Summer is Going and I am Sad.

Well, about a few things, anyhow. I have been watching the light change its character in the last few weeks, going from the green and blue bright clarity of summertime to the golden haziness of fall. Even though it has still been relatively warm here, I can feel the colder note of the breeze on my skin after the sun sets.

Also, Peanut has begun announcing the moon when she sees it, which makes time feel as though it is passing like nothing else. She told us on our Saturday evening ramble, as she saw the moon through the leaves of a magnolia tree- "Moooong" or something similar. I asked, "Do you see the star next to the moon?"

She replied, with the wonder only a 1 year old can summon, "Staaaaaa."

In any case, I am dying to bake again. I hate baking in the summer and by the time falls creeps into view, I am craving all manner of baked goods- bread, cookies, scones.... Scones have been calling to me today, so after I made dinner, I started a batch of scones. I started making these, but then I realized we didn't go to the farmer's market this past weekend, so my eggs are rather elderly and probably not at their best. So I googled a scone recipe that didn't call for eggs, and made this one.



The picture is from my mobile phone, so excuse the extremely poor quality. They turned out ok, but I think that I overworked the dough, and since I didn't have cream on hand (who does?), I used the full fat milk that Peanut drinks. They are a bit more chewy than I normally like, but I think if I were to make them again, instead of using the pastry blender, I would use my food processor instead, to make sure the butter stays cold. I would also freeze the milk/cream and butter for a few minutes before starting, to make sure everything was really cold. That always makes my pie crust really flaky, so I bet it would work on these, too. (Thanks, Martha Stewart for the best pate brisee recipe ever).

I also mentioned the other day that I am knitting now. Well, in my excitement over this, I signed up to join Ravelry.com- and my invite just came today! It's such a cool site! I wish there was one out there like this for sewing- I love the tool tracker thingy and the project queue is amazing. I know it is going to suck up too much of my time, but I was very stoked to see the invite in my mailbox today!

I am working on a scarf, as I mentioned, from the Better Homes and Gardens 123 Knit book. The pattern is called the Wavy Rib Warmer, and it looks like this so far:





I am making it from an off white acrylic yarn, so it is super high quality (um, or not), but I figured that this is totally a learning process and I may as well start with relatively cheap yarn so I don't waste money on my screw-ups.

And while I was looking at my photos, I saw this one, of our Sego Palm in the front yard- it had this weird ball of leaves in the center and I took this picture before it began to unfurl...



Have a good week.

Back on Friday...

A train car, parked on the tracks behind my work...

Isaac's Storm

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson

My review

While this was well written (Erik Larson's style is easy to read and very compelling), there was a bit too much focus on the gory details for my own personal taste. I'm glad this wasn't my first taste of his work, as I would have missed out on the fascinating "Devil in the White City" and his others. Read it, but read one of his other books first.

Oh, Internet.

You Are So Full Of Things I Want to Make!

Ok, so I read about this really cool fabric basket-thing on PerpetualPlum's Weblog because Not Martha blogged a bunch of links. She also blogged that reusable sandwich thing that I am obsessed with. (And still haven't made, mind you).

I did, however, make and serve the chocolate minty cloud cake. Do you like the name? Or do you perhaps prefer Thin Mint Cake? (Even though I used pretend Thin Mints...) Whatever it should be called, it tasted really good. Everyone commented (except my sister) that the minty flavor was mellow, and the whole thing wasn't too sweet. So, overall a success, I think.

I am knitting a scarf, because as of last Friday, I knit now. (Badly). I am making a scarf from the book I bought, and it is slow going for me. I am used to sewing, where I can punch something out fairly quickly- this knitting thing takes some patience! (Which I lack). I'll post a pic when I have a chance to take a picture in daylight.

I also have on the back burners: a baby sling that will fit R (I already have one), a pillow case for R my husband is funny- check out the fabric he picked, and various sundry Christmas gifts that are in the pipeline. I also want to make a quilt for Peanut's big girl bed out of scraps of fabrics I have used to make her things with, and I was also planning on making some crib sheets out of our old sheets that the cats destroyed. I think I need to make a priority crafty-list. Maybe that will be added to the blog sidebar soon... As if it weren't busy enough.

A Day At the Beach

So, even though poor R had to work today, I managed to have a little bit of fun. Ace, Nana and I took Peanut to Seal Beach to play, for her first time ever. It was very fun. I even got to swim for a few minutes. Peanut really dug the water, but mostly she wanted to play with her bucket.



I forgot how much I really love spending time at the beach. It was perfect timing- we got down to the water just as the sun broke through the haze.


How have we not done this more? Five minutes from my house, and I can have this:



Happy Labor Day.

Writing is Hard...

Read about it what Finslippy says about it.

Cake! Knitting! Fresh Vegetables!

One of the girls at work makes "BTS" (Better Than Sex) Cake for special occasions. It's really good. She uses a Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, Heath toffee chips, caramel sauce, and Cool Whip, but basically the recipe at Cooks.com. Very yummy.

But, I kept thinking about how it could be adapted to a chocolatey-minty cake. So, rebel that I am, I am trying it out. Here's what I have:

Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Smuckers Fudge Sauce
Keebler Grasshopper Cookies
Cool Whip

I had intended to add Andes Mints, but for some reason Ralph's didn't have them. (Have I ever mentioned I hate Ralph's? Because I do). I am hoping that the heartburn won't be absolutely horrid. This is probably idiotically optimistic.

In any case, here's the game plan:

Cook the cake according to the directions (Duncan Hines DF takes a little water, half a cup of veg oil, and three eggs). Once the cake is out of the oven, poke it with a chop stick and pour a whole can of sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk, which I always accidentally buy) over it. This will soak into the cake and make it lovely and moist. Once I am ready to serve it, I am planning on dumping a ton of the fudge sauce over the cake, then crumbling the mint cookies onto the top, then adding a very generous dollop of cool whip on the very top.

I will let you all know how this comes out. I am pretty sure it won't be terrible, but I don't know if it will even rate anywhere near the BTS cake.

I bought some knitting needles on Friday. I know, I have no time, but I thought I could at least bring this with me to work, so I could knit on my lunch. I have made a really crappy scarf for Peanut so far. I am currently failing at making a grown-up scarf from a Better Homes and Gardens 1-2-3 Knit book. So far I like the book- it's clear and easy to understand, mostly. It would probably help if I had a few minutes to read it without having to chase Peanut or help R (he gave blood today- how nice is that?) since he was feeling woozy.

We did also make it to the Farmer's Market down at the marina today, too, so I can balance my sugar overload with the cauliflower and fresh melons. Well, I am ready to take a few minutes to sew a couple things, if I can keep my eyes open. I am so glad I have tomorrow off- we're going to the beach!

Oh Thursday.....

Well, I finished another small project today and even managed to have my five month check-up (two weeks late). Lovely.

Regarding the pregnancy stuff- although I have been worried about not gaining enough weight, the doctor didn’t seem that worried. I did lose two pounds this month, so at this rate, pregnancy may be the best diet I’ve ever been on. (Sigh).

I’ve been so worried I was going to gain a ton of weight, then I got sick last month and lost some last month, too. So I have the preggo-belly, but my maternity pants are loose in the legs. Weird. I think I am learning that life will never go the expected path- every time I think I know something I find out I am wrong. It makes it interesting, but sometimes I wish it could be a little more predictable. I find myself craving adventure and sameness at the same time, lately.

My project came out well- see? Here is my finished glasses case:






I think it came out pretty well. My sunglasses even fit inside! Surprise!

Blue Sky, Green Leaves

A picture of the sky through the canopy of leaves. My child, playing in the sandbox. I can feel summer, slipping away.

Ode to My Dad

I am sure he will never read this, but I have to write about how my dad totally saved the day. Yesterday (which was horrible, by the way), I managed to dump a TON of pasta down the garbage disposal and, as a result, completely clogged the drain. R and I tried to fix it with very little success and much Draino. No luck, and this morning our house smelled delightful, really. A mix of ghastly pasta-starchy water infused with the odorific-ness of Draino. YUCK.

In any case, I moped about it all today, and whined a copious amount, and probably made my co-workers hate me. On the way home, I thought about calling my dad. I was of course reticient because I didn't want to get called out on my moronic decision to drop a giant pan full of pasta down the drain. I realized, like the smart girl I am, that eating crow was a little bit better than eating the plumber's bill. So I called.

He not only NEVER said anything about me being dumb (which was actually quite deserved) but he dropped his own home improvement painting project to come help me. He stuck it out, even though he had to go back home to grab plastic gloves, and my stepmom watched Peanut while I ran to the store.

By the time I came back with the kid's dinner, the garbage disposal was good as new, the pipes were clean, and Peanut was playing happily while watching Dora the Explorer with her Nana.

So in short, my dad is pretty awesome. My stepmom rocks, too. So, in short, we got away with only spending the $568.00 at the mechanic's yesterday. This little plumbing adventure somehow makes it seem a little easier to bear that expense, though....

Thanks, Dad.

What Have I Been Googling?

Mechanic Los Alamitos California

Brakes Camry 2001

Plumber

Clearing Clogged Garbage Disposal

Loans
....
.......
....
.
(Well, the last one was a joke. I wish the rest were).

Did I mention this week sucks? I also missed my last doctor's appointment because I was late and the doctor had to leave early to do a surgery. Awesome. Oh and many Braxton-Hicks contractions, yep.

Super awesome.

Bend it Like Angry Chicken

Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol

My review

So far, I've made the bibs, the charming handbag, the pleated beauty handbag, and the no-cash wallet.... and they've all been relatively easy and fun to do. Amy Karol has written this in a generally clear way (although the hand-drawn diagrams could sometimes be clearer) and the projects are fun to do.



I really like that everything takes only a little bit of time and fabric to accomplish- it really is encouraging to have finished projects to spur you onto trying something new. It's very satisfying to actually finish projects for once- and the small amounts of fabric needed make it easy to jump into the projects without a huge investment. It's very confidence-building, and I really have enjoyed myself. You should also check out the Flickr Bend The Rules Sewing group, too, for fabric ideas and to see a huge variety of things other readers have made.


View all my reviews.

More Stuff to Make and Why Plastic Doesn't Freak Me Out...

I am officially on a making-stuff-bender. I can't drink, smoke (well, I quit a while ago, so it's not like it's a thing anymore) etc. Adam Ant asks, "What do you do?"

Idle hands, right? If I believed in the devil, maybe.

In any case, idle hands are just bored hands. So I keep trying to figure out what I am going to make next. I just ran across this tutorial for reusable sandwich wraps. I think I mentioned some of these I saw on Etsy a while ago.

I was reading a couple of the comments on that post on the Small Object and wondering about how anyone has the energy to be so worried about chemicals in plastic that touches your food. (To explain, if you haven't been over there, she used a vinyl covered material for the inside of the food wrap). I mean, I get being worried about "safe" plastics, but I think we probably aren't going to die from lunch baggies, either. Mr. Bush's actions seem a lot more dangerous than, say, a ziploc. My perspective, of course. (I can't call him the president, since he didn't win. And yes, I am petty and generally a bit immature, too, in case you were wondering. I am also a championship grudge holder).

I am sympathetic to feeling crummy about wastefulness, (please note I am only environmentally sound when I can be so in a lazy way) but I think that the fact is I hardly ever bring sandwiches for lunch, so the plastic bag thing isn't really an issue. I usually use wax paper, anyhow, when I do bring a sandwich. (Which you can reuse a bunch of times before you chuck it- I use a small piece of scotch tape to hold it shut). I have found that as my budget gets tighter, I am bringing my lunch more often, but I tend to just make an extra portion of whatever we are having for dinner. That way we waste less food, too, and I don't have to use more gas to drive five blocks each way for lunch.

Well, blah blah blah. I wanted to mention the adorable creature that my friend got for his birthday. It's called a "gut-creature" and it's weirdly adorable. Bon Anniversaire, Jonathan. Hope it was happy!

And congrats to Boo- another member of the family- yay!

R is concerned that his hatred and general loathing of people is abating... He has always claimed a real loathing for individuals and an affection for humanity in general. He blames Peanut for this tidal change. I have always distrusted humanity in general and liked individuals. Put people in a group and suddenly they are goose-stepping their way to "racial purity" or some other bullshit. But a lot of my favorite people are people, so there you are.

R asks that I add an addendum here- he doesn't like groups of people, either. He just is sort of impressed with where we have gotten, evolutionarily speaking. He's fond of some of our books, music, etc. He claims that homo sapiens are his favorite animal. (I actually think that might be a tiny lie- he's truly very fond of chimpanzees, as well).

In any case, good night.

I Made It Myself!

Well, I am probably nesting, but my sewing machine and I have been pretty busy for the past week or so. I made these bibs (almost done- just awaiting my new snap putter-inner thingy from The Snap Source) for Dangerfeet (new baby's current nickname):



I am not sure if this one is my favorite:



or if I like this one better:



This one is the leftover material from the sling I made for Peanut once I figured out how much I hate strollers:



This is the camera case I made for our new Canon that I LOVE:



It's lined with adorable Amy Butler dots and closes with Velcro:



Also, my sister in law is expecting, so in honor of her new addition, I made some cool-kid bibs (it's too early to know boy or girl yet):



The backs of those ones are little skulls:



All the bibs are based on "Bend the Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol of the super Angry Chicken blog, which I have really already enjoyed playing with (even though all I have made is a pile of bibs and the "No-Cash Wallet" which I did a bad job at. I know there are a lot of bib patterns out there, but this was really easy for me and has helped me get a little better at sewing curves (which is not my strong point). I got the book on Friday last week and have made 10 bibs in my spare time. Fun!

Finally, I also made two skirts for Peanut, which are basically the same, only different material:



The other one is red with white polka dots. It's pretty cute, too. Both of those were based on Amy Karol's five minute skirt that I blogged about before. She has really caused me to fall in love with that fold over elastic from Sewzanne's Fabrics. So fun and easy! It makes me feel like I sew better than I thought I did.

In any case, this post will probably take a very long time to load, thanks to all the pics. 20 weeks pregnant and counting. I'll probably have made a crib set next week. Oh, nesting pregnant self, you are a fickle one. C'est la vie.

Blechiness...

Peanut has a cold. I've been sneezed on, cried on, and dribbled on. We're in the wait and see part of her cold- will she be better tomorrow? Or will it turn worse?

Isn't motherhood fun?

In any case, I have been busy, while she sat and quietly watched "Dora the Explorer" and "Sesame Street" today. ("Dora" is said "DOHHH" by Peanut. It's super cute. Sometimes.) I made two totes for Christmas gifts from this really easy-peasy pattern from the "Sew Mama Sew" blog/shop. Totally a breeze to make, so I'll probably make a few more and hand them out for Christmas. I really want to have a hand-made Christmas this year- partially for budgetary concerns, partially for the idea that I love the idea of giving things that I have made, partially because I want to cut back on buying useless crap that no one wants or needs.

So, the answer?

Reusable tote bags that can be used for grocery-toting and other stuff. That pattern is really easy and super fast to make. I added a small bag to store it in, sealed with Velcro. So, a tote bag that can be rolled up into a small handy-dandy bag. Not the worst gift ever, right? I mean, it's not like when I was in high school and my mom gave me towels. Like, the ugliest towels EVER. And I did actually live with my dad. (Who did actually own a set of towels).

I also made up my own pattern for a tote bag that does have a lining. It's a little more finished style, but sort of similar. I'll post pictures soon, when I don't have a sister in law coming to stay tomorrow and my kid isn't sneezing all over the place. I'll also post pics of Peanut's two skirts I made.

Cross your fingers, maybe the kid will wake up smiling and healthy again. And maybe I'll get a little bit of sleep.

It's a Girl

Check out the adorable baby announcements here.

Insert Stupid Earthquake Pun Here

Well, nothing broke, and I am quick like a bunny at jumping under my desk. The USGS says it was a 5.4, which isn't that big, but enough to make me feel a little wonky afterwards. I don't remember ever feeling seasick after any other big earthquakes of my youth, but maybe I am just getting old. Whatever.

Also I dropped a can on my little toe, which, as it turns out, was a more major injury than anything I sustained in the actual earthquake. (To be clear, the only thing that happened after I stopped the swaying light fixture at work was that no one's mobile phone worked. Yay cell phones!)

In other news, I think I have started dreaming TV pilot ideas. Somehow I had this long involved dream that struck me as a great and original idea for a pilot, with a built in fan base. Hmmm... If only I had time or inclination to write for television. Is there a way to sell your ideas without actually having to write something, other than a pitch? Because I think I could do that part. Oh, I am not sharing it here, sorry... Maybe someday times will get desperate and I will be forced to try to write the damn thing. It would be good though, I know that.

See there's this dog, but he talks like Chris Rock and his owner is white.

Comedy ensues.

I'm kidding, that's not it. But if I see the Chris Rock is a funny talking mutt show next spring, I'm coming after you.

Braxton Hicks and the Reason I Have to Find a New Dry Cleaner....

Again, I really need to work on titles.

In any case, I've been having the good old Braxton Hicks for the last three or four days (conveniently just after my monthly baby doc appointment, but then are symptoms ever "convenient" in a pregnancy?). Five today, so not so many to worry about, it's just kind of early for shenanigans. Shenanigans! I call shenanigans! (What is that from? AHHH! My brain is clearly turning to mush). So, I need to sit still a while and drink more water before R calls the doctor at nine o'clock at night. (Overreact much?)

Also, in addition to the titles, we shall also need to address my deep and abiding love of parentheses. It's pretty funny that I really and truly do look down on people who abuse the exclamation point!!! And I agree with something Terry Pratchett wrote somewhere, that people who use five !!!!! in a row are clearly deranged, but I will use parentheses or brackets with wild abandon, whether called for or not. Whenever I am wantonly abusing grammar I think guiltily of my writing friend, Jonathan, who is oh-so clever and utterly without mercy to those of us who abuse the laws 'o grammar. You should click over to see an example of how truly funny this gentleman is. Wicked, this one.

Oh, and the reason I turned this blasted machine on- I used to use Foasberg Dry Cleaners, until a guy from there showed up trying to talk at me THROUGH MY WINDOW WHILE R WAS TRYING TO PUT PEANUT TO SLEEP (in plain view of said window). Apparently, stating that "I'm not interested, I'm putting the baby to sleep" wasn't enough. The guy actually answered, "Well, do you use Foasberg?"

Um, not anymore we don't. Thanks for stopping by. We're now Betty Brite people, I guess.

I Get to Know This Week...

... If I"m having a girl or a boy. The ultrasound lady said last time that it's probably a girl. Or a boy with an erection. So, on Wednesday, I finally get to know. It's funny this time, but I am sort of lazily hoping I'm having a girl so my life can officially become one long slumber party with my gals. I'm not so comfortable with sports and jockiness and boy scouts and all the attendant boy crap. So, I'd rather have a girl. Or a gay boy, I guess. I would be fine with that, too.

Can you believe it? I'm already 18 weeks pregnant! I've got a mere 21 or 22 weeks left til I meet my little early Christmas present.

Anyhow, it was pretty much the same old, same old this weekend. Farmer's market, clean and cook a bunch of stuff (stuffed curried eggplants, red snapper with a verde roasted garlic salsa and black beans with rice, lemon madeleines). Oh, and did I forget the laundry? I kid of course- I will NEVER forget laundry.

Peanut is having a rough weekend- I think she's having trouble with her molar coming in... Ack. She's currently walking around our block, with her daddy trying to tire her out. I really, really, really hope it works. I am so tired. It is unbelievable that a pregnant lady is tired after chasing her toddler around. Somebody page CNN. That's gotta be news, right?

Things That I Am Thinking About and Other Stuff...

I need to work on titles, clearly.

I just began reading SouleMama's blog and stumbled onto her shop, where she sells this stuff which looks like stuff I can make myself. But she actually appears to sell it. Which, of course, I have never done. Hmm... (Not to underestimate her obvious creativity and skill, of course).

I made this dress this past weekend, after seeing some cute things on Etsy.



I also saw this on Etsy which I thought was a cool idea. Maybe I'll make something like that but with oilcloth, so you can wipe it clean.

I thought I took a picture of Peanut wearing the skirts I made her, but my camera is being weird, so I guess not. I will post it soon. But here's another one of her seventies pillowcase dress...