Mia Zucca

A Bouncing Birthday

2010-11-26T07:00:00.007-06:00

In the sake of fairness, my first baby needs some blog space. She had a birthday and now she is 5.

TY!

2010-11-25T18:49:00.005-06:00

Thank you cards for the bebe. I'll never get tired of designing cards.

Ta daaa!

2010-11-21T09:05:00.007-06:00

We are finally into a routine with this little boy. He arrived in the Summer and we named him Kieran. The name was quite a debate in the end, Theo, Kai and Spenser were also my favs.

It's funny how much you forget about having a baby and how much comes back so easily. I put him in his crib the other night and though about how special it is to have a baby in the house. It's hard to keep that in mind because they are so much work but I'm trying to savor every minute.

What's in a name?

2009-12-31T08:55:00.009-06:00

Lots going on our end... a little baby boy is due this summer. Wow, typing that out almost makes it feel real. G's been working really hard on name ideas for him. Do you think he'd mind being called Curly Watermelons? I'm not sure why but finding the right boys name isn't easy. Got any suggestions for us?

No-sew pillow

2009-12-04T15:08:00.018-06:00

Hiya all, been missing this blog so much. My camera went kaput. I managed to salvage a few projects I will share with you. A very nice friend has lent me her camera to try out so I should be able to get back into the swing of things now.

This is a no-sew pillow inspired by the no-sew fleece blanket kits you find at craft stores. My neighbors daughter is so adorable and she loves to make stuff and draw pictures. She sketched out a pillow design one day and I decided to try and turn it into a craft project for her. The no-sew idea came about as a way to make it easier for her to put it together.

I bought:
1 16" pillow square
2 yards of fleece for the pillow
1/2 yards of fleece for the initial

For the initial: I printed out a letter A on copy paper. I Cut it out of the paper and traced it onto the wrong side of the fabric with a sharpie. Be careful to flip the letter the wrong way around when you trace. I then cut out the initial from the fabric and sewed it to the center front face of the pillow.

For the Pillow: Cut the fabric in half and lay both sides together, right sides facing out, measure 17" for the pillow and add 7" around each side for the fringe making the total square to cut 24". Using a fabric pen I traced the center 17" for the pillow and cut fringe around the edges 7" long and 3/4" wide all the way around, cutting through both pieces at once. Separate the pieces and lay the pillow in between. Tie the fringe pieces together in a knot, pulling tight to close any gaps.

2009-11-06T09:33:00.008-06:00

Pomegranate seeds are really yummy except for the crunch. Is it o.k. to admit I spit the seeds out? They burst in your mouth like caviar except without the disgusting salty fish taste (sorry caviar lovers). They are so pretty too like little edible rubys. c.

Telltale

2009-11-01T17:55:00.032-06:00

We had a little outing to MCA over the weekend. I still maintain that if you can keep your child from touching the artwork (which can be hard, I realise), that modern art is kid friendly.

Kids get a kick out of rooms transformed into psychedelic inspired spaces, alien shapes planted in the center of nothing and piles of random stuff. Ok, well I mean, she did say her favorite part of the day was the cookie at lunch time but I know she got a kick out of the rest. There was smiling, laughing and running, the telltale signs of amusement. So we focused primarily on the Liam Gillick exhibit because 1. it was cool and 2. the main exhibit starts n-e-x-t weekend. Never mind, it was still great. Gillick uses architectural sculptures, plexiglass and color to transform spaces that are intended to reflect on the gap between utopia idealism and the real world and in my opinion feels like surreal world. What's not to love?

And our Halloween was super great. I wish I had photos to share but my camera is not working properly, which is part of the reason I've had some time off here. It was a cheap-o camera to start with. You know, you get what you pay for and for my camera, well it was free. c.

Fall flowers

2009-10-14T08:13:00.004-05:00

Some years the leaves get ripped from the trees really early by a big storm. This year it seems to be maturing slowly and quite beautifully. We can see the geese going south and want to join them. c.

2009-10-13T10:23:00.006-05:00

We celebrated a few birthdays around here recently. G is now 4 and our dog turned a year older but she feels it's not ladylike to share her age with you. Dog years are not exactly fair.

I've been swamped with invitation work.

Some crafts to do in Spanish. They are the creative ideas of a woman who teaches Spanish through crafts and songs to little ones.

I heart caramel apples

2009-10-06T13:01:00.010-05:00

So I have a really, really big weak spot for caramel apples with peanuts. Growing up my mom used to melt a bag of caramel squares, unwrapped in a double boiler with a splash of milk. We used popsicle sticks to dip the apples in. It really was so much fun. I might try a recipe from scratch over the weekend because g's not fond of the peanuts. I tried to explain to her from many different points of view what she was missing but she would not budge. c.

Perusing the pumpkin patch

2009-09-28T08:26:00.006-05:00

I really love Halloween. I have to admit I'm a little more into the cute than the creepy but a nice mix of both will do just fine. Sort of like these lumpy orange pumpkins and the moldy looking green ones. Don't you just love them? We didn't get any yet, can't bring myself to buy them until it's at least October.

Then there was some kite flying. In the world of a three-year-old this is beyond cool. c.

Already?

2009-09-21T08:03:00.025-05:00

Goodbye summer, it's our last day together and I'm really sad to see you go.

Today is the September equinox and so now the balance will shift from day to night.

An uninvited guest (again)

2009-09-15T10:04:00.022-05:00

My favorite little annoying friend the opportunistic Rhinovirus has arrived uninvited. One, two, three we all have it and so does anyone we've been with in the last few weeks. Who knows who gave who what but it's still warm out and warm weather colds are the worst.

I wonder if they would ever consider just putting some solids on those tissue boxes? I'm kind of tired of the flowers and abstract pastels. c.

Renegade Handmade Chicago

2009-09-14T08:48:00.033-05:00

This weekend we went to the Renegade Craft Fair. What a delicious feast of wonderfully handmade objects. I seriously wanted to buy something from every single person there and I can assure you that I had a pretty intense inner dialogue going on between my will power and my spending power.

Luckily a compromise was reached and I picked up a few cards, one from Jill Bliss who was really lovely in person and one from Bubbles Binsburry. Really cute don't you think? Oh, and the stamps are from The Small Object. So fun. The necklace by Sofia Masri and I'm wishing now I'd bought at least one more.

Two prints, Red Bird Print is from Jaime Zollars and the pink biker, sadly, for some weird reason, we have no record of the shop.

There are two more Renegade Craft Fairs scheduled for this year. Holiday sales in Chicago & San Fran. I'll be at Chicago along with will power and a spending power who will no doubt pick up the same argument right where they left off!

Color squeeze

2009-09-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Hiya

2009-09-08T13:05:00.013-05:00

Did you think we went m.i.a? Well we sort of did because we have been swamped with too much to do. Looks like things will slow down a bit now and we will have some stuff to share with you in the coming weeks.

I'm wondering how all of you are spending the last few days of summer?

Here are some of our days.

Art and the park

2009-08-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

My last post about NYC wouldn't be complete without a bit about the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle. I loved this museum it was really inspirational. It's not a big museum but it is full of really great design. There is a fantastic exhibit, Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics which was gorgeous. Again here's me with the three-year-old in tow looking at fine art, this time with porcelain laying all around. Not as relaxing as it could have been but mind blowing just the same. It's a collaboration between modern designers and some of the oldest porcelain manufactures in the world and the results are stunning. Old meets new here and something wonderful happens.

Then we made one last stop in Central Park which is just opposite MAD for a little walk, a run around the water park and a good long swing on the tire swing... 'cause Elmo lives in NYC don't you know and you never know where you might see him ;)

Sunday afternoon in SoHo

2009-08-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

No surprise here but I loved SoHo. We took the subway out from Midtown where we were staying and walked around Greenwich Village, SoHo and a quick walk through Little Italy. Nice time, lovely little cafe lunch in SoHo and a much anticipated stop at Purl Patchwork which was really wonderful.

Hot MOMA

2009-08-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I spent half a day at MOMA with a three-year-old in tow. Not exactly the best way to take it in but to her credit she did really well (and the bribe in the gift shop didn't hurt either).

I loved this exhibit by Roman Ondák, Measuring the Universe where viewers are collectively creating the art by measuring their height and marking it on the wall with their name. It was really satisfying to add g. to the wall. I've always loved performance based art.

These little metal frames hold an unknown photographer's photos. The photos are interesting to look at and so is the composition of the little frames. It might be fun to take inspiration from this and do a series of photos of one person in little vintage frames.

Song Dong's, Waste Not, displayed the contents of her mother's home that she amassed over 50 years during a time the Chinese promoted a concept of "waste not." Incredible to see it all laid out in one space. Hard to imagine what I would have after 50 years. Something to consider for sure.

NYC getaway

2009-08-19T16:28:00.014-05:00

Well, I'm not even sure where to start, except maybe to stand on top of the Empire State and exclaim, "I just went to NYC for the first time!" And there was a lot to shout about for sure. What an amazing and intense and energizing place. I think I have enough creative juice to last me a good long time.

And the heat, oh it was hot, two showers in a day hot. I kept thinking of the beginning of Spike Lee's, Do the Right Thing where he brilliantly portrays a sweltering hot day in Brooklyn. And the subway, that was a bit hotter. I feel like I've just run a marathon, had a massage and bungee jumped. I'm awake now that's for sure and I loved every single amazing moment.

Warm

2009-08-15T06:32:00.003-05:00

...taking a break until next week.

Bioluminescence

2009-08-10T16:38:00.027-05:00

Did you happen to read the article that came out last week about the discovery that people glow in visible light in really low levels? I found it so interesting. I've had a fascination since childhood with animals that can glow. They say we can't see humans glow with our own eyes but I beg to differ. When I'm with certain people I swear I can see them glow.

Here is a great video of glowing fish. c.

Saving time

2009-08-05T15:16:00.014-05:00

If I could put time in a bottle I would have scooped a bit of it in there today. We went to a town fair with some dear friends and g. saw her first parade. It was an idyllic summer day and I could tell g. was enjoying every minute of every new experience along with all the candy that was thrown her way. c.

Leek Rx

2009-08-03T09:36:00.026-05:00

I made my potato leek soup last night and the color of the chopped leeks looked so pretty. I bet you're wondering why in the world I would make that when it's 80 degrees going on 87 today. Well it's because we are trying to get over our summer colds. Yep that's right, smack dab in the middle of the highly anticipated visit from granny we got sick. I'm talking croup and bronchitis, the whole shebang. Ugh. c.

Garden love

2009-08-01T13:22:00.024-05:00

We went to the Chicago Botanic Garden with g's granny yesterday.

It certainly does inspire one to get ones hands dirty. The Circle Garden is currently planted in shades of blue and purple and it is absolutely stunning. My eyes couldn't soak up enough of it's loveliness. The color pallet was so relaxing and gorgeous, I have to try and recreate this somehow next year.

We saw lots of chubby slow moving honey bees doing their part to keep the flowers blooming. I couldn't help but think about the threat of Colony Collapse and how scary it is that we don't know what is causing the bee population to decline. c.

A visit

2009-07-28T20:55:00.019-05:00

We've got family visiting us at the moment. It's nice for g. to see her cousin and for the rest of us to be together.

Here are some scenes from our day. A view from the hotel, a boat tour on Lake Michigan, a splash at Millennium Park and a great picture of cousins. c.

Babs

2009-07-21T07:16:00.001-05:00

Looking good even when your hair is not is why you either love or hate Barbie. c.

Notes from Haiti

2009-07-20T16:20:00.013-05:00

I just read the Notes from Haiti over on the Mama to Mama site about the caps we sent in November. Thinking about one of the caps I made helping to save the life of a newborn baby is warming my heart beyond belief right now.

Some other ways to help in Haiti. c.

Relaxing

2009-07-19T17:43:00.006-05:00

We are taking it easy in between the time that work and tasks take up. I think we are caught in a perpetual state of home improvements.

How is the summer where you live? In our world it has been cooler and rainier than it should. I worry that come October we will feel it never properly arrived. c.

Lions and tigers and bears

2009-07-08T17:43:00.016-05:00

Oh my little lion sitting there second from the left. It takes a lot of courage to perform for the first time. c.

You know you want them

2009-07-02T16:15:00.046-05:00

Thinking of ways to get your hot little hands on a set of these cream cheese carrot cupcakes goddesses? I bet you are. I was going for a red, white and blue theme obviously, or was until the raspberries that were meant to adorn the fluffy little peaks like glistening red gems of patriotic spirit went all mushy while I wasn't looking. How dare them!

These little lovelies were picked up at our local bakery, but I have tried with much success when I'm feeling a lot less lazy this wonderful recipe.

Everyone got their own personal stash of highly explosive and incredibly dangerous fireworks handy? Now all I need is a 10 foot match, that'll make things safer. To this day I am still amazed that all 3 of my guy cousins emerged with 30 fingers between them, evenly distributed.

Actually the 4th of July tradition in this house is a lot less exciting. Our dog thinks that fireworks signal the end of life as we know it. By sundown on July 4th you will find us all on the floor of the closet with a dog that is in cardiac arrest munching on cupcakes. Happy 4th of July weekend to all of us here in the States. c.

Take two

2009-06-29T07:40:00.012-05:00

Waiting for ballet. Costume was on by 6 a.m. today. Last night she went to bed super excited, it's like we hit a pause button that resumed playing in the wee hours of the morning. c.

Perfect peach pie

2009-06-24T13:53:00.022-05:00

Father's Day was about baseball, swimming and pie. My neighbor made a peach pie that was incredible. She's a great cook which has a lot to do with why it turned out so good. She shared the recipe with me but it's on Cook's Illustrated which is a subscription site so unless you are a subscriber you can't access it.

She opted to skip the lattice top and instead cleverly used one of her kids play-doh cutters to create this really cute top pattern.

I promise to find and personally test some peach pie recipes to share with you in the coming week. It's a tough job but someone has to do it! c.

Early bird

2009-06-19T19:41:00.006-05:00

Happy Father's Day a little early.

I haven't been able to do my daily posts the last few weeks because work and family life have been pretty hectic. July looks like it's going to be a lot slower and I've got some project to share.

Hope your weekend is relaxing. c.

Full swing

2009-06-15T15:02:00.014-05:00

Summertime activities are in full swing around here. We did a lot with animals over the last few days which included a trip to a little farm and to Brookfield Zoo where some of the creature were real and some were not. c.

Paint

2009-06-14T09:19:00.009-05:00

We've been trying to get the kitchen area painted for a long, long time. I think you will see why from this photo. I hope to have before and after pictures (one day). c.

Filling the silence

2009-06-11T10:00:00.006-05:00

We had a blast at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago the other day. Space seems to capture the imagination of everyone. They have lots of interactive exhibits and fun movies to watch.

There was a wall of post-it notes where kids wrote down what they thought they would need if they went into outer space. Some said things like oxygen and food while others asked for books and grass and music to fill the silence.

The grounds around the museum are pretty too, offering a great view of the skyline. c.

Hi

2009-06-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I stopped myself from drawing a face on the lemon. I felt like I was becoming a bit predictable with drawing faces on edible objects. Then last night when I was done making pasta fusilli I noticed this staring back up at me. No drawing required, just a little imagination. c.

Holistic honey

2009-06-02T06:00:00.018-05:00

I started to think more about the uses for honey recently when g. had a bad cough and the pediatrician told me to give her a spoon full of honey to help calm the coughing. Reminder: Children under one year of age should not be given honey.

Yesterday I was talking with a friend who's husband had an infected cut on his finger. She told me that he used honey to get rid of the infection. Wikipedia mentions a little something about uses in medicine. She also told me that she uses it on her face to keep the wrinkles away. She has beautiful skin so I thought to myself, where can I buy a vat?

In honor of my new best friend honey I made this super great honey lemonade. It's pure summertime in a glass. c.

Play time

2009-06-01T06:00:00.015-05:00

We had a near miss with a broken nose this weekend. Falling flat on ones face on the concrete doesn't do much for little snouts.

For a little treat we made a stop at Paper Source after things were all checked out. I shouldn't be allowed in there, it's pure heaven, I want to move the entire store into my house. I was able to exhibit a tiny bit of self control and left with a few stamps to add to our collection. When I was in the store staring at a wall full of crafts dreaming up stuff g. and I could make together I said to my mom, "I really love playing with g." Then she said, "It's g. that is playing with you." So true. I wonder how old she will be when she finally says to me, "Mom I really prefer scuba diving, or mountain climbing, or playing the drums, or..."

Differences

2009-05-29T06:00:00.013-05:00

My 3 year-old is starting to notice and ask about differences in physical traits. I get lots of questions about boys vs. girls and old vs. young. One recent question about crunchy eyes, or laugh lines, had us all in stitches and probably produced a few more laugh lines.

Do you eat a lot of sweet potatoes? We really don't. Today I grabbed a few of those instead of the yellow ones. I baked them and they made the whole house smell sweet. c.

Little

2009-05-28T15:32:00.005-05:00

Like little hands sitting really still for a real manicure on the very last day of school. c.

A long weekend

2009-05-24T19:01:00.006-05:00

It's Memorial Day weekend here. We are enjoying the nice warm days, the museums, the BBQs, and some gardening. c.

Curry!

2009-05-19T06:00:00.005-05:00

I have been searching for and trying out some new recipes because I have been is a serious rut for a long time. I'm not the worlds best cook but I like cooking because I find it relaxing. The cleanup isn't all that relaxing but who's thinking ahead?

The Thai Red Curry I made last night was so incredibly delish. I followed this recipe with a few exceptions; to make it vegetarian I used firm tofu in place of the chicken, or you could use those tofu chicken strips (I am the next time I make it), I omitted the fish sauce and added in yellow peppers. I also went for the 3 teaspoons of the curry paste 'cause I like it spicy!

An exception to the policy

2009-05-18T06:00:00.011-05:00

Remember my I don't care if it's messy policy in the craft department from yesterday? Turns out that does NOT apply to cooking. Apparently I can't handle the idea of flour and sugar getting all over or the accidental ingestion of batter due to raw egg factor. "No, Watch Out, OK That's Enough, Mommy's Turn!" Kinda takes all the fun out of it.

We did have lots of fun eating the banana muffins that we made. I used this recipe and adapted it to muffins by cooking it for 30 minutes, cutting the sugar to 3/4 cup and adding a few handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the final batter. They turned out supper yummy! c.

An organized mess

2009-05-16T07:24:00.013-05:00

I had a laugh with my neighbor the other day because the ONLY thing in my house that is organized is my craft drawer. I guess that says a lot about me. This craft drawer in my kitchen functions so well. There is an anytime you want policy and an I don't care if it's messy policy (the unorganized side coming through). I got the pencil boxes from Walgreens. c.

Product love

2009-05-12T09:53:00.010-05:00

I love the line of Klutz activity books because they are so super fun and clever. I've given them many times a presents. Today we are having fun with the stencil book. It gives g. the ability to put little scenes together. Tonight we will be working on some fashion design with my neighbor's crafty 6 year old. We will let you know how that goes tomorrow! c.

Happy faces

2009-05-11T07:59:00.009-05:00

Mother's Day was relaxing. Our lilac bush is finally blooming. The best part of the weekend was that g. drew her first face. We've had nothing but random scribbles and then all of a sudden on Saturday she made people. This was my Mother's Day card, a drawing of me and g. c.

Mo drawing

2009-05-06T09:09:00.021-05:00

Yesterday while I was driving in the car victoriously listening to NPR after a battle of wills over NPR vs. some high pitched repetitive kids cd, when the celebrated children's author Mo Willems was on All Things Considered talking about why we stop drawing once we are adults.

Willems tells Michele Norris, "is that people stop when they decide they're not good at it. Nobody stops playing basketball when they realize they're not going to become a professional. The same thing should apply to cartooning."

It was a great 5 minute segment you can listen to it here. You can check out Mo's blog here.

Why not look across the table tonight at your spouse, partner, kid, dog, cat or hamster and do portraits of each other? I bet at the very least you will have a good laugh!

Check out Mo's dedicated to drawing dining room. c.

Fear No Art

2009-05-04T05:00:00.003-05:00

It's museum mania around here. This weekend we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. They are showing a fantastic exhibit by Olafur Eliasson. The 3D environments were quite something to experience. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.

There is also currently an exhibit on Buckminster Fuller that was fascinating.

"Does humanity have a chance to survive lastingly and successfully on planet Earth, and if so, how?" ~ Buckminster Fuller

And my salad by Wolfgang Puck was delish! c.

More downtown

2009-04-30T16:57:00.006-05:00

A few more shots from our Chicago afternoon.

There are so many photo ops in Millennium Park. c.

Chomp

2009-04-29T20:14:00.034-05:00

The last few days have been really hectic around here. Yesterday I got a call from a dear friend suggesting we meet for brunch downtown and I jumped at the offer. We had a great time eating, talking and playing.

After brunch we went to the Art Institute of Chicago. It was g's first visit. Auntie Linda came up with a great game.... fine the ballerina (Degas), find the lily pad (Monet), find the yellow bed (Van Gogh), it was so much fun.

Here are some picts of our day. c.

It was a mistake

2009-04-24T07:00:00.015-05:00

The Crenshaws really wish they had never agreed to let that monkey Charles live with them.

Today we are making family portraits and telling stories about them. c.

Won't you join me?

2009-04-23T12:32:00.017-05:00

Won't you join me for my favorite lunch?

Put a generous handful of green grapes in a bowl. Add a nice big dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Crumble Pecan halves over it and drizzle some honey on top. Mmmm. c.

Bloom

2009-04-20T08:37:00.010-05:00

Someone is very excited to watch the flowers bloom and the leaves bud.

I made another necklace for myself which I've worn everyday. It's blueish-greeny color goes great with my usual jeans and t-shirt uniform. c.

New arrival

2009-04-15T17:12:00.020-05:00

Some very good friends of ours will be welcoming a new puppy into their home. We are sending this card to welcome the little fella. Here are the directions for a simple origami dog card that's super easy to make. All you are going to need is glue, scissors, paper for the card and accent paper for the eyes & nose and ears & collar.

Fold one corner of the paper over and cut off the strip at the top
Turn the paper so that it's an upside down triangle and fold each corner down to form the ears
Round off the bottom of the chin
Draw or cut and glue paper eyes, nose, mouth, collar and ears
Add message under ears

Sunbeam

2009-04-14T11:19:00.002-05:00

Hold'em

2009-04-13T08:32:00.008-05:00

Some scenes from the weekend.

G. said to her granny, "If you see the Easter Bunny, hold onto him for me." c.

Little Miss Obsessed

2009-04-10T14:13:00.016-05:00

We've got a new obsession around here, Mr. Men & Little Miss. Jack was kind enough to lend us his book. The Mr. Men series was not something I read as a child so it's new to both of us. We are really enjoying all the silly stories and fantastic illustrations! My favorite being this one. ;)

A year in the life of us

2009-04-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Dear g,

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. I really had no idea what I was doing when I started it. I also had no idea how much it would mean to me. This creative outlet has become so vital to my life now. It's a little snippet of our days and our projects. It reminds me to stop and appreciate all of the little moments.

I hope someday you find it interesting to look back on these last twelve months.

Love,
Mommy

Comfort breakfast

2009-04-07T08:06:00.006-05:00

It's back to school day around here. We had a nice breakfast to fuel the noggin. Someone else really wanted it too. c.

Consider yourself obstructed

2009-04-05T07:35:00.035-05:00

Last night we really enjoyed watching The Five Obstructions. A Danish documentary film by Lars von Trier (Breaking The Waves, Dancer in the Dark) about his filmmaker idol Jørgen Leth. Leth made a 12 minute film in 1967 called The Perfect Human. The Five Obstructions is a remake of The Perfect Human done five times with a difficult set of obstructions that Leth must follow. In the first obstruction Leth must remake the film in Cuba with no set and he can't use a shot that is longer than 1/2 a second long. The result is both funny and interesting and incredibly creative.

So you may have guessed this was coming. I'm going to obstruct my dear BFF blogging buddy Lindsay. I'm going to throw five writing obstructions at her because I think she is such a creative writer.

Lindsay, in the next five posts on Wit-Craft you have to follow five obstructions in no particular order:

1. A post that does not contain the letter "i"
2. A post that tells a story without using words
3. A post that is written as your 16-year-old self
4. A post that does not use humor
5. A post that is written as if you were your husband

Berry sweet

2009-04-03T17:22:00.016-05:00

We took it pretty easy today. Or dog got her cast and cone collar off after two long hard weeks (for her more than us I'm sure). To celebrate the missing cone collar g. gave our dog a necklace. She seemed to like it and is still sporting the look.

g. and I spent some time at the Barnes & Nobel today, me with my coffee looking at cook books, her at the train table. Does anyone know how to remove the sugary sweet smell that I managed to get on the tip of my nose from reading and sniffing a Strawberry Shortcake scratch and sniff book? At first I thought it wasn't too bad, sort of like having my own private room freshener. But now it's making me feel sick and soap and water didn't seem to work. Help! c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-04-01T17:22:00.008-05:00

The following is cross-posted on Wit-Craft, Craft: Pom Pom Peeps

I ask you - what is cuter than a baby chick? Not much comes to mind! Those little fluff balls of cottony adorableness, peeping their way into my heart. I was obsessed with having my own hatchery when I was little. The hatchery has an aquarium-type of effect on me. Sort of calming and sweet. You can have a look and see if it has the same effect on you too - right over here.

Today we took some really fluffy yarn I got at Target ages ago in the dollar section; and made these really easy pom pom peeps. Never made a pom pom before, you say? Well. It's just about as easy as it gets. I found a nicely illustrated step-by-step set of instructions here.

Here's what you'll need:
Yarn. 2 beads for eyes. Felt for the beak and the feet. And 2 cardboard donuts - one smaller than the other to make the pom poms.

All you do is make the pom poms first and then glue the head on to the body. Then you cut out a triangle for the beak and glue it to the face. Two more triangles can then be glued on for the feet. And finally some more glue is used on the beads to place the eyes. c.

Get this look!

2009-03-30T16:07:00.012-05:00

Had a wonderful time celebrating over the weekend. I made Lindsay this necklace with interchangeable pendants for her birthday. To get one of your very own you can get all of the supplies at Michael's or pop over to our Etsy shop where there is one for sale. c.

Three times the fun

2009-03-27T10:02:00.009-05:00

We are celebrating three birthdays this weekend. That means lots of cake and cake and cake. Looks like I'm going to need trip to the gym on Monday.

March is playing it's usual nasty tricks on us. c.

The good and the bad

2009-03-22T16:02:00.019-05:00

We had fantastic Spring weather here over the weekend. We spent lots of time outside which felt really great.

Our poor dog has had the same surgery again because of a defect in the ligament band that was installed during the first operation. We are going nuts from worry and anger about all this. She's not sleeping at night so my husband is sleeping on the floor with her part of the time, then lifts her up to our bed and then I end up in the guest room. By the time g. is stirring at the crack of dawn we're exhausted. What a mess. c.

Can you hear me?

2009-03-20T08:06:00.012-05:00

Today is the Vernal Equinox. Do you feel balanced? I do. I remember my grandmother having me over on this day to balance and egg on one end. It really does look amazing. I spent the better half of my morning trying to replicate this with no success. Very frustrating! So I turned to my trusty pencil and paper instead. According to Wikipedia you can balance an egg any day of the year if you have enough patience. Guess that points out the problem.

It is true, however, that communication satellites can be effected today. So if we get cut off today when I'm jabbering away on my cell phone, (it might take me a few minutes to realize you're no longer there), I'll call you back!

Enjoy your balanced day! c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-03-18T13:50:00.004-05:00

The following is cross-posted on Wit-Craft, Craft: Happy Shiny Day

Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since your birthday lands on craft day we made you a shiny bouquet of flowers using homemade paint.

To make the paint mix food coloring with sweetened condensed milk. Then draw your flowers on heavy paper using a ball point pet. Paint using a paint brush or Q-tip. When the paint dries it looks really glossy.

Hope you have a super shiny day!

xoxo, c.

Cone cookies

2009-03-15T13:31:00.016-05:00

We had a fab time today making Ice Cream Cone Cookies. I found the cutest ice cream cone and cupcake shaped cutters at Crate & Barrel yesterday. I made a basic sugar cookie with royal icing. They taste super yummy.

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks soft butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon vanilla

On a low speed blend sugar and butter for 2-3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and water, blend until mixed. In a separate bowl mix the salt and flower. Using your hands kneed 1 cup of flower at a time until the dough forms.

For icing whisk together 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar with 1/4 cup water. I used a gel food coloring for the colors. c.

Fluff

2009-03-12T16:49:00.020-05:00

We are all still a bit under the weather. The dull-drum of being house bound yesterday was saved by the arrival of a box of "fluff," or hand-me-down dress-up outfits made predominantly of tulle. Yeah! c.

Rest

2009-03-12T08:14:00.009-05:00

Oh darn!! We are all sick again. Our dog is having problems too, looks like she may be facing another operation. Time to take it easy and rest. c.

Not so innocent

2009-03-10T15:45:00.014-05:00

Don't those cute little macadamia nuts look so sweet and innocent just laying there sleeping? Well they're not, oh no, they pack a real punch in the fat and calorie department. A 6 oz bottle has 126 fat grams. Isn't that always the way with things that are really delicious?

Made a fish bowl out of a box top with g. Say the words "glue stick" and her eyes start to sparkle. c.

A happy day

2009-03-09T12:07:00.016-05:00

Today is Stem Cell Day in my book because today Obama lifted the ban on the science of stem cells. I love the possibilities these lovely little cells give us for solving diseases. I'm excited for the science community to have a chance to revolutionize the way we cure disease. Here's a quote from this article:

Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases – such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.

Wouldn't that be so great! c.

Shhhh!

2009-03-06T14:04:00.025-06:00

Shhhh, it's a secret, secret code that is. Yesterday my neighbor's daughter and I worked on a secret code and then gave each other secret messages. It really was a lot of fun. Today I illustrated a code and have a PDF for anyone to download who might like to play this game with their kids. It gets a gold star for fun + educational in my book. The PDF file contains the alphabet and one secret message to decode. c.

(This secret message is for Lindsay, thanks a lot for telling one boyfriend about the other, I think you are just jealous!)

Pigtails!!!

2009-03-05T08:39:00.016-06:00

Yipee, pigtails!!! She's been asking for pigtails for the longest time but we needed to wait for the hair to grow out. Waiting is not exactly something 3 year-olds accelerate at.

It's a good reminder for me just how much feeling good about ones own appearance can do for your mood. We had a morning full of dancing and total excitement about these pigtails. c.

p.s. Lindsay please tell your husband's friend to leave my boyfriend alone!

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-03-04T11:46:00.004-06:00

The following is my post on Wit-Craft, Craft: Can Candles

Today we made some candle holders out of our canned goods. It's so simple to do and is a great recycling craft!

What you'll need:
Used cans
Nail
Hammer
Towel
Marker
Tape

First - peel the label off the can and set it aside.
Second - fill the can with water and put it in the freezer.
Freezing the water inside the can stops the can from indenting when the nail holes are punched through. I found that leaving the can in the freezer too long made the bottom of the can pop out. So you may want to check the can after a few hours to see if it is frozen to the point you need it to be.
Third - while the water is freezing, take the original can label and reverse it so that you can draw a pattern on the back.
Fourth - once the can is frozen, tape the pattern on to the can.
At this point, you may want to place the can on a towel so that it doesn't go rolling all over the place.
Fifth - using a hammer and nail, tap the nail in, following the pattern you made on the paper.
Sixth - once you are done with the nail holes, remove the pattern/paper and place a tea light inside the can. c.

Green delicious

2009-03-03T16:00:00.016-06:00

I can't seem to leave Michael's with only what I went in for. Today I found these super cute resin necklace charms. I think they are going to be really fun this summer. I use a lot of their card stock because the colors are so good (that's what I went in for). c.

Lemons, bowls and fish

2009-03-02T08:01:00.018-06:00

We've got more snow. The only family member that can appreciate this is our dog.

g. decided to look on the bright side and paint a rainbow.

I'm still focused on lemons, bowls and fish. I'm also knee deep in client work and household repairs. Yikes. c.

Stop motion

2009-02-26T07:56:00.026-06:00

Today we are thinking about hidden worlds where things are not where they should be.

There are two sources of inspiration for this, the first is the book I got Jack for his birthday Everest is Hollow which looks like it's going to be an exciting read about a hidden city. I have no way of knowing if it's a good book but perhaps Jack will let us know.

The second is my huge obsession lately with stop motion. This brilliant video I just found is so incredibly fantastic, it's illustrated by the amazing Katy Horan, music is by Yoriyos. c.

Happy Birthday Jackster!

2009-02-25T07:05:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday to you!! Hope you have a really fun day full of lots of chocolate!

xoxo,
Us

Humm

2009-02-24T17:42:00.002-06:00

Tired. This is what we do; blanket, doll, demand lots of snacks, grumpy. Humm. c.

Playing with light

2009-02-23T12:06:00.006-06:00

Last night we were all gearing up to watch the Oscars. I will admit that I love the glitz, the glam and the dresses. I must be living under a rock because I had no idea who was presenting and had not seen any of the movies but it was still fun to watch.

Last night little g. was playing in the dark with a toy that spins and lights up. The camera captures the movement in a fun way. c.

Breakfast Part 2

2009-02-20T09:10:00.011-06:00

Today we are on part two of talking breakfast. Monsieur Eggstash is the inspiration for today. I hope all of you have time for a nice breakfast this weekend. c.

Berry good

2009-02-19T07:46:00.009-06:00

I passed by these strawberries in the supermarket yesterday and they smelled so good so I bought them. Turns out they are just o.k., that's the trouble with fruits in the winter.

It's been quite a while since I worked on a card. Today Ms. Strawberry was talking to us. c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-02-18T10:21:00.003-06:00

I recently found this really fun and super easy tutorial for making these 3D flower pop-up cards.

All you need is one sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, a pair of scissors and some double-sided sticky tape. Note: I used cardstock. It is harder to work with; but I thought the results were more professional.

If you'd like to make the cards following the same tutorial I used, then go here. c.

Paving paradise

2009-02-16T07:53:00.030-06:00

Just look at this amazing view! Wouldn't it be a shame to throw a big old concrete parking lot in the background? Well that is what's being planned. My sister-in-law is working tirelessly to prevent this development. If you'd like to help conserve this green space go here and be sure to click the "Object" button toward the bottom. Thanks. c.

XO

2009-02-14T08:52:00.001-06:00

Simple addition

2009-02-12T08:26:00.013-06:00

This lavender ribbon was originally a belt. The pants it came with haven't fit in a long time but the ribbon is still hanging around. Yesterday we decided to sew it to a plain t-shirt. I just tacked the ribbon down at the side seams and in the middle of the back. It looked so darn cute and changed it into something a little more special. c.

Paper lanterns

2009-02-11T13:41:00.008-06:00

There's nothing I love more than a nicely lit room, all soft and glowing and flattering to the face. I love the warm glow that tree lights give off. So today we made mini Chinese paper lanterns in shades of pink for Valentine's Day and fixed them on to the tree lights. I used some scrap booking paper I got at JoAnn because the weight of the paper was perfect and the patterns are great.

Supplies:
Text weight paper
Scissors
Glue
Strand of tree lights

1. Cut out strips of paper that are 2 1/2 " x 5 1/2"
2. Fold these paper strips in half
3. Then cut slits in the fold - but do not go all the way to the edge - (see my photo)
4. Next, put glue on one end and wrap the other end around so that each end comes together and sticks, to make the lantern
5. Finally, cut thin strips of paper about 3" long
6. Use these strips to glue the lanterns on to the lights

Music and lyrics

2009-02-09T16:48:00.026-06:00

Last night we tuned into the Grammy awards. The night started out with Lindsay's "real" husband, Bono kicking things off. Lindsay, I have to admit there was a moment, ever so brief, when he was strutting down the catwalk, with the glasses on that he almost looked like your pretend husband. I know what you are thinking, and yes, I was sober.

There were a few great moments, like when M.I.A. was out there totally pregnant and baring it all, in all her 9th month glory. I had this sense that we've come along way from the hoochie dress and skyscraper heals. Polka dots and tennies with a basketball baby belly. I loved it.

A few tricky moments like when the Jonas brothers wouldn't stay still and were jumping all over Stevie. I'm not sure why but I could barely watch.

A few moments to savor, Radio Head, what else is there to say except they are amazing and Cold Play, I mean what's not to like? Did you catch the 60 Minutes interview? Adorable.

The very best part of all was Allison Krauss who I've loved for a long time because her amazing voice transports me to another place. Apparently Robert Plant feels the same way. I think I've listened to New Favorite more times than I care to admit. c.

Update: Lindsay put a sidesplitting rebuttal up on Wit-Craft.

Bead Counting

2009-02-07T10:07:00.015-06:00

We are still playing with beads. Couldn't help make myself a few simple necklaces. I'm still working with the beads we got at JoAnn the other day. They are strung on .5 mm leather cord held together by a spring ring (I think that's what they call them).

We're off to enjoy our first not so freezing cold day, high of 52F, yipee! c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-02-04T16:18:00.016-06:00

The following is my post on Wit-Craft, Craft: Spud Love

The potato is so versatile and there are few people out there that don't love them but when was the last time you printed with one? It's an easy and inexpensive way to get great results. Something wonderful happens when the paint meets the potato starch and voila, a really nice print.

In the spirit of Valentine's day we are printing hearts on t-shirts. Today I took two of g's plain shirts and turned them into something she can wear on Valentine's Day.

What you'll need:
Fabric Paint
Potato(s)
Cookie cutter (or you can draw freehand)
Knife and spoon for carving
T-shirt
Embroidery floss (optional)
Sheet of paper or cardboard

Cookie cutters work really well, you just simply push them through the potato. We used both the negative and positive sides to print on the shirts. If you are carving the potato you might want to etch the outline of the heart into the potato first and then carve away the heart shape.

Next, spread some fabric paint out on a plate or pallet and stamp the potato in the paint. Do a practice stamp or two on some paper first so that you get the feel of it. Before you actually do the printing, slip a piece of paper or cardboard inside the shirt so that the paint does not seep through to the back side. Once you are ready, carefully press the potato down on the shirt. Lift off slowly so that you do not move or smear the paint.

After our shirts dried, I used embroidery floss to create French knots around the heart. If you don't know how to make French knots there is a nice video tutorial here. c.

No joke

2009-02-02T15:57:00.007-06:00

Okay so I wasn't kidding the other day when I said I was wallpapering my kitchen orange. I really am. I'm a little nervous about it but what the heck. I can't believe I'm using wallpaper because I've been sort of against it (sorry paper lovers), but I may be a convert. I'll let you know once the Florida sunshine is emanating from inside my kitchen. My husband looked at me cross eyed with the news but only said, "Do NOT say you hate it after it's up." That was a warning and a fair one if you know my history with paint, and well, repainting.

Found this Jackson Pollock website when Google featured his birthday a few weeks back. It's keeping us both very entertained. c.

Bejeweled

2009-01-30T08:09:00.029-06:00

My neighbor has an adorable 6 year-old daughter who loves to make stuff as much as we do. She's got a birthday coming so we asked if she would like to come over and make a birthday necklace. I got all of my supplies at JoAnn and luckily they were having a 40% off sale on jewelry making supplies. I love when things work out that way! I ended up with an assortment of beads which are strung on .5mm leather cord. I bought the stretchy clear plastic cord first but could not get the knot to stay tied (*@#&!) so I had to restring it on the leather. The .5mm works well with the tiny beads and the braiding cord works nicely with the larger ones. Stringing beads occupies them for a good stretch of time which is a super extra bonus. c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-01-28T19:09:00.006-06:00

The following is my post on Wit-Craft, Craft: For the Birds

Do you hear that? Grumble, grumble, rumble, grumble. It's the sounds of hunger coming from our fine, feathered friends. It's the middle of Winter and it's time to treat your local birds to a tasty snack!

Today g. and I made a bird snack shack. We go through an enormous amount of milk in my house between the lattes, cappuccinos, sippy cups and cereal. Ah ... the cereal, or should I say men and their cereal ... I could and should dedicate a whole post just to that.

Anyway, pull one of your discarded milk cartons from the recycling bin and join us in making this really simple bird feeder. It only takes about 15 minutes and the birds will thank you for it!

What you'll need:
Milk carton
Scissors
Paint
Decorations (optional)
Hole punch
String or wire

Wash and thoroughly rinse the milk carton. Using the scissors, cut an opening in the front of the carton. To make a ledge cut on either side of the bottom opening - about 1/4 inch down - and fold back the flap. Paint the outside of the bird house with latex paint. Decorate with paint, sequins, glitter, stickers, etc. Fill with seed. Using the hole punch, punch a hole in the top center of the carton and use string to secure to a branch. Then let them eat seed! c.

Cabin fever

2009-01-27T16:17:00.008-06:00

Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, for an extended period. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, laughter, and excessive sleeping.

We've got that, no doubt in my mind we are suffering. I think it's been almost 3 months since we've done much of anything outside. The temps are low and the snow is hanging around. If you were to visit us, say you lived in like Florida and jumped on a plane and landed in my kitchen. You would swear you were in the twilight zone.

I'm up to my eyeballs with work and tasks but we've taken a few moments over the last week to celebrate, shop and eat. It's the only way to stay sane-ish.

I'm obsessed with the color orange and the symbolism is not that subtle. I wonder if I should wait until June to decide if it's a good idea to put orange wallpaper up in my kitchen? c.

Jumping bean

2009-01-23T12:14:00.016-06:00

I want to ask you what is more fun than jumping on your parents bed? I totally used to do it, all the time (sorry mom), flipping and flopping like I was on a trampoline. Screaming out and laughing. When g. is on my bed flapping around I just can't stop her. So as I was manically racing through my morning panicking about all the stuff we needed to get done, we stopped to do some gymnastics on the old Sealy and somehow it put the day in perspective. c.

Wit-Craft Wednesday

2009-01-21T08:01:00.018-06:00

The following is my post on Wit-Craft, Craft: Tiny Trash Town

Recycling paper is a common theme in my crafts. I get overwhelmed when I stop and think about how much paper goes to waste. It's nothing new, we've all thought about it at one time or another. I'm sure most of us are careful to use only what we need and recycle.

Today I was thinking about the mass mailer machine. You know - all of those 20% off big box store fliers, carpet cleaning offers and phone service deals that keep landing in your mail box? You don't sign up for them and you don't really know how to stop them.

So I decided to use a few I had laying around to create a tiny trash town. It's a modified version of the holiday paper town but it's actually more fun. We really enjoyed seeing how the patterns would unfold. My daughter loves making these. They look cute on my desk too.

I have a new pattern available here with instructions. This pattern fits nicely on all those mass mailer post cards we get. You can always enlarge the pattern on your copier for bigger buildings. c.

Oh yes we did!

2009-01-20T05:50:00.006-06:00

What an amazing day today is in American history. All of us who cast our vote a few months back, hoping for this day, are breathing a sigh of relief. I'm going to be glued to the t.v. today watching our 44th president take the oath of office! c.