Gratitude, Friendship & Summer Chaos

It's summer. Is it just me, or is summer insanely busy and ridiculously unproductive all at the same time? I'm trying not to kick myself over it, because what's all that sunshine for (if not to play in?). Most of my projects sit on the sidelines while I spend the majority of my time lately scribbling ideas and brainstorming, somewhere in the fresh air and sunshine.

And now, a little gratitude.
I have the sweetest friends in the whole wide world. I only wish I was fortunate to live near them all so that we could spend time together more often.

I received two wonderful packages in the mail recently:

The first was a lovely surprise from my friend SuzyQ. She sent me a new zippered bag for my knitting, a selection of Jelly Belly jellybeans, and a couple of tags that she saved for me to re-purpose into something fun. So thoughtful! The package arrived on a day when I needed a little pick-me-up, and this sweet gesture did just the thing!
And then the next week or so, I received this darling combo from my friend Gabrielle, which included one of her fabulous oilcloth lunch bags (and don't you LOVE the orange???), a giant orange clothespin, a couple of handmade reminders to help me remember to take my reusable bags to the store with me, and a ball of fabulous yarn (which I forgot to include in the photo). Thank you, G! What a treat!
One of these days soon I will get back to the grindstone of creating cool things to share. Don't lose hope! We'll be back in the swing of things soon enough; the summer clock is ticking...

Marie

Seatbelt Bags & Bastille Day

I'm not much for souvenirs, other than a token refrigerator magnet. But whilst on our little Black Hills trip I did happen to find something that I wanted to take home with me.
It doesn't reside in the usual realm of souvenirs, as it doesn't say "I went to visit South Dakota", nor does it have a large image of Mt. Rushmore engraved on the front (thank goodness). For all intents and purposes I could have bought this bag online or at a local department store. However--due to my insanely practical nature--I refuse to spend money on a souvenir that I wouldn't buy under normal circumstances. I've seen these seat-belt bags a couple of times and thought they were brilliant, because (as you can see) they are made from car seat-belts! My only regret is that I wish I'd been the one to think of this ingenious idea.

I really super love that bag. It's so colorful that I think it will match absolutely everything (another indication of my practicality). Not that I care if my purse matches my outfit anyway, but now I can pretend that I do. :)

Bastille Day

Today is Bastille Day (the French national holiday Fête Nationale). Not that I'm French. Nevertheless we're having Ratatouille w/White Beans and dessert crepes for dinner tonight in celebration. Maybe I'll just pretend that I'm French?

What to do with old fabric?

I've been thinking about what to do with my large stash of old fabrics that are out of date. I'm not much for quilting these days, due to lack of space (I seem to ebb and flow with my hobbies anyway, and this is not a quilting season for me). Although I do think that log cabin blocks and other scrappy quilts are a great way to use fabrics you no longer love; the small size of the pieces seems to camoflouge the ugliness. But I'm curious... what do you do when you no longer love your fabrics?

And now... on with the show. The day is calling!

Marie

Refreshing!

We are home from our holiday to South Dakota's beautiful Black Hills, and the home of the majestic Mt. Rushmore Memorial. The vacation was a smashing success--the boys were thrilled at just about every turn--though we've arrived home soggy and exhausted from all the fun. We had torrential thunderstorms every night (while in a tent, no less) and I am looking forward to a night in my own bed without imagining that I am sleeping underneath a waterfall. And I do not exaggerate even the slightest. The rain dumped ceremoniously and the skies thundered as I've never heard them before. If not for the fear of floating away, I would have just enjoyed the natural symphony (I love a good rain storm), but I confess that I laid awake wondering just *how* waterproof a tent could possibly be.

We visited the famed Mammoth Site. By a fabulous stroke of luck we managed to visit (accidentally) during the only month of the year that they have people working on the dig site while the tourists look on. Quite a highlight!

We stood very close to real live buffalo in Wind Cave National Park. Notice... no fence!

The location of our gorgeous campsite: Horsethief Lake in the Black Hills National Forest (just two miles from Mt. Rushmore). We managed to drive up and secure a camp spot without a reservation. What are the odds? (We did have reservations elsewhere, which we promptly canceled upon finding this lovely spot.)

And while there were many many more highlights from our journey (tubing on the river, riding a ski lift up to an alpine slide, touring an underground cave, swimming in a natural mineral hotsprings, and SO many others), I thought I'd share one last sad commentary on the dwindling identity of our culture:

Behold: Our souvenir magnet (the one thing we always purchase as a reminder of our travels).
(I've slipped it out of its protective sleeve for you to see the label.)

Yes, that really irks me.

But still.... a wonderful holiday. It was quite refreshing to take a break from the computer, and from any sort of awareness of duty or schedule. On most days I made certain to have absolutely no idea what time it was, and to have no reason to care. We let daylight, random whimsy, and our stomachs dictate to us, and nothing else.

What have you done to renew your spirits lately?

Marie

Random Creative Bites Before Vacation

We are ridiculously busy at my house. We leave for our short family vacation--Mt. Rushmore, woo hoo!--early Thursday morning, and so of course I'm up to my elbows (and eyeballs) in laundry, unearthing our camping supplies that haven't seen the light of day since last summer, and feverishly writing and brainstorming in my spare time so that I can take a much-needed break while we are away. In an effort to make it up to you (tardy blogger that I am), I thought I'd share a wee smattering of strange projects that I've discovered this past week as I've been writing and wandering the internet for ideas to feature in my articles.

1. In case you feel like messing around with Styrofoam balls, you might try a conversation piece like this one. I'm not a big proponent of Styrofoam, to be honest, but I was tasked with coming up with a selection of ideas for using said eco-terrible spheres and came across that one.

2. Make a doggie sweater with no skill in five minutes. And it couldn't be any cuter if you sprinkled it with gumdrops!

3. How to make a pop tab purse... weird. And yet, a little bit crazy fun, don't you think? Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to see the pictures.

Other updates:
Knitting is slow. It's eeking by. Juliet sits on the needles, ignored. My UFO's won't even look at me, as they are too dejected from my lack of attention. All in good time, my friends.

I have hardly worked on any knitting worth mentioning, but I have no doubt I'll get caught up once the hullaballoo of our vacation simmers down. For our trip, however, I am packing a portable knitting project, a fabulous new book (that I will review for you sometime next week), and a notepad for lots of creative brainstorming. I may actually leave the laptop at home. Shocker.

I may not write much again until next week, but I promise I'll be back and ready to ramble by next Tuesday.

M

Book Review: French Girl Knits

You know I'm a sucker for anything French. Je t'aime France. I was quite obviously born in the wrong country, but when life gives you lemons... you learn French, watch French films, and knit French things. I keep thinking eventually I will wake up in France. (Don't burst my bubble.)

French Girl Knits: Innovative Techniques, Romantic Details, and Feminine Designs
by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes

You'd think I'd have had nothing but high hopes for a book called "French Girl Knits", but au contraire. I was actually clutching it with a white knuckle grip in fear that it wouldn't live up to its name. French Girl Knits, eh? Yea, we'll see about that. (I smirk)

Much to my surprise, this book isn't just a one hit wonder. With a plethora of fab French styles from enfant sauvage (wild child) to la boutique Parisienne, this book is a page turning masterpiece. I could not only imagine whipping out my needles and casting on at least 15 of the 18 designs in the book, but I immediately saw myself wearing them. While in France, no less. If my knitting could keep up with my imagination, my life would be complete!

I'm not a frilly fru-fru girl, but the designs in French Girl Knits are not really frilly fru-fru. I'd call them feminine casual--with French flair. I'm all about the feminine casual.

Just over $16 from Amazon. Worth every penny!

Now... where do I start?

Forget Everything I've Ever Said About Food

I kind of give up.

Alright, I only give up a little bit. But still. I'm throwing in the towel, hanging up my apron, and setting aside my fancy shmancy ideas about food.

It's summer and I don't want to cook. Or measure. Or stand over a hot stove. I don't seem to want to be within five feet of the kitchen. Yet I still have the inconvenient desire to eat something (and--incidentally--so does my family). Not just *any* something, mind you. I have discriminating tastes. I want to eat fresh, flavorful food that tastes complicated and luscious and takes me less than 10 minutes of prep time.

Am I asking too much?

This past week I've had to entirely toss the raw vegan dream for the summer as I can't seem to juggle raw vegan food prep with writing/knitting pattern designs, writing a book, and working on freelance articles (all while still being a reasonably sane wife and mother). Something's gotta give, and apparently it's food.

Needless to say... I'm kind of hungry.

I start hallucinating when I'm stuck at the computer for a four hour stretch, and find myself dreaming of having a personal chef to do all the work for me. I have obviously grown too fond of The Food Network (and this coming from a woman who has been without television for over 5 years!).

I mean, really. Throw a little brussel sprout hash in front of me (sans bacon and chicken broth, of course) and I'm yours forever.

So I'm on a new mission. I want decadent, scrumptious, gourmet vegetarian flavors that can come together FAST, and that are family friendly and filling (I am the mother of teenage boys, remember). And they have to be generally gluten-free (you can see my problem, can't you?).

What to do. What to do.

Do you have a favorite FAST and delicious vegetarian recipe to share? Gluten-free is great, but as long as bread isn't the main event I can probably adapt it.

Help me, Rhonda. Help, help me Rhonda!

Marie-Jolie

Pay it Forward: Crafties to the People

Because I'm not silly enough, I thought I'd participate in the latest little blog frenzy: Craft it Forward. I can't help it. I'm sort of a sucker for sharing homemade things. AND I just super love all of you who hang out with me here in my little cyberspace "pad". What better way to show the love than to share a little homemade goodness?

CRAFT IT FORWARD

Here's how it works:
1. The first THREE fabulous comments to this post who agree to the Craft it Forward Pledge will get a little something made by my two hands. I make no promises as to size or awesomeness, but--being the perfectionist that I am--I think you'll enjoy what you receive. My goal will be to put a smile on your face and brighten your day when you open your little parcel.

2. Craft it Forward Pledge: In order to be fully eligible you must a) Post something similar to this on your blog that tells what you're up to b) Agree to send THREE little handmade "somethings" to commenters on your blog. It doesn't have to be anything major- even a homemade card will do the trick! Just a little something.

3. I won't guarantee how soon your little gift will be shipped out to you... sometime in the next few weeks. It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew when to expect it!

Would you love to Craft it Forward? The first three lucky commenters who take the Craft it Forward pledge are in like Flynn!

Marie-Jolie

p.s. Thank you to "Handmade by Jess" for sharing this great idea!