Project Playhouse

Oh, what a grand day out we had! Project Playhouse is a once-a-year event in which architecture and building firms put together play houses that make our houses look like shacks. We had a blast checking them out and wishing that we had them in our backyard, all lined up in a little village. I've wanted to bring Lucy down to see them since I found out I was having a girl 3 years ago. Boys would like it, too, I think, but somehow I think girls especially seem to connect with playhouses. At any rate, seriously GO THERE to see the pictures...it will make you drool. It was down at Fashion Island, so we had a blast checking out the fountains and the carousel, too. Lucy's first time on a carousel!!

The "Wee Green House"
One of the may Fashion Island fountains... "bloop!"
Our favorite one... inspired by the tides!
Should I be scared that everyone in this picture has the same expression?
My little beach house... I'm moving in tomorrow. I'm pretty sure all I need is a book and some flip-flops. Oh yeah, and a smaller butt to fit into the tiny chairs.

We finished the day at Kean Coffee, which was a serious treat. The founder of Diedrich Coffee popped out this fantastic place as sort of his dream coffee house. It's just amazing, amazing coffee. Steve actually got to meet and chat with Martin Diedrich!! That's like meeting, say, Mike Holmgren or something. But while I would normally go there for the coffee itself, you may remember that there is something else there that speaks to my heart in its very own dialect... sipping chocolate. If you are my Facebook friend, you know that I believe that sipping chocolate is how I know that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life. Hours later, I still felt warm and happy. I'm starting to wonder if it's actually just chocolate, or if it's "special" chocolate. Oi.

Bibbity Bobbity Boo

Part of the mad sewing I've been doing...

Camo and stripes, 3 ways...

For the new son of one of my high school best friends...
For the new son-to-be of my former co-worker...

For the son of a co-worker of Steve's...


Many more sewing projects coming together... pictures soon...

Okay, so what's up with the hair?

My child is either a Muppet or a Beatle. I know, I should probably cut her hair more often, but all I gots ta say is, "YOU try it." =) So the child walks around looking like Animal or Ringo.

"Well, why not try brushing it? Or clips? Or pony tails?" you say. You are right. Very useful things, those brushes and hair tools! When I can wrestle or distract the child, these work relatively well. However, within about 2-3 hours, the clip or rubber-band is long gone or just falling out. So back we go to Muppet-tastic.

Summer Wrap Up

Doesn't Labor Day signal the end of summer? In Bosnia, apparently after a particular date (is it Oct. 1?), they all start wearing jackets and scarves wherever they go, regardless of the weather. I think our stores are all taking cues from them, as shorts and swim gear are long gone. I still either sweat through the afternoon or grudgingly turn on the A/C, watching the meter turn 'round and 'round in my mind. But hey, if the retailers say it's Fall, it's FALL! Thankfully we've had a very mild summer, and I am singing the glories of an August version of June Gloom. Ahhhhh....

So before I get too excited about oven-roasted vegetables and baked bread, candles in the house, NFL and sweaters, here's a quick recap of the end of summer...

Running through sprinklers at Parnell Park...

A quick weekend in Santa Barbara with friends who live there... this restaurant was right on the beach, so our girls could play in the sand while we had lunch. Ideal!
A Superhero Party! This was about the cutest idea I've ever seen. The masks and capes were made as favors by dear friend Kristen for her son's first birthday party. They were a HUGE hit! She had a friend set up a photo back-drop, and the kids all got pictures of them flying through the air... it was fantastic! I figure I can post this picture of other peoples' kids here because they are incognito!
Overheard at the party: "Super Lauren is off to save the day, but Super Colin can handle the job, too!" Somehow when a 4-year-old says that, you actually start to believe it. =)

I'll have to scan and post Lucy's picture that she took in front of the backdrop... she looks like Napoleon.
And more nectarines! They are one of nature's most wonderful fruits! No fuzzy peach skin on your teeth, not as mealy as a peach, sweet with a bit of tart for good summer measure... Big thanks to Dad for sending us THREE boxes this summer! We've been misers and shared very few of our precious nectarines. By the way, if you're anywhere that you can actually find out the variety, buy Honey Kissed (or any of the Honey varieties) in June and July, and Red Jims in August (Red Jims are named after my grandfather!).


And on one other small note, I have dearly loved catching up with old friends on Facebook this summer. Somehow Facebook softens the formality of an email, and makes casual reconnecting so much easier. I feel like I'm running into these people in the Cafe or at Starbucks or something, but getting a chance to hear just a wee bit more about how they are doing. It's been this amazing reminder that God has surrounded me with amazing people all my life.... though a bit of my life flashing before my eyes. =)

One more for the road...
The straw before the straw that broke the camel's back... or rather just sent it into muscle spasms landing him in the E.R. =)

It's August WHAT?

Wow, I have no idea how we got to the middle of August already, but I ain't complaining. The more we move along, the closer we get to Autumn, glorious Autumn! I'm such a whiner. =) There have been events, big and small, good and otherwise, that have pushed along the time, and I'm working to enjoy the things of summer (like the pool!).

I also thought I ought to report that the summer meals I set out to try were big hits! We didn't end up trying a couple of them, and I'm not even sure if I could tell you quite why. Trouble finding ingredients for the right price, not having the right ingredients at the right time (i.e. poor planning), etc. But the ones we did try were fantastic! Quick run-down of the big winners:

(Rating system in our house: 1 = I'm getting myself a grilled cheese instead; 5 = best meal ever, ever, ever. I'm generally pretty happy when I get a 3 from the fam, and I'll even serve 2.5's as staples when needed.)

*Antipasto Salad (idea from Everyday Food)
- Lettuce, salami, fresh mozzarella balls (cheap at Fresh and Easy!), prociuto, olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, shaved parmesian.
4!!

* Tortellini Salad (Thanks, Susan!)
Added chopped raw zucchini instead of tomatoes... we're not a tomato family.
4!!

* Mini baked potatoes, stuffed with goat cheese & bacon, with grilled Steak sandwiches (Inspired by both Everyday Food and Rachael Ray)
4!!

* Lemon Chicken with Pesto Dipping Sauce (thanks, Jamie!)
4!!

* Chicken Pasta Salad w/ Fried Shallots (Rachael Ray, Summer 08)
4!!

* Shrimp Quesadillas w/ avocados (RR, Su 08)
4!!

* Bacon, Avacado, and Turkey sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread (using Artisan Breads in 5 minutes a Day)
3.5 - Sadly the whole-wheat I made was a bit too much for this sandwich. A bit brick-ish.

* Southwestern Chili Mac Salad (RR, Su 08)
4!!

Sundry

Just a couple of fun pictures. It's been a seriously odd week (everyone enjoy the earthquake?), and these are my favorite images that came out of the week.

First day of "organized play group"! (Pre-school!) In her right hand is a plastic bowl full of foam stickers, which acted as the "comfort item of choice" for the morning.

Chillin' at the end of the day with Daddy. Look at those awesome smiles!

A bib I made for a shower on Friday. The printed fabric is "vintage sheeting" from Steve's childhood. I'm inspired now... uh-oh!

Two Things Girls Always Do

1.) Apologize. I have noticed that whenever I ask advice of another girl about things like prayer or exercise in particular, there is nearly always some mention of, "Oh, I am not doing anywhere near what I should be doing," or "Ugh, I should totally be doing more!" There is also much apologizing for things that we don't need to be sorry for.
Example, in a restaurant: "I'm so sorry, but could you bring us some more water? I'm sorry!"

2.) Girls always make sure that other girls don't say mean things about themselves. Okay, maybe not every girl, but every girl in my aquaintance always makes sure that other girls don't berate themselves, and usually do this by drawing attention to something they don't like about themselves.
Example:
Girl A: "My butt looks big."
Girl B: "No way, your butt is soo cute! Nothing like my thighs!"
Girl A: "Oh my goodness, your thighs are just fine! Mine are the big ones!"
Ad infinitum.

Men would never do this. They would never say, "My butt looks big" to another guy in the first place, but I'm pretty sure they would just reply with, "Dude, it's HUGE!"

Hookin' Bigtime

So there's this crochet idea I've wanted to try forever, but just haven't gotten around to it. I wanted to make a rag rug with thrifted sheets and a big fat crochet hook. Look at how enormous this hook is! It's like crocheting with a baseball bat! But it's almost too small for the rags I'm doing. I think I will go 1/2 or 3/4 inch next time around. And with this much faster method of cutting yarn strips.

Oh, and my GOODNESS my face looks ROUND! I've always had a really round, Danish face, but my hair or something makes me look like a circle today!


Here's the progress so far...
The outside is navy, and that white strip actually has these cute little tiny polka dots. Lucy has been enamored with carpets lately, presumably because of church and story hour, so I figured I'd make this one for her, as I'm sort of just learning anyway. Then I thought, hey, this can also be her "Naughty Mat." Mwaaah ha ha ha! Crafting for punishment! Is that evil crafting?

Into the Wild

This is a bit of a review, mostly of the album, but having read the book and seen the movie, I suppose that informs my thoughts. This isn't a "proper" review, just some thoughts.

I generally am not a great reviewer because I don't pay much attention to the poetry, but rather to the poetry of the music itself. I feel like this is Eddie Vedder, just for ME. It reminds me of all that was good about guitars at Campus by the Sea, but better. If I were to listen to the lyrics too closely, I would get pretty pissed off, I'm sure, but the music itself is this wonderful, soulful sigh. I have this odd notion that many musicians, while trying to piss off God manage to create worship in spite of themselves. Not sure I can describe it any better than that exactly.

Best songs are Rise -- gorgeous use of the ukelele, fantastic chords, very subtle and simple melody. Intricate and simple at the same time. It was one of the only things that made me actually want to walk into the Alaskan wild.

Hard Sun -- again, really great strumming with this intoxicatingly simple percussion. I don't know what it is, but it just sounds like someone is banging something on a hollow stage or something. It's this strong bang on the 3rd beat that just sort of connects with your pulse.

I think in the end, while I disagree with Eddie Vedder's conclusions, I think there is something about this album that expresses the wandering soul man is prone to. It seems to ask the questions that we all ask from one angle or another. I think God honors the search if you are really looking. And even Alexander Supertramp asked God to bless those he left behind when he left the world--maybe even he knew who his maker was when it was time to settle up.

The recipes before Germany returns to winter in a few days

Okay, this post is primarily for Susan. It's my list o' ideas for summer meals. At first glance, it looks expensive, but I have some ways around this (like a friend who has an avocado tree, some stashed stuff, and some new discoveries for cheap ingredients). And sometimes it sounds a little funky... Shrimp and Ham Rolls? But trust me, I wrote this list when I was hungry, so if it sounded good then, it sounds good when I'm hungry later! If the idea sounds at all good, let me know, and I will direct you to the recipe! I tried to give credit here where it was due.

*Antipasto Salad (idea from Everyday Food)
- Lettuce, salami, fresh mozzarella balls (cheap at Fresh and Easy!), prociuto, olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, shaved parmesian.

* Tortellini Salad (Thanks, Susan!)

* Mini baked potatoes, stuffed with goat cheese & bacon, with grilled Steak sandwiches (Inspired by both Everyday Food and Rachael Ray)

* Lemon Chicken with Pesto Dipping Sauce (thanks, Jamie!)

* Chicken Pasta Salad w/ Fried Shallots (Rachael Ray, Summer 08)

* Paella

* Shrimp Quesadillas w/ avocados (RR, Su 08)

* Bacon, Avacado, and Turkey sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread (using Artisan Breads in 5 minutes a Day)

* Southwestern Chili Mac Salad (RR, Su 08)

*Shrimp & Ham Rolls (RR, Su 08)

* Meatball Kebobs w/ Peppers, onins & Mushrooms (RR, Su 08)

* Fish Tacos w/ Broccoli Caesar Slaw (RR, Su 08)

* Grilled Chicken & Avacado Sandwiches

* Chicken Cordon Blue Panini (RR, Su 08)

* Chip Crusted Chicken Skewers (RR, Su 08)

* Cheesesteak Sliders (RR, Su 08)

* Prociuto Cheeseburgers w/ Mushrooms (Martha Stewart, June 2007)

(Yes, lots of Rachael Ray this time. I picked up a magazine for my little vacation, and she happened to really hit the spot this time.)

Vacation in Sheol

This is from last night. Take a look at the time... 7:53. 97°.


Thank goodness for parents who are generous with their air conditioning. And babysitting so we could go to the air conditioned movies. And the pool. And dinner. Ad infinitum. Ad awesominae.

Making friends with summer again

Many of you know that I am not friends with summer. I hate the hot, sticky weather and the loud fans, and the hairs blowing into your face from all the fans. I hate how my plants suffer, how brown the landscape is, and ugly summer air. But I am re-learning to appreciate summer by remembering the joy of summer fruit! If you've only ever bought nectarines at the grocery store, you've never really had one. Get to a farmer's market and ask the farmers about the fruit. (Did you hear me, go!) Sample the fruit. Ask them how long to let it ripen. You may soon be in fruit heaven like me.

I'm a bit spoiled, though. Every summer, my dad picks up a box of the Honey Blaze nectarines, which is one variety we grow at our little farm in Reedley, and puts it on the Greyhound bus down to Norwalk, where I pick up the ruby goodness to take home. I will not comment on the Norwalk Greyhound station except to say that I try to block it out the rest of the year.

Look at these beauties!

Then comes the task of completely rearranging and stuffing my fridge with summer fruit. These are peaches from a tree in our orchard that came to me via my road-tripping brother, who stopped in at my folks' house. The entire bottom crisper drawer is full of the nectarines.

And piled up in the window. They're lucky they're so pretty!
And some other summer-loving things I've been up to: This beauty came from Joy the Baker via Crafty Crow. Go look at Joy's pictures of these, because they're so much prettier. I just snapped this for posterity, before they completely disappeared.


And Vacation Bible School! Or Adventure Week, as it is called at our church. Seems like almost no one still calls it VBS anymore. At any rate, our theme this year is "Set Sail," and I am on the costume committee. I thrift-stored the shirts and pants, then found these little anchors for the sleeves and made the sailor collars out of pillow cases. Like my little stars in the corners? That was my military sister-in-law's idea.

More to come about the fantastic summer dinners I've found!

Finished and Work in Progress

Well, hello there Pleated Beauty! This is from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing, which is, of course, the best book ever.

I'd purchased the linen fabric awhile ago to make a cover for this gigantic body pillow, but then found a pre-made one and didn't use the fabric. It's been calling to me in my closet. Sew me! Sew me!
I can't seem to get a cute picture which really tells you how much fun it is to walk around with this bag!
I broke 3 needles while edge stitching the top. Learning lessons on fabric thicknesses! Some of my favorite things about it are the straps with their little peek-through linings, and then I added two extra inside pockets for wallet, keys and cell-phone. I actually stuck my old purse inside this monster bag and then put the "essentials" in their pockets. I'm not much good at purse changing because I hate moving everything back and forth. But Hark! I have a plan! I am going to make little zipper pouches with things categorized so that I can move 3 things instead of 32.

And the work in progress. This is Lucy's paint smock, again from Bend the Rules. I ran out of blue bias tape, so I will have to finish it later, but since it looks mostly done here, thought I would share it. I lined it with thin plastic so that it could be wiped clean. Still deciding if that was a good idea. I've been thinking about making one for each of the kids in Lucy's upcoming pre-school play group. I think once I get the hang of it, it shouldn't be too bad. One here, one there... There are only 5 kids total, so I think I could do it.

Tell me the truth, though, you know you totally want to have one that's grown-up sized, don't you. =) Okay, maybe not you, Wry-bear. You're always the foil to this blog.

For sale!

In my efforts to clean a few things out, I thought I'm posting a few of the sweaters I have for sale. Still deciding whether or not to go with an etsy shop, so for now, enjoy browsing. I'm eager to get these to cute babies and girls, so I am marking my prices down! These are perfect baby shower gifts... just make sure that the baby will be that size in the winter!

*Cue Muzak version of "The Girl from Ipenema.* Doo..... dah dooo doo, doo dooo dah dooo doo.

Girl's Navy Round Neck Sweater
Size: 12-24 months
Adapted from from "Crochet for Babies & Toddlers" by Barnden
Originally $35, Selling for $25

Sweet Ruffly Sweater
Size: 3-6 months
Originally $25, selling for $18!


Wee Green Sweater
Size: Brand Spankin' Newborn
Adapted from http://www.sandiangels.com/pattern-page.html
Price: Everyday low price of $25!



Sweet Navy Shrug
Size: 24 months
Originally $30, selling for $25
(Dress for display only)White Cotton Shrug
Size: 4T
Originally $30 - Selling for $25
(Dress for display only)

Fuzzy Shrug
Size 2T to 3T
Everyday low price: $20
(Dress for display only)

Little White Outing Coat
Adapted from http://www.sandiangels.com/pattern-page.html
Originally $35, Selling for $25


All sales done friend-to-friend. I do not own a business, as presently I don't have the capacity for any sort of volume to justify it. Details arranged through email when interest is expressed via the comments section. Domestic postage included, international postage assumed by buyer.

The Prom

Seems I'm having trouble sleeping these days... buzzing mind, I suppose. The other night while I couldn't sleep, I listened to a podcast of This American Life, which I totally love. This particular show was about The Prom, and Ira Glass did his typical hat trick, turning a topic that sounds like, "Huh?" into a totally engrossing story.

People who didn't go to Christian high school always ask me, "What? You didn't have a prom? What did you do?" Well, we had "banquets." We sat and ate, and there was usually nearly tolerable entertainment. Then the big thing was that you did something after, like go to a movie (because what else was there to do in Fresno in 1993?). So I've been thinking about our version of prom, and had to share a few of the dresses, which are the whole point of any formal anyway. Enjoy the dismal hilarity of it, because it makes me laugh out loud to watch this retro-fashion show.

Success with my winter formal that year should not have made me so confident in my Spring senior formal. Yes, guys, I MADE this dress. I hated it before I was done with it, so why didn't I just chuck the whole thing and buy, beg, borrow or steal another? So that you could enjoy this dress in all its grandmaness. Tell me you don't totally love the dyed-to-match shoes!
Not a bad dress for the time, eh? I felt awfully fancy with bare shoulders. Heh heh! You can't quite see the "diamondoid" necklace that I wore to about 6 different formals.
This one takes the cake. Or maybe this one IS the cake... Don't I look like a polka-dotted cake? Here's what scares the crap out of me... I HAVE SEEN BUBBLE DRESSES COMING BACK IN! It should scare you, too!

And for good measure, my first bridesmaid dress. It is a two piece deal with leg-of-mutton sleeves (I'm not kidding, that's what it's called), and an open back in the shape of a heart and a big fat ruffle right on my keister. I do believe the shoes were also dyed-to-match.

The day of perfect meals

Let's assume that money, calorie count, and full stomachs are no object here. Let's also assume everything here is served in small portions, too, just to protect your sense of feeling over-full at reading this. Keep in mind, another day might look completely different.

Breakfast:
Kona coffee first. One degree below scalding. Then a pineapple/passionfruit mimosa to go with breakfast. the perfect Italian cappuccino. A helping of a really, really good egg casserole with some kind of fancy pork product like prosciutto; excellent cheese with it. Roadside stand strawberries. Mandi's potato casserole. Cinnamon bread french toast. Hash browns like they make them in really good short-order-cook restaurants. Finish off with the perfect Italian cappuccino.

Lunch:
Clam chowder from Legal Seafood in Boston. Some kind of seriously yummy salad like a waldorf or cobb or chef salad, definitely with good feta cheese in it. Hot and melty sourdough bread. A bit of really amazing fetuccini alfredo. And then dark, dark bread ala Campus by the Sea. Thick, rich oatmeal chocolate chip bars for dessert. To drink? The iced tea whose teabags come in that yellow box. I think it's passion fruit iced tea, but it's a black tea and just a HINT of fruit.

Dinner: Steamed clams bordelaise from Stagnaro's. Stuffed lobster tail from legal seafood. Perfect sauteéd spaghetti squash and roasted asparagus for veggies. A couple of bacon-wrapped scallops. Maybe some sauteéd orzo or roasted fingerling potatoes. THE ravioli from Sorrento. A glass of savignon blanc. For dessert? Some kind of dense, chewy brownie concoction with chocolate chips and fudgy frosting. Or maybe a Claim Jumper's deep dish peach crisp. And maybe gelato with a half-shot of espresso poured over it.

The possibilities are endless, but that right there would be a pretty darn good day.

Summer begins with...

The End-of-Year Sunday School program. Doesn't my child look so good and compliant there? Don't be fooled. Actually, her efforts at bucking the system were furtive, done with a very nonchalant air. Tiny step by tiny step she moved out in front of the huddled pack to where she really wanted to be, which was sitting next to the teacher, watching the other kids. I nearly cried my eyes out laughing. It was way too cute.
And of course, at her best friend's birthday party. After about 90 min. of asking for cake, here it is. Satisfaction at last.

Refreshing!

Don't you love the incredible endorphine rush you get when you've spent the entire morning cleaning?

And then you remember you live with a 2-year-old. =)

HUH???

I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE LOUDNESS OF THE BAG!

Actually this picture softens it quite a bit. But believe me, it's loud. Some church friends are the new official parents of a sweet 8-year-old girl from Taiwan, and I couldn't stand it--I ha to make something for her! She likes Dora, but I thought making an all Dora bag would be too obnoxious, so I came up with my own brand of obnoxious. Inspired a bit my two of my nieces in one way or another. That and Fruit Stripes gum, I suppose.

Hooray for Sprint, Verizon, and Time Warner!

Can you believe I just said that? Check out this NPR story here--they're taking active steps to block child p0 rn sites. We pay bills to all three companies, and I am going to write a note of thanks to all of them.

Not quite

Oh, it is so good to be home! I love being home. I loved our travels, but as you all know, it is always great to be home.

This inspiration came from Wendy... so much fun! I somehow screwed up the last two pictures, but wanted to post this anyway because it's so pretty... at least 10/12 of it is! =)

Here are the questions that inspired it:

1. What is your first name? Jenny (picture is of Jenny Lake)
2. What is your favorite food? Steamed Clams
3. What high school did you go to? Immanuel High School (picture is of Reedley)
4. What is your favorite color? Red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? I changed this to "one of your favorite musicians" Dave Matthews...
6. Favorite drink? Piña Colada... but then I realized I should've put "Coffee."
7. Dream vacation? Austria
8. Favorite dessert? Cookie dough
9. What you want to be when you grow up? I tried to put a picture in of my mom. =)
10. What do you love most in life? This is a picture of the wardrobe... representing my journey with God
11. One Word to describe you. Encourager
12. Your flickr name. ferferfly... again, my picture didn't show up for some reason. I'm new to flickr. =)