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...