Messenger

 One more of the messenger bags from zaberry.  I really love how easily these go together.  Owen picked one of my favorite fabrics out of my stash... I was "saving it" for ... well must have been for this!

 Cute turtles remind me of Otis.  It was a present for his friend's birthday!  I hope she loves it as much as we do!.  I also got to try out my new soap mold Brian got me for Christmas.  I haven't used a bar mold before.  Recipe... on teh bottom, the thin natural soap book recipe... plain recipe but with a tablespoon of peppermint and a tablespoon of lemongrass the top layer (after I realized one batch was way too small) is with red clay for color (why not make a layered soap?) and ... um, maybe rosemary. Oh my, I forget.

 Pretty good, I used our miter box to cut them, I would make the soap fatter next time though, otherwise it worked pretty well.  I did have two of the bars separate on the layers when I cut them, but otherwise, pretty smooth.
UPDATE:  Okay, I keep this in the garage to cure, and yes, we had mice.  Mice LOVE to eat soap.  I heard that you could use peppermint EO to deter mice, not these hungry fellas, they totally noshed on my soap... seriously!  I am comfortable enough giving them a good rinse off and use them at home, but we cannot give these away.  It was basically the chicken feed they gnawed a hole in the bag to access... totally understandable, it is now in a metal tin..and the soap, which was delicious.  Mice are ... one ewwww, and two:  weird.

 And one more new project, cute wolf hood for Owen, I made a cute bear for grace but haven't snapped a picture yet, though love the fabric... the ears are a wee smaller than I would like, but not bad.

the bucket 2013

Well, first on the bucket list is to sit down with the family and come up with one together... what did you say?  Jan is more than half over?   I know I know....

SO... I'll at least get one sort of together late in the evening... now what should be on this... I want to be realistic, but still push a few boundaries.

Hmm....

Get passports pulled together again.  Canada is not that far away!

Take the train up to Seattle

Go on a trip... I am thinking something along the lines of taking Owen to Vegas or NYC, or meeting up with girlfriends somewhere.

Do something with the house.  We have made no significant changes since we moved in.  The paint color in the living room that I have disliked since day 1 must go.  it must.  I'd like new floors, but we'll have to see if that is do-able, our carpets must go, they are just too old and show everything.  wood?  grey carpet?  I know wood can be kept cleaner and is a great choice, but I do like carpet underfoot, and can be cheaper.  Give Grace her closet... (in other words, find a place for all of my sewing / craft supplies).

Get back on the bike, at least once a week through the spring and summer. I have basically stopped moving, must get going again... I like to eat way to much to become sedentary.

Make croissants... exercise and make croissants.

Get back in gear with the dinner guests.  At least once a month, preferably twice, we should be able to handle that.  They don't all need to be big meals.

Get into working at the food pantry.  I think more things are pointing to the idea that I should put G. into daycare full-time.  If she is in on Friday, I can make the faculty meetings that I really ought to attend, I can also volunteer at the food pantry once a month... and still would have a lot of half-days and even some full days where G and I can just hang out the two of us.  Val is also doin' Yoga on Friday mornings, joining her would help address the move your body plan.  It's hard 'cause I really really love our Fridays together, and I am loathe to give them up, I don't really want to, but there are some things that should be done for work, for my body and soul as well... hrm.  She's good for the soul too.

K.  that's what  I have for now.  Let's go team!

Birthday fun

 
 Fun little felt hats.  Really stupid, actually, pintrest, make me crazy.  I saw these on pintrest and then, 20 minutes before the party, I HAD to make them, and I knew I could, just like 7-10 of them (depending upon how many little siblings showed up), I had the gear, the felt, gluegun, sewing machine, husband who I could rope in.  Except Bri (not that he wasn't on board, he just wasn't exactly on the same weird obsessed wavelength), isn't exactly adept at the glue-gun or sewing machine turns out, especially when he doesn't exactly see the whole picture that I had envisioned.  We made it, but barely, and a little more, uh, rough than intended.

 A bit more planning/effort (on Brian's part) on the favors. I know the kids love the nick-nack bags of wee toys that get scattered about, but I just don't that much.  SO...the kids and I made some chocolate lolly pops (Tempering chocolate reminder:  Take 2/3 of the chocolate and microwave it in 30 second bursts until it is all melted, add the last 1/3 of the chocolate and keep stirring until smooth... worked like a charm!), decorated with pretzels, sprinkles, dried cherries and pistachios.  They were beautiful (though unphotographed).  Brian made these great turks-head bracelets, I painted them with a tee-designs fabric paint pens.  

 In a mediocre effort at the ombre effect, I soaked them first, then sort of mushed the dye in. Not nearly as effective as the inspiration, but you don't have to wash it in though, which is great. I did hit them with the iron for a bit.  

 Grace in the new cutie pie flannel shirt Mom made her.  I have the same beautiful felt in a Wiksten tunic (just like this one, thank you Mom!!), that I LOVE.  seriously, if it wasn't weird to wear/kinda nasty to wear it everyday, I would, I really would.  Grace's pocket pants are also, not made by me but by Robyn for her birthday.  I think they are from the sewing for boys pattern book, but not certain.  They are cute and comfy.

 see how happy they are with their new bags!  Owen got his for his birthday, made by Robyn, it is an awesome sailboat pattern and he has already stocked it with art supplies that he carries with him... now even more often.

Grace also loved Owen's bag so much that I bothered Robyn for her pattern.  They are from Zaaberry, I had the fabric (some pretty bird print ... enough pink to make Grace happy, and some canvas that I grab whenever there are loose pieces at Fabric depot).  These are so easy AND cute, really cute, sized so well for little kids.  I would make them for everyone, except Robyn has domain on the Portland crew.

 Just Grace's face when she is explaining things to me... don't you get it Mom?

 can I gush about restaurant food for just a moment.  Maybe it was because I was feeling cooped up after a sick day with Owen, maybe it has been the grey freezing cold days, maybe who knows what... but just had an amazing lunch at Amelia's Mexican Restaurant and discovered what I had not believed to exist... excellent, transcendent mexican food in the northwest.  Homemade tortillas, hot chocolate that I am going to have to call and beg for their recipe for, a rich, herbal, creamy mole, and Brian vouches for the tacos, they looked great... crispy fish on those eye-rollingly good tortillas.  Now don't go, it can't live up to the hype, but it is that good.  mmmm.  Inspired us to make our own corn tortillas with dry masa.  Okay, here's the great news:  they are easy peasy.  Grace mixed and pulled out balls, Owen pressed them and passed them to Brian who watched them cook on the skillet.  As Brian claims, only moderately more difficult than warming up store bought tortillas and worlds better.  We will be doing this much more often.

 And some boy birthdays coming up... Owen had a hat from Auntie Geralyne when he was little that he loved... looks like a fish eating your head.  I traced it and tried to replicate it for some fishy gifts.

 They aren't as vibrant, but they are still pretty fun!  Grace likes them (she gets Owen's old one)

 One is just a wee bit smaller than the other and more snug on Grace, but my kids have large noggins, hopefully it will fit the younger set well enough.