yummy monday number six... aka, the bandwagon

recently i unsubscribed to many blogs. i do not have the time to read fifty craft blogs on a regular basis. i just don't. but time wasn't my only reason for the cutback. i was starting to feel like i was seeing the same crafts, the same colors, the same recipes pop up on all crafty blogs. my own creativity was being shaped and stifled. this crafty gal does not like being told what to do. at all. not even a little bit. even the suggestion that i should do things a certain way or that i should like certain fabrics or buy from certain etsy sellers makes me cringe and retreat. yuck. i have been called stubborn in the past. whatever.

but then i made freezer jam. like everyone else and their monkey's uncle. i blame krista. if she is on the wagon you better believe i will hop right on. this chick is all kinds of awesome. i feel very lucky to have found her through flickr. same with ella. these ladies are amazing. don't know why i threw ella in the mix just now. for some reason i always think of krista and ella as a duo even though i don't think they have ever met. they should meet.

anyhoo, the jam is so tasty and so simple. regular jam making and canning of any sort is not on my list of things i'd like to learn how to do. too much fuss with the sterilizing and the cooking and the heaty hotness. but freezer jam? easy peasy. and so good. fresh and sweet. toast tomorrow is going to be amazing.




i also made cupcakes. the recipe is from martha's show. i happened to watch it during cupcake week. her guest was divvies bakery founder lori sandler. i love lori. did you know you can use vinegar instead of eggs in cupcakes? wow. these are some moist and tasty treats. definitely worth a try especially if you or your family has dairy, nut or egg allergies.

note to self...

don't ever give teeny the last bite of something unless you have plan b ready to go.
don't ever sit down for a meal with teeny around if you are actually hungry.

bittersweet...

dahsharone is dinosaur.
dapiday used to be airplane. now he just says airplane. boring.
eem was green and emm was orange. those are both the real words now, too.
is it wrong that i kind of don't want max to replace some of these custom words?
some of you might not know about max's speech development delay. the kid took his time finding his voice. but now his progress is amazing. we waited so long and worked so hard to reach this fabled time. this time right now. this awakening. the avalanche of new words. i am proud but at the same time a bit sad. my little boy is growing up. he doesn't need me to translate his needs to the rest of the world. max knows his name. he knows his colors. he knows his letters. he knows how to tell you exactly what he wants. all of this is so new to him. new to our whole family. we didn't have the drawn out process of language development. a word here. a word there. it was pretty much silence and then, all of the sudden, he was talking, making observations, making demands. the sound of his voice is a gift. it is perfect. especially when he sings. "doo doo, go go, doo doo, go go..." that is his current favorite. he made it up. and he dances to it. he slow dances. and then my heart breaks from how sweet he is.

i have a problem...

chairs. i love them. the sight of a well designed chair does funny things to me. i would collect them if they were smaller. i love chairs.
this one is driving me particularly crazy right now.





more featherston chairs at gordon mathers design.

the featherston story:
Grant Featherston, born Geelong Victoria, began his design background in lighting, decorative glass, jewellery and manufacturing equipment which led to the design and manufacture of one of the most iconic furniture ranges seen to come out of Melbourne. Along with wife and design partner Mary, their collaboration with ‘contemporary’ Melbourne architect Robin Boyd introduced the Featherston designs into public spaces and continues to gain recognition from the design industry in 2005.
The Contour Series, from 1951-1955, was inspired by nature’s organic forms. Grant designed this series to fit the natural curves of the human body. The clean, sculptural lines and visually light appearance work well as an addition to today’s interiors.
Modern and elegant, the R160 Contour Armchair and Ottoman has become an icon of Australian furniture design.


eta: i called. i had to. the featherston armchair with ottoman costs $5000 plus fabric. plus fabric. geez.

we are home.

just a quick post to let you know that my clan and i are fine, just fine. i kinda got out of the habit of being online while in the states last month. i'm going to see how long this little phase lasts. not long, i suspect. we'll see. in the mean time i hope to craft and sew as much as possible. my hands need to do something. a month away from my sewing machine was torture. my cousin, emily, is coming over this arvo (that means afternoon here) to watch the boys while i make a bunch of stuff for her to give her pals this christmas. fun. yoga mat bags, totes, passport covers, pillow cases, etc. i love it.
i had a bit of a crafting and sewing spurt right before we left on our trip. here is my new laptop cover/sleeve thingie. i am pleased to report that it worked very well. the black liner thing is a piece of neoprene that i cut out of my old laptop bag. it comes right out. i doubled up the batting for extra protection.



it is basically a giant sandwich wrap with two layers of cotton batting. sort of. i was in a hurry up and get it done sewing mood when i made it. it is pretty wonky in parts but it didn't take me long to put it together and it totally works. plus, i think it is kinda cute.