Happy Valentines Day

Whether you think Valentines Day is a Hallmark sham-holiday, or whether you think it's the perfect occasion to tell the people in your life that you love them, I hope you have a great day! Paul and I celebrated early with a nice homemade dinner - on the menu was surf and turf with ice cream and berries for dessert:








Then, Paul surprised me with a few fun presents:

Hairpins from my favorite Benicia boutique

Egg holders for our soon-to-be-fresh eggs!

A new cookie cutter

New addition to my S&P collection

I got Paul a bottle of Cazaderos Anejo tequila and a few limes. Because he loves that *almost* as much as he loves me....

p.s. I'm in love with the Retro camera app on my phone. I don't think I'll ever take "ordinary" pics again!

Annual Review time

It's that time of year in the NWP - the time when educators from across the network come to Berkeley to review continuing funding applications for current sites. What does this mean/entail, you ask? Well, each wonderful site across our network (over 200 in all 50 states, DC, PR, and the Virgin Islands) must submit a proposal to get federal funding every year. Leaders from across these sites gather in Berkeley in February to do a peer review of these applications, recommend sites for funding, and write each site a thoughtful letter, telling them what a great job they are doing.

All of this happens in 2 1/2 days at the beautiful Berkeley City Club. Needless to say it takes lots of coordination, organization, and paperwork to get this all accomplished. This used to be one of the main events that I helped support (before my promotion). I'm still helping out this year, but don't have to worry about how the leaders got here or whether or not they have their pencil sharpener. I get to chit chat with my favorite site folks and make sure there's enough chocolate on the tables.

Here are a few shots from the morning:

The morning welcome
One of the review rooms

And a few of the Berkeley City Club. In case you didn't know, this place was designed by Julia Morgan (who also designed the Hearst Castle):

Year of the rabbit

It's not surprising that this year is the "Year of the Rabbit" in the Chinese calendar. Seriously, people are having babies like bunnies this year! I already have 2 friends and a sister-in-law that have given birth within the first 5 weeks of 2011, and about 5 other friends/acquaintances that are due this summer. Not to mention all of the celebrities that are pregnant. It's in the water, I'm telling you!

This all means that it's time to get busy on baby projects (and by that I mean presents - not the baby making process) I already have 1 quilt in pre-production, and a few other small items in the works. My favorite piece so far is this cute onesie I "designed" online from this screen shop in Cincinnati (of all places). The graphics were limited, and since I don't have photoshop, I couldn't put anything fancy together. However, I thought the generic rafting clip art and the funky 70's font make it a fun and festive addition to the little guys wardrobe. Let's go rafting!

Sorry for the poor quality photo (I need a new camera!)

Tackling Circular Needles

This post from Whip Up motivated me to (gasp!) try circular needles!! I've been really wanting to make a cowl neck scarf, and regular (even long) needles would be too cumbersome to use, especially since I do most of my knitting on the bus. The pattern came from Ravelry. Look how great it looks (so far!)

Stitch Nation's Alpaca Love in Peacock - who knew the lady from Stitch n' Bitch had a line of yarn?
I thought that the circular needles would be harder to maneuver, and that I would get confused and lose all of my stitches - but I was so wrong! Why didn't I start using these needles long ago? I must admit, I've very proud of myself. And only a few mess-ups so far (though they are hardly noticeable). I'll post pics when it's complete!

A week at the Ranch

I've finally had the chance to download some of my pics from my visit to Redtail Ranch (aka my parents ranch) over the holiday break. The week I spent there involved good food, dogs, horses, thrift store shopping, friends, and snow. The biggest news was the welcoming of my mom, Kevin, and Rick's new Arabian horses (Mimi and Rio). They came all the way from West Virginia to be a part of the circus...err...ranch.

Up by the barn

Buster Boy

Toby (aka Mr. Ed)

Reggie-dog

Thrift store find

Mimi


Obligatory tractor photo

I do love visiting the ranch, and a week was just the right amount of time. My mom has reported that the new horses are doing well - and she's thinking about getting some chickens this spring! Quite the circus I tell you!

More valentines ideas

Now this is something I'd like to make for Valentines Day....


ManMade's Chris Gardner shows you how to make a custom fingerprint piece of art for your Valentine this year.

What do you think? It's not too tacky-lovey-mushy, but heartfelt and cute. Paul probably could care less if I made it or not, but I think I might make it for myself..errr..."us".

Quarter life crisis?

Have you ever heard the song “Why Georgia Why” by John Mayer*? It’s about being a twenty-somethingish person, figuring out if you’re on the “right” life path, why you’re doing what you’re doing, and where you’re “going” (somewhere, I assume, is the answer).

Some of the lyrics are really resonating with me right now. Namely:

Either way, I wonder sometimes
about the outcome
of a still verdictless life

Am I living it right?

-and-

It might be a quarter life crisis
or just the stirring in my soul

Maybe I’m doing some serious reflection because my 30th birthday is coming up in a few months. Not that I’m scared to be thirty, in fact, I can’t wait to be thirty! I feel like I’ve accomplished so much at thirty – a great start at a career, an awesome husband, my own house. But this “big” birthday is making me think a lot of what the next thirty years holds. Is my life still “verdictless”? As in, do I continue on the same path that I’ve created for myself, or can I create a new one? Can I back out? (and is it too late to back out?) Is this restlessness a quarter life crisis?

I remember when I was a bright-eyed-bushy-tailed 22 year old who wanted to save the world. I still do. I guess my 20's made me realize that I want to change the world in different ways than I ever expected. By having kids. By starting my own business. By connecting with amazing, inspiring teachers across this nation.

I guess only time will tell if I’m living it right. And I guess the only person that makes that determination is me.

*I know that as my husband’s reading this, he’s cringing. He hates John Mayer, almost as much as he hates Jack Johnson.

The Season of Love

I love this Valentine Inspiration over at Eat Drink Chic. Makes me wanna start making things for the people I love. There are lots of fun tutorials on the web for Valentines gifts and crafts. My favorites are here, here, and here. And this lovely cake, just for good measure.

Trophy tour - coming to a city near you!

The World Series Trophy has been making its way around California, and I can't wait til it comes to Vallejo on February 22nd! Who wants to take a picture with the trophy and me?

Winter reads

One of my new year's resolutions is to be more sustainable and keep on workin' on my urban homestead. Well, today I came across this post on Design Sponge that included many inspirational books on sustainability, urban homesteading, and living handmade.


I'm resisting the urge to go out and buy every book on this list (another 5 days 'til payday), though I think this one is a must-buy for a weekend read:

The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City
Now, we don't exactly live in the city, which is great because we have a lot of space to work with (read: garden, raise chickens, maybe a goat or two?) This post may have inspired me to put my work gloves on, rotate the compost pile, and start digging this weekend.

Happy Friday to all!

What I do after 2 glasses of wine...

I make a kitty quilt! I mean, what else do people do when they are stressed out about getting CT scan results*? Yes, I'm cracked out. Let's just leave it at that. This is where I got the inspiration:

Craft: How to make a color spectrum cat bed
Now, I already had the squares cut out from a past project. Add some leftover scraps an voila! Kitty quilt heaven.

It's no pillow, but it will keep the cat hair from accumulating on the couch/cat scratch post/any other comfy spot a cat likes to sleep

*The CT scan I had Monday to see what's wrong with my ears. I'm sure I'll be fine, I just keep chanting in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice "it's not a TUUU-MA!"

The girls are grown up!

Well, they aren't quite grown up, but they are 4 months old today! They continue to amuse me with their antics (mostly Foghorn - she's a riot!) Anyway we're getting ready to build them their "big girl" coop outside hopefully this weekend. My cousin Alison got me this cute sign to put on the new coop. Can't wait to show you pictures of it when it's done!

Snuggle time

Not sure if any of you know this, but I've been battling a nasty ear infection since about Thanksgiving. Yuck! I've seen a specialist and am now waiting for insurance approval for a CT scan. The specialist thinks I have problems with my eustacian tubes and my sinuses - considering I've had issues with my ears my whole life, it's not surprising! Anyway I haven't been feeling like myself since this started, so needless to say I can't wait until we figure out what's going on in this noggin' of mine.

In the meantime, I'm dreaming of snuggling up in this chair. Not with a book (I get dizzy spells when I read), but with a nice blanket and my kitties.

source

Purchased

A new Bialetti coffee/espresso maker. This morning I brewed my first cup with my favorite local coffee (Santa Cruz Roasters Guatemalan picked up when I was down in Aptos). It was AMAZING. I don't know why it's taken me this long to get one. It's far less messy than a French Press, and tastes just as great. The only downfall is that the cup size is small (I got a 6 cup) - but it's espresso, after all, so it's strong. I love it!

Reminder - the Giants Won the World Series!

I finally found this on Youtube - I've been looking for it since the Giants won the World Series. I LOVE Lady Antebellum, and this version of the National Anthem gives me some serious chills (and brings back some awesome memories!) Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy...

Too many gift cards?

Like me, maybe you received too many gift cards this holiday season (or have a pile of them accumulated from years past)? I may be late to this website, but on plasticjungle.com you can sell the remaining amount on your gift cards or buy discounted new ones! I think this is really ingenious, especially if you have a few cards you know you'll never use.



Sometimes you can even score cards for 50% off! It seems like most are between 3%-10% off, which may not seem like too much - but every bit helps, right?

Lunch it, Punch it!

Just posted on Craft today - a brilliant website designed to help you pack your own lunches called "Lunch It, Punch It!" Simply pack 10 lunches (punching your handy card every time you do), and you get to treat yourself to a lunch out! This is such a great way to keep track how often you're eating in (and out), and help maintain your waistline and finances! I think I might try it, since I've been pretty motivated so far this year to lose a few L-B's.

Inspiration

As I mentioned last week, the New Year has gotten me motivated to finish many projects in the house that we haven't had time to complete. Most are small (like painting accent walls in the bedrooms), but others require some long-term strategy and finances (like re-doing the master bathroom, not to mention getting new cabinets for the kitchen!) At any rate, I checked one big item off this list which was rearranging our bedroom. Of course I didn't take a picture, but I think I will after the room is complete (I'm planning on painting a few accent walls this weekend). In the meantime, I'll leave you with this inspiration for our guest room. Right now it has a vintage feel (with an old quilt on the bed, a rustic dresser, lavender in canning jars, and a vintage wooden student desk as the side table). I really love the color scheme in this room by Karen Barlow and think it would look great in our little guest room - let me just say, I'm not going to paint the room pink! But the accent colors are pretty, don't you think?


from design*sponge

My favorite gift

I got a few really cool things this Christmas, but none of them compare to what Paul got me. A commissioned painting of my cats (our cats?) from his artist friend in San Diego. This picture is from my camera phone, so it doesn't do justice to the size of the painting. It's 3 feet x 4 feet! I really wish I had a camera to record the look on my face when he gave it to me. It went a little something like this:

Paul: "Merry Christmas!!!" (holding the painting)
Me: "What....is.....that?" (starts laughing uncontrollably)
Paul: "It's your kitties!"
Me: "I know it's my kitties, but on a painting? You are so random! I love it!"

Okay, maybe that's not the best reenactment, but let's just say I was confused, amazed, and heartwarmed all at the same time. This is a huge gift, considering it comes from the man who doesn't really like my cats. (Scratch that - he likes Jazzy, but not Uintah). Anyway, if you ever need a custom piece of artwork, let us know and we can hook you up with a great artist!

New Year, fresh start!

Wow, it's Wednesday and I'm still recovering from my vacation! I'll do a recap post soon (once the pics are uploaded), but in the meantime, I wanted to talk about my need for a fresh start this year. And by that I mean freshening up our house. As most of you know, we bought our first house in June - we haven't done too much to it on the inside - mostly just fun stuff on the outside. I told myself in June that we would wait for the winter to begin inside projects (since who wants to paint when it's 90 degrees outside)? Anyway, we scored a bunch of great Home Depot gift cards which will be perfect for our inside-the-house projects. First up, I want to paint our bedroom. Something gray and smokey - or maybe green and soothing. I'm not quite sure just yet, but Making it Lovely's bedroom has my style written all over it:


What do you think - dark gray? Or soothing green?

Happy Birthday Paul!

Happy, Happy 29th birthday, to my dear husband and best friend, Paul. Jesus ain't got nothin' on ya...

Wrap Up

Hehehe...I crack myself up sometimes. Anyway, first I showed ya'll my mantle, and now it's the gifts...gift wrap, that is. This year I tried to use paper, ribbon, and adornments that I already had stashed away. The tags were homemade (tutorial here), the bakers twine I already had, and the paper was left over from previous years.




If you still have presents to wrap, you can find some inspiration here, here and here. Happy wrapping!

Christmas wishlist

Soon I'll be posting pics of Paul's awesome birthday party and my awesome early Christmas present. In the meantime, here's a collection of savory treats I'd love to find under the Christmas tree from Oh Joy!...


1. Williams-Sonoma herbs of provence ($18), 2. Terrain pink himalayan salt ($12), 3. McClure's pickles ($14), 4. Golden Star white jasmine sparkling tea ($12), 5. Dean & Deluca cheese of the month ($165 for 3 months), 6. Jme rosemary olives ($25).

On the 15th day of Christmas...

I'm finally posting pics of our decorated house! First stop - the mantle. I've always wanted a mantle to decorate for the holidays, but in the past have had to do with a make-shift mantle/bookcase. And now, I have one!I've seen so many posts on decorating mantles in different themes (2 of my favorites are here and here), but this year I thought I'd stick with a traditional look (and stick with what I already have on hand to save money). Here's what it looks like (sorry for the crappy cell-phone pics). No matter, it's awesome! It's cozy and lovely and homey. Can't wait for folks to come over for Paul's party this weekend to see it in person.

Paul's Birthday

December is not just about Christmas at our house - it's also about Paul's birthday. My husband was born on December 24th, and you'd be surprised to know that he loves that his birthday is the day before Christmas. He says that he gets great combined presents, and that he loves the fact that his family is around for his birthday (and that they don't forget it!) I'm always trying to do something different for Paul's birthday so it is distinctly "not Christmas" - this year we're having his friends and family over for a birthday/holiday cheer party. So far we're expecting about 30 people, and I'm beginning to plan the menu and decor for the evening. Paul wants to barbecue (even though rain is forecasted)...it's not my birthday so I'll let him do what he wants! However, I do have a few fun tricks up my sleeve (and he doesn't read this blog, so he'll never know). This year, since it's his 29th, it's going to be an "almost 30" party. Everything will have this image on it:


This is a school photo of Paul's from 1987 (kindergarten, perhaps?) Anyway, can't you just imagine the things I can make with this cute photo? You'll have to wait and see next week, after the party....

Posted: Make video!

Dale Dougherty, (genius behind Make, Craft, and Makerfaire), has blogged about the work we did at the 2010 NWP Annual Meeting! A few posts back I featured a few pics from the Make session that I led - well, you can read Dale's thoughts on the day right here!

You can also check out this video that includes footage from the Make. Around 5:50 you can see the bags that my group made:

Hopeful to win...

Go to MyDeco and enter your own mood board in the the "All I want for Christmas contest". You can win $100 to spend in their boutique! I created one last night - things that you might not find in my house, but things that inspire my decor...



We'll see what the judges say :) Fingers crossed!

Who loves Dottie Angel?

I melt when I see anything that Dottie Angel puts together. I wish I could make stuff like her, and I wish our house looked like hers. It's kind of an obsession. A few days ago I was sifting through some of her images and came upon this:


One day, this will be my backyard. Chickens running around, kitties lounging, forest and grass for all to frolic in, and pennants and flowers decorating the porch. A girl can dream, right?

Chicken update - 9 weeks!

It's amazing how big my little chickies have gotten in just 2 months. They love their new home in the garage, and are adjusting quite nicely to being the center of attention. Foghorn remains to be the friendliest and most curious, though Leghorn and Rakifi are starting to come around. The biggest news is that their food has changed - they now are getting "pullet" feed, which helps them get ready to lay eggs.

Foghorn 2 weeks and 9 weeks
Brooder then and now

In search of the perfect tree...

One thing I love about my husband is that he loves Christmas. Not in a consumerism-buy-everything-in-sight kind of way, but in the traditional, let's-get-a-real-christmas-tree way. And this my friends, makes me very happy. It's not that I'm against artificial trees, I'm just pro live trees. Ones that you can cut down yourself, ones that you can smell the moment you walk through the door, and even the ones that leave needles everywhere.

This Sunday Paul and I went searching for the perfect tree. We were just going to go to the Christmas tree lot in Vallejo, but our great neighbor Mark told us about this "cut your own" place in Martinez. After hearing that the place was a mere 20 minutes from our house, we immediately looked at each other and knew this was the way to go. It was raining, yes - and we were both in the clothes we had worn the day before (late night in the City) - but that didn't stop us from trudging around the Alhambra Valley Christmas Tree Farm . There were lots of families there as well, braving the rain in search of a perfect tree. I was brought back to my childhood, when my parents and my aunt and uncle would load up my cousins, my brother and I and head to the Santa Cruz Mountains for a tree. We would make a day of it by drinking cider and eating sandwiches. (I still wonder what was in my parent's thermos). Those are my fondest Christmas memories.

And so, it only took us about 10 minutes to find our perfect tree. That night, our friends Martin and Emily came over for Sunday dinner - Emily helped me decorate the tree. New house, new tree - 2010 was a great year for us. Isn't she gorgeous?