Dear Blank...

I love these.  They are cards made by Sapling Press.  I ordered the first one and hung it in my workshop just because it makes me smile every single time I read it.  The last one I bought for a coworker who works for Corporate Affairs and is always providing the less grammatically savvy amongst us with pointers about when to use a semi-colon, when to use an "n" vs. an "m" dash, when to just shut up and let her write the sentence for us. 

I discovered these via Abby and this post covering the National Stationary Show.  Isn't Abby's blog always a source of inspiration?

Summertime's List of Desires

Although it seems antithetical to the lackadaisical ways of summer, I always have a list of the things I want to do, see and eat each summer.  I attribute it to the Minnesotan in me--winter is long and summer is fleeting, and carpe diem is the only way to fly if you want to get the most out of that little respite of warm weather we have around here.  But aside from all that, I just like the happy anticipation of making a list of all the good things you can do during the summer.  And even though it s only 65 degrees here today, the sun is still shining and the garden is growing and I know there is so much goodness to come.  So, here's my list:

1. An evening at the drive-in movie theatre with friends and lots of great food and drinks in the cooler
2. Monthly picnics, with an open invitation to friends to join

3. Can more jam--blubarb, raspberry, raspberry jalapeno, pepper

4. Monthly camping trips to escape the city

5. Make lots and lots of popsicles, including some new flavors

6. Dig a new, bigger garden bed for french green beans, small melons, kale, summer squash and tomatoes

7. Paint the outdoor chairs in mismatched bright colors

8. Build a playhouse for Beeper

9. Weekly trips on bike to the local beach

10. Hiking at at least 2 state parks we have not visited before

11. Dinner at a drive-in burger joint

12. Bike everywhere that we can

13. Dinner at the Tin Fish (local open air restaurant on the lake)

14. Lots of games of kick ball with the kiddies

15. Camp at Split Rock State Park on Lake Superior's north shore

16. Weekend trip to Madeleine Island in Lake Superior

17. Catch the Led Zeppelin cover band if they play the Lake Harriet Pavilion again this summer

18. Tettegouche family summer camp with friends

19. Weekly trips to the farmer's market

20. Catch some of the open air movies in the park

21. Attend our neighborhood Art Fair

22. Do a full day at the Minnesota State Fair and eat ourselves silly or sick 

23. Check out the milk carton boat races and the sand sculpture competition during Minneapolis' Aquatennial celebration

24. Make lots and lots of new summer foods--burgers, kebabs, salads, pies, ribs, creative sandwiches--for picnics and al fresco dining

25. Outdoor movies in the backyard with the neighbors

 What is on your list for this summer?  Share already.

Rae's Quilt: Fabric and Label

Thought I would drop in and show you the very beginnings of that picnic quilt I am making for Rae (no, not that Rae), the head of the crazy department where I work for my day job.  I not only owe my career to Rae, but she has also been a source of personal inspiration over the 10 years I have worked for her.  Anyway, so she is retiring this month and I am making her a picnic/lawn/nap sorta quilt as a gift.  Since this is my very first quilting endeavor (excluding the doll quilt I designed a couple of months ago--and the simple quilts I made for the Binky Bunnies), I thought I would share the process with you in more detail than you might care to know.

So, here is the stack of fabrics I purchased for her quilt.  Bright pinks often show up in Rae's wardrobe so I wanted to feature that color.  I also printed a label with the happy wishes on some fabric and will sew that on latter (full disclosure: making the label was part of my further procraftstination to actually get started with the real process of making the quilt).  In further madness, I actually drew up my own quilt design (pretty basic, but still...) and worked out the  measurements for the pieces and am working from that.  I know.  You can call me stupid later when I come to you sobbing because I have no idea what I am doing and am left with nothing but a quilt shaped mess of fabric.

The Birthday Invitation

We are in the midst of planning for Beeper's 7th birthday over here.  This is the photo that will go on the front of his invitation.  What was an interest in Legos in the past couple of months has evolved into an obsession so all notions of a HP wizarding birthday party were chucked aside in the interest of Legos. 

And if you are interested about the Lego figures above, some of the figures in the photo are from various Lego sets Beeper already owns, but many of them (the punk rockstar, the surfer girl, frankenstein, etc) are from the individual Lego minifigures (series 4) you can purchase for $3 each--we bought them as favors for the party. I love these figures (especially that gnome with the fishing pole--perhaps a favor for mommy?) but the downside about them is that they come packaged individually in little opaque bags and you do not know which figure you are purchasing--just that it will be one of the 16 that are part of that particular minifigures series.  Honestly, this really irritated me at first, but then when Beeper and I opened the packages together it was oddly thrilling to discover what each package contained--it is all about cheap thrills over here, people.  Anyway, you just have to be okay with the fact that you will likely have some duplicate figures (we did--the punker and the French artist).  

I will be back with more party details as we manage to work out what they will be--including how you keep Legos contained when you plan to have the birthday party outdoors at your neighborhood park.

Quilted Inspiration

Ungt Blod

EmiShimosato

Colorwheel Quilt (love!) from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, made by Silkaphyllis

Spinda Quilt by Maria Shell

Simply Robin

Fresh Lemons

These are all part of my recent quilt inspiration--something I am needing because I am hellbent on making my very first big-person-sized quilt--especially since Rae threw down the gauntlet over this when I left a comment on her blog mentioning that I had never made a quilt and was freaked by the whole prospect.  She claims she will take on some new challenge of my choice if I make my first quilt (not sure she was serious--not sure what I would even challenge her with...but I am coming for you, Rae, so watch for my email...).  But back to the subject at hand...  

If you will recall, I bought that stack of Good Folks fat quarters some time ago with the intent of making them into a quilt for my bed--but they have been sitting dormant on my workshop shelves for over a year and I am rethinking my whole plan now.  First, I love the quilt above made from the very same Good Folks fabrics I have and I am thinking I may attempt this and will call it a picnic quilt since I have decreed to my family and friends that there must be a picnic at least once per month through September (part of my overall summer plans--more about that later).  But, more imminently, R., the wonderful woman who leads my department at work and who has been a mentor of super-heroic proportions to me (truly, I owe my career to her), is retiring this month and I want to make a picnic quilt for her as a farewell gift as she embarks upon her new post-retirement life on Madeleine Island in Lake Superior...so that quilt will absolutely come first and I have purchased some lovely fabrics that I think are to her taste. (is it wise to make your very first quilt and plan for it to be a gift?  I think not...but I am compelled to do these stupid things at times and in some strange way, they are what ultimately moves me forward on a task I am waffling over...) 

Also (stay with me if you can bear it), I still want to make a quilt for our bed--but I really think it needs to be made from cotton voile--ever since I touched that cotton voile quilt at Liberty of London I have been dreaming of sleeping under one for myself...but I think it will not be Liberty of London fabrics since I really do not think Mr Beeper would like it if I hawked his car for fabric--even if it is for a luxurious quilt certain to induce peaceful sleep and good dreams.  I think some more Anna Maria Horner in cotton voile will work just fine though with far less severe financial sacrifices required.

Beyond that?  Who knows...maybe a quilt for my mum because she should have one, and this lego quilt for Beeper because that would be certain to induce the best sort of little boy dreams for him. 

How about you?  What is your procrastination craft you have been dreaming about for far too long?  Do you need someone to throw down the gauntlet to you--because I am happy to be that person, be your own personal Rae...it could be a "procraftstination" challenge.   Let me work up the details on this and I will get back to you...

Happy Day to All the Mamas

Beeper made this drawing of me and him under a sky that is raining hearts in a rainbow of colors.  Really, is there anything better than being a mama when you are the recipient of so much love?  Also, I like to see that he sees me as being so skinny with such long legs.  Lovely boy.

And as long as I am here writing about my boy, thought I would also share a little poem he wrote for Earth Day--because it may be my favorite ever creative endeavor of his so far....

IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD

If I were in the charge of the world

I'd cancel school and tomatoes and

really early mornings.

If I were in charge of the world

there'd be more dinosaurs and pet

octopus and candy every day.

If I were in charge of the world

you wouldn't have fruits or vegetables

you wouldn't have smelly socks

you wouldn't have shoes.

If I were in charge of the world

jellybeans and donuts would be

vegetables.

And a person who forgot to do their

homework and drink lots of water

would still be allowed

to be in charge of the world.

Hope your days are filled with some smiles and loads of love.  Everyone deserves some of that--but especially mamas.

Eat This: Mama's Best French Toast

Okay, yeah.  This is french toast we are talking about here--not exactly requiring high levels of culinary skill to make, certainly nothing that everyone does not already know something about how to make.  But I really, really, really love this particular french toast--like, I eat it for breakfast every freakin weekend because it just so tasty, and I sort of like to think that when made with whole grain bread it is even maybe somehow good for me (nevermind the bacon that usually comes on the side negates all those notions of nutritional grandeur...).

It is all about the toppings really--that combo of pecans, fresh blueberries and sliced bananas.  You put that on some milk and egg soaked bread that has had the flavor turned up with some vanilla and cinnamon and to me it is fit for HRH Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.  I am sure she would like and eat this if only I could get it introduced to the royal kitchen in some way.

I do add a little flour to my batter just to give the french toast a nice brown crust that holds in all sweet and lovely cinnamon for you.  And, yes, I just make mine with regular old whole wheat sandwich bread--but you could get a little swankier and make it with challah or some cinnamon swirl bread. 

 So you should try it.  I've got the recipe right here for you:

DOWNLOAD FRENCH TOAST RECIPE

It would make a lovely mama's day breakfast if, like me,  you really like french toast--plus it is a manageable recipe for the kiddies if they want to get in on it.

Happy weekend breakfasting.