Funny Magic

I've Moved!

2008-03-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Easy Like Wednesday Mornin'

2008-02-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

We were gonna go to the library this morning, but ended up sleeping until 9:30 a.m....a most unusual occurence in these parts. Guess we both were pretty wiped-out.

Here's my Smooch at the breakfast table with her camera-wielding mom. Each day she dresses herself - today's choice was a thrifted dress that I found a while back at the Salvation Army. Near as I can tell, it's handmade, which makes me sooo happy - I live for finding goodies like this. And the bling? An old brooch from mama's little jewelry box that she decided was a "must have/must wear" today.

Been loving the Steel-Cut Oats with cream and brown sugar for breakfast lately.
Plans are to putz around the house, go to a school conference this afternoon, a violin lesson in the evening.
Guess I'd better change out of my jammies before then, though.
Happy Wednesday!

I Should be Laughing

2008-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

But no, Mama's not laughing.

You see, I was knitting along happily on the Laughing Carrots cardigan for my son, loving the pattern and patting myself on the back for making it through the dry and dehydrating terrain of blinding stockinette stitch.

Finally, I had reached the point where I could put the stitches for the left and right armholes on holders and was all set to knit "Waffle Style" on the back.

Turns out I don't know how to count. Somehow I lost this most basic of abilities back when I casted-on for the cardigan. Because while I have 38 stitches on each holder (good, good), there are 81 remaining on the circular when there should be 75 (bad, very bad). I have counted and re-counted and as it turns out I did, indeed, cast on 157 stitches instead of 151 for a size 8 sweater. (Commence self-flagellation by rapping on my knuckles with a very long and very obnoxious size 15 knitting needle.)

Now what? Rip it all out? Or take a little detour....

(Can you hear the laughter of a crazy lady? I can!)

...I'm thinking I can make those 6 sneaky stitches that came from beyond disappear...divide them in half and place three on each holder so that I am left with 75 on the circular. Then, when I start working the sleeves, I can just decrease those extra stitches....make it seem as if they never even existed...hahahahahah, mwaahhhhahah

If it all works out then I'll ask my 8 year old to teach me to count, because clearly, I need help.

Meltdowns and Mediterranean Chicken Stew

2008-02-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days that challenged me as a parent. One of those days that draws from my reservoir of patience (which is always filled to the brim, ready to be tapped-into, haha). "Because I Said So" sat on the tip of my tongue for hours...

I love this kid. He is my son. I love his curiosity and humor, his sensitivity and his fire.
Today it was all about the fire due to a miscommunication that resulted in hurt feelings and disappointment. He ranted and raged and, in the end, got it all out. And isn't that the point? So many of us hold it all in until we can't take it anymore. I'm all for letting my kids get their anger out - put it out there, let's deal with it, and then let's move on. In the midst of it all I somehow managed to say things like, "It's okay for you to feel bad, but it's not okay for you to treat others badly." "You need to pull it together because you can't hear what I'm saying and I can't be an audience to your anger any longer." "I know you're disappointed and I'm truly sorry and I love you." (I swear I'm so much better at dealing with my kids' frustrations and emotions than I am at dealing with my own - I'm getting better as I age, but you know. I'm a work-in-progress.) Earlier he was disappointed (and he probably still is), but when he crawled into bed with his two cookies, glass of milk, and a Highlights magazine he had a smile on his sweet face and a hug for me, and for that I am happy. And tomorrow is a new day.
Anyhoooooo.....

Borrowed this book from the library and I absolutely love it. So far I've made the Roasted Chicken, I've poached some chicken breasts (broth at the ready in the freezer, yay!) and tonight we had the Mediterranean Chicken Stew with Polenta, which was very yummy.

I think I'll be buying that book once I have to give it back to the library.

Working on:

a little embroidery.

Finished...

that Silly Squiggle Scarf.

Joined...

the Yarn of the Month Club. All good, I tell ya. And I mean all.

Welcome to my Stash

2008-02-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

I love to knit, and I love yarn. Since I started knitting about 5 years ago, I've been buying it and stashing it all around my nest - which is what knitters do, right? Just thinking about all the wonderful things I'm gonna make...well. It's time to stop talkin' and do some walkin'.

One day I was looking around for a good knit-along and I came across this awesome little place. I quickly joined up and shall begin attacking the stash on March 1st.

As evidence of my stash issues, let's have a peek behind door #1, shall we?

Here's a trunk'o yarn in the bedroom closet.

I'd say it's about 3/4 full - and look! A couple FO's! (Dishcloths to be gifted at Christmas. I love the mindless garter stitch of knitted dishcloths.)

Here we have an old suitcase filled with yarn. Some from a recent episode of "lost time at the yarn store." Sadly, we have an abandoned project in there - the blue multi was a sweater for my son, but I the colors just weren't doing it for me.

Here we have more "bedroom yarn." (What, yarn is sexy! ..isn't it...?) Five drawers filled with yummy goodness: miscellaneous wool, sock yarn, cottons, remnants, and the makings of a cardigan for my son....back when he was 5...more than three years ago. (Sorry for the blurry photo, but Stash isn't used to seeing the light of day, much less modeling for photo-ops.)

Oh, and there's more. But rather than delve deeper into the underworld of Stash, here's a nearly-finished object:

My Silly Squiggle Scarf. Because I love the colors. And, well, because.

Have a great day!

Showin' and Tellin

2008-02-17T09:01:00.001-08:00

Got the chance to shop a little this weekend, and found this stuff at an antique mall:

Two nice baskets, a big 100% wool blanket, a little Pyrex dish, and an apron that totally rocks my world.

Truthfully, I'm not an apron-person. This is the first one that I've ever worn.

But I'll be darned if I'm not just crazy about this fabric. I love love love it. Those flying, singing , round-bodied birds make me so happy.

Anyhow, when I was purchasing the wool blanket, the store owner was talking about how it would be great as an insert in a duvet...then I thought how about as the "innerds" of a quilt? It would make a super warm blanket that way, but I don't even know where to begin , or when for that matter. (I've got so many things in the pipeline that I may have to call RotoRooter before too long.) If anyone has any suggestions, etc. I'm all ears/eyes!

Good Intentions and a Poem

2008-02-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I had intended to make a "Little Red Riding Hood" cape for Juliet for Valentine's Day, but I haven't gotten any further than buying the fabric and pattern for it. Oh well. My intentions were good, and shall be realized before too long.

Tonight we're ordering out for Chinese food, my son's request and his favorite. After that I plan on coloring my hair. I don't mind my natural color, but I'm in the mood for some red. I used to color my hair all the time (I've had pretty much every haircolor except green at some point in my life), but after I had Charlie 8 years ago, I developed an allergy to all haircolorants. I have no idea why, but I was bummed out. There's some chemical in there that makes my skin burn - not a pretty sight, and not a pretty feeling. Anyhow, tonight I'm using a Henna cream that a local co-op just started carrying.

It's been fun for me to post poems on my little blog this week - I'd forgotten how much poetry means to me, and how much I really love to read it. Going forward I'm gonna post at least one poem each week, because I think it's good to share them, and I need to keep that part of my brain turned on. Here's one by Donald Hall (beloved husband of the late Jane Kenyon):

Valentine

Chipmunks jump, and
Greensnakes slither.
Rather burst than
Not be with her.

Bluebirds fight, but
Bears are stronger.
We've got fifty
Years or longer.

Hoptoads hop, but
Hogs are fatter.
Nothing else but
Us can matter.

Happy Valentine's to your and yours!

Felted Heart and a Poem

2008-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here's one by Josephine Dickinson, whose work I love. Not long ago a friend and I went to a reading that featured her with Galway Kinnell, another favorite poet of mine. To me, this was the equivalent of seeing Bon Jovi and Ratt live in concert when I was 15. Seriously, I was that excited. To hear her read her work is an awesome experience.

The Red and the Blue

You wonder, am I satisfied with you?
Some inequality you take as read.
But raveling my hemp, your wool, my red,
your blue, we spin a single human hair.

Pillows and a Poem

2008-02-12T20:02:00.001-08:00

Finished a sewing project tonight after hubby went out to hear a friend's band and the kids were asleep:

It's the Semi-Simple Pillows from Bend the Rules Sewing. These were fun and fairly easy to do.

My girl had taken to the old pillows with red permanent marker one afternoon, so this project was a necessary one. Which was okay, because I was tired of the old pillows anyhow. So thanks, Smoochie! (For fabrics I used ones found at the thrift store, and some brown corduroy from JoAnn.)

I picked up this little booklet at the coffee shop the other weekend. It's a collection of poems from the Laurel Poetry Collective featuring local writers. Here's one by Deborah Keenan, a favorite:

She Loves All Twenty-Six

The alphabet rules, wears its crown

Of glory. She gets fourteen lines,

Fourteen letters? She thinks so, in honor

Of form and feeling, fidelity, ferocity.

A for Aisling, for Aaron.

B for Brendan, for brothers, for beauty.

C for Cordelia,

J for Joe,

M for Molly, for music, for moon,

S for Sarah, for summer, for sun,

for Stephen, my love.

Then Ocean, then Trees, then Friends,

Add Love, add Horizon, add River.

Add L for letters, and N for need them all.

Handmaiden and a Poem

2008-02-11T15:20:00.001-08:00

Sunday I went to the Handmaiden Minneapolis indie craft show. It was 13 degrees below zero when I left the house, but weather be darned in the name of craft!

Right about when that picture was taken my forehead was turning to ice - I may have uttered a few profanities.

Here's a little bit of goodness from the show - a vintage necktie bracelet.

I love it! And tonight I'm giving it to a friend as a gift. I wish I could remember the name of the artist/vendor. If anyone desperately wants to know, I'll find it somehow.

A poem to share for Valentine's week, by Wendy Cope:

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange -

The size of it made us all laugh.

I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave -

They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,

As ordinary things often do

Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.

This is peace and contentment. It's new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.

I did all the jobs on my list

And enjoyed them and had some time over.

I love you. I'm glad I exist.

Fabric Collages and a Poem

2008-02-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Inspired after stumbling upon this site, Juliet and I set out to do some crafting with scraps:

Juliet's Collage

Mama's Collage

I highly recommend this project (found here). It was very fun to do, and all we needed to have on hand was some cardboard and glue. After gathering those items I covered our cardboard with white muslin, dove into my bag of scraps (cotton fabrics, felted wool, bits of yarn), and we went to town. We'll definitely be doing this again in the near future.

In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I thought I'd share a poem each day through Thursday. Here's one by Jane Kenyon, one of my all-time favorite poets. Enjoy!

Song

An oriole sings from the hedge
and in the hotel kitchen
the chef sweetens cream for pastries.
Far off, lightning and thunder agree
to join us for a few days
here in the valley. How lucky we are
to be holding hands on a porch
in the country. But even this
is not the joy that trembles
under every leaf and tongue.

Red WIP

2008-02-08T05:27:00.001-08:00

Some yarn from my "lost time" episode last weekend:

It's a skein of Cascade 220 and Crystal Palace Squiggle. I usually don't go for the novelty yarns, but I couldn't resist this one. I'm totally obsessed with these colors right now...they're a great diversion from the winter blah's, and perfect for Project Spectrum.

(I'm discovering how hard it can be to photograph color. It's much more accurate in the first photo.)

I dedided to whip up a scarf with these yarns...just a simple garter stitch on #13 needles. Gotta love that kind of instant gratification. And I especially love the wooden needles, because they're ones that my son bought for me for Christmas last year....when hubby took him shopping he told the person at the counter (and everyone else waiting in line) that these knitting needles were for his mom because, "She's a knitting professional." Man, I love my son!
I decided, though, to use a different yarn with the Squiggle instead of the Cascade pictured above and chose some Cascade Pima Tencel from the stash. I happen to think the 220 makes a darn good cowl:

Why bother with all that fussy knitting business? Just slip the darn skein over your head and wear it as is. Now, I'll be a-ding-dong-danged! Instant wearability.

I Heart Etsy

2008-02-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd share the Etsy love.

The above items were purchased from Shannon at Missficklemedia.etsy.com. I just love her pendants. (Her prices went up on the first of the month, so I'll have to be more restrained when I visit her shop in the future...but I will visit again because her jewelry is awesome.)

Here's Juliet "trying on" the earrings. She's in her very favorite dress that we picked up at the thrift store for $2.99 a couple months ago. She loves it so much that I typically do her laundry while she's sleeping...otherwise, I have to pry this dress out of her little octopus fingers so it can be washed, and that's not a real good time for either of us.
It's snowing outside today, which makes me happy. Everything's looking fresh and white again - so pretty!

(Also, the roving in my previous post was purchased on Etsy as well, from this shop. Yet another good one - check out her pretty jewelry, too!)

Dirty Dishes and Love Notes

2008-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hubby's usually pretty good about keeping the kitchen from looking like a complete wasteland (in addition to being a pretty darn good daddy) when it's my turn to go to work. Except for yesterday.

So here's what he left for me this a.m.:

"My dearest loved one. The dishes did not allow me the time to clean them. (Much resistance!) I will expect to be punished. Love, Steve."

I'm not a very funny person in the morning. Lucky for me, I'm married to a pretty funny guy. He's probably the only person in the whole world who can make me giggle in in the a.m. in spite of myself, particularly when I've not had nearly enough sleep or coffee. We spend a lot of time laughing together...it's sooooo good to laugh.

Anyhow,

I contemplated punishment over a lovely cup of coffee...

...and consulted with Millie, Ninja-Kitty. She didn't come up with much, other than peeing outside of the litter box. So I decided to contemplate some roving, instead.

Dishes? What dishes? WIP's and current projects to come.

Looking Forward To...

2008-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Handmaiden Minneapolis show. If you're in the cities on Sunday be sure to check it out - I went to the show in December and it was so fun - goodies at every turn, and I love supporting local folks. (Click on the pic above to go to their website.)

Cat Power at First Avenue next Monday with a good friend who got tickets for us this weekend. Oh, so very excited for this show!

Planning some new knits with these yarns that I somehow acquired at a local yarn shop. (Some time went missing Saturday afternoon. I remember parking my car in front of the store and driving off with a bag on the seat next to me, but that hour or so in between? Gone. It was the aliens, I swear it.)

Knittin' like wild on this sweater for my son. If I don't busta' move it's gonna be summer before it's finished and then he won't be able to wear it until the fall and then he'll be too big.

Wearing my Skirt with the Pocket from Purgatory again, just because.

Here's to a new week!

I am an Unseamly Seamstress

2008-01-31T11:05:00.001-08:00

Here's a picture of the latest project that's been ~~driving me to drink~~ keeping me up late. Sorry it's not a great picture, but it doesn't really matter because....

well.

Let me introduce you to the Pocket from Purgatory. Yes, that be it's name. I could think of worse, but I've been trying to keep a lid on my potty mouth since I had children. Check out that smooth, even sewing and the nice, rounded circle. Not.

Did you think that was all? You're so silly! Here's a shot of the buttonhole, through which I was planning to thread a drawstring before I changed my mind and ran to the nearest JoAnn for elastic. Question to self: Why did you think you'd like to have a drawstring waist on this skirt when, in reality, you hate drawstring waists because they are not flattering on you? Why?

And that, you ask? Why, that's a little rip in the fabric caused by Sassy SeamRipper when she was crabbin' and complainin' about being used and abused and taken for granted by me. I know you're supposed to respect the Ripper (not loathe it), but right now Sassy's in the doghouse.
For the record, I'm gonna finish the hem on this baby and wear the heck out of it because this skirt ain't the boss of me!

From Clementines to Bedtime

2008-01-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

We've been loving the Clementines this year, and also the little boxes they're sweet selves come packaged in.

So yesterday I used one of those boxes and made a little bed for Smoochie's baby doll. I used some thrifted fabric and was able to sew it up pretty quickly, and Smoochie helped by stuffing the mattress and pillow with some poly-fil.

We're hunkerin' down here in the ~~Arctic Circle~~ Minnesota - baby, it's cold outside!

Made

2008-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Yours truly in a tunic finished last night. Whew! This was a total learning process for me - darts, interfacing, sewing a straight line...heehee. I used some fabric from the thrift store that wasn't the easiest to work with (kinda thin and stretchy, kinda pain-in-the-arse material, but pretty).

Here's a detail shot of the embroidery I added to the front - a bit of threaded running stitch.

The pattern is from Diana Rupp's SEW Sew Everything Workshop, a book that is proving invaluable to me as a beginner. And for embroidery I turn to Doodle Stitiching by Aimee Ray. I have a big time love for both books.

Here's to a happy weekend!

Thrifted Goodies

2008-01-22T11:04:00.001-08:00

One of the things I love to do is shop at the local thrift stores and antique stores - I could putter about for hours looking for stuff. Here's some of my favorite finds as of late:

I found this framed picture at one of my favorite antique malls. It's a framed magazine cover from March 1930. Now all I gotta do is finish painting one of the walls in my home and it'll be ready to hang.

These little trays were found at the same place - only $1 each! I see them being used by the kids and I for serving up a little snack or something...

Fabric from the thrift store - the flowered stuff is actually a "cozy" of some sort. It kinda fits over my sewing machine, but I have something else planned for it because I love it so much. And I think the blue looks cool next to it, so I've gotta use them together...

And these are vintage fabric scraps from an antique store. They were all together in a big ziploc bag - I'm loving the yellow polka dot stuff, but unfortunately there wasn't much of it in the bag. But I'll find a use for it.

From the antique store for $1.50 - a little pack of retro notecards (blank on the inside) with envelopes. I couldn't help myself. I live for this stuff!

Looney Yarn Love

2008-01-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, happy day! The yarn I ordered from one of my favorite online stores, Peace Fleece, arrived today. Aren't those colors yummy? I love how it smells and feels so organic and real and earthy. But then I'm also the type of person who buys wool roving at a craft show and then, while lunching with my son and a good friend afterwards, proceeds to "hug" it to my chest and giggle and smoosh my face into it while son and friend and curious restaurant patrons look at me like I'm out on a day pass from the looney bin. But that's how I feel when I encounter lovely fiber...a bit looney. Don't you?
Oh, Peace Fleece yarn. I have great plans for you!

And here we have the beginnings of this sweater for Charlie, with Wool of the Andes yarn from Knit Picks in the Arctic Pool Heather colorway. I'm liking this yarn a lot, too - it's super nice to work with and the color is very appealing and, well, let's just get down to it. For less than $20 I'm knitting a sweater for my son. With awesome wool yarn. Now that's looney!

Have a good weekend!

A Hat for Smooch

2008-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

Presenting the Woodland Elf Hat from Bend the Rules Sewing, one of my fave books. I made this with felted wool bought from my favorite local fabric store.

Ah, but I must confess something...sure, you can't see it in the photos...but Smooch got at the hat with my little scissors right before I sewed the flower onto it. Snipped a little "half-moon" cut on the very front of the hat, and then a few little little "splices" on the bottom edge. But then, that's what happens when you go to the kitchen to pour a quick cup of coffee and then get distracted by five million other things within a time-span of three minutes before getting back to what you were getting to and ta-da! "Oh, hi Mommy, me help wis' my fairy hat." Sigh. Looong sip of coffee. Sigh.

In the end, all I had to do was tuck the edge under, sew per the instructions and (voila!) "splices" gone. But the "half-moon?" Haven't solved that one yet. Perhaps I won't. And I'm thinking I'm okay with that.

A Day

2008-01-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today has been just one of those days - the kind where you find yourself standing in the kitchen staring off into space while the kids whirl about. Thinking about picking up the needles to knit a bit...and deciding against it because you're trying to follow a pattern (although it is simple), knowing you'll be needed before you get through even 1/4 of the 157 stitches.

So I sat on the floor and "ate" a fried egg.

Then spent the rest of the daylight hours in the dining room, drawing at the table.

Charlie was into it for about 15 minutes and drew a picture of a Himalyan Snow Leopard on a mountaintop and then spent the rest of the time reading to me and talking about dinosaurs and wildlife.

Juliet and I didn't move from the table until it got dark enough to require overhead lighting.

We drew on watercolor paper with Lyra Aquacolors and watercolor pencils, then "painted" our pictures with brushed dipped in water. LOVE THE AQUACOLORS.

Didn't knit, didn't sew. Didn't feel like blogging, but here it is anyhow. Once upon a time I kept journals...now I've arrived here. Blogging with pictures to accompany words is extremely satisfying to me right now. And I'm diggin' blogland, too - although am I the only one who feels a bit shy about leaving comments and stuff? I'm guessing not, and I'm guessing I'm rambling. So nighty-night now.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2008-01-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Means a beautiful day for the Dog Park, in my book (and Toby's).

Today it's seriously cold here in Mpls, but Friday it was beautiful and fairly warm.

So off to the park we went, just Juliet, Toby, and I.

Hubby and I were talking about how we've been diggin' the winter this year. The cold, fresh air that wakes you up when you step outside, the red cheeks on all of us after a good walk, Charlie trompin' over every small hill or mound of snow that he happens upon...

I really do like wintertime - I love it when it snows and the moon shines on the whiteness at night so that it feels like an alternate form of daylight. And I love the wool that keeps our feet and hands warm, and knitting Charlie's sweater and thinking about a blanket for hubby's impending birthday. Crafty pics coming soon!

Thompson Family Movie Night

2008-01-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Here's what Juliet picked out from the library this morning:

Hmmm, let's see. What have we here? Oh, "Adventures in Birdwatching" and "Weekend at Bernie's."

Rather than try and explain to my two-year old why we really don't need to watch "Weekend at Bernie's" and thereby risking a full-on public meltdown before noon, I just sighed deeply, checked-out the items, and took a little trip down memory lane.

Once upon a time, I did indeed see "Weekend at Bernie's" at the theater with my boyfriend when I was in high school. I remember we laughed way too loud and thought it was the funniest movie we'd ever seen. (Dumb movie + nervous energy = hysteria.) If you've never seen "Weekend at Bernie's," let me fill you in:

"Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman team up in the drop-dead comedy of the year...the pair star as ambitious young employees who accidentally uncover an embezzlement scam in their company. Bernie, their boss, rewards their efforts by inviting them to his beachside pleasure palace for the weekend. When the boys arrive, they find that Bernie has been bumped off. But even a stiff won't stop this party...the boys make quite a splash as they dodge bullets, babes and bodies in the wackiest, wildest weekend of their lives."

Oh yeah, butter that popcorn, put up your feet and say hello to Thompson Family Movie Night! Or maybe not.

For Me?

2008-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

That's what Juliet said when I showed her the little nightgown that I finished for her today.

It was pretty easy and went fairly fast for a beginner like me. The fabric is a cotton flannel that I got from a thrift store, and the buttons are vintage. Butterick pattern #B4910. So fun! I'm just happy that it turned out, because so far the only other garment I've ever made is a skirt for myself.
Another piece of crafty goodness causing me stay up way too late:

A little crocheted angel, pattern from this sweet Etsy Shop. I made her with wool from my stash and needle-felted the heart and her face. Never done anything like this before, either, but dang, it was fun!

Next up is a sweater for my 8-year old boy, namely this one. Just waiting for the yarn to arrive from Knit Picks, and then I'll begin. I'm a little bit afraid, though...the last cardi that I tried (actually, the first and last) was abandoned because I just couldn't understand the #&(%*&)! "make two, reverse shaping" instructions. Why couldn't the author of the pattern just have written it out for me? Why? Oh well, I will persevere with this one. I swear it!

Morning Masterpieces

2008-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

I'm the type of person who would pull the covers over my head and sleep until high noon if I could, so most mornings, for me, are no symphony.

But for some other members of my little family there some good things happening in the a.m. hours:

When I think about it, mornings represent just one of the many ways being a mom has challenged me to "get over myself," if you will.
So I've decided that I'm gonna challenge myself to be on the lookout for goodness in the mornings.

Goodness that I'll post at random on my little blog. And while I don't anticipate singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from this movie anytime soon, who knows...stranger things have happened...

A Message from Charlie

2008-01-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

My son is 8 years old and he loves many things, especially wildlife. He's researched whales, loves to watch nature programs, and someday hopes to become a scientist or conservationist or paleontologist. When he came to me the other day with questions and concerns about global warming....well, what to say? It's such a huge issue, and it could be really scary to an 8 year-old. So we discussed and I said that what we do is start here at home. And then we looked at a few kid-friendly websites that address this issue, such as:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/ and
http://globalwarmingkids.net/.

In the hopes of helping him to feel proactive (rather than helpless) I told Charlie that he could make a list of things we could do to help the earth and I would post them on my blog. Here's what he came up with:

1. Save electricity.

2. Ride a bike, take the bus, or walk.

3. Plant a tree.

4. Recycle.

5. Buy locally.

6. Don't use so many cars.

7. Use solar energy.

It's a big subject and when it comes up the best I can do is just bring it back home...using "spiral" lightbulbs, recycling, composting...on any other scale it's just too much for a kid, in my humble opinion. And then when bedtime comes I can tuck him in with fresh, hot blankets from the dryer so his curious mind can sleep a little better.

Winter Comforts

2007-12-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

I've been revisting my love of good 'ol garter stitch these days:

Two cotton dishcloths for to be stashed away for Christmas gifts next year. A couple more on deck to be made for my dad, who is in desperate, dire, call-the-CDC need of new dishcloths. (Dad, if you happen to be reading this, I love you, but it's true!) Actually, if my dad is reading this, I will finally believe his story about swimming across Lake Superior in the dead of night when he was in high school because the chances of him accessing a computer and reading a blog is just as likely an occurence. Anyhoo, I digress.

Ohhh yeah, my favorite pair of slippers. Knit, felted, and embellished last spring and not worn much until this fall and winter. I didn't really think I'd like to wear them...not sure why....maybe it's because one hails from attempt #1 and the other from attempt #3 or 4, therefore leaving me with a pair of "not exactly identical" slippers of which I harbored a deep resentment. But I'm able to overlook it now because they've come to love my feet and my feet love them. And I like happy endings.

Here's to peace, love, and lots of laughter this New Year.

Cookie Madness

2007-12-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Damn, Girl!

That's what I said to myself after making these tasty little morsels today. And you'd say it, too, if you tried one - here's how:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place small pretzel twists on a baking sheet.

Top each twist with one Rolo candy piece.

Bake for no more than 5 minutes or so. (Candy should be "on the verge" of melting into a gooey mess.)

Remove from oven and gently press a pecan on top of the pretzel/Rolo treat.

Transfer to a pan lined with wax paper and cool.

Voila!

Then my mom came over and we got down to the business of cookie madness.

Frosted sugar cookies, Russian tea cakes, casserole cookies, maples creams, Grandma Weld's cookies, and buttermints...

...a day of new and old favorites.

Better Day

2007-12-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

1. Resist the urge to replace designated activity in Advent Stocking #18 - "Go Sliding!" - with "Eat Chocolate and Watch a Movie."

2. Take 2 Ibuprofens, drink another cup of coffee, and dress the kids (and self) in full-on winter regalia.

3. Hit the sliding hill and spend an hour watching your son mess around with a friend. Bite your tongue when he nearly misses a tree.

4. Smile when your 2 year-old daughter announces, "I wasn't afraid!" at the dinner table when asked how she enjoyed her "first slide."

Yeah, baby! Happy winter!

Bunnies, Circles, and Candy Canes

2007-12-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

One little bunny

for one little girl

who likes to draw circles and candy canes.
(Bunny pattern found here.)

Holiday Exchange

2007-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

Today I'll be mailing my family's package to our Holiday Traditions Exchange partner.

Ho Ho Ho!

Nearly Finished

2007-12-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Almost done with the Advent Stockings - what a fun project this has been! And the kids have enjoyed the fruits of mom's labor, too...today (#6) was "Hot Chocolate and Game Night," so we had hot chocolate and candy canes for dessert and played hide-&-seek before bed.

Before reading SouleMama's blog and Little Birds' archives I had never thought I could do anything like this. I was (and am) a knitter and crocheter, but a person who sewed and crafted? A mere wanna-be. But I've surprised myself, I'm happy with myself, and I'm having a blast. What more could a gal ask for? A new-found creative outlet and a few "hot nights with the hot glue gun" are pretty satisfying these days!

Book Love at the Book Fair

2007-12-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

I found these books (and many more) at the annual book fair at my son's school the other night. I totally scored with this one:

It's called the "Keep Busy Book for Boys" circa 1961. So cool! This morning my son and I were doing "magic comb tricks:"

1. Make a little pile of salt
2. Run a comb through your hair a few times
3. Hold the comb above the pile of salt and watch it "fly" to the comb

Fun Stuff! We also made airplanes with clothespins, paper wings, and fashioned a carboard airplane hanger for them. Before I left for work he had planes routed to California, Montana, and Hawaii. So great to watch my kids having fun making their own fun.

Anticipation

2007-11-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

I am so looking forward to this Christmas season because this year we're gonna do it a little bit different. I'm planning to do a lot less shopping and a lot more making. Making good memories with unique and thoughtful gifts, making more cookies and less debt.

Thanks SouleMama for the inspiration and motivation, and especially for the Advent Stockings idea - love, love, love it!

#1-5 done, 19 more to go. I think I can, I think I can...toot toot!

Hello

2007-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

After much lurking I've decided to start my own little blog. I've been so inspired by other bloggers out there to create a space that speaks of life and family, crafting and more, so here goes!