It's a Wonderful Life

Georgie's t-shirt

2010-08-31T21:02:00.001-07:00

Georgie's t-shirt
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

Nicole's Knitting Needle Case

2010-08-29T17:14:00.001-07:00

Nicole's Knitting Needle Case
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

Part of a barter where I got paid in YARN! The best currency, evhar!! :D

Today's Project!

2010-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

...took 4 days to come to fruition! I made some boot cuffs with the help of my friend, Nicole.
Click on the button above if you'd like to buy the pattern! Knitting and simple sewing skills required.

LEGOLAND in my Living Room

2010-07-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

LEGOLAND in my Living Room
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

This is what happened when someone asked while I was on the lawnmower, "Can we play legos?" WOW.

Today's Project!

2010-06-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

Tshirt Pillow
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

An ugly old t-shirt found new life! My friend Stephanie from sandandstarfish.com sent me the link in an email this morning. I knew I had the perfect shirt for it! FloralShowers has the greatest tutorial here.

Today's Project is...

2010-06-18T18:07:00.001-07:00

Bird Mobile for Baby Cale
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

the baby mobile re-visited!

Exciting Mail!

2010-06-18T15:41:00.001-07:00

Myra's Swap Package to Me
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

I joined a swap on Ravelry.com My swap partner was from North Dakota. Here's Myra's Swap Package to Me!

So excited! I got:
Handspun yarn by Myra
Handknit ND washcloth by Myra
Handfelted soap by Myra
Handmade lotion (Lemon, my fav!) by Myra www.prairiecomforts.com
Coconut, honey, chocolate ice cream topping made by Myra's friend
A cool tote
A notebook w/ pen
North Dakota magazines and postcards
Taste of Home magazine
circular needles
toenail pampering kit
fingernail polish
Sunscreen
Bug spray

Yay! Thank you Myra!

Today's Project is...

2010-06-18T10:01:00.001-07:00

39 Squares "Cupcake"
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

a cupcake in a glass pedestal stand!

39 Squares "Tattoo"

2010-06-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

39 Squares "Tattoo"
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

My ninth square!

Today's Project is...

2010-06-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

39 Squares "Home"
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

39 Squares "Home"

Today's Project is...

2010-06-15T18:20:00.001-07:00

39 Squares "Washington" after
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

embroidered in 1 inch square as part of the group 39 Squares.
My space needle's a little wonky guess there's an earthquake...
Wheat in the east
Red delicious apples
Goldfinch, state bird
Rhododendron, state flower

Today's Project is...

2010-06-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

39 Squares in progress
Originally uploaded by Carmen215

an ongoing one. Yummy little Christian Louboutin goodness...

See what others have created here .

Quilting Project

2010-06-11T18:24:00.001-07:00

Marie's square for June for the awesome virtual quilting bee I'm a part of at A Dozen Quilter's.
Marie asked for a disappearing 9 patch in 1930's reproduction fabrics. I got mine on Etsy from SueLynns Fabrics.

Lindsay's Owl Day-Dreaming

2010-06-10T17:26:00.001-07:00

Lindsays Owl Day Dreaming
Originally uploaded by carmen215

Custom owl order for my etsy shop www.vintageofnow.etsy.com

Craft Hope Project #8

2010-06-10T15:02:00.001-07:00

Craft Hope Project #8 towels
Originally uploaded by carmen215

Decorated these little towels for Craft Hope's Project #8 Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

I hope they will cheer the workers that are having to see so much sadness.

I'm going to add a bottle of Dawn in the package when I send it.

My little garden friend

2010-06-08T13:28:00.001-07:00

little green frog
Originally uploaded by carmen215

Today's Project! June 4th...

2010-06-04T12:31:00.001-07:00

Natalie's coffee cozy
Originally uploaded by carmen215

My cousin orders her coffee at Starbucks and asks for it to be 180 degrees. YOUCH! She definitely needs something more than a flimsy cardboard barrier!

"Not Rocket Science Coffee Holder" Pattern found on Ravelry.com

Today's Project! June 2nd...

2010-06-02T14:40:00.001-07:00

Mopar baby shirt
Originally uploaded by carmen215

I painted this Mopar onesie for my "nephew" Cale. His dad has a Mopar tattoo so I thought they'd get a good kick out of this shirt!

Tutorial found at www.dana-made-it.com
Love you Dana!!!

Ravelry Swap - Myra!

2010-05-31T21:47:00.001-07:00

Ravelry Swap - Myra!
Originally uploaded by carmen215

I'm so excited to get this to the Post Office! I love gifting people. :)

Electrical Outlet Shirt

2010-05-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

Electrical Outlet Shirt
Originally uploaded by carmen215

Today's project!

Mandy's Owls

2010-05-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

Mandy's Owls
Originally uploaded by carmen215

My latest creation! This customer was great to work with; very explicit in their desires which I LOVE because then there's never a question of what is actually wanted. A really fun project. :D

Working hard

2010-05-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

IMAG0149
Originally uploaded by ev.calkins

Had to post this photo I ran across on a friend's flickr page--it's my husband helping out with the delivery of a letterpress.

Giveaway Closed

2010-05-21T14:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone that commented, you lucky dogs! I'm enjoying reading everyone's emails and anxiously await photos of the finished projects!! I procured 5 new awesome followers of my blog out of all this so that's cool! Maybe I'll post more often now...uh, yeah, you know me.

Gotta go, one of my tabs is open to Yarn.com and that Cascade Eco Wool that's on sale is a-screamin' my name.

Giveaway Day all over Blogland!

2010-05-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Pattern giveaway!

See the cute little owl you could make?

It's Giveaway Day over at Sew, Mama, Sew!

In honor of that I have a giveaway too. It's the pattern for my cute little Mr. Owl. I have them on sale at Etsy here. But if you want your chance at a free one all you need to do is leave a comment after this post and you're in!

I'll be using a random number generator and since it's a PDF file there's no shipping! I will simply email you the pattern.

Giveaway open until May 20th, 2010.

May 20th...IMPORTANT UPDATE! I'm in absolute awe that I hit 100 comments. In AWE! Sooo, in the spirit of the Giveaway I want to announce that EVERYONE THAT POSTS IS A WINNER OF THE PATTERN!! BE SURE TO INCLUDE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU! Thanks to all!!!!!

May 21st...comments closed. thank you!!

Finished product!

2010-04-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

I got the romper done and just in time. Mommy had her baby Cale today. He is 8 lbs. 12 oz. Rest up and enjoy baby, J.R. and Natalie!

An owl giveaway!

2010-03-30T20:31:00.001-07:00

Here lately all I can think about are little stuffed owls. I've got a few posted on etsy and plenty of ideas for more.

Now for the giveaway part! All you have to do is go to my etsy page, favorite my shop and then come back and tell me you did it here on the comment form. I'll use a random number generator to choose the winner on Saturday April 3rd. Be sure to leave your email address so I can reach you!

Whoo do you love?

2010-03-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

...is the name of my treasury on Etsy.

Go here and see what it's all about!

Literal T Towel

2010-03-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Myrtle & Eunice I am the proud owner of a spectacular "t" towel! My sons are enamored with it. The "tap" really confused them. They were like, "water? spigot? sink?"...Funny, I've never referred to it as tap water??

Amy Butler Fabric Mannequin ~ Fern

2010-03-15T23:08:00.001-07:00

Amy Butler Fabric Mannequin ~ Fern
Originally uploaded by Corset Laced Mannequins

Absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?

I won! (Yes another giveaway)

2010-03-13T14:32:00.001-08:00

I kind of feel bad. I really, truly don't spend hours searching blogs for giveaways. I enter probably 3-5 a month. So here I am thrilled, but oddly, not surprised, I won again.

Now to the good stuff! What I won! It's a "T" towel, made by Tania over at Myrtle & Eunice. You really need to go check out her blog. She's a great writer--her blog pulls me in and makes me feel like I'm reading a letter written only to me.

So get on out there and enter some giveaways...I can't win them all!

His first quilt

2010-03-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Five year old James has a friend, a stuffed animal friend, named Fatty Catty. After seeing me glued to the sewing machine these past few weeks he asked if he could make a quilt for him. I had a few squares of "Whimsy" left over and this is what he made. He machined quilted it by himself!!! I put the binding on (some from the Nicey Jane jellyroll) We had two squares left after his quilt was finished so we made a pillow and James handstitched it closed.

Cath Kidston - Little Rose Kids Mini Clasp Purse

2010-03-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

ADORABLE! Must buy!!

Cath Kidston - Little Rose Kids Mini Clasp Purse

String Potholder back view

2010-03-06T15:24:00.001-08:00

String Potholder back view
Originally uploaded by carmen215

I made this string potholder for the new member of our local Mary Jane's Farm Girl Chapter. (Chehalis Valley Girls)

www.maryjanesfarm.com

String Potholder front view

2010-03-06T15:22:00.001-08:00

String Potholder front view
Originally uploaded by carmen215

Today's festivities! Thanks to Melissa I've been bit by the quilting bug...Melissa the next time I pass through the midwest I'm going to find you and give you a great big hug!! :)

Friday Night Sew-In Project

2010-02-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last night I took part in my first ever Sew-In. It was fun to have a plan and stick to it. My goal was to put the sashing on my quilt blocks I received from A Dozen Quilters and to also get the batting and back on. I am happy to report, I accomplished my goal!

My mom bought me a Bernette a few years back and had given me various feet for it that she had extra in her sewing room. After doing a little web research on the "walking foot" I thought I may as well try to install it on the machine. According to about.com it is "essential" for machine quilting. I think it's amazing that I even OWN one. And since it's "essential" how can I even begin to think of not using it?? I have to say that install was about the easiest foot transition ever! The bad news is, I am nearly out of white thread and the bobbin winder on that thing *sucks*. Good news is, I am going to the store today and I have a Brother machine that is a superstar for bobbin winding!

Okay here's the photo of my quilt:

February Block 2

2010-02-17T20:43:00.001-08:00

February Block 2
Originally uploaded by carmen215

These wonky blocks were so perplexing until I actually started sewing them. Usually when I read something multiple times it will start making sense in my mind but not in this case. I had to actually *do* the work for it to come together mentally for me. I followed one of the tutorial's on Quilt Dad's blog. The fabrics are Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey and I lurve them to bits. The charm pack that I bought was just perfect for this type of block.

Whoooo?

2010-02-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago I got a request from Thomas (8) to make an owl. Here's the finished product! The eyes are "jewels" that were saved off of a birthday card. He's only 2 inches tall so I hope he doesn't get lost like worm or kitty whisker square pants. (Link viewage requires ravelry log-in)

Valentine Swag Tutorial

2010-01-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps! I've got a little Valentine Swag Tutorial all mapped out in case you want to do a little decorating for the upcoming holiday. (Which just so happens to precede my birthday by 1 day!)

Step 1:
Cut out various sizes of hearts. I cut them out of inexpensive felt and cotton scraps. My largest heart is 3 inches and the smallest is 1 inch. Make sure to make it big enough that the sewing machine will easily sew the heart shape.

Step 2:
Stack your hearts according to color or print, mix and match for fun!

Step 3: Put these on top of embroidery floss, thread or in my case, I used a couple feet of twine that I saved from a Christmas present. I had to wrap wire on the back in order to keep the twine from twisting.

Step 4: Sew around each heart in the stack. Repeat for each heart. Iron.

Step 5: Hang and enjoy!

Friday Night Sew-in February 19th

2010-01-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

Handmade by Heidi along with her friend Bobbi are hosting a Friday Night Sew-In and Giveaway on February 19th...hmmm, now *what* do I want to make....

Last weekend I made a turtle for Thomas. These fabrics were perfect! I'd had them in the craft closet for quite awhile. They were supposed to be part of a baby softy book but they make a pretty cute turtle. Don't pay any attention to that bit of dinner left on the counter :P

I also made a velveteen cat, a 2 inch owl and a robot for Troy per Troy's drawings. More about that later!

Craft Hope

2010-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Almost done with my cowl for Craft Hope. I might make more than one if I can get my hands on some more red yarn in the next couple of days. I have a sweater my sister gave me to upcycle and it's red but it's a super thin chenille so we'll see if it holds together.

2010-01-15T22:10:00.001-08:00

Isn't this THE CUTEST fabric you ever did see??

Go to Spoonflower right now to cast your vote!

How to Recycle Yarn from a Thrift-Store Sweater - CraftStylish

2009-11-07T20:16:00.003-08:00

How to Recycle Yarn from a Thrift-Store Sweater - CraftStylish

Posted using ShareThis

Sew Liberated: 20 Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist

2009-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Sew Liberated: 20 Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist

A great new gotta-read find!!

These new tags are awesome!

2009-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Etsy has some SUPER creator/sellers but my all time favorite is HappyGirlGreetings.
Check out my new tags that she handmade for my knitting projects and here's Jason's business cards she designed. Love her!

Fun with Wool Roving begins here

2009-10-18T19:21:00.001-07:00

Head over to WoolPets for some yummy cuteness! Laurie has inspired me to start felting more! Here's my first true attempt...this is wet felting but Laurie uses a felting needle. I need to buy one of those!

I've waited...

2009-10-04T21:37:00.001-07:00

...way too long to post about Melissa's gift to me. So without further ado, here is my gorgeous handmade bag!

Weekend Warriors: How to Build a Green Roof

2009-09-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

Weekend Warriors: How to Build a Green Roof

Shared via AddThis

My new favorite book...

2009-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

is of course a knitting one. Well, technically it's a knit AND crochet book. It's called 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet by Lesley Stanfield. These fiddly little patterns are right up my alley. ;)

Our Original Firetruck Art Arrived...

2009-08-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

...and made 2 little boys VERY happy.

In case you missed it, read on...

Thank you artist Gav Barbey, Irene at BloesemKids and Fiona at Kindergallery!

Absolutely loving...

2009-08-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

...The French-Inspired Home by Kaari Meng.

Nantucket Washcloths

2009-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

...In case you didn't know, I love knitting. Like, REALLY love knitting. It's such a fun "craft" and you end up meeting really cool people that really love knitting and other crafts as well. One such person is Kelly Knight over at Twill & Dot. She added a pattern to Ravelry for Nantucket Farmers Market Washcloths.

Pattern here.

Kelly not only organizes fundraisers for the Nantucket Artisans and Farmers Market, she raises chickens, shears sheep, is a PHENOMENAL weaver (see her baby blankets, scarves and shawls here and here)...and I'm sure the more I get to know her the more I'll be floored by what else keeps her busy!

So back to the Nantucket Washcloths. In a nutshell, you get a free pattern for the washcloth and they'd like for you to send them a cloth or two and all profits raised by the sale of these cloths will be donated to Sustainable Nantucket. Read all about it here!

2009-08-22T00:07:00.001-07:00

Halfway done with my ruffle scarf...yay!

And yet another...

2009-08-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

...little pincushion. This guy's stuffed to the gills! And another thing, (you're going to be jealous!) he's on his way right now to Australia. Lucky.

Brushing up on my quilting techniques....

2009-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

...I ran across a pincushion pattern by Heather Bailey that is SO cute. I'm going to whip this up tonight to get me in the mood for my new quilting venture. Besides that, I must thank my friend, Lu, for getting me motivated by telling me all about the bag she made today. More about her and her Etsy store at a later date...

Middle of the week...

2009-08-12T21:30:00.002-07:00

...great time for pickles! James and I canned 8 quarts and 3 pints. The dill smelled so good in the kitchen! I used the garlic we grew here at home. We'll be happy to bust into them once cooler weather hits.

Today was the first day to drop off entries for the SWW Fair. Check out the website here. I stopped off at the Community Events Building where they were accepting entries for the Living Arts Division. This includes home canning, needlework, knitting, quilting, etc. Since this year's theme is about photography I made up a pattern for a camera (and then promptly forgot to take a picture of it!) so that will have to be posted AFTER the fair is over. You can find a link to purchase the pattern here. (Login Required)

On another crafty note I was invited to be a part of a Quilting Club. I'm really excited to play around with a different medium. I've made a couple baby quilts but this is a group effort. You can read about it here.

Little bits

2009-08-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a MAJOR fan of Etsy. If you're unfamiliar with Etsy, it's a "place to buy and sell all things handmade" They have a feature called a Treasury where you can choose 12 items that have a theme, or are your favorites. Click this to see My Treaury that I came up with.

On another note, I've uploaded some photos to twitpic in case you're interested...My username is Carmen215

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Today's the day...

2009-07-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

...to announce the winner of the hand-knitted, felted lunch bag!

And the winner is.......

Trixi! Here's Trixi's post:

" Looks like a really beautiful bag and I love that earthy brown colour. Favourite lunch? Well at the moment its an enormous bowl of salad with all sorts of vegies, especially beetroot and avocado, and tofu. And with my salad I have a thick slice of rye bread. YUM. That's this weeks favourite!"

Thanks for participating everybody! ;)

my weekend knitting project begins early...

2009-07-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

...with a great cable scarf. It's by Dagmara and this is her website Włóczkomania and she's from Poland.

Freebies!

2009-07-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

Weekly giveaway from KeriLyn...

Christmas in July...

2009-07-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Sew, Mama, Sew and you'll find a pdf pattern for this quilted tree skirt by Jacquie at Tall Grass Prairie Studio.

photos soon!
********************************************************************
July 29, 2009...Thanks Jacquie!

Yummy Yarn Mail Day!

2009-07-27T17:28:00.001-07:00

Didn't win? Here's another try!

2009-07-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Perfect for summer! A clothespin bag for the clothesline. When you click the link, post a message, mention I sent you and I get an extra entry...nice! ;) Thanks Linda!

I'm excited!

2009-07-27T13:53:00.001-07:00

Remember me telling you about Missy Melissy's contest? She makes an apron a day and was nice enough to squeeze in a contest as well! What a trooper! So here's the exciting part...guess who won the Summer Bag Giveaway contest? ME! I'll post a photo as soon as I receive the bag. Yay! Thanks Melissa!!

A long awaited pattern reveal...

2009-07-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thomas asked for a worm and it turned out so well I am going to share the pattern with you! Yay! Aren't you happy??

Pink yarn (or whatever color you want your worm to be)
1 set size 2 dpn's
1 darning needle
embroidery needle
teeny amount of embroidery floss for eyes

Cast on 5, leaving a tail--once you're finished you'll attach the darning needles to this andpull through to make earthworm's head.
join in the round
k for 5 rows
p for 4 rows
k for 8 rows

cut yarn, pull thru 5 stitches with darning needle. pull tightly to close unless you want to stuff 'im. I stuffed the little worm with a tiny bit of organic fiberfill but you don't have to, he's pretty cool just as is.

sew eyes as desired. I tried to add a mouth and it looked like it was out of a horror movie so we have a silent worm.

Wormie may benefit from having a pipecleaner inserted before pulling the 5 stitches shut...it would give him some shape! Also, changing to a darker pink for the "collar" on the worm would be cute, too! Have fun! Be sure to email me your earthworm photos!

2009-07-16T22:29:00.001-07:00

Whole house is clean thanks to www.chorepacks.com

2009-07-16T17:08:00.001-07:00

Made yummy summertime berry pie!

another giveaway...

2009-07-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

...over at Lilac Lane. Missy Melissy has the custom cutest bag to give away! You just have to post a comment. Easy! Check out her whole blog; she's making an apron A DAY. I'm lucky if I make one apron in a *year*.

Enter NOW!!

2009-07-14T13:50:00.001-07:00

If you'd like this sweet little felted lunch bag, enter to win now! "How do I do that?" you ask? It's easy! Just post your name and your most favorite lunch in the comment section. (comment page pops up in a new window) I'll run the numbers through a random number generator and announce the winner August 1st (my Dad's 68th birthday!)

PS. Yes that's COKE...Safeway changed their layout so I lost PEPSI and was desperate.

Cheery Cherries

2009-07-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the cherries I got at Grocery Outhouse for $2!! TWO dollars for all these!

I don't have an ubercute cherry pitter like amy so I ended up with this hawt manicure:

Still "working"...

2009-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

...on the little brown felted lunch sack but picked up another project for my nephew. It's a super cool spidey blanket.

here is a photo of the bag to be given away!

2009-07-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

It's going to look like a little lunch sack. Sweet!

Raspberry Jam anyone?

2009-07-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is what I made last night, I'm just going to toss it in the fridge and not mess with actually "canning" it, not for just 2 jars. I canned 8 pints of strawberry jam last week. My dad said they're going to have a ton of raspberries coming up soon so maybe you'll get lucky and see some more raspberry stuff right here!

June, er, July Giveaway!

2009-07-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

Went on Ravelry.com and found a super cute pattern for a bag. After it's felted it should be about 4x6 and will have a clasp...super cute! I'm about half way done and once it's finished it being given away! Stay posted!

Here I am again!

2009-05-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

So I've been busy knitting, knitting, knitting...I went through a spurt like that during the winter. It seems like I get an burst of inspiration occasionally. It's fun! Thomas has put in a request for a scarecrow (?) I have no idea why.... But I think I found the perfect pattern today.

This weekend promises to bring more nice weather to Washington which means more yard work (funny, I just typed "yarn work" and had to go back and change it twice!) One track mind here!!

For the month of June I'm planning another knitted give away like I did awhile back ago (Congrats, Terry!) so keep your eyes peeled... ;)

Ummm...

2009-03-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

I started this blog because I wanted to share cool stuff I found online, read about or heard about each day. Today was a good day but not truly "cool" worthy...my treadmill time went great. I like to listen to the Women's Marine Corps Run to Cadence. I never was a Marine, my husband was, but for some reason listening to cadence just makes the time fly and pumps me up.

We went to Whole Foods in Seattle last night--that was nice like always. Every time I go I choose a different type of cheese. Last time it was a smoked graviera. ($9.99 a lb) Even the kids like it and it was nice to snack on. This time I got a goat's milk cheese that is just a little too brutal on it's own. (And might I add it is $35.99 a lb) Whoa! I'm glad it comes in various sized packages. My little yummy smelling-taste zinger goat's milk cheese was less than $5 and I'll just add it to soup...please don't tell my kids about THAT one. They still think they don't like mushrooms! HA!

I finished See You in a Hundred Years. Great book. Read it. Soon. This was a case of judging a book by it's cover whilst standing in line at the local library. Man, I've got great judgment.

Let's see what else...oh! Nordstrom is having triple rewards points March 18-22. Time to go online and shop for something! I don't know what! But I'm sure there's something!!!

Okay I guess I'm tapped out. >insert yawn here<

I'd like my eggs yellow, thankyouverymuch

2009-03-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my grocery shopping day. I've had my list up for a couple of weeks! The last grocery run was to Whole Foods in Portland. It was fun because I had My Love and James with me and we had been to Powell's. (Another fav spot of mine) Fun tomorrow though will be that this is one of the few times I get to be alone. That sounds so selfish, but I think better when I'm at the store alone--just me and my list.

I plan to do a little side shopping just for fun, also. I have a package to send to Maine and to it I'm going to add some Pacific Northwest treats. I don't know exactly *what* yet, but trust me it will be good. :)

So what are you doing tomorrow? Sunday nights hold so much possibility. Especially "beginning of the month" Sundays. All of March is ahead of me!

I think it's Dr. Seuss' birthday tomorrow. I've been seeing online recipes for green eggs and ham. Yuck!

Here I am

2009-02-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

Whoa, lots of stuff going down here lately. My Love got super sick, 1 kid got super sick, I got super sick, 2 kids got super sick, somebody got well (I don't remember who) and then another kid got super sick...will it ever end??? I'd love to toss back the curtains and throw open the windows but if I did someone that was well that had been previously sick would probably end up super sick again. yuck.

We have 2 laptops and a PC. The PC is owned by My Love as it is in his home office and I think it's attached to him like how Seven of Nine connects herself at night on Star Trek Voyager to re-coup at night but he uses his PC for energy during the day. Or at least I think it's for energy--it seems like every time he pops away from it he's full of some great news, idea or thrilling subject.

"The Kid Computer" has succumbed to a virus (hey maybe it caught our stoopid super sickness) and My Love, aforementioned computer guru, has not been able to heal our laptop. Unfortunately that leaves me and the 4 youngin's to play musical chairs around "Mom's laptop" that works. Have you ever tried to play musical chairs with 5 people and 1 chair? Let's just lots of people end up skulking around pacing, staring and moping like tigers at the zoo. What did we do before the 'net? Probably played checkers or something vintage like that.

I havebeen able to read 2 books and also bury myself quite contentedly into my Williams-Sonoma cookbook that My Love snuck into the cart at Costco. (LOVE him!)

In spite of the many hours spent on my W-S cookbook, tonight was a simple dinner night; baked potatoes. mmmmm....

The chickens didn't lay eggs today or if they did it was in a random location because there were none in the egg boxes. That was sad because I really wanted to make cinnamon rolls. The inspiration was from Foodess. The original recipe came from Bon Appetit. Love that magazine! My mom gives (welllllll, technically, she lets me borrow them but for some reason when it comes to her magazines I tend to permanently borrow)me all her previously read/used copies. You can get them from the library but it's so embarrassing to return a library magazine with egg and spaghetti sauce on it. Oh and the occasional chocolate smear and coffee cup ring.

How many hours could I spend pouring over cookbooks? I think I could probably spend a whole day. It runs in the family. My mom has shelves of cookbooks. My sister might have more than my mom. I have a modest collection myself. What better place to find recipes to use brie or camembert? Who knew such great things could come from a goat?

We have a winner!

2009-02-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

So, we all discussed and we'd love to go to Nova Scotia! MarieAngel you are the winner of the Slouchy Beret Giveaway! Please email me at carmenrigby[at]gmail[dot]com with your address so I can pop it in the mail.

Thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes...

[update] MarieAngel never contacted me! So, we chose Terry from http://www.owltree.typepad.com The beret looks great on you, Terry!

Grocery Woes or Wows?

2009-02-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

A first time mother with a brand new baby (a little dolly baby, I might add) and I were discussing comparison shopping, coupons, etc and it got me to thinking of how I operate all that grocery stuff today. My mom is an excellent cook, baker, cake decorator...she can basically whip any monster that comes to her in the kitchen. I call "Betty C" often (joke--I tease her that she's Betty Crocker). I am the last of 6 children, 10 years younger than my youngest sibling, which basically makes me an only child. My mom and dad both worked full time so that left me in the care of my lovely older sisters. Needless to say, Anastasia and Drizella didn't do me many favors in the homemaking department.

On our honeymoon, I was 17, My Love was 19, we had a hotel room with a full-size kitchen. I decided to "WOW" him with a breakfast fit for a King. Okay, so this is a really long story but the ending is that I set off all the hotel fire alarms and the hotel maintenance guy was banging frantically on the door. No harm done but wounded pride. Yikes.

A couple years into our marriage, before kids, we both worked full time. Burger King and Taco Bell, amongst many other drive-by's, pretty much fed us. After we had Hannah, I put a little more work into dinner. I made dinners from scratch...scratch the box of potatoes open, scratch the box of cornbread open, scratch the box of fried chicken open...get the picture?

I don't think I was purposely trying to poison my family, I just had no idea where to begin! I really liked going to the grocery store but as I would be standing at the checkout in the Commissary I would think to myself, "This checker must think I'm nuts! There's not a single fresh anything in this whole humongous cart!" Actually, that was '96 so I probably thought 'hugantic', but I digress.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, there were actually basic rules for feeding my family healthfully and on a budget. I will list what I have come up with over the last nearly 16 years...

#1. Read cookbooks. Or cooking websites. Or watch cooking shows on tv. Ask your cooking/baker friends what cookbooks/sites they like and use most. Personally, I like Cooks.com and AllRecipes.com Watch Molto Mario & Tyler's Ultimate. There are heaps of cookbooks at the library as well.

#2. Write down whole meals that sound good. Tons of them. More than 30. Lots.
This next step will take time, but you won't have to do it often if you stick with the same 30+ meals.

#3. Write down the ingredients in each meal. So for example, say you're having roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls and pudding, (dang, I'm hungry now) then you would write down:

chicken
flour (gravy, rolls)
salt
pepper
milk (gravy, mashed pots)
potatoes
butter
green beans
pudding

This will give you an idea of how much you'll need for each meal.

This next step can be optional if you have untold riches or are a Princess.
#3. Check grocery store websites and newspaper ads. I don't normally have to do this because I'm spoiled--my mom calls me and tells me all of them. THANKS MOM! No, seriously, I go to Safeway's website because that's where I shop and it gives me pennies off each gallon of gas I buy there. Gotta love those Club Cards. If you use coupons and you plan a month or so ahead, sometimes you can get the manufacturers to send you coupons but I find this takes a while in some cases.

#4. Go through your cupboards. There's no need to buy another 5 lbs. of sugar if you already have 5 lbs. in the cabinet. Scan your refrigerator. This also makes a good time to toss anything in there that's dead or waving at ya.

#5. Make your grocery list of everything that is not in your cabinet that you'll need for your meals.

#6. Get to know your grocery store. I don't know how many times I have left without something important just because I started out confused. We have 2 Safeway stores in our neighbourhood and their floor plans are exactly opposite. ANNOYING! So I try to always stick with the same grocery store.

#7. Have your coupons ready. I have mine in an envelope sorted by:

Dairy (yogurt, cheese)
Food (cereal, pickles)
Baking (frosting, sugar, spices)
Frozen
Veggies/Salad
Beauty (like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toilet paper...pretty much everything that could go in the bathroom)
Stuff (lightbulbs, dustpan)
Cleaning (laundry soap, dish soap, window cleaner)

The short version is good too if you already know the basics--this is what I can do now:
#1. Look in the freezer and take out 4-5 various meats.
#2. Plan meals around them.
#3. Buy whatever is missing from the cabinets/refer.

It doesn't get any more confusing if you try to price shop. If you have a list and have to go to multiple grocery stores, you just mark it off as you go. I start out at Grocery Outlet and end up at Safeway. I try to avoid Wal-mart like the plague. Beginning in June we have a SUPERB Farmer's Market. Also around that time, we'll be able to harvest our own food from our garden. Not everyone is allowed that luxury and I am thankful My Love is addicted gardening as much as I am to cooking.

I have found that I really truly love cooking and baking. It's not just about caring for my family, for me, it allows me to "play" in the kitchen and make My Love and our 4 children full, healthy and happy. Now who's gonna wash the dishes?

It has taken awhile to get where I am but it wouldn't have had to take so long if I had known where to start. Today I made mozzarella cheese. Today I made sun-dried tomato pasta. Today I made spaghetti sauce. No scratching involved, but all from scratch. Wow.

Ci Vediamo? What's Up?

2009-02-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a busy last couple of weeks. So busy, I don't even remember what I did in it's entirety. I got busy at the sewing machine and made an apron for Thomas' BFF for her 7th birthday but...forgot to take a picture. Duh! Belle Ami will understand and I'll get her to take one. I made a "food" fabric book for my nephew's 1st birthday and guess what? Forgot to take a picture of that too. It was a great success, too. Very simple and fun to make. I had never done applique before and found that I like it. It's a great way to use up small bits of fabric. Last but not least, as a favor to My sister in law that has email, I also made two coloring bags for her to gift to her friend's kids. Nope, no picture.

I did however get a great shot of the sun-dried tomato fettuccine on my nifty homemade drying rack. Pretty clever, huh?

My husband twisted my arm and made me buy a Kitchen Aid pasta maker set. What a bully. Thanks to Craigslist I got it for $80 less than what it would have cost from Williams-Sonoma.

photo courtesy of www.williams-sonoma.com but this does look like my mixer:)

Gotta get up

2009-01-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

So I should totally be doing dishes right now >bleck!< style="text-align: left;">I started a new knitting pattern but this time it's in my head. I can't say what it is yet because it's a Valentine's present and "you know who" reads my blog so I don't want to give it away. The pattern was going along spendidly and I was doing really good at typing it out as I went along (like I didn't do with the acorn and ended up making 40-11 acorns) anywho, I ran into a minor snag when I switched up the pattern which has left me with a heap of previously knitted yarn. What let me to this catastrophe was that I found a wrapped rib pattern in Nicky Epstein's book Knitting Over the Edge that I'm going to incorporate into my own brainstorm . That woman is a genius! I don't know if she thought them up herself, but she's at least smart to have the patterns published all in one place. If you knit, look her up at your local library. She's written many books and every book has something you'll love.

Now if I could only feel the yarn I see on the internet. I have to touch the yarn before I buy it for the first time. I KNOW I love Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, but there are some yarns that look yummy and feel like a stickpin patch. Ever felt alpaca? I have made 5 hats out of alpaca (yes, I have now learned my lesson) and every one is sitting happily in the hat basket, never worn because they literally hurt! I have grand dilusions of lining them all with fleece. If/when I do, I'll post a pic.

Speaking of hats! Slouchy Beret Give Away is going on right now!

Thomas and his beautiful BFF Valentine's Day 2008
Check out that mouth--candy must've been pretty good. LOL!

Planning Ahead

2009-01-29T19:33:00.001-08:00

Do you ever sit in the hot summer sun (or your hot house in the summer MOM) and wish it was winter? Well folks, here we are! I like to think what I'd be doing if...? For example today I was thinking, "If it were summer, I would hang clothes out on the clothesline." Since we've moved to this house we haven't put up the clothesline yet. We have the clothesline all built, we just never remember to purchase the concrete (minor detail). So, the next time we're at Home Depot I'm going to try and sneak (HA!) a bag or two of quikcrete into the shopping cart. That way, when the sun does decide to be warm again and the grass is not frozen, we'll have the goods to put up said clothesline. Usually in the summer while I'm mowing or weeding I think, "If this was winter, I'd be drinking coffee and reading a good book or knitting or quilting." Hey, I guess I'm right on target.

Speaking of knitting, I still have that Slouchy Beret to give away! Don't forget to comment on your favorite vacation spot! I'm really enjoying hearing from everyone about how and where they spend their summers. Ahhh, summer...

It's a Slouchy Beret Giveaway!

2009-01-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Okay guys, I've been knitting my heart out and it's time I give something away. Here we have a Slouchy Beret, knit with Lion Brand cotton-ease in charcoal.

All you have to do is post me a comment about your favorite sunny vacation spot. You see, it's been raining ice here and I'm climbin' the walls!

I will share your posts with my family and will let my kids choose the winner. Winner will be announced February 15th, my 33rd birthday!

This is an absolutely free giveaway--I pay postage and get one more knitted item out of my house! Thanks in advance!

Slouchy Beret (back) modeled by the lovely Hannah, age 13, deathly afraid of cameras.

Knitting Knitting Knitting knitting knitting knitting KNITTING KNITTING KNITTING

2009-01-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

When I was about 12, one of my older sisters, then 23, was obsessed with playing chess. OBSESSED. We played every night, sometimes 4 and 5 games. Of course, she always won, so really, I have no idea of why I subjected myself to such torture. Maybe the challenge of thinking SOME DAY I would find her magically in checkmate. (Never happened) Since I was playing chess so much I began having dreams, nightmares really, of giant queens looming over me and of rooks making incorrect moves only meant for knights. Some 20 years later, I find myself having similar dreams but of different medium. This time they're no where near nightmare status. I dream of humongous sets of addi turbos all lined neatly on Martha Stewart type shelving--you know the kind with doors inset with reproduction antique bubble glass? Last night though, was a weird one; I had made the perfect knitting pattern that everyone loved and never made a mistake on, except me. In my dream I could not finish my project using my own pattern and it was like I would knit for hours and only finish 2 rows and when I would pick it up again, those rows were all wonky. I know why these thoughts came into my head. I have heard nothing but raving reviews for my acorn ornament and at the same time I'm becoming totally stumped with my Dad's Aran scarf. It's a battle of good and evil, black and white, simple and difficult. Not that the scarf is truly difficult, just in comparison to the acorn. I am halfway done with the scarf but I was so irritated at myself last night that I took a break to make an alien. Yes, an alien. Maybe that has a little to do with my dream!?

Cabin Fever

2009-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

I just cannot sing enough praises for Ravelry.com, an exclusive, members-only knitting website.

Swanky, huh?!

But here's the problem. I don't get winter doldrums. I get winter grand ideas (aka delusions). We're all suffering from Cabin Fever which leaves Jason reading and studying more, Hannah reading and knitting more, the boys building chair/blanket forts amongst other things and me...online more. Which leads me back to Ravelry. I have quaint visions of being curled up happily, smiling, surrounded by endless piles of skeins and skeins of various yarns. Heaps of needles; straight, circular and double-pointed--from double zeros on up. A nice steaming latte at my side, good tunes on the stereo. Ahhhhhh....

Why will that never happen? My Ravelry queue is chock full of gifts in waiting. My online cart at JoAnn's is overflowing. I have all the ingredients for a good time.

Here's the answer: when the sun starts shining again and the wind brings warmth, my queue will be covered in virtual cobwebs, I just know it. Sadly, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Hungry? Feast your eyes on this...

2009-01-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's always exciting for me when My Love comes down the stairs with, "Hey, whatdoya think about this?" This never fails to mean something good. Today it was an offer to run into town for some errands (library, post office, etc.) and DINNER.

We have a local diner/drive-in named Dairy Dan's. They offer a fat burger called a "Bearcat". Aptly named, since the public school's (located across the street from there) is the home of the Bearcats.

This is half of a Bearcat--our 11 year old son tackled the other half with plans to finish it off in an hour or so. Just look at that toasted bun and melty cheese. Just this half measures 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" Yummmmm... I don't know exactly how much poundage of beef this burger offers, but I know for us, it's plenty! In addition, you can add a side of fries or onion rings which are both equally delicious. Sorry no photos, they have been consumed.

For more foodie goodness, check out this blog.

Raising Sand

2009-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

A great compilation of 2 people that you'd never expect to collaborate on a cd--Robert Plant and Alison Krause. Whenever I think of Alison Krause, I think of fiddles and bluegrass. I had already heard 2 of the songs on the radio; "Gone Gone Gone" and "Please Read the Letter". I checked out some of Robert Plant's "sounds like" songs on Pandora and then what may appear to some people like an odd coincidence but actually happens quite often, My Love had already gotten the cd from the library. I'd better buy it on Amazon or I may just wear it out.

Done with Christmas...SO what? It's New Year's Day.

2009-01-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

My Belle Ami and her husband, Johnny Angel have still not gotten their Christmas presents from us. What slackers we are! Okay, I am. It was one of those projects that would work up really quick and I kept putting and kept putting it on the back burner. So, today, January 1, 2009, I am FINISHED! Aren't they great? I am pretty proud of them. Belle Ami loves neutrals so I'm quite sure she'll be pleased. Johnny Angel? He's a guy. Do they care about stuff like this? I know My Love is just happy I'm not stressed about "THE pillowcases" any more. :)

I washed "His" in Fels Naptha that I bought at Whole Foods and it's all freshly ironed. "Hers" is still in need of washing and ironing. That's the easy part!

I read it in the tea leaves.

2008-12-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

My Love and I drink tea quite often. Even more so now that there's a ton of snow on the ground. Every morning starts out with the tea-kettle whistling and the kids yelling, "Tea Kettle!" up the stairs. My Love likes Yerba Mate in a gourd he bought at The Tea Lady in Olympia. Belle Ami and Her Love, Johnny Angel, tried it and said it tasted like a hayfield. (I am inclined to agree, although never having actually tasted a hayfield, I can't verify that 100%) My favorite cup is a Longaberger mug--any color. My favorite tea is Yogi Tea--any flavor. One of the perks of Yogi Tea is the little "pick-me-ups" and tips on the tea bag tag. But, this one from today boggles me.

Keep up.

The good work? The Appearances? With the Joneses? With what or whom? Is someone here drinking faster than me that I don't know about? After that cup, I switched to coffee. It doesn't judge or confuse.

A dear, dear friend has a better saying than "Keep Up." It's "Keep On, Keepin' On." Now, that I get.

A Little Bear Hat

2008-12-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

For my nephew for Christmas this year I've knitted a little bear hat. It's made of cotton ease yarn from Michael's and size 6 Addi Turbo circulars. It's a simple stockinette stitch that will drive you out of your mind unless you're listening to a really good book on tape or to the kids playing Battlefront II upstairs on the xbox.

Nice hat rack, eh? We're hearing reports of possible power outages so I'm keeping my flashlight handy. :)

Here's the pattern in case you're interested...

CO 90 stitches using the long-tail cast on.
Knit every stitch (stockinette stitch) for 4-5 inches (which includes the natural roll to the hem)
Then, [k9, k2Tog] switching to size 6 double pointed needles once it gets too difficult with the circulars. Once you have only a few stitches left, using a large-eye needle, cinch stitches to close top of hat.
For the ears:
Pick up 6 stitches
k6
p6
k6
p2Tog, p2, p2Tog
Bind off

Do this twice, once on the right and once on the left so you have 2 ears, total.
My Sister in Law That Has Email wanted a hat with some kind of neck strap so her baby wouldn't be able to easily pull the hat off. 'Twill be cute on 'im!

No church today

2008-12-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

We had to cancel church services today due to all the snow and ice. It would have been too dangerous for anyone to be out driving. Maybe if we were used to this weather we would have attempted it. I wonder how anyone actually survives in places like Minnesota and Wisconsin? And to think people lived there in little log cabins without modern insulation. What were these families' relationships like? What preparations did they make for winter? Did they know how long the storms would last? How did they know storms were even coming? The only answers I would even remotely have is based on the Little House books I used to read every summer as a child.

My Love and I were talking yesterday about how this storm that has bound the 6 of us together in the same house for a week straight hasn't really affected us as a family that much. We ran out of milk and butter on Tuesday, but Belle Ami's dear husband, Johnny Angel, played milkman and monster-trucked his way to the local gas station and then proceeded to hand deliver the goods. Other than that the only thing we lacked this week was Starbucks. Our kids still homeschooled, My Love still studied and I still cooked, cleaned and crafted. I'd like to think of myself as a "Modern Day Pioneer" but if that were the case, I would have gone out and milked the milkcow (if we owned one), churned my own butter (did that last month) and would possibly not have had such a strong desire for a $5 cup of coffee. Have you tried an Espresso Truffle? Yummaroo!

I'm a girl so it's very romantic to think of Pa hitching up the horses to the sleigh on Christmas Sunday and breezing happily into town while bells on bobbed tails ring. However, we don't have a Pa-type person here, nor a sleigh, or even a bobbed tail anything. Things that we will be doing that have stayed fairly similar throughout the ages is a family Bible lesson, a game or two, a good hearty meal or three and about an hour of playtime in the snow--well, for me it will be more like 2 minutes. Brrr.

Photo of my "Pa" at their log house--sleigh and horses not included.

A is for Apron

2008-12-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

My Love and 3 of the kids went down to Powell's in Portland a couple weeks ago. I went ahead and picked up a book, sight unseen, entitled A is for Apron. I had happened upon it while searching on our library's awesome web based search engine. I put it on hold, but I was something like 57th in line to get it. At the time, I figured I could probably wait that long, but while browsing in the knitting/crochet/crafts aisle at Powell's, I spotted A is for Apron. I didn't even open it which is unusual for me. After getting home, I browsed through the book and fell in love with it instantly. The pictures are bright and cheery, the patterns are included in the back of the book and there's a story behind every apron. I don't have the book in my possession at this moment; I have been so busy preparing for Christmas that I let our lovely Music Lady of our church borrow it. Knowing her, she's already sewn 3 aprons. :)

I hate doing dishes.

2008-12-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

Seriously, ask anyone I know and they will tell you. That is why my sink looks like this pretty much on a regular basis (or far worse). In my world it is very important to "soak" your dishes or make them wait patiently on the counter at least overnight.

I won't do dishes at your house unless I really, really, really like you. I love when friends invite us over for dinner and I am more than happy to help you clean up but I won't do your dishes, like I said, unless I really, really like you.

I hate doing dishes so much that even when I know hours ahead of time that someone is coming over I would rather scrub the inside of all 3 toilets by hand. I think the last time I washed dishes in the sink was last...never. See my Mrs. Meyers dish soap? I bought that Spring 2008 and there's over half left. Not because I don't absolutely LOVE Mrs. Meyers products, and not because I've slaved at the sink for an hour or more washing and scrubbing away, glued to one spot, but because it's been used for "soaking" purposes only.

My motto is, "If it doesn't fit in the dishwasher it goes in the Good William box".

So, the next time you come over and you see dirty dishes in my sink or piled, er, stacked neatly next to it, just know they are there on purpose (remember, they're SOAKING or patiently waiting!)

And no that is not a broken fire extinguisher in the sink. That's My Love's 50 oz. water bottle but that's info saved for a later post.

Frosty the Snowman

2008-12-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

Here's My Love after playing in the snow with the kids...

Acorn Pattern

2008-12-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

Please be gentle! I've never written a pattern "in real" before. I've jotted down ideas and all, but this one is worth it! All you need is 30 minutes and an acorn will appear before your eyes...

Ingredients:
Yarn, 2 colors, 1 for acorn cap and 1 for acorn bottom
1 set 5 double pointed size 2 (or any size; will just produce smaller or larger acorn, depending)
1 large-eye sewing needle to pull ends through
1 sewing needle to attach cap to bottom
thread to match in order to attach cap to bottom
small amount of batting or yarn scraps

Pattern:

With acorn bottom color CO 16 stitches using the long-tail CO, divide evenly between 4 needles.
Rnd 1: Knit
Rnd 2: Knit
Rnd 3: Knit
Rnd 4: Knit
Rnd 5: Knit (are you bored yet?)
Rnd 6: [K2Tog, K2] 12 stitches remain
Rnd 7: Knit
Rnd 8: [K2Tog, K1] 8 stitches remain
Cut yarn (leaving 6 inch tail) using large-eye needle, thread through the 8 stitches and secure.

With acorn cap color CO 20 stitches using the long-tail CO, divide evenly between 4 needles.
Rnd 1: Knit
Rnd 2: Knit
Rnd 3: Knit
Rnd 4: Knit
Rnd 5: Knit (trust me, this gets better)

Rnd 6: [K2Tog, K3] 16 stitches remain

Rnd 7: Knit
Rnd 8: [K2Tog, Knit2] 12 stitches remain
Cut yarn (leaving 6 inch tail) using large-eye needles, thread through the 12 stitches and secure. (DO NOT CUT THE YARN!)

Now this is where it gets FUN! Turn the cap wrong side out. With your large-eye needle (is there a better name for that? I dunno.) pull the yarn through making a string coming out the top of the acorn cap. You can use this loop as your hanger, er whatever.

Stuff your little acorn and holding on to the cap, sew it to the bottom with your needle and thread. Make it overlap a bit as in nature. Add a pretty ribbon and that's it! You have a gorgeous little acorn. As I said before, you can use larger or smaller needles in order to make different sizes. I used a really fun yarn that was alpaca for the cap and the simple smooth soy for the bottom. (Uhh, is there a better name than acorn bottom?)