blog #475 >> Summery Stuff

Here's a blog post devoted to catching up on the things I've gotten behind on.

Today, I finally got a chance to make pickled garlic with the giant elephant garlic head one of my clients, R/K Polka Band, brought in for us at work. I love that couple. They are so sweet. They say they have 18, 50 foot rows and they sell them at the farmer's market and local produce stands. They said they had one head of garlic that weighed 3 lbs! They also offered us a garlic chocolate chip cookie recipe... but I think I'd want to try one before I made a whole batch.

Looking back, I should have saved a clove for garlic bread.

And I had quite a bit of leftover brine, so I thought I'd try making some pickled carrots too.

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And here is the playdough I made for Ada for her birthday. It turned out fantastic and it was a huge hit. I got the recipe here. I made four half batches and it still made a lot!

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My dad also got out his theater pop corn popper and made pop corn for everyone on the 4th of July. It was such a treat! He needs to get it out more often, plus it's a lovely old popper.

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Charlie, my sister's 5 year old son, also had a birthday on the 4th of July. He had a super hero party, and as you can see, it was extremely exciting. She made all the kids super hero costumes that were super awesome! You can buy them here on her etsy store: etsy.com/shop/BabyDear. You can get the party set or individual sets. Your kids will be fighting crime and flying around the house before you know it.





Cheers!
T

blog #474 >> Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July!

Image from Karen's Whimsy

blog #473 >> Sea Foam Dress

One week, 80 photos, and 5 washings later... I'm finally able to post about my sea foam dress! I finished it late last weekend, and it came together splendidly! I couldn't find a pattern that was anything like what I was looking for, so I pieced together a few of my random $1 simplicity patterns, and I added pockets as well as a few other details. Actually, I added a lot of details. It took me awhile to adjust the pieces to fit right, but no longer than it does for any other dress. That's always the hardest part, getting the right fit. But considering I cut my pattern pieces out of brown packing paper that I taped together, I think it turned out amazing!




...but then disaster struck. The first day I wore it, even before I had a chance to take any pictures. I spilled gravy all down the front of it. Now normally I'm not a messy eater. Normally, I'm quite neat. But I tend to have bad luck. The only time I spill food on myself is when it's most inconvenient. Such as, about five minutes before I have a client come in, I always spill tea on myself. Anyhow, about 15 minutes after the gravy, I managed to get red ink on it too. I was carrying a bag with a red logo stamped on it, that apparently wasn't quite dry yet. It was so sad. So, I did the obvious, I washed it.

Normally, I never pre-wash my fabric. I live in a tiny little apartment with a coin washing machine in the basement, but I'm too cheap to use it. It costs about $5 a load, and it doesn't have many wash options, or hold many clothes. With how much I spend on clothes, it would cost me more to wash my clothes than it would for me to buy new clothes. Therefore my parents graciously let me do laundry at their house, and I occasionally wash clothes in the sink. I think in the future however, I need to start pre-washing fabrics. The first thing I did was try to get the stains out with stain sticks, but they didn't quite cut it, and left big clean circles on my dress. I had no idea fabric fresh from the store was that dirty. So I washed the whole thing in the sink, but it still didn't get out the stains. Then I washed it again with dish detergent and that did get out the stains. Yay! Next, I started to iron it and it left these huge dark marks on the fabric. Huh? I panicked and washed it again, and the dark marks came out, but I couldn't figure out what it was... it seemed a little sticky. Then it dawned on me... I USED WONDER TAPE! I've never used Wonder Tape before. And if you had asked me a week ago, before I tried washing it, I would have said I loved it. Wonder Tape is a notion that tapes seams down to hold them in place while you're sewing. It really worked great, it was easy to sew over, it didn't gum up the needle, and with the thin, slightly slippery fabric, it really kept everything together and on track. It's also water soluble so it will wash out when you're done. I should mention... I used a LOT of Wonder Tape... I mean YARDS of it. And since I was being careful not to shrink anything, the water I was using wasn't very warm and I wasn't soaking it long enough to wash all the Wonder Tape out. So I took it over to my parents house and washed it for real, in a washing machine, and now it's back to normal... I'm just waiting for what I'm going to spill on it next.

p.s. I will use Wonder Tape again, but maybe just a little less of it.

T

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And as a bonus post, here's the silhouette I made of myself... only I made my hair style look more a little more Victorian.

blog #472 >> White Lacy Skirt

Yesterday, my sisters and I got together for a sewing day, and I finally had a chance to finish a sewing project. I used a little of my new fabric stash and made this white lacy skirt. I love how it turned out. And I can't wait to start my sea-foam dress next.
Here's a close up of the texture and lace.

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And here are a few pictures of the garden.


Most everything is up now, and there are even a few little baby zucchinis coming up.


I'm not sure how the corn will do, but the turnips are doing fantastic!



T

blog #471 >> My New Specs

At last! They're here!
Originally, when I got my eyes checked, I hadn't planed on getting a second pair of glasses. I knew I wanted to use my grandma's old frames again for my primary pair, and then I thought I'd use my old prescription for my second pair. But it turned out that in the last three years, my vision had gone downhill fast! When I went in, I couldn't even read the third line on the chart. I honestly had no idea I was that blind. I've known for awhile that I needed new glasses. I noticed I couldn't read street signs unless I was right on top of them. And I noticed I couldn't read the clock in the lunch room from where I always sit anymore. But now I realize, I should have gotten my eyes re-checked three years ago. Last time I went in, they told me I didn't need glasses at all! I knew that was wrong at the time. I was wearing a really light prescription for nearsightedness then, so I thought I'd give it a try. I went without them for about a day, and soon realized they were wrong. I needed those glasses. Right then, I should have made an appointment elsewhere, but I didn't. Instead I waited three years, and now there's a huge difference between my old glasses and my new glasses. When I got my grandma's old frames back with the new lenses I walked all the way home shouting, "wow... Wow... WOW! WOW!!! WOOOOWWWW!!!!" People must have though I was mad, and maybe I was momentarily. But mostly I was just amazed at how detailed the world really is, I had forgotten how clear everything is suppose to be.

Anyhow, my original plan for using my old pair as a second pair was soon vanquished. And it was soon time to pick out a new pair of frames. I thought about using one of my many vintage cat eye frames, but I kinda wanted something different. I've worn thick plastic vintage frames since high school, and I sort of wanted my second pair to be completely different from my usual. That's when I saw these in the case at Asterix Eyewear.* It was love at first sight. I tired on a few other pair of wire rims. But I knew these were the ones I wanted. My mind just kept on turning back to them. I loved the shape, the size, the way they fit on my head. But most of all I loved how the wire curves around at the ear. It reminds me of glasses from the 20's. Then I noticed the price tag... EEEKK!!! I have to admit, that it did quench the fires of my heart for a time. But then I saw them again when I picked up my old pair, and remembered how wonderful they were. I would say I am too poor, and could never afford them... but that wouldn't exactly be true. It's true that I don't make much money, and there have been times when things have been extremely crunched, but I'm an excellent saver. The truth would be to say that I am frugal, and don't like to spend money on unnecessary things. I also don't like to buy expensive things. The cheap version is (in most cases) good enough for me. I have lots of nice things, it's true, but I didn't pay a lot for them. I search and dig, I stalk the second hands stores, and rarely buy anything new. That's why these glasses were such a jump for me. It's not normally something I would do. I cringe to think that I could have bought this or this for about the same price. I think I'm still getting over the sticker shock of it all. But it was love. And there's no use fighting against it. Right now I want to wear them. But I can't really see them when they are on my head, so instead I have them sitting next to the laptop so I can admire their beauty. Wow, I love these glasses.

*Asterix Eyewear has some of the best frames in Portland! They are also awesome about fixes and repairs. I highly recommend them. My family and I have been using them for years.

blog #470 >> All Things Bright and Beautiful: Day 3

And next we come to Day 3 of The All Things Bright & Beautiful Blog Party hosted by Grace at Puddles of Memories. Today's post will be a...

::Summer Reading List::

Now this list is extremely optimistic. I realize I have a few extra thick ones in the mix, so in reality I know I won't get through all these... but I like to think that I could. But the first one is required, and since I'm reading it right now, I know I'll finish it before the end of summer... Actually, I know I'll finish the first three, it's the rest I'm unsure of.

1. The Pickwick Papers
Charles Dickens






2. The Miss. Marple Collection
Agatha Christie
I want to be just like Miss. Marple when I grow up.






3. The Gathering Storm
Winston Churchill







4. A Swiftly Tilting Plant
Madeleine L'Engle







5. The Catcher and The Rye
J. D. Salinger







6. Wives and Daughters
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell







7. The Old Man and The Sea
Ernest Hemingway
I read it years ago in high school, but I think I'll like it better now.






8. Tess of The D'Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy







9. Up From Slavery
Booker T. Washington







10. The Remains of The Day
Kazuo Ishiguro

2009 Reading List
2010 Reading List
2011 Reading List: see side bar on lower left.

blog #469 >> All Things Bright and Beautiful: Days 1 & 2

Good Morning!
...at least it was still morning when I started this post.

Here I am at last "fashionably late" to The All Things Bright & Beautiful Blog Party hosted by Grace at Puddles of Memories. I need to do some make up posts, so I'm simply combining Day 1 & Day 2. This particular theme is SUMMER! Which is hard, since it seems summer has been always just out of reach this year. We'll have an almost warm and sunny stretch, but then the weather just sinks back into the 60 degrees and overcast rut. Oh, elusive summer, when will you finally show your face?

Day 1: Summer Bucket List!
Is it sad that I don't really have any summer plans yet? I think that means I'm getting old. I work the same hours summer and winter... I miss summer vacation. Well, I think it's time I got into the spirit of summer and made a list!

Day 2: Summer Photo Post: What does summer look like to you?
Well, this is perfect! Summer is going to look a lot like my list of things to do.

So here they are... Days 1 & 2

Things I want to do this summer:

1. Stay cool! This shouldn't be too hard, since it hasn't been even a "warm" summer yet. Plus, I'm so cold blooded, I'll wear sweaters and socks up until it hits 80 degrees!

picture found here.

2. I'd also like to try making some of these colorful popsicles or maybe some fruity frozen Jell-O things!


3. I'm definitely planning on spending lots of time in the garden...

this isn't my garden... but I'd like to spend lots of time in it.
image from Better Homes and Gardens.

4. And I think I'll take advantage of the non-rainy weather to do some aimless wandering. Just pack a bag full of random objects and start off in no particular direction. That sounds right up my alley. I'll be sure to pack a camera as well so I can document all of my non-adventures along the way.

image found here.

5. A trip to the beach is also a summer classic. I'd love to go at least once this summer, even if it was just for the day.



6. And of course I have a summer reading list, even though I doubt I'll have much extra time for reading this summer. But I can always pack a chair and head down to the creek in the evening after work and eat a camp fire dinner while curling up with a good book.


image found here.

7. Once the weather clears up, I'll be able to get the telescope out again. I had such high hopes for this spring, but the sky thought it would be better to rain each night instead.



8. I want to get a LOT of sewing and crafting finished. I'm all backed up on projects, and I'd like to get my etsy shop back up and running again. I'm taking a break while I try to decide what I want to do with it. I'm good at making everything and anything, but I really don't care if I make any money. I also don't like to make the same thing twice. Which is bad, since that means if I sell out of something right away, I don't very often make more. I also like to spend a lot of time on one project and make it quite detailed. Which isn't good if you've got an etsy store, then the goal becomes quantity over quality. I'm starting to realize I'm not cut-out for a high-profit etsy store. I think I'll just populate it with a few odds and ends that I've enjoyed making instead.



9. I'd also like to finish the coloring books I've been working on. I have the roughs all sketched out, and I've started to vectorize them. But I'm not liking how the super clean lines are looking. I think I'm going to pen and ink them instead.



10. Do lots of canning! With that giant garden this year, I can already see, I'm going to do a LOT of canning this summer. And this pickle recipe will certainly be one of the things I'm making!

recipe and photo from here.

11. Practice the accordion as much as possible! One thing summer does mean, is more accordion time! The window air conditioner does a great job masking the noise and for a few brief months I can play at home!

Edith Piaf and her accordion, image found here.

Until the next posting,
Cheers!
T