A Little Imagination and a Pile of Junk

lacy crochet

I took my knitting on the road this weekend and came back with a big fat nothing. I was hoping to work on the beginner's ribbed scarf from SNB and thought I pretty much had purling down, but I spent 5 plus hours knitting and frogging the thing until I wanted to scream at my sweet husband. It turns out that the math involved in "knit 2, purl 2" was beyond me (this is why I was an English major) and, on top of that, I kept adding stitches and ending in knits instead of purls.... How in the world do you add extra stitches???

Since I don't actually have any progress to show, here's a peek at the book that's keeping me inspired past frustration. It's my first Japanese craft book and I love it. Especially since it cost me $15 instead of the usual $30 and no shipping. Oh, and it's in my native language--also a plus.

 

I realize this is crochet, but that's next on my list after I get a bit more knitting under my belt. Whoever finally decided to publish a Japanese craft book in English is a genius, I tell you.

colorful inspiration

I'm still working on my wip's, but here are a just few things that have been inspiring me lately.

1. Almofada birds in love, 2. Para acabar bem a semana..., 3. uma surpresa deliciosa!, 4. pegas, 5. in need of a rest!/a precisar de um descanso!, 6. manique - hot pot holder, 7. Removable Pocket, 8. wallet n.7/carteira n.7, 9. wallet n.7/carteira n.7, 10. small present/pequeno presente, 11. Pincushions, 12. around the world / á volta do mundo, 13. Pillow pair , 14. Birds Quilt, 15. Pillow pair , 16. Project

1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3....

A good friend is priceless. One who knows you well and sends you gifts is almost too good to be true. My sweetest friend Darlene never forgets me on Christmas or my birthday and often sends me boxes of goodies throughout the year. This is what I got for Christmas: the most gorgeous dish towel I've ever seen (from Anthropologie) and some Lotta Jansdotter sticky notes. Love the birds!

My mother-in-law also blessed us with a gift basket full of the world's best pancake mix straight from our hometown favorite restaurant Kerby Lane Cafe in Austin--hallelujah! I can't tell you how ecstatic I am to share the link with you because after looking it up, I now know I can buy more pancake mix online--oh, bliss! (Thanks Tita!)

I love my dish towel so much. She is so beautiful I just might frame her. I guarantee you will never see me dry my hands on her, let alone a dish. On second thought, if I could bring myself to consider cutting, she would make a lovely dish towel apron. Hmm, I can see us now, whipping up a batch of gingerbread pancakes together, waltzing across the kitchen floor... and that's just how good they are. Seriously.

pretty as a princess

I'm still feeling the Christmas thing a little. The cold Tennessee air that lingers long, instead of bursting on the scene for a day or two leaving behind only a wisp of steam from the still hot concrete to remind you of "Winter", keeps me in a festive mood. You know, wanting to eat too many sweets, spend money, make pretty stuff--all the things I'm sure the Angel of the Lord was thinking of when he told the shepherds to rejoice. I picked up some discounted Christmas fabric, decorations, and ornaments to do a little late in the season crafting, or early for next year depending on how you look at it. I freaked out over Sweet Jessie's sparkly wreath and have to make one ahead for next year. Her tutorial makes it look so much easier than I would have thought. I love this succulent wreath, too, but I'll probably wait until we get home for that one.

The day has come, I'm glad to say, when I'm actually looking forward to going home--gasp! Not looking forward to returning to the Rio Grande Valley, but I miss our friends, our church, the dog and I'm ready not to be living in limbo anymore. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed living in Memphis and I don't really want to leave, but "home" is calling. I can feel it.

   

But it has taken us coming 1,000 miles away from home to teach me a few things I desperately needed to understand. Most importantly, I've realized the first step to living simply is to down-size and I'm still so excited about doing it for real when we get home. Every day this simple lesson hits me in a new way and I'm more determined to do it at whatever the cost. That said, when I get back into our now seemingly too-big house overflowing with stuff that has been sitting alone collecting dust for the past 3 months, I might need a little encouragement and support to keep from going under from the sheer weight of it all. The other important lesson I've learned being here is that we are really lazy. We have done more and had more fun as a family here in Memphis than we've had in years. Every week we look for things to do in town, going out of our way to fit everything in and on Saturdays we always get out of the house to do something as a family. And it has less to do with the fact that Memphis has a lot more going on around town than you can find in the Valley but more to do with how busy and lazy we let ourselves get.

Last week my littlest girl turned 5. She may be the smallest in the family, but she is also the loudest and has the most personality--one that couldn't hardly be more different than mine. She is the world's biggest flirt, wants everyone to love her, thinks she knows everything, loves anything pink, and is princess-obsessed. Unfortunately, she has a Momma who sometimes has difficulty relating to her interests and who, in a moment of exasperation that she will be reminded of to her dying day, swore never to buy her anything "princess" ever again. But I think I made it up to her, with bags full of pink and purple, sparkles, jingles, lip gloss, nail polish, soft fuzzies and--yes--princesses galore. But first, she was treated to a carriage ride in her best ball gown....

It was the most fun I've had in a long time. And the best part, which was not lost on this pretty princess want-to-be, was the gasp of every little girl we saw that night stopping to exclaim, "Oh Momma, look at the princess!" I'm ready to do it again.

rascally dilettante

Have you seen Victoria? She arrived at just the right time.

 

And--hallelujah!--Quilting Arts has issued its first special publication Quilting Arts Gifts. The bar has been set alarmingly high.

This issue is a must-have. Actually, I don't think I've been so excited about a magazine in a long time. Every single project is beautiful and unusual, incorporating the widest range of sewing and mixed media techniques. I'm not even going to tell you what the projects are because they are all presented in ways you've never seen before. I'm just going to say that I'll be using this issue as a reference long after the holidays have passed. I particularly appreciate that the cost of the special issue is the same as their regular issues rather than twice as much which has become standard it seems. Thank you, Quilting Arts, for not milking us dry this holiday season! Now we might actually have the money leftover to make some inspiring art of our own.

Speaking of the holidays, I'm looking for recommendations for Christmas books and music. I listened to a bit of Over the Rhine's new Christmas Album Snow Angels and as expected it's breathtaking. You can listen to the whole album right now on the website. Any other suggestions? It's been a while since I found a great new Christmas book for kids. I could use some help.

Noise? What Noise??

We're back at home this week for the holiday. It feels good to be home, but a little overwhelming with the clutter left behind after our quick departure. I'm even more determined to get rid of half our stuff once we move back from Tennessee. John had to go into work for a bit today and is bringing me back as many boxes as he can. I may not be able to get started today, but at least I'll have the boxes when I'm ready. Something to look forward to!

Since I don't have any pictures to show, I thought I'd share our Fall '07 soundtrack. We've picked up some great new music recently.

Finally, picked up The Weepies that have been on my list to buy for a while. John says the girl's voice kinda gets on his nerves, but I love the folky sweetness of it. I can't stop singing Gotta Have You and Citywide Rodeo. John's favorite: The World Spins Madly On.

Oh, Icky Thump! The many ways that I love you! The first 3 songs are on constant rotation now but I predict that we'll move through the rest of the album quickly. Just when I think Jack & Meg can't possibly get any better, well, off they go.

And who would have thought to pair these two together?  A musical genius, that's who! The whole album blows me away. Beautiful, haunting, yet simple and just so right. Polly Come Home and Your Long Journey are perfect.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful week planned. We'll be at the beach relaxing with family this week, and I'll be finishing up The Thirteenth Tale so I can start The Book of Lost Things. I love a great story, but a book about books is heaven indeed. Have fun!

good-for-you cookies and the beauty of trees

This weekend we drove out to Chickasaw State Park to see the trees. The weather was perfect: sunny, upper sixties, late afternoon. It was amazing. The kids ran and played, John and I sat in the swing and talked and smooched until the sun set. I've been told that the leaves started turning late this year. I think they were waiting for us to get here.

While it is still 90 degrees back in South Texas, the cooler weather here has made me feel like baking, so I finally tried out a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe I found over here. They were absolutely delicious! Crispy on the outside, chewy inside, and best of all good for you. I don't even think they made it through 24 hours. The kids said they were the best ever and I think I've found my new standard chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C Unsalted butter
1 C Sugar
1 C Light Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 eggs
2 Cups sifted Whole Wheat Flour
1 C Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 C Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter & sugars in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in vanilla & eggs. Combine flours, baking soda & salt. Gradually blend flour mixture into butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and drop onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before placing on a wire rack.

A few tips: the dough is crumbly until everything is completely worked in. We didn't have an electric mixer so I did all the mixing by hand and it was more like kneading bread by the end. The cookies hold their shape really well, though. Because they are darker, it is harder to tell when they are done, but I waited until they browned a little on the edges before taking them out. It was closer to 10-11 minutes but they were perfect. Next time I'll use all whole wheat flour because the one cup of white flour didn't seem to make much difference in the texture. So delicious and when the kids ask for a cookie before breakfast, you can say proudly, "Sure! Let's all have one!"

we're serious about fun

Have you seen Planet Earth yet? We don't have cable or satellite so we just bought and began watching the video series a few weeks ago. To say it is unbelievable is no exaggeration. I've watched every episodes with my mouth gaping open. I promise, you have never seen anything like it. It is kind of like The Life of Pi, it will make you believe in God.  And the Caves episode is particularly popular with the kids because it has bird spit, worm snot, and bat poop all in the same episode. We've already watched that one many, many times.

And something else to check out. Not quite so life transforming though still very good:

The premier issue of Stampington & Co.'s Sew Somerset. I have an article inside on making fabric art journals like this, this, or this one. I was really close to the deadline making the journals for the article and forgot to photograph them, so I'll share pictures when I get them back and they may even make their way into my Etsy Shop. But here's a peek at the article. On the chapter intro page, the blue with purple hearts in the middle is mine.

A while back I mentioned that I wanted to do a tutorial on how I make my painted papers but later it occurred to me that I described that process in this article, only for painting on fabric, and I should wait until after the article came out to do the tutorial. So, I'm going to finish working on that now. Hopefully I'll get to work on it while we're in Memphis (I've already learned that it's pronounced Mehm-fus.) and not have to wait until we get back.

Speaking of Memphis, after reading my last post, my husband commented that it sounded like I hate my life here in the Valley which I really do not. I love it actually. My life. Being home with my kids. Homeschooling. The very close knit community we have at our church. Our friendships that have been deeper and more rewarding here than we've ever had anywhere else. The only thing I don't like is the Valley itself. We've been here 6 yrs and it still doesn't feel like home to me. There are things I am thankful for about raising my kids here. The levels and influence of consumerism aren't anywhere near what they would be back in Austin, largely because of the extreme poverty that also exists here. I'm thankful that we can go right over the border (although we don't need to) and see what real poverty is and that my kids have the opportunity to see it with their own eyes. I'm also thankful that the cultural climate here in many ways supports the values we are trying to live out before our children instead of tearing them down. And, ultimately, I know this is where God has called us and where we are meant to be at this point in our lives. But it is still sometimes hard. And I'm glad to be able to get away when we can.

I've already packed up our winter clothes and my art supplies (I've given up the admittedly unrealistic hope of actually sewing anything between now and our leaving.) but I still have so much left to do to leave the house for several months. I wonder how being empty for that long will effect everything? Will there still be dust (which is mostly dead skin cells--sorry to have to tell you) if no one's there??

current crushes and new favorite things

A little late, but here it is:  Crusade No. 12: Current Crushes

Crush #1:  Reconstructing Clothing - Making me want to neglect the kids and spend the day online doing "research":

~ New Zealand artist & crafter Debra Dorgan's gorgeous designs: here and here.

~ Blossomnbird's funky yet strangely elegant designs. I want everything in her Etsy shop! You can see more of her work at her flickr site.

~ Renaissance woman Charlotte Self's romantic creations at her shop Blue Butterfly Art.

Crush #2:  Wardrobe Remix flickr group. From the group info: "wardrobe_remix is a DO IT YOURSELF street fashion community. I believe the best stylists walk the streets, not the photo sets, nor the backstage of the runways. the real innovators are you and me: real, fashionable people, men and women alike. How do *you* put it together? where did you get that item of clothing from? is there a story behind something you wear? Whatever you wear, wherever it's source (designer, mass-market/high street, thrift/charity, handmade--it's ALL good): show us how you CREATIVELY put your everyday duds together! post your photograph in wardrobe_remix, and tell us about what you are wearing and why."

There are other similar groups, but right now, this one's my favorite. And way bigger than I can actually keep up with. I'm challenging myself to begin to take and post my own pictures when I can. More as a daily diary or self-portrait experiment. You can never have too many pictures of what you really look like. So, here's yesterday's shot:

• Top: New shirt I made this weekend from vintage fabric (ebay) and New Look pattern #6483
• Jeans: Ralph Lauren, Steinmart
• Necklace: Target
• Daughter: of course she has to be in the picture, too

I'll be doing good if I can get a picture once a week. You see, when you stay at home with kids or work from home, you don't necessarily "get dressed" every day. Ahem.

Crush #3:  BurdaStyle.com - Open source sewing. The most fantastic idea. They have tons of great patterns available to download for free. And you are encouraged to alter the pattern, make it your own, make it better. Then post the pictures and even a how-to if you're up for it on the site to inspire others. Brilliant.

Now all I need is to get over my fear of knits so I can start working on variations of Lydia 3197 for the cooler weather coming.

I don't know where we are going, but come with me. We'll both be surprised

You know I love thrift shopping, but back in high school--oh, how many years ago?...let's see, I graduated in 1991...oh, you do the math, but don't tell me because I don't want to know--let's just say, a long, long time ago, most of my clothes I bought from thrift shops. And this was way before thrift shopping and vintage clothing was cool, at least in Southeast Texas. I wish I could have kept all of my clothes from high school and college, but with each move I've reluctantly shed a few more hoping that their new owner is as thrilled with them as I was. Thankfully, I have a husband who indulges my whims and lets me keep a rather large box full of my old clothes. He thinks they're cool too and, besides, the box is much easier to move around than those 8 cinder blocks I made him move 3 times during college. Hey, even then I was a DIY'er. Those babies were going to make a great bookshelf one day. The one day never materialized, but...you know how that goes.

Recently, I've caught up with an old friend from high school and it has brought more than a few memories back, some that are pictures less proudly displayed. But, I thought it might be fun to share some of my old clothes with you and see what you think.

First, I have to say two things: 1.) Yes, I was laughed at and misunderstood by my peers but could have cared less, and 2.) I can still fit into all of these beauties! (I know! I was shocked!!) They don't fit exactly the same as they used to, but that that's okay because I used to be a stick. Even my old jeans fit...I couldn't button them up, but they fit I tell you.

First, here are a few the dresses I wore in high school. I repeat, these are dresses, not shirts. I can't believe my mom let me out of the house in these:

The ubiquitous baby doll dress....

Ahh, velour... 

The black one is 100% virgin wool with rhinestone trim...sigh...

And more rhinestones.

No need to adjust your monitors, these colors are pretty accurate. With these barely covering my butt dresses I wore lots of tights, red, yellow, teal, with my white patent leather go-go boots or black patent leather tap shoes with a ribbon bow and no taps.

How could I not be the coolest girl in school, you ask?? All I can say is that all artists and visionaries are ignored during their lifetimes ;-)

I've got more clothes to share but I'm still working on a few stains. Apparently oxy clean is not going to get it, any suggestions? And don't forget to enter the giveaway (scroll down to previous post). Wednesday is the last day!