Reaching

This weekend was nice. We slipped out Saturday to attend a wedding. It was a gorgeous heart felt ceremony and reception with so many lovely homemade touches.

Those are always my favorite, when you can really see the bride and groom in the event, in the evening. We had food and drink, as is required at weddings. We also were able to sneak some great shots in during our evening.

I read a great post on Shutter Sisters a few months ago. The author suggested shooting for the couple, just some extra shots, and then putting it together for them. Usually it takes some time before the photographer gets the pictures back to them, this way she (because you know that is the half that needs to see right away) has something to view right away.

It was fun to snap away, Tim and I both took the shots. He even got a few of me in (a true rarity these days as we are always snapping away at the babies).



Now we are off to the Cabin. Hard to believe it was about one year ago that the babies first visited. I am excited and a little frazzled with the packing. Last time I literally forgot everything for me, so concentrated was I on getting the babies and their stuff (oh lawd, the stuff) there. Now I am a bit better; hair care and sundries almost packed, clothes for all clean...and so much less stuff for them. I cannot wait to see what they do when they are confronted with miles of calm lake shores and giant sequoia trees.

Here is a shot Tim captured the other morning.

This sunflower is about 8-9 feet tall, it just started blooming. It was a transplant from the backyard, centered in the middle of our large front picture window. It grew until it reached the roof line then started blooming. Such a great reminder to reach for the light, for that which makes us feel lighter, brighter, feel like blooming. Taking pictures is one of the things that brings more light into my days, filling a need to capture and create a bit. What does it for you? What makes you reach upward, toward the light?

Looking forward to our week away. We will definitely be reaching for some great shots while playing and enjoying the mountains. Might see you during the week as they now have wireless in town (how things change over time).

Serendipitous Crafting

Wow. The sickness has finally left our house and it feels really good to get back to normal. You know, just the molar teething and summer allergies....without the poop factor. Thank god. Anyway, I have had a bit of time here and there to do little projects and I realize that it really has become a definitive factor in my life, this creating/crafting. I am not one to be an original creator, I mainly find and follow patterns that I love or crave. But I must be doing some craft at some time during the day. Otherwise I feel not complete, not whole.

I have been reading The Creative Family, a book by the lovely Soulemama. I anticipated this book for a long time but did not pre-order. Books seem to fall further down on the list of things that fill my 'me' time. So when I finally did receive my copy I told myself to sit and read, put down the needles and read. So very glad I did. She writes about creating and the need to do these wonderful and engaging things with her children. The thing I loved was the feeling of permission that she bestows on the creator/crafter.

That we have to nurture that part of our selves and let our children learn to create also. I always feel vaguely guilty for crafting these days, as if the time should be devoted to something more important. But my boys already love the sewing machine, are fascinated with the gorgeous colors of embroidery thread and want to hold my knitting needles. I guess that is a good start to the future invitations I would like to extend for them to be involved in these things I so love. And just because they are boys does not mean I would limit this exposure, rather encourage it (between all the make believe sword fights and car pushing that I know will ensue).

But for now this is them wearing the fruits of some very satisfactory labor on my part. I love these little shirts and find that a small project like this can go outside with us, they run up and touch the hoop and the stitches and really try to go for that needle. And I get little bits done here and there. Fun for all.

I had a moment of true serendipity this week. There is a book, Weekend Knitting, that I have owned for years. All of my first projects came from this book, I would pore the pages, dreaming of learning this or that technique. One piece always held my attention. It is the Cache Coeur Bergamo by Veronik Avery. I have always loved Avery and her unique designs and innovative construction.

The first time I read the pattern it was pure gibberish. Slowly it began to make sense, then I finally understood. But then I never had a chance to actually do it. This weekend I was cleaning out a stash of long forgotten yarn and found bags (yes, bags) of yarn from a sale at the Yarn Lady.

My first sale, when I knew very little about yarn and its properties. So I bought bags of yarn I have barely even touched. And this was at least four years ago (might be having a giveaway round these parts soon).

And then it clicked....that bag of purpley pink Bergamo yarn...hmmm. Where have I seen that name before? Pulled out WK, turned to the pattern....oh, look....Cache Coeur Bergamo made with Bergamo yarn...I had exactly 7 balls, exactly the amount needed for the size I would knit up. Ah, Serendipity. How I love it when you visit. Sufficed to say all other projects fell to the side and today I have the back and sides done,

waiting on a very lovely and intriguing border to be tried, and I have a feeling this will all come together just right. Whether for myself or another, it feels good to make an adult piece and a beautiful one, at that. Stay tuned for finished pictures.

And, (jeez, this is stretching it out a bit, don't you think?) I have a very old project that I wanted to show because I recently realized how very much I love it.

This afghan was a labor of months of love. I learned the very simple stitch from the wife of a patient, right before I left my job to travel to South Africa with Tim and a few others. I actually brought it with me and carried it for months in my cramped backpack. It grew and grew and I crocheted and crocheted. The bulk was done in Portland, Oregon while Tim and I snuggled under its growing dimensions, freezing due to lack of proper heating in our Victorian building. It has been passed back and forth from our bed to my brothers' room (they seem to really love it) and recently back to us.

Perfect summer weight when laid over our sheets. Made up with good old Red Heart Soft, 100% acrylic. Has lasted an unbelievable amount of use, abuse, washing and wear. Still looks pretty good, wouldn't you say? I anticipate it will last a little longer. Hope so.

The final thing I've got is this great bag from Bend the Rules Sewing (from here on out BTRS, I have a feeling you will be seeing more from Amy's great book).

The pleated Beauty Bag caught my eye on Flickr and I had to try it. Love it. Still working on the sewing part. But I love the roomy nature of this bag (It is BIG, people) and find it can stand in as a diaper bag/purse quite easily. Fun and easy sewing, very pretty.

I used linen and some more Heather Ross fabrice for the bag then glanced at my 'real' diaper bag and realized it is the exact same color scheme. Predictable, am I not?

So, apparently, though I used to feel a little guilty crafting, it sure did not stop me. And now with full license to craft, who knows how much more I can get out. Just kidding. I think. There are a few more cute pictures of the boys here and here. In action, you know. Mason looks like he is on the war path because of his teeth. Owen is just stinking cute (though not literally anymore now that the pooping has stopped...1 box of Costco diapers in a few days, people. That is a lot of diapers.)

Oh, learned a great tip for diaper rash. Put the cream on then sprinkle with powder. Holds it there better. Thanks, Gina.

And as a little teaser....someone might be getting a little space of her own and a little personal redo this week. We shall have to wait and see, eh? Hope all is well out there in Blogland. Leave a hi if you have a moment, been feeling a little lonely round here.

Food Friday

Time to blog has been sorely lacking lately, time to read or to write scarce. But one thing that I have found myself able to do is cook. This is awesome to me because I love cooking but it had fallen to the wayside in the wake of twin life. I have always felt really comfortable in the kitchen and loved trying out new recipes and this handy internet/blog thing has been a blessing in the finding of new recipes.

In the last week I have made three or four great meals from references or google searches. Thought I would link you to a few in case you are seeking inspiration.

:: Spinach and Cream Pasta...so so so good. And easy. If you love pasta and do not mind the splurge on cream, try this. I actually added milk to the sauce as I was short on cream and it tasted lovely. And I doubled (tripled?) the garlic cuz' I am crazy like that.

:: Pink Sauce Pasta...again, really easy pasta. You basically make a red sauce and instead of adding cream, add cottage cheese. I did this and blended it with an immersion blender and the husband loved it. And he hates cottage cheese. Hates it.

:: Portuguese Chicken in Crock....better for cooler weather (which we had a few days ago). The recipe calls for chorizo but I used spicy sausage as that it was we had. Simple prep, cannot beat the crock pot for doing the cooking. And you must add the olives and artichokes as suggested because it elevates the dish to Portuguese vs. just plain crock pot chicken.

:: Ciabatta Brushcetta...this is just a made up recipe on my part.

Basically gather tomatoes (the yellow are from our eternally producing tomato vine outside our sliding door), chop and drain juices, add balsamic and olive oil and one crushed garlic clove and a generous potion of shredded fresh basil and let sit. Meanwhile, slice ciabatta (I like the individual rolls from Costco, they carry La Brea Bakery bread...mmmmm) rub with cut clove of garlic and olive oil and place on grill. Slice up some good mozzarella and lay on bread and let melt a bit on grill. Pull off grill and place whole leaves of basil on cheese. Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and spoon tomato mixture over. Wah-la! Easy and filling summer dinner. Served with Rice a Roni, currently the only thing my children will eat.


Have a great weekend, hopefully full of good food and an easy welcoming of the summer months.

To Lift Me Up

This weekend did not start with a BANG! but rather with a bug. A very nasty bug that wreaked havoc on our household, starting with Tim, moving onto me and then the boys. Hit us with the works, including multiple trips to the vomitorium for Mummy and Daddy. Not fun, especially not with two non-vomiting toddlers who instead were expelling their sickness via the diaper end. Over and over and over. Ugh. To our credit, we switched off diaper responsibility in a orderly and considerate fashion. Thank god for good husbands.

Things are starting to settle (literally, for the adults) down and Sunday looks like a better day. Except for the molars busting through and the resultant diaper rash on both boys (which they avoiding for 13 months....I finally had to open the Boudreaux's Butt Paste I received at the baby shower...I prefer Balmex, truthfully). Anyway, I decided to post a few precious photos from some previous water play, you know, to lift my spirits and remind me of better times. The hot temps are coming back and we will likely be scooting through the backyard with hoses and sprinklers again.


Water Drips,

Water Drops,

Water Sips,

Water Sops.

And this last one was caught by Tim. I swear to god he is the reincarnation of Lou Ferrigno. Incredible Hulk. Arggg.

Hope your weekend was a bit gentler than ours. Here is to wishing us all a good week.