bunnybum

my photos on etsy...

2009-04-06T03:34:00.000-07:00

drum roll please...
just kidding. just a quick post to let you know that while it seems like i have been hiding away under a rock somewhere i have actually been quite busy. we moved, i have been working a bit again and i have been putting together a little online gallery of my favorite images from the last few years. those images are now available for purchase on etsy.

so please, stop by, check it out, let me know what you think. you can find my prints here, jessicashaver.etsy.com. thanks for stopping by.

this is just so good...

2009-02-18T04:27:00.001-08:00

i don't want to forget these things...

2009-01-30T22:06:00.000-08:00

west, aka teeny buttons, calls his dummy (pacifier) "derr" and he sleeps with both arms around a large, blue bear we call nelson.
there is something about him that commands the respect of even the toughest playground bullies. they do not mess with west. actually, maybe they have, i just don't know about it because he dealt with it his own way.
west loves books and dancing. actually, that might not be true about dancing. i don't know if he likes it or not because when he dances it is like he is taken over by the music. he dances so hard that he frequently loses his balance and falls down.
he eats. he eats as much as me, no joke. the kid is an eating and pooping machine.
he sleeps, oh how he sleeps. twelve hours, nonstop, every night since he was two months old. he also takes a good two hour nap every afternoon.
west loves to say my name over and over. mamamamamamamama. he talks a lot, but doesn't really say much that is immediately identifiable. mostly mama, dada, wee-ooh (otis), nana (all fruit is called nana), dooce (juice), guy (anyone. all people are "guy" as are all figurines of people), dai dai (bye bye), mo (more, he says this a lot in combination with anything food related), at-uh (hat), shar (hair), mouf (mouth), eye and the ever important NO, which means no. oh, does it ever.
west is a trooper. he just accepts whatever new reality falls upon him and rolls with it. he never complains. oh what, a big fever? no big deal. teeth busting through gums? whatever. epic fall resulting in busted eye and mega bruise on the head? no biggie. he walks it off, takes it in stride.
west is a passionate little fella and when he decides something needs to be a certain way there is no stopping him. and he is dense like a cannonball. it is best not to get in his way.
he likes to watch tv (he calls the tv "show") but he doesn't zone out like his brother does. west watches and plays and watches and plays. it isn't the center of his world.
west isn't really into coloring. he'd rather see what the crayons taste like than use them to draw.
the kid can and will stack almost anything to make a "tar" (tower). west's tars usually contain food items. making tars is a favorite past time around here.
west wears the same size clothes as his older brother.
our little wild west. we struck gold.

2008* was a very good year for music...

2008-12-28T02:22:00.000-08:00

this post is more for me than it is for you. a list for me to reference in the future. sorry. very self indulgent of me, i know. i promise there is another tutorial or two coming very soon. good crafty stuff, for sure. plus, i would LOVE it if all of my favorite bloggers did this exact same thing. that would be so fun. in fact, please let me know if you decide to blog about your favorite music of the year.

some of my favorite songs that are not on my favorite albums:
sam sparro - black and gold
portishead - machine gun
snoop dogg - sexual eruption
solange - cosmic journey
late of the pier - the bears are coming
empire of the sun - walking on a dream
familjen - det snurrar i min skalle
rodrigo y gabriella - tamacun
puscifer - queen b
kelly rowland - work (freemasons radio edit)
jennifer hudson - spotlight
pink - sober
girls aloud - can't speak french
dizzee rascal featuring calvin harris - dance wiv me
sander van doorn - look inside your head

almost top ten albums of 2008:
calvin harris - i created disco
the whip - x marks destination
hot chip - made in the dark
kanye west - 808s and heartbreaks
ladyhawke - ladyhawke
the tings tings - we started nothing
david byrne and brian eno - everything that happens will happen today
gnarls barkley - the odd couple
glen hansard and marketa irglova - once (soundtrack)
snow patrol - a hundred million stars
adele - 19
sia - some people have real problems

top ten of 2008:
10 lykke li - youth novel
9 n.e.r.d. - seeing sounds
8 friendly fires - friendly fires
7 whitest boy alive - dreams
6 beck - modern guilt
5 robyn - robyn
4 roisin murphey - overpowered
2 & 3 the presets - beams and apocalypso
1 hercules and love affair - hercules and love affair

so, there ya go. i got to hear some amazing music in 2008. truth be told, if hercules and love affair was the only new music i heard in 2008 i'd still say it was a good year for music.

what tickled your eardrums this year? do we have any favorites in common? what is missing on my list?

*i don't have time to figure out release dates. this is the top music that i added to my itunes in the year 2008. the presets' "beams" was definitely not released in 2008 but i include it here because i hadn't heard of them until this year. i suspect that next year's list will be heavy with 2008 releases that i am only just hearing about now.

what a merry, merry christmas this has turned out to be.

2008-12-25T07:08:00.000-08:00

max is sleeping in his new big boy bed for the very first time tonight. he is not psyched about the entire arrangement ("no, mama. i think not. i want the brown bed.") but it has been a few hours now and he seems fine. my fingers are crossed.
santa was good to me this year. no gift certificates to be seen, well not from scott at least. gcs from scott bug me. i have issues. scott got me a gorgeous necklace by a local designer from my favorite boutique up the road from my house. due to my nickel allergy he had the shop owner, who is a friend of mine, ring the designer to ask about the materials used in this particular piece. the poor dear was in labor but she still answered his questions. turns out it is nickel free and it is lovely. i'll take photos. he also went crazy buying me big bottles of aveda stuff. i love me some aveda. he also wrapped up a piece of gift paper that he thought i'd like. he rolled it up, put it in a tube, and then wrapped it in crappy xmas paper. sounds kind of crazy but it is exactly the kind of thing i appreciate. he was right. i love it. it is so gorgeous that it should be framed. he also gave me the latest aussie version of david sedaris' santaland diaries. he gave me an older edition last year for christmas. kinda cute.
my mama spoils me. my stocking was full of gift certificates to places i normally can't afford and some cool kitchen gadgets. fun. all of this was in addition to the trip she and her hubby are gifting us both for our birthday and christmas gifts. melbourne, here we come! sorry kids, you are not invited. that's the big part of the gift. no kids for a few days! woo hoo!
we had some amazing food on xmas eve. hugemongous chunks of tuna and salmon sashimi, the freshest of fresh oysters with a sauce that i would eat on everything i ever eat for ever and ever, grilled lobster (good god, was that good), pasta with the freshest to-MAH-to sauce ever and other grilled stuff. so good. also, banana effing pudding in the mutha effing house. sorry about that outburst. banana pudding is special to our family. we love food. fresh fish or cheapo, old school desserts. good food is good food.
today we went to my step-dad's brother's new wife's ex-husband's house. that is a loooonng story. my step-dad's brother's new wife recently had knee surgery so she wasn't able to be as involved in the meal as she normally is. luckily for us her sister sue stepped in and helped create for us an incredible meal. i mean, stupid good. pine nut and feta stuffed pork roast. ham basted in marmalade. potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes. homemade tiramisu, made by a gentleman named kevin who happened to be my two boys' favorite guy at the party. max called him "brown guy" because he happens to have dark skin. embarrassing, but cute. max's observation makes me realize how white perth is. a person of color would stand out to someone new to the world in perth, western australia. we need more kevins. especially if they are nice men who happen to know how to cook. we all need a kevin in our lives.
this is a good christmas. max and west have no idea how to deal with all their gifts. neither do i. so much stuff. scott and i spoke this evening about getting rid of the old toys to counteract the new toys we have received. the poor kids would definitely disagree. they will get over it. i am certain that the amazing gifts they received will distract them long enough for me to sneak out a huge bag of slightly used toys.

i would love to show some photos but our internet connection is munted. maybe next time.

oh, photography...

2008-12-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

i get messages via email, comments on this here bloggy blog and flickrmail quite consistently inquiring about photography. what camera do i use? what lens do i use? do i use photoshop? to what extent do i use photoshop? did i study photography? etc. so i thought i'd put together a few links and some tips and tricks that i use daily.

so, starting out...
what is iso?
what is aperture?
what is shutter speed?
a few more links from a very good website called photography basics.

a few posts on the topic from my very favorite bloggers:
still life with's guide to food photography gear.
my cooking hut's tips on food photography.
veganyumyum's food photography for bloggers.
mattbites' notes about photography.
yes, i know those are all food blogs. i learn something new every time i browse those links. the rules of food photography can be applied to all photography. as my photo instructor in college put it, "keep it simple with beautiful light and you'll have a winner every time."

my tips for photographing your kids, your animals, your food or your crafting creations...
if the light is right clean up a little. de-clutter. you can always photoshop stuff out but why set yourself up for more work? just tidy up a bit before you start shooting.
wear a white shirt for added bounced light. it makes a difference. also, paper towels are almost always bright white. i've used them to bounce light on my subjects many times, even on professional food shoots.
change your angle to eliminate background nonsense. don't like your horizon line? change your position.
get close.
back off.
put your camera on multi-shot mode and hold down the shutter, especially for kiddo or pet shots. let it blast off as many in a row as it can. one of them is bound to be what you are looking for.
once you figure out that you have the right exposure, don't look at the images you take on camera and don't edit in camera. something might look crappy on that tiny screen but you might find that it is magical on your computer or in print.
negative space is nice sometimes.
make sure shit isn't poking out of people's heads. that might be a big pet peeve of mine.
watch your edges. edge tension can be very powerful but isn't always appropriate. also watch fingers, legs, arms, etc. limb amputation can be quite awkward. i can't believe i just spelled awkward right. woo hoo!
rule of thirds. yep. sometimes a nice, centered image is really beautiful but for the most part not really.
bright, overcast days produce my favorite light. i'll gladly give up a stop in iso for that nice, naturally difused light through a big window. with big clouds the sky becomes a giant softbox. direct sunlight is evil, especially in the middle of the day. yuck.
open the curtains or blinds or whatever and turn off the lights. mixed sources of lighting produces funny shifts in color in your image.
if you are photographing kids try to get down to their level. or raise your camera up high and try to shoot directly down onto them. whatever, just mix it up.
especially when shooting kiddos, sometimes it is better to just hold your camera off to the side, maintain good eye contact and make funny faces at your subject. i wasn't looking through the lens when i captured many of my favorite images of my kiddos.
if you love an image and you can't fix the color balance in photoshop, screw it. just convert it to black and white. that's what i do.
i love my 50mm 1.4 lens. lots. it is my favorite. i hardly ever take it off my camera.
if you are like me and find that photoshop is a big maze of crazy tools, just go buy sesame ellis' basic action set. she is an incredible photographer and has generously offered up her photoshop workflow in a set of actions for a very reasonable price. they take your image to another level. trust me. a very well spent $75.

none of these tips are big secrets. these are just things i have learned that keep me shooting and keep me off of my computer. the less i have to do in photoshop the better.

if you visit the blogs i mention in this post and you enjoy what you see please leave them a note to thank them for generously sharing their knowledge with us. thanks.

stupid internet...

2008-12-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

the internet is keeping me from blogging.
facebook
flickr
a certain lady group
bloglines
my endless quest for new music
stupid internet. too much stuff to do. i am trying to limit my time online to time when my boys don't mind that i am on the computer. i put it down the moment either one of them pays any attention to me. i never say "just a minute" or "mama's busy" because that just isn't true. there is nothing on this computer more important than my thirsty child.
speaking of thirsty children, we are trying to keep our boys well hydrated due to some pretty impressive illnesses. there is so much sick going on in this house that i'm not even mad. i'm kind of impressed. ear infection? check. sinus infection? check. anxiety attacks? check. pink eye? double check, soon to be quadruple, no doubt. the shits? check. back pain? check. blown blood vessel in an eye? check. mystery jaw pain? check. well done, 90a harold street. you win. sickest house ever. woo hoo! if only there was a prize. you know what? there is a prize. that first weekend when we all feel healthy is going to make all this sickness worth it. for sure. no doubt. we will picnic on a sea of fallen jacaranda blossoms. we will feed ducks, and some of us might chase them. we will go up and down and up and down the slide at the volcano park. we will fill our shoes (and house) with sand. we will learn a little bit more about gravity (this one applies mainly to teeny). we will need bandaids for the damage that will be done once we are healthy again. and then it will start again. eh, whatever. life with littles is a roller coaster. even right now, with all of us in pretty shabby shape, it is so fun. i can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. if it is anything like today i might have to erase this optimistic post but let's just hope this lovefest is justified. today was a bad day. it can only get better. i'll keep you posted. you might just have to wait a few weeks for the update, but it will come eventually.

random thoughts...

2008-12-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

loving this shirt.
i miss bragg liquid aminos.
why does everything i cook have sriracha in it?
finally.
i am so proud of my crafty friends. a few of my favorite gals are kicking major crafty ass at local markets. their stuff is so well made and beautiful. well done, ladies!
the natural color cotton muslin from ikea is great. you know how many muslins tend to be really wrinkly and not so soft? well not ikea's muslin. it is so soft. i am going to make some pillow cases out of it. four dollars a meter is such a great price.
my house smells like yumminess. i am trying out a new recipe. one that i made up all by myself. woah. yummy monday, the thursday edition, might happen tomorrow. though it might be an epic fail. we'll see later.
west and max had their first full day at school yesterday. i don't have words to describe the look on west's face when he noticed us when we picked him up. it was somewhere between relief and pride. that west, he is amazing. seriously. amazing. if i could guarantee my next four kids would be just like him i would have more in a heartbeat. HA! just kiddin. no way. but still, he's cool.

i have big love for LOLcats...

2008-11-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

more animals

i am pretty sure i have not made clear enough my deep love for LOLcats. some recent favorites...

hey future me, these are from june tenth to december first in my email.

this post should write itself...

2008-11-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

what the heck? where have i been? what have i been doing?
lots.
i have been going through some changes. good ones. i hit a bit of a crafty roadblock but who cares? my boys are enjoying the benefits, for sure. my brain is with them, if that makes sense. i'm not thinking about where i'd rather be, what i'd rather be doing. i am spending more time on the floor covered in boys. it is funny that i am all rainbows and puppies on today of all days. this has been, without a doubt, the most challenging day i have ever had with the boys. max has the sniffles. he turns into a total jerk when he is sick. the poor kid is sleeping now. so is his brother. i am still in my pjs and it is ten to five. scott should be home any minute and even though i like my boys and like being with them i am going to retreat to my little space for a little while as soon as my relief walks in the door. i might give him a hug first.

in totally unrelated news, katy perry is a total d-bag. this is a fact. i am mad at her for singing that kissed a girl song because at first i liked it. but then i figured out that she's a d-bag. that's all.

crafting will resume shortly. it has to. i have five more swap items to complete for the gift exchange swap i am in. they need to hit the post by december first. better get crackin.

here's my pinwheel. yes, my pinwheel. the boys don't get to play with it because i like it and don't want them to destroy it or use it as a weapon. it is mine.

ALMOST sad. almost.

2008-11-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

this makes me much happier than it should.

via boingboing.net.

even generally positive crafting, cooking, baking mamas like me enjoy watching an evil person get snubbed by some of the world's finest leaders. oh january 20th, please come soon. i'd give up christmas this year to fast forward to that date.

oh, did i ever get lucky.

2008-11-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

it was just a short drive to get vietnamese food with my hubby, oh, what's that? a little sign. "wholesale fabric sale" you don't say.

it's an octopus, people. AN OCTOPUS. heaven.

most of them are one by one meter squares and are a canvasy upholstery weight. the sale was a limited event at a local high end fabric dealer. most of the designs are meant to be used as curtains or furniture upholstery. the prices of the fabric on the bolts were laughable. um, $1280 per meter? no thanks. but the sample pieces were only two or three dollars each. it was heaven. when i first walked in i couldn't stop giggling from how happy i was. i keep unfolding and refolding my favorite pieces. dreams really do come true. heehee.
many more lovely finds over on flickr.

today i turned thirty one.

2008-11-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

i liked today.
a fabulous breakfast with my mama, a craft fair featuring the work of one of my very favorite people and dinner at perth's finest mexican restaurant with my boys and my newly mustached man. not bad. not bad at all.
at the fair i met a few fellow crafters who knew who i was after i told them i am bunnybum on flickr and on my blog. that was fun and totally unexpected. i also gave my card to anyone who would take it. making new friends is fun. can't ever have too many friends.
and now i am going to be a bit more serious than usual. don't worry though, i won't make a habit of it. my life is changing right now. this has been a big couple of weeks. not really all that sure why all of a sudden i feel the need to be a better me but i do. i am embracing this feeling of wanting to grow, wanting to be a better mama, wanting to be a better me. loving right now. thanks to all of you who have encouraged me and supported me here on my bloggy blog, over on flickr and in my favorite onion free clubhouse*.
in the coming months look for more recipes, more tutorials and more thanks here on bunnybum. i get so much inspiration and joy from the blogging community. it is definitely time for me to give a little lovin back.
*a little shout out to my internet ladies. ;)

bunnybum's version of a market tote...

2008-11-09T03:35:00.000-08:00

regular tote bags just aren't big enough for a baguette, some tomatoes, carrots, leeks, chard, celery, rhubarb, bananas, etc. i am a one bag gal. no way i can handle both kids and a few bags of produce at the market. no way. plus, i like to wear my bags across my body and most commercial market bags have two small handles. i need one big strap on one big bag. that is my kind of market tote.

the dimensions are totally up to you. i made this bag huge for our almost weekly trips to the markets in subiaco. we always buy baguettes, loads of fruit and lots of big, long veggies. a twenty by twenty inch massive bag is what i need. i have made many smaller versions of this same bag in the past. the strap length stays the same, just change the body dimensions if you'd like. easy peasy.

use a 1/4" (ish) seam allowance and wash, dry and iron your fabric before sewing.

there you go. add a pocket, use a patchwork strap, add a button closure, box out the bottom, whatever. it is your bag. this is a great project for large remnants, vintage bed linens or whatever else you have in your stash. i like to use crazy prints for my linings and solids for the outside. the craziness is my little secret.

a big old tote bag with a long old strap. use, abuse, wash and use some more. i know i will.

we did it!

2008-11-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

image from design for obama.

fingers crossed.

2008-11-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

i am so excited.

go USA!
go Obama!

poster from design for obama.

beer, beer and more beer...

2008-11-02T16:41:00.001-08:00

i devoted my weekend sewing time to scott's growing beer obsession. it was his birthday on saturday and since i was not allowed to buy him anything i decided to instead donate many hours to his hobby. we had a little photo shoot on sunday while my mama watched the rugrats. scott knows how important my sewing time is so i hope he knows what a big gift those couple dozens photos are. well, i guess he does now. the man is obsessed with beer. first it was getting his favorite beer here in perth, then it was brewing his own version of that beer and now, in addition to the first two obsessions, he is selling cartons of rare and yummy beers to local restaurants and bottle shops. freakshow. he can't be stopped. scott gets something in his little brain and it is all he can think about, talk about, BE about. at least i love beer. i couldn't imagine if instead of beer he decided to be obsessed with model airplanes or boating or something. i am enjoying my role as resident taster. i have tried a dozen or so new to me beers this week. what a horrible job, right? my palette is a tiny bit more refined than scott's. just a tiny bit. winkwink.

here's one of the the many beers scott is pushing in perth.

if you live in perth and would like more information about what scott is up to please view his blog here. i know he would love to hear from you.

also, many thanks to sewmamasew for featuring my passport sleeve tutorial in their handmade holidays special. welcome new visitors!

music right this instant...

2008-10-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

kanye's new song is blowing my mind. the first time i heard the song i thought he might be going out on a limb even though i knew i liked the song and then, all of a sudden, i craved the thing. so good. i could write an eleventh grade essay on the symbolism in the video, but i probably won't. but i would get a b+ for sure though. i would talk about the future and the primal nature of the drumming and mr. coons would eat that shit right up. he always did.

at this very moment i am listening to genesis' second home by the sea. i have been on a music from my youth kick lately. supertramp's breakfast in america. billy joel's the stranger (that was 'house cleaning' music for my parents, they blasted it as loud as i do now). the soundtrack from the man from snowy river. george michael's faith. any michael jackson. i heart him big. early madonna back when she was super slutty. even zztop. this is one of my favorite songs ever. it conjures the best of memories.

still listening to genesis over here. oh dear, taking it all too hard just came on. it is not possible for me to listen to this song just once. usually i just put it on repeat until scott tells me to stop it already. it would be the song i would sing to paula, randy and simon if given the chance. i love how phil just busts into the chorus straight away. killer.

and hey, aussies, give this song a listen. does it remind you of a young australian pop composer? maybe? a little? give up? it reminds me of my beloved gotye. the melodies and percussion in particular. oh phil and wally, why don't the two of you get together and write my favorite album i've never heard? please? for me?

purple and brown makes me happy...

2008-10-12T19:00:00.003-07:00

not the color combo, silly. i am talking about the little animated shorts featured on nickelodeon.
drawn posted a purple and brown video yesterday. i haven't seen these guys in forever. so happy to see that they are all over youtube. giggles are only a click away.

max and i giggle like stoners when we watch these videos together.

wordle is kinda cool plus other net specials...

2008-10-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

check out wordle. i entered in my blog's address, tweaked the settings and voila! a "word cloud."

i like it. i can picture my favorite quote in cloud form. sort of. guess i need to figure out what my favorite quote is first.

plus...
incredible food photography by kate mathis.
school of everything is "a beautifully simple idea using the web to connect those who have something to teach with those who want to learn." word. (i think i saw this on boingboing)
barbapapa. i wish this was on tv in australia. boo.
i need to spend some real time on mfr. always on the look out for new music.
check out the beauty of eveline tarunadjaja. refined, simple and fancy all at the same time.

yummy monday number nine, the friday edition...

2008-10-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

it isn't monday, but today is still yummy.
i got a wild hair yesterday, did a quick inventory of what was in the fridge, consulted recipezaar's recipe sifter and got cookin. the result? freaking fantastic!
as you probably know by now, i do not follow recipes. can't do it. too many rules. so i did my own thing for the filling but i did follow the recipe for the bread for the most part. just a few substitutions for my little allergy man (soy milk and soy margarine).

the recipe i followed is here. please try it out. i added garlic, paprika and carrots to the filling. next time i will be adding a little spinach, much more cabbage and maybe some leeks. seriously yummy.

yummy monday number eight...

2008-09-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

i made chicken stock! this is a big deal. i never thought i would bother making my own stock. i had a chicken carcass leftover from when i made arroz con pollo the other day and i happened to have all the veggies i needed so i went for it.
here's my recipe.

chicken stock a la bunnybum

chicken carcass with a little meat on it, raw
2 carrots, chopped into big pieces
4 celery ribs with leaves, chopped into big pieces
1 big yellow onion, chopped into big pieces
4 garlic cloves, halved
2 bay leaves
fifteen black peppercorns

put everything into a crockpot, add as much boiling water as will fit, cook on low for 10-15 hours or so. strain it and throw the veg and bones away. put it in the fridge and wait for the fat to separate, scoop off the fat and freeze some, eat some, enjoy.

i have been doing that oamc thing and loving it, but i am running out of space in the freezer and i am always scrounging around my drawers and pantry looking for containers. i don't mind using plastic bags but i avoid it if i can. it just seems so wasteful, not to mention expensive. so on a recent trip to our local ikea i picked up a set of new plastic storage containers. so far so good. they are easy to open and close, they are super stackable and the boys had a ball building towers with them before mama busted that party. me likey.

the arroz con pollo i mentioned earlier turned out great. i made lots and lots of changes to the original recipe. here are my changes, this is mostly for my own reference:
no cloves (i live with a couple men who would not be happy to bite into a clove)
remove chicken before adding veg
add onion and pepper, saute 5 minutes or so
add garlic, saute another minute or so
add 1/2 cup white wine (no sherry), simmer a couple minutes
add tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, saffron, 2x paprika, + 1/2 teaspoon salt and lots of pepper, stir well
add 2 cups rice and 3 cups water, stir well
add chicken, cover tightly and cook 45 minutes or until rice is done.
it was super tasty, the boys loved it and it made a ton. the leftovers have been lunch for a couple days and none of us are sick of it at all. i will be making this one again soon.

oh, martha.

2008-09-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

first of all, my love of martha is no secret, right? well i fell harder yesterday when i watched her devote an entire show to blogging. matt, from mattbites was on. meg frost of cuteoverload was on. even a couple of old school craft ladies were there. it was a great show. i had to wait a day to see it because i live down under but it was worth the wait and then some. i couldn't help but fill with pride when i heard matt's voice. sounds dorky, i know, but i have been following his images on flickr forever and i've been reading his blog since word uno. love him. love martha.

and on to some other stuff, my image archive is full of crappy images and for some reason i thought i needed to save 200 megabyte scans of those crappy images. sorting them has been a long, slow, boring process. i have found some that i think might look nice on your kitchen wall though.

here are a couple of the keepers. check out some more over on flickr.

lately...

2008-09-16T21:25:00.001-07:00

i have been busy getting nothing done. you know when you feel like you have been working hard but really you have not accomplished a thing? yep, that's me. at the end of the day i am so tired, ready for sleep by nine. then i can't sleep for shit from about two in the morning until the boys wake up at seven. it is a load of bologna. the boys have been great. i don't know what my problem is. perhaps a day of me stuff is in my near future? i certainly hope so.

on a very positive note, i made some new friends. you know how when you meet someone you just know that you will know them for a very long time. that's how i feel about these two. it is so rare that i like both people in a couple. so rare. usually i am a big fan of one and can't stand the other.* that is so not the case with nicole and son. love them. and, the best thing about my new friends? they bring me handmade gifts! thanks, nicole. you know i love little things. this is about the sweetest little thing ever.

the light has been amazing lately. even my half ass lunch looked pretty today.

one more thing, i am considering opening another etsy shop to sell some prints and note cards. i have received many requests and inquiries about my photos. in anticipation of perhaps selling prints i have been re-editing and uploading some old work from school and immediately after. it is a long process but i love every minute of it. photography is the only job i could ever imagine doing. well, photography and being a mama to two very demanding little men.

*another aussie couple and a very special couple in seattle who might be reading this also fall into this category of keepers. i am a dork, but i don't want my lovely friends to wonder if i am talking about them. :)

yummy monday number seven...

2008-09-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

i bought a cookbook while we were in kansas city in july. it is called a collection of the very finest recipes ever assembled into one cookbook. isn't that hilarious?

this is what it says on the back cover:

"we have spent many years producing fund-raising cookbooks - the kind where people send in their favorite recipe to help some church, school or other group.
we have typed and printed hundreds of thousands of different recipes, most of which are very good, a few of which are excellent. however, occasionally a recipe is outstanding, the kind about which our typesetters, proofreaders, or other personnel say, 'i must take this one home and try it out.'
this book is filled with these outstanding recipes. we honestly believe this is a collection of the very finest recipes ever assembled into one cookbook."

then they add:

"p.s. like any publisher, we could have used full-page pictures as fillers throughout the book, but we decided to use every allotted page to bring you all these outstanding recipes."

first of all, "hundreds of thousands" is a big number. really? hundreds of thousands? ok, whatever. and they certainly were not kidding when they say they filled every page with recipes. all two hundred and sixty of them. most with three or four recipes per page. there are recipes like crisp-coated ham balls, connecticut supper for 6, new england tomato soup cake, zucchini chow chow, and hot curried fruit. uh, i don't think i'll be trying those. what i will try is this super simple recipe for arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) and this dreamy halushke (a czechoslovakian potato dumpling and cabbage dish). yum. i am so ready to cook something new.

arroz con pollo
(chicken and rice)

1 frying chicken, (2 1/2 lbs.) cut-up
salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (19 oz) can tomatoes
1/3 cup sherry
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch saffron
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup cooked peas
1 pimiento, cut-up

season chicken with salt. brown in oil. add onion, garlic and green pepper. brown about five minutes. add next seven ingredients and one cup of water. cover and simmer about 30 minutes. garnish with peas and pimento.

*my changes: a few more cloves of garlic, red bell pepper instead of green, fresh tomatoes with a little extra water instead of canned toms, instead of sherry i will use whatever white wine we have in the fridge, there is no way in hell i am adding peas (yuck) and i don't even know where to find a pimento. are they pickled? i know about pimento spread but a whole pimento? i have no clue. if i can find jalapenos i will add a couple all chopped up when i add the red pepper. i'll probably just garnish with some fried onions and fresh tomatoes instead of the peas and pimento. ooh, and cilantro. and maybe some tortilla chips. it'll be good.

and then...

halushke (czechoslovakian dish)
(potato dumplings & cabbage)

5 potatoes, grated
1 tablespoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
2 onions, sliced
1 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup butter

add 3 cups flour to grated potatoes, enough to make a soft dough. have a pot of water boiling as for spaghetti. dip spoon into boiling water and drop dough by small spoonfuls into the water. if spoon is dipped the dough will not stick to the spoon. cook ten minutes, drain and rinse with hot water. saute two sliced onions in 1/2 cup butter until golden brown. add shredded cabbage and cook until tender, about 1/2 hour. add salt to halushke (the dumplings, i presume), then mix cabbage and halushke together and serve hot. heat any leftovers in a frying pan for next meal.

*my changes: less salt, olive oil instead of butter and i might add some garlic when the cabbage is almost done. i like garlic.

hopefully by this time next week i can report on the tastiness of one of these recipes. or maybe i will try the crisp-coated ham balls. this girl is full of surprises.

yummy monday number six... aka, the bandwagon

2008-08-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-08-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

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.

a simply great day...

2008-06-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

yesterday we had a great day. it was one of my favorite people's 78th birthday. to celebrate we drove about an hour south to serpentine national park, one of her favorite places. it was my first time visiting the park and i know i will be back again and again. it was magical. tiny pink flowers lined the path, monarch butterflies flitted around in the sky, occasionally touching down for a slurp of cola, and kangaroos joined us on our picnic blanket for a cuddle and some fruit. seriously magical, people. the falls are wonderful too but nothing beats good food, perfect weather and a little kangaroo love. here are a few photos.

max is tired of my camera.

like i need another hobby...

2008-06-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

this hobby is not going to stick. making jewelry is hard.

this one reminds me of pyrex and sea glass.

that's all i got tonight, folks. i am boring. tomorrow we head to the hills celebrate my step nana's birthday. she is an incredible lady. i can't wait to fill her sweet tooth with rice krispie treats and cupcakes on her special day.

i just have to share this...

2008-06-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

how great is david byrne? love the song, love the video, even love dizzee's rap.

so good.

my family's age, in days...

2008-06-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

teeny is 420 days old today.
munch is 995 days old today.
otis is 1528 days old today.
booza is 11172 days old today.
manner is 11186 days old today.

how many days old are you?

yummy monday number five...

2008-06-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

after a couple weeks off yummy monday is back! try this one. i am not even going to be humble about it. this chicken kicks ass. no photos for now because my chicken is hanging out in the freezer but i'll add photos when we grill it up.

bunnybum's chicken marinade

2 lbs or so chicken pieces
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c veg oil
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
2 T honey
2 T sriracha chili sauce
1 T sesame oil
juice of one lime
3 cloves garlic, minced

put everything but the chicken in a big ziploc bag and squeeze to mix. add chicken pieces and squeeze out all the air. freeze it if you'd like or put it in the fridge for at least four hours.
reserve the liquid from the marinade.
grill the chicken like usual. bring the liquid to a boil. let it simmer for at least five minutes or so to reduce a bit.
serve chicken with grilled veggies and brown rice. drizzle the sauce all over for a spicy, savory and sweet meal. yum.

i am a dark meat gal so i like to use thighs but breast meat cut into strips works really well too. also, i tend to use much more sriracha than i listed above. we like it hot in my house but in the past my dinner guests have had a bit of trouble with the heat so i toned it down a bit for this recipe. if you like it hot like me try 3 or 4 tablespoons of sriracha. that's some spicy goodness right there.

as always, let me know if you give this recipe a try. enjoy!

this? is funny.

2008-06-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

more cat pictures

just checking in...

2008-06-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

hello there.

things have been pretty slow on this here bloggy blog because things have been not so slow in my life. lots of ups and downs for me personally but the boys are doing very well. we have been keeping busy with my dear cousin emily. she is here working an internship during her summer break. max is especially smitten. emmie, as he calls her, is his love.

crafting days have been few and far between. soon, very soon, emily and i are going to spend a full day sewing pj pants and headbands for her buddies back home in boston. that day is going to have to happen soon because our trip back home is sneaking up on us. three weeks! holy shit. i am NOT looking forward to that journey. damn. that is going to suck. once we get there i know we are going to have the best of times but, you know, getting there will suck. i keep reminding myself that mexican food, old friends and babysitting await us in denver. that helps alleviate my anxiety about the travel.

max and west are both sick. max had a slight fever and a bad attitude and now west has the sniffles and a little cough. they both rock on. that's just their style. no virus is going to slow these two little tornadoes of trouble down. in the words of the wise puff daddy, "i thought i told you that we won't stop, uh-huh huh-huh-huh." here's teeny's face. holy geez. he looks like he went a few rounds with joe frazier (the only boxer that i can think of at the moment). the kid can't be stopped. can't. be. stopped. not that i'd want to stop him. he is pretty entertaining.

in crafting news, i just can't delay it any longer. my dear cashmere, camel, red dot lined bag is the center of attention almost every time i go out. there has been too much interest. too many inquiries. so i had to invest. thirty five dollars, to be exact. thirty five dollars worth of vintage suit coats. wool, plaid, tweed, herringbone and a bit of polyester all waiting to be transformed into big old bags. let the lining removal begin!

last night i had the pleasure of hanging out with a crafting genius in her crafting lair. i am not one to name drop but let's just say her name starts with crafta and ends with palooza. she rocks. i also had the pleasure of meeting her gorgeous family and one of her gorgeous friends. oh, and i got to adopt one of these lovely ladies. i am a lucky gal.

tonight my mama is going to hang with the boys while we hit the town with emily and a couple of our favorite perth pals. it has been a while. i don't expect to be in top form tomorrow. maybe just with it enough to rip out a coat lining or two. at least i hope so.

sorry and thanks...

2008-06-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

lots of people have asked me questions about my crafty stuff, my recipes and other things here, through email, etsy and flickr. i have done my best to answer those questions but i fear that i have not done a very good job. that really bothers me. like, just a little while ago while making coffee i remembered that i didn't answer someone's question about whether or not the passport sleeve tutorial fits a US passport. (it does.)
i like all the extra attention. really, i do. i like selling my goods on etsy and i realize that more attention on my blog equals more sales. that's great but i just hope that i am not ignoring anyone. it means a lot to me that my internet ladies like my craft. you guys rock. i don't do a lot of commenting on other blogs and i usually don't respond to comments here unless the person commenting asks a question. i just don't have time. be sure that if you comment here that i click through to your blog for a peek at your lives and craft. that's the best part.
thanks.

tutorial links...

2008-05-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

doesn't it seems like there has been a flood of gorgeous tutorials on the internets lately? here are a few that i will be trying shortly.

a braided scarf at ah-yi.

a super cool superhero cape over at zakka life crafts.

a feathered nest's quick and easy apron looks like my kind of sewing project.

good old martha stewart scores again with this great reversible handbag tutorial.

i am seriously excited about covering every can i can get my paws on using this tutorial by meg at elsie marley.

the winner of the prettiest tutorial goes to geninne's art blog for her hand carved stamp tutorial.

artsy-crafty babe shares this sweet button flower tutorial.

i might have already shared some of these. no matter. i will probably share them again in a few weeks. my memory, short and long term, is gone.

and now for a completely unrelated photo. this is the apron that i made for my mama's birthday last week. she likes it and it fits her beautifully.

a new hobby...

2008-05-26T22:12:00.001-07:00

i have never, ever in all of my days needed to know how to knit more than i do right now. and it is all because of this post on the purl bee. oh dear. a new friend offered to teach me and now that i have a project in mind i think i will have to go for it. the call to knit has been growing in strength for the last year or so. looks like the time has come.

check out one of their color combo suggestions, the "funky monkey":

dreamy.

food in june...

2008-05-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

this is a well timed project. one food photo a day for the entire month of june. yummy. i will take at least thirty food photos for this project but i can't promise to post one a day. even though i am breaking the rules i am still totally excited. i will be looking at the group's photos on flickr daily.

yummy monday number four...

2008-05-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

max's "cupcake kee-koos"

2/3 c margarine, room temp (we use a milk free kind)
2/3 c shortening, room temp
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 t vanilla
3 1/1 c flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
100s and 1000s for sprinkling

cream margarine and shortening together.
add the sugar and brown sugar. mix well.
add the eggs and vanilla. mix well.
in a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
add that mixture to the sugar mixture. stir very well.
scoop out teaspoon size globs into mini cupcake papers.
sprinkle them with 100s and 1000s for a little color.
bake at 350°F until golden brown.

confession: this is just a slightly altered version of my mama's chocolate chip cookie recipe that i grew up baking with her. we make them in the cupcake papers because the milk free margarine has a higher moisture content than regular sticks of margarine that makes them spread out too much when baked without. plus, max seems to like things more when they are presented like a cupcake. don't know why. he likes it so we'll stick with it.

i usually bake half of the dough right away and freeze the other half in saran wrap for future use. the second half usually gets consumed in dough form over the course of a couple weeks, i must admit. it is oh so good with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. yum.

yummy monday number three...

2008-05-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

red chili roast

1 T veg oil
1 big chunk of beef (i have used a topside roast)
salt and pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 hot peppers, chopped (i use thai chilis because jalapeños are hard to find here)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 big can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 small thing tomato paste
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin

brown all sides of the beef in oil. season well with salt and pepper.
transfer to crockpot.
saute the bell pepper, onion and hot peppers in the beef drippings.
add chili powder, cumin and about 2 T beef broth and simmer for a couple minutes.
transfer to crockpot.
add the garlic, the rest of the broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the crockpot.
stir well.
cook on auto for five hours or low for eight hours.
either shred the meat or cut it into small pieces.

here is one quarter of the result, frozen.

this recipe is super versatile. i split it into four portions and freeze it until i need to use it. it is great as a burrito filling, the boys eat the meat as is, it is great in nachos and i even eat it as a soup, a very rich soup. it is extra yummy with fresh coriander (cilantro), a bit of cheddar cheese and a little sour cream. i hope you give it a try.

an easy scarf...

2008-05-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

...update at the bottom of the post...

i hesitate to call any project 'easy' but this one truly is. if you have a pair of scissors and can cut a straight line, you can "make" this scarf. they are fun, casual and machine washable. i like to wear two at a time. i've seen these for sale in shops for fifteen to twenty dollars. now that's just plain silly.
here's what you do, buy some cotton jersey fabric and cut a strip out of it. no hemming, no ironing, no pinning, just cut the piece to your desired size and wrap it around your neck. that's it.
i like the raw edges and i even decided to leave the selvedge on the stripy scarves because it is pretty. some jersey rolls up on the raw edges, and that's cute, too.
hey aussie crafters, i got all the fabric at spotlight, just so you know.
because i have a few too many scarves for my own use i would like to give a couple away. i have a number in my head. the comment corresponding to that number gets the scarves. fun. i love a good giveaway.

update...
comments are now closed because my mama screwed things up. the number is always one. always. always will be. but not when it is my mama. she wasn't supposed to comment, she never comments. so, all of you who commented already get some scarves. email me your address if you commented anonymously.
much love.

omg! how cool...

2008-05-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

holly over at decor8 featured my little shop this week in her "etsy take five tuesdays" post. i can't believe it. decor8 is one of my very favorite design blogs and it means so much to me that holly likes my work. i am extremely flattered. wow. thank you holly!

here's teeny saying "wassat?"

and here's max being sweet

yummy monday number two...

2008-05-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

potato chip chicken strips
based on this recipe.
i am sure the original recipe is fantastic but i had to alter it a bit for my family's needs.

1.5 lb chicken breast, cut into 1x3" (or so) strips
3 cups crushed potato chips
2 eggs
1/4 cup soy milk

beat the egg and soy milk together in a shallow bowl.
put the crushed chips in another dish.
dip the chicken in the egg mixture, let the excess egg drip off and then dredge them in the chips.
place the strips on a baking sheet.
cook @ 180°C (350°F) until golden brown and yummy looking, about 16 minutes.
let them cool and then place them in a freezer safe container. they will keep for a couple months.

a couple tips:
i like to use thin potato chips because they crush a bit more uniformly but any chips will do.
i decided to make strips instead of nuggets because my max loves to dip. dip dip dip. the kid will eat anything if he can dip it in mustard or mayo.
try using flavored chips or doritos. we can't do that due to allergy issues but i'd love to hear about the results if you give it a try.
this obviously isn't the healthiest recipe ever but it tastes good, it is fun for kids and it is easy to double or even triple the recipe. i think it will be the perfect snack to serve at max's next birthday party.

custom passport sleeves in my etsy shop...

2008-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

the passport sleeve tutorial is a simple project but not everyone has a sewing machine or a sweet fabric stash to raid. there has been so much interest in these little sleeves that i decided to sell them in my shop. i am listing several options for purchase. the jet setter, the honeymooners and the family of four.

a few fabric options:

random chatting...

2008-05-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

oh leslie hall. i didn't know it was possible for so much awesomeness to be shoved into one person. fyi, i found leslie hall through the yo gabba gabba episode titled "scary".

i don't like cake, but if i did i would want these cupcakes.

me wanty.

how beautiful is melbourne artist eveline tarunadjaja's work? very beautiful.

bubble painting looks fun but it will have to wait for a while. max would decorate the entire world with bubble paint if given the chance.

decor8 featured australian design blogs today. how exciting! so many familiar names on this list of incredibly talented aussies.

i can finally exhale after having completed a big project (see photo below). it has been in the works for months and now it is done. i loved every minute of it and feel so grateful that shooting food is my job. well, my other job. max and west are my full time employers. they are quite demanding but those end of the work day kisses more than make up for it. i don't think i'd like those kisses from any other boss.

yummy monday number one...

2008-05-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

introducing... yummy mondays!

i have been doing lots of cooking lately. buying more food, less often and cooking more food, less often. it is working very well for us. our method is similar to OAMC, but we still enjoy the occasional meal out and love our local thai take away. i usually make a few soups or stews, marinate lots of chicken and beef, and slow cook a giant pot of bolognese sauce. my recipes are evolving and becoming quite tasty. i will be sharing my original recipes with you as i become more confident in the kitchen.
why baby food for this, the first yummy monday? i am kind of cheating a little. the photos and recipes are old but i have had so many requests on flickr, here on bunnybum and in real life for these baby food recipes. so, here you go. the individual recipes are some of the ones i sell in my etsy shop with six little containers and a cute tote.
as always, let me know if you try them out. (click on the recipes to make them bigger.)

baby food totes in my etsy shop.

blueberry nectarine puree in the little containers that come with the totes.

NOT invited...

2008-05-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

as if these curtains aren't scary enough*, look who decided to join me in my craft room yesterday. for scale, each one of those characters is about five inches top to bottom. we had to suck spider guy up in the vacuum and then release him outside. upon release he was a little dizzy and his fur was dusty but otherwise ok.
now it seems spider karma has come back to me. as i type there is a mystery bite on my foot that just keeps growing and my entire foot is throbbing. um. when do you go to the doctor for a bug bite?
*the curtains came with the house. we don't own the place. i would just take them down or replace them myself but window coverings here in perth are a bit more complicated than those in seattle. the sun is hot and relentless on that side of the house. so the curtains stay. however, if they keep housing giant spiders they are history.

drawstring bag tutorial...

2008-05-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

this is a great project for beginning sewers. we have these bags all over the house in all different sizes. they help us hide our mess.

let me know if you give this a shot. i'd love to see your results!

oh dear...

2008-05-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

please don't call child protective services on my ass. seriously. he isn't abused, he just looks like he is.

west gets his butt kicked daily. poor kid. it isn't even max's fault, well, not always. west is a very curious and determined kid. if he decides he needs to scale the new, big, plastic, dangerously tall toy, then by golly he's gonna do it. many times that determination results in a dramatic display of flexible baby limbs. max is responsible for some of the many bruises and scrapes. i can't say he is entirely innocent. but there have been plenty of times when max and i are kickin it in the dining room and west will cruise in from the living room with a fresh bump on his head. he doesn't always scream out when it happens. he is the silent bruisee. no one will ever call west a cry baby.

so, sunday wasn't the best ever...

2008-04-27T17:50:00.001-07:00

i was wrong. it was just an ok day. after i finished up the custom orders and packaged everything up i got the urge to tidy things up in the craft room. bor-ing. plus it just kept raining so not enough light to do a good tutorial. i have two hot water bottles that need covers, stat. it won't be long before that project is marked off of the to do list. one unexpected surprise project from yesterday's session, a very necessary pair of pj pants for me. by the way, i think that was the first time ever that i spelled the word 'necessary' correctly on my first try. wow. i is smart.
flickr has been rocking my world lately. so much good stuff out there. images as art and images of art, both are blowing me away.
here is my latest mosaic of flickr favorites.

1. Nappy Easter!, 2. Filipendula purpurea / 京鹿子（キョウガノコ）, 3. Yappppppppppy!, 4. Untitled

sundays are so good...

2008-04-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

this is going to be a big day. i can feel it. i have some custom orders to sew. my printer is calling my name. my mama delivered her interlocker (i'm scared but excited). my boys are off to the zoo with dada. i have many hours of crafting and sewing ahead of me. if the rain clouds go away i might even be able to get to that mystical drawstring bag tutorial i keep talking about. my little passport sleeve tutorial was so well received. i am addicted to tutorials; to making them and to learning from them. so good. maybe i will see you later.

west is one!

2008-04-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

today is west's birthday. he has no idea.
the day started at about seven. west woke up, scott scooped him out of bed, brought him into our room and we sang happy birthday to him in our bed. then we showed him his new toys. he had about fifteen minutes to play with his new stuff in our bed before max woke up. that was a very good fifteen minutes. west hardly ever gets to be the center of attention. the world revolves around max, don't you know that? the birthday boy definitely enjoyed exploring his new toys without getting smacked on the head or pushed around. his eyes lit up when we opened his new little people school bus. he loves that thing.
i have been so slack about keeping track of the boys' milestones. it seems even harder to keep up with it this time around because west is blowing through the big milestones rapid fire. max took his sweet time. i try not to compare but sometimes the differences are pretty incredible. right now i will focus on the birthday boy. he's one. i can't believe it.
west says ball, car, dada, mama, no no no, what's that? and he makes a vroom sound when he plays with his cars, just like max. he loves playing with his cars.
he is a walking fool. so much pride in his eyes when he notices someone watching him walk.
the kid LOVES food. he consistently eats more than max. freakshow.
he points at stuff and says "what's that?" in the sweetest little voice. kills me.
he adores the baby swing at the park. he gets his little body moving and totally swings himself. makes me proud.
west is a very sweet, intensely determined kid. he is so much fun. he rarely laughs out loud but always has a smile on his face, kinda like me.
here's my happy guy on his very first birthday.

i made some cupcakes and a little round cake for our celebration this evening. here's my recipe adapted from this recipe on cupcake bakeshop.

teeny's bday cupcakes
makes one dozen
1/2 c vegan margarine, room temp
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 t baking powder
sprinkle of salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1 t vanilla

beat marg until soft
add sugar, beat until fluffy
add eggs, beat for thirty seconds or so
whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a separate bowl
add to the mixer bowl along with the soy milk and vanilla
mix well
at this point i separated the mixture into four bowls and added all natural food coloring
fill cupcake papers 1/2 to 3/4 full
bake @ 180°C for 18 minutes or until browned
let them cool and frost as you like

some photos:

linky poos...

2008-04-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

neat. ideas on how to help this planet.
i would like to draw like this. check out the food section. so cool.
did i link to this before? i don't care. it is so cool.
need to spend more time on this site. looks like a cross between martha's site and pure style online.
these milk bottles drive me crazy. crazy, i tell you.
trophy... mmm...
i'm a sniper! we won some auctions for diecast cars from the cars movie. max freaking loves that movie. we got rusty, dusty, bob cutlass, darrell cartrip and mario andretti. i can't wait til they get here!
need all of this fabric. wish my birthday was coming up.
craft inspiration galore.
i made homemade silly putty and it rules. for real. try it.

an update from the post earlier today about the passport:
apparently west never closes his mouth and opens his eyes at the same time. five hundred shots later (NOT an exaggeration) i got one that is acceptable. ONE.

i don't think a child has ever looked more like his father than this one. poor kid.
hee hee.

he's our little aussie...

2008-04-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

we have started the process of getting west's australian passport. and, um, dang. at least they are clear about what they are looking for. love the "head tilted/portrait style" guy. that is one kickass beard.

i cut my liberty!

2008-04-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

oh, liberty. i still can't believe i cut you. the original piece was only about fifteen by fifteen inches. i used about half of that in this quilt top. such a beautiful fabric. i totally understand why it is so expensive. on a recent trip to london my mama picked up a few larger pieces for me at the liberty of london store. i will probably never use them. too special.

moving on, the top is done! this photo makes it look all wonky but it isn't really. the white fabric pieces are flour sacks. using them was not the best idea ever, but it looks good so far. we'll see how it handles the quilting process. i don't think i am going to bind it traditionally. probably just going to use a self-binding technique. i don't know.

and... here's flower mcfuzzystem.

how exciting!

2008-04-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

i don't check my blog stats often. sometimes i go weeks, even months, without paying attention to how many people are looking at bunnybum. honestly, i have no idea what all those numbers mean. gobbledygook (um, how is that possibly not spelled wrong?).
but... i looked at it today, just for shits, and forty bazillion people looked at bunnybum over the weekend! well, maybe not that many, but close. it is all because of this post on whipup.net. i would like to thank craftapalooza, aka nicole, for authoring the that post. she is a perth gal! love those crafty aussies. so many of them around right now.
so, if you are new to my blog WELCOME! there are some things you should know about me. i don't really reply to comments unless they are questions, but i always reply to questions. i like to drink beer while i sew. i say many, many bad words. i am thrilled that you are reading this. and eddie izzard is the most attractive man alive.
welcome!

and now for the obligatory photo.

i am making a quilt for someone special. the top is done now but i have no idea where to go from here. my quilting skills, well, they are limited. guess it is time to find some good tutorials to help me on my merry way.

new ings...

2008-04-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

watching... yo gabba gabba. max LOVES biz's beat of the day.

listening to... roisin murphy, the presets, the whip and robyn. can't get enough robyn.

eating... popcorn. lots of it. homemade with this thing. just a little sugar and sea salt. so good.

shooting... film. it reminds me how much i love photography and how lucky i am to have studied it.

buying... more threadless tees for max and west.

selling... stuff on etsy. it isn't flying off the shelf but things are going well.

gossiping... about a friend from high school. what a naughty girl!

completing... tasks. so many little obligations that i let pile up. time to check some things off of my to do list.

wondering... what you are up to...

dreams can come true...

2008-04-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

good god.
betcha can't guess what i am about to walk into my kitchen and make right now?

update:
made it, ate it, loved it.

the details:
wholemeal bread, nuttelex spread and aged, white cheddar. grilled on scott's pancake griddle. the boys got grilled bread. no cheese for them. bor-ing.

flippin' brilliant...

2008-04-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

warning, there are many words, some of them bad, in the beginning of this post but there is a reward at the end. so read through. it will be worth it.

it all started with this article. it is called "why i let my nine year old ride the subway alone". um. not a chance, crazy lady.
my friend travis, aka uncle vc, sent me the link to the article. he lives in brooklyn and rides the subway daily. he says he thinks it might be ok to let kids ride the train alone. crazy. he isn't alone. he sent me another link. a quote from that blog:
"Do you ever... ..let your kid ride a bike to the library? Walk alone to school? Take a bus, solo? Or are you thinking about it? If so, you are raising a Free Range Kid! At Free Range, we believe in safe kids. We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school age children go outside, they need a security detail. Most of us grew up Free Range and lived to tell the tale. Our kids deserve no less. This site dedicated to sane parenting. Share your stories, tell your tips and maybe one day I will try to collect them in a book. Meantime, let's try to help our kids embrace life! (And maybe even clear the table.)"
and then i said, "such bs. we don't live in the same time that we grew up in. shit is a little whack now. methheads? id theft? petty theft (like what happened to me)? rampant. all over. rampant. when my boys get a bit older they will be riding their bikes around town to the icecream shop, comic shop, whatever, and we will have many talks about what can and will go on when they cruise around sans parents. that is the key, just knowing that the words we share can prepare them for the unknown. but not on the ny subway. hell no."
then travis, the smartass, said, "well I'm marching out right now and adopting a 9 year old just so I can drop him in time square and say 'have fun, see you at home!' take that lady!"
and then i said, "good luck, nine year old. hope you have some water, toilet paper and some kleenex cause your ass is going to be crying and shitting all the way home."
i thought that the conversation was over. but...
i got this email with attached photos from him today:
"So, when you weren't looking I sent Max and West two tickets and some cash to come visit Uncle VC in the scary big apple. I gave them pretty good directions and a metro card. They found me after some time out and about. After that they did just fine! Here are some of the more memorable times from around the city. (I didn't take all the photos, some people sent them to me after they found out how cool I was to let small children fend for themselves and learn some life lessons!) Enjoy!"

i laughed so hard. so, so hard. i still am. love that travis to bits.

(side note, check out the personal section on his site. specifically numbers three and seven. recognize anyone?)

passport sleeve tutorial...

2008-04-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

my very first tutorial!

hopefully it is easy to understand. please email or comment if you have any questions.

my new bag...

2008-04-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

it is made out of an old, thrifted jacket that i bought in seattle years ago with this project in mind. i didn't think i could pull it off until now. my skills just weren't there yet.
it is perfect for me. the whole project is. scoring a thrifted cashmere jacket, recycling it, lining it with one of my very favorite fabrics and actually being confident enough in my sewing skills to just get it done. no pattern. no tutorial. just cutting and ripping where it looked like it needed to be cut and ripped. it was difficult, but in a good way. i had to really use my noggin. every time i look at my new bag i feel proud.
this bag replaces the one that got hurt in the tug-of-war with the dude who walked into my house last month. jerk. but that bag and i had some good times. it isn't beyond repair but i just can't help but think of what happened when i look at it. this photo helps.

have you seen 'once' yet?

2008-04-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

if the answer is no, get to the video store asap. i am addicted to all things once. the music, the film, the fashion (if you can call it that), all of it. the film didn't get much press here, but it won the oscar for the best original song. this movie. man. just watch this.

this lady? kicks ass.

2008-04-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

holy cow. where has she been all my crafty, internetty, bloggy life? i love finding people in the bloggy blog world who share; share tutorials, patterns, sources, stories, all of it. i have had it ^up to here^ with the snobby inner circle who refer to each other by first name and seem to have lots of money to spend on each other's craft. (jeez. i just wrote and then erased a long rant. wowza. why am i so bitter? i really hope it isn't because i am jealous. am i jealous? whatever.)
in the spirit of sharing i am going to produce my very first tutorial very soon. it will be of something that i could very well make myself and sell in my shop. or, try to sell in my shop i should say. i am such a hero. just joking. be on the lookout for a tutorial from bunnybum very soon. i love this blogging community. love it. thanks for teaching me so much, crafty ladies.

hey, max?

2008-04-07T18:32:00.001-07:00

"we aren't going to watch tv. i think we are going to listen to missy elliott."
"nyo?"

the kid has a handful of words that he uses consistently. poop (poo-poo), butt (baht), weener (wee-nor), uh-oh, juice (aahj), ball and car are a few of them. oh yeah, so is no (nyo?). he says it all sarcastic, like a question. "nyo?"

just thought i'd let you know.

30 :: 30

2008-04-03T17:47:00.001-07:00

i am participating in the thirty day macro challenge. i am applying the term "macro" loosely. the idea of a daily photo challenge sounded just right for me at the moment. get me shooting the little things again. here are my first three days.

it isn't too late to join...
30::30

i have a love/hate relationship with hotdogs...

2008-04-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

i hate they way they smell. i hate the way my mouth feels after i eat one. i hate that they are so bad for my body. i hate hotdog burps. yet, somehow, they are still absolutely delicious. how does that work?

i have decided to blog lots for a little while. mundane, daily, dumb stuff. a journal for my slightly developmentally delayed side. stick around. i'll get back to crafting and kiddo stuff soon. promise.

a big week...

2008-04-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

on tuesday last week some dude decided to let himself into my home while i was there with my two babes and collect some of my things with the intent of leaving with those things without my knowledge. though he was pretty quiet i heard him. i thought maybe scott was home a bit early for lunch. so i casually walked into the dining room expecting to see my husband but instead i saw the dude. i know exactly why i did what i did next. one of the things he had collected was my camera. i could not allow him to steal my camera. it is MY camera. so i ran at him with arms flailing and mouth screaming "get the fuck out of my house" over and over and over. i grabbed the bag, punched the dude, and screamed some more. we both pulled at the bag. then, either he let go or he lost his grip and he was gone. hopped over our six foot high wall like a kangaroo. the incident itself wasn't too bad. i had an experience that lasted less than one minute. the tug of war left me with a sore wrist, a small bruise on my arm and a torn bag. that's it. what i didn't immediately grasp was this idea of security and how much it means to me. this is my home. when i am here and the doors are closed it is safe for me and my children, right? i guess not. it is still fresh. i will be working on this for a while. what is funny is that i feel ten times more secure when max is with me. obviously he would not be able to physically protect me if need be, but i have been keeping him up from his nap to keep me company anyway. otis is lousy. that bastard didn't even notice anything was going on until the sniffer dog showed up. lousy.
i haven't shared this story with many people. it is one of those if i don't talk about it it will go away things. but it isn't going away. nights are tough but the alone time during the day is tougher. i'm working on that.
just so you know, my boys didn't see a thing. thank goodness. i am angry with the dude now but if my children had seen what happened i would be much more angry. that sounds too civilized. i would want to punch him in places other than his arms, neck and head, that is for sure. other, more sensitive, man parts. ok, i would want to punch him right in his crotch. hard.
so, that happened. shit.
there are many other great things going on. i met with the chef and owner of an incredible restaurant here in perth. like, one of the finest in the country kind of incredible. we are going to collaborate on a little food photography project. this really is a dream come true. it isn't even the possible contacts and exposure i will gain. i just love shooting beautiful and delicious food. love it. and this chef appreciates me and my art.
possibly the most memorable moment of the week came today. west is now, officially a walking fool. he loves it. the best part is that he takes a few steps and then looks up with such pride and joy that you can't help but melt into a little puddle on the floor. photos of my little, vertical beast to come. today we were too busy with walking practice to break out the camera.
this has been a wild week. the dude joining me unannounced, the chef wanting to work with me, teeny walking and me reopening my etsy shop. one down and lots of ups. i'll take it.

my poor bag.

the big shop update!

2008-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

i did it. wow. i have worked so hard on my inventory over the last couple months. all i can say is that i hope you like it.

i am especially excited to share my baby food tote and recipe project.

there are kitchen towel sets, doll quilt sets, baby food totes, bibs and more.

as always, i welcome critique and suggestions. i welcome custom orders. and again, if you have any questions about anything please email me or ask in the comments.

view the entire bunnybum etsy shop update here.

live performance doesn't get much better than this...

2008-03-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

snow patrol with martha wainwright singing "set the fire to the third bar" live from abbey road. a stunning collaboration. the lyrics bring tears to my eyes.

linky-poos galore...

2008-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

when my last laptop shit itself i lost all of my bookmarks. hundreds, i would guess. though i didn't use them all daily, or even monthly, i miss them. i knew that if i needed to make a new sling, some inspiration for kiddo crafts or a shop to buy sonny angel limited edition fruit series kewpies (don't ask) i knew i had the perfect bookmark stashed away. i backed everything up from that computer except for my email contacts and my bookmarks. boo hoo.
i have had this computer for a while now and have complied a fairly impressive set of handy bookmarks. they will not die with this computer. not a chance. here are some of my favorites.
kewpie heaven
max likes these but scott LOVES them
we still have these up from xmas time
catalog card generator
inspiration, plus it is a list and i love lists
i get all hot and bothered when i visit this site so?
she was my love in a past lifetime pure gold, that supa.
all sorts of stupid stuff on here, but some goodies too
me wanty
more inspiration in word form
haven't done this yet myself, but it looks so cool
kickass maps
so cute i can hardly stand it
goodbye money
sling how to
is that enough?
no?
ok, one more.
genius

i would like to start posting a bit more now that i have some craft to share with you. many things have been in the works for months now and i am finally ready to debut. my shop will officially reopen on monday, march 31st at 5pm est.

as always, if you see anything on flickr, etsy or here that you would like more information about please email me or leave a comment. not just prices or dimensions, but fabric sources and crafting help, too. everything i know about sewing and crafting i learned online. blogs, tutorials, flickr, all incredible resources. please ask away.

i had a weird week. next week i will get a bit more into it but for now this list of kickass linky-poos will have to do. so much love, especially to my blogging friends, my psv lovelies and my new friends who don't like onions. thanks for all the love. i mean it. my heart is full of well wishes.

teeny and his wheaty-o's

2008-02-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

zonked out. this is how i feel right now too but, unfortunately, max is full of beans. boo.

scott just called and said he is going to stop by and have a cup of coffee with us. i love it when he pops in during the day. it is an unexpected treat. maybe i'll continue this little posty post later. hope all is well with you.

i like the internet a lot.

2008-02-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

this makes me laugh:

moar humorous pics

and this makes me cry, in a good way:

it feels like a sharing kind of day.

two bits of good news...

2008-02-07T23:57:00.000-08:00

1. it finally rained.

2. we found beans at the cambridge forum international food court.

he can do no wrong.

2008-01-31T02:53:00.000-08:00

this kid.
slays me.
he isn't good all the time.
he throws stuff at his brother.
many times bowls full of pretzels, popcorn or grapes end up scattered all over the floor. mysteriously.
most of the time he is teetering on the edge of a tantrum.
forget about dining out.
forget about peaceful afternoons napping and relaxing.
forget about getting anything done. at all.
but...
count on at least fifteen minutes of every hour laughing your ass off and wondering how you lived so long without this little person.
oh, max. you are my love. mama, dada and teeny are all so lucky.
plus, anyone who can rock a crappy, home done hairdo by yours truly, is pretty darn special.

some ings...

2008-01-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

listening to... calvin harris.

watching... the daily show. finally back on the air.

sniffing... nasturtium from my garden. all of the original vines and flowers are gone but i still have one little stem that keeps on growing roots and flowering. i keep it in my kitchen and its sweet fragrance surprises me daily. so yummy.

playing... with homemade playdough. this stuff is so easy and fun. i will never buy a tub of playdoh. no way.

sewing... pants! pj pants. for myself. whoa. i hardly ever sew stuff for myself. i cut up my favorite pair of pj pants to make a pattern. i used some clearance fabric from spotlight that i would have picked out even if it was not on sale. i love my new pants. here they are with my teeny guy.

cooking... soup. it is SO not soup season here. all i want to do is make soup, roast veggies and drink tea. my brain is still in seattle.

photographing... everything. seems that everywhere i look i see a photo. feels good to be inspired by the world around me. the light here is very special.

killing... fleas. damn fleas. poor otis. it is under control now. don't worry.

coveting... amazing art by e.soule. i need those block prints!

teasing... you. here is a sneak peek at the project i am working on. almost done. just a few little things to wrap-up and then i will be ready to share.

loving... being a mama. these two kids are amazing. i am a lucky gal.

blogging... can you believe it? me either.

just a quick hello...

2007-12-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

watching eddie izzard's "dressed to kill" with my favorite human being
drinking my current favorite beer
watching eddie izzard (my boyfriend)
sitting in front of the fan because it is one hundred fncking degrees outside on december twenty-sixth, which is a bit ridiculous if you ask me
watching number one on my list (yes, that list)
enjoying both boys sleeping
watching eddie talk dirty to me (well, maybe not. he is just being his witty, intelligent self again. which, to me, is talking dirty.)
trying to keep cool in this god awful heat
drinking another beer
loving my new friends (psv in the mutha fmcking hayowse!)
planning where to put all of those new toys that are littered all over my floor
thanking santa for all of my wonderful gifts
loving and missing so many people
drooling, thinking about chorizo breakfast burrito special from tamale kitchen in lakewood colorado (i could eat one every single day. don't believe me? ask bob.)
a little more drooling, but this time it is focussed a bit more on eddie than green chile
again with the drooling and thinking about taco bell
yet again drooling, thinking about anything remotely resembling mexican food
or eddie izzard and...
loving so much about this crazy life. i think about this often: two years ago, who would have known that we would settle in so easily here, in this warm, beachy place with our two little boys? i certainly didn't. it was a very good decision. so good.
thanks for all the love, support and gifts. a very merry christmas to you and yours.

2007-12-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

I don't want to speak too soon, but it looks like I might have figured out the whole two babies napping at the same time thing. I can't believe I typed that out loud. So that's how I am posting. Hopefully I'll be able to make this happen daily. Man, I hope I didn't just jinx it.
The napping at the same time thing has been happening for a couple weeks now. As a result, I have been able to get some crafting done. Christmas presents, ornaments, bags are all on the done list. Still to do? So much. Too much. I am just now, for the first time in years, feeling like I am ready to work a little. Not enough to need to get a nanny or put the kiddos in daycare though. I think if I can find a few clients who have ongoing photographic needs or if I can get hooked up with some local publications I will have enough work to feel like I am contributing but not so much that Scott and my mama can't handle the childcare responsibilities. One great thing about shooting food is that weekends are go time for all restaurants. Almost all of my meetings and shoots in the past have been on the weekend. Work has been falling into my lap so far. We live in a place where people have a lot of money and nothing to spend it on. It is good to be a creative professional in an economy like Perth's. I have a lot to say about this subject but it is all boring so I'll stop.
Another thing I have been working on is almost ready to be revealed. It is not world changing, but before I offer it up I need to be sure it is perfect. This project has taken me in a new direction. It is exciting to create something that I feel is valuable, creative and novel. I hope to have my final product ready to go by the end of this weekend. It is going to take a few more coordinated napping times to make that happen.

The happy nappers:

response to krista's words...

2007-10-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

krista over at big and little is one of my very first blog friends. she is amazing. i feel lucky to have found her so early because i so enjoy reading her words and looking at her images. her recent post titled technological dependency vs nature inspired me. my response was a bit too long to put in a comment so i wrote it out here.

this is a debate that is endlessly fascinating to me. i could argue both sides. thoroughly.
for me it boils down to focus. can i get what i need from this endless, vast, excessive source of information? what i need? need. not what i want. sure i want to know who opened a new etsy shop. i want to be the among the first to download underworld's new album. i want to be the only person in australia to use special japanese printed fabric. but do i need to do these things? not at all. what i need, and what i think you need as well, is a way to condense all of my free time into ten, fifteen, thirty minutes of researching and focusing on what is really important to me. recipes, quilting, getting the hours of operation for our local library, finding inspiration for my art and craft. no doubt in my mind i would achieve all of those things without my computer, though it would take much longer. so while the computer and internet are a potential time suck they also provide a method to accomplish greater education and inspiration in a condensed time frame. if you can focus. the temptation is that endless, vast, excessive source of information that is always just a click away. where do you stop? just today i looked at a hundred or so images of letterpress type. why? i am not going to do anything with the knowledge that i gained. i just think it is beautiful. and my boys just happened to be happy playing near me and my laptop.
i can picture you, dear krista, with your gorgeous children by your side (or on a boob), a pot of soup on the stove, searching the internet for ways to better homeschool your children, ways to prepare your garden for the upcoming chill, ways to connect to other mothers, all the while feeling a slight guilt for spending time online. because it is selfish? self indulgent? right. can i please come back as one of your children in the next lifetime?

subtleties

2007-10-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

bin instead of trash
lift instead of elevator
aluminium instead of aluminum
drive on the left instead of the right
the sun in the north instead of the south
coriander instead of cilantro
get in the queue instead of the line
centimeters instead of inches
kilos instead of pounds
nappies instead of diapers
dummy instead of pacifier
pram instead of stroller
arvo instead of afternoon
nick-on instead of ny-con (the camera brand)
aussies understand me when i say all of the american words. it is weird being the one with an accent. every person i talk to when i am out and about asks where i am from. most people think i am canadian. one lady told me that i have the same accent as her friend who is from seattle. do i really have a seattle accent? what does a seattle accent even sound like? weird. for the most part people are super friendly toward americans. i have overheard some anti-american talk but both times were at a pub and involved very drunk blokes. blokes. i am really getting the hang of this aussie language.

to blog or not to blog?

2007-09-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

i started my original blog, sussone, for my family and friends. it morphed into a crafty kinda blog and then i wanted to start selling my crafty stuff so i decided to make my blog more of a crafty/thrifty/parenting type a thing. i wanted to create a place for me to share my experiences in starting up a crafty business and still keep up the keep in touch nature of sussone. then i got pregnant and then we moved to australia. so much for trying to plan anything. so here we go, back to the original plan. i keep this blog and my flickr account to help stay connected to all of those people we love so much who just happen to be half a world away. i will start sewing again. i will start crafting again. i will do a lot of things that i currently don't have the time to do. for now my priority is my family, my health (have i got some stories for you) and my dear man. oh, and don't forget otis.
here's my beef with the crafty bloggy world. i'm going to go there. i can't help but feel that half of the kind gestures and comments and flickr groups exist to sell something. i love swapping and giveaways. love them. i love when thoughtful people comment on my blog. love it. i just don't think that it is a coincidence that sally mcsellstuff does a lot of blog commenting the week before she updates her etsy shop. i can hear the feathers ruffling. if that is her way of advertising then fine. i just think it is smarmy. my participation in this community originally stemmed from a need to feel connected. ppd almost broke me down following the birth of my max. the support and the feeling of not being alone in that struggle was paramount to my recovery. to my continued recovery. i have my favorite bloggers. friends, actually. you know who you are. most of them don't sell anything. they know that i sometimes don't respond to comments and that i take for freaking ever between posts. they stick around anyway. even though they won't make any money off of me. am i being super pessimistic here? maybe i am. but you know those blogs that seem to use their children as models for their products and then say "jonny likes dinosaurs and going to the beach" like that is a real discussion about family life. sorry. it has just been kinda bugging me lately. i have so much more to say about this but the potential backlash is scaring me. i picture an angry mob of bloggers breaking down my door with scissors and rotary blades. all of the would be perfectly dressed in the latest indie gear, of course. maybe i'm just jealous. that's probably it. rant over.

here we are in the yard hanging out right now.

sorry, folks.

2007-08-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

my number was one.

i am in the mood...

2007-08-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

...to give stuff away. AUSTRALIA ONLY.
i have a lot of really good stuff. i spent the last few years hoarding mass quantities of thrifted treasures in america and i think it might be time to spread those lovelies out to the rest of australia.
i have a number in my head between 1 and 20. the commenter that corresponds to that number gets a goodie parcel. a good one. really good. it might take a few posts to get to the number but i figure it will be fun for all.
in the mean time, here are some fun things to think about. both of my boys have the mega-shits. it is so much fun. my house smells like poo no matter what i do. another thing, my insomnia has decided to return after a medically induced holiday. i wake up at two in the morning and my eyes will. not. close. my four month old can sleep through the night but i can't. lame. here is an actual good thing, i am working on getting some work here in perth. things are looking very good for a monthly gig with one of my very favorite places in my neighborhood. the people are great, the space is lovely and the food is gorgeous. it will be equal parts simple and challenging. perfect. (my other job is a food photographer, by the way.) wish me luck!
once again, the above giveaway is aussie only. thanks.

fit like a glove

2007-08-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

munchy has a new pair of jeans. they are thirty years old. they fit him like they were made for his body. they were mine, then my brother wore them, then my mama gave them to her very good friend cece whose four kids wore them and now my children get their turn. cece saved them all these years with me and my future children in mind. when i pull them onto munchy's tiny frame i am reminded of how disposable clothing, particularly children's clothing, has become. it is a shame. very rarely does max grow out of a pair of jeans before he has worn them out. but not these old, worn, used and abused, thirty year old levis. they will be around for many more generations without a doubt.

what i do with all that "extra" time i have...

2007-08-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

make your own here.

a new ...ing

2007-08-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

reading :: nothing. no books for me.
listening to :: triple j and rtr. two amazing radio stations. i never thought i would be able to listen to the radio again after leaving seattle and kexp. i still miss kexp very much, but rtr especially hits the spot.
eating :: tom yum soup. at least once a week. mmm...
watching :: the new season of weeds. fantastic.
planning :: munchy's second birthday party! so exciting!
feeling :: nice and cool. from what i hear from the locals this has been an unusually cool and wet winter so far. i am trying to soak it all up while i can. the heat of summer is right around the corner. yuck.
saying :: not much. munchy asks what everything is but hardly ever repeats anything back to us. have no fear. we are being super proactive about it. once again the australian public health system is blowing me away. i love it here.
pushing :: buttons. my buttons. munchy is hitting his terrible twos a little early much to my mother's delight. she says i am getting paid back for being such a horrible child. i believe her.
anticipating :: sharon and lisa's visit! two of my very favorite people are going to be here, in perth, in about a month. i am so excited.
cleaning :: lotsa poo. my boys take turns pooping so that i am almost always changing a dirty nappy. that's right, i said nappy, not diaper. i live in australia now people. time to adapt.
drinking :: not out of avent bottles anymore. stupid chemicals. i hate them.

found them!

2007-07-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

i am thrilled to report that i have officially found my crafting books. they were in a box tucked away under other boxes behind other boxes in the loft. thank goodness. the thought crossed my mind that they might not have made the journey to australia with the rest of our stuff. i am so relieved that they did indeed make it. now i am of to scour these beauties for projects that don't require a sewing machine. i have yet to get one over here. my american machine is taunting me. she is just sitting there on the sewing table whispering, "use me, uuuuuuuussssse me." she's a total broad. always has been. very temperamental. still, it will be sorta sad when i finally replace her. wait, no it won't.

...on photography

2007-07-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

soon after i started studying photography in college i started looking at the world in a different way. everywhere i looked i saw a potential photo. i liked to problem solve difficult lighting situations. simple scenes next to a window with that notoriously elusive seattle sun peeking in ever so slightly made me drool. a coffee cup with a few bubbles still sitting on top, a half eaten strawberry, used and abused kitchen tools were all just waiting for me to capture on film. i scoured the internet, books and magazines for inspiration. i loved listening to music on my ipod while i developed and printed my 4x5 inch black and white negatives. those were the days. those were the days before i got my digital camera. before i stopped shooting film.
shooting digital has made me a better photographer. it sped up the learning curve. seeing my mistakes and successes right away has been incredibly valuable. it allowed me to be much more experimental than i ever would have been with film. however it made me sloppy. it made me stop appreciating each and every frame.
yesterday i found a big box of expired film. about forty rolls. leftovers from my school days. so i chose a few different speeds of chromes and negs, color and black and white and checked to see if my camera's battery still had some juice. no such luck. one trip to the hardware store and thirty five dollars later i was ready to go. but i couldn't bring myself to shoot. it was like it was too important. i was revisiting and old friend. a friend that i respect so very much. i didn't want to offend her. plus, my almost two year old son has never had a photo taken of him on film. not one. a few polaroids here and there but no film. that is ridiculous. i wanted the very first photo of him on film to be fantastic. a framer. and i wanted the very first frame of film that i had shot in years to be a photo of him.
all of that changed this morning when the clouds parted and i poured myself a cup of coffee right next to the window. i had no control of myself. i had to hurry to take a photo before the bubbles popped. no chance to squeeze in a session with munch. later on we will go to the park and munchy will have his very first film photo. i am glad it happened like that. i was placing way too much importance on that first frame.
*it is just a photo, jessica*
hopefully i can crank through this roll of 36, get it developed today, scan my favorites tomorrow and post them tomorrow evening. woo hoo. they could be totally blown out, faded, underexposed, out of focus, etc. i have no idea but i am hoping for some happy accidents.

...ing.

2007-07-20T04:07:00.001-07:00

eating :: sanitarium veggie hotdogs. some serious good. munchy can eat a whole hotdog in record time. then he moves on to green beans, avocado, tomatoes, corn, etc. we don't have a problem finding food for our little man to eat.
saying :: ta. ta=thank you in australian. munchy is officially speaking aussie. he says ta. but not when he is supposed to. it all started when we started going to playgroup. he always hands random things to the other mamas and they say "ta" and go about their business. well, he has now adopted "ta" as the word he says when he gives anything to anyone. it is really sweet. he is so polite.
reading :: frankie magazine. kicks mega ass, people.
listening to :: gotye. it makes me sick to my stomach that i am not going to be able to see his show when he visits perth. sick.
feeling :: great. healthy. happy. lucky. very creative and itching to dive back into the right side of my brain.
counting :: everything. (all of the "ah"s=breathing in) ti.ah.ti.ah.ti.ah.ti.ah.dahdah! max doesn't quite know the difference between the words "one" and "seven" but he does know that his papa and i count everything. we count stairs, green beans, cars. his version is way cuter than ours.
watching :: we can be heroes. ridiculously funny. if you are an aussie, if you know an aussie, if you have ever lived in australia or if you ever want to go to australia please do your best to get your hands on this show. it is the little britain of australia.
and growing :: it seems that both of my children are going through growths spurts at the moment. eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping. unfortunately they don't coordinate and sleep at the same time. darn.

such a dork

2007-07-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

you know you aren't twenty-four and childless when your partner looks at you out of the blue in all sincerity and says, "i am really happy with the washer and dryer we bought." and then after thinking about it you agree and thank your partner for buying said washer and dryer. and that's it. no jokes about how dorky that is. no sarcastic imitations. nothing.
who are these people? surely scott and i have not had an exchange like that. not a chance, right? wrong. seems to be happening daily. we are so busy caring and providing for two very special little people that we have started becoming boring. very boring. last night we went to bed at nine. happily. then today we had our daily "how did you sleep last night" discussion and actually agreed that it wasn't so bad that i couldn't get back to sleep after the 4:30am feed because i had already slept for seven and a half hours at that point. what? it is never ok to wake up at 4:30am. no matter what time you went to bed. it is ok to go to sleep at 4:30am, but not wake up. geesh.
you will notice that my posts have been sporadic lately. more accurately i'd say they have been nonexistent. west is a very easy baby* and max is turning into a very fun little kid. even so, it is just so difficult to find time to do anything other than take care of them. showering has become optional. housework takes too much time (a clean house is way overrated anyway). crafting and creating anything has become a thing of the past. in fact, i actually referred to my boxes and boxes of craft supplies and fabric as 'relics of a past life' in a letter today. sad. what i do have time to do is snuggle, squeeze and kiss my healthy, happy children. if i devoted time to post to this here bloggy blog or read other ones i would be taking time away from the snuggling, squeezing and kissing that they need. the only reason i am able to write this right now is they are both sleeping. (i already regret typing that. i think i typed it too loudly. one of them is bound to wake up now. great.) my boys have been "tagteam" napping. max sometimes doesn't nap at all. one day, hopefully soon, i will figure out how to manage our day a bit more efficiently. if i could start wrangling them into bed for their naps at the same time a few times a week i might be able to make something. if that happens i will be sure to talk about it here. until then i will just have to be satisfied with uploading images and writing a bit in the caption field on flickr. flickr has become my mini-blog, sorta.
but now i have a sink full of dishes, two loads of laundry that need folding, many more loads waiting for their turn in our fabulous washer and dryer and a floor absolutely covered in trains, cars, animals, books, dust bunnies, otis' toys, pillows, etc. don't feel bad for me though. i can't wait for one of my boys to wake up. what a dork, huh?

* fingers crossed. it isn't too late for him to become a teufelchen

Things are so good...

2007-06-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

Right now max is "helping" Scott pick some lemons off of our tree, West is happily bouncing away in his bouncer, Otis is chomping on his weight management kibble and I just finished preparing a big, huge bowl of pasta salad. Things are pretty good. Another thing that contributes to the mood is that Cee-lo is blasting on the stereo. I love Cee-lo. So much.
I would love to sit here and write about all the wonderful (and terrible) things that are happening in my life but I would rather go outside and enjoy the light, my boys and the feeling of starting a three day weekend. So very nice.

A little clarification and update.

2007-05-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

I am fine, fine, fine. A couple people called me very concerned about my health after they read my last post. The whole infected organ business raised some red flags, apparently. Sorry about that. While it was not very much fun for a while there, all is well now. Several antibiotics and painkillers later and I am just fine. For real. So stop worrying. But thanks for caring. I love y'all.
In fact, I am doing so well that I have taken the boys out by myself on foot four days in a row now. That might not seem like a big deal to some of you. For me it is. I am so glad to be feeling well enough to want to leave the house at all and to be well enough to take these two rugrats with me is a very big deal. I love that we live so close to the shops and cafes that I don't even need to bring diapers with me because our house is closer than any public bathroom with a changing station. So, if someone shits their pants we just hightail it home. For a while there it could have been any one of the three of us pooping our pants. TMI? Perhaps. I don't care.

Is this really my first post since West was born?

2007-05-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

I guess so. So, we have a new kiddo. His name is West Ambrose and he is a happy, healthy little guy. Check out my flickr page for photos and more info.

I am so sorry I have not been keeping up with this here bloggy blog lately. To say I have been busy is a great understatement. Not only busy but exhausted, infected, fed-up, constipated, depressed, confused, etc. It hasn't been all doom and gloom though. West is a good baby, in general. He sleeps pretty well at night and is fairly quiet during his awake time. He is horrible at nursing and so that whole dream of being able to exclusively nurse this second child is over. Here I thought that since I have some experience with Max that I would be an expert nursing mama this time around. HA! Nothing could be further from the truth.
Good news is that this time around my "depression" is more of an annoyance than a big problem. I am not as deep down sad as I was with max, thank goodness. My happy pills are working and I have been to therapy at the local public hospital. Have I mentioned how much I love the Australian health care system? Holy cow. Socialized medicine is a dream. Imagine each and every person getting free, fantastic health care. Weird, huh? so good.
Now for some gross stuff, my uterus is/was infected and I might have some leftover placenta up in there. Lovely. I am so effing sick of feeling like something is wrong with me. Seriously, something is always wrong with me. If it isn't my stupid uterus it is my pooper or a bitchin headache or bloody nipples or something. Fed-up, I tell ya. Isn't this all supposed to be getting better by now?
At the moment I feel great. I had a shower, a rare thing these days, and both of my boys are happily sleeping away in their beds. Scott put on some 'Kings of Convenience' and I am gong to make another pot of coffee when I am done here. It is quite peaceful, but not for long. After the kiddos wake up and have a bite to eat we are going to head off to the zoo or a park or market or something. It will be fun. We have our 'Phil and Ted's' double stroller now so going out is a lot easier. That thing rides like a dream.
We finally got our stuff. Scott has made some progress with the unpacking. I feel bad that I haven't even cracked open one box but then again someone has to make sure the two rugrats are in good shape. I can't wait to be all settled in so that we can relax and appreciate how lucky we are to be here, to be healthy and to have each other. It is hard to think about anything other than unpacking when you are surrounded by boxes and boxes and boxes of your stuff.
We are going to get rid of so much crap as we unpack. This whole experience of moving half way around the earth has given me a new perspective on what I really need versus what I want. That cute little wooden bowl from Ikea doesn't seem as necessary now that I have lived a few months without even thinking about it. Having said that, I am really, really looking forward to unpacking and organizing my sewing/craft room. Those piles of thrifted sheets, japanese prints, letterpressed goodies, felted wool sweaters, etc are so much a part of who I am. I am a crafting fool. I am a mama first, but that big part of me that needs to create has been boxed up in a sea container for far too long. I look forward to seeing what my first project will be. Right before the movers showed up (literally that day) I cut out some fabric for a new diaper bag tote. The changing weather has me dreaming of felted wool patchwork pillows. Otis needs a new dog bed. West needs lots of sweet little softies. Max's bedroom walls are bare. What should I make first?
And now a photo of some cherry blossoms, just because i like it.

It is all happening…

2007-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

I am now over 38 weeks pregnant and Max is a year and a half old. Neither one of those milestones seems possible, but I can’t complain. I am almost done with what will more than likely be my final pregnancy (phew) and Max is so much. He is running, climbing and making us laugh more now than ever. This pregnancy has been far from magical but I hope to really enjoy this final week of being a trio with my boys.
So much has happened since my last post that I don’t really know where to start. We have had a little more than a month in Perth and already we have a new car, house, bed (king-size!), I am all scheduled at the hospital for the birth, Scott is all settled in at his new job, Munchy has a mini tan, I have loads of new freckles, Otis is here and we have found some little local joints that will be sure to help fill the void left by moving away from Tutta Bella and Espresso Vivace. Maybe.
The new house is amazing. We are going to be very happy here. Finding a place was a bit stressful because the rental market is very competitive at the moment. We didn’t get a very good look at the place before we put in our application. We walked through and all, but the family who lived here at the time had lots of very big, eclectic pieces of furniture. Lots. All crammed in. I was so surprised when I walked in to the place empty. There is so much space!
Scott has been enjoying walking to our local café strip, Beaufort St, to grab a bite to eat or a beer. It is a great scene. In fact, the family who lives in the house in front of ours is a couple, a new baby and a dachshund. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Munchkin man is enjoying the lack of furniture. He is having so much fun running around and around from the living room, down the hall, through the dining room and back into the living room. It is his loop. Scott likes the location, Max likes the layout and I like the air conditioner. A pregnant woman should never be hotter than she would like to be. Ever.
Our time with Mama, Mark and the boys was fun but I am happy to be settling into our new place. We still don’t have our sea container with all of our stuff but we are making due with borrowed furniture and some newly acquired Ikea filler. Little one’s room is coming together nicely although it is quite bare and simple. I can’t help but feel a bit guilty about the lack of ceremony with little one’s room and arrival in general. I am not complaining, really, but when I was pregnant with Max we had two baby showers, Scott went to all of my doctor visits, everyone was all crazy excited and Max’s room was set up and decorated way before his arrival. I guess we are a bit wiser this time and we know that all the material and froo froo stuff doesn’t really matter. We now know that all a baby needs is lots of onesies, a few swaddling blankets, diapers, boobs and cuddles. Those first few weeks are such a whirlwind of craziness that anything else just gets in the way and confuses things. Hope that all makes sense and doesn’t sound harsh at all. Though I feel a tad guilty about not decorating the nursery as thoroughly as I would like I must admit to being satisfied with the simplicity of only having a few handmade blankets, a moses basket, some of Max’s newborn clothes and my boobs to greet this new person. (If you can’t tell I am really looking forward to nursing this time. Max and I had such a hard time syncing up after his birth. I look forward to starting fresh with a new little one now that I have a bit of experience.)
The weather is changing quickly THANK GOODNESS. It was way too hot for my taste. Thankfully it rained all day the day before yesterday and yesterday it was nice and breezy. Today the sun is shining but there is a coolness that hints that a change is not far away. I look forward to shorter days and cool nights with my new little one, Max, Otis and Manner. Though it will be much warmer than I am used to I still think that winter here will be my favorite season. Especially this winter. I can’t wait to meet this little one.
I will know more about the details this afternoon after my meeting with the anesthesiologist but I have been scheduled for a c-section on Tuesday, April 24th. Crazy. If all goes well the new one and I will be in the hospital for four days and then come home next Saturday. Crazy. That is the plan unless I go into labor before then. I don’t think that will happen though. This kid seems pretty comfy hanging out in my ribcage. You know, with my lungs and heart and stomach. Go ahead and smash those, kid. I don’t really need them anyway. Ugh.
I do not want to be pregnant anymore. There, I said it. I don’t ever want to be pregnant again. Ever. I still barf on occasion and I have been having one long Braxton Hicks contraction for the last month now (feel sorrier for me, please). It sucks, big time, but in a seven days it will all be worth it.
Hopefully I struck a good balance of complain and inform in this post. I don’t want to sound like a martyr but I do want to tell the truth. I think that is why I haven’t posted before now. Things have not been perfect. I have not been creative. I am not particularly proud of anything I have done or made since well before the move. My body feels all wrong. Things are not rosy. I suppose all of this is “normal” considering the gigantic move we have made and the fact that we are expecting kiddo number two in a matter of days. That is a lot of stress. Lots. And I feel it. All in all we are fine and dandy. Nothing really in particular to complain about. Just lots of little things that together are making life very interesting. And then next week it all changes again. I can’t wait. That sounds so sarcastic, but I don’t mean for it to. I seriously can’t wait. I can’t shake this feeling that all we need to jump start our lives here is the arrival of little one. We have been waiting for one thing or another for months (our visas, the movers, Otis’ departure, the flights here, finding a home, moving in, Otis’ arrival, etc…) and finally the most important event is right around the corner. Perhaps the tiniest member of our family will help us all get aligned and focused. Who knows? I really can’t wait to find out.
I leave you with a couple of my favorite rear ends.

a quick and overdue update...

2007-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

we made it to aukland and i think we might just stay here. just kidding. because scott did so much international travel with work he is a "premier sumthin-or-rather" with the star alliance so we are just kickin it in the gold member lounge. you know, eating brie, drinking espresso, taking over the kiddo area, the usual.
max was so flippin good on the flight. i should be used to it by now because he always kicks ass on the long haul flights. right this moment he is enjoying a snack of complimentary fruit and absolutely destroying the play area. hee hee. he really is such a good natured kid. i don't know what i did to deserve him but i hope i did enough of whatever it was for two kids. speaking of that kid, he/she is really hopping around right now. kinda fun. i feel great, just so you know. scott has been spoiling me to no end. making sure i have water, that my feet are up, that i get enough shut eye. i am the luckiest gal alive.
must go now. our plane doesn't leave for another two hours or so but i have two men waiting for me in the other room and playing with them is way more fun than poking around online.
lots of love from jessica, scott and max. xoxoxo.

Quite possibly Max's best day ever...

2007-02-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday. It was so nice. Scott and Max let me sleep in. I woke up to freshly brewed coffee that was not brewed by me. It always tastes better when someone else makes it. Then we all played together for a while. Max drank a big bottle around eleven thirty and then fell asleep for an hour and a half. When he woke up we decided to head out to Ballard so that Scott could get a haircut and some German beer. Spaten Optimator, to be exact. While Scott was mid-cut Max and I toodled over to Verite slash Cupcake Royale for a special treat. They didn't have any vegan cupcakes (I know!) so poor Max was out of luck but that didn't stop me. After Scott's very nice cut (it looks great) we settled in at The People's Pub for the previously mentioned beer. Munch ate a bazillion french fries. I had a brat, too. Mmm... french fries and cupcakes and brats... Then, spur of the moment style, we decided to go to a certain big chain electronics, music, dvd, appliance, etc store to look at scanners. Didn't end up finding what we wanted there but had a fantastic time in the parking lot when we got back to the car making Max giggle for a while . It was one of those moments when Scott and I looked at each other and said, "can you believe we made him? we made him." Crazy. Then we went home to chill out and feed little man. Scott took over with the parenting duties and I went upstairs to sew. After I finished a few drawstring gift bags I sat down with Munch on the couch while he had his bottle and then he fell asleep. No problem. Sounds like a normal day. What made it so special was the smile on Munch's face all day long. He was in the best mood. My camera battery was at home charging so I just had the camera on my phone with me. Poo. Here is my little guy on one of his best days ever.

"What?"

2007-01-31T13:46:00.000-08:00

I must have some sort of hearing problem. Munchy is pretty much only exposed to words from my mouth or from his movies he watches. So when he says something I am almost positive he learned it from me. Why does he always say "what?" He doesn't have a clue what it means but he says it all the time. First thing in the morning, when he plays with his cars, when he squeezes Otis' backfat, all day long! If I say it to him right now he will say it back. Yep. He totally did. Munch likes to repeat words sometimes, but most of the time he just likes to listen and then will surprise me later by identifying something that I had no idea he could. But when I say "what" to him he is all about saying it back. Yet another little mystery.
The baby in my belly is doing some sort of a tapdance on my bladder. Not just right now. Pretty much all the time. And my other baby just made two new teeth. Finally. He has been working on these two for a long time. They are the top pointy ones and I think they were the most painful coming in. They were the most painful for me, anyway. All this tooth growing business has turned my good sleeper into a nightmare at night. Also, he has become a pooping machine. The boy poos like five times a day. No joke. Gotta go give Munch more food so he can make more poo.

He walks!

2007-01-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

Max is officially a walker! He has taken his "first steps" many times over the last few months but Scott and I weren't sure when we should count it as official. Yesterday Max made it very clear that he does indeed know how to walk. It still isn't his method of choice but if he wanted to he could definitely walk around the whole house I am sure. Ten-ish seems to be the maximum number of steps he will take before kneeling down to crawl. I am so proud. At almost sixteen months it was starting to seem like it would never happen.
For those of you following the "is Max on the charts or not" storyline, he is. For a while there Max's doc was a bit concerned about his lack of weight gain but now that we have identified his milk protein allergy all is well. He is on the twentieth percentile for weight, seventieth for length and his head measures in at the ninetieth. He has a big noggin. He has also successfully passed through his first "mean-kid phase", though he was only mean to me. It sucked. He would slap me in the face as I leaned in for a kiss. I am very happy to say that he no longer does this and that he leans in for kisses on his own now all the time. He also likes to cuddle now, which is something he never did as a little baby. As soon as he could lift his head he did and then it didn't go back down again until recently. Maybe our next kiddo will be a cuddler. That would be kinda nice.
Another little tidbit about Munch is that he is a very nice guy. He always shares his toys and food with all the other kids when we go to My Coffeehouse. Plus, his default expression when he looks at a person is a big old happy face complete with a heart melting smile. He isn't one of those kids who will go to just anyone though. It takes him a pretty long time to warm up to new people. But he is very nice. That makes me so happy. It seems like every time we are at the Children's Museum or My Coffeehouse that there is a kid there that pulls hair or kicks the other kids. I am so glad Max isn't that kid. I truly believe that sometimes whether or not a kid is aggressive like that has absolutely nothing to do with parenting. Just a luck of the draw kinda thing. Sometimes. However, I will take total credit for Max being such a nice little fella. Not luck of the draw at all. (wink, wink.)
Here is a photo of Max on the phone. In this case the phone is actually a little plastic treasure chest, but don't tell Max. I gave him a haircut last night. Not bad, huh?

A couple of things on tap for the next few days:
a new tote bag for me (inspired by Miss Sally)
another baby sling, this time with rings
a few sock monkeys made from thrifted socks (my local Goodwill has a great new sock selection.)
plenty of thrifting with my boy (I am in the mood)