Doh!

I was so excited about the Singer Sewing with Nature Contest. Abby and Susan and I came up with three lovely ideas to try. I was thinking we'd enter all three, one for each of us, but then as I was making things I started to feel like that was cheating.

Didn't matter...

Contest ended at 11:59 pm ET on the 4th, not the 5th. I was pretty cranky about it for a little while, but Susan reminded me that I had the fun of making them, and Dad said the memories of making things with Anna far outweigh any dress form, and that there would be many contests to enter.

Also I looked at the entries and thought that probably I didn't have a chance anyway. That always helps. :)

Here's our first project, claimed immediately by Anna for her own.

It was my first attempt at using rick rack around the edges, that technique definitely needs some work. Also my first time doing free hand decorative stitching/applique on the machine, and I think that leaf looks SUPER!

Choxie

I saw some chocolates at Target in the Christmas Clearance, and since they were 75% off, decided to try them. I've been intrigued with the "sea salt caramel" since I heard about it a couple of months ago.

I don't know if I got a duddy box, or if I just had high expectations for $10 chocolate, but I was very surprised to open the box. There were 8 chocolates, and they were all much flatter than anticipated. And not shiny and smooth. And the caramel wasn't gooey.

The picture on the top was this:

And the candy inside was this:

(sorry, still working on the macro shots)

See the difference in depth? Suppose they melted? In December?

And they didn't taste spectacular either. Certainly not better than Russell Stover. Is that because they were a month old? They were dry, so I suppose that could be the problem. I sent a box to Sarah, the pastry chef and chocolatier (Is it OK if I call you that? The chocolates you gave us for Christmas were MUCH better) to get her opinion.

Has anyone else tried Choxie? Got an opinion?

Strangeness

When Matthew and I were in Wichita in January, Bath and Body Works was having a Clearance, and so I got a little Bubble Bath. I don't remember it being green then. The dyes on the back clearly list "red" in a couple of varieties... Do you suppose it froze in the trunk, or WHAT?

Reusable Wrapping

I've been wanting to try to make some reusable fabric wrapping since I saw it a year or so ago on Craftster, (I wish I could find it again, but I can't! Sorry about that) but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Finally last week, I was looking through my idea file, and decided to give it a shot. The first one I made out of an old sweater, and it's pretty rough.

For the second I used a placemat, and it looked nice, but I did something wrong with the measuring or figuring or something, because it doesn't come together quite right.

Anyhoo, I wrapped Jeanette's gift in it, since she's all into the earth and stuff now. :)

I'll be trying again, for sure.

Cheater Wrapping

After we made Anna's heart, I thought about those soft sleeves, perfect for more little bags. So I snipped them off and sewed them up and there you go! More reusable wrapping. The cuffs can be more or less depending on the size of the gift. I think they're cute.

Sweater Heart

Wanting desperately to do something quick and crafty last week, Anna and I cut a heart out of an old sweater and sewed it up and stuffed it together. Here it is on her door. Not perfect, but it'll be hers forever, and we did it together.

Per Dad's Request

Anna's weekend

Anna got to go with Daddy and Jonathan and everybody to her favorite place in the world-Margaret's house.

See here for the adorable evidence.

Holiday Specific Craftster

I don't know that I'm going to have time do do anything this year, but there are tons of fun ideas in this article from the newly redesigned Craftster.

Valentines Day Crafts

Sleepover

Anna had her first sleepover last Thursday. Cousin Cephas came out to spend the night, since he didn't have school on Friday. They had a fantastic time.

Watching Robin Hood.

Not going to sleep.

Playing with puzzles in the morning.

What fun it must be to grow up with cousins so close.

Sewing Contest

Singer Sewing with Nature Contest

Entries due 2/5/09

Not much time...I keep waiting for inspiration...any ideas?

I want to be a runner up-I'd love a dress form.

148 years of fun

Happy Kansas Day!

Fun on the Farm

Jeanette and Eric and Jonathan are here from Oregon, and so we have lots of fun and visitors and family together time at the farm. A random sampling...

Cephas, standing on a water jug, wearing ski mittens, looking at himself in a mirror.

Poppa Marion with Joela.

Grammy Joan with Joela.

Recycled fruit in the fruit bowl.

Plates rescued from the trash by our left coasties.

Cousins being cute.

Linda bringing big hair back.

Happy Birthday Jeanette! We're so glad you're here.

25 Random Things

I got tagged on Facebook, and figured I'd double up.

1. I'm particular about sock height. Too low, and my ankles get cold, too high, and it bugs me.
2. I love my bed.
3. I sleep in earplugs.
4. I'm afraid my memory is poor.
5. I like to pray the rosary.
6. I can drink a Route 44 Diet Coke from Sonic in 30 minutes.
7. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all of the crafting possibilities in the world.
8. I tend to do things too quickly.
9. Cold weather sucks my will to live.
10. Being around babies doesn't make me want one.
11. I love giving presents.
12. I love sending mail.
13. I like to decorate the house a little for each month.
14. I don't like to watch TV.
15. I don't like movies much either.
16. I like to read silly books that don't make me think.
17. I feel a little guilty about #16.
18. I speak without thinking.
19. I'm a night owl.
20. I'm testing myself to see how long I can update the blog everyday. I've been going since October 20, 2008.
21. I always put off going to the bathroom.
22. I can't stand having hair in my face.
23. I'm too self-centered.
24. I like to bake.
25. I like music and movies I'd never like otherwise if they're in Spanish.

Glory Be

I have been really loving this prayer lately, and Matthew didn't know it-so I thought I'd share.

The Glory Be

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

A little about it.

Craftster Best of 2008

Just in case it's not one of your homepage tabs...

Craftster Best of 2008

There are so many amazing things in this list. So many things to try.

I need an extra life.

Anyone want to try to make these with me?

I love podcasts

One of my favorite things about the ipod Matthew gave me last year for my birthday is all of the podcasts.

I listen to the Daily Audio Bible in the mornings when I jog, and though it's ridiculously dramatic, it's a nice way to finally meet the omnipresent goal of getting through the whole book in one year. I just listen to the Bible part, and skip over his analysis at the end.

This American Life is always fun too.

Poetry Off the Shelf is great because I get to listen to all different kinds of poetry and hear the writers talk about it, what it means and where it comes from, and I feel like I'm learning something.

My newest favorite is The Spanish Podcast, because I get to learn all about culture and phrases and, best of all, really hear lots of the subjunctive tense. I think maybe I'll finally start to get that into my head. And it's from Spain, so it's a different accent than I'm used to hearing, with the vosotros and everything.

What are your favorites?

I crochet...

And sometimes I think knitters are crazy.


These are portraits of people wearing clothing made from the hair of their dogs, which was spun into yarn and then knitted into garments.

MORE HERE

(Thanks to CRAFT and If It's Hip, It's Here ...which contains some objectionable content)

Martha Stewart Cooking School

On the rare occasions that I have 5 or 10 minutes with nothing pressing to do, I've really enjoyed sitting down with my newest cookbook:

Martha Stewart Cooking School

I've only just finished the introduction. I learned all about the different tools and pots and pans I should have in the kitchen, how to use knives, what different herbs and spices are and how to use them. The pictures are lovely.

The first section is all about making soup, and I've been thinking we need to have more soup in our lives, so hopefully I'll get the chance to try to make my own stock and all of that. Fun fun!

First Flush

I was thinking I ought to go ahead and gush about how wonderful and amazing and fun it is to have started my first class in the MATL, because I know someday I'll just be wanting it to be over and I'll think "ugh" homework, etc.

But for now! La-de-da! I'm in school! I'm reading and learning things!

Aside from the intermittent terror-with online classes, that old nightmare of forgetting completely about a class or test or assignment seems COMPLETELY possible. And what if my brain has atrophied completely after years of skimming chick-lit? There is a sort of happy ending when reading about second language acquisition theory, but it's not quite the same.

This first class is FL 664 Second Language Acquisition Theory and Practice. We're learning about the difference between learning and acquiring a second language, about the psychological history of SLA research, about methods and approaches to teaching language.

Before I went to college, Dad told me about how it was going to be-all people who were really interested, highly motivated, similar to me. He said I'd get to learn about things that were just exactly what I was interested in, instead of messing around with everything.We were both a little disappointed when I came home the first time and told him it was nothing like that.

But this! This feels like that. We're all language people, all language teachers, all dreaming of starting to learn another one, just for fun. We all get excited and care deeply about how to motivate kids to really acquire language.

And where else in the world, would my textbook contain the following quote:

"Language may not be merely a vital link in the social side of intellectual development, it may be the very foundation of intelligence itself" (Oller, 1981)
(yikes, I'm going to have to learn all over again about citing and stuff)

It made me giggle when I read it.

Homework!