just like sew

resolutions report

2011-12-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

at the beginning of 2011, i decided to keep my resolutions simple and within reach, so i chose a few things that would be easy to do but would make a big difference. one was making the bed every day, not something e and i previously paid much attention to if no one was coming over. i've been doing it, almost every day, and it makes such a difference every time i walk in our bedroom to see that at least one room in the house is under control.

and my other success, which i'm tentatively proud of, is giving up my nail biting and picking. this has been an official and unofficial resolution for many years, but when i saw c chewing a finger one day, i knew i had to get serious. it's been about a month that i've left them alone, but i'm not sure how long it'll take to undo this decades-long bad habit.

for this year, my goals are:

to make homemade pizza every week or two, until we perfect the recipe and method
to eat outside on our deck at least once a week
to actively pursue my creative interests. i've already registered for a photoshop class, so that's a start. and the photo above is from a photoshoot i drug the family on.
to increase my core strength. with two scary back injuries since n was born, i've realized how important these muscles are.

now that i've made these public, i have to stick to them!

holidays with kids

2011-12-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

two months later, c still keeps saying 'trick or treating is over.' i don't know when she'll realize christmas is over. it is so much fun to celebrate with kids. c loved the music, the lights, the advent calendar, the nativity, and of course, the presents. my favorite part was when she discovered her 'playground'.

this girl could swing all day under this gorgeous sign made by her uncle. in the back yard, she is one happy girl.

2011-12-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

first day of vacation

2011-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

On Friday I finished another semester of teaching, so Saturday marked the first day of 5 weeks off! We enjoyed a slow morning with a left-over-pizza picnic in the park, and the we bought our Christmas tree. E, Cora, and I all got a good laugh when he pulled the car under the carport and we heard 'scrrrrape bump bump bump' and realized we had forgotten about the tree strapped to the roof of the car. (Earl has to duck to go under the carport, so it's pretty low.) Then we had to scrrrape back out so we could unload the tree! It felt like a Griswold moment.

a plea

2011-12-01T14:43:00.001-05:00

Will you vote for C's room in the small kids, big color contest at ohdeedoh?

Thank you.:)

zucchini muffins

2011-12-01T07:49:00.000-05:00

Overall, I have to say, C is a pretty good eater. She loves lots of fruits, some veggies, eats the whole grain version of pasta, rice, and bread, and she has her favorite proteins. But she's reluctant to try green vegetables, so I'm always trying to think of ways to get her to go beyond avocado. One of the solutions I came up with is these zucchini muffins. I make sure to put lots of the green skin in because that must be where the nutrients are, right? To make it less dessert-like and OK as an everyday snack, I adjusted it from this recipe. Here's my version:

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix dry:
1.5 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c cugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS wheat germ (optional)

Mix wet:
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c milk
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS milled flax seed (optional)

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in 1 c grated zucchini (about one medium zucchini). Bake mini muffins for 18 minutes, regular size for 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 mini muffins + 6 regular. Looking at this photo, though, I think I could have filled the cups more, making fewer muffins--they didn't rise much when baking.

The zucchini is still very visible after baking, so I don't feel like I'm being sneaky. They're just that tasty that she doesn't seem to mind the green. They freeze well, so I try to keep a bag of them on hand for snacks and school lunches.

the just-for-fun quilt

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

a year ago, when i was ordering the fabric for n's nursery, i knew i wanted to go with blues and greens, nevermind the fact that we were having a girl. i'd already done the pink thing; back to the cool colors i love. i settled on a few from the sanctuary line, and was still going back and forth on whether i had the time/will/energy to make a quilt for this baby like i did for c. when i got the package, though, i immediately remembered the quilt i had made a while back, just for fun.

i was amazed at how the fabrics in that quilt blended so perfectly with the new ones destined for the nursery. relief. n's quilt was already made, just three years early. i still plan to embroider it with her name, but for now it's a great play mat in her room, what's functioning now as a play space since she'll sleep in our room for a while longer.

and also for fun, i added a new banner i made using this quilt. i love these colors!

sock holders

2011-11-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

for the first time in n's little life, we've had some weather that necessitated wearing socks. but i had forgotten how impossible it is to keep socks on a crawling, grabbing, kicking baby! so i whipped up some sock holders, using this pattern, which was clear and easy, even if a little fidgety to sew. i love this japanese fabric that tiffany sent me. thank you! i thought i had turned the fabric to have the piggies face the same direction, but of course, one still came out upside down! oh well.

she's modeling one here without socks, though, because we've returned to 80-degree days. we're ready for the next cold snap--it's hard to believe it's time for thanksgiving when you're sweating!

this girl...

2011-11-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

went from just rolling to pushing up to all fours,

to doing down dog, to sitting in the last couple of weeks. she is so strong and so determined.

not exactly crawling yet, but she can get anywhere she needs to go!

her new skill makes me excited to take photos for our christmas cards.

this year's costumes

2011-10-30T19:57:00.001-05:00

When I first started thinking about Halloween costumes this year, I knew C would LOVE to dress up as Ponyo, but soon after that thought, I realized that little N looks just like Ponyo, with her reddish hair and round face. C approved, and when we we talked about options for her costume, characters from her other favorite movie (these are the only two movies she had ever seen), "Toys Movie" (Toy Story 3) kept coming up. We settled on Woody and started putting the costumes together.

N's turned out to be so easy--items from her wardrobe plus C's beach pail.

And we picked up the pieces of the Woody costume at Target, the Dollar Store, and a consignment shop, and added a holster (a kids' toolbelt from Ikea that we already had) and a vest I made. I think both costumes turned out cute, and C has already worn hers multiple times. It'll be fun to use it for dress up after Halloween.

2 years later

2011-10-23T15:08:00.001-05:00

remember this?

october 2009

october 2011

a favorite place

2011-10-10T20:14:00.003-05:00

Another full weekend started off with a Friday afternoon mama get together, held in honor of the newest baby in our group, a baby brother born a month ago. Since my N currently wears a bib to catch the river of drool flowing from her mouth, I thought these might come in handy for baby A.

After our little celebration, we rushed home for dinner with friends/babysitters before taking off for for our first late night out in a long, long time. We saw an awesome Death Cab for Cutie show at the Florida Theatre. It's rare to get a band I love so much in Jacksonville.

On Saturday we visited one of my favorite places.

Employees at E's company had free admission to the Cummer this weekend, so we took the girls to the interactive children's area, where C hugged all the sculptures, and then to the garden.

Our wedding reception was here. It's such a special place.

It's great to see C enjoy it, too.

Until she starts climbing into the pond.

baby shower quilt

2011-10-05T20:37:00.002-05:00

from this collage...

to this quilt.

This summer, our moms group threw a baby shower for my friend Elizabeth. She organized the crafty projects at my shower (tie-dyed onesies and burp cloths, belly henna!) and she's really creative, so I knew she would appreciate a group-made quilt for the new baby. I racked my brain trying to figure out the best way to have everyone contribute without leaving one person (me) with a bunch of fabric applique stitching.

Then a lightbulb went off-- Spoonflower, where you can have your own designs printed on fabric--the perfect solution. So, I bought some scrapbooking paper in a bunch of patterns to give it the look of pieced fabric, like a quilt. We hung the background paper on the wall, and everyone at the shower cut and taped their creations to our collage.

When it was done, I used my camera and tripod to take a photo at the highest resolution available (the top photo). When I uploaded it to Spoonflower, it wasn't quite high enough to print clearly in original size, so I scaled it down and designed the "baby mac" (for their last name) fabric to use in the wonky blocks border. I love how it turned out, and I think Elizabeth and baby E do, too!

a full weekend

2011-10-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

You know it was a good weekend when babies are asleep 30 minutes earlier than usual on Sunday night!

We spent yesterday at a farm in Hilliard, about an hour from our house. Their big attraction is the corn maze, but there was so much for little ones to do. Like race rubber duckies by pumping water down a trough,

And ride little tractors. We took a ride behind a big tractor, too!

Chase dad through the corn,

And hang out in the cool barn. The weather was very cool for early October, but it still got warm in the sun.

Look at the animals,

And choose a pumpkin. We bought one and then completely forgot about it after our photo session. I guess we'll be visiting another pumpkin patch this fall!

And to finish the weekend off, Naomi tried food for the first time. Like Cora, it was avocado. She kept taking bites and spitting them out. I think her favorite part was just sitting at the table with us!

2011-09-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to experiment with blogger's new (to me) editor and its option to size photos XL, so I chose this one of Naomi, just a few days old. She quickly grew out of those tiny diapers, which swallowed her as a newborn. This time around, we're using prefolds and thirsties covers (a very affordable combination) until Cora hands down her set of bumGenuises. Can't wait to have just one in diapers!

n's quilt

2011-09-23T14:15:00.005-05:00

I was explaining to E's mom earlier today that I hadn't been taking photos of anything crafty, just the girls, and so I hadn't blogged either. And then, this afternoon, I looked over at Naomi on the floor and realized I could take a few baby photos that would include something handmade, too--the quilt E's mom made for Naomi.

It's an ocean scene made up of all different blues and aquas, tie die fabrics and batiks--really gorgeous.

It's quilted with tons of little sea creature designs--can you see the shell in the bottom right corner here?

And the turtle here?

It's perfect for Naomi's room, which is green and turquoise.

Oh, Naomi's room--still a lot of work left in there!

c's room

2011-08-21T19:30:00.003-05:00

while waiting for naomi to arrive, i enjoyed putting things together to make her room special. it's still very much a work in progress, but i figure since she's not sleeping there yet, there's no rush. much of the furniture is coming from cora's room, and so we've made some changes and additions since completing her nursery.

we've started the transition from crib to bed--she naps there sometimes, but has a hard time staying put without the walls of the crib. the bed belonged to earl's grandparents, so it's been in this house forever. it's perfect for a little girl's room, i think. since we'll no longer need a crib skirt, i repurposed the fabric to make cornices. i still love that fabric so much, and it kind of ties everything together, colorwise.

i bought this dresser without knobs so that i could add some fun ones.

and here's what has been taking place during my little photo shoot. usually naomi sits in that seat while cora serves her cake, but she was napping.

updates

2011-08-19T09:35:00.004-05:00

so much has happened in my year-long blogging break including

a new addition to our house

and a new addition to our family.

since i keep the computer beside me during nursing sessions, i thought i might take advantage of the time to start documenting our days again. thanks, julie, for the encouragement. it's good to be back.

partied out

2010-05-08T15:29:00.004-05:00

After two parties in two weeks, even the decorations looked tired! We celebrated C's first birthday last week, and today we hosted our baby group (12 babies!) for a Mother's Day brunch.

Summer has officially arrived in Florida, and there is so much to do! Things like swimming, bike riding, walking! in the grass, eating ice cream, gardening and taking lots of photos have been filling our days, and there is much more to come. With all of this fun, blogging hasn't been a priority, and the break has been nice. I may be back once the weather cools off. We'll see.

Have a great one, and stay cool!

old shoes

2010-04-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

I'm a girl who loves shoes. I like a lot of shoes, but sometimes I fall in love with a certain pair after I buy them, and I get really sentimental about them. Then, when they wear out, I just can't let go. It may seem silly to some (my husband!) to photograph and blog about old shoes, but I thought it would help me keep a part of them even though it's time for them to go.

Both of these pairs were bought while traveling, so attached to them are fond memories of those trips. I might even call this pair my favorite of all time. I bought them on a day trip to Kobe, one of my favorite cities in Japan. I saw them early in the day, and as we wandered around the city, I continued to think about them. We almost couldn't find the shop again, but I'm so glad we did. I wore them long after my pinky toe started poking out the side.

And when someone asked where I got these, I loved to answer, "in Singapore." It was another case of second thoughts--I left the store without them and then went back later. That's how I know I love a pair of shoes: I just can't get them out of my head. For a while, I had to pack back-up shoes every time I wore these because they kept breaking and I'd end up walking around school like I had a limp. This time, E says they're beyond repair.

indigo by clarks: brulee

And that 'can't get them out of my head' thing--that's how it is with my latest shoe purchase. They're last year's design, so I searched the internet (kind of obsessively) until I found them in my size. I love these almost as much as the two pairs I'm parting with.

come with us

2010-04-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

Up until a year ago, when C ~~came into~~ became my world, this blog was a record of my creative life, with some random thoughts thrown in. I rarely posted photos of me, and even fewer of E, I guess because I felt a little shy. Since my sweet girl's arrival, she has become my favorite photography subject, and I've included her in the blog quite a bit. But a few events have spoken to me recently, and I've decided to move the focus of the blog back toward current crafty endeavors. For those of you who enjoy keeping up with C and our little family, please add me as a contact on flickr, where I'll be posting family photos. I hope that even if we're just blog friends, you'll continue to follow us over there!

my dduk bok gi

2010-04-06T20:09:00.003-05:00

For years now, I've been asking my Korean students to bring this dish to our end-of-semester potluck--and they usually do, and every time I ask how to make it, they assure me of how easy it is. Even though they've explained what goes into it, I still needed to find a recipe. That took some time--I didn't think to spell it with two d's.:)

So this is my version, without the fish cakes (tofu instead), and with "ovalettes" in place of the pinky finger size dduk (rice cakes). The sauce and veggies turned out perfectly spicy, but I think we might want to eat it with noodles next time (udon?) since the dduk were a little too different/chewy for E.

This is yet another perk of my job--being exposed to some underappreciated ethnic foods. And next week is this semester's party! Yum.

outfit improvement

2010-04-01T20:10:00.003-05:00

My friend Julie really has a knack for putting clothes together in a stylish way. I loved it when she told me about the "outfit game"--you know, when you go through your friend's closet and suggest pieces to wear together. Somehow, we've never done this, but I do always admire her clothes combinations at work. (And she really has gotten comments on student evaluations about her nice clothes!) She recently posted some very tangible fashion advice on her blog--the rule of threes--and it has helped me turn over a new leaf when getting dressed.

Since it's getting warmer, I decided to make a short sleeved layering piece. My mom picked up this 1/2 sleeve tee from Target for $2, and it was a little too small, so cutting it down the middle and adding a strip of cotton was a good solution. It was also quite long, so I shortened it and added the scraps as a ruffle. I'm halfway through making another of these in fuschia.

On a related note, Julie and I also just discovered academichic, and I love their style tips. There's a category called 'teaching outfits' that I need to check out. After reading about body shapes and belts, I've started wearing one, something I've always steered clear of since my waist is not so tiny. I'm having so much fun putting together old things in new ways--it feels like I have a new wardrobe!

no future as a foot model

2010-03-29T20:03:00.003-05:00

I do have another patterning project in the works, but I got sidetracked after an unsuccessful shoe shopping trip for C. I was kind of frustrated at the prices of baby shoes. I mean, she doesn't even walk yet, but sometimes I want to put something cute on her feet. Then I had an idea: I'll make some!

These were quick to put together with some linen and cotton plus a few layers of batting and interfacing for the soles, and ribbon for the straps.

I thought I had designed them so that she couldn't get her foot out, but I was wrong. As soon as I put the sandals on, she was doing all kinds of dancing (right out of one of them)! Oh well. A few cute photos with these and her Easter dress and we'll be good.:)

patterning 2: what? didn't you see the liberty skirts?

2010-03-25T20:50:00.004-05:00

after

Of course you knew I'd blog about more Liberty purchases from Target when I talked about adding pattern to my life. I think I've changed my mind about Liberty prints, or at least the ones they chose for the Target line. I love how bold and colorful they are.

before--I liked how the dress matched the azaleas!

So one of my purchases was this dress, which has now become a much more wearable skirt and bracelet. And we also got the matching baby dress.:)

patterning my world 1

2010-03-20T13:11:00.004-05:00

I wouldn't say I'm afraid of color (although one of my favorites is grey), but I do stay away from patterns in lots of areas of my wardrobe and home decor. I guess I worry that I'll get tired of the design, so my world is full of solid color pieces. But suddenly I'm craving pattern, so I decided to do a series of posts on a few projects I've taken on to add some pretty patterns to my surroundings. The first is these photos + frames.

I've been meaning to frame some of the photos we had taken back in September, and one day last week I was headed to buy some 50% off frames from Joann when my partner in crime had other ideas (she wanted to nap). So I rethought my plans for framing and figured out a way to use the frames we already had in that spot, along with some scrapbooking paper I use for card making. It was fun to choose which patterns to use, just like choosing fabric for a patchwork project. Before, these floating frames displayed all the temple and museum tickets we collected in Japan. It really brightened up the wall, and they are a nice distraction from all those CDs.

back home

2010-03-18T07:52:00.003-05:00

Our short stay at the beach was a nice break from the ordinary. We enjoyed some couple time while my mom and dad watched Cora. It was chilly, so our swimsuits never made it out of the suitcase. That's alright, though, because Cora preferred not to have her skin touching the sand. And E and I both weren't feeling so great. We'll try again soon when the weather is warmer!

Pick me up quick! I don't like this stuff on my feet!

Hanging out at G.G.'s (my mom) with her new favorite toy and modeling a new top from Alicia and Afton.

goat cheese and honey

2010-03-10T18:56:00.001-05:00

During the warmer months, Jacksonville has a weekly arts and farmers market, and this weekend was the first of the season. It's not far from our house, and it's always fun to look at what the crafters are selling and see if there are any good deals on produce. We've seen the farmer from our old CSA farm, Magnolia Farms, there before, but this time we were excited because she was selling her awesome goat cheese. And she had brought one of her baby goats! I was so glad we stopped by her booth because the CSA season is longer and more reasonably priced now, so we're considering buying a share.

So of course we bought some goat cheese. I wanted to make a meal where the chevre would be the star, and I remembered the warm goat cheese salad from one of our favorite restaurants, bb's. I really should look at restaurant menus more--they're great inspiration! Anyway, this salad has dates, red onions, walnuts and goat cheese toasts on mixed greens, all drizzled with honey. Honey and goat cheese=a winning combination.

almost set

2010-03-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

I found a cute suit for Cora! There were several at Target that I liked for her, some really sweet ones for babies. But when I saw this one, the only one like it, the print caught my eye. I'm not sure if it's that babyish of a swim suit, maybe more grannyish, but it's perfect on her. It's from Target's line by Liberty of London, famous in the fabric world for their floral prints. I'm not usually a big fan (too feminine for me), but I love the colors and scale of this one.

Now I've thought of about half a dozen more things we need for a trip to the beach with a baby. I'm not sure if that list includes a new suit for me, but now I want to go back and look at Target!

headed to the beach

2010-03-06T16:16:00.002-05:00

We're going on a little vacation next week.

And I'm making a sun hat for Cora. Now all she needs is a swim suit. I love shopping for tiny clothes!

our valentine

2010-03-03T18:53:00.003-05:00

Here are more of the photos taken at our baby group Valentines party. Cora never sits still for long, but Kate got some great shots of her on the go!

trying out kokopax

2010-02-27T19:30:00.003-05:00

I've still been searching for the perfect carrier. Now that Cora's 20 lbs, she's really too heavy for long periods in a sling, the moby, and the baby bjorn. We've tried (and returned) so many carriers in this hunt for one that's comfortable for baby and both parents. My latest trial runs have been with the kokopax and the beco carriers. I had trouble finding any objective reviews of the kokopax when I was considering it, so I figured I'd share my thoughts here.

The kokopax is a frame carrier in great prints, which makes it look less like hiking gear than most other frame carriers. It's pretty comfortable once you get it on, but that's not easy if you're alone. We really wanted to like this one, but there were just too many things working against it: not washable, bulky when not in use, puts Cora at the perfect height for hair-pulling (not a problem for Dad!), and the difficulty lifting it and baby onto your back. Luckily, I was able to buy it with return insurance, so sending it back should be easy.

And, while not perfect, I think I have found a carrier that I really like. The beco is similar to the ergo, but with a better fit for E and me. It can be used as a front carrier and it's easy to slide a bigger baby around to wear on your back. It comes in nice prints, too. I feel like I can finally get things done around the house again--vacuuming, doing dishes, straightening up--and Cora's happy, too!

lovin'

2010-02-23T20:52:00.003-05:00

lots of things are making me happy right now:

This tv series, on DVD. As wonderful as the books, filmed beautifully, and with lots of memorable lines that keep getting repeated around our house. I love Grace Makutsi!

These photos of Cora and her friends. One of the group photos even made the local news!

A new camera, with an old lens. I'm having so much fun playing around with depth of field!

Pioneer Woman Photography assignments. I loved the bokeh and sunset photos, and I was even brave enough to submit a shot of Kobe in the current dog portrait contest.

New running shoes and our jogging stroller, although I neither run nor jog.

And lots of time with friends and my sweet, sweet girl.

What are you enjoying these days?

baby boy

2010-02-21T20:25:00.004-05:00

When my friend Kris asked me to make her a sling for her baby-on-the-way, I was sooo excited. It just made me so happy that she wanted to try something that I truly believe in. I hope that she'll enjoy wearing her baby as much as I did (and do) with Cora! Saturday was her baby shower, and I gave her the sling, along with a few more goodies--a nursing cover and some burp cloths--made from leftover fabric.

BUT I had already wrapped it when I thought to take photos. (Why does that always happen?) Instead of undoing it all, I just pulled out the burp cloths that I trimmed in the fabrics she chose. She's having a boy, and his nickname is Cleatus (the fetus). I can't wait to find out his real name! Only a few more weeks.:)

i've moved!

2010-02-18T19:09:00.002-05:00

A few posts back, I mentioned that I had registered justlikesew.com for my blog. I realized recently that after making the move, some people might not be getting the feed if they're subscribed to the old blogger site. I hope you'll keep following me over at the new address, and there's a cool little gadget in my sidebar to help you update your subscription. Thank you for reading!

kitchen nightmare (and delights)

2010-02-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

So after a Valentines Day kitchen disaster (think cutting board colliding with head, giant bottle of olive oil shattering on counter), I'm looking up a bunch of recipes that were torn out of magazines and stored in our recipe notebook (which soaked up some of that oil). A couple of the oil-sopped recipes have become recent favorites, so I thought I'd share. Until a few weeks ago, both of these had been waiting in the stack of "recipes to try" forever. One is from Cooking Light, October, 2000--I mean, did I even cook back then?

We have a tradition of making cheese fondue for Valentines Day, but since Cora and I are on a low-dairy diet, we made sweet and spicy peanut fondue with tofu and pineapple cubes and blanched broccoli, carrots and green beans. It was too salty the first time we made it, so we cut back the soy sauce and hoisin sauce a bit from the original recipe. The photo above is today's lunch of leftovers--yum.

For a quick lunch, I've been enjoying creamy tortilla soup. I think I would call this avocado soup instead because that's what makes it creamy. As much as I love avocado, I had never eaten it warm, but this is tasty and satisfying, and it's easily halved for a smaller portion. E and I laughed at the recipe's suggestion to save time by using corn chips instead of making your own tortilla chips. Of course! I'm actually glad that I had to search for this recipe because I have several recipes that came from the same book, and I think I'll get Quick-fix Vegetarian from the library again now that I know the title.

photo session

2010-02-09T20:07:00.001-05:00

This weekend, some friends invited us over for lunch and a baby photo session. Audra and Patrick have a baby about Cora's age, and Audra takes the most amazing photos of him. It doesn't hurt that he's super cute, but she has the best ideas for poses, props, and locations. So she let us take advantage of some of the set-ups she had come up with. The photo in my last post was from that day, and so are these. We had so much fun, mostly because Cora is not one to sit still for the camera! Oh, well. We still got some cute shots. I should have taken some photos of lunch. We're still talking about how good the food was!

this girl

2010-02-07T16:44:00.004-05:00

This girl is having some trouble sleeping. Her grandmothers are great at getting her to nap, but some days it takes me forever to get her to sleep. Maybe she just wants to stay awake to have more fun with her mama!:)

It seems to relax her when I sing 'Hush little baby', but after going through all the lines about 14 times, I get bored with the original words and start to change it up a little. Problem is, I'm no good at making up rhymes. So I stick with changes like 'Mama's gonna buy you a ~~diamond~~ sapphire ring/dog named ~~Rover~~ Clover.' I even looked up alternative lyrics, and found some that I might incorporate. Any other suggestions of rhyming lines that would be more interesting to sing? I need help!

crib rail covers

2010-02-03T16:10:00.003-05:00

Cora doesn't know what to think about the new rail covers for her crib. They sure aren't as satisfying to chew on.

But I don't think she's too unhappy with them. The covers are simple pads with two layers of cotton batting, one cut narrow just to run down the middle of the pad (just because I'm cheap). I secured the first one with heavy duty snaps, which look so professional, but then I got all paranoid about the little pieces coming apart, so the other three are held on with velcro. And the fabrics coordinate with the ones in her room, in case she and her crib ever move back in there.:) I'm in no hurry.

We didn't buy a crib bedding set, but I wonder if the for-looks-only bumpers (which they recommend against using) could be repurposed into rail covers. If you already have them, that might be an easy and pretty way to protect the crib from tiny teeth.

she's got teeth...

2010-01-31T12:16:00.001-05:00

...and she knows how to use them. Not for chewing food, but her crib! Yeah, two teeth, and we're already missing paint in multiple places on the crib.

Here's a closer look. Good thing we had it tested for lead! Alicia had the same issue a while back and came up with a great-looking and functional fix. I'm so glad she's just 8 months ahead of me in this adventure!

She's so excited to be jumping on her mattress in these photos, her tongue doing crazy stunts as usual, but little does she know, those rails are being fitted with covers to prevent her from snacking on them. They've now been sewn and installed.

And did you notice that she's modeling her Corvette onesie? It's super cute with her pink flames babylegs!

stocked

2010-01-23T19:27:00.002-05:00

Since the weather got cool, we've probably been eating soup about once a week, which means we go through a lot of vegetable stock. I try to buy the cartons and cans when they go on sale, but that's not often. It's one of those time-saving pre-made ingredients that just makes such a difference in flavor. But I had been thinking about whether there might be an easy homemade alternative. The thing holding me back from making my own stock was the idea of storing it. Our second freezer is already full of can-size portions of beans cooked in the crock pot, and stock takes up even more room.

So I was happy to find this timely recipe for homemade bouillon at 101 Cookbooks. I've used it once so far, and I think it's a great substitute for all that store-bought broth. Oh, and I only used about 2 tbs of salt rather than the large amount in the recipe, so I can season each dish individually.

I'm finally asian

2010-01-12T19:10:00.004-05:00

One of the highlights of the holidays each year is visiting with one of my favorite people, my friend Aubrie, who lives in Chicago. This year was especially fun because we invited some other friends over so that Aub's husband could practice his Japanese. It was such an interesting combination of people, and we shared lots of laughs.

Rewind about 13 years (whoa!): One day in high school, my Spanish teacher had been charged with conducting a mini-census and asked students to raise their hands when he called out their ethnicity. I was sitting with my friends, and when the teacher got to 'asian' and they all raised their hands (they really were asian), I did, too. From that time on, we laughed about how I had become an 'honorary asian'. I continued to earn the title in college when I roomed with three of those asian friends from high school. We ate lots of rice during those two years--I think we had four rice cookers in the apartment at one point!

And that's the story behind this doll that Aubrie gave me from my kokeshi. When I saw it, I immediately said, "That's me!" (But what I was really thinking was, "Hey, those are my eyebrows!") And can you see the inscription? It says, "For Kayla: Honorary Asian."

zipper pouches

2010-01-06T19:15:00.003-05:00

My new favorite thing to sew is zipper pouches. When my sister-in-law requested one for Christmas, I decided it was time to tackle this useful project. I used this helpful tutorial for reference, and ended up making a bunch of different renditions. If something crazy happens and I get some free time for sewing, I might add some to my etsy shop.

And as a little present to myself, I registered justlikesew.com. I think my regular blog address will still work, too, but the new address just feels more like it's my own space. The year is off to a great start already!

new recipe: winter panzanella

2010-01-04T15:57:00.005-05:00

Wow! It's 2010. And I have to go back to work next week. I have thoroughly enjoyed my break, but one of the dangers of having 5 weeks off is that you get too used to it. But I know that work brings needed routine into my schedule.

One of the items that got checked off my to-do list during the break was organizing my recipe notebook. Some new favorites that are already in rotation needed to be printed and added. Too many ripped out magazine pages had accumulated, so I narrowed them down to about 20, and declared a goal of trying one new recipe a week.

I am such a huge fan of panzanella in the warm months because it doesn't require any heat to prepare, yet is more filling than just a salad. I had seen the idea of winter panzanella in Real Simple, but theirs seemed lacking in ingredients, so this is my version. It passed the test and is being added to the regular rotation.

Winter Panazanella
1 butternut squash, cut in 1 inch cubes and roasted with oil, salt and pepper, for ~30 min at 425, turning once.
chopped fresh spinach
white beans (about a can's worth, although I've been making big batches in the slow cooker for a while now)
crumbled goat cheese
sliced red onion
bread chunks, toasted lightly in the oven
dressing: 1 part apple cider vinegar, 1 part lemon juice, 2 parts olive oil

It's a new favorite, and perfect for the whole family because Cora can munch on some mashed squash. At this meal, though, I had made her some pureed brown rice (in the background), but I decided the boxed rice cereal is so much easier--another of those 'I said I would never' cases in which I proved myself wrong, again!

I'm excited about trying some more new meals this year. And I have lots of hope for 2010. I will never forget 2009, a year of great joy and terrible loss, but I'm ready and thankful for a new start.

mama made something else

2009-12-31T17:30:00.002-05:00

You know I mentioned the doll--the one mama-made gift--I was planning to make Cora for Christmas...well, it still hasn't happened, but I did sew something to go with the gift Santa brought her. This drawstring bag is my contribution. But wait. What's inside?

Blocks! I think I love these more than she does at this point. They're Uncle Goose lowercase wood blocks. I do love lowercase, and the font is pretty similar to my favorite, trebuchet. And since it's the lowercase set, they have baby animals on one side. They also have 'foreign abc blocks' like Chinese, French and Arabic.

The doll is still sitting in pieces waiting to be stitched up. Maybe it'll be a New Year's gift!

Happy New Year!

cora's first

2009-12-24T10:49:00.003-05:00

her Christmas dress, the same pattern as her tiny newborn dress.

I love this wrap style because I think it will work next year as a top layered over a long sleeved t-shirt.

Cora with Meemaw, my grandmother.

Of course, the shoes didn't stay on long.:) Well, I'm glad I finished the dress up in time, but her mama-made gift (a dolly) still needs to be sewn. Hopefully, E will be home early today and I can get it together. If not, she'll never know that she got her first Christmas present a little late, will she? Shhh.

Merry Christmas! Have a weekend filled with joy and peace!

5 months in photos

2009-12-17T20:51:00.003-05:00

We just had a bunch of prints made--photos of Cora from July to present. If you're interested in some cuteness, here's the link. And yes, she crawling!

reading material

2009-12-09T15:04:00.000-05:00

As much as I enjoy discovering a new-to-me blog to read, I truly love reading material that I can put my hands on, carry from room to room, and fall asleep reading. I'm always searching for good reading to get from the library in the form of novels, but not too long ago, I thought to check my library's catalog for all the new crafty books I had been eyeing on amazon. I was surprised to find that many of the titles were available, so I requested them through the library's website and, when they were available, I checked them out.

I was delighted to find that the patterns were still taped inside Weekend Sewing! This book is gorgeous, and I love the fabrics chosen for all the projects. So far I've made a pair of pajama pants and this makeup bag. I'm not crazy about the way the bag is constructed (exposed seams inside), but I love the shape, and it's definitely time to replace the clinique gift-with-purchase bag!

I was also able to borrow Stitched in Time, Handmade Home and The Creative Family. And waiting at the library for me now is Sewing Green. I'm so happy that I've been able to enjoy these books without having to purchase them!

On one of my first OB visits last fall, I picked up a copy of Wondertime in my doctor's waiting room. I fell in love with the magazine and its style, but tried to subscribe and realized it was no longer being published. None of the other parenting magazines really fit what I was looking for until I found kiwi. Have you seen it? It's fairly new (I think) and focuses on natural living and parenting. I also have an online subscription to mothering (thank you, Tiffany!) which is in line with my approach to parenting.

And I have found some great reading in the form of blogs lately, too. And, although I can't read them in bed, I do take the inspiration I find with me each night, and even wake up sometimes thinking of my next crafty project. New favorites are: matsutake: she is so funny and has lots of ingenuity! This post really had E and me laughing. so you think you're crafty: I love the dance show, so of course this weekly elimination competition is right up my alley. And some girls wander by mistake: makes me want my own signature style!

from santa

2009-12-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

Remember how I was saying I might finally get a new sewing machine? Well, I didn't even have to wait till Christmas!

I knew I wanted a Janome, and I decided on the DC 2010. It's really similar to Julie's 7330, but it has a few more different stitches and it matches my sewing room! It's been an easy switch, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'll be back to show off a few projects soon!

christmas gifts

2009-12-04T20:03:00.002-05:00

We got out of school early this year. That means, as of today, I'm off for 5 weeks! But even more exciting, Cora is finished with daycare! We've come up with some new arrangements for next semester, and I think we'll all be happier. So today I delivered these Christmas gifts to her caregivers and my co-workers.

These were really economical to make in bulk, and all the supplies and ingredients worked out perfectly to make a dozen, so there aren't a bunch of leftovers from this project.

Here's what I used (based on a few recipes I found online and a bit of taste-testing):
4 c dry milk
1.5 c sugar
1 c cocoa
1 c creamer
.5 c ovaltine
Mix and divide into 12 portions. I used 8 oz mason jars and filled them about 3/4 full. Add chocolate chips and mini marshmallows to top. The labels are from paper source. I love chartreuse!

back in business

2009-11-25T21:37:00.003-05:00

On a whim, I renewed a couple of expired listings in my etsy shop. I'm thinking about adding some appliqued bibs soon, too. I'll keep you posted!

Happy Thanksgiving. I can't wait for the leftovers!

saved

2009-11-19T17:44:00.004-05:00

When I was putting together our Halloween costumes, I didn't want to buy anything that wouldn't get used again. E's pith helmet will become his yard work hat, my stripes were just elasticized 'belts' of ribbon worn over a black t-shirt, and Cora's black onesie could be re-used since I just basted on her stripes and wings.

I had planned on appliqueing the front of the onesie (seen here with matching butterfly canvas), but when I removed the ribbon, I found a couple of spots where the wings had pulled holes in the back. I thought some butterfly wings would look cute on the back and would be a great way to save it. It was, by far, the hardest shape I've appliqued, but I like the straight stitch around the edge, and the natural fraying will cover any wonkiness.

Another happy accident. It made me think: Why aren't more baby clothes decorated on the back? With it being solid black, though, I'm wondering if it still needs a little something on the front.

2 more

2009-11-16T19:19:00.005-05:00

I finished up two more bibs last week at our sewing day at Julie's house. I'm having so much fun with the applique, and I'm even thinking I need a shirt with something appliqued on the front!

Using a newer machine (thanks Michelle!) reminded me how smoothly sewing projects can go. Back on my [mom's] old machine yesterday, I considered going on a sewing strike until I get a new machine. But I'm the only one who would really miss it. And I'm the only one who needs convincing. Every time I complain to E that I need a new machine, he says, "OK." But I'm too cheap. Maybe for Christmas.

I wish I had gotten a better shot of the brown and orange side of this one--it's one of my favorite fabrics ever. It's from superbuzzy, a long time ago, and is the floor plan of a house, but with funny Japanese English misspellings, including a "gest room" and "marole" (marble?) in the kitchen. I love it!

a fix

2009-11-07T15:09:00.004-05:00

When I picked Cora up on Thursday, I was a little surprised and a little saddened by what I found: My baby had been moved to the older infants room. I knew it was coming, since she was 6 months last week and they were just waiting until a spot opened up for her. But still.

When I picked her up yesterday I was more surprised and more saddened by what I found. One of the workers, in their very best four-year-old handwriting, had written Cora's name on the front of my diaper bag in permanent marker. I bit my tongue and left without saying anything. After all, I don't need Cora's caregivers to hate me! But the wheels were already turning in my head, coming up with solutions in case it wouldn't come out. Luckily it did though, mostly, with shout and lots of elbow grease. So I came up with this removable tag: her name printed on print-n-press, then ironed on to 2 layers of fabric with some interfacing sandwiched between, zigzagged on the edges and attached with a safety pin.

My next project is a creative fix, too--part of Cora's Halloween costume re-incarnated.

pumpkin muffin tops

2009-11-03T06:18:00.000-05:00

These pumpkin cookies with butterscotch chips are, like Joy the Baker said, are a-mazing. Well, I think so at least. I halved the recipe, which resulted in 11 giant cake-like portions. Next time I'll make the scoops half as big to make more smaller cookies. Yum.

the latest buzz

2009-11-01T17:07:00.004-05:00

For the first time ever, I got started on Halloween costumes early enough this year. And it was a good thing since I had 3 to put together. Sadly, a nasty stomach bug prevented us from going anywhere fun in them. I did take Cora to see my parents and today we stopped by E's parents so that Cora could show them her costume.

I loved reading the guesses about our costumes. Curious George is a great idea. And Clue characters--funny because E was Colonel Mustard last year! Alicia was the closest, though. E is not in his full beekeeper attire, but you get the idea. I think we (E and me) might use these again next year!

go team

2009-10-31T16:25:00.002-05:00

Inspired by my cousin Naomi and the big game/party in town this weekend.

go gators!

our pumpkin

2009-10-29T15:36:00.002-05:00

We hit the pumpkin lot last weekend.

And I think we found the cutest one.

Happy Halloween!

the potato chip exchange

2009-10-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

A while back, my friend Tiffany blogged about the American foods she craved and the expense of getting them in Japan. When I sent her a bag of Cape Cod salt and vinegar chips, I didn't know yet that her craving might have something to do with being pregnant! She responded by sending me some snacks, including a bag of her favorite Japanese potato chips--with soy sauce flavoring. They are so good, and unlike the salt and vinegar chips, E and I both enjoyed them. (He wheezes dramatically in the presence of vinegar, and then I roll my eyes.) They reminded us of the flavored fries we used to eat at First Kitchen in Japan. Our favorite was consomme flavor, even though I'm pretty sure that's something I wouldn't eat if I learned what it is.

Also in the package was a stack of Japanese fabric. I love how heavy these fabrics are, almost like canvas. I can't wait to use these for some Cora projects. I have lots of ideas in my head, and I'm itching to get some more time on the sewing machine!

as promised

2009-10-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned last week that I had been wanting to make a (short) list of baby care items that I have found indispensable in these first few months. I love living in a small house (less to clean, it feels like we use every room), but one of the challenges is finding space for all the stuff. Before Cora was on her way, we were already filled to the brim, and I really didn't want to add clutter with a bunch of seldom-used baby items. I'm also pretty obsessed with the aesthetics of my space, so I didn't want a bunch of plastic that stood out from my decor. Most importantly, though, I just don't like to buy new, cheap stuff (read: made in China).

Everyone talks about how expensive a baby is, and how much stuff you need, but I think it's very possible to get by with less. You don't even need a crib! So, many of these items on my 'short list' are luxuries. Also, each baby is unique, so it's not necessary to stock up on things long before baby arrives. I wish I had known that not all babies like all bottles before we got the expensive Dr. Browns!

So, the things couldn't have lived without (or wouldn't want to!):

Our slings--hotslings style, but made by me, one that fits me and one for E. Cora spent several hours everyday in one of our slings for first 3 months. We still use them when she just can't get to sleep on her own or when we go out and about.

The bouncy chair. This was the one frivolous purchase I made, based just on how cute it was (and the price didn't hurt!). I have to have a shower every morning, and this is my solution. From about the third week, I propped Cora up in the chair on the bathroom floor and got ready (by myself! It's amazing how such little things feel like bug accomplishments when you have a new baby.) This has worked so well that I'm starting to worry what I'll do when she outgrows the chair! She also sits in it sometimes while E and I eat dinner together. (We still eat in shifts a lot of the time, though.)

A borrowed co-sleeper. For us, having Cora sleep in our bed was a necessity and a pleasure. She was fine in a play yard bassinet for a few weeks, but it got harder and harder to put her back down after nighttime feedings. A friend of mine said, "If someone tells you that they never brought the baby into the bed with them, they're lying." It worked for us, and it does for many people. I was paranoid about having a tiny baby in with us, so this container gave us peace of mind as we shared sleep. Since 4 months, she sleeps in her crib next to our bed.

A swaddler and a sleep sack. Cora needed to be swaddled to stay asleep even though she was always trying to get out of her wrap. This swaddler is stretchy and has velcro to keep it tight, so we were able to contain her flailing arms that always woke her. Now that she has outgrown swaddling, a sleep sack works like a blanket, but she can't kick it off.

A foldable baby bath tub (can't find one online). I wanted to wash her in the kitchen sink, but in reality, it just grossed me out. So this sits down in the sink. And it was really helpful when she was tiny and floppy and slippery!

Car seat and frame. The car seat is a necessity, but I knew we wouldn't need a stroller system since we would wear her on most outings. Going stroller-less has worked out well--I just put her in a carrier and run into Target or the post office. We even attended a few parties when she was tiny! However, I do take Kobe on long walks and had looked at this cart that the car seat snaps into. My dad emailed me a craiglist alert when he found one used. It's not the smoothest ride, but it has held up for probably a couple hundred miles of walks.

And last, not the most fun item, but I couldn't have gone back to work without my pump. When I found out I was pregnant, E's co-worker, who was a new dad, gave him this advice: "Buy the best breast pump you can afford." I thought it was weird/endearing that two guys were discussing this subject over lunch, but I can now see how important this is. I've been really happy that I didn't skimp on this purchase (but I did use a coupon!) since I use it almost every day, and it makes this necessary task as convenient as possible. I do, however, look forward to Friday afternoons, when I can put it away for a few days!

These items plus a small collection of onesies have gotten a lot of use. You really can do it with just a handful of quality items. And for those luxuries, most can be found secondhand, which is great when you don't know how much they'll get used. We have a bumbo--also from craigslist--which is fun, but not necessary at all. I feel like we've succeeded at not going overboard with baby care items, but now the challenge will be controlling the accumulation of toys. I'm planning the same approach: quality, not quantity and secondhand whenever possible. Oh, and it helps if the design works with my decor:)

two hints

2009-10-22T14:06:00.003-05:00

Halloween costumes for our family are in the works. Any guesses what the three of us are going to be? (There's a theme.) I guess I'll have to come up with a prize if someone figures it out!

just the necessities

2009-10-20T19:15:00.000-05:00

This post made possible by my trusted sling:)

One of my fears about having a baby was that baby stuff would overtake our home. We have a fairly small house, and it's old, so the closets are tiny. So I started to think about what we actually needed. The stores had mile-long lists of baby care necessities, but I was determined to research and choose a handful of quality items that would get used everyday. Our friends and family helped us with so many of these purchases, and I'm so thankful that we don't have lots of extras that just create clutter. I'm planning a post on what items have been indispensable in these first few months--for others with babies on the way, but also for myself, so that I have a record of what I considered the "necessities" when I was in the thick of baby care. So stay tuned!

droolia gulia

2009-10-18T14:49:00.003-05:00

Cora has been a drooling machine lately! Some (my mom, the pediatrician) have speculated that her first tooth might be just around the corner (no! not my baby), but I'm attributing it to her cold and the fact that her mouth is always open. Either way, all this drool means her shirt is always soaking wet. With the air getting cooler, my mom had a great idea--bibs. That way, we can easily change it when it gets damp, instead of changing her outfit. Yesterday, we rotated 3 bibs, but that wasn't enough to keep up with my baby faucet. So I set out to make a few more.

This is the first, with a fall pear on one side, and a leaf on the other. Can you see there's already a drool spot on the brown side? That happened during the fitting!

I think I'll make a few more of these cotton ones, but I'm also eager to try some like these with vinyl ironed on. They'll work nicely when Cora starts eating table food. Teeth and table food--didn't I just have a newborn?

thankful

2009-10-15T17:36:00.004-05:00

..that I finally finished these pants a few days ago, so Cora's legs will stay warm (if it ever gets cooler this year).
..for a pediatrician we love. They got us in on such short notice this morning, and the doctor gave me some tips for making my girl more comfortable while she's congested.
..for a willing and available substitute to teach my class (on even shorter notice!) while I stay home with my sick girl.
..for my mom, who will take the best care of Cora tomorrow when I return to work.
Having a sick baby is stressful enough. I'm so thankful that I could take a day just to hold her and let her finally get some sleep.

for a little friend

2009-10-12T19:32:00.003-05:00

I appliqued this onesie with a little teal football for a friend's baby boy. His dad is one of E's football buddies, and I had the Jaguars in mind when I chose the fabric, but we were less than impressed with their performance yesterday (41-0!). I thought it turned out pretty cute, and it was so quick!

Cora has been enjoying these organic cotton t-shirts and onesies that E's mom got for her. They are so soft, and such a pretty natural color. I would like to get more and applique a few for us!

rice sundae

2009-10-06T16:27:00.008-05:00

I recently read Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton, and I loved how he equated bibimbap, my favorite Korean food, to an ice cream sundae, in that each eater gets to choose their own toppings. We do a version of this idea with black beans and rice, plus cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, salsa, etc.

I saw a recipe somewhere for a dish with all the Mediterranean 'toppings' we keep on hand, and this was my take on the choose-your-own-toppings idea. We each started with a bed of brown rice and white beans and added what we like of: tzaziki, cucumbers, feta, peperoncinis, calamata olives, and slow roasted grape tomatoes. It was a hit. Next up, bibimbap at home!

ps--Thank you for the sweet comments on our photos. We are crossing our fingers that Cora's eyes stay blue, like E's:). Now we're faced with deciding which photos to buy prints of!

they're up

2009-10-04T08:12:00.002-05:00

Photo by Meghan Stewart

Meghan has posted some of the photos from our session on her blog. Didn't she do a great job? If you'd like to see the online gallery, let me know, and I'll email you the access code.

sewing and shooting

2009-09-26T15:58:00.004-05:00

Lately, I have just been devouring anything I can read on photography. I so want to improve my skills, and have been having fun practicing what I've read about when I take photos of my girl and play around in photoshop. I think having a baby and wanting to document her childhood is what inspires a lot of people to learn more about the subject. My only problem with taking all these photos is that we have tons of Cora and her dad, and even more of just Cora, but very few of me and the girl. E is a little hesitant to use my camera. I'm excited, though, because we had professional photos taken last weekend. Meghan Stewart is a friend and colleague of Naomi's, and she takes gorgeous photos. Maybe I can learn a little something from her!

Thank you for the kind words on Cora's quilt. I'm still struggling with those pants, though. Ripping and moving the seams was the project I took to a sewing party last week at Katy's house. Hopefully I'll get some time to finish them up when E is watching football this weekend!

a meatless main dish

2009-09-22T06:25:00.002-05:00

As a mostly non-meat-eater married to a meat-lover, sometimes it's hard to find dishes that make us both happy. Last night we had one that always does the trick: garlicky pasta with roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes with goat cheese medallions, a tried and true recipe based on this one from Cooking Light. Well, this dinner definitely qualifies as a meal, not just a side dish.

I've been in the mood for fall-ish food lately, which included pot roast--or my idea of it--last week. While I was pregnant, I decided to eat chicken once in a while for extra protein. We've continued to occasionally treat ourselves to the free-range chicken at Whole Foods ($$, but worth it to me), and so that's what I used for the 'pot roast'. The chicken plus celery, carrots, onion, and sweet potatoes all went into the crock pot. Concerned it might get dry and could use some flavor, I added about 1/2 can of vegetarian french onion soup. It was pretty good, and everything was so tender like I'd hoped, but the extra liquid really wasn't necessary. Next time, I'll just do the chicken and veggies. Is there a certain way to season pot roast? I'll have to do some more research.

I guess feeding Cora keeps me pretty hungry! I'd love to hear any fall cooking ideas you might have!

kitchen express

2009-09-19T18:04:00.003-05:00

In the last few weeks since I checked out Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express from the library, we've probably tried at least six recipes from it. It's a different kind of cookbook, in that it contains a ton of ideas--over 400--for making quick meals, arranged by season. I say 'ideas' because the recipes don't include a list of ingredients, and many don't even give exact quantities. It's more like a blurb on how to prepare each of the dishes. Some people might not like this organization, but I thought it was a great way to get some inspiration for some quick, inventive meals. I would love to add this book to my kitchen library!

My favorite recipes from it have been Mediterranean Poached Eggs (eggs on toast with a tomato, mushroom, olive and capers mixture) and Curry in a Hurry (a yogurt+curry powder base). Tonight we tried these Flatbread Pizzas with Figs and Goat Cheese--yum! It called for fresh fig slices, but I'm embarrassed to admit I have no idea what a fresh fig looks or tastes like, so I went with my familiar dried ones. I also added arugula, but the balsamic vinegar (in the directions) is what made it. Why haven't I been drizzling it on everything all along?

This is one of those cases when I serve what E considers a snack or a side dish as our meal, and I think he's right this time. This would make a great appetizer, but I needed 2 pizzas to make a dent in my hunger!

so nice

2009-09-17T07:30:00.001-05:00

When I first discovered the world of craft blogs a few years ago, one thing that really surprised me was how kind everyone was to each other. Up until then, I had concluded that when people have the chance to be anonymous (like when driving or surfing the internet), they tend to be less polite, even rude. Lately, I've had a few interactions that have reminded me how great it is to connect with like-minded people online, and how helpful craft bloggers can be.

I ran across Ayumi's blog, Pink Penguin, and loved the unique look she had given her site. I love her aesthetic, both online and in the crafty things she makes. I emailed her, and she was so sweet to reply with information on how she's created her look--with digital scrapbooking tools, which was an exciting new thing for me. I played around and learned so much about photoshop. Thanks, Ayumi!

Julie and Alicia led me to My Sparkle, a new-to-me blog with a post on co-sleeping that I really appreciated. I looked around Danielle's blog and saw a t-shirt project that I really want to try, but what caught my attention most was her photography, especially of her daughter. Once again, I emailed Danielle, and she gave me some great tips that I'm using when I take and edit photos of Cora. Thank you, Danielle!

At first, I only read blogs, too shy to comment. One day, a post on a bag at Soulemama struck me, and I left my first comment. Now I'm brave enough to email anyone:), and I am so glad to be a part of this open and sharing community!

cora's quilt

2009-09-15T07:58:00.000-05:00

It's finished!

tiny frustrating pants

2009-09-13T10:42:00.003-05:00

I'm still around--just started back to work, and things are busy!

I'm in need of some sewing sympathy. Remember the tiny pants I made for Cora a while back? My idea in making those was that she'd wear a uniform of a onesie + pants to daycare everyday. Comfortable for playing and covered enough for napping, I figured. Well, she needed a few more pairs to make a week's worth of 'school clothes', so I started 2 pairs last weekend. I decided to use the pj pants pattern from Little Stitches for Little Ones since I wanted to make a bigger size (she's already outgrowing the first pair!). I debated, but settled on cutting out the 9-12 month size and planned to roll them up for a while.

The first bit of frustration was self-inflicted, which I can handle. When you're sewing assembly-line-style, and you make a mistake (like sewing the legs to each other!), you make it over and over. So seams had to be ripped, over and over.

Of course I then had some trouble with my machine, but that's also somewhat caused by me since I've refused to upgrade to a newer one.

But what finally pushed me over the edge was the fit, now that they're almost done. Even after letting out all the seams, these barely fit over my girl's cloth diapered bum! I guess I'll finish them, and even if they don't work now, they might be cute as jams once she's out of diapers! Uggh.

from photoshop to fabric

2009-08-29T09:36:00.002-05:00

designs uploaded to spoonflower when they had free swatch day last week

my free swatches

I have lots of ideas for this fabric. I think I'm going to need more!

two for one

2009-08-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

My friend Julie and I met when we taught a class together a couple of years ago. We had lots to talk about--Project Runway, the sale rack at Anthropologie, and plenty of other fun stuff. (Now we make a point of separating ourselves so we're not tempted to talk when we should be working!) Last summer, we sewed a bird mobile for her twin sister's new baby, and that led to a long distance friendship with Alicia, who lives in Arizona. I am so lucky to know these two fun girls.

So the reason I'm sharing this is because Julie just came back from an Arizona trip and brought these cute onesies that she and Alicia freezer paper stenciled. They did such a great job (I never had much luck with this 'easy' craft), and they chose the most personal images--Do you recognize our pup Kobe from the nursery art and my banner? And the corvette--the official car of E's family and part of the reason behind Cora's name. (She's lucky her middle name isn't Yvette.)

And since I have nothing crafty of my own to share these days, I thought I'd show you these and a few photos of my babes. Our big girl will be wearing these 18 month onesies before long!

layer cake

2009-08-18T16:20:00.003-05:00

This cake is sooo sweet, too sweet. I had been craving layer cake for a few weeks (one of those food network challenges got me), so I finally just made one. Boxed cake mix, homemade butter cream frosting.

I've had two slices, and I think that was enough to satisfy the craving and cause a sugar headache. Now, there's an [almost] whole cake sitting in the fridge. Dangerous.

yeah, another carrier!

2009-08-10T12:59:00.005-05:00

I posted a while back about the slings I made for E and me, saying that I liked them but wasn’t sold on their comfort. Little did I know, that was the most comfortable they’d ever be--since babies only get heavier! Actually, I learned to love my sling, and it is has been my go-to carrier for these first 15 weeks. I use it all the time at home, and Cora has been to friends’ houses, restaurants, store, and even a museum in it. I felt so much more comfortable with taking her as a tiny baby in public when she was on me in the sling, rather than in a stroller where she seemed more susceptible to strangers’ sneezes.

I really enjoy wearing her, so I’ve added yet another carrier to our collection. This is the mei tai from the Sew Liberated pattern, which I highly recommend. Since my brain is so full right now, it was nice to have clear instructions and a pattern to follow, although there are plenty of websites out there that explain how to sew a mei tai.

I used a home decor weight fabric from Ikea for the main panel, and black duck cloth for everything else. The finished product is pretty heavy duty, and my machine could feel it! I liked how Meg's instructions produced such a finished, professional look.

I haven’t worn it for a long period yet, but so far it seems pretty comfortable for both me and baby. Anything is better than all 14 pounds hanging from one shoulder, right?

And yes, I really need to have those bangs trimmed.

showing off

2009-08-09T11:23:00.005-05:00

Being an ESL teacher has some unique perks. In addition to getting to teach the most amazing students, I can travel to just about any part of the world and have someone to show me around (and I have!). The students also bring some pretty cool gifts from all of these different places. But the baby gifts! Wow. First the jimbei from my Japanese student, and now...

My former co-worker/friend recently moved to France with her husband, who is French. They visited the states a few weeks ago, and brought this very cute fabric book to Cora. Each page has a part attached with a string or elastic, or something else to make it interactive. I love this book, but I can't speak French. Our friends gave us some pronunciation lessons, since I was trying to pronounce the words according to Spanish rules (wrong!). Now when E reads it to Cora, he says he just channels Amelie in his head, and he sounds pretty good! Well, it's only 3 pages.

Next, my lovely former student who has brought me fabric from Thailand in the past, has been so excited about Cora's arrival. When she returned from Thailand this summer, she brought this sweet shirred linen dress. I love this color on my girl. Now you see what prompted my shirring attempts!

And finally, I taught a very special group of students (I always think that about every group, actually) in the spring, and one student in particular really impressed me with her progress. She is also very kind with her classmates--and me! Last week, I took Cora to school to say hello and goodbye to all the students who are going home. This sweet student of mine ran out as I was leaving and gave me this dress for Cora. It has the most detailed hand applique, typical of the indigenous people of Colombia. I can't wait until Cora can wear this dress! And until then, I think it needs to go on display somewhere.

Each of these gifts is so 'me', and I know Cora will love them, too.

you've got to be kidding me

2009-08-03T13:57:00.003-05:00

the latest in the case of the missing earrings

I love lunch

2009-07-29T06:36:00.000-05:00

Why do I love lunch?

There's something about how simple lunch can be that makes it so special. During my pregnancy, lunch was a collection of snacks--fruit, ants on a log, cheese cubes.

It always tastes so good to me, whether it's at home after a day of work, or between classes at work, or way before the hour designated for lunch when I'm at home. I once got in trouble for tossing a salad--like in a giant salad bowl-- in my high school English class!

The best buffets are open for lunch--an Indian one and a Brazilian one are my favorites.

I've never been a fan of sandwiches, so planning lunch forces me to be a bit creative. Lately some inventive salad combinations have resulted.

Yesterday's salad: sweet butter lettuce, red delicious apple slices, crumbled feta, pumpkin granola, and blueberry pomegranate dressing.

What have you been enjoying for lunch?

experiment in shirring

2009-07-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

I've been messing around a little with elastic thread lately, and made a quick little muslin jumper before committing to the fabric I really want to use. When it turned out too short for this very long baby, E said, "Add a stripe." You see, even my husband has learned the design-flaw-turned-design-feature trick! I didn't intend for this prototype to get worn, but I kind of like it. And it's definitely nice and cool for our hot Florida summer.

Thank you, Alicia, for the elastic thread coaching! Blasting the shirred area with steam was what it needed to shrink up and get all ruffly. So satisfying.

almost there

2009-07-26T15:08:00.005-05:00

Thank you all so much for the kind words about my work decision. I know that it's not the last dilemma I'll face, so it's great to have support from people who know where I'm coming from.

I've made great progress on Cora's quilt lately. The quilting and binding are done! The last step is a bit of embroidery to personalize it. I'll post complete photos soon.

Wendy's post about the cute earrings she bought recently reminded me to share a recent earring purchase of my own. I first bought these earrings a couple years ago from Kathryn Riechert, who had the table behind mine at mutation craft fair in Savannah. I wore them almost everyday, but then, a few months ago, they disappeared. I looked everywhere (losing things makes me sort of manic). So I finally sucked it up and ordered another pair, and they arrived this week. I have several more of her pieces, and I love them all.

it's final

2009-07-23T14:53:00.005-05:00

Probably the hardest part of motherhood for me, so far, is the worry, the constant questioning of whether I'm doing the right thing. With a baby comes big changes and big decisions. I often feel like I lack the wisdom needed to figure these things out. But that's life, isn't it? Thankfully, my mom is always available to reassure me that it will all work out.

So after 2 years of working full-time at my dream job, and many more previous years working to finally get that coveted position, I turned in my resignation yesterday. Was it the right decision? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to this new schedule (I'll still teach part-time) that will allow me more time with my girl. I realize I'm really lucky to be faced with this decision, but, man, is it still hard!

These photos are of a quilt that my aunt made for me when I was little. We use it when Cora is practicing her upward facing dog, and I love to look at all the fabrics that were used. There is so much detail to take in.

fungus in the kitchen

2009-07-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Usually we just stick to growing mold on our bread, but lately we've had more fungi growing in the kitchen, in the form of shitake mushrooms. My brother sent us a mushroom log for my birthday. It came in a kit with a sponge and a plastic sheath for maintaining enough humidity (like we need help with that in Florida!). You basically just soak the log in water and then put it in indirect sunlight and let it do its thing. It has been so exciting to watch them grow. They seem bigger after just a few hours, and overnight they have huge growth spurts.

On Saturday we 'harvested' these (3 about 4" in diameter) and ate them in padt thai. I love mushrooms, but rarely buy anything but the bland white ones because of price. I sure do miss the little mushrooms we ate in Japan. I guess they were enokis?

With all the rain we've had lately, we've been cultivating a few other varieties in the yard. Too bad we can't eat those!

time for okra again

2009-07-16T12:03:00.001-05:00

Last week we went to a new once-a-week farmer's market, one of several that have popped up around town. I was excited to buy a bag of okra since I haven't gotten around to planting any of my own this summer.

In the past, I've always pan fried my okra, but this time we decided to pull out the deep fryer and do some sweet potato fries, too. We keep trying sweet potato fries because I think I have this memory (maybe it was a dream) of getting them right once, but they keep coming out soggy. I love them so much in restaurants. What's the trick?

Anyway, I really over did it on the fried food and was close to swearing off okra all together because I ate so much. The way E breaded and fried it would convince any okra hater to love the slimy veggie!

Here's how: dredge 1/2" slices of okra in flour, then dunk in a wash of 1/2 milk 1/2 egg, then coat in cornbread with a little salt. Fry until browned at 350. So crunchy! I wonder if there's still enough time to get some of my own in the ground.

wet diapers

2009-07-14T12:42:00.006-05:00

I just got these photos uploaded, and now it's pouring rain. The first and last photos, taken just a bit ago. Yeah. Those are still on the line and now all wet again!!

Even before we decided to have a baby, I knew I would want to give cloth diapering a try. I had read some crazy statistics, and couldn't imagine one little baby creating that much waste. After we found out Cora was on the way, we discovered pocket diapers like bumGenius and Fuzzi Bunz. I don't think E would have gone for it if we were using traditional prefolds like our parents did. These are way better--just like disposables in how they go on, and easy to wash. They create about 3 additional loads of laundry per week, better (for me, at least) than buying more throw-aways over and over. It's an investment initially, but definitely worth it. We bought our set up (bumgenius 3.0, a few fuzzibunz, wet bags. etc) mostly from kelly's closet. We're about 2 months in to using them, and I'm happy to prove all the naysayers wrong:)

This is before we got a few of the drying contraptions below.

easy burp cloth tutorial

2009-07-10T11:55:00.005-05:00

Remember those burp cloths I mentioned working on a while back? Well, as soon as we got Cora home, I realized how handy these 'burp' cloths are. You can use them under baby for a quick diaper change, as a place to dry breast pump parts, to prop baby up, not to mention their intended use. Because the ones Julie made for me were constantly in the wash, I bought some more from the baby store, but of course they were covered in an ugly teddy bear pattern. Why can't they just keep baby supplies simple?

I liked the design (similar to a cloth diaper) and the fact that they're soft flannel, so I decided to make some of my own. They are super simple, but also so practical, so they would make a great baby shower gift, and like Julie said, the new mom will think of you every time she uses them!

The photo tutorial is here on my flickr page. If anyone makes them, I would love to hear about it!

eating good!

2009-07-07T16:36:00.004-05:00

I mentioned recently that I was trying to plan more meals using the food we have on hand, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it. Then we started tracking expenses and realized we spent almost twice as much as usual on groceries last month. What?! Now, we have cut way back on eating out since Cora's arrival, so that means more meals at home, but it still seems like we're spending way too much on food. I guess we've been eating pretty good. And indirectly, Cora's been enjoying good nutrition, too--she weighed in at 13 lbs today!

Here are a couple things we've enjoyed recently:

Pizza made with homemade dough (from our neighbor), arugula pesto (frozen, from our garden), alfredo sauce (left over in freezer), and fresh broccoli + grape tomatoes.

Summer rolls made with salad greens (left over), carrots, tofu (left over), rice noodles + wrappers (in the pantry for way too long!). This is the best summer meal/snack. Here's a recipe.

It might be time to start clipping coupons.

too short

2009-07-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took this photo of these birthday flowers from my good friend--thank you, Aub. This morning, when I woke up to the news that Naomi is gone, the buds had opened up and looked even more beautiful. It's crazy how much better flowers can make you feel.

So this morning, the world lost a beautiful person, and I lost a wonderful friend. If you would, please take a minute to look at some of her photography. You'll see how talented she was at capturing the beauty of moments. Her passion and her spirit during her short life were so inspiring. Naomi, I know I will miss you even more than I realize right now. I love you, girl.

celebrating

2009-06-29T19:01:00.005-05:00

The last week or so has been pretty emotional, watching my close friend in her fight with stage IV cancer. My Cora is helping me keep my spirits up, though. I'm so glad to have her around during this sad time.

We've also had several occasions to celebrate: a first Father's Day, my 30th!! birthday (yesterday), and our 7th wedding anniversary (today). I kept forgetting that it was my birthday--not because I want to avoid that unbelievable number--but because this little one means there's now someone more important than me, even on my birthday! I do feel like the number reflects my age and where I am in life, so 30 isn't so bad:)

I'm calling the above photo 'key lime cheescake, take 2' because we made it for 2 weekends in a row, first for E and his dad on Father's Day, and then again for us and my parents. We first had this cheesecake when our neighbor made it a few days after we came home with Cora. I immediately thought of E's dad-- lover of the Keys and limes! It didn't come out so pretty (2nd photo) when we copied our neighbor's jello topping (funny how that keeps happening), and I preferred to scrape the green off anyway, so this time we went for a less kitschy presentation.

It tasted tangy and delicious both times, so we'll definitely keep this recipe around.

Key Lime Cheesecake

Crust: We followed our neighbor's instructions to use packaged sugar cookie dough for the crust. You bake it first in the spring form pan according to directions.

Filling: 3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4c sugar
3 limes
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated

Combine cheese, sugar, vanilla in electric mixer on medium speed. Add juice of limes and 1.5 tsp lime zest, mix well. Add yolks one at a time, mix well after each addition. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool in warm over for 1 hour. Loosen cake from edge of pan, and cool completely before refrigerating. Garnish as you like. (but I think simpler is better!)

lucky!

2009-06-18T14:37:00.004-05:00

When it rains...

I didn't forget about my giveaway--things just get a little unpredictable with a newborn!

Since there were 4 commenters on the giveaway post, I think I'll send a little something to each. Just email me (see my blogger profile) your mailing address.

Thank you all for the reading suggestions. I found some new favorites, and enjoyed reading your blogs, too!. I always appreciate new-to-me resources that I find on blogs I enjoy, so I'm adding a new section to the sidebar to list some of my own current inspiration.

Yesterday and today I got a couple of much needed breaks, thanks to E and my mom. It's always difficult to decide how to spend that precious free time. So yesterday I finished up a sewing project--some new burp cloths (exciting!)-- I hope to post some photos soon. And today, I was able to go to yoga for the first time in 2 months. I never thought I would say this, but it was better than a nap. Thank you, mom!

tiny fast pants and grandmom's garden

2009-06-16T20:59:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, my model was less than happy about having her photo taken in these, her new pants that match her room. My dad said they look like camouflage pants, and I guess they do. I'll be making lots more of these because they're so easy and quick--just 2 legs cut, sewn down the middle, then sewn down the inseam. Hem them and add the casing and elastic at the waist, and you're done.

I haven't said much here about where my gardening inspiration comes from, but it's all my grandmother. She's an amazing lady, who tends an unbelievable garden up the hill from her house in Athens, GA. My cousin Naomi recently photographed and wrote about my grandmom's set up here. I hope one day I have half the growing success she does. Thanks, Naomi, for documenting it!

it would have been prettier

2009-06-14T20:35:00.003-05:00

..if I had had enough berries to make the full recipe. ..if I'd had more than one old, dried out, frozen pie crust. ..if I'd remembered to take the photo before I ate a slice. But it doesn't matter how it looked, it was so satisfying anyway. I just thirded everything (like halved, but 1/3) in my go-to recipe since I picked just 2 cups of berries off our bushes, and baked it in a small corningware dish.

I went to the grocery store today and was almost tempted to see if blueberries were on sale so I could make a full pie, but I really wanted to use just the home grown berries. Plus, I'm trying to use more of what we have on hand. It makes sense because our pantry and freezer are overflowing, and, after reading this challenge and this result on mommycoddle, I know I don't need to buy so much food every week. With just milk, eggs, cereal and produce, today's grocery bill was just half what I usually spend, and I think we have more than enough to get through the week! I'll just have to be a little more creative.

Oh, and I gave up on installing typepad connect. Troubleshooting html code is just way beyond my trial-and-error ability!

back at it

2009-06-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Blueberry picking, that is. Only this year, I had the foresight to plant some bushes of our own. With a six-week-old, I had a feeling we might not make it to the pick-your-own farm. We may not get enough for a full pie off these new bushes this year, but my sister-in-law Gwen suggested making mini pies in a muffin pan. My mouth is watering already! I look forward to that pie all year.

Now if I can just stop eating them from the bowl!

number 200

2009-06-10T20:42:00.001-05:00

our little family

Wow--this is my 200th post here. It's funny to think I've had 200 things in my life in the past 2+ years that I felt were interesting enough to share! I was looking back at posts I wrote a year ago, just to see where I was this time in 2008. I had a lot going on--blueberry picking, sewing for a co-worker, screen printing--and I had no idea what excitement the next year had in store! Becoming a mother (still so weird to say!) has been an amazing, life-changing experience.

Anyway, I'm wanting to get back to the interesting bits of my life and to documenting them here. So I've made a few changes to the blog--new banner, a book list (still in progress), and adding typepad connect. I'm excited that typepad has made this commenting service available to blogger users, and can't wait to be able to have more of a dialogue with readers. We'll see how it goes!

So since this is number 200, I should have a little giveaway, right? Right. But can I ask you for something? I would love to find some new inspiration to look at/read. Is there a blog or website you've been enjoying, even your own? Please share it with me in the comments. It'll be a great trial run of typepad connect, and 3 lucky commenters will receive one of these items from my stash. Tell your friends--like I said, I'm looking for inspiration, and I'll randomly select winners next Weds., June 17.

And some good reads I've discovered recently:
amazing mae
katie did (thanks julie!)
making it lovely

OK, now I have to go watch So You Think You Can Dance!

It looks like I the typepad commenting still needs some work, so I'll just open back up the regular comments in the meantime.

and one for dad

2009-06-01T06:34:00.000-05:00

E finally got his sling yesterday. Since Cora isn't sleeping as much anymore, it took a little longer for me to finish this one, but it works to calm her down just like mine. It's just a few inches longer to fit his torso.

He really likes this tattoo-style dragon fabric, and is already asking what else I could use it for. Any ideas? It's always tough to sew for guys.

quilt for kobe

2009-05-20T19:17:00.005-05:00

The week before Cora's arrival, I worked my last few days, caught an awful cold, and had my last ultrasound and last OB appointment. At that appointment, I found out that I needed to have this baby soon or else (the doctor was threatening induction), so I came home from the appointment with a sense of urgency to sew Kobe's mat (finally!). It was his last chance to have my free time so focused on him. Priorities in our house would soon change!

I knew that I wanted to avoid being induced, so I was convinced that she would arrive before that had to happen. My mom called it 'being optimistic', but I was right! She arrived a week early. And I'm so glad I had finished this project for my first baby:)

Kobe seems to like this new mat much better than the old upholstery fabric one. He's picky about textures, and, like me, seems to prefer cotton over synthetic fabrics. See-- it even tastes good!

wearing baby

2009-05-18T18:52:00.005-05:00

Somehow, I was able to squeeze in enough sewing time to make this pouch-style sling last week. Cora had a nice long nap, and really, this project was fairly quick and easy. I've always pictured myself as a baby wearer, so I looked into which carrier styles might work for us, and found the pouch to be the best fit for a newborn. We also have the ring sling sewn by a friend, and a baby bjorn, both of which we plan to use when Cora's a bit older.

I loosely followed this tutorial, but mostly constructed the pouch based on looking at a hotsling. Right now, I'm bolstering Cora with a folded hand towel so she doesn't get lost in the bottom of all the fabric.

E and I found this fabric when Joann had their calicos on sale. He has an equally cool Japanese inspired fabric (with dragons!) waiting to be made into a pouch his size. That's the one drawback of this style--they're not adjustable so it must be made/purchased in the wearer's size.

So far, I don't think it's super comfortable because the weight isn't evenly distributed, but it does the trick when Cora's fussy and I need to get things done. I think it'll also be handy when I don't want to use a stroller. If you know someone who's having a baby, this would be a great gift!

jimbei!

2009-05-13T08:41:00.007-05:00

I am so excited about the package Cora received this week--2 jimbei from Japan. One of my former students recently traveled home and picked these up for my girl. I can't wait to see her in them. Well, they're around 12 months size, so maybe I can wait...I don't want her to be that big!

A while back, I sent a quilt to Takako when her son was born. Now it is so sweet of her to think of us during this special time!

And a bonus baby shot--one of Cora's favorite places to sleep: in my lap!

the nursery

2009-05-12T17:01:00.010-05:00

Well, we finished the nursery just in time, the weekend before Cora's week-early arrival. It was such a relief to know I could just enjoy her once we got home. And now I know there is absolutely no time for art/craft projects in the first weeks with a baby!

I'll share as much as I can today before she wakes up from her snooze.

The old tree got a facelift when we found out we were having a girl.

The Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler fabrics became a crib skirt (from Little Stitches for Little Ones), rocking chair cushion, changing table skirt, and wall art. (The quilt is the one work-in-progress that didn't get finished in time.)

We tried several ways of hanging the birds before deciding on this method--fishing line strung through painted embroidery hoops. I wanted something stable enough to hang over the crib, and this seems to do the trick.

Oh, I hear some tiny grunts. There are lots more details in previous posts, if you want to wander back.

Thank you to Jackie, for featuring the room on the tiny decor blog.