Bird & Squirrel

The Life and Times of Some Chickens

2011-08-25T13:43:00.005-04:00

It all started with a little ad campaign by The Sak. That's how i was introduced to the witty and wonderful world of Sloane Tanen's Chicks.

i stopped dead in my tracks inside Border's one day reading through Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same. It got to the point that i really wasn't snacking on one or two grapes in the grocery store, but i ate an entire bunch. Of course i walked out of the store with that book- i was hooked!

Tanen's quick wit and hilariously true tales of the lives of little pipe cleaner chicks living on the mean streets of NYC or vacationing in Kentucky will no doubt leave you laughing and looking for more. Trust me- i have- and i do!

it's the most wonderful time of the year

2011-08-23T11:26:00.005-04:00

How come myself and other devoted Lilly Pulitzer ladies always refer to Lilly sales with Christmas themes? I'm not kidding, this is the most wonderful time of the year! It is the annual Lilly Pulitzer huge end of season sale! Last year i was 4 months preggo and the last thing on my mind (my bloated, wierd-craving, water-retaining mind) was fitting into a slim LP dress or skinny polo shirt. And a girl can only buy so many LP accessories and McKim sandals! So, much to the Mister's content, i avoided that sale like the plague. This year? Different story. Such a different story. I was dropping JMS off at school this morning when the text came in from Catherine.

C: Sales up!
M: Driving ack!
C: Oh no!! Hurry!

don't worry, dear readers, i did not commit any speeding violations or flip off people driving 60 in the fast lane. (well maybe i wanted to, a little...) I made it safely to my computer and promptly added to my LP tote and ordered the following: (AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES, I MIGHT ADD!)

A Franco Dress in "Peel and Eat"

And how can i forget the Moms! I could not live without my mother and mother-in-law during the first month I had JMS. They provided daily shoulders to cry on, helped with laundry, gave me constant encouragement, and most importantly, held the boy when i needed an afternoon nap! Oh the naps were my favorite part of my day! To each, a Murfee!

Mom's Murfee

My Mother-in-Law's Murfee

My friends picked up Lilly table cloths, beautiful dresses of their own, and of course, Murfees! The Murfees, which are originally $118 (yikes, i know!) were only $39! really! go there now! go on, we're done here!

Baby Friendly Vacation

2011-08-22T13:51:00.006-04:00

Ever heard of baby proofing your house? You know, putting locks on your liquor cabinets, hiding all of your fine china, plugging up your electrical outlets, getting rid of table cloths that are just ripe for the pulling?

How about baby proofing your vacation? The Mister and i are recently back from one successful first family vacation in Ogunquit, Maine. We went, very optomistic that JMS would nap on the beach, ride along in his stroller for late night ice cream cones, and otherwise enjoy the salt air like his beach loving parents. We also went, knowing full well that certain types of restaurants were out of the question, knowing that the little guy is just learning that it can be very boring to sit in your seat while everyone else around you is eating and playing with things ie: drinking from wine glasses and eating with utensils.

We worked around the little guy by going to baby-friendly restaurants, eating al fresco at local sandwich shops, making sure he was able to get his naps in- either by strolling him around the town, or putting him in the baby bjorn and letting him doze. He even impressed us by sleeping soundly in his little baby sun tent at the beach! (what a guy!) Moral of the story- work around your little one's schedule, but remember to enjoy yourselves and not stick to a rigid on-the-minute feeding, nap and sleeping routine. We made sure to be back at the hotel to give him his little dinner of sweet potato puree, but once he was finished, given a bath, and put in his sleep jammies, we tucked him in the stroller and headed into town for ice cream.

Happy Hour for parents= baby in Baby Bjorn, and pinot grigio in hotel pastic cups.

Walking on Ogunquit Beach late night with the family.

how i'm spending my summer vacation.

2011-07-07T16:03:00.008-04:00

summer with the boy has been a new adventure for the Mister and i. Fortunately it involves lots of this:

and this:

and this: (thank you to my brother)

and this:

oh, and how can i forget this! (thanks to beverly!!)

it's been a while, hasn't it?

2011-06-15T13:28:00.006-04:00

Meet Jake.

otherwise known as the love of my life.

My Valentine's Day sweet surprise, my sweet love heartbreaker, my little baby boy.

Project 8

2010-06-08T16:43:00.005-04:00

Have you ever felt so helpless in the face of a natural disaster and all you can do is sit in front of your computer reading article after article, view picture after picture of the tragedy and wish you could run down there, and just do something? Anything? A friend of mine in my knitting group directed me to this wonderfully inspiring project to help the hundreds of animals that were unfortunate casualties to the BP oil spill. You may have noticed Dawn Soap commercials on television depicting workers hand washing away the disgusting brown oil coating pelicans, turtles, ducks and birds.

Craft Hope has partnered with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, The Audobon Institute, and The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge for Project 8. You can read all about Project 8 and how you can help by knitting, crocheting, or sewing washcloths and small towels that will be used to wash off these precious little guys.

The deadline for Project 8 is July 3rd

You can mail your handmade towels here:

Kimberly Davion
c/o IMMS Oil Spill Relief
1700 East La Rua Street
Pensacola, Florida 32501
USA

i don't know about you, but i'll be raiding my stash tonight in search of washcloth-friendly yarns to knit up some little towels. In case you're looking for a free, quick and easy pattern for this- check out this one from The Chicks With Sticks Guide to Knitting.

hello, remember that time we blogged together?

2010-06-04T10:24:00.004-04:00

i know. you may not remember me, but i sure do remember you. and so is life as a blogger- especially a crafty hands-full, zippy summer loving gal. How is it that this tends to be a seasonal blog? summer, winter, fall= craft heaven= life updates. so let's update, shall we?

two lovelies of mine were married in York Beach, Maine this memorial day. And what a day it was! Lilly lover that i am, i put husband to the test by asking (begging) that match with me. (and of course i helped it along by actually BUYING the tie and giving it to him as a gift). but he's a good sport and i love him for it.

more on the wedding, friends. i'm short. it's a fact. sometimes i honestly believe that i am just as tall as everyone else around me. you know that scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's when Fred Baby is talking with O.J. Berman about Holly, and O.J. asks Fred if he thinks Holly's a phony? Fred says, "i don't think so." To which O.J. replies, "You don't know, huh? Well you're wrong. She is. But on the other hand, you're right. Because she's a real phony. She honestly believes all this phony junk." Now, much like Holly Golightly, i honestly believe that i am not short! But then when i find myself in a situation like the one below, it kind of hits me that, um yea... i guess i am kind of the short stick.

so we'll talk more soon. promise. and i promise recipes & craft projects & life updates & home improvement projects. really.

Olympic Mascot Controversy!?

2010-02-15T12:57:00.012-05:00

Is anyone else out there as excited about the Olympics as i am? Has anyone else out there contemplated changing their ringtone to this? Has anyone else out there found themselves looking to book travel arrangements for a summer vacation to London in 2010?

True confessions: i love the Olympics! When i was in middle school i competed in the Connecticut Nutmeg State Games (Connecticut's state Olympics) twice for synchronized swimming, winning 3 bronze medals. Now, the closest i get to the medals is my Donald Duck medal from the Disney Half Marathon last month.

So, like any self respecting Olympic addict, i have been reading Olympic-related every article i find online, following the athletes from Connecticut, and shopping online for Olympic schwag, of course! What has my searching and reading yielded? Olympic Mascot Controversy!!

Even if you've been half paying attention to the Olympics you may have seen the cute little Olympic Mascots, Miga the Sea Bear, Quatchi the Sasquatch, and Sumi, the Thunderbird. But wait- that's only 3 mascots... How come sometimes you see 4 of them? Who's the little guy with the orange wool hat? oh yea... that's MUKMUK the marmot!

see him? he's the little guy picking up the rear.

Well, after quickly falling in love with little Mukmuk, i started googling him and trying to find out more about this little guy, which brought me to THIS. He is a mascot rebel! (and yes, i already joined the Mukmuk facebook group)... The official Vancouver 2010 online store has a few Mukmuk items, but more importantly, Mukmuk is the second most popular mascot item in the mascot store! and he's only a sidekick!

Problem: i need a Mukmuk, and i need one NOW. Solution: make my own.

After a quick inventory of my felt & embroidery floss, i took a quick trip to AC Moore for some pom poms, and the end result is a Mukmuk!

Here he is in the snow with Sock Monkey watching Hannah Kearney win gold in the women's freestyle moguls.

And here he is waiting to watch the USA men's hockey team.

Whether he's indoors watching Hockey or outside watching the luge or cross country skiing, he'll be ready for anything with a set of his very own Canada mittens to cheer on his country. Yes, he is one stylish little marmot.

Here he is modeling his mittens.

What's on deck? A Quatchi, perhaps?!

Happy World NUTELLA DAY!!

2010-02-05T12:03:00.004-05:00

Probably the best man made holiday next to Valentine's Day, is World NUTELLA day. It's a celebration of all things hazlenutty and milk chocolatey. i can remember many a summer in Italy with my family where not a single day would go by without a thick slice of crusty italian bread topped with a generous slather of Nutella. -and still to this day, my all time favorite Nutella recipe is simply Nutella on crusty italian bread. Nothing Better.

Unfortunately due to an incredibly busy work week, i was not able to officially participate in the World Nutella Day festivities by baking my own Nutella confection. No fear, fellow chocolate carbohydrate lovers, next week a fabulous Nutella treat will find its way into my office. Until then, you'll have to check out this amazing feat by my friend, and fellow Nutella-lover, Mozart has done: not only has she celebrated World Nutella Day on her blog and in her kitchen, but she celebrated World Nutella week!

And for your own enjoyment, some fabulous Nutella creations:

The Sweetest Kitchen

Giada DiLaurentiis' Mascarpone Cheesecake with Nutella drizzle

Nutella Cherry Oat Bars

Nutella Biscotti

Nutella Swirl Bread

Nutella Stuffed Cookies

Nutella Hazlenut Tart

Nigella's Nutella Cake

run run run

2010-02-04T20:19:00.010-05:00

Marie & Alayna do Disney 2010!

Training runs early in the morning, blisters, chafing belly buttons, shin splints, and yes, even bloody nipples finally paid off at the Disney World Half Marathon!

i ran the 2010 Disney Half in Orlando with my best friend Alayna and it kicked ass.

although we had to wake up at 2:00 in the morning on a frigid, dark, rainy Florida morning. No kidding! it was a BLISTERY 30 degree morning complete with every possible form of precipitation that could ever fall from the sky: snow, freezing rain, and rain. IN ORLANDO, PEOPLE!!

but it was all worth it after we crossed the finish line 13.1 miles later and got that big old Donald medal put around our necks.

posing with our homegirl, Daisy!

...i could wear this medal every day.

one stacked christmas tree & Giada's nail color

2009-12-28T13:44:00.009-05:00

Merry Post-Christmas, kids!

Now that the cookies are baked & shared, the presents have been wrapped & opened, and the feast of the seven fishes is long gone, i thought i'd take stock of this year's festivities.

Did you get everything you asked Santa for?

i must have been a very, very good girl this year because i got everything i could have ever hoped for, and more! The Mister came through and (reluctantly) got me something i've been lusting after for months- a pair of converse all stars!

the last time i opened up a box of these was when i was in high school! oh well, old habits die hard.

Because The Mister was so dead set against something that he thinks is well, "just Miley," he had to off set it with something a little more glam..... and really, no complaints from this high schooler.

and finally, i first found this beautiful creation from the gracious nienie dialougues. i sent along the link to The Mister quite a while ago, and much to my glee, he surprised me with this!

Mister = Rocks!

One gift, however, did not make it to the front door... i have been trying to pinpoint the exact shade of Giada De Laurentiis' nail color. This quest has been going on since probably 2003 when i first saw her crushing garlic with the palm of her hand. Since then, i would go from salon to salon trying every shade of Essie & OPI pink and beige colors, never quite getting the match right... until i saw this!!!!! Capitol Hill Barbie saved Christmas! And confirmed Here. *it's "Bubble Bath" by OPI, by the way* unfortunately The Mister's order never came! (And all this after about 5 phone calls between FedEx and himself- apparantly the box was labeled "biohazard" because of the flamable qualities of OPI!) Have no fear, dear readers, because a re-order is en route, and soon i will have Giada Hands, too!

luck be a lady!

2009-12-09T14:21:00.005-05:00

i am that lady! look what i won during Giveaway Day! a beautifully cute doll from Threaded Basil! and i couldn't be happier!

here she is!

And in case you're interested in welcoming one of these little guys into your world, you can check out the
shop!

Giveaway Day at sew mama sew is one of my favorite days of the year. Not only because of the chance i get to win some beautiful creation like Threaded Basil's, but because i am introduced to some pretty fun and creative blogs. Always an inspiration, especially around the holidays.

Sew Mama Sew's Annual Giveaway Day!

2009-12-03T10:51:00.004-05:00

Probably one of my most favorite days of the crafting year! Last year i was introduced to many new and wonderful craft and bake bloggers by visiting them on their websites. I even won two beautifully handcrafted treats! what a surprise!! So, this year looks to be even bigger and better! crazy, i know! so check it out at sew mama sew and a shout out to the very talented sew i do!

Everything is Better with Bacon.

2009-08-26T21:49:00.009-04:00

i don't think i've ever met anyone who does not like bacon. Well, with the exception of vegetarians.

So to revise, i have never met any carnivores who do not like bacon.

after spotting this recipe at food network's website for Maple French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes, well, i couldn't not give it the old college try.

after mixing the cupcake batter, i could not resist licking the spoon, and happily, to my surprise, it did taste like french toast! it is cinnamony, nutmeggy, mapley, and with the bits of chopped maple bacon, it honestly tastes like french toast with a side of crispy bacon!

i felt confident as i pulled the cupcake tins out of the oven. confident still as i was chopping up the maple smoked bacon for the "sprinkles." i did feel a little weird about them as i was frosting them. would people eat these? i mean, people seem to go nuts over crazy food combinations, but would they actually eat one if it was placed in front of them?? i'll find out tomorrow, i guess! overall? i think success. the flavor is total French Toast with butter & maple syrup. it's true to it's name, and the cupcake itself is dense, soft, and not crumbly. the bacon is not overpowering- both inside the cupcake, and placed on top of the frosting. i highly recommend using maple smoked if you can find it, for added flavor. the frosting was a bit runny, though, and i'd like to work out a few modifications, so i consider this recipe a work in progress... but a delicious progress...

summer sewing

2009-08-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

it's funny. i knit in the fall and right through the winter, yet when spring comes around the corner (usually March) i break out the old Bernina sewing machine (well, i call her Bernice) and start sewing up versions of Amy Butler bags, headbands and totes.

So far this summer i've been kept busy with drawstring bags from Pink Penguin...

a little alteration project with Mom... Bought a Lilly Pulitzer Dress quadruple my size in a retired print (Shrimp Cocktail) and we altered it to fit me perfectly!

and something sweet for one of my dear friends who has made a few major life changes this summer: 1.) buying a home, and 2.) getting married Labor Day weekend. This super-easy ruffle apron can be found right here.

i love that it looks like a big frou frou cupcake

of course i had to play dress up before i packaged it up and mailed it off to Massachusetts...

i received a lovely package from hancock's with my Bari J fabrics for sew fest '09, and October cannot come fast enough! i'm ready to break into another Frenchy for my fall bag already! So, to satisfy the summer craving, i figured i'd do one more sewing project before it's time to bring out the knitting basket for the winter. (talk about reverse hibernation, right!?)

Inspired by the ever-crafty Carrie, i've decided to take the plunge with a Built By Wendy dress and shirt pattern in Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks Zinnia Print.

perfect pairing with my brown Tory Burch's, right?

free fun finds of the day.

2009-08-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

While discussing summer reading at the tail end of the summer may not be all to relevant, it really doesn't matter because the cuteness factor of these wee penguin book marks make up for my lateness!

aren't they sweet? and they are free and you can make a set of your very own!

next up we have some wild horses. you need to seriously check these out and consider making a flock of your own.

Flock? well, maybe the proper term is Pack? not sure but they are a perfect free project to bring you into the fall.

So get out your paper & scissors, and get cute, kids!

paying it forward

2009-08-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

so two summers ago when i sold my soul to the Connecticut Bar Examiners, ie: studying for the bar exam, a friend of mine from law school mailed me & the Mister a huge fun care package chock full of homemade star sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and other fun goodies. it arrived two weeks before the bar exam, right when i was weighing my options for a new career, because i was convinced i was going to fail. Well, the Mister & i took the bar, both passed on the first time, and the rest is history. i never forgot that random act of kindness from my dear friend. Because it would be impossible to thank her enough, i decided that i would pay the kindness forward and do the same for my cousin. She's studying for her boards right now, and she takes them in two weeks. She's going to be a registered dietitian at the end of all of her hard work, and i'm so happy for her! (Said cousin is also from the post below).

Here is what i made for her yesterday!

A reversible drawstring bag with Amy Butler fabric, which i know she loves! You can find the pattern for the bag from Pink Penguin.

And because she's going to be a dietician, a knit apple cozy! in case you're interested in knitting your very own fruit cozy, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

No package is complete, of course, without food, a stuffed animal, and other goodies!

back & tan

2009-08-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

...from Cape Cod, that is. after a pretty well, lousy summer here in New England, it was nice to be able to get in at least one gorgeous summer weekend up at the Cape! Last year the Mister and i spent Labor Day weekend at a quaint little b&b (but then again, what b&b is not quaint?! This time the trip was a little different. This time it was a girl's weekend, just me and my mom.

We spent two days with my cousin & family, which for me, was the highlight of my trip. My cousin and i are only 3 months apart, and have always been more like sisters than cousins. We went to camp together, cooked together, played with clay together, well, we're just so close i can't even stand it! it's wonderful. so this weekend when i went up with my latest Frency Bag creation (made with Lizzy House's Ugly Duckling fabric) and my mom with the Amy Butler Birdie Swing bag i made her, it was love at first sight... for her! she's never sewn, but my Aunt does, so she can definitely walk her through the process of making one of these simple bags.

We're staying over the first weeken in October- husbands and all- and we'll have an Amy Butler Bag party! The guys will be out on my uncle's boat fishing for the day, and we'll take over the dining room with our sewing machines, ironing boards, and rotary cutters. it's going to be great. Seeing as it's fall, and i don't have a fall-esque bag, i decided i'm going to use bari j's fabulous new Full Bloom fabric line.

I'll be making another frenchy, which in my opinion, is perfect for little short girls like me. Here's what i've chosen:

For the top panel of the bag-

For the main panel of the bag-

The inside lining of the bag-

that says "fall in Cape Cod" don't you think?

Girlfriends + Shopping = <3

2009-07-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday i enjoyed a late lunch/early dinner with three of my girlfriends from work. One of is a modern-day Julia Child, one is a girl with the sunniest disposition and a magnet for fun that you cannot help but laugh out loud when you are around her, one is athletic, gorgeous and boasts a closet full of shoes fit for a photo shoot in InStyle, and then myself, knitter, wannabe baker & smiley & tipsy from two goblets of rum punch.

Since moving from boston a few years ago for law school, i've connected with a few sets of girlfriends, but, i'm sure if you're reading this you know that a good set of girlfriends is hard to find. and when you do, you know to never forget how important they are in your life. Yesterday was just good clean girlfriend fun. i think if it wasn't a work night we would've been tempted with an impromptu sleep over...

so, while on the subject of girlfriends, i thought i'd share this fun list here- i was tagged on facebook with this task, and if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. Once you write your list post it on your blog and send me a link to it. i'm always into new things to covet!

What are your Nine Best Purchases of '09?

1.) Birkenstocks. Haven't worn them since high school, but i guess you can take the girl out of the Grateful Dead, but can't take the Grateful Dead out of the girl. This coming from a girl who wore her beat up birks to her junior prom...

2.) Hammered Gold Necklace, from Theresa Mink. I found this beauty from Tara Frey. If you haven't read her yet, it's totally worth a daily look.

3.) The Fibre Company- Terra Yarn. i decided it's high time to tackle chart reading & lace patterns, so i'm diving into the Springtime Bandit.

4.) New running sneakers. Signed up for the 2010 Walt Disney World Half Marathon with BFF, so training began in April. I can't take all the credit for my current 10 miles, though. These babies are playing a major role! And They're pink! I present to you the New Balance WR769 in all of her Race for the Cure Glory!

5.) Going along with the Running theme, this is the best invention to ever hit the running world... wireless headphones! Ingenious. And my shocking pink shuffle matches perfectly with my pink running shoes!

6.) Lizzie House Fabric. This is where the "bird" from bird & squirrel comes in. love the little forest animals in all their kitschy glory. This fabric is no exception. After making several Amy Butler bags, i thought this fabric would be the perfect candidate for a Frenchy.

7.) Drink Parasols. You saw my previous post re: Martha's shark attack & beach cupcakes. after i bought the parasols, i remembered how much i loved going to chinese restaurants as a kid and my brother and i would order one of those big fun Bhudda drinks with parasols and plastic monkeys! what fun!

8.) The Farmer's Cow Milk. Big dairy crisis in Connecticut. Unfortunately due to forces out of the control of our local dairy farmers, it actually costs more to produce milk than the profit the farmers earn from selling it. This is now the only milk you will find in our fridge. The Mister & i are doing our part to support our local farmers, and i hope you will support yours!

9.) Cupcake Carrier. About time, right? i only bake cupcakes like all the time. and take them places. and they get smooshed and messy. No more!

cupcake in the oven

2009-07-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

oh, martha stewart and your crafts for kids... since i'm like one minute away from reverting back to a five year old, i always find great projects to make in the kids craft sections on her website. and this summer, she did not let me down.

these shark attack cupcakes are perfect for the summer. of course i made some mods to the actual cupcake- i used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery in NYC, as well as Magnolia's Buttercream Frosting. The shark fins were simply made of blue construction paper, and i followed Martha's directions for the beaches- crushed Nilla Wafers with a drink parasol.

the cupcakes travel well, and i took them along for a 4th of July picnic, and some other fun birthday and cook out trips.

two for two.

2009-07-28T14:20:00.000-04:00

twice in a row? seriously? well, this one's short. just the important stuff, right?

i'm sewing tonight, dammit!

last year i started a project using up scrap fabrics- i took forever to meticulously cut out each bit of fabric for this project that by the time i actually began to construct the project i was making, i was exhausted and took a break to knit. well, i kind of never picked that project up since! well, tonight that is going to change. the old sewing machine is going to get quite the work out and if all goes as planned, i'll be adding the finished project into my rotation by the end of the week!

creating, sans blog...

2009-07-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

oh the modus operandi of the busy blogger... just to set the record straight, just because a crafty blogger has not documented her life for, oh, the past four months, does not mean she is not actually sitting on her sweet butt doing nothing!

au contraire, mes amis!

often times the little blogger is actually quite occupied with the things she is creating, and forgets about her fellow bloggettes who look to her for a diversion from life, or simply a new thing to create.

Just so the needlecrafts don't feel left alone, mom and i must begin a project which i'll explain more about later- but i'll give you a little hint...

brought to you by the letter R

2009-03-03T14:34:00.000-05:00

one of my fellow gal pals, PoMo Golightly, who happens to be a very enlightened blogger & exceptional knitter gave me the letter R for my 10 favorites meme. Now, we're supposed to "tag" other readers with a letter, but i'm just not that much of a tagger, so if you'd like a letter, simply comment, and i'll dole one out! in the meantime...

1.) Rhubarb Jam with Strawberries. i've mentioned this before in another post, but it deserves second mention for this. i love this stuff slathered on a crispy toasted bagel- especially when that jam is made fresh in the summer!

2.) Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox. Going to college in Massachusetts, and living in Boston for 2 years makes for one happy little Red Sox girl. i love fenway, i love watching games at home on NESN with the Mister, and i love talking about them.

3.) Running 5Ks with the Mister. Our first race of the season was the Sweetheart 5 miler (yes, our first ever 5 mile race!) on Valentine's Day in Litchfield. What a wonderfully invigorating way to start of the national day of love & Russel Stover!

4.) Red Heel Socks. i love the original red heels to make nothing other than Sock Monkeys with! On my desk at work i have a sock monkey elephant i made...after all, i am in the GOP!

5.) Red Shoestring Licorice. You know, the kind you get at country stores? I can chew on that all day long.

6.) Republicans. i'm a New England Republican, moderately conservative...

7.) Rice Pudding. The Mister and i have a stand-by diner style restaurant in town that serves this up classically with cinnamon, raisins and a drop of whipped cream... it's a Bird & Squirrel fave.

8.) Really Expensive Handbags....... i know, i'm cheating. but i'm addicted. Utterly and truly addicted to Louis Vuitton, kate spade, Gucci, Longchamp... i truly appreciate a well-made, hand-crafted, structured leather handbag. i love how i remember the occasion i acquired each of my handbags- you can blame this on the Mister. He gave me my first kate spade on our first Christmas when we were dating. And then he gave me my first Gucci as a wedding present... it all comes full circle, kids.

9.) Rich Buttercream Frosting. I'm not talking just any rich frosting- i'm talking about Swiss Merenge Buttercream. the richest of the rich. Trust me- once you've had this, you'll never eat the cake again.

10.) Rick Rack. i cannot get enough of this craft staple during the summer months. i love it on Lilly Pulitzer dresses, handmade Lilly Pulitzer ribbon handbags, and on pincushions! Bring on the rick rack!

so again, if you'd like a letter, let me know! this is fun stuff, kids.

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were--Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.

2009-02-26T12:52:00.000-05:00

This Winter i ventured into the world of knitting for babies. My friends are having babies, my co-workers wives are having babies, my college roommates are having babies... this means no more knitting scarves or sewing totes as presents for friends, but knitting baby things! Like Beatrix Potter stuffed toys!

Do you remember reading about Jeremy Fisher when you were little? Perhaps you were read to by a dear family member? Being raised on Beatrix Potter growing up, i decided to pass on my love for these lovely tales to all the newborns in my life.

Who could forget the tale of Peter Rabbit? Causing trouble losing his shoes and his coat in Mr. MacGregor's garden, eating radishes, spoiling his supper...

um, remember me?

2009-02-25T13:35:00.002-05:00

yeah i kind of forgot about me, too. So to all of you out in blog land that actually keep up with their blogs, points you you! Sometimes this whole stream of conciousness blog material doesn't come easy, whether it be lack of time, material, or general laziness, sometimes it's hard to get back into this. i honestly meant to blog earlier, i promise! (cross my heart and kiss my elbow i really did!) but then i didn't... and then i found some inspiration from a dear friend of mine, who sent me the most lovely hedgehog pincushion and other goodies in my most recent Pincushion swap.

This is from my darling friend, Lulu!

and here's a close up of this fantastic little hedgehog- and yes, it's hand-embroidered!

oh, and in case you were wondering, that is a Marc Jacobs tee in the midst of the pincushion goodness. Lucky Lulu lives in Brooklyn and snagged it for me during fashion week! (eeeeeee! i know!) During the swap she sent me lots of fun postcards, and i also received a ton of other mail from secret pincushion admirers. i say this during every pincushion swap, but some people never cease to amaze me with their creativity. just simply amazing.

and lastly, because this is a blog about gathering sweetness, here is an action shot of the Amy Butler wristlet Lulu sent me early on in the swap. it's in my big DeLuca's bag stuffed to the gills with yarn & Beatrix Potter knitting patterns. Amy Butler wristlet, meet your new friends the Stitch Markers & Yarn holders.

so i'm it, baby.

2008-12-05T14:40:00.000-05:00

The fabulously stylish and aways bubbly Beverly has christened me "it" and me, not one to disappoint, am happy to oblige!

Rules: Post the rules on your blog. Write six random things about yourself. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1.) i am 4'11". that's it. that's all. not even 5 feet tall.

2.) i secretly wish i could live in Burlington, Vermont.

3.) Today i went on a private tour of the Governor's Residence in Hartford- a behind the velvet rope tour, if you will. i saw the bed that John McCain slept in when he was visiting Connecticut!

4.) i wear a "splash of color" every single day. i can't just wear black on black. if i do, i usually accent it with a bright scarf, camel boots, or pink or red shoes.

5.) the most expensive bag i ever bought was a $650 Gucci bag. it was my gift to myself after graduating law school, passing the bar, and landing my first "lawyer" job.

6.) i am a deadhead. i wore birkenstocks and hemp to my junior prom. i have a grateful dead concert tee from 1995, the year Jerry died. along with the new car came the removal of my 10-year old grateful dead license plate (per order of the Mister, as he drives it on weekends). i guess you can take the girl out of the dead, but you can't take the dead out of the girl.

So now all of you in blog land, i dub thee the next in line! My darling cooking, knitting, singing friend, Catherine, The cat's pajamas, Debbie, my pincushion pal Mette, the queen of beautiful things, Jennifer, the super stylish and swanky Cheri, and the always candy-licious, Mariko!

oh happy day!

2008-12-04T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday! my mom sang "Happy Birthday" in a voicemail! i ate Chocolate Mouse Cake! i was adorned with flowers at work! the Mister gave me [one of] the most perfect gift ever! So do you think i love birthdays?

Knowing my absolute love for cute things, we dined on individual Chocolate Mouse Cakes. Each mouse was actually chocolate covered mousse! Get it? Chocolate covered mousse/mouse cake?

and the ever-receptive Mister always knows the way to this lady's heart is with flowers! -Not just any flowers, but bright pink roses!

And look at the wonderful gift he gave me! it's a cupcake cake pan! we're gifting pretty lean this year as we just bought me a new car a couple months ago. i keep asking the Mister to put a big bow on it and i'll pretend it's my birthday gift and act all surprised when i open the garage door, but he's not corny enough for that...

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-02T20:05:00.001-05:00

i thought i'd take the time to have a little Christmas Open House for you, dear blog readers. So put on some Christmas music, sit back with a cup of hot cocoa, a cookie or two and enjoy the view!

Our beautiful Christmas tree! This is quite the antique- it is from the 1960's, and was my grandparent's.

a few views from my kitchen

i always loved Angelina Ballerina. This year i sewed a little Angelina Christmas mouse.

This is the Mister's favorite spot.

He just loves his colored lights, and this is my compromise! it reminds me of Abercrombie & Fitch's Christmas decorations... that was my favorite store in High School and i always asked for $$ to spend on the day after Christmas there...

And here are the pipe cleaner characters i made with the Moms on Thanksgiving.

My take on the traditional chocolate advent calendar. Tucked inside each stocking is a sweet treat.

The marshmallows? Inspired by Anthropologie's Christmas decor

Remember the pin tree? It found the perfect spot in the marshmallow forest.

This is our German tree. Complete with German glass and wood ornaments.

i am very into Birds at Christmas. i love them.

Happy December!

happiness is...

2008-12-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

finding an old Sesame Street clip that i just adored as a child.

i think i'm adding a 64 pack of Crayolas to my Christmas List this year.

And happiness also is learning how to post youtube videos on my blog! (thank you, Mister!) he's my IT guy and my Mechanic all in one. Love that.

Hint. Or Else.

2008-11-30T18:08:00.000-05:00

Now this is funny. i can appreciate the fact that being considered "crafty" is a bit, well, dorky. Fine, i'm a dork. i sew handbags and make my own Christmas decorations, but i'm O.K. with that. (Hi, i'm Marie, and i'm a Craftaholic.) Sometimes i think the Mister thinks i should join a support group, but he'll never actually say it because that means the cookie well will dry up, and the cuteness factor of this home will collapse over night. That being said, and being comfortable with the fact that i'm Susie Homemaker, Esq., i can look at this and laugh.................

"TEENS LOVE CRAFTS!" suffice it to say, hinting is a good idea. i "hinted" that i wanted kate spade bags & lilly pulitzer ballet flats. Although i love crafting, an Origami set and a Value Pack of Pony Beads is not high on my list this year.

boys will be boys.

2008-11-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

and girls will be girls. Especially on Thanksgiving. After we feast, my mom, myself, and my mother-in-law clear the table, brush off crumbs of sausage stuffing and wipe up cranberry sauce from the table cloth. And then we take a stroll around the neighborhood while the boys watch the game. This year i'm adding a little extra girlie activity to the agenda. Me and the Moms love crafting. We all sew, i'm a knitter, and the moms love making crafts.

Here's what we'll be working on Thanksgiving while nursing a self-induced Turkey & Sweet Potato Coma:

1.) Wee Girls

2.) Pipe Cleaner Santas

3.) Pipe Cleaner Reindeer

4.) Pipe Cleaner Snowmen

...now if i can just find tinsel pipe cleaners!

whoopie!

2008-11-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

pie, that is.

Today the Legislative Office Building sponsored a bake sale. Proceeds will go toward Connecticut Charities, so of course i could not pass up an offer to donate some sweet goodies! i baked one of my stand by favorites- Celebration Brownies. Celebration brownies are fun. I bake a tray of chocolate brownies, frost them with a rich milk chocolate frosting and top them with toasted walnuts and sprinkles. (that's the celebration part). Depending on the season, the brownies can get very festive. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, i sprinkled Yellow, Orange and Brown shots on these guys.

My second contribution i took a chance- Normally when i bake Whoopie Pies i make them with traditional white creamy whoopie filling. This time i used a Peanut Butter filling. It was light, airy and DELICIOUS. These babies were big, soft and dense and a definite keeper in the recipe tin!! ...and from what i heard around the Capitol today, they were quite a hit.

oh, and p.s.- the duck measuring cups wearing the little red scarf? a little idea i got from this weekend's trip to anthropologie.

in another note, beer lip balm.

seriously, people, you can't make this stuff up.

i have champagne lip gloss, and gold lip gloss, but beer? i don't know about this one.

and she knits, too!

2008-11-18T11:50:00.000-05:00

after all of this baking and crafting talk i like to remind you all that i knit, too! i love my daily blog roll- it's the best place to find new ideas for gifting and creating, and today was no exception. Through Wendy's blog i found out about Coco. And Coco has a free pattern that i just printed out! A while back i bought Rowan kidsilk haze at the Yarn Barn in Woodbridge. it was on sale, and i couldn't resist. So now i have the perfect pattern to go with it! i present to you the Everyday Wrap.

Here's the yarn i have to knit it with.

It's Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Marmalade. Delish, huh?

and the Great Christmas of '08 begins.

2008-11-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

i learned my Christmas lesson from last year- start early! Last year i decorated the house in early December- that was good. i didn't start my christmas cookie baking until 5 days before christmas- that was bad. i didn't give anyone handmade gifts last year because i didn't start on time- that was bad. i didn't have anything new to decorate our House with- that was bad. The result= crazy me running around the house trying to do last-minute decorating, crafting, gift shopping and cookie baking. i really wasn't able to enjoy my home at Christmas. And that's sad.

so, like i said, lesson learned! This year it's going to a completely stress-free different story. i already wrote up a list* of Christmas Cookies i'll be baking this year. (*subject to change without notice, or if i find a really really good recipe from Martha or Giada). i mapped out how i will decorate each room in our home- complete with little pictures because i'm a visual kind of gal. i wrote out a list of gifts to give family & friends. Lastly, my favorite part- i planned out little Christmas jobs i need to complete every day-starting with yesterday- in order to space out decorating, baking, shopping, and crafting. this way i'll be able to enjoy my home stress-free this year, and get all of my baking and decorating in order pronto. Yes- i actually wrote it in my kate spade planner. i can't think of any better use for it right now other than keeping Christmas chores in order!

Starting with last night, i began the Christmas crafts during Thursday night TV- Project #1: Beaded Christmas Tree.

It's actually quite simple to make. i bought 3 boxes of pearlized pins, 1 bag of sequins, a styrofoam cone, and a big bag of beads. i can't wait to place it above the kitchen sink. Of all the places in my home, the shelf above the kitchen sink is my happy place during Christmas. i'm in the kitchen most often baking, washing dishes, frosting cupcakes and other goodies, so i like for it to be my own little Christmas corner.

The tree originally came from Free People.

After about an hour of drooling over the beautiful craft projects there, i want to let you all know that you need to go here now and look around!

Yarn Swap Question # 6

2008-11-12T15:40:00.001-05:00

Well, here we have it- a little late, yes, but that works fine by me because i am perpetually late... Question #6 in my Fall Yarn Swap on Ravelry:

“What seasonal knitting projects are you looking forward to”

Let's see... i'm currently working on 3 knitted items for gifts- one for my mother, mother-in-law, and a swap partner in a different swap. i can't say what they are here, just in case my partner is reading this!

in addition to this, i'm planning on "knitting" my mom Martha Stewart's "No-Knit" Scarf.

i just purchased the yarn from Yarnzilla for a big discount, and am pretty excited to work with it. It's Twinkle Handknit's Soft Chunky Yarn.

Now i know you're all probably just SHOCKED that i'm not knitting this scarf, but it looks just too pretty! and the yarn is so super soft & chunky i think this is the best way to showcase it!

...and then they ate cake.

2008-11-11T07:53:00.001-05:00

July 16, 2005.

the day the Mister and i tied the knot. the day we were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, but now husband and wife. although every now and then when one of us forgets to wear our wedding rings out running errands we like to joke we are still "dating" each other. cute? i know.

i still like to call him my boyfriend.

Our wedding cake was yummy. it was classy. it was vanilla cake with lemon curd filling in the layers. We cut our cake while Rosemary Clooney serenaded us with Mambo Italiano.

No tears on this wedding day.

and then we ate cake.

So, a year later when we spent the weekend in Providence, Rhode Island at Firewater, we had to leave our cake top at home- we figured it would be too messy and that the Hotel Providence would not appreciate chocolate cake with espresso frosting on the bed sheets. (our cake top was a devilish little thing!) The plan was to eat the cake when we came home. Then, whoops life happened. Law school happened. Moot Court and Mock Trial happened. We moved to our home in Bristol happened. and 3 and a half years later, our cake top has followed us everywhere!

Still riding the bliss that was Jen & Ryan's wedding (they were smart. they ate their cake top on their honeymoon!) we decided now is as good a time as ever to slice into it! The Mister defrosted it Friday night, and Saturday night we gave it a go.

We hand-fed each other a piece, but............ eek.... oh god.... oh no! not the same happy, blissful, giddy, wedding day happiness from July 2005! we actually had a chaser cake waiting in the wings in case this did not live up to our expectations. At least one good thing has come out of this! We used our kate spade wedding china for the first time!

How's that for a happy ending!?

Happy National Vanilla Cupcake Day!

2008-11-09T19:54:00.001-05:00

Monday is National Vanilla Cupcake Day!

Guess what this means?

i know of only one way to celebrate such a sweet day.

Magnolia Bakery.

Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Cupcakes.

...with buttercream frosting.

in pink, of course!
and traditional sprinkles. that's all these babies need.
these are going with me to work tomorrow.
bet you all wish you worked at my office, huh?
but, you can create these little sugared handfuls of love yourself!

check out Magnolia's Recipes...

and these can soon be yours!
Now that's one sweet sweet holiday.
Enjoy, my friends.

adventures in baking

2008-11-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

one of the best things about coming home on time from work is that i can cook dinner for myself & the Mister. And in the fall, when it's gloomy and dark out so early, nothing beats coming home from work to a kitchen smelling like garlic, tomatoes and basil... yum! Here is a recipe i tried last night for dinner:

Rotini with Goat Cheese and Lentils

•8 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
•1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 cup chopped onion
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into1/4- inch-thick slices
•2 cups grape tomatoes
•1 (15-ounce) can lentils
•4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
•Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water. Just before draining, add the spinach.

2. Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium high. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes and cook 2 minutes, until zucchini begins to soften.

Add lentils, stir, and simmer 5 minutes, until lentils are heated through and tomatoes burst. Toss with pasta and spinach.

3. Gently stir in goat cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serve with crusty italian bread and a sprinkle of parmesan.

i guarantee this one'll be in your recipe tin for a long time! Also, in honor of monday's sweet holiday- National Vanilla Cupcake Day, i'll be baking Magnolia Bakery's vanilla cupcakes for the office! This is going to be one tasty weekend, my friends. At my friend's Disney wedding, her cake was so amazing- it was a vanilla cake layered with lemon mousse. it reminded me of my wedding cake, which was yellow cake with lemon curd in between the layers. i just found a recipe for lemon buttercream frosting... lemon buttercream! i think it's going to be the perfect pairing for Magnolia's rich vanilla cakes...

oh yes we need a little Christmas...

2008-11-06T13:30:00.001-05:00

Now that the Election season is behind us, and with that, Halloween, Thanksgiving is fast approaching! Right on the heels of Thanksgiving comes my second favorite holiday of the year- My Birthday! What? Did you expect to see Easter? Nope. Right after Christmas, my birthday is my favorite day of the year. Maybe because cake and frosting and sprinkles are involved. Ok, Ok, so after my birthday comes Christmas and oh how i love christmas.

Christmas Cookies, Decorated Trees, Twinkle Lights, Hot Cocoa, Candy Canes...

You'd think i'd be one of those people who puts up a tree during Thanksgiving, but no. We here at Bird and Squirrel do not discriminate- every holiday gets lip service here. So, today i began drafting up my Christmas Cookie List. As of today it looks like these have been drafted:

Slovak Squares
Decorated Sugar Cookies
Double Chocolate Cookies
Amaretti Cookies
Oreo Truffles
Gingerbread Men
Marie's Chocolate Chip Cookies That Make the Mister Go Crazy

We'll see how this list evolves as Christmas gets closer. For the cookie swap at the office i'll be bringing back an old favorite from last year- Holiday Biscotti. This was a big hit at work as well as at home, so you can bet i'll be having a tin of biscotti handy throughout the entire season. There's nothing like waking up late on a saturday morning in the winter and dipping biscotti into a cup of coffee.

heeeeeeeere's Marie!

2008-11-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

i'm back baby! i promise i'll post pics from my lovely trip in Disney World for Jen & Ryan's wedding, as well as a photo trip of what i've been doing with my life for the past 2 weeks! So, in an effort to put something of substance here today, here it is:

j.crew

j.crew. and a few of their favorite things. funny, those are my favorite things too! j.crew never ceases to amaze me with their style season after season. even if i punctuate my wardrobe with a few key pieces every season, it will always look fresh and relevant year after year.

And while i may not be jumping up and down at the results of yesterday's albeit historical election, i am pretty excited to see what Michelle has in store for us fashionistas in the future.

i'm OUTTA HERE!

2008-10-16T11:21:00.000-04:00

hey 'yall! The Mister and i are off to fabulous Disney World for our dear friends' wedding! Jen & Ryan are tying the knot at Disney's Wedding Pavilion, and that will be followed by a reception at the Grand Floridian! the Mister and i are making a vacation out of it, and will be gone for a week!!

xoxo,
marie

Yarn Swap Question of the Week, #5

2008-10-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

...so here's the question of the week, my lovely blog readers. Do you like football? Who is your favorite team?

ahem. where to begin? do i like football? well, i like tailgating at football games. i like dressing up in my north face fleece, a hand-knitted scarf and my uggs and going to football games. but do i like football? eh. Tailgating is where it's at, my friends. And if you're a regular reader at Bird, you already knew that!

...treaties!!

2008-10-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of my first swap package from my dear pal in the Falling For Ewe Fall Yarn Swap on Ravelry! i love everything!!

She sent me the premiere issue of Debbie Bliss' new knitting maggie- it is lucious, my friends. beautifully simple cable designs- my fave, and some really cute boleros and shrugs. Debbie Bliss never ceases to amaze me. She sent me pure sweetness in a box, what can i say?!

-3 yummy lip glosses
-2 balls of Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran in a dreamy cream color
-way cute animal puffy stickers
-a little recycled notepad with a cat & yarn on it
-a delish hazelnut Kinder Bueno bar- i love hazelnuts, by the way
-and the piece de la resistance, a box of three KINDER EGGS!

THIS CHICK IS AWESOME! i love everything!

xoxoxox swap pal!!! :)

p.s. everyone seems to love Nutella! And why not? it is a spread made out of CHOCOLATE and HAZELNUTS. i repeat. CHOCOLATE and HAZELNUTS. Honestly? Heaven in a jar. stick a fork in me, i'm done. So, for all of you hazelnutters out there, i offer you one of my favorite Nutella recipes:

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
Courtesy of Giada DiLaurentiis

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the hazelnuts and stir until just combined.
Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing the mounds about 4 inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookie dough. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown.

2008-10-13T14:26:00.001-04:00

...better yet, the great pumpkin patch.

What better way to spend a weekend in New England than pumpkin picking? i know of no other.

We headed off to Simsbury for lunch, and then off to the Avon Cider Mill for some beautiful gourds, 2 big pumpkins, and a Honey Crisp apple. And outside of Pink Lady Apples, the Honey Crisp is my new favorite.

Here is the Mister with his pumpkin.

and here's me with mine. She's a big girl!

and the gourds?! Beautiful!

Who can resist going driving on a day like this?

Happy Fall, everyone!

Fall Yarn Swap Question #4

2008-10-11T11:27:00.000-04:00

Onto this week's fall question for the Fall Yarn Swap on Ravelry...

"What do you plan on dressing up as for Halloween?"

i was never really a halloween girl- i mean, outside of trick or treating as a kid, in college i never really got into it. But, last year the mister and i passed out candy to trick or treaters at our house for the very first time! We put on our Red Sox jerseys, i carved out a Red sox pumpkin, and we put our "CY BECKETT" and "K" signs up -you know, the ones from Fenway? it was a far cry from making our house look like Fenway Park, but hey, it was our cute new-homeowner attempt!

The postings have been a little drab lately- i apologize. With only 24 days left before the election, the fun part of my life has taken a back seat. But that's cool- the Mister and i are going to DISNEY WORLD in ORLANDO next week for a dear friend's wedding! can you say, hurry the hell up??

COWBOY UP!

2008-10-07T13:51:00.001-04:00

...another year, another session of OCTOBER BASEBALL!

you know, winning never gets old.

oh you tasty little things, you.

2008-10-03T15:02:00.001-04:00

Fair food... this was not exactly fair style food, but we ate it at the fair, so it counts.

Crepes!

Who gets crepes at a fair!? The Mister and i do, of course!

In my defense, my crepe was an Autumn Crepe- Baked Apples drizzled with Nutella! oh so good....

It was from Perk on Main, in Durham.

And it was Delicious.

i'm not really tense? am i?

2008-10-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Today i'm going to be displaying my knitting entries at the Durham Fair. Now don't get all excited- these guys did not do as well as my baking, but i guess they held their own. 2 Second place ribbons, and a 3rd is respectable, but man, what i wouldn't give for some baby blues here!

So i don't think i'm tense... now that's not counting busy weeks during the middle of House Session at the Capitol or awkward social situations. I'm talking about knitting. Apparently the judges at the Durham Fair think i am!

Here is my knitted Brea Bag. Second Place? i'll take that. i hand stitched the lining, and you can't see it from the picture but it has a braided leather handle. This baby got a second place, with a note attached, "Tension off."

i've been knitting for over 6 years now, and have never thought my tension to be a problem, but i guess it is. how do i even fix that?

Onto the Clapotis. i really was not excited about entering her in the Fair. Let's be honest, all of you out there that have knit up a clapotis -no matter what yarn you used- didn't you think it looked a bit... messy? unkempt? i mean, it's no ribbed scarf here. Buy then, i that's the whole point of the Clap! it's supposed to look frumpy- shabby chic. oh well, i'll settle for a Third Place ribbon because i love her. And yet again, my "tension was off" on this baby!

Lastly we have my Lilly Pulitzer inspired cabled Irish Hiking Scarf. i entered this beaut in the Berlin Fair last year, and if you remember my post from then, i won a First Place Ribbon! Excitement! but here? Tension has scorned me yet again. The note accompanying my Second Place ribbon said, "Tension off at Cast On." damn! These judges mean business! i mean, seriously!? they looked at the Cast On! i have never looked at my knitting that meticulously, ever! wow.

again, not bitter- just learning for next year!

Durham Fair? i came. i saw. i got my first blue ribbon!!

2008-09-29T16:07:00.000-04:00

...this is first in a weekly installment of my adventures at the Durham Fair. Today, we start on a high note- Big Time Blue Ribbon Bliss at the Durham Fair Baking Department! 'cmon! it'll be fun!

...ahhh nothing looks as good as blue.

Remember the Slovak Squares from my last post? well, looks like the judges at the Durham Fair think they're pretty good too! blue ribbon good! first place good! Judged out of a possible 100 points, these sweet squares of moist strawberry jam goodness scored an equally sweet 99! Ninety Nine out of One Hundred!

ok, ok, i'll stop bragging soon.

my Über Moist Pecan Pumpkin Bread did well, too! A second place ribbon is totally fine by me!

...and being my first Durham Fair, nothing in the complaint department with that!

my office mates loved this bread. they drooled over it- but then again, why would they tell me if it totally sucked, i mean, they are my friends. the like me. i don't know about this one, kids. it is good bread. damn good bread.

but of course i'm not bitter, right?

Knitters are the kindest people on earth.

2008-09-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

i'm convinced of this fact. i was having kind of a bummy time these past few weeks, and was commiserating with my dear knitting friend, Catherine. Now, Catherine and i just met this summer at a mutual friend's bridal shower, and we randomly began talking about knitting. Now, if you are reading this and you are a knitter, you know the feeling of meeting a total stranger who knits. it's like knitting kismet. Ever since, we've been chatting on Ravelry, commenting on each other's blogs, and posting to each other's facebook walls.

Then, this week i came home from a regular old day at the office to find a package sitting in my mailbox. I thought to myself, hmmm... i haven't bought any new yarn (i'm on a yarn diet. Hey, this economy hits everyone- especially recent law school grads who have law school debt up to their eyeballs), and then i thought, ooo! Maybe my Fall Yarn Swap Partner sent me my goodies! yay! but then i saw the return address- it was from Catherine! :) oh happy day! What did i do to deserve this!? And then i read the card she sent me and i knew why!

Inside were her fresh baked Macaroons (which the Mister promptly devoured and before even finishing his first macaroon, asked me to get the recipe from her!), Handmade soap, hand-cut cards, and some peanutty awesome crunch mix that i devoured while baking up my entries for the Durham Fair.

The point of this dissertation on why i love my new friend Catherine? To prove my point: Knitters are the kindest people on earth. We love knitting for ourselves, friends and families. We will knit for total strangers in swap groups. We will put together little packages to send- and by the time we are done with them, we have overflowed the box with so many nice things, completely ignoring the price limit! We appreciate the beautiful work of other knitters- whether the knitter has just learned to knit and purl, or is an accomplished intarisa knitter who spins her own yarn on the weekends. And we love talking with each other- that is the beauty of the knitter's Stitch n' Bitch!

So all of you wonderful knitters out there, keep doing what you are doing, keep those cute care packages to each other coming, and take pride in the fact that you are some of the kindest people on earth!

...and while on the subject of knitters, here is the third installment of the Falling for Ewe Yarn Swap Question of the Week!
"What meals or foods mean "Fall" to you?"

To me, i can't say that i have one particular favorite fall food, but i have favorite fall treats...

-Oven baked Acorn Aquash sprinkled with cinnamon and a pat of butter
-Cranberry muffins made with fresh Ocean Spray cranberries
-Green Mountan's Pumpkin Spice Coffee
-Steaming hot apple cider
-Apple Cider Donuts from Roger's Orchard
-Caramel Apples from all of the fairs i go to this season
-Candy Corn

i noticed that some of the members of the Yarn Swap have included recipes, so i thought i would share as well. This is a recipe that my Grandmother baked, passed it on to her daughter-in-law, my mother, and now on to me. My grandmother is 100% italian, and had a neighbor who passed this recipe on to her. THe recipe is for Slovak Squares, and i usually bake it for Christmas for my father as a little childhood memory for him to enjoy. This year, however, i baked them to enter in the Durham Fair. We'll see how that goes when the Mister and i stop by the fair to see how i did! in the meantime, i present you with Slovak Squares, courtesy of Mary Briglia DeSanto, my grandmother.

i'm back!

2008-09-24T14:16:00.000-04:00

i have been blog-less these past few days because the power cord to my mac melted! i would've posted from the Mister's computer, but i wanted to upload pics, etc... so i figured i'd wait until she was back up and running. oh i'm so glad she's back. i have been busy this weekend!!! i finished sewing the other side of that patchwork bag i mentioned a few posts ago. i decided to call it the "Falling Leaves" bag because all of the little squares of fabric remind me of all of the beautiful shades of autumn leaves that carpet the ground this season. i took some photos, and will post them up.

i've been baking! baking my little heart out! The Durham Fair is this weekend, and tonight i'm dropping off my baking entries (and the Mister's as well) with the in-laws. it will be so fun to see, hear, and take in all of the glorious fair smells, sights and sounds!!! i'm very much looking forward to it. i also heard it's going to be a zoo, so i'm getting prepped for the excitement of this evening's festivities. oh and there will be a camera! :)

Mom and me at my law school graduation party

so Mom's in Italy... she's been there for two weeks now, and has another week until she comes home. She was born there, and immigrated to the United States on the Andrea Doria. Because she's an only child, she remained very close to her cousins- who are as much like brothers and sisters to her as anyone could be. We used to spend summers in Italy when i was younger, but now that i'm in the "real world" where you don't get summers off, i couldn't accompany her. She called me today! i was so excited to talk to her! And it's funny because just yesterday while i was baking for the Fair, i said to the Mister, "i really do miss Mom..." i was getting a little sad, and reverse-homesick for not talking with her in two weeks, i guess. ...and lo and behold, she called me while i was at work today! she's doing great- went to the mercado today (the open air market that operates every Wednesday in the village) and she's been having a blast with the family. i told the Mister that we need to make the pilgrimage in a few years for him to meet everyone. i haven't been back since 1997!!

lastly........ i am devoting an entire post tomorrow on my wonderful friend Catherine. i would put it here, but no. she needs her own post.

Crafts and Art... and Art and Craft

2008-09-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

i just stumbled upon this weeks Boston Globe Magazine. i know, a little late... in "The Find" section, hand made wraps and scarves can be found at the South End Market this weekend! if you're in the Boston area it may be worth your while to check it out. i know i would be if i still lived there! My little 1 bedroom on Blackwood Avenue is a few blocks away from there.

Falling for Ewe Fall Yarn Swap Week #2

2008-09-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

This week's question in my Ravelry Fall Yarn Swap group is...
What "cold weather" project are you looking forward to making the most this autumn?

i actually started my cold weather project while on vacation with the Mister during labor day weekend. it's the Drops Swing Jacket, and i am knitting it up in Drops Alaska in Grey. On Monday i finished the back, and last night i cast on for the two front pieces- at the same time. i had been reading on ravelry about knitters who were working on the two front panels of cardigans at the same time. the reason for this is to make sure both sides are even- sometimes one is just a centimeter too long and then the whole cardi looks off. it's definitely taking a bit of getting used to, as the front of the jacket is half in double moss stitch, but i think my efforts will pay off in the end.

can you feel the Love?

2008-09-16T10:16:00.000-04:00

i mean look at all of these goodies! they came from my sweet sweet friends from Ravelry's pincushion swap group. it is my #1 favorite group on Ravelry- and everyone loves pincushions! :) our moderators are awesome, and so very thoughtful.

Here are the lovelies i recieved all the way from ireland! they are from Emma and she must have been doing her homework and read my blog to find out that i absolutley adore Haribo gummies. She rocks.

Now, a little closer to home... Lulu from brooklyn send me this very frilly and very poofy soft heart! i love how she added the border- i think it's crochet. and... another lovely reader at Bird & Squirrel- she sent me Haribo frog gummies! (which are already half gone.) but, the best part is that the Mister does not like Haribo gummies! this means i don't have to squirrel them away for safe keeping!

Lastly, we have this simply sweet heart pincushion with meticulous embroidery design! it's funny- the day i received this from Kat i started sewing my patchworks (see last post). and she got quite a bit of use out of her right out of the package! and this was a great idea- Kat included a postcard from texas! what a great idea! i'll definitely be sticking in some connecticut post cards in future swap packs.

i'll be sending each of these lovely ladies birds this week! (well, except for Emma- she got mr. bird a few weeks ago, and he arrived safely in northern ireland) so Lulu & Kat, be on the look out! Thanks again for the fab pressies!

i love simple mom. i love the site because it's tasty eye candy. and, because she always has the jazzy giveaways! funny thing is that i almost bought the item she's giving away! it's a hammered bird necklace! how bird & squirrel is that, my friends?

tailgating = why i miss college.

2008-09-15T10:49:00.001-04:00

You know sometimes you do something- participate in some activity, eat something, smell something, see something- and it reminds you of some wonderful happy memory in your past? You get all nostalgic, maybe a little dreamy, and you just think back and smile?

YEAH. TAILGATING DOES THAT FOR ME.

i bet you were all thinking i'd be talking about the smell of my Nonni's kitchen on Saturday afternoons when she would cook while babysitting me. Or maybe you thought i would be talking about a warm summer afternoon when i would sit at our local library during story time and listen as the librarian would read from A Chair For My Mother.

Nope. sorry to disappoint! But nothing brings me back to days at Merrimack than Tailgating! Tailgating and playing flip cup! Tailgating and eating chips and guac, and huge sausage & pepper sandwiches! and BEER! Hooray Beer! Saturday was the Mister's birthday, so we celebrated in fine college style at the UCONN v. UVA football game at the 'Rent. i even made UCONN cupcakes for him! UCONN won- wiped the field with UVA, actually. The weather was perfect- not a rain drop in sight. We even hung around after while the cars rolled out- it's like we just did not want to leave! ...and now i'm off to check out prices for season tix......

and in other news...

i spent all day sunday crafting my heart out! i sewed, knit, sewed, knit, and sewed. i am working on making a pleated tote, and am kind of making my own fabric by sewing together 2" x 2" fabric squares to make a patchwork pleated tote. i should be done by the end of the week- i totally underestimated the amount of time it takes to cut out the squares, sew them in a line, then sew it all up and iron, and sew, and cut...... i intended the style to be very Posie Gets Cozy. What i mean by that is i love Alicia's work, her style, her colors, her blog- everything. i chose fabrics that remind me of the colors on her site. it looks a little hodgepodge right now, and i hope it doesn't come out to hokey country. i also hope it doesn't look el crapo.

Betsey Johnson, will you marry me?

2008-09-10T20:10:00.001-04:00

or at the very least, continue to design the most beautiful pieces of footwear i have ever ever seen? these beauties arrived on wednesday- yes, yes, i know i just ordered them on tuesday afternoon. Zappos gets an A+ for speedy delivery. Normally (ok fine- all the time i buy my shoes at Nordstrom). Beautiful selection, couture shoes, excellent service, and well, i'm just ga ga for Nordstrom's shoe department. i was planning on buying these from them, but well, Zappos has free shipping! What a deal! and next day, no less. So, without further ado, here are the beauties themselves- and no, i didn't take the pictures. There's no way my cheapo digital camera could even begin to do these pieces of art justice...

...it's ok- you can stare... i don't mind.

work/personal life tango

2008-09-10T10:38:00.001-04:00

ahhh the fall... time for brisk mornings, apple harvests, and CAMPAIGNING! 'tis the season, i guess. With that comes minimal time to knit fall and winter goodies. i have been knitting the Drops Swing since the Mister and i were at the Cape on labor day- which now seems years away. it's a good thing i wasn't planning on entering it in the Durham Fair, or i'd be in trouble! i may have been pulling a law school style all nighter to finish it! now i'll be lucky if i finish it in time to actually get some fall use out of it!

The Mister is celebrating a birthday on Saturday! yay! We're going with some friends to tailgate at the UCONN Football game. the last time i tailgated at a UCONN game was in law school with my dad & brother. We went for the UCONN/NAVY game- Dad was in the Navy so it was a good fit. i'm going to be bringing some cupcakes to help celebrate the Mister's big day. i'm planning on experimenting with some chocolate chiffon cupcakes with peanut butter or buttercreme frosting...... or carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting... the Mister loves BOTH chocolate and carrot cake so maybe i'll make both. such a good wifey! and of course i'll be posting pics of the sweet little treats. Oh yeah, and the game, of course.

the UCONN marching band. as a fellow Berlin High School Redcoat Marching Band Member alum, how could i not take a picture of this?!

this is a quest.

2008-09-09T11:45:00.001-04:00

This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much fucking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our godamn smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of you're assholes! I gotta be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy Shit!

if you've ever seen National Lampoon's Summer Vacation with Chevy Chase and the Griswolds, then you get the reference. Except wherever it says "fun" insert the word "shoes." i am now on a quest to find shoes for Jen's wedding in Disney. And not just any shoes- but HOT SHOES. Normally i'm a handbag girl- luxury, canvas Vineyard Vines totes, hand sewn Amy Butlers, etc... and not usually a shoe girl. i'm actually a recovering shoe-aholic. Seriously! But, now i'm on a quest for hot shoes and i CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ANYWHERE! partly my fault- i started the search too late. Yes, i know, her wedding is in October, but i'm looking for open-toed sandle types to go with my dress. I'm really thinking Juicy Couture or Betsey Johnson. i love the styling, edgyness, hotness and just plain shock value of those two brands. And gold star to Betsy- she was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut! She's a homegirl! i would love to wear some of her stuff to Jen's wedding... so yes, i'm on a quest.

8:25 p.m. UPDATE!

** Ladies and Gentlemen- We have a Winner! **

Meet Rasha, from Ms. Betsey Johnson!

Falling For Ewe Yarn Swap & knitting in unusual places...

2008-09-07T20:09:00.000-04:00

September is "Craft in an Unusual Place" month. Never knew it did you? Well, neither did i until the girls over at the Ravelry Handmade Pincushion Swap Board told me so! Always up for a challenge, i took them on, and posted this picture of me knitting at a Brides Against Breast Cancer event at Bloomie's in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

While my gorgeous friend Alayna tried on some equally gorgeous dresses, i had a sales girl snap this little pic. Pretty unusual, eh? i thought so. i'd post some pics of her looking as fab as ever, but just in case her Soon-to-be-Mister is lurking here, i wouldn't want to be responsible for breaking with tradition!

So, instead, i'll just post a picture of the two of us from Christmas last year. love her!

it was quite the fun event. we had a very Massachusetts-esqe brunch: a Crab cake topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, petit squash and mushrooms sauteed with olive oil, and a wedge of watermelon. For dessert? Wedding cake, of course! after brunch we were escorted upstairs to try on gowns. it was quite the day!

Alayna came away with an absolutely regal gown. i'm not kidding- it looks like something out of a British Monarch's closet! i'm so glad she found something today. 100% of her bridal gown went towards Breast Cancer Research. one hundred percent! Almost made me feel like buying one!

Falling For Ewe Yarn Swap Question #1

So, now on to my first question of the week for my fall yarn swap on Ravelry... "What is your favorite thing about Autumn?"

Just one, eh? i have a few, but my top top favorite thing about the fall is going to local Connecticut fairs- the Berlin Fair and the Durham Fair are the ones i go to every year. As a child i used to enter arts and crafts and baked goods, and now that i'm a "grown up" i still do! i love eating fried clams, big puffy sugar donuts, walking around the pig and sheep exhibits... drinking at the beer booth... everything. adding to this is the fact that it's usually very chilly at night (especially when watching the tractor pulls). Chilly= north face fleece zippys & hand knit scarves! i love walking around the fairs people watching with the Mister. in high school before we were dating we used to pour out half of a red gatorade bottle and fill the rest with vodka and walk around the fair. we were such badasses. Now that we're older we still drink at the fair, but legally, and with Budweiser wrist bracelets at the beer booth. there's just something so wonderful about walking around a fair in a cold night holding hands with the Mister...just listening, watching, and dreaming. i love it.

i'm a TV superstar!

2008-09-05T10:25:00.000-04:00

Fox 61 news clip

Watch the clip called, "CT Republicans React to McCain Speech at RNC-9/5" You can find me at the 3:10 mark- i'm the girl on the left of the screen wearing an olive green silk blouse with wavy brown hair. ooo celebrity!

i was at a CT Young Republicans Event last night at Mayor Mike's in Hartford watching McCain's acceptance speech. this post is probably one of the rare times you'll even hear me mention anything political.

i know who i am and what i believe in and what i fight for. you know who you are, what you believe in, and what you fight for. i sew, i knit, i bake, and i vote. i take pride in my right to do all of these wonderful things, and i hope you do too!

...and in other SWAP NEWS... i sent along a bird pincushion to Emma in Ireland, along with some other goodies- cracker jacks (a la breakfast at tiffany's), PEZ- Connecticut's own, of course! and a hershey's lip gloss and chocolate bar -she loves chocolate. We had been chatting about how i love kinder surprise eggs, and- how simply wonderful of her, she sent me this!!

As you can see here, Mr. Cuddles also loves Kinder Eggs

...and a Kinder Egg cameo

these things are amazing- milk chocolate, lined with white chocolate, and a TOY INSIDE THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER YOURSELF. How can i not stress this enough people- go out and get some for yourself! or befriend a lovely person like my friend Emma who lives abroad and has unlimited access to these things! Thank you so much, again, Emma!

self eval

2008-09-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

As i have my self eval coming up at the end of September at the office, i thought i would get in the mood by self-critiquing my summer project list.

1.) Turn the porch into a beach house
my intentions in doing this were to make up for the fact that the Mister and i don't live on the shore, but love the chill feeling of being on the shore. i found wooden buoys which we hung up along with our white lights. things were going well... then we got a pool. and there was our "beach."

2.) Tie Dye
i tie dyed another round of 15 tees this summer! i gave some away as gifts, some to family, and have about 5 left to gift at a later date, so CHECK!

3.) Go to the beach at least 4 times--> don't have to! gettin' a pool!
We did get to the beach twice this summer, so that's halfway to goal. After we got the pool we sort of jumped on Governor Rell's "Staycation" campaign and have been enjoying mini vaycays in the pool at home.

4.) Wear Lilly Pulitzer once a week
i can give this a pink and green CHECK! this was very easy to do especially because i expanded my Lilly stash at the beginning of the summer- headbands, key fobs, handbags, bikinis and tankinis, polo shirts, capris, and my favorite, the Trust Fund Wallet. cuuuuute and kitschy. my two favorite things!

5.) Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
eeek. did not do this. did not even buy jars to do this. i am a bad summer crafter. thumbs down!

6.) knit a clapotis!
this baby was completed 2 weeks ago! she's so loungy and pretty i love her! i knitted her out of artyarns super merino in "ferns." she will go very well with my black north face fleece from fall to winter, as well as my trusty denim jacket. CHECK!

7.) Knit Stitch n' Bitch's Big Bad Baby Blanket
why did i even put this up here? seriously? am i a masochist or something? knit a freaking baby blanket in a few weeks!? aye no! i did pick out yarn from knitpicks to knit it with,as well as tracking down my Stitch n' Bitch book for the pattern. this will be shifted to the FALL... so no check.

i guess that's not a great bunch of crafty accomplishments, but then again i did quite a few non listed items!

-i sewed Amy Butler's Frenchy Bag
-sewed her Birdie Sling
-participated in a Craftster sewing swap
-made my own pesto for the Mister to have with whole wheat pasta for work lunches
-sewed a bunch of the birds from Spool Sewing
-started knitting the Drops Swing jacket
-joined a wonderfully welcoming knitting group

HAPPY HAPPY!

sometimes i wish i lived in Oregon.

2008-09-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

especially after i spend time strolling through my daily blog reads...

Posie Gets Cozy

Angry Chicken

Super Eggplant

knitting on the Cape

2008-09-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

No vacation to the Cape would be complete without a trip to a LYS. Ladybug Yarn was that LYS! i found out about this little gem on someone's blog, and after looking at all of the beautiful pictures posted, i knew it would be the one to go to. When the Mister and i take yarn adventures on our vacations, i like to pick out a project to remember the trip by. i've had a pattern to knit a sheep for a while now, and this won the Cape Cod '08 Labor Day Extravaganza knitting project prize. i picked up 2 skeins of Alpaca to knit him up, and as soon as i'm finished with the Drops Swing Jacket, which i started while the Mister was taking a nap, the sheep is on deck.

While at Ladybug, i picked out a few yummy yarns for my partner in the Fall Yarn swap on Ravelry. She knits a little differently than i do- she knits socks. i've been knitting for quite some time now, and have experimented with several different types of patterns and stitches, but i never really got on the sock train. i'm a wrap, scarf, sweater type of gal! the ladies at Ladybug were very helpful picking out sock yarns- seriously, it's like learning a whole new knitting language and i wanted to make sure i picked out some good stuff!! i think she'll be pleased with the selection.

After our trip to the yarn store, the Mister went up for a nap. i know i know- non-experienced yarn shoppers can get pretty tuckered out by the excitement of a new yarn store to browse. he's so cute. and he gets a bright shiny gold star for not complaining about the $$ i dropped there! so while he was napping, i sat out on the front porch of our B&B drinking a cappuccino and cast on the Drops Swing. Here is a shot of my view from the porch- lovely, huh?

Cape Cod should be in Connecticut.

2008-09-01T17:07:00.000-04:00

i love the cape. if i could move there right now, i would. The Mister and i are happy, tired, tanned, refreshed, and on our way out for a powerwalk. Because i'm still in a state of Cape Cod Bliss right now, these pictures will have to be worth 1,000 words right now. More on the weekend later, k?

let the vacay fun begin!

2008-08-29T10:04:00.001-04:00

oh how i love long weekends... let me count the ways!
1.) the Boss gave the O.K. to wear jeans today
2.) the Legislature will probably let us out early
3.) going to CAPE COD with the Mister for Labor Day weekend
4.) using my Birdie Sling
5.) i just got my Swap Partner for Ravelry's Falling For Ewe Fall Yarn Swap!

pretty freaking sweet start to the weekend, no?

The last time i went to the Cape i found a yarn store in Eastham- i think it was the Yarn Basket- where i found some great Alpaca yarn- looking forward to that. i'm thinking i may pick up some marine/green/indigo/turquoise yarn to make a scarf/shawl for the fall. i drove into work this morning listening to Feist, and as she was singing Sealion, i thought, hum... i should make a Sealion scarf in cool tones, so that's on my Cape shopping list. i may also look around for some alpaca to knit up a peruvian-style ear flap hat. i saw this guy on Ravelry, and it has LLAMAS ON IT. YES, LLAMAS. i could squeeze this in between the Drops Swing and Ella for the fall... i don't know how much knitting time i'll have, as the Mister and i are planning to pack the weekend with mini golf, fried clams, ice cream and beaching, but i am bringing one project- the Drops Swing Jacket. i figure i may get some afternoon knitting in there at least one day at the B&B.

ok loyal readers! time to sign off for the long weekend- off to the cape, see y'all Tuesday!!

bird is the word.

2008-08-27T10:45:00.000-04:00

My friend and i started working on Amy Butler's Birdie Sling last night, and we finished sewing it today while waiting for the City Electrician to inspect the wiring for our pool. i haven't picked out a name for her yet, so for now she's just my friend. i was thinking of giving her a german or italian name like Frieda or Carmen... thoughts?

Here we are with our brand new fabric! Beverly suggested i check out Sew Inspired Quilts, and i was drooling over fabrics like Charlie drooled over candy in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. i love the clover and thistle print, and the amy butler is just lovely!

i really, really, really do not enjoy all of the prep work involved in sewing. Ironing, measuring, cutting... cutting interfacing... ironing the fusible interfacing to the fabric... never. ends.

Sewing is much more fun!

i finished the bag after a late night walk around the neighborhood with the Mister, so pics of that will be posted tomorrow. The bag was inspired by all of the gorgeous fabric sent to my by my Craftster swap partner, and the upcoming trip to the Cape with the Mister. We decided we need one last Hurrah before summer officially ends, so we quickly booked a trip at a B&B in Brewster. The Birdie Sling will be coming with, of course! Once you see it i think you'll agree with me that it speaks to the inner Cape Cod in all of us.

and in other Bird news, Paul Byrd pitched a hell of a game for the Sox tonight.

update! i have just figured out the perfect name for my little Fisher Price sewing frauline. i love Hogan's Heroes. Love, love, love it. i love Klink, Schultz, Hogan, Newkirk- all of them. While thinking along these lines, it just occured to me that i should name my sewing friend Hilda. Hilda was Klink's second secretary, and she plays such a good role in the show. So there we have it- sewing Hilda. i think she kind of looks like Hilda, too.

don't you just love Tiffany's?

2008-08-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

i mean, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there.

i made these little goodies out of Fimo clay this week while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. At first i was just going to make little cupcakes, doughnuts and other sweets, but after the scene where Holly Golightly opens the door with her eye mask on, it was all Tiffany's from there... So here we have Holly's hat she wears to sing sing, Paul Varjack's 9 Lives, a croissant, and a little Tiffany's box.

That's right! i'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!

And now on to a Clapotis update: as you can see i have been dropping stitches like mad! just this morning i began the decreasing section, so hopefully this fine wrap will be gracing my shoulders by midweek. And perfect timing, too! last night's special session was a friendly reminder of how freaking cold it gets in our Capitol office. it's getting to be wrap, pashmina and cardigan season again very soon! i posted this over at my Falling for Ewe fall yarn Swap, but i think a wrap of this magnitude deserves more air time.

Once i'm done with the Clapotis and after i start and finish the Drops Swing Jacket, it's time for you to meet... Ella!

Carrie over at Every Word's a Purl knitted this baby up and i was drooling over it the moment i saw it! She knitted it with 4 skeins of Brooks Farm's Four Play yarn. The color she used is discontinued, but i think this color, Gypsy Heart 9 Four Play Yarn will be just right for me.

What do you think? Fall... Work... Home... Orchards... Grocery Shopping... Fire Pits... = Perfect!

making the Mister happy & a Giveaway

2008-08-21T21:25:00.000-04:00

so just last night the Mister commented on my blog. not actually a typed comment to a post, but a comment before we went to bed. he said, "Why isn't the 'Big Man'* on your blog?"

*"Big Man" is one of the 1,000,001 names we have for Mr. Cuddles, our cat.

So, in an attempt to keep the Mister reading this thing (yes, i do check up on him to make sure he's reading it! he makes me listen to his openings, closings and cross examinations, so this is the least i can ask of him) here's the Big Man...

ok fine, and one of me and girl cat. this was during our second year of law school. she loves doing this.

on another note, my friend, Jen, whom i met in law school, is getting married in Disney World this fall. Tonight she called me and asked if i wouldn't mind doing a reading at her wedding! i am both honored and flattered that her and her soon-to-be-husband, Ryan, asked me to be a part of their wedding ceremony. Jen and i met during our first year, and she was actually in the Mister's study group. But, once the two of us realized that we bonded over our sick obsession with luxury handbags, ice cream and Napoleon Dynamite humor, we quickly ditched the Mister and had ourselves a nice little friendship! Jen is one of the only girls that i stayed close with post law school, and i'm very happy for that.

Here we are after we had an ice cream date in West Hartford center.

...finally, there is a Giveaway going on, people! so hop on over to simplemom's blog and go check it out! in celebration of her birthday, she's having a giveaway for us! how exciting! :) Happy Birthday, simplemom, and thanks for thinking of your blog readers!!

who's a spoiled girl?

2008-08-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

it's me! it's me!!!!!!

i love amy butler, and i love sewing. so, OH HOW HAPPY WAS i to find this terrific package waiting for me this week from my absolutley awesome partner, Aspenwall, in Craftster's i <3 to Sew Swap! i documented every little bit of it's sweetness!

First, here it is, neatly folded up in this package...

Next, we have Miss Kitty modeling my BRAND NEW TOTE BAG! You can't see it from here, but yes, it's lined! My partner is a quilter, and she certainly showed off her skills with this piece.

Now, my partner is a quilter, and this is pretty cool- she gave me hand made piping! i've never made it before, nor used it, but i am looking forward to using this as an embellishment for a new bag.

Moving right along, here we come to the final two stages of this fab package- which, are my top top favorites...

Amy Butler Fabrics and a pattern to make her Birdie Sling Bag!!!!! How perfect was her timing on this one- just the other day i fell in love with the bird mobile, and here comes along these yummy amy butler fabrics for me to make it with! oh how spoiled am i!??

i've loved aprons for a long long time, and ever since i started revving up the sewing machine, i've made myself a linen closet full of 'em. But, such as my mantra with handbags, a girl can never i repeat- never have too many. and now here's my girl Miss Kitty modeling the beautiful reversible apron Aspenwall made for me with Amy Butler fabrics!

spoiled spoiled spoiled is what i am. i can't wait to pay it forward on my next swap!

isn't this just darling?

2008-08-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

i mean, really? isn't it the most darling mobile you've ever seen? the designers over at Spool Sewing made one for their shop, and so graciously posted up a free birdie pattern on their blog! why thank you, Spool Sewing!

the thing i like about this idea is that i think it will look great in the home- and not just a children's room, but say, my living room! i think it would fit in nicely with my vintage/bird/anthropologie inspired home. The best part of all, is that the package from my swap partner in the i <3 to sew swap at craftster just arrived yesterday, and inside it are oodles and oodles of amy butler fabric pieces! eeeeeeeeeee! (that's a squeal with delight, btw). i haven't had the chance to post pics and talk about that glorious package yet because i was whisked away to my weekly stitch n' bitch. Suffice it to say, i am so very happy with the amount of time and effort that my partner took to create such an awesome package, that i was literally blushing with delight last night when i got home to tear it open.

in other sewing news, i was trolling around craftster the other day and i came across this:

it's a kinder sorpresa egg pincushion! when my family would spend summers in italy my brother and i used to buy these chocolate eggs every day at the tabacarias in the village just for the cute little toys inside- don't get me wrong, we loved the kinder milk chocolate shell, but how fun was it to crack open the hollow chocolate egg, and inside find a plastic "yolk" filled with small pieces that you put together yourself to make a fun little toy!! These chocolate eggs are not sold in the USA -i'm guessing because of the potential choking hazard with the small pieces. This hasn't stopped me from ordering them off of ebay, though! After searching around online, i found this pattern for a felt egg that i think will do just fine for making up felt kinder eggs.

So now the "crafting" list grows. and grows and grows. These are my projects lined up for the fall:

1.) finish knitting my Clapotis
2.) knit the Drops Swing Jacket
3.) sew up birdies for Spool Sewing's birdie mobile
4.) make a felt kinder sorpresa egg
5.) knit up a sheep for my craft room
6.) knit a baby blanket for Kimberlee & Bill (the babe is due December 4)
7.) knit a baby blanket for Mike & Maura (babe is due January 19)

County Fair Olympics

2008-08-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

in case you haven't guessed it from reading my blog, i love looking for beautiful inspiration everywhere: on other people's blogs, in maggies, on TV, from martha stewart, craftster, ravelry, and at county fairs. i usually see one idea and make it my own by adding my own touches, colors, tastes, flavors, etc. the Berlin Fair is my Craft Olympics- to me, i can best liken it to the gymnastics all around competition- a gymnast performs 4 different events, all events being averaged into one score, which if they're very good, translates into a medal. and if they're super amazing good, it translates into a GOLD medal. Keeping that in mind, when i enter my crafty goods in the Berlin Fair, i usually enter a few things in the Baking and Knitting categories. Last year was the first year i entered these contests as an "adult" and was very very nervous. See, when i entered my jewlery, cookies, papier-mâché animals, fimo bead necklaces, and pencil collections as a kid, everyone was awarded ribbons- even if you had the most lousy, mis-shapen, colored out of the lines, lopsided entry, you at least got a 4th Place ribbon. and some $$ to tide you over for the weekend romping around the fairgrounds eating caramel apples, fried clams, and french fries from the fireman's booth!

Adding to my nervousness was the Mister. See, usually you look to your significant other for encourangement and your own personal cheering section. i got the opposite- he insists he only said this to "get me going" and to give me the drive to win... at the time i did not take it that way. He told me that i'd be in for some serious competition- he said there are soccer moms out there that have perfected the chocolate chip cookie- have made so many apple pies that their crust is pinched perfectly- their knitting is flawless because they have been working their craft for so many years.

How are you going to compete with that?

Well, if you are also well-read here at Bird & Squirrel, you know that i kicked ass and took names! ahem. excuse my outburst, but yes! i was excited! i got TWO BLUE RIBBONS! One for my Chocolate Chocolate m&m cookies, and one for my Irish Hiking Scarf. But the proudest moment of all was for the cookies- unlike the youth exhibits where every entry is awarded, the adult baking contest only awards one 1st through 4th place ribbon for each category! And sometimes they don't even award a 4th place! so you can imagine my excitement.

But now i'm nervous. First of all, how can i compete with two blue ribbons? i have to at least get two to match last year's performance, right? and adding to this, i want more. i'm making the bold step of entering two fairs this year... the Berlin Fair, and (drumroll please) the Durham Fair. Now, i'm not trying to be Michael Phelps here, or anything, but i wouldn't mind a little Nastia Liukin, O.K.? And poor Catherine. i really really can relate to her post today- having someone critique your skills in not such a flattering light is truly deflating! Sure, the judges have their own tastes and opinions, hence, that's why these fairs always have a few judges, but who wants their best baking bounty given a poor score!? Especially when everyone who eats the sweets raves about them!?

So this year i'm entering a few knitted items, a sewn apron, and only a couple baked goods. i feel i can handle a critique of my knitting and sewing, but not my baking. for some reason that's just too hard for me to take.

how come i didn't think of this sooner?

2008-08-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

seriously? what's wrong with me. i used to love making bracelets as a kid, and was just looking at some stitch markers when i thought, hey! i can make these guys!! so i punch in "stitch marker tutorial" into a google search, and lookie what i found!! sheep in the city's stitch marker tutorial! fricken' sweet! so now that i've got the tutorial, i'm thinking about using some Fimo clay to make some of THESE!!

p.s.

will you please knit a red scarf? Please? Pretty Pretty Please? with a cherry on top? The word has spread from blog to blog, and i'm doing my part by posting this up here to gain awareness for this very important project. The Orphan Foundation of America is asking all knitters out there to knit a red scarf for college-bound foster youth. i'm going to head to Michael's this evening to pick up some yarn for this simple, yet meaningful efford. Hope you'll join me!

oh brother, where art thou!?

2008-08-17T09:59:00.001-04:00

so my brother left for Florida last night.

he's the youngest snowbird i know- he's 26. Anthony has this great gig down in Titusville, FL- right next to Coco Beach. He's an Assistant Athletic Director and Gym Teacher, and when baseball season starts up, he's the Baseball Coach for a private all boys Catholic high school down there. ...and he absolutely loves it. And i HATE it! the next time i'll be seeing him is at Christmas. Sure, we text, talk on the phone and e-mail each other, but it is totally not even close to being near him. it's just the two of us, and we're very close. i when we were in high school we would go shopping together, hang out with each other's friends, and give our parents a hard time together. god i miss that. anyway, i know i should be happy for him. (i am). but it doesn't mean i have to be happy about it.

Here are some pics of us. i'm going to miss him terribly.

on my wedding day.

summer 2007 at Harbor Park.

at Stop & Shop. this is one of the last times we saw each other before he left. i took full advantage.

summer 2008 at Camp Greylock

1 <3 to Sew Swap Love!

2008-08-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

So i can finally post some pics up of the package i sent to my partner in the Craftster sewing swap! yay! it was such a fun swap to participate in- i love sewing, and a girl can have so many aprons, bags, and pincushions, so i thought it would be the perfect opportunity to sew for someone else! i am anxiously awaiting my package from her, so in the meantime i'll have to be patient and look at all of the pics she posted of what i sent her!

Oooo... here's the package just opened up! i sent her a little New England lovin' by way of Puffer, the Penguin. You can see him peeking out of the box here.

And here's a picture of the wide array of goodies i sent her- Cording for quilting projects, a bag o' buttons, flip flop & fish stickers, Puffer & a cupcake pincushion.

Here's a close up of the pincushion- she was looking for some inspiration to get her going on her sewing project, so she got it by way of non-fat desserts! And who doesn't love a fat-free cupcake pincushion- complete with pin sprinkles!?

i also sent her 2 yards of Amy Butler Fabrics and an Amy Butler Sophia Bag pattern.

And finally, here she is modeling the apron i sent her. i LOVE RUFFLES and FRILLS and GIRLY ASS APRONS. So that's what i made! Fortunately my sewing partner also loves polka dots, paisleys, and brown, so it was a perfect match.

Successful swap, no? it was such a joy to sew something for someone else, especially someone who appreciates the time and effort it takes to craft. i was so happy to do it! it was a great first swap experience, which successfully hooked me on swapping. forever! i can't wait to find out about the partner in my next swap on Ravelry, and to spoil her like mad with cutesey goodies and yarn! to those of you out there who haven't swapped yet, i'd highly reccomend it. not only did i meet some excellent crafters, but i really felt more involved in my craft, and it's made me appreciate my sewing ability more than ever, and has forced me to try new patterns and techniques in the process!! High Five to Swapping!!

natalie dee on blocking

2008-08-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

you know you're a serious knitter when...

you can actually laugh out loud to a Natalie Dee comic on Blocking... lol.

the miracle of blocking

oh, and p.s. Vineyard Vines just sent out an e-mail about their new Fall line... i am absolutley in LOVE with this whale sweater. The Mister just may hit the roof when he finds out it's on my Christmas wish list already...

Ravelry Swap Q&A "Falling for Ewe Autumn Yarn Swap"!!

2008-08-11T17:07:00.001-04:00

that's it. i did it. i joined Ravelry. (with thanks to Catherine & Bev). and not only did i join Ravelry, but -are you sitting down? i joined an autumn yarn swap! eeeeeeee!! and if you know me, you know i love my New England seasons, especially Fall! Fall means sweater jackets, pashminas, jeans, mary janes, and flirting with fleece zippys! This particular swap is a blogging swap! This means as a part of joining the swap i agree to blog regularly. This is a great thing, because it'll keep me on my toes, and this also means that someone other than the Mister will be reading this thing! As a part of the swap we are supposed to post a Q&A to our blog, so here it goes!

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?
~knit, knit, knit, knit, knit. For 6 years! But, i’ve only begun to get adventurous within the last 3 years- cabling, crazy Noni felting, and am in the process of knitting up my first Clapotis.

Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do?
~nope, not a spinner.

Are there any other crafts that you participate in?
~ sewing Amy Butler bags, aprons, stuffies- little stuffed felt animals, tie dying, baking muffins & cupcakes

What are your favorite yarns/fibers?
~Anything made by Rowan or Debbie Bliss, especially her Cashmerino Aran. i love knitting with any kind of Alpaca yarn, hand painted yarns, and pretty much any kind of bulky weight winter yarn (like Rowan Biggy Print). But, alas, I am such a sucker for Brown Sheep’s Lamb’s Pride Bulky and Worsted yarns-they are super for "anything" projects. I'm also discovering that i love knitting with Artyarns Supermerino.

The colors i love to knit with ...are camels, tans, creams, off-white, slate/charcoal grey, polar ice blue, Kelly green, pink, and indigos.

What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers?
~heavily variegated yarn (like variegated sock yarns- i don’t do socks). i also hate eyelash yarn, scratchy acrylics, pom pom yarn, red heart yarn, cheapo "by the pound" yarn and any of those crazy squiggly novelty yarns. eek! i don't mean to sound yarn snooty!

Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance?
~ooo i want to try THIS Gypsy Heart 9 Four Play Yarn by Brooks Farm Yarn for a big fallish wrap, Koigu painter's palette merino, hand-dyed worsted merino Malabrigo, and, believe it or not- i’ve never ever knitted with Noro Kureyon yarn. Ever.

What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet?
~wraps, shrugs, cute cabled beanies, pashmina-type scarves, bags, totes, purses

What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn?
~well, right now i’m knitting up the Clapotis in artyarns supermerino, and next in the que is the infamous Drops 103 Cardigan. Thanks to the over-abundance (ok, fine, 2) of friends having babies, i plan on knitting each of them a "Big Bad Baby Blanket" from Debbie Stoller's Stitch n' Bitch. Because niether of them are finding out whether they're having a boy or girl, i want to knit the blankets in a pretty universal color. I'm planning on knitting them up in Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino in "Multi." The babes are due on December 4 and January 19, which means i will be pretty busy this fall knitting those things up! **UPDATE!** i just found another awesome awesome awesome pattern that must be knit this fall. i repeat must be knit this fall! it's the Ella Shawl from knitty! Carrie knit it up with this delish yarn from Brooks Farm! Don't you just love it? i mean, really love it?

What is your favorite FO?
~two tied for first place: brea handbag and circular shrug. i actually made 2 of these circular shrugs- it’s probably the most versatile piece of knitted clothing i’ve ever made! And only 2 skeins of Cascade 220, to boot!

What is your oldest UFO?
~seriously, i don’t even want to answer this question… the first sweater i ever started to knit SIX YEARS AGO is a UFO… i’m one of those “instant gratification” knitters, which makes knitting sweaters wicked hard. I swear i think i have knitters ADD sometimes. I knitted the front, 2 sleeves, and half of the back before i got bored with it and dropped it off for quickie scarves!

Are there any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn?
~i’ve got to give this some serious thought. honestly, i never thought i would make it to the Clapotis, and i’m about to get to the point in the pattern where i begin dropping stitches. I never thought i’d even buy a cable needle, and yet 2 years ago i made a cable sweater. We’ll see what the future holds…

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
~no way dude. sans socks.

Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?
~sadly, been knitting for 6 years and i don’t know what those things are. Is that bad?

Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks?
~my mom sewed me this wonderful needle roll out of upholstery fabric. I got the pattern from Debbie Stoller’s Stitch n’ Bitch.

Do you collect anything?
~white milk glass, lip gloss, lilly pulitzer, hello kitty and Sanrio pens, stickers and cutsey japanese stuff, birds and squirrels and whales, glam audrey hepburn goodies, aprons, coffee mugs- from our travels, diners and other kitschy places like salvation army stores. The Mister and i love our mis-matched collection of eclectic and vintage coffee mugs- every dinner party is a guessing game as to what mug you’ll get!

What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready?
~feist, harry chapin, henry mancini, grateful dead, dave matthews band, o.a.r., carole king, joni mitchell, and yes, i still rock an original ipod shuffle. The pregnancy test style.

Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?
~ i love gummies- especially Haribo gummy bears, Sour Jelly Belly jelly beans, sour patch kids, Cadbury milk chocolate, sour apple blow pops, Orbit bubblemint gum, Kinder Sorpresa Eggs, York peppermint patties, cupcakes

What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children?
~ i live in a cute 2 bedroom home with Husband and 2 cats- Mr. Cuddles & Miss Kitty. We love spending time on our screened-in porch, and we just got a pool so we’re loving life right now!

Are you allergic to anything?
~um penicillin. Does that count for a craft swap?

Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal.
~yes, i joined the ranks at Wist.com. Here is my wist

Are you having a birthday during this swap?
~borderline birthday! December 4.

What is your Ravelry ID?
~BlueTeacup

bird was on vaycay

2008-07-29T11:03:00.000-04:00

so i've actually got a really good excuse for my un-birdlike hiatus from blogging, and you can see for yourself all the exciting things i've been up to!

i got a pool.

i went to a family picnic.

i sewed for a swap on craftster.org. whoops! can't post that pic yet! my partner hasn't received it yet!! :)

i went to maine.

i ate real pistacio ice cream for the first time in over 15 years.

i went to acadia national park.

i sewed Amy Butler's "Frenchy" bag.

i went to visit my Brother at Camp Greylock.

i joined a Stitch n' Bitch.

i started knitting a clapotis.

...and for all those picture people, snapshots will be posted this eve!

old school nintendo cake

2008-07-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

i've made family guy cakes, jimmy buffett hawaiian shirt cakes, quilt cakes, hell, i've even made an R2D2 and Death Star cake, but this one, ahem. took the cake. i present to you, an old school nintendo cake.

I started with a devil's food cake mix, and baked it in a 13" x 9" cake pan. After it cooled, i cut it in half and frosted the inside with whipped milk chocolate icing. (per the Birthday Boy's request).

Using Wilton's black icing dye, i made 3 shades of grey for the cake, and started frosting this baby.

Here's the bottom:

And now with the top:

Using red sprinkles and 1 shot (for the dot on the "i"), i spelled out a pretty crazy looking "NiNTENDO"

and voila! you have yourself a nintendo birthday cake!! I'd say it went over pretty well based on the comment the Mister made after i asked him if it looked real he replied, "i'm ready to plug a controller into that thing!" File under: nerd birthdays.

jam jam jam & jam

2008-07-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam

Spam, Egg, Bacon, Sausage and Spam

Spam, Spam, Spam, Egg, Bacon and Spam

Jam, Jam, Jam, and Jam...??

Remember the Monty Python sketch where the couple, Mr. & Mrs. Bun, are at a restaurant and all they have on the menu is Spam? The wife doesn't want anything with Spam in it, and eventually gets into an argument with the waitress. She asks for an item with the Spam removed, much to the amazement of her Spam-loving husband. Eventually, Mrs. Bun shouts out, "I don't like Spam!"

Well, that's what summers were like at my house, but except for having Spam, we had Jam. Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Blueberry Jam, and i remember one point my mother trying apricot. She used fresh rhubarb from our garden, and we'd go strawberry picking at Pell Farms in Forestville, and blueberry picking with these buckets my dad made for me and my brother- they would go over our heads, and look kind of like those shot glass necklaces. Unfortunately there's no more rhubarb in the garden, and Pell Farms was sold, and plowed over for an industrial park, now aptly named, "Strawberry Fields." Yeah, i know, depressing. It's a little Joni Mitchell "Big Yellow Taxi." After seeing this, over at our kitchen sink, i think it's high time i get my jam on.

mmm... smells like new kitchen.

2008-07-09T14:42:00.000-04:00

i arrived home from feist early in the morning, and as exhausted as i was from the best concert i've ever been to, i couldn't contain myself a little bit... my new kitchen toys arrived from Anthropologie & cookware.com! oh what joy!!! i was tempted to open up the boxes right then and there, but knew i'd wake the Mister up, and that wouldn't be good since he's picking a jury this week and needed his sleep. But, that didn't stop me from tearing them open the minute i got up this morning! it was like Christmas in July- but for the kitchen. i was surrounded by turquoise le creuset & ceramic geese! oh what fun!

now, on to feist. FEIST. WAS. AWESOME. she was better than awesome. she was better than all of the dave matthews concerts i've ever been to. combined. yeah, it was that good. my lovely friend Megan and i were actually mistaken for her friends and almost got access backstage, but were unfortunately shot down by a security guard. it was not a total loss, though. i mean, someone actually thought we were her friends! As far as we are concerned, that's compliment enough!

finally @ feist

2008-07-07T16:44:00.001-04:00

After one very failed attempt to see feist live in concert in Northampton, Massacusetts, tonight is a welcome change. Back in May the Mister and myself had tickets to see feist at Smith College, but because we had a late session night here at the Capitol, those plans got nixed. What made it even worse was that Ingrid Michaelson was opening for her- and not that i love Ingrid Michaelson, it was still exciting that i would see two very awesome indie artists in one night. BUT, feist saved the day by having a show in Boston! -which is TONIGHT! I'm going with my great and fun and lovely friend Megan! it is going to rock. Feist is awesome, and if you've never heard her, you'll at least recognize her from the mac commercials where she sings "1,2,3,4." And, NO that is not my favorite song- Monarch is. Apparantley cameras aren't allowed tonight. I'm not deterred, as that same warning did not stop one of my friends from sneaking a disposable in her bra when we saw Dave Matthews at the Meadows in high school. i'm thinking of pulling off a similar stunt tomorrow, so hopefully a.) i won't get kicked out, and 2.) the camera won't get confiscated. And btw, i'm going to see FEIST tonight!!!

Happy 4th! Celebrate with Pasta Salad!

2008-07-06T15:16:00.000-04:00

What better way to celebrate the midsummer picnic holiday, the 4th of July, than to make a pasta salad!? This one is easy- one of my faves. I make it the day before so that the flavors really pop. It's pretty basic, and you can add ingredients (like diced pepperoni, red peppers, celery, smoked mozzarella, etc...) In the summer we basically live on 3 Bean Salad, Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, and grilled veggies. Who wants to heat up the kitchen in 90 degree New England heat?!? The only time i fire up the oven is for baking birthday cakes in the summer- which i do a lot of thanks to the 3 Schweitzer birthdays in July!

So, without further ado, Summer Pasta Salad!

Summer Pasta Salad
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 pound whole wheat pasta (Barilla is best)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can cannellini beans
3 carrots, peeled & diced
1/2 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, smashed & diced
1 big bunch of Basil, sliced into ribbons
dried oregano flakes
salt
pepper

Boil and salt water for pasta. While the pasta is cooking, mix the beans, carrots, onion, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a large shallow bowl. Once pasta is al dente (about 8-10 minutes), drain, and rinse. Add to the mixture and stir. Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Refrigerate for a few hours, overnight is best.

So, not only am i celebrating the 4th by making pasta salad, but... the Mister and i BOUGHT A POOL. yeah....... how 4th of July is that?! The pool guys will be here sometime within the next 2 weeks, so until then i'll just stare anxiously out at the garden, which will ultimately house the pool.

Swappity Swap Swap

2008-07-03T09:55:00.000-04:00

Two very exciting news bites to report:

First- last night i ordered a bunch of stuff for the kitchen! A gorgeous turquoise colander, cafe curtains, goose measuring cups, sugar bowl, and bird salt & pepper shakers! i have always admired cute kitsch kitchens and am on a mission to have mine join the ranks.

Second- i joined a swap on craftster!! i've been on Craftster since 2004, and i've tried a bunch of patterns from all of the wonderfully talented members, but i've never participated in a swap before. For those of you swappingly-challenged folks, a swap is like having a pen pal that sends you cool stuff. Everyone participating in a swap is paired up with someone. Each swap has a theme where the participants make an item (like a tote bag, scarf, jewlery, apron, etc...) and then send it to their partner. There are all kinds of swaps- candy swaps, sewing swaps, and even world-wide swaps. Since i love sending care packages to my brother and Boston friends, i figured joining a swap will be lots of fun. The swap i'm participating is the "i <3 to sew" swap. i love sewing, and have sewn quite a few aprons, tote bags, felt animals, and my favorite- Amy Butler patterns. It gets a little boring only sewing for myself, so i'm excited to be sewing something for someone else that will appreciate it!

Strawberry Swing

2008-07-02T12:52:00.000-04:00

it's official. i'm in love with Coldplay's Viva la Vida album, and in particular, Strawberry Swing. it sort of describes the summer mood i've been in lately- kind of carefree, enjoying the summer sans BarBri studying, re-decorating the house, and wearing sun-yellow espadrilles at work, not to mention the fact that i've been searching for a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb jam. My mom used to make this every summer, so i'll probably just end up asking her. My favorite summer breakfast was a toasted english muffin with a layer of cream cheese and topped off with a nice big spoonful of her strawberry rhubarb jam... oh it's heaven on a plate.

Speaking of cooking... my next project on the house is the kitchen. So far the master bedroom, spare bedroom, guest bath, and living room are 99 percent complete (absent a few minor touch ups). i absolutley fell in love with this season's kitchen items at Anthropologie.

Here are a few things i've got my eye on...

..and from Urban Outfitters, these bird cafe curtains.

Last night the Mister and i set up our "new bedroom" a la lilly pulitzer's "via roma" quilt set. at first i was hesitant to buy it- i mean, i wear lilly hippo skirts and dresses with lions on them no problem, but having that seep into "our" bedroom is another thing. it's one thing if it was just little single me in my old Boston one bedroom, but now that we've merged... you know what i'm talking about. fortunately the Mister did not mind! i'll have to show off the new bedroom wares this weekend in between burgers, pasta salad and 4th of July picnic fun...

~Moi~

2008-07-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

Jessica over at fig and plum posted this meme, so i decided to consider myself “tagged” and let y’all know a bit more about Moi. Oh yes, now that you’ve wandered over here, you should know that TAG! You’re IT!

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

June 1998. i just graduated from Berlin High School the month before, and i had the whole summer to romp around town before i headed off to Merrimack College in North Andover, MA for my freshmen year of college. i remember road trips to Soundview in Old Lyme, marathon late nights drinking slurpees outside the 7-11, and drinking in Ella’s basement, and Sarah’s house when their parents were away. That summer i was very big into Kahlua mudslides and screwdrivers. Time was split between my high school boyfriend and my best friends. i also went to a Dave Matthews concert at the Meadows. i pretty much felt invincible that summer.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

1. Get to the post office to mail care packages to Anthony & Alayna
2. Call Mom
3. Go tanning
4. Text Ashley and wish her good luck at her closing today (and to remind her she’s taller)
5. Wash the kitchen floor after the melted Wattamelon Roll fiasco

3) Snacks I enjoy:

pink lady apples, spumoni ice cream, Haribo gummy bears, s’mores, goldfish crackers, green grapes, hummus & pitas

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire (in no particular order):

Quit my job and open up a yarn store with a cat in a basket, buy a beach house on the Connecticut shore big enough for family drop ins, take a trip to France to bum around flea markets trying to find vintage Hermés, subscribe to every Condé Nast magazine, and buy lots of towels to donate to animal shelters so that the cats in their cages have something soft to lay with.

5) Places I have lived:

Plainville, Connecticut
Kensington, Connecticut
North Andover, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
Hamden, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut

6) Jobs I have had: -surprisingly, this list is fresh in my memory because i had to submit a detailed employer list on my Connecticut Bar Application.

Counter girl at Bagelz
Camp Counselor at Camp Asto Wamah, Columbia, Connecticut
Clerk at Champ’s Sports
Babysitter
Telemarketer for the Merrimack Fund
Intern at Marty Meehan’s Lawrence, MA office
Intern at Ted Kennedy’s Boston, MA office
Communications Assistant at MassInsight Education
Campaign Researcher for Bruce Herzfelder for State Treasurer Campaign
Legislative Aide to State Rep. David P. Linsky (Natick, Millis Sherborn, MA)
Clerk at Restoration Hardware, Boylston Street, Boston
Law Clerk at Klein & Becker
Law Clerk at Michalik, Bauer, Silvia & Ciccarillo
Law Clerk at The Southern Connecticut Gas Company
Staff Attorney & Research Analyst for the Connecticut House Republican Office

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

2008-06-30T21:32:00.001-04:00

...and if i could add music to the blog, i'd be playing the Dead's Truckin' right now. What a long strange trip it's been since i last tie dyed! Here are some pics i took of my tie dying adventure with Ashley on Saturday morning. She took hers home with her when they were still all knotted up in elastic bands in plastic bags, otherwise i'd be showcasing hers, too!

The Jacquard kit came with a dvd which i found to be particularly helpful. i followed the directions to a T, and everything came out perfect. i am in LOVE with the results, and i know that the Dads will love these for their -ahem- a little belated father's day gifts.

i LOVE this tie dye kit. Jacquard is the best!

Also, seeing as this is a crafting/cooking/crafting... blog, i'm posting pics of me and the Mister's lobster madras night. Who says a 28 year old can't drink out of a sippy cup? Well, i say she can, especially when that sippy cup contains a madras!!

...and in case you're wondering what a madras is...

1 part good vodka
2 parts cranberry juice
2 parts orange juice, no pulp
lots of ice

stir it up in a pitcher and pour!

eeek!!!

2008-06-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

has it really been almost ONE YEAR since my last post? (yeah, i know it sounds like i just stepped into a confessional at church, but i guess that must be the catholic girl in me) i haven't been as crafty as i'd like, so i guess a life update is in order...

-passed the bar
-started my first job as a lawyer
-rocked out on Guitar Hero
-baked a red velvet cake
-drafted a bunch of amendments during the 2008 legislative session
-ran 3 5Ks
-bought curtains

not much of a life, huh? As you can see, there's a huge absence of crafty things!! i remedyed that this weekend, though! Tie Dyed 5 tee shirts in the back yard using the Jacquard Tie Dye kit. i LOVED IT. always wanted one when i was a kid, but it seemed too expensive, so i settled for buckets of RIT dye. -and if you ever used RIT you know how unsuccessful that venture can be. Jacquard ruled, and i'm going to be posting those fine shirts this week!!

the other exciting thing this weekend was have one of my very best Boston friends over to share in the fun. After the dying, we were supposed to be making s'mores in our firepit. BUT, thanks the the lovely new england humidity, we nixed the pit, and insted ate hoodsie cups & fudgesicles in central air.

The Green Monster

2007-10-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

I think that's what i'll call my completed Brea bag. I sit and knit her while i watch the Sox. We lost to the Indians tonight, 4-2. Husband shut the TV off immediately- it was not a good night. But as far as the "green monster" is concerned, the gusset is knitting up...slowly... it is the most boring part of the bag. ugh. this is usually where i put a good old needle protecter on and forget about the project out of boredom. So now i've got knitting fever for other projects. of course i won't start a new one untiil the bag's done, but it doesn't mean i won't start thinking about new projects!!!! ha! so here's what i'm thinking for the upcoming months:

1.) Zepher Style's Delite Cap
2.) Astrid, norah gaughan's shawl for Berroco
3.) Callista's Alexander McQueen Knock-off Sweater

I'm loving all of them- they are spicy knitting goodness and would be perfect for fall and winter!

oh, and here's a gratuitous cat photo. Mr. Cuddles says hi.

Brea is officially On & Off the needles

2007-10-13T01:27:00.000-04:00

After a day and a half of knitting- with a little bit of cooking in between- the back panel of the Berroco Brea Bag is finished!!! i decided to make it the back because i had a little bit of trouble with the cables at the bottom of the bag. You can't tell, but i know i botched a stitch or two, so suffice it to say, it'll be the back. The new yarn store i went to, The Yarn Garden didn't have any Berroco, so i had to settle for a new pick- Ella Rae Classic in a Fall-esqe leafy green. It's very similar to Cascade 220, but much softer, which i love. That, and i didn't have to wind up the yarn into a ball!

Miss Kitty modeling the new yarn

Here's the "back" of the Brea

Oh no!!!!!! Only 4 rows of Brea on the needles and looooooots of blocking left to do!

mmm... no longer an apple pie virgin.

Lawyer for less than a week, and already ansy to KNIT!

2007-10-10T18:22:00.000-04:00

...seriously!

adding up the long list of things Husband and i missed during the last 3 years of law school, KNITTING is probably top on the list! I satisfied my craving last week by knitting the Irish Hiking Scarf, but that didn't last too long. Right now i'm working on a pattern from The Yarn Girls-just a simple rolled cap. About 1/4 of the way done right now. Of course this will not stop me from picking out my next project!! I dug through my stash and found that i have the perfect green yarn for the Brea Bag! oh i'm so excited! I've been searching around online, and i found a few other gals who made the Brea, and they all look so great! I think it'll be the perfect fall bag. (well, right up there with the cute Burberry number Husband got me when we were in Boston a few years ago). The best part is that knitted and crochet bags are totally IN this season! love it!

Blue Ribbon Bliss

2007-10-08T17:41:00.000-04:00

you know you're getting old when you are no longer eligible to enter your crafts and baked goods in the Youth building at the Berlin Fair...

This realization came to me as last Thursday night the Husband and i went to enter my items in the Fair. This was the first time i entered as an actual "Adult." Scary! Scary on two levels- first, i am getting old, and second, the competition is of course far greater on an Adult level, competing against women who have had knitting needles in their hands for the past 10+ years! So here i come, arriving on the scene with 4 entries: my version of the Irish Hiking Scarf, a felted tote, Double Chocolate Cookies, and Pumpkin Bliss Cupcakes. Much to my surprise, i walked away with a 1st place on the Scarf and Cookies, a 2nd place on the Cupcakes, and a sad finish to the felted tote- a 4th place win.

1st Place Double Chocolate Cookies

2nd Place Pumpkin Bliss Cupcakes

1st Place Scarf

4th Place Felted Tote

After my performance, Husband decided that we are on a mission. the Man has a taste of the sweet goodness of winning 1st, so now he's out for more!!! hey, at least he can't complain anymore about me wanting to spend lots of $$$ on Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla and Scharffen Berger Chocolate.

Miss ESQ at your service!

2007-10-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

so i have a really great excuse for not posting recently..... I just found out on Friday morning that i passed the Connecticut Bar Exam!!! After 3 years of law school- Moot Court, studying for finals, writing briefs and various jobs at law firms, it has finally all paid off!! sweeeeeeet! I am officialy sworn in on November 5, and i cannot wait. Honestly, I'm more excited about this ceremony than actually graduating law school. Love It. Meanwhile, I've been hitting up the Berlin Fair all weekend long, and more fun pics and stories to come up tomorrow!

My darling Husband and i at our law school graduation! Power couple or what?

Oh Who Doesn't Love a State Fair?

2007-10-02T23:46:00.000-04:00

...the Durham Fair, that is.

Not only is this the biggest fair in the state of Connecticut, but it's also the BIGGEST 3-day fair in the entire country! how cool is that?! Hey. my home town was born from the foundation of dairy farms. what else could explain my enthusiasum? Maybe my love affiar for caramel apples... which i find only at fairs. Anyway, one of the best parts of the fair, aside from the disgustingly alarming number of things vendors will deep fry for you (oreos, snickers bars, milky ways and twinkies), i love ogling at all the yummy crafts people enter. There were not as many entries as i thought there'd be, but i snapped a pic of some of the knitted items and one exceptionally cool flip flop quilt! My father-in-law entered some of the many veggies that he grows, and won several Blue Ribbons! I posted some of the best of the best. And what fair would be complete without cows, pigs, goats and sheep? none! so yeah, there are pics of those guys as well.

First, the crafts... because, well, i get excited about casting on, binding off and zipper foots? or feet?...

Here's my Father-in-Law with some of his Blue Ribbon Bounty.

Oh i loves me some llamas!

Finally, the woman who started up Goatboy Soaps was there! I read all about her in the Hartford Courant, and it was so nice to meet her. I couldn't decide between Sugar Sugar and Pumpkin Spice, and she was so generous to give me BOTH for the price of one! I love my soaps, and will definitely be purchasing more in the future. You can read all about her, and see her catalog here: Goatboy Soaps

3 Years in the making

2007-10-01T23:33:00.000-04:00

Well, after lurking online for three years at various crafting blogs, i decided it was high time that i get on the blogging bandwagon. i guess i can blame the last three years of blogging hiatus on law school, but let's be honest, laziness did creep in every now and then! Either way, here i am, and i'm hoping to put up pics of the craftiness that i've been up to, as well as other fun finds.