Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Mei Tei Carrier Pattern by Sew Liberated This isn't exactly a true "How-To" since I can't show you the patterns, because they aren't available for free, I'll just be giving tips and explaining how it works. I initially wanted to make a carrier that would be easy to reproduce, and could be made for front or back carrying, since my ring sling just wasn't cuttin' it since Anikka's getting big. My shoulder and lower back were killing me after awhile and I wasn't able to take her & Lukka on long walks. When I decided we'd go to the Omaha zoo with a friend ( who sells tutus! ), I knew I had to hustle and work something out. Add that to a buy one get one free sale from Sew Liberated , some really cute nautical print fabric from Jo-Ann's (first pic is from another blog , but that is the fabric) and I was set! This was an incredibly easy pattern to follow and I'm so glad, because I have never worked with a pattern before. I have alwa...

Blueberry season is here! We bought the hugest container I have ever seen of blueberries for under $5 at our local  Russ's Market . Yum.  Better Homes and Garden   Blueberry Coffee Cake.

My husband has recently tried his hand at gardening, learning how to pollinate different flowers & split shrubs so we could spread them throughout the lot. That somehow transpired to getting into the kitchen more; which is a natural transition, I think. At any rate, he has quickly become a better bread-maker than me, experimenting with the many bread recipes we have. I normally work out of  this book , but he likes to freestyle it. Here was one of his really good creations, it is a whole-wheat foccacia-type bread (I'm not going to even pretend I know what I'm talking about, I'm just going to tell you what it looked like!) that had rosemary and flax seed on top. Weird, I know, but good, and healthy! For another local Lincolnite bread-maker, here's a site I recommend:   The Dish. * Wanna see pics of what my kids have been up to? Click here.

photocredit I am a big fan of Lotta Jansdotter . Her art is exactly my style, whether she is printing her own Swedish-inspired fabric or writing out patterns in a sewing book. Her products are exactly what I'm looking for-every time. I first found her by her wonderful how-to book on printing: Lotta Prints . When I heard she was having another sewing book come out, I knew I had to have it. I have used this book (and her others, mind you) for endless inspiration, and the photographers she chooses are even a perfect match to my style as well. Even the pages are matte and beautiful to look at!  Wow, enough gushing. Onto the making! There are a number of things I am going to make for my own little ones in this book, but first I have to get my baby shower presents done first since they are "due". When I made my friend a taggie , the inspiration came out of this book, and her simple to read & understand patterns let me put it together in the nick of time! I am so glad I had ...

photocredit I just finished reading Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee last weekend, and oh, how I wish there was a volume II....and III! If you remember my post about Lee's first book, Demon: A Memoir , you've probably guessed that I like her writing.  This story was broken into sections, the first, and my favorite, titled "The Garden", which was Lee's fictional take on the biblical Garden of Eden , right after Eve was created for Adam.  One of my favorite things about this section are the parts where Adam and Eve are together with their animals, watching over them, of course, but also sharing friendships with them, including deer and lion together.  Ms. Lee is very well studied in biblical history, interweaving her hobbies of studying theology and writing into a historic- fictional work of art. Her language never upsets, and is so fluid and lovely, you'll never want to put this book down! I think I read it in just under a week, but it would have been...

Here's my friend, Emily, she makes a REAL MEAN breakfast. And lunch. Okay, dinner, too. Really, I could sit on her couch and be fat and happy all the days of my life. She's just that great! She made me a great breakfast this last Saturday that we enjoyed outside for a morning of girl time. Peanut Lady was there, too, of course! Here's me enjoying one of the many bites I had that morning, Blueberry + Raspberry Filled Crepes with Powdered Sugar and Whip Cream! And of course, the little Lady , hanging out in the pack n play while we ate our breakfast, trying to not get eaten by Otis, their Great Dane. What? You didn't see his huge rear in that last photo? Don't worry, I'll wait. He's huge! And we love him! Thanks again for the awesome morning, Em!

In Review: Columbine by Dave Cullen photocredit One of the first big 'news' stories of my childhood was the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado. I remember I was in 8th grade listening to my teacher talk about an upcoming social studies test, when a teacher came in to tell her what was happening, although quietly in her ear, so we wouldn't hear.  She had family in Littleton, and she was visibly upset, leaving that day and coming back the next day with newspaper articles and a TV broadcast to play in our class.  We prayed for the victims and their families (I went to a private Catholic school) and then talked about what happened--two teenagers had come into the school and killed a number of people, mostly students. This April was the 10th anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, and the book Columbine, by Dave Cullen , was published for the date. It is a very thorough and detailed journalistic work that explains the lives of those who were touched by it, a deep look i...

My Dove Conditioner may have met its match. This stuff is relatively cheap, good-smelling, and easy to make. Here's how: From the book Handmade Home by Readers' Digest 1/4 c. coconut milk (yes, that clear stuff is the 'milk' from a coconut!) 1/2 ripe avocado Mash avacado into a bowl, add coconut milk to it until a gel forms. Use on clean hair--spread throughout and leave on for 10-15 min. Rinse. See how easy that is? Now, of course, I didn't follow the directions, because I wanted to make a whole 'batch' at once, instead of wasting the leftovers. So I added a whole avacado to the milk and mixed. Trial and error, my friends. What I Shoulda' done: Take 2 avacadoes to the entire amount of c. milk, there was a lot of it and it was runny. * My opinion:   Keep in mind, I haven't gone to salon, or gotten my hair cut in almost a year, so I have a lot of split ends! This stuff was....okay .  I didn't like that it wasn't pureed, so it left a bunc...

Our first gathering of our own lettuce & tomatoe(s)! Yum. It just tastes better coming from your own dirt, huh?

This is such a cute little toy that I have seen around and I decided to make one for a friend who is having a baby in September...Then I made another for Anikka's Christmas present! Gather tools: linen or fabric (cotton) scissors embroidery hoop disappearing ink marker pattern or drawing to trace or eyeball embroidery/crewel needles embroidery floss Ribbon pieces (about 3 in. each) Pre-wash & iron fabric Trace or draw picture onto fabric with disappearing ink marker. Put into embroidery hoop & embroider around edges or design Cut out with scissors, giving about a 1 inch ledge all around the embroidered piece Pin ribbon pieces folded in half on the RIGHT side of embroidered picture, like this from Chicaandjo.com (sorry, at this point, it was nearly 1:40,  the shower was at 2 and I didn't have any time to take pictures!) Sew around edges, leaving one edge open Turn inside out & stuff  Fold in edges and sew up! Here is a seashell taggie I made for my friend, it is a...

In Review: Doubt photocredit Take a look at those awards & nominations...don't worry, I'll wait. OK, now that you're back, I'll tell you a bit about this movie from what I understood it to be. This is a story of a very conservative nun, who also runs a very strict school and enjoys her status as principle a bit too much. Enter in sweet Amy Adams (remember, the princess from Enchanted , played opposite of McDreamy ?) and you have a very believable novice who just wants to be a servant and teach her students well. The last main actor is Hoffman, and out of all the actors in this film (I like them all) he is by far my favorite....and actually, I can't think of a movie I don't like with him in it! The story is set in post-integration time,East Coast, where the spiritual leaders still have a lot of influence in peoples' lives. Hoffman, who plays a new-to-the-parish priest, is seen doing a number of things that are a bit.... strange. Adams thinks she sees.......

photocredit I found this picture quite perfect for Independence Day this year. Diligently working mending a country with our resourcefulness and the talents that come with our best tool, our hands. Where a content and optimistic attitude will overcome economic hard times and an overconsumptive mentality: use what you have been given, and use it well. Happy 4th, readers.