Custom Dog Quilt

Well it sure has been a long time since I finished a quilt, hasn't it? This one was a custom order-- my sister-in-law requested a primary colored dog quilt for my nephew. He happens to be 6 months old already so you can imagine how long I've been stalling on this one! I had the quilt top pieced a long long time ago but just wasn't confident in my plan for quilting it so I let it sit. and sit. and sit. I really wanted to try free-motion quilting but I knew I didn't have enough practice. I ended up doing a number of difference techniques. I did some straight-line quilting in the dog squares to accentuate them and then wavy lines with my walking foot on all the black sashing (that's where I chickened out by not using free-motion there). I finally put my new free-motion skills to work with the solid colored pieces. In the photo-strip edge I free-handed a single star in each colored square. For the large solid colored blocks I really went to town and did swirls and stars. it was fun, really fast and it turns out that you can't really see the "mistakes." Everything looks like it's supposed to be that way.

I always wanted to try free-motion quilting but thought there must be some sort of trick to it. I finally took a class this winter and learned the trick. The trick is-- there is no trick. You just have to do it. So far, stars and swirls is about all I can handle but I'm excited to try some other techniques and I think I have the confidence to free-motion an entire quilt. I'll start with something small- a baby quilt I'm sure.

It feels great to have this project wrapped up. A huge weight is lifted off my shoulders. Now I'm working on little clothing projects for the kids and designing a big big big project for my brother's wedding! Only 5 months for that one... Must get to work!

Cute shorts and scraped knees

Alex requested some shorts this morning. Since I finished a long-standing, major quilting project yesterday I'm feeling the freedom of being between projects. I didn't prewash this fabric so it might just be a one time only pair of shorts. That would be a shame cause they're super cute.

Vermicomposting, my newest endeavor

I have a compost bin (the Earth Machine) in the backyard but I'm not finding it very satisfying. I can't use it in the winter because I can't get to it through the snow and it freezes shut. Plus I don't take care of it very well (Ron says it's not a compost heap, just a heap of rotting vegetables) and therefore don't exactly get compost from it. We don't have a lot of "brown" material (dried leaves, newspaper, grass clippings) to add to it along with all of the vegetables and it really needs a mix of carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials to thrive.

I have wanted a worm composting bin for a long long time. I haven't gotten one because it seems like a lot of work, I'm slightly creeped out by worms and worry about the kids getting in there. Well screw all that because I have jumped right in! I got my Worm Factory 360, the worms arrived yesterday and I am ready to go. I absolutely hate putting my food scraps in a landfill and now I won't have to. I'm happy to report that so far all is well. There were a few escapees last night but in general it seems very healthy in there. The worms have spread out and pretty much disappeared from view, down into the carefully prepared bedding I provided for them. I have some food scraps in the corners and if they have started eating them within three days I can start putting more scraps in there. With the right conditions it can be fully operational - meaning 5 trays high with the bottom one full of fresh, worm-made compost within 4 months.

I currently have to hold myself back from checking the bin (the worms like their privacy) more than once a day. I am constantly checking the thermometer to make sure it's not too cold (below 40) or too hot (about 80). I worry that even fully operational they won't be able to handle the large amount of vegetable scraps that we have. I guess that's what the big compost bin (aka the rotting vegetable heap) is for. I will keep you updated!

OMG Panko Crusted Soy Ginger Asparagus

This was phenomenal. The recipe is found here at Dana Treat. Go now. Why are you still looking at my blog? Go make this asparagus!

2011 Garden

The theme this year is simplicity. Tomatoes and herbs, just like I promised myself. Talia took half the garden for flowers. We left a space unplanted so the kids (Shayna) can dig around. It was so hard to pass up all the other plants and seeds at the market- peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, carrots, peas etc. but I really wanted to try it this way and see if the garden can be a joyful place instead of a stressor. If I miss growing all those other veggies I'll know for next time!

Ravioli with Harissa Oil

I recently got the Super Natural Every Day cookbook by Heidi Swanson. This is the second recipe I've tried and it's another great success. I love that this is extremely quick- cook some ravioli, add broccolini into the ravioli water at the end. Serve with toasted nuts (she suggests pepita or pine), feta and black olives. Drizzle with Harissa oil which is basically lemon juice, garlic, salt, two tablespoons of Harissa and 4 tablespoons of oil. Great taste + very few prep dishes = a winner.

Mother's Day

Sitting on the porch
Putting the binding on our family quilt
One kid sleeping
One kid playing outside
One kid snuggled right next to me, reading.

FOUR!

My sweet Alex is FOUR today! We had an awesome party yesterday at our local pet store. The kids got to see and touch lizards, mice, a snake, snails, puppies, a kitty and a bunny. I let all the children "adopt" a kitten stuffed animal and we filled out adoption certificates. We served snacks (dog bone shaped graham crackers and goldfish) and ice cream in pet bowls that the kids could keep. We all had a great time!

Fantastic Time in Mexico

A much needed vacation! We had a great time with my extended family. Cancun is only a 3 hour direct flight from Milwaukee-- I think we may be visiting there again!

Team Umizoomi Toys

Alex really likes Team Umizoomi. There are no Umizoomi toys available to buy so I made him a little set out of peg dolls. Bot doesn't looks EXACTLY like he was supposed to but... what's a girl to do? Geo and Milly look... ok.

Exactly What I Wanted

After reading this post, you will know that this is exactly what I wanted!

Talia's Fairy Playmat / Messenger Bag

Similar to Alex's, this one has a bunch of little villages, a Rapunzel tower, a waterfall, castle, mushroom patch, koi pond, mermaids, beach, forest and more. I haven't finished it so I better hurry up!

Alex's Car Playmat / Messenger Bag

I made Alex a car playmat that folds up into a messenger bag. He loves it. I used this pattern from Gingercakes with a few changes. My sister and I used to make elaborate villages out of Fisher Price houses and Little People. I feel like I'm always trying to get the kids to play villages with me. I keep buying them playhouses and dollhouses - anything to start a village building frenzy. It doesn't really work. They might play that way for a little while but would rather do their own thing. Which I guess I should accept. This playmat is sort of a take along village. It has a school area, a hiking park, a candy store and cupcake cafe, a science museum, a zoo, a construction site, a fire station, an airport, traffic, a playground, two housing complexes and a roadway. I am in the process of making Talia a girly one as well. I went on a fabric frenzy after I started making these two. They aren't that big so I have to be VERY selective as to what fabric I choose!

Peg Dolls

I've been quite productive in the crafty department recently but too lazy to take any photos so... no recent blog posts. Yesterday Talia, Alex and I painted peg dolls for the first time. I had been looking forward to it for a long time! It was really fun even though it was quite messy. I could have worked on them forever. I made Alex a really cute superhero but he was too busy playing with it to let me grab a photo. What more could I want?

Talia's Yoga Birthday Party

Talia's yoga birthday party at Blackbird Family Yoga was a great success! The yoga class was fantastic-- the kids really enjoyed it and Amanda, the owner, kept their attention perfectly! I brought a picture frame (I spray painted it pink - and the garage floor, oooops!) and a few props and the kids really hammed it up. The homemade cupcakes were a total hit. I used this recipe for the cupcake and this one for the buttercream frosting. It really isn't that hard to make cupcakes if you send the kids away and they are not climbing all over you. And if you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer. I'm glad this birthday extravaganza is over. I have two months until Alex's 4th birthday and then we are done for a while. Now getting Talia to write her thank you notes will be another story... We've set a goal of three per day. It should be easier than last year, right?

One thing to note-- this past summer I was watching a video of my own birthday party, I'm not sure if I was 6 or 7, but I recall watching myself reading the birthday cards out loud and I noticed that I read them as well as if I were reading them now, at age 37. I was a bit mortified thinking that Talia's reading skills were not up to par. Lo and behold, she read her birthday cards with the same ease I read mine. What a difference a half a year can make! I'm so proud of her!

Tuscan Salad

Must share... This is a really delicious and impressive salad. Sometimes salads don't seem to be enough for a main dish but this one is substantial enough for sure. The crunchy romaine (I'm into romaine these days after years of shunning it for darker greens...), the meaty white beans, the bite of the red onions and olives and the fresh, perfectly al dente green beans combine with a super tangy lemon dressing and salty parmesan. Sound good enough for you? Here it is...

Giada's Tuscan Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 red onion, cut into slivers
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Directions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.
In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Look who's turning 7 tomorrow!

We have a packed weekend! Talia turns SEVEN tomorrow! She is performing in the talent show at school and having a yoga birthday party this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions for egg free treats I can bring into school tomorrow?

Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Winter Squash Hash...

with black rice and a fried egg on top.

I tried this recipe from the New York Times. I fried the egg since I am not confident of my poaching skills. Anything with a fried egg on top is pretty delicious, isn't it? I made the black rice in the rice cooker. It had a nice crunchy texture to it (or is that because I mixed it into the pan with the vegetables after is was cooked?) and tasted great, especially for a whole grain! I would definitely make this again. I probably would dice up the butternut squash and roast it in the oven (maybe even with the brussles sprouts?) instead of cooking it whole and then scooping it out (too messy). Now I need another recipe for the rest of the black rice. I think black rice is "in" right now, isn't it?

Anniversary Map Papercrafting Project

I felt a little guilty about not finding a unique gift for my parent's anniversary last month. Actually, it wouldn't have been so bad... except I didn't send my mom anything for her birthday which was two weeks prior. I'm the kind of person who will get a gift if I see something great. If I don't see anything I like, I just might not send anything. It's not very nice or consistent but I have a lot of gift angst. It doesn't help that certain people in my family are pretty good at picking out gifts. My family is hard to shop for and I just can't handle the pressure!

The night before my parent's anniversary I started feeling guiltier and guiltier so I spent two hours scouring etsy.com for something special. I found a lot of contenders (must keep them in mind!) but most had a long turn-around time so I drew inspiration from a few artists and came up with this gift myself. I bought an atlas at the bookstore and a cloud punch plus a deep frame from the craft store. I enlisted some help to pinpoint the exact cities that my parents had visited over the years. I punched them out of the maps and affixed them to the frame. It took quite a while to figure out the best way to attach them (sewing was involved!) and the best configuration for them (approximately spatially according to city). The best thing about it is that I haven't made much of a dent in their travels-- I only covered Europe and Asia! This means that next year I can give them Africa and the next South America and then Australia! So in the end, I get a few years worth of anniversary gifts out of this one idea! How awesome is that?

Slightly Belated Recent Happenings

Packers won

Shayna hangs out in her favorite spot

Talia has a tea party for her new American Girl Puppy, Coconut.


I acutally made cookies. From scratch. I let the kids help. It wasn't fun.