Under Construction

A good three day weekend (?)

I think a list is in order for this post'o'randomness

Yesterday we installed our stove!  It looks great.  This morning we discovered a minor gas leak when it's on so we can't use it until that is fixed :(

Last night we had a picnic with both sets of grandparents and saw several (non headless) deer and turkeys at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. It was a lovely evening

This morning we finally bit the bullet and ordered our countertops (see topless cabinets above).  This is what we chose (in Cloud White). The countertops have been a source of much argument discussion and cost a pretty penny so these better be PERFECT.

On the way home my car's check engine light came on and indicated that it could be a bad transmission. That pretty much sucks.

But while Mr. H was driving the car into the ground (not really) and Biscuit was napping, I finally finished a project I've been stressing over for several days, a promotional/craft idea postcard for some upcoming craft fairs.  Once the order comes in, I'll send freebees to commenters on the blog so stay tuned. In the meantime mark your calendars for Handmade Parade on October 13 and Indie Sacramento on December 1. Way to go Sac Craft Mafia!

Ok, I'm almost done, I swear!

In addition to the postcard I've been working on several new craft/pattern ideas including an embroidered wall hanging with baby's name and birthday (what are those called anyway?). I thought it would be cute to include a monogram for baby.

What do you think? I'm filing this under "things that looked much cuter in my head." Oh well.

And finally. Finally! a photo of Biscuit playing with her weeble wobble castle. This is just for my friend who gave it to her for Christmas last year.  That dress she's wearing is one I made her when she was less than a year old. Now it's a top but I still love it.

What new craft should we try?

My friend Donna and I have taken to occasionally trying crafts and projects that are new to one or both of us. When her peach tree was overloaded, we made jam. Then when I got the bug up my butt we made soap (the soap works great by the way).

The other evening Donna asked me what was up next for our crafting adventures and, I'm stumped. I want to try something new but I've tried a lot of crafts over the years.  Needless to say I'm turning to you for advice and ideas.

Here are all the crafts I can think of that I have tried (not mastered mind you but tried):

fiber crafts: sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, embroidery, latch hook, weaving, screen printing

industrial arts: woodworking, woodturning, woodburning, welding, carving/whittling

paper arts: calligraphy, scrapbooking (poorly), paper mache (poorly)

other: ceramics (including wheelthrowing), wreath making, ukranian egg dying, glass fusing, stained glass, lost wax casting (didn't get far on this one)

Butter making is getting some blog airtime lately but I've tried that too (my mom does it with her preschool class)

So what else should we be trying? A cooking art? Souffles? Oh wait, I don't have a kitchen! What about bookbinding?  Crewel?  Macrame?

All ideas welcome.

In the meantime, I'm off to make another custom tv cover. I've made a couple custom sales through the etsy site. Let me know if your tv is feeling naked.

A letter to Starbucks

Dear Starbucks executive (or barista) (or whoever has anything to do with Starbucks that might actually read this blog),

Those cardboard boxes of coffee are just perfect for us friendly folks who want to bring caffeine to what promises to be a boring 8:30 a.m. meeting.  And it's great you provide cups and napkins and sugar and cream--all for just $12.  But if you can get a fancy cardboard box for coffee, do you think you could spring for a watertight bottle for the cream?  That tricky "sticker over the hole in the grande cup" thing doesn't work so well in a car filled with toddler crap.

And it's kind of a hassle to clean a grande cup full of cream out of your car upholstery.  Just sayin'.

Oh, and while I've got your attention, the whole tall, grande, venti thing is kind of annoying. I have and will continue to call a small a small.

Other than that, love your stuff. Keep up the good work.

Your friend with a stinky car,
Melissa

On the up side, we drove out to my in laws' house to use their steam cleaner and we got fed a fabulous pasta dinner complete with shrimp they caught during their recent Canadian fishing trip.

And since I can't leave without a photo. Look, our kitchen has light. And it looks like a beer glass. Only better. And there is paint on the walls. And check out that fabulous window. We also very nearly have a floor.

Skirts and birds

First the skirt:
Here is Biscuit walking into daycare*, unbrushed hair, no shoes and a NASCAR t-shirt. Yes, I am an awesome parent.

On the other hand, I did make her skirt.

Ages ago, the lovely Alicia G (of the Craft Cart) sent me a most spectacular package of upholstery samples and a necklace and a really long piece of this wonderful floral fabric.  Immediately I knew I wanted to make Biscuit a tiered, gathered skirt. And several months later, here it is. Not perfect but done.

Thank you SO much Alicia! Now I just need to come up with the perfect project for the upholstery pieces...

Changing gears completely, birds.

Every evening when I leave work I walk across a field that is filled with these tiny black birds with orange bellies and narrow wings that fly within inches of the ground. It's really cool to watch them swoop through the air and skim just above the grass tops. A nice treat as I head out into evening commute traffic.

Tonight I had my camera along and spent a good while trying to get a picture of the birds but instead getting about 10 photos like this.

I do believe that blur in the center is possibly a bird (but not exactly what I was going for).
I finally got this:

At least there's a bird in there! And then I took a video so bouncy it would give you motion sickness so I won't bother to share. 

Ok, so that was really random and I guess you had to be there but these birds are way cool. (well, in person anyway).

*not sure what's up with the bluish light. weird....

Ok, here's another shot of the skirt :)  I'll be back tomorrow with less randomness!

Priorities

A summary of my recent trip to Chicago:

Personal expenses
'BlogHer conference registration: $205
Beer at airport: $6
Train into city: $2
Taxis: $9
Food: $18
Bed at hostel: $33
First trip to fabric store: $44
Second trip to fabric store: $52

An itty bitty fabric store just off Michigan Avenue was having a moving sale. Nearly all fabrics were $5 per yard (but the seersucker and cotton check above were $2.50). The walls were stacked floor to ceiling with rolls of fabric on tubes, cast offs from some factory as far as I could tell.  The guy behind the counter reminded me of a friendly sort of soup nazi (from Seinfeld). Fabric had to be placed just so and you'd better know how many yards you want BEFORE you get to the cutting table.

When I walked in, I was overwhelmed and didn't see any cottons (my usual weakness). I was walking out disappointed when I noticed a section of wool knits way up high by the door. Can you see the texture? They're really nice. In my first trip I bought the green to make a sweater for Biscuit and I bought several yards in neutral browns/tans with no real plan in mind.

As soon as I got out the door I had the sudden inspiration that I wanted to make scarves in charcoal and black. I also realized I forgot to get the linen and seersucker I had picked out. As soon as I got done with my work conference I raced back to the store where, in addition to a charcoal knit and a woven, I also found that cream colored silk and several more wools.  I also met the most lovely young woman who was a wedding dress seamstress and was a store regular. We ended up going out to dinner and chatting about sewing over sandwiches. I love that kind of random encounter.

So I didn't fit in the architectural boat tour or any Chicago style pizza but I had a great time in Chicago.  I'll have to go back for the tourist attractions.

List-o-randomness

Biscuit is transitioning to a big girl bed. Photo evidence of morning #1 and morning #2 (morning #3 will show the crib, I am lazy) and (she insisted on putting on the shoes at 2 am and who were we to argue at that hour?)

I discovered the key to crafting productivity.  You want to know what it is? A large cup of iced coffee at 7 p.m.  That was last night :) Tonight my sewing is awaiting the results of a very scientific experiment involving my washing machine and these testers.

I sorted the junk mail and paid the bills tonight. This is perhaps my least favorite household chore EVER (I hate paperwork).  I did pause to open this piece of junk mail could you have resisted that tagline?!?) click to enlarge photo

I am irritated with Clubmom because they apparently took down the blog posts I wrote for them and now I can't access the content I created (they said they would leave it up).  Grrrr

Delay

Thanks SO much to all the super volunteers out there. I think I emailed everyone so you should know if a tester quilt kit is coming your way. Unfortunately, they aren't coming tomorrow. We've had a delay...

Can I just suggest that if your child won't go down a slide alone, you should just skip sliding?  Sliding with mom can be dangerous.

Photos in the morning.

In case you were wondering...it pays to comment

If someone pukes on your upholstered (not slip covered) arm chair and you find a zipper on the back of the cushion and you're wondering if you can just toss the upholstery cover in the load of post-puke laundry...the answer is no.
Even without drying it may shrink
A lot

And even if you are feeling slightly genius and remember the trick of wrapping the cushion innards in a plastic trash bag so it slides right in as easy as pie...
your cushion may still be too small for the chair.

Clearly the only solution is the sit my rear in the chair and start working really hard at smooshing the cushion.

On a happier note:
I have so appreciated your helpful and kind feedback on the last two posts. The friendly notes totally made my day and made me glad I entered the Fred Flare contest even though I don't have a snowball's chance in...well, you know.

To thank the nice commenters, I thought I'd give out some goodies.  I wrote the names of all the commenters on little slips of paper and held some drawings.  From the Long Lived Lunchsack post, Kris H is our winner. She'll get the vintage wallpaper lunchsack shown in that post.  And on the Zip Quilt Kits post, I drew Alicia's name so she'll get the sample doll quilt shown in the photo-or a kit if she'd prefer. But there will be a slight delay if she wants a kit as I haven't actually written the instruction book yet. Oops (I swear it's all planned out in my head!)

Have a great weekend!

Listy

One piece of exciting news. Sacramento now has a Craft Mafia!

Two other people who also want chickens Sonja and Darlene (no blog for Darlene)

Three projects I have in progress: tripods, zipper pouches, a scarf

Fourteen funny parenting poems

Ten zillion ideas in my head and very little inspiration to do anything with any of them.  Mr. H is accusing me of having ADD since I'm jumping from project to project and not completing a darn thing!  Maybe this weekend will bring some time and inspiration.  Happy Friday everyone.

The great chicken debate of 2007

Me: "I was thinking we should get some chickens. Think of the fresh eggs!"

Him: "I think you're crazy, think of the chicken shit!"

And since I value my marriage more than fresh eggs, no chickens will be coming to live with us.

But yesterday I realized I _could_ buy some chickens, just not for me.  As this month's Small Change challenge I'll be buying chicks!

The photo is one my dad took of a barn in Sonoma County. He pointed out on his blog that if we owned this barn, there would be plenty of room for chickens.  Unfortunately we do not own this barn.