stay close

This beautiful print is by DazeyChic at Mela Studios - isn't it great?

It is titled "Stay Close", and that is my message today. Please stay close to me.
I am moving blogs, as anticipated. And here is my brand new blog!

different names for the same thing

With ice cream for dinner, it could not be an ordinary day. Actually, it was a bit extraordinary.
I set up a sewing nook.

I finished the apron I've been half-heartedly working on for a week. Well, in truth it's not quite finished. I plan on sewing in a little lace on the pocket. It is not a pretty apron - the stitching is laughable and the colors are garish - but I like it, and it's the first sewing project I have ever done.

Then I made this pincushion. I followed this tutorial, which was a little hard for me because I am such a beginner. For instance, I could not for the life of me figure out how to get those patchwork pieces together correctly. I did figure it out in the end, but I'm sure there was an easier way to do it - I just don't have the know-how.
The great thing about this pattern, though, is that button! Those two buttons! They cinch together everything and add a cuteness factor that distracts from the poor stitching and uneven lines. Thank goodness for those buttons.


And here's what I try to do every day, enjoy one of my favorite aspects of motherhood - holding a sleeping baby.

i like it all that way

(Natalie, these are the flowers I was talking about - the ones that came from my attempts last summer.)

Just a short bit - as one of you may know, I'm working on a new! blog!
Not just because of this header, though it's true I don't like it. I have been posting here for a long time and I just crave something fresh. I've changed a lot in the time I've been writing here, and I'm ready for a new start.
A problem I'm coming across is creating a new blog name. Many I have thought of are already taken, and it just kills me when I think of a name, find that it's taken, but the blog that is hogging the name has no posts! Or maybe one post, from years ago. Isn't there a limit on these things? Don't they (the blogging gods) seek and destroy blogs that have been neglected? I wish they did, because then those good blog names would have a chance to be fully realized.
Alas.
Any good ideas out there needing to be put to use?
I'm stuck on deciding where I want to go with the name, too. Do I stick to something sweet sounding, implying that this is a blog about baking? Well, it isn't, exactly. Or should I try something broader, more encompassing of my life? Oh, the many questions of blog life.
Good morning, and Happy Easter to you this weekend.

with arms outstretched

As you can see, the camera has surfaced!

My mom sent us an Easter basket full of chocolate and a couple books for Finn. She made this Easter basket for me when I was a toddler. Not to be too specific, but that means the basket is 20-something years old - wow. It was pretty cool to open up a box and see that basket. It's been my basket for as many Easters as I can remember.

(Toes in repose - nap time)



The girl who made the chili - Jessica - what a catch! The chili was delicious, and the cornbread turned out more like cake - fluffy and sweet - but no one complained. Jessica brought over a laundry basket full of tshirts she's modifying, and we crafted for a few hours. Homemade comfort food, beer, crafts - what more could a girl want? Our menfolk talked about graphic novels and the dog ran around happily searching for accidental crumbs.



Thursday we'll be driving to Georgia and spending the weekend with Scott's family. Scott and I are looking forward to twelve hours of together time in a car on the highway. We love (badly) singing old, I'm-embarrassed-I-know-all-the-words songs and stopping at scary gas stations in rural areas. The best part is that we'll be driving from 2pm to 2am, so hopefully it won't mess up the baby's sleep too much.

Because I found the camera, I had to take a million pictures of my sweet boy. Here's one of my favorites.


Oh, and as a note to myself, here's the pincushion I plan on making.

wired for light

The baby's teething. Needless to say, I did not enjoy much sleep last night.

In other news, I've got my eye on this little number, which I hope to find time to make in the near future. This week is forecasted for some cold weather, and those cookies would certainly keep me warm and toasty inside.

Tonight our good friend Jessica is coming over and bringing her homemade chili. Need I say more? Alright, I will. This friend happens to be an incredible cook, who once made kolache from scratch, simply because she was craving them. They were the most delicious pastry ever to pass my lips, and that's certainly saying a lot. She is also the favorite guest at any dinner party, potluck, or simple gathering, because she always brings something to eat, and whatever it is, it will be the most delicious version of that food you have ever had, ever. Even if she just brings a homemade veggie platter with hummus. Clearly I am excited about her bringing chili tonight, and instead of just toasting some bread for garlic toast, I just don't think it could play the supporting role to any dish made by Jessica. I'll make skillet cornbread instead, with this recipe I happened upon. Much thanks to Cookworm for the recipe and the inspiration.

The camera is lost still missing. Drat.

i am under no disguise

I am invigorated. Today the wind is whipping, the sun is shining, and I found this fabulous guide of places to eat in Atlanta. I feel indebted to the Amateur Gourmet for highlighting some of Atlanta's best gems, and for imparting some knowledge I wasn't aware of - Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock cooked (and lived) together when Watershed opened. Who knew?
Okay, so the spinach seedlings have come up.
They migrated from their rows, probably due to my enthusiastic watering, but at least they're coming up. I woke up one day to an overcast sky and transplanted the seedlings back to their neat rows. Most of them seem to be surviving. And then there are the potatoes that Luke planted. They are gorgeous.
I apologize for the lack of pictures. Our camera seems to be lost in limbo right now. Which means that we can't find it so I can't show you everything that's new around here.
Evelyn sent us some music - Neko Case's new album "Middle Cyclone" and "Alpinisms" by School of Seven Bells. Seriously good stuff. She always knows what I will like, even though we haven't seen one another in years. She just knows my heart, I suppose.

In baby news - Finn can roll over from his back to his belly. It's so adorable the way he just flips over, easy as pie. He's trying new foods, most of which he seems to hate, some to the point of gagging. The faces he makes convince me that the pureed banana (or avocado, or carrot, or applesauce, etc) is actually terrible, and I try it, but it tastes good to me. I guess if the only thing you've ever had is milk, how could you be expected to suddenly like all these different flavors? He'll get the hang of it, I'm sure. He does better if I allow him to feed himself, though he usually gags himself with his spoon. I know I'll never remember these days of trying new foods, when a few years down the line he'll be asking for pizza every night.

In baking news - I made some cookies but they were quickly devoured. I made pancakes for breakfast, but the same thing happened. Natalie brought me a loaf of day old bread, so I'm planning bread pudding. It's a favorite around here. If I can ever find the camera I'll show you what's going on.
Again - so sorry about the lack of photos.

you are my sanity

The Farmers' Market is open again! Saturday was the first day - I arrived with a cranky baby and hungry husband, both of whom stayed in the car while I braved the chilly, windy grey weather for the first Farmer's Market of the year.
Here's a picture of my loot.

Pussy Willow (that I'm hoping will sprout roots so I can plant it), a half pound of oyster mushrooms, two bags of tender spinach, and a dozen beautiful, brown, fresh eggs. All organic and local. Can't get any better than that!

The oyster mushrooms are my favorite.

I've never touched, smelled, or tasted such fresh and delicious mushrooms. I've never had mushrooms from Missouri. My step-dad is a mycologist (he studies mushrooms), so I've had some mushrooms that he has foraged in Iowa and Nebraska, but these mushrooms are from Missouri. They have such a nice weight in my hand. They feel soft, smooth and bouncy.


The spinach is nice, too. I got two bags so I could take one to my friend who's currently in labor. Being in labor generally prevents one from attending the Farmers' Market, so I picked up some eggs and spinach for her. I'm splitting the bag of mushrooms with her, too.
I chopped up some spinach, stemmed and sliced some oyster mushrooms, and sauteed them in some olive oil and sea salt. I served them alongside scrambled eggs, and that's what we had for dinner last night. It will probably be my lunch today, too. Sauteing the mushrooms and spinach really brings out the sweetness of the spinach and the salty, earthiness of the mushrooms.

And of course, since it was Saturday, I was making the requisite biscuits and sausage gravy.
I took some pictures of the biscuits but they all turned out blurry. Trust me when I say they were the best batch yet.

Oh the simple joys of fresh flowers, fresh food, and family time.