12.14.2007

Warming Up

Life has suddenly gotten very crazy, at least for my mellow soul. Progress has been happening though. So some quick things before I vacate for the holidays!
Although I love the gray knitted neckwarmer/hoodie thing from a few weeks back (and I would still like to make it eventually), I've decided to use the blue yarn for a hat and neckwarmer combo, adding in some green yarn that my sister gave me for my birthday.


The hat is almost done, and the neckwarmer shouldn't take long. It will look like some combination of these...


And I think I'll do a big green button on the hat to match the ones I use on the neckwarmer. Cute, right?

Also, a lot of people have been asking about the progress on the plastic bag bag. It's minimal progress, but I'm still working on cutting the bags into strips so I can make the plastic yarn. I need a good snow day so I can sit and watch movies and cut up bags...

I'll be in and out until New Years, so Happy Holidays!! Here's a cute shot of father and son carrying their Christmas trees home in the city.



Listening to: Feist - I Feel It All

12.03.2007

My Hero

We went to see Andrew Bird this weekend. And I love him. Even more than I did. Which was a lot.

He's a violinist, started on Suzuki, just like me back in the day. Except he's clearly got some sort of genius thing going on. He loops all kinds of amazing violin parts, layers and layers, adds guitar, whistling, an awesome bassist and drummer, and some jeff buckley-style lyrics, oh, and some glockenspiel. His live show is way more amazing than his albums, and if I could only figure out how to post videos, you'd see... If he plays within an 80 mile radius of you, go. You'll be wooed.

Listening to: Andrew Bird! - Heretics

11.30.2007

Buy Nothing Day & Cookies

So the day after Thanksgiving is unofficially known as 'Buy Nothing Day', a growing little kick in the face to Black Friday. A good friend of mine has a family tradition of doing all their Christmas shopping on Black Friday. It's always amazed me. I made the mistake last year of going to the mall in Jersey City on the Friday after Thanksgiving to look for a lamp. Just a lamp. HUGE mistake.

So this year I was going to try to avoid all shopping and buying in general. There was some hoopla around the effort, many people saying that it wouldn't make a difference anyway because I'd just buy more the day before or after. That's kind of beside the point. I consider it more of an awareness-raiser throughout the day so I'd be thinking more about what I consider needs vs. wants.

Regardless, I failed. We were baking Christmas cookies all day (a little family tradition), and we sent Dad out to buy some baking supplies throughout the day. I also needed to take care of 2 gifts online, before I forgot. In that case I was thinking, "If I don't buy these today, I definitely will tomorrow, if I remember, so I'll just get them today." It was a good try though, and I was definitely more thoughtful of the kinds of things I purchase instead of revamping or borrowing.

Anyway, we baked about 16 kinds of cookies, thanks to Dad's run for more butter (we went through 6 lbs of butter).



Inquire within for recipes to:
mint brownies
pecan tassies
cherry cheesecakes
britzle bars
congo bars (chocolate and butterscotch)
lemon bars
almond bars
7 layer cookies
snickerdoodles
peanut butter blossoms

And just because she's so cute, here's your dose of Lucy:


Listening to: Nick Drake - Saturday Sun

11.20.2007

THE table

I get a lot of comments about my dining room table. It's my baby. It's beautiful.

So I figured I'd post about it so you, yes you, can check it out for yourself.


The company that made it is called Sticks, and they make furniture and 'object art'. Anything from tables, to lazy susans, beds, mirrors, gameboards, lamps, dressers, bookcases, chairs, candlesticks... They sell through furniture stores, galleries and boutique distributors all over the US. You can order any of their stuff through these stores, though most stores don't keep a huge stock in-store. I ordered through American Pie on South Street in Philadelphia. It was a custom order based on some other pieces I had seen in the store. I asked for things to be added in like music symbols, an angel on the violin, etc... You can also personalize the written messages around the edge of the table, though they also have standard sayings or nothing at all. As for prices, it really varies. Consider that it will be more than traditional furniture because it is indeed art. You'll obviously pay more for custom than stock pieces.

The chairs are $20 Ikea chairs that come in red, blue and unpainted. We painted the green ones to bring out the brightness of the table.

The Sticks color palettes are amazing, and I love the pretty whimsical designs. Since getting this table, I have chosen my apartments based on how the table will fit and if I can paint the walls around it so that the table is the focus that pulls the room together. And it works. Every time.

Listening to: a conference call at work

11.18.2007

Early Thanksgiving

What a weekend! I had 21 people in my 500sf. apartment on saturday night for an early thanksgiving with friends. I would have had more if i thought my floor could handle it, because it was such an amazing opportunity to celebrate with the people in my life!

First, some prep the night before. These are the pies right out of the oven, and the cranberries right before going into the oven. Recipes at the end.


Saturday involved finishing the stuffing, prepping the sourdough biscuits, and then the turkeys (two 10 pounders) and putting them in the oven. I kept the turkey really simple this year, some olive oil, salt & pepper, lots of sage and rosemary. Baked with foil for ~4hrs, another 1hr without foil, they were perfect.

Everyone brought wine or dishes of their own. We had garlic mashed potatoes (10lbs of potatoes! 12 heads of garlic!), broccoli casserole, green beans, pear & cranberry stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin soup, artichoke spinach dip, candied sweet potatoes, pumpkin biscuits... I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but it was all amazing. If only they had the technology for you to experience scents and flavors through computers...

Now here's what a tiny apartment looks like packed to the brim.



Thank you thank you to all that came and made my home a home! Now for the secret family recipes!

Pecan Pie
1 c pecans
3 eggs
1 stick butter
1/4 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c dark karo syrup
1 t vanilla
pinch salt
unbaked pie crust

Sprinkle pecans in pie crust to cover bottom. Melt butter. Mix butter with remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 1hr.

Note
: this pie never lasts past a single meal. If it does, you'll finish it for breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie
30 oz canned pumpkin
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 t salt
1 can evaporated milk
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t ginger
4 eggs
1 c water
2 unbaked pie crusts

Mix. Split into 2 pie crusts. Bake at 425 for 20 mins, then 350 for another 25 or until centers are not jiggly.

Note
: This is the best pumpkin pie recipe I've ever tasted. I've never used real pumpkin, and you'll never need to. It's perfect. Every time.

Baked Cranberries
6 c cranberries
2-3 apples, diced (or pear?)
1-2 c sugar
cinnamon
ginger
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c brandy or whiskey (optional)
mint (optional)

Combine all. Add sugar and spices to your taste. Add fresh chopped mint if you please. If you don't use a liquor, add extra water or juice (can use apple too). Cover with foil, bake at 375 for ~40 mins. Remove and stir well, mashing lightly with spoon. Serve warm or chilled, with more mint.

Stuffing (my most favorite dish in the world)
2-3 loaves bread (I used a farmer's whole wheat bread with rye and poppy seeds for extra flavor)
celery
onion
buttermilk
1 stick butter
2-3 eggs
salt & pepper
rosemary and sage

Break up bread into chunks and dry overnight. Chop 2-4 stalks of celery (based on your taste) and 1 onion, set aside. Melt butter, add celery and onion, chopped sage and rosemary. Pour over bread. Add 2 eggs, salt and pepper, a glug of buttermilk. Mix with hands. Add milk and/or egg as needed to get moist (but not mushy) throughout. Bake in turkey or in a separate dish (350 for 40 mins, covered or uncovered whether you like it more or less mushy).

Sourdough Biscuits
1 c sourdough starter
6 c flour
1 t salt
3 T sugar
1 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
2 c buttermilk
1 c shortening
1 pkg yeast (optional)

Well the flour in a bowl, add dry ingredients, add shortening and cut in with pastry cutter until even. Well mixture, add sourdough starter, buttermilk and yeast. Mix with wooden spoon, cover with wax paper and refrigerate a few hours. Flour the working surface, roll out dough to a thickness of ~1", cut with round cutter (or rim of glass) and place in a greased glass or ceramic dish. Bake at 400 for 20mins or lightly browned on top.

Note: Let me know if you're interested in sourdough. I'd be happy to give you some starter and teach you how to keep it and bake with it. These biscuits are glorious!

Listening to: Nutcracker Suite

11.15.2007

sustainable living?

So this is a fun little game that determines how many earths it would take to support the global population if they all lived with your current lifestyle. It looks at housing, utilities, transportation, eating and shopping habits, etc...
Apparently, if everyone lived like me, we'd need 4.2 earths to support us. That's just a little shocking isn't it? Part of it is I drive a lot to work (which I'm trying to cut down on), and I fly. To be honest, I'd fly even more if I could, and I must say, I think the benefits of cross-cultural learning and communication far outweigh the costs of a little flight to, say, India, right?
Another thing was coffee consumption, where I'm at about 15 cups a week. However, they're assuming that you buy generic coffee that's flown from poor farmers in Timbuktu. I try to buy New England or Bucks County (PA) coffee, which I'm assuming is grown locally as well, but I'll have to check my labels on that.
Otherwise, I'm doing pretty well. My energy consumption, trash, and food habits put me in the right place... If only I could get rid of that car...

This all fits right into what I'm studying in class this semester. We've covered personal and municipal waste management, residential and community options for decreasing utility usage, pollutant reduction in general, and safe water. Every thing we learn about gets me thinking about how wonderful the house I grew up in was. The whole back of it was glass, so it was solar heated in the winter. We had a trash compactor, so an entire 4-person household put out pretty much 1 bag of trash each week. We also had an outdoor compost which contributed to our garden which provided nearly all our vegetables through summer and fall. I've thought about composting here, but can't yet figure out what to do with the compost once I get it going. There's a community garden down the street, but they haven't replied to my emails yet...

What's your score, and what changes have you considered to live a more sustainable life?

listening to: NPR News

11.13.2007

apron success!

Fabric: 1 yd each of two fabrics
Pattern: reversible apron, from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing
Time: ~2 hrs including cutting pattern pieces, sewing, pressing, and finishing
Skill Level: Easy, there were no special stitches, nothing tricky about aligning pieces.
Extras: You can add pockets, applique, other fun stuff. I kept it basic since I love the prints so much.


I was going to crop the picture so you could see more of the apron, but look how nice the swatch portraits look on the wall! The one up on the top in the middle is even the same fabric!


Detail of the topstitching with a perfect teal thread I found buried. It was one that came in those sewing kits you get at the grocery store. All of them are such weird colors like teal, bright pink and yellow... You never know what will work.

Sewing has been so fulfilling lately! Quick projects like aprons, totebags and computer cases are so much easier and quicker than clothing, I've really gotten to practice some basic skills and get better with my machine. I might be ready to finally take on a patterned dress again. If you've been scared of sewing, I can recommend some of these basic and fun patterns I've done lately to get you started. It allows so much freedom in choosing fabrics and details that inspire you. I just love looking around my apartment and seeing lots of little things that I've made!

listening to: Veruca Salt - Twinstar

11.12.2007

quiet night

I feel the beginnings of a nasty cold coming on and have decided to stay home from orchestra rehearsal to take care of myself, that and start working on this reversible apron that's been cut out for a month. It's the same fabric from the totebag I made last month.


I'm going to need it this weekend. I'm hosting ~20 people for an early Thanksgiving dinner. I'm only making the turkey, stuffing, and pies, and everyone else is bring drinks or a dish from their family's traditional dinner. It was one of those things that just kept growing and growing. I love hosting people for dinner, but from now on I'll have to keep it to smaller groups! My poor apartment can barely hold 20 people standing, this is going to be very interesting. More details on the menu and seating issue resolution as the week unfolds...

listening to: The Beatles - Long Long Long

11.11.2007

Yoga + Dancing = Pain

I started going to yoga again, after a year or so of not using about half of my muscles apparently. There are muscles hurting that I didn't know existed. Particularly in my back. It's fascinating really. And it's not like you can stretch more before or after yoga. Before, I used to take a more restorative type of yoga, and these classes have been very fast-paced, strength-building. It's great, and I feel so much stronger already, but dear god, it hurts.

And today we went to Dance Dance Party Party again, and it was as fun as I remember. Imagine a dance studio, lights turned down, multi-colored disco ball glowing, a dance mix playing loudly, and 10-15 women of all ages, shakin' it like nobody's watching. I'm telling you, if you are a woman (sorry guys...) and you live near NY, Providence RI, Chicago, Austin, or LA -- GO! If the other cities are anything like NY's, it is the most energetic, judgement-free fun you will ever have! I'd really love to make it a weekly thing, so we'll see if I can work out the Sundays.

So with yoga and dancing kicking my butt this weekend, I am a sore lady. Wrapping up the night with some tea and tylenol.

listening to: Jai Uttal - Durga Pahimam

11.07.2007

in love with google reader

Courtney's visit was successful on many levels, but primarily because she has now hooked me on google reader. In my trend report it tells me, "From your 33 subscriptions, in the last 2 weeks you read 515 items and starred 14 items." 515 Items! That I CARE about! Instead of just catching a glimpse of 3 worthless news items shoved in my face by some worthless news agency. I love the control, the ownership, i feel when reading a design blog entry, a new recipe, a relevant snippet of news... just brilliant!

Here are some of the best of the best:

In other news, the swatch portraits are done, sorry about the picture, but you get the idea!


listening to: Feist - One Evening

10.30.2007

walls



Imagine this plain blank wall with some combination of these fabrics and maybe more...
Inspiration & fabric: Purl Bee's swatch portraits

Will finish this week. And I'll add more about the weekend after I'm done stressing over my exam tonight!

listening to: Balkan Beat Box - Adir Adirim

10.26.2007

cool down and round up

It's cooling down - quickly - in these parts. It's time to start thinking about the warm bulky colorful sweaters and scarves of the season. My good friend Courtney is visiting this weekend, and she happens to know my style very well, proof = this design she sent me.

See? Right up my alley. Chunky, neutral, face-framing, cozy. LOVE it. It's from pip-squeak chapeau who designs and knits made-to-order beauties like this. Unfortunately, it's $100+, which is NOT up my alley. But it looks relatively simple once I figure out that back decrease (with Stephanie's help... hi Stephanie!), and a similar yarn can't be more than $25.

In other news, I've renewed my library card(!) and have loaded up on some various books to read. After my exam next week, I'll be free to do some reading on my own, not that air pollution and injustice health disparities and superfund case studies aren't enjoyable reading...

Also, I've been listening to a lot of new music thanks to the looong plane rides last week. The airline had all kinds of ethnic traditional and pop, classical and western music that I don't typically find easily here or just haven't noticed yet. I highly recommend these:
  • Monade - A Few Steps More (French mellow alternative)
  • Scissor Sisters - Ta Dah (awesome American dance pop)
  • Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (duet of Led Zeppelin and country origins, perfect)
  • Astrud Gilberto - any album (smooth Brazilian bossa nova style)
  • Fairuz - Legend (traditional Lebanese singer)
  • Balkan Beat Box - any album (Balkan and Middle-Eastern themes with hip-hop beats and political undertones that you won't understand anyway)
listening to: Nouvelle Vague - This is Not a Love Song

10.23.2007

backing up a bit...

I didn't have a chance to post about Rox's birthday weekend before leaving for the trip, so backing up a bit here...
It was a funfilled weekend (after a delayed arrival), kicked off by everyone's favorite little dessert shop, Cafe Lalo. We LOVE Cafe Lalo, and they hadn't even run out of the chocolate peanut butter cake yet!
Friday we went to Holmdel Park, where both Rox and I ran cross-country meets in high school. It was a lot more enjoyable going for fun instead of for a meet. Lucy led us through the course, and we strolled the park for a bit. Then another stop at Liberty State Park here in JC, my favorite.


Friday night, cuban dinner and then dancing at 1984 (Pyramid). GO on a friday night, and where your dancin' shoes!
The rest was pretty low-key, and despite their incoming plane delay, it was a happy birthday afterall!

listening to: Scissor Sisters - Ooh

10.21.2007

es salaam alaykum!

UPDATE: PICS!
Greetings! I have returned from the depths of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi to be exact. What a wild experience. Where to even begin explaining it all... So the Middle East International Film Festival was, well... kind of weird. It was really meant for directors to pitch their next projects, which is not what New Year Baby is about. It was a complete honor to be there with the film, but all the screenings were empty, which is just unusual for festivals.
They put us up in the Emirates Palace, probably the nicest hotel in the world, at least the nicest I'll ever stay at by far. The service was just over the top! Rose petals placed in specific patterns all over the room, fresh dates and chocolates refreshed daily, amazing food, views of the sea, just spectacular. But it felt like such a show. We talked to many people staying in Abu Dhabi for a year or so, and they say once you get out of the glitz, it's got quite a dirty underbelly. For one thing, it's progressive, but still women are clearly second class citizens. I dressed pretty modestly, and still they either STARE or look straight through me. It was fascinating to experience the Muslim perspective firsthand also. We walked around downtown quite a bit, admired the sari and burqa fabrics, went on a desert safari (think desolate huge sand dunes), saw some great films... I loved much of it, but know that I couldn't spend much more than a week there.
Here's a few pics to give you a taste. Will update the post later once I post all of my pics with my dad's.




listening to: Monade - Becoming

10.11.2007

camping + sewing = awesome

This company, Thru-Hiker, is so brilliant. People that like camping and hiking tend to be a little more all-natural and do-it-yourself right? And they might also be quite crafty right? Some might sew, or at least be willing to right? Right! So, voila, they supply you with kits to make your own hiking gear including down vests and coats, sleeping bags!, tent tarps... amazing. You can also by goods from them too.
I'm eyeing this vest kit, 1) because it's easy (no sleeves), 2) i'd learn to work with outdoor fabrics and filling, and 3) it comes in pretty colors. They supply the fabric, filling, pattern and instructions, and you can even call them for help.

And they even have a (free) easy sewing pattern for fleece mittens. Really, just brilliant.


The vest and mittens could be perfect for some autumn hikes in the area (or some cider-donut trips to Hacklebarney...).

listening to: The Greyboy Allstars - How Glad I Am

10.09.2007

NOW we're talking!





I think Fall is here, finally! Watch it last like 3 days now. Thanks to some rain last night, the colors have just started really coming out today. We usually peak around Halloween here in these parts, so we still have plenty of time to enjoy the colors and scents. Is that weird? Does anybody else smell the seasons too? My sister is coming into town for the weekend to celebrate her big birthday this weekend. It should be a perfect autumn weekend!

If you really want to get all cozy and autumnal, check out Brooklyntweed. This guy is my knitting hero. He spins his own yarn, knits the most perfect sweaters and patterned work I've ever seen by hand, has an amazing style for color, and takes beautiful pics on top of it all.
See, guys CAN be crafty and masculine!

listening to: Beta Band - Human Being

10.08.2007

urge for going...

Travel is always somewhere in my mind. I never pass up the chance to go somewhere new, but the idea of taking a huge trip is always appealing too. I was just catching up on a friend's cross-country and international trip through their blog. They quit their solid jobs in Miami/NY, drove cross country to see friends and family, and then took off for the far east for 3-4 months of travel. 1- I'm terribly jealous. 2- I'm glad SOMEBODY's out there doing what all the rest of us long for. Where would you go? What would you give up to go??
There's just so much world to see. In many other countries, international travel is expected and respected! I wish American culture valued it a bit more so that wanting to take a 3-month trip wasn't so frowned upon. Maybe one day the stars will align and I'll be in a place that allows me to travel when I want.
In the meantime, I certainly won't boohoo the trip to Abu Dhabi! Countdown at 6 days!

listening to: North Mississippi Allstars - Moonshine

10.07.2007

i'm useful...

so says Etan. We went to a sample sale this weekend and he got a couple pants. While trying them on, he was so happy to find out that I could indeed hem every pair for him. It's so nice to feel useful...
And to fulfill some of my own needs, I have made myself a pretty totebag!

I'm excited about this for a few reasons. One, I'm trying a couple patterns from a new sewing book called Simple Sewing. I want to do nearly all of the patterns in the book, and this was the first one. It was, indeed, simple. Her instructions and diagrams are easy to follow, and she throws in simple techniques that make the project come together much quicker. Two, I got a bunch of really awesome fabrics from purl patchwork (see some others poking out of the book in the pic below) to make all these different patterns, and I'm really happy with the colors and contrasting patterns. I'm using the two prints from the bag to make a reversible apron too (on the front of the book cover), so I'm glad I can see how they'll look together. Finally, it was my first attempt at details. Normally I just slap the fabric together to make something semi-presentable. On the bag, I actually wanted it to look great upclose to really play up the fabrics. So I added some zigzag on the trims, and even some applique (a first)!


ps - I made the applesauce again, but this time with peaches and apricots added in. SO delicious! If anyone makes it with anything else, let me know. This stuff is GOOD. I'm never buying store-bought applesauce again.

listening to: Stanton Moore - Nalgas

10.04.2007

indian summer & grits

It seems that fall just won't come for good. Every time I go to do something autumnal, it goes up to 80-some degrees.
I was starting to crave some pumpkin, despite the heat, so I made these pumpkin oatmeal cookies. I used karo instead of molasses, and I didn't add raisins, nuts, or flaxseed. But otherwise, the recipe is quick and easy. They're delicious, chewy, not too sweet, and vegan (if that's what you're into). Vegan food is always a little different in flavor and consistency, but you can't mess up pumpkin and oatmeal. Even after cooling, they're still soft!

And speaking of food... the winner of the annual Grits-Eating Contest ate 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes! Whooooooa. Think about that. 21 lbs of ANYTHING is a lot. But that seems like an unfathomable amount of grits! And I loooove my grits. But. God!

listening to: Yo La Tengo - My Little Corner of the World

10.02.2007

ny randomness

upcoming things

tonight - my first exam at Columbia!
friday - JC Artists Tour! Etan and I will be working at a friend's gallery opening - esORO - on Brunswick.
saturday - the warehouse sale! sample sale for all kinds of jeans. yay!
saturday oct 13 - kickball - east river park
sunday oct 21 - Musica Bella orchestra concert, featuring me somewhere in the second violins
through oct 27 - Jen Bekman gallery, showing Obsessive Consumption
any weds-sun - bargemusic! small ensemble music. on a barge. beneath the brooklyn bridge. amazing!


listening to: The Redwalls - Build a Bridge

10.01.2007

Breast Cancer Awareness Month


Welcome to Breast Cancer Awareness Month! As most of you know, my mom is a survivor. So me and my sister keep abreast (no pun intended) of the latest studies, screenings, etc... It seems like every month, new studies are coming out showing that pretty much everything causes cancer, and everything also can prevent cancer.
Don't drink. But have a glass of wine a day.
Don't eat sweets. But have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.
Pesticides are dangerous. But eat plenty of fruits and veggies.
No meat because of the hormones. But get lots of protein.
Wearing bras, not wearing bras. Deodorant, lotion, nutrasweet, artificial light, grapefruit...

Seriously.

As an educated consumer, health enthusiast, and cancer lookout, my own tip of the day is awareness and screening. Read the studies for yourself, compare studies, talk about it, and get early detection screenings whenever possible. And don't depend on your doctor to tell you when. Ask for yourself.

American Cancer Society seems to present some non-biased information here. Don't let it all weigh you down too much though. If I find any truly conclusive information, I'll pass it on. In the meantime, enjoy your grapefruit.

listening to: Beta Band - Dog's Got a Bone

9.27.2007

Abu Dhabi!

I'm going, we're going! Dad and me. For the Middle East International Film Festival to represent NEW YEAR BABY. Isn't that wild?? The festival wanted a director or producer, so I've been upgraded to Assistant Producer of Screening and Outreach. It sounds so important, I love it! And I'm bringing dad because he loves to travel and, well, what better way to see a beautiful Islamic land than with a tall distinguished man by my veiled side? And thanks to Couchsurfing, I've already hooked up with an American living there who will show us the ropes!
If Zaha Hadid were just a few years ahead, this might be where we're screening.
But instead we're staying and screening at the *yawn* Emirates PALACE.

The journey begins Oct 14th!

listening to: Bird and the Bee - La La La

9.25.2007

before and after.

plain & boring building:



beautiful and welcoming building!:


I'm SO pleased with how it turned out. The trees are junipers, and the long planters are boxwoods, they will grow into a shrub. This first season, they all need watering pretty often, which I'm happy to do. Hopefully this will satiate my need to smell and play with dirt (I grew up on a farm, what!?). Everything came from the 14th St Garden Center here in Jersey City. They helped me choose everything and even delivered and set it all up to my nitpicky instructions. Love it.

In other news: Rostitchery blogged me, oh so briefly, but still, she's famous! (among the crafty blogs anyway.) It's for the dress I made from her tutorial, yay!

listening to: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Orion

9.24.2007

laptop case... check

Ironically, having a blog has increased my productivity. I'm getting things done! Just because I posted about it for the 2 loyal readers, I feel like I need to follow up and actually complete things.
I made the case for my laptop today. It was a little tricky to figure out the layout since I was lining it, but it came out great. I didn't quilt any of it like I had wanted too, but I was too nervous to mess it up, it was looking so pretty.

So here it is:


Lucy: 'Hmm, what's this?'


Lucy: 'Hey, stop taking pictures of this thing and play with ME.'


Lucy: 'Fine, FINE. I'll just lay here and be cute until you're done.'


Have I mentioned I'm obsessed with my dog yet?

listening to: Jeff Buckley - Satisfied Mind

9.23.2007

Plastic bag hell...

A few months ago, I asked friends to save me their plastic shopping bags because I had found a way to send them to plastic bag heaven, a little retirement community for the bags instead of just tossing them into our already filthy environment. I can cut the bags into strips, loop them together to create a plastic 'yarn', and crochet/knit the bags into other durable shopping totes. Well, a number of people saved a lot of bags, and they apparently do a LOT of shopping too. I have now found myself in plastic bag hell.

You can see the ball of plastic yarn I've finished so far in the front. And those bags of bags of bags makes up only about 1/3 of all the bags I received. The trunk of my car is also full of them. I'm guessing I have somewhere around 400-500 bags. I'll be cutting bags into strips for another couple of days, I hope to finish this week so I can actually start making the totes soon, that will be the fun part!
If you're interested in checking it out or yourself, here is the pattern that inspired the project. And here are some other crafty plastic bag ideas.

I also found this guy who makes 3D art and creatures from old newspapers. Very useful in NY where newspapers are discarded even more readily than plastic bags! A little creepy, but very cool.


listening to: Rasputina - You Don't Own Me

9.19.2007

things to do with apples...

So i'm trying to use up the apples from apple-picking. I haven't been eating them up as much as I thought because they're still a bit tart. I might try an apple crumble dessert, or if I can get cranberries I'll make my cranberry/apple sauce. In the meantime, I made plain old applesauce, which was a LOT easier than i expected.
  1. Quarter and de-core 8 apples, put in large pot
  2. Add a glug of orange juice and a little bit of water, just to cover the bottom of the large pot
  3. Sprinkle raw sugar and cinnamon to taste
  4. I added a tsp or so of vanilla, only because I just got it fresh from the Dominican Republic. Maybe some ginger?
  5. Bring to boil, then simmer until liquid is soaked up (~30 mins total). Stir occasionally.
Voila! Applesauce! 8 apples gave me enough for a big dinner party or enough for me alone for a week or 2. I kept the skins on for more color and texture. It's so perfect for the summer/fall change.


Any other apple ideas?

listening to: Feist - One Evening

9.18.2007

welcome back!

Now THAT was a real vacation. i've been to the beach before, and i've been to islands before, but this was different. The Dominican sunsets were other-worldly, the locals were beyond friendly, the ocean warm and calm at night, the resort just perfect. i've never been interested in all-inclusive resorts before, but this deal was so good we couldn't turn it down (thanks travelzoo!). i certainly wouldn't do this for every trip, but it is quite the treat to have EVERYTHING already paid for. all that said, here are the teaser pics to get you to view the entire album... and Adi's album...

Now for the highlight of the trip... The resort puts on a show every night, think themed dancing, music, performance stuff. Most of it was cheesy as you can imagine. Then. there's. the. Michael Jackson Show. Dominicans love MJ, and it shows. They had a look-alike and did semi-reenactments of his best songs/videos, including Bad (with amazing breakdancing), Smooth Criminal, Thriller (yes. they did the dance.), Heal the World... It was spectacular.



We spent all 4 1/2 days pretty much just laying on the beach. We threw in some kayaking, salsa dancing, lots of volleyball, football, and frisbee, and we even went to the gym on most mornings! On vacation! It was a tropical outdoor gym, we couldn't pass it up. We got off the resort for 1 day and went to Altos de Chavon. It's a beautiful mountaintop... place... I'm not really even quite sure what exactly it is. (I do know that Michael Jackson was married in the church there.) It's sort of an artist's village/historical community, I think. Anyway, it's beautiful.

Came home to 55 degrees on a beautiful night - Fall is in the air!!

listening to: Leah Siegel - The Grandma Song