Sourdough Starter: Day 4

Repeat instructions for Day 2:Stir.

Edmund

The toothfairy will be making her first visit to Our Home on the Hill!! Edmund has finally lost a tooth. He was a little concerned that it was never going to happen - he is 8 and in the 2nd grade already. I was a little concerned that the dentist would have to take it. His bottom front 2 permanent teeth are almost fully in already. Of course that was kind of cool to him. He thought of himself as a bit of a "shark boy" with that second row of teeth! You'll have to excuse the goofy looking picture, he was excited but also feeling a little pain and was not too thrilled with the amount of blood that filled his mouth. There was a lot too!



He got over it though. He went out and cut the grass in the side yard with Chris' new push mower. Chris has a tractor but wanted something small to get around the fence and pool. Edmund did a great job on the yard even if with the mower being a little too big for him. He improvised!

Sourdough Starter: Day 3

"Create Starter" Feed

1/2 c whole milk, room temperature
1/2 c flour
2 Tbls sugar

Measure out 1/2 cup of starter and toss the rest. Wash your container that you are creating your starter in and then return the 1/2 cup of starter to it. Slowly add the feed ingredients and stir just enough to thoroughly blend. Loosely cover and leave on the counter overnight.

Projects Galore!

It has been awhile since I have pulled out the sewing machine and gotten creative. (About 18 months actually - ever since the needle went through my finger. OUCH!) I love sewing and I have been having the urge to make something lately. I spent about 2 hours looking around the fabric shop hoping to be inspired.

This is what I found! I am very excited and I can't wait to get started. It's an embroidered linen in natural with red crabs! So cute and summery! I'll be making the short version of the dress and it will hit just above the knee. I think I will have enough fabric left to make a matching purse, too. I just need to decide on a style. As always, I am open to suggestions!

Here is the crochet tunic pattern that I am working on. I'm going to keep at it. The flowers are small and easily transportable so it makes a good project for me to do during baseball practice. The flowers will be in red and a rose color and the parts connecting all the flowers will be Navy blue. The yarn is TLC Cotton Plus. It is 51% cotton and 49% acrylic. I wanted something that was easy care since I plan to wear it to the beach. Several of you have helped me put it all in perspective - if I'm not done for this Summer, there is always next!

* I tried to make the pictures clickable so you see them bigger. I don't know if it will work though. I'm still learning. (Oh and yes, that is a Bloody Mary behind the FC magazine!)

Sourdough Starter: Day 2

The starter should have a yeasty smell and look pock marked on top. It may also slightly separate. Stir gently with a wooden spoon, recover loosely and leave on the counter overnight.

New! New! New!

Topher in his NEW hat, his NEW glasses (well new prescription anyway) and, unfortunately, with his NEW runny nose.

I used the bucket hat pattern by Chicknits. It is Sugar'n Cream in Daisy Ombre for the brim and yellow for the crown. He loves it and I loved knitting it.

Sourdough Starter: Day 1

1/2 c whole milk,
room temperature
1/2 c flour
2 Tbls sugar
1 envelope regular yeast

Put all of the yeast and half of the rest of the ingredients together in a class 4 cup container. Gently stir (do not use a metal spoon) until there are no lumps. Add the remaining ingredients. Loosely cover (starter must breath or it will explode) and set aside on the counter overnight.

Fantasy vs. Reality

Fantasy:

I was looking through a magazine recently and saw a little project that caught my eye. (Project 18, crochet tunic in FC Easy Knitting Spring/Summer 2005 for those, and you know who you are, that are going to ask!) I thought it would look really cute on me. Great with a little pair of jeans or over my bathing suit. Sure it is crochet but I am a clever and crafty sort so I can learn. Really. How bad could it be??

Reality:

I have to make 72 of those darn flowers. Then I have to make 72 rectangles out of those flowers. Then I have to crochet those rectangles together to make the tunic. 72!! If I make 5 a day, it will only take me about 2 weeks to do it. In 6 days I have made a grand total of 5! At this rate I'll be done in time for Christmas. I don't even know if I enjoy making them enough to make 72.

Chris says it looks outdated.

Week in Review

This week the boys were home from school for April Vacation. We had such a beautiful week! No rain, clear skies and unseasonably warm temperatures.

Tuesday was Library day. The boys just love to go to the Library. They get giddy at the sight of all those books! After the library, we had a picnic lunch. The first picnic of the year! In the confusion that morning, I forgot to pack my lunch. I made it, I just forgot to put in in the bag! This was the view from our spot at the park.

The Marina

Wednesday Cindy and I took our boys (she also has 3) bowling and out to lunch. Mine have never been before so this was a real treat for them. What a fun time we all had - and lots of laughs. I think that some of the balls where about as big as Topher! Charles bowled a strike and a couple of spares. Edmund bowled quite a few spares. What naturals! Between games they fortified themselves with grilled cheese and french fries. Who could ask for more!

Edmund
Charles
Topher

Thursday was my knitting group which meant it was a playdate for the boys. In addition to Cindy's 3 boys, they got to play with DawnMarie's 3 girls. All 9 of the kids are so close and get along so well. They played at the park at the beach and took a walk along the sand and the rocks looking for crabs in the nooks and crannies. Topher unfortunately got his foot stuck and fell flat on his face. He banged up his face and bruised his nose pretty badly. He also broke his glasses - we had just picked up his new prescription an hour earlier. Thanks goodness we have a terrific warranty!

Saturday was a lazy day of playing games, watching TV and just relaxing. It absolutely poured and there was some thunder and lightening. A transformer was hit and power lines were down just up the street from us and all the power went out on that side. Luckily for us, we were not affected.

Tomorrow Edmund and Charles are back in school (Topher is in school 2 mornings a week) and we can get back to a regular routine. It was a fun week though and I am glad the weather cooperated!

Knitting Group

The gals and I got together today for our weekly "Knit and Chat". The weather was beautiful so we took a walk with the kids. We spent the afternoon knitting at the beach while the kids played on the playground. Perfect!

Today was a learning day! Cindy, who I am teaching to knit, has completed two garter stitch scarves and a diagonal garter stitch dishcloth and is now learning to purl. She is coming right along!

DawnMarie is teaching me to crochet. Actually she is teaching me to crochet a specific pattern. Once I caught on, it was quite fun! I wouldn't be able to crochet something else at this point but I can do this pattern so that is ok!

I have to make 72 of these!

Chris must have been reading certain knitting blogs because his comment was "You have gone over to the Dark Side!!" He is know referring to me as "Darth Emily" when he sees me pick up the crochet hook. He's a character!

Looking for Lace

I have been thinking long and hard about this and I have decided that I want to knit lace. But not a manageable piece of lace like a scarf or even some lacy socks. Oh No. I want a shawl. A big lacy shawl.

That's it. That is as far as I have gotten in my thinking. I need some suggestions on patterns and yarn. I could probably use some tips on wearing one too. Especially those round shawls. I'm not sure what to do with those. Maybe a triangle is better? Not that I really know what I am doing with those either. I could also use some tips on reading a chart. I have never worked from a chart.

Any and all help is great appreciated!

Blog Ettiquete

Are there some sort of "rules of blogging" that I need to know about? Is it acceptable to reply to comments in the comments on your own blog? Well no matter, I have done it. If you never hear from me again, it is because the Blog Police have come and hauled me off to the detention center.

Creative Parenting

We are doing a little in house community service. Charles - who is 6 and should know better - was caught marking his territory. He wrote on his walls! Luckily it was pencil and cleaned up with minimal fuss but he still should have known better. My little graffiti artist has had all of his tools (crayons, pencils, markers) confiscated until he does 1 hour of extra chores.

I've made up a little chart for him - you know, visual reenforcement and all that - and for each 5 minutes of work he does, he can mark off a square. When all the squares are marked, he is done. I've hung it on his bedroom door so it is constant reminder.

I hope it works!

Rip it! Rip it good!

Oh yes, there is a whole lot of ripping going on! It feels good not to have all these partial projects hanging over me! Clockwise from the top we have the pink Kool-aid dyed yarn that was the start of a lacy scarf. Next is GGh something or another that is left over from a scarf. I started a coordinating hat but I didn't like it. Then there is the Paton's Classic in gray and red that I started a felted bag with. I've decided to make a different bag instead. Finally there is the Red Heart that I made a hat for Charles from. I thought I needed to remake it but he doesn't want me to.

Now the yarn has been frogged, washed and rewound. It's back in the stash cabinet and is ready for something new! It actually felt really good to rip all that unwanted knitting out. A bit therapeutic.

I feel pretty!

Oh, so pretty!

Yes I do! I took a little "me time" and pampered myself. I am now waxed, polished and buffed!

I am manicured! That is Opi's 'Whole Lotta Seoul' (Oh how I love the Opi colors!)


And I am pedicured! And I am ready for sandal weather! (sadly the weather is NOT ready for sandals) This is Opi's 'Peru-B-Ruby'


Yes indeed. I feel pretty! Oh, so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and bright!

Move over Wonder Woman!

I have always been somewhat taken with Wonder Woman. Love her, want to BE her! Why? Don't really know. I am a patriotic person so maybe it is the snazzy stars and stripes costume she wears. Or perhaps it is the little gold tiara - -what girl doesn't want her own tiara? Or maybe it is the boots. I love me a good pair of high boots. Of course, that lasso of truth is pretty cool too! What ever it was, I have always thought that as far as female super heros go, WW is just "the bestest EVER!"

But there is a new girl in town!

Enter Mrs. Incredible (nee Elasti-girl) I was watching this recently with the boys and I have got to say, she has it going on! She is a wife and a mother struggling to keep it all running smoothly. I can relate to that. Her costume is pretty snazzy, too. First and fore most, it is RED. I think you all know how much I love red! This body hugging number shows off her feminine curves and is a slimming black just in the spot she needs it most (and can I just say how much I appreciate the fact that they drew her just a little wide in the hips and bottom region!) She also has some really awesome thigh high boots! THOSE are boots!

And how about her powers? She is indestructible! What mother can't use a little fireproofing now and again? Then there is her super stretch. I think that is what I like the best. When the kids are out of control she can stay comfortably seated in her chair and still reach out and snatch them up! Or in my case, if "someone" (that would be Charles!) happens to decide to run off to the next aisle at the grocery store, instead of chasing after him which causes him to run faster in fits of laughter, I can just keep on shopping and send one hand after him to reign him in.

Yep, I think I might like to be Mrs Incredible. From this point forward, please refer to me as such!

Thank You!

Thank you everyone for your good thoughts. We are all feeling much better. It looks like I was lucky enough to avoid getting too sick. Just as I it felt it was hitting, it went away. A little "drive by" sickness I suppose.

Look what else brightened my day! Nothing like a little package in the mailbox to make a girl feel better! (and so Springy too!)

The fabulous Yarngirl was very sweet and made a little lacy cap for me. I LOVE it! I wore it out yesterday and got quite a few compliments on it. The hubby says (in a good way) that I look like a gypsy! ha! Silly man! The boys love it too. They said "Wow it's great mom and so YOU!"

Pictures of me wearing it to come soon! In the meantime, run right over to the Yarngirl's blog and tell her how great she is!

I've Got Nothing.

The sickies have hit Our Home on the Hill and I have been playing nurse. Chris has pneumonia, Charles ended last week with a stomach thing and started this one with a chest cold. Topher is croupy and Edmund, well Edmund has an "I'm 8 now and I know everything" attitude. UGH! To top it off, I think that the germs and bacteria and what have you have found their way in to my tired system. I'm feeling it in my head. There is pressure and every time I swallow, my temples feel the squeeze. I need juice, I need tea, I need my head to stop feeling like it is in a vice!