Monday, June 15, 2009

Ooh internet toy!

http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/

This is my new favorite way to kill time. For today anyhow.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Ocean!



Heidi and I made the 6 hour trek to Long Beach, WA to see the ocean. Having grown up next to the ocean I need a fix every now and then. We decided to make the trip a few days before memorial day weekend. A gazillion phone calls later (side note: and a bazillion well wishes that me and my husband would find a place. And a bazillion retorts that there was no husband but a best friend, and no ma'am, I do not need to be married to vacation at the beach!) I found a place that had an opening for a close to the beach rental for the weekend. It was an adorable little rental, close to sand and the dull roar of the real pacific ocean. We watched a scary, scary movie the first night and I'm still having nightmares but it was overall an awesome escape.

Tyrah and Hank came to visit for a day. Isn't Hank the cutest beagle ever? He chased birds and got in trouble. I felt bad that V wasn't there, but Hank actually stays in the yard at the house so he was allowed to visit.

We went horseback riding. Well, a big group of people went horseback riding and Heidi went muleback riding. Meet Sarah the mule.Two of the horses had babies, one of them came along for the ride. Too cute.

We also had amazing fresh crabs at The Crab Shack. Check out the crab art (and Heidi being crabby about the mule ride).

There was a lot more food (including the most pepperoni covered pepperoni pizza ever), some antique browsing, some beer swilling and grocery store mishaps, some local character interactions and a bizzaro museum that included Jake the half alligator half dwarf petrified corpse (yeah, add to the nightmares, go ahead). The museum also had a real mannequin fortune teller who told me to shut the hell up via cardboard fortune.Estrella says(editor's note:punctuation all Estrella's, by the by): Well my dear outspoken one you are so quick to criticize others, did you ever stop to analyze yourself. You are a very sensitive person and a very critical one. You have a very sharp tongue which may cause unhappiness to others. You are of a generous disposition and knowingly would not hurt any one. You have a keen mind try to improve it. Your best friends like you for your ready wit. Try to cultivate a red haired person. Therein lies a great deal of happiness for you.

And the synopsis wouldn't be complete without Long Beach's coming attractions:

Fancy Signage is Overrated


This works for me.

Morbidly Cool


This is the most interesting art on a gravestone in the cemetery next to the party in the county Heidi talked me into attending with her. I love the artwork. After uploading the pic I noticed the dates. Such a short life. But I think the gravestone means someone who cared about her understood her youth. It's so modern and yet was engraved in 1923. All around appealing to the eye and thought provoking. I like to think she was a sailer, a feminist, a trend setter. Here's to Alice Slack, may she rest in peace.

The Monster

Felt monster toy, made specially for the V.


She waited patiently to play with it so I could take pictures.
And it lasted maybe 10 minutes before she ripped it's head open and found the squeaker. She seems to tear into toys more heartily when I make them myself, which is sort of sad but sort of satisfying because it means I made a really good dog toy.

Monday, June 1, 2009

The Quilt




After the baby blanket (and skirts for Sarah's older girls, forgot pics) I decided I needed to tackle a project for myself if I was going to stop myself from driving up to Chuckanut and throwing the sewing machine into the bay. Since straight-ish lines and easy fabric seemed the best route I decided on a quilt. I spent a whole weekend with this baby and am stupid attached to it now. So is V, as you can see. Hey look, I made a quilt!

Marley May Baby Blanket


Sarah and Mike decided to give a brand new adorable baby girl my name as her middle name (Marley May is the first name, right guys?). Since I couldn't be there to welcome her into the world I made her a rad-tastic blanket. My first attempt at a "real" sewing project and my first battle with mitered corners. Minky, cotton, organic batting and satin binding with hidden embroidered messages in the binding. Made with a LOT of love, because patience is not my strong suite and did I mention the mitered corners?