Rock-a-bye Baby

It's been almost nine months since the babe joined our family, so it's easy to calculate how long it's been since I've had a full night's sleep. But time waits for no man, so I've been busy knocking projects off the to-do list that never ends (or maybe just magically re-sets with new tasks once it dwindles to a certain level). The big boys were a little envious of the transformation their old bedroom took when it became the nursery, so I've been gathering and gathering, testing swatches and having fun planning a big boy room that will finally be pulled together by next week. However, before I started that, I wanted to get a few more things done with the nursery. I'd purchased fabric several months ago so that I could re-cover the ottoman but never just sat down to do it.

Yesterday afternoon I had to get the sewing machine out to sew the patches onto H's cub scouts uniform so decided I should probably just get 'er done. As for the patches, if I ever complain about sewing the patches on J's man-sized military uniform again, please remind me of tiny sleeve and pocket that is a cub scout shirt. There were no curse words muttered.

As for the ottoman, the biggest thing I learned is that girls who have no patience for tedium should not be so ga-ga over bold graphic prints. Because guess how obvious it is when you don't take the time to match up the pattern?

In addition to the cover, I added a bookshelf above the rocking chair with some of the books we've received for him (board books that aren't tattered, hooray!), and I love the bookend (in white in the nursery) so much that I bought a set in grey for the big boys' room. They're just simple, but not plain, and for whatever reason, they just struck the right chord with me.

I have a fun craft in the works that I'll be able to hang up after his first birthday and I swapped out the hand-embroidered alphabet that I did for this more masculine and simple one.

At almost nine months old (gasp! Really?! Already?!) Jack is just on the cusp of crawling, so I'm pretty sure we'll be swapping that tall paper lamp out for a pendant in a matter of a month or so. I am really loving the look of this one, but wonder if it will be too feminine. I would likely make it myself, out of roving or a super bulky yarn, to cover a simple pendant shade, because I could do it for far less than $70. What do you think?

What are you working on right now? I love to ogle other people's images, so if you have links to your projects, please feel free to include them in the comment! My sister and her family are coming from Iowa for a visit in two weeks, and I vow to have the big boys' room done before they get here, so stay tuned! Pin It

What a Chore!

The other day H proclaimed 'I have to do everything around here!' Really? Because I just asked you to put your pajamas in the laundry basket. Then it occurred to me that H and Charlie are plenty old to start having some regular responsibilities. They actually like to do things like dust and vacuum the couch cushions, though apparently putting an article of clothing in a basket ten feet away is akin to capital punishment. I have what one might call minor control issues, so having them do things like swiffer "Argh! You're just getting more dirt everywhere!" or clean the bathroom "Get away from the toilet, there are germs everywhere!" would be counter-productive if the goal was to have them take some responsibility in helping keep our house clean independently. 

Before I finally broke down and hired someone to clean my house monthly, the only time my house really would get dusted is if I was moving furniture around, actually moving, or my mom did it for me. Until now, we've moved every two to three years so that was totally fine, right? Therefore, dusting is the perfect example of a chore for me to 'give away'.

I came up with a chart for each kid that includes everything from brushing their teeth and feeding the dog twice a day to making their beds and weekend chores like helping with their laundry and dusting or wiping down the bathroom counters.

I printed it on a normal 8.5x11 sheet of paper, trimmed the edges and put them in an 8x10 frame with a marker for each so that they could check off their list without having to print a new sheet every week. They're on the bathroom counter so they can look at them as they're getting ready. Charlie's gonna be wicked good at making x's by the time he hits kindergarten.

When I showed it to them, they were actually both really excited. (Really.) H asked if he was going to get paid a dollar per chore, and I just laughed at him. Um, no. Your 'reward' for completing these menial tasks is to live in a nice house that you can feel pride in helping to create. And leisure time. The screen time is a much bigger carrot than 'sense of accomplishment' but whatev' it'll come. 

So far, they have been doing a pretty good job, especially with the weekend chores because they're still kind of a novelty. Either way, it's nice to have a little help, and it motivates me to get the work done first thing while they're still eager to help so that it becomes routine. It's always surprising to me how long I wait to give H a task, yet Charlie is perfectly capable of it at the same time even though he's three years younger. I have so much to learn about parenting, but I guess that's why the first kid is kind of like the first pancake. A little crispy, maybe even slightly burnt, until you get the temperature of the griddle just right for the others. Ah, the guilt that comes with being a highly imperfect mom.

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The Spice of Life

Like a lot of people, I store almost all of my spices, oils, vinegar and other cooking and baking supplies in the teeny tiny cabinet above the range hood/microwave. Who doesn't love leaning very near an active gas burner to reach the back of said cabinet and have multiple bottles of basil or cumin fall all over them? I know it totally makes my day. Alas, I have been searching for the perfect spice organization for quite awhile until fortune smiled upon me. Or was it the World Market algorithm? Either way, after about an hour of sorting, organizing and yes, trusty label maker utilizing, I am one happy girl.

IHeart Organizing featured kitchen organization last month, so I've been on kind of a nerdy organizing streak, packaging pirate's booty into freezer canning jars as 'snack packs' and purchasing an over-the-door pantry organizer that is still sitting on my washing machine because the pantry door needs to be re-hung to make it fit correctly (j is super stoked when I start projects that cause him more tedium.) but still, the cure to my spice overload eluded me. Until...

It all started when Our Best Bites posted a photo on facebook of a lime glazed quick bread that they'd portioned out into adorable blue and white mini bread pans. What?! I know-I promise, I'm getting there. Clearly everyone else was smitten with them, because a quick scan of the comments revealed World Market as the source of said cuteness. I hopped online and after I put them in my virtual basket, the helpful folks suggested I might like some round glass spice jars. Hold. The. Phone. Why yes, yes I would like them. Actually, I would like thirty-two, thanks! They arrived and then sat on my counter for two days.

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for the weekend. My first child-free weekend since last December's (2011, not 2012) weekend at the Rock-n-Roll Vegas Half-Marathon. A weekend of girlfriends, laughter, wine consumption and blessed, sacred, uninterrupted sleep. I have a lot to get done before I leave-closets to purge, books to sort and laundry to fold and put away. Naturally, this was the perfect time to organize the spice cabinet.

(Sorry for the iphone pictures)Here's the scary and overflowing before:

Notice that several of the jars are precariously perched...guess how many times they've lost their footing.

After taking everything out of the cabinet, I knew I wanted the bulk of the spices to go in one of the drawers by the stoves so a quick shuffle of contents so that things made better sense and I had a empty drawer. I then matched up all the spices because lord knows when things are that crammed, there are going to be duplicates because sometimes it was just easier to buy another bottle of turmeric than to find the one that you think you're pretty sure you maybe saw when you took them all down to find the coriander last week.

I initially thought it would be cute to paint a square if chalkboard paint and then write each spice...cute unit, it rubbed off the first time. Also, who has time for that? So I busted out my old pal the label gun, and I filled each jar then applied a label so that I wasn't left to later guess what one might be. I was able to fit a lot of them in the drawer, and chose the few that I use infrequently to go back in the cabinet above, but the new jars and labels made the, easily identifiable. My big containers of cinnamon and chili powder went back in the fridge door-I'm sure it's not true, but I heard somewhere along the way that they are better kept there and I'm sticking to it.

The ahhh after. Like Pretty maids all in a row!

I like these jars for several reasons just a few of them being that at $3.99/four-pack they're affordable, they can hold more than a full-sized jar of most brands and they have a wide enough mouth that all of my measuring spoons will fit inside. Next up; baking drawer organization. I know, the excitement of my life is just astounding.

Everything in its new home and I may or may not have opened the drawers about twenty times just to gaze at the shiny little jars. I swear they winked back. And then I made a batch of Banana Nutella Granola to take and share with my girlfriends-organized and yummy smelling kitchen?! It's the 1-2 punch for this girl. Now, I must pack. Pin It

Mind Your Beeswax

In just two short weeks, I'll be heading to a girlfriend weekend (including time with my big sis, who I haven't seen since our adventures in Aruba last December) in Portland with zero children-the first time you leave any baby is always bittersweet, but I'm definitely ready for the rejuvination that you can only get when you spend restful time with people you love. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that jazz.

Part of the fun of the weekend is that we're all bringing something to share with the group. It's supposed to be something to represent who you are. I love to take care of people and pamper, so I'll be knitting up some chunky cowls and made some fun lip balm today, based on this tutorial by Our Best Bites. From pulling out the supplies to popping lids onto the cooled tubes was less than a half hour. Hands on time was about 5 minutes, and it's just a fun thing to make.

Logo labels-a little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone.

In the future, I'll use candy flavoring in addition to the essential oils; and I'll use more of the oil. I should know by now to just follow the directions given by OBB because those girls have never steered my wrong, but after just about ten drops of the lime oil it smelled so strong and I got nervous so I stopped at that then added about five drops of peppermint and it has just the barest hint of minty freshness on your lips, but for a basic lip balm it turned out well. Just one batch made 20 tubes of balm and filled a 2.5 oz glass baby food jar. I've been keeping a tub of lip balm in our kitchen stationery drawer, so why not use the stuff I made myself?

As for the cowls, I'm going back and forth between making several different patterns, or just stick to two patterns with multiple colors to choose from; the front runners are Quick Cabled Cowl, Holding Hands Feeding Ducks and of course the Ramona and Poppy Cowls that I've already done before and loved.

Either way, I can't wait to spend a weekend drinking wine, running with my sister, lounging and laughing, and I'm sure there will be some tears as well, just so it will qualify as a true estrogen fest.


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The Way The Cookie Crumbles

H is such a busy, crazy, wild boy that I often forget just how sensitive he is. He loves to create, especially if it's for somebody specific.  Last week, he came home from school, excited to show me the book he'd checked out from the library. I saw the cover and he explained that this would be the valentine we'd create for his teacher. Charlie has two classroom teachers, so we'd actually be creating three of these since what H does, so does Charlie.

That's right: a cookie bouquet. I put the book to the side, thinking he'd forget about it, and proceeded to purchase simple little carstock boxes and an assortment of Ghirardelli chocolate squares to put in them for the teachers and support staff. Fast forward to Tuesday night when H reminded me that we still needed to get the supplies and start on the cookies. I showed him my genius purchase, but he would not be swayed. Then he threw down the gauntlet. 'You said you'd get the (insert variety of craft supplies here) for the Star Wars craft, and you never did!' Fine, 'Uncle!', I cried in my head and promised that while they were in school on Monday I'd get the supplies and we could decorate the cookies after school so they'd have time to set overnight before the big day. 

They really weren't that difficult, but I did as instructed and used refrigerated cookie dough, though I know that my mom's sugar cookie dough is the best (and it would have actually worked a lot better for these). In the future, I'll just make cookie pops in a cello bag-you'll see why a little further down. 

The boys got home to find iced (not frosted, an important distinction) cookies waiting to be decorated. Next time, I'd use an even smaller cookie cutter, but this was the smallest heart I had and the crapp-o store-bought dough spread a lot in baking. Secondly, I would have baked them for maybe two minutes longer until they were much more done than I usually prefer.

The boys then got to use the frosting in a can that looks like easy cheese and a sparkly decorating gel (which I wouldn't recommend in the future). I had purchased sparkly frosting, but realized my tips wouldn't work with it, so I saved them for later. 

Next time, I'd let them all remain on the sheet instead of transferring them to plates because I think it may have weakened the back a little...you'll see for yourself at the end. Cookies decorated, they painted the pots with pink and red acrylic paint (and I resisted the urge to touch up and fill in the gaps) and left them to dry. I had them do it on parchment paper (I just re-used the parchment I baked the cookies on), so that as the paint dried it wouldn't stick like it would to newspaper.

I then inserted a square of floral foam that I cut so that it would have a snug fit, and covered it with a sheet of white tissue paper, pushing it down into the sides to fill the gaps and leaving a single layer on the top so that the lollipop sticks could easily be inserted.

The next morning, I arranged three cookies per pot and filled the gaps with candy hearts, making double sure I had H's three cookies in the pot he painted because he would remember and then I'd be a failure in his eyes once again. I put them in a box with an airpack between each pot, and then realized I'd have to have J ride along with me for school drop off so they didn't fall over and break. The extra cookie was put in a cello bag (as I would do in the future) and given to H's teacher from last year. In the end, only one cookie broke in trasit, and it wasn't one of H's so I'm calling it a win. In total, they only took about 15-20 minutes of hands-on time, not including the 12 minutes they were in the oven.

How I thought they'd arrive at school

Although they turned out fine (9 out of 10 intact ain't bad...) I'd do a few things differently next time:

1. Use smaller cookie cutters.

2. Don't be lazy; actually make the sugar cookie dough that you know works well.

3. Don't push the stick into the cookie too firmly, as the icing will make it secure in the front.

4. Don't lean any cookies forward, as the weight of the frosted front will pull it forward and break the cookie.

5. Convince H to give the simple cardstock boxes with chocolates.

How they actually survived the ride.

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So, is it Chicken or Fish?*

*(and if you don't get that reference, you aren't a pop culture ho like I am...Newlyweds, anyone?)

image courtesy of angsarap.net

About six months ago, our local butcher started taking orders for seafood that has been amazing! Once a week, we get an email with what's available on Monday, place your order and pick up your fresh and bursting with the beauty of the sea vittles on Friday. This week, we bought bay scallops and huge white shrimp from Baja. They are the biggest shrimp I've ever seen. Last time the shrimp were available, I made fajitas with them and they were good, but this week I was itching to make something that was healthy and hearty, but a little fancy. I asked 'the facebook' for suggestions and had an immediate response with a recipe for Moqueca. Like most coastal countries, Brazil has their own version of a seafood stew. The thing that makes this one a fave that I'll make again and again is the coconut milk base; yum! The real deal is made with a fish caught off the northern coast, but we work with what we've got. I bet it would even be delish with some calimari.

What I loved most about this, was how simple it was to prepare. I already had everything in my house to make it, save for some cilantro and green onions and that was only because I'd just thrown out my sad wilty ones the day before. I was a little bit nervous about the instructions to generously salt and pepper each layer, but it really turned out beautifully. Just last week I was watching Giada and she commented that if you salt each layer as you're cooking, it'll turn out perfectly seasoned, whereas if you dump in that same amount of salt at the end, it's just salty.  I wish I'd taken a photo of ours, but it was gone in a flash.

The end flavor was a bit like Tom Kha soup, which is one of my favorite treats, and when I input the recipe to myfitnesspal.com so I could track it (I've been tracking every bite I put into my eager mouth) I was pleasantly surprised that, even using full fat coconut milk, it was just over 200 calories per serving (we got 6 servings out of the batch), plus about 100 calories for almost a cup of brown rice. I didn't add the garlic and oil to the rice that the recipe called for, I prepared it as I always do with chicken stock and water. It was very filling and the flavors were rich and deep and really, really satisfying. I love proving over and over that eating healtfully is usually even more satisfying than that big ole greasy burger and fries that make your guts dance a jig twenty minutes later. Bom Apetite!

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She Sells Sea Shells

Progress!

If you've never heard of English style paper piecing quilts, they are awesomely tedious but also produce absolutely beautiful, and seemingly effortlessly aligned, quilt squares. When I was pregnant with H, my mother-in-law gave me a sampler kit that was perfectly timed for my short stint of bedrest. It produced this little sampler.

I enjoy tasks that are the opposite of tedious. Give me a big ole batch of fabric and I'll cut it into squares  and sew strips to make a quick tied quilt. My friend in Massachusetts introduced me to machine paper piecing, and it produces the same effects with none of the tedium. I swore I'd never do another by-hand paper piecing quilt again. That is, until our local fabric shop posted a picture of their newest quilt kit, Hex on the Beach. First, the name, love it.  Second, the beautiful, mesmerizing flow of undulating colors with simple prints let me know that I'd be able to put this baby anywhere in my house and be in love with it. But I see it in the sunny corner of my bedroom draped over a chair with a fat knitting basket beside it. You can see it now, too, right?

Here's what it will look like after I baste fabric onto one thousand little hex shaped pieces of carstock, and then stitch those little hexes together one thousand times. Yes, one thousand. I should be able to lay this baby over my lap and knit just about the time I'm an octagenarian. It's pretty addictive, though, so realistically, I hope to finish it before next fall. I love the pattern of quilting that was chosen for the sample with a simple curvy line that recalls the gently lapping waves. 

Image courtesy of tulapink.com

Speaking of waves, I'm in the throes of planning our summer vacation in Maine. The ocean is calling my name!

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Edgar the Peaceful

About six months before we moved from Massachusetts, we decided that when we got to Walla Walla we'd get a dog. I started obsessively (shocking, right?) scouring the interwebs for dog rescues and other ways to get my mitts on a pooch that was a puppy no longer, was socialized, housetrained and didn't have a history of abuse. I talked to a number of breeders who advertised that they sometimes have older labs available, in addition to the local humane society and animal rescue organization.

Because I started my search months before we moved, it was all very premature, and felt a little silly. Once I was contacted by my friend about Dailey, I stopped looking and didn't keep track of who I'd contacted or what they'd said.

Fast forward, and the last few months of doglessness have carried with them the good and the bad. Floors that are not being constantly swept of dog hair: good. Solo nights and weekends sans canine companionship: bad. We first thought our next dog would be a puppy and had slated that fun to begin next fall. After the rush of the holidays, I started contacting local breeders so that I could get on their list if necessary and go through the application process, meet the parents, etc. I have had a lot of misgivings about going the puppy route at this juncture, the biggest being the babe's age. I think the boys like the idea of having a puppy a lot more than they'd love the realities of nipping teeth, chewed on toys and pee everywhere.

I recently signed up for my second full marathon (Santa Barbara in November, yikes!), so in thinking about getting a dog, I knew that having a running partner would be on my list of priorities, and may even motivate me to finally run in the wee hours of the morning. (Yes, I'm ridiculously afraid of the dark.) However, I was still planning for another 9 months of a pet-free home.

At the beginning of January, I spoke with a breeder in town (really, they're trainers who breed occasionally) to see if they had any older dogs available, or could foresee having any available soon. I got a tingling in my gut when I realized I'd spoken to her when we still lived in Massachusetts and that one of the three she had available was the same she'd thought would be a great fit for us then, but had contacted me before we knew about Dailey to say that her husband was just not ready to let him go yet.

We made arrangements for me to meet the three dogs they were willing to re-home on Monday and then I brought J and the boys out to meet the dogs and that serendipitous pooch feels like a perfect fit. He's incredibly well trained, mellow and just a sweet boy. We already had a weekend at Grantastic's house planned for next weekend, so we'll be officially bringing him home on Sunday. From my first meeting with him, I knew he'd be ours. I tried to be reserved until the boys had met him, but really I'd already placed him in our home in my mind. His name (that he's called, not his registered name) is Edgar and, like all of my boys, it's the name of a king. So, without further ado, meet Edgar the Peaceful.

H is over the moon!

Bossy Beans trying to point out a piece of treat left on the ground

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She's Crafty..

'Pheonix' red baby alpaca, photo by Knitcessity

Whew! It's January, finally! The holidays this year were a blur of yarn and activity. The majority of November and December saw my kitchen counter piled with an assortment of wooly, cashmere goodness and my newest obsession; bulky baby alpaca. Knitcessity on etsy has the most gorgeous colors available for a really reasonable price!

Last year we went on vacation just before Christmas, so the whole season felt condensed and we only got to enjoy our tree for about a week. This year, I was determined to have everything up in the first part of December. Such a good intention. My mom came to watch the kids for me and commented 'Your neighbors must hate you. Nice pumpkins on the porch Sally Henny Penny, did you notice everyone else has their Christmas lights up?' Did you notice I don't care? Oh wait, but I do. So the next day I hauled the garbage can over and evicted my pumpkins and gourds and placed a lovely winter wreath on the door and cedar and holly on the mantle. I was even on the ball enough that I'd ordered hooks for our mantle for the stockings the month before but then realized...oh yes, stockings. I have three kids now, not just two. So, I pulled out the strips of fabric mid-December and whipped out another (really two more, because I accidentally made two of the same side) quilted stocking. They still don't have names on them, but I wouldn't want to leave myself with nothing to do next year, now would I? (Note my sad poinsettia on the left-of course I didn't think to water it) I also finally got around to sewing the fabric storybook for Jack that I bought before he was born, but it's good I waited because it was slim pickin's for Jack under the tree.

On the business side, I've been knitting the Hannah Newsboy by Pepperberry Knits for my etsy shop for some time now, so when I got a request to create a hat that was based on the pattern, but had some adjustments, I was excited for the chance to change it up a little. The customer had seen a hat that she loved on a movie, and was able to find the hat but it was not longer being made or sold. Sending me a screen shot and some ideas of the changes she'd like made we worked together to create the perfect cap. I added about 1.5 inches to the body of the hat and several rows to the bill to make it larger. I was so nervous to send it to her, but was elated when she loved it. (so much that she ordered four more!)

Slouchy newsboy in jet black Baby Alpaca

Slouchy newsboy in grey 100% cashmere upcycled from a sweater. I love using upcycled cashmere as it usually results in a garment that has that velvety feel of your favorite pair of jeans.

At the same time, I had a friend contact me about creating an advent calendar for her out of mini stockings similar to those found at Garnet Hill. Again, it was something I hadn't done before, so I was really nervous that what I created would not match their vision since I didn't have a concrete example of a prior work. I found a baby sock pattern and gathered a bunch of yummy cashmere and wool sock yarn and started knitting. And knitting. And knitting. At about forty-five minutes per stocking, plus the time to affix cute clay disc numbers I found on etsy it was definitely a big time investment so I was so happy when she got her package in the mail (on December 1st, naturally) and texted me that it was exactly what she wanted. Of course, I didn't take the time to photograph it, but here it is on her mantle...so cute!

The last day of school for the big boys was December 18th, and I had planned to make a cowl for H's teacher and Charlie's teachers plus the director of his preschool. H's teacher had clicked through my email signature to my etsy shop earlier in the year and purchased a cowl for one of the other first grade teachers and commented that she loved them, so I filed that away. Filed it away until December 17th to be exact, when I pulled out my yarn and cast on. I made her cowl that evening and then gave Charlie's teachers a 'voucher' for a cowl in the color of their choice. They both picked red, so they'll be getting a bit of knit goodness in the lovely color featured above. I've found several fun cowl patterns on ravelry for bulky yarn, but still love the Pepperberry Poppy (which I've blogged about here). I am going to knit the infinity version of it for myself...someday. 

For H's teacher, I chose the pattern I used for the Ramona (in the post above as well) but in super bulky yarn, so only one repeat of the pattern instead of three. I dub thee The Grape Gatsby.

Lastly, the Caret+Chevron socks that I posted about when I started them. In a fun little circle of events, my sister-in-laws mother contacted me when I posted about them on facebook asking if she could buy them once they were finished-but no rush. I told her I'd be happy to, and got some measurements so they'd be a great fit. Coincidentally, I'd been thinking of making them for my sister-in-law as I've been planning to make a pair of socks for each of them for awhile. Within the week, my sister-in-law emailed me asking if she could buy them for her mom for Christmas; I love when something is just meant to be. But then I had to completely avoid talking to her mom about the socks, refrain from posting progress pictures of facebook (huge for my woefully oversharing self) or even talking about them. All the while I was afraid her mom would think I was a huge flake who just forgot about them. I'm really happy with how they turned out, even though I frogged back several times to get the heel to look good. The handpainted yarn from Sitting Tree was so wonderful to work with!

And in case that wasn't enough crafting for a couple of weeks, I bought a kit for the most divine lap quilt. It's English paper piecing and will be super tedious, but the fabric is amazing and the chevron pattern sucked me in. Stay tuned for that one, because it's gonna take a long time to finish so there will be several posts along the way. 

Did you make any gifts for the holidays this year? Any gifts you're currently working on? Something amazing for yourself?

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