More Crafty

Thread catcher and pincushion anchor for an LA Modern Quilt Guild exchange.

Latest projects

 Bibs for Ozge's baby shower.  A good way to use up pretty scraps.

 IVS bags for the upcoming conference

 Leather tool roll



Sewing

Rainy weekend, good for indoor projects

 This is a little baby blanket for Theron's teacher, using up stash randomly. 

 This is my favorite little area

 More tool wraps for IVS

And pigs flew

Snow in Los Angeles!  Last Saturday afternoon. It actually got whiter but both of our cameras had dead batteries, very inconvenient. Theron and Oli were THRILLED.  Theron has no memory of being a little kid in Brooklyn, helping daddy shovel and spread salt.    All the kids on the block were outside and everyone was laughing.  Amazing

Look at my cape!

What about this weather?  It's freezing, it's scorching, it's windy, coyotes are running around in broad daylight and our dog is trying to apply makeup.  It's nuts!
Theron asked for new pajamas because he's cold and that means it's actually cold - Theron's normal uniform is underwear only.  I took him to Target and he picked out a Batman outfit with a cape.  The sticker on the front said "Look at my cape!"  We took the sticker and put it on Oli who licked it off then ran away.  Theron put on the jammies and showing off said "Look at my AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" as the static cling sent a searing jolt into his body.  I laughed a lot.  Theron did too after he ripped the cape off his body. 
Also at our trip to Target Theron negotiated the purchase of new toys by promising to buy them himself.  When I tried to collect at home he gave me a sob story about how little money he has now, then he tried to negotiate an allowance by which he would pay me back, effective today, and oh, yeah, the first installment should actually be bigger.  I walked away with $10 out of $15 and I'm happy to have it.  I can't wait until he becomes a lawyer and we can beg him for a big house and two new cars.  I suppose we'd better stop holding him back, though.
In the car he said to me, "Dad told me about kids who - it starts with an "a""
"Autistic"
"Yeah. I'm glad I'm not that"
"Yes"
"I'm more bombastic"

My Funny Valentine

Dear Parents,
You've helped me so much but sometimes I can't help feeling your (sic) holding me back.  CHEERS!
Love, Theron 

You make me smile with my heart. 
Which leaves my feet free for stepping on your cape.

Home Alone

When you give a dog a tube of paint

 He'll give himself a home manicure

I told him we could tell he's color blind because no one is wearing terracotta this year.

Year of the Rabbit

Don't Hit Snooze

I had a great idea this morning for the Dog Fart Alarm Clock.  Guess how I got that idea?  It's brilliant because you don't just wake up, you are forced to go through a series of complex emotions and thought processes.
The alarm goes off.  You are in the middle of a dream about buying fabric.  But wait - is the fabric made of poop?  Someone tells you it can be mail ordered from Canada. 
Confusion - was that the dog or the spouse?  The spouse isn't sick and doesn't eat cat turds, so it must be the dog. 
Indecision - leave the perfect cozy position hours of sleep have molded out of pillows and blankets, or stay and hope for the best.
Incredulity - Spouse does not smell this too???
Hope - maybe spouse or child will let dog out. 
Resignation - There is only one real solution. 

New Year!

I'm finally back - it's been a little busy around here.  But the new year means new habits WE HOPE. 

 In the new year we vow to try to give both puppies the exercise and play they need and deserve.

In the new year I will try to eat fewer of these kind of things.

 These are cake pops I made for Theron's classroom Christmas party.  After looking at about 100 posts about cake pops, starting with the famous Bakerella tutorial, I was ready to go.  First you bake a cake - I used a mix.  : /
When it cools you crumb it and then mash it up with something that will make it stick together.  I used sweetened condensed milk but you can also use frosting, or jam, or crushed berries.  Roll into balls, insert a stick, cool in the fridge or freezer.  When cool, dip in candy shell.  I used the Wilton melts available at Michaels.  Theron and Ash ate all the rejects and declared them a success. 

In the new year I will try to say Yes less often.  I'll probably continue to do the Holiday craft sale for the school but maybe I will start in the summer this time instead of November.   

 Some pocket tissue holders, my usual contribution.

In the new year and ever after I will no longer volunteer to do the soccer banner even though I really really love to do it. 
Theron's team, the Blue Ninjas, were UNDEFEATED the entire season.  Then in the playoffs, where EVERY TEAM competes, they lost the first game in penalty kicks.  Oh, it was heartbreaking.  There were tears.  There were questionable calls. Parents tried very hard not to say anything inappropriate.  Theron took it very well, though.  He said something about your destiny catching up with you sooner or later and let's get cheeseburgers. 
The end of season party was in December.  Ashley asked me, wasn't I going to do something with the banner?  Yes, I was. 

 I cut all their soccer balls off and made banners with a sleeve for a dowel.  Maybe Ash is a little bit of an enabler.  Anyway, I bought dowels to cut up but I had taken them away from Theron when he started using them as swords and couldn't find them all in the morning.  So, that's that. 

 Here's Theron working on his screenplay at Jamba Juice.  So far, a sprawling 26 page Spiderman extravaganza.

 Inherent Vice Squad gave these cotton lawn "Wash Your Paws" hankies to our 2010 customers.  We had them printed at Spoonflower.com and love them SO much.

This is a dishtowel I made out of a Blue Bird flour sack. 

Anyway, I don't know what else.  Just happy 2011! 

November

Together again!  For Alan's birthday. 

Fall?

Before living outside of California I would get so annoyed when people claimed to love it here, but they missed the seasons.  At the time, I thought "that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard".  Sitting here in the backyard because the house is too hot I now think the dumbest thing is 90 degrees in November. Fall is supposed to be a time of moody reflection and layers.  Not sweating in bed, wishing for a Chill-o.  

But the pages of the calendar turn anyway and Halloween arrives on schedule.  This year I didn't have to make anything because Theron decided to be Iron Man.  

 

 We had a little talk with him because he's not a big trick or treater.  He goes two blocks, looks in the bag, says that's enough, and it's back home for him.  Uh - uh, I told him.  You're gonna get out there and get the candy.
"But people think all little kids like chocolate and we don't".
"But I DO"
So we actually went six blocks.  Oli tried to run inside every house with a dog. 

 Sunday afternoon we went to Hollywood to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D which means the movie was in digital 3D and they had special effects in the theater.  There was also a live organ player before the show - very fun.

 The picture below was taken downtown.  I have no idea what this window display is supposed to be about.  There was no sign and the wolverine looks bleached out. 

 This next picture reminds me of my Grandma.

 I interviewed her about the War years for school once and she told me how they would put makeup on their legs and draw a line down the back.  This picture is from a site called Black and WTF featuring strange old photos. 

This is the picture that got me started.  Lots of very strange and/or delightful things.  Some have information but most do not.  Expect to see many pictures of animals in clothes, nudists, and a surprising number of babies with guns.  Some of the pictures link to the National Archives in the Netherlands

Where one could just spend hours getting lost in the beauty. 

Catching Up

I don't really know why it took so long to get back to this - we've had a few things going on I guess.  Still there's time for fun.  Theron and I made cookies tonight, for instance.

 His team, the Blue Ninjas, are undefeated.  In this picture you can see the banner Ashley and I made.  I don't love it, but it'll do.  I was really hoping Theron's suggestions of Blue Sharks or Blue Serpents would have won, but it's a democracy and ninjas are big.  I really wish I could have done the banner for the Purple Cat Princesses - how fun would that be?  Anyway, no more for me unless they happen to name themselves something like the Red Wine Stains. 

 Ash and I both went to Portland to speak at a conference.  We were all going to go up together but Theron got an ear infection at the last minute - so - flights were changed.  I went Friday through Sunday, Ash went Monday through Thursday.  I was happy to have some unencumbered shopping time, but everywhere I went I just felt sad thinking how much Theron would have enjoyed it.  So I brought him home some joy in the form of Voodoo Doughnuts.
I had to stand in a long line and it was worth it.  I got him some voodoo dolls (raspberry filled chocolate eclair in a doll shape), one topped with Capt'n Crunch, and a maple bacon bar. 

 While it rained in LA the whole time I was gone, Portland was sunny and gorgeous light sweater weather.  Fallen leaves and acorns, long, long midday shadows, and green, green everything. 

It's a heavenly place.

Summer Travels

I haven't been posting for several reasons, one of them because I was in self-imposed soccer banner hell. I finished basting the last of it together as their first game started yesterday and I'll do the real finishing today. It's not as great as I wanted but that's IT. I think it's very sweet how Ashley, though completely opposed to extra crafting, accepts this and eventually ends up enabling the completion. I literally couldn't have done it without him. I should remember this. We're like one of those "Love Is..." comics with the little naked couple. Something like, Love Is... Knowing this will not be the last time - and not running away screaming.

One thing I did this summer was a courier trip to the Navajo Nation to take two textiles made by Juanita, the wife of chief Manuelito in the mid 1800's. A very nice man named Robert drove out on a Monday, and drove us back to Window Rock Tuesday. I asked how he ended up being the driver and he said he went on vacation for two weeks (Harley Davidson rally in Sturgis) and when he got back found out he was volunteered. But he seemed fine with it.
It was a very beautiful day with the big dramatic clouds of the Southwest. Here we are still in California. Up ahead, as if the train is driving right into it, you can see a storm. It's the kind of thing that makes the desert so magical. Even if you didn't know that's what you were looking at you would smell it as you approach.

We drove through it just as we entered Arizona. Robert said when something important comes home it's supposed to rain, so this was a good sign.

More beautiful clouds outside of the Nation. Sadly because it was a courier trip there was no stopping for souvenirs, like the dinosaur fossil, meterorite, petrified wood place. I really wanted to go there...

Entering Navajo Nation

The next day Robert took me on a little tour of the place. So we saw the actual Window Rock.

We installed on Thursday. Three generations of Juanita's descendants were there to greet the truck and for the installation.

Descendants and museum staff. It was an important event for them and I was really grateful to be part of it.