look what i can do!

that's right dear one & only reader - i am my own table. let's ignore the fact that i'm eating the hummus from the container, & focus only on how very talented i am.

~peace.

science + cooking = happy hobbit

a few evenings ago we attended a solar oven workshop. we learned the different types of ovens, how they work, then set about building a portable one to take home. we enjoyed the experience, (with the exception of my gigantic belly constantly getting in the way) & couldn't wait to get cooking.

we've still yet to use the cooker we built at the workshop, because thehobbit announced he would invent one. basically he lined a cardboard box (flaps included) with foil. not exactly an invention, but i didn't point that out.

this morning he put his oven to the test, with his first dish being baked apple slices. because it wasn't the oven we built, i was worried it wouldn't get hot enough to inhibit bacteria - so i gave the test a 2-hour limit.

here is the little casserole in thehobbit's oven:


& two hours later:



it worked - the dish was hot enough to warrant a potholder! thehobbit is very proud of himself, & claimed he was now a science chef.

you really should give this a try. even those of you in wintery places - it's the sun's rays, & not the temperature of the air, that cooks the food. my hotlink still is not working (oh how i love blogger), so here you go: http://www.solarcooking.org/.

~peace.
** edited to add: as i don't eat cooked fruit, i wasn't a good judge of doneness. when reheating in the actual oven (for their dessert) we found they were a tad on the crispy side still. **

summer

has finally made an appearance. those who've been reading for some time will remember that i don't do well when temperatures go higher than 70f soar to ridiculous heights. still, i do want my summer veggies to grow, so am content with the change in the weather. for now.

thehobbit is thrilled for the coming of warmer days. he loves playing in water, making ice cream & pops, bbqs, heaping bowls of melon, & the spirit of summer. in that way he is more like his daddy-o. not that i don't love those things as well, it's just that i'm more of a spring-gal.

to celebrate the season we bought a new kiddie pool last weekend, in which he spent most of his time. until he got his first nasty sunburn, that is. since then he's played at the pool, but hasn't gone in. this is a good thing really; because the water became foul rather quickly. we've begun emptying the pool; by the bucket-full; into the gardens, but it's slow-going.

i will say that one thing i do love about summer is the light. coming in through our many windows, the sunlight seems almost magical.

what do you like best about summer?

~peace.

dear manlyman,

i love that you do most of the dishes. i also love that you take the time to set the washing gloves out to dry once you're done. but really now...

no other fingers would slide onto the chopsticks? *sigh*

oh, & my love? would you like to know how i discovered this bit of naughty behavior? your child, the boy who longs to be just like his daddy-o pointed out that the washing gloves were cursing at us.

& yes, he knew you did it purposely - he's met you.

~peace.

today's tale of woe

today was set aside for getting all the belfry to-dos finally to-done. that was my plan, though my body most heartily disagreed. i managed to do a few minor things, but even those had me stopping every few minutes, to rest on the couch.

apparently it's time for me to slow down, & accept that i'm going to have to ask manlyman to do vastly more than i'd like. neither shall be easy for me. especially the latter, as manlyman already does so much when home.

this is the reason for my current tale of woe:

behold the most gigantic belly that ever there was. oh that's not so large you say. but oh! you forget that i am quite petite. on my frame, this belly is large. it shades small faery villages when i waddle out for some fresh air.

not content to be merely gigantic, my belly is also freakishly heavy. at times i wonder if my wee bebe is as competent a rock collector as is his big brother. it's just impossible that all i'm carrying in there is a teeny little creature - it's just much too heavy to be so.

& that my blog friends, brings today's tale of woe to a close.

~peace.

ps - all is not doom & gloom here. we had a lovely daddy-o day, & celebrated summer's beginning with food, togetherness, & laughter.

what? again?

yes my one & only reader, i went to my beloved japanese dollar store yet again. but!!!! tinker made me do it. it was our kids' weekly playdate, & she suggested we go there. you see, she had never been, & they are leaving in a few days (for 3 whole months! wretched abandoners), so really how could i not?

we had a lovely time poking through all the treasures, & reading the wonderful translations. i was glad to get to share one of my favorite shops with one of my favorite friends.

i didn't buy much; because a) we'd just been, & 2) i'm trying so hard not to bring in more clutter. i made sure that everything i chose was actually needed, or could be put to use. like this:



i collect white cafe-style kitchen items. this sweet little thing now sits happily on my counter, holding my daily pills & vitamins. i had been just plopping a day's portion onto a little saucer, but this is much more tidy.



i snagged 2 of these, & am already kicking myself for not getting more. we love the nets we use whilst camping, & recently decided we needed some for when we dine in the backyard. i honestly didn't think i'd like these when they were in their packaging (thought the ribbon would look tacky), but when opened they're rather pretty.

there may have been other items purchased yesterday, but i see no photographic evidence of such. do you?

have a lovely day!!!!
~peace.

tea for me

last night i was treated like a princess! the dragonfly artisans took me to a tea room, to celebrate my upcoming bebe. i had neither blessingway, nor shower for thehobbit, so was giddy with delight at being pampered so.



they gave me poetry, prezzies, & beautiful beads (to create a birthing necklace); followed by a scrumptious supper.

i had a spinach/artichoke pie with chips. the pie was amazing - i salivate each time i think about it.

if you're ever in santa monica, you really must go to there for supper (i haven't been for tea). not only is the food outstanding, the owner & her son were delightful. btw: oddsox is a brit, & was thrilled by the food; so i imagine it was proper british fare. i wouldn't know, as i only play a brit on tv ;-)

what did i ever do to deserve such loving friends?

~peace.

the hotlink button isn't working at this moment, so look on the left side-bar to visit oddsox' site

i am in love

with a piano.

this gorgeous creature needs to belong to me - was meant to be mine.

manlyman does not agree. my heart is breaking, even as i type this.

oh beautiful piano who would match my decor, & bring me countless hours of joy - know that i love only you, & always shall.

~peace.

when manlyman is away...

... the kat shall play - thehobbit & i went thrifting this morning! there was so much from which to choose; & though i wanted it all; i was very well behaved. i only cried a teeny bit at having to leave so many treasures behind. wretched decluttering challenge.

one thing we did not leave was this fabulous $5 item:


we're going to clean the valet, & give it to manlyman for fathers' day! i'd love to paint & distress it, but i haven't the energy time. he's very difficult to buy prezzies for; so thehobbit & i were beside ourselves when we came upon it. you see, he is quite the dandy, that man of mine. he irons his work clothes each night, then hangs the outfit in the laundry room (belt & shoes set out as well). how could he not love his very own valet?

***

we also went to the local nursery to replace what the earwigs had decimated, & what never sprouted from seed. our little farm's newest inhabitants are: 2 more tomatoes, 2 cucumber, & 2 watermelon. each year i try to plant something we'd not yet attempted. this year it is watermelon; wish us luck!

& now i'm off to rest for a time. playing whilst huge with child is exhausting.

~peace.

nesting madness

extra energy to go along with this intense nesting would be lovely. instead i'm having to force myself to not go mad over how little i'm able to do each day. what keeps me in a pleasant spirit with it all, is how wonderful the completed areas of thebelfry look.

so much extra space! i cannot tell you what peaceful joy this brings me - clutter & mess have always agitated me. when we've finally finished the decluttering, rearranging, & organizing things will be both easier on my mood, & easier to keep clean.




because i'd like to enjoy the last few weeks of being knocked-up, i've given the family an end date to all of this. it seemed so far away when first i came up with the date, but now there are only 3 weeks left. eek indeed.

still, i think we can manage to get everything completed by then. that is, if we work hard, stay focused, hire a crew of workers, get the planets to align, learn magic.....

~peace.

they know me oh so well

in need of a few birthday prezzies, we drove out to the japanese dollar store the other day. i am proud to say that i behaved rather well, & did not buy tons of things i didn't need. apparently it's best for me to shop when in the midst of trying to get rid of half my belongings.

it was still rather difficult to resist all the goodies. it's as though they stock their shelves with me in mind. the bento section, the fun kitchen section, the art supplies, the office supplies, & more - all of it so interesting, & most with the terrible translations that i love so dearly.

my one luxury this outing; & also a ridiculous weakness of mine; was notebooks. i had to spend a goodly amount of time in that section, because one of the prezzie recipients is planning to be a writer when she's grown. how could we not get her an assortment of fun notebooks?

when thehobbit asked to have a few notebooks as well, i had to indulge him. after all, what kind of parent would deny their child paper on which to pen deep thoughts, & possibly great works of literature?

then of course i remembered that i too have literary aspirations & deep thoughts. not to mention: lists, directions, recipes, notes, etc - all of which require paper. so i bought myself a notebook or some.

this one is my favorite:


i love the card stock's texture, the vintage label look, & the fact that it is only 2x3 - small enough to keep in any purse. i'm not sure how i managed, but i only bought myself one. how i would have loved a shelf filled with these teeny books. (insert dramatic sigh here)

i must away to the fainting couch. i trust you can see yourself out?
~peace.

excellent, with bad photos

in the frenzy of the challenge (getting rid of half we own) i nearly tossed this skirt:


i'd only worn it a few times in years i've owned it, so it clearly was a justified toss. however, i love the fabric, & the ribbon work. the hemline is just a little too stevie nicks for me.

so i made a deal with myself: if i altered the skirt within one week, i could keep it. easy peasy you are all thinking; but you forget that i can procrastinate like no other.

however, this time i did not procrastinate - this time i actually managed to do something within a normal amount of time. hurrah for me!

what makes me shake my head at myself, is how little time it took. i could have spent 5 minutes revamping this skirt ages ago.


the photos are both wretched, but the alteration was a success. i'm looking forward to wearing this skirt. um, once i've had my bebe of course.

***

challenge update: it's going very well. we spent the bulk of yesterday digging through the studio. manlyman moved my bookshelf out to the dining room, then took many boxes & bags to the donation center. ahh it's lovely to have a strong man around the belfry.

i can't do as much in a day as i'd like, so it's taking much longer than i thought it would. still - it is getting done! i'm surprised as all hell thrilled as can be.

have you revamped anything of late? sorted through, or rearranged things? i'd love to hear about it.
~peace.

potatoes

thehobbit was sad to discover his potato plant had died. i knew that it hadn't been alive long enough for a bumper crop, but i thought perhaps something could be hiding beneath the soil. i suggested he pull the plant, & dig around for a bit.

immediately his sadness turned to squeals of delight; & within 5 minutes was talking about all the potato dishes we could make.


gorgeous, aren't they? don't start reaching for your cookbooks like thehobbit though - we shan't be feasting on taters for days on end. perhaps this photo will explain why:



yes my dear one & only reader, they are the most dinky potatoes that ever there was. dinky taters, dinky hobbit.

happy sunday.
~peace.

coffee break

just popped on to say hello. i'm taking a break from sorting through the horrific wreck that is my studio. if you recall from a few months ago, this is the room that has become the drop-off place for anything & everything.

it's going to take quite some time to sort through, but i'm not daunted. i've many bags & boxes at the ready, as well as a hobbity helper. most likely this room shall yield the most items for the challenge.

i'm excited by that, because it means i'll end up with more space in my studio! it's cramped in here, even without the piles & stacks & family of trolls. we're even moving a bookcase out (no yelling at me. by 'we' i mean 'they'), to make way for deep shelves. woohoo - no more fabric stored in bins!

my break has come to a quick end. time for me to get some food into thehobbit (you know, before he starves unto the very brink of death), then back to sorting.

wait! before i pop off, look at what i made this morning:

i cannot show you it in its entirety, because it's a prezzie. it was made from an old skirt, some of my favorite velvet ribbon, & (lined with) wool felt.

have a gloriously happy saturday!!

~peace.

a snail

i don't believe that boys are made of snakes & snails & puppy dog tails; but my number 2 boy shall have a blankie partially made of a snail. i knew once i'd sewn the blankie that i'd need a patch to cover a wee hole i'd not seen when cutting the fabric bits.

enter, monsieur snail:


he was embroidered eons ago; well before getting knocked up; but i never knew what to do with him. this afternoon i trimmed the patch down, & sewed him over the hole. henceforth shall this blankie be known as the snail blankie. (so says thehobbit.)

i still need to sew my diaper bag, some changing mats, a few fabric cubes (with bells inside), as well as some other baby items - but at least i have monsieur snail.

off to get ready for craft night!

~peace.

the most boring post that ever there was

after yesterday's very busy day, i had hoped to wallow in laziness today. as usual, my plans were thwarted. instead we played, crafted, cleaned, filled another donation bag, & worked on a homeschool project.

i did manage to sneak in an hour-long tv snuggle with my hobbity one (thank you martha stewart!), so the day wasn't a total whirlwind.

***

for some reason i've been forgetting to take my camera when out & about, so had no photo to share. no interesting photo, that is. seeing my camera on the desk, i decided to just snap a shot of what i see when chatting with you. oh yes kat, as if that is interesting.

what does this photo say about me? well it says that i desperately need a new wall calendar - the one pictured is still last year's. it also indicates i run a dinkie gnomie orphanage, love harry potter, & haven't used my web cam in ages. wow that is one dusty web cam.

you'll notice oven fries in the google box, which says that i got frustrated with manlyman's unwillingness to go get some fries for me, & actually made them myself. they were pretty good, if i do say so myself. which apparently i do ;-)

now that i've lulled you all to sleep, i'll be on my way. sweet dreams!

~peace.