on the HI website and my heart rose back up above my kneecaps.

Turkey Dance

2008-11-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

I won a turkey. Yes, a turkey ended up on my doorstep, wonned. Ham-dinner-plan, be gone with you. We’re doin the turkey dinner song and dance.

So my last-minute change of plans includes: turkey (won), stuffing, cranberries, gravy, bru spro’s, buns and what else? Oh yes, pie. Of course, PIE! What would Thanksgiving be without pie, a wonned turkey, my sweet little fam and wonderful friends, I ask you? Ok pickles. And olives that go on the ends of your fingers, too. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without those.

Happy day to you all!

christmas, reinvented

2008-11-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

After a nice, restorative, pajama-wearing-filled weekend, I emerge eager and energized to take on the Holidays.

This particular holiday season is destined to be different than previous, as our entire stock of holiday decor rests nestled and snug in the corner of our temporary basement, behind and beneath the multitude of boxes that contain the rest of our life. Truth is, we thought we'd be in our new house by now (by Halloween, actually) but dang it to all heck, our planning skills stink and we packed those boxes in first.

So here we are, without stockings to hang by the chimney with care, without my beloved thriftstore-rescued vintage snowman collection and without the things that make everyday living feel 'holiday-y' this time of year.

Life, of course, will go on. And the challenge of having to find creative ways to appease the holiday decorating itch is quite appealing.

Because December 1st comes much, much sooner than December 25th, a new advent calendar battled its way to the top of the to-do list. Taking the idea from this adorable site, I bought a bunch of felt (the same eco-fi'd felt of PDFB turkey hand snafu project fame, might I add) and rigged together a plan for a last minute endeavor. And yes, I admit, I was sucked in by that larger-than-life ricrac. Sigh.

So far, I'm optimistic that it'll be ready by the 1st, especially after adding some buffer time in to compensate for my stinky planning skills.

And, now onto *tree decorating* (ugh). Any suggestions out there for clever-crafty-no-time tree ornament ideas???

s t i l l day

2008-11-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

I've really enjoyed the s t i l l-ness around here this past week...just what the creativity-slump doctor ordered.

I'm heading over to the 12 Square blog now to post pics of my november/fall block for ms. turkey cookies. C'mon over!!

s t i l l: bird, watching

2008-11-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

Have a lovely weekend, all!

S t i l l shot

2008-11-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Just compensation for flu shots today...

S t i l l Fall

2008-11-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

ahhh, loving the fleeting stillness of Fall.

s t i l l here

2008-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

I realized after Esme's meltdown today over a cheerio stuck to her rainboot that we're all a little overwhelmed with life around here these days. New school, new schedule, new friends, new obligations...you know the routine. So I'm going to step back a bit and maybe post pics of our comings and goings instead of trying to force coherence. Because I've heard that "The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness" (J. Muir) but I'm kinda stuck on the whole "forest for the trees" thing right now.

Needless to say, I'm quite drawn to this project that I've seen buzzing around blogville. While I'm entirely too lazy to upload my pics to a flickr group, I'd love to partake in some 's t i l l ness.' So here goes.

And there I go, talking. Enough of that. "I'll be baaaaaack" (A. Schwarzenegger)

Book Week: My Turn!

2008-11-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Esme had a typical 2 1/2 year old freak out when asked to pick a favorite book today so I decided to share my current favorite instead.

Of course it's a cookbook!!!!!!!

I have The River Cottage Family Cookbook on loan from the library, but have since added it to my Christmas wish list. With pretty pics, clear instructions and easy, yummy recipes it lives up to all the rave reviews it's gathered in blogland.

The concise descriptions of the hows & whys of kitchen basics come in handy with my inquisitive little kitchen helpers. In fact, the authors encourage cooking with children from very young ages:

"The baby who sits in a highchair watching you washing and steaming some carrots, or peeling a banana, then whizzing his or her food in a blendder, is learning that the true story of lunch begins with raw ingredients, rather than with the opening of a jar."

And as an added bonus, it allowed me to engage in my all-time-favorite activity of blogging my dinner: brussel sprout gratin (recipe from book) and orange carrot soup.

Exactly 50% of our family members enjoyed the gratin this evening -- a promising ratio when it comes to brussel sprouts, methinks. (and please trust me when I say the gratin was much yummier than it looked in that last pic!)

Book Week: Day 2

2008-11-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

I asked Holden to name his favorite book and this is what came to his book-loving little mind:

(Actually, his first response was Charlotte's Web which we finished recently but I don't think there's a soul amongst us that hasn't heard of that one...so, this is actually his 'second favorite')

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is a favorite of mine as well, although I don't know what I love more: the inspiring story or the beautiful woodblock illustrations by Mary Azarian (love her!)

The true story chronicles the lifework of Wilson A Bentley who developed a technique for photographing snowflakes that proved no two flakes are alike while also revealing the inherent beauty of their intricate design.

"He watched snowflakes fall on his mittens, on the dried grass of Vermont farm fields, on the dark metal handle of the barn door. He said snow was as beautiful as butterflies, or apple blossoms."

The book speaks of dedication, passion for knowledge and reverence for nature and makes me want to run out and buy a digital microscope camera or take a woodblock class...or both!

Next up: Esme's pick (usually the closest book within reach, but we shall see what she comes up with!)

Book Week: Day 1

2008-11-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm playing along with Green Jello this week by sharing some of our favorite children's books. We have quite the varied book collection supplemented with a mountain of monthly library additions, so picking just one each day will be tough. So, I'll pick two today. Hee!

Today's Soulemama's post describing seasonal changes brought The Story of the Root Children to mind. We have a few different versions of the story, but the 'quilted fairytale,' with its amazingly intricate detail and endearing story of how the quilt came to be, is a favorite.

The story follows the seasonal procession of Mother Earth's children as they awaken from a winter's sleep, bloom into Spring flowers, frolic above-ground in the Summer sun and then proceed back into the earth upon Autumn's arrival. Their prep-work for Spring includes brushing the bumblebees and applying new coats of paint to the ladybugs. So cute!

"The ladybirds, the beetles, the grubs and the bumble-bees had also been sleeping under the ground and had now woken up. They had to be washed and brushed, painted colourfully and made to shine so that they would look as beautiful as possible."

And in crafty news...Crafty Wonderland was a success! Lots of cool vendors, great turnout and much giggling under the WhatKnot banner as my BFF and I attempted to come up with a name for her soon-to-be etsy shop.

I plan on adding new items to my shop as soon as I'm caught up on the culmination of domestic duties that got pushed under the rug last week (and as soon as I find my camera which is hopefully buried under the craftshow aftermath somewhere?!). Stay tuned!

Happy Week

2008-11-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

This week has brought us:
The beginning of a new co-op preschool adventure for our family! Today was Holden’s second day and he’s already found some dinosaur-philic friends. The school's play-focused style and nurturing, community-focused philosophy feels like a good fit for us right now. Esme will join the little’s room on my classroom days which she is very excited about (fingers crossed on that one).

A new president-elect who offers inspiration, hope and a sense of connectedness in a world that seems to be unraveling at the seams. I have faith in his ability to navigate us back on track. Love this article.

Much time spent in preparation for this weekend’s Crafty Wonderland. I’m looking forward to the view from the other side of the craft show table (pics are a smattering of wares that I shall attempt to peddle).

And as the sweetest icing on the cake, I just got word that my Flock Together quilt won third place in this contest. The prize includes a $25 gift certificate to my beloved Superbuzzy along with a Sublime Stitching pattern (I'm hoping for the Black Apple pattern!) HooRay, little tweets!

Wow, that was a lot of links. If you're still with me, happy weekend wishes to everyone! I'll be back on Monday to share details of my crafty adventure!

Moving On and Gearing Up

2008-11-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

Vote: check
Forget to sign ballot, find it returned with a big "you forgot to sign your ballot, dumbass" note on it: check
Sign ballot, resend: check (whew!)
Switch Pandora radio from Bob Dylan to John Denver: check
Stay far, far away from the politi-mercials bombarding our brains: check
Hope with all my heart that tomorrow brings good news: double check

Also on the to-do list: gear up for my next adventure in crafting...

My BFF and I will be participating in Crafty Wonderland, Portland's ultra-cool indie craft fair, on Nov 9. That's this fracken Sunday (ack!) so I plan on having my nose to presser foot this week. I know I ask this alot, but wish me luck!! And if you're in PDX, come visit me, my bff and our little 4x4 foot space chock full of crafty goodliness!

We're Here

2008-10-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, we’re here but between Brian’s birthday today, Holden’s new co-op starting on Monday, colds, relapses, everyday life and…have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, Halloween!...the blog has trickled down to the bottom of the priority list. So, I’ll just cram this post with H’ween pics, if you don’t mind.

This year’s costumes: dinosaur and a chicken. Esme was supposed to be a dinosaur hatchling but I just couldn’t get it together enough to execute. I did rally, though, and managed to get the dinosaur costume off craigslist (from a friend, by coincidence!) And once E discovered that her beloved big brother was a chicken last Halloween, she immediately starting clucking and insisted on the chicken costume. Amen. I forgot the rubber glove chicken feet for the pics yesterday but rest assured, she will don that most important item of her costume tonight.

Last year’s costumes: Elvis and a chicken. I think our traditional Halloween theme is incongruity. Yes, that works well for us.

And the compulsory pumpkin carving pics. I was more worried about that sharpie being carelessly flung about the dining room than the knives. It was nice to see the kids “get it” this year, although Holden was pretty disappointed when he learned that the candles inside the pumpkins were there to make them “glow up” rather than “blow up.” It seems we miscommunicated that very important fact.

So grandparents, eat your hearts out. I find it funny that both sets of grandparents reminded us not to forget to take pictures of the kids in their costumes. Seeing as how we take pictures of things like our breakfast and our new shoes, I’m pretty sure the costumes won’t slip our minds. (you never do know, though so thanks for the reminder ;-)

And Birthday Bri: a few reasons that epitomize my adoration of you:

When you make me a grilled cheese sandwich and I can’t get to it right away, you stand it up on one end so it doesn’t get soggy.

When asked if dressing up as Monsanto for Halloween would be appropriate (because it’s the scariest thing I can think of) you decide that going as genetically modified corn would be scarier. And to make sure people would “get” my costume, you will dress as non-GM corn, non-distinguishable from my costume, because that is the scariest thing you could think of.

When your vision of our family all sitting down to happily carve pumpkins while the kids silently and carefully separate the seeds from the pulp goes terribly, hilariously wrong, you smile and suggest we ‘try again next year.’

I love you my caring, patient all-together nerdy husband. Happy Birthday (and happy Halloween to all!!!)

Chutney & Duck

2008-10-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Aside from recovering from last week's cold (and subsequent sinus infection, ugh), I spent this weekend amongst some lovely ladies making green tomato chutney.

Saturday we cut, chopped, peeled, measured, stirred, spiced, munched, snacked and chatted right up until canning time when my energy reserves completely fizzled away. Hence, no pretty pictures of freshly canned chutney. But judging by the intoxicating smells wafting from the bubbling cauldron before I bailed, I'm sure it'll be a delicious batch and much more appreciated than the pile of green tomatoes on my counter (which are still piled, but not quite as high)

And, thank you Simply for tolerating my fever-induced babble session and taking the time to answer my burning blue needle question. How clever to google the answer! (I would blame my fever for not thinking of that but I've been wondering about this needle thing for awhile so...you do the math)

So FYI, according to Simply's search and another anonymous commenter (mom, was that you?) the blue needle is indeedy used for sewing knit fabrics. Knit fabrics scare me, so that little blue needle will most likely live eternally in its cute little case, but at least now I know I'm not the butt of the needle manufacturing industry joke. I also learned that there are special needles for all kinds of different materials, including my new favorite: "duck." Now isn't that just the stinkin' cutest name for material ever? I'm thinking of buying some "duck" to make some quacky duck totes, just 'cause I like its name. And I may just use my blue needle on it, too (hrmph).

I have no time for a cold

2008-10-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

I wish I was posting pics of the cool new project I've been working on lately but truth is, I haven't been working on a cool new project. I've been nursing a cold instead. Blech.

I do, however, have a cool new project brewing in my stuffed-up head. And once the stuff is gone up there, I will make it and blog it. How's that?

A sewing-related question: does anybody know what the sewing machine needle with the blue end is for? I'm down to this last needle in a pack and have been avoiding it lest it have other-worldly anti-sewing powers or something. If I'm the only one in the world with a needle with a blue end, then kindly disregard this question. Maybe the needle manufacturers are just messing with me.

Ok i'm off in search of echinecea and ginger tea. Please excuse my stuffy-headed ramblings!

on the level

2008-10-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Rather than showing my not-so-pretty pile of WIP projects stacked up in my oh-so-messy craft room, I'll share a conversation with Holden that cracked me up today instead:

Me: I'm going to see my friend Ally tonight.
Holden (looking at me incredulously): Really?
M: Yes. Ally.
H: (laughing hysterically) Really? Are you tricking me?
M (remembering Ally is a Land Before Time character): No, not the dinosaur. D's mom, Ally.
H (still laughing hysterically): I don't believe you!
M: Yes, believe me! Ally is my friend, not a dinosaur.
H (still laughing, looking at me sideways): Someone's really named Ally?!

Yep. Walked right into that one...

Warms Me

2008-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Before I soup swap, I gotta share a few snippets from the weekend that are filling me with warmth as the temps outside quickly decline...

Sibling accomplishments

Giggling games of duck-duck-goose. Or is that "duck-goose" since there were only two players?

Frenchy love. This is my sweet neice, Xev. Isn't she precious?

Pumpkin faces

Pumpkin kisses

Pumpkins in grey

Hot cocoa

Friendly cuddles

And....Soup!!! Has it really been 4 weeks since the last soup swap? I don't have pics, so you'll have to trust me that this soup is as pretty as it is delicious. And be sure to check out the other soup swappers for more yummy recipes (thanks again Jessica, for organizing)!

Lentil-Tomato Soup with Greens

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 c finely chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cumin (sometimes I omit this if I'm not in a cumin-y mood)
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 plum tomatoes, diced or 1 can (16oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c red lentils, rinsed
1 spring fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
Handful of various greens (optional; chard, kale, arugula, spinach...whatever you got!)
Yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1. In large pot, heat oil on medium setting. Add onion and carrot; cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook about 2 minutes. Add cumin and curry powder; cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add tomatoes; cook about 5 minutes.

2. Add Lentils, thyme, chicken stock and water. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes. Add greens and keep simmering until lentils are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, salt to taste and let sit about 10 minutes. Swirl in a plop of yogurt if desired.

3. Watch Fall outside while cuddling warm soup bowl.
(this is yummy with a little plop of yogurt swirled in, too!)

Happy soup day!

one down

2008-10-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here's my first block for the twelve by twelve quilting bee (check out the cool new space designed by Tracy!) The block is for arsty crafty babe who requested stripes. I hope she likes it (beki - you can remove the buttons if you'd like. they'll probably be a pain come quilting time).

Beki sent the Amy Butler flowers and coordinating pumpkin-colored fabrics and I pulled the blues from my stash. I adore the fabric she picked and can't wait to see the finished quilt!

And don't mind me. I'll just keep quilting away over here, ignoring the seemingly cataclysmic collapse of the global economy around me.

Lah-dee-lah-dee-lah...

Apple Yum

2008-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Want the most awesome-est apple butter recipe that only takes 1/2 hour* of hands-on prep? It's here!

Quite seriously the yummiest apple butter I've ever made. OK, it's the only apple butter I've ever made, but it's definitely yum.

I reduced the cinnamon, added cardamom, and heeded the comment advice to use way way way less sugar: like 1/4 cup white, 1/4 cup brown and 1/4 cup honey. Also reduced the cinnamon and added cardamom. And it was still way sweet. I'm thinking of cutting the sweetener down to 1/2 cup honey only next time.

And there will definitely be a next time. This stuff rocks. I plan on getting more apples tomorrow and making a double batch for Christmas gifts (if you're on our Christmas list, please forget I just said that).

*the fine print: 1/2 hour if you have a handy dandy apple peeler/corer to use!

New Apps

2008-10-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

First off, what is up with bloglines? Is it just me, or is anyone else having problems with dropped posts? I'm perturbed, but not enough to move to another reader yet. Because then I'd have to figure out how to change my sidebar links, and then clean those up a bit, and then maybe clean out the refrigerator while I'm at it, and then there's that pile of unfolded laundry...I'll hold out on fussy bloglines for a teensy bit longer.

Ok sorry. Here's what I meant to show you: pics from our apple-y weekend:

A jaunt to Portland Nursery's Apple festival, complete with apple tasting, pumpkin painting, peanut butter pinecone-making (including a little peanut butter knife licking by the little one, ahem), and our favorite local raw honey-buying.

I brought home these pretty little specimens: Cox's Orange Pippin and Elstar.

I'm hoping the smaller pile makes the tasty pie and the other pile is for sauces and cooking, at least that's what I gleaned from the apple aficionados at the festival.

And not included here are pictures from a cider pressing party because I, yet again, have managed to lose my lens cap and refuse to take my ~~baby~~ dear camera out into a world full of scratchy things.

Now, onto apple butter-ing!

nervous and excited...and nervous

2008-10-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

This arrived today: beautiful uncut fabric, always unnerving. But this fat little quarter is someone else's beautiful uncut fabric which liquifies me into pure pre-cutting terror, just a tad.

I'm so excited to be part of this 12 x 12 quilting bee with a handful of extremely talented bee-ers. After perusing their lovely blogs and amazing projects, some new and some comfortingly familiar, I'm feeling a little like the "awed" girl out. Get it? Ha ha........ha. Errr.....

I do feel a little out of my league so am focusing on coming up with something worthy, something clever and something "stripey" as this month's recipient requests (the stripes were requested, the 'worthy' and 'clever' are my own manifestations, of course).

So, with stripes on the brain I moveth forward! Wish me luck!!!

Tweets 'n' Twitters

2008-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

These little birds are headed for the shop, but not before they tweet along with me on twitter...my newest favorite repository of the random thought spillage that seeps endlessly from my mind.

And since reading twitter tweets always brings to mind haiku, here's my ode to twitter:

twitter, you beckon
concise is not my forte
but i shall partake

Won't you join me? Steph. This means you!?!?

Punch 'n' Pie

2008-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, there is no punch, but i did manage to eek out two pumpkin pies today amidst cleaning and shopping and re-cleaning and re-re-cleaning yet again. Holden's current jigsaw puzzle ~~obsession~~ phase, with his 15-20 puzzles that range from 100 - 500 pieces each (give or take a few), equals approximately 1,500 to 10,000 potential deep knee bended pick-ups and/or sibling battles to break up each day. But I digress... Back to pie.

Pie-making has gotten sooo much easier around here since Grandma G entrusted her easy + yummy + semi-healthy-ish crust recipe to me. Her trick involves rolling the dough out between wax paper to save time but most importantly, sanity, as the process of sprinkling a light smattering of flour on a work surface is not within my little helper's project scope these days. She prefers slinging entire fistfuls of flour (both fists, if I'm not supervising) haphazardly in the general direction of the work surface, if I'm lucky.

So, wax paper is my friend. And hopefully the pie will provide an extra bit of comfort during the haphazard slinging of (ahem) other substances during tonight's debate. Hee!

hello fall. hello rain.

2008-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I'm getting jealous of all the crunchy, orange-y red leaf adorned blogs I've been reading lately. All's we've got so far is a few crisp-ish days and lots and lots of rain. Portland has its own way of doing things. Dryness is not its forte.

So, we splash and splatter and wait patiently for those coveted days of dry, crispy fall to come.

And take advantage in the meantime of the good photo-op light that the clouds provide!

and the winners are...

2008-10-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Firstly, thanks to everyone who left a comment. Your advice and tips are muchly appreciated! I’ve consulted with random.org (gotta love that name) and come up with two winners:

15 = Anne from Green Jello (who is giving away some great halloween items on her blog - quick, go comment!) will receive the placemat

8 = Kashoan from Kraftykash will receive the book (glad that worked out!)

Congrats and please contact me with your mailing addresses and I’ll send the stuffs out asap! Happy weekend everyone!

edited to add my email addy: melandbri (at) comcast (dot) net

Open, In & Out

2008-10-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

My shop's open (yay!) and I'm excited to have made my very first sale (thank you Tracey!!) In fact, Tracey's Junkshop & Emporium was a huge inspiration for me to get off my blogging butt and open up my shop. Be sure to check out her cool vintage wares (and her hilarious toe chronicles).

I got a couple more placemats done (sorry for the crap rainy day pics). I'll announce two winners, one for the book, one for the placemat + fabric markers, tomorrow. If you haven't yet, please leave a comment on this post in order to be eligible for the giveaways!

And now I'm off to a friend's house for a "Knit & Groan" (we're watching the debate whilst crafting. enough said).

xo

Frazzled and Canned

2008-09-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

I think I’m officially drained of all creative thought for the day, so please bear with me here. In fact, when I sat down to write this post, my confused and tired foot searched aimlessly under my desk for the foot pedal. And it just took me about 4 whole minutes to remember the word “foot pedal”, so I’m calling my brain officially frazzled as well.

But!! I have goodies to share! I’ve been making these activity totes for some time now so they were the first thing on my make-for-the-shop list. I love how each of these has its own little character (or "flair" ala office space), so wanted to show them off. I hope you don’t mind a few excitedly rambling posts about frazzled brains and shameless self promotion for a few days. We’ll be back to real life here soon!

Speaking of not real life, I did take a "break" last night to deal with the pile of insistent tomatoes that resolutely threatened to march themselves right out to the compost pile if I did not can them that instant. So, they’re canned. And, I’m adding roma tomatoes to our gardening list next year in place of this year’s humongonoid yellow brandywines that are a nightmare to can (I’m talking 1 ½ to 2 pounds EACH!) They sure are pretty, though and make for a beautiful display of summer ripeness. Maybe we'll keep just one little bush...

Thank you for your tips and suggestions! I’ll share more placemat patterns/colors tomorrow, because photoshop and a frazzled mind do not mix.

Don’t forget to comment on this post to be eligible for my giveaway!

xo

Giveaway(s)!

2008-09-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

To say thank you, sweet peeps, for checking in on my little blog, I’d like to share a couple what(k)nots with you...

Firstly (and I’m so excited about these): a DIY placemat with a blank canvas center, ready for your little artist to adorn. I’ll also include a set of fabric markers so you’ll be all set for creative adventure!

Taping off the patchwork frame should keep that area scribble-less (if that’s what you’re into). I’ll continue to show an assortment of colors and patterns as the week progresses...pick your favorite if you win!

But wait...there’s more!!

This awesome book features some of my favorite crafty bloggers and a ton of fast, easy projects. It’s up for grabs as well!

So, seeing as how I’m jumping into this etsy thing completely clueless, I thought it would be prudent to glean some wisdom from you kind folks. If you’re an etsy seller, buyer, or online shopper in general, please leave a comment with your best tip/advice/words of wisdom for running an online shop. And if you’re none of the above (or don’t feel like talking shop), just tell me about your day!

Comment anytime between now and Friday and I will choose two random winners from the comments on this post on Friday, Oct 3rd (please let me know if you’d like the book or the placemat in the comment, too!)

But of course, you are all winners in my book! Thank you for all your encouraging words. And now, I’m off to sew sew sew some more!

Xo

tweets, announcement & giveaway!

2008-09-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

Finally finished...

Introducing: the "flock together" quilt -- which will be listed in my soon-to-be, brand-spankin-new, can't-believe-I'm-going-to-do-it, etsy shop [scream]. The quilt measures 32" x 32", perfect for a playmat, stroller quilt, wall hanging, whatever. The embroidered birds are adapted from our favorite "Make a World" drawing book by Ed Emberley (heart you, Ed!!). And you can't really tell from the pics, but the birds sit atop the lightest, prettiest baby blue linen that I'm currently loving.

So, that's the elusive "limb" that these little birds, along with many other what(k)not items, will be going out on. I'm not quite sure what all this etsy shop business will entail, but I'm looking forward to the journey.

And to thank you, sweet peeps, for accompanying me in this blog space, I'm planning on giving away a little what(k)not sumthin sumthin. Not sure what it'll be yet, but I'll figure it out sometime before my intended October 1st grand opening (as grand as pushing an upload item button can be)! If I were clever, I'd figure out a way to upload you some punch n pie, too. 'Cause, every party is better with punch n pie (heart you, Cartman!).

Please check back for giveaway details, more shop what(k)nots and to wish me luck, 'cause I'll need whole lots of it!

xo

Just a Peep

2008-09-22T19:54:00.001-07:00

These little birds are about to go out on a limb, so to speak. They're all atwitter.

More deets (and peeps) to come!!!!

Fall Blog Soup

2008-09-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

It doesn't quite feel like fall here in PDX, but then summer has also lost its lazy, hazy, crazy edge. We're smack inbetween seasons, it seems.

I love fall's urgent reminder to enjoy the crunch of the fallen leaves before they become sloppy leaf stew (here in the pacific nw, at least) and it's crispy day reminder to please put a sweater on before you go outside, dear. And then there's the urge to can, freeze or put up in whatever way you can the fleeting bounty of summer.

But again, we're not quite there yet. So, like other fall-minded bloggers, we took it upon ourselves to usher in the new season by making cookies in our pajamas, enjoying our new fall-inspired, double-sided table runner and sharing this favorite Carrot Orange soup recipe with other soup-minded bloggers today (thanks Jessica, for organizing this fun swap!!):

Carrot Orange Soup with Kale and Crispy Fall Air

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
8-12 carrots (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs), sliced into 1-inch pieces
[I used a mixture of red, yellow and purple carrots from our csa bin]
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup orange juice
1 handful fresh kale, roughly torn (or other green such as chard or arugula)
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)

1. Heat butter in large stockpot on medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and saute for 2 minutes more.

2. Add carrots and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 35 ~~carrots~~ minutes!!! (edited! sheesh, where's my head?)

3. Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. (Or, transfer to a blender or food processor if you don't have an immersion blender).

4. Return heat to medium-high. Add orange juice and bring to a boil. Add kale and let wilt about 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and season with salt & pepper. Garnish with parsley or cilantro (I plop a cube of frozen, pre-chopped parsley into the mixture during its last boil.

5. Enjoy fall!

before + after

2008-09-18T14:39:00.001-07:00

Move over rainbow chard quilt...I'm feeling an heirloom tomato-inspired quilt coming on!!!

I took advantage of today's typical pre-fall murk to roast these sunny yellow tomatoes that have been giving me the evil eye for the past week. There's an avalanche more to follow (come back, sun!), so I'll likely freeze this batch in preparation for mid-winter tomato-less drear.

And 'cause the oven was warm, we feasted on our favorite berry cobbler (although I hesitate to use that word because it doesn't seem very cobbler-ish to me, but the recipe insists) with summer-picked blueberries.

And now, back to "work" on a project I'm getting super giddy about. Will share soon!

Pouty Kitty Appeasements

2008-09-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

Kitty's forlorn. Her tendency as of late to cry/howl at 3am has found her exiled to backyard overnight campouts instead of our nice warm bed and snuggly necks to cuddle up within, her obvious preference. We love and adore her, but I've done my time with the middle-of-the-night-pacing-the-floor-getting-baby-back-to-sleep routine that I'm not about to revisit with this overly mew-y 18-year-old(!)

So for now, we're enjoying our sleep wonderful sleep before welcoming her back inside once the nighttime temps turn nippy.

To make it up to her, the kids and I made her these catnip toys.

The kids drew their designs with fabric markers on scrap linen pieces and picked out a backing fabric (and in Esme's case, fringe). I cut them out and sewed the pieces together leaving room to stuff with fiberfill and catnip. Fast and easy (which is what craft time has been about these days).

Is kitty appeased? You be the judge:

[And no worries as to kitty's health. We ruled out medical issues when after her first few not-so-sweet midnight serenades a quick pat on the head produced a most contented little fuzzy grey purr machine. We thus concluded that she was incorrigibly lonely. Sigh]

Ahh, Farm

2008-09-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Some pics from the lovely farm party we attended this weekend. I just gotta say: if you're gonna turn four on Portland's most perfect-est weather day in September, this is the place to do it.

We partied 4-year-old style: ate cupcakes, boarded a hay ride, picked strawberries, picked corn (read: set free on an all-you-can-eat strawberry + corn field smorgasboard),

raced through corn three times our height and rode our hay limosine back to a mega-fest of lunch-y yumminess. A perfect day of sun, full bellies and happy hearts. HB, SB!!!

These are some tomatos that I stitched up for the little farm-loving Bday girl (aside our over-achiever of a garden tomato). Super easy! (ARGGG - the martha stewart website isn't cooperating right now otherwise I'd link to the tutorial. Just google "martha stewart tomatoe pincushion" to find it! Or is it tomato? I'm having a Dan Quayle moment, sorry).

Teeth n Totes

2008-09-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

This was a tough day: Miss Esme is sprouting her very last baby tooth and letting everyone within screaming vicinity know that it hurts. And I hurt for her. But between the howls and monkey clings and throw-herself-on-the-floor tantrums, I couldn’t stop kissing both my babies’ sweet heads today. Because I have them to kiss and I’m here to kiss them and I’m so appreciative of that.

I made up these drawstring favor bags for a little friend’s 4th birthday party this coming weekend. They’re based on the farmer’s market totes that I made this spring, which my kids never wear but that I now use myself and find handy dandy for stuff like cell phones and lip balm in the diaper bag. Cuz you know, someone’s gotta use em. But I digress…

I’ll be living vicariously through the farm party this weekend: hay rides, u-pick flowers, late season berries, SUN!! Impossibilities for mid-february birthday celebrations such as ours. So this last little jaunt in the farm-y fields will be ever so appreciated.

Happy weekend everyone, and hopes and prayers to our Texan friends that Ike simmers his bad self down.

a simile, a metaphor, and a thank you

2008-09-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

My blog is like Holden’s home haircut: it’s choppy, it’s too long in some places, too short in others, and it seems to emit an overall incoherence in general. But, it’s homemade, it comes from the heart, and it offers a little bit of practicality and a little bit of humor to our day.

And like Holden making his way into a world that for the most part couldn’t care less about his haircut, it feels so nice when people acknowledge the tidbits and “whatknot” that I send out via my blog.

All this is to say: thank you Simply, for acknowledging my little blog with this super sweet Kindred Spirit award. In my imaginary perfect world (very similar to the bygone days of yesteryear but with laptops and cuisinarts), we’d be able to hang out, chat, drink tea, eat cookies and connect as moms, women, and human beings face to face. You’d definitely be invited to my imaginary book club.

I feel a connection in some way to all the blogs that I read over there on my blogroll (and many others that I haven't had a chance to update in my bloglines), so please consider yourself invited to my tea party as well!

T-Rex Does PDX, Domo Style

2008-09-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

T-Rex took a tour of Portland in hopes of making a new domo friend (don’t worry little domos, T-Rex doesn’t bite).

First obligatory stop, Saint Cupcake (domo's most recent visit) for a photo op…which turned out to be closed (drat drat drat).

So, off to Mio Gelato instead to tame our beastly chocolate cravings.

T-Rex was getting a little antsy, so we set him free on the town. And my oh my oh my, what trouble a miniature carnivorous dinosaur can get into in the hoity toity district of Pearl.

I swear, we can’t take this dinosaur anywhere.

Gratitudes

2008-08-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Soulemama for providing an awesome, easy-to-read tutorial for this easy-to-sew gratitude wrap (the link to the tutorial is in the leftside "For You" section on her blog).

Thank you to our good friend E for letting us celebrate her birthday with her tonight and for having good taste in movie picking and restaurant picking.

Thank you to koka and tutu (aka grandparents) for babysitting whilst we go on said movie and restaurant adventure with said birthday friend.

Thank you to Brian for giving me much needed craft time today to sew said gratitude wrap for said birthday friend.

The kids and I are heading to Redmond, so here's hoping a great week on everyone. Also hoping that Gustav settles down and sending safe thoughts to everyone in his path!

From Babes

2008-08-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Holden's preschool graduation ceremony was last night. In truth, it was a tough day and not for the reasons I thought it would be. My disappointment had more to do with my expectations which sometimes seem to get in the way of reality. But, fun was had by all. And I'm sorry, future Holden who someday may be reading this, but this picture of you in all your preschool performance glory just cracks me up (and makes those aforementioned icky feelings disappear entirely!)

And don't we all feel this way sometimes when we're put on the spot and told to sing and dance? I know I do.

Anyway. To recharge and refocus, we decided to pick blueberries at a nearby grove this morning. Whilst there, Holden happened upon a little picking-mate about his size. They chatted happily while weaving in and out of the rows and I half-listened while trying to focus Esme on eating from the bushes instead of the picking basket.

My ears perked up when their chatter led to this exchange:

Friend: I like your dinosaur shirt.
Holden: Thanks. I like dinosaurs.
F: Dinosaurs aren't real.
H: I know, they're extinct.
F: No I mean, dinosaurs are pretend.
H: Well, they lived a long long LONG time ago. But not anymore. They're extinct.
F: No I mean, they were never real.
H: Yes they were.
F: No they weren't.
H: OK. How about I believe they were and YOU believe they weren't?
F: OK.
H: Let's go pee together by that bush.
F: OK!

Happy weekend everyone!

In Which I Use Every Pot and Cooking Utensil in my Kitchen

2008-08-27T18:00:00.001-07:00

Angry Chicken's post about homemade paneer inspired me to finally try my hand at paneer-making. It was so amazingly easy, I don't know why I ever hesitated.

Or, just maybe I hesitated slightly because I knew I'd have the insane idea to cook an entire indian dinner to pay tribute to the lovely little paneer and have to set up our entire collection of blocks, legos, books and puzzles to entertain the kids whilst I cooked which would turn our house into complete mayhem. Yes, maybe I did hestitate for that reason. Just a little.

But, the paneer was yummy and did I mention easy? Truly easy. Deceivingly so. Like, 10 minutes for the cheese, 3 hours for the rest of the stuff. Dare I say it was worth it?

I dare do.

(all my paneer pics were worthless hence the pics of the "tree cuttings fort" we made over the weekend. much more visually appealing than cheese, methinks.)