a week in photos.

Humph.  This really should be multiple posts, but I have been busy.  And lazy.  It's been kind of a crappy week out, so we have been craftin' it up around here.  Working on lots-o-goodies.  I have been a bit frantic to produce some beauty as of late and I am beginning to think it is because I am anticipating the dreariness of winter.  I know it is not even August quite yet, but I can feel the cold coming.  Winter is lurking.  And where winter lurks, dark and dreary gray days follow.  I want lots of color and happiness on our walls.  Let us begin.

This project is not for my walls.  Nor did I make it this week.  I actually gave it away to a sweet baby cherub a couple of weeks ago, but the pictures were still on my camera and they needed to be shared somewhere dagnabit.  Not my usual fare, but I fell in love with the wee one Lila in utero of one of my favorite ladies on this earth - so an exception was made.  The three girls in the center are embroidered from a pattern purchased here .  I had a feeling Lila would indeed be a girlie, so I began stitching them up a bit ago.  The quilled cards came later.

Excuse the shadow of my large head.  Oh well.

These are my attempt at Roses.  Um, I know.  

        

At least it's better than a baby blanket.  Guess how many baby blankets I was given when Ethan was born?  17.  Yup.

Next up is Troy's current Food Porn submission.  If you do not know about this website, well then you are like the rest of us - normal.  My husband however is obsessed.  It's not enough to be geeked out on artsy food all of the time, now he has to whore it out.  He has not had a photo accepted yet, but he is a determined little fellow.  Below is this past Tuesday's dinner of mushroom crusted rack of lamb with a leek puree, roasted shitake mushrooms and some sort of potato/squash deal.  

                                        

Our house, which we rent is on 23 acres.  Waaaay out.  Unfortunately however - our neighbor's house is right across the drive.  They are positioned to look right into our living room if they so desired.  To boot, our landlord also has his cabinet making business on the property and is here multiple times a week.  Not really the private setting we had anticipated when moving in, but alas.  We could keep the shades drawn and live like hermits, but that's not really my style.  I got the bright idea this week to make window art with the kids that would add some color to our inside world and keep some of the peepers out.  This attempt was both successful and a bit dismal.   My idea was to create 'stained glass' dots to hang on four sets of windows by melting crayons inside of waxed paper and then cutting to shape.  Easy enough.  I remember doing similar projects as a child, so how hard can it be?  Um, hard.  I bought way too many crayons, ruined a sheet, pillowcase, and my iron.  And disappointed my children due to my promise that they may iron said wax paper thingies and then getting pissed off at the mess I was making and not letting them.  Seriously it was a huge freaking mess.  Wax everywhere.  I will not do this project again.  Ever.

All the hard work and none of the fun.  It took them forever to peel all of those crayons and I think we used about eight.  

This picture does not do them justice - the dots are actually very pretty from the inside looking out.  Lots of variation in color and texture.  I was hoping it would shine color dots around the room when the sun hit, but that does not happen at all.  The other thing that sucks is how the dots appear from the exterior of the house.  They might as well be construction paper.  Not so much artsy as tacky.

Recently Troy and I decide we no longer wished to hang reproductions on our walls and would instead favor only originals - be it our own or other artist's.  In way of this new movement, we are also re-purposing some of the pictures we currently have hanging.  With the exception of one, I am very tired of the 'art' we have up.  I am also trying not to spend much money, so we have had to get a bit creative.  Our first attempt is a collective painting.  The original work was a painting I bought off Ebay a decade ago.  We first primed over it and then cut and glued foam shapes to it's surface.

The colors of the foam do not really matter since they will eventually be covered by paint, but I thought it would be more interesting for the kids to kind of see what direction we are heading.  The foam is merely there to provide dimension.  Next comes the puff paint.  Lots of puff paint.

The first phase is done, but I think it needs to fully dry before moving on.  It has been 24 hours and it is still very wet.  I bet it will be at least another 2 days before we can move on to the flowers.  I know I should have, but I did not anticipate the weight of this picture.  The paint is so heavy.

        

On a dissimilar note, I attempted to dye a dress for my cousin's upcoming wedding.  Marnie is the flower girl and we were asked to color the dress she wore in my brother's wedding last year to match their theme.  This obviously is not going to work out.

                                                    
I'm not exactly sure what happened here.  Parts of the dress just did not color at all.  Such a bummer.  Now I need to find another dress for her to wear and I do not want to.  I do not want to!! Urg.


My last photo for the day is a glimpse at my current quill work in progress.  A tree obviously.  I hope to finish this by the end of the week and then off to the framer's.  I am itching to start a bigger one.  

It's hard to see the detail.  I'll get better pictures up when it's done.

tornado.

Our town was hit by a tornado. Branches flew everywhere and apples from our tree were chucked at the house. The lake grew waves to heights of 3 feet - which are huge seeing as the 'lake' is merely a fishing hole that can easily be swam across. The kids and I spent the better half of an afternoon hiding out in our stanky basement. Our house made it through unscathed, but the storm put in motion a series of events that can only be described as, well, not cool.

The power went out. This happens a lot out here. This was probably the sixth time it has been out this year. No electricity is bad enough, but our water pump is also run on power which means we also had no water. AND did you know that you need water to flush a toilet? Four people in a house with no lights, water or bathroom facilities make for a non appealing time. At least it happened at night when the kids were already in bed. Too bad it was still out when they got up the next morning and had to pee.

Due to the storm, a bird flew into the garage. We tried to shoo him out but unfortunately we left the door to the house open and the bird decided that our kitchen would be more fun to escape to.



As Troy was chasing the bird around the inside of our house, I decided that it would be smart to charge my laptop and cell in my car so that we could at least listen to music, check our email and let the kids watch a movie. My phone slipped from my hand on the way as I ducked flying fowl and the face smashed into a hundred pieces. Did I mention that my cell is an iphone? I am still not recovered from the heated argument that followed with the Apple rep who nastily told me that they were not going to cover the damage by warranty and that it would cost me $250 to replace a six inch piece of glass.

Meanwhile, Troy was able to grab the bird and release it outside. I guess the bird wasn't happy with that and quickly flew back into the garage. As soon as I ceased pounding my fists and feet against the floor and wailing over my phone like the toddler I truly am, I went out to finish plugging in the laptop to the car. As I stepped out, WOOSH, the bird flew over my house and back into the house.



Still no power.

I dressed the kids and threw them into the car. Being anywhere other than home was my deepest desire. Troy went to work catching the bird. Again. And once again he released it, but not without another escape into the garage. Eff it. We went out for breakfast.



The day did get a little better from there. My Dad came for a visit and took my mind off of not being able to poop in peace. We dinked around town trying to take up hours. Eventually the electricity returned a full 24 hours after it went out.

Today is much nicer indeed. I tried out another brownie recipe for the bakery and am pretty sure that it's 'the one'. I still need to tweak a few minor details, but it was definitely delish. I am going to try another batch tonight and see what Troy thinks. While they baked, I organized my craft hutch and made a little fun hair bow holder for Marnie's room. I now have the table space to properly set up my new embroidery machine and learn the ropes. Maybe I will get to that tonight.





Maybe not though because I have started to learn yet another craft and I might be too engrossed with that. I am so easily swayed by new projects. I do not posses the power to say no....

Marnie was bit by the art bug today also. She took it out on my wall. Although less than enthusiastic with her choice of canvas, I do have to say this is some of her best work.

life.

Time slips by lately. Scarily. One minute I am working diligently on preparation for a children's birthday party and the next two months has passed and I have yet to leave a post on all that has happened.

These few weeks will be the last I will have with both of my babies at home with me every moment of every day. I have put this thought at bay for the past year, not wanting to think about it too much due to it's soul crushing effects. Marnie will only be entering school for two days a week and only half days at that. I know that does not seem like such a big deal, but I have become so accustomed to being with her constantly and I cannot wrap my head around it being otherwise. I am sure the bigger issue here is of course her gradual move towards independence and the eventual demise of her now all encompassing need for me... but I am not ready to take that on. I prefer to take a baby step and focus now on how much I am going to miss her. I am going to miss her seven hours a week. Pathetic? Probably, but I don't care.

I am excited about the opportunity to spend more one on one time with Ethan. Ethan, although much more challenging on the health front, is extremely laid back and not nearly as demanding on my attention. While this can be a Godsend, it often means that he takes back-seat to his big sister. Marnie is big personality and Ethan chooses not to compete yet. Luckily however, Marnie also adores Ethan and gives him more attention than he could ever need and probably doesn't even desire. I am really looking forward to working on developing the relationship with Ethan that came so easy with Marnie and I when it was just the two of us. Ethan and I have never been just the two of us, so this situation I am sure will be positive for him and I.

On a completely dissimilar topic, I have been taken over by thoughts of Halloween lately. Odd. Last year, I had the desire to sew costumes for the kids, but I think perhaps I became lazy. I actually cannot recall what happened and why I didn't make them. All I know is that Ethan, being only 4 months old, did not have a costume at all and Marnie ended up with the only costume left in shop a week prior to the big night - a bumble bee. She was a cute bumble bee though. This year though, I am determined to produce amazing costumes on my own for both kids. I am no seamstress mind you, so I am going to start now. I have the feeling that this project might be a bit too much for my limited skills. We shall see. I ordered the patterns this morning and hopefully they will be here by next week. I have chosen to take on patterns by Tom Arma. For those who aren't familiar, Tom Arma designs the most amazing costumes for children. To buy one retail, you can expect to spend upwards of $80, which is ridiculous. Luckily for me and many others who could not possibly justify spending that crazy amount of cash on a costume that is only going to become ruined by pixie sticks, he also has designed a few select patterns for McCall's. So, there you go... I'll be updating I am sure.

whata pinata.

I love pinatas. I have such fond memories of being little and going to birthday parties with candy filled donkeys hanging from strings. I never had one of my own - I have only had one birthday party and nada pinata. But I love them. I had decided that I would get one , but I had to change my mind once I began to dream of all the little 3 year olds trying to bash it open and then becoming increasingly frustrated when nothing happens, because you know, they're only 3. Hmmm, so I decided that I would make one and make it not so hard to break open. I could only find instructions to make them in the shape of a balloon. boring. Eventually I decided to make mini individual pinatas for each child to destroy. I have got the first few layers done and as soon as they are fully dry, I will be able to fill them up with goodies. Hopefully they are not too fragile to hold all the loot I have to go inside. I will be so mad. These bad boys have taken up a lot of my time. I need to figure out a creative way to display them at the party. They are so colorful and will make nice decorations. I had thought that I would hang them from a tree or something, but they ended up being much bigger than I had planned. Any ideas?

Troy made some Miso soup with prawns for lunch and it was so pretty I just had to take a picture. Delish!

in true fashion.

Things I hate: Cartoon characters on clothing, tots dressed as if about to go man hunting in some sleazy dive bar, paying $45 for a dress for a toddler that will outgrow it within six months. I am not doing it anymore. I want to live simply and I want my children to do so also. Part of this, I believe, is to actually be a kid. You know, run, skip, play, be merry. I don't think kids get to do that too often anymore. Have you walked down a toy isle recently? The outfits on some of the dolls are outrageous! Once I dreamed of being glamorous like Barbie in all of her ball gowns and princess like outfits. Do girls still dream of being like her - only now wearing barely there outfits? I cannot even look at some of the other brands without blushing...

Anyway, I am not talking about this to merely complain. I have decided that I am not giving in and I am not going to allow my kids to be part of this hootchie kid culture. I will continue to make changes in our lifestyle to simplify and allow Marnie and Ethan to remain innocent for as long as possible.

I love the clothing styles for children from the 50's, 60's & 70's. Not all of them of course, but many. Over the past month or so (as Marnie is now outgrowing many of her outfits) I have been collecting vintage patterns in hopes of sewing most of Marnie's clothing from now on. I finally sat down to the machine to attempt my first, and I think it turned out pretty swell. I am not the greatest behind a sewing machine, but I did my best. I am sure I will improve as my clothing quest continues.


It is kind of hard to see in this picture. It is a jumpsuit from the seventies. She loves it. There is elastic at the waist and also at the top to hold it up. This was the first time I have ever done anything with elastic. The waist part did not turn out so picture perfect, so I decided to make a matching sash to tie around. It suited the jumper perfectly. I attached it on one side and then tied it on the other. It helps the garment stay up too. For my first project, I am pretty happy with it. I am going to attempt a dress from the 50's next. It seems a bit more difficult, so we will see... I also will need to learn to make button holes with my sewing machine. I wish I had been taught all of this when I was a girl. Why didn't I take home economics like my brother?

Our gardens are coming along so nicely. The plants are sprouting up all over. We are having some problems with rabbits already, but so far it is minimal. There is a huge rhubarb plant in one of the gardens that is so large and so beautiful that it was almost a shame to harvest it. But alas, it is one of my favorites, so chop, chop.
I made the most delicious Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake Cobbler. It turned out so well that I feel I need to post the recipe and spread the gluten free love.

Serves eight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 2/3 cup of Bob's Redmill Gluten Free all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut in halves
1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 cup water

In a small sauce pan, combine rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow mixture to reduce. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add chilled butter and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbles. Add the cream and stir until all ingredients are combined.

Arrange strawberries in baking dish. Pour rhubarb mixture over strawberries. With a spoon, drop large globs of dough throughout the baking dish. Brush exposed dough with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 35 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream. yummy.




I'm pretty sure it tastes better since the rhubarb is home grown... doesn't everything though?

I am thinking that I might attempt a no sugar added version for the party next Saturday. My mother-in-law is diabetic and I like to have a special something for her during events where there are many temptations. She gets in tomorrow, so we'll see if she even likes rhubarb.


Look at all of these geese. I kind of hate geese for all the poopin' and such, but how can you hang on to the hate when they stroll through your yard with a couple dozen goslings?This picture is not very good. There were tons of them though and they were all cute. Damn geese.

happiness

Oh Mother's Day loveliness! Today I got to sleep in until almost 9:30... and I was given these beautiful stakes for my garden. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time anyone has ever made something for me. I love it. I hope all my future gifts from the kids are made by their little hands. I felt very special.

The rest of the day was spent roaming around the gardens and splashing a bit in the lake. Lovely. The weather was perfect and at every turn there were new buds and stems that were not there yesterday. I love this time of year. I cannot wait for more blooms though.


I am working on so many projects right now that I am kind of freaking out. Many have deadlines and I am fearful of not getting them done in time. Troy's aunt and her partner are getting married next month and I decided to take a stab at quilting. Hand quilting. For the first time ever. hmmmm. Maybe a bit ambitious, but it seems like a good idea in theory. These two ladies mean the world to me and I want to do something really nice. I have never embroidered before, but I got a book! I took a stab at a couple of stitches and then did a flower. Pretty elementary, I know, but eh. It turned out okay.

I have some wee stichettes headed my way, so I'll get some practice. yum.

birthday banner banter

The family and I attended a birthday party last Sunday in the burbs. Birthday parties are of great interest to me right now as our big shin dig looms in the near future. I am really big on making things *extra* special and memorable (especially when it comes to my kiddos). This party that we went to was for the son of my dearest friend all throughout high school and up to now. We don't get to see each other very often, but when we do, it's just like we were together yesterday. Anyhow, her son turned one and we were able to make it out to the celebration. The thing that caught my eye was this large and lovely banner that she had made to wish her son a happy 1st. It was made of fabric and very cute. I had never thought to do this - but what a clever idea! Every year at the child's birthday, you can bring out the banner to hang up. With permission, I am totally stealing this idea for the kid's party. I am going to make one for each - in case they decide to do separate parties in the future or what have you. I am going to take the sentimental factor a bit farther however. When Marnie was a baby, I was so crazy about having this beautiful little girl that I went a little overboard on cute outfits. I have never had the heart to give away many of the dresses even though I have no plans of having more children. They have been sitting in the basement, collectively growing in numbers as she outgrows her still adorable dresses. The same kind of goes for Ethan too - I still have all of his baby clothing, however being only 11 months, there is not as much of a stash. Back to my point - I had the idea to use this clothing for the lettering on the banner. I think it will add a bit more to
the feeling of the banner.



Okay, so I still have quite a bit to do. I bought some felt today for the trim and to outline the letters. I hope that it doesn't take too much time, because I still have another to do. I have to say though that this project thus far has been super easy and really cheap. It really is not going to cost much more than one of those stupid plastic birthday banners and this will look much better hanging off the deck. The only thing that really sucks about this banner is how emotional it was to cut up her little dresses. I am not sure if it is due to the realisation that my baby is becoming a big girl or that I am not hanging on to them anymore in case I have another baby girl. Whatever the reason, it made me cry - a lot.