Summer Lovin'

Since most of my craftiness this past couple weeks has been in the kitchen or the yard (I should say containers within the yard) and my camera, well it just sucks, and it's refusing to photograph, I've decided to just share a list of some of my favorite things lately which make me all giddy inside!

1. Spoonflower: A new "shop" which allows you to upload and edit designs to be printed into fabric. The black apple, one of my favorite crafty artists has already uploaded hers! I'm still waiting to be approved for membership (it's still in beta I think) and I may not have the cash for my own fabric, but it is fun to admire the designs. They also have a flickr group.

2. Farmer's Markets: I'm going to TRY and hit one on each of my Saturday's off. It just feels better to eat fresh, local food. Plus I discovered a new (to me) site called local harvest which tells me there is one only a few miles away, which is so much better than travelling to Clintonville or the North Market since they are sadly so far away from me now!

3. A.D.O.P.T and Rascal Unit: These are two fabulous pet advocate organizations. I would be so lost without them this month! Last week we finally caught mama cat, got her spayed and have released her back out into our yard. This was quite a task and she did not like it one bit, but she is finally fixed! She doesn't seem to like us like she used to --as much as a feral cat can like humans anyway-- but the food we put out is gone every morning. Her kitten (aka "Chicken" around here) will hopefully be listed on ADOPT's page very soon, pending my approval as a foster parent. So if you want to take his cute little butt home there is still time! Chicken Lickin' will be a hard little guy to part with...he gets his first round of shots this AM.

And one not so giddy piece of news...I've pretty much decided 2008 will NOT be the year of the craft fair for me. As much as I really do want to try my hand at a craft fair, I think I would be doing it for the wrong reasons. And things I can 'mass produce' are limited and not my favorite things to make. What I am truly wanting to make lately are clothes, things for the house, perhaps another quilt...the list goes on...for now it will still be just me and the etsy shop.

You MUST make this omelet!

We had my family over for a Father's Day brunch today and MAN we ate well! I made an Oven Omelet from The Splendid Table's: How to Eat Supper.

So. Freaking. Good.

It has 2 types of cheese, green apples, onions and chard. I had never even heard of chard before this recipe and I used red chard actually, because it was what they had at the grocery store. It tasted great, kinda spinachy, but better. And the apples added an amazing twist to the whole thing.

How to Eat Supper is an amazing read. I've been reading about it over at angry chicken and finally my much anticipated copy arrived on reserve from the library last week. I think I'm going to have to buy this one though. I have made two recipes from it this week and both exceeded my expectations (I also highly recommend the Santa Fe Summer Pot with Avocado and Shrimp -made that Monday night). This is actually a cookbook you can sit down and read as well, lots of little stories, which I am digging. It is so much more than a cookbook...

As this very busy Sunday winds down I am going to head out into the setting sun and plant me some herbs! I'm going to give this whole gardening thing another try I guess...and then maybe finish off the wine from brunch. Oh and do you know anyone who wants a kitten? I know a really cute one who needs a home. I cannot keep this one, but I am teaching him superb kitty manners. Don't you want to take this cutie home with you?

Questions and Answers

I was tagged by Cathy and I've decided to play along. Here are my revealing answers, plus a 10 year old pic to boot! Read on for details...

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Well, I was 21...I was in college, it would've been spring quarter and I lived in a house with 4 other girls. My early twenties were a tough time for me. I was insecure and confused about many things. I am so glad not to be that age anymore! I was a Natural Resource major at Ohio State then and I still thought I was going to move out West and be a park ranger! This time of year, I was actually getting ready to head out for a summer position with the Student Conservation Association. That summer ended up being one of the best summers of my life and typing this I cannot believe it was 10 years ago! My favorite thing I did that summer was hike to the top of Mount Saint Helens. The picture at the top of this blog is me standing at the top! A close second would've been spending the night on Shi Shi Beach that summer. I have since been back to Shi Shi twice! If you ever have the chance, it is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country! Both adventures have really great stories to go along with them, involving flat tires and 'roving bovines' (cows crossing the road) but they are waaaaay too long for a blog.

What are 5 things on my To-do list for today?
How about for the rest of this week? Today is almost over :(
1. Paint dining room
2. Finish putting dining room chairs together
3. Read my Business of People Book (by tomorrow!!!)
4. Clean bathrooms
5. Try and catch the feral kitties under my deck --umm this has been on my list for a few weeks now. I am no kitty catcher!

What are my favorite snacks?
This varies from year to year but right now I love String Cheese and Haagen Daz light Carmel Cone ice cream

Things I would do if I were a billionaire?
If only! I'd pay off the house of course, and all other debt. Perhaps buy a better house. Definitely buy my dream sewing machine. Give money to friends and family. Pick a few charities I really believe in and donate a ton of money. I'd still try and keep it real and shop at the thrift store and Odd Lots and live like the middle class gal I was destined to be but I would also go to Anthropologie a heck of a lot more!!! My middle class 'keep it real' philosophy wouldn't apply to my wardrobe, ha!

Places I have lived:
Columbus -Parents house
Columbus -Smith Hall, OSU Campus
Columbus -various dingy college apartments: E 12th Ave (unbeknown to me and long before we knew each other, David actually lived next door!) -E Lane Ave, another street I forget the name of
Columbus -with an ex boyfriend
Columbus -back with mom and dad
Grandview
Columbus -Short North
Gahanna

I'm only tagging 2, playingjoyce and ridiculology and I won't force you to play along (you know, cuz I can do that) since I am always bad at doing these, but I'd love to read your answers!

Breaking in the craft room

Finally, I did some sewing in my new house! Man, it felt good. And the best part? I even finished what I started: curtains for the kitchen! Take a look...
All done in about an hour and a half! I love curtains. So easy...it was just what I needed! I've been having major troubles settling into a routine since the move so I just feel fabulous that I actually busted out my machine and made something! Seriously, the last 2 weeks I have watched so much cable, it is truly sickening! Most of it HGTV too. An old favorite, House Hunters is stil on plus many many other shows...I haven't had cable in 4 years --it is so worsened by that, I can't control myself! I've also discovered a show on the Discovery Channel called The Alaska Experiment. It makes Survivor look completely lame and man, OK, I'm gonna stop talking TV now, gotta finish watching the Daily Show...and see what is on HGTV.

Last Look

Today we completely finished moving out of our old place. We really are moving on...There isn't a trace of Amanda and David on Warren St anymore. We've disappeared! I spent the morning cleaning our old kitchen, bathrooms, carpets and floors and although it was empty I still felt as if the cats would run down the steps or that I would see a craft project strewn on the floor. I always have a hard time letting go of the image of the houses I have lived in...this one will be particularly hard because we spent 4 years there and we grew up a little bit more...but it isn't our house anymore. We have a new place to make memories in and keep growing, but moving on is always bittersweet, isn't it? I'll miss our old place, despite it's many flaws. Now it moves into the realm of hindsight, where my memories grow a more little rose-colored and romanticized.

And for the new house, we are starting to get things set up...I really do hope to have my craft room (that's right, I said ROOM) set up this week. I recently learned Craftin' Outlaws will be a whole 2 months earlier this year! So I need to get crafty STAT if I hope to try and apply this year!

Itty Bitties!

We found these 4 cuties at our new home this weekend...They were living under the gas grill the previous owners left behind. My realtor and I discovered them when we lifted up the grill cover. I do not think they had seen many humans up close before because they were terrified and shaking and hissing at us. They never really did warm up to us before we took them to the Humane Society. Only one (the smoky grey one) warmed up enough to be held. We had to rescue another one from an adventure down the dryer vent. But they are all safe now. And my first mission when we are all moved in is to track down Mama cat...whom we couldn't catch, but who according to the neighbors has had 3 litters!!! We need to get her fixed!

A trip back to 1990

I found the most amazing memory today while packing up potting soil and some unused planters and gardening tools. I came across a box of letters written to me when I spent 2 months in Tacoma, WA in 1990, the summer after 7th grade. Who knows why in the world I still have them or why they were in with the gardening equipment (although placing them there is completely something I would do in some random moment). Take a look:

Some of my favorite lines from these letters:
"Oh my gosh. I took jazz from this guy & I swear all he said the whole time was 'tighten the buns!'"
and
"The only thing that keeps me going are your letters and knowing I'm going to be 13."
Such drama! Anotherother find: a bunch of paper dolls!

I'll have to think of something crafty to do with them...or just save them. I still love paper dolls. I had no idea any of these things existed and barely remember any of it really, even that time period of my life. What a random find!! Sometimes it pays to be a bit of pack-rat! Lastly, here my former craft area is all packed up: Do you see Lola? I did leave out some crochet hooks and embroidery floss though...just in case!