a quandry solved

Remember how I ordered that one piece of fabric that was way more orange than the piece I'd picked out for the lining? Well, my solutions came last week. I love them both - can't decide which I'm going to use. I have an idea for an apron using the polka dots. I'm looking for an appropriate turquoise-y blue for the trim . . .

My friend Karen picked out these fabrics for the bag I am going to help her with. She was lamenting the bag wanderlust she'd been feeling lately so I offered to help her design her own. She is embarking on a new sewing hobby. I think once she realized how fun it is, she'll be hooked. I know I am. The more fabric I order, the more fabric I think I need to order! So many great things out there!

p.s. Dana, this post is for you. You said you wanted to see my fabric!

things that go bump in the night

The bumper pads are finished! They aren't really fancy - but they are going to look cute with the quilt I made. It's still awaiting that final hand stitching on the binding (the thing I ALWAYS procrastinate). I also need to get the crib out of the scary shed out back and give it a good wipe down. I will post more pictures when it's all put together. I really think Andrew will enjoy sleeping in a real crib and not in the pack n play anymore. Poor kid.

2 things about that last post - 1. I didn't take that picture. It is cool though - I just did a google image search for "road trip". 2. The black widow I found in the pocket of my beach chair was left off the list - it was creepy and huge and I buried it in the sand.

a little getaway

So, my husband has to travel a bit for his job. He went down to Camp Lejeune, N.C. and I thought it would be fun to take the kids on a little road trip to see him. The kids being 2 1/2 and 7 months. Well, I learned that some things are better in theory than in practice. Now, I'm glad we went - it was good to be together and we got to take them to the beach - which is always entertaining. To give you a glimpse of our weekend, I give you:

The Top 10 Things I Learned on a Road Trip with a Toddler and Baby

10. You have to limit fluid intake because public restrooms, with a baby in the bjorn and a toddler with an aversion to public toilets, are not an option.

9. Scheduling a departure post-lunch and just in time for naps is a recipe for a few quiet hours of driving.

8. Cute toddlers can get away with stealing blueberries from the roadside fruit stand.

7. Frazzled, tired, lost mommies can't get away with speeding.

6. Toddlers have an infinite supply of questions.

5. Dido makes great lullaby music.

4. It is possible to carry a baby in the front and a toddler on your back. And survive.

3. A baby with a cold doesn't sleep well in hotels. Therefore, no one sleeps well.

2. Your cherry tomatoes have time to actually ripen before little hands get a hold of them.

1. Memories are made no matter what you are doing, so you might as well enjoy it!


It's amazing how much I feel like I have missed out on while I was gone for just 4 short days. I have a ton of blogs to catch up on! But now, I have to go get some rest. I did get some more fabric in the mail over the weekend - but I'll spare you the minutae of what was in each box and just get the projects done so you can see them!
ttfn - Amy

easy-peasy

I thought I would share how easy it is to make your own baby food. I know, this post has nothing to do with sewing or fabric - but it does have something to do with being resourceful! And I needed a break from the bumper pad ties.

Some people think I am a little nutty or an over-achiever for making my own baby food. Really, I'm just cheap. And I like food that tastes good. And I assume my babies do too. Have you ever tasted baby food green beans? blech. No wonder they don't like them. But whip it up yourself from fresh beans, or even frozen and it's a whole different story.

This morning I did sweet potatoes. I was already in sweet potato mode as I was making this recipe for myself (this is a great blog).
Peel and chop several sweet potatoes, I used 3 large ones today. Steam them until they are bright orange and soft when poked with a fork. About 5-10 minutes. I have a steamer pot - but you can just do it in a regular pot with a little bit of water on the bottom.

Transfer potatoes to the bowl of a food processor or blender. I only have a small one so I have to do it in a few batches. Add some of the cooking water back in to help the blending process. I don't like to add too much because then your final product is too runny.

Puree until smooth. Little hands like to help with this part.

Spoon the puree into ice cube trays to freeze into manageable portions. When frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. I put all different kinds in the bag, you can tell which are carrots vs. sweet potatoes vs. squash. This batch made up enough to fill about 2 trays.

When you are ready to feed the baby - just take out one, two, three, depending on how much your baby eats - and thaw. I prefer not to use the microwave. They thaw pretty quickly on their own. You can make a mixed veggie dinner or combine with cereal or just have it plain.

I've used this method with fresh produce as well as frozen and it all tastes better than the pre-packaged stuff. As far as fruit goes - you can pretty much use the same method. Although, I do just buy regular unsweetened applesauce in a jar - it's pretty cheap.

So wow all of your friends and put on your super-mom cape and get to it! All in all, this takes about 20 minutes.

Don't you think sweet potatoes are photogenic?

my breakfast

Because I can't have cow's milk products while I am nursing, I have been searching for ways to fill the void of cheese in my life. I love cheese. I've always loved it and then I lived in Europe and then I found out just how much I really love it!

When I figured out that going without dairy would help my fussy, spit-uppy baby I was shocked at how difficult it was to go without. And really just how much dairy I was consuming. I would never do it for dieting purposes - but for my baby? Anything. (plus, I was tired of all the spitup laundry.)

I discovered goat cheese 2 nights ago. I'd had some bad experiences with it before and hadn't really explored it. My good friend Darci came over and she's off dairy too so she had brought some goat's milk Parmesan and a regular log of goat cheese. I was SHOCKED at how smooth, creamy, mild and NOT disgusting it was! I was in love. It's really great on pizza! (w/ fresh tomatoes and basil, mmmm)

When I was at the grocery store yesterday I spied a jar of fig spread, basically a jam. My Italiano-phile brother had introduced me to the beauty of fig jam with cheese on a baguette (sidenote: red currant jelly and brie is also delicioso!).

Which brings us back to my breakfast: fresh baked demi-baguette, schmear of goat cheese, topped with a layer of fig jam. Oh my. You must try it.

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!


Who wouldn't want this for their little girl? Adorable.

tedium

Oh yes, I thought it would be so much fun AND easy to make some cute bumpers to match the quilt I made for Andrew. Well, really it is pretty easy. But I have to do 24 of these puppies. That's right, 24 - 2 x12" strips pressed with 1/4 seam allowances and then folded in half and pressed again. Ugh, I'm only half-way through and I'm tired of singeing the tips of my fingers! But I can eyeball a 1/4" seam now, NO problem.

I should have invested in some bias tape.