being a good mommy...

to my Bernina! Yesterday when I was sewing I kept ending up with this sort of thing:

So I decided that maybe some dusting and oiling were in order. Um, lint much?

I put all the bobbin parts back correctly the first time, which was really exciting. Of course Charley woke up as soon as I finished cleaning the whole thing out. Look at him trying to help!

Today I finished up the last of five bibs to give as gifts. So far I've taken one out for Charley (there were six), so we'll have to see how many actually stay in the present pile. He looks so cute in homemade bibs, not to mention that he can't take them off because they've got snaps instead of velcro. I'll take pictures tomorrow!

spring!

Spring has arrived at last! Despite abysmal weather forecasts for the entire week, today was beautiful! This morning while I was cleaning the kitchen the sun came out, and since I assumed the respite from drear would be short-lived I scooped Charley up and we took a stroll around the neighborhood. The forsythia was blooming, crab apples were just opening (literally, by the time we made our way back home more blossoms had opened) and the grass was green as could be.

While seeing post after post about certain topics might become redundant, I don't think any midwesterner could grow tired of jubilant spring photos and prose! Even that little squirrel looks joyful.

We staked out the community garden plots this evening too, so now gardening season is officially open!

green bag lady giveaway

photo from Green Bag Lady!

Hi There,

I haven't posted yet about the fun little bag I received from Green Bag Lady awhile back because I wanted to use it for something interesting and then snap a photo. Well, I haven't done that yet (the photo part...I use it a lot). But in the meantime, she's had about a million giveaways. I don't try to win every online freebie I see, because I don't need more stuff. But today's is for three reusable produce bags! I'd love to make some of my own, and this seems like a great way to get motivated. 

Check out her website and enter for a chance to win!

p.s. You can see my name listed on the right-hand side of her site with my bag's number (#14,526)! We're famous!

regrettable frugality

Do you ever not buy something and then regret it later? I don't do it very often, but when I do I remember it. Once it was a set of lavender Calvin Klein pajamas. Another time it was the real tinsel at Vinnies in my hometown. I seem to have the hardest time when the item is way on sale or just really inexpensive to begin with. (Like that tinsel. I think it was a dime. Literally.) 

Well, last week Charley and I went to JoAnn's (he begged me), and I discovered that they have Denyse Schmidt fabric. There were a couple that I liked as well as a couple of Alexander Henry's, so I headed over to the cutting table. The line was really long. Really... Really... Long. So was the check-out line. Charley was being a one-year-old, and being a responsible mother I decided that I didn't really need the fabric. Then on Friday I organized all of my coupons and thought, hey, let's go back and get some of that fabric, shall we? He was beyond excited. (I am embellishing...) What do you think we found? NO DS fabric to be had. None. For about the first time in my life I would have allowed myself to buy a whole yard of fabric (every so often I go crazy and buy a half-yard) because of the 50% off coupons in my diaper bag.

Then tonight I was poking around on the internet, and what do you think I found? Fun stuff that people have made out of that fabric! On the one hand, I'm obviously really happy for everyone, but I also got this kind of sick feeling like, seriously? I couldn't have just bought a little? At least now I can live vicariously!

Here are some of the fabrics, as seen on Stitches and Scissors. It just so happens that the third and fourth from the top are the two that I had settled on. Aren't they fun? I especially love the dots.

And here's an adorable pillow that Darci made with them:

And here's a spunky little zippered pouch made by Krista of Spotted Stone:

I'm sure there are lots of cute projects coming our way with these fabrics. It's also possible that my JoAnn's will get more in. This time I'll buy at least a little!

april [snow] showers

It's technically spring, but here's what Michigan looks like today.

Beautiful, isn't it? Now we're ready for it to melt though. Spring sure lets winter bully it around. Get a backbone, spring!!!

another slow cooker curry

photo taken from The Denver Post 

photograph by Leo Gong

Tonight I made Minted Potato and Chickpea Curry from The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley. It was pretty good, but there were a few changes we'd make next time: fewer chickpeas, more tomatoes, more potato, more coconut milk (I mean, really, can you ever add too much?), add cumin, salt, some other spices and serve with plain yogurt and possibly lemon. We also thought it'd be good with other veggies too, like cauliflower or peas. The fresh cilantro-mint combo was delicious, and Charley ate all the components pretty willingly. As soon as chickpeas are welcome back on the table (maybe once a month?) I think I might try her Curried Chickpeas with Fresh Ginger. This whole 'use the crock pot' thing is going really well so far. I can barely cook one day, and then we have dinner for two nights! Brilliant!

In other news, I'm working on a birthday onesie for Charley's party. It's pretty simple, but it'll look cute with his crown. Correction--when he's removed his crown there will still be something birthday-ish about his outfit! I'll take photos eventually.

more spring!

On Thursday Charley and I headed to the Leslie Science Center with our friends Jill and Ella to check out the moss. Spunky, isn't it? The babies had fun crawling around on the new grass, which was mostly dirt and sticks! I haven't washed C's bunting yet, which is covered in mud. They were adorable, naturally.

Today we went to the farmer's market for the first time in about three months! It was very chilly, but the pussy willows, lettuce, and pansies sent another reminder that spring is here for real! We bought some organic pea shoots for dinner and will be looking into how best to enhance them (as though that's necessary). 

I've been thinking about our garden but doing a lot less planning than usual. I haven't even dragged out my big box of seeds to see what's in there and what we should grow. Right next to my friend Maite's cookie stand (check out her link and order some cookies today--you will not regret it!) was a table for Slow Food Huron Valley. They will give you heirloom seeds for free in return for your saving the seeds at harvest time and giving them feedback and photos. How wonderful! I'm on the waiting list for seeds and seedlings and crossing my fingers that we can participate! One lesson I learned from last year: gardening with a baby is different! We'll focus on more independent plants this year like root vegetables and greens. Anything with high needs will have to wait for another season! I wonder what other baby-busy people like to grow?

spring is here!

As Charley's birthday approaches, I'm reminded of what was happening last year at this time. I was *convinced* our baby would arrive any day and mostly sat around waiting....and waiting... The previous fall I'd planted bulbs around our patio, knowing that many hours would be spent on the couch cuddling and nursing our new baby. Those days did come, but before he was born the bulbs mostly kept me company as I watched horrible daytime tv from the couch. (Watching Sixteen and Pregnant and NICU when you're in the final days of pregnancy is ill-advised.) 

Here are some of the early bulbs this year.

There are other signs that spring is here. Such as all of the plastic bags that have blown into our courtyard over the winter. Charming, I know.

Here are the anemic onions we grew and ended up leaving on the table all winter. They serve as evidence gardening was a huge challenge with an infant. Do you think we could plant them this spring?

And someone's forgotten Ikea shape sorter that reappeared as the snow melted. 

In our garden plot the chives have resprouted. Note to self: dig these up before they till the soil! Update: Someone dug them up before I got to them. If they had planted and loved them all last summer I wouldn't be upset, but since I am the one who nurtured them, I'm MAD!!!! I guess I'll have to buy new ones. Someday I will have my own garden so I don't have to put up with this kind of thing. Sheesh.

And the chicory (?) plants grown from seeds I smuggled into the country from Italy two years ago. I need to actually harvest these little suckers this year. I've grown them the last two years but treated them like ornamentals, despite their being completely edible.

I'm excited to head out to some parks for more signs of spring! I'm also looking forward to experiencing the seasons this year. 

slow cooker comeback

Our library is amazing, but one of its coolest services is that you can request something online from any of the branches (there are four in Ann Arbor), they'll send the item to the branch of your choice, where it will then wait on a special shelf with your name on it until you show up. Um, love that!

I recently requested the book The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker, and there are a bunch of different recipes I can't wait to try. Tonight I made Potatoes and Peas in Red Curry Sauce. Can I say, "Yum?" Even Charley liked it! It's topped with cashews and cilantro, so what's not to love? A couple years ago we stopped using our slow cooker because the Le Creuset is so awesome, but now that Charley is into everything I need to be able to prep dinner in the morning and have it done by evening. 

The next recipe I want to try is the Spicy Indian Lentil and Tomato Soup and the Curried Chickpeas with Fresh Ginger and Cilantro. 

photo taken from Project Foodie (photographer is Leo Gong)

birthday crown! i can't wait!

I was going to wait until next week, but I can't! Charley's first birthday is almost upon us, and I had an epiphany the other night that he needs a birthday crown (you know, because head accessories are his favorite). So in a rare example of think it, plan it, make it, it's already done! I chose the fabrics last night and finished the whole thing this afternoon. I tried to research ideas on the internet, but there really weren't that many of them. Since I recently made a coffee cozy (for a friend...she doesn't know yet...shh) that was pretty simple and fun, I decided to sort of use it as a guide. After all, isn't a baby's head similar to a coffee cup from Starbucks? Hmm, not really, but you do wrap things around both of them. Being an English major in college, I could probably come up with something there. Instead I'm going to spare everyone.

I'm really proud of how it turned out, and when I was parading it around the neighborhood tonight someone said it had a Where the Wild Things Are feel to it. Um, could you get more of a compliment for a birthday crown? And for Charley? I don't think so. Another friend said it looked mystical (or a similar word), which I also liked. In other words, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

Since this has been a pretty productive week, I thought I'd also throw in a photo of another "artsy clutch" I made using the Amy Karol pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing. It's fair to say that this little bag is a new favorite in the crafting department. So simple. So quick. And it really shows off the fabrics. This is also a gift for a certain sister (that doesn't give it away, right? I mean, I have...oh...one sister. ha ha ha). Note the interior fabric. Hilarious, isn't it? I thought so.

Here's the coffee cozy. Yes, it's wrapped around a glass, because I didn't have the guts to ask for a cup at Starbucks the other day. How do I know it will fit? Well, I somehow found the courage to ask for a cozy. Ridiculous, in retrospect. Like they care. (I was scared she said no. Horrifying Starbucks employees....) Oh! This is technically my March project for the Craft Book Challenge, as it was 99% finished in March. I only sewed on the button tonight. I got the idea from Pretty Little Patchwork, only I changed it and then ended up using the tutorial at House on Hill Road, but I changed that too.

So happy Tuesday night! Time to go start something new. When it rains, it pours. Oh, and maybe one of these days I'll remember to take photos while it's still light out so they're not all yellowy. 

clever little radishes

I don't have time to write anything right now, but I wanted to share this link from Mr. Brown Thumb. He explains how planting radishes can help you determine the quality of your garden's soil before planting. How cool is that?

Oh, and I know that my banner is now for the wrong season. I'll get to that too, but for now, let's enjoy that there hopefully won't be any more scenes like that for many, many months (however beautiful they may be). Happy spring!