Handy Crafts

Moment of Awww

2010-08-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

A conversation last night

Viv: Mommy, put your head up. Why is your head down?
Me: My head hurts, honey.
Viv: Where does it hurt? Can I kiss it?
Me: It kind of hurts all over.
Viv: Can I kiss it all over?
followed by little kisses all over my face

Before your teeth start to itch from the sweetness overload, let me note that, not 10 minutes before this conversation, Viv threw a huge temper tantrum. She was upset that I took a band-aid off of her arm (after she asked me to), and wouldn't put it back on.

And that's parenthood.

Sewing Bug

2010-08-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

I've had the sewing bug lately, but have been so scattered that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to make. Originally, I thought I would make the Sencha blouse from Colette Patterns, but didn't have enough material (and the nice pearl covered snaps I bought for the back had mysteriously disappeared, as well).

Lately, when I need to sew something small and uncomplicated, I sew a new top for Vivian. I made a couple of peasant tops for her a couple of months ago and love them so much, I decided to draft a new one.

This version is even easier to make, as there are no curves around the neck. Small bodice panel and some kimono sleeves slapped on to a gathered skirt and voila!

Excuse the blur as my camera was acting up and Viv refused to stop moving. I love the fabric--a vintage find from the Pasadena City College flea market.

I know that Viv's willingness to love every item of clothing I make for her won't last, so I'm trying to take advantage of it while I can!

The Tahoe Experience

2010-07-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

I've taken a bit of a break from posting here lately, and I'm hoping to break back in to the habit of writing here.

Last week, we took our annual pilgrimage to Lake Tahoe, which is located in Northern California on the border between California & Nevada. I love Tahoe. As a child, my family traveled there every summer, and about 10 years ago, Richard & I started the tradition again. Now this trip has turned into almost a family/friends reunion, with people coming in from four states (CA, Arizona, Washington & Texas) to relax on the beach, by the pool and at the grill and the campfire.

With the addition of the kids to the gathering over the last few years, I love that this trip has become a part of their lives, too. Tahoe will be an important part of their lives, in the same way it was an important part of my childhood.

That's Richard floating on the lake in the picture above. Now that is relaxation.

This photo looks just like almost every photo I have of me at Viv's age. One of the most exciting things about being a parent is being able to share those experiences that mean so much to me with my child.

Beach Kitty

2010-06-01T12:53:00.001-07:00

Beach Kitty
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Viv & The Bunny

2010-04-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

Viv & The Bunny
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Despite having to wait more than an hour to get her picture taken with the Easter Bunny (and several meltdowns), Viv bucked up when it was her turn. She ran up, gave him a hug and a smile and turned on the charm!

2-Summer Sundress

2010-03-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

2-Summer Sundress
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Possible the cutest thing I have ever crafted.

Ok, Viv is actually the cutest thing/person I have ever crafted (if creating a baby is counted as crafting), but this dress comes second. It's The Two-Summer Sundress, by Natalie Larson and is a free pattern available on Ravelry. The dress straps cross in the back for now, but as she grows, the straps can uncross to make them longer. This will be her Easter dress and I am squealing over how cute she looks!

I love this pattern so much, I've already knitted the top for another dress. I just need to sew it up!

Umm...

2010-03-15T15:02:00.001-07:00

IMG_1739
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

This is what happens when I tell Viv to hold her flower out so I can get a photo of her holding it. I guess I should be more specific.

Audacity

2010-03-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I finished my volunteer training for Heritage Square Museum (don't judge by the bad website--it's being redone). After five weeks of lessons on Los Angeles history, vintage fashion, museum history and tour guide best practices, I am now ready to begin volunteering!

So what now?

Well, I didn't know. Having run volunteer trainings in the past, I understand that the hard thing about managing volunteers can be channeling their excitement and motivation into your organization's needs. And I kind of felt that the "what do I do next" part of the HSM training was a bit lacking. There was a "hey, if you want to be a guide, talk to one of the speakers" explanation, but most of the speakers were busy talking amongst themselves after the training. There wasn't a "sign-up for this activity" or "here's a list of available mentors" moment that could have really harnessed the volunteer energy at its max. I realized that I could have just left that morning with my graduation certificate and maybe never have the opportunity to get involved again.

----------------

This experience of my own hesitation and lack of desire to "put myself out there" has had me thinking about audacity. I feel like I've lost it--that willingness to get out of my comfort zone and try new things and meet new people. I used to be loud and brash and outgoing , but I feel like, as I've gotten older, I've become more hesitant and closed off.

I can see how it would be so easy to pull back completely, and only focus on my family, my job, and the friends I currently have. It really would be easy and comfortable. But it would be limiting. Friends move, and family members get busy with their own lives, and jobs don't always last. If I don't want to be ultimately left alone, I need to push myself. I need to fight against that little voice inside that says, "Hang back. Don't interrupt. Be cautious." I need to be a little audacious.

----------------

My instinct was to gather my things and walk quietly to my car, but I steeled myself to put myself out there. I've given up too many Saturday mornings to this training to stop now. So I inserted myself into a conversation with the communications/development director and passed my my card, letting him know I'm ready to help. And then I again forced my way into a conversation with the museum director to find out exactly who I could contact for the next volunteer opportunity. It was hard. But it worked.

So my first actual volunteer activity will be as a dresser for HSM's Vintage Fashion Show (pdf link) on March 20, at 11 a.m. I'll be helping the models in and out of the layers of vintage clothing (no zippers!). I won't have any of my historic costumes ready, but I think I'll break out my 1940's black crepe dress and one of my grandmother's vintage hats to wear for the occasion. I will be backstage, but just by being there, I will be audacious.

Ugh

2010-02-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Things continue to be blech here at Chez-Handy Crafts. We have some financial issues that have made doing anything fun and/or spur-of-the-moment out of reach for now. And I've settled into some sort of general malaise with everything.

Some of that malaise has drifted into my crafting, and that makes me even sadder. I am tremendously behind on my two virtual quilting bees. I owe several blocks to women, and I feel incredibly guilty. To make things worse, it's my month in one of them, when I should be sending out fabric to everyone. But I feel like I can't expect others to make things for me when I haven't come through on my commitment to them. And then there is the lack of resources to buy said fabric and mail it to all the lovely participants. Ugh.

I need to buckle down and get out from under the weight of those promised blocks. I think I'll feel better when I do, even if I have to wait a week or two before I can send them out. And I do have a considerable fabric stash, and I'm pretty sure I can come up with the fabric needed without having to purchase more than a couple of yards of a solid.

On the plus side, I start my volunteer training at Heritage Square Museum this weekend. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

RARW!

2010-01-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

Rarw (again)
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

On Saturday, we took Viv to the Museum of Natural History. It's under considerable construction right now, so much of the museum is not open, but we still had a blast. The museum cafeteria is closed, so we had lunch at the Frysmith truck outside (sweet potato fries w/chicken, tamarind sauce, garlic & cheese--incredible!).

The main dinosaur exhibit is closed for major renovations (to open next year), but Viv still loved seeing the couple of dinosaurs that were visible. The museum has a fantastic life-size triceratops puppet that they use in a show a couple of times a day (also a T-Rex puppet, but we didn't see that one). Viv was super excited, even if she held my hands over her eyes for much of the show.

She was feeling a bit under the weather, so we left a bit early, but I think we'll definitely be back.

Daddy fairy & baby fairy

2010-01-14T16:45:00.001-08:00

Daddy fairy & baby fairy
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Vivian loves dress up, and--thanks to Bridget, and her daughter Samantha, who has outgrown a lot of princess attire--she now has lots of fabulous pink & frothy things. These sequin mouse ears are my favorite (or they were, until the headband broke because Vivian's head is too big). Rich is the good sport who also put on a pair of fairy wings when Viv asked him to.

5/365

2010-01-06T12:23:00.001-08:00

5/365
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Viv is very proud of her funny face.

Addendum

2010-01-05T23:40:00.001-08:00

I just remembered one addition to my New Year's resolutions: make yeast bread. For some reason, it's one of those cooking tasks that seems so intimidating that I've been dragging my feet. But I'm going to do it this year. If I can successfully can jam (and no reported cases of botulism yet!), then I can do it.

Day 4/365

2010-01-05T17:02:00.001-08:00

I'm going to try to take a photo every day this year. This one is a little celebration of small steps -- into potty training. It's the balloon that Vivian earned at preschool for successfully utilizing the "facilities."

It's a New Day

2010-01-04T15:23:00.001-08:00

This is not a blog post in which I apologize about not posting. This is not a blog post in which I whine about not having any money and/or about being depressed about that said lack of money.

This is not one of those.

Instead, this is a post about reviewing the previous year and looking forward to the new one.

My resolutions last year were pretty in-depth, and my progress on them, while not completed 100%, was still considerable. Here we go, in review:

2009 Craft-Related Resolutions

1. RIIIPPPIIITT! I pledge to actually frog those projects that are unflattering, undesirable or otherwise unwearable. I will reclaim the yarn, and therefore cut down on the need for stash enhancement. Did some of this, although not as much as I had planned, due to the Great Moth Invasion of Early 2009.

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet. I have a lovely walk-in closet that I have designated for my craft supplies and sewing machine, but it has become so cluttered that I can’t find anything and can barely weave my way back to the sewing machine. This will change. Have implemented Phase 1 of the Great ReOrg, thanks to the fabulous shelves my mom bought for my birthday. My fabric stash is now visible and organized by color. Next step is to bring out the patterns and magazines, and put in a new table/shelf to place my new serger! (thanks again Mom!)

3. Get back to sewing more of my clothes. I used to sew about 50% of my wardrobe, but pregnancy, having a small child and the craft closet disorganization (see above) have stymied my efforts. I have a huge fabric stash, and I need to get back to using it. Hmm, still haven't sewn many clothes for me, but I did get back to sewing more, including most of my Christmas gifts to others, including 4 aprons, two wrap skirts, and a stuffed kitty.

4. Finally finish knitting Richard’s sweater (started in Nov. 2005 and lying dormant ever since). It’s the Baseball sweater from Knitty’s Man issue, and I have the back and 1 sleeve done. He wants an intarsia picture of Elvis Costello worked on the front. I have the chart worked out, but I just need to get up the courage to do it. Oh dear god. Um, nope, no progress made.

General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise. I’m not going to focus on losing weight, but I just want to have more energy. So whether it’s taking a walk after work every day or hitting the gym, I’m going to exercise. Does chasing after a toddler at the zoo/park/home count? Probably not, but my mom's scale said I'm now 6 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm counting it as a win.

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery. I’ve seen great tips on the ikea hacks blog, and I want to copy some of them for her room, such as using a CD shelf to store diapers. This we actually did, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Yay me!

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week. I was doing pretty good on this already before, but the holidays made it difficult to be consistent. Amazing how a severely constrained budget will motivate you (me) to cook at home more!

4. Start a college fund for Vivian. I think we're going to open a 529 account for her, even just with $50 a month. My goal is to have enough saved for her to pay for undergraduate at a state school – if she wants to go private or grad school, that’s what loans are for. Um, yeah, not so much. But I just have to keep working at my current place of employment for 13 1/2 more years, and Viv has a free ride to college! That's do-able, right?

All in all, a respectable achievement, especially given life's ups and downs. And of course, my biggest achievement of the year--learning to can jam--wasn't even on the list. So now I'm thinking about 2010, and what I'd like to do in the 361 days left.

Resolutions for 2010

1. Can savory things, like pickles and chutneys. My first dip into savory canning was a cranberry-apple jam with balsamic vinegar that I did for Thanksgiving. It turned out so well that I'm ready for more, and hope to make the most of spring and summer veggies!

2. Engage Phase 2 of the Great Craft Closet ReOrg!

3. Knit more socks. I completed two whole pairs of socks in 2009 (one crocheted, one knitted) and I'm excited to keep going. I have several skeins of sock yarn in my stash and hope to make a considerable hole in it.

4. Support independent pattern designers. I don't currently have a lot of disposable cash on hand (and don't see that changing anytime soon), but if I do, I am going to use it to support independent designers. Some of those I hope to continue or begin to support include Hotpatterns, Stitch Diva, Colette Patterns and EvaDress.

5. Volunteer. I'm planning to attend a volunteer training at Heritage Square Museum in February, and am excited about the possibilities.

I have some longer range plans, more in line with my 40x40 list (which I plan to add to soon). But I think these goals are a good start for now.

Happy new year!

Vivian, the dork

2009-11-18T12:26:00.001-08:00

Vivian, the dork
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Picture taken at Ruby's in Cabazon. The kids menu had a 3-D section, complete with glasses. However, the glasses did not have earpieces-you just had to hold them up to your eyes. Vivian did not like this at all, and insisted that I make the glasses stay up.

This was my solution. I pulled the rubber band out of my hair, and pulled her bangs into a small ponytail. I then attached the clip for my work ID badge onto the rubber band and the glasses.

It worked, and she was happy, but she looks like a giant dork. But a happy one, and that's what counts when you're a parent who is just trying to have a nice, quiet meal in a restaurant.

Not a One-Craft Girl

2009-09-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder exactly why I never seem to finish as many projects as some of my friends. My list on Ravelry of completed projects hasn't been added to in months, and my cheerfully optimistic idea to start on Christmas presents early is still not acted on.

Why can't I get more done?

Gee, it couldn't be due to the sheer number of crafts I try to undertake at one time, could it? Let's see: knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing clothes, cooking and now canning. Oh, and learning a musical instrument.

I'm working on a knitted gift that I will hopefully be able to post about next month (and which actually may be done before the birthday of the person I'm making it for! Shocking, I know). I'm working on a doll quilt for an internet swap (due to be sent out tomorrow-ha!), as well as two virtual quilting bees (it's my month in one of them, so I actually only have one block due this month). And Halloween is quickly approaching, and I just bought fabric and a pattern for Viv's costume. Add that to the fact that I want to make some fall clothes for me & Vivian, and I feel like I am a mess!

I have finally completed something that I can show off, though: Vivian's big girl bed quilt. I started on this several months ago, before she moved out of her crib and into the toddler bed. I finally finished over the weekend, and can make a big check mark next to this item on my to-do list!

Viv loves her new quilt! I love making things for her because she's so appreciative. "My mommy made it for me!" I know this state my not last forever, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

I've also been making good strides with canning. I made plum jam with cinnamon -- 6 lbs. resulted in 6 pints of yummy jam. So tasty and easy. I really love doing this, taking advantage of the fact that here in California, we are overwhelmed with an abundance of quality produce.

I just have to come to terms with the fact that I am not a one-craft girl. What's that saying? "Jack of all trades, master of none?" Oh well. I do love mixing up my crafts. I never get bored! So I will continue to work on 18 different projects at one time, but I guess, ultimately, I'm ok with that. It is an awful lot of fun!

Yes I Can!

2009-09-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

Reading the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is rather intimidating. They (rightly so) hammer home the importance of sterility and proper techniques, so you know, you avoid botulism and other nasty contaminations. But I'll be honest, the book frankly scared me out of canning for more than a year. It just made it seem like canning was something I just wasn't cut out to do.

But two weekends a go, I went to a canning demonstration at Surfas, put on by the people behind the Saving the Season blog. And despite almost going postal on a woman who got on my case because Vivian was crying, it was very helpful, if only because it showed me that canning is not, in fact, rocket science.

Fast forward to this last weekend. We went up to Kingsburg to visit the family, and while there, we took a side trip to the Fresno State Farmers Market. While there, I picked up 8 lbs of fresh peaches to can. Monday night, I finally decided it was time. I followed the rustic peach jam recipe on StS, and added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of ginger. And after much tribulation and swearing (the darn skins would not slip off the peaches!), here is what I ended up with:

No, not the cans of PBR. Six pints of jam! I didn't add pectin, and frankly some websites scared me about cooking the jam past the jell point, so it's rather loose. More like chunks of peaches in a thick syrup. But I think it tastes divine!

Hearing the jar lids pop to signal that they are properly sealed was like music to my ears!

Now I just have to think about what I want to put up next. Hmm, plums are in season...

Feeding the Ducks

2009-08-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

IMG_1180
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Vivian's method for feeding the ducks and geese at Echo Park Lake = one for them, one for me, one for them, two for me, one for them, three for me...

Yum. That's it. Yum.

2009-08-10T16:57:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Viv & I went to lunch at Spring Street Smokehouse. OMG, I don't have words. My mouth is watering as I write this. I had the pulled pork and Viv really enjoyed the red beans & rice (and my french fries).

If you are in the L.A. area, go.

Go now.

I'll wait.

40x40

2009-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I am 33 years, 9 months and 12 days old. Not exactly a milestone age, but I feel like I am at a key time in my life. I am happy and settled in my personal relationships, comfortable in my roles as wife and mother. I am intellectually challenged at my job, and yet remarkably at ease. And even my financial situation is looking up, at least from where we had been the last eight months, as Richard has a new job.

And so, I feel like it's a good time to start thinking about what I want for the next stage of my life. It's time to start thinking about what I want to be when I grow up, or at least when I grow older.

Today, I am starting a new project: 40x40. An ongoing list of the 40 top things I want to have done by the time I turn 40. Some of the things on the list will be big, some will be little. But it's time I started taking control of the course of my life.

Drumroll, please...

Top 40 Things I'd Like to Do by the Time I'm 40

Have the 9-course tasting meal at the French Laundry. It’s $240 per person and takes a year or so to get a reservation, but I think well worth the money and the wait.
Dye my hair bright pink. I had promised myself I would do it when on maternity leave with Vivian, but somehow I never got around to it.
Learn to play a musical instrument.

I've already started making progress on #3. Richard has a plethora of musical instruments lying around the house, some of which he plays regularly, but many he doesn't. The acoustic guitar and bass are used often, but he also has an electric guitar, keyboard, mandolin and steel guitar. Rich has tried to teach me guitar and bass before, but I could never get comfortable with the instruments. They felt big and bulky and I couldn't wrap my hands easily around the necks.

This time, I've decided to learn to play the mandolin. I've only been working on this for a few days, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The scale of the instrument feels more natural. Right now, I'm just trying to get comfortable with plucking and strumming, working on scales and one song. Richard found the mandolin tabs for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," which is a very simple song. It also helps that it's a song I know and actually like (I'm more eager to practice it than say, Three Blind Mice).

By the way, it's amazing how many free resources there are online to learn how to play a musical instrument! YouTube has lots of tutorials on how to play the mandolin. Rich is getting me started with the basics, and then I can go to the internet for more specific steps. If I really decide to stick with it, I'll then see about getting actual lessons.

I've only listed my first three, but will update with more of the 40 goals in the future. I'm going to try to document my progress on these 40 goals here on the blog. It's time to take charge of what is happening in my life!

Is there anything you've wanted to do, but haven't? Isn't it time to start?

It's alive!

2009-07-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm alive. I haven't been blogging much because when I went on vacation, I just got out of the habit. And everyday, I'd think about blogging, but wouldn't know where or when to begin, so then I would just put it off entirely.

But I'm back, so, moving on...

I haven't been writing, but I have been crafting. While up in Tahoe, i think I caught a bug. The sock bug.

For years, i just didn't understand the sock knitting thing. People are obsessed with knitting socks. The patterns seem to dominate some knitting magazines, and I didn't get it. I live in sunny Southern California, where I only need to wear socks maybe 2 months out of the year. And I had an aversion to small needles. I liked fast and funky projects that were very wearable. Who wears wool socks in Los Angeles?

But then a friend made me a beautiful pair of knit socks in a gorgeous pumpkin orange and brown yarn. And then another friend gave me a pair that she had knit but didn't fit her. And those wool socks were... comfortable. And warm when I wanted them to be warm, and yet airy and breathable when I was hot.

So I understood the desire to have hand knitted socks, but I wasn't sure I wanted to put the time into making them. It seemed tedious. I tried crocheting socks, to see if that would make the project go faster, but I got 3/4 of the way done with the first sock and then got distracted. It wasn't until I was packing for Tahoe and grabbed the neglected project bag "just in case" I finished the sweater I was working on.

Here's a newsflash: a big project bag with a half-finished wool sweater is not what you want to be taking to the beach. Or pulling out to work on in the car. Or shoving into your purse before heading over to a friend's house.

The sweater is still half-finished. But the socks? I managed to finish those on the drive home.

I've already started on my first pair of knitted socks. They are fun and very portable -- the project bag, including the magazine with the pattern, fits into my purse no problem. While I wouldn't say I'm obsessed yet, I think I definitely understand the attraction to sock knitting.

Birthday Roundup

2009-07-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that Vivian thoroughly enjoyed her birthday activities. On Sunday, we took her to Griffith Park to ride the train. When the train pulled into the station, she got so excited, I thought she would burst!

After the train ride, we took her over to the ponies. I wasn't sure she was big enough, but there were plenty of kids smaller, so we couldn't refuse her. She was in heaven.

There was a larger pony track where the ponies walk around untethered, and Viv was so excited that, once again, we couldn't say no.

She looks so big, I almost cried. Well, then she DID cry when the ride was over. A lot. Cried.

At least until we bought her a pinwheel. Simple tastes.

On Monday, her actual birthday, we gave her two of her presents (her big present is saved until her party this Sunday). The first was a toddler-sized broom, which she promptly used to sweep up the living room (not really, but wouldn't that be awesome?). The second, was Dino.

I made Dino for Viv and am happy to say that she loves him. She takes him to bed every night and is intrigued by his nose and belly button. I'm so happy that she actually likes something I made for her -- it's kind of a rare feeling!

We're leaving for Lake Tahoe tomorrow morning and will be up there for nine days. I can't wait to smell the pine trees and relax on a beach.

Happy Fourth of July!

Birthday Girl

2009-06-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

The most incredible girl in the world is turning 2 today! I can't believe it's been two years since she made her entrance into the world (6 weeks early). It has been such an amazing time and I feel so incredibly blessed to be her mom.

Happy Birthday Vivian!

Vivian at her daycare celebration for her birthday. If you couldn't guess by watching, she likes frosting!

An Open Letter to a Helicopter

2009-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

To the Helicopter that Buzzed My Apartment 5 Times at 1:30 a.m. This Morning,

I don't normally address letters to modes of transportation, but today I feel compelled. I'm sure you have a busy job, what with the taking off, circling in the air and landing. However, was it absolutely necessary to fly low and long over my apartment multiple times at 1:30 a.m.?

I had been asleep for about two hours, and I really needed it. But the loud hovering not only woke me up, but it also woke up and scared my daughter. My lovely husband then got up and brought her into our bed in an effort to calm her down. However, by this time, she was wide awake and proceeded to roll around for 1 1/2 hours. By the time she finally fell asleep around 3 a.m., I was wide awake. I think I was finally able to get back to sleep around 3:30.

I really hope you were following a violent criminal and making sure he/she didn't get away to terrorize more people. If you were just following Lindsay Lohan on her latest coke-fueled jaunt around Los Angeles, I would be really mad.

Thank you for your attention. You can now return to monitoring gridlock over the 405.

Sincerely,
Sara

Vintage Photo Friday -- The Knitting Lesson

2009-06-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

From the George Eastman House Collection
McCall's Magazine, 1940

I wonder whether Vivian will inherit any of my crafty inclinations. Many of my friends who had moms who sewed/knitted/etc. had no desire to learn themselves. They didn't have to—if they wanted something made for them, their mom did it. I hope she is crafty, as I would love for us to have a common interest as she gets older. I also find think there are so many benefits: a creative outlet, a calming influence, a social activity.

She does try to play with my yarn when I'm knitting or crocheting. And she likes to watch me sew, and sometimes picks out a fabric she likes from my stash and running around the apartment with it (her current fav is a cat print that I bought to make her an outfit, but haven't got around to it yet).

Maybe there is hope for her yet.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Live Piecefully - June

2009-06-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am too ambitious. Sometimes I have grand ideas that will never translate to reality. Sometimes, I just bite off more than I can chew.

But sometimes, sometimes it actually works.

When I joined the Live Piecefully virtual quilting bee a few months ago, my goal was to push my sewing and quilting skills and creativity further. Instead of having to sew and piece and entire quilt of squares at once (and in the same fabric, over and over), the bee gives me the freedom to experiment with new techniques and designs (and fabrics), a little bit at a time.

June is the first month of the bee, and Kat, the bee's organizer, was the first "queen bee" who sent out her chosen fabric to us "worker bees." She chose Tina Given's Treetop Fancy line in a raspberry colorway. It is beautiful fabric, but I was worried that, given the large scale of the print, it would be difficult to piece in an aesthetically pleasing way. I was also worried by the fact that there were no solids to contrast with the beautiful prints.

Kat's choice for her quilt fabric

When I received the fabric, I started playing around with the design. I had volunteered to make two blocks, so had a bit more fabric to play with. I sketched out eight different designs before I picked two that I wanted to focus on.

When I quilt, I really don't work from patterns. I just seem to work best in an improvisational way. But given that this wasn't MY fabric, and there was a finite amount, I really had to be careful! So for my first design -- a modified sunburst-esque look -- I actually sketched my designs out in muslin and cut out the pieces and numbered them so that all the different strips would actually fit together and in the right order.

When it came to finally cutting out my fabric, I was convinced that I had done it wrong and was just making a huge mess. I've never quilted curves, and of course, I had a cut-out circle making up one of the corners. Gah!

But like I stated at the top, sometimes it all just works out.

I'm really happy with how everything turned out. They aren't perfect (the solid pink border on the sunburst square was added because after trimming wonky edges, the quilt square was 3/4" too small), but I think they really show off the beauty of the fabric. The squares are each 12.5" and will eventually be pieced together by Kat with squares made by the other members of the bee. I can't wait to see the finished project!

I now just need to send these blocks off to Kat and wait until the July "queen bee," Shorty, sends off our next fabric. I think I'm hooked.

To see more of the Live Piecefully quilt blocks made so far, visit our Flickr page.

Vintage Photo Friday -- MCCALL MAGAZINE COVER, GIRL IN RAIN

2009-05-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

From the George Eastman House Collection.

We are dealing with some serious June gloom this week. I know that when it's 94 degrees in September, I will miss this misty morning stuff, but right now, I just want some summer!

Sorry for the break in posting, but I just can't get motivated to blog lately. I've been pretty crafty, though, and will hopefully post some progress over the weekend.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Vintage Photo Friday -- Prom Night

2009-05-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Oh, prom night. So many expectations that are so often dashed on the jagged rocks of reality.

But not mine. I got exactly what I came for.

A fun night with friends, a chance to dress up, and a slumber party. Can you get much better than that?

I went with my friend Peter (also known as "Tweety," a nickname that he hates to this day). Yes, he's wearing shorts. It was the early 90's. And to be fair, he told me in advance that he would wear shorts, and all I asked was that he bring the pants to wear in our "couple" photos (don't know what happened to those...)

My friends in high school were known as the White Mafia -- a name given to us by our chemistry teacher. My dad ordered a limo for us, and we headed out for an Italian dinner before heading to the big dance. After the prom, we headed over to Emily's (seated on the left) house where we had a slumber party and watched Fantasia.

I loved my dress. It was a black velvet Morticia-style gown that fit like a glove. I was hot, if I do say so myself. End of high school beginning of college was probably my best time, appearance-wise. Good thing I met Richard then!

Speaking of Richard, despite the fact that we met in college, we actually got to go to his high school prom together. He had gone to college a year early, so our freshman year of college was also technically his senior year of high school. We started dating in December 1993, our freshman year, so when prom night came around in May 1994, he decided to go back to his high school prom.

I felt so grown up, being a college girl going back to a high school prom. But we were so young!

I found my dress on sale at Ann Taylor and thought I was so sophisticated. The evening was a lot of fun, and at least this one did have the fairy tale ending, as 8 years later, we were married!

More Prom Night photos can be found at Woolanthropy. Thanks to Natalie for organizing this particular trip down memory lane!

Riding the wave

2009-05-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have been on quite the sewing kick lately. My crafty tendencies seem to come in waves -- I'll do nothing but knit for weeks, and then, all of a sudden I have the uncontrollable urge to do something... else. I've got two sweaters under way that I have almost no desire to work on. In the last three weeks, the only knitting I've done is at my weekly SnB.

But sewing is another matter. In the last few weeks, I have been churning out projects right and left. I made the pink hat featured in my Hat Trick post, and last night made a blue version for Viv, complete with a red band and white/red flower (pics to come later).

Here's a top that I made Vivian a couple of days ago, using leftover fabrics from the quilt I'm making for when she graduates to a toddler bed.

A side note about how awesome my daughter is. She seems to understand what it means when I say I'm making something for her. Lately, she comes into my sewing room/closet when I am working and giggles, saying "loud!" She even dragged me to my sewing machine, saying "more loud? I like loud." It makes me feel warm & fuzzy inside when she really seems to enjoy the things I make her (like this top, which she refused to take off, even though I only put it on her to make sure it fit). OK, done with cheesy parent pride.

I'm also doing more quilting, and trying to put more care and precision into my work. Since I really don't work from patterns and instead just improvise, I'm not always careful with the little things that can make a big difference in the appearance of the quilt. These would be tasks like remeasuring all blocks after assembly to make sure they are all the same size (just because they were the same before final piecing doesn't mean they still are), trimming wonky edges, etc.

Here's my latest quilt/blanket that I improvised for Vivian. I originally bought the shaggy minky backing fabric to line Viv's winter coat, but it never gets cold enough to warrant a lined coat here. The fabric was languishing in a bag in my closet until Viv pulled it out. She loved the soft feeling so much she started dragging it around the house. That's when I knew I had to finally make something with it. The quilt does not have a true quilt "sandwich," there is no batting. It's just a pieced quilt top with the minky back. Because of the nap of the minky, I tied the quilt, rather than sewing. I took extra care to make sure the squares lined up and everything fit just so. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

She likes it! She really likes it!

Vintage Photo Monday - Happy (late) Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:48:00.001-07:00

My mom, Susan, circa 1982

Dear Mom,

Thank you.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for not laughing at me (too much) when I insisted on buying hideous clothes or getting awful hair cuts. Thank you for attending the many dance recitals, speech competitions and school plays with nary a complaint. Most of all, thank you for being my mom, in good times and bad. It's only because of you that I'm able to be the mom that I am to Vivian.

Thank you.

Love,
Sara

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Live Piecefully

2009-05-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

Live Piecefully
Originally uploaded by Ripping Out Seams

I have joined my very first virtual quilting bee, Live Piecefully, organized by Kat from Ripping Out Seams. I'm very excited about this, as I always seem to find out about these things after sign ups have closed. I hope this will help me advance my piecing skills and push my creativity. I'm sure I'll be posting about my progress in the bee here over the next year.

Kat is looking for people to fill out Live Piecefully 2, so if you're interested, visit her blog: http://rippingoutseams.blogspot.com/.

Hat Trick

2009-05-06T10:59:00.001-07:00

Hat2!
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

The trick being that
1) Vivian actually loves something that I made for her, and
2) The something is a hat, which is something she used to refuse to wear ever.

She never wants to take this off. Which is a good thing, given that we live in Southern California, where it is sunny about 300 days a year, and she has very fair skin. Anything I can do to help prevent sunburns is a good thing!

Vintage Photo Friday—Grandpa

2009-05-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA here at the blog for the last couple of weeks, but I wanted to get back on the horse today with a Vintage Photo Friday post.

At Disneyland, circa 1980. That's me sitting on my Grandpa Reeve's shoulder, and my mom with the floppy hat. My overriding memory of him was of his great laugh—a little high and nasally, but joyous. My Grandpa's name was Bliss, which I never thought was odd until I was a teenager and realized it was a word and not exactly a common name. Vivian's middle name is Bliss, in his honor.

I'm not sure where the name Bliss came from. My grandfather's siblings had very normal names like Ruth and Laura. My great-grandfather was a very religious preacher, so maybe there was a heavenly connotation?

In the last few years of his life, he moved in with my dad. Because my grandpa was in the Navy fighting in the Pacific when my dad was born, he didn't see my dad until he was a year old. I always got the feeling that with six younger brothers, my dad never got the attention from his parents that he probably wanted as a kid. But the last couple of years that my dad had with my grandpa seemed to almost make up for that early lack.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Vintage Photo Friday—Water Baby

2009-04-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sara & Dad, circa 1976. Hanging out with Dad in the pool.

With Vivian's curly hair, people always say that she looks like Richard. No one can ever see me in her.

Vivian at the beach, 2008

But I can see me in her.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Viv & Robert

2009-04-16T12:36:00.001-07:00

One of the coolest things about having kids is watching them develop relationships with the people around them.

This photo was taken on Sunday, after Vivian finished looking for Easter eggs in her granny's back yard. She's sitting on the swing with her uncle Robert.

As is completely obvious in this photo, she has him wrapped around her little finger, and thoroughly enjoys it. He doesn't seem to mind, either.

Vintage Photo (Object) Friday—The Mission Book

2009-04-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

The majority of my photos are buried in my garage, so this week, I'm doing another Vintage Object post for Vintage Photo Friday. As today is Good Friday, I thought that it was a good time to highlight my great-great-great-grandmother's Catholic Mission Book (published in 1878).

Let me first say that I am not religious at all, but this book has been passed down to the oldest child (more or less) since it belonged to Hannah Cook, who was born in Ireland in 1849.

There is something almost overwhelming about seeing your name as part of this unbroken line. And it's even more powerful seeing my daughter's name as part of that line.

I don't think the book has actively been used as anything other than a family memento since my grandmother Patricia was a girl. The book has several colorful cards with a religious theme.

I think this card was given to my great-grandmother, Jeanette Hutley (sp?) Fahlbusch. (Dad, does that sound right to you?) While the religious nature of the book doesn't hold much significance for me, the fact that this book was passed down from mother to son, father to daughter, and from my dad to me, and from me to my daughter, makes it a treasure.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Hodgepodge

2009-04-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Too much work to do, and of course, I'm stalling by writing here. Well, not really writing, just posting photos...

I got a haircut! I went to the Aveda Institute in Westwood, and paid only $19 (and a $5 tip that went to charity). And, ok, the cut took almost THREE HOURS, which is patently ridiculous for a simple bob and bangs (even if it did include a wash, dry, style, neck rub and mini-facial), but the student-stylist was super paranoid about cutting it too short. You pay for what you get, either in cash or time, and right now I have more time than I do cash.

The bangs are too long, but it was like pulling teeth to get the stylist (and her instructor) to get them to cut them this short. I guess they think everyone wants bangs that hang in their eyes like an Olsen twin or something. Sorry, I'm not a celebutante—I'm a 33-year-old mom of a toddler who doesn't want to spend all her time sweeping her bangs out of her eyes.

I have been working on my Easter-related crafts. If the weather is nice on Sunday, Viv will wear this little sweater over an adorable navy blue (with white & green daisies) sundress.

And this is what happens when Viv get a hold of the peanut butter jar:

I tried to give Viv crackers with a bit of peanut butter spread on them. She outsmarted me and just licked the peanut butter off, handing the crackers back to me and saying, "More?"

And here is a shot showing many of the things that Viv loves: her pony, her bike helmet, and wearing mommy's shoes.

And here is one of the Easter crafts I've finished: fabric flower brooches for Viv. I have several vintage metal flower brooches that Vivian loves. I wanted to make one for her that was a bit more toddler-safe. But how do you create a safe brooch? Annika came to the rescue with the idea to use diaper pins, which have a locking mechanism, so Vivian can't accidentally poke herself. Hurray! These flowers were made based on this tutorial: sewritzytitzy.blogspot.com/2008/11/from-annas-gardenfabri...

I've finished a couple more Easter crafts for Vivian's basket, but haven't photographed them yet. I'll probably get some photos of them this weekend.

Vintage Photo Friday—Olan Mills

2009-04-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Manfredi kids, 1984. From left, Robert, JoAnn, Linda & Richard.

I guess 25 years makes a photo vintage, right? I love this photo because it is such a time capsule of suburban life in the early eighties. The glasses so big they look like they might sprout wings and fly away. The Olan Mills bayou plantation background, complete with random wagon wheel prop. JoAnn's Little House on the Prairie-style dress. Linda's girl mullet. Richard's velour polo. Bob's yellow & pink stripes.

I can't make too much fun of this photo because they are my in-laws (and husband, but he was adorably cute, even in the eighties). Plus, there are plenty of bad hair cuts and questionable outfit choices in my past, especially from the eighties. But that's something for another Vintage Photo Friday.

So for now, I can laugh. And hope that, in 25 years, I'm not looking at our current family portraits and wondering, "what was I thinking?"

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Little Bunny Fou-Fou: Easter memories

2009-04-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that Viv will be able to appreciate Easter in all its non-religious glory -- baskets, bonnets, chocolate eggs and, of course, that Bunny. When I was a kid, Easter had a very specific ritual:

7:00 a.m. Wake up and pounce on the basket that the Easter Bunny had left at the foot of my bed.

7:15 a.m. Start bouncing off the walls as the sugar from the various chocolate and marshmallow candies kicks in.

8:00 a.m. Fall asleep on a bed of plastic Easter grass as the sugar high crashes down.

8:30 a.m. Have Mom start taking out the pink foam hair rollers.

9:00 a.m. Put on fluffy Easter dress and take picture with sisters on the lawn (along with whatever our "big" toy from the Easter baskets were that year -- I remember Cabbage Patch dolls figuring significantly in those photos)

9:15 a.m. Drive with the family to my grandmother's country club.

10:00 a.m. Jump up and down on the Easter Bunny's lap (who was actually probably a poor teenager who was conned into this sorry job).

10:30 a.m. Try not to get run over by the older boys during the Easter egg hunt on the country club lawn (those kids were vicious, and probably ended up as second-string linemen for the San Jose Saber Cats)

11:00 a.m. Get in line for the brunch buffet. Skip the poached salmon in gloppy hollandaise and head straight for the dessert bar.

2:00 p.m. Finally leave the country club. Race to take off the tights and uncomfortable shoes.

This year, we're heading up to Kingsburg to celebrate Easter with the extended Manfredi clan. One or another of Richard's aunts and uncles always have big family holiday celebrations, but we never seem to attend because they just never seem to match up with our travel schedule. But this time, we're determined to do it.

I've had these grandiose ideas about all the crafty projects I'm going to do for Vivian for Easter, and then, last night, I realized that Easter is NEXT WEEKEND. Crap.

So here are the projects I want to do. We'll see how many of them actually get done by next Sunday.

Bunny Hat & Paw Mittens
Soft Easter Basket
Recycled Cashmere Bunnies (I have a tattered pink pashmina somewhere that would be perfect for this)
Chibi Rabbit
Fabric Easter Eggs
Wintertime Teddy (with long ears to turn it into a bunny)
Amigurumi Birdies

If I actually get two or three of these done in the next week, I will be thoroughly pleased with myself. I'll probably focus on those that I already have the materials for, i.e., the basket, the cahmere bunnies, the chibi rabbit and maybe the bunny hat. I have actually finished an adorable little crocheted sweater for Viv to wear on Easter, but I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

Fun in the sun

2009-03-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

No matter what some people say, sometimes it's good to be in California.
At Mother's Beach, Marina del Rey, March 28, 2009.

Vintage Photo (Object) Friday—The Notebook

2009-03-27T11:22:00.001-07:00

I wasn't able to locate the box of photos I wanted to scan for today, so I'm posting a photo of a vintage object, rather than a vintage photo.

In October, my grandmother passed away. In January, my mom and aunt went up to my grandmother's house to go through all her possessions to decide what to sell at an estate sale, what to hang on to and what to distribute to the grandkids.

I was lucky enough to receive several items, such as my grandmother's collection of hats and gloves, one of my great-grandmother's fancy dresses, and one of my grandmother's framed needlepoint pictures.

As the only knitter in my family (both of my sisters crochet, but neither of them knit), I was given my grandmother's knitting basket. And inside the basket, along with some vintage knitting magazines and an unfinished pair of socks, was this notebook.

It's filled with knitting patterns and notes, all in my grandmother's handwriting.

I don't remember my grandmother knitting when I was a child. When I was young, she was more focused on needlepoint, with some sewing thrown in. But I do have one fisherman's style sweater that she knitted.

This notebook feels so personal to me. I alone, out of all my family can decipher the symbols and shorthand of knitting (well, Jenny could probably understand it, but she doesn't do it). It just feels like this notebook is a special talisman from my grandma meant just for me.

In a practical sense, this little notepad isn't worth anything. But emotionally, it's priceless to me.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Spring Awakening

2009-03-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

To me, nothing says spring food like asparagus (well, and Cadbury Mini Eggs, but that's for another post). When I saw asparagus at the Larchmont Farmer's Market on Sunday, I had to buy a couple of bunches. I didn't know what I was going to do with them until I saw this post over at The Kitchn about asparagus tarts.

Tonight, I decided to attempt the Bon Appetit recipe for Asparagus-Ricotta Tart with Comte Cheese. And oh. my. god. This was amazing.

I subbed in 8 oz. of Neiman Ranch ham steak for the salami, to make the tart more substantial. The tart has asparagus in every bite because you puree the bottom half of the stalks with the cheese and egg. Trader Joe's carries both frozen puff pastry and comte cheese. So yummy!

What says springtime food to you?

Walking after midnight in a new skirt

2009-03-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

If I try really hard, I can actually finish a crafty project or two. It doesn't happen every day, but sometimes I just need to hunker down and finish something.

Drumroll, please...

I give you the Walking After Midnight crocheted skirt!

The pattern is from Doris Chan's book, "Amazing Crochet Lace." I am attempting to make a serious dent in my stash of yarn this year, so I decided to use this rayon chenille yarn by Blue Heron that I picked up at Stitches West last year. It was a really simple pattern, and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

The yarn is beautiful and plush. Just about every knitter & crocheter understands the chenille quandary—the yarn is silky and oh so soft, but it worms!

What is worming? According to Jimmy Beans Wool,

"Worming occurs when a loop of yarn pulls away from the knitted [crocheted] fabric and coils back on itself...Chenille yarns are constructed of short tufts of fibers anchored into a central coiled core yarn, and it's precisely this coiled nature of the core yarn that gives rise to worming. It's like when you hold both ends of a length of string and then twist and twist and twist... eventually, if there is any slack in the string, it will coil up on itself. Chenille starts with some twist built into it, and the more twist you introduce when knitting it, the greater the likelihood that you'll get some worming."

The worming in my skirt is pretty active, but I did my best to steam the heck out of it to get more of the coils to straighten out. The fact that the yarn is variegated helps hide the worming, too. I don't know that I would buy more of this yarn, simply because of the worm factor, but is fantastic to touch.

So another project finally completed. Honestly, I think I only finished this skirt because I told myself I couldn't cast on for Wendy Bernard's Ingenue sweater until I was done. On to the next project!

Vintage Photo Friday—The Juliet Cap

2009-03-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

The year was 1971, and my mother was 19 years old. She was getting married to my dad, 27, whom she had been dating for about 6 months or so. When I was little, this just seemed normal. But then I got to be 19, and I realized that this seemed a bit crazy. I didn't know what I wanted to major in, much less who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

While my mom's dress is not exactly my style, I do love its simplicity. No over-the-top beading or pouffy lace. Just a simple empire waist dress, with a high neck and delicate lace daisies. This was the era of Taming of the Shrew, Camelot, Romeo & Juliet, and Anne of the Thousand Days, don't forget. My mom's veil is attached to a beaded Juliet cap, and falls to her feet.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Vintage Photo Friday - Leaving the Wedding in Go-Go Boots

2009-03-13T00:06:00.000-07:00

This is my mom and dad leaving their wedding in 1971. Yes, my mother is actually wearing hot pants and white plastic go-go boots. According to her, she hated this outfit. Apparently my dad picked it out because he thought it was "hot."

Yeah, they're divorced.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

It's Not a Habit...It's Cool, I Feel Alive

2009-03-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

The new issue of Knitty came out today.

Dear god.

There are some absolutely beautiful patterns that I want to knit right now.

Like Decimal, a light and lacy cardigan that was designed to—gasp!—look beautiful on women of almost any size. The designer even knit a plus-sized sample, modeled by a beautiful lady not afraid to show off her ample assets.

And then there are Topaz (a perfect baby dress for a little girl scheduled to join the family shortly), and Steggie (which Vivian, who loves her DINOS!, would enjoy). Oh, and Pioneer (which I would totally knit if I could overcome my fear of needles smaller than size 8s), and Santeney (which I may knit, but shorten to waist length, instead of tunic length, so as not to emphasize the baby tummy), and Andy (a really nice men's sweater that I can't even talk about knitting since I still haven't finished Richard's Baseball sweater from 2+years ago).

And then there are some beautiful lace and sock patterns that I will never knit (lace because I never have enough uninterrupted time to concentrate on complicated charts, and socks because of that fear of small needles), but I will love to see how other people knit them.

I am really fighting to not cast on for any new projects right now. I'm working on Doris Chan's Walking After Midnight crocheted skirt, which is coming out beautifully, and which I could probably finish in a week if I could concentrate on it. I'm also working on a modified pinwheel pattern quilt for Vivian.

If I finish crocheting the skirt, I'll give myself permission to cast on for something new—the pride in actually finishing a project will be worth more than the transient rush of casting on something new.

a sneak peek of the Walking After Midnight skirt.

And because I haven't posted it here yet, here is the baby quilt I made for Teresa & Morgen's Baby T., due next month.
I love how the top turned out, but I also love the fabric I used for the backing—a vintage Waverly print that I bought years ago on eBay. I've been saving it for the right project, and I think it works here.
There are so many crafty projects that I want to tackle. I feel like a junkie in need of a fix. Do they have a 12-step program for this?

Vintage Photo Friday-Robert & Richard

2009-03-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

This photo is from 1976, when my husband Richard was only a few months old. He's sitting on the lap of his older brother, Robert. Richard was the baby of the family, the fourth kid. He was a bit of a surprise baby, born nine years after his brother. Of course, Robert was a surprise baby, too. He was born 6 years after their sister, JoAnn. Jo and her older sister, Linda, were only a year apart.

So the generations in Richard's family are a bit s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Richard turned 33 last month, and yet we just went to Linda's 50th birthday party last weekend. JoAnn has a granddaughter, Kaitlyn, who is a year and a half older than Vivian. So Kaitlyn is my great-niece, even though she is older than my own daughter. And Richard's mom has a great-grandaughter that is older than her granddaughter.

But isn't this photo adorable? (even if it is a bit grainy—I took a photo of the photo with my cell phone this morning as I was rushing out the door) A side note to further date this photo to the 70s, apparently to calm baby Richard when he was cranky, his mom and sisters had to dance with him and sing "That's the Way (I Like It)" by KC and the Sunshine Band.

More of Vintage Photo Friday at Paper Dolls for Boys.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-02-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is my great-grandmother, Ruth Wright. Wasn't she beautiful? I think this photo was probably taken in the mid-1930s.

In the right hand corner, very faintly, the photo is inscribed "To Jack, With Love, Ruth A. Wright." Jack was known to my mom as Mr. Miller, my great-grandmother's "lodger." My great-grandmother had run away from an unhappy/abusive marriage in the late-1920s, and changed her and my grandmother's names. My mom remembers my great-grandmother and Mr. Miller being obviously in love, but they never married. I wish I knew more of the story. My great-grandmother, known to me as "Big Grandma" when I was a little girl, had a difficult life, but it makes me happy to know that she had love.

More Vintage Photos here and here.

Mosaic

2009-02-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

1. favorite food - Sushi
2. hometown - San Jose, CA
3. favorite color - Orange
4. celebrity crush - Johnny Depp (it's ok, Richard knows that Johnny is totally my celeb free pass)
5. favorite drink - Red wine
6. dream vacation - Barcelona
7. favorite dessert - Brownies
8. what I want to be when I grow up - Traveler (not the gypsy kind, just a person who travels)
9. name - Sara
10. what I love most in the world - Family
11. one word that describes me - Crafty
12. username - Handy C

Want to do this yourself?
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search. (An addition from Annika: please, please go to Advanced Search and choose Creative Commons images only. Otherwise you are stealing.)
b. Pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into this mosaic maker.

Photo credits:
1. sushi roll, 2. "Historic El Camino Real" display, below I-280, San Jose, July 10, 2005, 3. Orange Explosion, 4. Depp at the oscars, 5. red wine... mmm. (day 164), 6. gaudí pedrera barcelona, 7. brownies (higher), 8. 1977 Scout Traveler with Terry Camper in the Mountains, 9. E il Futuro sarà tanto Grande, 10. The Löbmann Family, 11. Crafty beaver, 12. Handy Package Dyes c. 1890

Drive-by photo post

2009-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I actually have a bunch of stuff to write about here, but I'm so behind on posting, I thought I'd throw out some fun photos from Valentine's Day. How can you resist? I know you are powerless in the face of Vivian in her adorable heart dress...

Vivian at her Music Together class. Apparently, Viv thinks that the red sticks are tasty. I'm sure glad that all the playthings get washed after class.

This is what happens when you try to take a photo of a toddler who doesn't understand that she should stop walking towards the camera.

Having fun during the dance party!

After music class, we headed out to the zoo. I love this photo of a mommy gorilla and her baby. That's love.

I think this zebra looks so majestic. Of course, two minutes later, one of the zebras tried to hump another,, and everyone starting running, jumping and bleating around the enclosure. Pretty cool stuff.

The flamingos are still a favorite ("Mingos!")

Sweater girl

2009-02-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, enough with the depressing news. Thank you to everyone who commented and emailed your support—I appreciate it more than you can know. But let's have some cuteness to occupy our attention right now!

As a dual crafter (ie, someone who both knits and crochets—I'm not including sewing and quilting in this post), I like to vary my projects between them. But this Christmas, my crafting seemed heavily slanted towards knitting (probably because both of my sisters also crochet, but I'm the only knitter, so it makes my gifts different). And I just got a hankering for some crochet—something fast, but not mindless.

Crochet just makes sense to me. For whatever reason, I find it to be incredibly visual and structural. For this reason, I'm more comfortable monkeying around with crochet patterns than I am with knit one. Because I wanted something fast, I decided to crochet a sweater for Vivian.

I decided to resize Robyn Chachula's Ashlar sweater for Viv (and add sleeves). Here is the photo of the original design:

And here is Vivian in my version:I wish I had been able to add three buttons, as it would have been more balanced, but the buttons are vintage, so I can't just run to JoAnns. If I were to do it again, I wouldn't do as many increases in the bottom colored row, but I didn't realize that there were too many until the body was already done.

She looks adorable in it, of course. And seeing Viv run around in her new swinging sweater is just the pick me up that I need!

Lump

2009-02-02T12:54:00.001-08:00

I'm going to admit something that I am not very comfortable admitting: I am scared, and anxious and I feel like I just want to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head.

I know I'm not the only one feeling this way, and I know that others probably have far more reason to feel this way, and so I almost feel like I don't have a right to feel this way. I'm employed, even if my husband is not (not at the level he used to be, at least). My family is relatively healthy, and even with a drastically reduced income, we are making ends meet for now. We aren't losing our home, and while we have cut many of the extras of life, we still have enough to indulge in a few luxuries.

But I would be lying if I said that there wasn't an uncomfortable amount of pressure involved in being the only wage-earner in my house. My job feels steady at the moment, but I've only been here 7 months. I'm trying to battle the "what-ifs" because what's the point of worrying about a hypothetical? For now, I'm bringing home a steady paycheck. So why do I feel like I'm walking right on the edge of a cliff?

I've been through much worse times than this, and I know that, overall, I have a great life, but I can't seem to get rid of the lump of anxiety in my chest. I don't even have my own office anymore, so I can't just sit here and cry at my desk to relieve some of the pressure.

I hate being tense most of the time. I hate when one little thing can just set me off. And most of all, I feel guilty about feeling mad about the situation we're in. I can't be mad at Richard for losing his job. It's not like he asked to be laid off, along with 1/3 of his company. He has way more right to be angry and depressed about the situation at hand. So I feel guilty any time I get frustrated.

I should probably try directing my anger and frustration upwards, at the government and corporate interests who got the whole country in this mess. But ultimately, that is unsatisfying, too. There is too much blame to go around and it is spread all over the political spectrum. Even if I could blame the whole financial meltdown of the world economy on Dick Cheney, someone for whom I have absolutely no positive feelings, what good would that do me?

In my head, I know that I have a right to feel pissed off that my financial situation has changed so drastically through no fault of my own. I know that it is perfectly reasonable to feel frustration and anxiety. But that knowledge doesn't really change how I feel, or impact that lump in my chest.

A crafty recap

2009-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Boy, I have been lax about blogging, and I really don't know why. I've just had a reluctance to write my thoughts down. There have been so many moments worth remembering, both big (inauguration!) and small (Vivian spazzing out to "Twist & Shout" during her music class), that I almost don't know where to start. So instead of tackling anything deep or meaningful, I'll just post some pretty pictures.

It's still January, so I think it's still ok to post some photos of my Christmas crafty projects.

On the left is Gigi, the doll I made for Vivian. She's made of muslin, and stuffed with scrap cotton quilt batting. Her hair is a merino wool sock yarn, and her dress is made from some left-over quilt squares from the crazy 9-patch baby quilt I made last year. I love how she turned out, but Viv hasn't completely warmed to her yet (she's more into stuffed animals than dolls right now).

Next, we have my version of the popular Emmeline apron from Sew Liberated. I made this for my mom, and I love the fabric I used, a vintage cotton I bought on ebay (featuring a guitar player in a sombrero on a donkey).

If I were to make this again for me, I'd definitely increase the width of the bust. I wish the pattern had noted that it was not exactly one size fits all, as I have now seen many others having this same issue.

Another project I tackled this christmas was compiling a box of dress-up clothes for my 3-year-old great-niece (Richard's sister's granddaughter—the generations are screwy in his family). I had so much fun brainstorming items for this box.

I ended up making a red tutu, a lace dress and green sparkly robe. I also included a yellow feather boa (who doesn't love a feather boa?), a black Lone Ranger-style mask and tiara. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn wasn't able to come to our family Christmas in Kingsburg last weekend, so I didn't get to see her open the box, but I hope she really enjoys it.

new year, new you (not really)

2009-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

More like, "New Year, same you, but maybe with some new resolutions."

Ok, I'm going to make some resolutions for this New Year, but before I get to those, it's probably time to see how I did on my 2008 resolutions (graded on a 4-star scale).

2008 Craft-Related Resolutions

1. RIIIPPPIIITT! I pledge to actually frog those projects that are unflattering, undesirable or otherwise unwearable.

I did some of this, but probably not as much as I could have. I give myself 2 stars. **

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet.

Did not get to this at all. Ugh. Zero stars.

3. Get back to sewing more of my clothes.

Hmm, made some progress on sewing my clothes, but where I really succeeded was in sewing more of Vivian's clothes (especially in the summer). I made up an adorable swing tank top pattern with shoulder ties that I'll need to upsize for her this summer. I'll give myself 3 stars. ***

4. Finally finish knitting Richard’s sweater.

Um, yeah. Did not touch it. No stars.

2008 General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise.

When I worked at my old job downtown, I actually did really well on this. I was hitting the gym 2-3 times per week during my lunch break, which was up from zero times per week. However, I don't have easy access to a gym at the new job, so I've really fallen off the wagon. I'll give myself 1 star for my efforts in the early part of the year. *

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery.

I did a good job here. We added a shelf above the changing table for her diapers and other paraphernalia, as well as a book/toy case, and storage under her crib for clothes she's outgrown. 4 stars. ****

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week.

I'm glad to say that we got back into the habit of cooking. Eating at home isn't always cheaper (especially since we love high-quality ingredients), but I know that it's better to maintain control over what goes into my family's stomachs! 4 stars. ****

4. Start a college fund for Vivian.

Um, didn't do it, but hey! If I work at my current job for another 14 1/2 years, Viv gets free tuition! Ok, no, that doesn't really count. But if I had started a college fund, it probably would have been eaten up by the stock market collapse... Still no excuse, I know. Zero stars.

And now for the 2009 resolutions

1. Entertain more. I love to entertain, but I have felt that our apartment was too small or too messy to have people over. But no more! I want to invite people over at least once a month, either for dinner, wine & twine, game night, etc. I think that is fully doable.

2. Curb unnecessary spending. Lately, I've been a bit too free with the credit cards. First, it was to rebuild my work wardrobe. After emptying my closet of all my maternity clothes to send to my sister, I decided to fully go through my clothes to get rid of all the stuff that was too small, stained, ill-fitting or just ugly. So I decided to purchase some new items to build it back up. And then the holidays came, and holiday travel. And a few after-Christmas sales (like here and here). But I'm done now. I'll make an interim resolution for no more credit card purchases for the 1st quarter (through March)—with an exception for travel expenses (like reserving our cabin for Tahoe).

3. Be a better friend. I was an infrequent correspondent with many friends in 2008. I had a young baby, and I used that as an excuse. Not that I wasn't busy, but in hindsight, I wish I had reached out to my dear friends more frequently.

4. Take better care of myself physically. When I was pregnant with Vivian, I was incredibly on top of my physical health, because Vivian's health and development depended on me. But since she was born, I've not taken as good care of myself. So this year, I'm going to make (and keep) some very necessary doctor's appointments because I need to be healthy, yes for my family, but also for myself.

5. Be a good wife, not just a good mom. I can count on my fingers the total number of times Rich and I went out, just the two of us. It's been hard, since we don't have family locally, but we need some time just for us, so I need to get more comfortable getting a babysitter. So many people offered to babysit when Viv was little, and we didn't takem them up on it. Well, if you've offered in the past, get ready to get hit up again! I pledge that Rich & I will go out at least once a month, just the two of us. (as an aside, if any LA-based friends can recommend a good babysitter, or want to exchange babysitting dates, let me know!)

6. Craft from my stash. I have so much yarn and fabric in my stash—a whole closet full! I am going to craft from my stash, and in fact, I will buy no new yarn or fabric for the 1st quarter of the year (through March)—exception only for finishing elements or embellishments (quilt batting, zippers, ribbon, etc.).

7. Bake! I love to bake, but I hardly did any in 2008 (with the exception of an awesome Chocolate Pecan Pie for Friends Thanksgiving and a sinful Praline Brookie—cookie-topped brownie—for Vivian's daycare holiday potluck). I am going to try the no-knead bread, the NYT famous cookie recipe and other fab baked goods this year.

I also have some more personal resolutions that I'll keep to myself, but I think that the ones I've listed here are enough to work on. Concrete enough to follow, but flexible enough to deal with life's ups and downs.

How about you? Are you making resolutions this year?

Christmastime is here

2008-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

I finally feel like it's Christmas. I've been trying to get the holiday spirit since Thanksgiving: listening to Christmas music, wrapping gifts, decorating my cube at work, watching Christmas specials on TV, etc. But nothing was working. It felt like any other time of year, only slightly colder (I do live in LA, you know, so it's a brr cold 65 degrees).

But yesterday, Richard braved a trip to the Home Depot tree lot and brought home a super-fresh Noble fir. The smell of the tree automatically transported me into Christmas Town.

We managed to get the tree set up, complete with lights and gold ribbon, while Vivian was taking her afternoon nap. This was great because we didn't have to worry about her getting underfoot while positioning the tree. However, we didn't anticipate Vivian freaking out when she saw the tree in the living room! It is a major change to her living space, so we should have guessed that she would be apprehensive, but oh well.

Rich & I had grand hopes of Vivian actually helping to decorate the tree this year, but we were a bit too optimistic. She loved how pretty the ornaments were, but she didn't understand why we wanted to take them out of her hands to put on the tree. She spent most of our decorating time walking around holding 2-3 different ornaments. She only broke 2—one cheap ball that shattered when she tried to bounce it, and a glass angel whose wing snapped off when she tripped. The angel can be fixed, assuming that I can find the super glue.

After we finished decorating the tree, I looked for our Santa tree topper. I normally pack it separately because it doesn't fit into our ornament storage boxes. Unfortunately, it wasn't in any of my normal hiding/storage spots: Vivian's closet, the space above my wardrobe, the high shelf in my craft closet. It appears to be gone, which makes me sad because it's the topper Richard & I have used since we graduated college.

Well, I may have been sad, but I couldn't have our tree be naked on top. So I flipped through some vintage Christmas craft magazines, hoping to be inspired to make a topper. A 1964 McCall's Christmas Make-It magazine showed a cool and kind of creepy St. Nick on the cover that I really liked. I didn't have the materials to copy it exactly, but it did have the look I wanted.

So I decided to raid my craft supply stash to make a vintage-inspired angel tree topper. I figured an angel has more leeway than a Santa in how it looks, so I was more free to make use of available supplies. (good thing I have a craft supply stash—you just never know when you'll have a crafting emergency like this!)

And here is what we ended up with: a geisha-style, vintage-inspired angel. Made from the inner tube of a paper towel roll, foam, an old pair of nylons, a piece of peach-colored silk, felt, wool roving, wired ribbon, a rubber band, vintage millinery feathers and glue. I am really happy with how she turned out. I think she fits in well with our tree.

No naked tree here!

New project wander lust

2008-12-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

It's starting to get down to the wire, holiday-craft-wise. My first crafts have to be done by next Friday, as we are heading up to the Bay Area to do Christmas with my dad and my girlfriends. And yet I am still finding new project ideas that I have no business starting! So I am going to continue the list I started in my last post of things I can't start until after Christmas.

1. The very cool memory game that I first saw on Apartment Therapy's Ohdeeoh. How cool would it be to have a game made with pictures of things you actually remember! I definitely need to make this for Vivian at some point. She's a bit young to actually appreciate it yet, so maybe it's something I'll file away to do for Christmas next year.

2. This adorable baby poncho that was available on BabySteals (sold out, but still available at 45% off on the Skipping Hippos site). I may decide to make this as a present for one or more toddlers I know. I think I even have the fleece to make at least one; I'd just need the trim (because the trim is really what makes it so cute). I know that ponchos are a no-no for crawlers, but I think they can be a good solution for toddlers that don't like to put their arms in the sleeves of bulky coats.

Why does this happen to me? Why am I suddenly so dissatisfied with all of my Christmas projects? I actually like them all well enough, but I think the pressure of the fact that I need to finish them is overwhelming the fact that I want to finish them.

Grr.

Yes, I have the attention span of a gnat

2008-11-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

I have a serious case of Short Attention Span Theater right now.

As I posted yesterday, I have several projects that I need to finish in less than a month. So why is my brain buzzing with new projects—ones that I patently cannot start until after the holidays?

In an effort to catalog them, and get them out of my system (at least for a month), I'm going to list those ideas here.

1. I've been inspired by this Apartment Therapy post to paint my boring Ikea wardrobe a bright yellow. A couple of months ago, I successfully stripped and painted a Victorian-style side table, so I know I can do it. I think it will help bring even more color and design to my bedroom.

2. My sister Jenny bought me a gift certificate to SuperCrafty! for my birthday and I just used to to buy some Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn in Sapphire Green. It's so beautiful. I am just itching to cast on for a Liesl sweater for me because I think it would be so yummy in this color.

3. I saw this beautiful letter quilt highlighted on the Spoonflower blog, and I want to make one for Vivian.

4. I'd love to make my winter coat before, you know, winter is over.

5. Every knitter I know is making cowls, which seem to be the must-have accessory this winter. I need one. I've got several skeins of sock yarn that will never be made into socks, no matter how many times I say I'm going to make them, so a cowl would be a good use.

Ok, I think that's it, at least those are the projects that I'm obsessing over right now. Gah!

I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.

Roller coaster

2008-11-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have been dragging my feet regarding posting here, and I'm not sure why. Life here at Chez Reeve-Manfredi has been up and down.

Obama won! Yay!
Prop. 8 passed. Boo!
The holidays are coming! Yay!
Richard got laid off! Boo!
Friends Thanksgiving happened up in Seattle! Yay!
Vivian was a bear on the flights (a cute bear, but a bear, nonetheless), and I had a mini-nervous breakdown the first night in Seattle! Boo!
Richard and I had our 6th wedding anniversary! Yay!
And we both completely forgot about it until the next day! Boo!

So, um, yeah.

I am trying to stay focused on the positive. I am trying to be a crafty diva. Just about everyone will be receiving at least one crafted (sewn/knitted/crocheted) gift for Christmas, but of course that means I need to get busy.

I did manage to finish a cute skirt to wear for our Christmas photos, which we took on Saturday. I almost had a heart attack while making it, because it was supposed to be a vintage-inspired dress (made from an awesome vintage cotton that I picked up last year at the Pasadena City College flea market). But when I put the bodice together and had Richard pin it closed on me, it was awful. I'm not 100% sure what went wrong, but it was all wonky. Luckily, the dress had a circle skirt attached, so I just ditched the bodice and made a skirt and petticoat, and bought a sweater at Target.

I also made Vivian a winter (ok, LA-winter) coat out of an adorable vintage pattern. It was a size 2, and knowing that vintage patterns tend to run small, I figured that would be ok for her. Um, no. When I put it on her, she looked like the coroner from The Wizard of Oz. So, it will be coat for next year! Finally a project I'm early for!

I still have to finish two quilts, 1 sweater, 1 bag, 1 hat, 1 doll, 1 apron, placemats, table runners, 2 eye masks and probably more stuff that I can't remember right now. And I officially have 1 month to do it all. It may be a photo finish, but I'm feeling positive. I think I can do this.

Fateful last words, don't you think?

This is Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween, all you ghosties, ghouls and goblins!

I bring you a photo post...

Boo at the Zoo!

A visit to the pumpkin patch:

I finally got around to carving one of those pumpkins last night:

Stitch n Witch 2008:

Thing 1 and the Fish

A Viking family ready to pillage the Farmer's Market

Spider Granny!

Gnome-mar Garciaparra

Look! It's Bai Ling!

This little cowgirl is ready for some treats now.

Happy Halloween!

Ruth Wright Johnston

2008-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

My grandmother was never an easy person to love. She had an extremely critical eye, especially for members of her family. She was never comfortable giving compliments to her family. She would talk about how great my aunt was, but only to my mom, never directly to my aunt. She seemed to go out of her way to be difficult, as if she was testing the limits or boundaries of your love. She would say horrible, offensive things on purpose, it seemed, as if she wanted to prove to herself that we didn't really love her.

In the last five years or so, she seemed to mellow. She started to appreciate the people around her, and even learned how to apologize. She wasn't perfect, and she could always be counted on to tell you how fat you looked, but I always assumed that said more about her own issues with weight than it did about my body. My grandmother was:

a child of divorce (my great-grandmother ran away from her husband in 1929, and even changed her and my grandma's last name so he couldn't find them)
a swim suit model (she had a front cover of Harper's Bazaar and a back cover of Vogue in the 1940s)
a mother of three
a divorced woman in the 1950s
a working woman
a mother whose child died (my uncle committed suicide in 1975)
a widow (her second husband, my Grandpa Paul, died when I was in high school)
a proud, strong, ornery woman

Goodbye, Grandma.

Ruth Wright Johnston
4/29/25 - 10/15/08

Me, Grandma and my mom, with Vivian

Don't Vote. Seriously.

2008-10-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Who gives a s***? Who cares? If you do, register to vote. NOW.

Taking Stock

2008-09-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

taken from Dad Gone Mad:

1. There’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing, but you haven’t done it because you think you lack the time, money, or support to do so. What is that something? And what are the REAL roadblocks keeping you from it?

Hmm. I have a lot of dreams, so it's hard to narrow down which one to write. I guess the most salient one is my dream to own a house. The real roadblocks to that one are: the current economy/tightening of loan standards, lack of a down payment, and the expense of the LA housing market (even with the downturn). We're hoping to make some progress on this front in the next year or so, but for right now, it's on hold.

2. Name something you would eat more of if health, cost, allergy, and caloric intake were of no concern.

Steak. Rare steak. Ooh, and blue cheese. And red wine.

3. What is the one singer/band, book/author, painting/painter or author artist/work of art that “speaks to you” most? Why?

"Persuasion," by Jane Austen. I think it speaks to me because it touches on not only the importance of knowing your own mind, but also the value of listening to others, and not making rash decisions. It explores themes of responsibility and maturity, which I appreciate more as I get older.

4. If your country’s government handed you a check for $10 billion and empowered you use that money to support a single program, cause, or organization, where would you send it?

Comprehensive sex education for middle school children. Giving young women (and men) the opportunity to make educated choices about their sexual and reproductive lives allows them to get higher education, get better jobs, be happier and more productive, which strengthens the economy and provides growth and stability for the country.

5. What really, genuinely pisses you off?

Closed-minded people who believe that their way is the only way. The only way to God, the only way to happiness, the only way to fulfillment, the only way to prosperity.

6. Describe your current level of happiness and contentment in your life. Are you living the life you imagined for yourself when you were younger?

On a scale of 1-10, I'm probably about an 8 1/2. I finally have a good job that I enjoy where I feel valued and challenged. I have a loving family and am financially secure enough to enjoy some of life's pleasures. I don't have a house yet, but it will come eventually. No, I'm not living the exact life I thought I would (in junior high, I thought I would go into politics!), but it's a life that I think my younger self would appreciate.

Feel free to answer all or just few of these questions in the comments. Or, if you prefer, contemplate your answers privately.

Hope on a rope

2008-09-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is the most random thing I've come across all morning. I just had to share.

And here is the second most random thing.

Scattered, smothered, covered and hitched
Couple marries at Waffle House

I love me a good Waffle House story.

A fortune for everyone

2008-09-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

After the greasy Chinese food I had at lunch, I needed the palate-cleansing nothingness of the included fortune cookie. Here is what it said:

You are good-natured, practical and firm in your point of view.

Ok, it's not a fortune, but it's nice. I even thought it was pretty on-the-money. I'm an easy-going person, yet I believe I have my feet firmly rooted in reality. So, hey, my fortune cookie got it right?

And then I realized, who the heck doesn't that fortune apply to, at least in their own minds? I mean, who says, "well actually, I'm ill-tempered, impractical and wishy-washy?"

So instead of a real fortune, I got a sham platitude. I feel cheated.

Now I think I need a real cookie.

Mash Game: Predict Your Future at eSPIN-the-Bottle

2008-09-17T10:47:00.001-07:00



		I will marry Johnny Depp.
		After a wild honeymoon, We will settle down in Rome in our fabulous Apartment.
		We will have 2 kid(s) together.
		Our family will zoom around in a silver Suburu Outback.
		I will spend my days as a lactation consultant, and live happily ever after.

Vocab by Viv

2008-09-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

MAO = cat
DOGGIE! = dog
BAA = sheep
GACK = duck
MOO = cow
OUTSIDE = I would like to go outside now
DEWEY = my cat Doyle
DEH! = my cat Deano
BABY = my Teddy Bear
DADA = I'm so happy. Please do _________ with me.
MAMA = I'm so tired, in pain, hungry. Please hold me.
DA-TAH! = Ta-da! Look at me!

I have seen the future

2008-09-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

and OMG, I hope it's here to stay.

Last night, my dear friend Julia came over for dinner. We splurged, and had filet mignon wrapped in bacon and wild mushroom risotto. Sooo good. It would have been better if I could have timed things better so that everything was ready at the same time (the risotto was so laborious, I couldn't start the filets until I had finished it, so it was a bit cool by the time we sat down to eat). And for dessert, I made a lemon-ginger pound cake (it was supposed to be a lemon-poppyseed cake, but I didn't know that poppyseed filling is a seasonal item -- most commonly used for hamantaschen). The ginger worked out well, and everything was lovely. We also broke out our bottle of Fresno State wine from our trip over Labor Day up to Kingsburg to visit the family (yes, Fresno State makes their own wine). My review of the Primativo: a lot of sediment, but still a tasty red.

Vivian had only had one nap yesterday (she refused to take her afternoon nap), so I was a bit worried about how she would handle a guest and relatively late night. I shouldn't have worried. Vivian was her normally charming self -- she was bubbly and happy for most of the night.

Julia left about 9:30, which is about an hour later than Viv normally goes to sleep. She went to sleep easily, and was down for the count until about 12:30, when she woke up with either a nightmare or teething pains (she has a new tooth coming in on the bottom). I was able to nurse her back to sleep, and then I went to sleep.

And then, the miracle.

First, let me say that Vivian normally wakes up at about 4 a.m., wanting to come into bed with us. And that's fine to me -- my basic rule is that if it's after 2 a.m., she can come in.

But this morning, nothing. Richard woke up about 7 a.m. and went in to Vivian's room to see what was going on. And Vivian was awake, but just sitting up in her crib and playing and reading to herself.

Wow. This is so cool. If this is a sign of things to come, it's awesome.

as god is my witness, I'll never go sleepless again (until tomorrow)

2008-08-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Being sick, teething, entering the "terrible twos" (at 14 months, a bit early I think) - sometimes it's hard being Vivian. She's been fighting a cold for the last week, and there really is nothing sadder than a baby who just wants to nurse, but can't get more than a suck or two because she can't breathe through her nose. She gets so frustrated (because really, wouldn't you?) and then the tantrums start.

And oh, the tantrums.

Vivian has quite a set of lungs on her. She does not have a high-pitched scream. Oh no. When she gets worked up, she lets loose a throaty, loud and wild wail. Oh my god.

Sunday, Viv developed a fever. Not too high, say 101 degrees, but no one feels good when they have a fever. Fortunately, after she's had a dose of Tylenol, she cools down into her laid-back, happy-go-lucky self. I actually felt kind of bad that I couldn't take her somewhere like the park where she could have fun, because I didn't want to expose other kids to whatever Viv had.

Monday, Viv woke up still warm with a low-grade fever (100 degrees). We probably could have given her Tylenol and sent her to daycare, but if her fever came back after the medicine wore off, we would have had to pick her up and keep her out of daycare today. So instead, I stayed home for the morning while Richard went to work, and then he came home after lunch so I could head in to the office. Vivian seemed to be feeling fine, but the flip side of this feeling good was that she would not nap. She took one 40-minute catnap around 10:45 a.m. and then nothing for the rest of the day. This napless situation did not bode well for me. When I got home a little after 6 p.m., Rich took off for kickball. I hoped that Vivian would fall asleep while nursing, but no suck luck. She just popped up, with eyes that were just a little too bright and had a look that said "OK, now let's go PLAY!"

Everything seemed to be actually fine until it was time for bed. Between 8:30 and 9:15 p.m., I made 3 attempts to put her to bed. I was really hoping for no confrontation, but after the 2nd time she slipped out of my arms to run around like a mad woman, I had to put her in her crib crying for Daddy ("Daddadaddadaddadadda!") and wailing loudly enough I had to close the windows so as not to get the cops called on me.

She woke up again at 12:30 a.m. and would not go back to sleep by herself. I had to go back in and nurse her to sleep (and then stand next to the crib until she finally went back down). At 2 a.m., she woke up screaming again, and Richard brought her into our bed. At 3 a.m., she woke up again, and could not be soothed. No fever, but my only guess was teething pain (she's been clutching her mouth a lot). We gave her some Tylenol, but by that time, Vivian was awake, and did not want to go back to sleep. We tried for over an hour to calm her down before I gave up and put her back in her crib as she again cried for Daddy. Richard had never heard her do that before, and it just tore him up inside. She fell asleep (or I fell asleep to her cries - I honestly don't know) and stayed asleep until 8 a.m.

It should then come as no surprise that I look like hell this morning. I don't want to preemptively drug my child with Tylenol just so I can get some shut-eye, but oh god, I need to do something. I know this is just a phase, because we've gone through them before, and come out the other side where she sleeps for 6-8 hours in her crib peacefully, and settles down easily. I can't wait until we get there again.

Until then, excuse me while I catch a nap in my car.

she's a great pumpkin!

2008-08-17T00:13:00.001-07:00

P1010705
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Vivian has taken to pulling her blankie over her head and walking all over the house, and then bumping into furniture as she shuffles along like a Charlie Brown in his ghost costume. She thinks this is great fun. In this photo, she picked up a button down shirt of mine and pulled it over her head and ran around before collapsing on the ground.

'cause knowledge is power!

2008-08-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

What determines if a child will enjoy reading? Is it exposure to books, genetics, an early attachment to LeVar Burton?

I don't know what it is, but it seems that Richard and I have created a reader. Vivian loves books. Most of the time, she would rather read her books than play with her toys.

One day a week or two ago, Richard went to pick Vivian up from daycare, and when he walked into the playroom, he didn't see her. The rest of the kids were playing with toys, but Vivian was no where to be seen. Until he turned around, and looked in the ground-level book cubbies. Vivian had crawled in, and with her back to the class, had settled down to read a book. When Richard looked at the teacher with a slightly puzzled look on his face, she laughed and said, "Oh Vivian does that all the time!"

Every morning, she brings us a book that we read at least three times before we leave for daycare. In the evening, she bounces back and forth between us, bringing us books, and then crawling in our laps to be read to (absolutely my favorite thing she does -- it just melts my heart). In the average day, we probably read 7-8 books, and each one is read at least 2-3 times.

We did start reading to Vivian early, beginning before she could sit up, when all she wanted to do was eat the books instead of read them. And I think it's important for her to learn by example, by seeing us read our own books for pleasure. Much of the reading I've done in the last year has been done while breastfeeding.

But when she started to show a real interest in books, I was sort of at a loss to find appropriate books for her. Not that there is a shortage of children's books out there, but I wanted to find books that were stimulating and engaging that Viv would love and that I wouldn't hate by the time they were read for the 47th time. Many of the fantastic books I remembered from childhood ("Where the Wild Things Are," Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," "George & Martha," among others) were a bit too long and too involved to hold Vivian's attention. Once we already had the Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle board books, I wasn't sure where to look for other book ideas.

And then I found an awesome guide to books for Vivian's age group, "Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos." I picked it up on a whim at the LA Public Library store 50% off sale. For any parents out there, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. There are lists of recommended books (from actual kids of varying ages). There are also lists for kids with different interests and temperments (i.e., for the child that loves animals, cars, etc.) Here's a blurb from the book that describes what's inside:

Research shows that the number of different words a baby hears each day is the single most important predictor of later intelligence, school success and social competence. But what exactly should you read when?
- What do you buy after you've bought Goodnight Moon?
- Why should you read to a baby who can't even sit?
- How are you going to read to a baby who just found his feet--and won't stop trying them out?
- How often should you read to your baby to make sure she's ready for preschool?

Through this book, we've discovered Vivian's new favorite author/illustrator, Helen Oxenbury (how weird is it that I can say that a 13-month-old has a favorite author, and not choke on my own pretension?). We started with "Clap Hands," a simple, 8-page board book that has warm and colorful illustrations of roly-poly babies. She became obsessed. No other books existed for her. Guessing that that was a good sign, we added* "Tickle, Tickle," "All Fall Down," and "Say Goodnight." She loves them all, and often pulls them out of her bookshelf and plops down to "read" all by herself.

Vivian is just now starting to make the transition to longer books, but I think these Oxenbury books will be with us for a long time. A new book that we've added to rotation is "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" While Vivian may not understand the concept of dinsosaurs yet, she does love the beautiful drawings and lyrical rhythmic text. And I just discovered that it's part of a whole "How Do Dinosaurs..." series. We may have found the additions to Vivian's library.

So, do you have recommendations for children's books? Either ones your kids/nieces/nephews/grandkids love or ones you remember from your childhood?

*In this tight economy, I'm really trying to reduce our trips to the bookstore while still making books avilable. While I do hope to instill a healthy love of the public library once she's a bit older, it's not very practical at this stage. Vivian loves the repetition of familiar books, so having to return the books after a couple of weeks wouldn't be too popular. So instead, I'm using my credits on Paperback Swap (having unloaded several books I didn't need) to pick up these children's books. Free books! (or mostly free, I have to pay for postage for the books I send to others, but it's still a great deal)

Weekend Craftavaganza!

2008-07-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I had a very productive weekend. It's not often that I get to write that. Most Mondays, I look back fondly on a weekend where the most active thing I did was order pizza. But not this weekend. Oh no. This weekend, I crafted.

Actually, it was a family weekend of crafting. Richard's kickball team, the Awesome Helicopter Ninjas, is beginning its fall season tonight, and and Richard wanted to do something special. He decided that the Ninjas needed and official mascot, along the lines of the San Diego Chicken or the Phillie Phanatic. So, I give you the Naughty Ninja TM.

It's a paper-mache Ninja head! Richard used a beach ball to build the paper-mache and and I think he did a great job. We glued some black fabric inside the mouth (actually for Richard's eyes so he can see out), and we have foam inside to make sure it fits. I can't wait to see action shots of the Naughty Ninja at tonight's game.

Another craft project on the weekend's to-do list was the create a doormat for our apartment. We haven't had one in more than a year. When we moved in, I wanted a really cool mat, like one of these. But I just couldn't bring myself to spend $40 on a doormat. So we made due with a crappy plastic one until it blew away in a storm last year. I didn't know what I wanted to do until I saw this post on Curbly.com which showed how one member created a river rock doormat, inspired by one at Crate & Barrel (and also now available here). So easy!

Richard bought a black rubber doormat from OSH, and I bought a bag of river rock and some rubber cement from Home Depot. Here is a shot of the work in progress:

The rocks I used are smaller than the ones in the Curbly mat, and it took me a bit longer than expected. But I finally finished on Saturday. And here it is in its place of honor:

I had to move the mat out a bit from the door, as it is too tall to pass under the door if it is too close. But it still looks cool, and cost about a grand total of $12!

My other big project of the weekend was stripping the varnish off of a neo-Victorian occasional table that my dad gave us a while back. The varnish was chipped and had several drink rings, so I'm going to paint it a bright glossy turquoise and place it in our bedroom. I had never stripped furniture before, and while it was messy, it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I used Citri-stripper, which I had seen recommended on Apartment Therapy. I don't have a photo, but believe me that the table is now stripped. I have to put some primer on it (maybe I'll do that tonight after Vivian goes to sleep), and then I'll start painting next weekend.

I've been working on a long-term knitting project that I'm pretty close to finishing, but I'm a little sick o fit right now, so I needed a quick-fix project that would just be something different. Looking through Ravelry, I found just what I needed: a crocheted slouchy beret. It worked up in just a couple of hours (I finished while watching last night's 2nd season premiere of "Mad Men"), and I'm really happy with it.

There is one good reason to look forward to the end of summer: the opportunity to wear all your fun knitted/crocheted items!

And one final craft projected started over the weekend -- a quilt for Baby Marta, daughter of Allison & Iggy, and little sister to Maggie. She was born earlier this month, and I'm beating myself up for not starting this earlier. Oh well. I am loving the very girly fabric I chose, and I can't wait to complete this.

So, all in all, a very productive weekend. Now, if only I could be as productive every weekend!

Shades of grey

2008-07-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Parenting is hard.

There. I've said it. This news isn't really news to anyone who has taken even a tangential role in raising a child, but it does seem that many people don't want to admit it. Like somehow, if we talk/write about the things that suck about parenthood, it means we are ungrateful, spoiled and pampered princesses who don't appreciate our good fortune. Believe me, I know exactly how lucky I am. And even when I'm complaining about anything in my life as a mother, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Ok, that's out of the way.

The mommy-blogosphere seems particularly touchy lately when it comes to discussing parenting choices and the normal venting that goes along with raising a child. It seems to me that many people forget how to have a polite disagreement behind the "veil of anonymity" of the internet. Can't we all just get along?

I am a firm believer in the tenet that there is no one right way to raise a child. I've read books and blogs, attended classes and support groups, and have decided that my parenting style, which comes pretty naturally to me, may not work for everyone. That's fine. I try not to criticize other parents' decisions just because they are not the ones I would make. But if I have questions or disagreements, I would hope that, as adults, we could have a worthwhile discussion about our differences. Unfortunately, the internet doesn't seem to be a venue for moderate and intelligent discussion about parenting.

Maybe it's because parenting is such a personal job. How we raise our kids reflects so much about us and our values. Is that why so many of us get defensive when we disagree? Feeding on-demand vs. schedules, breast-feeding vs. bottles, daycare vs. SAHM, I think as parents, we have so much of our self-worth tied into every decision that when someone questions those decisions, we often interpret that question as a personal attack.

There are a lot of decisions that Richard & I have made about how we parent Vivian that probably wouldn't work for other parents. At just over a year-old, Vivian is still breast feeding at home. It works for us. And I think we'll keep doing it while it works for us. When she is at daycare, she is taking bottles of formula. And that works, too (I was pumping at work, but it got to be too tedious, and when I got the new job, I decided it was time to stop).

Vivian goes to sleep in her crib (although most nights, she actually falls asleep while nursing, and then I transfer her into her crib), and when she wakes up, Richard brings her into our bed, where she'll nurse and then go back to sleep. I know this situation wouldn't work for many parents. But we like it. And Vivian is sleeping longer and longer in her crib all the time (she actually slept in the crib until 6:00 a.m. the other day!), so we know that eventually she will go all night on her own.

Mostly my parenting philosophy has been "whatever works" (obviously within reason -- for health and safety considerations). I try to keep an open mind about parenting so that I can learn about other styles and maybe even adopt new techniques. I don't know that I could be a good stay-at-home-mom, but then maybe I could. I don't really have the financial option right now, but down the road, who knows? The same thing goes for home schooling, private schooling, etc. I'm keeping my options open.

Before I became a parent, I think I had much firmer stances on parenting, and many things were black or white, good or bad, right or wrong. But now that I'm in the trenches, so to speak, I can see that there is a whole lot of grey out there, and a whole range of acceptable and workable decisions. To steal a phrase from the Peace Corps., parenting is the toughest job you'll ever love.

Summer Fun at Mother's Beach

2008-06-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I decided to take advantage of our recent heat wave and the fact that I didn't have to work (I had a fabulous 3 weekdays between end of old job and beginning of new one) by taking Vivian to the beach.

I am ashamed to say that, despite living in California all of my life, I very rarely go to the beach. Many years, the only beach trip was when we went to Lake Tahoe. But not this year. I have resolved that I will not spend the summer bitching that it's too hot, and gawd I wish we had a pool. If the water cannot come to me, then I will go to the water!

Having very little experience with LA's beaches, my first stop was the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card. The news is always full of the latest unhealthy report, so I wanted to make sure everything was safe before I put Vivian in the water. And I knew that didn't want to drive very far, because if Vivian wasn't happy, I didn't want to be stuck in traffic for hours trying to get home.

After much web surfing, I decided to try out Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey. The only cost was $6 parking, but you park so close -- no long schleps with baby and gear -- that it was worth it. The beach is protected by the marina, so there are absolutely no waves to worry about. Vivian loved it. I sat her down on the wet sand and she just started crawling out into the water as fast as she could.

We got to the beach at about 11:30 a.m., and stayed until 2:30, which ended up being just about perfect -- she napped in the car both ways, so she was in a good mood for most of the time. The beach also has picnic tables, and even barbeques, so next time, I'll plan to bring a bit more food. Vivian and I made friends with some other parents and kids, and just had a great time hanging out together. It was a great day.

what's the what?

2008-06-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

The what is that, after 8 years at my current employer, I have a new job! Now, because no one wants to get dooced, I'm reluctant to talk too much about work, but suffice it to say that I am very excited! The new job will allow me to focus on writing and publications, which I love. The new employer also offers awesome benefits, including on-site daycare (we're not taking Vivian out of her current situation, but when she graduates out of it in about a year, we hope to take advantage of the on-site situation).

Eight years in one place is a really long time. I know that there was a time when people stayed with the same company for their whole careers, and retired with a gold watch and a fat pension, but those days are very much over. I honestly don't know how I ended up staying so long.

After about 4 years, we started to think about moving up to the Bay Area, so I looked for work up there. I got close on a couple of jobs, but nothing ever materialized. After about a year of looking, we decided to stay in L.A., but then start a family. And who wants to start a new job when you're planning to take maternity leave shortly thereafter? And then we lost Eliza, and grieved. And then I got pregnant again with Vivian, and then needed time to sort out this motherhood thing.

And it's eight years. I feel like this is going to be a good move for me, personally and professionally. The whole interviewing process has been so stressful that I felt like I lost my craft mojo (similar to when I was pregnant -- I didn't realize it then, but it was probably a result of the stress), and couldn't knit, crochet or sew. As soon as I got the offer, my mojo came flowing back!

In just a few days, I had completed this Twinkle cardigan. Yay for my mojo returning! I missed it so.

A Day at the Zoo

2008-06-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I have some big news that I can't quite reveal yet (no, Vivian will not have a sibling any time soon).

Today, it was a gorgeous day here in L.A., about 77 degrees and sunny, so we decided to go to the LA Zoo. The zoo has really changed in the last 10 years, and is a really fun place to go. They seem to be constantly upgrading the exhibits. The latest one to open I believe is the new Ape habitat, which is large and lush. There is a lot of construction going on for new Golden Monkey and Elephant habitats. I gave Rich his Father's Day present early - a family membership to the zoo, so that we can now go whenever we want!

Vivian's not sure what all the fuss is about.

Despite what you see in her expression here, the flamingos were one of Vivian's favorite stops. The birds would just be milling around, and then one would decide that he had to be on the other side, RIGHT NOW! So he'd run and all the others would start running. It was amusing watching Vivian following the flamingos with her eyes, back and forth.

Sitting on Mommy's shoulders gives Viv a better view.

The giraffes were another favorite -- large, close and moving. Some of the animals were a bit too far away or too hidden for Vivian to really see, and if an animal was sleeping or not moving, she didn't always notice it. But you can't miss the giraffes.

Sleepy koala.

Sleepy Vivian. After a long day at the zoo, everyone needs a nap. But Vivian is the only one with a stroller.

Notes from the center of the universe

2008-05-12T21:39:00.001-07:00

Here at Chez Manfredi-Reeve, we are going through some serious separation anxiety. If I have to leave the room that Vivian is in, she almost always starts to cry. She huffs and puffs, then whines, and if I'm still not back, those big ole tears start to run down her face.

Hearing her cry like that, and knowing she is crying because she wants to be with me, and she's afraid I won't come back, is just heart-wrenching. I have the power to make it all better. But I'm not. Because I'm a big meanie (or because I have to go to work, or the kitchen, or the bathroom). But I need the two hours of "me" time I get after she goes to sleep. Work is stressful, and I just need some time to unwind, whether that's surfing the internet, watching TV, sewing or knitting, or just painting my nails. I need my time, so that I can be a better parent for Vivian when she's awake.

It's hard being the center of her universe. Yesterday (my first official Mother's Day), Vivian had a fever all day, and all she wanted was for me to hold her. She didn't want to be in her swing, she didn't want to play with her toys, she didn't even want Daddy to hold her. Nope, she just wanted to cuddle in my arms and fall asleep on my shoulder. And I let her, because she was sick and I wanted to make her feel better, even just a little bit.

This morning, when I took her to daycare, it was more of the same. Now this is very unusual, because daycare is just about her favorite place in the world. She has been known to push away from Richard and me to get to her teacher, Hilda. But today, when I tried to leave, her face just crumpled up. She crawled over to Hilda, crying, then back to me. I gave her a hug, and then, in a cheery voice, said "I love you baby. Bye-bye. I'll see you after work." I saw her crying as I left. I got teary in the car, and I haven't done that in a long time.

And now, she is crying herself to sleep in her crib. We went through her regular routine: changing into her pajamas, playing quietly with a few toys in her room, reading a story (tonight was "Mr. Brown Can Moo" by Dr. Seuss), and then nursing in the rocking chair. She was fine and calm until I put the side of the crib down to put her in. Then the wailing started.

Now she's quieted down so that she's sort of lustily muttering to herself. And I have a couple of hours all to myself. I think I'll catch up on some TV, while drinking the glass of wine that I have decided is a necessary part of "me time," at least while I'm the center of the universe.

my crafty eyes are bigger than my... stomach?

2008-05-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

I have a very good excuse for not posting in a bajillion days: time seems to slip through my hands. I've worked at two fundraising walks over the last two weekends, written media materials for a press conference this Wednesday, prepped a co-worker for a live radio interview. I've got another event in 2 weeks, and then I'm taking a break.

Despite the fact that my crafting time has shrunk of late, I keep adding to my list of projects to be completed. I keep buying yarn, including full bags of Berroco Love It, Queensland Collection Invito, and South West Trading Co. Bamboo. Great sales that I couldn't pass up, but when the heck am I going to use them? I still haven't made a dint in the yarn I bought at Stitches West. I have started on a vest using the Love It (Classic Elite's Vine Lace Vest), but my eyes are glazing over at the 4x4 ribbing.

There has been another crop of babies in the last few weeks. Please welcome Baby Spencer (born to parents Ryan & Sara), Campbell (daughter of Stephen and Lea, and little sister of James) and Jacob (baby #5 for Ben & Katie!). So the quilting continues! Here is my version of a Stacked Coin Quilt (mostly taken from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, but a bit improvised towards the end):

yes, that is my very messy desk. I told you I was busy.
And yes, that is a mini-fridge under my desk.
I use it so I don't have to keep pumped breast milk in the public fridge in the kitchen.
It just seems more private this way.

Richard picked out the fabrics, as he does for most of my quilting projects (he has a great eye for color). I'm starting on the next one already, an applique quilt - my favorite. Not as complex as the Pumpkin Quilt (still languishing unfinished), but it will hopefully be finished before the baby's 1st birthday.

I just have so many projects that I want to make: a couple of dresses of my own design for Vivian, a few simple tops for me, an Emmeline apron, any one of the several Stitch Diva patterns I have in my collection. And that's not counting those projects started but not finished: my Victoria Bolero, my Crochet Mesh Jacket, my Juliet Sweater (which really just needs to be blocked and have the buttons sewn on).

Grr. Why aren't there enough hours in the day? Why are my crafty eyes bigger than my crafty stomach?

This girl is going places

2008-04-25T12:33:00.001-07:00

Vivian is up past her bedtime
Originally uploaded by Handy Crafts

Please pay no attention to the dust under my entertainment center. But I need to, because, all of a sudden, Vivian is VERY mobile. So dust under the entertainment center sometimes becomes dust in her mouth. She took a pretty long time to learn to crawl (she preferred rolling), but this week, it's been like a light switch was flipped in her head, and now she is crawling everywhere FAST.

Yesterday, she started standing up by pushing on Richard and I when we sit next to her on the floor. Standing. Standing!

Richard and I are now in panic mode over baby-proofing. I want to concentrate on going over the living room and her bedroom and starting first on the things that could result in death. Then we'll move on to those things that could just hurt. It's all about priorities.

Flickr

2008-04-25T12:11:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Hug Me!

2008-04-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

I hate talking toys.

Especially when it's 11:45 p.m., Vivian's asleep, Richard's out of town, I'm washing dishes in a quiet house and, all of a sudden, I hear sneaky laughter, and then a cheerful voice calling from the living room, "Hug Me!"

Talking toys creep me out.

When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go...

2008-04-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Downtown!

Last month my office moved from its long-time digs (40+ years) in the mid-Wilshire area into a shiny office tower in downtown Los Angeles. By moving to downtown, I lost my office (now in a corner cube, but at least I have a window!) and I lost the ability to visit Vivian at lunch (my old office was literally two blocks away from Vivian's daycare). Those things definitely sucked, but the move to downtown definitely has its upsides.

#1 Every convenience is available within a 2-block radius.
My gym is across the street (thus enabling me to work out on my lunch break). Also across the street is a shoe repair, dry cleaners, convenience store, and one of a billion Starbucks.

#2 A plethora of dining options are right here.
There are at least 15 different places to go for lunch within about 100 yards of my building. As opposed to our old building which had two options if you didn't want to get into your car and drive.

#3 The Fashion District is a quick DASH ride away (only 25 cents each way!)
I can visit Michael Levine's on my lunch break. This is frightening.

#4 The Central Library is right here.
I went to the library today on my lunch and picked up 4 knitting & crochet books: Scarf Style, KnitKnit, Loop-d-Loop Crochet and The Opinionated Knitter (I've been dying to try the Baby Surprise Sweater). Woo Hoo! I'm so proud of myself for taking advantage of this fabulous resource.

#5 A million more activities are all here and accessible.
Grand Central Market, lunchtime concerts at Pershing Square, the Flower District, the Jewelry District, the bead stores just north of the Fashion District (Bead District?), and probably a bunch more I haven't discovered.

"So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown - don't wait a minute for
Downtown - everything's waiting for you!"

Crazy for quilts

2008-04-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, cheesy title, but I'm drawing a bit of a blank today. Remember that baby train I mentioned that was coming in to the station this month? Well, I'm keeping myself busy by quilting like a mad woman for these families. And last night, I finished my second patchwork quilt!

This one is for Baby Zanzibar, due this month to our friends Ryan & Sara. The pattern is from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, a book I highly recommend. The colors in the photo are a bit muted, making the quilt look like a biohazard sign, which I don't think it does in real life (the yellow is actually more green than orange).

Another view:
Thinking about it, if you've never changed a newborn's diaper before, you might think it WAS a biohazard...

I'm also working on a quilt Stephen & Lee's baby girl, also due this month. Richard picked out the fabrics, and I'm doing the Stacked Coins quilt, also from LMP&QG. I love how the different techniques of patchwork can make a quilt that looks so complicated, but is actually pretty simple.

More photos as the quilts progress!

Now we're cooking

2008-03-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Rich & I did something we haven't done since Vivian was born (and get your minds out of the gutter). We had people over for dinner. I cooked. And set the table, complete with a table cloth, cloth napkins, water AND wine glasses.

It's important for us to have people over regularly, because I've found that the threat of company is the only incentive we have to really clean. We keep things neat enough regularly, but I have to admit that unless people are coming to eat, I sometimes forget to clean the dust bunnies off of the ceiling fans.

So on Saturday, Michael and Kelly came over for a fabulous (if I do say so myself) dinner of chicken chasseur (chicken, tomatoes, onions and lots of mushrooms) served over egg noodles. I used my slow cooker to make the recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, and I will make the resolution that I will always use my slow cooker for dinner parties (unless it's a backyard BBQ - but then, those will have to wait until we have a backyard). I started the prep at about 2:30 p.m., put everything in the slow cooker at about 3:30, and then had 3 1/2 hours to clean, hang out with Vivian, and make the dessert (triple-chocolate pudding cake from the Pillsbury Best of the BakeOff Desserts book -- so incredibly rich and gooey!).

Now, the only thing bad about having people over for dinner is that we have no dishwasher, other than Richard. So poor Rich spent a couple of hours after Michael & Kelly left washing out pots and pans, plates and bowls. But it was an awesome evening, complete with food, friends and fun.

And this weekend, we had another new development:

I wonder why this baby is chewing everything in sight?

Because she has TWO new teeth! Two bottom teeth are coming in together -- my little baby is growing up so fast!

Yes, I actually can complete a project

2008-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have been crafty lately, not that you'd know it by reading this blog. I have 2 crochet projects underway (a Craftkitten Bolero and a jacket designed by Amy O'Neill Houck) and a knit shrug that has been languishing.

But here's something that hasn't been languishing: my first patchwork quilt!

It's a Crazy 9-Patch baby quilt for Baby Ava, new daughter of Dr. Dave. I was inspired by Sew Mama Sew!'s Quilt Month back in February, and learned how to do the Crazy 9-Patch by following the fabulous tutorial posted here. A note on my quilting skills - yes, I am a beginner. My lines aren't exactly straight, my squares not all the same size. Oh well. I love it. I think I'm hooked.

Drive By Posting

2008-03-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

My office moved locations this week -- a move from a large space where literally everyone except the interns had their own office to one where 2/3 of the staff are now in cubes. Including me. So the posting during work hours will most likely decrease. Grr. I'm not exactly happy about this.

So I don't have much time to write this, but I did want to note that it is officially baby season!
Welcome to Baby Ava (daughter of my fabulous therapist, Dr. Dave), born February 25.
Welcome to Baby Alexandra (daughter of geckogrrl), also born February 25.
Welcome to Babies Little Boy and Little Girl (children of Uccelina), born March 3.

And that's just the start of things! I know of three more babies due next month. Congratulations to all the new parents -- parenthood is the most amazing time of your life.

Understandably, crafting is seriously underway. I don't have photos to share yet, but I was inspired by Sew, Mama, Sew!'s Quilting Month, and started work on a Crazy 9-Patch quilt. I'm excited. It's pretty. And I think I may have been bitten by the quilting bug. Just what I needed, another craft.

And here's something for my fellow crafters: Ever pictured the perfect fabric for a project, only to be unable to find something that was half as good as what was in your head? I just read about a new company that will be printing custom fabric for personal use. They don't seem to be up and running yet, but if you fill out a short survey, you can get on their mailing list to be included in their beta testing. I'm definitely curious, and will post about it when I'm able to test it out.

notes from my dirty kitchen

2008-02-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

When your kitchen smells like petroleum jelly just after you take a batch of cookies out of the oven, something is desperately wrong.

Tonight is the West Hollywood Stitch n Bitch Yarn & Cookie Swap. I remembered this fact at about 10 p.m. last night. Rather than running to the store at that late hour for cookie making supplies, I decided to flip through my cook books to find a recipe I could make with items from the pantry. And I found what looked like a great recipe: Soft Molasses Cookies. I thought they would be a nice antidote to an overdose of sugar and chocolate. I'm sure they would have been, but alas, that petroleum jelly smell...

I shouldn't have used the questionable shortening. In my defense, I had no idea that shortening could go bad. But I knew that the texture looked more like hair pomade than shortening. And it definitely smelled... off. I should have trusted my instincts and used butter instead, or god forbid, run to the store. But I didn't. And I ruined what otherwise would have been 2 dozen very yummy cookies.

Before tossing the cookies in the garbage, I actually asked Richard to taste one of them, in the desperate hopes that maybe my taste buds were just too sensitive. He took one bite, then slowly spit it out into his hand. "This is terrible."

I may try this recipe again tonight before I head to SnB. But this time, I'll buy fresh shortening.

A V-Day photo post

2008-02-14T23:34:00.001-08:00

My Valentine's Day present for Richard:
I embroidered this onesie using a Sublime Stitching pattern given to me at my baby shower by Allison, of supercrafty.com. I think he liked it. He gave me a new watch, which is beautiful and I love. Yay!

Here is Vivian at the Professional Bull Riders event in Anaheim on Sunday. Yes, we went to see young men try to stay on the back of bull that are trying to throw them off. It was really cool.
You can see Viv embracing her inner redneck by chowing down on the latest issue of the PBR Insider. Well, given the start we gave her, I don't see how we could expect anything less.

This is Vivian in her new sweater, the 5-Hour Baby Sweater (not actually made in 5 hours -- more like, Made Over A Weekend While Caring For A 7-Month Old-Sweater):

Oh, and Vivian received her very first Valentine today -- an awesomely cute handmade card from Sam, Annika's beautiful son. I about melted into a puddle when I opened it! Thank you Sammy (Annika!) for making Vivian's (my) day!

the bumps and bruises of parenthood

2008-02-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a tricky business. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books-websites-experts that tell anxious parents that YOU MUST DO THIS OR YOUR CHILD WILL SUFFER/HAVE UNDERAGE SEX/DEVELOP ALLERGIES/USE DRUGS/NEVER DEVELOP SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS/ALWAYS NEED A NIGHT LIGHT. After 9 months of pregnancy where you are obsessed with avoiding caffeine, mercury, sushi, alcohol, etc., (and who knows how long obsessing over trying to get pregnant), trying to figure out what to do with your bundle of joy once he/she gets here can be even more nerve-wracking.

Trying to negotiate the swiftly moving waters of daycare/nanny/SAHM, breastfeeding/formula, crib/co-sleeper/family bed, or cloth/disposable/"elimination communication" can open you up to instant criticism from everyone from your mother to the grocery clerk to random people on the internet. It may take a village to raise a child, but does that give every village resident the right to critique a mother's (or father's) every decision? Most parents are just trying to do the best they can for their children.

Some of the decisions that Rich & I have made for Vivian maybe aren't for everyone. But they work for us, and for her. For example, we are breastfeeding. Viv was exclusively breastfed through 6 months, when we started to add solids. I plan to keep breastfeeding until she's at least a year old, but I'm trying to stay flexible (and not pressure myself too much), so if it doesn't work for either of us at any time, we can stop. On the solid food subject, I'm making Vivian's food, rather than buying pre-packaged. For me, it's cheaper, I like to cook (although it's hardly cooking -- boil or steam and throw in the blender!), and I know exactly what's going in to the food. But again, I'm trying to stay flexible, so when we travel, she eats organic pre-packaged stuff. And if it gets to be too much, I'm trying to give myself permission to stop. But for now, it's working. On vaccinations (a very touchy subject for many parents), we decided to vaccinate. It was our feeling that Vivian was at more risk from those preventable diseases than any potential side-effects.

But you know what? Other parents, in their efforts to do the best for their kids, come up with different decisions. I also use disposable diapers and Vivian is in daycare full-time. I have friends who choose to keep their kids in cloth diapers and friends who are able to stay at home. I have tremendous respect for them for making decisions and sometimes sacrifices to do their best for for kids. Those options just didn't fit with our lives. And you know what? It's ok.

Sometimes I feel that so many people are quick to assume that parents make decisions out of ignorance, stupidity or a lack of interest. Believe me, if the parents I know are any indication, almost every decision is taken with care and thought. It may not be the decision you'd make, but that doesn't automatically make it the wrong one.

All of this has been a long lead up to a confession. I made a decision this morning that was the wrong one. In my struggle to get out of the house only 30 minutes late, I put Vivian in the middle of the bed while I ran into the bathroom to put on some makeup. And then I heard something every parent dreads, "thump! WAAHHH!" Vivian, who is newly mobile, had rolled off the bed.

First of all -- she is fine. She cried for about 2 minutes and then calmed down. I iced her head and then nursed her. By the time I dropped her off at daycare about a half an hour later, she had only a faint red mark on her forehead.

I am a wreck, though. I knew she was mobile. Richard and I had just had a conversation about how we had to be careful and observant. And because I was tired and hurried and not thinking about how much she has developed (this whole rolling thing is very much a new development!), she got hurt. As her parent, it's my responsibility to keep her safe. And no matter how much I have going on at a time, Vivian is always my priority.

I know that kids will get bumps and bruises. It's part of being a kid. I got my fair share when I was little. But I'm a mom, and I will beat myself up every time something bad happens to Viv.

Parents make decisions every day, some good, some bad. I guess that's the point of this whole long-winded essay. Life is a series of decisions, and hopefully we learn from each and every one. Parents are responsible for making decisions for their children, and most parents work really hard to make the best decisions they can. Some decisions don't work out, but hopefully we learn.

But hopefully you won't have to learn the hard way not to leave your mobile 7-month-old on the bed in another room. Just take it from me.

No fatties

2008-02-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

If Mississippi legislators had their way, it could soon be illegal to serve obese people in restaurants (courtesy of Junk Food Science). Because what this country needs is more public shaming of fat people.

I'm all for better nutritional education and options. I'm going to go on record that smaller restaurant portions and less trans-fats are good. But if I, as an obese person, want to treat myself to a night out at Roscoe's Chicken n' Waffles, then damn it, the government has no right to step in and tell me that I don't deserve it. That is my decision. It is my responsibility to make smart decisions about my diet -- I certainly don't need the little man at the Hollywood Zankou Chicken telling me that I'm too fat to eat there. Will I be reduced to standing forlornly beside the line at Pink's, asking skinny people to please order a Huell Howser dog for me?

There is obviously a government interest in the public health -- healthy people are less of a financial burden on the country's health care system. But this effort is flat out wrong. The fact that some politician thinks this is a good use of his time and public resources is maddening.

Otters and Jellyfish and Elephant Seals, oh my!

2008-01-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday, and I'm just now getting around to writing about our fabulous weekend. It was so good, i had to have time to gather my thoughts (ok, I'm lying, but you'll indulge me, won't you?).

Friday night, Rich, Vivian & I drove up to Monterey (and listened to a very interesting book: "The Year of Living Biblically" -- I highly recommend). I've been wanting to take Vivian to the aquarium for months, but it took a while for schedules to align. I have very fond memories of going to the Aquarium as a kid, and I couldn't wait to be able to share that with my family.

On Saturday, we, along with my dad, Grant & Mel and their son Mark, headed over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Well, almost. Before we went to the aquarium, we headed out to breakfast (because these babies wake up early! Believe me, this group of people would otherwise never voluntarily be out the door for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday when on vacation). And then we had to head back to the hotel for mid-morning naps (babies, not adults -- although aren't adult naps awesome?). So we finally headed over to the Aquarium at about 12:30 p.m.

This aquarium is awesome. I've been to zoos and aquariums all over the country, and this is still my favorite. You just get so close to the animals and see them in great detail. I was afraid that Vivian would be too young to be able to get anything out of the visit, but she really seemed to enjoy it. Fast moving animals, like the otters, were just a blur to her, but she was fascinated by the bright colors of the jellyfish, which moved slow enough for her to follow.

We stayed until closing time, and then took the kids back for naps. Dinner was (awesome) pizza eaten with friends.

Sunday, we took the opportunity to bum around and tour the area. We drove 17-Mile Drive and were in awe of the scenery. It was just beautiful.

Monday, we checked out of our little hotel, leaving our friends and my dad. We decided to drive down the coast, taking the 1 from Monterey down to Paso Robles and then the 101 into LA. We'd stop every once in a while to take in the beautiful sights.

We happened to pull over in Piedras Blancas, which is the periodic home to hundreds of elephant seals. It turns out that it is currently mating season for the elephant seals (late December to early February). The females come ashore to give birth and then the males line up to mate again. The beach was covered with seals!

The beach was even more covered than this photo shows (we forgot our camera!). It was just incredible. And then, as we looked on, an elephant seal gave birth right in front of us, maybe 30-40 feet away. It was the most beautiful, amazing site I've ever seen in nature (beyond Vivian's birth, of course). Rich & I were so moved, we could hardly speak. We stood there for 20 minutes, just watching the mom clean her baby (and the sea gulls trying to sneak a beak into the placenta). It wasn't until Vivian had had enough of the cold and the wind that we left.

The weekend totally recharged me. Sometimes just connecting with friends and family for a few days can completely change your point of view and remind you of what's really important.

reconstruction

2008-01-16T22:37:00.000-08:00

I love making clothes for Vivian, but it can be hard to have enough time and energy to sew something complex in the time from when she goes to sleep and I fall into bed.

I was going through my fabric stash when I found an old pair of Richard's jeans. I noticed that the width of the leg was the same as the width of Viv's jacket. So with a few cuts, and a couple of seams, I turned one leg of his jeans into a vest! After I sewed it together, I broke out the embroidery floss and stitched her first and middle initials on the front, and her name on the back.

Front:

Back:

I loved how this project turned out, especially given that it took all of about 2 1/2 hours to complete.

And to finish on a completely different topic, I leave you with a photo that depicts how things are going at home, now that we've introduced Vivian to solid foods.

This is what Vivian thinks of carrots!

Resolute

2008-01-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

For 2007, I had 1 resolution: no emergency room visits. And other than passing through on the way to the maternity ward for Vivian's early entrance, I was able to keep that one. I'm pretty proud about that.

For 2008, I’m going to be a bit more ambitious.

Craft-Related Resolutions

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet. I have a lovely walk-in closet that I have designated for my craft supplies and sewing machine, but it has become so cluttered that I can’t find anything and can barely weave my way back to the sewing machine. This will change.

General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise. I’m not going to focus on losing weight, but I just want to have more energy. So whether it’s taking a walk after work every day or hitting the gym, I’m going to exercise.

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery. I’ve seen great tips on the ikea hacks blog, and I want to copy some of them for her room, such as using a CD shelf to store diapers.

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week. I was doing pretty good on this already before, but the holidays made it difficult to be consistent.

I think that’s enough for one year. A bit of a stretch, but still totally achievable.

Year in Review

2007-12-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

2007 has been quite a year. Up and down (more up than down, though, and that's a good thing). This post may be more for me than anyone else, but I want to take this opportunity to take a walk down memory lane, and revisit just how far I've come this year. Think of it as a personal newsletter that I'm too lazy to put in my Christmas card.

I started the year in January by announcing that I was pregnant with Vivian (only named Pumpkin at the time). It was an incredibly emotional time for me -- incredibly happy, yet sad and grieving. At the end of the month, we traveled back up to Tahoe to scatter Eliza's ashes, a cathartic and beautiful experience.

In February, I started making Vivian's Pumpkin quilt (which is still in the unfinished state it was in when she was born, but which I plan to finish after Christmas knitting is finished). And Mark was born! Looking back at those first photos of him, it's hard to remember how small he was to start with! February was also the first time I felt Vivian move -- and it was the most awesome, incredible feeling.

March started Richard's uber-travel schedule, in which he was gone 6 weekends in 7 weeks. I remember that getting really old, really fast, for both of us. We found out Vivian's gender this month, and also gave her her name. Giving Viv her name was very important to us, as it helped us identify with her as an individual person, and begin our relationship.

April was an emotional month for me, as I reached, and finally passed, the 25-week-2-day mark at which I lost Eliza. Once we passed it, I felt this huge weight lifted off of my chest, as I entered into new pregnancy territory. And it was awesome.

May was a fairly light month, emotionally. We attended the Red-neck Wedding party, and it was awesome. We also got to prep more for Vivian, signing up for childbirth, infant care and breast feeding classes (only some of which we actually got to take).

June was certainly an eventful month! We started with my awesome shower, at which we were showered with so many amazing gifts, handmade and otherwise. Towards the end of the month, we had another ultrasound, which showed how big Vivian was getting. We were preparing to welcome her in the middle of July, when she decided she had things to do and people to see. My water broke on Friday morning, June 29, when I was 34 weeks, 2 days pregnant.

July is pretty much an emotional blur. It started with me & Vivian being in the hospital, and then transitioned into Vivian staying in the NICU, which sucked, but we got through. A good thing that also happened, which I never really wrote about, was that our FORMER health insurance company FINALLY agreed to pay my medical bills from when we lost Eliza. I literally had a collection agent calling me on my cell phone while I was doped up on Vicodin in a hospital bed, with Vivian in the NICU, telling me that my bill was now almost a year old. Like I could forget that it had now been a year since Eliza had died. It finally got resolved when my company's insurance broker finally shamed the insurance company to stop stalling and pay the damn bills. We were finally able to bring Vivian home, and while tiring and stressful, it was the most amazing experience of my life.

In August, we took our first trip with Vivian, out to Tucson to see the family. I loved introducing her to my grandmother and stepfather. We also continued the stressful experience of trying to find daycare for Viv - stressful, but with a happy ending, thank goodness.

September was a great month. I finally started to feel comfortable with Vivian's schedule. She finally got the hang of breastfeeding. We took our first plane trip (out to Tucson again) and Viv did awesome, sleeping through most of the two flights and a layover.

October marked the tragic end of my maternity leave and my return to work. Jenny came to visit, and I got my hair cut. I cried on Vivian's first day at daycare, but we both survived. Vivian had her very first visit to the pumpkin patch, and I made a somewhat misguided attempt to take a photo of a baby in a pumpkin. Vivian was not exactly fond of being placed in a wet, slimy gourd. Oh well, live and learn. If she ends up with some horrible phobia of enclosed places, it will be all my fault. Probably only one of many things I'll be guilty of.

In November, we started in on our very first holiday season as a threesome. We shared Friends Thanksgiving and found out that there is a whole new bumper crop of babies expected in the spring! Vivian won't be the youngest baby for very long.

And now we're in December. We've taken Vivian to see Santa, hung the stockings (although not Vivian's yet because I still haven't sewn the lining for hers -- tonight, I promise!). Vivian had her first renal ultrasound since leaving the hospital (her hydronephrosis is improving, although not yet gone completely. We'll do another ultrasound in a few months). We had our first bout of daycare-related sickness (rotavirus), and managed to pass it on to many of our favorite people. The gift that keeps on giving! We leave for Tucson tomorrow in a purple PT Cruiser packed to the gills with clothes, diapers, presents, and unfinished knitting. That was 2007 for us. I can't wait to see what 2008 will bring us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

a good book

2007-12-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

I am a reader. Since I was a wee girlie, I have been found at many a social function with my nose buried in a book. I've never been a snob about what I read -- chick lit, sci fi, fantasy -- I'll read the fluff alongside the more "serious" and "literary" tomes.

But for much of 2006 and 2007, I had felt lost, unable to find a book worthy of my time. I spent plenty on magazines, but I just couldn't read anything more substantial than Entertainment Weekly (one obvious exception being Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- but that's more of a phenomenon than a mere book). I told myself it was depression or being pregnant, which kept me from really enjoying books like I used to.

But that was before I joined Paperback Swap. This is not a commercial, but I have to say that this service, where you can swap your unwanted books and get other books in return FOR FREE, is awesome. I joined back in September and decided that I would use it to try out books that sounded interesting but that weren't MUST HAVES that I needed right away.

In just the last few months, I've read:

Fluffy chick-lit, true crime, children's lit (btw, The Golden Compass is really dense. When the New York Times calls your book "challenging," this is not your average kiddie book). I've decided that reading, no matter what it is that I'm reading, is the goal.

Here's what's on my To Be Read shelf (currently stacked on top of the TV):

Right now I'm reading The Annotated Pride & Prejudice. I love Jane Austen, and Pride & Prejudice is my 2nd favorite book (just behind Persuasion). The annotations are really adding to my enjoyment, I have to say. They give insight into how certain words were used at the time of the writing, show illustrations of common items from the time, and point out certain literary devices as they occur. Very cool for the history nerd like me.

If you're interested in signing up for PaperBack Swap, click here: Full disclosure -- I get book credits for each person who signs up. It's free and a good way to get rid of the old books you're never going to reread. It's also a low-cost way to get a head start on that New Year's resolution to read more books!

Blur

2007-11-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's almost December. This month has gone by in a total blur.

First, I have to apologize to my fab Secret Pal Rebecca, who sent me an awesome package for SP11. I received it before Thanksgiving, but have been so crazy that I haven't posted about it. Let me count the ways that it rocked:

1. An adorable outfit for Vivian. So cute!
2. Beautiful Tilli Thomas beaded yarn. I've wanted to try this yarn for a long time, and now I can.
3. Lush purple/white wool blend -- 3 skeins with a lot of yardage -- enough to make a sweater (at least a tank)
4. Gorgeous Artyarns sock kit -- it may be enough to actually entice me to finish a pair of socks
5. 2 skeins of fun & fluffy yarn that will make great edgings for baby outfits
6. A set of circular needles and point protectors
Thank you Rebecca for putting such a great package together!

I have been knitting Christmas gifts (which I can't show), but not frequently enough to get much progress done. Hopefully at SnB tonight I can knuckle down and get one project finished.

Last night, we took our first family portraits. John Dlugolecki, who has been the photographer for my work for more than 20 years (and who also photographed my wedding 5 years ago) took some wonderful photos. I don't want to show them all off yet, as many will end up as gifts and cards, but here are a few that I couldn't resist:
Life is crazy, and with Richard sick and Vivian's first tooth coming in, no one is sleeping very much (maybe that's why life is a blur), but when we have a baby this cute, how can we be anything but ecstatically happy?

On being thankful

2007-11-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions and support for managing my crazy life. Yes, we have changed diaper brands, and we haven't had any blowouts since.

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I decided to focus on the things for which I am faithful.
#1 Vivian: My daughter is happy & healthy, vibrant and joyous. On Saturday, I was bouncing her on my lap, and she was smiling and giggling so much that it made me cry. It reminded me of the dream I had before she was born, and it was so wonderful. It was an absolutely perfect moment that I will always treasure.

#2 Richard: My husband (of five years! as of Friday) is wonderful and amazing. I know the word "soulmate" is cheesy and trite, but we just fit. We can talk about anything, from next year's Halloween costumes (we're thinking food marketing characters: Chef Boyardi, the Sunmaid Raisin girl and a baby Swiss Miss), to where we were when Kurt Cobain died, to American history and today's politics. I am very lucky to be married to my best friend.

#3 My family: Vivian's birth has brought my family closer together. Seeing their love for her has been awesome (like a 100 million hot dogs).

If you are a diligent reader of this blog (and why wouldn't you be?), you may remember the quilt square I made in memory of Eliza for the Preeclampsia Foundation's memory quilt. I thought you might like to see it in its final form:

The quilt was auctioned off at this year's Saving Grace fundraiser gala. The winning bidder paid $4,500 for the quilt! The winner was the CEO of Beckman-Coulter, a biomedical testing company that is working to develop a diagnostic test for preeclampsia. Apparently, the CEO plans to have the quilt on a rotating display among all the company's labs/offices. I'm very proud to have participated in this project, and I'm thankful that Eliza is helping to raise awareness of this horrible disease.

I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached...

2007-11-14T09:59:00.000-08:00

It would be a polite understatement to say that I've been scattered lately. I have a million things going through my head at any one time, and yet, when I try to think about exactly what I needed from the store... poof! It's gone.

Yesterday, Vivian had a "diaper explosion" on the way to daycare, so we had to change her clothes once we got there, using her "alternate" clothes in her cubby. Ok, so that means I'm supposed to bring new "alternate" clothes. Last night, I pulled out and set aside these alternates, right next to the cute outfit I had planned for today. So, this morning, another explosion in the car seat on the way to daycare. And... I'd forgotten the alternate clothes. Luckily, we had extra onesies in the cubby, but no pants. So Vivian is pantless today. Good parenting.

AND, I noticed this morning that I had forgotten to bring the breast pump up from the car into the office. I pump twice a day at the office, so that Vivian has food for the next day. I went down to my car a few minutes ago, and no pump. Did I leave it in the house? Is it sitting in my driveway? (if it was, it's probably gone by now, knowing my neighborhood) So now I have to drive home on my lunch break and pick it up (hopefully -- assuming it still exists).

The DMV "misplaced" the title transfer for my car, which means I need to request a new title and new paperwork from Ford, to prove the loan has been paid off. I've known about this since Halloween. I have until the end of this month. Have I done anything with the paperwork? No, it's still sitting on my desk.

We went to Mel & Grant's home last weekend for Friends Thanksgiving (which was lovely by the way -- I'll get around to posting about it someday), and I ended up leaving my book (which I had just had returned from accidentally leaving it behind in Tucson in September) and an outfit of Vivian's that was in the dryer (from another diaper explosion -- maybe those Target diapers aren't so good after all).

Oh, and there are only 40 crafting/shopping days left before Christmas. And yet again, I've overloaded myself with knitting for gifts. Why I do this to myself every year, I don't know. Five knitted gifts to be made (I've only started one, but at least it's half-done already), a knitted Santa hat for Christmas morning, and numerous sewing gifts (yes, much easier than knitting, but sewing needs to take place at the sewing machine, in the craft closet, away from Vivian -- as opposed to knitting, which I can do on the couch next to her).

And there's still work. I'll leave that one other than to say that everyone now realizes that I'm back, and my dance card is way, way full.

I need to stop the spinning in my head. I need to breathe. I need to do one thing at a time.

UPDATE: I found the pump. It wasn't in the driveway, it was next to the cat's water. Good place for it, don't you think? And yet another thing I've forgotten: when I went to feed Vivian at lunch, I noticed that there was a strange bottle in her food tray in the refrigerator. When I asked about it, I was told, "well, you didn't leave any nipples, just the milk bottles with caps, so we had to transfer your milk into another bottle." Great.

New look

2007-11-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a new look every once in a while. And now that I'm sporting my new hair, I felt like my blog needed a face lift. So now we have a Marimekko-inspired look. It's orange! It must be good!

Time for me

2007-11-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

As a mom, I have discovered just how easy it is to constantly put yourself dead last. I spend so much of my time thinking/worrying about Vivian, that sometimes I just can't care about anyone, or anything, else, much less myself. Vivian is #1, Richard is #2, the cats are (a somewhat distant -- to their dismay) #3, and if I have the energy, I am #4.

But that needs to change (if not the order, then at least the number of times I actually get to #4). I need to take care of myself to take care of my family. What's that annoying t-shirt say? "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I won't take on the appalling grammar -- I don't have time. But I do think I need to pay attention to myself a bit, so I can be happy and healthy. Because when I'm not, everyone at home feels the pain.

So, I'm starting by making doctor's appointments. After seeing a doctor every 2 weeks while I was pregnant, it feels a bit weird to not have seen someone for months. So I made an appointment for a physical, a flu shot and an eye exam. I also need to get into a dentist, which I have been putting off for far too long.

The upside for me? Once I get my new eye prescriptions, I can get lenses for my new glasses that I picked up at this weekend's L.A. Eyeworks sale! Thank you Ellen, for reminding me about this yearly event. I scored 3 pairs for $85: a dark green rectangular set, a light peach rectangular set and a fab gold-brown cat's eye pair. Pictures to come.

I'm also getting some knitting done, although no finished objects yet. I am making good progress on my Juliet, although I'm starting to think that the Noro Blossom I'm using, and its color stripes, will take away from the lace pattern. Oh well, too late now. It still looks fabulous, and I know I'll get a lot of use for it this winter.

Christmas is coming up, and I've gotten a late start on crafting, as usual. I have 5 knitting projects on the list, which is probably too many to finish, but I'm going to try anyway. Luckily, I'm not fooling myself that anyone is getting sweaters, and once I'm finished with Juliet (probably my last "me" project until after the holiday), I can cast on for the first.

Even though this post is about me, I couldn't leave without some gratuitous baby photos.

Vivian in her Pumpkin costume for Halloween

Vivian & I in the craziness of Hollywood Blvd. on Halloween (on our way to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D!)