a smartass is better than a dumbass

and boy did we raise a smart one. ken had pulled in the driveway sort of kattywompus and made if difficult for girl-child to back my car out of the garage. she scolded him and he just laughed as if to say, "i'll park where i want."

when ken and i got home from an errand the other day, this is the sight that greeted us at the end of our driveway:

she makes us laugh, that one. thanks, roo.

garden girls

i'm hoping i don't find it too difficult to knit with my new-found green thumbs.

i know some knitters who also like to grow stuff. we got together and made it a group effort. in my back yard. meet the garden girls: heather and trista.

i had to include this shot. see little fatboy in the back there?

and heather, pondering our work:

it's pretty exciting. a few weeks ago we had a planning meeting to plot out the space and list everything each of us wanted to grow. the next time we got together was our first work day. the three of us cut and built all the beds for our garden. we're going to recycle some old fencing to keep the dogs out and i'm going to build a cold frame with connected compost bin. i've even been looking at chicken coops. so if you ever run short on fresh, brown eggs, i'm your girl.

damn. i'm going to be living right off the land! kinda cool. :)

so if you need me this summer, i'll be in my chair, knitting, as the garden grows.

the patterns are calling

do you ever see a hank of yarn somewhere and know it's destiny is to become a pair of mittens for your niece, or a hat for your brother? or see a certain print of fabric and know it is meant to be an apron for your sister?

sometimes projects appear on my to-do list this way. and sometimes the creation comes first and i don't know why i made it other than i wanted to and later the recipient appears.

other times i meet someone and think, "i want to make a ________ for this friend."

this is the way it happened with a girl ken works with. she's having her first baby and this is my favorite thing to make a new baby. well, this and these.

knitting, papercrafts and babies!

paper teaser

darling friends of ours are having their first baby this year. i love making this little baby album.

here's a little teaser, Elizabeth!

baa (and brrr!)

my friend heather and i took a field trip to a sheep farm in central indiana. it was bloody cold out! we get used to some 60° weather here in the midwest then BAM! mother nature puts us back in our place. the bitch.

we had a great time in spite of the cold. i loved seeing these little tufts of green grass coming up. and the promises of daffodils.

i thought this next shot couldn't have been better if i'd said, "ok, you with the dark face, you stand over here. rusty, you stand here and you girls get in front." it was crazy how they stood there for the longest time almost posing.

yeah, we're pretty. and we knows it.

afterward, zander, the chopstick master, taught me how to use chopsticks. for reals.

he rocks. :)

latest rabbit hole

Dollar Store Crafts. Because money doesn't grow on trees.

Look at the cool stuff:

this candle tutorial rocked my world!

I'm -so- doing this for our summer bash this year!

let's play a game

and if there are games, there are prizes!

here's how you play how-much-crap-can-melly-pile-on-her-dresser?:

• guess as many items as you can from this picture
• post a comment with your contact info
• tell your friends

one of you will win some papery goodness handmade by me.

let's say you have till friday.

the 13th.

good luck!

blog o' the day

decor8

holly becker, interior design consultant and writer created decor8 to inspire those of us who missed out on the decorating gene. that's me at the front of the line.

this chick ROCKS.

check it.

i'm really more of a dog person

bakerella is a genius. an artist. cake is her medium. when she posts her creations on her blog i sit and stare in wonder at the sheer perfection on the screen. what on earth would make me think i could re-create her confections in my kitchen? why do i look at her blog and think i can do the same? her - genius. me? not so much. i mean, she's met Martha FFS!

go have a look at her Hello Kitty pops. go ahead. i'll wait. amazing, no? and not just one, but several kitties, all perfectly formed and decorated just waiting for the oooo's and aaahhhhh's. again, hers and now mine:

one kitty. and not even a good kitty at that.

disgraceful

just sad, really.

all kidding aside, i think the trouble was too much frosting in the cake. it was too dense and didn't want to stay on the stick. with the weight of the chocolate coating, it was just too much. it was like a hello kitty massacre. tasty though. :)

feeding more than one hunger today

for lunch:

pan seared scallops (first time ever in my kitchen) and parmesan risotto. mmm. . .

and some fiberliciousness:

progress on the modern quilt wrap and:

malabrigo in lettuce and fuchsia. to be a koolhaas hat and clapotis, respectively.

and the shopping has been done for these.

oh. for. cute.

someone special is having a birthday this week. as if she needs more cute. i'll let you know how it goes.

today has been good. :)