sugar & lace

2012-02-02T10:17:00.001-06:00

Today the babies are coming over. I should stop calling them that, but I don't think I ever will. They both had their birthdays in the past few weeks, Presley 5 and Lennon 7. How fast time flys is just plain silly.... and unbelievable. We're taking them ice skating. I have never been, but they are both so excited. I love the look on their faces and that high pitch sound in their voice when I haven't seen them for a few weeks. It's the best love.

Perfect Sweet and Sour Chicken. Dinner.

2012-01-24T19:50:00.000-06:00

A father's birthday.

2012-01-20T17:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I made him a red velvet cake and a lap quilt. I tied this quilt, just like my first one. I am still scared of venturing into quilting. Most of the quilts I have seen are just so intimidating. Next I am going to work on individual quilt squares and see where it takes me. I am loving this cutting fabric-and-sew-back-together-thing. It's just so fun, productive and addictive.

This red velvet is my stand by. It's moist and perfect every time.

Red Velvet Cake ( adapted from Martha Stewart)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
1 oz red coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vinegar

1. Mix oil, sugar, vanilla. Slowly add the eggs and red food coloring. Alternate adding the flour, salt and cocoa with the buttermilk. Lastly, mix the baking soda with the vinegar. Stir into the rest of the batter.
2. Bake at 350

Makes 2 9-inch rounds.

I used the 7 minute frosting from Joy the Baker.

For the outside of the cake, I take the leftover cake from leveling, grind it in the food processor and toast it for about 10 minutes. Let it cool then just stick everywhere! It adds so much to the cake.

A sick day, a biblio-wreath, and blondies.

2012-01-12T21:16:00.002-06:00

Today is my usual day off. I got an early call about a sick niece, who threw up immediately when she arrived at school. Sooo, Rob and I had a visitor from 9-5. A cute little, vomiting first grader. That's a picture of her after devouring toast then licking the delicious cinnamony plate. I politely left out the post-toast-vomit picture. You're welcome.

Lunch. Luckily she wasn't hungry. The vomit I saw 10 minutes after I ate was water based. Chicken, mashed potatoes and roasted veg based, would have made my lunch on the floor next to her hers.

She loved watching the buggies pass. "Maybe there are people in those."

Not posed.

Perfect Blondies

2 sticks butter melted

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup m&m's

1. Mix the ingredients in the order listed above. Grease an 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for around 45 minutes. They are perfect and delicious and will hit the spot. Guaranteed. Invite people over to help you eat them... because you WILL eat them.

My bibliowreath. I googled book wreath. There are tons of pretty ones, but I couldn't find one I absolutely loved, and I usually don't like copying crafty things to a T. So I fashioned it this way instead. For the tiny books, I had an old vest that had a rip so I just just a few scraps from it and used the handy glue gun to assemble the books.

An actual FINISHED little quilt.

2012-01-10T16:08:00.000-06:00

Oh, how happy I was to finish, and see that it is actually lovely!

I liked these fabrics quite a bit, so I randomly purchased them and hoped to make something with them. I had them for about two months and decided now was the time. I kicked this out in a bout 2 days and am so proud. I like sewing, but I get tired of it fast. I am too much of an "instant gratification" kind of gal.

The back consists of a little strip I made because I was a little short on white fabric. I made the quilt a random size ( do quilter's only do standard sizes?). I did ties on the back instead of the front to bring a little more interest to the stark white-ness of it. So no actual quilting, I'll leave that to the pros for now. But really, I can't wait to do another!

January.

2012-01-02T19:30:00.002-06:00

Christmas is over? I am one of the few people that wishes Christmas lasted all year long. At work I made a gingerbread house for display. And a tiny tree covered in cookie ornaments.

If I were a gingergirl, I would gladly call this home.

My front door fell off. I never fixed it, not because I'm lazy, but because I was just sick of working on it.... ok, maybe a little lazy. There is a candle in every window, and a cinnamon stick log pile. The chimney is covered in Heath Bar pieces, and the trees are just stacked circles glued together with royal icing and "snowed on" with icing and luster dust,

Rob's Christmas cowl.

Rob got me a camera. I am still not so used to using it yet. It's too nice for me.

Bunnicula

2011-12-09T20:55:00.001-06:00

I finished this one for Presley, she's almost 5. She was Bunnicula, the vampire bunny for Halloween, so I thought she might like a bunny hat. I loosely followed a pattern for the hat itself, but improved the wonky ears and added the felt/button eyes last minute.

Fawkes was far from impressed.

Bunnicula herself.

Kelly's Hat.

2011-12-09T18:15:00.001-06:00

Done. Very similar to the other grey hat I did. I like the first one better though. My nose doesn't look so big in it.

2011-12-08T15:46:00.001-06:00

Last night we walked blocks and blocks that ended up being miles and miles, to see Christmas lights around town. It was cold and Fawkes had to be (I felt bad) carried a little bit of the way.

We also gave a way our first tiny jar out of our large batch of homemade vanilla extract.

Today I start a hat for Kelly, Rob's other sister, wait around for a pot of chili to meld and become delicious, wrap a few knitted items and maybe venture out for another walk later with my babies.

"Carnal Innocence" Cowl...

2011-12-03T16:11:00.001-06:00

For Bradi, Rob's sister. I just did 1 skein of a chunky red (right around 100 yards), in a garter stitch on size 15s. Cast on 10, go until the skein runs out. Great pattern, eh pal? It was quick. REALLLLY quick. But that's good. It's cozy, so it's a success.

You can wear it this way,

or that way,

but I would wear it this way.

Rob insists that she will love this INSTANTLY. For my sake, I hope he's not just humoring me.

So. Another gift under my sleeve. YES! Next a hat for a 4, almost 5 year old niece. Out of the yarns below, purples and teals. Leftovers, but they are some of the colors of her winter coat, how convenient! They remind me of the Little Mermaid.

I hope my pizza maker loves it!

Christmas-y things.

2011-12-02T17:36:00.001-06:00

I made fudge. The blurry kind (I asked for a new camera for Christmas. That's all I want Santa). The easy kind. Really. Google "easy fudge." It's for lazies. Don't tell anyone. I usually don't do shortcuts. Today I did. Twice. I also made peanut clusters just by melting down peanut butter baking chips and adding peanuts. Someone made these last year and I loved them, so I stole the idea.

For Rob's sister. I love these "HOMEMADE" tags I found.

Fawkes was enthralled by wrapping paper.

I'm in love. Can you tell?

We recently moved Fawkes' puppy bed under the tree and next to the heater. She loves it. This is the first gift under the tree. I made a little button wreath as a little bonus. I would love it, I hope others do as well.

Tonight I start a beautiful red cowl for Rob's oldest sister. I think I will make his other sister the same hat I made mine, just because I love how it turned out, and I have PLENTY of that yarn left. My handmade holiday is coming along swimmingly!

OHHH, Fawkes' 1st birthday is next week. I don't know the exact date, but I think I will pick one, and make it stick. Maybe a gift and some sort of fabulous doggy treat?

OH MY. SNOW. FINALLY. DECEMBER I LOVE YOU.

2011-12-01T20:23:00.001-06:00

Let's start with snow. Snow and I have a relationship like no other. I grew up in the land of the snow. In it. Around it. Next to it. I want to be with snow, forever. I can't fathom living somewhere without it. And get this, tonight it's snowing. Right now. Outside the window that is reflecting the beautifully red twinkly lights from our Christmas tree. Real, live snow! A quick search of the forecast says it won't last and then won't snow in the next 10 days, but for now, this view is all I need. Because snow means "Happy holidays!" Snow says life is right, and all is well with the world, at least for now. Snow makes one girl in the world so incredibly at peace and happy.

I took Fawkes out to potty. She could care less. In fact, she ran back to the door immediately after she finished her business. These are the moments that I can't wait to have children, and sit with them under the first snowfall and bask in the beauty of it, and of life. I hope they love it as much as I do.

Ok, boring things. I saw this somewhere, but I am not remembering where exactly....hmm? Homemade stock, frozen in muffin tins, then popped out and stuck in the freezer next your boyfriend's friend's cheap vodka. Winner winner! So much easier than a gallon sized bag full of stock (why I ever did that, I will never know).

Please don't notice the messiness on my freezer walls...I'm not a slob, it's just hard to clean freezers!

Off I go. I hope wherever you are, your night is filled with snow. Or at least a happy feeling associated with something perfect and beautiful. Happy Holidays!

A hat for a sister.

2011-11-25T22:05:00.001-06:00

I want to make hats for everyone for Christmas. I haven't come up with a clever name for this act yet.... but, 2 down, 3 to go. Maybe 4.

This hat is the Cordova pattern found here.

Things I love right now:

2011-11-25T18:51:00.001-06:00

Double breaded fried chicken. I call it "candy crusted chicken."

Christmas lights.

Knitting hats hats hats! for Christmas gifts.

Good movies and cuddling.

The Hunger Games. And reading it to Rob while he's driving.

My addiction to making homemade stocks. Out of anything and everything.

Headbands that hide messy hair.

My mama.

Lazy days off that only include dog walks and cooking with Rob.

Pearls.

Two people that are freakin' excited for Christmas!!!

Home is where I'm in love with you.

2011-11-22T15:49:00.001-06:00

Fawkes' brother Remus lives with my mom and dad. He was here for a couple of days because he had to get that "elective" surgeries that most dogs would probably elect not to get. Poor little guy lost his manhood. So when he went home, she went with. But just for the week, until our family Thanksgiving which is on Friday.

I always miss her before she is even all the way down the road, and then I kick myself for letting her go. I tell myself that it is good for her to get some time in the country instead of being couped up in our apartment for most of the day, that when she sees me after being gone for a few days, it will be a great reunion. And I'm right, it always is. I adore that little pup.

This is a hat I finished as a Christmas gift. I used this pattern. I loved the look of the yarn, Furisode by Noro. However the strength is something I haven't worked with. It breaks apart really easily. The silk, cotton, wool combo maybe?

It turned out a little smaller than expected. More child sized than adult human sized. It was intended for my brother who I think would love it, but now maybe for a niece instead.... maybe I will decide before Christmas. I loved the pattern, so maybe another try in a different yarn?

We read to know that we are not alone.

2011-11-18T17:38:00.005-06:00

In six days I read all three books in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

They made me cry. Laugh. Yell. Gasp. Weep. "Ugh." They were just good. Ok. Really, really good. Then I watched the trailer for the movie that comes out in March. It looks awesome. I want to be Katniss Everdeen. But at the same time, I would never want to be Katniss Everdeen.

Great characters.

Great setting.

Great plot at a great pace.

Just great books.

Cinnamon bread

2011-11-18T16:59:00.005-06:00

This bread is like a cinnamon roll, so you could use your favorite cinnamon roll recipe and instead of rolling your dough after you've added cinnamon and sugar, cut it into strips and stack them, cut, then shingle them in a 9 by 5 pan. Sounds complicated? Follow along to Joy the Baker's recipe. Oh it's mighty fine.

1. Scale the dry ingredients and the wets together. They like it that way. They eggs like it with just other eggs. For now... no one knows why.

2. Then , mix them all.

3. Kneading is needed.

4. After it's risen, foll it out into a large rectangle. Spread on love, cut into strips and let it rise, rise, rise let it rise.

Post rise.

Post bake.

A hat for a boy.

2011-11-13T11:31:00.002-06:00

An adorable hat that took far too long. Sock yarn and size 3 needles. Never again.

Fall Recap.

2011-11-07T08:05:00.005-06:00

A quick trip to Chicago.

Birthday cupcakes for his mama. White with raspberry frosting, and chocolate on chocolate.

The most beautiful little girls. Nearly grown they are!

Milwaukee. Ever been? It was a cute little big city.

A quilt for Christmas. Note to self: next time you plan on picking up a new hobby, start small. Literally.

Fawkes in her first Thanksgiving bow tie.

Harvest pie with a crust that I should have made thinner, but good none the less.

Box of Fawkes

2011-10-16T19:16:00.003-05:00

The baby Fawkes is getting big.

Then.

Now.

Puppy love.

2011-04-07T22:00:00.004-05:00

Fawkes is growing. 5 months. Things she/we enjoy/s:

Walks
Foods
Watching Glee
Cuddling
Licking the water from the bottom of the tub

Haircut. Again. Next time, much shorter please. I think. Maybe. Probably.

Honey, I'm home!!!

2011-03-04T18:59:00.005-06:00

I blogged elsewhere and I then I stopped. It didn't feel like home. So, "Hi! I'm home!"

Some things you missed. Thoughts from this head:

What do you call it when you don't know what to say and can't find the words? What if the words don't exist, can you make them up? Is every word that we will ever need already in creation?

He felt his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and if they were enjoying it.

Things change, things break. Things sometimes get repaired, but the things I'm talking about are never as strong the second or third time around. Mine is slowly repairing. Mostly because I know a man. I've known him, but never got to know him until recently. He's mine now. He will be for a while. I can tell.

He's intelligent.
He likes good food.
He cooks good food.
He is a Jeopardy competitor.
He taught me how to drive stick and is excited to teach me how to ride a motorcycle.
He is a cleaner!
He smells good.
He's sweet.
He's too good for me.
He likes me.

I'll be gone soon. But I won't be gone before I get back. So long for now my sweets.

Scarves. Socks. Life.

2010-10-09T11:46:00.012-05:00

I'll keep you warm. Oh, the scarf will, too :)

I finished these two scarves. I hope people like them, because I love, and would be GLAD to keep in case they don't. Is the top one too feminine? I don't think so, but some people think it is.

I'm also working on these sockies. I can't wait to wear hand made socks! I really wish I wouldn't have waited so long to attempt some. I know I did it because I was intimidated, but really they are quite easy, and they're coming along beautifully.

I'm in love. THis happens too often.

I'm making a hat. I think I will run out of yarn before it is finished so I don't know why I am still knitting it. I bought one skein of a cabled chunky yarn. It was expensive... I don't want to buy another... stop... knitting... this... hat... then...

okokok

I'm ready today. Not next week, but today. In the words of the great Dessa, "Get your booze on, get your shoes on- let's go!" I really can't wait and I might pee my pants. Hug hug hug hug hug.

6. You can't spell birthday without '"cake."

7. Stencils ready, set- GO!

What am I listening to at this exact point in time?

"Blessed to be witness," by Ben Harper.

Good day and may someone bless you.

Oh China, that's silly.

2010-10-04T09:43:00.006-05:00

I cannot stop listening to these songs:

1. "You Promised" by Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps.
I think I have listened to this a few times, everyday, for the past couple of months.

2. "Sunny Road" by Emilianna Torrini
"I wrote you this, I hope you got it saved. It's been so long, I don't know what to say." It reminds me of my life.

3. "I was Just Thinking" by Teitur.
I know nothing about Teitur, just that I love a few of his songs. Especially this one. The whole song feels like it was pulled out of my head, from my thoughts.

4. "Do What I do" by Noah and the Whale.
It makes me happy and sad.

5. "You Belong with Me", "Mine", and "Half of My Heart" by Taylor Swift and John Mayer.
I really don't know why I love Taylor Swift so much, but I do.

I love my mom more than anything in the world.

99cents and free

2010-09-21T19:47:00.001-05:00

I could have an addiction to:

tights
books
yarn
dresses

That is it.
Mostly.

xo

2010-09-20T12:13:00.005-05:00

Maybe I know something.
Or a lot of things.
Or nothing at all.

I love maps and globes and pearls and libraries and this is it.

xoxo

Please learn how to speak. Please.

2010-09-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

I hate when people use the wrong words when they're talking.
For instance,
says instead of said,
Don't instead of doesn't or
Got instead of gotten.

I was compiling a list in my head while I was working today... that's how I work... there were more. I should've been writing them down. I might add to this at a later date. Maybe, maybe not.

Letters.

2010-09-12T00:37:00.009-05:00

Hi.

I had a good day. Finally.

I woke up at 7am. I ate a healthy breakfast, a sugar free, cranberry oatmeal bar made with almonds, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ.

I was trail running early while the ground was still soaked with dew and it was quite cloudy. I was in an area that if faeries existed, that's where they would reside. I think spider webs are perfect when they catch water droplets and sparkle in the sunlight. While I was running, I had one of those moments where I was thinking, "Wow. It'd be perfect if the sun peaked through a few branches and shone on these wet shrubs.It'd be beautiful." A few seconds later, the sun did just that. I looked up at the sky, with the widest grin I could muster and thanked whatever/whoever read my thoughts and made that happen. It was amazing really. I don't think those things happen very often.

A squirrel blocked my path while searching for acorns. I hate squirrels. They're gross and they freak me out. I stopped, stood still, and waited until it ran away. As it did, I stole it's acorn and ran. That's what the vermin get for getting in my way.

I also witnessed a flock of geese splashing down on a pond. Which I know, doesn't sound very magnificent, but really it was. They landed in unison, between 15 and 20 of them. It was magnificent.

Then. I came home. And cleaned. Made my bed. Sat down to knit for a few minutes.

I read a little bit about Howard Zinn.

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places–and there are so many–where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

I hope you had a good night.
I wrote this only for you.

xoxo

Call me Ishmael.

2010-09-06T00:28:00.009-05:00

Some things never change:

The sun will be around a while, thats one.

Same with the moon.

Guys will always talk about sex in front of you if you're one of the guys.

There will always be 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, 16 tablespoons or 8 ounces in a cup, 4 cups in a quart, 4 quarts or 128 ounces or 256 tablespoons in a gallon.

Harry ends up with Ginny.

The "dorky" people will always be my favorite.

The Sunday paper will always have great coupons that you clip out but never use.

It doesn't matter how cold it is, sleeping with a fan will always be more comfortable than without.

Strawberries will smash red and still be beautiful.

Egg whites will be less fatty but more delicious.

Sleep will always be overrated to me.

If someone says they'll call, that means they probably won't.

Dogs will always be cuter than cats.

Dorothy always ends up back in Kansas.

I will always be my own best friend and that breaks my heart a little.

If you write a letter, you won't automatically get one in return.

Sugar is better than the fake shit.

Quilts are great.

Some of my favorite people will always be a lot of the characters I've read but have never met.

The Band will always be under-rated and under appreciated.

Children will be annoying but unavoidably lovable.

The book will be better than the movie.

I don't know anymore.

"And you say you can't stand me when I'm quiet, and so I shot you in my silence."

Knitted things long since forgotten but not gone.

2010-09-02T19:08:00.005-05:00

I made this hat about.... 18 months ago. Right when I started the dreads. It fit for a few months then "shrank." When I say shrank, I mean my head grew... very large. I didn't really like the yarn. It dyed my light bamboo needles teal and the 100% cotton yarn had absolutely no give. I might wear it now that my hair is shorter though.

These mittens were going to be so quick. Until I nearly finished one, and realized it would never fit a grown man, only a small child... I went on hiatus. Soon I am going to attempt this again, because they're easy and they look great. Lennon said it was itchy. She lied. This was made from... peruvian wool. That stuff is a heaven send, great and fast to knit with.

This is another one of those patterns that I really should have checked the gauge with. The pattern was great. I love the stockinette and the one simple cable running up the side. I made it for Cw, but it doesn't fit any adults I know... so now Lennon has a hemp hat. Hempwol has to be one of my favorite yarns I've used so far. It's a blend of hemp, wool, and I think... cotton?

A baby blanket. The baby is no longer a baby.

I am starting new things tonight. I about 25% done with a hat. And am starting something new tonight. Something secret :)

Lisbeth.

2010-09-02T11:07:00.002-05:00

"Salander's greatest fear, which was so huge and so black that it was of phobic proportions, was that people would laugh at her feelings. And all of a sudden all of her carefully constructed self confidence seemed to crumble."

Life is a Carnival.

2010-08-31T22:46:00.003-05:00

I very much enjoy arriving to work with my ovens shinier than a new pony.

I do not however, appreciate black oven flecks blowing on everything I bake. All fucking day long.

I love girls that complain about being fat, but do nothing to change it. They improve my self esteem.

I like the sight of library security guards. Kids causing a ruckus in the graphic novel section and old women trying to steal smutty novels WILL be thwarted. Immediately.

I love the excitement in my grandmother's voice whenever I call her.

I love kisses goodnight. Let sleeping children lie.

I love Trevor Hall this week, but I love The Band forever.

I like the depressing things my brother talks about and I miss him.

I do not like coming "home" and not being greeted. How difficult is a "how was your day?"

My day was fine. I was perfectly content.

Yes. No. Maybe. Hopefully.

2010-08-30T23:16:00.003-05:00

I feel like I'm waiting for something. Am I? Only time will tell. Could I be anymore vague? Yes. I could. But I won't.

If someone asked my name, I would tell them, but they didn't, they only said "Have a good evening." I replied the same. I wish that that someone was someone else and that someone else was really really close.

Everyone I know is getting married or having kids. How old are we? To the marrying age? Jeez. What is it about 22 that makes people want to procreate and wear gold bands on their fingers? I feel left out, but am so grateful that I am. At least the having kids part... no thanks ma. Presley told me a few days ago "Aunt Lissy, when little girls grow up, they have babies and become mommies." Oh, ok. I guess at this point then, I'm still considered a little girl :)

I love pretzels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lately.

And homemade marinara sauce over whole grain pasta.

Tomorrow I will start my day early at work, finish "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", and plan for my days off. I think a hike sounds good. Somewhere beautiful and relaxing. Maybe I'll pack a lunch and make a day of it. A day with nature. Yes, I will.

Nature, exercise, book/music, food, solitude. Perfect. My kind of perfect day.

"Be careful of something that's just what you want it to be." Waylon Jennings.

2010-08-30T10:06:00.001-05:00

I scare people.

Not everything you find will be perfect gold.

2010-08-29T11:26:00.010-05:00

Taste the rainbow... or wear it.

I flubbed the pattern a bit, but I really loved the koolaid yarn and maybe I was just a little too eager to get it finished... oh patience, where are you?!?! The pattern is from ravelry. Shrugs are good. nice. easy. light. cute. airy. fun. free. (I do hope that the rainbow does not confirm stranger's suspicions that I like girls. I really don't. Honest.)

What's next? I got a couple new paint brushes... I might become a hermit. An imaginative misanthrope. Sounds like a plan Stan.

I finally started "The Girl with Dragon Tattoo." I'm halfway through. It took me a while to get into... mysteries aren't really my cup-o-tea. But this one's good. Real good kids. Apparently, it is the most popular book in the world right now? Wow.

Yesterday I started "The Lazarus Project" by Aleksander Hemon. There's a movie of the same name, but not the same story. The book, it's beautiful so far. I love how Hemon combines words to form perfect thoughts/sentences/paragraphs/pages/chapters. He's not even American, but his use of the English language is inspiring and makes me very envious of his talent.

I've been doing more physical activities lately. I can tell, can you?

I'm falling in love with Noah and the Whale again... as well as the Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. For some reason, of the above, I can't listen to one, without listening to the others. They should all collaborate and become... Mumford Whale Brothers.

or not...

I noticed I was standing pigeon toed and slapped myself silly. "STOP!!!" I yelled into my own ears. I did and will never do it again, or be brutally punished.

I FINALLY invested in a real life journal. Sadly, I find it very hard to write in. It makes me nervous... what to write, oh what to write? I feel 13 again.

My new best, leather bound friend. Welcome to my life.

"The obligatory eccentric in the village..."

2010-08-24T19:48:00.011-05:00

Sometimes your life is unconditionally tough.

Waiting's not a one person game.

If you want to you will, if you don't, you won't...

Sometimes you're upset and you cry just for the sheer sake of it.

Why?

No, you're not just having a typical female monthly moment...

Other times, really deep down, there are so many things to be sad about...

But most of the time, you're content. Happy. Lucky. Grateful.

You are in no way confused about anything.

But then again, maybe you are.

Are you uncertain if you're certainly uncertain as well?

It's unclear.

You could be a pessimist and believe that if someone/anyone is unsure of you, then maybe you were never that great to begin with. Maybe you're not something worth holding onto, like you've always convinced yourself.

You could be that pessimist, but you're not.

At least not today.

Maybe you just want someone to tell you differently...

So you don't have to tell yourself.

Maybe...

You love solitude.

But you hate being alone.

Who are you?

You are you.

You're no one that anyone thought you were.

You're you, but you're not the you that they want you to be.

You're the you that you have always been and will always be.

But, there's always a but.

But, you're not the you that they need you to be.

Sometimes, you don't make any sense.

Joe. Happy birthday. I don't know you, but I hope you liked your 10 minute cake. I've never met you, but the fact that you were born made my day.

Signed

Me, not you.

Think with me.

2010-08-20T09:12:00.011-05:00

If you feel like you're falling in love, the chances are, you are.

At least thats how my head thinks. Why should you tell yourself otherwise or convince your heart to feel differently? Deprive yourself of the most extraordinary feeling in life? Ha. That's just nonsense my friend.

Here, with me, but at the same time, so impossibly far away. Some of these feelings are new and good, some are new and sad, but most of them are right now, perfect. Not just perfect though, everything beyond perfect.

These things have got me thinking. Is distance a barrier or a connecting piece? How long can I possibly stand and reach out to someone that I think is so incredible and worth it but so far away? Will either end let their styrofoam cup crack or cut the string that connects, and settle for something simpler, easier... and ultimately, closer? Or will bonds be forged and hearts connected? Will the greatest friendship either has ever known, be built?

You want the truth you say? You want the inside scoop? You want me to dig deep and let it all out? Well, you apparently don't know me very well... few get my scoop... ok, ok. You convinced me. Maybe just this once.

I really do think absence makes the heart grow fonder. Lust, what's that? That's not this. This is this and this is real. I don't fall often. Only once before. Can I tell you that right now, I'm very busy falling. I'm trying to brace for impact, this could be a bruiser. Maybe he'll have something soft waiting. Probably, he's that kind of guy. Have you ever had a connection and met someone for the first time, but between the two of you, it felt as if they'd never not been an important part of your life? All of a sudden, you don't want to imagine your life without them in it. You can't even see a future that they're not a part of. For me, that future doesn't exist, I won't let it. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Perhaps it's too soon for a girl to think like this. But I'm not a rash being, I've always had pride in the idea that I am logical and practical. Beyond my years.

I think... no, I don't think, actually yes, I do think, I think far too much in fact... but this, this my friend, is me, um... falling in love. Shhh. Maybe I'm naive. Irrational. Maybe he doesn't feel the same, but oh god, for the sake of my tiny heart, I hope he does. Soon I think. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

I am cherishing every minute. Every moment. Every sentence, every word, every whisper. That first look, hug, kiss. The best hugs I have ever received. But why does it feel so insanely different than anything I have ever felt before? What makes him so different?

I know, but I'm not telling.

"Love is a reason to exist. Let it all go and just say yes. If it feels right, then why resist?"

Oh Ben Lee, truer words have never been spoken.

Holy Craft!

2009-12-31T10:21:00.010-06:00

When we moved from the last place we lived, I knew I wanted an apartment that had two bedrooms because of all my craft things. For about a year I worked in it without really organizing it. Don't get me wrong, there was a small amount of order behind the chaos that it was, but I recently did a minor undertaking, and transformed it, if you will. I have no 'before' pictures, only the better half, the after. My play room.

My yarn isn't in here yet, I need to figure out how/where I want to put it, seeing as there is so much. The white tote under my sewing desk is chalk full of fabrics, and the top draw is filled with scrap booking things that someone gave to me because they thought since I was crafty, that I was a scrap booker...... I don't scrapbook. But I decided to keep it in case I decide to "pick up the book" one day.

The knitting chair.

My sewing desk, easel, and pictures Josh did.

My favorite part is the pegboard. It only cost seven bucks! Pegboard for the win. It is so handy though, I will never lose a pair of scissors or needle again. I had to finish it off with twinkle lights, because I really needed somewhere that I could leave them up year round. The pegboard as a whole is possibly my favorite thing in our entire apartment. On a side note, see that mitten in the top right? It was the first one in a pair, but it turned out tiny (UGH!). I am on a mitten hiatus for now.

Marry me?

I've had this desk for so long, but never a chair to sit behind it. So I decide now was the time to invest. I got it at a thrift store for two dollars, and then painted it black, and reupholstered the cushion. Talk about a good investment. I love this chair.

Dirty before. I loved the pattern on the cushion, but it was stained and disgusting.

Clean after. I didn't intend for this to match so perfectly, but am glad it does.

2009-12-18T16:03:00.002-06:00

Recently I made some cupcakes at work and quite a few people loved them. So many people have asked to buy them, that I had no choice but to agree to make some more! MMM.

Christmas has come so fast this year that I swear there is someone somewhere messing with the clocks and playing with our minds! I got really great gifts for everyone and can't wait to pass them out. I also need to make an apron, just because I want to. I love them. Aprons. yes yes yes.

Light box.

2009-12-08T07:54:00.005-06:00

All the things I make don't look as great photoed as I would like. The lightning in our apartment leaves a lot to be desired. I set out to find a way to enhance the quality of my photos, and stumbled upon Strobist's light box tutorial. It's a great, cheap idea. I had everything on hand, except a bow which was free from work, so it cost nothing, and took about ten minutes to put together. Next on my agenda is to learn a little about lighting and how to use my new little friend.

I made this knit strawberry late last night, while I was waiting for my snow to start a fallin' (it still hasn't). This bite sized berry took longer than it should have, but it is so adorable I can hardly contain myself.

Bowbands.

2009-12-03T23:22:00.002-06:00

I made bows. And bands. Bowbands. For heads.

I'm an Indian Outlaw.

2009-11-26T21:21:00.010-06:00

I had to work today so my family is celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow instead. After work today, everything was closed so I was stuck home. I had some spare time so I crafted a headdress. I made the feathers from fabric that I made stand up by sewing a straightened metal clip down the center. I cut the edges to resemble a feather and sewed them all onto a band that I just tie in the back. The buttons are jewels and gems, because Indians love those sorts of things. The bells were a last minute, much needed addition, for my rain dancing and spirit rising sessions.

Thanksgibin'

2009-11-25T22:23:00.003-06:00

Just a little pie for Thanksgiving.

I'd like to be, under the sea

2009-11-12T20:28:00.006-06:00

in an octopus' garden, in the shade.

Embroidery is harder than it looks, but so much fun! I love it. This is my first of hopefully many pieces. I have lots of ideas, so I may have to invest in a thimble.

*I also made (not so) little mason jar tags for some things to give people.

Dandy.

2009-11-04T14:12:00.004-06:00

Oh, hey. Did you ever notice my banner^. Crooked and not fitting properly? Someone should fix that......

This my friend, is a newly finished neckerchief. That dangly string to the right, is on purpose, I swear! It's a little thing I do with everything I knit, so I always know where the back/side is, s0 I know how to wear it. Why is the picture fuzzy and out of focus? To be honest with you, I don't really know......

Pumpy.

2009-10-30T21:38:00.002-05:00

Halloween. Josh and I did a joint pumpkin carving this year. I did Mario, and he did Luigi. Itsa neat!

Sister, bombing under the veil of darkness... as if it mattered.

2009-10-25T21:19:00.002-05:00

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

Lord Byron

Ed Skeins.

2009-10-20T17:48:00.003-05:00

This is the beginning of a neckerchief (short scarf) I'm working on.

This is a side project.

Dyeing.

2009-10-18T14:27:00.005-05:00

I have had a tutorial bookmarked for months, and have been wanting to try it, and finally did. I sew, but not very much, so the deconstruction of a sweater was quite a pain without a seam ripper (everyone who sews has one?). Meh. That part of this project was no fun at all. I'd say it took me about two hours to get all the pieces of this sweater detached from one another. The dyeing was pretty, no not pretty, VERY fun. I used koolaid, so it was really cheap. Look at the pictures, it explains all the fun!!!!!

Tan sweater. 53% lambs wool, 47% nylon.

Arms, layed flat, wet. Ready to be dyed.

Rainbow Koolaid.

Dyeing.

Heating in the microwave to set the colors.

Set color, cooling in a red colander.

Completely dry and ready to be unraveled.

Unraveled.

A hank of recycled, hand dyed yarn, by yours truly.

Seattle gloves.

2009-10-15T22:52:00.006-05:00

So. I wanted to learn how to knit because I like learning new things. I go through phases quite often, so I figured I would get bored of it. I think I started about 1 1/2 years ago? Anywho- wow!! Do I love to knit! I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

I finished my itchy fingerless gloves! The yarn is so beautiful. It was a gift for my last birthday that I have been saving for the perfect project. I have about 600 yards of it, and these gloves only used up about 100 yards. Aye aye, I'll have to find another special project for them. But the yarn is from a local vendor, a blend of wool, silk and pygora (goat hair). We went to their farm, and they showed us the whole process of harvesting the product, and turning it into yarn (cleaning, dyeing, combing, carding). It was awesome. The wool in these gloves makes them itchy and warm at the same time. They were knit flat on straight needles, and seamed up the side. I made one thumb hole a little small, so it ended up making the whole glove a little off kilter. Thankfully, with the pattern, no one but me could really notice.

A few days ago, I also made a drop spindle, so I could finally try to spin my own yarn. Now I just need to find some roving. Etsy has some beautiful ones. I need to find some fairly inexpensive stuff to start out with until I actually know what I'm doing.

The First Days of Spring.

2009-10-12T15:37:00.004-05:00

Dear Noah and the Whale,

Your sound reminds me so much of M. Ward. No, no, that's a good thing! I really enjoy him.

Right now I feel hypnotized. I can't seem to do anything while listening to your music.

Except...... listen.

I go into a staring fit, my eyes blur and my ears open just to let you in. Come in, make yourself comfortable and please, stay a while.

Stuff.

2009-10-10T20:14:00.008-05:00

So. Here's the low down, life is busy. Last weekend some of our family went home for the Renaissance Festival, and Minneapolis, which was fun. It was a little rainy and chilly, but great none the less. I have no pictures.... yet. Sister has them. But I do have a picture of muh new dread bead I got at the Renaissance. I love it. I think I may pick up some sort of clay soon and see what I can do with it! I picked up a book from the library on embroidery, and am excited to see what I learn with that also.

Turqouise bead.

I learned a new craft, dorset buttons. Very fun. It took me a while to do, but I think as I go, I will get faster and more efficient.

I made a hat (#2) last March. Less slouch, more cute.

I knitted an owl. HOOT.

It flew into a nest and got stuck.

Josh made chocolate chip cookies, all by himself. We did an experiment.
Left cookie: Unchilled dough, thin, ugly, but still tasty.
Right cookie: chilled dough, perfect.

At the moment, I am working on some fingerless gloves, a teal hat, and a neckerchief. Plus, I am missing Minnesota like crazy, my dogs, my sweet girls and last but not least, my mom and pops.

Blanket for baby Swan.

2009-09-20T23:03:00.005-05:00

I started a baby blanket for Josh's sista, who is due at the beginning of November. Smart thinking by me, I started a few moths ago (July 5th! Wow that was a while ago...), because I knew I would get bored, take a break, and pick it up again (which I did a few days ago). I decided on fall colors, since he/she'll be a fall baby, and I really loathe pastels (too cliche for my liking). The pattern reminds me of the seventies for some reason. Sort of vintage and classic looking. I love how it is turning out. I'd say it's about 1/3 of the way done! I want to embroider the baby's name on it, but am not really sure how it would fit with the pattern. We'll see!!!!

Hooray!

2009-09-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across David Liebovitz's blog. Best. Blog. Ever.

Let me show you.

2009-09-15T00:16:00.001-05:00

I put these up as a reminder, so I wouldn't forget anyone. In order of appearance, not in the order of enjoyment. My list. Singularly, my own.

1. Regina Spektor.
Myth, Maplewood, MN.

2. Hotel Cafe Tour featuring:
Dan Wilson,
Ingrid Michaelson,
Joshua Radin,
Meiko,
Cary Brothers,
and Allie Moss.
First Ave. Minneapolis, MN.

3. Ray LaMontagne.
U of W, Madison, WI.

4. Brett Dennen
People's Republic, Des Moines, IA.

5. Cloud Cult
The Picador, Iowa City, IA.

Chicago.

2009-09-14T20:59:00.004-05:00

I love country living, but I love city lights more.

I haven't been very many places, but Chicago is definitely my favorite at the moment. I also love Duluth, MN. Maybe it's the Great Lakes? Being Minnesota grown, I love lakes? Sounds reasonable. But, uhhhhhh. Josh and I went to Chicago for his 22nd birthday the week before last. No cake this year, only a beautiful city. We fell in love with the place. It's magnificent. I love everything about it; the culture is so expansive. I guess it's to be expected of such a large city. Since moving here, it is definitely something I miss. So, let's just say, I got my sights set on Chicago.

Chicagorama.

Lake Michicgan, you are so beautiful.

You're mine Sears Tower!!!

I want to yarn bomb something. Real bad.

Recently,

2009-08-19T21:03:00.004-05:00

I've been reading books, baking things, kissing nieces that say I'm "the most favorite babysitter ever in the world," knitting a baby blanket for Josh's soon to be baby niece, and buying a new car. My life is lovely.

Melissa has Harry Potter on her mind instead

2009-07-15T21:09:00.004-05:00

Best Harry Potter yet?!?! It was soooo good. I don't like to rate them, because they'll never be as good as the books, and there are enough haters out there to dis them. But they're amazing none the less. I went with Josh, because I could not wait for the weekend to go with people who actually have lives and are busy during the week, and because he's my best friend. I'm sorry sissy. I may have to go again. No one should see Harry alone.

But "now what?" you ask. I don't know. I'm not very good at the waiting game. I along with many others I suppose, but mainly I, have to wait 16 months for the first part of the final installment of my childhood.

I've been waiting for this since I was eleven years old... eleven. The sixth grade. 10 years ago. 1999. The nineties people... the nineties.

Glitter.

2009-06-27T20:42:00.002-05:00

I recently went to the zoo with mother, sister, niece 1 and niece 2. It was lovely. It had the most beautiful carousel I have ever seen.

Another birthday?!?!

2009-06-08T13:11:00.001-05:00

So soon?

Embrace your heritage boi.

2009-05-28T16:32:00.010-05:00

Blog, what's a blog? I dunno... I've been a lazy kid lately. I went home for the holiday weekend. It was nice. My parents have a pond in their back yard, which is quite convenient. Josh and I took my oldest niece Lennon canoeing. When I was a kid, I hated water. I don't know why, but I was always so scared. I never really got over it, but I've learned to deal with it. Lennon, she's me as a kid. She freaks out, and won't let go of who ever is closest, and worst of all, she'll let off a high pitched scream if she thinks she's going under.... which she never is. Besides the screaming, it was nice. Also, very exciting, my mom and dad got a new pup. They're like those parent you see on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, the ones who take in all the foster kids... the only difference, mom and dad take in puppies instead of kids. I don't mind though, dogs are my favorite creatures. The new puppy is named Oreo or Cookie. She was called by both names. I asked which to call her by, and Lennon replied "Oreo Cookie." Ok, makes sense. She is a beautiful blue heeler. So so so beautiful. And loving, too.

Lennon.

Oreo Cookie?

Josh, the lover, comes from a mixed heritage family. His mom is German, and his dad is Vietnamese. I always joke that he needs to embrace his heritage. I would if I were him. But he's just a normal boy who likes normal boy foods like pizza and spaghetti and pizza. I've heard stories of how his dad came to America during the Vietnam War. He was a soldier who fought against the Vietcong. I've met him a few times, but I don't know much about him. His parents have been separated a while, but his mom gave me a cook book that she used to get a lot of recipes from: The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam. I went through the whole thing in one sitting and book marked all the recipes I need to try. This is the first thing I did.

Perfect Rice
1 cup rice
1 3/4 cup of water

1.Bring the rice and water to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 3 minutes (until small craters appear, this is an indication that the rice is absorbing water). While is is still rapidly boiling, cover the rice with a tight lid, trapping the steam.Reduce the heat to very low. If you have an electric stove, preheat a second burner to low, and transfer the pot after you put the lid on.
2. Cook for another 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let rest for another 20 minutes. Don't remove the lid. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Fluff your perfect rice.

Stir-fried beef with veggies
6 oz flank steak
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 green peppa
2 stalks celery, sliced to 1/4 inch
1 tomato, sliced in thin wedges
1 small onion, wedged
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove minced garlic

1. Slice the beef thin adn marinate in 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and a dash of black pepper. Rest for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, and remaining fich sauce.
3. Heat the oil over high. Add the garlic and stir. Add meat. Stir-fry for one minute. While the meat is still red, add the veggies. Cook to desired tenderness (less than fve minutes).
4. Eat with your rice!

Rice is one thing I have always had trouble making. I would think it was good, but Josh's mom makes the best rice, so it was never as good as Josh was used to. My mom, she always made the "boil in a bag" stuff... So, I tried and tried. I made it so many times, never seeming to make any improvement. Then one day, I bought a cheap little rice cooker for the microwave (maybe I should have splurged?) . Still the outcome was sticky, gummy rice. A few years passed, and still, the same icky rice. This recipe, really is perfect. The best rice I have ever made. It seems long and tedious, but it is actually quite simple, and it's worth the effort.

2009-05-12T13:57:00.002-05:00

Beautiful.

Grosgrain has the best giveaways in the blog world... at least I think so. Create a link and win that dress!

Moms are the best thing.

2009-05-10T17:13:00.004-05:00

Dear Mom,

I just want you to know that I love you, though I am quite certain that you already do. I had a lovely dinner with you and dad last night. We must do it again soon, just the two of us. Thank you for spoiling me because I was the youngest, and thank you for being tough on me because I was one of the most passionate. I hope I've made you proud. Your love has gotten me through a lot, and I don't ever want to be without it. Thank you for being the most amazing women in my life. And mostly, thank you for creating me.

I love you always.

Melissa Leigh

Salt in my step.

2009-05-09T20:43:00.001-05:00

I want one.

Wish me luck!

2009-05-06T18:06:00.002-05:00

I've decided I want to do a quilt for my mama. I'm excited to give it to her and I haven't even started! The only problem is.... I don't know how to quilt. Technically, I'm assuming you just sew pieces together, right? I've been following http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/ , she makes the most adorable fabric crafts. I might try my hand at one like this or this. Anything else might be too complicated, and honestly, I'm not too patient. Anywho- I'm so envious of her. Look at her beautifully organized stash! A girl can only dream....

2009-04-30T19:33:00.002-05:00

I made this cake at work tonight. It's nothing special but I bonded with it.

It's your birthday?!?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

2009-04-28T07:30:00.001-05:00

I thrifted the most perfect polka dot dress. $2=<3

I had a trip to the dentist today. It was not pleasant in the least bit.

Sunshine in my boots.

2009-04-27T17:45:00.002-05:00

I wish I could freeze time so they never get big.

A Raisin in the Sun.

2009-04-23T20:51:00.001-05:00

California Raisins.

2009-04-21T12:23:00.004-05:00

I was riding my bike the other day, and I came across a California Raisin stuffed creature on the side of the road. In any other town this may seem weird, but I was in one of the many flooded neighborhoods (Cedar Rapids, IA) where junk still liters the streets. This raisin made me reminisce about the days when they (California Raisins) were dancing in commercials and right into my mouth. Yesterday I was craving raisins, sooo I made raisin bars. To a lot of people, raisins just aren't appealing, and I understand why, but I love all things raisin (Bran, cookies, bread, oatmeal, carrot cake, alongside celery), so these were a hit with me. They taste very similar to a raisin cookie.

Filling
2 cups raisins
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup apple cider (I used apple sauce)

Crust/dough
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups shortening (Shortening? I used butta)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick or instant)

1. For the dough, combine all dry ingredients and simply cut the butter (with vanilla) in until you have small pea sized pieces. Press half of the dough into a 9x13 in. pan. Reserve the other half for the topping.
2. For the filling, pulse the raisins and sugar in the food processor until almost pureed. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and add the apple cider. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water, and add to the saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.
3. Spread over the crust and top with remaining crumb mixture.
4. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
(They would be delicious with a drizzle of icing)

Plus, I really wanted to try something from this book. I have been wanting this book ever since it came out a few months back. I did the next best thing to buying it, they had it at the library! Yay! It is the most beautiful cookie book ever. The index at the front has pictures of each cookie, so you know what you're making, before you even look at the page it's on. Talk about cook book porn.

Betty Crocker.

2009-04-17T16:23:00.006-05:00

My mama surprised me a couple weeks ago with the red Betty Crocker Cookbook. Oh boy do I love that sucker! It has EVERYTHING. All things food are in this book. It even has special sections for Holiday Recipes (except Easter, bummer huh?). It sometimes amazes me that I find pleasure in books like this, instead of the books that I got while in culinary school. Talk about being simple. Anywho... I found a recipe for coconut shrimp. Being a baker, I guess I never really thought about how simple it would be to make. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

For the Shrimp
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 lb uncooked shrimp(I used cooked[frozen] and it came out fine)
2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Mix the flour, brown sugar and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, mix the egg, and lime juice. In a third bowl, place the coconut.
2. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then eggs, then coconut. Drizzle with tthe melted butter.
3. Place them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet, and bake at 425 for about 7 minutes, until slightly golden.

For the dipping sauce:
3/4 cup apricot preserves (ick I used orange marmalade)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard

1. Combine ingredients and heat until preserves are melted (I used my good friend the microwave).
2. Dip shrimp and eat.

You should probably make this. Tonight.

Little Apartment on the Hill

2009-04-15T17:08:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was the first real springy day we've had. I spent it indoors for some reason. It was eventful, I cleaned out our cavernous fridge, and made a case for my ever expanding collection of knitting needles. I have loads and loads of fabric scraps laying around, so I finally found a use for some of them. Coincidentally, I had three that complimented each other very well. Gingham has and always will be one of my favorite prints, as well as the obligatory floral. Together they remind me of Little House on the Prairie (catch that pun in the title folks? eh?). It was my favorite show growing up, as well as favorite book series as a kid.... I found a knitting needle case I liked on Etsy and just took it from there. I based it off of what I saw, and I think it turned out well, besides all of my wonky crooked stitches. There is one pocket that if I put needles in it, they fall through (oops!) but that can be easily mended. I love it though, I hope it holds up to my abuse. All in all, yesterday was a pretty good day.

I am Melissa's pet cuke that she didn't even know she had. I am stinky and gooey.

A lot of needles fit so far, except one set of long metal ones that are pretty heavy duty and don't need protection anyways. I'm excited to add my crochet hooks and the rest of my needles to fill her up.

OMG.

2009-04-09T18:12:00.002-05:00

I recently saw Marley and Me. Saddest movie I have seen in my entire life. EVERRRRRR. I not only cried, I bawled my eyes out.

I NEED A DOG. NOW.

Heather.

2009-04-08T13:55:00.004-05:00

Hat. Finished. I found a hat that I liked, and I very very loosely followed that pattern... I don't like messing with decreases. I have no patience for that. So, I used the ones in this (I was about to say recipe) pattern. It helped me understand decreases more. So I think next time, maybe I won't even need to follow a "recipe."

I have red hair.

I find that I am very bad at making things for people. I always end up wanting to keep everything because I love my pieces so much, even if they're not that great. Ahh. Someday I will get over this, but for now, I will be sad to see this one go. I hope it gets as much love as I put into it.

Reading in Bed Shrug.

2009-04-05T19:18:00.006-05:00

I've been knitting a shrug for a long time. I got bored right away, because it is pretty much like a scarf, long and repetitive. Ugghghgh. So far, I like hats the most. They are so fun to knit, and so rewarding. But I finished this today and I simply love it. The yarn which is wool from a local spinner (cheap and beautiful) didn't showcase the pattern very well. If I made it again, I would use a more crisp yarn, that isn't as fuzzy, probably a cotton or a silk blend. I may give it to my sister for her birthday this week. I don't know if it's quite her style, but I suppose we'll find out... hopefully she's not a good liar so I can tell if she really likes it. If I were her, I would wear it all day everyday.

I love you lilac/mustard shrug. Oh how I love you.

I am confused.

2009-04-04T23:01:00.006-05:00

I made a German chocolate cake yesterday afternoon. It hit the spot.

For the frosting:
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 cup of sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

1. Simply heat the milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add pecans, coconut and vanilla. Let cool and add to a chocolate cake.

I'm a little blurry. Forgive me?

Hey you, my lips will never forget the gentle outline of your face and my heart will always be reminded of the solace in your embrace. Don't go away...

Good Job Iowa.

2009-04-03T19:28:00.004-05:00

As of Today, the state of Iowa allows same sex marriage. The first state in the Midwest, and only the third state in the country (Massachusetts and Connecticut). Living here, it surprises me, because so many people around here, even in a large town, are still very conservative and old fashioned. Maybe this place isn't as backwoods as I first thought.... suppose it's a good surprise, eh?

4.3.09

2009-04-03T13:41:00.002-05:00

I noticed as I was knitting, that I'm a big gray mess this day.

Ima be a hat when I grows up.

The Caves.

2009-03-30T20:23:00.012-05:00

I have been a busy bee, working and what not. But last weekend, Josh and I traveled far away and wandered aimlessly around the woods one afternoon. Our destination was Maqouketa Caves. I faintly remember going there once when I was a babe, probably 3 or 4. I was certain that it was going to be one of those places that is so mystical and lovely when you are a child, but destined to be a disappointment as an adult. For some reason, that I am not even very sure of, I still wanted to share this place with Josh. I am so glad we got to, because it turned out to be the opposite of what I figured. It is a state park, so presumably, it is quite safe. However, all of the caves seem so dangerous and uncharted. It's exciting seeing (though quite dark) them and imagining what they were like before people had wandered through them and discovered every last nook and cranny of theses wonderous, beautiful caves. The whole time, we were in awww. We loved it. It's simply amazing how such a magical place can exist... especially in the middle of the heartland. We took a few photos. These are my favorite. I hope you enjoy them, even if only a fraction of what I do.

I remember walking along this path when I was young. The way it arches along the water, though unnatural, I don't think I'll ever forget the beauty and grace of it's curves.

Some of them are so far down it frightens me.

Ones like this gave me the willies. I didn't want to imagine what it would be like if you were there after twilight.

What does this remind you of? Jabba the Hut? Yeah, same here.

"A little boy who thought Jesus was He-Man."

I fell in love with this rock.

This was my favorite part. It was in a cave called The Dance Hall. The weather has been lovely around these parts, all the snow is gone and the ground is thawing. But in the caves, it's still winter. Ice and snow all around and you can spy your breathe when you enter.

I found a feather. My mom told me to never touch feathers because I could get lice. I wrapped this one in a leaf. I'm going to clean it and wear it in my red hair. It's the first natural feather I've ever touched.

Transistor Radio

2009-03-18T21:52:00.006-05:00

I'm going to see Cloud Cult in t minus two weeks and I could not be more excited. EEEEEEEEEEEEE.

It's been years since I heard my transistor radio.
Yet I keep going to where it seems I'm meant to go.
And I finally realized what he wanted to show me,
Where I've been, where I am, is the show.

Growing up is hard to do.

2009-03-18T09:32:00.005-05:00

Oh me oh mama. I planted my seedlings last week, and they are coming along quite nicely. My pea sprouts are growing up so fast! This morning I noticed that 3 of my chives finely sprouted, I'm just waiting on the rosemary (which I am the most excited for) and for Josh's strawberries to push their way through. Chamomile sprouts are so, so, so tiny. They were the smallest seeds I have ever seen. They came in a very small envelope, inside of the regular sized seed packet you find everything else in. Some of my plants will be destined for the great out doors (mom and dad's garden), and the rest will be my indoor-top-of-bookcase-buddies. Hopefully they all turn out lovely and bear unto us a beautiful crop. But until then, this is what I say to them every night t0 convince them that growing up isn't such a terrible thing:

"Come to the edge."

We can't. We're afraid.
"Come to the edge."
We can't. We will fall.
"Come to the edge."
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.

~Guillaume Apollinaire

Look how tall my skinny little peas are!

I need this.

2009-03-09T17:14:00.002-05:00

Right now. That is way over my budget. Waywaywaywayway over. I'm planning on picking up a used shirt and attempting this. Soon.

Watchmen.

2009-03-08T15:34:00.005-05:00

I saw Watchmen cupcakes on Slashfood, so I pretty much had to make them. I saw them some where else, made with fondant, which I would have rather done, but I really didn't want to buy fondant because it's expensive and not that tasty. So then I thought, "Well, I can make the fondant." Turns out I didn't have all the ingredients, so I just made some butter cream instead. I used the famous Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe, because it really is perfect. They turned out loverly, in a bloody sort of way.

It is quite difficult to pipe a perfect smiley face. It took some practice, and this one is still not perfect.

Hershey's Chocochocochoco-late Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Mix the ingredients in the above order and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

They're keeping watch over our neighborhood.

Blessed is this life and I'm gonna celebrate being alive.

2009-03-07T18:53:00.003-06:00

I went to see Brett Dennen on Thursday and it was quite nice... besides lots of rude fans. But I am trying to forget those memories, and just remember his beautiful voice singing to my little ears.

A sneak peak

2009-03-01T22:14:00.001-06:00

of my day at home. I wandered in the woods, played with our doggies and warmed my hands on a peaceful little fire. It was beauteous.

Milk.

2009-02-26T16:34:00.002-06:00

I know you cannot live on hope alone but without hope life is not worth living. I watched Milk. I didn't know of Harvey Milk until I watched it. It was eyeopening to say the least. I really really enjoyed it.

Sometimes

2009-02-24T21:26:00.006-06:00

When I am doing my laundry I find random little girls clothes that I wish fit me. After being home from my parents, where my nieces are pretty much every single weekend, some odds and ends of their clothes get mixed in with mine. It's a very welcome mistake... in fact I often look forward to it. Ahh. I miss them, I haven't seen them in a few weeks.

Itty bitty jeans.

Little pink socks belonging to one of my favorite girls.

BLT Soup (not fond in my laundry).

I made me up some soup tonight because I had some leeks that needed a using. I really like leeks because they are not as bold as onions and they cook so easily. And afterward, your breathe isn't as raunchy. Plus, I have a book: Express Lane Meals by Rachael Ray. I've had it a while, but this is the first recipe I have made from it. There are loads of good looking recipes in it, even though there are no pictures.... My soup turned out pretty good. I liked the crumbly bacon on top.

Smirks.

2009-02-23T16:32:00.004-06:00

My new iPod case. He was born last night. He's a cutey eh? I knitted him in about 30 minutes, and added his eyeballs and mouth this afternoon. I'm in love.

Oh. My. Goodness.

2009-02-22T19:25:00.001-06:00

These are so good it's ridiculous. Substitute chocolate chips because you don't enjoy white chocolate and you'll eat them all in one sitting.

The Trapeze Swinger

2009-02-19T19:34:00.003-06:00

I love this song more than when I first heard it many moons ago.

Iron & Wine "The Trapeze Swinger."

Yeast breads.

2009-02-18T19:17:00.006-06:00

"Hi. I'm Melissa. It's nice to meet you." I'm a baker. It is my profession. Right now I work at a coffee shop as the lead baker. I previously worked at a fine dining restaurant as the assistant pastry chef. So, you would assume, since it's what I do, that I would have pantry staples on hand at all times. For instance: sugar, flour and vanilla. As of only a few days ago, I had none of these......... Today I made some donuts. They were good, except I had no vanilla for the glaze, so I used almond extract. Eh. Not the best choice.

Cutting them out is my favorite part.

I had some leftover ganache that I just melted down for the tops.

Everyone's favorite is the twist.

I also made the infamous New York Times "No Knead Bread." I'd seen the recipe too many times to even count, but I never actually took the time to read it. I've been craving good bread lately, so I just decided it needed to be made. It was very simple. I let it rest for the first time, longer then 24 hours since I was at work. It turned out better than I thought. I'll definitely be making it again, with the addition of more salt. I also greased the baking pan with olive oil. It doesn't say to, but being a cautious girl, I just assumed. It made for a pretty good bottom crust.

The dough, right after I mixed all the ingredients. It is very shaggy as the recipe says.

You bake it in a heavy pan, with the loid on for most of the baking time.

Turned out to be a beautiful, crusty loaf.

Mmm.

Lemon curd is my favorite food.

2009-02-13T18:07:00.010-06:00

Hold on to your hats, this ones loaded with pictures. Tonight I made a citrus cake with lemon curd filling and orange frosting. It's a birthday cake for a friend. Everything came out really well. The only trouble I had was the curd, which would not thicken for anything. After twenty minutes over simmering water, I gave up and added a cornstarch/orange juice slurry. That sort of did the trick. I got the cake recipe from an old issue of Martha Stewart, and the lemon curd recipe from Paula Deen (I swear I do more than watch people cooking on the tele). The frosting is one I had sitting around. I am not usually a fan of simple butter cream (powdered sugar and butter), but this one is pretty good. It doesn't taste cheap. And this cake- I kind of want to sit in a room all by myself and eat the whole thing.... happy late birthday to me?

I had to invest in lots of fresh citrus for this one.

Batter.... the best batter.

It made two perfectly sized 8-inch pans and two mega-mini cupcakes... which is good, because Josh always wants a taste.

This is all the counter space we have in our apartment. It is quite difficult to work sometimes. Those stackable cooling racks are pretty handy though.

My cake "turntable". I really want, strike that- need a real one.

The frosting has visible zest in it. I think it makes it look fresh. This picture was taken with the flash on, so it looks more white than it really is.

This one is more accurate on the color, but I don't like how dark it looks. Anywho- My writing looks horrid, and I went a little crazy with leaves on top, but I just love those little suckers.

Lemon Cake (Citrus Cake)
Martha Stewart

1 cup of soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest (I used a mix of lemon and lime)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (again, lemon and lime)
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cream the butter with sugar.
2. Add vanilla, salt and baking powder.
3. Alternate adding dry with liquid.
4. Bake in 2 9-inch round pans at 350 until done.

Lemon Curd (Citrus Curd)
Paula Deen

1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
8 egg yolks
Juice and zest of 3 lemons (mixture of lemons and limes)

1. Heat over a double boiler until thickened slightly.
2. Cool and use. Enjoy.

Easy delicious orange frosting

3 sticks of soft butter
6 cups of powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons of zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Small amount of juice from the fruit you zested

1. Whip everything together. Voila! Tasty simple butter cream.

If ever I recommended a lemon cake recipe, this would be the one. It's very moist, and way better than a boxed mix.

Suppertime and livin's easy.

2009-02-12T18:40:00.007-06:00

Josh said my title on this one was stupid, but I thought it was mad clever... For supper I made rosemary encrusted pork chops with apple sauce and a salad of baby greens. It was tasty.

Pork. Rosemary. Apples. Greens. Perfect.

Pork and and a sliver of melted chedda'.

Yesterday, I finally started working on something I had been putting off since... well a while. Last summer I got this really cute summer dress. I was very excited when I found it; a green dress to go with my red hair. Towards the end of summer, a small (the size of a dime or nickel) grease spot mysteriously appeared near the bottom-front of my beautiful dress. I applied some Oxy Clean powder, and let it sit for a while. I suppose I should mention that when I saw a while, I really mean over a week. I washed the dress in the washer and a huge hole was formed. The Oxy Clean had eaten through my dress!!! I was sad, but I knew I could salvage it. So yesterday, I started. First, I bleached it, because there were light spots that the Oxy Clean had made. I then died it purple. Tonight, I started sewing a patch over the hole, and I'm going to do a cute little patch/pocket with some embroidery on it.

Massively ugly Oxy Clean hole. Not good, not good at all.

After the bleaching. Eww. That hole is a major eyesore.

The new color. Purple! The slip underneath was a different material, a kind of satin. It wasn't changing from the original color, but I quite like it. See the peak of green?

The old color. You can only see the strap, but you get the idea.

I'm trying to finish this project soon before I get bored of it.

Minnie

2009-02-10T17:41:00.005-06:00

I finished this headband in about an hour. It was quite simple. I love the fact that it's a mobius strip but I don't know if I like the "seafoam" pattern. Plus it was cheap yarn, and you can tell. I made it for a girl at work. She's super picky. I'm a little hesitant to give it to her.

21 um um.

2009-02-08T18:30:00.004-06:00

Today I turn 21. Hehehe. So I can drink if I so please. I told one of my friends that I am skipping 21 and going straight to 22 since I don't really drink anyways. Maybe...

My mamma made me a delicious carrot cake (with raisins!!!) and cream cheese frosting. It was scrumptious, but I had no camera. BUT, this is the cake I made for Josh a few months ago when he celebrated this same occasion.

Birthdays are pretty cool.

2009-02-06T12:30:00.005-06:00

"She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring." ~Zelda Fitzgerald

I'm working on 2 sets of mittens, a hat, and a rug. Geeesh.

Dun.

2009-02-03T15:14:00.005-06:00

I finished a new hat. I used the Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton in that lovely Cumin color.The pattern is a Ravelry one you can find here. The pattern is easy enough, but I kept messing up because it is so monotonous. I didn't like the original pattern's brim, so I just did a 2x2 rib and it worked well. There are parts where if anyone who knows how to knit even in the slightest would be able to tell I rearranged the pattern. I could have gone back and fixed these spots, but I just wanted to get the hat finished. It looks ok just the same. Whadaya think?

"Hey! I'm almost done!"

Dund.

The Puppy Bowl

2009-02-01T19:49:00.005-06:00

I am not really interested in the Super Bowl... at all actually. Josh and I decided to watch the Puppy Bowl instead. We made the right decision. Those pups are the epitome of cute. There were a couple of beagles that reminded me of our dogs at home, especially Livvy since she's still a pup. It's very hard for me to see cute pups since we can't have pets in our apartment. SO. VERY. DIFFICULT. Next time, I'm going to have my own team.

Livvy.

From Livvy's point of view, Shirley in the sweater/team colors, and Bobber.

Shirley and Puffy.

Someday.

2009-01-29T16:05:00.003-06:00

I love winter, but I'm excited for spring time... rainy days, gardens, and barefeet.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther King

Concerning birthdays of the most beautiful girls.

2009-01-26T21:30:00.004-06:00

Swiss meringue for buttercream.

Lennon wanted a cake that was, "Chocolate and pink." That, I can do.

Lennon is four now. Wowsers.

Presley is two and gorgeous.

My beautiful nieces are the best thing.

Dear night-lights, protect my sleeping babes. Burn clear and steadfast tonight.