tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66486493424263629552024-02-19T06:16:04.599-05:00One Mama's JournalAlyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-66101907025595988012015-09-16T16:22:00.000-04:002015-09-16T16:22:07.719-04:00Cross Country Drachenfels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Early this year we packed up our family and animals and headed west for a few months while Will was working in the Bay Area. In anticipation of our 30 hour drive home I knew I needed a knitting project to pass the time - because contrary to what you may expect, driving for 30 hours with two animals, two toddlers strapped in their carseats and a trailer hitched to your car is actually fairly relaxing, as long as you're not the one driving. </div>
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I had noticed Melanie Berg's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/drachenfels" target="_blank">Drachenfels</a> pattern earlier and thought it might be the perfect project for a long road trip - big but not overwhelming and requiring little attention (anything too complicated would inevitably trigger my motion-sickness). And with its interesting, asymmetrical color pattern I thought this easy knitting would result in a really beautiful shawl. </div>
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I went to the only yarn store I could find near us - <a href="http://yourknittingplace.com/" target="_blank">Knit This, Purl That</a> in Pleasanton. I am usually lured mostly by color when choosing yarn and the Malabrigo Finito I found was just what I was looking for. More specific notes on the yarn can be found on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/alyssahs/drachenfels" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. I began the shawl in the days before we packed up and said goodbye to the Bay. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Francisco Bay</td></tr>
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Then we loaded up on snacks, hitched the trailer to the car and started out on our journey home... </div>
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Through California into Nevada, across the salt flats and all the way to the Great Salt Lake. We stopped for a day of rest in Park City, Utah.</div>
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The shawl grew as we logged the miles into Wyoming, watching the landscape change along the way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trains were a highlight of our trip for Eli</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flatness for miles across Nebraska</td></tr>
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…Across Nebraska and Iowa, and finally home to Minnesota. </div>
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But the shawl wasn't finished yet, and in June it accompanied me the rest of the way across the country when I attended <a href="http://www.squamartworkshops.com/" target="_blank">Squam</a> in Holderness, New Hampshire. Squam deserves a post all its own, but suffice it to say for now that there is no better place to knit a shawl (or anything for that matter) than at Rockywold Deephaven Camp surrounded by others who share a love of knitting.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our evening knitting spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLoEOhCfbEZWu5n7Vg8Us01uLwqaPryOMNDM4WvQw9nKckVE-AVUKB_EoOzDrKe3u0U5Q9lHeAKW4Ud0I3Thhv1pIoifiUDfgtPUfWY6RHBSnQNHV3DBqMAE5puGTS65_Ehn3QymDOjk/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLoEOhCfbEZWu5n7Vg8Us01uLwqaPryOMNDM4WvQw9nKckVE-AVUKB_EoOzDrKe3u0U5Q9lHeAKW4Ud0I3Thhv1pIoifiUDfgtPUfWY6RHBSnQNHV3DBqMAE5puGTS65_Ehn3QymDOjk/s640/photo-8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Water cabin<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvgUW4kp3D0TNp8stJOy-DZI4jJAln9sR0jZ9zlZ1zT7VF6T7qEKPAdqczvnR2shnzeMvCdHke6JnHq2_oh9jl5Z277Vn0ff6bSvL7bR91Dx3PuzEJPv7hV0VeAhGDY1fHQOZx4txPWU/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvgUW4kp3D0TNp8stJOy-DZI4jJAln9sR0jZ9zlZ1zT7VF6T7qEKPAdqczvnR2shnzeMvCdHke6JnHq2_oh9jl5Z277Vn0ff6bSvL7bR91Dx3PuzEJPv7hV0VeAhGDY1fHQOZx4txPWU/s640/photo-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielMaDVKxE2JlG-hq-jBOb1g4izSm_Te4epXMEYibPeH-nmV2m7WvRitXykI3RDnpQWUEucXLkDTQtd1szyR8V7yO-OtKth1GZIiwySHghK_xULYsjR1wIRLRKHXbvmTl1qKEDkl81ZPo/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielMaDVKxE2JlG-hq-jBOb1g4izSm_Te4epXMEYibPeH-nmV2m7WvRitXykI3RDnpQWUEucXLkDTQtd1szyR8V7yO-OtKth1GZIiwySHghK_xULYsjR1wIRLRKHXbvmTl1qKEDkl81ZPo/s640/photo-6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Squam Lake</td></tr>
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When I finally finished the last stitches of its i-cord bind off and wove in the final strands of yarn from the color changes, this shawl had travelled with me from coast to coast and back to our home somewhere in the middle. <br />
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One of the things I love about knitting is its mobility. Unlike sewing, another love of mine, knitting will accompany you throughout your house, to the playground, to your children's dance classes or, in this case, across the country. And I like to think that each stitch captures something of the moment in which you knit it. In this way, my Drachenfels shawl is not only a beauty that will warm me in the coming months, but also a memoir of sorts of my journeys this year. In it I see the memories of our time living in California, that precious time we spent together as a family on the road and the magic of my first solo trip in almost six years to Squam.<br />
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<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-61699728655699464162014-10-20T23:32:00.002-04:002014-10-20T23:35:59.620-04:00Summer Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always feel sad when it comes time to say goodbye to summer. Living in Minnesota we don't get a sufficient dose of heat to make me grateful for the cooler weather when it arrives. Yes, there is much to look forward to in fall. And with the stunning blaze of reds, oranges and yellows coloring my world this past week I am finally greeting her with open arms. But first, one last look back at summer before we are fully immersed in the celebrations and birthdays that fall brings for our family.</div>
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We harvested 46 heads of garlic this year. I'll go right ahead and declare that a raging success. Undoubtedly, garlic was our biggest triumph of the season. And no matter what else happened in the garden this year I feel a sense of accomplishment when, in need of a few cloves for dinner, I go down to fetch a head from the hefty bagful in our basement. </div>
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The blue jade was just as cute and child-size perfect as <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/08/blue-jade.html" target="_blank">last year</a> . Still we only got one ear per stem of corn - quite a bit of real estate for not much return. I'm considering growing full size stalks next year, though I may not be able to resist those little blue ears staring at me from their seed packets come spring.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrN7N1y0CMx861VI9ThtXvyyvEmqhOoBf9BcSNW7johJXToHbLOgXhKpNz5biHKizDvN-8ipOvL3Nql-PumQFUjcb4JF5-Aquq0JB4BxNOyHaAsPXMyGJcBqCJ_t8acoDCf3ElDKM5FY/s1600/Summer+Garden-1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrN7N1y0CMx861VI9ThtXvyyvEmqhOoBf9BcSNW7johJXToHbLOgXhKpNz5biHKizDvN-8ipOvL3Nql-PumQFUjcb4JF5-Aquq0JB4BxNOyHaAsPXMyGJcBqCJ_t8acoDCf3ElDKM5FY/s1600/Summer+Garden-1-5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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This <a href="http://deborahmadison.com/vegetable-literacy/" target="_blank">cookbook</a>, which is as much art as it is a compendium of veggie recipes, offered a delicious way to use my green zebras and late broccoli crop. We grew many tomatoes this year - 13 plants in all - including old favorites and some new varieties like <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/tomato_3/Tomato-Gold-Medal.html" target="_blank">gold medal</a>, which was true to its description as one of the sweetest tomatoes I've ever eaten. Again our crop suffered from a fungus. The tomatoes are picking up their roots and relocating to a new bed next year. More sun, more heat. </div>
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I was right about those peppers. Decidedly not habaneros. We concluded they were probably yellow wax peppers or banana peppers. I found a nice recipe to combine them with our neighbors' cucumbers that arrived en masse mid season and enjoyed them grilled with potatoes and other veggies. But I realized I am lacking in ideas for what to do with an onslaught of peppers. Ideas?</div>
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After a slow start I was pretty thrilled to have eggplants, which we devoured grilled with salt roasted tomatoes and ricotta, another recipe found in Vegetable Literacy. The kale has been abundant this year and grows stronger and sweeter with the cooling air. We grew dragon's tongue and yellow wax beans, bell peppers, a couple types of basil, carrots, raspberries, pumpkins and tomatillos that sprawled dramatically across their raised bed. We even harvested one single precious apple from our tree (the rest didn't make it or were snatched by the sneaky snacky squirrels) which we dipped in honey for a Rosh Hashana treat.<br />
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Among the vegetables we often spotted a resident fairy in rain boots who flitted around collecting berries, baby carrots, jack-be-little pumpkins and chamomile flowers for gnomie, who lives by a tiny pond among the zinnias. </div>
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All in all, this was a successful year for the garden. And one that brought many changes for future growing seasons. Our neighbors erected the fence pictured above along the back of our yard. Two trees on the perimeter were removed to make way for the fence, extending the sunlight on our garden through the afternoon and increasing our growing space. Next year we will be able to expand into the other half of the back of our yard - having that much blank space to work with is mind boggling. I am grateful for the fall and winter months during which we will dream about this future garden before we dig in and start planting all over again next spring.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-39250992308249049542014-08-28T22:50:00.001-04:002014-09-03T00:47:23.862-04:00Pizza Night at Two Pony Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wIFFjW3eONKxYBJ-2Q6kDzlRFIn4tkQ_x72jwVbhQhjKFWnj_WtfL8EK3Qgxnj2ag0lJ5xArtWwoGE9NrBmsZ50Y8-_BLcQtdSBugXpmVW6e-0dI905lse83rn0KEciIONVAHIZyXD0/s1600/TwoPony-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wIFFjW3eONKxYBJ-2Q6kDzlRFIn4tkQ_x72jwVbhQhjKFWnj_WtfL8EK3Qgxnj2ag0lJ5xArtWwoGE9NrBmsZ50Y8-_BLcQtdSBugXpmVW6e-0dI905lse83rn0KEciIONVAHIZyXD0/s1600/TwoPony-1.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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As we begin our fourth year here in Minnesota we have nestled into a familiar rhythm of traditions that demarcate the passage of time, the seasons, and move us along the year. Our <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2011/11/handmade-halloween.html" target="_blank">annual</a> <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/all-pretty-little-horses.html" target="_blank">visit</a> to <a href="http://www.twoponygardens.com/" target="_blank">Two Pony Gardens</a> has taken on that significance for me -- it has become more than just a place we enjoy, but reminds me of our growth here in Minnesota, where we were when we arrived and how far we have come in the years since then. Things have changed there, as things inevitably do. But, to me at least, the essence is of what makes Two Pony Gardens special and unique is still there.</div>
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Bigger crowds at Two Pony necessitate more horse power. This year Mickey and Pete were joined by Abby and Sven. I was lucky to get a spot behind the coachman on our wagon ride. He held four reigns in his hands sandwiched between different fingers and try as I might to understand the logic of how he shifted them from finger to finger, hand to hand it seemed like a complex puzzle to me. I was in awe. The four horses led us through a trail in the woods around the property. I was reminded of <u>Little House in the Big Woods</u> and wondered what it must have been like to travel everywhere by horse drawn carriage along roads just like the one we traveled on. Bumpy. That's how it must have been.</div>
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Another new addition to the Two Pony experience was a puppet show by <a href="http://www.openeyetheatre.org/" target="_blank">Open Eye Theater</a>. Not exaggerating, this was one of the best puppet shows I have ever seen. The puppeteers performed The Amazing Cow Boat, which was part of their driveway tour this summer. They tour around performing four different puppet shows in peoples' backyards, front yards, parks and driveways all spring and summer long. We are still singing the catchy refrain around our house -- "part cow, part boat, part…ama-a-zing."</div>
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And then, of course, there is the garden...</div>
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Mostly dahlias of all shapes and hues with a smattering of echinacea, joe pye weed, tansy, anemone and many other lovelies towering in rows that beg you to run and hide among the colors.<br />
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And the long-awaited pizza...<br />
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We've learned that patience is of the essence when it comes to dinner at Two Pony Gardens. It <i>is</i> slow food after all. After 3 years of visits we've finally got our system down and brought just enough snacks to tie us over until finally the pizza arrived fresh from the oven. Undoubtedly, the hours of anticipation only make it more delicious.</div>
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Isn't this the thing about undiscovered gems -- pretty much the moment they are discovered they lose some of their "geminess." Once the word got out about how lovely and unique and secluded and delicious and quirky Two Pony Garden pizza nights are, they became busier, more expensive, more structured and populated by what felt like a less community-oriented crowd. But does success necessarily imply ultimate corruption? Change is inevitable, but I think Two Pony Gardens is trying to retain the essence of what makes it so magical. And as far as I'm concerned we will continue to return.<br />
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In this last picture Eli is sitting in the back of the horse-drawn sleigh that Mickey and Pete take out over snow covered trails in the winter time. I imagine throwing the Minnesota winter and cold into the mix will rekindle some of the essence of Two Pony that may be sacrificed when the crowds descend on summertime pizza nights. A quieter, more intimate escape to the woods with creative people who cherish the Earth and appreciate locally sourced, delicious food. What do you say we meet up there in January, okay?Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-34488279512420310652014-07-09T00:07:00.000-04:002014-07-09T00:36:51.181-04:00Yellow Boots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've had a helper in the garden this week. If you'd been hanging around our backyard you might recognize him by his yellow puddle boots, which he often insists on wearing even in the thick heat of summer, and that hose he wields indiscriminately. </div>
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I finally snipped off the scapes and made my once-a-year favorite <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/dining/185arex.html?ref=dining&_r=0" target="_blank">double garlic soup</a>. Really, I should have done this weeks ago, but let's just be glad that I eventually got around to it. I almost felt badly cutting them off -- they really are so lovely swooping here and there.<br />
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Things are growing fast. This pepper (which is supposed to be a habanero, but I am having doubts) is literally twice the size since I took this photo a few days ago.<br />
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Tomatoes are approaching ripeness. I'm looking forward to abundance. We seem to be dealing with septoria leaf spot again this year. Sigh. I suppose I really will have to move the tomatoes to another bed for a few years.</div>
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The flowers are providing us with fresh color straight from the garden - one of my favorite summertime things. Herbs are filling in the little corner I've allotted them. Sunflowers are growing tall. And that malabar spinach is a doozy.<br />
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Our big harvest this week was an enormous head of broccoli that went straight from the garden to the grill. Sweet and crisp with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon. You haven't really tasted broccoli until you've tried it fresh, still warm from the sun.<br />
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I expect those yellow boots will be clomping around a whole lot in the coming days and weeks as the garden comes into her full glory.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-45463523493741986912014-06-25T00:07:00.000-04:002014-06-25T00:10:29.359-04:00A Walk in the Garden<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Heading into year two of our garden I felt the satisfaction of building on last year's work and had high hopes for this year's progress. Now at the start of summer we are just over one month into the growing season here. Looking back to <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/07/in-our-garden.html" target="_blank">where we were a year ago</a> I recognize how much of a head start we already have over last year. The third raised bed was prepared and planted with garlic last fall. We had already dug out about half of the kids' garden last year and it was quick spring time work preparing the rest of the bed. Some perennials were already in place and I had my system for starting seeds down this year. </div>
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I've started heirloom tomatoes for the past several years after realizing it was hard to find seedlings for my favorites (green zebras), and in an effort to keep costs down decided to give flowers a go this year too. I started morning glories, pumpkins, cosmos, zulu prince daisies, poppies, lots of zinnias (because they make such wonderful cut flowers), along with my usual heirloom tomatoes. Will gets a bit annoyed when so much of our counter space is invaded by my trays of plants, but he is a good sport and doesn't huff and puff too much when I repeatedly request his help hauling the trays in and out the backdoor in the weeks when I'm hardening off the plants. Aside from saving money, growing these little plants from seed provides hope and that delicious smell of wet soil in the early days of spring when snow stubbornly clings to the ground inspiring woe in our sorely vitamin D deprived Minnesotan selves.<br />
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This year I've discovered a secret to successful gardening for and with kids - garden paths. Kids love running on paths through the garden. It keeps the garden fun and interactive and mostly keeps them from running through beds that have recently been planted. I have been hearing about the <a href="http://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/" target="_blank">Friend's School Mother's Day plant sale</a> for years and was excited to check it out this year. Along with a wagon full of happy little plants I brought home this stepping stone to adorn one of the prominent pathways. I surrounded it with irish moss and hope it will be a magical, cushy path by the end of the summer.<br />
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I ended up adopting a malabar spinach plant this year - and though I never intended for it to be a permanent resident of our garden I am happy it is here (thank you, Darcy!) It is a vigorous climber and, while not a true spinach plant, it supposedly tastes like spinach when cooked. Unlike spinach, it also loves the heat and will grow through the summer. The lovely malabar spinach sits alongside a patch of sunflowers (because nothing speaks summer like sunflowers towering overhead), snapdragons (Ava loves them) and a patch of several herbs (roman chamomile, oregano, sage and peppermint.) I've learned my lesson and will keep those sunflowers caged until they are no longer so deliciously appealing to the bunnies that hop around our yard like they own the place. </div>
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With our recent discovery that Will is likely allergic to eggs my dream of backyard chickens is even more unrealistic than ever. Luckily Terracotta Chicken is hypoallergenic, low maintenance and, though she doesn't provide nitrogen-rich poop for the garden, she does a fine job guarding the jack-be-little pumpkins. I've never grown pumpkins before, but the idea of them is irresistible for a kids' garden. Along with the jack-be-littles (the tiny ones that fit in the palm of your hand) I planted lumina, those ghostly white pumpkins. I welcome any advice on how to keep the squirrels and other critters from eating them as they grow.</div>
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I planted broccoli and lots more kale this year because we eat so much of it - lacinato for sautéing and curly kale for making kale chips. I planted a collection of lettuces and we've been savoring our home grown salads. Even Ava and Eli get excited about the lettuce when they discover it's from our garden. I'm foregoing growing pole beans this year - I just don't end up getting excited about them come harvest time - and we're sticking to our favorite bush beans, yellow wax and dragon's tongue.<br />
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The third bed is filled mostly with the garlic I planted last fall. It is so glorious standing majestic and tall when other plants in the garden are only getting started. It is almost time for our annual <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/07/loving-garlic.html" target="_blank">garlic scape soup</a>. Along with the garlic I am growing bell peppers, habaneros, eggplant and tomatillos. I have an excellent recipe for tomatillo salsa, which I look forward to making with these cuties.<br />
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And look at these beauties. Dare I get my hopes up? No apples grew on our tree last year. The previous owners of our house planted three apple trees, two of which have mostly perished after harsh winters and attack of hungry bunnies. But this one seems to be doing okay. And this year it appears we may actually have some apples come fall. I will be jumping for joy if we get a few - even one, really. And I can't wait to find out what kind they are!<br />
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I thought I overdid it with tomatoes last year. So naturally I'm growing even more of them this year. Twelve in the bed, one in a pot and one other in the kids' garden that Ava planted in her summer class at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I started my favorites - green zebras - and am trying a new kind this year - gold medal. We were gifted our other tomato plants from Will's colleague who has his seed starting down to a science. I hope to have a wide array of tomatoes for my daily omelets, Sunday morning bagels lox and cream cheese, caprese salads, tomato soup and last year's favorite, garlicky oven dried tomatoes. You can never have too many tomatoes. </div>
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I hope you enjoyed this stroll through part of our garden. With all of the rain we've been having (more than in any other spring in recorded history) things are growing fast and are already looking quite different from when I took these photos. I hope your gardens have gotten off to a great start and I wish you a very happy beginning of summer!
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-MEzlVz3ZXY8%2FU6NeLfeLVyI%2FAAAAAAAA7SM%2FmaM-rqq1CIQ%2Fs1600%2FIMG_3983_edited-2.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyQDsYa98aJFRSYx5_Mdx78rGeeluv3wQd-HUHPgAGXOqN4JteDn97ZU_GWoiEXz_fQEz-w8Y-mPjOw9N2Lf3tyYsO2lhPKm2si1E7M9dFMmMrN_YvOTYwT4S9M6aDHvw5gDY44MKGSs/s1600/IMG_3983_edited-2.jpg" -->Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-5998284297064899772014-03-27T10:05:00.000-04:002014-03-27T10:05:40.822-04:00Spring Sugar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again. Spring is shy. Such a tease. With plenty of snow and ice still on the ground and temperatures that make your fingertips ache, it is easy to dismiss the fact that it is indeed spring. I try not to think about it too much, otherwise spring becomes a roller coaster of alternating hope and disappointment for me every year. But really, there is no denying it; the signs are all around us and becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Those birds are singing with fervor. Patches of earth peek up from between mounds of snow here and there. There's an occasional drip drip of ice melting from the roof. The squirrels are noticeably friskier. And there's this:</div>
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We had a slow start to sugaring season this year. The local maple syruping festivals came and went without any sap to show. Things have been a bit start and stop. But we've already collected a fair amount of sap from a couple good days and conditions are looking favorable for the next week.<br />
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Last year was our first year <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/05/box-elder-sugarin.html" target="_blank">making syrup</a>. And it was such a good syruping year that our syrup lasted through half a year of alternating pancake and waffle Saturday morning breakfasts. We have two box elder trees tapped in our yard. A third that is supposedly a box elder never produced much last year. We're giving it one more try. The box elder is a species of maple and its syrup is similar but distinct from traditional maple syrup. Undeniably yummy. From what I understand, the box elder is not typically a 'desirable' tree in landscaping. But the sweet sap they offer us so generously makes them among the most treasured trees in our yard. </div>
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Here's to appreciating the undeniable signs of spring even as winter persists with its blizzards and frigidness. And hoping for another bountiful (but maybe a tad shorter than last year!) syruping season. </div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-33513653162175175482014-03-14T17:00:00.001-04:002014-03-15T16:10:59.333-04:00Kitchen RenovationHi friends. It's been a while. It always seems when there is the most to share, there is little time to actually sit down and write it out. Now that our busy time of the year has passed - anniversary, holidays, all of our birthdays (including a big one for Will), family visits, and the persistent cold that made me wish I was a hibernating bear this winter - and we've had some time to breathe again, I feel ready to return to this space.<br />
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These days, when we know spring <i>must</i> be on the horizon somewhere, remind me of where we were this time one year ago. Just two weeks ago we had closed on <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-house.html" target="_blank">our house</a>. And thus began one of the busiest, most stressful periods of our lives together. For the following two months we worked tirelessly, through colds, fevers and upper respiratory distress, to get our house ready for move in day. I remember the Ikea delivery people lugging the many boxes that contained our kitchen up our driveway. It was mostly obstructed by a huge dumpster and covered in at least several inches of ice (because apparently our sidewalks and driveway hadn't been shoveled the entire winter before we moved in.) Will and I took turns each night going over to the house to get as much work done before we had no choice but to drag our tired bodies to bed. And most of the time, I took care of the kiddos while Will was doing all of the work I couldn't do. We were doubtful that we'd get it done in time. And without help, we wouldn't have.<br />
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Now the idea of "done" is laughable, of course. Because while thinking back to that time a year ago reminds me of how far we have come since those first days, I look around me and see unfinished projects literally everywhere. In fact, I'm not sure I would call <i>any</i> of our projects "done." But rather than wait for completion before a big reveal, I figure it's time to just show it like it is for our one year anniversary.<br />
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In the summer I showed you Will's amazing work on our <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/09/outside-in.html" target="_blank">three-season porch</a>. The next stop on our home tour is the biggie - the kitchen. I hesitated to show you before pictures when we first moved into the house because I thought they might terrify you (or perhaps it was I who was terrified). Well, here it is in it's glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkRy1X9HQXnGt69ELI2_Ss7rrIJZEPtdnhAlQVpjXk2RHBLVtYUTdH2IoT4pm2NdILw8w98YbFoo5iID6tPk_-z4eiVZ-95rd4dehFFa2RzQ1WdRElGL2Q79IHU6paVghyEeaqHwNsEE/s1600/Kitchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkRy1X9HQXnGt69ELI2_Ss7rrIJZEPtdnhAlQVpjXk2RHBLVtYUTdH2IoT4pm2NdILw8w98YbFoo5iID6tPk_-z4eiVZ-95rd4dehFFa2RzQ1WdRElGL2Q79IHU6paVghyEeaqHwNsEE/s1600/Kitchen2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Does it give you an eerie feeling like you're back in your high school science lab? Cause that's the effect it had on me. The stainless steel countertops and backsplash were actually custom made for this kitchen, so I'm guessing someone really appreciated them. The black marble floor spanned the entire kitchen and powder room. I know some of you who have visited our house say you actually like the black marble - it is just not my cup of tea. When we bought the house the previous owners offered to sell us more of the tiles in case we wanted to cover more of our house in black marble. Apparently they had several hundred extra tiles. No thank you.</div>
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So out it all came. Will bought his grad students pizza and served them some of his home brew in exchange for their help ripping everything out from floor to ceiling. I am amazed by how quickly things can be ripped out compared with how long it actually takes to put them back together again. </div>
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What you don't see in these pictures, besides all of the work of course, is all of the planning of (agonizing over) the design of the kitchen. We designed several incarnations of the kitchen and actually were about to head over to Ikea to purchase a completely different kitchen design before realizing that it wasn't going to work due to the placement of/space for plumbing and gas lines in the walls. In retrospect, I am so grateful that the initial plan didn't work, because the plan we went with is so much better - though a bit more expensive. And thanks to all of you who pushed us to go for the more complex, but ultimately superior plan (Papa, Aunt Debbie, that's you). </div>
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At first we were going to keep the layout of the kitchen sort of similar to what it had been, since the window (as you'll note in the pictures above) was too low to put a counter in front of it. But get the Northrop men together and they inspire a brazen sense of confidence in each other and their ability to complete home renovation projects. Apparently it runs in the family. I have been told several times over the years of how Will's grandfather sent his grandmother out on a short errand one day. When she returned she was surprised to find he had completely ripped out a staircase in their home with plans to relocate it elsewhere in the house. (see my comment above about the time it takes to rip things out versus the times it takes to rebuild them. ahem.) If you, like I, were under the impression that windows, walls and stairwells are static, apparently you were wrong.</div>
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So they decided that they would just reframe and put in a new, smaller, window with enough room for a counter underneath it. It turns out this is not only possible, but not so hard as long as you have two people to set the new window in its frame.</div>
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This is where the fun began for me. While Will and his father turned their attentions on getting Eli's room ready for him, I put together all of the cabinets, installed the drawers, shelves, doors and handles. I can now say with confidence that there is nothing Ikea can make that I cannot put together. Perhaps not much of an accomplishment, but it feels good to have contributed at least this to our kitchen. Will mounted them to the walls (because I will not touch that job with a 10 foot pole -- I have a possibly irrational fear that things hung on walls are bound to fall down on me. Perhaps a psychological remnant of the time the wall shelves in my childhood room did exactly that.)</div>
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Eventually all the appliances arrived (after my dad somehow convinced the appliance store that our young children were going to starve if they did not deliver our stove within a couple days of us moving in) and the kitchen came together enough for us to use it very comfortably.</div>
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You may notice the delicious green peeking through the kitchen window. These pictures were not taken recently, though I assure you the kitchen looks almost identical today. After our initial burst of work on this space we took a step back and have gotten quite used to the primer on the walls, holes in the baseboards, and general lack of trim. It's funny how that happens. You forget about that hole in the doorway with exposed electrical wiring where the pocket door used to be until your toddler reaches her hand into the hole inquiring, "what's this in here?" (That hole has since been covered.) </div>
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It's nice to take a trip back and see how far we've come. And it's also a nice reminder that it's about time to pick out those backsplash tiles, hang the light fixtures that have been sitting in a box in the basement for months, and finish framing out the window. Perhaps one day we'll even get to painting the walls! Maybe we'll have some "done" pictures to show you by our two year anniversary.</div>
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-36235040276021440592013-10-01T16:30:00.001-04:002013-10-01T16:30:54.449-04:00A bag for Mimi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my Mama, Mimi. I've mentioned at least a <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/growing-angel.html" target="_blank">couple</a> <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2011/02/3-little-owl-sweaters.html" target="_blank">times</a> on this blog that Mimi is quite the prolific knitter. (Though the name "Grammy" was quickly relinquished when Ava first pronounced her "Mimi", yes, I am referring to the same woman in those old posts.) I am certain, however, the word 'prolific' does not adequately communicate how productive and generous Mimi really is with her knitting. </div>
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I searched through my photos and gathered the small collection of images above of all that Mimi has accomplished in the 3 1/2 years since Ava was born. And friends, I do not exaggerate when I say "small collection". You can't even imagine how many beautiful sweaters, hats, mittens, booties and blankets Mimi has knit for these (and other) little ones. Let's just say they are in absolutely no danger of ever being cold. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaSK-5p5-bTDzS7XIscFosrhyphenhyphena2PrFdhWRmBt3fnGCb1rbTbB6oYcQfg7sZiLu_3295SniMHhs8DZo9OX06TGs_aUAi5gX2AvJ9w00AwNTU3SwSqv2aFSB4493DSdwWsBp_qFG3fQGNY/s1600/MimiTwo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaSK-5p5-bTDzS7XIscFosrhyphenhyphena2PrFdhWRmBt3fnGCb1rbTbB6oYcQfg7sZiLu_3295SniMHhs8DZo9OX06TGs_aUAi5gX2AvJ9w00AwNTU3SwSqv2aFSB4493DSdwWsBp_qFG3fQGNY/s640/MimiTwo.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I was very happy to hear that Mimi has finally started knitting for herself, as she should be able to enjoy her beautiful work too. And I am looking forward to seeing her sweaters in person as I know they will be exquisite. Often when I make a small mistake in one of my own projects I just push forward thinking no one will notice it in the end - and most of the time I am right. But Mimi is exacting and will tear out rows and rows that may have taken her hours to complete just so that her sweaters are *perfect*. </div>
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Given this keen attention to detail, you may be surprised to learn that Mimi totes her creations-in-progress around in plastic bags. Scroll up to that first picture of the lovely Mimi and you'll see the evidence resting in her lap. Now it's no secret that Mimi is a lover of ziplock baggies. (She may even love them as much as Poppy loves Lysol.) If you ever receive a package from her you'll be fully stocked with ziplock bags for the entire next year. And I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill sandwich bag variety. Somehow Mimi finds the most ginormous ziplock bags possible - they're practically large enough to crawl inside of (not that I am recommending you try it). While these baggies are no doubt impressive in stature and most certainly squall-proof, I've been thinking for a while that Mimi should have something a bit nicer and more earth-friendly to carry her projects along in as she knits her way from home to knitting store to Minnesota to everywhere in between.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcW-2J7vW8w51lH6bjxtNssWOahO6qBxbwmiEgdBe46N_qD3fR_M5khd5TB0HkSq4jNE6fA4-3efEszRojEMyLt0nwze8eBaxQfw8ZGDtZZsXGINo1QiyLi77urrMZPL1J7uLIraT1TI/s1600/IMG_8005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcW-2J7vW8w51lH6bjxtNssWOahO6qBxbwmiEgdBe46N_qD3fR_M5khd5TB0HkSq4jNE6fA4-3efEszRojEMyLt0nwze8eBaxQfw8ZGDtZZsXGINo1QiyLi77urrMZPL1J7uLIraT1TI/s640/IMG_8005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So for Mimi's birthday in September I decided to make her a <a href="http://www.noodle-head.com/2013/05/super-tote-pattern.html" target="_blank">Super Tote</a> knitting bag. I got the idea from <a href="http://everythingelsewedo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ashley's blog</a> a while back. I felt the pattern would work perfectly for a knitting bag with it's large size and numerous pockets - not to mention it's so much more appealing than a ziplock. The pattern was extremely thorough and well made, and I am very happy with how the bag turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBmlgW0iSGA21WZX9-ftdsinyCYthPP82r55Ya7NfcyIkNQ-xU9FVw3qVMf0hd9tTwtkHblujXtMPWOe2Nz4tEHNRPK-JvyHROtcD8tv6zvXGjkYe6E-HKEg-vvRSrw48xqVUnd0aocw/s1600/IMG_8008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBmlgW0iSGA21WZX9-ftdsinyCYthPP82r55Ya7NfcyIkNQ-xU9FVw3qVMf0hd9tTwtkHblujXtMPWOe2Nz4tEHNRPK-JvyHROtcD8tv6zvXGjkYe6E-HKEg-vvRSrw48xqVUnd0aocw/s640/IMG_8008.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The poppy print is a home dec weight fabric I found at <a href="http://craftyplanet.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Planet</a>. Unfortunately the selvage is not labeled, so I don't know who the designer is. It struck me as being playful yet sophisticate and I hoped Mimi would like it (it's covered in Poppy's - how could she not!). The contrast fabric is home dec weight glimma by Lotta Jansdotter. The lining is a Kona cotton solid. I lined all exterior pieces with interfacing as recommended, so the bag is solid and structured.</div>
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I included pockets on the inside of the bag for stitch counters, scissors, measuring tapes, tapestry needles and any other knickknacks Mimi may tote along with her. After much consideration I omitted the zipper, as I couldn't get the thought of a knitting meets zipper catastrophe out of my mind - and I certainly didn't want to be responsible for such a disaster.</div>
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The large external pocket on the super tote seemed perfect for storing knitting patterns. I made and inserted my first piping ever on this pocket and am so proud of how it turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKT_bKcU2nvlSqzsPms_Cg9NHdI118Ya4u_5IO84xng_DxNq6i4j2bF_Fzli11lZ3GcoA4xqd-umWNABvhG8MgGShLFg3MK37MNcDHXr7HUJby3QoGJINYnVsZCh1IK0y4wIEijAuqvVc/s1600/IMG_8025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKT_bKcU2nvlSqzsPms_Cg9NHdI118Ya4u_5IO84xng_DxNq6i4j2bF_Fzli11lZ3GcoA4xqd-umWNABvhG8MgGShLFg3MK37MNcDHXr7HUJby3QoGJINYnVsZCh1IK0y4wIEijAuqvVc/s640/IMG_8025.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We love you Mimi and hope your birthday celebration with us made you feel as loved as you are. We appreciate the warmth you send us with all of your beautiful knits and hope your new knitting bag serves well for toting your future projects wherever you may wish to take them. </div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-70691079559633501112013-09-23T17:03:00.001-04:002013-09-23T17:26:51.815-04:00While Ava's away...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrT8IsYSIFFMmJm1I03MpLOqPOj_bhjReS9JZ2eKQmnH-GxtwIxfqRNBrPPDo6P47VBhiAsUZbAp6UZ5NYStI276dn1985hcAHMeOR4IXNgSAGkuMK94UEQzhXIOOuHa_5Zbrh0VMB6c/s1600/IMG_7851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrT8IsYSIFFMmJm1I03MpLOqPOj_bhjReS9JZ2eKQmnH-GxtwIxfqRNBrPPDo6P47VBhiAsUZbAp6UZ5NYStI276dn1985hcAHMeOR4IXNgSAGkuMK94UEQzhXIOOuHa_5Zbrh0VMB6c/s640/IMG_7851.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ava starting preschool this month means Eli is finally getting a small glimpse of what it's like to be an only child - undivided parental attention, free reign of toys to play with (without the jarring interruption of a sister screaming "NOOO!" at him intermittently), and time to do whatever he pleases, <i>however</i> he pleases. Sometimes I marvel at how smoothly the morning goes when there is just one. Though I admit there are times I miss Ava's tendency to be a watch dog - like when things got a little too quiet in the living room and I peeked around from the kitchen to see Eli halfway out the open front door.<br />
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On this morning we both took advantage of the warmth we know is fleeting this time of year and headed up to the garden. When Eli is in charge of the watering, his waters <i>his</i> way.<br />
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You and I may not have realized it, but Eli knows the chicken is thirsty.<br />
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The rocks are too, of course.</div>
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The sunflowers that are as big as his head and the bunny tails that never quite sprouted their tails, well of course those are as well.</div>
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Maybe a little sip for the kale.</div>
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His clothes are always very thirsty.<br />
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Oh, and while we're out here on our walk, have we showed you our new garden bed? Will moved her from the other (shady) side of the yard. She is much happier in the sun. She needs more soil and compost, then we will plant her with garlic, garlic and more garlic in a couple weeks. I am enjoying the promise of an expanded garden next year and look forward to implementing the many ideas that one season almost under our belt has given us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9NA-j8siB9AFSBXOraAJaDn5Js72yozI14Tjo4734WR34G4-VEIKu9VNMfuiimJ9FWNi7fsTiRT-7-VMCXHE1LhXhACgVM4i4iCDAbxEnOxzt9BcGA0KbCQo5snIP7YQD4IR4HnuXgY/s1600/IMG_7981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9NA-j8siB9AFSBXOraAJaDn5Js72yozI14Tjo4734WR34G4-VEIKu9VNMfuiimJ9FWNi7fsTiRT-7-VMCXHE1LhXhACgVM4i4iCDAbxEnOxzt9BcGA0KbCQo5snIP7YQD4IR4HnuXgY/s640/IMG_7981.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This boy of ours - yes, he really is transforming into a <i>boy</i> as the baby in him gradually fades - he enjoys his time alone with mama and all of the important work he does while Ava is in preschool. Tomorrow he starts down his own path to preschool with the beginning of Little Sprouts. It resonates as a significant shift to me - I remember Ava starting Little Sprouts back when we had just moved here from Michigan. I am happy he will finally do something that is all his own. That he will have the opportunity to make his own friends rather than always hanging out with Ava's buddies. Our little man is growing up. </div>
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As much as Eli is loving his alone time, at the end of the morning his smile never fails to burst forth when I ask him if he's ready to pick up his sister from school. <i>sigh</i>. These are precious times my friends.</div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-30432446634554151292013-09-12T16:01:00.000-04:002013-09-12T16:01:12.016-04:00Outside In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Continuing the (prolonged) tour of our home renovations I thought it appropriate this time of year to move from the outside in. So next let's talk about our porch. As I mentioned in my post from when we bought <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-house.html" target="_blank">our house</a>, some of the 'before' pictures were just too scary to look at without 'after' pictures alongside to buffer them. And while I won't say that the 'after' pictures in this post are final - there is still much to do before we declare the porch 'finished' - Will has certainly accomplished major improvements. Here is the three-season porch that sits off the side of the dining room as it looked on closing day:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Dfr_Nxd3xTLKc7MeXaI19WAw50bH7Tve_X7Ys6Nz84b2B-ewpkwOnMp2FKo4nPj41hGH9dkEDW7kA-062kJax7exXfgI4aKHVjfGmEufwqLzvQ2mpH1lhENxQ8u37Pw7PcQLHXDPNo/s1600/Porch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Dfr_Nxd3xTLKc7MeXaI19WAw50bH7Tve_X7Ys6Nz84b2B-ewpkwOnMp2FKo4nPj41hGH9dkEDW7kA-062kJax7exXfgI4aKHVjfGmEufwqLzvQ2mpH1lhENxQ8u37Pw7PcQLHXDPNo/s640/Porch1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8TZyWUf45MtYmznAI8029MiCm9SbRt90_x6QOhCPOFCaFxI7tV04dhqG-QhUUBHUUtxGl5x1u0X_WtDjcLJbvP2xD6g-a50nz4HnPNmW60AEKVP9a7ji9RrkXInTPg1HNS3QXEzchA/s1600/Porch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8TZyWUf45MtYmznAI8029MiCm9SbRt90_x6QOhCPOFCaFxI7tV04dhqG-QhUUBHUUtxGl5x1u0X_WtDjcLJbvP2xD6g-a50nz4HnPNmW60AEKVP9a7ji9RrkXInTPg1HNS3QXEzchA/s640/Porch2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLo1M6VEtWMnyWKqcIXZ4nh-IfYsmKEmDD9GwGHpjRJSqtec70Sj9FU2V6AYSBBgLHm9GLWW_EN7Oer6y6_P2MxerNihqy1-NxD-7I-BGC7yxJqezOau7vhdD4wIlkxs1rAgtynZxO1c/s1600/Porch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLo1M6VEtWMnyWKqcIXZ4nh-IfYsmKEmDD9GwGHpjRJSqtec70Sj9FU2V6AYSBBgLHm9GLWW_EN7Oer6y6_P2MxerNihqy1-NxD-7I-BGC7yxJqezOau7vhdD4wIlkxs1rAgtynZxO1c/s640/Porch3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The most egregious aspect of the porch was the vinyl asbestos floor tiling. None of it was friable, so the danger of exposure to asbestos was low; but Will felt the extreme heat and cold of Minnesota seasons could eventually loosen and crack the tiles. We certainly didn't want kids or animals spending time out there until the floor was replaced. And, of course, the floor was hideous. So it had to go. After taking down the once-upon-a-time-white curtains - which were probably original to this 1950s house and looked as if they harbored dirt from all six of the past decades - Will set to work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXANqcKCjzHZNKdN6qNW8U9AqSYWX8mintrrjCF_CGI5IyJj2hPN7vbLJONyDC5TPP6wzcNR67bU_STEemIzL0ZfkDkL8XDY6tGf8S5MreiMQpTFy7CUzXteLq6Livb3NtECKwWX4etc/s1600/PorchA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXANqcKCjzHZNKdN6qNW8U9AqSYWX8mintrrjCF_CGI5IyJj2hPN7vbLJONyDC5TPP6wzcNR67bU_STEemIzL0ZfkDkL8XDY6tGf8S5MreiMQpTFy7CUzXteLq6Livb3NtECKwWX4etc/s640/PorchA.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The kids enjoyed their front row view of Dada's labor...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sv3UzGHWfn3S6OKC6URo0OHQznzD170stitSNqkBhRkHIWDESDukLbg393mb5iFifm3d-j3x7G0GbUW9-bE3Jri_MGF1gG7pIvl4S2C1NmMBDujH4Bg0YL48YQV188jxD01xh78YpRo/s1600/PorchB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sv3UzGHWfn3S6OKC6URo0OHQznzD170stitSNqkBhRkHIWDESDukLbg393mb5iFifm3d-j3x7G0GbUW9-bE3Jri_MGF1gG7pIvl4S2C1NmMBDujH4Bg0YL48YQV188jxD01xh78YpRo/s640/PorchB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...until he sealed up the doorway with a large plastic sheet to keep any dust from entering our house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QOZYZrXDOb0q0-M3xHFXsLjqpPgXvo1iJ5D6MitMJUGiNdcwmIDl_lhW1gPg6LeHhl6nt2l1PcrOUqC-frI_WqTqDjuGZGVxGpeO-kl5uDLHI0hO674VnbUBZPqbBb9x2X48a2fbfF0/s1600/PorchC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QOZYZrXDOb0q0-M3xHFXsLjqpPgXvo1iJ5D6MitMJUGiNdcwmIDl_lhW1gPg6LeHhl6nt2l1PcrOUqC-frI_WqTqDjuGZGVxGpeO-kl5uDLHI0hO674VnbUBZPqbBb9x2X48a2fbfF0/s640/PorchC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After researching <a href="http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/" target="_blank">proper procedures</a> for safe removal, Will donned his hazmat suit and respirator and set to the dirty work of removing the old tiles and glue from the floor. Once things were properly cleaned up, he primed the walls and ceiling of the porch to seal in any dust he might have missed when wiping the area clean. Then it was time to lay down the radiant floor warming mats that we hope will extend the use time of our porch, making the tile more comfy on bare feet as the weather cools. We used <a href="http://www.suntouch.com/mats/" target="_blank">these</a>. We haven't had a chance to test them out during the summer months, but will let you know how they work once fall is upon us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJdFmu-UPuJmpQtw_z-R6J7pwme4WPg9FRBnxSh9NWHAAckGE_x6sboyyg1OpJxyuVVBPfg2pZXsIWI5WVqKd9ivfpgYU56fvNDG9s2FJIDttcoGjFgqtnURFbYf47IdNqkmgEJzLnzM/s1600/Porch11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJdFmu-UPuJmpQtw_z-R6J7pwme4WPg9FRBnxSh9NWHAAckGE_x6sboyyg1OpJxyuVVBPfg2pZXsIWI5WVqKd9ivfpgYU56fvNDG9s2FJIDttcoGjFgqtnURFbYf47IdNqkmgEJzLnzM/s640/Porch11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We chose slate tile for the new flooring. Will had laid down ceramic tile in a small bathroom years ago, so figured he knew what was in store for him. He did not anticipate how much more challenging slate would be. For one thing, the slate tiles are all slightly different, both in terms of shape and thickness. They are also very irregular, sometimes being quite thick on one end and thin on the other. Then, of course, they are all naturally different colors. This all adds to the character of the finished floor, but turns laying down the tile into much more of an 'art'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHGeF0U0ybac1E4zF-QFB0d4iACJI-go4vQ7icltBxbTv8rAPwZtRygiEdw00CMSMGQnXsuF4HtRUAR85F8F1GRfqr2Pbykk9AvSKBceo9gxFNP0hV7_CR7LfVu0SiINZeoEhtM5XqcY/s1600/Porch12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHGeF0U0ybac1E4zF-QFB0d4iACJI-go4vQ7icltBxbTv8rAPwZtRygiEdw00CMSMGQnXsuF4HtRUAR85F8F1GRfqr2Pbykk9AvSKBceo9gxFNP0hV7_CR7LfVu0SiINZeoEhtM5XqcY/s640/Porch12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Laying down the tiles took several weekends of during-naptime work, but we were so excited with how the floor looked when they were all finally down.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWdPOlT6fjvWGBZNs9kE5OSakH-SbIzpWoozS1JbNZHFwboXPvrh4gMKDY_9MD1XHdSzBuxV6R5JUy0VbthPHyOlZK7TCsqh41DLkkfKcWQqkIG-nm6odrFAd1wX59vCFoJSAwWWES1U/s1600/Porch13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWdPOlT6fjvWGBZNs9kE5OSakH-SbIzpWoozS1JbNZHFwboXPvrh4gMKDY_9MD1XHdSzBuxV6R5JUy0VbthPHyOlZK7TCsqh41DLkkfKcWQqkIG-nm6odrFAd1wX59vCFoJSAwWWES1U/s640/Porch13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once all the tiles were laid Will used a pre-sealer which was supposed to make the grout easier to lift off the tiles. In hindsight, Will is so glad he did this as the grout was much more difficult to get off the slate than he remembered it to be with the ceramic tile.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8Eor5MB0hLf-qGq0d8ZQ8DBimX8lnd_K6bRvFWoTCJ0qsa4KpET7OnlEXWuFZ5ft2vOoKFqeGldaa6x2Aftl0Jyan8QYAZlrRnV0cBgtpFUZV0qFCVaTFZ5F3vyBMMwciAQjPqcWsHk/s1600/Porch14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8Eor5MB0hLf-qGq0d8ZQ8DBimX8lnd_K6bRvFWoTCJ0qsa4KpET7OnlEXWuFZ5ft2vOoKFqeGldaa6x2Aftl0Jyan8QYAZlrRnV0cBgtpFUZV0qFCVaTFZ5F3vyBMMwciAQjPqcWsHk/s640/Porch14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't let his smile fool you, the grouting was HARD work. At some point Will enlisted my help in wiping the grout off the tile once his hands were beginning to give out. He may or may not have then proceeded to criticize my method of wiping the tiles *ahem*, but we'll pass that one off as fatigue and let it slide. After days, yes literally days, of scrubbing the tiles and then using some grout remover to help the process along, we were satisfied with how it all looked. Will applied the final sealant to the whole floor and we waited impatiently until it dried the next morning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UdB7PKTDYvbjFu4ugqZzh1Lz9M42-jmDDKwJ7K4N_m_bV1JgWNQyk2YwmklGSkC5G2NYF6CvvAyWMzCWvsVJdqL1t53HhQV-5oJafGDr0Y7bpPpHHBJ_6dFGTN3TQOTNRsb4QFXloC4/s1600/Porch16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UdB7PKTDYvbjFu4ugqZzh1Lz9M42-jmDDKwJ7K4N_m_bV1JgWNQyk2YwmklGSkC5G2NYF6CvvAyWMzCWvsVJdqL1t53HhQV-5oJafGDr0Y7bpPpHHBJ_6dFGTN3TQOTNRsb4QFXloC4/s640/Porch16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The kiddos were ecstatic to finally get out and dance around on the porch. To fully appreciate how excited they were about this, you must understand that they had been staring through the window of the dining room door out onto this porch for weeks and weeks calling, "Dada!" repeatedly while he worked on it. The porch had been pretty much off-limits since we'd moved in, so it was like a very special treat to finally set foot out there. And the new floor looked and felt so beautiful! In this moment, the first time we were all able to run around out there together, the weeks of hard work and missing Dada felt so worth it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDZI86pNy3uGWyAcjbNk_3lYcT7EtbLGk5cOPL7EVQ7VFnMxG7IKNi4nXakY-MA_NCyDiS3N7Ryoq8J6vXaKwb0JUiVK7srvtYOApw2LQeP-EHtj2iCbXMuwNUBa8ozVoaybpJWH-ats/s1600/Porch15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDZI86pNy3uGWyAcjbNk_3lYcT7EtbLGk5cOPL7EVQ7VFnMxG7IKNi4nXakY-MA_NCyDiS3N7Ryoq8J6vXaKwb0JUiVK7srvtYOApw2LQeP-EHtj2iCbXMuwNUBa8ozVoaybpJWH-ats/s640/Porch15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzMv28PpyONhw9YX3M415RE6lmNEKVX7EtI1yuQS3QkWQzfmMOhCnmRH9UEYxWURy1sAVNn380BnLKjA9qUy8aXyQAAA7MV9VQjkWm938IHfSjtSomAYPGR_9f5WQMCcPl0ueK-eurt8/s1600/Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzMv28PpyONhw9YX3M415RE6lmNEKVX7EtI1yuQS3QkWQzfmMOhCnmRH9UEYxWURy1sAVNn380BnLKjA9qUy8aXyQAAA7MV9VQjkWm938IHfSjtSomAYPGR_9f5WQMCcPl0ueK-eurt8/s640/Cat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even Lola had to check it out. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8ZZc1OQpSUCGPxhX6SaD8WKIdy4LoNg-K5qzq54DrMo4SPrrHywJqEB4M4ybcOlhG4SJFO6RnmkayrZNWvVw7AfzceajwERWm7U_dVPvbWIkuDwBPuT5EExvPqenlRRHLCn8qNhVEQ0/s1600/Porch17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8ZZc1OQpSUCGPxhX6SaD8WKIdy4LoNg-K5qzq54DrMo4SPrrHywJqEB4M4ybcOlhG4SJFO6RnmkayrZNWvVw7AfzceajwERWm7U_dVPvbWIkuDwBPuT5EExvPqenlRRHLCn8qNhVEQ0/s640/Porch17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then we all set to work building furniture. At this point I was well versed in the art of Ikea assembly, as I had put together all our Ikea kitchen cabinetry (but that's a story for another post). Ava and Eli loved this process and actually helped screw the bolts in. Well, Ava helped screw them in; Eli mostly went around trying to stick bolts into any hole he could find (apparently the urge starts very early in life). Once the furniture was built Will replaced all the glass panes with the screens that are also original to the house. Happily, unlike most of the rest of the house, the screens are in excellent condition as they probably haven't been installed in the last 40 years. </div>
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And now we have a porch we can use:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvE27lqaitNYvLzg8FoJduPo4Z500kv1f87xyC84Xfvf2TxaNPQxJBcG71jqH6HH7gczpfKQh9fQU_M4OMKic0vKuZfD2kK4qpW6sebOpD_YeTEGIZi0-ONeUZCFkRSmPKpfsiKhCEt4/s1600/PorchAA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvE27lqaitNYvLzg8FoJduPo4Z500kv1f87xyC84Xfvf2TxaNPQxJBcG71jqH6HH7gczpfKQh9fQU_M4OMKic0vKuZfD2kK4qpW6sebOpD_YeTEGIZi0-ONeUZCFkRSmPKpfsiKhCEt4/s640/PorchAA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgY8-JPNMdst4nnYwBJdSbyWRSAhV4GPiVBoJDWw50j-2TeKY9qe9m4CJyQje7CPvBy5qIonLoXOV3eG_Fe47xsjYPtdsqPACBUKW8NFbE5wt4fd-Dx9_e9yz3_nElgCyhhq06NjZV-A/s1600/PorchAC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgY8-JPNMdst4nnYwBJdSbyWRSAhV4GPiVBoJDWw50j-2TeKY9qe9m4CJyQje7CPvBy5qIonLoXOV3eG_Fe47xsjYPtdsqPACBUKW8NFbE5wt4fd-Dx9_e9yz3_nElgCyhhq06NjZV-A/s640/PorchAC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is still more work to be done in the future - painting, new curtains, new pillows, base moulding, ceiling fan, etc. But at this point in our home renovations we are so so happy to achieve 'usable'. </div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-60199796606972459972013-08-13T16:16:00.000-04:002013-08-13T16:19:07.243-04:00Blue Jade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhJIDw7nP-Upgl2qvk3MAxGbQy-jt5YLrHfIVSofbxmbSjuLs74oPtkrUb_Un7Mqf9eaGHUcmyq4jk9Hgu-PA_96Rhn6n5e6FebGOIItEVGuOjF2-s7G_vpVaqftq8E1E4bFnwyHPzcA/s1600/IMG_7068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhJIDw7nP-Upgl2qvk3MAxGbQy-jt5YLrHfIVSofbxmbSjuLs74oPtkrUb_Un7Mqf9eaGHUcmyq4jk9Hgu-PA_96Rhn6n5e6FebGOIItEVGuOjF2-s7G_vpVaqftq8E1E4bFnwyHPzcA/s640/IMG_7068.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We grew corn! Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Yet, it seems every time I grow something I have never grown before there is some element, however indiscernible, of disbelief that resides in the back of my mind. Perhaps this is my defense mechanism against disappointment - if I don't really believe it will grow then I won't be disappointed when it doesn't. I felt similarly when we grew <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/07/loving-garlic.html" target="_blank">garlic</a> last year. And yet, there we were last night grilling chicken, shucking some corn from the farmer's market when I thought I might run up to the garden and shuck one of our own ears, just to see how they were coming along. The silks are beginning to brown and dry up - a sign, I've read, that the corn is just about ripe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJzvoc6hj5HhE7_9VcuUqi-eIwYIpsfCoCFxlRuyXqOSbPNQXAUdKt-euin9GPPhpRtkeenX0lxJL1nOsdzmH8gmrJsklnnJy7uUhDi3pIawLnFoQ-HxvDTnNx5iqCVOWMeY9bEb_22w/s1600/IMG_7052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJzvoc6hj5HhE7_9VcuUqi-eIwYIpsfCoCFxlRuyXqOSbPNQXAUdKt-euin9GPPhpRtkeenX0lxJL1nOsdzmH8gmrJsklnnJy7uUhDi3pIawLnFoQ-HxvDTnNx5iqCVOWMeY9bEb_22w/s640/IMG_7052.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I plucked the biggest ear (which is still a cute little thing since this heirloom sweet corn is a dwarf variety) pulled back the husk and revealed a perfect - <i>really, perfect</i> - ear of <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/corn/Corn-Blue-Jade-OG.html" target="_blank">Blue Jade corn</a>. Nary a kernel underdeveloped or marred by the nibbles of bird or worm. Truly a most perfect little ear. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbDptk3FW9uhgSl9hRBFAJtp64FyJYkeyWpQz4oCFScuopdAKuB5XeNJTl-6g_tuIn-P5oecc2w66NEgeOukP3unGxvyeQntjcsIMzgIZLs6lLG82WqJrZZcmYef1qlmAM5c-EhZ4p8E/s1600/IMG_7034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbDptk3FW9uhgSl9hRBFAJtp64FyJYkeyWpQz4oCFScuopdAKuB5XeNJTl-6g_tuIn-P5oecc2w66NEgeOukP3unGxvyeQntjcsIMzgIZLs6lLG82WqJrZZcmYef1qlmAM5c-EhZ4p8E/s640/IMG_7034.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I threw this first little ear in with the rest of our corn so we could see how it tastes. Again, I wasn't overly hopeful - I've heard that those of us who are used to contemporary sweet corns are not as fond of the heirloom sweet corn varieties, as they are simply not as sweet as we've selected them to be these days. But disappointed we certainly were not. Sweet, juicy, crisp and just the right size for little hands to grasp. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTt9xa0Ab3MPIbEhFj8gSVNIdBNsqMSIHXqn_p9MDx42KC9ulY-w9MwBSRmngZeEhkmGgVSGb_CuNAvGUYdHVlXTYBd3HKo1Un1qEa9RUI_S0Q83s-aGljxh5QS0WWOWFoeIkZ0y3XG4/s1600/IMG_7030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTt9xa0Ab3MPIbEhFj8gSVNIdBNsqMSIHXqn_p9MDx42KC9ulY-w9MwBSRmngZeEhkmGgVSGb_CuNAvGUYdHVlXTYBd3HKo1Un1qEa9RUI_S0Q83s-aGljxh5QS0WWOWFoeIkZ0y3XG4/s640/IMG_7030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was intrigued by <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/corn/Corn-Blue-Jade-OG.html" target="_blank">Blue Jade</a> with its promise of sweet steel blue kernels that turn jade blue upon boiling. At only three to four feet high, it seemed the perfect corn to grow in Ava's fairy garden - I've aimed to plant varieties that she and Eli can easily appreciate at or near eye level. And being a fast grower, Blue Jade seemed a good choice for our short Minnesota growing season (my little euphemism for 'you call <i>this</i> summer?').</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s7cxWaXu1PuHnlDEZhnf89ayupNkfin0YdbSxyadyc4nNb-MJVwEUz3KT3Ob6UuK-s8NWkjZqYoWLhIp_C3MzEl_V60cviVvLNtTXw04VUJGNm5ba_1mz-VSt_Y3KYOeDTStzf_niRE/s1600/IMG_7112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s7cxWaXu1PuHnlDEZhnf89ayupNkfin0YdbSxyadyc4nNb-MJVwEUz3KT3Ob6UuK-s8NWkjZqYoWLhIp_C3MzEl_V60cviVvLNtTXw04VUJGNm5ba_1mz-VSt_Y3KYOeDTStzf_niRE/s640/IMG_7112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The kernels were not as blue as I expected them to be, though I have read of others having the same experience with Blue Jade corn. Apparently they become bluer as the corn continues to ripen; though some say the corn grows less sweet as it completes its journey to bluedom. So now we have a bit of a dilemma: which do we value more, sweetness or the novelty of blueness? I suspect as we gradually pick and eat the corn over the next week or so, we will get our share of both. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qnEMZzf_cl4K4LVrsvmuRuzHrQasNWPR2QLvde2dUkwoh1vb_iU_49-Z2gZO1Fz4EM4WYaT9cLtY6iuK0N_H_KGgkV3tko4siO4WhX6UIqZXyISD_1nTKqzlro817Ac7OoF7NDae7Cc/s1600/IMG_7076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qnEMZzf_cl4K4LVrsvmuRuzHrQasNWPR2QLvde2dUkwoh1vb_iU_49-Z2gZO1Fz4EM4WYaT9cLtY6iuK0N_H_KGgkV3tko4siO4WhX6UIqZXyISD_1nTKqzlro817Ac7OoF7NDae7Cc/s640/IMG_7076.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We look forward to the feast of corn ahead of us! And I'll try to snap some photos if those kernels do indeed turn blue as promised.</div>
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-24808077819986730692013-07-23T16:59:00.001-04:002013-07-23T18:12:29.197-04:00In Our Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After promising to keep you abreast of our work on the house, my little ol' blog fell seriously by the wayside while renovations continued to monopolize our time. Progress inside the house gradually shifted to progress outside the house as Minnesota finally turned warm and sunny (yes, spring and summer did <i>eventually</i> arrive). I intend to post on all the work we've done so far, but I'll refrain from making promises lest I end up breaking them. </div>
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It seems sensible to begin with the area that has been most active lately - our garden. You may remember this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAFSWkPQLFGAmWVGj2kJEzNyA0uIKSqpTdqingeXtajM6CnFMW0SRaHtnujbohGVJTSX02xh_XYnITL8Xr-4W_2Q-R3lLCiSimVOlBGN_L314j9z8TfaVhRwmtvWUNaoXEwWLAuy6ud4/s1600/IMG_2888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAFSWkPQLFGAmWVGj2kJEzNyA0uIKSqpTdqingeXtajM6CnFMW0SRaHtnujbohGVJTSX02xh_XYnITL8Xr-4W_2Q-R3lLCiSimVOlBGN_L314j9z8TfaVhRwmtvWUNaoXEwWLAuy6ud4/s640/IMG_2888.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I was so excited to watch as the snow finally melted and revealed what lay underneath. It was like a giant present gradually unwrapping itself with the thaw. As little shoots popped out of the ground here and there I wondered what they would grow up to be. Turned out many of them were weeds, of course; but there were some lovely surprises like peonies, lots and lots of hosta and various types of day lillies. Here is that same area in the late spring:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qM8THyb1yYNeSFc0jRzbcM3ohRgthfs5GuCgRziH1snbq57ZOEmpP-FDOpi3lMrnPrQG0zwUqZpX-ISS3UtdrolW7kKZeSRTrvK4-bEywG-5itMY5TqvuoXrzI04zjWCHKsAebB3if4/s1600/IMG_5464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qM8THyb1yYNeSFc0jRzbcM3ohRgthfs5GuCgRziH1snbq57ZOEmpP-FDOpi3lMrnPrQG0zwUqZpX-ISS3UtdrolW7kKZeSRTrvK4-bEywG-5itMY5TqvuoXrzI04zjWCHKsAebB3if4/s640/IMG_5464.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We quickly realized that the two raised beds closest to you in the top picture do not get enough sunlight to grow most vegetables (what exactly were the previous owners thinking?). So we focused on planting the two sunniest beds and chopping down a douglas fir and spruce tree to create more sun space for gardening and other future yard additions (some are still in the dreaming phase, but my fingers are crossed for next spring!). I felt a little sad to watch the fir tree go down. She was a beauty. But Will felt no ambivalence and prided himself on his manliness as he chopped it down with an axe. Sometimes I am grateful that my husband lacks the feelings of guilt over such things that keep me paralyzed, considering consequences indefinitely. In the time it took me to ruminate over all the pros and cons of keeping the trees versus taking them down, my dear husband was already teaching our children to yell, "Timber!" as the tree fell. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-utdbNHwdjK8VWAz9YTGaDRICEt4gziyT81Y8lZTpz79RxfxIaJsHJh4kP5BScHJY4Qnbvl_MdXSyImVu8m7mmXZQjr4GCAYVW3ZddiFohKOrszKvV0LmA2jIlne6yzbrmTSixpCRqeM/s1600/IMG_5462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-utdbNHwdjK8VWAz9YTGaDRICEt4gziyT81Y8lZTpz79RxfxIaJsHJh4kP5BScHJY4Qnbvl_MdXSyImVu8m7mmXZQjr4GCAYVW3ZddiFohKOrszKvV0LmA2jIlne6yzbrmTSixpCRqeM/s640/IMG_5462.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the picture above you see the stump from where Will chopped down the fir tree. It forms the center of what is becoming Ava's fairy garden. You can also see one of the three apple trees planted between the raised beds by the former owner. This tree is doing the best of the three - one of them perished over the winter and the other is hanging on by a thread - but despite lots of blossoming in the spring we have no apples to look forward to this fall. I had hoped our neighbor's apple trees would be close enough to pollinate our tree, but perhaps no such luck. I'll wait another year and summon my inner honey bee in the spring - I hear you can pollinate by hand with a bit of patience and a q-tip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAnWUcMbhb-oBMmJ1RSQEOpyasWUVZmgSDst0RkmHmMsMy7zneU-1qtonntRIJAU3Upla3w3_dZwrPypIdjnBp-MuUekhBAhheIREe2v2WyeQIyD2BQI0MmdsjzXqP5GAjEH6iU6_2-Y/s1600/IMG_5475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAnWUcMbhb-oBMmJ1RSQEOpyasWUVZmgSDst0RkmHmMsMy7zneU-1qtonntRIJAU3Upla3w3_dZwrPypIdjnBp-MuUekhBAhheIREe2v2WyeQIyD2BQI0MmdsjzXqP5GAjEH6iU6_2-Y/s640/IMG_5475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This year I planted the beds denser than I would have in years past. I did a bit of reading on intensive gardening in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Farming-Self-Sufficiency-Brett-Markham/dp/1602399840" target="_blank">Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre</a> and realized that the spacings recommended on seed packets take into account the space to walk in between rows. Perhaps this is not news to most of you, but to me it was quite enlightening as I am often <i>that</i> gardener who plants exactly 'three seeds every two inches' just as instructed. I didn't go crazy with soil testing or anything like that - there's only so much you can do when gardening with the kiddos in tow. But I did try to optimize production from our little beds. Unfortunately it seems there was an oversight when the previous owners built the raised beds in that they are just a bit too wide for easy access to the middle of the beds - the lack of foresight is not surprising considering two of the beds were installed in almost total shade. In the less sunny bed I planted arugula, mesclun greens, pole beans, lacinato kale, rainbow chard, peppers of various sorts, eggplants, broccoli and nasturtium seeds. When the arugula started to bolt I replaced them with yellow wax beans and dragon tongue beans. In the sunnier bed I planted 11 tomato plants of various types (some of which we'd received as gift starters and some I had started myself, including my absolute favorite, green zebras), basil and marigolds. In Ava's fairy garden I planted an heirloom blue sweet corn called "blue jade", along with sunflowers, mint, poppies, bunny tails, cosmos, foxglove, globe amaranth, zinnias and marigolds.</div>
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Farther along in the season, things looked like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwp89zklPQX3Ll-jp11K57Vo48ssH2MZhPparnQxVTUXAkX_379-ldT7c0sDaqUpCmiat-2xfHS0ibMDjbcFRzzii84tBH0U6v4Gs5gunwqe4KHE2GP4FgyKDUMOSkf7lcBKDIkpcOIU/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwp89zklPQX3Ll-jp11K57Vo48ssH2MZhPparnQxVTUXAkX_379-ldT7c0sDaqUpCmiat-2xfHS0ibMDjbcFRzzii84tBH0U6v4Gs5gunwqe4KHE2GP4FgyKDUMOSkf7lcBKDIkpcOIU/s640/IMG_6141.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And most recently, this:</div>
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This past weekend I weeded out Ava's fairy garden and laid down a layer of newspaper and a few inches of mulch. (Minneapolis lost many trees in recent storms and is offering <a href="http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=52&prid=2043" target="_blank">free mulch</a> at several sites around the city. The mulch is piled high for the taking. I hope to gather as many trunk loads as we can, as there is so much mulching that needs to be done in our previously neglected yard.) The mulching has transformed the space and is finally starting to look a bit more like I envision it. I suspect not much more planting will get done this year, but I hope to finish creating the beds to surround the garden so that we can get an early start with planting next year - a bean teepee or sugar-snap pea teepee for hiding in, perhaps a little patch of pumpkins, some butterfly bushes and lots of flowers to create a special place to escape, play and imagine in. Will intends to transform that stump into some kind of fairy house so that our resident fairies will have a comfortable place to rest.<br />
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And here's a closer look at some of what's been coming out of our garden these days...</div>
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This season of warmth and sunshine, when the garden is bursting forth and fresh veggies are finding their way down the hill from our garden into our kitchen, is such a joyous time for me. I hope you are cultivating your own joy this summer in whatever way makes you the happiest.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-27252211845118582042013-05-03T16:00:00.000-04:002013-05-03T16:00:35.547-04:00Box Elder Sugarin'<i>{Things around here have been quite hectic lately - we moved into our new house one week ago and we are slowly, gently settling in. I promise to post more on that soon when I get a bit more time to take pictures and gather the words to describe the crazy process that is renovating a house and moving with two toddlers. In the meantime, this post has been patiently waiting for a final edit that got boxed away with everything else in preparation for our move. I would like to tell you that it is unseasonal at this point, but as I look out my window on this early May day to see more snow and sleet (yes, really) I realize I can still squeak it in before it is entirely obsolete.}</i><br />
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Lately when people come into our house the first words out of their mouths are, "What is that smell?" Slightly sweet, a bit earthy, hard to place. "It's syrup!" I squeal, barely restraining my delight. When an arborist paid a visit to our new house and checked out the trees I was deeply hoping we would have some maples on our property. And I was quite disappointed when I realized there were no sugar, no silver, no red maples to be found. Ah, but we have box elders! Three of them, in fact. And, yes, they are a kind of maple. "Can you tap them to make syrup?", I asked? The arborist paused a moment before doubtfully dismissing the idea.<br />
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But it turns out, you can!<br />
And we did.<br />
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And I must thank my husband, who, in the face of remodeling half a house and moving our family, when confronted with my idea to add another project to our list of things to do right now - maple syruping! - not only responded with a "sure, let's do it", but diligently checked our sap bags when he was working at the house and lugged the heavy 5 gallon bucket full back day after day so we could boil it all down. He's also the one who makes Saturday morning waffles and pancakes on which we've been generously pouring our own sweet and sticky box elder maple syrup, so a double thanks and a big smooch to him. </div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-42706544056991868972013-04-12T18:04:00.003-04:002013-04-12T18:04:32.699-04:00Loulouthi Geranium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TMISbTQf7ndmKx0r_BPwE1phQXW-thSSMVPS8ykEdiv0dYpsOIVAXsZM8DpyH-TgLlaNscKpFydMmR22FQt_baKVxjhBclcyiuYQhTSTkqtu50r9L8XrwC3uiA1kdVMhg6t7O_YRGEE/s1600/LouLouGer3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TMISbTQf7ndmKx0r_BPwE1phQXW-thSSMVPS8ykEdiv0dYpsOIVAXsZM8DpyH-TgLlaNscKpFydMmR22FQt_baKVxjhBclcyiuYQhTSTkqtu50r9L8XrwC3uiA1kdVMhg6t7O_YRGEE/s640/LouLouGer3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After making my <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/02/geranium.html" target="_blank">first geranium</a> I knew another would be in the works soon. <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2012/12/geranium-dress-sewing-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Rae's pattern</a> is just so thorough and versatile, with many options for variation. And, importantly for nap time sewists who don't have much time to waste, it produces a well made garment in a very reasonable amount of time.<br />
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Ava accompanied me on my trip to <a href="http://www.craftyplanet.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Planet</a> for this fabric, so she had a hand in the choice - and I think she did quite well, naturally gravitating towards butterflies and a bit of purple. The main fabric is <a href="http://www.annamariahorner.com/productfabric.html" target="_blank">Anna Maria Horner's</a> Loulouthi (Clippings in passion) and the lining is Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush (Woodcut in passion). </div>
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I opted for the flutter sleeve this time and though I was nervous about trying it (I had never done a flutter sleeve before), I am so happy I went for it. I think the sleeves turned out beautifully and really complement the print, echoing the flutter of a butterfly's wings or of flower petals in the breeze. Too literal? Perhaps, but I couldn't resist. I chose to do a gathered skirt again for this version. The 3T size fits Ava well with some room to wear the dress for a couple seasons. (Now if we could just transition into something that looks and feels more like spring - with 6 fresh inches of snow on the ground this week I am beginning to doubt that we will <i>ever</i> be able to wear short sleeves again.)<br />
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We found the buttons at a cool, new (to us) store in the Kingfield neighborhood called <a href="http://www.shopdigs.com/digs/Home.html" target="_blank">Digs Studio</a>. They have a small but thoughtfully chosen selection of fabrics and buttons - both new and vintage, as well as handmade jewelry and gifts. I'm not sure the owner was thrilled about my children running around her store as I compared button after button to the small fabric swatch I'd brought with me, but such is crafting with little ones. Fabric, or in this case button, shopping with young children is not for the faint of heart. Bring lots of snacks and pray they don't break anything. The buttons I chose were naturally dyed and thus no two were exactly the same color. I like how they pick up on the pinks, reds and oranges in the print.</div>
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I have found that my home sewn clothes are always more loved when the wearer chooses her own fabric for the garment. This does not always result in fabric combinations I would have chosen myself, but I revel in Ava's excitement to wear what I've made regardless of whether it is my favorite. In this case, I can say we are <i>both</i> happy with the results.</div>
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By the way, I wanted to note that Kid's Clothes Week is fast approaching. And while I would love to participate this spring, it happens to coincide with the week we are moving to our new house. (Yes, that means we are moving in less than two weeks. Eek!) I can't in my right mind commit to sewing for an hour every day during the actual challenge. In fact, I imagine my sewing machine will be packed up in a box somewhere while it is going on. So consider this my early contribution to the event. I'll be watching to see what everyone cooks up, and look forward to KCW summer 2013!</div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-28594695307785199552013-03-27T17:55:00.003-04:002013-03-27T17:55:34.793-04:00Little Hoodie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After being inspired by <a href="http://everythingelsewedo.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/ctb-project-one/" target="_blank">these</a> <a href="http://everythingelsewedo.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/ctb-project-nine-ticking-hoodie/" target="_blank">hoodies</a> made by my friend Ashley, I decided to whip up my own version of Heidi & Finn's <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62855827/new-sizing-urban-unisex-hoodie-pattern?ref=shop_home_active" target="_blank">Urban Unisex Hoodie</a> for our little man. I actually began this project towards the end of Celebrate the Boy but, as noted in my previous post, sewing has taken something of a backseat to another <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-house.html" target="_blank">big project</a> and I only recently finished (and got around to posting) Eli's hoodie. </div>
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The pattern is well written and easy to execute. I am happy to report that very unlike my <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/kcwc-days-4-6-my-first-knit-shirt-aka.html" target="_blank">last</a> foray into sewing with knits, all went smoothly this time around. I used my walking foot for the entire project to avoid feeding the hoodie to my sewing machine, which otherwise tends to gobble up knits. I would advise anyone attempting this project with a regular machine (as opposed to a serger) to use their walking foot as the sewing gets quite bulky at times around the base of the hood and when top stitching the bottom cuff. My one little boo boo was forgetting to fuse the interfacing to the button flaps. I only realized this, of course, just as I was about to sew the button holes. They are a bit stretched out as a result, but still work fine.<br />
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I used knit fabric from Joanne's for both the main fabric and the lining with the exception of the hood lining, for which I used a colorful fruit and vegetable quilting cotton print to add a little pop of color. I have to say my only disappointment with this hoodie is that I'm not totally in love with the fabrics. I've had a hard time finding really great knit fabrics locally. I know I can find beautiful knits online, but I'm always nervous to buy a fabric before seeing and feeling it in person. I may have finally found a better option for knits, but that's a story for another post.<br />
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Though it may not be the smartest use of my time as we close in on moving day (3 1/2 weeks away), I imagine I will keep the sewing machine running as much - or as little - as I can until I absolutely must pack it up for the movers to take away. For it does keep me feeling a little bit more sane and helps me feel like I've accomplished <i>something</i> in my world of full-time mama hood, which sometimes leaves me spinning, wondering where the day went and how the house looks like a cyclone has passed through even though I swear I tidied up just 5 minutes ago. Mamas out there, you know the feeling.</div>
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In the meantime another hoodie for my girl is in the works, for spring may <i>finally</i> be starting to show her lovely face here in the northern midwest. Soon (fingers crossed) it will be time to trade winter coats for layers of warm comfiness that can be shed as the chilly mornings grow warm in noon-time sun.</div>
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Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-30918989233350165892013-03-16T00:11:00.001-04:002013-03-16T00:13:37.865-04:00Our House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wasn't quite as active in the <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/03/celebrate-the-boy-wrapup/" target="_blank">Celebrate the BOY</a> sew along as I may have intended. Well, there's a reason - or several, really. But let's focus on the big one.</div>
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We bought a house!!! </div>
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It's official. We are homeowners.</div>
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After years of renting both in Michigan and Minnesota, we finally have a house we can call our own. One that we aren't planning on leaving anytime soon. One in which Eli will have his own room - though I suspect he enjoys standing up in his crib in the middle of the night and peering across the room at us. There is only so much pretending to be asleep you can do when you share your (small) bedroom with a screaming, jumping up and down toddler who thinks your bed with all its pillows and blankets (and warm bodies) looks much cozier than his bare crib. A house in which Ava can fulfill her dream of a purple bedroom. But most importantly, a house that is <i>ours</i>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuh8n3-WYMGdwpfeblIVyrGI8cJ0fI19vB-ZrdQATGINq02-dkvXyPTmyiB4rHD1P9gMVNGQ0UEpBO4kSB1KE-qViw8y6Ce3rEA48QluK9-o7N4RiM88vzkxfqLkzSPAGFe8g4qJhKOQ/s1600/IMG_2804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuh8n3-WYMGdwpfeblIVyrGI8cJ0fI19vB-ZrdQATGINq02-dkvXyPTmyiB4rHD1P9gMVNGQ0UEpBO4kSB1KE-qViw8y6Ce3rEA48QluK9-o7N4RiM88vzkxfqLkzSPAGFe8g4qJhKOQ/s640/IMG_2804.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We went to visit our new house soon after closing. In its current state it is full of echoes and promise. The possibility of empty space is so exciting and a bit overwhelming. Ava was very helpful in keeping Eli out of the fireplace, which he, like Tom Kitten, kept gravitating towards as we walked through the house as 'our house' for the first time. She dissuaded him from climbing up the stairs by putting up her "Noah block sign". (Our girl has become obsessed with the story of Noah and the Ark and insists that we call her Noah - because Noah loves animals and so does she. Naturally. It all started with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Built-Ark-Noah/dp/B0010W0LLU" target="_blank">this</a> song, which we now play on repeat for hours in our house. No, I haven't gotten sick of it yet. Give me a couple more days.) </div>
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Ava also helped take pictures to document the house as it was when we bought it, before the demolition party that ripped out the contents of the kitchen and Eli's room. We'll be snapping images along the way as we step-by-step transform this place into our home. I imagine we will need these images to remind us how far we have come when the work starts to overwhelm and stretch endless before us. And I giddily look forward to the day I can set before and after pictures side-by-side in triumph of a job completed.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I'll wait to post pictures of the house until we've made some progress on our renovations - because some of the before pictures are little too scary to show. But here's a glimpse of one of my favorite parts of the house - the yard. We were so lucky to find this property, which is twice the size of most lots in the city. I am grateful for this little sliver of nature to call our own and look forward to realizing our dreams of what this homestead can become.</span><br />
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This will be a busy and trying upcoming couple of months, but I'm hopeful we will be ready and happy to move into <i>our own</i> home at the end of April. Ava made the move with us from Ann Arbor to Minnesota, and she seemed like such a big girl at the time. But really she was only a year and a half (hard to believe that she has lived more of her life here now than she lived in Ann Arbor) and didn't really internalize what was happening. She is so much more aware and attached to place now. She has moments when she says, "but I love this house" and my heart breaks a little as I reassure her that she will love our new house just as much and maybe even more. It is challenging to harness my own anxieties and fears about moving and about our new house and all the work that needs to get done. Admittedly, I don't always do a very good job of it. But it is so important to keep those thoughts in check for the sake of my sweet girl, who is now mature enough to have anxieties of her own in addition to the ones she channels from us. </div>
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It is so comforting to know that after this next move we will be establishing ourselves in a place that is ours. A place we can settle into knowing we won't be leaving anytime soon. A place where we can plant perennials and watch them grow bigger with each season. Our own home. </div>
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-54738266588921899632013-03-10T17:02:00.002-04:002013-03-10T17:11:32.110-04:00Big(ger) Butt Baby Pants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtcWWMcyMZjNfR5gSO_DqcVbliyFNgpHeGuMx5v3pfw64dqnoRdAP7T262qIZIzx-v-gjlAbcoVDzxjOnUBI_kiJhRKjEgSWEpbdezOccuBVQclSzUbRbjVI0YkvWa4WyZw9FwuQXCII/s1600/B3FrontBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtcWWMcyMZjNfR5gSO_DqcVbliyFNgpHeGuMx5v3pfw64dqnoRdAP7T262qIZIzx-v-gjlAbcoVDzxjOnUBI_kiJhRKjEgSWEpbdezOccuBVQclSzUbRbjVI0YkvWa4WyZw9FwuQXCII/s640/B3FrontBack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I couldn't go through two weeks of sewing for our boy without making him a pair of <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/08/big-butt-baby-pants-sewing-pattern/" target="_blank">Big Butt Baby Pants</a>. I've made <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/06/big-butt-baby-pants.html" target="_blank">several</a> <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/kcwc-day-1-big-butt-baby-car-jeans.html" target="_blank">pairs</a> of B3 pants for Eli in the 6-12 month size that he wore extensively over the last half of his life. They are so comfy and roomy in just the right places. But babies' butts, they do grow. And while he is still <i>just</i> fitting into his old pairs of B3 pants, the legs are getting a bit too short and the butt is getting a bit too snug. A time for the next size up is on the horizon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM548geQuIPpra9HwXT0AjTdrc8eHlF-zW6cTmZ1Dg-QHCBX9lUJjLQWopZdqytE6SqBzMukViOQWfFcLAPf7rInb2asb7u-w_44x2kpqt1nylELrz0ne39JpkMhLcNSz7tO_lAsurA9s/s1600/IMG_3393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM548geQuIPpra9HwXT0AjTdrc8eHlF-zW6cTmZ1Dg-QHCBX9lUJjLQWopZdqytE6SqBzMukViOQWfFcLAPf7rInb2asb7u-w_44x2kpqt1nylELrz0ne39JpkMhLcNSz7tO_lAsurA9s/s640/IMG_3393.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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I cut out the 18 month size pattern pieces knowing they will get lots of use over the next couple seasons. Making the same pair of pants over and over makes for very quick sewing. And these pants in particular are lightning fast to put together in part because each pant leg is made from one pattern piece rather than having a separate front and back. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zJ9y9MssSvC_g9m04IEBWGL_YlOj4TTgLhSVI9ckYKeLBynoHmZFk-ptrlCt4lwCzBW4rRwwjadnyja0s1-X8FUABlIGiOm84pDQMvpgO0_PgPSvAuIKyY4a42cr-Lp2jf6CDrLqhBM/s1600/IMG_3302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zJ9y9MssSvC_g9m04IEBWGL_YlOj4TTgLhSVI9ckYKeLBynoHmZFk-ptrlCt4lwCzBW4rRwwjadnyja0s1-X8FUABlIGiOm84pDQMvpgO0_PgPSvAuIKyY4a42cr-Lp2jf6CDrLqhBM/s640/IMG_3302.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Spring is right around the corner, but unable to deny the two or so feet of snow that remains firmly planted on the ground around us, I wanted to make a pair that is warm enough for the chilly few months ahead while still light and comfy. I used some corduroy left over from <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/02/winter-warm.html" target="_blank">these</a> pants and a couple prints from the 'a walk in the woods' collection by Aneela Hoey for moda. I was concerned the quilting cotton prints would be too light paired with the corduroy, so I experimented with bonding the two prints together to make a warmer, sturdier butt panel. This resulted in a cute contrast on the inside of the pants.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5urkfSxOB_t3Bges2xZ_wjzhRK0mAL_V_v5WEU-CTvSTaK1fuqlcyF3Zhhbb3phrXTo0ofWs8A5ye7bENweFouFfMNbVm52M5-dpFT-iG5LHA5XRQzb2ybvnXTzRlJxmz1Uu_f5yaI5M/s1600/IMG_3209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5urkfSxOB_t3Bges2xZ_wjzhRK0mAL_V_v5WEU-CTvSTaK1fuqlcyF3Zhhbb3phrXTo0ofWs8A5ye7bENweFouFfMNbVm52M5-dpFT-iG5LHA5XRQzb2ybvnXTzRlJxmz1Uu_f5yaI5M/s640/IMG_3209.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Bonding the two fabrics together also made for a rather stiff butt panel that doesn't move freely with the rest of the fabric. I'm not sure this will matter too much in the wearing, and it probably makes for a more robust rear to the pants. But in hindsight, I'm doubtful that this was the best solution. I also happened to fuse glue to my ironing board and iron in the process. Double bummer. In case you ever need to remove glue from your iron you can try my new method - ironing a dryer sheet. It worked wonders for me. Thanks, internet, for the suggestion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACgqbZwm57PAYnVyw206H02ubNtsh5kHOKG6WImnUPb96IHY6RAt9E6MvXmV82Eh71vjMDyXcnnwazg0ZJCsTG7wE0Ylemb1MD178BJbXj7_nXtYZ52G8lqa2jtpB89FcubkNWcB15Lo/s1600/IMG_3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACgqbZwm57PAYnVyw206H02ubNtsh5kHOKG6WImnUPb96IHY6RAt9E6MvXmV82Eh71vjMDyXcnnwazg0ZJCsTG7wE0Ylemb1MD178BJbXj7_nXtYZ52G8lqa2jtpB89FcubkNWcB15Lo/s640/IMG_3228.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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With more sewing experience under my belt, these Big Butt Baby pants are better made than past incarnations - with added topstitching on many of the seams and clean turn-and-stitch finishes to the crotch seams, these are superior B3 pants to the ones I threw together just 6 months ago. It's encouraging and gratifying to see progress in my own sewing and sewing knowledge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpO4ijElqtWhrcX12ho6PDhKADXszggXDayq6ZwyGfYhCfJ4EB4_b4r-Oruvse0CqfoVOgKhINv1QsQP6kqjVz5F1avY-yyc8pjWukIcjIaqRnbFs1FkS5mNqNOhMdLquEUq4ydpsjlY/s1600/IMG_3490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpO4ijElqtWhrcX12ho6PDhKADXszggXDayq6ZwyGfYhCfJ4EB4_b4r-Oruvse0CqfoVOgKhINv1QsQP6kqjVz5F1avY-yyc8pjWukIcjIaqRnbFs1FkS5mNqNOhMdLquEUq4ydpsjlY/s640/IMG_3490.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This boy is growing fast before our eyes. And I find him irresistibly cuter every day. I know all too well that soon he will a big boy who won't want to be seen wearing big butt <i>baby </i>pants anymore. So I'll make them while I can, and get in as many cuddles and kisses as he will allow now before he gets to be that age when such things are shunned. How can I resist, really?<br />
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<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-69402061474471839462013-03-06T00:20:00.000-05:002013-03-06T00:20:20.352-05:00Reversible Bucket Hat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSXcF61IE23bLnJ2K3aWEOQUcFQ6iUY3BTaV7OXO-xMsW-_eZIdxjPew-QCk6NvpCa61njCWbj9G3cS7bQBatO0XD7fOzQFypKd94X2Bs4Z3kIkY-JasEPZYBfARscdd_6E180moqw1E/s1600/Bucket+Hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSXcF61IE23bLnJ2K3aWEOQUcFQ6iUY3BTaV7OXO-xMsW-_eZIdxjPew-QCk6NvpCa61njCWbj9G3cS7bQBatO0XD7fOzQFypKd94X2Bs4Z3kIkY-JasEPZYBfARscdd_6E180moqw1E/s640/Bucket+Hat.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Despite the most recent snowstorm which left us with at least ten fresh inches of snow on the ground, I had sunny spring and summer days in mind as I made my second project for Celebrate the BOY - a Reversible Bucket Hat from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Little-Things-Sew-Accessories/dp/1584799102" target="_blank">Oliver + S Little Things to Sew</a>. I used left over denim from <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/kcwc-day-1-big-butt-baby-car-jeans.html" target="_blank">these</a> pants and the deer fabric from <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/02/treasure-pocket-pants.html" target="_blank">my first project</a> for CTB. So, naturally, Eli's little bucket hat matches his new treasure pocket pants, though he can easily wear it with almost anything. And that's a good thing since sun hats are ubiquitous in the coming warm, sunny months.</div>
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I used this pattern last year to make a hat for Eli and I enjoyed it the second time around even more. It comes together so quickly and the resulting hat is so cute and so well made, as with all of the projects in Little Things to Sew. I highly recommend a copy of this book for your library, but if you love this bucket hat and need to make one <i>right this minute</i> you can get it as a <a href="https://oliverands.com/free-patterns/reversible-bucket-hat/" target="_blank">free sample pattern</a> from the Oliver + S website. I made a small, which is supposed to fit 12-24 month olds and seems true to size. My only divergence from the pattern was omitting the interfacing in the brim - I figured the denim provides enough rigidity.</div>
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I can't tell you how much I look forward to the day we switch from wool hats to sun hats. I assure you when it arrives, this boy will be ready.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-27408673232994657872013-02-26T23:15:00.002-05:002013-02-26T23:15:29.606-05:00Treasure Pocket Pants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For my first <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/02/celebrate-the-boy-2013/" target="_blank">Celebrate the BOY 2013</a> project I made a pair of Treasure Pocket Pants from <a href="http://www.sewing-for-boys.com/" target="_blank">Sewing for Boys</a>. I know I say this frequently, but I've been wanting to make a pair of TP Pants for quite some time - since my sweet husband bought me the book after we learned Eli was a boy (this is more indicative of how many future projects I have swimming in my head than of my own procrastination - I'm certain I'm not alone here). The limiting factor with these pants was that the pattern starts at 12-18 months, so I had to be a bit patient. Now that our boy is officially a toddler (and toddling all over the house to prove it) I thought it was the perfect project to kick off these two weeks.<br />
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At some point along the road to motherhood I inherited a pair of size one maternity jeans. Elastic cinch-waisted, size one, <i>stretch </i>maternity jeans, to be exact. Now don't get me wrong - a well-fitting, comfortable pair of maternity jeans should be cherished, lived in, then passed on and on to other mamas, because we all know how hard they are to come by. But size one, cinch waist maternity jeans? In my opinion, 'size one' and 'maternity' should never be used in the same sentence, let alone in a pair of jeans. So I had no qualms at all about sacrificing (ahem, transforming) this pair into a new pair of pants for my boy.<br />
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For the contrasting fabric I used Oh Deer! by MoMo for Moda Fabrics. My sweet and exceedingly patient (at times) children helped me pick this one out at Crafty Planet, perhaps the best fabric store ever. It is a bit of a drive from our house and as we pulled up I realized I had forgotten the Ergo back at home. Perusing fabrics with a 1 and 3 year old is not usually the kind of torture I would ever wish upon anyone, especially without a baby carrier. So I was grateful for that baggie of cheese (local raw milk gouda for my tiniest of cheese snobs) I had tucked away in my pocket, which I used to lure my son back towards me every time he tried to lunge in a kamikaze dive out of my grip. Somehow we actually made it out with several cute fabrics in tow and without any major tantrums.<br />
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While I was working on this project I felt they were taking a long time, especially for a pair of toddler pants. This made me laugh at how much more instantly gratifying sewing is compared to knitting, in which projects can take months to complete. But they are seriously well made. I particularly love the faux-fly and the contrasting fabric hems, which make them look cute and finished whether they are rolled or unrolled. And, of course, I love the pockets, which are true to their name - really perfect for storing little treasures and easy for little hands to access with their elastic openings. In the future I might opt to make them just a little bit deeper.</div>
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This project was not without it's problems. Firstly, I didn't go online to download the errata for the pattern prior to cutting out my pieces and was quite puzzled when one of the side panels just didn't seem to be the right size. This was easily remedied when I downloaded a pdf of the revised pattern for that piece. Also, the hem facings in the pattern did not even closely fit my pant legs. I am still confused as to whether this was my mistake or a mistake in the pattern, but I had to remeasure and cut my own hem facings to fit the pants. Again, not a huge deal, but another waste of time and fabric. Has anyone else encountered this? </div>
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And finally, there's the size issue. These pants are HUGE on my boy. I made the 12-18 month size and my 13 month old will probably wear them by the time he goes to college. True, he's just a tad on the smaller size, but really? Again, has me scratching my head wondering where I made a mistake. </div>
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All in all, the pants (assuming Eli grows big enough to wear them at some point) turned out well and are so very cute. I would use the pattern again once I've had some distance from it and my frustrations with it. For now, I'm looking forward to getting started on my next project for Celebrate the BOY!</div>
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<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-86081739285310475072013-02-21T17:13:00.001-05:002013-02-22T21:16:23.822-05:00Geranium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been excited to try out Rae's <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2012/12/geranium-dress-sewing-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Geranium Dress pattern</a> since she released it last December. I finally found myself without a sewing project in progress last week and decided I couldn't wait any longer. This fabric has been sitting in my stash since the end of last year and, while I loved the print, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. The Geranium Dress seemed like a perfect opportunity to use it. Most of the way through cutting it out I realized I wasn't going to have enough fabric for the lining, so I searched through my remnants and found a neutral linen fabric that would work well enough. When you're impulsive you have to improvise. The main fabric of the bodice is a quilting cotton and the skirt is a lightweight corduroy. I acquired both at the crazy pre-Christmas <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2013/01/lucy-tunic.html" target="_blank">Joanne's sale</a>. The combo feels very fall to me, but you know how difficult it is to stop yourself when you get inspired to make something. She'll wear it in the fall, eventually.</div>
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I love that the Geranium Dress pattern offers so many different style options - and endless combinations of those options. I kept things relatively simple, omitting the notch collar, and opting for the faux-cap sleeves. I chose to make a gathered skirt rather than one with pleats and used a kit to cover the buttons in the bodice fabric.</div>
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You know your project is a success when your girl asks if she can wear her dress <i>right now</i>. No matter that today is one of those 7 degree days. "Well, I'll just wear it over my warm clothes." Music to a sewing mama's ears. And for this girl who has apparently come down with a bit of pneumonia (she hides it well in the pictures, no?), how could I possibly say no? She has also already informed me that she will be wearing it to <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/01/ferocious-cat.html" target="_blank">Lola's</a> birthday party - in April. The girl likes to plan ahead.</div>
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This pattern was so easy and such a pleasure to work with I'm tempted to start another - I already have some fabric lined up and ready. But it will have to wait a bit longer as I turn my attention to our boy. Rae from <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/" target="_blank">Made-By-Rae</a> and Dana from <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/" target="_blank">MADE</a> will be hosting <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/02/celebrate-the-boy-2013/" target="_blank">Celebrate the BOY</a> starting next week, a two week long event featuring sewing for boys. </div>
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<a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/02/celebrate-the-boy-2013/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQ_4b-QCR7W_LuEkAmh090JTs52kGxfZ9xLBQDvZmTSDA4b3WziBSuWsTrRz3rt82udMmRiVeOtcxTmY4GH-kH229BVW15nxGdapMJxxsjDyF9NhO4yUZhWZ8P1tN1VPWTd74njcp33s/s320/BOYlarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'll see you there next week!</div>
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<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-50997891633112744742013-02-15T17:29:00.003-05:002013-02-15T23:43:11.909-05:00Hearts, Flowers and Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some say Valentine's Day is a contrived holiday, one not worth acknowledging. But give me any reason to celebrate, especially in the middle of <i>February</i> (one of the toughest months of the year for me) and I will gladly take it. And when we are celebrating the people we love the most, celebrating love itself, how can you complain? Especially when the holiday specifically calls for eating chocolate.</div>
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Yes, there were hearts. Many of them. I'm certain with more time we could have cut out even more hearts and found creative ways to hang them throughout our house. But we did the best we could. As Ava was going to sleep the night before Valentine's Day she said, "perhaps tomorrow we can hang more hearts...." That's my girl. You can never have too many hearts on Valentine's Day. </div>
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Yes, there was chocolate. Lots of chocolate. If you've never realized how easy it is to make <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/dining/121mrex.html?ref=dining" target="_blank">truffles</a>, I warn you not to look at the recipe; you may never stop eating them. Making truffles has become something of a Valentine's Day tradition for me, so I was already planning on whipping up a batch. Then as I was looking through my dessert recipe stash I found one for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/dining/181wrex.html" target="_blank">whoopie pies</a> adapted from Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor. I felt I had to make them too as a way to incorporate our beloved old town into our Minneapolis Valentine's celebration. </div>
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Will actually got a bit miffed when he found out I was making both truffles and whoopie pies for dessert. In his defense, he was tired, hungry and dinner was running a tad late because I was busy adding sticks of butter by the half tablespoonful to the buttercream filling, whipping it constantly as I prepared our feast (yes, I say "sticks" of butter - I won't dare tell how many went into the whoopie pies). I assure you, I heard no complaints while he was eating them. </div>
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And, of course, there was Valentine's Day crafting. I found <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/rose-barrettes/" target="_blank">these</a> irresistible heart barrettes from Purl Soho. A perfect project to use up all of those felt scraps leftover from cutting out hearts.<br />
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We had a love-filled, admittedly a bit hectic, Valentine's Day. Not all of us made it through to the end of the night - the boy has had quite a cough and was not in the mood for exclaiming "whoopie" at his dessert along with the rest of us. But amidst the fatigue and crankiness, the coughing and sniffles, the rushed dinner, the abundant cards and gifts, Will and I reminded ourselves that some Valentine's Day in the future (perhaps 30 years from now) we may find ourselves sitting at a quiet table feeling just slightly bored. And while today there is some small part inside of us that longs for a reminder of what it actually feels like to be bored, I know when it comes we will be thinking back to these days of abundance as precious fleeting times. So today we celebrate and rejoice in the fullness of our home, our family, our lives, our loves.<br />
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I hope you all had a sweet, love-filled Valentine's Day.<br />
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<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-86325914766045660042013-02-07T16:17:00.001-05:002013-02-07T16:17:33.881-05:00Winter Warm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last winter in Minnesota failed to impress us with its lack of snow and any significant cold. I was beginning to think Minnesotans merely exaggerate when recalling their chilly winters. After recent weeks of bundling the kids in layer upon layer of down and wool before leaving the house, when my fingers start to burn after being without gloves for only as long as it takes to buckle a car seat, when the air is so dry my knuckles crack and my breathes leaves my lips without a trace in the cold, cold air, when our trusty Subaru whines at me as I coax it to start, when I finally look at the thermometer and it matter-of-factly stares back at me with a -8 degrees Fahrenheit - well, I get it. </div>
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I remember thinking, on a day the temperature got down to around -20 degrees, that I'd better go outside and feel what -20 feels like. I mean, I've always lived in climates with cold winters. Michigan winter is nothing to scoff at. But -20 degrees, nope, I've never experienced that kind of cold before. After a quick jaunt outside I decided that once it gets cold - I mean <i>really</i> cold - it doesn't actually feel much colder than when it's just <i>plain</i> cold. But here's the difference - any bit of exposed skin almost immediately starts to scream in protest and you feel a sharp, deep burn. This cold is no joke, my friends. </div>
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I realized how cold it has been when the temperature hit 16 degrees and it actually felt warm outside. I know this sounds ridiculous - really, if I had read this a year ago I would have thought I was being downright silly. But after a string of temps below zero, 16 actually feels pretty comfy. Yesterday it hit 30. Downright balmy. Minnesotans are a hardy folk. I suppose Minnesota winters will do that to you.</div>
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In all this frigidness, I have been extra careful about keeping the little appendages in the household warm. I decided they needed to have a extra layer on the bottom - that regular pants and jeans just don't do the trick. Since wearing snow pants all the time is not a convenient option (especially when I'm the one having to put them on and take them off those squirmy bodies multiple times a day), I made a couple versions of Dana's <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/02/kid-pants-series-the-basic-pant-tutorial-and-pattern.html" target="_blank">Basic Kid Pants</a> lined with comfy extra layers for added warmth. For these I used a grey corduroy lined with yummy warm fleece. I added some pockets - cause you know how kids love their pockets. Dana offers instructions for lining the basic pants <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-kid-pants-with-a-lining.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and for adding two kinds of pockets <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-kid-pants-with-pockets.html" target="_blank">here</a>. So comfy and warm.</div>
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Glancing at the forecast I see that temperatures may climb into the mid 30s this weekend. I imagine that will feel just like spring. And not a moment too soon, as I find myself already dreaming of those warm summer days when getting out of the house means nothing more than opening the back door and stepping right outside - free of sweaters, coats, hats, boots, mittens, scarves and all the rest of the winter paraphernalia piled high in our entryway like the mounds of snow that lounge around our stoop. Winter, I love you. But I feel a song of spring stirring deep inside me. She will come soon enough.</div>
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-27850871759621918772013-01-31T16:46:00.003-05:002013-01-31T16:50:07.375-05:00Once around the sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend our boy turned one year old. In one year he has grown so much, learned so much about the world, just as we have learned so much about him. The night of his birthday I stayed up late after everyone else had gone to sleep and fell absorbed looking through pictures of when he was born and of him as a newborn. I then went back even farther and glanced through pictures of Ava as a little babe and noted such distinct differences between them even then - differences that are reflections of their contrasting personalities. Why do we ever imagine that two humans would be the same? How can we possibly be surprised by their differences? These two little ones, so perfecty complementary, make our family feel - complete.<br />
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On his one year birth-day we celebrated our sweet boy Eli, but internally there was also a celebration for this mama too as I reflected back on the days leading up to <a href="http://onemamasjournal.blogspot.com/2012/03/welcome-eli-willam.html" target="_blank">Eli's birth</a>. He and I worked hard in those days - and really it was all just the beginning. I can see both how much Eli has grown in his one year and also have more of an inkling of how this is still just the beginning - how much more change and growth and learning for us all - is to come. His birthday reminds me, too, of how far we have come here in our new home. He was just starting to stretch my belly when we arrived here in Minnesota. A year and a half later our family has grown, as has our community and comfortability in this place we call home.<br />
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This boy of ours is pure joy. Even at one year old there is so much that we know about him, so much that is apparent of who he is and will be. He is strong, patient, persistent, engaged, a good problem solver, confident, a man of action, and, so far at least, a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I know his tickle spots. I know how to make him giggle. I know that some of the worries I had about him when he was born have subsided - and some of them will remain on indefinitely. I have observed many differences between him and his sister. Lately, though, as he grows and matures, I am seeing more similarities: his attention (though he may choose to pay it to something other than her favorites, books and animals); his gentle nature; his (mostly) even temperament. I am so very proud of him, and each day I grow more amazed with all he is learning and how he is growing. I love his deep gutteral laugh and wide toothy grin. I love the way he is so warm and snuggly in the early morning - our little snuggle package. I love his wild, exuberant, two-handed wave. I love how he climbs all over me like a monkey and teeter totters on his chubby legs as he practices taking steps over and over again. This boy, who will always be my baby even if he is now 'officially' a toddler, he steals my heart.<br />
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Eli's celebration was in some ways less grand than Ava's first birthday bash. Our lives were quite different then, living in Ann Arbor amidst a rich and vast community of friends. And, let's face it, having only one child makes accomplishing anything - like planning a big party - quite a bit simpler. But Eli's birthday celebration, spread over the course of a long weekend and shared with his Grandma and Papa, was perfect in its own way. A trip to the zoo where he leans up close against the floor-to-ceiling tank of tropical fish pointing and squealing at each blaze of color as it flitters by, dinner out at a favorite restaurant, a visit from friends who couldn't resist bringing him his first doughnut, gifts, cake (carrot), and most importantly, quite a bit of cuddling and family time. </div>
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I finished Eli's birthday crown just in time with the help of Janet at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeltOnTheFly" target="_blank">Felt on the Fly</a>, who sells the most fabulous 100% wool felt in every color imaginable and who so expeditiously rushed a felt order out to this procrastinating Mama. I loosely followed the crown pattern in Amanda Soule's book <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/the_creative_family/" target="_blank">The Creative Family</a>. I was inspired by the absolutely beautiful crown that my dear friend Angela made for Ava's first birthday, starting a tradition we will cherish for birthdays to come.<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I remember sitting at the dinner table before Eli was even in my belly, feeling this barely perceptible, but very much present feeling that </span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">someone is missing</i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">. With Eli here with us and the four of us together, that feeling around the table has changed to an </span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">ah yes, here we all are</i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Happy Birthday, my sweet boy. We love you so so much.</span></div>
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Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-54616570022344223152013-01-19T17:16:00.002-05:002013-01-19T17:16:18.917-05:00Lucy Tunic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbZ3XY20dTZE8fwJpiH1uAMxBU26GuYEuw9RdLClsjGalBfvrrVuTCBp631j8zmaaRlS4RN-iGLtc7n4MODqQMy2lD05Kw0bCL3MXw5gDddeJqYgwerCqrD6-jxcYyPRct8Jib6NSxdE/s1600/LucyTopCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbZ3XY20dTZE8fwJpiH1uAMxBU26GuYEuw9RdLClsjGalBfvrrVuTCBp631j8zmaaRlS4RN-iGLtc7n4MODqQMy2lD05Kw0bCL3MXw5gDddeJqYgwerCqrD6-jxcYyPRct8Jib6NSxdE/s640/LucyTopCollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One morning before the holidays I found myself standing at the end of a line that wrapped around the perimeter of Joanne's with coupon in hand and a pile of cut fabric too large and too discounted to abandon. I knew I wouldn't be able to use much of that fabric until after the new year - too many preparations to complete, guests to host, birthday parties to plan. Now that we are on the other side of that lovely frenzy I am excitedly beginning to dig through my bounty and get to work on some projects that have been on the back burner for weeks. First on my list was this <a href="http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lucy-top-new-pattern.html" target="_blank">Lucy Tunic</a> for Ava.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzu-PX5iWT5kUacty_uPWrremTfDwVCXWnvOoDk4S1Nu57VqqgPScMgYYrTyqeJM_0quzKxVSVu7S-d5EbmF656V8treZfDIU6d1ujoi6tquaUxFFw5FBS1CBpMeeEPcj8fkR_CIgOyo/s1600/IMG_1387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzu-PX5iWT5kUacty_uPWrremTfDwVCXWnvOoDk4S1Nu57VqqgPScMgYYrTyqeJM_0quzKxVSVu7S-d5EbmF656V8treZfDIU6d1ujoi6tquaUxFFw5FBS1CBpMeeEPcj8fkR_CIgOyo/s640/IMG_1387.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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I used a stretch denim for the outer layer (just because the color struck me, really) and a quilting cotton by Denise Schmidt for the lining. The tunic has pockets - which you know are irresistible to children who always need a place to store the treasures they collect along their journeys - and can be made reversible. I chose to keep it simple for now; making it reversible in the future would be as easy as adding buttons to the lining side. The pleated cap sleeves add a sweet touch and lend the tunic well to layering in cooler weather, though I think it will be cute on its own come spring. I made the 3T size and it is a bit large for my slight girl right now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X2qIoiLUN86tG9-JGm29Pt5lXI0bLTUXgwqYwvRfC5p5QVE77MxpWay6EpqWl-UsD3dfA64RG-DkgA__vkKIblysSyeq1DdIKcHnZHzL9hyDdxRnftKQavWoOwN0oZPE1gY2S8r-oGU/s1600/LucyTopCollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X2qIoiLUN86tG9-JGm29Pt5lXI0bLTUXgwqYwvRfC5p5QVE77MxpWay6EpqWl-UsD3dfA64RG-DkgA__vkKIblysSyeq1DdIKcHnZHzL9hyDdxRnftKQavWoOwN0oZPE1gY2S8r-oGU/s640/LucyTopCollage2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Overall, the pattern was pretty clear and the top came together easily despite a mindless error resulting from a bit of multi-tasking while using sharp scissors (note to self: when clipping seam allowances, don't actually clip the seam). Ava says it's comfy and that it's "like an apron" - which I suppose is a compliment because she was happy to wear it. I loved <a href="http://everythingelsewedo.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/hello-2013-and-echino-peacoats/" target="_blank">these</a> from Ash over at <i>everything else we do </i>so much, I'm thinking I might like to make another Lucy Top in a cute echino print. Ah, but that would require another trip to the fabric store, and there is still a lovely pile just waiting to be cut into...Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648649342426362955.post-9803804651534455682013-01-05T18:33:00.001-05:002013-01-05T18:44:11.726-05:00Wood Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It has been a busy, glorious end of the year for us - as I imagine it has been for you. Holidays, family visits, a certain girl turning 3 - I know we've all heard it countless times, but isn't it still shocking how fast it all flies by - and all that this time of year entails. We have been full. And while this is undoubtedly one of my most cherished and anticipated times of year, I admit there are moments when feeling overwhelmed by it all makes me wonder when it will conclude. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Among the fullness and celebration we have also enjoyed Will's longest break from work since before Ava was born. We have settled into a nice family rhythm over this delicious retreat of ours. Even as Monday brings us back into our more normal routine, we know that the celebrations will continue. Our little boy stands taller each day reminding us that his days of babyhood will soon, too, be cherished memories. And as we begin this new year, we are aware that even our idea of normalcy will be challenged and shifted as we dig our heels deep into the search for our family home. Perhaps as I find my way back to my normal daily rhythm - and take my seat here in front of this screen more - I will post a round-up of the holiday whirlwind of making, visiting and baking. But today we just enjoy our final moments of family break together.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Today we just walked.</span></div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10375789067605638736noreply@blogger.com0