Year of Making Stuff: Week 9

Ashley and I tied this year for our Oscar picks.  So each person has to make a handmade item as a surprise prize and I finished this today.  I will mail sometime this week and reveal the full photo.  I won’t say too much, but it was my first so I guess wonkiness is expected.

I also went to the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show this weekend here in Bloomington and was slightly disappointed.  Or maybe it just didn’t appeal to me directly.  I only bought two fat quarters and one 1/2 yard of fabric.  I must look somewhere else for inspiration.

Speaking of inspiring, tiny purple crocuses are finally up and blooming!  That little  bit of color is really needed after a brown and grey winter.

Brains…

I love how cockscomb looks like weird little brains.  I got two dried bunches of these at the Farmer’s Market today.  I know they are one of Tim’s favorites too.

I am off to update my book list and have been dutifully working on some quilts…photos to come.

Have a great weekend!

Earth Machine

Thanks to a friend who picked it up for me while I was at work and Tim in Indy, we now have a new composter, the Earth Machine.  The co-op was having a 1/2 price special, so how could we resist?  I am excited to start using it this fall and winter, and hopefully have some compost ready to go next spring.  Yay!

I was also able to see Jenn and meet Malcolm this weekend.  Mal was born while we were in Europe, so this is my first time seeing him.  Too cute.

Sunshine In

Praised be, the sun was brilliant all day today!  Not a rain cloud in the sky, which allowed us to get out into the garden this morning.  We have baby zucchini about ready to  burst and I can’t wait.  I also rode my bike to the market, picking up some of the best sugar snap peas I’ve ever tasted and some radishes.  I love the spicy crack of a good radish.

Next week at work is crazy, so maybe kicking back tonight with a movie.

Flood Floods

The horrible midwest floods haven’t really done much damage in Bloomington thankfully, but it WILL NOT STOP RAINING!  Ok, there was one day this week where it didn’t rain.  Now I have a few days off?  Rain.

I am debating a border/sashing on a baby quilt, and waiting for other fabric to arrive in the mail before I can progress on my mom’s Mother’s Day quilt (I know, late!).  Tim is getting close to being done with Summer I, and heads right into Summer II.  Books are being read, and oh, I joined Facebook.

Crumbly

Determined to use some of the rhubarb posted a few days ago, and after determining pie (one of my favorite food groups) was slightly too complicated, I googled rhubarb crumble and happily made the recipe in the first result.  Delicious.

Two birthday packages hopefully will go out in the mail tomorrow, which means a)I can post more pictures of a craft project and b)I am woefully behind in all spring birthdays.

Also?  Seriously with the rain?  Ok, so my house hasn’t been blown over by a tornado.  For which I am grateful.  But on Saturday, I am determined to go to the Farmer’s Market and maybe to some yard sales and I will NOT be happy if it rains on my parade.

Thinking

Things I think about: food, coffee, being passionate about my work, quilts, fabric, Loki, Tim, classes, going back to school, work, work, work, am I eating enough fruit, going to the farmer’s market, Web 2.0, interns, photography, SPEA, The Commission for Sustainability, recycling, living green, whether I can see the New Pornographers in concert, being a good person, travel, friends, organic food, allergies, natural leave-in conditioner, exercise, switching to gmail, having a baby someday, paint colors, books, The Clash, religion, gardening, health care, family, whether I should get new highlights, crosswords, publicity, and politics.

In no particular order, and not meant to be inclusive or exclusive.

Webs

It’s October! I have gotten my Halloween decorations out and hung the lights, but we left the 6ft tall Grim Reaper in San Antonio (as a surprise in the attic!) I would get creeped out every now and then catching a glimpse of the Reaper out a window after having forgotten he was there. Tim and I also used to move him around on each other to maximize the scary potential. Despite all of those heart thumping times, I am missing him.

I hope to have one little project done in the next couple of days so I can send off! Pictures will follow.

More Freaking Flowers

I stopped by a community center in my neighborhood this afternoon to pimp my programs, so walked down a different street and saw these beautiful cockscombs.

Another reason to love Btown? I had lunch today with Jer at the Runcible Spoon, outside and it couldn’t have been lovelier. It was so fun to catch up and hear how the Freshman 5th floor guys are doing. Where Rich? Apparently at the Upland. I’ll have to swing by to check it out.

Swirlies

Today was the first crisp fall feeling day, so what a great time to share a quilt project I’ve slooooowly been working on.

Over a year ago, I asked a lady in my SA quilt group to show me how to hand quilt, and once I learned I promptly put it down because it is hard. And I’m a wimp and like easy things. But I do like hand crafts that are more portable or can be worked on while on the couch while football is on. So lately I’ve been turning back to working on my hand quilting. It is hard, and sometimes slow going. But I am getting faster and my stitches more even. Though I can only do about the size of my hand at any given setting. The other side of this quilt is a really pretty plum colored batik. At this rate, it just may be finished by next year, making it only a two year quilt!