lovedog ranch

why etsy is my favorite place to shop

2012-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

As you know, we have an online shop. This post is not about that. This post is about the wonderful world of Etsy. In case you don't know, Etsy is a tiny village at the North Pole where little elves make...wait. No, that's Santa's workshop. Etsy is kind of like that, but instead of elves, actual people make things by hand, and via the magical internet (and my credit card), send them to my door.

Exhibit A:

I found these adorable mugs on Etsy. Truth be told, I probably didn't need mugs. But I didn't not need them either. And once I found them I had to have them. While I fully endorse buying local and shopping farmers markets and craft fairs, sometimes the thing you want isn't right where you are. The maker of my mugs lives in Jonesboro, Indiana. I also learned (via her Etsy shop) that her name is Audrey, she just had her first son, and she graduated from Taylor University with a major in Studio Art. And she didn't have 4 of these available in her shop, so she made them for us.

I happen to be the kind of person that finds this stuff interesting. Which is why I love buying things on Etsy. Every shop owner has a story that you can read right on their shop site. Every time I get something from an etsy shop I am pleasantly surprised. My mugs came individually gift wrapped, well protected, and ready to send (in this case these were a gift for me and Justin. From me.)

So next time you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone else check out Etsy.com. Each shop is individually "owned" so when you type in a search phrase hundreds of different shops might have what you are looking for. It's sort of like window shopping, and when you click a specific item, it's like walking into the shop. You can check out what else they have there, or you can go back out and look at all the shops again.

These are some earrings I purchased a while back from Mu-Yin Jewelry when I was searching for "silver hoops." I bought the small ones and they're great.

And here are some more shops I have purchased from, to give you a start:

Raskol Ink, SlowLoris, Back Creek Pottery, Roosevelvet, Lady Little Bird, K9 Art Gallery

Have fun! One thing I really like about Etsy, is that once you create a profile, you can mark items as your "favorite" so if you find a good gift but aren't ready to buy you can come back later and find your favorites easily. (You just click the heart at the top left corner of the image). I cannot be held responsible for all the money you spend on adorable things. But if you want to thank me for making your gift shopping super easy, you can send me presents.

One more note: This is not a paid endorsement by Back Creek Pottery or any other shop I mentioned. I just really happen to like these shops and I have had good experiences with them in the past. Also, many of you probably have known about Etsy for a while, but every now and then I get asked what Etsy is when I tell someone about our online shop. I'm a big fan of Etsy in general. The end.

Flashback to the holidays

2012-01-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

I have recently come to realize two things: 1) I take a lot of pictures. 2) My window to post Christmas vacation photos has pretty much passed. So here's the summary:

We had a fantastic Christmas week with my family. Justin, Jasper and I drove down in two days and perfect conditions: zero rain, no fog, no traffic jams. It was sunny and 60s the whole time. Almost bizarre, really. I don't really remember spending December in the sun.

I got lots of Auntie time with Avery, Nolan, and Siddori. Lots and lots of photos. I can't get enough of their cute faces. Opening presents was absolute chaos. Nolan never stops moving. And Avery never stops evading Nolan. And Siddori never stops smiling.

I also got to squeeze in some "honorary Auntie" time with Kate and Holly too (Kim, your kids are adorable). Favorite moment:

Me: So, Kim, what are Kate & Holly's favorite things right now?

Kim: That is the only outfit that Kate wears. Ever. (Kate grins). And Holly...(looks over at Holly who has managed, in the 3 seconds we were not looking, to dump a condiment cup full of ketchup all over her face)...Holly likes ketchup.

Then we drove to the Bay Area and got to hang out with one of my favorite human beings in the universe. And eat delicious sushi. And go wine tasting. So great.

Then we hit the beautiful Oregon coast. We cut off of I-5 just south of Roseburg and stayed in Bandon for New Year's Eve. What a great little tiny town. The next day we continued up the coast, stopping and marveling along the way, and stayed in Newport. I think I could have spent at least 2 more weeks camped out in our ocean view hotel rooms. I love the Pacific Northwest coast in the winter.

And now we're back to lovely (read: damp, cold, dark) Puget Sound. If anyone has a charming little vacation home in a sunny clime they'd like me to go check on I'd be happy to oblige.

You can see more road trip photos here.

Refresh: Hello 2012

2012-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

I know. That was so last week.

I'm still getting re-acclimated to rainy Seattle weather after our glorious 60 degree trip to California and the Oregon coast, and editing my way through the photos. I intend to bombard you with pictures shortly. Maybe not all 500 (seriously-- this is what owning a digital camera has done to me), but way too many, I assure you.

Chaos and respite

2011-12-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by saying: I am not complaining.

However, with that preface in mind, our shop has been insane. Justin and I have both been working late nights, him later than me, and we basically haven't seen each other since Thanksgiving. As the sole glassblower in our operation, he has been working full time from 6:30AM to 11PM. I'm off working my day job for 10 hours, and then I come home and pack up orders, respond to inquiries, relist items, (maybe some online scrabble...and play with the dog, and make dinner) and pack more stuff until I'm ready to pass out. It's nearly comical. When we do see each other we usually are laughing about how we are losing our minds, as one of us goes out the door.

Things have been so chaotic, in fact, that Justin forgot he was teaching a 2-day glass course this past weekend. So as he flew out the door 10 minutes after he was supposed to be there (and then again 5 minutes later when he remembered his wallet), it was decided that I would have to drive some of our items to the La Conner gallery. Not that I minded. So off I flew (and then again 5 minutes later when I remembered my camera).

As soon as I was out on the open highway I felt all of my stress falling away. It was a gorgeous day in Skagit Valley, or at least as nice a winter day as you can have. I took the slow back roads. It's swan season, which I've heard the farmers don't particularly appreciate, but they were pretty to see in the fields nonetheless.

I love the way the roads turn in 90 degree angles along crop lines. I love the farm stands where you just weigh the items yourself and drop the money in the bucket. And oh, the barns. The whole valley is entirely photogenic, and every time I drive up there I wonder how we can make it work to buy a farm. Any one of these will do.

It was so nice to get out of town, even for a little while. But back to work for now...

[You can view my larger photos here]

Friday Poem

2011-12-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Near the Wall of a House

Near the wall of a house painted
to look like stone,
I saw visions of God.

A sleepless night that gives others a headache
gave me flowers
opening beautifully inside my brain.

And he who was lost like a dog
will be found like a human being
and brought back home again.

Love is not the last room: there are others
after it, the whole length of the corridor
that has no end.

Copyright 1986 by Yehuda Amichai. From Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai. Edited and translated by Chana Bloch and Stephen Mitchell (1986). HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, NY

remembering and giving thanks

2011-11-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today is usually a bit hard for me, and particularly this year, as Jill would have been 30 today. It's impossible not to imagine celebrating this day with her, instead of missing her. I try to remind myself to be thankful. For the life that I have, my dear friends, and a family that I love. I really do have so much to be thankful for. I'm also grateful for the almost daily adorable and/or hilarious text photos I receive from my sisters. They are always a good reminder of joy, and living life in the moment.

grrrr...

2011-11-23T14:53:00.001-08:00

i just thought i would mention that my blog's formatting is currently making me insane. one little setting has just made most of my past posts go wonky. pictures here and there, 10 line breaks or none.... i'll fix it later. i hope.

Avery does Seattle

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, a photo recap of Avery's first visit to Seattle. I will mention that my sister does not like to fly. And this was Avery's very first flight.

So yay for both of them!

I decided to take them to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium since it was going to be a rainy day, and there are a lot of indoor areas there. Avery was pretty interested in the starfish, but there was no way she was going to put her fingers in and touch.

It was really cold (by California standards) that day, so she spent much of the visit in the cozy stroller. This picture just cracks me up.

My sister mentioned that before they got to my house, Avery asked "Will Auntie Bootie have enough toys?" Avery managed to turn the toy box into a car, and the hamper into a rocking horse. We also found one of Justin's 4 wheel dollies which promptly became a race car.

Yeah, I have lots of toys.

The next day we went to Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park in Redmond. I had never been there, but one of my friends with kids suggested it (thanks Kim!).

It has beautiful trails through the woods, and a farm.

Avery was really excited to see the "piggies".

(I can't get over how big Avery has gotten, but also how tiny she is.)

Then we headed to Seattle (or as Avery would say: We ARE in SEATTLE!)

We made a stop at Hale's Brew Pub for lunch,

and then went down to the Pike Place Market.

Of course we got some treats.

And then a quick stop by Kerry Park for the view.

Thanks for visiting Avery, Leslie, & Mom! Come back again soon!

HOW is it November already?

2011-11-21T14:31:00.001-08:00

It is currently pouring outside, freezing, and the lovely fall leaves are almost gone. It's times like these I wish we had a woodstove so I could spend the day curled up like a lazy cat. But I can't really complain...Mar will make fun because she is certainly much colder.

We've been super busy this month keeping our shop stocked (which, I realize, is not a bad problem to have...) and are almost to our 200th sale! If you want to enter our giveaway, you can "like" us on Facebook. The giveaway will be announced when we hit #200. I still can't believe it has been a year since we opened the online shop. Time flies!

I decided this summer that I would teach myself how to silkscreen...and then my silkscreening supplies sat collecting dust for months. But I finally got organized and made a few designs. I love the way they turned out! I have been spending the evenings silkscreening and we are now carrying baby onesies, and burpcloths and toddler tees will be in the shop soon. I haven't really ventured into the adult t-shirt arena yet. Part of me is intimidated by all the awesome shops out there already, and I also wonder if I would be spreading myself too thin. But I am having a blast with the kid stuff.

And speaking of kids, my adorable niece, Avery Juliet came to visit last week, along with my sister and mom. Such a fun visit. A full post about that coming soon...because I can't not share pictures of that adorable girl.

the magical month of october

2011-11-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

The month of October was pretty much awesome. I don't use that word lightly.

For starters, I went to the ocean TWICE. The first time, to the Oregon coast, entirely on a whim, with Andrea. It looked like this. The whole time. Amazing.
It was exactly what I needed in life.

The second time, to the Washington coast.

With THEM. I love them.

We spent the weekend running on the beach with four hilarious dogs, eating non-stop, sitting by the campfire, and sleeping in yurts and our nifty Lovedog Mobile. It was wonderful.

Meanwhile, I turned THIRTY.

30 is delicious, thanks to Brittany.

And then we flew kites on the beach like maniacs.
I'm alright with this getting older thing provided there are more months like this ahead.
Thanks friends for the awesome time. I love you.

The 2011 ornaments are here!

2011-10-25T07:36:00.001-07:00

Available now in our Etsy shop!

And more on the way...as soon as Justin makes them!

Clams in wine sauce

2011-09-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Things I have learned recently: Cooking clams is kind of creepy. Eating fresh cooked clams is delicious. I will somehow have to reconcile these facts.

I love seafood. However, I have never personally cooked fresh clams before. I consider myself a pescetarian, and am slightly weirded out by cooking animals in general. But how can you not be, really? I suppose I sort of knew they were still alive when I purchased them, but I wasn't prepared to hear them making noises when I cleaned them. They also make a noise when you cook them, which might be attributed to the shells opening in the heat, or them suffering in hot liquid. And because I felt guilty about all that, I almost did not eat them. That would have been a mistake for two reasons: 1) they were already dead at that point 2) they were fantastically delicious. Sorry clams.

While this is beginning to sound like an altogether unappealing post, if you decide to cook clams, I say go for it. Someone else will eat them if you don't. Here's a simple recipe if this is your first try:

1 lb of fresh clams (cleaned)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch dried parsley

1 pinch dried red pepper flakes

small bunch of fresh chives (optional garnish)

Melt butter in pan, add garlic and saute briefly. Add wine, dried herbs, pepper and clams. Steam with the lid on for about 5 minutes (until all the shells open up). Ladle clams and broth into bowls. Snip fresh chives over bowls. Serve with toasted bread, and a glass of chardonnay. Serves 2 as an appetizer or light dinner.

my favorite pie!

2011-09-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Could it really be that in all my talk of berry season and berry picking, I forgot to post my berry pie recipe? It seems I did!

LoveDog Ranch Black & Blue Pie

You will need:

4 cups fresh blackberries or blueberries or a combination of both

3/4 cup sugar (more or less to your own conscience)

3 tablespoon corn starch

2 pie shells (secret: I use store bought. gasp.)

1. Pick blackberries & blueberries. Don't skimp the triple wash. It really makes a difference!

2. Preheat oven to 425. If you are using frozen store-bought shells, pop one out of the tin to allow it to thaw flat for the top of the pie. Thaw the other in the tin.

3. Mix the berries, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Pour mixture into bottom shell.

5. Cover with top shell and use a fork to crimp edges to create a good seal between top and bottom crust. Laugh at the longing eyes of your puppy dog.

6. Use a knife to make vents. These are not just for looks-- make sure you get a good clean puncture, otherwise the filling may vent out the edges*.

7. Put pie in oven on middle rack. Lay a piece of tinfoil loosely on top of the pie.

8. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

9. Remove piece of tinfoil, and place pie onto a cookie sheet. Turn oven temperature to 350, and return pie to oven for 30 more minutes on the cookie sheet, uncovered.

10. Remove, allow to cool, and admire your lovely pie. Then EAT IT! And maybe share some with your friends.

*evidently my vents didn't "vent"... but still delicious.

hunters and gatherers

2011-09-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

I may be the gatherer at LoveDog Ranch, but this guy is clearly the hunter.

He also makes some delicious smoked salmon.

And even better smoked salmon benedict.

Perfection.

So much good stuff

2011-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

Like millions of people in small towns across America, over Labor Day Weekend Justin and I went to the fair. I don't remember the last time I went to a fair, but I had no idea it was going to be so cool. Yes, that might make me a small town hick, but this hick was impressed. Small town America knows how to have a good time. Have YOU ever seen a pig race?

There were farm animals galore--every breed of chicken, rabbit, pigeon, sheep, cow, pig, and goat. Well, maybe not every breed, but enough to overwhelm the non-farmer.

And on top of all of this, we ate ridiculous quantities of fried foods, saw a Nascar* race and a lumberjack competition (log rolling, pole climbing, ax throwing, sawing, and other things I know nothing about but which were equally enthralling). AND on top of that, a RODEO! I can't really express how much I love the rodeo. I know, Peta* will be disappointed once they find out, but rodeos are so exciting. And neither animal nor rider were injured. So everyone wins. But especially me.

If you did not have the great pleasure of attending a fair this weekend, you can look through the rest of the photos here, and better luck next year. And if you live near Puget Sound, you can still catch the Puyallup Fair!

*spell check tells me it's NASCAR and PETA but I thought I'd refrain from shouting (though I'm nearly deaf from the car race so I couldn't hear myself if I shouted anyway). And to be clear, I do not believe in injuring animals for entertainment. There is a delicate balance between the recreational use of an animal, and watching a cowboy be tossed through the air for bragging rights. In which case, I do believe the animal takes his revenge anyway.

simple + smart

2011-09-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

one of the reasons i love the blog capes, coffee, and the color orange is that it is smart and thoughtful, much like annie vp herself. it also has the effect of making me think about life in simple categories: something empowering, latest trends/addictions, and something noteworthy. today, in homage to capes, coffee, and the color orange, here are my own latest and greatest:

cape [empowering]: don't let a wishbone grow where a backbone ought to be. make it happen. even if that means one small step at a time.

coffee [addiction/trend]: s'mores in the microwave. because you don't have to be camping to want some (more). put the marshmallow on the graham cracker, zap it for about 9 seconds (so fun to watch it get huge), then add the chocolate and the top. want a super deluxe s'more? use Theo Bread & Chocolate and add a slice of fresh strawberry. delish.

orange [noteworthy]: pinterest is my new favorite internet tool. sign up for an account, download the button, and start "pinning"-- it makes it easy to collect inspiring photos, recipes, and craft ideas you find while surfing the web all in one place. check it out!

(photo pulled from ohdeedoh.com - now on my pinterest!)

Well, now I know

2011-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

If I had to walk into a book store spend $90 in gift cards immediately (or lose the $90), and that book store did not have ANY of the 20 titles I planned to purchase, what might I buy?

Evidently, these. So think of me what you will...

And maaaaybe this this somehow ended up in my bag too:

What can I say? I'm a fan of intelligent, well-trained working dogs.

Not that this adorable creature has ever worked a day in her pretty little life...

Garden fresh

2011-08-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

An excellent use of our garden zucchini. If I do say so myself.

Penne, fresh parmesan, zucchini, olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato, fresh basil. Yum.

Blackberry season

2011-08-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's officially blackberry season at Lovedog Ranch...

which also means:

blackberry jam!

I can't wait to eat it. Last year I gave away all but one tiny jar for us, which we promptly consumed. But this year I wised up. Not only did I make 16 jars of jam, but I'm keeping 4 for me. Ahem. I mean, us.

Happy Birthday Nolan!

2011-08-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this guy is already ONE.

Time flies. And Nolan runs. Everywhere.

I had the absolute joy of attending Nolan's first birthday. It was an adorable outdoorsmen theme. Very appropriate for the son of an avid flyfisherman.

Though he started off a little intimidated by the paparazzi...

...he wasted no time diving in to the cake.

Cousin Avery came to celebrate Nolan's big day too,

as well as Grandpop, and all the rest of the family.

And there were presents galore. But Nolan's favorite part...

was the wrapping paper, of course!

Nolan, thanks for being a riot all year long. From the moment you appeared in this world you wanted to run, run, run, and we look forward to all of your adventures full speed ahead!

Friday Poems!

2011-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

On the one-ton temple bell
a moon-moth, folded into sleep
sits still.

- Yosa (Taniguchi) Buson

Japan

Today I pass the time reading
a favorite haiku,
saying the few words over and over.

It feels like eating
the same small, perfect grape
again and again.

I walk through the house reciting it
and leave its letters falling
through the air of every room.

I stand by the big silence of the piano and say it.
I say it in front of a painting of the sea.
I tap out its rhythm on an empty shelf.

I listen to myself saying it,
then I say it without listening,
then I hear it without saying it.

And when the dog looks up at me,
I kneel down on the floor
and whisper it into each of his long white ears.

It's the one about the one-ton
temple bell
with the moth sleeping on its surface,

and every time I say it, I feel the excruciating
pressure of the moth
on the surface of the iron bell.

When I say it at the window,
the bell is the world
and I am the moth resting there.

When I say it into the mirror,
I am the heavy bell
and the moth is life with its papery wings.

And later when I say it to you in the dark,
you are the bell,
and I am the tongue of the bell, ringing you,

and the moth has flown
from it's line
and moves like a hinge in the air above our bed.

- Billy Collins

Bumper crop

2011-08-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just picked, washed, sorted, trimmed, blanched, rinsed, dried, and bagged 12 quarts of green beans for the freezer, and we still have soooo many more. Thank you Justin for being overly ambitious with the planting this year. We will be eating green bean casserole all winter long. And I'm sure green beans will show up in every soup I make. Your favorite green bean recipes welcome!

happy birthday kelly b!

2011-08-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

Not only did we get to go climbing with Kelly and Yann, AND celebrate their wedding, but we ALSO got to celebrate Kelly's birthday! You may have heard a lot about Kelly on this blog. Allow me to explain: Kelly is the kind of person you would love to be friends with. She is a beautiful, kind, adventurous person. When she climbs she is extremely focused and totally fearless. She is a ball of energy, genuinely cheerful, and makes everything we do together fun. She is also has a delicate side, and is very thoughtful and giving. Combine this with the fact that she is stylish, a great cook, and appreciates a good IPA and you have a universally awesome friend. (Also, she and Yann have an amazing apartment in Paris.) I considered it a privilege to throw her birthday party out at the farm.

Unfortunately in the midst of hosting the party, I completely forgot to take pictures. So here are the few I did take, and I'll hope some others took more photos than I did!

Keeping with Kelly's wedding theme and the style of our house, I went for a farm chic decor. I made a bunch of table runners out of blue and white ticking, as well as some coordinated seat cushions and a bench cover. I used some fabric scraps to make twine garlands all throughout the house. I also printed some photos from the reception and displayed them on twine with clothes pins, as well as various other places in the house.

I also sewed a banner out of the ticking, and re-used the signs I made for the reception in the house and on the deck. (I gathered these up afterward. You get the idea!)

Most of the party took place out on the sunny front deck and in the garden.

It was fun to have so many little ones at the party. Alicia's oldest even asked if he could stay for a slumber party. I took it as the highest compliment.

Per our typical party protocol, we set up the slackline. (Kelly shows us how it's done- with her usual grace and style.)

Then it was time for the official Happy Birthday song (you can't get out of it, even when you turn 30)...with sparklers!

For dessert I made a black- & blueberry cobbler, with vanilla ice cream. Sarah also roasted some strawberries and Amanda brought a batch of her famous brownies. Decadent. And I didn't even mention all the other food we consumed (feta-spinach-chicken brats, veggie kabobs, home grown green bean salad, delicious cheeses, fruit salad, green salad, awesome spicy pasta salad ala pete), or the s'mores we made on the bonfire for second dessert. For Kelly.

In true farm style, we had a good old fashioned camp-out with our trusty Lovedog mobile and tents in the yard, and finished off the party with a blackberry pancake breakfast the next morning, and a farewell to Kelly & Yann.

Kelly, I hope you have a fabulous birthday (TODAY!). We loved celebrating with you. I can't wait to see you again soon, whatever and wherever the adventure might be.

the sweet life: kelly & yann

2011-08-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the absolute delight of spending three days (of glorious weather!) with the Roberts-Genton clan in celebration of Kelly and Yann’s wedding.

Yann and Kelly were officially married in September in a somewhat last-minute civil ceremony in Paris. It was last minute because Kelly was still in the process of getting her visa and other infinite paperwork (the words ‘consulate’ and ‘waiting’ were in her daily vocabulary) and once that was finally approved the court could assign them a date. The date assigned happened to be right in the middle of our cross country road trip, and though I looked for flights from Chicago to Paris and back to Burlington, Vermont (in 3 days) and about 5 other combinations of en route cities to fly out and back, it just couldn’t be done. And so Justin and I celebrated their union from Niagara Falls.

Thankfully, Kelly was adamant about having the opportunity to celebrate their wedding with friends and family back here in the States, so a reception was planned in Olympia. Since Yann’s family was also coming over from Paris, a whole weekend of events also ensued. Friday night was a cocktail party at Aunt Libby’s (with root beer floats for dessert to the bewilderment of the French guests—"What is in root beer?"), a delicious breakfast the next morning, a girls hike to Priest Point, a golf day for the guys, a BBQ at Kelly’s dad’s (with a white elephant gift exchange—more bewilderment from the French at the absurdity of the "gifts"), and finally the reception Sunday afternoon.

Kelly’s theme for the reception was a French picnic.

Of course it turned out fantastic.

Good food, great people...

...and a beautiful couple.

Love you, Kel! So happy for you and Yann.

Coming soon...Kelly's 30th birthday bash!

Kelly is HERE!

2011-07-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am way behind in my posting (if one can be behind in a non-mandatory cataloguing of life) but I will spend the next two weeks pretending that Kelly lives here again: happy hours, wine dinners, cocktail parties, bbq's, a wedding reception, a birthday party, and yes, climbing. I'm off to adventures in the sunshine with some of my favorite people!

She told me she loved me like fireworks...

2011-07-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend Justin and I celebrated our eighth anniversary (8 YEARS!) out on the Olympic Peninsula. I will note that in the PNW one doesn't often get out to the nice sandy beach in the sunshine. We have water galore--Lake Washington, Puget Sound, Hood Canal, but real sand beaches...not so much. Though the forecast called for an alarming amount of rain and clouds, we drove to the Edmonds ferry and took the ride across to Kingston en route to Quileute Reservation in La Push, near the tip of the peninsula. It's near a tiny town called Forks, which you may have heard of due to a little book series called Twilight. Yeah, me neither.

We got a cute little A-frame cabin at the Oceanside resort. It was a cross between camping and a hotel which was perfect for our 4-legged child. The resort is right on its own little beach, First Beach.

There is literally nothing in the "town" of La Push. This is not a criticism, however, just a fact. I had read that we should bring groceries, which we did. I didn't realize there is actually nothing, except for the resort store, two fireworks stands, and one tiny restaurant. Oh, and one adorable little bird.

What La Push lacks in restaurants and services it makes up for in beaches, and bald eagles. First Beach, Rialto Beach, Second Beach and Third beach are all within a short range, and gorgeous.

While Jasper cowered in her fallout shelter in the cabin we bought a ridiculous amount of explosives and set them on fire. Nothing makes you feel like a kid faster than lighting the fuse on the end of a Ground Bloom and throwing it. Justin was the king of the big mortars while I watched the show and ate Jiffy Pop. Awesome.

Other weekend highlights include sleeping in, sitting on the beach, eating pie, slacklining outside our cabin, and the delicious salmon, coleslaw, and corn on the cob we BBQ'd on the porch. The hike to Second Beach was pretty great too.

See the rest of the pics here.

HAPPY Friday!

2011-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Another favorite poet and poem:

The Poem of Chalk

On the way to lower Broadway
this morning I faced a tall man
speaking to a piece of chalk
held in his right hand. The left
was open, and it kept the beat,
for his speech had a rhythm,
was a chant or dance, perhaps
even a poem in French, for he
was from Senegal and spoke French
so slowly and precisely that I
could understand as though
hurled back fifty years to my
high school classroom. A slender man,
elegant in his manner, neatly dressed
in the remnants of two blue suits,
his tie fixed squarely, his white shirt
spotless though unironed. He knew
the whole history of chalk, not only
of this particular piece, but also
the chalk with which I wrote
my name the day they welcomed
me back to school after the death
of my father. He knew feldspar.
He knew calcium, oyster shells, he
knew what creatures had given
their spines to become the dust time
pressed into these perfect cones,
he knew the sadness of classrooms
in December when the light fails
early and the words on the blackboard
abandon their grammar and sense
and then even their shapes so that
each letter points in every direction
at once and means nothing at all.
At first I thought his short beard
was frosted with chalk; as we stood
face to face, no more than a foot
apart, I saw the hairs were white,
for though youthful in his gestures
he was, like me, an aging man, though
far nobler in appearance with his high
carved cheekbones, his broad shoulders,
and clear dark eyes. He had the bearing
of a king of lower Broadway, someone
out of the mind of Shakespeare or
Garcia Lorca, someone for whom loss
had sweetened into charity. We stood
for that one long minute, the two
of us sharing the final poem of chalk
while the great city raged around
us, and then the poem ended, as all
poems do, and his left hand dropped
to his side abruptly and he handed
me the piece of chalk. I bowed,
knowing how large a gift this was
and wrote my thanks on the air
where it might be heard forever
below the sea shell’s stiffening cry.

- Philip Levine

And introducing...

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Newest niece: Siddori Rose!
Born June 9th.
7lbs, 15oz, 20 inches

Welcome to the family!
You are Adorable. I can't wait to meet you!

Weekend in SB

2011-06-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a much needed getaway to Santa Barbara. Friday, Justin and I woke up at a painful 3:30AM and caught the 6AM flight to LAX. Dean, Amy, and Nolan picked us up and we were off to SB!

We booked rooms at the Castillo Inn at the Beach, which is a cute little place just across from the Harbor, and just a few blocks from State Street.

We grabbed lunch at the Endless Summer Cafe at the harbor and then walked down to State for some wandering, shopping, ice cream, and happy hour. I was determined to find a delicious taco shop while in SB, and on our way back to the hotel we came across (with the help of google maps...) Rudy's on Montecito. Delicious everything. I got a huge order of nachos that was impossible to eat in its entirety, Justin got chicken enchiladas en mole, and I tasted Dean's chile relleno which was fantastic. Mission accomplished.

Saturday morning we headed to the SB Farmers Market. I was impressed with the number of booths of beautiful produce. In Seattle, our farmers markets are ususally a mix of fresh fruits and veggies and craft booths but this was entirely food-- veggies, fruit, bread, cheeses, oils, honey, etc. We got a fresh baguette and some cheese and walked over to Muddy Waters coffee shop (great coffee and beer, FYI cash only). Dean, Amy and Nolan headed back to the hotel for nap time while Justin and I went antiquing and then to Santa Barbara Brewery for lunch.

We met up with Dean, Amy and Nolan for margaritas and dinner, then went for a walk on Stearn's Wharf where we promptly located a candy shop and bought a ridiculous amount of salt water taffy and swedish fish. Vacation is delicious.

Sunday was misty, but the air felt so refreshing and I actually went for a morning run (I know, I surprise myself sometimes). It was so nice to be out in the cool ocean air, and I ran along the harbor to the end of the pier and down along the beach. Luckily I made it back to the room before the rain really started coming down. We said farewell to our cozy hotel and decided to check out the old SB mission.

I don't think I mentioned it earlier, but Santa Barbara is gorgeous. Everywhere we walked there were trees and flowers in bloom, awesome succulents, cute houses, and interesting architecture. The mission grounds are lovely, and on a sunny day it would make a great picnic spot. We enjoyed a self tour through the mission, cemetery, and church. Mass was still going on while when we arrived so we were able to hear the hymns while we walked through the inner courtyard.

We left Santa Barbara around 1pm and when we made it back to Dean and Amy's at 3:00 the the sun came out and the sky was clear and blue, and we had In-n-Out for lunch on the patio in the delicious warm sunshine. A perfect end to a great weekend.

We headed to the airport and caught our plane back to the grey, wet Pacific Northwest. Thanks for the welcome home Seattle.

See the rest of the photos here

Spring in Seattle

2011-05-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

There is a chance you wouldn't believe me if I told you that Seattle can be sunny, and warm, and not-raining. Also, I have to remind myself that it is true. And so, the photographic evidence:

A hip-hip hooray for SUNSHINE and picnic lunches in the park! I know, I sound like I've been living in a cave for a year. But before you decide to move to wonderful, sunny Seattle, be warned. According to the Seattle Times: "After reaching a blissful 70 degrees on Friday, it's back to May-uary weather for us."
Thanks, Seattle Times, thanks...

In praise of Friday. And poetry.

2011-05-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Praise

I heard the dogs before
I opened the door late, after work--
first Maude who was dancing
in praise of my arrival for all she knew
it was: presence without end,
the end of waiting, the end
of boredom--
and then Li Po,
who, in the middle of his life,
learning to make his feelings known
as one who has carried breath
and heart close to the earth seven
times seven years, in praise
of silence and loneliness, climbed
howling, howling from his bed.

- Laurie Lamon

Pasta 101

2011-05-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

My title may be a bit misleading. I'm not going to tell you how to make pasta. Because I just learned. But I am going to suggest that it's fantastically fun to make and then EAT your own homemade pasta. And I have listed the recipes and instructions we followed below.

Justin and I were given this beautiful pasta machine a couple years back. And there it sat in the cupboard for a couple of years. Sad, I know. But finally its day of glory had come. And indeed it was glorious.

Brittany and I spent about 5 hours on Sunday making pasta. Neither of us had made pasta before, and in those 5 hours we made semolina linguine, wheat linguine, semolina cavatelli, and spinach ravioli (and some wheat ones too). Not a bad use of 5 hours if you ask me. The finished products were delicious, and I must say, store-bought pasta just doesn't compare.

I am definitely on the homemade pasta wagon from here out. Sure it might take a couple of hours-- but with the small sacrifice of those hours our freezer could be FULL of delicious, beautiful pasta. Thanks Connie & Rob for our lovely machine. It's found a new full time job in our kitchen. Finally.

See the rest of the photos here.

You can follow these excellent tutorials/recipes to make your own. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

1) Cavatelli - I don't recall having cavatelli before, so I can't tell you how this recipe compares, but I thought this was great. I would probably make these a little thinner and smaller next time but no major complaints.

2) Linguine - We used the recipe on the package of Bob's Red Mill Semolina - see link for back of package recipe

3) Spinach Ravioli - Delicious, fantastic recipe, and easy to follow. We used salmon instead of prosciutto.

(Almost) Spring

2011-05-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

While it's not quite warm enough to begin planting outdoors, things are coming alive indoors. I love walking through our greenhouses in spring.

I was getting impatient to get the garden going so I decided to plant some veggies on the propagation table. I was amazed at how quickly they came up. I planted the summer squash and lemon cucumbers and the cilantro (large terracotta dish) on April 24th. Just ten days later and this is what we have!

I also decided to create some new kalanchoe starts from a houseplant that had gotten too big. Looking pretty good so far:

Our heirloom garlic is looking healthy, and our magnolia is finally starting to blossom.

I can't wait to start the rest of the garden soon!

Friday Poem

2011-04-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we had dinner with our good friends Susan and Erik. Our evening concluded with an enthusiastic (read: English-nerd) discussion of favorite poets, poems, and author readings, and transitioned into the reading aloud of several of these poems, in addition to the brilliant works of Jack Handey. An evening well spent.

I used to exchange poems with a couple friends on Fridays--a tradition that I adored. I thought I would bring it back today.

[remember]

the problem with memories
is that you cannot try to remember.

you have to wait for a memory to ripen,
for the magnolia to blossom in springtime,
for the pears to fall from the trees.

when it is winter, you want hope.
you want everything warm all at once,
and everything dead alive.

you try to remember everything and you see nothing.
what shirt was she wearing?
what color was her hair?

one day you come home and the magnolia is in bloom.

she flew the kite as high as it would go.
we carried beach towels around our necks.
she had a tattoo on her foot.

copyright 2009. brooke freed

Happy Birthday little Avery J!

2011-04-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

This birthday shoutout goes to sweet Avery J! Happy 2nd birthday! It was an absolute joy to spend your big day with you.

Here are some highlights from the party weekend:
1) Baking birthday cupcakes with Miss A.

2) Avery: I want a cupcake for breakfast please.

Mom: You want a cupcake for breakfast??

Avery: Um, sure.

(Mom got suckered again...)

Avery's cherry themed party

Justin even made some special glass cherries for the occasion!

And cousin Nolan came to celebrate!

Avery helped dad build her new birthday trike

Here's to your twos, Avery!

And then...

2011-03-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

I fell off the face of the earth again. But to make it up to you, here are some photos I took at the Seattle Kennel Club dog show last weekend.

Adorable dog overload. You're welcome.

St. Valentine's Gentlemen's Club

2011-02-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you cross a project manager/artist with an event planner/mathematician and throw in a bunch of great couples? The perfect formula for a good time!

The Making of a Great Party

(a.k.a. An Evening of Immoderation and Debauchery)

Step 1: Choose your theme. Brainstorm ideas incorporating your theme, but don’t let your theme control all your planning decisions. You can sometimes take an idea too far.

Step 2: Make ridiculously organized multi tab spreadsheets (optional but incredibly satisfying).

Step 3: Design an invitation so your guests can get the feel for your party. Send it out early if costumes are expected!

Step 4: Get stoked! Gather a whole bunch of fun décor and decorate early (the day before or weekend before) so you can focus on the other details the day of the event.

Step 5: Set up a photo booth so your guests can bust out their crazy on camera. We just used a digital camera with a flippable view screen, a tripod, and a black tablecloth.

Step 6: Give your guests some fun surprises.

Step 7: Create a signature cocktail!

Step 8: Plan some games to bring the group together. A little friendly betting makes a game more fun...

Step 9: Ping pong!!

Step 10: Make sure everyone has a safe ride home.

A big thanks to Brittany for being the best co-host and friend a girl could have! And a shout out to our awesome, hilarious friends for knowing how to BRING IT!

Busy bee

2011-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Although my blog hasn't been getting much posting action lately, I assure you I have not been snoozing. Life has been quite non-stop and though I'm approaching insanity at work, I was able to sneak away for a few days to fly down to California to visit Avery J and the rest of the family. She is an absolute doll. I just can't not share a couple pictures.

In other news, Justin and I have been having fun coming up with new products for our shop Bluejays & Bumblebees. Here are some of the recent favorites:

I also recently got on a painting kick after buying more canvases than one ought to buy. I always enjoy sitting down with some paint brushes, a canvas and a ton of ideas and seeing what will happen next. Those will be revealed at a later date...

I have not been doing a very good job of cooking at home, and am beginning to think a revisit to the detox plan might motivate me. But then I think about berry pie and wonder if I should just make a pie instead. So, this is a call to my readers to send me any delicious vegetarian recipes to get me back in the groove. Otherwise I'm going with pie. But I might just do that anyway.

Aprons and banners

2011-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Now that the craziness of Christmas has passed and the gifts have been opened, I can show you what I made for Avery and Nolan.

Avery has just discovered that she loves working in the kitchen with her mom and being a helper (she's almost two), so for Christmas her parents got her the cutest play kitchen. Last night on video chat I watched her moving quickly around her kitchen making soup, and tea, and checking on the pizza, and pulling "hot" items off the stove with her oven mitt. What better for a little chef than an adorable apron?

And in anticipation of Nolan's first birthday (okay, it's not til August, but I get excited), I made him a name banner. If you haven't noticed from past posts I'm in love with blue and white ticking, so surprise! Blue and white stripes, with cranberry red grosgrain ribbon, and felt lettering (hand sewn with embroidery thread, I might add...).

Click HERE for a semi-tutorial on the apron, and a couple close-ups of the banner.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from LoveDog Ranch!

Click HERE for some of my highlights of 2010.

Best wishes to for 2011!

What is Real? asked the Rabbit one day

2010-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had the honor of attending Martha and Adam's wedding celebration. Two words: Nice dress. It actually got a toast of its own.

Other highlights: fabulous Seattle sunshine, a quote from the Velveteen Rabbit, delicious cupcakes, and a kickin dance party.

Click HERE for the play-by-play and Martha's dance moves.

Life in Paris: Walking

2010-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

For me, one of the best parts of visiting a city is just walking around and seeing what you find. Paris is full of interesting things to see:

Click HERE for the last album!

Life in Paris: Food

2010-12-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

During our week in Paris it was all about the food. As I mentioned, we flew in for Thanksgiving, but rather than eat for an entire day, like a typical American Thanksgiving, we devoured delicious, rich food for an entire week. Flaky chocolate croissants, fresh baked bread, local goat cheese, champagne, and on and on. I thought I would take you on a little food tour throughout the 17th arrondissment and beyond...

One thing I loved about shopping for groceries for Thanksgiving meal was going from place to place to gather our items-- to the farmer's market for cheese, to the indoor market for vegetables and to pick up the turkey, to the butcher shop for sausage, to the bakery for bread, and to the wine shop for wine. While this may seem like a lot of shops, the specialized nature of each makes the quality of the items excellent (except for the celery...I've never seen such sad looking celery...but it was about 20 degrees out so maybe that was a contributing factor).

For the full gluttonous confessional food tour, click HERE.

Life in Paris: Apartment Tour

2010-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

We recently had the pleasure of a quick jaunt to Paris for Thanksgiving to visit Kelly and Yann. They graciously hosted us in their home, and an absolutely lovely home it is. Though they have been living in the apartment for just a few months, it feels warm and welcoming as soon as you walk through the door. I thought you might enjoy seeing their amazing Paris apartment, complete with a view of the Eiffel Tower from the kitchen window. Apartment envy...

Click HERE for the full tour. Thank you Kelly and Yann for opening up your home to us!

Happy Thanksgiving from LoveDog Ranch

2010-11-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have a cozy Thanksgiving!

Fall is for beautiful words

2010-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

It always seems a little difficult to make the transition from summer (glorious, warm, hours and hours of daylight summer) to fall (wet, dark, cold, albeit colorful, fall). But there is a turning point for me when I give up on trying to wear summer skirts and I trade my sandals for boots. I drink tea all day long, and I look forward to cozying up with a book and my dog in the evening.

Fall always inspires me to go to my poetry book shelf and to ponder the beautiful, complex world we live in. And so I thought I would share an excerpt from Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke. Because his words are indeed beautiful.

Here, where I am surrounded by an enormous landscape, which the winds move across as they come from the seas, here I feel that there is no one anywhere who can answer for you those questions and feelings which, in their depths, have a life of their own; for even the most articulate people are unable to help, since what words point to is so very delicate, is almost unsayable. But even so, I think that you will not have to remain without a solution if you trust in Things that are like the ones my eyes are now resting upon. If you trust in Nature, in the small Things that hardly anyone sees and that can so suddenly become huge, immeasurable; if you have this love for what is humble and try very simply, as someone who serves, to win the confidence of what seems poor: then everything will become easier for you, more coherent and somehow more reconciling, not in your conscious mind perhaps, which stays behind, astonished, but in your innermost awareness, awakeness, and knowledge. You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

The making of things

2010-11-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but in case you haven't heard this before, I don't know much about sewing. However, I do know that I love handmade things, and I really like having things that I have made myself. I enjoy the learning experience, and the satisfaction of the final product. I have never really used a pattern, so generally when I'm sewing it takes two tries to come up with something that works.

All this to say, I decided that I wanted to make a camera strap cover. We are going on a trip soon, and since I will have my camera on me everywhere we go, I didn't want to advertise I HAVE A CANON to everyone within eyesight. So I took some fabric I had on hand, and went to work. It was just some leftover fabric so I wasn't totally concerned with exact measurements. I've finally learned that I shouldn't use my "good" fabric on the first attempt without any sort of tutorial or pattern. I'm pleased to say it actually turned out pretty well and I learned a few things for the next one.

Here is my camera strap before:

And camera strap after!

To see the photo tutorial and general instructions, click here.

P.S. If you are more into the having of things rather than the making of things, there is someone by the name of SheyB who makes and sells camera strap covers online. Super cute stuff!

And the lucky bumblebee is...

2010-11-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

ERICA! Congratulations, Erica, you won! This lovely pendant will soon make its way into your hands. Leave a comment with your email address to claim your prize (don't worry, it won't be posted).

Thanks to everyone for entering. And don't worry, if you didn't win, we will have another giveaway soon! In the meantime, head on over to our shop. Those of you who entered the giveaway will receive a bonus gift with your purchase before November 15th. When you check out leave me a note that says GIVE1. Have a great weekend everybody! I'll be back next week with a LoveDog Ranch post.

THANK YOU

2010-11-04T12:47:00.001-07:00

I just want to say a huge thank you to all of YOU for the support. Thank you for the great emails, the encouragement, and the purchases! I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of the giveaway. In the meantime I have a BUNCH of lovely packages to send off to our first customers!

Giveaway! You can win!

2010-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

HELLO to my favorite readers. It’s finally time to reveal my top secret project: Justin and I have been working like mad on a new company: Bluejays & Bumblebees. From blowing glass, to making the jewelry, to painting, to stitching, to a full on photo shoot, we have done it all, and are now ready to present to you http://www.bluejaysnbumblebees.com/ .

Justin is a long time glassblower and I am a long time crafter so we decided to combine our powers and see what we could make together. It has been BUSY (I'll spare you the bee pun here) but it has been a blast so far. In celebration of our shop opening, I am giving away this lovely flameworked glass pendant.

How do you win? Go to http://www.bluejaysnbumblebees.com/ and click on the SHOP tab at the top. Peruse our shop at your leisure then come back and leave a comment on this post with the name of your favorite product (or products) in our shop. One commenter will be chosen at random to WIN*! Good luck! Now go check out our shop!

Also, a sincere thank you to my friends who have known about this “secret” project and have been full of support and enthusiasm. Love you guys.

*Contest closes on 11/3 at 11:59PM Pacific. One entry per person. Winner will be announced 11/5. Anyone can enter but the prize will be mailed to U.S. addresses only.

Time flies

2010-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is already the end of October? Of 2010? Where has this year gone? Even more disconcerting is the fact that it's almost my birthday again. The good news is that my detox is over. It was totally worth it. I am eating healthier and fresher and feeling great. However, did I mention that I am having a birthday again? Eek.

In a preemptive strike against the annual birthday blues I have decided to make a list of some things I am looking forward to in my next year of life and beyond:

1. PARIS. Our trip is coming up soon. I cannot wait to see Kelly, and Yann, and their cute little Parisian apartment, and Paris. Justin and I haven't been there since 2003. So excited to spend time with a couple of locals, eating and drinking and seeing Paris through their lives.

2. Snowboarding season. It is predicted to be an epic year in the Pacific Northwest and there is already snow in the mountains. Fingers crossed.

3. Finishing my first quilt. It's still in progress (or rather frozen progress), but I hope to have it done this winter. As soon as I start working on it again.

4. My niece and nephew. All the time. Those kids are adorable. First birthdays and second birthdays and little tiny voices on the other end of the phone. I love them.

5. Top secret project. Yep, I just did that. I'm not telling yet, but here's a hint:

Stay tuned!

Happy Fall

2010-10-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been going non-stop since I got home from the road trip. I flew down to California to meet my nephew Nolan a couple of weekends ago, and got to see my niece Avery too, along with my parents, grandma, sister & brother in law, and my brother & sister in law. Sadly my Great Uncle Pat passed away the week prior to my trip but I was able to go to his memorial service, and visit with the aunts, uncles and cousins there. Big family time. Here are some photos from the trip.

I know I promised recipes, BUT I am currently in the middle of a health detox so I doubt you want to replicate any of my experimental recipes. I won’t get into the complicated details of my self-inflicted torture, but I will say that just removing salt from the diet necessitates some creative thinking. Lots of garlic, herbs, and fresh veggies are my world right now. And luckily the bounty from our garden means free delicious goodness every day.

Back at you next week!

P.S. I intend to make myself a delicious blackberry birthday pie when this thing is over.

And on the 19th day she rested, and it was good.

2010-09-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming along with us on our cross-country adventure! It has been fun to read all of your comments and emails and FB notes along the way and to hear that many of you followed the trip from start to finish. It’s good to have friends.

We arrived home to fall in the Pacific Northwest. While it’s a bit sad to say farewell to a great summer, the change of season and shorter daylight hours means that new recipes, projects, and crafts will be coming soon.

XO,
b

Day 18: On the road home

2010-09-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

We woke up on our last day of the road trip in Livingston, Montana, 11 1/2 hours from Seattle. It was sort of strange knowing we were heading home, and also exciting to think about sleeping in our own house.

We flew through Montana and Idaho and were back in Washington. Near Snoqualmie Pass we saw some traffic notices on the light boards. Evidently I-90 was closed due to blasting. So close, and yet so far... The road was closed for 45 minutes so Jasper and Justin went on a walk, and I read for a while. Finally the road was re-opened and we were on the home stretch.

A mile from home Jasper started howling. It's good to be home.

Final tripometer: 7,052 miles.

See pictures from Day 18 here.

Day 17: They call it mellow Yellow...(stone)

2010-09-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

We woke up early in Buffalo, Wyoming and headed straight for Yellowstone National Park. Neither Justin, nor I had been there so we were pretty excited that it worked out for this trip. We approached the park through the East gate, and passed through Cody. The roads leading to Cody were mostly open range so we had to be on the lookout for cows standing in the road, and they were on several occasions. I may have said it before, but Jasper is not fond of cows. She hates cows. The fact that they were inches from our car gave her no joy.

From Cody, the road winds through some beautiful canyons. I don’t think I was prepared for such an extreme change of scenery after the yellow fields along the interstate. We stopped at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir so that Jasper could take a swim before we entered the park. The reservoir is huge and it was really deep where she was swimming. She had a blast. Justin put her back on leash and we were walking up the beach when Miss Jasper had a run-in with her mortal enemy: a rattlesnake. Luckily Justin saw it in time and pulled her back, but the snake gave us a good rattle (hahaha).

Once in the park we passed through some burned forest and came upon Yellowstone Lake. The minute we were in sulfur range Jasper’s nose was going nuts, sniff sniff sniffing out the window like I’ve never seen. We saw our first herd of bison in a meadow (Jasper doesn’t like bison either, turns out) and then stopped at West Thumb Geyser Basin to walk around. Some amazing pools there. There is one called the Abyss pool and it was spectacular—clear blue water and it truly looks like an abyss.

Then we headed toward Old Faithful. We got there at 5:00pm and the next eruption was expected around 5:45 so we wandered around a bit. By 5:30 most of the seats around the geyser were taken. We too were in the ready with our cameras. By 5:50 the group of old people next to us were complaining about whether they were going to miss their dinner reservations. Also, I’m pretty sure I heard every possible geyser pun at least twice. At about 5:52 Old Faithful started blowing some heavy steam and spouted a little a couple feet up and then stopped. I think the entire crowd was worried that was it. At 6:00 the geyser started steaming heavily and sprayed up into the air. It was way higher than I was expecting and sprayed for a few minutes. I snapped quite a few pictures but it was way more impressive to sit and watch it with my own eyes. Such a beautiful cascade of water. Definitely worth the wait.

Since it was getting late we decided to check for accommodations to get another day in the park, but they were all sold out in the park and the nearby towns too. With the remaining light we headed toward the North exit hoping to see more wildlife. Just as we pulled out of the Old Faithful parking lot we were stopped by three bison crossing the road. A few miles up the way we saw a bison and a mule deer grazing across the river, and then up the road a few herds of deer and bison. It was amazing to see these huge animals in the wild. It was dark by the time we made it out of the park and crossed into Montana, but we were happy with what we had seen and definitely will plan another trip to the park in the future.

See pictures from Day 17 here.

Day 16: Bad to the bone

2010-09-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the World's Only Corn Palace!!

I know, amazing.

South Dakota has been another change in landscape to rolling yellow hills, with hay and sunflower farms off the interstate. From the minute we entered SD the Wall Drug billboards started showing up. Like crazy.

We made it to the Badlands, which is stunning. We sighted some prairie dogs, hawks, bighorn sheep(?), and deer. Then to Wall Drug for a quick stop, and on to Mt. Rushmore.

See photos from day 16 here.

Day 15

2010-09-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, not much happened today. We woke up in Escanaba, Michigan, hit the road early, and were quickly in Wisconsin. Our route through Wisconsin zig-zagged us through many small towns and farmlands before we met up with the busy interstate once again. We crossed back over the Mississippi and were in Minnesota where it became much hillier and greener. We blew through Minnesota, and hello South Dakota. We made it to Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the world's only Corn Palace(!!!) and found ourselves a tasty Mexican restaurant, then crashed out at the Coachlight. Official trip mileage so far: 5,337 miles.

I promise, tomorrow's post is much more interesting. (I know because I am writing this from the future!)

Pictures from day 15 here.

Day 14: Life is a highway

2010-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that we're on Day 14 and we have so much left to see. We woke up refreshed in North Bay, Ontario on Lake Nipissing and hit the road toward Sault Ste Marie. Lots of little towns along route 17 so our speed varied from 90km-60km. We filled the gas tank for $104.9 p/liter. The landscape looked the same through most of Ontario: short tough trees and lots of wetlands. It looks like moose country, but no more moose sightings.

We made it to Sault Ste Marie at around 3:00pm and crossed back into the U.S.A. We paid a $3 toll and drove down route 75 toward the town of St. Ignace. Let me tell you, if you ever find yourself in St. Ignace, go eat at Chee Peng Chinese and Thai food. Yum. After eating more than we should, we drove down to the north side of Mackinac Bridge and looked across the strait. Great view from a little park just before the bridge (and skipped the toll of $3.50 in each direction). We hopped on good ol Highway 2 and drove along the shore of Lake Michigan. Beautiful drive. We stopped for the night at the cozy Hiawatha Motel in Escanaba. It's a total 70's style motor lodge, but they were pet friendly and the price was right.

Shameless picture of my cute dog. To see pictures from day 14 click here.

Day 13: On the road again

2010-09-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

We left the lovely Beehive, our home away from home, at around 9AM with Connie and Rob and crossed the border from Canaan, Vermont into Quebec, Canada. We stopped in Coaticook for some curd cheese (aka squeaky cheese) and delicious maple ice cream.

Connie and Rob drove north with us a ways, through intermittent rain showers, before we stopped for an early lunch and they decided to head on back to Colebrook. We said our farewells and see you soons and Justin, Jasper, and I continued on toward Montreal.

Montreal was crazy. Given it was a week day, that might explain the insane traffic, but still. It's similar to Seattle in that the downtown is situated along the water and there seems to be freeways and bridges every which way. We drove around a bit to get a look at the city, and headed the heck out of town. Maybe all of our small town driving the last week has gotten us out of practice, but next time we hit Montreal we'll definitely need a guide.

We drove toward Ottawa and into Ontario. We stopped for lunch at a bar and grill in some small town and spent the only Canadian money we had (thanks Rob!). Then onward toward Sault Ste. Marie via the Trans-Canada Highway, route 17. It got dark earlier than we would have liked, but we were able to make it all the way to North Bay. I was on moose patrol, but no such luck. Maybe that's a good thing.

See pictures from Day 13 here.

Day 12: Live Free or Die

2010-09-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last day in New Hampshire. Delicious breakfast with Connie and Rob at the Beehive (awesome eggs benedict). Got an oil change for the trusty Subaru, and took a quick trip down to Lancaster. Back to the Beehive for taco Tuesday and a movie. It's great to stay with people who love to eat as much as we do. We're packing up tonight and will be hitting the road early tomorrow morning, northbound to Montreal. Its a bummer to leave, but it's been a great trip so far. Every time we come out we try to scheme up ways we can stay. I'll be a potter and Justin will be the town glassblower. I'll stay home and preserve all of our garden's food, we'll live minimally and work only as much as we need to. I'll write the next great American novel by the light of the fire with snowdrifts outside, while a crisp nor'easter blows 40 below outside our cozy cabin...

We'll have to iron out the details of all that but it sounds entirely plausible, right?

Photos from Day 12 here.

Day 10 & 11: Relaxing & Paddling the Connecticut

2010-09-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Packed up camp at Little Averill. Hurricane Earl finally showed his face and the lake was windy with rain storms blowing through quickly. Still that didn't stop Jasper from spending most of the morning in the lake. We went up to breakfast buffet at Jackson's Lodge--holy cow: pecan praline crepes, creme brulee french toast, seafood newberg, poached eggs, country potatoes, and plenty more for the carnivores. Again stuffed beyond capacity. The rain and wind continued outside so we spent a nice lazy day at the Beehive, and Justin had a visit with Nana. Homemade pizzas, wine, and a movie made for a relaxing evening at home.

Woke up to sunshine at the Beehive. Checked the weather and it looked like it would hold so we shuttled the canoe and kayaks to Canaan, VT (or is it West Stewartstown, NH...depends what side of the river you put in on). It was a nice smooth paddle down the CT river, with a little head wind and alternating sunshine and shade. We had a picnic stop on a sandbar, and then paddled the rest of the way. In all about 3 hours on the river. Home for dinner tonight, with Hylie and Mario joining us.

See photos from day 10 & 11 here.

Tomorrow is our last full day in New Hampshire before we hit the road again. Not sure yet how we'll spend it, but any day on vacation is a nice one.

Day 8 & 9: Family time in NH/VT

2010-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

We got a good night's sleep at the Beehive and woke up late, barely making it for breakfast at the cafe up at Jackson's Lodge. Jackson's Lodge has been run by the family since Grandpa Elmont Jackson and Nana Audrey bought it back in the day. It was truly a family operation and all of the Jackson girls: Bonnie, Connie (Justin's mom), Donna, Fran, Gloria, and Hylie lived and worked there with the family. Now the camp is run by Gloria, and Donna with her husband Serge run the Lakeside Restaurant in the lodge.

On the morning we were there we were greeted at the cafe by a sweet 9-year-old blonde girl. She took our order and put it in to her Aunt Gloria, and we realized it was none other than little Veve...who we hadn't seen since she was 2 years old. We snuck back into the kitchen and said hello to Bonnie, Gloria, Donna, and Stephanie (Veve's mom) as well as little Bre on dishes. The Jackson tradition continues.

We played around at Lake Wallace for a while then headed up to the cabin at Little Averill. Justin's cousin Ryan and wife Stephanie, along with Veve, Gaege, and Bre joined us up at camp for a boat ride, campfire and s'mores, and a serious game of Jenga. Nothing like a nice evening at Little Averill.

See photos from day 8 and day 9 here.

Day 7: New Hampshire!

2010-09-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

We got up early/late this morning. Early, if you consider that with Jasper's whining we probably never went to sleep, and late because sleep deprivation is not really a motivator to get up and at 'em. Sunrise was beautiful and quiet at the campground. We packed up the Subaru more bushy-tailed than bright-eyed and drove down to the beach to see where we ended up--coming in after dark we didn't really know what was there. The beach was totally empty and peaceful. We drove to the camp office and paid our dues--$22.75 for an out-of-stater. We took highway 104A/104/104B north to I-81 toward Watertown and then onto Highway 11. We passed by a surprising number of small colleges and universities this morning. There are still a lot of farm lands, mostly corn and hay. We passed some signs on farms that said "NO WIND TURBINES" and it seemed strange to be opposed to a wind farm. Until we came upon some, and realized the juxtaposition to the farm lands is significant. When we saw them crossing Wyoming they seemed to make sense, open land, lots of wind, and little anything else. But in a lovely agricultural area they jut out of the fields and take away from the natural calm.

Everything is very green along Highway 11 and the temperatures were in the mid 80s the whole way. We heard on the radio that Hurricane Earl is making its way to the coast but it hasn't given us any weather yet. We crossed the state line on the bridge from NY to Vermont around 3pm and were on the home stretch. We took 105 most of the way, winding through more tiny towns. Just outside of Island Pond we spotted our first moose! It was that moose time of day and he was just munching on the side of the road. We've finally made our way back into rolling hills. We continued on through farmlands and winding roads, crossed the Connecticut River and hooray, New Hampshire! We drove into Colebrook and up to the Beehive (Connie and Rob's house) around 6:30pm. End mileage: 3,386. Whew.

We unloaded the car, cleaned up for dinner and drove back to Vermont (luckily just across the river) to Hylie and Mario's for family dinner and lots to celebrate: Gloria's 50th birthday, Mindy leaving for her last year of college at Middlebury, Fran & Marc's wedding anniversary, and our arrival. We'll be spending the next few days in full relaxation mode up at the lake cabin on Little Averill so farewell for now!

Pictures from day 7 here

Day 6

2010-09-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Woke up in Sandusky, Ohio. I've found I need to keep reminding myself what town we are in. We slept in late, even though we had planned to get on the road early. I checked my email and found out that Kelly and Yann are officially engaged! And not a moment too soon.

We hit the road and it was already 86 degrees just outside of Cleveland at 10:45am. We crossed into Pennsylvania and stopped for lunch in Erie and then came upon another toll road which was our welcome into New York. Thanks, New York. We took I-90 into Buffalo, and then north to Niagara.

Niagara Falls was definitely different than I pictured, but now that I have seen it I can't explain how. Maybe more commercial. Coming from Yosemite I think I expect all glorious waterfalls to be within the context of nature. This one is a block from Hard Rock Cafe. We didn't cross into the Canada side, though I have heard it's a better view from there. We did go to the observation deck and it's worth the $1. Then we were back in the car, heading toward Rochester. I got it in my head that we should camp for the night, so I mapped us to Fair Haven State Park. We decided to stop for dinner around Webster and found a delicious Italian restaurant. And I really do mean delicious, not I-am-desperate-and-will-eat-anything. Justin had smoked mozzarella and asparagus ravioli in alfredo sauce, and I had eggplant, olive, portobello, and artichoke heart linguine and a half carafe of white wine. Awesome.

We got back on the road around 9:30/10PM and had an hour drive til the campground. We hit some fog, but nothing too sketchy. We had a hard time finding the campground, but finally did and it was a really nice place. Manicured lawns, clean bathrooms, and super quiet. However, Jasper gave us little or no sleep, growling at the shadows, crickets, etc. It was also quite warm and bright out with the moonlight. At least we got to use our tent...

Pictures from day 6 here.

Day 5

2010-09-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

We got up a little earlier today in consideration of a long driving day ahead and another time zone change. On the road and out of Des Moines by 7:30am. We filled the tank for $2.50/gallon, the cheapest so far. We've noticed that the mid-grade fuel costs less than regular unleaded. Interesting. There were several downpours, but nothing too serious. We stopped on the west side of the Mississippi River before crossing into Illinois. The landscape began to change a great deal from farmland to rural as we headed northeast on I-80 toward Chicago, Illinois/Gary, Indiana. We paid our first toll of the trip ($0.60) and then upon entering Indiana went through a toll booth where we had to pull a ticket. Evidently you pay based on how long you stay on the toll road--the most would be $7.30.

It's been about 90 degrees out so the AC is cranked to the max. We stopped for a quick bite at Hardee's which is the same as Carl's Jr on the West Coast and crossed into the Eastern time zone, kissing one more daylight driving hour goodbye. We decided to detour off the interstate into Amish country (Shipshewana). Immediately we passed several horse drawn carriages and bikes, driven by folks in traditional Amish (or Mennonite?) attire. Cute kids. Beautiful farms. Highway 20 took us back to the interstate and crossed into Ohio. We drove until dark and stopped for the night in Sandusky around 9pm. Luckily we found a delicious/I-will-eat-anything-at-this-point Mexican restaurant, and were thankful they served us 20 minutes before closing. In summary: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in one day! I'm learning my geography. We'll head for Niagara Falls in the morning.

See photos from Day 5 here.

Day 4

2010-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

We left Big Springs at 8:30am. Sunny, but windy on the road. We crossed into the Central time zone at 9:30am and blew past the Buffalo Bill Ranch, and a Pony Express station. There is lots of corn, and lots of hay in the middle of our country. Nebraska is also surprisingly green considering that it's the end of August. We made it to Omaha around 3pm and took Jasper to the Omaha off-leash dog park. She got her crazies out, then we drove to Old Market in downtown Omaha and had dinner and beers at Upstream Brewing Company. Our waitress was from Bellingham. Small country. We got back on the road and out of the heat. We crossed into Iowa and checked the weather to see if we could camp for the night, but the weather report was calling for rain and thunderstorms so we agreed on a motel yet again. Jasper is not fond of high winds, or thunder. In situations of danger, she feels the safest sleeping on top of our heads. In other words, no one will sleep well. I'm beginning to realize that the camping stuff we packed may prove useless on this journey. Mileage at the end of the day: 1,946.

See the photos of Day 4 here

Day 3

2010-08-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

We left Ogden at 8:30am in plenty of sunshine and quickly crossed into Wyoming. Smooth sailing at around 80MPH. We took a break at Little America, then stopped for lunch at another tiny town, then another break in Cheyenne to walk around in the park and stretch our legs. All in all not a very exciting day, but beautiful open landscape all around, and we picked up Prairie Home Companion, This American Life, and the Country Music Countdown on the radio, so we were thoroughly entertained. It might have been a good thing that I forgot all of our CDs at home. We crossed into Nebraska just after Cheyenne, and made it as far as Big Springs. Another lovely Motel 6 (this one is actually not too bad). We had dinner next door at the saloon and were entirely amused by the guests in the next booth over. If one were to capture the essence of this place in one conversation, that would be the conversation. Onwards toward Omaha tomorrow.

See pictures of day 3 here.

The Great American Road Trip

2010-08-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends, I'm back. Well, actually, if you want to get into technicalities, I'm not back, I am currently on a cross-country road trip, but I thought I would take you along for the ride. Are you ready?

Day One

We left Seattle later than I would have liked. But considering that it was me who was still packing at 2:00pm and that that it was the first day of a long vacation, I can’t really complain. We headed east on I-90 through Yakima, and made it as far as Pendleton, Oregon. We stopped in for dinner at Great Pacific Wine and Coffee Company. Great microbrews on tap, and a good dinner. Called it a night at the local Motel 6 (we have little choice considering the third member of our team, Miss Jasper). Sorry, no photos from the first day. I was still getting into vacation mode.

Day Two

On the road by 8:30am. I-84 crossed the 45th Parallel and it’s official: we have entered the middle of nowhere. We crossed into the Mountain time zone around 10:00am, and it was then that I realized I had forgotten to account for time zones when planning daylight driving hours. Noted. We arrived into Boise around lunch time and stopped in at the Bitter Creek Ale House. There was a Farmer’s Market on 8th and plenty of people, but no dogs allowed (sorry Jasper). We drove down to Julia Davis Park, and Jasper took a quick dip in the river. There were a couple of canoes going through, but no kayaks. We were lucky and it was only about 75 degrees out--I heard it had been around 100 a couple days before. We got back on the road and made a quick photo op stop in Twin Falls, then headed toward Ogden. We contemplated camping at the KOA outside of Ogden, but the winds were strong and we had some rain on the way, so opted for the Motel 6 again. A word of advice: Don’t choose the Ogden Motel 6 off Washington. However, just down the road from there is a great little hole in the wall taco shop called Beto. Good stuff, even in though its a bit north of Mexico. Good night, Ogden.
See pictures here

Introducing...

2010-08-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

The newest tiny member of the Lovedog family:

nephew Nolan Dean!

born August 11, 12:01 am
7lbs, 11oz, 21 inches

Welcome to the Ranch, Nolan. We already adore you.

XOXO Love,

Auntie B

The best crab

2010-08-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

We spent a nice little getaway weekend in Anacortes so I don't have any new projects for you, but I do have a DELICIOUS crab recipe. I am a seafood lover through and through, but this might be the best whole crab recipe I have tried.

Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab

2 cooked Dungeness crabs, cleaned and cracked
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
dash salt & pepper to taste
fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste

Heat oven to 500. Combine ingredients (minus the crab) in small bowl. Place the crabs in a large bowl and drizzle with garlic butter mixture. Make sure the crab legs have enough cracks to absorb some of the mixture. Place crabs on a large baking pan (you can cover the pan with tinfoil first to help with clean-up). Roast for 6 minutes, remove and drizzle additional garlic butter mixture, then put back in the oven for 5-6 more minutes.

Sooooo good. Sorry I don't have pictures, but take my word that it both looked and tasted delicious. Eat the crab with a bottle of chilled white wine, and then have some berry pie for dessert. Done, done, and done!

This Just In

2010-08-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's official: it is blackberry season at Lovedog Ranch.

Let the pies begin!

The rest of the farm is also coming in full force:

The squash, tomatoes,

and green beans are almost ready.

The peas and herbs are delicious.

And the flowers are in bloom,

even the succulents!

Oh, happy summertime!

Sweet wedded bliss

2010-08-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had the joy of attending Dan & Kelly's wedding. From the lovely ceremony, to the delicious cake, to the smiling bride and groom, it was truly a sweet event.

Dan & Kelly's new family tree

delicious chocolate cake!

Dan's blown glass centerpieces

Kelly, the gorgeous bride

the kiss!

the glass-blowing boys

Congratulations, Dan & Kelly!

Confessions of a furniture junkie

2010-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I can’t help it. When I see an old, beat up piece of furniture I bring it home with me. (Exhibit A, B, C, D…) Then I walk through my house rearranging furniture so I can make room for it to stay. The problem is, usually when I get something new, my philosophy is to get rid of something. But with my furniture, its gotten to the point where each piece has a story, or hours of elbow grease put into it, and so my house is filling up. Pretty soon I’m going to have to get rid of some of Justin’s furniture. I’m kidding. I’ve already done that.

Last weekend I got this old dresser from a friend:

I couldn’t say no. He was out in her shed, all by himself. He wanted to live in my house, in my bedroom. So he came home with me, and immediately I started working on him. The veneer on the first drawer was warped and split, so I removed the drawer handles, scraped it off, and sanded the surface to remove any glue. I was thinking I would paint the dresser white or ivory in a shabby chic style, or maybe a fun blue. So I sanded all of the drawers, dresser top (getting rid of the water rings), sides, and in-betweens to get it ready for primer. But when I looked at my room, I realized that most of my furniture is antique wood stain, and that white or blue would bring out the busy-ness in the already busy carpet.

So I sanded a little more thoroughly, trying to lighten the dresser top a bit more, and the bottom two drawers to match the lighter top one. And then I called it a day. As you can see in the picture the top drawer is still a bit lighter than the other two, but was less noticeable once I moved it into my room.

If I move him to another room in the house I’ll probably add a couple embossed wood appliqués to the first drawer to replace the ones that were broken off, then paint him from head to toe, but for the time being I think he looks handsome and he’s perfectly at home in my room. Thanks for the project, Judye!

This Old House

2010-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I was younger and got invited over for slumber parties, I was always excited to see my friends’ bedrooms for the first time. For one, I always shared a bedroom so the idea that someone might have their OWN room was nearly incomprehensible, and two, how they decorated and whether they had a window seat (bay window) was of utmost interest. And if they had a day bed, well oh my gosh, your life is amazing!

Side story: I distinctly remember asking for a day bed for my birthday one year. My fabulous dad took me around to many furniture stores until we found the perfect one. Which was perfect indeed. Until he bought my older sister (who shared the room with me) the exact same bed. Smart move by dad for decorating and room space (think trundle beds), but tragic for little ol’ me who had finally found something cool to lord over my sister. But I digress…

Fast forward to 2010. Not only do my friends have their own rooms, but their own houses! Yes, I’m still equally, if not more, enthralled. From vintage furniture, to Kitchen Aid pasta or ice cream attachments, to vegetable gardens, I love to see how my friends do it. Last month when Kelly had to get rid of all mostly all her stuff for her move to Paris, it got me thinking about the things I would want to take with me, and items that have traveled with me from move to move over the years. These things have taken on identities of their own, like old friends, and become my sense of home. I know I'm talking about objects, things, material possessions, temporary items in the grand scheme of the world, and sure, I would be fine without them, but I do enjoy them.

I thought I would share some of my favorites with you, so you can take a peek into my little old house. But I warn you, by looking at these pictures, I fully expect you to share a list of your own dear possessions.

1. Coffee table.

When I moved into my current place I owned nearly no furniture, had no plates, silverware, etc. Driving home from work during the first month at the new place, I saw this coffee table on the side of the road with a sign that said FREE. Also on the table was a big basket that contained a set of enamelware plates, bowls, and cups, some glass food storage jars, and a set of nesting serving/storage bowls. Thank you, God! I loaded my car with the goods and smiled all the way home. Not only do I find this table super cozy, but it reminds me of that moment of feeling really blessed- my needs we're met in an unexpected way. I also love that its already old and broken in, so it exudes "kick your feet up and relax." I could probably fix it up a bit, but I like it how it is. Sometimes I'd rather have things I don't have to worry about ruining.

2. School map.

Okay, this is a new addition to my home, but I will remind you that I have been on the hunt for a vintage school map for years. Back in March I found a woman on Craigslist who had several for sale. I spent an hour at her house just looking at all of the old maps and trying to choose. This one shows the territories during the War of 1812. I'll admit I'm not a huge history buff, but I think it's beautiful. I used an old leather belt to mount it to my wall.

3. Trunk.

My dad bought this for me at a swap meet years ago. I might have been in junior high at the time. I remember getting out his electric sander and sanding off the rough spots to make the paint smooth. I love the way this trunk smells when I open it up. Old and musty. Its distinct, and when I open it I think of when I opened it the first time in my parents' garage. I now store my Christmas decorations in it, so opening it also has that sense of excitement for the Christmas season.

4. Suitcase collection.

I bought my first one (in the middle) for $10 at the Fremont Sunday Market, back when the market was held on the other side of Fremont Avenue. This was the beginning of my suitcase obsession. Admittedly, I own way too many (possibly more than 15, but who's counting). They're a fun way to store my hats, and scarves, and pj's, and other things that don't fit in our limited closet/dresser space. They're not usually sitting on the chaise, but live in various places throughout the house (next to dressers, couches, book shelves...)

So that's mine. What are your favorite things?

(Not) a tutorial: Fabric message board

2010-07-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

When I was down in California recently, my sister lovingly suggested that I make her a fabric message board for Avery’s room, “so you can put it on your blog!” Thanks, Leslie! Such a fabulous, selfless idea! (I kid…)

I had never made a fabric message board but assumed (correctly) that they can’t be that hard to make. Luckily I already had all the supplies necessary (read: borderline hoarder. "I might need that for something...").

I have an unframed message board in my art room which looks fine, but I wanted hers to have a more finished look, so I started with a plastic 16x20 frame (sans glass). I cut some leftover cork board to fit the frame. Next I cut fabric to wrap around the cork board, ironed the fabric, and used a staple gun to secure it to the board. Then I strung the ribbon, and used the staple gun again. I love staple guns. Where the fabric intersected I added a fabric covered button with a thumb tack hot-glued to the back of the button.

I went outside and spray-painted the frame with heirloom white paint. Then I remembered that I should have sanded the frame a bit to get the paint to stick better. Oops. I let it dry for a while, then added a second coat. The paint was much stronger on the second coat. Once the frame dried really well, I put the covered board into the frame, and then a 16X20 piece of cardboard over the back, and taped that into place. Project complete. Next!

Fabric envy

2010-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to Lindsey's shop lately, check out her recent products. Sooo darling.

and I'm back! for now...

2010-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

We just got back from another road trip to California.

Some words to summarize: driving, road construction, camping, dog park, driving, In-N-Out, driving, old friends, washoes, sunshine, swimming, lounging, slack lining, frostys, eating, camping, cooking, dishes, mosquitoes, sunshine, boating, floating, Jasper’s nonstop swimming, campfire, s’mores, bat-in-the-tent-trailer, brother with broom, blueberry pancakes, Avery’s pink polka dot swimsuit, napping, ice cream, chocolate covered pretzels, Yosemite, waterfalls, 60th birthdays, El Cid, Texas sheet cake, slack lining, hacky sack, Amy’s 34-week belly, Avery’s kisses, driving, In-N-Out, fireworks in Yreka, driving, driving, home sweet home.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words:

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls a-flowin'

The world's cutest camper

The world's cutest tiny slackliner (and gramps)

The fam

Yosemite Valley. My other home.

Love and stuff

2010-06-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago, on a day sunnier than today, at a beach in Seattle, I met a fellow named Justin Bagley. He was sweet and charming and handsome, humble and kind, and I was hooked. And so the adventures began, to Orcas Island, to Cannon Beach, to Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, California, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Idaho, Arizona...(and soon to be a few more in between.)

I believe I can be quoted early on as saying, "I'm not an expensive date. We just need a full tank of gas, and all your time." Quickly he learned that he would also need a passport, numerous plane tickets, and the next seven years.

Justin, thanks for going along with the madness, being a great travelling companion, doing all the dishes, and your willingness to agree to the plan, listen patiently while I completely change the plan, then agree to the new plan, which I am 100% sure of, until I decide that I'm 100% sure of another other plan, over there, which is nothing like the other plan. It has been a great adventure so far.

Au revoir, Kelly!

2010-06-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

WTC?

2010-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

So here’s the story: I frequently find myself reveling in the company of my creative, intelligent, and incredibly competent friends. We’ll be sitting at a table (inevitably over a beer at happy hour), and I will look around and think about the individual talents and expertise represented. I often feel honored to be a part of such a fantastic and ever expanding circle of friends.

When several of my friends asked me to host a craft night, of course I said yes. They know I love nothing more than spending hours making stuff. They also know that any gathering we have instantly becomes another occasion to eat. We love eating.

As I started planning craft night it occurred to me that this should become a regular thing. Not only because I love crafting and my friends, but also because we all have so many interests and talents. The idea of a recurring craft night morphed into the concept of a WTC: Women’s Teaching Cooperative (or What The Craft?), the idea being if someone has a skill or craft that others in the group want to learn, that person will host a WTC night and teach the group. It could be anything from making croissants, to canning, to French lessons, to brewing beer, to floral arrangements.

For the inaugural WTC night, I showed the group how to make glass lens magnets and fabric magnets. Since this was the first try, I wanted to choose crafts that were easily completed in a couple hours, and didn't require major tools.

I gave a 5 minute tutorial, and then they were off!

Super fun to see the results and each person's unique eye. A couple examples below. I can't wait for our next WTC! I'll be sure to report back.

Supply lists

Glass Magnets:
Mini hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Clear glass rocks (large and small)
Magnets (large and small)
Stack of old magazines

Mod Podge

Scissors for paper

Fabric Magnets:

Button kit

Button refill packs

Magnets

Fabric scraps

Fabric scissors

Mini hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Hello out there!

2010-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! You may (or may not) have noticed I haven't posted in a while. I forgot how busy spring can be. Let me catch you up to speed:

- First, as I mentioned, Justin's mom came to visit.

- Then, we had a great day of outdoor climbing in Leavenworth (already our second of the season in spite of the rain).

- Then, we threw a good old fashioned American kegger for Kelly, who is moving to Paris(!), complete with a keg of local Elysian Avatar IPA, custom tees, slack lining, an Eiffel Tower pinata, and plenty of friends.

- Then, I had a fun time with the girls dining out at Volunteer Park Cafe (Kelly's new favorite restaurant).

- Then, I threw our first WTC (you'll soon find out...).

- Then, we went on an overnight paddle-camping trip with the Avalon Glassworks glassblowers, from West Seattle to Blake Island (guided by Alki Kayak Tours).

(Jon & Shannon of Avalon Glassworks) (Justin, steering the tandem)

- Then we headed to Smith Rock for some amazing climbing and great campfire time. I have discovered that my new favorite s'more is a marshmallow sandwiched by two mint Grasshopper cookies. Mmmmm...

(Me, up high) (Justin & Jasper hiking out)

(Justin bouldering) (Kelly, in the distance)

Needless to say, I have been busy, but I haven't forgotten you! See you soon!

Good Southern hospitality

2010-05-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the delight of dining with Aubrie C, one of my best friends from the college days, and her 9-month-old daughter Claire Marguerite, at the home of Miss Kristin and Mister Johnny Caldwell. I LOVE dinner at the Caldwells'. When we were in college Aubrie's parents lived just a short distance from the campus and we would go to their house for dinner fairly often. The Caldwells are from Mississippi, and every meal feels like an occasion, complete with sweet tea, all the fixins, and dessert. On this particular meal we had baked fish, roasted veggies, baked sweet potatoes, rolls, and of course some sweet tea. And dessert. For dessert, Miss Kristin made strawberries and shortbread. Sweet deliciousness. I immediately asked for her shortbread biscuit recipe.

I have been meaning to try it, and I just had the perfect (last minute) opportunity. Justin's mom is visiting from New Hampshire, and she made us a delicious dinner last night. As we were finishing I felt like a dope for overlooking dessert, and I remembered that this recipe is quick and easy. We didn't have enough strawberries in the fridge, but we did have some frozen blackberries. So I warmed a few cups of those with some sugar and quickly made this shortbread.

Here's all you need:

Miss Kristin's Delicious Shortbread Biscuits

1 ½ cups self rising flour
1 ½ T sugar
½ cup shortening (Crisco)
½ cup whole milk (scant)

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is size of small peas. Add milk (scant ½ cup) and knead just until mixed. Roll out (pat out) on floured wax paper until about ½” thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass. Bake 450 degrees about 10 minutes or until evenly browned. Butter each biscuit and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream and sweetened cut strawberries (or in this case, warm, sweetened blackberries).

Sweet success. And I ate a leftover biscuit this morning for breakfast!

My first quilt!

2010-04-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

If you remember, (as I'm sure you do because of course you mentally catalogue all of my posts), I am in the process of making my first quilt. I had no idea how many (meticulous) steps are involved in making a quilt. I will say this is by no means a tutorial.

According to the great Wikipedia:

Traditional quilting is a six-step process that includes: 1) selecting a pattern, fabrics, and batting; 2) measuring and cutting fabrics to the correct size to make blocks from the pattern; 3) piecing (sewing cut pieces of fabric together) blocks together to make a finished "top"; 4) layering the quilt top with batting and backing, to make a "quilt sandwich"; 5) quilting through all layers of the quilt sandwich; and 6) squaring up and trimming excess batting from the edges, sewing the binding to the front edges of the quilt and then stitching the binding to the quilt backing.

Here are a few notes on the process.

First, a few key things you need:
- One fabric rotary cutter
- One large cutting mat (so you don't dull your blade on other surfaces)

- One 12.5" x 12.5" cutting square. This size is great for large strip cutting, and checking your squares.

- One trusty sewing machine that makes an exact 1/4" seam with the presser foot. This is important for sewing accurate seams, so that your blocks line up throughout the process, and in the assembly stage.

- A pattern to follow. This is something I didn't think was entirely necessary. I thought I would make a random patchwork quilt. But I found an easy pattern to modify and it has been SO useful in determining how much of each fabric I need, how many squares of each size, how to lay it out, etc.

- Someone who knows how to make a quilt. I have learned so much on every step of the process from my teacher, Justin's step-mom, Diann. From proper cutting techniques, to ironing/setting the stitches, graphing the layout, and all the shortcuts, it makes me wish I had taken better notes. I predict I she will be on speed dial for my second quilt too.

On my quilt, I'm currently on steps two and three of the six step process. I've put about 20 hours into it so far (which includes shopping/selecting the fabrics).

These are some of my cut squares, with a few of the smaller squares sewn together.

Below is my first assembled large block. My finished quilt will be five large blocks wide, and five long, plus a thin and thick border around the outside.

So far I have really enjoyed the process. It was sort of intimidating knowing once I began, there would be a LOT of hours until completion, but it's been rewarding to see each of the blocks come together. It can be tedious (cutting the strips and squares, sewing, sewing, sewing) but it's also relaxing. I think I actually enjoy the repetition at times. I definitely think you need to like sewing, which I do. Already my sewing techniques have improved a ton which was one of my major goals in this project.

I'll update you later on with the quilt's progress. In the meantime, recipes, quick crafts, and other projects forthcoming!

A sweet party for a sweet girl

2010-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

By all counts, Avery's birthday was a success. From the candy shop party favors to the outdoor games, the craft table, the birthday cake, the and the perfect weather, it all came together and everyone had a blast. Here are some pictures from the party.

I'll see you next Tuesday with a crafty new post!

Happy Birthday Avery J!

2010-04-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

This birthday shoutout goes to the sweetest girl on the block, Miss Avery Juliet.

Happy 1st birthday Avery! I'm so excited to spend your big day with you. Eat the whole cake!

XOXO! Love Auntie B

Birthday Banner #2

2010-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Want to make a cute party banner?

I know what you're thinking: I don't own a sewing machine. I don't know how to sew. I don't even care about sewing.

Well, my friend, this post is for you...

Last summer, before I gained a bit of confidence and experience on my trusty sewing machine, I decided that I wanted to make Justin a banner for his 30th birthday. But I needed a no-sew option. I also happen to love hot glue guns. And so this is what I did, and you can too.

1. Figure out what you want the banner to say. In my case, I went with Happy 30 Justin, so that I could avoid the super long "Birthday" and still get his age in there. Count your letters. Then count any spacer flags you want.

2. Go on down to your local craft store and pick up some cheap felt. It's probably in the kid craft section, or poster board section. It comes in 9x12" rectangles and they usually carry it in all the primary colors, plus a few more. It's super cheap (probably $.25-$.50 a piece?). You will need half a piece per finished flag, and half a piece of white per letter. So for mine I bought 8 colored squares, and 7 white. Pick up a spool of craft jute (its like twine) for a few bucks. Each flag is going to be 6" wide so if you decide to use string or ribbon you already have, the length will need to be 6"x (number of flags) + 1' extra to allow for loops at the end. If you don't have a glue gun, get one! They're super cheap and you'll come up with a zillion uses for it. Buy it! Plus, I'll show you how to make some magnets later.

3. Decide on your layout. I went with a gradient of four blues. Cut each of the rectangles in half (short way). [Yes, the piece below is green. I cut all my blues before I remembered to take a picture. But you get the idea.]

4. Turn on your glorious hot glue gun. Make sure its hot enough so that the glue flows nice and gooey. Decide on your back side. At my craft store they put the price tag on each felt square, so when I took that off there was a funny square spot, thus this became the back. Lay a line of glue along the top edge of the back side, then fold it down 1.5". You will need to be able to pass the jute through this fold/hem. Lay it aside to cool. Repeat with each flag.

5. Cut your letters. I made mine about 6 inches high by 4" wide. So technically you could probably get three letters out of each white piece of felt if you want to buy less. I'm just not that into careful cutting. And I wanted big bold letters.

6. Now that all the flag hems are glued and cooled, glue on the white letters. I waited for this step to glue the letters to ensure the letters would line up with each other. Allow them to cool really well.

7. String up your lovely work. I put glass balls between each flag (benefits of dating a glass blower...) but you could experiment with other things or nothing if your flag is long like mine. I tied a loop to both ends of the string to easily hook to some nails.

Piece of cake! Mmmmm...cake....

Little Suzy Homemaker

2010-04-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Jennifer recently celebrated her birthday. I decided that I needed to make her an apron. I didn't really know how to make an apron, but it seemed easy enough. I searched online for free patterns and found this one. And then I took the liberty of not really following it.

My modifications to the pattern:

I knew I wanted a stationary neck strap rather than ribbon so I cut a 4 x 30 inch length of striped fabric, folded it in half lengthwise (print side out), ironed it, and then tucked both raw edges under 1/2 inch, ironed over those, and then zigzag stitched the edge closed.

I did the same thing with the waist ties, except I wanted those to be a bit wider so I cut two 6 x 44 inch lengths of fabric and used the method above. I cut one end of each tie diagonally. (The square end was sewn to the apron, the diagonal end is the end of the tie.)

I didn't make a pocket. It seemed unnecessary.

I really wanted to make a ruffle along the bottom except I didn't know how. Back to the internet

I went. Some things I learned:

Cut the ruffle fabric longer than the fabric you will join it to, so that you get lots of ruffles. (In my case I cut a 3" x 44" strip. Hem the length of one edge of the strip.

For the other (raw) edge, change your machine setting to a wide zigzag stitch. Fold a hem. Lay a string (I used embossing thread) on the middle of the hem, centered under the presser foot.

Zigzag over the string, but don't hit the string with the stitches. The presser foot should have a little space that will keep the string in the middle as you go. When you reach the end, pull on the end of the string to gently to create ruffles. Be careful not to pull the other end of the string through.

Pin each of the ends of the ruffle to the ends of the under side of the apron, then another pin in the middle and then pin in the middle of the end and the center.

Stitch the ruffle to the apron, making sure your ruffles stay ruffly as you go. Yay, a ruffle!

When I was done and tried on the apron, I noticed that the top edge of the apron was wider than it needed to be. Since I had already connected the neck straps I wasn't sure what to do to fix it. I decided to sew two darts in the middle of the fabric. It successfully made the top a little narrower and gave it a little more (womanly) shape.

Happy birthday, Jennifer!

Any excuse for a party

2010-03-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

I admit it. Sometimes I get carried away. When Brittany said we should do dinner, I said, “You guys should come over for dinner Friday night.” Simple enough. And then I went home and thought about menu ideas. And then I made a paper flower . And then I had a theme. And then dinner became “dinner party”. Then I needed an invitation, a clean house, and a cute dress. And so, after a silly but worthwhile amount of preparation for a dinner among six friends, I present to you, the Indoor Garden Party.

In anticipation of warmer spring days,
blooming flowers, and lemonade,
You are invited to an indoor garden party.

The forecast in Seattle is always quite silly,
but inside the house it won't be chilly.
Now you might ask, whatever shall I wear?
Your cutest spring dress, and a flower in your hair.

Menu*

Tinto and spiked Arnold Palmers
Pastry wrapped asparagus
Pork and vegetable egg rolls
Asian salad w/chile lime vinaigrette, mango, avocado, & broiled scallops
Baked salmon with mango chutney over rice
Raspberry and lemon sorbet

I do realize there probably should be some point to this post. I’m trying to think of something. Oh yeah, theme parties are fun. Why limit stressful housecleaning and decorating madness to official holidays? Have you thrown a theme party? What was your theme?

*A huge shoutout to Brittany for helping out with the cooking and making the delicious asparagus appetizers. Also, fun fact for you.

Happy Birthday, Miss Jasper!

2010-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

This birthday shoutout goes to Jasper Maybelle Freed [a.k.a. J. May, Miss Jasper, Little Merryweather, Mrs. Wigglebottoms] who turned the big THREE yesterday!

Jasper, thanks for always being excited when I come home, keeping me well exercised, and being such a great cuddler. I forgive you for keeping me awake between the hours of 4:00 and 5:30 this morning because the wind was blowing and you thought it would be safer to sleep on my head. Thank goodness you're so cute.

Birthday Bag

2010-03-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

One of my great joys in life is finding perfect gifts for my friends and family. Sometimes that means making the perfect gift. One of my best friends and fellow bibliophile, Natalie, who lives way-too-far-away, just celebrated her birthday. While I couldn't celebrate with her, I did enjoy the weeks leading up to her birthday as I worked on her birthday gift. I came across Sunset's 3 DIY gift baskets not too long ago, and this one was great inspiration.

Here's Natalie's birthday bag:

You can see each item close up here.

This is what I did: I bought a blank canvas tote from the craft store (about $4). Using my fun new fabric ink I stamped away. I tried it out on a sample piece of fabric first, to get an idea of how dark the ink would turn out. Once it was dry I ironed it (through a thin tea towel) to hopefully set the ink and and iron out some of the fold lines in the bag.

I stamped some packing paper as well and wrapped up a bar of handmade soap, tying it up with some jute.

A while back I begged my engineering friend to give me some of his old building plans. I used one of those to wrap her book and also stamped the paper with "DRAFT", "REVIEWED", and "PRIORITY".

I made her a set of magnets using an old map, some clear glass craft stones, some mod podge, and hot glue.

And you remember the notebook.

I hope she had as much fun recieving this bag of goodies as I had making it. Happy birthday, Natalie! I hope it's a great year for you.

What goes with Macaroni?

2010-03-16T03:00:00.001-07:00

Recently, invited for dinner at Jay & Christie’s, we planned to bring a salad. The main course was macaroni and bleu, and so I was having a difficult time coming up with an appropriate side. I’m kind of neurotic when it comes to dinner parties and potlucks (perhaps 4 does not necessarily constitute a party...). The day of the dinner, wracking my brain, I asked my good friend Internet, “What goes with macaroni and cheese?”
She answered: Broccoli, green beans, asparagus, peas, or sautéed greens. (The Internet is always right, so she must be female). I love fresh green beans, so I searched for green bean salad and stumbled across this great recipe:

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Basil and Tomatoes

(T. Susan Chang for NPR, Adapted from Cookwise by Shirley Corriher, Morrow 1997]

Makes 8 servings
1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt (4 teaspoons total)
1 recipe garlic-basil dressing (below)
5 firm ripe tomatoes, sliced
4 sprigs fresh basil for garnish

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. While the water's heating, fill a large bowl with ice water (using at least a dozen cubes of ice). Once the water boils, add the beans and cook briefly: 1 or 2 minutes for tiny haricots, 4 or 5 for bigger beans. Don't walk away. Drain the beans quickly. Then shock them by dumping them in the ice water, agitating them briefly until they are quite cool (about a minute). Then drain again and set aside. They can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed plastic bag for several hours with no loss of color or texture. If you do refrigerate, first dry them extra-thoroughly on a dish towel. When ready to serve, toss the green beans with 1/3 cup of the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Taste and add more dressing or salt as needed. Pile the beans high in the center of a large white platter. Arrange the tomato slices overlapping around the edge. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the dressing on top of them. Garnish with the basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

Garlic-Basil Dressing
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup canola, corn or other vegetable oil
15 fresh basil leaves

Turn on the processor with the steel blade and drop the garlic and shallot down the feed tube onto the spinning blade to mince. Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and sugar. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Add the basil leaves and coarsely chop with several on/off pulses.

My Notes: Though the dressing is delicious, I wanted the salad to be more basil-y, so I chopped up some extra basil and tossed it with the green beans. Make sure you don’t cook the green beans too long; you want them to have a bit of a crisp texture, not soft or mushy. I added some garlic salt to the green beans when finished, and to the tomato slices instead of regular salt. I tried the dressing recipe using 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp balsamic in place of the red wine vinegar and a quarter yellow onion in place of the shallot and I thought that worked great.

The salad was a success, thank goodness. Justin did comment that it was rather risky to try a new recipe an hour before we had to be there. We did show up 30 minutes late, but that was related more to my nothing-to-wear-crisis than food prep. This was a really easy dish, and I made it again the next day with the unprepared green beans and tomatoes I had left over, and the remaining dressing. This salad would be great served with a Panini and will make a great summer salad when it’s grilling weather.

P.S. I forgot to take a picture of the end results but it looked just like the photo. Or even better. Really!!

I made this: Knock-off notebook

2010-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Lindsey Cheney of The Pleated Poppy, I decided to make this covered notebook. It's pretty darling, if I do say so myself.

Lessons learned from this project:

1. I am not qualified to write a sewing tutorial. Seriously. Take no sewing lessons from me. [Insert jammed sewing machine sound here]. I don't know how to follow a pattern, and I have no idea what is wrong with my machine when it refuses to work. However, I channeled the good old high school days, when we had to make paper grocery bag textbook covers, to make this work.

2. Contrast stitching works best if you actually know how to sew a straight line. If you don't, it shows off all your errors (and crookedyness). Also, when you are sewing on ribbon, take the extra five seconds to make your bobbin thread the same as your main thread. Otherwise if your tension is wrong, you will see the (in my case white) bobbin thread pop through from underneath. Don't worry, I have changed my ways.

3. After making one myself I must say, Lindsey Cheney's notebooks are a killer deal. I really adore her ruffly creations and fabric combinations. Another thing I love about her design is that she had the great idea to make them to fit a standard composition book, so when you fill the book, you can just swap in a new one. Brilliant and inexpensive (comp books only cost about $1-2). Being the non-sewer that I am, this took a surprisingly long time to make, though I used fabric and ribbon that I already had, so that didn't cost me anything (just blood, sweat, and tears...). I'm sure it would go faster should I try it again, but it's the same way I feel about cinnamon rolls. In the end I just want to have one, I don't have to make it myself to enjoy it.

Thanks for the inspiration Lindsey!

I think I can, I think I can...

2010-03-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

In follow up to my 2010 goals, I thought I would give you a little update.

1. I have done nothing with the chandelier so far. I have thought about it a lot, especially when I trip over it in my art room. That's all. Oh, and I keep finding chandelier crystals all over my house. They're multiplying like bunnies. We'll keep this on the To Do list.

2. I haven't been able to work on the coffee table yet, but I'm waiting for a sunny day so I can do the sanding outside, since we don't have a garage. It's only sunny when I am at work. Funny how that goes...

3. I have my first quilting lesson scheduled for this Sunday! I fully intend to document the experience in case you want to learn to quilt too. I'm really excited to get started and want to make a quilt and pillow shams for my bed. (Quilt update here.)

4. Pilates was awesome. Wednesday was the last class of the 8-week series and I signed up for another series starting in April. It's definitely challenging, the instructor works us just past my limit, and I feel like my core muscles are stronger. Yay.

5. New recipes will be posted in the weeks ahead. I have tried a few experimental recipes to varying levels of success. You will see the good ones popping up soon.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a crafty weekend!

Avery is turning 1!

2010-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

So if you have been following this blog for a while, you have met my adorable niece Avery Juliet. In case you have forgotten, here she is in all her cuteness.

(This was at Christmas when she was still trying to figure out how to crawl.)

I can hardly believe it, but she is turning 1 in April. I'm super excited to fly down for her birthday weekend, and especially excited to help my sister Leslie decorate for the party. While discussing fun party themes via chat, I decided that I wanted to make Avery a birthday banner. And so, the madness began:

Step 1: Pick out some cute fabric based on how many flags you want, or how long the name is, etc. I chose 3 different fabrics, plus one complimentary color to unify the three. I also bought some white felt squares to use for the letters of her name.

Step 2: Create a stencil in the shape and size that you want and cut the flags accordingly. Before cutting I decided that I needed at least 5 flags for her name, and 2 on either side, so I chose the order (and quantity) of each fabric piece before I began.

Step 3: Cut the complementary border pieces about an inch longer than the flag on either side to allow for a hem. I wanted the border to be an inch wide on top when finished, so I cut each piece to 4 inches. I made a thin hem on each side, but not the top and bottom. Like so...

Then I cuffed the top and bottom so the unsewn edges met in the middle, inserted the flag, and sewed it all together. I sewed pretty close to the bottom of the border because the string has to have room to pass through the top part. (Sorry if this is a bit confusing. Kind of hard to explain).

And flag one is complete! Repeat with each of the flags. Jam your sewing machine at least 10 times and call it bad names (optional).

Step 4: Cut some stencils for the letters, cut the letters out of felt, and sew them to your flags.

Step 5: Start stringing your banner. I wrapped the end of the string in tape (the length of a flag) so that it could pass through easily. Don't forget to start with your front spacer flags, and not the first letter (which I did in the picture and had to take back off. Oops.) Talk your glassblowing boyfriend into hooking you up with cool glass balls to put between each flag. You don't have a glassblowing boyfriend? Order some from mine!

Tie loops on either side and hang! It turned out pretty long, so for the sake of the picture it's pretty swoopy (since I just hooked to the curtain rod), but you get the idea...

Fun find - quick project

2010-02-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

I love antique stores. There are some good ones out where I live, and I could spend hours and hours looking at old things. (I am perpetually looking for an old school room style roll down map if anyone happens upon one...but I digress.) Last weekend I came across some great finds, one of which was this old luggage rack.

Now I know it doesn't look like much, but at the same time, I also found some great fabric in a way back room for 50% percent off of practically nothing. And the wheels started turnin'. So after a few dollars, a partial can of white spray paint, and a little zigzag stitching, voila! A new old luggage rack for the guest room.

World's cutest valentine

2010-02-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge Valentine's Day person anymore, but I do still without a doubt swoon at receiving a real hand made valentine. And so, I would like to relay to you the pleasure I had this morning of receiving this absolutely lovely valentine, from the talented Miss Kenzie, previously made internet famous for her creative genius on Jay's (a.k.a. Papa Genius) blog.

I know no better foundation for friendship than both liking art stuff. And check her out, she already knows the power of a shoutout (or her dad bribed her to write that last part in hopes of earning some more web traffic. Smart, very smart, Jay...).

Thanks for my beautiful valentine, Kenzie! I like you too!

What's up, 2010?

2010-01-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else feel like we are now living in the future? It's so futuristic that we haven't even figured out how to say it: twenty-ten, two-thousand ten, or two-thousand and ten. Personally, I have picked option B.

I have decided that two-thousand ten (see how I just made you to say it my way...) will be full of new experiences, new projects, new recipes. Here is what's ahead for me and Lovedog Ranch:

1. Chandelier project: I was given an old chandelier by my friend Erin a few months ago. It's lovely as it is, but I have had an idea for a while that I have been wanting to try out. You'll see how it goes.

2. Renew coffee table: Another friend give-away. I love refinishing old furniture, especially when it's free. There is something very cathartic about sanding. For Valentines Day one year, Justin bought me an electric sander. Isn't that romantic?! But really, that was probably one of my favorite Valentines gifts ever, second only to Valentine, my giant stuffed pig from my mom.

3. Learning to quilt: I am a grade C- seamstress. The only real training I have had was Home Ec in the 9th grade. I do what I can, but my skills will benefit greatly from a little discipline. I also loooove quilts, and the idea of reusing something old to make something new, useful, and (hopefully) beautiful.

4. Pilates: This is not so much a project as it is a lifestyle change. I get my assorted exercise via bicycling, climbing, swimming, and (not nearly enough) paddling, but a couple of these are limited by the seasons, I want to take it up a notch, and I definitely need more cardio. I took yoga a few years ago but it felt too slow for my style. I happen to be competitive to a fault, so I'm hoping pilates kicks my butt. I'll keep you posted--my first class is tonight!

5. More recipes, more cooking! I have been very unhealthy as the seasons rotated from delicious, abundant summer veggies to the blahs of the fall and winter. I have also realized that when I eat at work there's no food in my food, since our cafeteria is limited to fried foods, hamburgers, pizza, etc. You'll see me busting out some new recipes that hopefully make good leftovers for lunch.

Okay that's enough for now. See you soon!

P.S. I don't think I'm raising any eyebrows when I tell you that 2009 was a terrible year. I'm pretty sure it is a universal fact. That being said, I have hope that 2010 has some awesomeness in store for all of us. Wishing you all a happy new year. Let's make it happen.

Down with 2009, but up up ups for 2010.

This season's hit

2009-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a chaotic December, with a road trip to California in the mix. Earlier this month I hosted a shindig at the ranch, and discovered a great recipe for lemon bars in the process. Due to their success, I made them again for my sister's birthday, and again, rave reviews. Therefore, it is my duty to share this recipe with you. I am a non-baker. These are truly easy to make, and delicious.

Luscious Lemon Squares

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, blend ingredients until they resemble coarse meal. Press mixture into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan. Bake until set and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool.
For the filling: In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar and lemon juice together. Add flour and baking powder, blending only long enough to incorporate. Pour filling into baked crust and bake until set, about 25 minutes.
Cool. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting. Cut into squares (hint: cut the squares in half diagonally for better bite sizes and presentation. I found they were easier to cut if I put them in the freezer to firm for a few minutes just before cutting. - bf). Serves 20-24.

Found at The Food Network.

Shout out: Perfect gifts!

2009-12-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the madness of the Christmas shopping season! Unfortunately, this year did not find me as crafty and productive as I should have been, and so I too find myself participating in the chaos that is the gift scramble. I happen to be of the disposition that I must find the PERFECT gift for everyone on my shopping list, adding to the pressure. Happily, I have come across the most adorable little online shop, The Pleated Poppy, by Lindsey Cheney. So if you, like me, are looking for handmade, personal gifts, shop shop shop away! I love the aprons and the tea towels!

Thankfulness

2009-11-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, it's been a hard few weeks. I added another year to the tally sheet that is my life at the end of October, but I can't help but terribly miss the friend that has been subtracted this year. Today is her birthday. She would have been 28.

In spite of a heavy heart I am also thankful. I am thankful that I live in a place that I love, near friends and family, and that I have the things I need in life. I am thankful to all my dear friends who have been supportive this year--I can't speak enough for the love that my friends show me and each other. It's so great to be a part of an ever-extending family, to know that there is always someone there. I feel blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

I am thankful for Jill and the great times we had together, the things I learned from her carefree style, her love for the unknown, her amazing artistic abilities, her life lived as a daily adventure, and her honesty. Jill, you have enriched my life. You have made me a better person. And I will be eternally grateful. You are missed.