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.

No way, I actually took a picture of my soaps...

 I don't know why this has been so difficult to do (or rather overlooked), but here t'is pictures of my soaps, now let's see if I can name them starting at the top left.  a.? b.tangerine/clove/bergamont c.peppermint d.Vanilla, hoey, sweet almond (bottom left) e.spirulina and lemongrass f.lavander and oatmeal g charchol, eucalyptus, cedar, rosemary, basil, ground cardamon. h.red clay, bergamont and rosemary

and some cute little dolls that I made using the gingermelon pattern.  It's a lot of hand-sewing and takes time, but they are Grace's favorite characters.  I think I have to try many more times to make the cost sort-out, but they were fun.  I may try to swap some thing up a bit.

pockets and stamps

Some honest to good pockets I inset into a dress for Grace, I think it's sweet on her, it is, however, not her favorite.  These were my first inset pockets though and they work fantastically!

Also tried carving some stamps... these are super fun by the way and pretty stinkin easy.

Highly recommend the fun... Owen even designed a few, that I was actually able to carve...

cousin birthday gifties

Owen tried on the raven that Brian freezer paper stenciled... can you tell how much Owen loves being my model... ? I thought it looked pretty cool though.  Plus I LOVE a grey cardigan.

And a long promised banner for the littler one.  Some nice wool felt and felt binding.  I hope the binding holds up, it should.  Can't wait to see these guys!

Can't take credit...

Oh, I did make myself one of those boxy tops that I made G. from the Nani iro book... I actually kinda like it, even if it does look like a hospital gown shirt... it is comfy and for just being cotton, is warm.  We'll see if it makes it into actual circulation, but I'm glad I did it. 

So... a while ago... years maybe I donno, I bought a bag of quilt squares from Village Merchant.  These were awesome, There were a bunch of "H" squares that I passed onto Robin, some small checker board squares, a few of which I made into doll blankets... some larger checker boards that I don't love, but they're really not that bad, and these pretties. 

All hand stitched together

With teeny perfectly even stitches.  I am impressed.   Anyhow, I sashed them together last weekend to make a good kid sized blanket.  It was fun, and so pretty, though I feel guilty that the hard stuff really isn't mine to take credit for.  It is a pretty little blanket, lovely colors, kinda folksy feel. 

flying friends

 an owl... Brian designed and cut-out the felt masks for both  of these fliers.  The owl wings were pinterest inspired (shoot can't find the link right now, but it was handy), all stash fabric, so a bit mis-matched but fun.

 The bat.... all brian.  The wings were black fleece, perhaps a bit warm.

 And for the party, B. dressed up as an Audubon employee, since he figured he'd be carrying G around anyhow.

 A skirt from the Nani Iro pattern book.  It was pretty easy and cute.  I didn't have her fabric suggestion with the stripe built-in, so I just sewed on on lazy days skirt style.

 It fits just right, I think I did the largest size...110 cm.  the cute little belt totally makes me happy.

 G. would like it a bit more spinny, but I was impressed how happy she was to wear it (girl is particular these days... things have to be like a "princess" which means a dress/skirt with some nice spin on it, preferably in pink or purple.

(just sittin' here waiting for the squirrels to eat this wee pile o' food).