Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving
We have enjoyed the four day weekend with nowhere to go and nothing to do besides enjoy each other's company and good food. There was certainly plenty.
Thanksgiving morning, Liam helped Gabriel make some french toast. It was a good start to the day.
I filled the turkey with turkey with chestnut stuffing. It turns out that shelling the chestnuts was a time-consuming ordeal. Even Liam helped Grammie and Gabriel get it done. Gabriel is reading over my shoulder as I type. He says, "How'd you get a picture of me smiling while doing that?"
The feast.
After the meal, Liam and Linda played woodland dress-up with the rosemary sprigs.
Our little sprite.
And of course, there was pie.
It was a good day.
Thanksgiving morning, Liam helped Gabriel make some french toast. It was a good start to the day.
I filled the turkey with turkey with chestnut stuffing. It turns out that shelling the chestnuts was a time-consuming ordeal. Even Liam helped Grammie and Gabriel get it done. Gabriel is reading over my shoulder as I type. He says, "How'd you get a picture of me smiling while doing that?"
The feast.
After the meal, Liam and Linda played woodland dress-up with the rosemary sprigs.
Our little sprite.
And of course, there was pie.
It was a good day.Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving week -part 1
We are having Thanksgiving at our house this year with my mom, Linda, and Linda's boyfriend Ethan. It's not a large crowd, but you'd never know it based on the amount of food I bought over the weekend.
It's a traditional menu:
It's a traditional menu:
- Turkey with Stuffing
- Cranberry Sauce
- Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Green Beans
- Rolls
- Pickles, Olives, Chevre, and Crackers
- Chocolate Fudge
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Pie
And I'm doing what I can in advance to make Thursday's meal as easy as possible.
Today:
- Started the bread for the stuffing. I'll bake it tomorrow.
- Made cranberry sauce, with and without whole berries.
- Made, and sampled, chocolate fudge.
- Put the turkey in the fridge to thaw.
It was a full morning in the kitchen, especially since I made cranberry thumbprint cookies for us to munch over the next few days, and a loaf of ricotta sandwich bread for breakfasts in the meantime.
Definitely my kind of morning.
the lighting of the ozarks
Saturday evening, we went down to the Fayetteville Square for the "Lighting of the Ozarks." The yearly Christmas parade is always opened with turning on the thousands of lights coating the trees around the square. It's beautiful every year.
Liam had no idea what was going on at first. Why were we just standing around in the dark with everyone else in Fayetteville?
But his reaction when those lights turned on was defintely worth that squirmy wait.
He loved the lights.
He loved the parade.
It was a good night.
Liam had no idea what was going on at first. Why were we just standing around in the dark with everyone else in Fayetteville?
But his reaction when those lights turned on was defintely worth that squirmy wait.
He loved the lights.
He loved the parade.
It was a good night.what he does with Daddy
Saturday morning, I was busy helping my mom make a cake for an open house at her work, which meant Gabe was "in charge" of Liam.
Liam loves every little bit of Special Daddy Time that he can get, especially when Gabe has been out of town like he was last week.
Usually they do things outside, or play legos, or wrestle. Each other's company is simply enough. But Gabe wasn't feeling especially motivated for any of the usuals. I suggested he and Liam color with markers.
Liam loves every little bit of Special Daddy Time that he can get, especially when Gabe has been out of town like he was last week.
Usually they do things outside, or play legos, or wrestle. Each other's company is simply enough. But Gabe wasn't feeling especially motivated for any of the usuals. I suggested he and Liam color with markers.
This is not what I had in mind.
Friday, November 20, 2009
little tiger
Liam and I were surprised today by a packge from Tio Andres and Tia Molly. Liam gets just as excited about these kinds of things as I do.
Oooh!
A tiger costume!
Liam loves playing dress up and then looking in the mirror. This costume won his approval right away. It's even good for nap time.
Thank you, Tio Andres and Tia Molly.
He's saying box, box, box...
Oooh!
A tiger costume!
Liam loves playing dress up and then looking in the mirror. This costume won his approval right away. It's even good for nap time.
Thank you, Tio Andres and Tia Molly.
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Dahlia-sized dog bed
Over the summer, I made a kitty-sized dog pillow. I decided on Friday that it was time for Dahlia to get a bed of her own that she actually could lounge on.
I made it with materials I had on hand, stuffing it with that inevitable accumulation of plastic grocery bags despite my diligence to bring my own reusable bags.
It has a zipper to allow future bag-stuffing and it features a fleece-lined blanket attached on top. Janelle, I think Flash would appreciate one of these :-)
The cut-list:
1. Pin together lining fabric and one rectangle of fleece fabric. Be sure right side of fleece is facing out. The lining doesn't matter; it won't show. Baste together with 1/4" seam allowance. This is the bottom of the blanket portion.
2. Pin together and baste (1/4" seam allowance)other fleece rectangle and one of the upholstery rectangles, right sides together. Leave an opening on one side for turning right-side out. This is the top of the blanket portion.
3. Turn right-side out. Top stitch along the edge of two adjacent sides (forming an L) not including the side with the opening. I allowed the upholstery side to roll over to the fleece side just a smidgen before stitching to give it a more polished look.
4. Baste together the two 24"x3.5" rectangles, right sides facing each other, with 1/4" seam allowance. Press seam and carefully pin zipper (right side facing down) along the seam.
5. With zipper foot, stitch zipper in place, going up one side and back down the other.
6. With seam ripper, carefully remove basting stitches to expose zipper.
7. With 1/2 " seam allowance, sew remaining 6" wide pieces end to end, being sure to sew 24" pieces to 31" pieces and viceversa. Sew tail end together to form a rectangle. This forms the sides of the pillow.
But she still prefers the couch.
I made it with materials I had on hand, stuffing it with that inevitable accumulation of plastic grocery bags despite my diligence to bring my own reusable bags.
It has a zipper to allow future bag-stuffing and it features a fleece-lined blanket attached on top. Janelle, I think Flash would appreciate one of these :-)
The cut-list:washable upholstery-weight fabric
- 31"x24" (cut 2)
- 24"x3.5" (cut 2)
- 31"x6"
- 24"x6" (cut 2)
fleece fabric (I used an old blanket)
- 31"x24"
lining fabric (I used a cotton quilting Christmas print I had no other plans for)
- 31"x24" (cut 2)
Other notions:
- a zipper (mine was 18"...the length isn't hugely important)
- scissors
- thread
- seam-ripper
- sewing machine
1. Pin together lining fabric and one rectangle of fleece fabric. Be sure right side of fleece is facing out. The lining doesn't matter; it won't show. Baste together with 1/4" seam allowance. This is the bottom of the blanket portion. 
2. Pin together and baste (1/4" seam allowance)other fleece rectangle and one of the upholstery rectangles, right sides together. Leave an opening on one side for turning right-side out. This is the top of the blanket portion.
3. Turn right-side out. Top stitch along the edge of two adjacent sides (forming an L) not including the side with the opening. I allowed the upholstery side to roll over to the fleece side just a smidgen before stitching to give it a more polished look.
4. Baste together the two 24"x3.5" rectangles, right sides facing each other, with 1/4" seam allowance. Press seam and carefully pin zipper (right side facing down) along the seam.
5. With zipper foot, stitch zipper in place, going up one side and back down the other.
6. With seam ripper, carefully remove basting stitches to expose zipper.
7. With 1/2 " seam allowance, sew remaining 6" wide pieces end to end, being sure to sew 24" pieces to 31" pieces and viceversa. Sew tail end together to form a rectangle. This forms the sides of the pillow.8. With 1/2" seam allowance, sew sides to remaining 24"x31" rectangle of upholstery fabric, right sides facing each other.
9. With 1/2" seam allowance, sew lining-backed fleece rectangle to the opposite edge of the sides along two adjacent edges to form an "L", fleece side facing down. One of the edges should be the zipper side.
10. Tuck the top of the blanket (the fleece+upholstery layer) into the pillow, lining the top stitched edges up with the already sewn edges of the bottom blanket layer. With 1/2" seam allowance, sew all three layers together along unattached edges, being sure to turn under and catch the opening in the fleece+upholstery layer.
11. It should look like this. Except yours doesn't need to look as sloppy as mine even though the strings and frayed edges will be hidden inside the pillow. Sloppiness level is up to you.
12. Turn pillow right-side out through open zipper. Top blanket should be connected on two adjacent sides.
13. Stuff pillow form with overabundance of plastic grocery bags, being sure to fill all the way to the corners and sides .
15. Tada.
9. With 1/2" seam allowance, sew lining-backed fleece rectangle to the opposite edge of the sides along two adjacent edges to form an "L", fleece side facing down. One of the edges should be the zipper side. 
10. Tuck the top of the blanket (the fleece+upholstery layer) into the pillow, lining the top stitched edges up with the already sewn edges of the bottom blanket layer. With 1/2" seam allowance, sew all three layers together along unattached edges, being sure to turn under and catch the opening in the fleece+upholstery layer. 
11. It should look like this. Except yours doesn't need to look as sloppy as mine even though the strings and frayed edges will be hidden inside the pillow. Sloppiness level is up to you. 
12. Turn pillow right-side out through open zipper. Top blanket should be connected on two adjacent sides.
13. Stuff pillow form with overabundance of plastic grocery bags, being sure to fill all the way to the corners and sides .
I filled the form with all of my bags, and I plan to add more as I get them since they smoosh down with use.
15. Tada. 
But she still prefers the couch.
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