Aunt Lola's DIY Blog

Declan's Argyle Sweater Vest Modeled

2011-12-27T17:52:00.005-06:00

Sweater vest #1 went to little Declan this weekend. He wears it well! I think I'll try to make Adrian's a little longer. And I'll use shades of green instead of blue. Can't wait to get started!

I can't even stand this photo with the Alfalfa hair!

Nephew Vest #1

2011-12-22T21:10:00.011-06:00

Almost two years ago, in February and March 2010, two new nephews came into my life. I knitted three fourths of a sweater. It's time to get caught up on long overdue baby gifts. These two boys are getting argyle sweater vests this winter. The first one is now complete! I should probably still block it, but below are the progress photos through the end.

I used Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn (25% wool, 75% acrylic). I followed Jane Tanner's Diamond Back Argyle Vest pattern from Ravelry. I followed the size two instructions in width, but the size six instructions in length, since my gauge is wide and the pattern photos looked a little short to begin with.

Amy's Cowl

2011-11-28T19:09:00.003-06:00

Project number two of the chili cook-off gifts is now complete. I used Julia Allen's Candleflame Cowl pattern from Ravelry. For Amy's cowl, I used a worsted weight yarn and a size six 16-inch circular needle. It seemed too snug for my liking, so when I repeated the pattern for my mom, I used a size seven. It still seems a little too close to a neck brace. Probably okay for Amy's purposes (winter outdoor running), but not great for throwing on when the house is a little chilly.

Baby Shae's Sweater, Modeled

2011-11-17T21:51:00.006-06:00

Shae's sweater made it safely to Buffalo. Feast your eyes on the cuteness!

Gloria's Mittens

2011-11-12T12:48:00.004-06:00

I finished the first of the projects I promised as prizes for the chili and soup cook-off. Gloria was the first to donate, so she was the first to get a prize. She asked me for mittens for her two-year-old niece. Here they are!

It turns out, it's hard to find a good pattern for toddler mittens. I started out with this pattern from Ravelry. I ended up editing heavily for the size I wanted. Here's my edited version.

Gloria’s mittens

Size 4 dpns

Color A: DK weight
Color B: worsted weight

Cuff

Cast on 36 inches in Color A.
Work in k2p2 rib for 2 inches.

Shape Thumb Gusset

Round 1: In Color B, k1, p1, k3, p1, k to end of round.
Round 2: In Color A, k1, p1, k3, p1, k to end of round.
Round 3: In Color A, k1, p1, k3, p1, k to end of round.
Round 4: In Color A, k1, p1, kfb, k1, kfb, p1, k to end of round.
Round 5: In Color B, k1, p1, k5, p1, k to end of round.
Round 6: In Color B, k1, p1, k5, p1, k to end of round.
Round 7: In Color A, k1, p1, kfb, k3, kfb, p1, k to end of round.
Round 8: In Color A, k1, p1, k7, p1, k to end of round.
Round 9: In Color B, k1, p1, k7, p1, k to end of round.
Round 10: In Color B, k1, p1, kfb, k5, kfb, p1, k to end of round.
Round 11: In Color B, k1, p1, k9, p1, k to end of round.
Round 12: In Color A, k1, p1, k9, p1, k to end of round.

Save out stitches for thumb

Round 13: In Color B, k2, place next 9 sts on holder, cast on 3 sts, k to end of round.

Make the hand

In Color B, work in stockinette for 1 1/2 inches.

Shape the top of hand

Round 1: (skp, k4) Repeat 5 times (30 sts remaining)
Round 2 and 3: Knit even.
Round 4: (skp, k3) Repeat 5 times (24 sts remaining).
Round 5: Knit even.
Round 6: (skp, k2) Repeat 5 times (18 sts remaining).
Round 7: Knit even.
Round 8: (skp, k1) Repeat 5 times (12 sts remaining).
Round 9: (skp) Repeat 5 times (6 sts remaining).
Break yarn and thread through remaining 6 stitches.
Draw yarn up tightly and fasten off.

Making the thumb

Pick up the 9 sts on the holder, the three cast on stitches, and a stitch in between on each side.
Divide these 14 stitches evenly onto 3 needles.
Knit even for 8 rounds.

Shape Top of Thumb

Round 1: (k2tog) 7 times.
Round 2: Knit even.
Round 3: (k2tog) 3 times, k1.
Break off yarn and thread through the remaining stitches. Draw yarn up tightly and fasten off.

Recipe: Laura's Hominy Corn Chowder

2011-10-27T19:27:00.004-05:00

from Jacques Pepin

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced green onion
1/2 cup green hot salsa (or less for a milder soup)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes in sauce
1 28-ounce can white hominy (about 3 cups kernels and juice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can corn (drained)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic, onion, and scallions.

Cook for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the corn and cilantro.

Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the corn and cilantro, return to a boil, and serve.

Recipe: Mark's Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2011-10-25T21:27:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups chicken broth
2 12-oz jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained
1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 3/4-inch thick baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.

Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Recipe: Trevor's Pumpkin Chipotle Sausage Soup

2011-10-25T21:09:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock
1 29 oz can pumpkin puree
1 15 oz can black beans
1/2 lb chorizo
1 4 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 bunch cilantro
1 poblano pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, diced
1/2 lb raw pumpkin seeds
4 limes
olive oil
cumin
salt
ground chipotle
ancho chili powder

Directions

Heat oven to 350. While waiting for oven, lightly drizzle pumpkin seeds with olive oil and mix with salt, cumin, and ground chipotle until evenly coated. Put the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Watch closely, look for a medium roast. When the seeds are done take out of the oven and let cool. Place the poblanos in the oven at the same time as the seeds (on the rack works fine). The peppers are done when the outer skin starts to bubble and looks slightly charred. Remove from oven and place in a paper bag for 10-15 minutes.

Brown chorizo in a large heated, oiled pot. Remove from pot, set aside and save the oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and 1/2 Tbsp each salt, cumin, ancho, and ground chipotle. Saute until onions are transparent. Next add pumpkin, half the stock, half of the cilantro, the juice of one lime, and 2 chipotle peppers with some of the sauce. Blend with an immersion blender (or wait if using a blender to mix). Continue to add stock until you reach the desired consistency. Take poblano peppers from bag then remove skin and seeds. Add the poblano flesh to the soup. Blend with the immersion blender or mixer. Once all the soup is blended, add chorizo and black beans.

You can add more chipotle peppers with the sauce, lime juice, or seasoning at this time. Once the soup is to your liking, let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Recipe: Simon's Pork Chili Verde

2011-10-24T22:09:00.004-05:00

Ingredients

Spice Rub

2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 lbs pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes
4 Tbsp vegetable oil or lard, or more as needed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 7-oz can whole or diced roasted green chiles
1 14-oz can plum or fire-roasted tomatoes
2 10-oz cans Mexican green tomatillos, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), plus additional for garnish
1 cup meat or poultry stock
1 to 2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Place the pork in a large non-aluminum container and rub with the spice mixture. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for one to two hours at room temperature.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the meat in batches, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cook until brown, adding oil as needed, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Set aside the browned meat.

In a stew pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute the onions until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for two minutes longer. Add the reserved pork to the onion mixture.

In a blender or food processor, puree the green chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, and fresh coriander. Stir this puree and the meat stock into the pork and onions. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer until the pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Chili and Soup Cook-Off

2011-10-24T21:37:00.004-05:00

Amanda and I hosted our second annual Chili and Soup Cook-Off party last weekend. We raised $800 for my favorite nonprofit and ate a lot of awesome chili and soup. Lots of guests asked for people's recipes, so I'll be posting those over the next couple of days. I also promised donors of $50 or more that I would knit them something fabulous, so those projects will be featured over the next couple of months. Enjoy!

Amanda's Hurricane Hat

2011-10-20T10:23:00.004-05:00

As I was blogging about Shae's sweater today, I came across a bunch of photos of projects I never got around to posting. Here's one I'm really proud of. I liked the Hurricane Hat I made for myself so much, I turned around and made one for Amanda, too. Like with mine, I used two strands of yarn, both to add a tweedy look and to add warmth. It doesn't stretch nearly as badly as the first hat I made for her. Here's a close-up. The tweedy look makes it hard to see the actual pattern detail, but it's called Hurricane Hat because there's a row of purls that swirls up to the top.

Baby Shae's Sweater

2011-10-20T09:07:00.008-05:00

One of my many craft failures happened two years ago, when Baby Shae was born. You may remember I had been working diligently on "Mini Brynn's Sweater" before she arrived. Well, that girl grew quickly, and I was a slow crafter. Pretty soon she was too big for the sweater, and I quit at about 75% of the way through the project. Craft Fail. Now she's two, and I've finally gone back and made her a sweater.

This pattern is a much quicker knit. There's no lace, it's knit in all one piece from the top down, and there are no sleeves. Mollie bought the pattern, "In Threes" through Ravelry from Kelly Without A Net and lent it to me.

Since my gauge is always so wide, I used a size 7 circular needle (24 inch) rather than the recommended size 8/5mm needle. I followed the size 4T/5T pattern. The yarn is a Berroco Vintage blend (50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10% nylon) that claims to be machine washable. Care instructions: Machine wash inside out in cold water, gentle cycle. Lay flat to dry. I asked the folks at StevenBe for a machine washable yarn, but I didn't ask about the drying. I'm sure my sister's going to be really happy to hear that I gave her a sweater she can't throw in with the rest of the laundry.

Here's the preliminary product, before blocking. I made a mistake at one point. Apparently halfway across the back I reverted to stockinette, so my garter rows don't match up in the front. Embarrassing.

Here's the final product, after blocking and finishing.

I hope I'll get some pictures of the sweater being modeled soon!

Brynn's legwarmers, modeled

2011-09-06T22:36:00.002-05:00

I think she likes them!

Brynn's Sparkly Legwarmers

2011-07-31T15:25:00.003-05:00

After Abby got a pair of sparkly legwarmers, I decided that my six-year-old niece needed some, too. I picked a pattern from Ravelry called Beanstalks. It's kind of a fake cable pattern, involving some fancy stitches but no real cabling. Hopefully I'll get a picture of the model in a couple weeks!

Abby's Totally 80s Legwarmers

2011-05-14T23:32:00.009-05:00

My friend Abby is crazy for 80s music, so when this concert came along, she NEEDED to be there. Lo and behold, it happened to hit very near her birthday.

So I decided my birthday gift to her would be some rad legwarmers. We made a trip to Michael's so she could pick out her colors. She decided on a lovely glittery hot pink with a glittery lime green trim, both from Red Heart's Shimmer line. I used Lilliputian Stitches' pattern for Spiral Legwarmers, found on Ravelry.

To make sure my legwarmers were extra slouchy, I used size 10 dpns instead of the 8 that the pattern called for. And I did five repeats of the spiral pattern instead of four to make them a little longer.

A couple of things to note about doing the rib in a contrasting color:

1. To avoid a jog at the point of the color change, after one round of the new color, slip the first stitch of that color, rather than knitting it. Techknitting describes this technique very well.

2. To create a clean line between the knit section in hot pink and the ribbed section in lime, I should have knit the first row of lime, then begun the rib. This picture is from my phone and really blurry, but you can kind of see the difference between the two legwarmers--I realized my mistake after the first one and corrected it in the second one.

Oh, and finally, this was my first encounter with a pattern that called for a "stretchy bind off." As suggested, I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off and was quite satisfied with the results.

Here we are all dolled up and ready to dance the night away to orchestral arrangements of such treasures as Come On Eileen and Welcome to the Jungle.

Meow!

2011-04-22T18:01:00.003-05:00

Bennett's mama sent me a picture of him being a little more cooperative in the modeling department. What a cutie!! I didn't realize I was doing it, but how much does it look like the hat has whiskers? Accidental awesomeness.

Spring 2011 Craft Fairs

2011-04-22T17:19:00.015-05:00

Craft fair season is upon us. Where I'll be shopping in the coming weeks:

Handmade Heartfelt Artisans' Fair
Saturday, April 23, 2011 11am - 6pm
Ballentine VFW

Saint Paul Craftstravaganza
Saturday, April 30, 2011 9am - 5pm
MN State Fair Grounds, Fine Arts Builiding

Art-A-Whirl

May 20-22, 2011
Northeast Minneapolis

Johnstock
May 20-22, 2011
2800 Johnson Street NE, Minneapolis

Bennett's Kitty Hat

2011-04-16T17:55:00.012-05:00

My little friend Bennett had a first birthday party yesterday, and since I copped out when he was born and bought his gift rather than finishing the knitted blocks I had begun, I decided now he needed some Aunt Lola handmade goodness. I turned to the free pattern wonderland called Ravelry, where I fell in love with kerli's Kittie Hat. The pattern is super simple. A little too simple--it left a little to be desired. I took copious notes, a smart move since by the end I had torn it out and started over three times trying to get the right size. So below is my version.

The birthday boy was not an especially willing model.

Bennett's Kittie Hat

Adapted from kerli's Kittie Hat

Needles: Size 10 dpns
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy bulky weight in Silver Heather
My gauge: 4 sts/inch

Cast on 64 sts.

Rows 1-3: k1p1 rib.

Row 4: *k6, k2tog* repeat to end (54 sts).

Row 5: knit. Continue knitting in stockinette until piece measures 6-7 inches.

Bind off using three-needle bind-off method: Transfer stitches to two needles (27 stitches on each needle. With these needles in your left hand, use a third needle in your right hand to insert, knitwise, into first stitch on front needle, and again knitwise into first stich on back needle. Knit the two stitches together. Repeat, then lift first stitch over second stitch and off needle to bind off first stitch. Continue to end. Keep a long tail to use for the first ear.

Ears

Sew front and back pieces together across the top corners to make the ears. I used a long tail from the bind off for my first ear. After pulling it through the final loop, I inserted it into the inside of the hat and pulled it out where I wanted to start the ear. I counted nine stitches down from the corner, and pulled the yarn out. Then I counted nine stitches across the top from the corner, and made that my destination. Imagining a line between these two points, I wove my needle in and out of both front and back pieces of the hat to sew the corner ear. When I got to the top, I turned around and went back the same way to make it extra solid. Then I repeated on the other side.

Next I threaded my yarn needle with some pink yarn from my stash and added color to the ears using the Duplicate stitch. This is basically tracing over the existing stitches with a different color.

Chin Ties

Measure the desired length of yarn for the tie, add an inch, and cut 12 strands of yarn at this length. Knot six strands together at one end. Figure out where you want the tie to attach the the hat and stick your knot through a hole in the knit fabric there. Now pull the rest of this tie through the knot, sort of like a cow hitch. Braid the tie, with each strand of the braid consisting of two strands of yarn. Knot the end. Repeat on the other side of the hat.

Chemo Caps

2011-04-10T19:45:00.011-05:00

Recently a friend asked if our craft group would be willing to knit hats for a chemo cap drive. We were all in the midst of other projects, and put it off until the last week. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get a hat done in a week. And then a craft miracle happened. I finished three. In one week! It helped that I took a day off from work to stay home and take care of my kidney stone-ridden girlfriend, who slept in a percocet induced haze the whole day.

Anyway, here are my hats. Fashion show!

Angela and Abby made hats, too. Here's Angela's.

The pink is so adorable it makes me want to do this.

And I'm such a jerk, I forgot to get a picture of Abby's. It was beautiful. The woman collecting the hats agreed.

Baby Chase's Blanket

2011-03-15T10:27:00.007-05:00

Around Thanksgiving, I learned that one of my oldest friends was soon to be a dad. I set to work on a gift as soon as I finished the Hurricane Hat. I finally took Mollie's advice and went to Ravelry in search of patterns.

I chose Ingrid Aaturn's Pine Forest Baby Blanket because the pattern looked pretty simple, and I needed a project I could count on myself to finish. I made a couple of variations:

1. I used a size 10 circular needle (the pattern called for an 8).

2. I used chunky weight yarn instead of worsted. My main color was Deborah Norville's Serenity Chunky in Golden.

3. I made the border in a contrasting color, Lion Brand's Baby's First Yarn in Honey Bee. This was a really soft acrylic/cotton blend, but I ended up not liking the way the threads would unravel when I was weaving the ends in.

Here's the final product:

And here it is after being safely shipped to Chicago. I think little Baby Chase likes his new blankie.

Aunt Lola's Quiche Recipe

2011-01-03T13:10:00.004-06:00

I went on a long quiche-making kick this fall. Quiche every weekend! But it took some time to perfect the process. Search the internet for quiche recipes and you'll find hundreds of widely varying opinions on the ratio of eggs to milk/cream to crust. Here's what I ended up with.

Aunt Lola’s Quiche Recipe

2 frozen pie crusts (deep dish)
1 dozen eggs
3 cups half & half
1 bag baby spinach (or any other combo of veggies, bacon, etc.)
1 brick shredded Swiss cheese (approximate)

1. Heat spinach in large saucepan, stirring often, until wilted. Roll in paper towels to wring out extra moisture.

2. Beat eggs. Beat in half & half.

3. Pour egg mixture into pie crusts. Drop in spinach and cheese (I usually use about a half a brick of cheese for each pie. I just go until the pie crusts are getting full).

4. Bake at 350⁰ for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center
comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Hurricane Hat

2010-12-13T19:00:00.003-06:00

My friend Mollie churns out about three hats a week. I don’t know how she does it. Nobody in her family or friend circle (or in the entire Twin Cities metro area) will ever have cold ears. Check out the fish hat she recently knat for Waylon.

A couple weeks ago, she showed off a hat she had knat using this Hurricane Hat pattern from String in Motion. I decided to give hat knitting another go-round. This time I used natural fibers (the wool and silk Mushishi from my recent checkerboard lace scarf) so that if it stretches out like Amanda’s hat did, I have a chance at re-shaping it through blocking. I also tried out a double-stranded hat for extra warmth, since Amanda’s wasn’t very warm. I had some baby weight laying around in green, so I’m using that as my second strand. I think the colors work very nicely together.

I’ve worn it a couple of times now, and so far so good: I don’t think it’s stretching out!

Oh, and I forgot the most important part. Since my gauge is so wide, I cast on the requierd 81 stitches, but I used size six double-pointed needles instead of the called-for size sevens to bring it down a notch.

Checkerboard Lace Scarf

2010-12-11T23:20:00.006-06:00

Mollie, the queen of knitting hats, recently alerted me to the presence of a new yarn store in the neighborhood: Steven Be. I promptly made a visit, and wow! What a place! I have yet to meet the store’s namesake, but those who have met him describe him in such a way that he’s become a mythical magical being in my mind. Kind of like a unicorn with knitting needles. And glitter. Apparently, he calls himself the Glitter Knitter. Abby says he’s like the Carson Kressley of knitting (in a good way), lighting up the room and calling cute little old lady knitters “divas.”

Anyway, I went to Steven Be without a solid project in mind, just looking for a yarn to inspire me. I found many, but ended up taking home a green wool and silk Mushishi. So beautiful!

After a few failures in the past couple years, I decided I better just focus on some leisurely knitting for myself. I had plans for lots of baby gifts that I never finished -- baby Shae’s hot pink sweater, Baby Adrian’s blue sweater, Baby Bennett’s blocks... All got to about 75% complete and then I just quit. I got knitter’s block. So this winter, I’m starting by just knitting for myself.

I used the Mushishi for a scarf for myself. I really liked the checkerboard lace pattern I had used on Henry’s blanket, so I returned to it. For this scarf, I used size 8 needles and cast on 27 stitches.

Here’s the finished project.

I think I need to learn how to block my work. You can't really see the lace pattern with all the curled edges!

Crayon Rolls

2010-12-11T22:53:00.008-06:00

You may think that there has been no crafting at Aunt Lola's house since there have been no posts. How wrong you'd be! As a matter of fact, I've created a new craft room to house all the crafting! When Amanda moved in, she took over my old craft room, and now the basement guest room has become a guest room/craft room. Interestingly, I've actually used it more than I did when it was upstairs. It's a little bigger and feels like my own little studio apartment. Plus it's close to the ironing board, which I pulled in for this recent craft project.

Two of my little munchkins turned three this fall, so I made crayon rolls for birthday gifts. I got the idea from Skip to My Lou. I was delighted to find that Skip has experimented quite a bit and has posted several variations of the project:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/12/18/felt-crayon-holder/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/09/09/keep-on-rollin/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/08/06/felt-crayon-roll/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/04/25/on-a-roll/

I copied the project, and put my own stamp on it. My biggest difference was that I used a magnetic snap closure instead of using one of Lou's options. I thought the magnet would be easiest for tiny fingers.

This was my first foray into piping, and it doesn't look like my most professional work. As I often do, I found myself cursing the fact that I only took sewing in 4-H for two years. I think Grandma Lo should give Aunt Lola some more lessons.

You can imagine how huge my big beaming smile was when Ava stopped opening her birthday presents after she opened mine. She immediately pulled out the crayons and started coloring.

I asked the moms for feedback a few weeks later, and one suggested a flap to keep the crayons in place. Apparently they fall out when the roll is turned upside down. Duly noted.

Cold Computer

2010-12-10T14:19:00.003-06:00

It's so cold in my office, I had to give my computer a sweater!

Thanks to leethal wallpapers for the graphic!

Tomato Risotto

2010-09-01T22:18:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my weekly email from ReadyMade linked to this blog post about making risotto with a garden abundance, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I was getting a little bit bored with my traditional uses for tomatoes, and certainly running out of good ideas for zucchini. I had to hit three stores before I found arborio rice. Why was that so hard?! Anyway, Abby and I adapted the recipe to suit our supplies and tastes this evening. It was freaking fantastic. Even Amanda the Tomato-Unsure loved it. We all dove in before I remembered I should take a photo, so this is round two. Our version of the recipe is below.

Tomato Risotto

2 T olive oil
1 T butter

2/3 cup dry white wine

3 plum tomatoes
3 heirloom tomatoes (can use more or less depending on how juicy they are and how tomato-y you want it)

1 small leek (white and light green parts)
1 green onion (white and some green part)
(recipe called for 1/2 of a regular onion, no leeks)

1 lb arborio rice
1 quart of vegetable stock (give or take)

2-3 cups diced zucchini

1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped (recipe called for 2 T rosemary and 2 T fresh thyme)

1 c parmesan

2 T fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Warm the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a deep saute pan. Add the diced onion and a dash of salt and stir to combine. When the onion is just starting to get translucent (about 2 minutes), add in your rice and stir to coat.

2. Add wine. When absorbed, add stock and handfuls of tomato a little at a time, stirring near constantly, adding more when liquid is absorbed.

3. When rice is near done, add in your squash. Keep stirring and adding liquid as you need it.

4. When the rice is done (a little al dente, but mostly soft), stir in the rosemary, basil, and parmesan. Turn the stove off, put the lid on the pot, and let it rest for about 10 minutes so that the flavors combine. Serve topped with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Pear Party

2010-08-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

Back in late July, Simon came over for a pear party. He climbed a ladder and picked a massive bucket full of beautiful little pears from the backyard pear tree. We may have been a little early for fully ripe pears, but we beat the squirrels and crows, so if they weren't totally ripe, it was still worth it to be able to do something with them besides pick half eaten ones up off the lawn.

We had purchased a Ball starter canning kit, and pulled a recipe for pear butter from the book that was included. Peeling and coring pound after pound of tiny pears was tedious.

The recipe turned out to be a bit too sweet--the sugar nearly covered the pear flavor. Still, the pear butter is nice on toast in the morning. Simon set aside some of the pear puree before it was sweetened, and turned it into a spectacular pear sorbet.

I also put a few pears to work in a bowl full of vodka. The pear-infused vodka was a big hit a few weeks later mixed with 7-Up and a twist of lime.

I cobbled together some loose instructions from the internet, which basically said to infuse vodka, put something in it and let it sit for a while. So I placed about six pears, sliced in half, into a glass container full of vodka and stored it in a dark place for a couple of weeks. I didn't refrigerate it. I think that worked out okay. When it was time to drink the vodka, I strained it through a coffee filter and funnel back into its original bottle.

And finally, we sent a bucket of pears home with Trevor, who is bottling pear beer this week! Looking forward to tasting the fruits of his labor as well!

Poster as Wrapping Paper

2010-08-26T14:30:00.006-05:00

I work at Orchestra Hall, and occasionally the marketing department will do a poster purge to get rid of old advertisements that were in the windows of the box office. I grab a few each time, thinking if nothing else, the back side of that big sheet of heavy paper will come in handy someday. Incidentally, this kind of thinking, while a useful attribute for a DIYer, makes for a very full house. All of my shelves and drawers and corners are stuffed with things that might someday be a useful ingredient for a craft project.

Amanda's birthday is this week, and I found my use for this poster. I happened to order her gift online and have it shipped to work, so she wouldn't see it, and when it came, I set it on the floor in the corner of my cube, right next to said poster. Aha! Look how pretty!

Side note: These pictures are a good reminder about the rules of lighting and photography--the wrapped gift picture was taken in late afternoon, near a window. The unwrapped poster picture was taken further away from a window, in the morning. Hmmm.

Perennial Sale!

2010-08-24T21:06:00.026-05:00

My favorite greenhouse, Wagner's, is having a sale. All perennials are 40% off. I spent a long time there on Sunday, browsing the selection. What a great way to spend an hour.

My intention was to look for some shade-loving plants for the front yard. There's a big (maple?) tree in the south half of the front yard that shades pretty much that whole side. There's a nice border of hostas along the sidewalk, and the rest of the space filled with a sprinkling of ferns, lilly of the valley, and lots of weeds. I wanted to find (a) a shade loving vine to climb the arbor on the shady south side, and (b) a shade loving plant that would aggressively fill in the space under the tree that the ferns have failed to fill.

"Silver Moon" Clematis

I found one variety of a flowering vine that likes partial shade: the "Silver Moon" clematis. I can't wait to see if it will flower in the spring. I wonder what "pruning type 2" means. And I wonder if I need to add wires or string or something to help it climb.

"Cherry Blossom" Lenten Rose

For the space under the tree, I am giving this "Cherry Blossom" Lenten Rose a try. It was the most expensive of my picks, but I have high hopes for it. The actual plant looks thick and sturdy. The tag says it's "exceptionally vigorous" and is an excellent groundcover for shady areas. Exactly what I need.

So I'd found what I was looking for. But then I kept finding more plants that wanted to go home with me. My front rock garden is still a weedy mess, because even though I've planted lots of low, thick groundcover, there are still areas of bare dirt. So I splurged on three new plants for the rock garden.

"Black Scallop" Ajuga

I love the "Chocolate Chip" Ajuga that I planted the last couple of summers. It's pretty all summer, and it is spreading nicely. This "Black Scallop" version has a bigger leaf, but otherwise looks very similar. I hope it spreads as well. This one supposedly likes partial shade, so I put it on the side of the front rock garden that gets a lot of shade from the maple. It will get dappled light during the day, and some sun in the late afternoons.

Mexican Evening Primrose

Now that I've decided to focus my energies on vegetable gardening, I didn't plant a single annual this year, and I missed the color. When I saw this Mexican Evening Primrose, I was wooed by its pretty flowers combined with its groundcover properties. The tag promises "profuse day-blooming flowers over a long season." This should be a treat!

"Heart Attack" Sweet William

Presumably named for its blood red blooms, I fell in love with the healthy-looking thick foliage and the potential for bright color in the spring. The tag says "Heart Attack" Sweet William is perfect for amassing in beds and borders.

From Humble Beginnings...

2010-08-24T20:19:00.015-05:00

The summer has flown by, and from humble beginnings has spring a very lively garden. We've had loads of cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, basil and dill. We're on the verge of a robust butternut squash harvest, and if the vigor of the as-yet fruitless vines of the pumpkin plants are any indication, we should have a great pumpkin harvest, too. We've got a couple of tiny acorn squashes and watermelons. And still have hopes that we'll get carrots, beets, and onions.

A few highlights in pictures:

2010 Garden

2010-06-10T21:38:00.013-05:00

On Memorial Day, our 2010 garden was born. Last year's garden was so much fun, I decided to expand. A lot. We took the entire top tier of the backyard landscaping over. I took my parents advice and used roundup to kill the grass a couple of weeks ahead of time.

We basically planted a community garden. It was a "barn raising" of the garden variety. The father of last year's tomato seedlings, Simon's Sarah's Dad Ron, offered to come help and give master gardening advice, so we eagerly accepted the offer. Simon and Sarah helped too, and even brought dinner for the grill later.

Tilling by hand is a tough job. We used a couple of "garden claw" type tools, but a plain old pitchfork was the best tool for the job. Unfortunately, it broke under the stress.

When it was all turned up, we raked away the dead grass.

Finally, planting!

Then watering... (notice we attracted a neighborhood kid who always likes to be helpful!)

We planted carrots (the only thing we planted from seed), rhubarb, red onions, white onions, leeks, garlic, beets, lettuce, asparagus, strawberries, pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, basil, dill, celery, and cilantro.

The rhubarb:

The strawberries:

The garlic...

The pumpkins....

The lettuce...

The end. Expect weekly updates. Or monthly. I'm not so great at the blogging these days.

I want this to be my house.

2010-03-25T18:53:00.000-05:00

Craft Blog Clearinghouse

2010-03-19T10:41:00.010-05:00

A friend posted this today on my facebook wall:

Hey Laura,I've been channeling your energy lately with lots of craftiness. Do you still follow (have?) crafting blogs? If so, would you mind sharing which ones? Are there any other must haves that I should know about in the magazine/online/book world? Thanks!!

Oh the crafting we'll do this summer when you're in Minneapolis, Beth!! In the meantime, here are some of my favorites, posted here for Aunt Lola's readers' benefit as well.

First off, magazines. I subscribe to ReadyMade. I've been a subscriber for a few years, and I have to say the quality of the magazine has gone downhill. The projects are often impractical and not cheap. I demand that my craft projects are not just nifty because they use something in a way other than it was intended. They must be useful, attractive, and not cost-prohibitive. I once saw an article in Readymade about how to build your own couch. It didn't use any recycled materials, and the total cost of materials was more than what you would have paid at Room and Board! And last summer I read an article about how to turn a wheelbarrow into a portable backyard fire pit. In the next issue, one wise reader sent in a letter to the editor outlining all of the reasons it was a stupid idea: the paint would melt and be toxic, the tires would melt, the wheelbarrow could tip over, etc. With all that being said, somehow when my renewal date comes up, they always convince me to subscribe for another year!

Now, blogs. This is where it's at for me, because they're free! Here's what's in my Google Reader feed:

Craft Magazine Blog

Chock full of craft ideas every day. I should subscribe to the magazine, but it's expensive and I think is only published quarterly.

CraftStylish

Mostly about sewing and crafting clothes and accessories.

These top two blogs are my biggest recommendations, because they both link to other craft blogs daily, so you'll have dozens of blogs to add to your own RSS feed in no time at all!

Badder Homes and Gardens

Okay, I'll admit it. I subscribe to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I received a gift subscription years ago, and even though I'm not a middle-aged mother, I find it interesting enough to pay the super cheap $14/year. So when I ran across the Badder Homes and Gardens blog, the name alone cracked me up enough to want to keep reading. It's definitely rated R, and not really a craft blog, but it makes lots of snarky comments about art and design that give me little bits of release on stressful days at work.

Feast (ReadyMade's food and entertaining blog)

I subscribe to a few recipe blogs because I have a habit of going out a lot, and need to be reminded that I can DIY my meals. Plus who doesn't love trying new foods and recipes?

Fine Diving in Chicago

I just recently learned about this one, and have been impressed so far with the transformation of found objects.

Inside, Out (ReadyMade's home and garden blog)

Fun DIY decorating ideas from ReadyMade.

Make Nice (ReadyMade's craft blog)

Lots of really random crafts.

Valetine Muffins

2010-02-16T07:23:00.003-06:00

Kids, your Aunt Lola's in love. Love makes you do crazy things. Things you never thought you'd do. Like purchase and use a heart-shaped silicone muffin tin.

Amanda's Hat: the pictures

2010-02-01T21:15:00.004-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of Amanda's hat. In the month since I gave it to her, it has already stretched out and doesn't shrink back down to size. Knitters among you, is this a yarn problem? A pattern problem? A size problem? I've decided a good solution would be to thread some elastic thread through the inside of the band to try to help it retain its shape. We'll see how long it takes me to get around to that. Aunt Lola has not been the most prolific of crafters lately.

On the other hand, I did manage to do a little extra crafting at Christmas time. For you out of town readers, the entire state of Minnesota (and Iowa) was hit with a nasty snow and ice storm right before Christmas. My family ended up cancelling all festivities, and I stuck around home for the entire four days. I woke up and shovelled every morning, then watched movies and ate junk food for the rest of the day. By Saturday night, that had gotten very tiresome, so I decided to occupy myself by making a scarf to match Amanda's hat. I finished it by Monday. It may be my fastest project yet. It was a basic 2x2 rib, modeled after my favorite green scarf, but still. It included color variations!

Holiday Dinner Recipe: Roasted Winter Vegetables

2009-12-31T14:28:00.001-06:00

(adapted from Simon)

3 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
3 red potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eighths
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
(parsnips and turnips are also good, but I didn't use them this time).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place vegetables in roasting pan and splash with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, enough to coat vegetables. Stir in a dash of thyme, rosemary, and two cloves minced garlic. Bake approximately one hour, stiring every 15-20 minutes.

Holiday Dinner Recipe: Christmas Ham

2009-12-31T14:26:00.001-06:00

1 fully cooked bone-in ham (5-7 lbs)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp mustard
1-3 T cider vinegar

Score ham 1/2" deep with a sharp knife. Place ham on a rack on a shallow pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (20 minutes per pound). Combine brown sugar, mustard, and enough vinegar to make a paste. During the last hour of baking, brush glaze on ham every 15 minutes.

Yield: 10-14 servings.

Holiday Dinner Recipe: Christmas Wassail

2009-12-31T14:23:00.002-06:00

1 gallon apple cider
1 quart orange juice (pure)
1 cup lemon juice
1 quart pineapple juice
24 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
1 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients and simmer over very low heat for 1 to 2 hours. Serve warm.

Yield: 1 1/2 gallons (too much for my biggest stock pot!)

Holiday Dinner Party

2009-12-31T13:56:00.012-06:00

A week before Christmas, I had a few friends over for a holiday dinner party. We started the evening with roasted chestnuts and wassail, then had a dinner of Christmas ham, roasted winter vegetables, asparagus with parmesan, and spinach and gouda gratin.

A rousing game of Quiddler was followed by homemade ice cream and Christmas cookies.

Recipes posted separately for those who are interested.

Amanda's Hat: the pattern

2009-12-25T10:02:00.005-06:00

I've finished Amanda's hat. Pictures will have to wait until I've given it to her. I made some modifications to the pattern, so here is my version.

AMANDA'S HAT

Worsted weight yarn
Size 8 dpns

Instructions

Cast on 78 stitches onto dpns.

Work in K1P1 rib for one inch.

Increase round: Following k1p1 rib pattern, rib 7, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 7, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 8, inc 1, rib 7, inc 1, p1. (now have 88 stitches).

Work in a 2x2 garter rib pattern until the total length of the cap is 6 inches. The stitch pattern is:

Round 1: K2 P2 around.
Round 2: Knit.

Adding Stripes

In the garter rib pattern, the color change should be made on Round 2 (all knit round).

To make stripes "jogless" (i.e. to make them line up all the way around the hat), follow instructions adapted from Techknitting:

On color change rounds, change colors by knitting the first stitch of the new color as you usually would. Then, knit the rest of the stitches to the end of the round.

On the next round, slip the first stitch of the new color, then knit the rest of the stitches.

On every following round, knit every stitch as usual.

Decreasing the Top

First decrease round (on Rnd 1): (K2 P2tog) around.
Work 5 rounds of pattern as established (knit next round, then k2p1 around; repeat; knit fifth round).

Decrease round 2: (K2tog, p1) around.
Work 3 rounds in pattern as established (knit next round; k1p1 around; knit third round).

Decrease round 3: (K2tog, P2tog) around.
Work 1 round as established (knit).

Decrease round 4: K2tog around.

Break off yarn and run it twice through the remaining stitches, pulling the hole tightly closed.

Amanda's Hat

2009-12-11T18:19:00.004-06:00

I'm currently working on a hat for Amanda for Christmas. Hard to believe, but this is my first hat ever! After consulting with the girls, and offering Amanda a choice of four patterns, I settled on this one from Head Hunters (in beanie style). I personally would have chosen this one, since I've seen the one Mollie made and it's darn cute. Plus I have been really itching to try a cable pattern. It sounds fun, I just haven't had an occasion to do it.

Frustration hit around inch two. I was knitting along, when I see a great big knot in the yarn. They didn't even try to cover up this tackiness. I decided to keep moving, until six inches down the yarn, I see a second knot. So chintzy. That's what I get for buying cheap yarn. I backed up and broke the yarn, but I am afraid I didn't leave enough of a tail to weave in, and it's already starting to come out. Ugh. Perhaps when I'm all done, I'll have to check the repair section of my Stitch 'N Bitch book.

Roasting Chestnuts

2009-12-06T16:40:00.009-06:00

A couple of years ago, I went to a holiday season fundraiser where hot cider was served and chestnuts were roasted on an open fire. I had never tasted a chestnut before, and fell in love. I've thought about that fundraiser every year since, and this year finally got up the nerve to try roasting chestnuts myself.

At the event, the hostess was actually roasting them on a grill. And I have a fuzzy memory of her telling me that they required some sort of soaking preparation before grilling. So, I turned to the internets for advice.

Like everything I search on the internet, I came up with as many different ways to cook chestnuts as there are websites out there. I recently searched for quiche recipes when I wanted to try my hand at quiche, and decided the American Egg Board people probably have the greatest stake in making sure my quiche turns out beautifully, so I went with their recipe. Sadly, my search didn't turn up any definitive chestnut growers association.

Additionally, I went to fire up the grill, and realized, as with the last two winters in my house, the deck door had frozen shut. Alas, I decided it was too much work to go around from the front door, so I decided to settle for an indoor chestnut roasting recipe. I settled on this recipe from ezinearticles.com, a website I've certainly never heard of and have no reason to believe is reliable.

Here's the condensed version:

Sort chestnuts and throw out any icky ones. I didn't find any.
Use a paring knife to cut x's into the rounded side of each chestnut. Apparently they explode when cooking if you skip this step. One website advised against letting your knife go deep enough to actually cut the meat of the nut. I can't see why this would matter.

Rinse the nuts well. Apparently this cleans them and softens the shell.

Place cut side up on a baking sheet.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, wrap in a towel and crunch them a bit to give crack the hard shells.

Enjoy!

And that's it. Delicious. And apparently quite nutritious. I love how they look like brains when you remove the skull. I mean shell. And I love how they taste--almost like a potato, but a little sweeter. Can't wait to host a holiday party and serve roasted chestnuts!

Composting

2009-08-29T08:46:00.003-05:00

This summer I decided to try composting. I was intimidated at first because of all the rules about what you can put in, what you can't, what constitutes "green" compost vs. "brown" compost, the delicate balance between the two, the moisture content, the temperature, the turning....

Then my friend Cindy told me you can compost without following all those rules. She calls it "throw it all in a pile" composting. So I dove in. The house came with a big black plastic composte bin. It was a little beat up, with cracks and holes, but I decided it was good enough.

After careful consideration, I placed the compost bin near the deck, beside the house. I knew it would be 10 times more likely to get used if I didn't have to put shoes on to dump stuff in it. Plus, there isn't really a good place for it out by the alley.

It's been kind of fun to dump stuff in there all summer--it makes me feel less wasteful when I empty out the fridge of all the vegetables that went bad before I used them. One thing I learned, though, is that I should NOT put apples and pears in there. My backyard is carpeted with apples and pears that have fallen from the fruit trees, all in various stages of rot. So each weekend I dutifully pick them all up, and this year I decided I didn't have to bag them and put them by the garbage pickup, since I have a compost bin now. So I dumped the first weekend's load in there. Bad idea. A couple days later when I went out to toss some moldy lettuce in, I lifted the lid to a swarm of fruit flies, moths, and bees. A literal cloud of them flew up in my face. Yuck. So no more apples in there.

This morning I emptied the kitchen of veggies gone bad and wandered on out to the compost bin, wondering how the moth situation would be now that I haven't put any new apples in there for a few weeks. When I lifted the lid, I saw something dart really quickly from one side to the other. A MOUSE! *Shudder* I nearly fell down backing away as quickly as I did. There's just something about animals that move quickly. They freak me out. I can't stand those spiders that run really fast across the wall, either.

I wonder if I could have avoided this if I had done a better job of turning the compost often and keeping a layer of grass clippings on the top. I seriously might have to stop composting. I can't have mice hanging out chomping away that close to my house. It's only a matter of time before they find a way in, and I will be VERY UNHAPPY if I find mice in my house. I'm trying to live peacefully with all the little beetles I have this summer, but mice are a very different, yucky story.

Gardening

2009-08-09T23:16:00.009-05:00

I haven't crafted much this summer, because I've been spending my spare time and DIY energy on my first vegetable garden. I got lots of free plants from friends with extra seedlings, so I dug up some grass, mixed in some composted manure from Menards, and planted away. Simon's Sarah gave me a whole bunch of heirloom tomato plants from her dad's garden, as well as some eggplant. Zoe and Ryan gave me two basil plants, cilantro, green peppers, and cucumbers. Kate gave me a pumpkin plant.

I've harvested two green peppers and five cucumbers. The cilantro didn't last long, but I was able to snip a bunch and mix it in with some salsa before it all started turning brown. It was delicious while it lasted. But so far the star of the garden has been the basil. I've made lots of margherita flatbread pizzas on the grill, and have done up a couple of batches of pesto, and have enjoyed caprese salads, although all of these will be so much better when the heirloom tomatoes start ripening!

I've been too busy watering and weeding to take too many pictures, but here are a few.

Got a bumper crop of blueberries this year. They only last for a couple weeks, but I was able to make a tasty blueberry buckle and blueberry pancakes. And of course I ate most of them straight off the bush.

My pepper plants aren't big producers, but what I have been able to eat was lovely.

New Headboard

2009-08-09T23:05:00.003-05:00

I picked up this headboard for Abby's room for $5 at a garage sale earlier this summer. I couldn't have found a new one that I like more. What a steal! Good timing, too, since it's been the summer of houseguests!

June 19-22 - Addie O.
June 25-26 - Mom
June 27-28 - Ted S. and Nick M.
July 6-8 - Michelle B.
July 27-29 - Michelle B. again
August 7-9 - Abby C.
August 29-30 - Toni & Beth (fingers crossed!)

Teaching Myself to Crochet

2009-08-01T13:38:00.011-05:00

I'm teaching myself to crochet. Mollie tried to teach me a few months ago, but I didn't get the hang of it. When I saw her awesome squares for Henry's blanket, I knew I needed to try again. This time I decided to teach myself using the Happy Hooker book by Debbie Stoller. I had learned most of my knitting skills from her Stitch 'n' Bitch book years ago, so I decided if anyone could teach me how to crochet, Debbie could.

Alissa gave me a handful of hooks and yarn last time I saw her, because motherhood means no time for hobbies, apparently. Bummer for her! Guess that makes me lucky to not be a mom right now. But as a side note, look at this picture from Henry's baby shower last weekend! I can still adore other people's kids and make time for hobbies.

Anyway, I started reading the book and practicing the stitches. Here's my practice piece. And no, I will not be using it for a scarf.

Check out the triangular shape down towards the bottom. Funny, that's how my first knitted scarf looked, too. Looks like I dropped a few stitches.

I started out with a few rows of basic single crochet stitches (sc). Not too shabby. The funny row in the middle is a row of slip stitches (sl).

Next I learned the half-double crochet stitch (hdc).

Then on to double crochet stitch (dc).

And finally, triple crochet stitch (tr).

I didn't go on to double triple (dtr) and triple triple (ttr) crochet stitches, because I decided I pretty much got the gist. So next I started attempting a simple shell pattern. It doesn't look as pretty as the picture in the book, but I think I'm starting to get the idea.

Baby Henry's Blanket

2009-07-26T19:14:00.012-05:00

Mollie, Sarah W., Sarah H. and I have been working on knitting a group baby blanket for Andy and Angela's new little guy, Henry. We decided each of us would knit three 10-inch squares, and then we'd sew them all together to make a blanket of love. I got a little excited and made five squares, but it worked out because Mollie had done extra too, and Sarah had lost one of her squares.

I thought this would be a good time to try out some new lace patterns, so I turned to the internet. But first I cranked this one out in no time, because I was starting to get anxious about how quickly the baby shower was coming up and I knew this one would be fast, since I had used this dropped-yarn-over pattern on a scarf before.

Also, in order to make faster progress, I used size 10 needles and worsted weight yarn for all of my squares. It was a welcome relief from the sweater I had been knitting for Baby Shae on size 3 needles. I drug my feet for too long on that one, and she has now grown too big for it. I guess I'll have to finish it up and find a doll that it fits and give it to her that way. What a disappointment.

Next I tried out this checkerboard lace pattern from The Purl Bee. I tried a couple of the suggested multiples of 10 plus 8 cast-on stitches, and ended up coming closest to 10 inches with 38 cast-on stitches.

Again, I was nervous about the amount of time I had left to do two more squares, so I threw this in my bag every morning and knat on the 15-minute train ride to and from work every day. This pattern required lots of counting and concentration, which can be hard on the train, so if you look close you'll see some imperfections.

My third square also came from a Purl Bee pattern. I found a pattern for Pretty Lace Handwarmers, and adapted the lace to a square. It took a bit of noodling to turn an in-the-round pattern into a flat pattern, but I ended up just starting and ending each row with two knit stitches to create an edge, and it worked out fine.

The fourth square came from Purl Bee again: April Showers lace. I guess I have become a fan! This one was a little harder than the last one, but not nearly as tough as the checkerboard lace. I found my row counter before I got started on this one, which helped a lot. I started with 39 cast-on stitches. The trickiest part here was the top of the little shells. It required knitting four together, which was a lot for me to get my needle through without accidentally dropping all the stitches.

Since I was on a roll, I kept going and decided to give the checkerboard pattern another try. This time I didn't screw it up.

The baby shower was today, so we all got together on Thursday night to lay out our squares and sew them together. We didn't get it finished in time, so we gave it to her unfinished and immediately asked for it back. Stay tuned for a picture of the final final project.

Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt

2009-05-09T17:16:00.007-05:00

A couple of years ago I read in the New York Times about a photo scavenger hunt. Here's a snippet of the article.

ONE reason people visit New York is to catch a glimpse of things they'd never see in the average American city. Some such sights are mystifying, some charming, some jaw-dropping — and some are even legal.

This week, Weekend in New York offers a photo scavenger hunt, in which you (working alone or in a group) seek out scenes and objects intrinsically New York and capture them with your camera. The hunt could be the centerpiece of your weekend, but also could serve as just a way to enhance your downtime as you wander from restaurant to park to museum, observing the natives in their natural habitat.

Well, I loved the idea, and of course I love my city and think it has plenty to offer in terms of interesting "intrinsically" Twin Cities quirks. So last August I organized a Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt. I decided to do it as a fundraiser for my favorite charity. I recruited teams of two, and asked for a suggested registration fee of $40 per team. I sent out a list of items to photograph, gave people two weeks, and then had a results party at my place.

For the party, I had everyone email me their photos. I wanted to do a slide show of sorts, but my technological savvy and equipment were not up to par, so I printed them all out at Walgreens and hung them all around the house. The top two highest scoring teams (teams were scored based on number of items found, with bonus points for quality, e.g. Best Mullet got an extra point, but everyone who photographed a mullet got 1 point) got fabulous prizes, and in the end I raised a couple hundred dollars for my charity and had a great time.

It's begun again this year. A couple of weeks ago I dug up all the printed photos from last year's party and wrote a "Save-the-Date for the 2nd Annual Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt" note on the back, then mailed them out as postcards to all my friends. The Results Party is next Saturday. Here are some sample items from the Official Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt List:

Category: The Recession

A recession-themed advertisement - 1 point.
Multiple “For Sale” signs on the same block - 1 point. (1 Bonus point for most “For Sale” signs)

Category: Very Minnesota

A Minnesota team mascot (e.g. Goldy Gopher) - 1 point.
A backyard bonfire - 1 point.

Category: Twin Cities Miscellany.

Urban wildlife - 1 point. (1 bonus point for must unusual animal or animal caught in the most unusual pose)
“Free” furniture left on a curb - 1 point.

I'll post some photos after the party next weekend.

Aunt Lola in San Francisco

2009-05-05T22:52:00.006-05:00

Shae's sweater and I just returned from a visit to San Francisco, and I had the loveliest time. Shae's sweater didn't see the light of day too often, but I did spend an hour or two knitting at a coffee shop. I'm now working on the first sleeve.

I also met Seth and Ilana, who have made much more progress on their house lately, but since I've run out of money, there will probably not be many DIY home improvement projects on the blog for a while.

That's Seth on the far left, and Ilana is third from the right.

The Californians really enjoyed Kassie's Hashbrown Casserole. Ted and I hid in the kitchen and devoured all the leftovers while the others cleaned up.

Just for fun, here's the recipe.

Kassie's Hashbrown Casserole

1 lb breakfast sausage
2 T flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 lb frozen hashbrowns
1/2 onion (chopped) (optional)
1 container of fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 green pepper (optional)
2 cups cheddar cheese

Brown breakfast sausage. Add flour and milk. Bring to boil, let thicken, about 5 minutes.
Pour hashbrowns in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Mix in veggies (I used half a yellow onion and a container of mushrooms). Top with 1 cup cheese. Top with breakfast sausage mix. Top with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Needle Holder

2009-03-22T19:08:00.004-05:00

It's three months late, but I finally dug a tunnel through my craft room so I could get to my sewing machine and make Sarah's Christmas present. I got the idea in one of my Better Homes and Gardens magazines. She had borrowed my size 10 knitting needles last fall, so I bought a nice pair of bamboo needles and stitched up a holder for them using wide ribbon, thin cording, and a button. I haven't given it to her yet, but I think she'll like it!

Waylon the sweater model

2009-03-22T19:02:00.002-05:00

Mollie sent me a picture of Waylon in the sweater I made for him. He should definitely look into being a professional model. There are more pictures of him in my sweater on Waylon's blog here, here, and here.

Notice that I've gone back and done more tags on old posts. Waylon gets the nieces and nephews tag. I'm his honorary Aunt Lola, and he's my honorary nephew.

Signs of Life

2009-03-22T18:27:00.003-05:00

Today was beautiful. Spring is finally here. So I decided to walk to crafternoon at Mollie's. While I was waiting on the front step for Sarah to show up so we could walk together, I scanned the yard for signs of new spring growth. Instead, I found a sign of death. Yikes! It feels a little bit like a bad omen.

Mini-Brynn's sweater

2009-02-26T22:14:00.003-06:00

In just a couple weeks, Cole and Brynn will have a baby sister. I expect her to look like a mini-Brynn. And she's going to have a sweater just like her cousin Ava's. Maybe not right away, but that's why it's a 9-month size. Here's my progress so far:

Notice the aluminum needles. I recommend them for smaller needle sizes. The tip of one of my bamboo size three needles got crushed in my yarn suitcase.

Dropped Yarn-Over Scarf

2009-02-07T15:35:00.003-06:00

I am a daily reader of both craftzine.com and craftstylish.com, and a couple of months ago one of them linked to this site: http://mycraftastrophies.blogspot.com/2008/12/weekday-quickie.html. I was intrigued by this pretty, lacy-looking stitch, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm really happy with how quickly it knat and how lovely it turned out. "Craftastrophies" explains it about as well as it can be explained. Basically, here's what I did:

cast on desired amount of stitches.

Row 1: knit.

Row 2: k1,yo. Repeat to end.

Row 3: k1, drop yarn over stitch, k1, drop yarn over stitch, repeat to end.

Row 4: knit.

Row 5: k1, yo (wrapping yarn around two times this time). repeat to end.

Row 6: k1, drop two yarn over stitches, k1, drop two yarn over stitches, repeat to end.

Repeat rows 1-6 until scarf reaches desired length.

Its new owner is very pleased.

Alphabet Pillows: C & B

2009-01-29T21:14:00.015-06:00

In December, Sarah and I went to the MCAD student art show and saw some alphabet-shaped pillows that were simply adorable. But being the crafty ladies we are, we decided to try to make our own, rather than buy the artist's version.

So just days before Christmas, we had a sewing day together. The idea was to make pillows for each of our neices and nephews in time for Christmas. Sarah needed to make a C for Christopher, an I for Isaiah, and a K for Keane. I needed a C for Cole, B for Brynn, A for Ava, and R for Reagan.

We were making it up as we went along, but I think we did okay. I started with the C, thinking it might be the easiest, since all of my other letters would need to have enclosed holes.

I used some tupperware container lids to trace nice round edges for my C. Then I cut a 3 inch strip of fabric for the sides and started sewing.

I was right that the enclosed holes would be tricky. Sarah and I came up with a few options that would be easier, such as placing a big button where the holes would be, or using a patch in the same fabric as the sides of the pillow. But I ended up going the hard route, because I could really picture little hands poking through those holes.

Another thing that was tricky about my B pillow was that I used one stretchy knit fabric and one more canvass-y one. Knit fabrics are kind of tough, especially mixed with canvass. But look how cute these fabrics are together!

Look at Sarah's finished I. Pretty cute!

It turned out I was right about the holes. It didn't take Brynn long to turn her B into a double bracelet. Unfortunately, I ran out of time to get the A and the R done before Christmas. I am going to see those two little munchkins on Valentine's Day, so I am setting that as my new deadline.

I think Cole and Brynn really liked their pillows. Or maybe they were just happy because I was letting them jump on the bed. Don't tell Grandma!

Sarah's Purse

2009-01-18T23:40:00.006-06:00

Since I was reflecting on my birthday, here's a special birthday gift from Sarah. She knat me a purse, complete with an adorable lining, kiss clasp, and chain strap.

My friends clearly love it, and I get compliments on it everywhere I go!

Recovery

2009-01-18T23:02:00.008-06:00

Several weeks ago I tried my hand at furniture recovering. Grandma Rita, the master bargain hunter, bought this chair at a garage sale for me when I was in college. Originally it was yellow houndstooth. The upholstery was stained, so she showed me what she had laying around to recover it with--a peach polyester and this blue and white striped canvass. I chose the stripes.

The chair has been in rough shape for a while. One of the springs under the seat was broken, and my guests were always shocked at how far they'd fall when they sat in the chair. But I've kept it all this time because I love the shape of it, and because it has special grandma love in it.

On my 30th birthday, one crazy dance move (not by me, although I was nearby when it happened) splashed red wine across my chair, rug, and roman blinds. I'd been meaning to recover the chair for a long time, and now it was a necessity.

After much fabric shopping and tough decision making, I bought a tan colored cordory-ish upholstory and got to work. But first, since Brynn and Jenn helped me pick out fabric, the three of us went to Caribou for coffee and hot cider. Jenn tells me Brynn has been asking when we can go for coffee with Aunt Lola again ever since.

But back to reupholstering. First I unscrewed the arms and legs, and then took care in ripping off the striped fabric, paying close attention to Grandma's methods. She had stapled the fabric underneath, and used hot glue to glue down the folds and seams. I hadn't bought any new batting for the seat, but what was there seemed to be in decent shape still. Attaching the new fabric required a fair amount of trial-and-error cutting, but eventually I got everything on the chair and looking nice. I even reattached the broken spring under the seat.

At that point it occurred to me that while I could attach the legs from the bottom, I had already covered the back access for attaching the arms. Oops! I was angry at myself for a while, because I really liked it with the arms, but I couldn't bear to rip off the fabric and start over. Plus, with all the hot glue, I wouldn't really have been able to use that fabric again, and I was not about to spend another $45. So here's the final product. I'm satisfied.

Just for Fun Addendum:

The day that picture of Brynn and I on the chair when it was striped was taken in March on a weekend when my parents were in town helping me stack the new washer and dryer and paint the stairs. Taking after her Aunt Lola, Brynn did a little craft project of her own. Stickers are fun!

Waylon's Sweater: Completed

2009-01-07T20:17:00.005-06:00

After a nearly two-month blogging hiatus, I have plenty to post. First things first, I finished Waylon's sweater. And not a moment too soon! Look how big he's getting!

I made it in a 12-month size, which might not have been the smartest move, since he was born in August, but maybe he can get some late spring or early fall use out of it.

DIY Optimism

2008-11-14T17:13:00.002-06:00

Calling all readers. Aunt Lola's in need of a new "hope" playlist. You may recall my Hope for 2008 CD from last winter. I need help coming up with Hope for 2008 Volume 2. What songs make you feel hopeful, or just glad to be alive? I gotta stop listening to depressing music!

Halloween Robot Costume

2008-11-02T21:36:00.005-06:00

I went on a shopping spree at the Ax Man for my Halloween costume. I glued all kinds of fuses and wires to my arms with "spirit gum."

Nightmare on 45th Street

2008-10-25T04:16:00.002-05:00

Tonight I woke up at 3:45 AM to the sound of an animal scratching around. I held still for a moment, trying to be sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Perhaps the sound was coming from outside my window. I shook the bedspread vigorously, to test the theory. The noise paused. Darn. It was coming from inside the house. But maybe from inside the wall. I turned on the light. By this time the little varmint had started up again. I sat silently in the middle of the bed in the middle of the well-lit room. The sound didn't stop. It was coming from my closet. As I stared at the closet, watching for any slight rustle of clothes that would let me know whether this menace was inside the closet or inside the wall. I was not at all comforted by the fact that there is a two-foot square area of the wall in my closet that is a gaping hole covered by a sheet of corkboard, remnants of some long past plumbing job (the toilet is on the other side).

At that moment, a spider slides down a web from the ceiling just inches from my face. Before I can gasp, I've slapped it away with my hand. It lands on the floor and quickly hides under a shirt. Never again will clothes touch my floor. I had this rule when I was in high school and my room was in my parents' basement. It was instituted after I reached down to pick up a sweatshirt off the floor, and curled up all cozy in the folds was a dead mouse.

At this point, panicked at the intrusion of not one, but two very rude and icky houseguests, one of which was still scratching away industriously in the closet, I send Kate an urgent text: "Animal in house!" She immediately calls me from her mom's house in Rochester to talk me down. I'm not easily calmed by her assertion that it's probably just in the wall, since that means it has access to the basement and therefore the whole house.

Kate tells me I should close the closet doors and try to go back to sleep. I start trying to do just that, but these doors haven't been closed in quite some time, and offer a bit of resistance. I lean on the middle of the bi-fold to push them closed. The first one closes. I do the same for the second one, give it a little hip nudge, and holy mother of god my arm gets pinched in the crack. There's an immediate huge welt with a bright red line down the middle, and two piles of skin peeled back on either side.

I'm now awake in my bed, with both the overhead light and the lamp on, arm throbbing and unable to sleep for fear the critter will wake me up again. Plus I'm sick and I can't stop coughing anyway. This is not a good night.

Guess who made me sick this week?

2008-10-24T23:23:00.005-05:00

D. It doesn't matter. They were worth it.

DIY shrub pruning

2008-10-24T22:39:00.007-05:00

You may have noticed that the shrubs on the north side of my house have been threatening to swallow it all year. Someone in This Old House magazine told me that the best way to prune overgrown shrubs is to trim a third of the branches now, a third next year, and a third the following year. That way, you'll get some green growing on the inside of the bush, and don't end up with a skeleton of bare branches. It took me two weekends to get the job done. I really went to town. I climbed on up inside those bushes like a tomboy. I was pretty proud. You can walk into the garage without ducking now.

I found lots of treasures in the bushes, too. An arrow (like for a bow and arrow), a chunk of gutter, nails and junk, a half eaten sandwich, and--you're lucky I spared you the picture--a dead animal. I'm pretty sure it had been dead for quite some time, because it looked like an empty fur coat. I'm also pretty sure it was a pet, because it it was blonde. Maybe like a cat or a dog. ick. The worst part? I couldn't bear to touch it, and it was tucked way under lots of tangly branches, so I couldn't really even reach it. So I covered it up with pine needles and left it there.

Progress Check: Waylon's Sweater

2008-09-21T21:46:00.007-05:00

I knitted with Jane this afternoon, and have been making good progress on the sweater I'm making for the newest man in my life, Waylon. Check out how handsome he is: http://waylonpictures.blogspot.com/.

Since my needles are comically short (thanks, Depth of Field, for only having kids size 5 needles in stock), the front of the sweater looks a little funny on the needles, but rest assured, when it's bound off, it will be the same size as the back.

The pattern came from a new book in my craft book collection, Easy Baby Knits. It is, in fact, an easy sweater, which feels a little like laziness, but how could I resist buying a book full of super duper cute patterns? I can't help it if they're all in garter stitch!

Besides, I did learn something new today that falls into the more advanced knitting category, and it's quite wonderful. I don't knit socks, because I have a feeling I wouldn't wear them, and I hate crafting things I won't use, but if I ever did, this magic cast-on would be an amazing way to make a no-seam toe. And I'm not talking invisible seam, I'm talking no seam. Simply amazing. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Jane is my knitting hero.

And speaking of great knitters, in only one week, the student has become the master. At craft night on Tuesday, Angela showed us her finished baby hat, after having just learned how to knit in the round one week earlier. And she was halfway through her second hat already. Bravo.

Also pictured is a square Sarah knitted for a quilt she and her coworkers are working on, as well as some crumbs from a tasty loaf of banana bread she baked for us! Much like yardwork and home improvement, I firmly believe baking is a DIY/crafty activity worthy of a DIY/Craft blog.

Craft Night After Hiatus

2008-09-09T22:29:00.004-05:00

Craft night hasn't happened in a while, but it was finally revived tonight. As usual, we gossipped, drank wine, knitted, and lamented the fact that Craft Superstar Jane hasn't joined us. (Jane, next Tuesday, Sarah's house. You are invited). I worked on a sweater I have woefully neglected for many weeks. I also sported a new t-shirt that Kate bought for me on the DIY-themed Threadless.

I haven't worked on this sweater since before its future recipient was born, but luckily, I planned for a 12-month size, so there's still some time before he outgrows it.

Also tonight, Sarah and I helped Angela get started knitting in the round for the first time, and I was reminded what an elusive concept that is! She's knitting a baby hat, something I have yet to try. But I've knitted in the round on double-pointed needles for my Tempting sweater and for my many felted coasters.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-08-30T18:15:00.002-05:00

I plan on getting some projects done this weekend, but today, I went for a long hike in Saint Croix Falls and now I'm watching This Old House for inspiration. There's a nap in my near future!

Ant Infestation

2008-08-09T23:27:00.002-05:00

I had to go out and buy some ant poison, because I had a bit of an infestation. That poison must have tasted delicious, because after I put it out, I had about 250 times more ants than before. But in the end it does seem to have worked. However, as I type, I see a bug crawling across my t-shirt. Aunt Lola is not happy.

Homework: Landscaping Weekend

2008-08-09T17:57:00.015-05:00

There's so much stuff going on in summer to distract me from blogging! But not to distract me from getting stuff done.

The blueberries and raspberries have come and gone, but not before I got to share some with Brynn.

A few weeks ago, Mom and Dad came to help with some landscaping projects. Kate had previously helped with cutting down the tree nearest the camera in this first picture, so to make room for the fire pit, we decided to dismantle some of this landscaping.

I removed all the wood chips and plastic, then we pried up all the wood forming the edges. I worked on redistributing some of the extra dirt while Dad used his chainsaw to create a new edge for the now smaller landscaping box.

Dad also helped with some deck repair and used the chainsaw to take down a volunteer tree that had grown for several years. I'd already trimmed as much as I could with my lopper.

Then it was time to start the fire pit. We checked both Menards and Home Depot for the landscaping bricks, and ended up finding much more variety at Home Depot. The bricks available here weren't the same dimensions as the ones Mom and Dad bought back in Iowa, so we had to do some recalculating of our geometry. In the end, I think we bought about 34 bricks--totalling much less than the $100-500 I would have spent on a portable fire ring.

I mostly watched while Mom and Dad did the work. First a trench had to be dug to lay the base ring at ground level. They're smart--the took ease of lawnmowing into account when creating the design. We used the grass dug up from the trench as turf on some of the bare dirt leftover after the landscaping was removed. Making sure the trench and the bricks were level was the hardest part. Below Mom and Dad are using a level balanced on a stake in the middle of the circle to each brick.

The end result looks quite nice.

While we were at Menards, I found a grill at a great price, so I crossed that off the list, too. Who knew a gas grill could take hours to assemble? Mom and Dad worked on it until after dark.

We also got the rosebush trimmed,

gutter extenders installed,

and a light installed in the garage.

With the new fire pit and grill, plus my penchant for running the central air, my house is the new party central among my pals.

Proud Crafts

2008-07-02T20:04:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was Pride weekend, and I celebrated with craft. I definitely needed a shirt with rainbows, so I created one out of an A-shirt (aka wife beater, for Aunt Lola's non-PC readers) and strips cut from t-shirts. I was having so much fun cutting up t-shirts that I decided to create bracelets for myself and my friends.

Two things of note: I did NOT cut the slit that low. Sarah, blue-ribbon wingman that she is, decided I needed to be more riské, and ripped it wide open! That's when I realized it was a good place to hold my bottle opener. Which leads me to number two: I agreed to be a beer tub girl for my favorite local bar, to make a little cash to support my crafting habit. Unfortunately, that night I dropped my phone and it shattered, so most of the cash went straight to a new phone. That being said, I had a blast and met a lot of fun people.

Oh, and by the way, shouldn't my wingman have her own craft blog?? Check out what she did with two white A-shirts and a big yellow t-shirt. Pure genius. Hats off to you, my friend

Yard update

2008-07-01T21:23:00.009-05:00

It's been a while since I posted an update about the yard. I've been out there weeding every weekend since things started growing, so there's less time for blogging! A couple weeks ago, I had some help from Kate and Sully, and a ton of stuff got done. We weeded the backyard, which hadn't seen any love because I've been focused on the front. We filled up seven huge garbage bags with thistles, milkweeds, tons of nightshade, and tons of volunteer dogwoods. Once I finally got that stuff cleaned up, I was able to confirm that I do, in fact, have a lovely crop of raspberries growing.

And speaking of fruit, I'm already planning a fruit salad party for later in the season when it all ripens. I've got blueberries, pears, and apples in the works as well.

We also cut down a dead tree and a huge volunteer tree that had grown to be at least 10 feet tall. Still waiting for dad to bring a chainsaw to finish that job.

Speaking of dad, my parents are coming this weekend, and we're going to build a fire pit like the one they have. Can't wait to sit around the campfire at the fruit salad party!

Oh, and if all that wasn't enough excitement, check out what's growing:

After seven hours in the yard that Saturday, Kate came back on Sunday and helped clean the gutters and tear out all the growth in the side yard. That was definitely the worst part of the yard yet, but we got it all torn out, and it felt great. Now I just have to try and keep on top of it. Easier said than done.

Old crafts revisited: Baby Booties

2008-06-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it, but I knitted these baby booties three years ago, when my niece Brynn was born. I forgot all about them, until I found them in her bedroom at her third birthday party. They're so tiny! I'm pretty sure the pattern came from the Stitch 'N Bitch Nation book. They were fun to make and so fast! Only problems: 1) the pattern called for wool, which seemed a bit impractical for baby clothes, and 2) the pattern required some crocheting for the strap, and I don't have a clue how to crochet. I made it up as I went along. Seems like they turned out okay, though!

Toads!

2008-06-16T23:24:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, like every weekend from May 4th until the end of time, I was working in the yard, pulling up weeds and dead stuff. I was picking up handfuls of wet dead leaves when I ran across this guy. He startled me so much I almost fell over backwards. Toads. So small, so motionless, yet so terrifying!

Now I approach yard cleanup much more gingerly. If a couple of toads freak me out, I can't imagine what kind of screaming banshee I'd become if I ever reached into a pile of dead leaves and pulled out a snake.

Recycled Junk Mail Art Redux

2008-06-16T23:15:00.005-05:00

I wasn't quite satisfied with my first attempt at junk mail art, so I recently did some editing. Rather than start over, I just pasted more, bluer strips of junk mail over the original, to darken the background a bit. And I cut a new tree, this time on cardstock to make it stand out more.

Before:

After:

Yardwork: My new human-powered lawn mower!

2008-05-18T18:56:00.015-05:00

I spent a bunch more time in the yard again this weekend. Filled three huge garbage bags full of leaves and brush, cut down and bundled up lots of dead and stray branches, and mowed! I bought a lawn mower first thing on Saturday morning. It's a thing of beauty. I had already let the lawn get way too tall, so it struggled a bit on the tallest, weediest patches. I think it will be fine once I get the lawn a little more under control, but I'm hoping to find someone to let me borrow a weedwacker to tame some of the problem spots.

In other news, my hostas are growing really well. And the south side of my front yard is crazy fern city!

All the yardwork uncovered some new surprises. First, I there's an odd hole in the deck. It looks like there's some kind of electrical cord in it. I wonder if there used to be some kind of built in outdoor lighting there or something.

Noticed a spot on the deck that needs repair:

I also discovered some bleeding hearts growing in the front. Wow!

And is this a calla lilly? Get out of town! I didn't even know you could grow those here. I thought they seemed tropical.

Finally, the most exciting thing that's happened in a long time: As I was digging through all the leaves and weeds and brush in the front yard, I found a drainage pipe! When I bought the house, the inspector told me to extend all my gutters further away from the house, to avoid a wet foundation. He said you can bury the downspouts and have them come out toward the street, but it would be expensive. Anyway, I found this drainage pipe, and couldn't figure out what it was draining. The gutters just empty into the yard. But then I raked up by where the downspout is, and realized it's all rocks up there. There must be some kind of drainage system under the rocks. In farming, my mom and dad would call that "tiling" or putting tile in the fields. I'm going to assume that's what's happening here, and I'm celebrating the lower potential for a wet basement!

Adventures in Yardwork: More Unidentified Growth

2008-05-17T09:31:00.013-05:00

More surprises every day in the yard department. I owe Craft Night Kassie two beers for successfully identifying a couple of plants posted last week. The cute little snail guys are now ferns, and the asparagus-looking fingers are hostas. I've never been a big fan of hostas, but I have a new appreciation of them now that I see how green and full they are with zero work from me. My mom thinks the flowering bush in the back yard may be a flowering almond tree. I've never even heard of such a thing. I'm withholding her beer until I have more proof.

This week brought more yard fun. I have one beautiful tulip:

And it looks as though I'm going to see some lilacs soon. This might be the most exciting discovery so far. This bush is very close to my deck. I can't wait to enjoy a cocktail on the deck and smell the lilacs!

But some mysteries remain. Once again, I'll buy you a beer if you can successfully identify anything below! Here's what the bushes in front of my big front window are doing these days. Can't wait to see what happens here!

Two trees are now flowering in the backyard. I'm thinking this one must be crabapple, but I'm not really sure.

And I don't know what this one is, but it's producing lovely white flowers. I think it's especially interesting because of how vertical it is. I was looking through some online tree encyclopedias, but I didn't see any that grew so tall and narrow like this one.

I was especially surprised by this one. These plants are growing along the back fence, and I wasn't even sure if they were intentional or weeds, but lo and behold, a lone flower has bloomed from them.

My spider plant is a little jealous of all the attention his new siblings are getting, so he decided to show off a bit, too.

Pretty Time!

2008-05-08T23:07:00.006-05:00

Adventures in Yardwork

2008-05-04T18:26:00.008-05:00

I finally did some yard work today. I was out there for two hours, and filled three 33-gallon trash bags full of leaves and brush, and you can barely tell. The real evidence is in the scratches up and down my arms and the thorn that is embedded into my finger. I found lots of interesting things growing and living in my front yard. I didn't even get to the backyard today, but it's in better shape anyway.

I'll buy a beer for anyone who can successfully identify any of the following:

I'm guessing day lillies...

These little guys are just so cute. They remind me of asparagus.

But these are the cutest things ever. What do they think they are, snails? I want to pinch them on the cheeks!

Tulips?

There are a ton of these on the ground under a tree in my backyard. Wouldn't it be cool if one of my trees produced something edible?

I don't know what it is, but I bet it's gonna be real pretty in about a week!

The Handmaidens Spring Fling

2008-05-04T18:04:00.005-05:00

Today I went to another craft show, the Handmaidens Spring Fling Craft Formal. Michelle had a booth for Falling Forward, and her stuff is as awesome as ever. There were a lot of impressive crafters showing their wares. Reminds me how amateur I am! I bought a super cute pill case from Pish Posh Paperworks.

Also among my favorites was Maybe You Should Die. I thought about getting this card for Sarah and Sean, but Sarah and I just had a conversation last night about how we're going to keep hanging out the same amount or more even after she's married and has kids.

Recycled Junk Mail Art

2008-04-26T18:57:00.006-05:00

Inspired by my trip to the Saint Paul Craftstravaganza today, and a video I saw on the Craft Magazine blog, I tried my hand at some junk mail art. Mine doesn't look nearly as cool as Patricia's from A Little Hut, but it was a good first attempt.

I didn't have a nice cutting mat like hers, so I used my built-in breadboard. I've been a little hesitant to put food on it for some reason, but was more than happy to use it for crafting.

Using the box cutter on paper was easier than I expected.

The final product. Not sure where I want to hang them yet.

New Chair and Art

2008-04-26T18:41:00.003-05:00

When I'm not making things for myself, I like to a) purchase someone else's handicraft, or b) get a great deal. Jenn's thriftiness came in handy last week. I'd been telling her how much I like her leather chair and ottoman, and she saw one on an online auction and called me immediately. Apparently, the auction was closing in 45 minutes and the top bid was only $120. Forty-five minutes later, I was the proud owner of a chair and ottoman I had only seen on the internet. Saturday morning she and I drove out to Spring Lake Park, a town I'd never even heard of, and picked up my $185 set (there was a last-minute bidding war--exciting!). I'm pretty happy with my thrifty purchase, although I wish it was more brown and less black, and I kinda wish it didn't smell like gasoline. I've been soliciting advice on that front, but since it's pleather, all the suggestions of Febreezing it don't really help. Any other suggestions welcome.

I'm also super excited about the new art hanging above the chair, which falls in the category of someone else's handicraft. I bought this lovely piece on from Erica at beeskneesstudio on etsy.com. It's my favorite website, where crafters sell their goods. I love having unique art that I know nobody can buy at Target.

And speaking of other crafters, I went to the Saint Paul Craftstravaganza today and got some great finds! More on those later. I'm gonna have to wash my hair if I'm going to model my new shirt!

Old crafts revisited: Coaster Set

2008-04-06T23:13:00.003-05:00

Lately I've run across a few craft projects I'd forgotten about from days gone by. I was recently at my pal Sarah's house, and saw a music-themed coaster set I'd given her for Christmas a few years ago. I had decoupaged sheet music, photos of musicians, etc. onto bathroom tiles, and backed them with cork. I packaged them in a fabric box I designed and sewed myself. I was pretty proud!

Homework: Abby's room has a bed!

2008-04-01T23:18:00.003-05:00

Dear Abby,

I bought a bed for your room. It's a queen size bed, in case you feel like really stretching out. I got it from this girl Marina, who I met last summer. She's now moving overseas, and selling everything she owns. I got the mattress, box spring, down comforter, bed skirt, and frame for $200. I don't think she lived in the U.S. for very long, so the bed is pretty newish. I also shampooed the carpet. There's an egress window for your safety. And if you look closely, you will see that The Boss is keeping watch in your absence. Did I mention it has its own bathroom? Come visit me, okay?

Homework: DIY carpeting

2008-04-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight I laid the indoor/outdoor carpeting in the laundry room. The old floor was so uninviting. I think this is an improvement, and it covers more of the floor than a rug would. Plus this 6'x8' chunk cost me only $16.

I think if my current career doesn't work out, I have a future in carpetlaying!

The Housewarming

2008-04-01T00:11:00.000-05:00

On Saturday night I had a "celebration of my new status as a homeowner" party. I didn't want to call it a housewarming party, because I didn't want friends to feel like they needed to bring a gift. Some did anyway, and they were lovely gifts! I now have a fully stocked wine rack, some crazy lovely smelling hand lotion, and more:

Some beautiful gardening tools from Kandace and Andrea

A fun garden stake from Linnea and Rob

Mums from Phil, and aloe and a plant whose name I can't remember (everlasting something) from the Roehl sisters (could have used that aloe earlier this week when I burned myself with a curling iron!)

A set of super-duper cute napkins made by the very crafty Jane

An adorable teapot from Kassie and CJ and a very hip picture frame from, I'm embarrassed to say, I can't remember! Whoever you are, please step forward!

And finally, a six pack of my favorite beverage, complete with a wet suit to keep those little guys at just the right temperature and humidity. From the thoughtful Angela and Andy.

Unfortunately, I was too busy having fun and giving proud tours to take any photos at the actual party. Thanks to everyone who came and helped celebrate! And extra big THANK YOU to everyone who has helped with the house so far, and to Jenn and Roya for helping clean and make food for the party. Oh, and especially Brynn, who called me Lorda all night and whenever I asked her for help with something, responded, "sure thing!"

Homework: the basement

2008-03-30T23:34:00.004-05:00

This week I won the bench lottery at my place of employ. Orchestra Hall was replacing old lobby benches, and I got to take home one of the old, worn ones. I've been looking for a bench for my private entry, a.k.a. the basement door from the garage. This works beautifully. I moved the shelving unit that used to be under the stairs, to try to make something functional here. I also added a coat hook. It kind of works as a makeshift version of something like this, I think:

Of course, it would look a lot better if I would tidy up the workbench and get rid of some of the junk leftover from the rennovations. And if only I could do something about that floor. It's clearly been painted a couple of times, and now it just looks yucky. I think I'll wait and see in the spring if the basement gets wet, but it would be nice to maybe just carpet the whole thing. It would feel a lot nicer down there with an even-toned floor. Although I'm not sure how that would work in the laundry room area, where the floor is all sloped.

I had plans to cover up that ugly old linoleum this weekend. I went back to Home Depot to buy some more of the carpeting that we used on the stair landing, but unfortunately it only comes in strips three feet wide, and my area was four feet wide. I was ready to make due with 12 inches of ugly showing, when I found big chunks of indoor/outdoor carpeting for cheaper, and in 6' x 8' pieces. I haven't cut it to size or laid it out yet, but I have high hopes that it's going to make the laundry room a little less ugly. I don't seem to have the energy for evening work anymore, so that will probably be a next weekend project.

The other big thing I did this weekend is rent a carpet shampooer for the basement bedroom. I got an email on Thursday from a girl I know who is moving overseas and is selling all of her belongings, so I bought her mattress, box spring, bed frame, down comforter, and bedskirt for $200! With a real guest room in sight, I had a burning desire to clean the carpet in there. It looks better, but it still needs some spot treating on some stubborn stains. I'll post pictures when the carpet dries and I can put the furniture back in there. The room looks great with a bed in it!

Homework: Mom and Dad Back Again

2008-03-10T22:20:00.004-05:00

Phew! Mom and Dad came this weekend and we accomplished SO MUCH! The addition of curtains and rugs really makes the place feel like a home. Here's what we did:

Leveled and stacked the washer and dryer. When the gas guy came to install the gas dryer, it he suggested stacking them since the plumbing, gas, and dryer vent were all on the same wall. Then I could save the cost of extending one of those across the room. He's coming back on Saturday. I haven't done laundry since I moved in! Saturday will be a good day.

Hung the stair banister.

Fixed the light Chad broke in the guest room.

Attempted to repair the dining room table and chairs. You may recall that I bought an antique mahogany set on Craigslist, and found out it was a little more flawed than I had thought. One of the legs was loose, which made the whole table tilt. Most of the chairs are a little wobbly, too. Dad and I used some wood glue and some super glue to try to remedy the situation. I don't think the chairs are all that better, but my main concern was the table. Right now it's still upside down on my floor. I'll have to post an update when I get someone to help me flip it over.

Dad replaced outlets and switches in pretty much the whole house. Most of them were painted over or just really old looking. It's amazing what a difference new outlets and cover plates can make!

We gave the basement stairs a facelift. We originally intended to focus on the landing at the top, but ended up painting the whole staircase. We had to remove the cement board on the landing and build some baseboards to cover up the ugliness. We bought a strip of all-weather carpet from Home Depot and used double-stick carpet tape to hold it in place. Before we could paint the rest of the stairs, we had to pull a whole load of old carpet staples. It was a lot harder on the stairs than it was in either of the rooms where I removed carpet! And there were a ton more. I started counting, but after I reached 247 jillion, I just gave up.

Re-hung the bathroom door in the basement that Sarah R. had varnished.

Mom touched up the paint around the whole house, including covering up some ceiling smudges, did the secont coat in the guest room, and painted the guest room door and the support beam that I couldn't decide what to do with. With a thorough carpet cleaning and the addition of a bed, this room will be ready to go!

I got tired of being indecisive about the heat registers in the dining room, and bought some spray paint. We painted them a bronze color.

Best of all, I finally picked out rugs, curtains, and curtain rods for the living room and dining room, and those are all now in place. It makes such a huge difference.

There are too many photos to post, so you have to follow the story in pictures here.

My plants love it here.

2008-03-05T22:01:00.002-06:00

Well, I may not feel 100% at home in the new house yet, but my plants are loving it here. My shamrock is so happy, it bloomed!

I got a call from my mom and dad last night. They realized their calendar is chock full of weekend activities from now until planting season, and when that comes, all bets are off. So this weekend is the last chance for them to come help out. Unfortunately, the guest room is no where near suitable for guests, but I like sleeping on my couch. Here's my wish list for the weekend:

□ Level and stack washer and dryer
□ Fix dining room table & chairs
□ Replace outlets
□ Check leak in washer hookup
□ Stair landing (I don't know what needs to be done, but it's ugly.)
□ Re-hang basement bathroom door
□ Weather stripping around front door
□ Paint baseboard in my BR closet
□ Paint guest BR door
□ Paint inner window trim in living room
□ Touch up paint throughout
□ Paint vent covers
□ Second coat of paint in basement bedroom
□ Install splash guard on tub
□ Seal grout in upstairs bathroom
□ Caulk basement sink
□ Caulk basement window
□ Finish thresholds
□ Shampoo guest room carpet

Whew, that makes me tired.
Time for an early bedtime for me.

Homework: I can park, and almost wash clothes

2008-02-26T19:47:00.003-06:00

On Sunday I spent a long while trying to break up all the compacted snow on my driveway so I could get rid of the frozen-in-place compost bin that was preventing me from parking in my garage. With a little help from Jesse, the neighbor who's always walking his dog, I got the job done. He brought over a couple of hoes (hee hee) to break up the ice, and I we got a lot of it up. It was a long painful process. But the compost bin is now inside the garage while I consider whether I want to compost this summer and whether I want to use this cracked, beat up old bin. And I can finally get my car in there. It's a much tighter fit than I imagined. When I backed out this morning, I was really nervous that I was going to scrape against the retaining wall. So far no accidents.

Also this morning, the guys from ApplianceSmart delivered and "installed" my washer and dryer. I knew they wouldn't actually install my gas dryer, because it has to be done by a professional gas guy or something like that. But their installation of the washer left a bit to be desired.

First, they faced it in an awkward direction, so instead of having my W/D side by side, the washer faces the side of the dryer. When I asked if they could turn it, they told me I'd need a longer hose. Then, they couldn't figure out a way to affix the drain pipe to the sink, so they just left it and said I'd have to figure it out. They also let me know that I had a new plumbing leak that didn't exist before they showed up. They blamed it on the faucet not having been turned on in a while. Huh? And they didn't even plug the darn thing in! Lovely customer service. Check it out: they way they set it up, I can't even fit in the space where the washer is supposed to be able to open. Thanks ApplianceSmart. I think I might need to write a stern letter.

Homework: blinds and medicine cabinet

2008-02-24T09:53:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was a productive day. Simon's Sarah offered to come over and help clean, so I put her to work on sweeping and mopping (which she did with immense talent and flair) while I finally got my roman blinds hung in the bedroom and dining room. Gotta head to IKEA today to buy one more $7 blind for the third window in the dining room. Oh, and I also ordered curtains for the big picture window in the dining room. I'll be anxiously awaiting their arrival all week!

Blinds are up in the bedroom!

And two out of four windows are now covered in the dining room.

I also spent some time yesterday getting a little crafty. I hadn't put anything in my medicine cabinet yet, because it looks so inhospitable.

So I went to Paper Source, one of those stores like Michael's that makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Such a variety of pretty things and things that spark creativity. I believe the paper I bought was called "Winter Berries." It works well with my brown walls and pink countertop. Anyway, I used it to line the walls of the medicine cabinet, and used some rubber non-sticky shelf liner to line the shelves. Now my stuff can rest comfortably in the medicine cabinet, and I'm one step closer to feeling at home.

Who has time for blogging?

2008-02-23T18:06:00.003-06:00

Well, life got a little busy, so I wasn't able to keep up with the blogging for the last couple of weeks. I did make sure to chronicle the work and the move with photos, though. I'll let them tell the story: http://picasaweb.google.com/unlevelseas

Stay tuned... I actually have something semi-crafty I can post on the craft blog tomorrow.

Homework, 2/3

2008-02-04T23:26:00.000-06:00

It snowed today. I guess I better get used to the disappointment of spending hours clearing the sidewalks, only to have them fill up again. At least I didn't have to chip away ice this time. And I was really worried that I might be too wimpy to shovel all that sidewalk that surrounds my corner lot, but it wasn't awful, and it didn't take more than 45 minutes.

But speaking of things that take a long time, yesterday I spent three more hours working on removing the carpet adhesive in the bedroom. I swear, I am going to cherish this floor. Today the Seantractor was finally able to start sanding it. He said it took him three hours, and he probably has three more hours to go on it. Luckily the new floor in the family room won't take as long, because it's brand new wood and there's nothing to sand off.

Accomplishments:

Finished second pass over the bedroom floor with adhesive remover.
Painted second side of basement door. Looks kinda crappy. It's definitely gonna need a second coat.
Finished putting legs on the IKEA bench.

(unpaid) People Hours Invested: 3
To Date: 205

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 1

Tears: None.
Tears to Date: Twice.

bedroom floor, post-adhesive, pre-sanding

Hope necklace

2008-02-03T21:46:00.000-06:00

The craft/DIY blog has been hurting for some crafts lately, with all these renovation projects. Unfortunately, I've been tied up with the house. But I was recently given the loveliest of handmade necklaces. I'm madly in love with it! My friend Michelle is an incredibly talented jeweler. I am really looking forward to a show she's in next weekend: Make Out Goods, presented by Handmaiden Minneapolis.

Homework, 2/2: Misery Loves Company

2008-02-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

The adhesive removing continues. The Seantractor worked on it some this week. I spent eight hours yesterday on it. Here's basically how the day went:

Spread adhesive remover over an area.
Ran to Home Depot for two more jugs of adhesive remover.
Scraped adhesive up for a half hour, spread more on another area.
Ran to Chipotle to get lunch for myself and my helper, Sarah R.
Scraped adhesive up for a half hour, spread more on another area.
Went outside to work on breaking up the ice on the sidewalk for a half hour.
Scraped adhesive up for a half hour, spread more on another area.
More salting and breaking up ice outside. Met some neighbors: Patty, the block club leader, and her son Callum.
More scraping and spreading.
More sidewalk clearing.
More scraping and spreading.
Started putting the legs on the IKEA bench.
Finally had to go home because my lungs were hurting.

I still have a corner of the room to finish, and then probably need to go back a third time and spot check with the remover, especially around the edges and in the closet. I should do it today, because it's not fun to do it at night after work at all. Even though Sarah was in the basement working on staining the window trim, it was better knowing I had company.

Surprises:

There's never enough adhesive remover. I think I've gone through four or five gallons of the stuff, and I'll probably still have to go buy another one to finish the job.
I thought I'd only have to varnish the window trim in the basement bedroom, but it turns out the bathroom door and the trim around it are also unfinished.

Accomplishments:

Sarah filled all the nail holes with putty, sanded, and started varnishing the basement window trim, bathroom door, and door frame.
More progress on removing the carpet adhesive. Still not done, though.
Lots of ice removed from sidewalks.

(unpaid) People Hours Invested: 14
To Date: 202

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 1
To Date: 14

Tears: None.
Tears to Date: Twice.

Progress:

This is the stuff that comes up. On day one it was more orange and looked like pumpkin guts. On the second pass, it started looking like slimy egg drop soup. Now it just looks gross.

Homework, 1/29: What was so bad about purple carpet?

2008-01-29T23:31:00.002-06:00

Last night I had a little heart to heart with my mom. She said to quit driving myself crazy and just push back the move. Moms are smart. The landlord hasn't started showing the apartment yet, so unless he's rented it to someone sight unseen, I'm guessing he'd be okay with getting another week's rent out of me. I did email and call today, though, and didn't get a response. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because she's right. I'm driving myself crazy, and I don't need to be.

I took last night off and fell asleep on my couch at 7:30. Today I got a call from the Seantractor saying the carpet adhesive on the floor in the bedroom would gum up the sander too much, so I'd need to remove it before he can refinish the floor. And he finished laying the wood in the family room, so tomorrow could be the day he rents the sander, if I can get the adhesive up.

I was not aware that removing carpet adhesive is basically the worst job ever. After work I went to Hudson's to pick up some adhesive remover, and got what I'm sure was some very sound advice from the 15-year old girl working there. I went to the house, read the directions, and got started. Directions say, pour in metal container, spread on surface with a brush, brush in only one direction or too many vapors will be released, apply only to a 3' x 3' area at a time or too many toxic vapors will be released (not only causing user to die, but also becoming extremely flammable), let sit for 10-30 minutes, and scrape off.

Things I learned from a little trial and error and a visit from the Seantractor: (1) you can't just paint on a thin coat of this stuff. You have to dump it on the floor and let it sit in puddles at least a quarter inch thick if you want anything to happen at all. (2) even if you didn't even realize that a tiny speck of the stuff got on your skin somehow, you will feel it within seconds and it will burn like the fire of a thousand chemical suns. (3) This stuff is known to cause cancer (learned that from the can). I had to make a second run to Hudson's after realizing I needed some serious glovage, and that my little quart of the stuff wasn't even enough to do the closet floor. Found out later that a gallon of it wasn't enough either, but by that point Hudson's and Home Depot were both closed, so I just finished out the gallon and called it a night.

Things I'm going to lose sleep about tonight:

Cancer.
The house bursting into flames from the fumes. I left a window cracked just in case. Which leads me to:
The heating bill.
Some sort of catastrophic chemical reaction of adhesive remover when it is subjected to extreme temperatures. I put the two empty cans and the garbage bag full of remover-soaked gunk from the floor outside before I left (see #2). I hope nothing bad will happen, like a catastrophic chemical reaction, or the spread of cancer throughout the neighborhood (see #1).

Oh, speaking of the neighborhood: as I was arriving at the house after work, I saw a kid get off the school bus and walk past my house. After yesterday's high 40 degree temperatures, and today's arctic blast, there's a nice sheet of ice covering my sidewalk. The kid fell down, and then fell down again about four more times trying to get up. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do in this situation. I covered it with lots of salt. So I guess that leads me to:
Getting sued.

Accomplishments:

Painted one side of the basement door.
Kinda removed almost half of the carpet adhesive in the bedroom.

People Hours Invested: 5
To Date: 188

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 13

Tears: None, but lots of cursing. (oh, unless you count crying in the bathroom at work because I'm so tired I just want to go home. Then we're talking more like 3 or 4).
Tears to Date: Twice.

Before:

During:

This stuff is so evil, it eats its own home.

But the good news is, all the flooring is now laid in the family room.

Homework, 1/26 through 1/27

2008-01-27T21:28:00.000-06:00

After two days of work, the contractor still only has half of the floor laid. I'm getting nervous that it's not going to be installed, sanded, and finished in time for the move next weekend. That is going to make things a lot harder.

Alissa and Mike were here to help this weekend. We mostly painted. Alissa really wanted to paint the window trim in the kitchen, so I ran to Hudson's to pick up some white paint. She worked on that while Mike and I painted in the basement and Reagan worked on a poop and a nap. I'm glad she was so gung ho about it, because it looks a hundred times better. Kara and Roya stopped by for a little baby therapy and helped for a little bit.

Today I painted more trim, and maybe got myself in a little deeper than I planned. I removed the basement door so I could get at the trim better, but as I was painting I realized I would probably need to repaint the door so it would match the trim. I didn't have the heart to do it, though, because I'm sick of painting! Plus, it will probably get dinged 25 times during the move. Might just have to move it to the basement and finish it afterwards.

Accomplishments:

Painted second coat in family room.
Touched up dining room.
Painted basement bedroom.
Painted window and doorway trim in kitchen.
Painted window trim in upstairs bathroom.
Started putting together IKEA bench. Still need to put legs on.
Removed contact paper from linen closet and bathroom vanity shelves.
Scrubbed duct tape residue with WD40 in kitchen.

People Hours Invested: 20
To Date: 183

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 11

Tears: None.
Tears to Date: Twice.

Freshly painted living room, with half a floor.

Newly painted walls and door trim in the kitchen.

Newly painted walls and window trim in the upstairs bathroom.

Newly painted guest room.

More photos here.

Homework, 1/25

2008-01-25T20:20:00.001-06:00

I didn't work at all at the house today. I have been cleaning the apartment, doing dishes, washing sheets, etc. because Alissa and Mike and baby Reagan are coming for the weekend. Can't wait to get some baby therapy. Even though I didn't work on the house today, I can still chalk up one more Tears occurence. I don't do well pulling double shifts like this! I'm looking forward to getting back to a routine, and getting back to a decent night's sleep. Soon.

In the meantime, the contractor called to let me know his help didn't show up today, so the floor's still not installed. He's not working over the weekend, which means the good news is I don't have to worry about Reagan breathing dust from the sanding. But I'm getting nervous about it being done in time for moving day next weekend.

On the agenda for tomorrow:

Lots of baby snuggles
Second coats of paint in living/dining room and family room.
Coat of primer in basement bedroom, then first coat of paint.

Other stuff I'm thinking of doing:

Painting the basement bathroom. It's not hurting for paint, but there is one nasty spot where the paint is peeling up.
Removing all the shelf paper in all the closets and cupboards. I hate shelf paper.
I'm dying to clean, but until the sanding is done, there's no point.
I'm also dying to get rid of all the construction trash and carpet that's taking up the whole garage, but I'm waiting until I have a truck so I can haul it all to the city dump for free. Free is better than paying for a dumpster.

Back to making Grandma Rita Sandwiches. The Hope for 2008 CD is helping with the cleaning and preparing. Good job, me!

Homework, 1/24

2008-01-24T23:40:00.000-06:00

I'm exhausted, and don't even want to think about packing, but the move feels like it's in sight. The contractor started laying flooring today. Kate and came straight after work and stayed later than I'd planned, but we got a lot done.

Accomplishments:

Painted first coat in family room.
Removed the masking tape in the kitchen and put all the appliances back.
Ate some tasty take-out Chinese food.
Finished painting coat closet.

People Hours Invested: 10
To Date: 163

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 9

Tears: Once.
Tears to Date: Twice.

Homework, 1/23

2008-01-23T23:36:00.000-06:00

Wednesday's Accomplishments, with the help of Simon, Sarah R., Carlito, and Michael:

More sanding and mudding touched up in the family room. This job is never ending!!!
Two coats of primer put up in the family room, except around the fresh mud. The coral color is persistent, though! It will be interesting to see how much of it shows through after the primer dries.
Second coat painted in the kitchen.

Surprises:

None today that I can remember!

People Hours Invested: 9
To Date: 153

Total Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 10

Tears: None.
Tears to Date: Once.

Homework, 1/21 through 1/22

2008-01-22T23:17:00.000-06:00

On Monday, I had help from Kate, Simon, and New Sarah W. Today, Kate and Sarah R. (Finally! 'Bout time she starts walkin' the talk).

Accomplishments:

All carpet and padding in the bedroom removed. All tack strips and staples removed.
Family room mudding touched up.
Family room ceiling painted and second-coated.-bathroom painted and 2nd-coated.
Kitchen painted.
IKEA and Home Depot visited for final days of The Winter Sale and the MLK Day Event, respectively.

Surprises:

There are a couple of patches in the bedroom where there's no hardwood, between the room and the closet. I'm hoping an extra wide threshold will cover it
up.
The basement bedroom lights are on a dimmer. Pleasant surprise.

People Hours Invested: 27
To Date: 144

Trips to Hudson's Ace Hardware & Home Depot: 2
To Date: 10 (including some I forgot from last time)

Tears: None.
To Date: Once.

Homework: photos from the weekend

2008-01-22T23:00:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos to accompany that last post.