Baby Season

I have been busy trying to keep up with baby season. My friend from work had a girl...Caitlyn (I think that's the spelling). She's so teeny-tiny, it might taker her a while to fit into these puppies.


My other friend who I used to work with is had a girl too...Miss Lilly. She's already struttin' the cupcake, I hear.


(those are burp cloths underneath to match the onesies)

When is someone going to finally name their baby Sara? Sheesh...

Quilt in a Day (almost)

I haven't been super motivated since returning from all them vacations. You'd think I would be inspired...like an absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder type of thing, but no.

Anyhow, I think the lull is over - I got inspired by this magazine ad:


Crafted a really sophisticated pattern/instruction set and gathered some fabric I purchased for a different project:

Laid her out...

Sewed her up...

And I trekked to PeaPod and got me some yummy cotton/bamboo fabric for the back (I'll show you the finished product later). I'm still hemming and hawing (I don't think I've ever spelled that out before...) over the binding.

I'm going for the "chic city baby" look here - how'm I doing?

p.s. Super easy pattern - no corners to match!! Love that! Truthfully, I like obsessing about precision a little bit, but rarely achieve perfection, so this was good for me.

Boston Common in Bloom

I just remembered these photos I took in Boston Common. It was supposed to rain the whole weekend, but we happened upon fabulous weather instead. Strangely enough, I was soaking it in so much that I hardly took any photos.

This gardener is SO fired...

And that's it for Boston, sorry y'all.

Boston Baby

We just got back from a wee trip to Boston. I think we're done traveling for a little while - I feel so spoiled.

Anyhow, we stayed outside Boston in a little town called Norwood (Nah-wood). And thank goodness D had his thinkin' cap on - he remembered that Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger restaurant was nearby in Wellesley. We made the rainy trek into this adorable, charming little town (lots of women's clothing stores - go figure). As we're approaching the restaurant, I asked D, "Do you think Ming actually ever cooks at the restaurant?" And before he could reply, guess who is standing at the reception desk? Hello!! (I verified the name on the jacket just to be sure)

He buzzed around the restaurant (totally not in a schmoozy sort of way) the whole night - and don't think I didn't stare a little. We had a delicious dinner (and a kick-butt cocktail - passionfruit & pear - ooh, yeah!). On our way out, we passed Ming and thanked him for the dinner. He asked if everything was good, and yes, of course I said it was. *sigh* SO AWESOME!

Sorry I have no photo...we were too chicken. But I know he would have been gracious had we asked. Next time...

Da Rest

This will be my last Hawaii post - promise.

We had such a great time and there was so much to do in Honolulu! I felt guilty just plopping myself on the beach and reading a magazine when there were craters to hike, sunken ships to explore, and shave ice (lots of it) to be eaten.

Here are few last highlights of our trip:

The view from Diamond Head - worth the trek up the hill.


Our guide at the Dole plantation - is he not so adorable?


And a loverly hibiscus. D tried to convince me they had a lovely fragrance. Right. Don't mess with a girl who has taken Environmental Horticulture 101 - we know EVERYTHING there is to know about plants and will take every opportunity to share that knowledge.


The awesomeness of this is self-explanatory...


And our first little dip in the Hawaiian waters:


And f you go to Honolulu, may we recommend two fabulous restaurants? One fancy and one less fancy. Alan Wong's was incredible!!! Start to finish, everything was ridiculously delicious. And we recommend sitting next to some friends of the owner (like we happened to be) who get plates and plates of desserts on the house and offer them to you. That was the best part!

The other more casual restaurant, Town, served local, seasonal food. So tasty!! We went the multiple appetizer route, which I recommend. And they used old menus for their coasters, which I loved.

So, there you have it! Our little Hawaiian vacation in a nutshell. Aloooooooo-ha!

Speaking of SPAM

(which I learned is short for "spiced ham", by the way)

We happened to be in town for the annual Waikiki SPAM Jam - Yes, this is a real fesival...see?

(thank you, D, for always indulging me)

From a reliable source (friend of D's who used to work there) SPAM is actually "composed" of rather high quality "parts" and is said to be preferable to a hot dog. So, we went for it. It would have been rude of us NOT to participate in all things SPAM, right?

D had a SPAM burger and SPAM fries:


And I had one of those slabs of SPAM on a mound of rice wrapped with nori...can't remember what it was called (update: it's called a musubi - thank you, Tracy RN, MSN, PHN). And something weird happened, as I was about to take a bite, some girl walked by, smiled, and asked if it was the first time I had tried one of those. I wonder if there is SPAM/rice mound etiquette that I was breaching? Or perhaps I just had an apprehensive look on my face. Hmmm.... Or maybe I'm just Miss paranoia. Whatever.

There was even Spamghetti - I would totally eat that.


And there you have it - a SPAM fest. Pretty cool.

Sidenote: Darren Benitez, a Hawaiian singer was performing at the SPAM Jam, and he was pretty freakin' talented and fabulous. And you can download him on iTunes - I'll see you there!

**I failed to mention that the SPAM was actually quite tasty. I'm probably not likely to buy or prepare spiced ham ever (deviled ham is another story), but I am not above partaking in a dedicated SPAM festival now and again.

Honolulu Quilt Show

Many of my hater friends have rolled their eyes at me when I told them I went to a Hawaii Quilters Guild quilt show while in Hawaii. I suppose that's not typical for a 30 year-old gal on vacation, but whatever.

I found myself taking photos of basically every quilt in the show, but these were my favorites. Very few of the quilts at the show were of a style I have ever created (or thought to create - or COULD create), but I was quite inspired. Do click on the photos and look at them in finer detail.

This was a showcase piece. I couldn't capture the texture with my camera, but it was beautiful.

A "stained glass" wall hanging.

If you look up close, every single piece is appliqued onto a black background. It was STUNNING.

Holly Hock


Another meticulous wall hanging

A beautiful variation of the Hawaiian Quilt

Aloha!

McSpam & Eggs

I seldom eat fast food, but at McDonald's in Hawaii, they serve a spam, egg, and rice plate for breakfast. We, of course, had to sample the local fare.

Me likee.

D, not so much.

And check out the trash receptacles. So polite.

Hawaiian Quilting Class

Surprisingly (not), while on vacation, I took a Hawaiian Quilting class to learn how they make those incredible quilts. I bought a pattern book about 5 years ago, but do you think I've opened it? Well, maybe I will now that I sort of know what I'm doing.

The class was run by a couple of native Hawaiian women, daughters of this man who used to design the patterns for many Hawaiian quilt makers. He was there still designing patterns for those who wanted them. Here's a photo of him sketching one out:


And the final product:


75% of the women (and one man!) quilting were regulars working on huge bed spreads. This quilter was kind enough to pose for me:


This one shows a better contrast (yes, it's sideways):


I was at a small table with out-of-town beginners. Here's the "breadfruit" pillow cover I was working on. I wanted to show you the stages - pinning, basting, and then pin-turning.


Maybe someday, if I ever finish it, I'll show you the finished product. If you're in Honolulu on a Saturday, I recommend checking this class out. And what's extra-great about the class is that it's held at Iolani Palace, so you can cram a little tourism in there as well....and the little bagel rolls pre-filled with cream cheese.

Aloha!

D and I just got back from 5 days in Honolulu. Aaaaah. I needed that. This week I'll update you on the goings on of our wonderful little vacation. There was a lot of good eating, sight-seeing, a little SCUBA, a little shopping, and never as much lounging as you want.

First item of business, shave ice.

Waiola vs. Matsumoto

Waiola was closer, so we tried this one first. The ice was finely shaved, the line was short, and delicious.

Matsumoto, a 1 hour drive away, had a coarser shave, long line, and cheap! The coconut flavor was hot pink (why?), but also delicious.

My study was very scientific - always passion fruit and coconut, with no ice cream or beans (what is that all about??). And the result? Well, when it comes to sweet treats, I'm not all that discerning. Both delicious and refreshing, and both better than other shave ice places I tried.

Maybe I should bust out my Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine and recreate....

Sweet Magnolia

Most people go to New York to see sites and go to museums and stuff.... And sure, I hoped to see those things....on my way to food! We hit Magnolia Bakery on our way to the show (an appropriate dinner, wouldn't you say?). It was heavenly.

Here were my picks:


And this wasn't supposed to happen, but I'm so glad it did:


You just walk right in (at the mercy of the Bakery Bouncer....yes, a bouncer) and pick out a few cupcakes you like, pack 'em up yo' self, and enjoy them in the park across the street.


I loved how they store the sprinkles and such in jars.


A splendid afternoon indeed. However, I'll need to return to sample all the flavors.

Finally!!

Ok, seriously, this is the LAST TIME you ever have to look at this blanket. I'm happy to see it every day, but I've really milked this project. Thank you for bearing with the recycled material.

I machine quilted it with a diagonal cross-hatch pattern and I'm quite pleased. I would have liked to say I free-motion quilted it, but I think with the angular pattern of the bento box, it's better to keep it simple. And frankly, I'm not that good yet.

I bound it with orange, per the recommendation of my favorite shop-keeper (Pea Pod).

Come to think of it, this is the first blanket I've quilted, actually kept (is that selfish?), and washed (I now know to wash before giving...). I didn't realize how awesomely scrunchy it gets! It looks so cozy and loved and lovable.

I love the way it looks much that I'm returning to an old quilt to do a little more hand-quilting. I haven't yet washed it (because I haven't yet used it) so I'm exited to see the transformation.

p.s. don't you love my recycled door headboard (probably full of flaking lead paint, but whatever)? D stole it for me from someone else's trash pile. And that's better than a dozen long-stems, if you ask me.

I've Got the Blues

All of them, in fact. And a couple greens and grays. This is what I wear. Every. Day. To. Work.

Suppose I should switch up the palate a little, yes? Yipes.

Blue Runner

You were expecting all sorts of updates from New York, weren't you? Well, me too. But photos were all taken on D's camera and I have been working every day since I got back and bla bla bla. Sorry.

We stayed in Staten Island with D's mom. I made her this runner in blues (her favorite color) which paled in comparison, really, to her awesome hostessness (yes, this is a word...now).

Front:

Back:

Inspired by the great DS, of course.

Soon, I'll get those photos from D and send you more about NY. In the mean time, if anyone feels like sending me a sweet camera, I'll send you my address...

Nueva Jork

Tonight D and I are leaving for NYC! We'll be away until Monday night. Plans include, attending a wedding, meeting family and friends, going to a show (!), eating delicious sandwiches, and I'm SOOPER excited about finally going to Purl Patchwork....because I need more fabric and/or projects.

Speaking of more projects, look what D bought me out of the blue:

Isn't that the most thoughtful thing?? He knows I like her. I told him, "now I can't go to New York because I have potato stamping to do..." He rebutted with, "It says she has a studio in Brooklyn though."

You carrying my bag or shall I?

Nailed, Again

For the 4th time in 12 months, I had to have my tire patched (culprit above). Man! I had grand plans of shopping yesterday, but those were squashed when I heard "psssssssssssssssss" and this shiny little shopping-day-destroyer nestled in the groove of my tire.

Loved driving to work yesterday over the Bay Bridge on my doughnut at 40 miles an hour with my hazards on. People really love that. Thankfully, Big O patches your tire for free AND gives you a free coffee coupon to the cafe across the street to sip on while you wait. How great is that? It would be even greater if they washed my car too, but...

I'm keeping the bolt in my car to ward off evil spirits, for at least another 12 months.

Window Box

Our house was recently repainted and my dad made us this beautiful little window box to go with the facelift. We planted it with bright little flowers, and now I think our house is the cutest on the block.



It makes me so happy to come home.

Ain't No Challa Back Girl

I couldn't resist the title... I am so my father's daughter (the guy who says we're having halibut for dinner, just for the "halibut"....every time.)



Here's the gorgeous (and slightly overbaked - I did it better next time) challa I made from my new favorite book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

I also made this Portuguese corn bread....not to be confused with the sweetened cornbread you slather with honey and eat with chili. Although, I did eat it with chili and it was scrumptious.



The idea is, you make a big wettish batch of dough, let it rise once, and throw it in the fridge. When you want bread, you cut off a hunk, let it sit a few minutes, bake it, and voila! You're a homemaker extraordinaire.

How great is that??

Crafty Roots

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to my mom and dad and thank them for giving me crafty roots. My dad is an impressive woodworker (in his time off), a kick-ass cook, and can fix most anything. I think he even went through a batiking phase. He's also a world-famous scientist and is currently starting a beer business.

And my mom has done painting, sewing, Ukranian eggs, gardenig, lots of cooking/baking, cake-decorating, and has a general "we can make that at home" approach. She's the one who taught me to sew, cook, garden, and "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

Above is a painting my mom did probably long before I started making her drive me to the fabric store.

Thanks guys - I guess the apple doesn't fall too far...

Wee Kimono-Shirt - Worn

Here is my precious angel baby (aka niece, Maile) sporting the shirt I made her.


She's not lookin' so happy in it right here. But it fits! (barely) Next time, maybe no ribbon tie. This crafty 10 month-old pulled that ribbon in no time. And next time, bigger, of course.

Where I Live

D was on transport this weekend and got to fly to the Central Valley. Check out this shot of the bridge he captured on the way...



And it happened to be a clear day in my neighborhood.



Can you believe this is where I live?? So cool.
(And can you believe he gets to do this for his job? Even cooler.)