Red House Tales

Valentine

2012-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Scrap paper ...

+ super fun brads ...

= paper chain of hearts.

As with many paper projects, this one was more for entertainment while watching television than for any real purpose, but it glows nicely on the lamp.

Happy Valentine's Day friends.

Short

2012-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Why are weekends so short?

This one was particularly brief because I worked a full day on Saturday. I'm not complaining -- it was my first Saturday work in months and it could be worse, but still.

On Saturday night I pulled baby duty while Kyle got out for a very rare respite from home life. Once the little girl was asleep I put on a movie and kicked back to relax.

Turns out I'm not great at relaxing and I needed a project. A quick flip through my Pinterest pins and I had the perfect project.

I spent the evening cutting and gluing felt flower petals.

I was following yet another tutorial I found while trolling the internet for pretty things. I love this tutorial because it is written a bit like I a tutorial I might write. Cut some things, glue some things and be done. There's no real instruction on size or measurements. Here's what I cut.

I didn't get to gluing it all together until Sunday night. I didn't follow the tutorial exactly -- it seems to use more petals. I ended up with scads of leftover petals so I assembled a second blossom in a quick blink.

The little one is for Rosie. I will probably make her another headband with it, though I am pondering other ways I can incorporate a cute blue flower in to her wardrobe. The bigger one is for me.

I am still not sure why weekends have to be so short, but we did manage to sneak in some fun despite a shorter-than-usual break.

Here's to Sunday -- the cruelest day of the week. Except Monday.

Recent Favorite

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

It went and started raining again.

But before that the first week of February was downright lovely. I even managed to sneak in a few walks last weekend -- I got so warm on one walk I had to take my jacket off.

Preposterous, I know.

I snapped this photo in the yard at the home of some friends in the neighborhood.

In a departure from where we were entering last weekend, the kid has returned to her old (fabulous) sleep habits.

Unfortunately we're still exhausted as we face a new weekend. Kyle is fighting a lingering cold-turned-lung infection and I am simply worn out from a long work week. The weekend brings another day of work and leaves little free time.

We're not all gloom. We do have some fun plans in the works. Can I say we're looking forward to next weekend?

Here's to February sunshine.

Another Towel

2012-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

A friend at work is having a baby next month. Hooray!

I've known this for oh ... five months. And from the moment I found out a new little one would be welcomed to the world this spring, I knew I wanted to sew him or her a hooded towel.

But what did I do?

I waited until the week of the baby party to get started. At least by this time word was out that little one is expected to be a boy.

I find trying to select fabric for boys to be exceedingly difficult, but in my search I kept returning to this charming apple/pear print.

It's bright. It's fun. I think it will do.

Once I got the fabric home it sat around for a few days. Then I picked a ten minute window just before dinner on a Sunday night start cutting. With everything laid out on the dining room table, I was in a bit of a rush as Kyle counted down the minutes until he needed to put dinner on my work station.

I cut too fast and when I finished I realized my pieces were more rectangular than the mostly-square pieces I needed. This wouldn't work very well for the quick and easy towel pattern I used last fall for Baby A and Baby B.

I searched the recesses of my brain and the internet for a tutorial I came across last summer where the hood was in the center rather than the corner. And I found it!

I am not going to lie, this tutorial was not easy for me and my finished product is far from perfect, but it looks cute with a baby snuggled inside.

And that's the point, right?

Someday I will get smart and learn not to wait until the last minute. I'll also learn not to try new patterns for the first time when the end product is meant for someone else.

Here's to bath time splashing.

Garden Update

2012-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

A garden update in February, really? Yep. We are actually getting started on Garden 2012.

Here's what the west beds look like lately. I had a hard time getting a good shot due to the plastic sheeting over the window I normally shoot from.

We are still getting chard. The original plants were planted in spring 2010. I don't think the greens we're eating now are from those plants, but they may be from their seed. The end product is delicious! After two seasons, I still can't tire of it.

Kyle recently picked up a few seed packets for early starts.

Peas are well on their way to becoming plants ... we just have to figure out where we're going to plant them! We haven't grown peas in several years and I am really looking forward to their sweet crunch.

In general we haven't spent as much time outside this winter as in year's past. I'm trying to be okay giving us a free pass on this one -- we do have a new baby after all. It isn't easy though. I am itching to get out pull some weeds or build some new planter boxes. Hopefully before month's end.

Here's to the start of a new season.

Hot Air

2012-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

I took a few minutes over the weekend to snip some paper for a fun little project. This was another one of my Pinterest pins.

I have always found hot-air balloons to be aesthetically delightful even though I find the idea of riding in one completely terrifying. When I found this tutorial, I couldn't resist printing these cheerful balloons.

The printed balloons were much larger than I expected them to be, but were ever bit as cute. I trimmed them out while waiting for Rosie to finish several meals over the weekend. The kid eats much slower than I do!

I cut three of each color. Once all the balloons were cut, I folded them in half and glued the three together, tucking a bit of thread into the top.

I was totally in love with the finished product, but what does one do with six paper hot air balloons?

I think they would make really fun party decorations or, as the tutorial author mentions, a great mobile.

I have no need for either of these things so I stuck them on a string in our downstairs bathroom window.

I love seeing them when I'm washing my hands. When returning from a walk on Sunday, I even noticed them from the sidewalk. Best of all, when the air blows from the heat register they dance in the breeze.

Here's to the joy of a very simple project.

Living Room: Before & After Kid

2012-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share a bit about how having a little one has changed the room we spend the most time in.

Our living room isn't very big. Farmhouses are made up of squares and in our house that means every room is roughly the same size. This makes for decent sized bedrooms, but not a huge living space. We have high demands for our living room. It must be a playroom, entertainment area, office and usually crafting space all in one.

We knew, even before Rosie arrived, our initial arrangement probably wouldn't work very long.

Wow, nothing makes a room look bigger like cramming in a ton of furniture, right?

In anticipation of Rosie's arrival we made a few changes. We pared down some of the furniture and replaced it with end tables, an area rug and a bench where we could store baskets with blankets, toys and books.

We had many difficult conversations about the coffee table taking up the only logical play area in the house, but it was heart-breaking to think about parting with it. So it stayed.

Then when Rosie got to the point where lying on a blanket just wasn't enough, we moved the table. It became the world's biggest side table and we replaced it with a seen-better-days IKEA Lack table we had been storing in the attic. We also took a huge chunk out of our book collection and removed one of our cheapo Target bookcases.

When we have company we can move the light-weight Lack out of the way.

The ottomans have been excellent for storage. One holds our couch blankets and Rosie's Jenny-Jump-Up.* The other holds Rosie's incredible quilt and blanket collection which we had to move after Christmas when it became apparent her toy collection needed two baskets.

Most often our living room looks like this:

We haven't had to approach kid-proofing yet, but it is coming. Right now the little one can scoot backward faster than we can blink and routinely gets stuck under furniture, but poses no danger to herself.

Once she's crawling and pulling-up the Target bookcases have got to go. We'll also need to address those computer cables. (Open to suggestions on the cables). We've got big ideas for replacing the bookcases. Those ideas don't fall in the budget at the moment, but we'll figure out something.

For now we're enjoying the constant evolution of our favorite space.

Here's to the family room.

*Don't let us get started on how inane it is that Evenflo has separate names and fabrics for the "boy" and "girl" version of the exact same item. We got it for $15 on consignment and it allows Rosie to be in the kitchen and safe while Kyle cooks dinner, but we're really glad it compacts down and goes out of sight.

Recent Favorite

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had big dreams of wrapping up the week with a fun project, but the little one had other plans in store for us. We're not sure why, but this week she decided bed time is for suckers.

Pretty much since the day she was born she's been excellent at crashing in the early evening and sleeping at least until the wee hours. This week she decided a sweet nap between 7 and 8 would suffice. The result is that I get to spend a few extra hours with her smiling face, but I also get zero free time at home.

We've got theories -- it could be another tooth coming in, it could be that she's unsettled by all the sickness in our house, it could be lasting effects of jet lag, it could be that she fell off her routine when we were in Hawaii, or she could just want some extra snuggles with her Mama.

Or she could simply be saying "C'mon guys, I'm almost eight months old and you're treating me like I'm still counting my age in weeks."

Regardless of the cause we're hoping she snaps in to a new routine soon. In the mean time all I've got to share is this pretty photo from the Island of Hawaii.

Here's to the end of a long week.

How to Spend Less

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

It has been five months since Kyle left work to stay home with the little one and we officially became a single income household. With such a big change it shouldn't be a surprise that we've spent no small amount of time over those five months trying to come up with ways to save around the house.

Even before the big change we were pretty financially careful in many ways.

We shared a 1987 Nissan truck until 2008 when we got a second car and Kyle continued to drive the Nissan until last year.
We don't own a TV and have never paid for cable.
We rarely use credit cards and never carry a balance.
We don't eat meat at home.
We keep a garden and Kyle preserves the harvest.
Kyle brews his own beer.
We almost never buy clothes.
We cloth diaper our kid.
With the exception of a single box of oatmeal cereal we have yet to buy commercial baby food . She eats what we eat.
Our Red House was nearly 50k less than we were approved to borrow so our mortgage is incredibly reasonable.
When we purchased new a new refrigerator, washing machine and drier we ensured all three were energy efficient. We also use only compact florescent light bulbs and faucet aerators.

With the big change came three major modifications to our habits if not our spending.

The first was eating at home instead of going out. As frugal as we were in all the ways noted above, we were hemorrhaging money at restaurants eating out for nearly every meal. Now Kyle whips up incredible meals in our kitchen and we go out only for social occasions and when we're desperate (like when our flight from Hawaii gets in at 9 p.m. and the fridge is bare).

Obviously eating in saves major money, but the fact that Kyle makes everything from pita bread to goddess dressing from scratch really helps. Kyle and Rosie are regulars in the Winco bulk foods aisle and the packaged food that come home are pretty much limited to my morning Cheerios.

We've also given up daily trips to Starbucks. Kyle makes sure I head off to work each morning with an iced coffee in hand. Lately he has been experimenting with cold brew coffee, which keeps my energized all day, but never jittery.

Our third cost-cutting measure was giving up books in print. We're trying to get books from the library or purchase them for the Kindle.

Sadly we've also decided to put any major non-essential house projects on hold for the foreseeable future. Breaks my heart!

Okay, so those are all the things were doing well.

We do have a few indulgences and areas where we spend a little extra, none of which are negotiable at this point.

We shell out for high speed internet and subscriptions to Hulu Plus and Netflix.
We both use smart phones with data plans (though work does cover the cost of mine).
We use high-quality, eco friendly cleaners and bath products.
I still sneak out for pedicures on a semi-regular basis, though much less often than I'd like.

The question is, what else can we do?

We have a few ideas (for example, does anyone want to buy a 1987 Nissan?), but for the most part we're pretty tapped out on how to be more frugal and very open to suggestions. Who doesn't love to save money? Feel free to brag to us about your tricks.

Here's to the piggy bank.

Put a Flower on It

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Calus-McLain house was unlucky enough to be stricken with a second round of colds late last week, thus ending January as it began.

The early January epidemic hit Rosie harder than her parents, but this time Kyle and I were the unlucky ones. Rosie did get a tad sick and we found ourselves being those parents and rushed her in for a 100-degree fever. (In our defense she had just flown and it could have been an ear infection.)

The colds has left all our energy stores a bit tapped, but I did find time over the weekend to tackle one of my pinned-on-Pinterest craft projects.

I fell in love with this floral headband the second I found it on The House of Smiths and stuck a pin in it until I had time to devote to it.

This headband is meant for adults or for kids and I have every intention of making one for myself, but I plan to modify it as a hair clip. Since I didn't have a clip I went ahead and made one for the little girl.

After I read through the instructions I decided to use small stitches instead of hot glue and when I cut my circles I ended up with eight of each color. I figured more is better right? Here's what I got.

Um, yeah. I was totally thinking "nailed it."

Rather than give up I decided to try again and follow the instructions this time. As it turns out using hot glue is way easier than stitches. My second attempt worked out much better.

After that I whipped up a stretchy headband and assembled it per the tutorial.

With the exception of modeling for these photos I haven't actually gotten to see the headband in action, but it did have its debut during Tuesday's grocery outing and I am told it was quite popular.

Here's to never being too young to accessorize.

In Other News:
We're wishing a very happy birthday to our oldest nephew Ethan.

Also, I have to pat us on the back because this is our 274 blog post in one year. 274 is a smidge bizarre, but it represents one post every weekday (plus a few extras) since February 1, 2011. It is also our 426th post since starting this blog in 2009. Maybe we'll have a party when we hit 500 ...

In The Kitchen

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

This concoction hails from the hippie kitchens of my childhood.

Yep, popcorn.

But not just any popcorn. Take a batch of air or stovetop popped corn and drizzle with olive oil and tamari (or soy sauce). Then sprinkle with nutritional yeast and enjoy.

Over the years I have managed to sell Kyle on the nutritional yeast, but he just won't go for the soy sauce. He prefers melted butter and salt. Although I am sentimental about the recipe I grew up with, there are few things that can top melted butter.

Here's to eating the whole bowl of popcorn.

Four Gifts, The Conclusion

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Back in December, we posted about our plan to give Rosie four gifts for Christmas -- something she wants, something she needs, something to wear and something to read.

At the time we had already purchased her a gorilla puppet and later bought her a batch of new socks (something she needed). We struggled with something to wear because we wanted to buy her something very fun and not necessarily essential. We settled on a new onsie and a black cardigan. Our sensible side is much stronger than our desire to be frivolous.

Now sweet girl probably didn't notice, but we actually shorted her one gift. We just didn't get it together in time to buy her something to read. Well, we made up for it over the weekend.

As it turns out, Christmas gifts are just as fun when they're a month late.

Here's to ~~three~~ four gifts.

Gordon

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Upon our return home we had the sad responsibility of laying our cat Gordon to rest. It seems his long life came to an end our last night away. We knew he hadn't been well so we were not surprised by his passing, but we were sad not to be home with him at the end. His sweet friendship with Rosie made the loss a little sadder.

After nine years of living together it seems incredibly quiet in the house. This was the first trip we've returned from when Gordon didn't complain incessantly for days afterward. How dare we go away and leave him for a full week?

It is strange to know we'll never have to let him out, and in, and out, and in again. We won't get to chuckle when he randomly falls off furniture (not that he's been able to climb furniture for the last few years). We won't get to laugh at Rosie chewing on his tail and we won't get to see how he reacts as she becomes stronger and more dextrous.

I sometimes called Gordon my "step-cat" because he came in to my life through Kyle. He was Kyle's family pet from kitten-hood. He received his name from a German exchange student who was staying with Kyle's family.

Gordon was nearly 16. We'll miss him.

Home

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have guessed, we've been out of town. All three of us were overjoyed Wednesday night to return to the red house after six days in Hawaii on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii.

Keeping with the trend of the week, here's a favorite photo from the trip.

The weather was warm, but the volcanic fog was thick and gave us all some respiratory trouble. Kyle worst of all. The trip was fairly jam-packed with work and left little time for fun. We did manage to spot some sparkling blue waters, but as is the case with most of my work trips to Hawaii, my swimsuit never got wet.

Gorgeous ocean shots are nice and all, but my real favorite photos is this one.

When we landed in Honolulu, after six hours in flight, the people in front of us said "Oh wow! I didn't realize there was a baby behind us." Yep, that's our kid. We know it isn't becoming to brag shamelessly about our child, but seriously -- six hours!

The rest of the trip went pretty smoothly, though Rosie's sleep did get pretty wacky. With the exception of a few tears, which we can fairly attribute to her cutting her fist tooth on this trip, the kid was her usual self. She oscillating between being keenly observant and so cheerful she inspired one gate attendant to proclaim, " she can sell all kinds of things!"

With this trip (first flight, first tooth and all) behind us, we're looking forward to a return to normal around the Calus-McLain house.

Here's to coming home after a long trip.

And Another

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Things go well in threes, right? So here's a third distant favorite from island travels.

This one is from summer 2010 when I was diligently training for a marathon and got to see a gorgeous Oahu sunset as a bonus prize. I am still trying to figure out why physical fitness is so much easier on the islands.

Here's to running on the beach at sunset. (Too cheesey?)

Another

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a dreary January day just needs a photo of a tropical paradise.

How about that? Did it brighten your day?

Yesterday's photo was from summer 2009, today's is from summer 2008 -- my first trip to the islands. That first trip was the only time I've really managed to take any substantive vacation. I got to spend several days on the island of Kauai with my friend Erin. It was truly awesome. I hope my travels take me back to Kauai for vacation again one day.

Here's to beating the gloom.

Distant Favorite

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Things have been a bit busy for us lately so I haven't had time for any fun projects much less for writing about them. Rather than leave the page blank, I thought I'd share a less recent favorite photo.

This is lava flowing in to the ocean at sunset on the island of Hawaii. It is by far one of the most incredible things I have ever seen.

Here's to filling the page.

Recent Favorite

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

We had a big snow storm around these parts last week! Kyle and I were both struck with insomnia the night of the snow storm . How we don't fall asleep while eating dinner or walking down the street, I will never know so insomnia seemed rather bizarre.

When we looked out the window and saw our yard transformed in to a winter wonderland the lost sleep was almost worth it (a late start for work helped too).

By the time we woke up the next morning most of the snow at home was gone, but it was a totally different story at work! We only live seven miles from my office, but it sometimes feels like two completely different climates. Sadly I forgot to bring a camera, so I had to steal this week's recent favorite from one of my colleagues.

I am mourning the loss of too many campus trees, but it was still sort of thrilling to see the aftermath of the powerful storm.

Here's to a rare winter storm.

One Cabinet at a Time

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

I recently made time for a small organization project in our kitchen. Over the past two years one of our lower cabinets has become known as the "jar cupboard." This is a nice way of saying, this is where we tossed all of the jars we intend to re-use. And I mean literally toss.

Yikes, that is embarrassing.

It didn't take long to get all of the jars organized, find lids for them and move them to the new "jar cupboard." It has been a year since we installed open shelving and moved our pantry items and for most of that year I've had good intentions to move the jars to the cabinet over the fridge. I finally got it done!

I had grand ambitions of this post being about more than just moving a few jars across the kitchen, but my inspiration didn't match my ambition.

When I was doing my organizing I realized we have a bunch of these tall, slender olive jars.

I want to do a fun project with them, but I just don't have any good ideas. I am totally open to ideas ... what can I store in these jars? How can I get my craft on to make them cuter? Any thoughts?

Here's to scratching a nagging project off the list.

Protesting

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Would everyone totally see through our cop-out if we tried to say we were going dark today to protest SOPA and PIPA?

Yeah, we thought so. Darn!

Enjoy this photo we've been loving lately of the little one.

Is it really only Wednesday? How can a short week feel so long already?

Here's to the internet. Where would we be without it?

Blossom

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Rosie and I were playing with blocks and I had a moment of crafty inspiration. I have been wanting to create a flower headband for our little one for a few weeks. I've pinned a couple of tutorials on Pinterest, but decided to wing it.

I started with a couple pieces of felt.

Once I snipped out my flowers petals with my awesome new scissors, I measured out a length of elastic.

I used a scrap of fabric for the band. I was worried it might be tricky to turn the narrow tube of fabric right side out, but by attaching a safety pin to one side and pushing a second safety pin with elastic attached through the tube, I was able to turn the fabric and insert the elastic all in one motion.

I ran a short seam through the four petals and then stitched the flower to the band. My machine seemed to struggle a bit with all those layers, but the headband came together.

Our kid now owns something purely frivolous and not one bit functional. And I am going to make more!

Here's to spontaneous craftiness.

Snow Day

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

When we woke on Sunday our much anticipated snow storm had left us with a thin frosting on the grass. Although snow flurries continued all morning, there still wasn't much to see. Feeling confident the storm wasn't presenting any threat on the roads, we decided to head to higher ground. The zoo!

Upon arrival it was obvious the zoo had seen more snow than home, but nothing was happening when we got there.

We poked around various exhibits, moving almost constantly to stay warm.

It didn't take long for the next system to hit and soon we saw a few flakes.

We weren't sure how the little one would like the snow. It was pretty cold!

She loved it! She actually laughed out loud a few times when the flakes hit her face. She spent much of the visit poking her tongue out to catch falling snow.

After a while the storm got stronger.

And it was nearly nap time. The blanket of white seemed like a good cue to hit the road.

We were a little sad to say goodbye to the winter wonderland and pile in the car, but we saw nearly the entire zoo and absolute joy on our sweet girl's face. This just seemed special enough for her first Oregon snow.

Here's to our Oregon Zoo membership -- Thank you Dan & Lynn!

Recent Favorites

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

The sunrises this week have been spectacular. So far the cold wet weather that La Niña is to bring us has not occurred, you won't hear any complaints from us.

Some snow is in the forecast for MLK day, we are excited to see if our little girl reacts to the frosty flakes.

Here's to Sailors taking warn!

What You Got Brewing?

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

The thing I find fascinating about beer brewing is that the base ingredients never seem like they are going to add up to bubbly, perfectly bitter beverage.

Take this jar of oatmeal for example. I can picture some fabulous cookies or a bowl of hot breakfast coming from it, but I just don't look at it and think, yes -- that would make a good beer!

I guess that's why I don't brew beer.

That jar of oatmeal was destined to become a small beer -- a bitter, to be precise.

In this case small can be translated to low-alcohol. The yeast produced by any given beer can be re-used to create a new beer. Sometimes when one wants a particular alcohol content, they have to start by making a initial batch. A starter beer, if you will. This oatmeal bitter will spawn an imperial IPA.

The oatmeal bitter will be ready for drinking in about a month. Hopefully this weekend will bring time to brew the imperial IPA -- drinkable in time for the Ides of March ... or St. Patrick's Day.

Here's to making time for hobbies.

Wednesday Delight

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

While we were eating dinner on Tuesday night I let Kyle know he had a piece of black rice in his teeth.

He responded, "Well, it's not like I have it all over my face. That would be embarrassing."

In Rosie's defense much of the food on her face was put there by Kyle after dinner. For some reason he thought that was funny.

Here's to black rice.

Good Clean Fun

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Long ago, last summer, I pinned this cute tutorial on Pinterest.

It immediately struck me as a fantastically fun solution to a boring problem. More often than not the soap dispenser in our downstairs bathroom looks like this.

So I pinned the image with every intention of creating a jar dispenser of my own. Then I realized I needed a soap pump and I couldn't figure out how to get one without buying it. Oddly enough this popped in to my head when we were visiting my mom last month and she provided the pump from a lotion bottle she was nearly finished with.

When I got home and read the tutorial, I realized the author used the exact same pump my mom provided. This aided my confidence in getting the job done. I dug around in our jar collection and found a cute jar. Then Kyle helped punch a hole in the top.

Once I had this much done, I realized I needed some glue. The tutorial author recommended hot glue. A quick trip to the craft store and a $5 investment and we were in business.

There are two things I absolutely love about this project. First, it is made from reclaimed items that otherwise would have been tossed out. The other is that the jar is tremendously easier to fill than the little plastic bottles we usually use.

Once full of soap our new dispenser was fully operational and ready to use.

I only have two regrets about this project.

I wish I had painted the jar lid to match the pump before assembling.

And I wish I had a bunch of dahlias to place in the background to make this little guy look prettier.

I guess I should have gotten to it last summer!

Here's to turning trash in to treasure.

Pillow Talk

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I was flipping through my "something to read" Christmas gift, 1, 2, 3 Sew hoping for some project inspiration. I came across this cute pillow project.

At the same time, I was itching to use some of my new tools.

But I was watching television and couldn't be bothered to start a whole project. So I just started cutting.

I cut up enough fabric scraps to make two pillow covers. I was hoping to freshen up our couch with some new covers -- it has been nearly two years since I hand-sewed the ones we'd been using.

But television proved to be more entertaining so I set the scraps aside for the weekend, which proved to be much more productive. Over the course of two evenings I stitched together four covers.

I used the same "envelope" method I've used in the past. This was a true testament to my growing sewing skills. I made a couple of envelope cases the day I bought the machine and they took more than an hour. I was able to whip out the two simple covers in less than ten minutes each.

The patch work covers were fun -- mostly because I got to use my new scissors, but the single fabric covers were a delight. Envelope covers are so easy, it will definitely not be another two years before I change them again.

Now I just need to do some of the projects in the book!

Here's to a productive weekend.

Recent Favorite

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Someone once told me spring begins in January in the Willamette River valley. Specifically, plant life starts to renew in January. Where I hail from nothing is growing in January, so I always find this fascinating.

Over dinner Thursday we started discussing getting started on this year's garden. We are excited to see what this year brings because, after five years of gardening, we are finally truly using the food we grow.

I think about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle every time Kyle reminds me we haven't purchased tomatoes since last spring. Instead we've been relying on canned tomato sauce and juice along with dehydrated tomatoes. Barbara Kingsolver would be so proud!

Our goals differ from Kingsolvers in one respect. When she and her family ate only local for a year, they had to give up things they couldn't grow themselves. This means no coffee, sugar, spices or tropical fruit -- ever!

I am totally fine with giving up mealy hot house tomatoes in the winter, but I'm think it's kind of crazy to give up things we can never grow. I will eat all the local food we can grow or buy, but I also want oranges.

Thankfully Kyle and Rosie agree and we've been eating loads of them lately.

Here's to local kale and imported oranges and saving the tomatoes for summer.

Precedent

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

What is the best reason anyone ever thought of for saying no?

"If I do it for you, I'll have to do it for everyone." or " If I do it this time I'll have to do it every time."

If I start posting a daily blog, I'll have to post daily blogs forever. No matter how tired I am.

Sigh.

There has been a perfect cocktail of factors at our house lately that have lead to some seriously bad sleep (or lack there of as the case may be).

Consequently, I am pretty sure I have lost all control of my mental faculties.

Please enjoy this super cute picture of our kid cuddling the cat.

If only the cat could get up in the night...

Here's to holding it together for another day.

In Other News:
Apparently I am 31-and-a-half today. When the heck did I turn 31? And why is 32 coming up so quickly?

What We Gave

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the fourth year running we gave handmade gifts for Christmas. Giving things we make is much more work than simply buying things, but so much more fun for us than braving traffic and the mall.

Last year I was plagued with major fatigue and morning sickness so the baskets were 100% Kyle's handiwork. This year I was able to contribute a tad more, though my main addition is usually the wrapping.

As is the case every year, not everyone got the same things. This year's eleven baskets included blackberry jam, pear butter, apple butter, salsa, sea salt caramels,almond rocha, tamari almonds, beer, wine and tile coasters.

Like years past we started planning next year's baskets pretty much as soon as we finished this batch.

Here's to getting started early!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

This month my book group chatted about The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings.

We selected The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery for our next reading.

We'll next meet on February 3.

Don't you want to join us?

In Other News:
We're wishing a very happy birthday today to our brother-in-law Steve.

Resolute

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the past two years we've had good intentions to eat at home more.

In 2010 we lasted about a week.

In 2011 we weren't faring much better, but then the Little Miss came along and changed everything. Now eating out is exceedingly rare and done only when desperate times call for desperate measures.

So now that our go-to resolution has been achieved, what's left to change?

Well, for starters we can have a bit less of this:

And a bit more of this:

We are sugar fiends! There's a certain ebb and flow to our addiction. There are times when our will power is strong enough to resist and other times when we inhale the stuff like it is going out of style. Lately we've been pretty weak.

We started off the new year by polishing off a batch of chocolate chip cookies and making a big dent in a pot of lentil soup (lentils are said to bring prosperity in the new year).

Here's hoping we can kick the habit.

Road Trip

2011-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

We've just returned from our first visit to my home country since Rosie's arrival. The drive up took exactly eight hours. We did everything we could to ensure the trip went like this:

For the most part it went really well, though we had a few moments that looked like this:

Despite much anxiety about sleeping schedules, the trip went fabulously well. Among many joys was getting to see all five Calus cousins under one roof. Also, Rosie got to meet two more of her uncles.

Oddly enough it rained for much of our visit so we missed both stars and snow, but we did get to see mountains.

Despite a lovely visit and longing to stay longer, it was really great to get home. Babies are finely calibrated and such a dramatic disruption of daily life is bound to cause stress for even the most easy-going kid.

We're looking forward to our next trip, but for now we'll savor our (mostly) regular nap times and very predictable night-time sleep.

Here's to coming home after a vacation.

Recent Favorite

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

December has been such a blur! Somehow our regular weekend walks got missed in the pre-holiday chaos.

We did find time for a walk to the Post Office recently to mail the last of batch of holiday cards. When we were leaving the Post Office I spied a magical little yellow bird. Try as I might I could not get that little guy on camera. He was hiding in this dry grass.

It seems crazy to call anything "dry" in late December in western Oregon. I suppose weather wouldn't be interesting if we could always predict it.

Here's to dry winter days. May they come again.

Joy

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas with a kid is substantially more fun than without one. This year provided us just a hint of a preview for years to come.

Kyle and I followed the "four gifts" for one another as well as for Rosie, giving each other something to read, to wear and something we wanted. We skipped "something we need" for each other in lieu of our Oregon Food Bank donation.

If Christmas is any indication 2012 will bring us lots of sewing, brewing and canning.

Here's to the tastiness of wrapping paper.

For a Smile

2011-12-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday seems like a good day to smile.

Did we make you smile?

Good.

Here's to the third day of Christmas. French hens anyone?

Fortunate Ones

2011-12-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

This scene from our living room on Sunday reminds us just how incredibly fortunate we are.

This holiday season was uniquely joyful and we can only hope that joy increases with each passing year.

In addition to the immense happiness we take from being Rosie's parents, we were so very lucky to be showered in special gifts. And of course giving is more important to us than receiving. We poured our hearts in to hand made gifts for our families and careful selection of special treats for our eight nieces and nephews.

Despite all the pleasures the season brings us, it's hard to shake the reality that there are so many in the world for whom this week bring an extra layer of sorrow, longing or pain. There are so many for whom this week has no meaning because the concept of a toy pales in comparison to physical safety or a guaranteed meal.

We treasure our blessings, but try each day to remember there are so many who lack. As we did last year, we celebrated the holidays with a gift to the Oregon Food Bank. Although this annual contribution has great meaning for us, it just doesn't seem like enough.

As we reflect on our happiness over the last year and look ahead to an even better new year, we will remember to live our lives carefully and do what we can to contribute to the world around us.

Here's to the season of giving.

Recent Favorite

2011-12-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a photo of a cat basking in the sun? This fellow has been a pretty happy camper these past few months. After years of not getting enough love, he has a companion who is more than willing to snuggle all day.

The other day I spied him licking Rosie's face. Later Kyle caught Rosie attempting to chew on his tale. A match made in heaven.

This sun-drenched image reminds me that daylight will soon return. The solstice has come and gone, we will not be in the dark much longer.

Here's to celebrating light in these dark days, whether with a menorah, a string of tiny electric bulbs, a star in the sky, a kinara or simply the sun casting long shadows.

Date Night In

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night we had cause for celebration as I began my winter break from work -- 11 work-free days! How do exhausted parents (who didn't plan for a babysitter) celebrate?

Popcorn, cosmopolitans and Wood Allen's Midnight in Paris.

Here's to dreaming about the gilded age.

Cookie Baking Day

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Rosie spent Tuesday afternoon with family celebrating Grandpa's birthday with Cookie Baking Day.

Oddly enough they didn't come home with any evidence of cookies. I suppose we'll just have to bake some at home.

Here's to family tradition.

Six to Nine Months

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

I honestly can't imagine what it is like to get whole new wardrobe every three months.

The last new thing either Kyle or I bought for ourselves to wear was nearly four months ago and it seemed like an incredible indulgence at the time.

Yet the little miss gets new clothes every three months.

Thankfully her only concern is how uncomfortable shirts are as they go on over her head. The joy of filling the dresser with freshly laundered new clothes still belongs 100% to her mama and daddy.

The other day I snagged an H&M gift card at my office holiday party. I was pretty pumped about the possibility of using said card in the baby department when a friend kindly reminded me the card was meant as a gift for me.

Anyone want to go shopping?

Here's to remembering to take time for ourselves.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

We don't have much to report from the weekend. We had a lovely dinner with friends on Saturday night, during which Kyle managed to sprain his ankle. Who knew we couldn't trust our dining room chairs not to cause dinner-party catastrophe? We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and cuddling with the little one.

Here's hoping the work week is more productive.

Recent Favorite

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was struck recently by the thought that six months from now we will have seven more hours of daylight each day. Isn't that incredible?

Dwindling daylight has caused us to start researching human hibernation. Seems tempting, doesn't it?

I snapped this photo out of our bedroom window the other night while I was taking a break from covering our not-standard windows with standard-sized plastic sheeting in the ever-present quest to lower our heating costs. Yep, weather-stripping, plastic sheeting and caulk -- big excitement around the Calus-McLain house this week.

We are pleased that last weekend's cat door installation seems to have dramatically changed the temperature in the laundry room. It is cold in there! This gives us hope that we're saving some energy and money with our cute quilted cat door.

Here's to the shortest days of the year.

Secret Workshop

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have to confess, things are getting crazy messy around here. We are in full handmade holiday work shop mode. The guest/craft room is overflowing with project mess and the kitchen has some serious hurricane-hit-it moments lately.

For now all of our projects are top secret, but we'll share some of the highlights after the holidays.

Here's to all who share our affinity for handmade holiday. Best of luck to you!

All About Rosie

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our Rosie just celebrated one half year.

The past two months have brought us huge changes. She has demonstrated her strength by turning from stomach to back and back to stomach. She also mastered sitting unassisted and now prefers to sit on her own over almost any other activity.

She also began laughing in earnest in mid-October. Kyle works pretty hard to get her to laugh and nearly always more successful than I am, though I've coaxed out a few good giggles.

We got gazes of pure delight, and a few small laughs when we took Rosie to the pool for the first time. Though we couldn't capture it, she spent much of the visit gazing at us in wonder. What Is This Awesome Place?!

Rosie also enjoys other babies. We have several little friends Rosie's size and Kyle and Rosie go to baby story hour at our local libraries. One branch is close enough for walking. Rosie spends much of story hour checking out all the other babies. She also enjoyed seeing her cousin Owen again recently.

In addition to baby story hour, we're diligent readers at home and we all have our favorites.

In the last few weeks, Rosie has been inching closer to crawling. We still have a ton of baby-proofing to do before we're ready for a mobile little one, but she's not waiting for us. So far her movement is limited to backward scooting, which is a tad hard to watch. Kyle often has to retrieve her frustrated little body from under furniture after her efforts to secure her toys only result in moving away from them.

The most recent big change for our girl has been the introduction of solid foods. We've known since before she was born that we wanted to try a method called "baby-led weaning," which essentially means we skipped rice cereal and purees and started with regular food once she was able to sit upright and bring things to her mouth. Watching her feed herself might just be the most fun activity yet!

At six months, she's more than double her birth weight at 16 pounds, 1 ounce. She's also added about five inches in length for a total of 24 inches. Holding steady at 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height.

Here's to crawling -- may we keep up!

Previous Updates All About Rosie

Two Weeks

Two Months

Four Months

Baby, it's Cold Outside!

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Temperatures have regularly been dropping in to the twenties and teens around these parts. While I am no stranger to cold weather, having grown up east of the mountains, I have been very grateful for warm socks and blankets lately.

We manage to stay pretty warm and try not to let the heat use get out of control, but despite our best efforts, we spent nearly $300 on gas and electric for our 101-year-old friend this month. This has got us dreaming about how to save money and use less energy.

Yep! Wood heat. We've got a stove. We've even got wood. We just don't have the stove installed yet. We finally looked in to it over the weekend and we'll need to complete a few simple steps before we can warm our toes beside a roaring fire.

First we need to contact the city and file a permit to install a wood stove. We're crossing our fingers that the house already has a permit on file. We don't know exactly how this sort of thing works, but the house used to have a stove. Hopefully it was on the up-and-up and there's a permit to prove it.

Once we have a permit we'll need to have the chimney cleaned and inspected. Not only does the city require this, we need it to rest peacefully knowing our house is safe. We also need to contact our insurance company and make sure our rates won't sky rocket after we add a stove. No sense in saving in one area just to spend in another -- even if it would be nice to hear the crackle of a wood fire on these chilly nights.

Here's to winter -- it may be a few weeks off yet, but it sure feels like winter now!

Improvement for the Feline Home

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh at this scene from our dining room table on Sunday morning.

We've got a little sewing and a little power tool maintenance with a some baby sprinkled in for good measure. Our mission was to add a cat door in the door between the kitchen and the laundry room.

I use the term "laundry room" very generously. The space where our laundry machines reside is a classic case of homeowner special. As best we can tell one of the previous owners converted part of the porch into a room. As it turns out porches lack the foundation and subflooring structure necessary to support heavy laundry machines. Thus the floor is actually sinking. Sigh. It's on the list. But that's not what this story is about.

The porch-turned-laundry-room is also not totally sealed up and allowing in a shameful amount of cold air. Unfortunately since that room is also home to Gordon's essentials, we've had to keep the door open. Though it was likely once quite charming, the door has seen better days.

After a few quick runs with the jig saw we had a new cat passage way.

The new Gordom-sized door way needed to be covered, so we whipped up a whimsical quilted flap.

Hopefully a double-layer of batting will keep the cold at bay and the project gave me opportunity to practice using bias tape.

As an added bonus, this should be at least a mild deterrent for the little one once she starts to explore. Gordon's essentials are not things we want Rosie experimenting with.

Here's to a fun solution to boring problems.

Recent Favorite

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

As I type I am busy inhaling chocolate-covered coconut cream puffs left over from the annual alumni holiday party.The holiday season truly is upon us.

The house is fully decorated and the holiday cards are in the mail. We've collected gifts for all eight nieces and nephews. Hopefully by the time my long holiday break starts in just nine (who's counting?) work days, we'll be ready to relax.

Here's to the holiday check list.

You Belong in the Zoo

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Kyle and Rosie spent much of the day at the Oregon Zoo with our friends Cecily and Avie.

Rosie slept through much of the zoo, but woke up in time for the giant "Sophie."

These bears were getting ready to hunker down for the winter.

Who can blame them though, with the cold we've been enjoying lately. Thankfully sweet girl was bundled up.

Kyle speculated Rosie would like the primates. I wagered on the sea lions. Neither of us could have guessed her favorite would be the bats.

Here's to many more trips to the zoo in the years to come.

Hung by the Fire with Care

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was recently playing around online when it occurred to me, little girl will need a stocking! In that moment it became very important to me to craft a stocking for her. With the help of a simple tutorial from Prudent Baby, I did just that.

Picking the fabric was the hardest part. I want something clearly in the spirit of the season without venturing in to Christmas kitsch. These red sprigs seemed like they'd do the trick.

I debated purchasing a pattern and I also considered trying to wing it. In the end, the Prudent Baby tutorial seemed like the easiest course of action.

I chose a chipper red for the lining and a natural cotton batting.

I marked the inside with a ruler before quilting each side. It was a snap!

Technical difficulties prevent the sharing of a photo of the finished product, but here it is alongside Kyle's stocking. My stocking lives at my mom's house, so we've got a polyester placeholder standing in.

I still need to add Rosie's name and am debating a do-over of the bias tape along the top. My stitching isn't perfect and since I expect Rosie to keep this thing until she has her own kids, it seems like it should be perfect.

For now these quilted treasure-holder is providing much holiday cheer in our living room. What does one put in the stocking of a six-month-old anyway?

Here's to an orange in the toe of a Christmas stocking.

Another Tree

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, after we secured and decorated our tree, we took a few minutes to head over to Main Street for the local tree lighting ceremony.

The actual lighting of the tree was a bit anticlimactic after we rushed to get there in time. Afterward we meandered through the holiday market set up in the street.

It would have been fun to take time to explore the market, but we were anxious to get the little one off to sleep. We enjoyed a few charming shop window displays along the way home.

We capped the evening with some satisfying Thai take out.

Here's to simple joys as a family.

A Tree

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

As we mentioned Friday, this weekend included our tree cutting expedition.

We spent part of Saturday afternoon decorating what might just be the best tree we've ever procured.

We've got some old favorites in the mix as well as some newer additions.

We are looking forward to many evenings of gazing at the lights during the weeks ahead.

Here's to holiday tradition.

Recent Favorite

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

For a short week, this week has sure felt long! We're glad to see the weekend arrive. As always our weekend to-do list is longer than the number of hours in the weekend.

Among the many tasks on the list, some practical and some fun, is a drive in the country to cut a tree.

The dry sunny weather we're expecting this week, coupled with a few bright leaves still clinging to the trees, is a nice reminder that autumn isn't over yet. At the same time the ice I scraped off my vehicle windows this morning is a nice reminder that winter is most certainly on the way.

Hopefully we'll find time this weekend for our country drive and a myriad of other preparations for winter and the holidays.

Here's to the last weeks of fall.

Need, Want, Wear, Read

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, we have a kid.

Yes, this thought passes through my brain at least once daily. She is an incredible kid and her presence is a constant reminder that our existence is fundamentally good.

Since we now have a kid, the winter holidays have a different meaning. We are so excited for the years when we're able to teach her about the wonder of giving -- to those you love, through community service and philanthropically. For now, we'll take joy in giving her something.

Giving any gifts to a 6.5 month old seems a tad ridiculous, but we're going for it anyway following the "four gifts" concept. We will give her something she wants, something she needs, something she can wear and something she can read. We're finding it a bit challenging to follow these rules for a sweet little gal who neither wants nor needs for anything.

WANT
She likely wants nothing more than the presence of her Mama and Daddy and to have all her fundamental needs met, but we're going to pretend she's dreaming about a new toy. I've been eying some cool alternatives to plastic bath toys as well as safe teethers, but this fun hand puppet won out during a recent trip to the toy store.

NEED
As I mentioned, she really needs for nothing. We tend to buy her things as we encounter the need for them. That said, she does currently need a few new pairs of socks and some tights.

WEAR
We simply don't dress our kid in things she doesn't strictly need, so most wearable items get covered above. That said, we did swoon just a little for these "rain boots." I swear the price on them jumped after I first discovered them on etsy.com. They're now beyond our limit, but perhaps we'll find something similar.

READ
Thanks to the generosity of our fabulously supportive family and friends, little girl has a pretty extensive library. Couple that with a very short attention span and we've still got a long way to go before we tire of her collection. That said, we can't resist this gem.

Obviously gift-giving at this age is more for us than for Rosie. Happily my work offers us the opportunity to spend 11 straight days as a family cuddling and playing during the holidays, which is what I think she'll enjoy more than anything.

Here's to the joy of giving.

Garden Update

2011-11-30T00:01:00.001-08:00

We're a bit overdue with the November garden update. We took pause to photograph the garden mid-month, but realized the update would be a bit sad. At the time our garden looked like this:

Oh dear, what a mess!

Though we realized the garden, and our entire yard, was in dire need of attention, we found ourselves fully consumed with other things this fall. It wasn't until Monday, when I took a vacation day to prolong the joy of a long weekend, when we finally had time to straighten things up in the garden.

In addition to clearing out all the old plants, we also made time to pull a wheel barrow full of weeds, prune the roses and apple trees, clean leaf debris off the porch roofs and amass an enormous pile of leaves.

Apparently we're in for a dry stretch over the next week, which is a very good thing because the list of yard work tasks still to be completed is twice as long as what we've already done!

Hopefully the little one continues to be as supportive of our efforts as she was on Monday.

Although the garden doesn't look like much, it is still yielding for us. Tuesday's dinner included fresh radishes, beet greens and chard.

Here's hoping for more winter crops.

Previous Garden Progress
May 18
June 16
July 14
August 15
August 17
September 12
October 13

Sew Happy

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Since acquiring the sewing machine in August, we've hoped to start sewing clothing for Rosie. Shortly after the machine arrived, I bought what I hoped was a simple pattern to make Rosie a dress.

We tackled the hat right away and did a relatively okay job on the second try. The red and black "lady bug" hat was a staple at football games and we were flooded with compliments for it. I am routinely grateful no one took the opportunity to study it too closely.

After our near success with the hat I tried to move on to the dress only to realize the instructions were written in Greek. Actually they were written in sewing language -- which I do not speak. Thus the pattern got shoved to the back of the drawer until we could find someone to interpret.

If there is one thing in our lives we are not short on it is people who know how to sew. My mom conveniently came to stay for several days and was called upon to help. She delivered by patiently explaining a million sewing terms and showing me neat tricks I didn't know my machine could do. The result was this:

Though it is absolutely riddled with flaws, sweet girl doesn't seem to mind. It tastes as good as any other dress.

Determined to keep learning I set to work on the shirt and pants.

I wish I could say they are less flawed, but it is clear from both I am still learning. That said, the shirt (which Kyle helped with) might be my new favorite item of clothing -- flaws and all.

Though the first attempts are far from perfect, I am eager to keep trying. I'm looking forward to the next attempt.

Here's to honing a new skill.

Beach

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

During the long Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to take advantage of relatively nice weather and head out to the coast.

We enjoyed a picnic on the beach with my mom. Kyle's amazing quinoa bread made delicious sandwiches -- cheese for me and leftover Thanksgiving turkey for the carnivores. A passerby offered to take our photo because, according to her, we looked so sweet and we shouldn't forget picnics on the beach. What a lovely woman!

Little girl seemed much more interested in the ocean this time than her previous three trips to the coast. She spent the entire picnic gazing around in pure wonder.

We capped our trip with ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese factory before bidding farewell to salty air and pounding waves.

Until next time.

Here's to long holiday weekends.

Recent Favorite

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Among the very many things I am thankful for this season, I am incredibly thankful to be employed at a place that allows me to spend five-and-a-half days with my family. Between Wednesday at noon and Tuesday at 8 a.m., I am free to do as I please.

On Wednesday afternoon I finally got to tackle the leaves near our main door. Rosie sat in her stroller and watched as I worked furiously in ever-darker dusk and pouring rain to clear the thick, slick coating of leaves from our walk-way.

As I finally got the bulk of the leaves cleared I looked up to see a lovely, unexpected sunset.

I'm hopeful this is just the first of many projects we'll tackle over the weekend.

Here's to being thankful for time to rake the leaves.

Thankful

2011-11-24T11:01:00.001-08:00

Let us be thankful for our food
that brings us to the table with friends and family
to share our joy
and our sadness
to give us the strength we need to fulfill the promise of each day
and to remind us that we are all in this together.

-- Kraft Foods

"Lucky is the world, to receive this grateful child. Value is not made of money, but a tender balance of expectation and longing."

-- Barbara Kingsolver | Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Leaves

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, as Rosie and I returned from a much needed girls day, I thought I noticed a pile of leaves flash in the headlights. I mentioned to Kyle that I noticed he might have raked leaves while we were away. He feigned offense at my not being able to appreciate his hard work. I promised to admire the product of his efforts in the morning.

When I woke up on Sunday it most certainly did not look like any leaves had been raked! The ground was thick with fallen leaves! I guess I'll just have to trust Kyle's word about the yard work while we were away.

I suppose I know what my long weekend will hold. That is if it ever stops raining.

Here's to the the last weeks of fall, though it does feel like winter has already arrived.

Mittens

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had grand ambitions to finish a sewing project on Monday night. I have a couple of fun projects lined up. In fact the fabric for them is washed, folded and stacked on the coffee table.

But as the minutes ticked away on the clock, I could only find enough motivation to make myself a cup of hot cocoa and watch Star Trek with Kyle.

Instead of a description of a super fun sewing project, here's a picture of the little one.

Our friend Cecily snapped this photo a few weeks ago when Rosie and I were visiting.

I purchased Rosie a pair of mittens that day and, like everything lately, they went straight in her mouth. The mittens are a smidge too big, but it seems to be tricky to find mittens for infants. They work just as well for warmth and chewing as properly sized mittens so we aren't complaining.

Here's to mittens ... especially when they make us laugh by looking as big as oven mitts.

In Other News:
We're wishing a very happy birthday to our niece Meladie.

The Descendants

2011-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

This month marks the seven-year anniversary of my book group. We chatted about The Color of Water by James McBride.

We selected The Descendants for our next reading.

We'll next meet on December 30.

Don't you want to join us?

Recent Favorite

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

The recent storms have made it clear -- it is time to get serious about raking leaves. And really, what is more awesome than raking wet leaves?

At least they're pretty to look at.

Our weekend will be filled with many things, but perhaps not raking leaves. There's always next weekend, right?

Here's to waiting for the last leaf to fall.

In Other News:
We're wishing for a very happy birthday for our friend Denny.

Early Spirit

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Please know I am well aware it is only mid-November, despite what the rest of this post might lead one to believe. As I mentioned yesterday I've been looking for a good craft project I can work on while we watch television.

Last year's attempt to learn to crochet was derailed by morning sickness and I suspect it will be a long time before I can look at yarn without feeling slightly nauseous.

I decided to try out hand sewing small felt ornaments. Armed with confidence that can only come from Pinterest, I gave it a try.

My Pinterest inspiration is absolutely darling!

My first attempt isn't quite as cute as these, but I think it turned out pretty well. I used scraps we had on hand, so it reminds me a bit of elementary school, but perhaps in a charming way.

I am looking forward to more attempts while we watch our nightly programs -- after I buy some better supplies, of course.

Here's to the holidays. They're coming at us whether we like it or not!

Tea Ring

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night while watching television, I found myself energetic and itching for a project. Although I have big sewing dreams, I needed something I could do fairly quickly while sitting on the couch.

A quick scan of my pinterest pins gave me the inspiration I needed. Half an episode of House and a full episode of The Good Wife later and I was done.

I started out with a pile of clothes pins...

And a box of tea...

And I ended up with a fun new wreath.

This one is far too nice for the outside of the door so it will be an indoor feature. Here's a close-up.

Not only is it fun to look at, it smells good too!

Here's to television. I really don't know what we'd do without it.

Salty Sweet

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to contribute on this dreary Tuesday. We had an absolutely lovely weekend. It was not too busy yet it was also not completely unproductive. For all it's good points it failed to deliver the rest a weekend is supposed to bring.

So, rather than try and write anything more, I present this sea salt caramel.

Yes, just a photo. No recipe -- though I suspect few have the culinary patience to try making dark chocolate dipped caramels.

This little guy was last of several dozen just like it that Kyle created over several days last week.

They were the fuel for our weekend. Delicious and fleeting -- just like a good weekend.

Don't worry, we shared ... though anyone who knows me knows I could easily disappear a few dozen chocolates all on my own.

Here's to the unexpected delight of salt on sweet.

Blacked Out

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last spring we shared some details about how we made curtains for the kid room. At the time, I mentioned the need to make the room darker. I also confessed to not bothering to hem the curtains.

When we made the curtains we didn't actually have a way to hem them since we didn't own a sewing machine yet. I had a few ideas about how to get it done, but none materialized. Then time swept away and the curtains remained un-hemmed.

Last week I was inspired to try and make the room substantially darker. We've been having trouble getting the little miss to adopt a nap routine and a darker room seemed like a natural measure to take.

I was pondering aloud how to make it happen and my friend Erin, who was staying with us, suggested we rob the drapes from the guest room.

The thick canvas was just the thing to darken up our existing drapes without changing the cheerful nature of the kid room. Out came the scissors!

After a couple of hours of sewing I managed to line all three curtain panels (for two windows) with dark blue canvas.

The result turned this:

to this:

This project not only made the room darker, it finally inspired me to hem those curtains and it made use of the guest room drapes, which I never liked.The thicker panels might also help keep the room warmer.

Time will tell if it has any impact on nap time.

Now I just have to stitch up something new for the guest room ...

Here's to productivity after procrastination.

In Other Curtain News:
We made a slight curtain modification following last week's closet post.

Recent Favorite

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone care to speculate -- or just tell me -- what is this fun little flower?

We came across it on a recent chilly walk around the neighborhood.

Seriously when did the weather turn to wool coat season?

We're hopeful for at least one neighborhood walk this weekend. Our friend Erin is in town for a visit and we've got a few other fun things on the calendar. I'm looking forward to soaking up every second of fun. Maybe we'll do something productive too.

Here's to the chill in the air.

Closet Conclusion

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it has been two months since we posted the question about what to do with our closet. I honestly don't know how I have managed to not go insane with having our closet contents exposed for so long. When last we posted, our closet looked like this:

After we let our public speak, we elected to take your advice and hold out for some great fabric to make a curtain. I settled on a pattern a few weeks ago. It meets my original criteria of crisp, blue and white.

I also picked a second batch of fabric to pair with the pattern. I stitched them together to produce a set of curtains.

Now our closet looks like this:

I am still tempted to go back to the bi-fold doors, but perhaps the curtain will grow on me. It's not that I don't love the fabric -- it's just that I really love doors.

What do you think? Should we go back to the doors or does the curtain work?

Here's to closing the closet.

Addendum
With special thanks for the fabulous tip, we took the curtain to the inside with great results.

In the Kitchen

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

The other day, while grocery shopping for supplies to make dinner for some friends who recently welcomed a little one, I snapped up a couple bags of chocolate chips. Kyle eyed them with trepidation, assuming quite justifiably that I intended for him to make me some cookies.

Imagine his surprise when I busted out my cookie making skills and made not one, but two batches of cookies in less than a week! I sort of followed a recipe for the first batch.

Having never made cookies in such a well equipped kitchen, I had absolutely no idea what a difference it makes to own a stand mixer, cookie scoop and parchment paper! I couldn't resist a second batch, this time with my own haphazard recipe.

Martha's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter
1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Splash of vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Liberal shakes of salt
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1 bag chocolate chips
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 and 1/14 cup flour

Unless you've never made cookies before you can probably figure out how to mix it all, but if you must have instruction, just add it all in the order listed.

Use a cookie scoop if you have one. Don't try to flatten the cookies before baking -- they'll flatten on their own.

Bake at 375* (gas oven should be 390* I am told) for 10-12 minutes.

I think this recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies ... depends on how much dough you eat straight out of the mixer. But not me -- I wouldn't do that.

Here's to homemade chocolate chip cookies.

A Runner

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

After our return from Seattle on Saturday, while I was working on a sewing project, I had a sudden urge to stitch together a table runner.

Operating on pure impulsiveness, without any plan or pattern, I threw together a cheerful green accent for our dining room table.

Although I didn't plan this little project, I had fun and am pleased with the final product. This was made mostly from scraps from other projects and backed with some sunny yellow felt that I just happened to have on hand (not visible).

We are looking forward to hosting a few dinners this month, so this fun strip is a welcome addition to the dining room.

Here's to being taken by crafting surprise.

Road Trip

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

We embarked on Rosie's first overnight road trip over the weekend. It was a super quick trip up to Seattle for Friday night and then to Puyallup for a football game on Saturday afternoon.

We weren't really sure how it would go, but the little one alternated dozing with wiggling contentedly the entire drive to Seattle with just a tiny bit of unrest toward the end.. The hotel stay went reasonably well, though it would have been better if little girl could have had a dark, quiet space.

We had to leave the game after the first quarter to head back down the highway to make it home for bedtime. I almost wish we could have stayed a little longer to see the rest of the game, take in the sights of Seattle and visit with friends, but it was good to come home too.

We learned one thing for certain -- our days of packing light seem to be a thing of the past.

Though Kyle is super sherpa, I wasn't exactly walking light -- I managed the play and pack, the laptop and the baby. Goodness knows why, but we really didn't want to make two trips.

This trip marked the end of football season and the beginning of two-day weekends for the foreseeable future ... though we've managed to fill every one until December ...

Here's to a successful road trip.

Recent Favorite

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Friday again already! Kyle commented earlier this week that his days can go slowly, but his weeks seem to go quickly.

I joked today that when I submitted my request for a budget increase at work I should have asked for six more hours in each day.

Despite the massive evaporation of minutes, days, hours, weeks, we recently took the time to be together as a family and enjoyed a tasty pizza at Earth Oven Pizza and then a walk around the neighborhood.

This incredible tree is one of my favorite scenes in the neighborhood.

It's nice to see something so strong and beautiful -- especially on the weary days.

The weekend is another work-filled one, but hopefully we'll find time for a fun adventure or two.

Here's to six more hours in the day!

In the Kitchen

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

I thought our beans and rice challenge would end on October 31, but Kyle is still going strong. Wednesday's dinner was a delightful variation on squash soup served with the most heavenly homemade bread.

What a wonderful meal for a dreary autumn night!

Kyle's Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 buttercup squash
4 cups cooked garbanzo beans
3 Tbsp butter
2 small onions diced
2 carrots diced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 quarts water
2 Tbsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
Pinch of cayenne
1 cup brown jasmine rice
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Quarter, deseed, and bake squash at 415* for 1 hour.

Letsquash cool, and then remove the skin. Puree squash and 2 cups of the beans infood processor or stand mixer.

Meanwhile heat butter in a large, thick bottomedstock pot, when the butter is melted add the onion and carrot. Cook onion andcarrot until onions are translucent, add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.Then add the bean and squash puree. Mix well and add water. Whisk the puree andwater until well incorporated. Add the salt, pepper, and spices and simmercovered for one hour.

Remove cinnamon stick. Add rice andcontinue to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the remaining 2cups of beans. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Here's to keeping up with the challenge!

A Bib Tutorial | Pinterest Challenge

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I took Tuesday off work to recuperate from the big weekend. I feel a little silly typing that, because there is honestly no recuperating from the kind of tired I am this week. Even Kyle is dragging a bit. It will likely be a week or so before we're back on our regular routine.

That said, I had an absolutely lovely Tuesday and got to visit with two of my favorite friends and their kiddos. What I didn't get to do is come up with a good project for the Pinterest Challenge.

I considered a few projects and weighed my odds of being able to complete them successfully. I've been really wanting to try my hand at replicating this fabric trash bag for my truck and this tea-packet wreath is just super fun.

I had pretty much settled on the trash bag and was digging through my fabric stash, when I came across these pajama pants.

These were a holiday gift a few years ago from my mom or my sister (I'm sorry I can't remember who). I loved them until this happened.

For a minute I was nearly derailed from my Pinterest Challenge quest by thinking I could repair the pants for further use. But alas, I know flannel is far too vulnerable once it gets old and will just tear again. Plus, I realized the width of each leg was just big enough to make a bib.

Okay, this is where I pause to disclaim that if the Pinterest Challenge were a competition, I'd be cheating. I technically already posted about sewing bibs. But it's not a competition. So it's okay to re-post about bib-making? Not sure ... My previous bib post was fully Pinterest-inspired, so I think it is okay.

Anyway, I forged ahead by selecting some terry cloth, slicing out a section of flannel and laying everything out.

Once I wrenched my way through the cutting (I really need better scissors if I'm going to do this sewing thing!), I stitched it together with the wrong side of the flannel out.

Now, I could pretend the use of blue thread was for some pure asthetic reason, but honeslty I was just too lazy to change the thread in the machine.

After I turned the bib right side out, it looked like this:

With a few quick passes of the iron I was ready for top stitching. Voila!

The last step was inserting the snap. I bought a snap tool over a year ago and just recently starting using it. I love it! I want to put snaps on everything.

This is where a super cute photo of my little one wearing the bib would fit nicely, but she was already fast asleep by the time I got around to starting my project. Oh well. See Tuesday's post for a cute kid picture.

Here's to Pinterest -- where else are people going to catalog their kitten photo collections?

In Other News:
We forgot to wish our friend Brian a happy birthday on Tuesday. Hope it was a good one!

Pinterest Challenge was issued by Young House Love, Bower Power, Ana White and House of Earnest.

All Souls Day

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a fairly low-key affair around the Calus-McLain house.

Our stance with the wee one is that she'll dress up for Halloween when she's old enough to ask for a costume -- so it was business as usual on Monday night.

We had about four groups of kids come by, but there was no shortage of candy for them or, more importantly, for us.

Though we didn't make a fuss for Halloween, we have been trying to soak up all autumn has to offer.

Here's to the best of the season.

In it to Win it

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend we held the biggest function of my work year. In an effort to make everything just a little easier, Kyle, Rosie and I stayed on campus for a few nights. This was my ninth time working with an event this big and I suspect it was the biggest. Though there are always little hitches, most people walked away radiant.

We worked really hard, but the biggest contributor to the smiles on the faces of our guests was this.

The final score was 44 to 25 and our first victory after reinstating football last year. Suffice to say, it was really exciting.

Here's to winning.

Recent Favorite

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't been home as much as I'd like lately, but in my time at home I've happened to notice our Christmas cactus is about to spring forth in blossom.

This plucky little plant was a gift last winter from a former student assistant of mine as a token of appreciation after I wrote her a letter of reference for graduate school. It bloomed shortly after she gave it to me and I honestly didn't expect it to survive much past that.

We stuck it in our dark blue downstairs bathroom and sporadically water it straight under the tap. Somehow that treatment has lead to our being blessed with blooms a second year.

In the midst of an absolutely consuming week, it is nice to take a moment and appreciate something wonderful and pretty.

Here's to thriving in the face of great challenge.

Fired Up

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week Kyle scratched an important item off the house to-do list. Way back in February I mentioned we needed to buy a fire safety ladder. This remained on the list until the Lowes circular arrived in our mailbox this week and featured a sale on fire safety ladders.

The ladder hooks on the window frame when in use and compacts into a case when not in use. We will most certainly rest easier knowing this simple device is tucked under our bed.

Now we just need to replace all our smoke detector batteries! It is recommended these batteries get changed when clocks are set back in the fall. We've got a couple of weeks to get organized before we hop on a battery-changing schedule.

Here's to cautious home improvements.

Working for the Weekend

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

We've reached the week in the year when pretty much everything must fall to the wayside to make way for my work. Amazingly we've been at this point eight times prior and always managed to come through unscathed.

Unfortunately it means all non-work projects are on hold, but we'll get back to the house eventually.

My job can sometimes seem a tad bizarre. Last week I had occasion to search my email archives for the word "ravioli," which turned up 27 messages. That is a lot of email about ravioli.

I was also part of a conversation that involved the question, "When are we going to hang the disco ball?"

And on Tuesday night I had the joy of doing some work shopping, which involved purchasing six cans of spray paint and 300 feet of holiday lights.

After shopping I enjoyed a lovely meal with Kyle, put the little one to bed and then got down to the business of wrapping gifts.

In two hours I managed to tackle 31 coffee mugs. I think I only have 14 left to go, but my own bed time was more important.

So, that's work. Or at least a tiny slice of it.

Here's to the busiest week of the year.

Challenge

2011-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago I was feeling a tad guilty about some extra spending -- nothing major, just enough to cause buyers remorse. Kyle tried to tease me about it by claiming we were going to be forced to eat nothing but beans and rice for the rest of the month.

Banter ensued and about ten minutes later we decided to see if we could meet our own "beans and rice challenge." In the last two weeks nearly every one of our evening meals has been based around beans and rice.

We haven't been limited to a single type of beans or rice and the result has been fresh and exciting new dishes every night.

In addition to vegetarian taco salad we've also had chili, bean & rice minestrone, Cuban beans & rice, red beans & rice, fried rice, Indian lentils & rice, garbanzo bean & rice curry, re-fried black beans and rice and more.

The "challenge" has really been for Kyle more than for me. I eat what is put on the table, but Kyle is tasked with creating delicious and varied meals each day. So far I'd say he's passing the challenge with flying colors.

Here's to culinary challenges.

The Farm

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

We spent Sunday afternoon at Kruger's Farm. Located on Sauvie Island, near Portland, this working farm offers annual fall amusement.

Somehow we didn't remember the corn maze costing $6 per visitor last time we were there, but perhaps our fond memories are causing deflation. We had a lovely time with friends, even though we skipped the corn maze.

We also managed to buy some cooking pumpkins and squash as well as some delightful ales from Captured By Porches Brewing. We wrapped up the outing with a decadent caramel apple.

It was great to see friends and kids -- between the four families there were six little ones out for the day. We hope for many more such excursions as the kids grow.

Here's to the great pumpkin.

(Not pumkin or punkin.)

Recent Favorite

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by a reporter for the student newspaper at work. During our conversation she said, "I love giving tours to alumni because I love talking to old people."

I had to politely remind her I am an alumna. Then I wondered if she thought I was old.

A few more weeks like the last several and I will be old.

Here's a shot I captured with my phone while walking across campus this week.

Though I am exhausted, I haven't been too busy to appreciate the blue skies and crisp leaves. Kyle and Rosie have been out and about in the neighborhood enjoying the sunshine too.

Here's hoping the weather holds for a few more weeks!

Number Nine, Number Nine

2011-10-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago Kyle and I said hello for the very first time on a blind date. Neither of us had any clue our lives were about to change forever.

In the ensuing years we've shared many dinners, bike rides, walks, hikes,drives to the beach, late night conversations, books, movies, television and trips. We've shared challenges and joys. We've had fun and we've grown up.

This year seems like a particularly special year. The little one has permeated both our lives so thoroughly we're positively glowing. I'm not sure there has ever been a more contented anniversary date night.

Here's to the next nine!

Project Baby Gift

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

I find I have been crafting up a storm over the last week. Some of my work is intended as a little one who is expected to arrive this winter, but I've also found time to make a few things for our own little one.

I started off by making a batch of freezer stencil onsies and lap shirts.

Although I have infinite possibilities available, I continually come back to these same five favorite designs. The little guy in the bottom right corner is hard to see, but he's a super sweet robot.

This batch of shirts is destined to be a gift, but I couldn't resist making Rosie a few to keep.

We've lately learned our wee one is powerfully good at turning on the water works. Not tears, but serious, shirt-soaking drool. Kyle is still bristling from the lecture he received from a perfect stranger who wanted, needed to provide advice on the matter.

This coupled with the inability to resist these incredibly cute bibs by Purl Soho lead me to creating a few bibs to gift.

But of course I had to do a practice run on a bib for Rosie.

I've got more craft project ambition than I have time, but hopefully I will find a few more minutes to spare this week.

Here's to hand-made baby joy.

In Other News:
Today Kyle and I celebrate nine fabulous years together.

Defective No More

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Behold the most extraordinary site our neighborhood has seen in oh ... about nine months!

If you don't know why this scene is absolutely remarkable, you haven't been to our house this year and seen this:

I really wish this was a post detailing how we taught ourselves how to replace our damaged sidewalk. But it's not.

City workers turned up late last week and in two days corrected a problem we spent 18 months pondering. We had the best of intentions to fix the sidewalk ourselves -- or at least pay someone to handle it -- but we were overwhelmed and frankly a tad distracted with other things.

We're bracing ourselves for the bill from the city, but it honestly feels nice to be done with it.

Here's to a long problem finding a resolution, even if it isn't perfect.

What a Wonderful

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend was absolutely the polar opposite of last weekend. Although I did have to work Saturday night, the remainder of the weekend was spent in lazy luxury lounging around. Kyle and I each found time for a few small projects and no small amount of relaxation.

On Sunday night, as the weekend was evaporating before our eyes, we went for a walk in the neighborhood. As we meandered in the weak autumn sun, I couldn't resist snapping up a few fallen leaves.

And later I couldn't resist making them into a simple centerpiece.

If only every weekend ... heck if only ever day could be as lovely as the last two ...

Here's to lazy days and simple joys.

In Other News:
We completely overlooked extending our hugest congratulations to our friends Katie and Paul on the birth of their daughter Bailey! Welcome little one and congratulations to big sister Bella.

Also, we have enormous birthday wishes for my brother Bob, who celebrated on Saturday.

Recent Favorite

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Friday already? My how this week has flown by. I was only kidding last week when I wished for the weekend to arrive again quickly.

I've been a tad too busy for photos lately, so this one is a few months old. I snapped this from the window at my friend John's apartment.

I love our farm house dearly, but should we ever give it up I want a view like this one!

It's been a crazy six weeks since I returned to work with barely a minute for friends. I do hope I'll see them again soon ... when 50 and 60 hour work weeks stop swallowing me whole. In the mean time I will take solace in loving my job and coming home to my wonderful little family and our fabulous house.

Here's to friends -- I miss them so.

Garden Update

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure the passers-by now refer to our house as the creepy tomato house.

Our front yard has essentially become one giant mass of tomato plants. Kyle has preserved 2.25 gallons of sauce, three gallons of whole tomatoes, 1.5 gallons of salsa a three pounds of dehydrated tomatoes. You'd think after all that we'd be done, but no -- the fruit keep coming!

Our two apples are just about ready to harvest. I think we're just as tickled by our two apple crop as we are by our bushels of tomatoes.

Elsewhere in the garden we've got volunteer chard, beets and radishes. Not much has changed. I was delighted by these broccoli blossoms.

I've been wondering if this will be my last garden post for 2011. It's hard to believe there will be anything to say about the garden come the second week of November. We will just have to wait and see.

Here's to the Willamette River Valley and its insanely long growing season.

Previous Garden Progress
May 18
June 16
July 14
August 15
August 17
September 12

All About Rosie

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our Rosie just turned four months. The past two months since our last post all about Rosie have been an incredible joy.When we approached three months What to Expect told us we were entering "the golden age of babyhood." How true this is!

Rosie has continued to meet many new friends and family, though not at the rapid pace of the first two months. Some two months ago we had the occasion of attending the family reunion of descendents of Kyle's maternal great-grandparents. At this reunion our branch of the tree is expected to wear white. Wee ones are not exempt.

When Rosie was twelve weeks old I returned to work. With my return to work came the start of football season. Rosie has already attended more football games than I had in my entire life up until last year.

Over the past couple of months we've discovered our little one is quite a chatterbox. Most mornings she welcomes the new day with jubilant shouts -- once she's ready. She does quite the opposite if we rush her out of bed.

Bath time is another favorite time of day. Around two months we started incorporating baths into the nightly bedtime routine. What fun! Each night we're treated to a show of huge grins and happy splashes.

Sometime in the last month Gordon has decided to pay attention to Rosie. It is rare for us to place her on the floor without Gordon crowding in for a snuggle. Who can blame him, really?

Also in the last month Rosie has discovered her hands. In addition to hanging on to us when she's held and staring in utter fascination at her palms, pretty much everything now goes in the mouth.

Rosie is still rocking the fiftieth percentile at 13 pounds, 7.5 ounces -- a few ounces shy of six pounds over her birth weight. She continues to be a petite little thing at 23.5 inches.

Here's to hands -- especially tiny ones.

Previous Updates All About Rosie

Two Weeks

Two Months

In The Kitchen

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Monday's dinner was a savory favorite. Kyle purchased glutinous black rice at the Asian grocery store Uwajimaya, but we also found it in the local grocery store in my home town.

Kyle's Purple Risotto

2 cups glutinous black rice (sticky black rice)
1 shallot
4 tbsp butter
½ cup white wine
1 quart vegetable stock
½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)

Soak rice for 6 hours. Drain and rinse soaked rice.

Meltbutter in large pan or stock pot and cook shallot until translucent. Add riceand continue to cook over medium high heat until rice begins to crisp.

Add wine;continue stirring until the rice absorbs the wine.

Add ½ cup of the vegetablestock, continue stirring until the rice absorbs the stock. Continue addingvegetable stock ½ cup at a time until the risotto is cooked; the rice should befirm but not crunchy and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Slightly more orslightly less vegetable stock may be required.

Turn off heat add parmesan, stiruntil melted add heavy cream, stir and serve.

Here's to gobbling up all the leftovers two hours after dinner.

Whirlwind Weekend

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! In total our cumulative driving distance added up to 300 miles. Not exactly a rejuvenating weekend, but we fit in some fun.

Kyle kicked off the weekend by spending Friday evening with friends while I worked two reunion dinners.

Saturday we were up and in the car early to host a tailgate party before the alma mater played Willamette University. On our return trip we made a quick stop to visit Kyle's sister and then headed home where we tag-teamed bedtime so I could pop over to the fabric store for some craft supplies. Once the little one drifted off to sleep we watched a movie and then cleaned like mad.

I got to catch my breath a little on Sunday morning while Kyle brewed a batch of beer. Then my college roommate, Denny, who is visiting Oregon from Maui, came by for a visit. She, Rosie and I enjoyed coffee and a walk around the neighborhood. After we said our good byes to Denny it was back in the car for us and we zoomed off to a birthday party for Kyle's uncle.

Whew! It was all I could do to keep my eyes open by the end of the day Sunday. There wasn't a spare second all weekend for projects of any kind!

Here's to hoping for next weekend to arrive quickly!

Recent Favorite

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

When I returned to work last month I entered the beginning of "fire season" for my office. The calendar was loaded with 13 events, including our largest of the year, all within my first two months back at work.

This weekend marks the half-way point of this slew of activity. After this we have just four more week until "weekend" truly means two days off.

Here's a cheerful orange bloom to break things up.

I snapped this on a recent neighborhood walk. It was after a rain, but before it seemed like the rainy days were here to stay.

Though I have to work this weekend, we're making it a family affair and we plan to sneak in some fun in between.

Here's hoping all our readers enjoy a fantastic fall weekend!

In the Kitchen

2011-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night dinner still has my mouth watering.

This incredible pizza featured chard from our garden and an absolutely delicious sun-dried tomato pesto sauce made with tomatoes from our garden. It also included crimini mushrooms, kalamata olives, mozzarella and feta cheese.

It goes without saying, there's nothing left of this pizza.

Kyle's Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

2 cups dried tomatoes
1 cup grated parmesan
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup white wine
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Incorporate all ingredients in a food processor. Add moreolive oil if too thick.

Here's to home-grown, then home cooked.

Chalk it Up

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

I hope it's not strange to mention I do some very productive thinking in the shower every morning. Nearly every day I think at least two thoughts I wish I could remember for more than five minutes.

Unfortunately these thoughts usually zip right out of my head the minute I step out of the shower.

With the chalkboard paint still on hand from adding labels to Kyle's canisters earlier this week, I thought I'd work on a method for documenting stray shower thoughts.

Our upstairs bathroom has a funky, old-school three-paneled mirror concealing the medicine cabinet.

I have no idea how old this cabinet is, but I think it's safe to say it is older than we are.

It's kind of an ugly old guy and definitely on the mental chopping block should we ever drastically renovate. Since we're not terribly attached it was easy to make the attempt at turning the back side of one of the mirrors into a chalkboard in a "let's see what happens" kind of project.

I am delighted with the end result.

The metal interior of the cabinet took the paint really well. I started the process with a thin coat which we let dry over night. Kyle added a few more thin coats while I was at work and in less than 24 hours we had a super fun chalkboard which is easily tucked away be closing the cabinet.

Now I just need to work on actually accomplishing the tasks on the list!

Here's to writing lists. And to finding new spots to put them.

In Other News:
We were terribly remiss in neglecting to wish a happy birthday to my friend Kylie earlier this week. We sure hope it was a good one!

Project Zero

2011-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Though we're long on project ideas lately we are very short on project action.

For the sake of having a post, I thought I'd share something we're not the least bit short on.

Assuming no one wants to read my to-do list from work (which is horrifyingly not short), I offer you exclusive, never-before-seen photos of our fantasticly fun little one.

If those weren't enough, here's a few more.

Here's to life-work balance. May I find it one of these days.

Everything in its Place

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

We spent Sunday afternoon preparing a meal for our friends Cecily and Kellen in honor of their new little one. This reminded me of the meal Kyle recently made for our friends Brita and John and their little ones. (Quite the baby boom around these parts!)

While Kyle was preparing the former meal he came as close as Kyle ever gets to a breakdown. He kept thrusting two jars in the air and shouting, "I can't tell the difference between semolina flour and corn meal!"

He eventually found a resolution and vowed to clean up the pantry. Here's what our staples cupboard looked like a month ago.

After Kyle devoted a day to putting things right, the cupboard looked much better.

Hooray! Kyle boosted the organization with the addition of those white ceramic canisters. We picked up six of them at Goodwill for $2-$3. Upon Kyle's request I added some chalkboard paint labels.

Such a fun addition!

Hopefully this will help with future semolina flour versus corn meal conflicts.

Here's to an organized kitchen.

Recent Favorite

2011-09-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOOM!

The city has recently begun work to replace the sewer and water pipes under our street. This has made for some incredibly loud days for Kyle and Rosie. It has also resulted in some creative ways to get home when the streets are blocked.

I was particularly delighted to wake up to this scene one day recently.

I know a few little boys who would have found this site to be absolutely stupendous. Rosie is a smidge too young to appreciate the excitement. We're trying to keep our good humor about it. Windows rattling and all.

Here's to this season's sewer pipes. Clearly the old ones just weren't stylish any more.

A Day's Work

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Back when I was on leave and coming up with a never-ending stream of decorating ideas, I occasionally wondered how Kyle would spend his non-housework, non-baby-tending minutes. I kind of suspected Kyle wouldn't using his time to decorate.

I now realize this was a totally ridiculous thing to wonder about. Of course he would spend those minutes throwing together gourmet meals!

Each day I am sent off to work with a tasty lunch, which often includes an incredible sandwich. Yet, in the month since I have returned to work we have not purchased a single loaf of bread.

Here's why:

Yep, Kyle bakes bread every week. I have become seriously addicted to this quinoa bread.

You might ask -- what is better than sliced bread?

Why chocolate cake of course!

Have I forgotten to mention Wednesday's supper of Cuban Black Beans and Brown Jasmine Rice? Well I should say, it was fabulous.

Here's to having my own private chef.

Sick Day

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I awoke feeling quite unwell. As a result I burrowed under the covers and stayed home from work.

While I slept this took place:

I was peacefully unaware that this was about to take place:

I awoke midday to discover the great tomato sauce stench of 2011 had been unleashed. I'm still recovering from last year!

Thankfully the process was quick and the smell faded leaving us with seven pints of sauce.

Here's to canning season. May all the smells fade quickly.