things been so crazy

it's been a weird and hectic week around here -- after getting conked on the head, we had a crazy rush deadline, I ended a long-time working relationship, Evan got sick, our deadline got lifted, we celebrated Evan's birthday, I got sick, we saw a hit-and-run accident (no-one badly hurt, luckily) which was scary, and to top it all off...

I woke up late at night to get some water and heard a drunk guy yelling in the street. As I got close to the window, I realized he was reciting Bob Dylan lyrics, and after every few lines would say "Thank you, Bob!". Suddenly, he asked the world "What was that song he won the Oscar for?! Didn't he win an Oscar?!" And when no answer was forthcoming he said "Oh, who cares, anyway!", proceeded to curse Dylan out and ended with the statement "I mean, you ain't no Johnny Cash, that's for sure!!". Then, all was quiet.

That was probably one of the biggest wtf moments of my life. I only wish I could have seen the guy, but it's probably better that I didn't.

most brilliant promotional site ever

And I do mean, ever. via BoingBoing.

apron swap update

Here's the apron we got from Megan for the swap - finally got a decent photo of it out of the little imp! Isn't it adorable? And HUGE POCKETS!! It also reverses to the opposite color scheme. Thanks again, Megan!!

hi and hello

Just wanted to pop in and say hello since I know from my email that some of you read Evan's journal...yes, I did take a good whacking on the head from that ceiling. (A good reason to use drywall, since it wouldn't have hurt nearly as much as 80-odd year old plaster and concrete!) Luckily, I was near the ceiling so the piece that hit me hadn't fallen very far before it broke over my head! No sign of concussion but I am still feeling it in my head and arm where it hit me. Anyway, that was a really long-winded way to say I'm okay and none the worse for wear. In my history of blows to the head, it wasn't even a really bad one. Be back soon to set some posts free from draft mode!

my mini swap!

Our third What's Cookin' apron swap has come to a close, and I think it was my favorite one yet! The theme was mini aprons, made for each other's kids. I was really happy with what I made, and Emily and I were both thrilled with what we got!

First, my apron. I was making this apron for six-year old Ada, and after reading her likes and dislikes, my idea came together almost instantly for once. I scaled up this apron I'd designed for Emily, and used this adorable bunny fabric I had on hand (okay, actually I ordered more to use later and used what I had here while I waited for my order!). I thought the resulting apron was really cute, and apparently so does Ada!



I also made little sister Esme a matching bib she can wear while she watches Ada cook:



And here are the matching recipe cards to go with the apron!



I included one of our family's favorite recipes, one for strawberry bread. Imagine my surprise -- they grow strawberries and will have plenty of opportunity to make this bread come (real) spring!)

And as for Emily's apron, well, she is a reluctant model this week. So hopefully Megan will be posting a photo, because it's an adorable art smock with polka dots (one of Em's favorite motifs)! Megan and her little boy Canaan also included recipes chosen by Canaan and a book, Joey and Jet In Space, which Emily is in love with. (She loves rockets and space!)

Thanks to everyone who participated and made our swap so much fun!

happy easter and happy spring!

We celebrate it in the secular spring-has-arrived way around here (go read this for the best commentary on Easter I've seen in ages so I don't have to go into it, especially since I won't say it half as eloquently!) and this year that mainly boiled down to putting together a "basket" (really it's in a tin pail) for Emily full of colorful bunny stuff. Which I have just finished doing! More on that later....in the meantime, have a fun day no matter how you celebrate it!

Emily's first bento!

So today I had a monster of a dental appt (why? because: if you have genetically weak teeth which have been weakened further by environmental factors; strong jaw muscles and bones; and you clench your jaws at night when you are stressed....you can break your own teeth) which was going to last through lunch time. And Emily, being in a huge growth spurt, cannot miss her meals. So...perfect opportunity to make her a cute(ish) bento! Nothing super-exciting but it was fun anyway. Here's the box:



We bought her this on our Girl's Day excursion to Mitsuwa. If I could have justified it somehow I'd have bought another for myself. And here's how I packed it:



the top layer holds grapes, strawberries and pancakes cut into flowers and hearts. The bottom layer holds macaroni and cheese plus some sauteed green beans. It's not too fancy because it was pretty last-minute, but I think it's pretty fun anyway, and so did she. Hopefully I won't have to crack another tooth to make her another lunch!