Again and Again...

Now that the holidays are over, I am just super busy! Work is heating up, the temperature outside is way down, the to-do list is growing and I'm just one girl. I knock out ten of the items on my list in one day and there are 20 more to replace them. Do you feel that way? Hey people, it's after the holidays - isn't this supposed to be the slow time?

Since it is the coldest time of the year, hot soups are in order at our house. I whipped up this carrot soup this morning to have something warm for lunch. Very low fat and very yummy too - I didn't need to over-compensate with crackers on this one. Just some carrots, onions, chicken stock, salt, pepper, grated ginger and fat free sour cream. Dill for garnish. Very yum!

I'm feeling very homemaker-y and even going as far as making my own chicken stock this winter. Now that I'm into the soups and sauces mode, I find that I need more and more chicken stock. Why not make my own and save a couple of bucks? Just got off the phone with a friend and she gave me some tips on how she makes her most excellent stock - whole black peppercorns are included.

I have so much to post - especially about the wonderful holiday exchange gift that I received from my exchange partner, Kate. It was such a wonderful, well-thought out gift that I feel I need some time to really take some good pictures and write a good post to do it some sort of justice. Check out Kate's great photos on her Flickr site, HeyK8, and say hello. She's really nice.

I am also knitting like crazy this winter. It's not that I have a lot of time, but it's that I don't have a bunch of functional hats (I have a big head) and the fact that I have yarn already and am a knitter makes me feel that I shouldn't go out and purchase any knitting headgear. It seems sort of redundant. So I'm trying to figure out what the heck I did to this hat in moss stitch while watching a movie the other night. It wasn't that great of a movie, but apparently I was intent enough on it to really mess this sucker up. I may just go on with it and put a little bling over the area that just isn't working.

Another fun knit is the little dress below for miss Ava. I received a bunch of different colored yarns from my mom for Christmas and this is what I decided to do. A stripey dress is just the ticket to bring on an early spring, don't you think?

I have had to stop knitting my easy socks again, until I can get some direction on what I am doing with the heel. Bummer. I also had to stop knitting my son's striped sweater/pull over as I ran out of yarn. Sad! Now I'll have to shop for more yarn - always a burden I must bear. ;)

Stay on the path!

A Good Weekend

Did you have a good weekend? I had work to do but somehow, it just didn't get done. There was too much fun to be had with the family (and the kids didn't want to go to sleep at night!).

We had fun exploring the Children's Garden on the Michigan State campus and getting very dirty in the process. Well, what's fun without dirt, right?


We also stumbled upon the preparations for an outdoor wedding - someone had a beautiful wedding day! I only wish we could have stayed long enough to spy the bride.

I hope you had a great weekend too...

On the path.

Playing Catch-Up

Like I said, I refuse to let my various projects get the best of me. Even though I am buried under work and housework, I have found a few moments to whip out some of my WIPs. So, this photo-heavy post should be a good update on what's been going on in my crazy house lately.

Still working on finishing that Debbie Bliss Picot Dress. I just started the arm strap and hope to really get some knitting done on it in the coming weeks. Keep in mind, this is the very same book that the ill-fated toddler hoodie came from. I hope the dress will turn out much better.



These little guys came from this pattern and I highly recommend you knitters out there to try it. Once I figured out the loop stitch, it was such a breeze. I've already knitted three and need to finish these. They just need their loops attached and some lion faces stitched on.


My garden almost bit the dust (or rather drowned) last weekend during the strong thunderstorms. There were a few tornadoes that touched down in our area but none came by our house thank goodness. We did spend a few moments getting comfy in our basement on Sunday evening though. Surprisingly, my deck garden survived and the plants are no worse for wear. There were a few twigs sticking upright in the soil, but other than that, they seem pretty happy.


I have planted some herbs, tomatoes, various peppers and some lovely sugar snap peas that are growing like crazy. I am excited to say that I have some beginnings of peppers growing already and a few flowers on my pea vine. I know, it's Michigan though, so we need a little extra time. This girl's garden is really in full swing.




Finally, an FO. A Finished Object. Yes, I did finish something in these past few weeks and I'm glad to say, it turned out great (unlike my quilt top). This is Ava's dedication dress - a little rumpled from wearing it on Sunday. It's a simple, reversible smock and I'm proud to share it:











On the path...

I'm back!

I've been back for a while, but it seems like I've been gone forever. I did have a nice time in Oklahoma City and the group got a lot of things accomplished for work, but I really did miss my babies terribly. Oh, and my husband of course.

So we celebrated by going to the Frederick Meijer Gardens this past weekend to check out the butterfly exhibit, the children's gardens and play area and the sculpture gardens. This was our first time going and we loved it so much that we have decided that we are definitely coming back when everything is in bloom.


We spent some time in the arid garden indoors and it really made me want to go on vacation. Has anyone trouped to a tropical place with their VERY small children? Well, maybe someday soon, right?

Here are Channy and Ava contemplating the cacti.


Let me tell you how hard it was to take photographs in the butterfly exhibit. The exhibit lanes were too narrow for our double-wide stroller so we had to get the kids out and carry them through. They LOVED the butterflies but it is difficult, to say the least, to try to take steady pictures with one hand and holding a wriggling baby in the other. Here's an example...


So, this is the best butterfly shot I could manage.


We also walked over to the Michigan Farm where Channy ran around petting all the farm animal sculptures. He was having a great time running all over the place like an ant scurries around in circles before it reaches its destination. There was a dinner bell at the farm that Chandler really enjoyed ringing. Ava slept through most of this. I guess the butterflies wore her out.


Come and meet the letter people.
Come and visit the family!


Words are made of letter people...
A B C D, follow me!



Okay, so no one joined me in the Letter People theme song rendition, but those sculptures reminded me of my beloved childhood puppet show (it was your typical high-tech 70s children's show). So, I was inspired and threw out my jazz hands to sing the song with abandon. Joel pushed the kids farther ahead and pretended he didn't know the crazy blond woman trailing behind singing her heart out. Oh well. There were some beautiful and fun sculptures in the gardens, but the letter people were my favorite.

This reminds me that spring is coming and also that I have a lot of work to do in my yard.


Stay tuned for some crafty updates as I get settled back into my routine.

Back on the path...

Spring

Happy spring! So, it's officially spring according to the calendar and last week we were greeted with another round of snow! Luckily, it's much warmer now and all of this has melted. I just thought that I would share our coldness with you this week.


Speaking of this week, I am getting ready to head out of town for yet another business trip. I will probably be unable to post until Friday or later so please excuse the lack of postings until then. I never know how much free time I'll have on these trips and I'm definitely not cool enough to post from my phone like this gal.


But, good news on the crafting front. I have almost finished four bean bags and those should be coming together this coming weekend. I also have cut out around 400 squares for my quilt top so I'll be ready to finally put this quilt-a-long quilt together! I can't wait to see what it ends up looking like.



As you can tell from the photo, we're getting pretty stir-crazy around here and ready for some warmer weather (does the tent in the living room give it away?). Chandler and Ava love to spend time in the tent and Mommy and Daddy get to lay down in it for a few quiet moments before someone needs a diaper change or a snack.

Have a great week and we'll talk soon!

On the path...

Easter, Sewing and Life

I feel so awful for not doing regular posts lately. You know how life gets in the way. Life has gotten in the way of my crafting lately as well. So, imagine how excited I was to finish a little Easter dress for my baby only to NOT wear it on Easter. Easter Sunday here had below freezing temperatures so we all just chucked our Easter finery for warm pants and sweaters.


We WILL be wearing our Easter finery on a day that probably should have been Easter this year. Wasn't it way too early? We usually take Easter photos by our forsythia shrubs outside of our house and they were still all asleep underneath snow. Yes, snow! Since the grandparents were here this weekend, Chandler was able to build his first snowman with Grandpa.


He was so proud of this little creation, and he kept taking out the snowman's arms and putting them back in, taking out the eyes and putting them back in. So, eventually, the poor snowman's arms had shrunk to hands and his eyeballs were partially stamped.

I really hope all you readers (all 10 or so of you) had a wonderful holiday weekend!

On the path...

March

At least there is a holiday in March that promotes the color green. If only the out doors would take the hint and follow suit. I have loved shamrocks for a long time and went out and bought some gorgeous purple ones and these beautiful green ones. I am hoping these guys will last a long time since the previous shamrocks I owned lasted a very long time until my dad put them outside and the birds ate all of the roots. Apparently, these roots were mighty tasty.

How is everyone doing on their quilt for the quilt-a-long? I am still working on the last few blocks and will begin cutting out the 400+ squares for finishing the quilt sometime soon. You can see the quilter's progress here. There are some truly stunning quilts in this group. I can only hope to be that good some day.

Happy St. Pattie's!

On the path...

More Snow and My Hand Knits

Are you wearing your hand knits this winter? Well, that is if you actually live in a climate that has true, bite-your-skin winter. This girl is probably out picking lemons from her citrus grove as you read this. In February.

I know places like this exist, but I just can't bring myself to imagine them in all this snow and ice. February is definitely the month for those of us who live in the northern tundra to escape somewhere exciting and warm. I can't wait until we can do that! Maybe when the kids are potty trained. Or, maybe not. I haven't yet had the experience of "Mommy, I have to go potty!" every three minutes.


It's so cold out this winter season, my hand knits have had a decent run. The first picture is of one of my favorite hats that a really sweet and dear friend of mine knitted for me years ago. It actually fits my big head (seriously, I was the kid on the softball team that had to wear the biggest helmet) and the crown is perfectly shaped. I've never been able to knit a hat that didn't go over my eyes. I do have a pattern for a new cable hat; just in time for spring! Well, you can't always time these things.


What on earth is this? No, I'm not super-organized and already wrapping presents for Christmas next year. I wish. I've got this idea in my head that won't go away and I've been tinkering with a few patterns in my head that I would like to get out onto fabric some day. My sweet hubby has been helping me with the math (I don't have the patience to figure that stuff out) and I've been trying to cut out a pattern out of leftover Christmas wrapping paper. I'm too scared to waste even muslin right now. So, we'll see what happens with this blob; albeit a very festive, colorful blob.

Keep warm and stay on the path!

Winter White

We've been trying out all kinds of indoor activities to beat the stir-crazy blues in our household. The big activity right now is so simple, so elegant, yet offers all kinds of fun for some busy little hands. That activity is ... Lima Beans. Yes, hard, dry, white lima beans. They are too big to fit into a nostril or down an ear (believe me, my son already tried) and they make such a nice sound hitting a glass bowl. We've been busy making pretend soups, transferring the beans from a large bowl to smaller ones using mugs, wooden spoons, our hands and cups. My son routinely requests the "beans" every evening after dinner. It doesn't matter what I do to try to distract him to do something different. Fun, fun for everyone!



Now is the time for all of you northerners to get out and use your handknits! I've been outside shoveling the snow and ended up taking photos of the beautiful, velvety goodness. Of course, I say that now, and in a few weeks I'm going to be wishing for spring. My husband already wishes for it. Probably has something to do with shoveling the driveway at 6AM this morning. Hmm...





On the path...