stubborn sparrow

breather

2011-05-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

I seem to be taking a bit of a vacation from blogging, friends. There's too much sunshine outside and a few too many things on my to-do list...

Enjoy your weekend and do check back. We're headed to a much-anticipated family wedding, and I'm sure I'll have something fun to share...

cookbooks

2011-05-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we made the trek to the other side of town to attend a book signing in honor of Heidi Swanson's beautiful new cookbook. I won't go on and on about how great the book is--everyone else on the web has already taken care of that. (Don't believe me? Trying going here or here or here.)

It is a gorgeous book, and I can't wait to start cooking from it. As you may have gathered by now, I'm pretty passionate about cooking and eating "real food" and lately, I've been especially interested in the science and nutrition behind all the tasty goodness. I'm sure that we learned about vitamins and minerals in science class, but science class was a long time ago. I've definitely had some catching up to do.

I'd like to say that I'm clever enough to come up with delicious, healthy dinner ideas all on my own. The truth is, I'm hooked on cookbooks. Especially pretty ones.

Instead of a Friday to-do list, here are a few of the cookbooks--and other books--that have been occupying our kitchen counter lately:

Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food

Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Nina Planck's Real Food books

I'm also hoping to soon get my hands on Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis and the newest River Cottage cookbook, which I thumbed through at a bookstore a few weeks ago. I've had the beet hummus recipe stuck in my head ever since.

Do you have a favorite cookbook that you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments below...

Happy weekend--and happy eating--to you!

P.S.-- If you're in the Seattle area, don't forget that Seattle Tilth's Edible Plant Sale is this weekend. Brave the rain and join in on the fun!

may

2011-05-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on a quick walk through our weekly Farmers Market, I picked up a sweet little reminder from the lovely ladies at Texture. I love the little canning jars. And the sentiment, too, of course.

Happy Monday--and a very happy May--to you!

first thing

2011-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

I made myself a fancy bowl of oatmeal this morning. Actually, it was a pretty normal bowl of oatmeal, with the special appearance of strawberries. I was very excited about this bowl of oatmeal, until I began eating it and suddenly realized that the strawberries tasted like red lumps of nothingness.

Then I remembered why I usually refuse to buy strawberries until they're in-season locally and being sold by the pint at our farmers' market. No more California-grown supermarket strawberries for me this spring. Blech.

The thing is, I was really trying to get my morning off to a good start. It's been a bit of a rough stretch at our house lately, and I'm still trying to find the right combination of routine, inspiration, and cautious optimism that will make me feel like a real person again.

The routine--which is a key element of my life--has been kind of hard to hammer out, what with shifting schedules and long, empty stretches of free time.

And the inspiration--which I sometimes find absolutely everywhere--has been coming in wisps and threads lately. I'm having a hard time finding something that I genuinely want to pour my energy into. This isn't a new thing for me, although it's been a little more pronounced lately.

Feel free to contact me if you have any advice to share. Or if you'd like to send me a chocolate cake. Either would be fine.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get by on a handful of small, pleasant things. Like having dinner with some dear people tonight. And venturing out for this tomorrow. Or maybe that.

While I'm trying to figure out where to take my life next, here's a to-do list to get your weekend going...

Stop pretending you're not interested.

Make some pretty candles.

Find your courage.

Buy this book and sew things so that I can live vicariously through you.

Check out my new theme song.

Happy weekending to you!

hens & eggs

2011-04-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

There's plenty of holiday to go around this weekend. With Easter and Earth Day within a few days of each other, there's lots to celebrate.

Easter is a pretty quiet holiday around our house, for any number of reasons. This year, one of those reasons will be that I'm at work.

I'm still trying to find ways to celebrate, though. For instance, I was seriously thinking about dyeing some eggs today. The thing is, the fun part about doing that is decorating lots of eggs, not just, say, half a dozen. So who's going to eat the twenty-some eggs after I'm finished with them?

Maybe I'll give some eggs away. Or maybe I won't indulge in the tradition this year. Maybe I'll just sit around eating jelly beans and Cadbury eggs--my other favorite part of Easter...

If you're celebrating this Sunday, you still have time to finish a few good projects before Easter rolls around. Here are some of my favorites for you:

dyeing eggs naturally

As for Earth Day: No lectures from me today on recycling or using people-friendly cleaning products--I do that every other day of the year. Instead, here are a few fun things to enjoy while you're counting your planetary blessings:

rockin' chicken coop

seed "bombs" how-to

beautiful mason bee house

Whether you're observing Easter, Earth Day, or the end of Passover, for that matter, I hope your weekend is full of family and joy...

ugh

2011-04-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

So I am sick. Remember when you were little and you were too sick to go to school, so you got to stay home and lay on the couch in your pajamas, wrapped up in blankets, eating popsicles, and watching day-time television for, like, the second time in your short life?

To be honest, I never actually got to do any of those things, but that's exactly what I feel like doing today. Instead, I'm on my way to work. It's funny, when I was little, I thought that grown-ups had more control over their lives.

I also thought that Paris was a short swim from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which just goes to show that I was wrong about a lot of things back then.

Hopefully, you're all feeling well, friends. It's no fun being sick, especially when the sun is shining, the finches are singing, and--oh, right--you have to go work...

Happy Monday.

counting

2011-04-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

I'm coming to this a bit late today. I'm working through the weekend, so I've been trying to pack as much as I could into my Friday. My day so far:

two letters written & in the mail

one tiny sewing project finished

one--fruitless--trip to the thrift store

six robins

one hummingbird

one snail

a million spring flowers

three rooms vacuumed

one teeny bowl of ice cream

one phone call to Ohio

one trip to the library

one chocolate lab pup

one gigantic German shepherd

one bag of groceries lugged home

one load of laundry

one batch of granola

I'm planning on getting a little more done before the day ends, and then it'll be time for that whole nose-to-the-grindstone thing. If you've got a little more free time than I do this weekend, here are a few things to keep you entertained...

a spring sew-a-long!

buttery goodness

Jamie's battle for L.A.

photo lettering

homemade peeps!!

Happy weekend to you, friends!

again

2011-04-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

So here's something fun: It seems that I'll be doing another Salvage Bride workshop! May 28th is the day circled on the calendar and the rest of the details are coming together quickly. If you're in the Seattle Metro area and would like to join us for a morning of crafty wedding talk, stay tuned for more info...

I'm excited to have an excuse to immerse myself in Weddingland once again. We're quickly approaching our one-year anniversary, but I still haven't totally gotten over my fascination with invites, favors, and fancy table settings.

I hope you'll forgive me if I dabble a bit in wedding talk these next few weeks. I promise it won't be the only thing on the docket. And besides, who doesn't love a good party?

monday

2011-04-11T08:33:00.001-07:00

I've got something fun to share with you all, but I need a few more days to work out the details. Check back Wednesday for the low-down.

Happy Monday!

tools

2011-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I like to look at things that I absolutely cannot have. Call it wishful thinking, or anything else you want, but this is the reason why I can't walk past Anthropologie without "taking a quick look" and why I always ask to see the dessert menu, even when I'm way too full--or way too poor--to order dessert.

So the other day, I was doing some of this wishful wandering over at Terrain--which frequently features items that would require multiple paychecks for me to purchase. But then, I was cruising through the first page of the 'new arrivals' and found myself saying, "Hey, I have that." Twice.

For someone with no ground to garden in, I have an awful lot of gardening tools. And some things that might be more accurately referred to as "farm implements." There's a tractor seat on our back porch. And two chicken feeders.

And, apparently, I'm also the owner of a pair of okubo shears. Who knew? I came across these a few years ago at my old job and have been using them to prune herbs ever since. Terrain says that theirs are made in Japan, and I'm guessing that mine are, too.

As for the other thing, it's a bit of a stretch. Terrain has some cute little herb snips that are four inches long and kind of pretty. Mine are over a foot long and too big to use for clipping little bits of oregano. In fact, I'm pretty sure they were used to shear sheep.

Which is way more interesting than snipping herbs.

The sun is out, so I'm planning on spending some more time sifting through the collections of stuff on the back porch, seeing what other exciting things I've managed to bury under more recent acquisitions. If you're too organized for anything like that to happen to you, then here are a few other fun things to keep you busy:

a spring bike tune-up how-to

roasted strawberries!

olive oil cake to go with the berries

cheesemaking in the big city

a string garden

Happy weekend!

beginning

2011-04-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

They're tiny--and they're not terribly photogenic--but I'm excited they've come. The arugula sprouts are here. These are the first sprouts of the season, and they herald the beginning of a season of fresh greens and backporch harvests.

To be honest, these weren't the very first sprouts of the season. The first was a little radish that pushed its way out of the soil sometime yesterday morning. Sadly, the radish sprout was stolen by a small, furry thief. Thus begins my annual battle with the squirrels. My tactics involve lots of physical barriers accompanied by occasional bursts of hollering.

I think the fencing might be more effective.

Fortunately, once the little seedlings have gotten big enough that they can't be harvested in one small snack, I can take down all the ugly chicken wire and old window screens that have become my last line of defense...

My weekend plans involve making granola, baking some more bread, and working on a secret project that I'm hoping to unveil in the next week or so. If you're looking for something new to do, here are a few fun things for you:

sweet pin and bead baskets

bacon+corn+zucchini+avocado+cheddar=awesome

sweet top, favorite kids' book, & adorable photo shoot

more book-inspired beauty

cookie cutters--and some cookies

Happy weekend to you!

divided

2011-03-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

On my garden chore list for the weekend was dividing the "hens and chicks" that have been populating--and overpopulating--one of the planters at our front door. Unfortunately, I didn't take a "before" picture, but let me assure you, these little succulents were growing all over the place, including on top of each other.

In short, they needed more space. I pulled out some of the worst offenders and gave them pots of their own. Everyone seems to be getting along a bit better now.

I love succulents and I've written about them before. They're beautiful, versatile, and they put up with my particular brand of garden care, which I'll broadly term "attentive negligence."

If you're interested in learning more about the "proper way" to divide succulents, i.e. not exactly how I did it, here's a short little video from Sunset that should give you enough confidence to tackle your own.

Happy Monday to you!

gardening

2011-03-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

We've had several days of sun and blue skies here in the Emerald City, and I'd like to think I've taken full advantage of it. I've planted pots of arugula, radishes, calendula, garlic chives, plain old chives, nigella, and peas.

I also shoveled and sifted about three cubic feet of compost from one of our backporch bins. Since there aren't many macro- or micro-organisms living in the potting soil I use in my containers, I try to introduce as much "real" life as possible by adding lots of fresh compost each spring. Sometimes that means hauling bags of commercially-made stuff up our back stairs, but this year, our little home composting operation has generated more than enough to get the season started.

Today is shaping up to be another gorgeous one, which means it's probably time for me to go back outside. If gardening is on your to-do list for the weekend, here's some green inspiration for you:

find yourself some land

print up a garden journal

start some seeds

plant some onions

dream about flowers

Happy gardening--or garden-dreaming--this weekend!

official

2011-03-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Now that the first day of spring has officially arrived, the glorious blue skies we've been enjoying all weekend have turned gray with clouds that promise rain by mid-afternoon.

Which sounds about right for spring in Seattle.

I have plans for this season. Mostly my plans involve being outside. For one thing, I'm long overdue to get back to the Children's Garden. I've also got some gardening of my own to do here at home. Now that I've given up my little community garden plot, I'm back to growing food in containers on our funny little back porch. Right now, things back there are looking pretty bleak.

Obviously, I have some work to do...

As you're welcoming spring today, I thought you might enjoy this little snippet from SouleMama. It certainly brightened my morning, in spite of the clouds.

cleaning

2011-03-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Our house is full of stuff. Mostly good stuff, like cool books and neat-looking vintage-y pieces and lots and lots of yarn. Recently, though, it's come to our attention that we officially have Too Much Stuff. Now my man and I are working on doing some serious cleaning and purging.

I think he might be doing a better job than I am.

The thing is, I like having lots of stuff around. I've been a collector of stuff ever since I was small. Coins, old art school assignments, pages torn from magazines, and mementoes from gumball machines all got squirreled away into boxes, my closet, and the infinite space under my bed.

I think the truth isn't that I'm so fond of keeping things, but more that I hate getting rid of them. Once you throw something away, or recycle it, or give it to Goodwill, there's no going back. What if you wish that you had that thing back later? Or what if the memories that were all wrapped around and tangled up in that thing disappear once you don't have the thing anymore?

It's nerve-wracking, I tell you.

My man has suggested that rather than focusing on getting rid of stuff, maybe I could just put some energy into organizing the things I have.

Which is a very nice idea.

Maybe I'll start in on that next weekend.

If you aren't stuck cleaning--or "organizing"--this weekend, here are a few things to keep you busy:

bake a belated cake

host a knitting party

make mustard

plan ahead

make yourself useful

Wishing you all a peaceful weekend...

slacking

2011-03-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

No real post today, dear readers. Thanks for understanding. Have a beautiful weekend!

march

2011-03-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Springtime has found us. Happy spring to you!

buttons

2011-03-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of a project--any project--is finishing it. I love the moment that dinner is ready, that the second sock is finished, that the last room of the house is vacuumed. Why is it, then, that I am so incredibly pokey about putting the final touches on my knitting projects? I can spend three days knitting something and then three weeks sewing in the ends. I've had a baby sweater in my possession that's been off the needles for at least two years but is still waiting for a button--one button!--to be added.

This week, I've resolved to finish all of my unfinished projects, to pack away the little things that I'm "saving for later," to stow the needles and yarn that are drifting across my craft table, and to up the ante on my moth-proofing efforts.

I know. I'm incredibly ambitious. I tend to set high goals and then quit half-way through. It does seem to help me, though, when I start small.

So this time, I started with buttons.

These two little hats are both from Hadley Fierlinger's Vintage Knits for Modern Babies. The one on the right is the Vintage Pixie Cap, which is sweet enough, I guess. On the left, though, is the Modern Baby Bonnet. I fully intend to make several more of these, just so I can revel in the alchemy of the back shaping.

I did them both in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, which is very nice to work with--and machine-washable. I'm going to try the Modern Baby Bonnet in a wool/cotton blend next. It won't be as soft, but I picked up the yarn for practically nothing and I think it might make for a nice summer weight.

Please note the recently-added buttons:

I'm sure the hats would both look better on a real live baby. I worked with what I had. The model didn't mind the hats but was not remotely interested in the buttons.

Thanks for indulging my show-and-tell. I promise, dear readers, that next week's posts will knitting-free. In the meantime, here are a few nice things to get your weekend started:

craft it forward

the story of stuff

heather ross + martha + babies = omg

fresh fish

a fun little film for booklovers

Have a lovely weekend!

for later

2011-02-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before my affinity for knitting small things. To begin with, the scale is nothing short of adorable. And little projects are finished quickly. There's no time for me to get distracted. And since the time investment isn't a big one, I can plow through confusion or frustration or technical challenges because the prospect of starting over isn't really that terrifying. And besides, things usually work out in the end.

The sweater is the Baby Bolero from Leigh Radford's One Skein. I've had the pattern--and the yarn--stashed away for awhile. This is actually the second time I've made this sweater, and to be honest, I think it came out much better this time around. The pattern calls for a lot of picking up stitches and sewing seams--two things that I am not incredibly good at. I'd like to think I'm improving, though; maybe the practice is paying off.

Now that the project is off the needles, lightly blocked, and dry, I guess it's time to pack it up and put it away. I'm not sure what I'm saving it for. I've tried to resist the idea that I'm knitting for some imaginary baby in our future. It seems better to keep my options open. It would make a great gift, for instance, for someone else down the line.

I still really want to keep it.

I'll be finishing up a few other small things in the next few days. Maybe I'll have some photos to share later in the week...

today

2011-02-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, but today is the one-year anniversary of my very first post here at the Sparrow. Sometimes it feels like it was ages ago, but other times, it seems like just yesterday.

Lots has happened in the past year, on this blog and in our lives. I can't begin to guess what the next year will bring, but experience has taught me that some of it will be good, some bad, and most of it will remain unimaginable until it actually happens.

I want to thank you all for visiting this space. I love being able to share projects and ideas with you. Please don't think I'm being melodramatic if I say that occasionally, you're the reason I get up in the morning.

There will be a few changes coming to the Sparrow, soon. Nothing scary, I promise. I've got another plan up my sleeve, too, but I'll keep that a secret, for now. In the meantime, I pledge to return to a regular posting schedule and a few little tweaks, here and there.

I hope you'll help celebrate this blog birthday with me by sharing in the comments below. If you're a lurker--and you know who you are--consider being a follower. If you're a follower, I hope you'll think about sharing the Stubborn Sparrow with your friends.

I wish I could share cupcakes with you all, but if you feel like hosting a little party of your own, here's a doozy of a recipe for you.

A hearty thanks to all of you! Happy Monday!

kitsch

2011-02-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've been making lots of trips to the thrift store lately, and mostly, I've been coming home empty-handed. I'd like to think this is because I'm becoming incredibly choosy about what I bring home. It's more likely, though, that our neighborhood Goodwill has become a little too popular and picked-over.

I did manage to snag a cute kid-sized quilt the other day, though, and while it's a little kitchsy in a Seventies sort of way, it has the handmade charm of something that someone worked hard on. And besides--I kind of like kitsch.

Especially when it comes with a Holly Hobbie print for the backing.

There are a few repairs to make, but I think they're things that even a novice like me can handle. Besides it will give me some more practice before I start tackling a quilt of my own.

I've got knitting on my to-do list for the weekend, though. And pizza-making. And Girl Scout Cookie-eating. And maybe some laundry-doing.

Or maybe not.

The weather forecast in these parts is looking pretty dreary. If you're like me and looking for some color and excitement, here are a few sweet things for your weekend:

a sweet little apron pattern

confetti packaging via Oh Joy!

sunshine on your finger

an inspiring sentiment

and oh my gosh can you believe there's a new wedding line from the Anthro folks?

Happy weekend to you!

holiday

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a love-filled day!

valentines

2011-02-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those girls who used to go around telling boys that she didn't believe in Valentine's Day--and then would have her feelings terribly hurt when those boys didn't do anything special for her in honor of the occasion. I'd like to think that I've gotten better about this in recent years.

Along with improving my communication skills, I've also started celebrating Valentine's Day as less of a romantic Hallmark moment and more of a general celebration of love and friendship. As someone said to me the other day, "Don't we all need more love in our lives?"

Yes. Yes, we do.

My man and I are planning a pretty low-key evening. At the rate things are going, we'll probably be having this for dinner. And in what is becoming an annual tradition at our house, there will be some of this for dessert.

I don't know that our celebration will include much handmade detail this year. I certainly don't have anything like this up my sleeve. I think that's okay, though. I'm still getting the hang of this whole marriage thing, but if I'm understanding it right, you don't need lots of drama and fireworks to make something special. You just need each other.

I am a sap.

If you're a sap, too--or just a sucker for a good holiday--here are some last-minute ways to make your Valentine smile:

a dirty love letter

see-through valentines

downloadable edible valentine

sweet sucker valentine

e-valentines from kate spade

Have a lovely weekend!

comfortable

2011-02-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

I know. I said I was going to start sewing. And, for the record, I did use the sewing machine for several hours last weekend, making strange little sewing machine messes. I had a relatively good time and was much less intimidated by the machine than I'd thought I'd be. In the end, though, I didn't have much to show for my efforts.

So I've gone back to my "safe place." I'm back to knitting. I haven't quit the sewing, I promise. I think just need to spend some time working on things that I'm already comfortable with. Like yarn.

This particular yarn is something I've been hoarding for some time. It's from a fiber farm in Connecticut--you can view their Etsy shop here--and I got a skein of it as a gift from my dear sister-in-law a few Christmases ago. It's handspun alpaca and incredibly soft. The best part about the yarn, though, might be that it came packaged with photographs of the two alpacas that the fiber came from.

I used a little bit of the yarn last summer to make a tiny pair of baby mittens. Last week, I picked up what was left over and decided that the little bundle would make a sweet little pair of baby socks.

My fallback sock pattern is from an ancient issues of Martha Stewart Living. Fortunately, for people who don't have mountains of back issues lying around the house, it's also available on-line. Yes, I know the pattern says it's for Christmas stockings, but if you look closer, there are also instructions for a women's medium sock and a teeny tiny baby sock. It's a very straight-forward pattern, and if you're a knitter who's never tried socks before, I'd certainly recommend it.

The pretty alpaca I used is more of a sport-weight than a fingering weight, which means that the socks aren't really newborn-sized. In fact, they're almost toddler-sized. Now, all I have to do is find someone with a toddler who would like a pair of beautiful, soft, and--ahem--handwash only socks.

With the socks finished, I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest of my weekend. If you're in the same boat--or just wish you had more time than you knew what to do with--here are some fun things for your weekend:

some winter tips for bird lovers

finally--someone to do all the cake-eating for you

gorgeous vintages textiles via design*sponge

food for the game

a short little video to celebrate The Year of the Rabbit

Happy weekend to you!

truth

2011-01-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

So here's the thing: I've kind of been holding out on you guys. This fancy new sewing machine showed up at our house over a week ago, and I haven't mentioned it once. Maybe that's because I still haven't gotten up the nerve to do anything but fill a bobbin and thread the needle. I think I wanted to do something amazing with the machine and then tell you about it. I'm realizing now, though, that I really just need to turn the darned thing on and get comfortable with it.

I think this is the weekend for it. The weekend forecast is rain and I don't have anything better to do. Besides, if I don't get to work, my partner-in-crime might sweep in and start sewing up a storm, and then I'll just be jealous. I have to admit, he is more mechanically-inclined than I am, and whether I like it or not, a sewing machine is--by definition--a machine.

A machine that I intend to master.

If you haven't already decided which project to tackle this weekend, here are a few ideas to get you started:

an easy soup with cornmeal dumplings

a martha-style valentine's day crafternoon

cozy felt hot pads

a coaster-making video tutorial featuring Lotta J's lovely accent

something adorable to inspire your imagination

smaller

2011-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

When I said I was going to make another doll, I don't think I meant I'd make it right away. Most of my other projects--knitting, baking, etc.--haven't seemed that appealing, though, and the other day I got it in my head that I could make something like this.

I started with the pattern from this Martha Stewart article, but ending up tweaking it a few times. I didn't want the hassle of little hands and feet--not right away, at least, and I didn't think I was ready to deal with attaching hair. Besides, I wanted one of those sweet little stocking caps.

My little prototype needs some work. For one thing, he's almost too tiny to play with--less than five inches from head to tail. I'll make the next one bigger, for sure. Also, I can definitely do a better job of attaching the head and neck. And I'd like the next little lump of fabric to have more personality. Maybe I'll give this one some little embroidered eyes. That would make a difference, I think.

The stitches are good, though. I've never been a good seamstress, and it makes me feel better to realize that the more hand stitching I do, the more comfortable I get. It might be time, though, to take a deep breath and start trying to brave the sewing machine.

Soon. I'll try it soon.

small wonder

2011-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've been incredibly productive lately. With that in mind, even minor achievements seem incredibly important. Among those small victories--poaching an egg for the first time, rediscovering the surface of my craft table--this little lady is a real coup.

The last time you saw her, she was just a scattering of pattern pieces from Hillary Lang's Wee Wonderfuls. Now, she's a doll. My first doll. And while she's certainly not perfect, I'm pretty sure she won't be my last.

I did all of the work with hand stitching, which seems a little extreme, in retrospect. Also, I used cheap acrylic felt, mostly because I was convinced that I needed more practice before committing to "real" wool felt. Now I wish I'd just taken the plunge...

Hillary's pattern is called Tag-a-Long Doll. While that name seems nice enough, I've decided to call the doll Girl Scout, which reminds me of several nice things. Including cookies.

I'll admit, I'm not sure what to do with her next. I don't really know anyone who needs a doll right now. Maybe I'll just put her away for awhile until someone comes along. I'm sure she can wait until then. She looks like a patient doll. Don't you think?

fresh

2011-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

I know we're only in the second week of January, but I think it's already safe to say that 2011 isn't going to look the way I'd thought it would. Rather than sitting around being sad about that, I'm thinking of celebrating my own little new-New Year. Maybe I'll edit my resolutions a little bit. Maybe I'll just have a drink. Who knows?

What I am sure of is that surrounding myself with new and interesting ideas almost always fosters a change in my thinking, and this week has been no exception.

If your 2011 hasn't been meeting your expectations, either, here are a few things to inspire some fresh thinking:

an exciting book

sweet little winter bouquets

easy bread

girls who love horses

pretty ceramics

Happy new New Year and happy weekend to you!

january

2011-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the extended absence, folks. I didn't forget about you. I promise. Things have just been a little complicated at our house lately. While I'm not up to a real post today, I did want to stop by, say hello and offer you a few fun things to start your weekend with.

a resolution for the new year
a tasty--and easy--lasagna recipe

the designer of my latest impulse buy
a heads-up on a fascinating dollhouse book
an inspirational post from the world of Etsy

Happy weekend, dear readers...

reset

2010-12-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

2010 has been a big year for this household. We've had lots of changes and exciting transitions--some bad, but mostly good. And there was the matter of that little wedding back in June. All in all, I'm content in calling it a good year. At the same time, though, I'm ready--I think we're both ready--for a new year.

And just in time.

We'll be ringing in the New Year with a few family members in the coziness of our little apartment. I predict that games will be played, mini-pizzas--homemade, of course--will be consumed, and if I can manage to actually stay awake until midnight, we'll even have a--slightly truncated--view of the big fireworks display at The Space Needle.

I'm all for celebrating New Year's Eve at home. For one thing, it's a terrible night to be driving. And for another, it isn't the New Year, in my book, until you've seen the ball drop in Times Square--even if you're watching it on television, with a three-hour delay because, for some reason, you find yourself living on the West Coast, where everything happens three hours later.

If you're still planning your party for tomorrow night, here are a few fun links to inspire you:

fancy glasses and pretty pictures

easy appetizer

last-minute etsy download

amy atlas on tv

the cinnamon rolls I might be making for New Year's Day

No matter how you celebrate, I hope you have a safe and happy New Year's Eve! Here's to 2011!

christmas

2010-12-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours! I hope the day brings you joy, wonder, and maybe even a few moments of calm...

Thank you for counting down the days to Christmas with me. I've enjoyed having you all along for the ride. After twenty-five consecutive days of posting here (!), I'm planning to take a little time off from the Sparrow. Check back next Thursday for a hello and some last-minute thoughts on New Year's parties.

Until then, enjoy every moment of your holiday!

one

2010-12-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

Every year on Christmas Eve, the church I grew up in ends the midnight service with "Silent Night." It doesn't sound anything like this version, of course, but I still think John Denver's rendition is especially moving. Maybe I'm just being a sap. I hope you'll forgive me for mixing my secular nostalgia with my religious...

Peace to you and your family this Christmas Eve...

two

2010-12-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

So here we are. Today, I am planning to: finish a major knitting project (unlikely), bake a million cookies (more likely), find that last elusive gift for a special someone (50/50 odds), finish wrapping several things (entirely doable, assuming there's still time left at the end of the day) and generally put the finishing touches on Christmas preparations.

Maybe you are experiencing a last-minute crunch of your own. If so, I wish you the best of holiday luck.

I spent most of yesterday reminding myself that that I am only allowed to worry about the things that I can control. It might sound like something out of a self-help book--and hey, it probably is--but if you're feeling stressed, try it out, just for fun.

And there comes a time--just like the time came during the last hours of our wedding planning last summer--that you simply need to stop doing and start enjoying the true purpose of the event. Right?

Right.

three

2010-12-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

We just received a special delivery on our doorstep, a bag of cookies from a gaggle of our favorite neighborhood kids. These are not Martha Stewart cookies, I'll be quick to point out, but that makes the little gift even more poignant.

And besides, these cookies taste great. They will not last long in this house.

Tomorrow, I have every intention of making somewhere between five and eight dozen cookies. I've got a head start, already, with the two batches of icebox cookie dough that are waiting in our freezer, and I'm not taking on anything that's especially complicated. It's just that baking cookies has been a part of Christmas for me since I was small, and the holiday just wouldn't be the same without clouds of all-purpose flour, a pile of cookie cutters, and lots of colored sprinkles rolling across the floor.

If you still have a few free hours, here are some of the cookie recipes that caught my eye this season:

roasted chestnut cookies

chocolate-dipped fruit-nut balls

gluten-free jam tart cookies

limoncello macaroons

triple chocolate scotcheroos

four

2010-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, we're celebrating Christmas in Seattle this year. One of the things I'm missing most about the holiday in Ohio is the time I usually spend with my brothers and sisters when everyone comes home for a few days. Cookies tend to play a key role in our Christmas preparations.

Last year, though, my sister Meg decided that she wanted to build "a gingerbread house." Plans were drawn up on my brother's laptop, templates were made, and when the design-build process was over, the end result was not, in fact, a house, but a gingerbread Space Needle, complete with cityscape backdrop.

There are rumors of a new gingerbread project for this year, but I'll have to be satisfied with looking at the photos, instead of "helping" by licking royal icing off of various kitchen utensils...

If you're thinking of adding gingerbread to your collection of holiday traditions, here are some resources for you:

a reliable gingerbread recipe

a collection of house patterns
some inspirational architecture
a book for next year
if bigger is better

five

2010-12-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

I know that we're all excited about Christmas--those of us, at least, that are still making our way through this "Advent Calendar." (To be honest, I have had a few people point out that Chanukah got short shrift in this space. I've assured them that I'll try to do a better job next year...)

I do want to take a moment, though, to observe that today is Solstice Eve. While that doesn't call for any sort of special ritual or tradition at our house, I've always loved the idea of "turning the page" from one season to the next. Tomorrow night, the longest night of the year, will mark the end of autumn and the official beginning of winter. Or, for those persistent optimists among us, it will mark the point at which the light begins returning--oh so slowly--to our days.

For those of us paying special attention, there's an added bonus this year, tonight's full lunar eclipse, the sort of event that never fails to make me feel especially small, in awe of the universe.

six

2010-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

It's funny to realize that our little household, as established as it is, is still relatively young. During the holiday season, everything that we've done once or twice seems to be "a tradition." For instance, spiced pecans.

To be fair, I grew up with spiced nuts at Christmas. There's a passed-down recipe in the family recipe box at my parents' house and everything. I don't particularly recall eating them during the holidays, though--cookies seem to play a bigger role in my childhood memories, for some reason.

In recent years, though, I've been experimenting with different spiced pecan recipes. I don't think I've settled on one "traditional" recipe yet, but when I do, this one will definitely be in the running.

It's Martha's, of course, so there isn't a lot of explanation required. I did use a locally-made honey chipotle chili sauce--which complemented the chipotle chili powder I tossed in, I think. I'm also of the opinion that you could get away with less salt than the recipe calls for, but that's just me...

I made a few batches of these yesterday to share with some of our favorite neighbors, but now that I've given them all away, I'm realizing that I should probably make more, just because.

seven

2010-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's something small and pretty...

eight

2010-12-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my man's parents gave us a beautiful nativity scene. The figures are all knitted and felted by a local woman, and the wool is from the artist's own sheep. It's lovely, and I adore getting it out each year and setting it up under our tiny tree. In seasons past, though, when I put it out, I couldn't help feeling that something was missing.

That "something" appeared yesterday, in a shipping box from Ohio. Carefully wrapped in tissue paper and bubble wrap was the creche set that we put up every year when I was a child. I remember spending hours standing on a tall red stool so I could reach the mantel over our fireplace. I would play with the figures, moving them around to tell stories that--looking back--probably had nothing to do with Bethlehem. To be fair, I probably just treated the whole thing as a seasonal replacement for my Playmobil figures. But that's not the point...

Now the set is at my house--my "grown-up" house--and each year, I'll be able to take the pieces out of the box and share them with whoever happens to be around as our family changes and grows. Even thought they're no longer stored in newspaper scraps from 1982--I swear I still remember what it smelled like--these little figures will always have the power to transport me.

nine

2010-12-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

Packages have begun materializing at our house. Some of them have arrived by mail. Others, I think, have been crafted by elves. I've done my own share of crafting and packaging lately, and our first round of gifts have already safely arrived at a certain farmhouse in Ohio.

There's still plenty to do, though, and for the first time ever, it seems that I'm reaching the end of what seemed for years to be a limitless supply of reclaimed and repurposed wrapping materials. Our piles of maps, calendar pages, colored tissue, and paper bags are dwindling. I might have to get especially clever in these last few days of gift-assembling. I've got this and this on my to-do list.

I've also found inspiration--yet again!--at SouleMama, Amanda Blake Soule's beautiful blog. She has all kinds of handmade holiday photos and ideas this week, including a reusable gift bag how-to. Scroll down here for more on the project.

We're in the end stretch now, my friends. I don't know about you, but I've still got lots of work ahead of me!

ten

2010-12-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the television broadcast this year...

eleven

2010-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ours is a very small tree. It is small and fake, but still fairly adorable, and I think we'll have it until it falls apart someday.

I was talking yesterday with someone who buys a new ornament for her tree every year. I thought this was a sweet idea that I might try, too, until I realized that I would probably have to stop the year after next because our little tree would be too full for me to add any more decorations.

Besides, I don't like buying ornaments. I'd much rather make them. While I don't know that I'll have time to make anything new this year--eleven days!--maybe you're feeling crafty. If so, here are a few ornament-making projects that have caught my eye:

easy felted wreath

paper snowflake template

time-consuming but sweet paper garland

clothespin people

jingle mouse!

twelve

2010-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today, against my better judgement, I'm sharing what seems to be my husband's favorite Christmas song. He specifically requested that I do so. Personally, I'm a bit more taken with traditional carols, but whether I like it or not, this is now part of our little family's holiday playlist. By all means, enjoy...

thirteen

2010-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

Here's something sweet for you today...

...a friendly reminder to get those cards and packages in the mail!

fourteen

2010-12-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's the third and final gift guide post for this week. These are a few of my picks for kids of all ages. Some things are more expensive than others, but I really do believe in investing in a handful of great toys rather than stockpiling boxes and bins full of things that are less than awesome. If you're on the lookout for something fun, I hope you find it here...

Stubborn Sparrow's 2010 Gift Guide: For the Kid

forest friends

a beautiful book

fabulous "paper" dolls
crayon rocks
hilarious book about books

darling giraffe
sticker fun
storytelling starters
this, this, or that for the teen reader
heirloom animals

fifteen

2010-12-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here's the second in this week's series of gift guides. As always, please feel free to add your additions or comments below...

Stubborn Sparrow's 2010 Gift Guide: For the Crafter

yarn of the month club
a tour of lotta's life
the gift of color
empowerment
a worthwhile investment
an engrossing television series
another lovely quilting book--or maybe just a pattern and some fabric
for the book-lover
for the beginning spinner
to play with

sixteen

2010-12-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's the first of a few holiday gift guide posts. Please note that while I've linked to some national retailers--and one international mega-retailer--it was merely my intention to give you the best representation of the item. Please support your local merchants and booksellers whenever possible.

Stubborn Sparrow's 2010 Gift Guide: For the Cook

adorable mini cocotte set
a magazine subscription

"gourmet" recipe box (Okay, not really. But still.)
a cook book like this or this or this
something to hang on the kitchen wall
one of a kind rolling pin
something to put on the ipod
food lit like this or this
salt sampler
a sweet ending

If you have other gift suggestions for cooks or bakers--or anyone else for that matter--don't hesitate to share in the comments below...

seventeen

2010-12-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

If it hasn't been obvious already, I love the holiday season and nearly everything associated with it. The only two things I don't like: Christmas decorations that go up before Thanksgiving and the retail industry's endless attempts to convince us that mindless, mechanical spending translates to holiday joy for all.

Please don't misunderstand me. I love presents. Seriously. Feel free to send me one. It's just that I prefer giving--and receiving--gifts that are well-made and well-suited to the lucky recipient. (I'm not saying I've perfected this art, by any means. I'm just saying that it's how I like to do business...)

I also like the idea of giving just a few fantastic gifts, rather than a whole pile of miscellany. If I ever have kids, I'd like to think I'd stick to the popular adage and give everyone four gifts. Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.

Giving something handmade is always my first choice, of course. Even so, a girl can only do so much knitting (or sewing, printing, crocheting, soapmaking, baking, building, etc.) in one holiday season. Sometimes, you just need to buy something.

With that in mind, this week, I'll be posting a few Stubborn Sparrow gift guides. Before I do, though, here are a few other lists for you to wander through:

Smarts & Crafts Gift Guide: Crafty Goods

design*sponge's Gift Guide for the Animal Lover

Indie Fixx's Warm Gifts

L.A. Times 2010 Books Gift Guide

Do you have other gift guide suggestions? Or maybe some great gift ideas? Share with the rest of us by commenting below...

eighteen

2010-12-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Last night, as I unpacked our meager little collection of Christmas ornaments, I came across what has become one of my favorite holiday photos. The sad little elf on Santa's lap is now much older--seven last week!--and I'm sure he doesn't remember this moment at all, but every year at Christmas, the photo comes out of storage and features prominently in our holiday decorating.

Does that make us terrible people? I don't think so...

nineteen

2010-12-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, there was one house in town that was famous for its super-elaborate holiday light display. After church on Christmas Eve, we would do a drive-by--along with lots of other families--to see the moving reindeer covered in tiny white lights, the red and white flashing candy canes, and the giant sleigh that sat--mysteriously unoccupied--in the middle of the front yard. For the under-ten set, it was absolute magic.

Now that I'm older, it takes a little more to amaze me, but I'm still ridiculously taken with over-the-top holiday lights. In December, I plan my walk home from work according to which street has the best lights. It's probably for the best that our building doesn't seem to have any exterior power outlets. Who knows what kind of electrical kitsch I'd be indulging in?

I know I'm not the only person in the world that's sickly fascinated by this subject, so I hope you'll forgive me for the following links...

Find out how Christmas lights work.

Watch a light show that's so bad, it's good. Or maybe still kind of bad.

Put on a synchronized light show of your own.

Make it a game.

twenty

2010-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

In spite of the crafting, recipe-surfing, and gift planning, I've realized that I'm still not quite in the holiday mood yet. This helped me out a little bit, and I thought you might enjoy it, too...

twenty-one

2010-12-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

If you aren't already familiar with it, habit is an ever-changing collection of photography and reflections from women across the country. This month, habit is featuring posts from all of this year's guest contributors. If you'd like to get a taste of the joy, frustration, and silliness that seem to be universal to our December celebrations, try visiting habit every once in awhile--or maybe just every day...

twenty-two

2010-12-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

We actually received our first Christmas card before Thanksgiving this year. I think this was a first for us, and while it was kind of exciting, it also made me feel like a slacker. I absolutely refuse to send holiday cards before December has begun. (I feel the same way about putting up the tree, but I know we all have different opinions on that one, so I'll leave it alone for now...)

I don't think we've ever made our own Christmas cards. We started to, one year, but then we stumbled across something else that was well-designed and affordable, and we did that, instead. This year, our cards are a cobbled together collection of things from a variety of places, including Hello Lucky! and one of my very favorites, Egg Press.

After a year chock-full of mailing things--invitations, thank you notes, and more thank you notes--part of me feels a little stamp-and-enveloped out. But then I remember how much I love sending--and getting--mail and I get excited all over again...

If you're planning on making your own holiday cards, but haven't started yet, here are a few ideas for inspiration:

Carve your own stamps.

Cut a pop-up card.

Use fabric and a cute cookie cutter.

Get glitter all over everything.

Are you sending out incredibly charming cards this year? Do you have any other tips or links to share? Just post in the comments below!

twenty-three

2010-12-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows a good fruitcake takes time--those of us that know that fruitcake can be "good," that is. I know it's a dessert with a bad reputation, but as far as I'm concerned, combining baked goods and booze is never a bad idea.

If you're up for a challenge that will last 'til Christmas--and beyond, if you want it to--here are some fruit cake recipes for you. The first one is actually pretty straight-forward, but the next three definitely offer a twist on tradition.

Alton's Free Range Fruit Cake

Fruit and Stout Cake from Martha

Fruitcake with Chocolate and Cider--and confusing metric measurements...

A last-minute Fruitcake with Olives

Oh, and thanks for sharing those advent calendar links! It's always fun to see what other people are doing--or at least, are dreaming about doing. Keep the fresh ideas coming!

twenty-four

2010-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

First off, my parents would be quick to point out that Advent this year does not begin today. It actually started last Sunday, the 28th. If my father were feeling especially Scrooge-ish, he might also mention that "Advent Calendars" as we now know them have very little to do with observing Advent, and much more to do with counting down the days until Santa Claus shows up.

All of which is true.

We didn't really have lots of Advent calendars when I was growing up, not because my da was a Scrooge--which, sometimes, he is--but more because we were busy with other things in December. There were a few years that we had the little cardboard calendars with tiny chocolates behind each door. And of course, we made a couple of those kindergarten-style paper chains that spanned the living room, cutting off one of the links every day until just one remained.

Really, though, my interest in Advent calendars has been fairly recent. Last year, my man got us a Playmobil calendar, which, while full of forestland goodies, was a little hard to come by. This year, you might be able to find it on Amazon, but you'll be paying forty or fifty dollars for it.

This year, I'm much more taken with handmade calendars. If all this talk is putting you in the mood to make a calendar for your house, there are some cute ideas here, and here, and here. This one might be hard to throw together at the last minute, but I thought it was charming, too.

As for me, I'm doing my counting down right here. Each day, from now 'til Christmas, I'll be posting a little something-or-other to share with you. I hope you'll check back regularly for recipes, projects, gift ideas, and a few other surprises.

I'd also like to invite you to share your holiday ideas with us. In the comments for each day's post, feel free to add your thoughts or link to something you think other Sparrow readers would enjoy.

And with that, let Advent not-so-officially begin...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And speaking of calendars, some of you probably recognize the one at the top of this post. If you haven't ordered your 2011 Nikki McClure calendar yet, there's still time...

and yet

2010-11-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I was just going on about savoring these last days of November, not being ready for Christmas-related kookiness, etc. But the truth is undeniable:

The holiday knitting must get done.

I'm being slightly less ambitious than in years past, but working against tighter deadlines, too. For the First Time Ever--sniff!--I won't be traveling to the great state of Ohio to celebrate the holidays with my family. Instead, we'll be staying put in the PacNW and enjoying Christmas with my husband's family. Which I'm sure will be lovely. I really mean that.

The end result of all this, though, is that I'll be shipping gifts to Ohio this year and won't be able to do any of my last-minute knitting on the plane, needle-felting while hidden in my little brother's bedroom, or just generally working up to the last minute, which tends to be my procrastinating modus operandi.

Instead, everything needs to be finished, wrapped, packed away and shipped by--when?--maybe the twenty-first of December. At the absolute latest. And as someone pre-programmed to worry about these things, let's say the nineteenth, just to be safe.

So, knitting. Of course, I can't tell you what I'm working on, because one never knows who might be reading. But here's a clue: Manos del Uruguay's Wool Clasica. It's one of my all-time favorites...

I'm off to get some work done, but do check back on Wednesday. I'll be posting the first of what I'm planning to be a twenty-four--or is it twenty-five?--part Christmas countdown series. Sort of an on-line advent calendar? Whatever you want to call it, I'm excited about it. I hope you'll join the fun!

the day after

2010-11-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was full of family and food, as the best holidays are. Along with all the catching up and cooing over babies, there was also lots of talk about Christmas. With the snow outside and the warmth inside, it was easy to imagine that Christmas was, as we said to one another, 'just around the corner.'

Which, I suppose it it. With Thanksgiving behind us and November soon coming to an end, it's definitely time to start worrying about wreaths and Christmas presents. Of course, I'm excited for it. You know me, I love a good party. In the next few weeks, I'm hoping to share the details of Christmas at our house and maybe hear, too, about the traditions at yours. I'm also planning a special series of December posts, which you'll be able to read all about when December first comes around.

For now, though, I'm still enjoying the last days of November. I'm going to try not to get too consumed, yet, by the holiday hoopla of Christmas, at least for a little while longer.

After the Thanksgiving excitement, I'll be laying low for the rest of the weekend, fighting off a cold and celebrating the completion of the month-long novel--hurray! If you're looking for some quiet fun this weekend, here's a to-do list for you:

Bring a different sort of tree inside.

Make your pancakes special.

Find your favorites.
Sew your own shoes.

Think about trying out for a scholarship.

Start planning for the next big snow.

Happy weekend, everyone!

snow

2010-11-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

The calendar can say whatever it wants to. It is officially winter at our house now. It's been snowing on and off all day today, and except for the part where I wasn't sure I was going to make it home from work, I've been enjoying every moment of it.

Maybe it's snowing where you are now. Maybe it's not. To my surprise, this is apparently what it looks like in Maine right now...

Hopefully, the weather won't make our Thanksgiving too complicated. Or yours, either, for that matter.

If you're still looking for dinner ideas for Thursday, there's this and this and this.

And here's a sweet Thanksgiving tradition. It's a little Christmasy, but still. I like it.

Warmest wishes to you and yours this Thanksgiving, friends. Enjoy the weather, wherever you are...

balancing act

2010-11-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

Sincere apologies for my time away, dear readers. I found myself being a little swept away by my life this past week, chipping away at 'the novel,' spending quality time at work, and visiting with my father--the first family member to visit me in the Emerald City in years. A lot of years.

Now that he's gone back home to the midwest, and I have a few days off of work, I'm trying to get a foothold on other, less important things. Like laundry. And, yes, the novel.

Isn't it funny how, when we have things we should be doing, we always find ways of distracting ourselves with pointless, time-consuming projects? Yesterday, I took a "twenty minute" break from the novel to stretch my legs and ended up spending four hours sifting through my (embarrassingly large) collection of children's books. First, I needed to look through all of them, to see whether or not there were any duplicates. There were. Then, I had to move them all from one shelf to another, trying to find the right system for ordering them. By author? By illustrator? By year?

And after all that, there was the matter of dealing with my sad dolls.

A few years ago, I started collecting sad dolls, especially down-trodden, forgotten playthings that I felt compelled to rescue from thrift stores and garage sales. I tucked them all away, up on a shelf, and then promptly forgot about them myself.

Yesterday, I decided that the shelf would be better suited for my vast library of Little Golden Books, and so I began sorting through the dolls, too. I haven't decided yet what to do with all of them, but I think they deserve better than I've been giving them.

For starters, most of them are, um, naked. Which is the way that I found them, I swear.

And even the ones that have clothes need some serious attention, like having their hair glued back on to their little heads. My favorite of the little orphans is this gal. According to the stamp on her back, she's an original "Lingerie Lou."

I love her hand-beaded little tutu, but I'll admit, I have no idea what to do with her hair. If anyone out there has any DIY doll repair suggestions, please let me know...

I seem to be more than capable of finding silly things to do with my time this weekend. If you're in need of some suggestions, though, here's a to-do list for you:

Fancy up the pumpkin.

Keep your hands busy.
Promote yourself.
Have fun with felt.
Read more fairytales.
Do some nesting.

Happy weekend, everyone!

I promise I'll be back to regular posting next week.

(And I've got some extra holiday fun in mind. I'll share my plans with you soon!)

undone

2010-11-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

The novel is coming along, in a manner of speaking. I'm 18, 411 words closer to my goal of writing 50,000 words by the end of the month. The rough draft is pretty, um, rough, but hey, that's part of the fun, right?

Nearly everything else on my list of extracurriculars, though, has come to a screeching halt. Including my first-ever doll-making attempt, inspired by Hillary Lang's Wee Wonderfuls. (For those of you with the book at home, my little doll is going to be a slightly dumbed-down version of The Tag-A-Long Doll.)

But not anytime, soon, apparently. Because now there's that pesky novel to write.

I've only just started worrying about when my Christmas knitting is going to get done...

sharing

2010-11-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

I filled the bird feeder a few hours ago. In the time since, there's been a crazy dinner party going on, with finches, flickers, chickadees, and two obnoxious blue jays. Of course, they're all smarter than I am and much faster than my camera, but they've been a good show. Even if I don't have the evidence to prove it.

Mostly, I've been birdwatching as an excuse to take a break from the novel-writing. Since I last posted here, I've eked out over 11,000 words towards my 50,000 word goal. On the fifth day of the month, I'm already over a fifth of the way through the thing. It's kind of a rush, but I think it might be a little early to start celebrating.

So, I'll be spending my weekend writing, which is, in fact, probably what I should be doing right now. If you're not facing a ridiculous novel-writing challenge, here's a weekend to-do list for you:

Get rid of the Halloween candy. That is, if there's any left. Ahem.

Start planning your Thanksgiving menu.

Get creeped out by something beautiful.

Make a paper pumpkin.

Find some new ideas.

Eat the art.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

November

2010-11-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you've already heard, but if not, it's important that you know: November is National Novel Writing Month. I'm choosing to celebrate by participating in the twelfth year of an annual competition to write a 50,000 word novel. I'll start tonight, and hopefully, if Thanksgiving doesn't trip me up, be penning the final words on the last day of the month.

And I won't be alone. Would-be novelists from all over the world are participating in this harebrained scheme. At the time of this writing, NaNoWriMo writers have already generated over 800,000 words! And I haven't even had my morning coffee yet...

I am not a novelist. If you don't count the posts that I share here on the Sparrow, I'm not even a writer, really. This year, though, I've decided that fact is not enough to stop me.

I'm not expecting to generate a great work of fiction. At best, I'm hoping for an extremely rough draft that will inspire me to start picking up a pen a bit more often. Mostly, I'm just hoping to survive. Sixteen hundred words a day is a lot.

I'm worried that this writing thing might eat up some of the time that I usually spend crafting or goofing around in the kitchen. I'm determined, though, to keep posting here. I hope you'll be patient with me, especially if my posts start turning into short, desperate paragraphs whining about writer's block and caffeine withdrawal.

So, yes, I have my concerns, but mostly I'm excited. This is a big endeavor, and I'm eager to get started. If your interest is piqued, it's not too late to join in. You can learn more at nanowrimo.org. If you are participating in NaNoWriMo, by all means let me know! And to the rest of you, watching from the stands, I will, no doubt, be in need of some cheerleaders, probably sometime early next week. I'll let you know...

Wish me luck, dear readers. Oh, and happy November!

to bed

2010-10-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

This will be my last season at our community garden. While it's hard to give up the little plot that I've kept for the past five years, anyone who's grown food at a community garden knows that the experience comes with some unique challenges. After plenty of ups and downs, I've decided to focus my attention on container gardening here at home, which will make my tiny allotment available for some other eager gardener next spring.

This morning, I went to do the last of my gardening, tucking the plot in for the winter. I didn't want to leave a big, weedy mess for the lucky soul that inherits my little chunk of real estate. And honestly, I haven't been a very active gardener this summer, so I definitely had some work to do.

In the course of an hour and a half, the plot went from this:

To this:

I know, I know. It just looks--sad.

Usually, this time of year, I clear out what's left of all the summer crops, put in my garlic, and scatter cover crop seed everywhere else. I decided not to plant cover crop this year, partially because I didn't want to make a bunch of work for some new gardener next season.

Instead, I did some lazy "sheet mulching"--layering greens and browns and then covering it all with cardboard. The organic material will break down over the winter, feeding the soil a bit. The cardboard helps keep everything in place and will also, hopefully, keep the weeds down during this "off" season. Again, it's lazy, but it should do the trick.

I had a good time in the garden. I collected seeds from the calendula and nigella, so I'll have some souvenirs to sow in the spring.

And I spent some quality time with the last of the summer's pollinators. A male Rufous Hummingbird came and went all morning, zipping past me to get to the tangerine sage. Of course, I couldn't snap a photo; hummingbirds are much faster than I am, especially now that I've cut my coffee consumption to half a cup a day.

This little lady, though, wasn't in any hurry to move on.

I left the garden with a little bag of seeds and a clump of wild onions descended from some that my cousin smuggled off a Canadian campsite a few years ago. I'll take a few months off from gardening, but at the tail end of winter, when the seed catalogs show up in the mailbox, I'll start scheming again, building a little garden--this time a container garden--in my imagination.

I'm trying to spend this weekend getting things done. I've got some plans for November that might take up quite a bit of my time--I'll let you in on the excitement next week, I promise.

We're also planning on attending the annual neighborhood pumpkin carving party tomorrow night. And of course, the trick-or-treaters will be here on Sunday. Which means that I might have to buy some more candy for them. I'm not sure what happened to the last two bags I picked up...

Maybe Halloween chaos is enough to fill your weekend. If not, here's a to-do list for you:

Design your own alphabet.

Put vanilla in your soup.

Make a Halloween mess.

Download some wrapping paper.

Make a last-minute costume.

Order customized cards.

Have a lovely--and spooky--weekend!

after

2010-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

So we had a party last weekend and it was pretty great. A little tame, really, but that's what you get with a house full of family. And sometimes tame is good. There were streamers and music. We ate "tacos." which is what my man's family calls something that I would be more inclined to term "make your own burritos."

And we ate cake. Specifically, Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache. So, a really healthy cake. It was my man's birthday party, though, and he should have nice things--at least once a year.

The recipe took awhile but was pretty dang easy.

All the pieces fit together nicely, and the end result was killer. Even if you're a layer cake novice, like me, you can bake this cake. Just don't come crying to me when you then proceed to eat the entire thing in one sitting. On Smitten Kitchen, Deb cautions that this super-rich cake should be served in extra-thin slices. For whatever it's worth, the "normal" size pieces I served seemed to go over just fine.

Of course, I don't have a gorgeous "after" picture to share. We went from candles to cutting pretty quickly. After a few minutes, things looked a bit like this.

You get the idea, though, right?

I made a few paper things for the party, too. If you squint at the corner of the cake picture above, you can see one of them, a badge I made for the birthday boy. I started out with some directions from Jessica at How About Orange but ended up making something significantly bigger than the "mini medallion" she gives the dimensions for.

I did struggle a little bit getting the whole thing glued together. I ended up using a combination of rubber cement, tacky glue, and packing tape. If I had it to over again, though, I'd probably just use some good double-sided tape. Although, I don't think even that would overcome what I found to be the only real design flaw of the thing, a funny little seam in the paper.

And, no, that's not such a big deal. I just don't like it when seams show. I thought the thing turned out well enough in the end. Our six-year-old nephew agreed. "Hey," he said to his uncle, "nice badge."

And my partner-in-crime rocked it all night, which is way longer than he would've worn the tin foil crown I really wanted to make for him...

anticipation

2010-10-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been busy these past few days. Although my man's official birthday was a few days ago--an event that we commemorated with a dinner out and some present-opening--we're celebrating in a bigger way tomorrow, when his family will be coming to the big city for as much of a party as we can cram into our little apartment.

So I've been cleaning a bit. And decorating. And grocery shopping. There's a cake in the oven right now--or rather, two-thirds of a cake, because I'm baking something so ambitious that it won't all fit in the oven at the same time. I really want to tell you about the cake, but since I'm still trying to keep a few secrets from the birthday boy, I'll have to save the details for next week.

Hopefully, it turns out. I'm still a bit of a layer-cake novice. Happily, though, this will be the first of my layer cakes that I won't have to transport any farther than the ten feet from the kitchen to the dining table. That's in my favor, I think. I'll let you know how it goes...

If you can't tell from this post, I've got my hands kind of full this weekend. If you aren't planning a birthday bonanza tomorrow and are looking for some fun, here's a to-do list for you:

Make something sweet.

Print a party on your paper.

Eat more smores.

Put your kids in danger.

Plan for the future.

Look into the past.

Enjoy your weekend!

slacking

2010-10-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

No real post tonight, folks. I'm going to spend the evening eating these pancakes, finishing this book, and trying incredibly hard to avoid eating all the Halloween candy I bought for those sweet little trick-or-treaters.

Thank you for your patience with my laziness. It's been a very long day. I'll be back on Friday, of course, with a to-do list for the weekend and maybe a little gossip about my partner-in-crime's birthday...

harvest

2010-10-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

I went to the Children's Garden today, just like I have nearly every Friday for the past five years. You can learn a lot by gardening with kids. And a little bit of what you learn is actually about gardening.

Today, I learned--or, at least, was reminded--that the harvest is the most exciting part of the garden year. There were shrieks, giggles, oohs, and ahhs for each radish that was yanked from the ground and every squash that was wrestled off the vine. A good time was had by all, and I was lucky enough to be there to join in.

Hopefully, the rest of my weekend will involve a little knitting, a little cooking, and some top secret maneuvers that involve my man's quickly approaching birthday. If I have any extra time, here's what I'd like the rest of my to-do list to look like:

Make a moose. Or, okay, a deer.

Trick you-know-who into eating eggplant.

Dream of cheese.

Repaint the bedroom.

Start a new collection.

Buy another sewing book. And also, learn to sew.

Here's hoping you all have a lovely weekend. See you next week!

cozy

2010-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Since I started writing here last February, I've been using a mitten for a camera case. While unconventional, perhaps, this arrangement has been working out wonderfully. My little camera has traveled safely on city buses, in gardens, through crowded farmers markets, and to Ohio last June for the big-deal wedding.

Yesterday, though, I decided that my camera deserved something better.
Also, it's getting cold out and I want my mitten back.

So I cut off a chunk of a felted sweater sleeve, dug out a scrap of leftover "Key Tree," and spent a few minutes making this little camera cozy. It's not fancy, and it's probably not going to last all that long, but that's okay. It'll give me an excuse to make another one. Maybe next time, I'll do something more exciting, with a zipper or something.

For now, though, this will do just fine. The wool is nice and soft, and I stuffed a little bit of roving under the fabric to make things extra-cushy. My little Canon PowerShot is officially ready for cold weather. Now I'll have to move on to winterizing the laptop...

stash

2010-10-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

With holiday knitting around the corner, I'm taking stock of my knitting assets, namely, the yarn stash. With so much to see--and, um, buy--at the yarn shops, it's easy to forget about all the lovely stuff I've already got squirreled away. I'm determined to use this knitting season to thin out my stash a bit. Like the media will never tire of reminding us, "times are tough, recession, economic disaster, etc." It's high time that I figure out how to work with what I've got.

Having said that, I have to confess that I made this resolution yesterday, and managed to break it by this afternoon. It's not my fault. I blame the yarn. I picked up a skein of Tahki's Montana, and then found that I couldn't put it down again. It's big and soft and almost entirely unprocessed. It also smells a bit like sheep. It took me awhile to notice this detail. The cat, of course, picked up on it right away.

Unlike some things that follow me home from the yarn shop, I actually have plans for this acquisition, but as they involve Christmas presents, I'll have to wait until the new year to share the details...

I'm going to spend some of tomorrow sorting through jars and jars of yarn. If there's time after all that, I might make a batch of granola or bake some bread. Maybe you've already got your weekend planned out, too. If not, here's a to-do list to get you started:

Spoil your sweet tooth.

Make a new friend.

Be awesome for Halloween.

Start quilting.

Sew with paper.

Eat more muffins.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

soup tuesday

2010-10-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

I've written about soup before. As you might recall, I am a big fan of soup. My man, sadly, is not. At best, he tends to view it as a vehicle for bread and cheese. At worst, he just leaves the leftovers in the fridge, waiting for me to eat them all up.

I'm determined to keep making soup, though. I figure that sooner or later, I'll come across more soups that my partner-in-crime will be happy to put in his mouth. Now that it's officially soup season, I thought it might be fun to share some soups with you, too. There are some lovely soup recipes out there, whole cookbooks dedicated to this practical--and usually fairly wholesome--dinner time staple.

For this first "Soup Tuesday," however, I won't be including a recipe, because you can find it here, on Molly Wizenberg's blog, Orangette. While Molly's post begins with a sad tale of woe, it ends with a delectable lentil soup.

Lentils are pretty great. We don't eat them all that often, but I'm out to change that. Lentils are full of folate and iron, and if you eat them with rice, you get a complete protein. Oh, also, I think they taste good.

This soup goes together pretty quickly. I stuck pretty close to the recipe. I usually do. I am a recipe-follower, almost to a flaw. It makes me feel safer, like I'm less likely to destroy dinner if I just step carefully in the footsteps of, say, Martha. Or Molly.

I used the Aleppo pepper, because we happened to have some. (The odds are pretty good that my fellow Seattleite, Molly, and I probably hit some of the same spice shops.) And I used vegetable broth, because chicken broth doesn't come through our kitchen all that often.

I did make one major omission, though, preparing this Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. I left out the lemon. As it turns out, my man doesn't like lemon either. Go figure. And we didn't have any lemons to juice, anyway, which kind of simplified things.

In the end, the soup came out well, and both my man and I happily emptied our bowls. This counts as a success in my book. One soup down, several months of cold and rainy nights to go. If you have a soup you think is worthy of Soup Tuesday, let me know. I'd be happy to pass it along.

In the meantime, like the great lady said, Bon Appetit!

October

2010-10-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what happened. It was summer when I left the house this morning. The sun was shining. There was a nice, gentle breeze. Somehow, though, by the end of the afternoon, fall had finally arrived. The gentle breeze has gotten a little rowdy, and the sky looks like this:

I'm not sad; I've been telling you for weeks how ready I am for the fall. It's just funny how quickly it can sneak up on you like that, such a stark change in the season. If the experts are to be believed, we're going to see some even bigger changes when winter comes to Seattle this year. Bring it on, I say...

I'm also celebrating some belated birthday mail that arrived in our mailbox today. My dear farmer friend in Virginia sent a lovely letter, along with a Ziploc bag labeled "Magic Beans." I guess I'll have to plant some to find out exactly what they do, but you must admit, magical powers aside, they sure are pretty beans...

Our weekend plans include eating lots of produce--our fridge is bulging with the CSA harvest--and helping my sister-in-law's family move into their new home. After that, it's back to work for me. If I had more time this weekend, though, my to-do list would look something like this:

Make muffins and soup.

Get a kitten. Right now.

Stop thinking about babies.

Decide whether you're in or out.

Do not buy this.

Make these cookies again. And then give them all away.

Wait patiently for someone to ask what you'd like for Christmas.

Happy weekend, everyone! Check back next week for a new seasonal feature: Soup Tuesday! See you then...

champion

2010-09-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

I have officially harvested my first pumpkin. It is a little undersized, but given that it's the only surviving pumpkin of the season, I'm incredibly proud of it.

I've been so immersed in the gardening world for the past few seasons--I can go on in great detail about the ideal backyard compost pile and when exactly one should plant peas in USDA Zone 8-9. It's easy for me to forget sometimes that I've only been growing food for five or six years. There's a long list of things that I have yet to try planting. After this summer, though, I can cross "pumpkin" off that list.

For a long time, I thought that pumpkins were beyond me because, with only some containers on the back porch and a ten-by-ten community garden plot, space is incredibly limited. This spring, though, my man and I decided that the big wooden crate that last year's sickly blueberry died in would be plenty of room for two pumpkin plants. And up to a certain point, we were right.

The vines tumbled out of the container and wandered eight or ten feet down the sidewalk, right up to our--very patient--neighbors' front porch. The blossoms came on beautifully, but then, one by one, they withered and fell off the vine. I talked with my friends at The Garden Hotline, who diagnosed the problem as "incomplete pollination." It was a rough year for bees in Western Washington, with a cold, wet start to summer. Apparently, this created some pollination problems that extend well beyond my little pumpkin blossoms.

I could have tried doing some pollinating of my own, by going from blossom to blossom with a little paintbrush, but the timing of it never really worked out. In the end, we were left with one handsome little pumpkin, turning round and orange on the sidewalk. It might be small, but I couldn't be more proud.

Pumpkins ripening on the vine really do mean it's fall, and as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm thrilled about the change in seasons. I've always considered myself an autumnal soul. Maybe it's the September birthday. Or maybe it's because I'm from the Midwest, where fall is one of the more tolerable seasons on the calendar. Whatever the reason, I'm ready to settle in for a few chilly, gray months of falling leaves and mud puddles.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be spending my weekend baking, knitting, and spending time with family. I'm also planning on doing some cooking, starting with tonight's dinner, enchiladas baked in this. Maybe you've got a grand plan for your weekend, too. If not, here's a to-do list to get you started:

Download a quilt.

Protect your dinner table.

Fall in love with fatherhood.

Find a use for that pumpkin.

Knit a lampshade.

Subscribe to something new.

Happy weekend, everyone!

finishing

2010-09-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

That pesky baby blanket is still growing and growing. When I finish it--and make no mistake, dear readers, I will finish it--it will officially be The Biggest Thing I've Ever Knitted. You might recall that I was waffling about whether or not I'd be giving it away. Now, after logging so many hours of my life working on the project, I feel safe in saying that the blanket will not be going anywhere. I couldn't bear to let it leave now. We've bonded, this blanket and I. But it is starting to get on my nerves a bit.

To keep myself from going out of my mind and swearing off knitting forever, I took a break from the blanket the other day and, in the course of two hours, churned out this chunky little hat.

It might not be obvious from the photo, but this is a small hat, for a small head. The pattern is the Pointy Elf Hat from Joelle Hoverson's More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It called for Hand Jive Nature's Palette Thick/Thin Bulky Merino, but after trying four different yarn stores, I decided to opt for something I could actually find in stock and used Malabrigo's Gruesa in Apple Cinnamon, which worked out just fine, thank you very much.

It's just so nice to have finished something. That's why I got into this whole knitting business in the first place. I enjoy the process as much as the next girl, but there's nothing like binding off the last stitch to make me feel like I'm actually doing something with my life.

I like this hat. It's sturdy, but kind of sweet. I also love the fact that it knits up so quickly, although I was kind of sorry when I finished it, because I'd been having such a good time along the way. Fortunately, I've got a second skein of the Gruesa, so I can start another little elf hat whenever I want to. I'm going to try to make myself wait until I'm done with The Blanket that Ate Seattle--I mean, "the sweet little heirloom that's bound to be passed down from one generation to the next, et cetera."

Wish me luck.

being home

2010-09-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

My new job has introduced a new schedule to my days, and while I'm not working nearly enough hours to pay the bills--that's something I'll worry about soon, but not right now--I have had quite a bit of time to kick around the house. It turns out that when I have extra time, I do not feel at all compelled to do the dishes, organize my craft mess, or write long-overdue thank you notes. Instead, I'm just making lots of food.

For starters, I've resolved to bake bread once a week, and since we're only on week two, I'm not going to start bragging here, but I will say that baking bread is a very straightforward process. For those of you put off by the idea of spending lots of time in the kitchen, I'd mention that the recipe we tend to use around here--from The River Cottage Family Cookbook--only requires fifteen minutes or so of actual, hands-on doing. The time spent waiting for dough to rise or bread to bake can be put to good use by sitting on the couch and thinking about how you should do some dishes or write a long-overdue thank you note.

I also made refrigerator pickles this week. I didn't really use a recipe, but you could probably find a million of them on the Internet. The most important ingredients are cucumbers, vinegar, and salt.

Ours is a dill pickle household. My man refuses to touch sweet pickles, and while I'm willing to try one now and then--they remind me of my grandmothers--I'll still always end up choosing dill in the end. Obviously, you can make your own choices in this matter. I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just telling you which is better.

I have one more day off before I'm back to work again, and I've got plans to do some more cooking, but I also want to get some knitting done. I may have to make some tough choices tomorrow. If you're looking for ways to make the most of your weekend, here's a to-do list for you:

Start collecting something.

Find out what Katie ate.

Make a garland--and maybe a cake, too.

Design your own fabric.

Make a baby so you can buy hats for it.

Roast some figs.

Happy weekend, everyone!

apologies

2010-09-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

No real post today, friends. The good news is, I've just started an exciting new job. The not-as-good news is that I'm feeling pretty beat. I'll be back in this space at the end of the week with some food talk and a to-do list to get us all through the weekend...

kale

2010-09-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

My man made pesto yesterday. This, in itself, isn't a big deal. In an average summer, we're probably making some kind of pesto every other week or so. Yesterday, though, was the mother lode, pounds of basil and a nice pile of homegrown garlic magically transformed by the food processor into about a dozen jars of goodness that will get tucked into the freezer. We'll dole them out carefully over the course of the winter, each jar a reminder of the basil-y goodness of summer.

We have other ways of bottling the season. I'll probably be making a batch of refrigerator pickles this weekend, with the giant pile of cucumbers that have taken over the bottom drawer of our fridge.

I'm a champion of pickling, curing, freezing, canning, and doing whatever is necessary to preserve the bounty of the summer and autumn, in order to eat well the rest of the year. On the other hand, I'm also a proponent of cooking up whatever's in season. And right now, one of those things is kale.

I'm making kale chips tonight. They're tasty and easy and the end result feels--snacky. Decadent. Kind of like junk food. Which they are, I suppose, but at least a snack food that started its life as an easy-to-grow, good-for-you green.

You can find kale chips recipes all over the place, and honestly, you might not even need one.

Just preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash a bunch of kale, and then pat it all dry with a clean dish towel. Cut out the thickest of the kale stems. Drizzle some olive oil over things, add some salt and pepper, and toss it around. Lay the kale leaves in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until things are crispy, about ten or fifteen minutes.

I have a busy weekend planned, but with the chilly almost-fall weather and a bit of cold, I'd really rather just curl up at home. Here's a to do list for a weekend of not-doing-much-at-all...

Make your own notebook.

Tour a tiny house.

Cozy up to your teacup.

Look at books.

Be really bad for no good reason.

Stay in bed and cuddle.

Happy weekend, everyone!

labor day

2010-09-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

As predicted, the Labor Day holiday here in Seattle has proven to be cold and damp. Instead of basking in an end-of-summer barbeque with food and friends, I've mostly been making tea and nursing a case of the sniffles.

Lest you feel too sorry for me, though, I will mention that I enjoyed a lovely neighborhood pancake breakfast this morning which, though a bit chilly, was full of the laughter and fun we've come to expect from our lovely neighbors. And I took a pan of that tasty peach shortbread, which promptly disappeared.

{I know I mentioned this recipe in my list of links last Friday, but now that I've actually made it, I can really recommend it. Fast, easy, and guaranteed to please a crowd. Potluck recipes don't get any better than that.}

With today's excitement behind us, I don't have much more planned. More baby blanket knitting, more tea, more staring out the window daydreaming.

I hope you're all having fantastic, colorful holidays today. Soak up some rays and light some fireworks for me, would you?

last hurrah

2010-09-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Summer in Seattle is going out with a bang. Eighty degrees and sunshine, with wispy clouds in a blue sky. The neighborhood is full of kids in wading pools and parents fanning themselves and soaking in the rays. Of course, the forecast for the weekend is chilly and damp. Which is fine with me, really. As indicated in my last post, I'm ready for fall weather, with sweaters and cups of peppermint tea.

Actually, I love pretty much everything about autumn. Rustling leaves, cider, root vegetables. There are some things I'll miss, though, as summer slips away, and most of those things are food. Right now, I'm cramming summer in, one mouthful at a time. This is the last, best chance for tomatoes and berries and peaches, and I'm loathe to miss out on any of it. I've been hitting the farmers markets twice a week, stocking up on anything that I can't count on seeing there three weeks from now.

This week, I made a gorgeous yellow tomato sauce and fresh pasta to go along with it. I ate the leftover sauce for lunch the next day, spooned over a few crusty slices of a baguette. I think I could eat a lunch like that every day for a year, without getting tired of it. But maybe it seems that way because I know that, soon enough, the only tomatoes I'll be eating will be the ones that come from a can.

If you're feeling a little bit torn between summer and fall, like I am, here's a to do list to keep you busy for the holiday weekend.

Make a lazy salad.

Bring the outside inside.

Go back-to-school shopping.

Stock up.

Take a sight-seeing tour.

Pretend that you're a seven year-old on a sight-seeing tour.

Eat the last of the peaches.

Happy weekend everyone!

in season

2010-08-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

You might not guess by looking out your window right now, but take my word for it: Knitting season has begun. The days have gotten shorter, the mornings--at least some of them--a little crisper. While the back-to-school season might have some people thinking of apples and woodsmoke, I am mostly dreaming of sweaters. It is time to knit.

To be honest, I never really stop knitting. Even in the midst of this summer's wedding madness, I was meandering through a few projects. I haven't done anything all that exciting, though, and now it's time to gear up for the challenges and deadlines that have come to define my holiday season.

I'm warming up with a few baby projects. I love knitting for babies because everything is small and works up very quickly. Also, babies are adorable and I've been spending a lot of time thinking about them lately...

I finished a pair of thumbless "infant mittens" in about a day. They're cute and super-soft, but kind of boring to look at, without the curves and complicatedness of socks or "real" mittens. Also, I don't know how practical they are. They seem inclined to just slip off a tiny hand and fall in a mud puddle. Maybe I should add little loops so they can be buttoned on to a sleeve...

Now I've moved on to something that, if not trickier, is certainly more time consuming: The "Organic Heirloom Blanket" from Hadley Fierlinger's Vintage Knits for Modern Babies. I'm already one skein in, and it doesn't show signs of ending anytime soon.

It's slow going, but it will be darling when it's finished. Then I'll have to go through the somewhat painful process of deciding whether to keep it or give it away to some deserving little baby. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

And once knitting season starts, it's time to host a knitting night. I always say I'm going to be good about having regular meetings, but this year, I'm sticking to it. If you're in the Seattle area and would like to knit with friendly folks, let me know. We'll invite you, too!

Happy knitting season, everyone! Hopefully, there will be plenty of projects to share with you in the weeks to come...

yard sale

2010-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

We're having a yard sale this weekend. I've been looking forward to this for awhile, and if the weather holds, I fully intend to have a good time. In my opinion, a good yard sale, from a distance, looks a little bit like a cross between a picnic and circus. There will definitely be big colorful signs. Balloons may be necessary.

Along with all the wedding books and magazines and various other nuptial-leftovers, we also have piles and piles of stuff that we just couldn't pass up on our last five or six years' worth of Goodwill trips. Hopefully, we'll have lots of bargain-hunters tomorrow. If not, there will be several boxes of free stuff on the curb afterwards, because I'm determined not to bring any of the merchandise back into the house.

Either way, we'll get to spend a day sitting together, chatting with our neighbors and sharing a few bottles of lemonade leftover from that crazy party a few weekends ago.

Maybe you're in the yard sale mood, too. On the other hand, if lugging boxes around and tacking up cardboard signs doesn't sound like a ton of fun, here's a to-do list for the last precious days of summer.

Eat popsicles.
Make your own sidewalk chalk.
Find fresh food.
Create a camp.
Bake with berries.
Capture the moment.
Dine al fresco.
Host an outdoor movie.

Skip the smores.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

fresh

2010-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

We've been cleaning the kitchen, and it feels good. Washing down the walls, replacing the shelf liners, and rearranging the contents of the cabinets kind of makes it seem like we've acquired a brand-new kitchen. We even moved the refrigerator.

This was all incredibly over-due. My man generally does a pretty good job of taking care of the daily kitchen cleaning--see how I'm not even pretending to take care of business?--but sometimes you just need to make a fresh start. This is my favorite kind of cleaning. Not washing a dish--washing all of the dishes. Not mopping up a spill--mopping the entire floor. I won't lie; I have to be in the mood to get into a project like this, but once I'm there, don't try to stop me...

When I first moved to Seattle, I lived in a co-op--a group house where all eight housemates contributed to running the household. Twice each year, we scheduled a day for everyone to pitch in and clean the house, top to bottom. It might sound funny, but I really looked forward to Fall Clean and Spring Clean. Maybe it was because we'd order takeout for dinner and sit around chatting when all the cleaning was done, but at least part of it was the cleansing--and cathartic--process of putting each room in order.

Now that it's just the two of us, cleaning the house is less like a big, messy party, but I still like it. It gives me the--temporary--illusion that my life is neat and organized. It makes me feel like I'm in control of the chaos. And, in a way, it makes me feel like a successful homemaker.

Which, by the way, I'm not. Lately, I've kind of turned into a slob. I've blamed it on the stressful nature of my job and the crazy months of the wedding year, but now that I don't have those excuses anymore, I'm going to have to get my act into gear. If I don't start pitching in, this marriage might turn out to be an incredibly short one.

I have good intentions. I can spend hours flipping through the pages of Martha's Homekeeping Handbook. (I don't have a hanging pot rack, but if I ever do, I'll know the proper way to clean it...) I understand what a clean house looks like. I just need to make a commitment and then stick to it.

Sooner or later, I'll get around to straightening up my craft mess and organizing the closets, but for now, my commitment is to the kitchen.

Wish me luck.

kitchen

2010-08-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

My in-laws have chickens in their backyard, and while I continue to yearn for birds of my own, we have enjoyed the occasional--and incredibly exciting--gift of fresh eggs. I'm going through the latest delivery rather quickly this afternoon as I attempt to fulfill my nephew's birthday wish for "a layer of brownie topped with a layer of chocolate cake topped with a layer of chocolate frosting." The brownie layer is in the oven right now...

I've been enjoying some extra time in the kitchen this week. I'm pulling stuff out of cabinets, making piles of things to contribute to the yard sale that must--must--happen soon. I'm cleaning, decluttering, and rearranging.

And I am making food. Mostly, I've been tossing together last-minute suppers, but I've got plans to try some new things in the next few weeks. If you're looking for some fun in the kitchen this weekend, I hope this to-do list will be an inspiration:

Make your own yogurt.

Ditch your paper towels.

Dream of a fresh kitchen.

Nerd out on noodles.

Label your food.

Try a summer tomato sauce.

Get crafty with coffee filters.

Eat corn for breakfast.

Enjoy peaches for dinner.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

shifting

2010-08-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, there have been times when I wasn't sure we'd ever get to this point, but we made it after all. The wedding is over, the second reception is over, and unless that belated honeymoon actually happens this winter, we're probably not going to be referred to as "the newlyweds" again. I might be okay with that; I haven't decided yet.

Now it's really time to pack things up, ditch the piles of wedding magazines, and start organizing the photo albums. That part I am ready for. My craft piles--along with all of my other piles--have been much too messy for much too long. It's time for a fresh start. And maybe a really big garage sale.

Some things I'm not as anxious to pack up and put away. My wedding dress, for one. I wore it again last weekend and was reminded of just how much I love it. And honestly, just enough people asked me whether or not it was my wedding dress that I think I might be able to pass it off as a really, really great party dress sometime soon.

And while we are packing some things up and moving other ones out, there are also some new things in the house to make room for. And plenty of thank you notes to write. Fortunately, my man has us covered there, with sweet little notecards that complement our invites and all the other fantastic paper goods he's cooked up over the course of the past year.

I'm excited for all of this. The housecleaning. The pageturning. I'm looking forward to taking the time to sit down and thank all of the family and friends that have played a part in our Summer of Love. And I want to thank you, too, once again, for sticking with us through all of the fun. I don't know about you all, but with the wedding and all of its trappings officially behind us, I can't wait to see what happens next...

one hundred

2010-08-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that this is the one hundredth post on The Stubborn Sparrow! It might not sound all that impressive to you, but I just can't quite believe that we've hit such a milestone. It seems like just a few weeks ago that I sat down to create this blog in the first place, looking for a place to document the work I was doing for the Salvage Bride workshop. Then it turned into a place to talk about our own wedding planning.

And now? I feel safe in saying that the Sparrow will continue to grow and change. With the wedding behind us, I'll continue to write about my favorite aspect of our celebration: the making and doing. I'll be talking about food, gardening, and, of course, all manner of crafting. No, it won't be a straight-up wedding blog, but yes, I do reserve to right to share wedding-ish things with you if they strike me as being especially clever and/or adorable.

I'm going to change up my posting schedules a little bit, too. I'll be posting twice a week, on Monday and Friday. Hopefully, this will allow me to focus a bit more on quality, rather than quantity. On Fridays, I'll be sharing a list of links to other fun places on the Internet, just to get everyone warmed up for the weekend.

As we go along, I'd love to hear from you about all these changes. Of course, I wouldn't be writing here if you all weren't reading. I hope you'll help me by weighing in with your thoughts and sharing the Sparrow with your friends.

I'll be taking this Friday off to put the final touches on this weekend's celebration. I'll be back on Monday to share a little bit about The Big Day II. Until then, thank you, dear readers, for reading, and here's to another hundred posts...

P.S.-- I absolutely have to share this with you.

checklist

2010-08-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing glamourous to share today, but I do feel the need to gloat about a fairly productive afternoon. In the course of just a few hours, we managed to:

-finalize our shopping list for Saturday's big party
-arrange for the use of a vehicle (other than a Metro bus) to lug things around that day
-borrow coolers from our fantastic neighbors
-locate and purchase compostable cups and plates
-acquire sixty-some thrift store forks
-accomplish various other small things

The event is going to be a potluck. While that might sound kind of--um--cheap, I really like potlucks because they're always such a great combination of community and food. I love seeing everyone show up with potato salads and cake carriers. It reminds me of the church suppers and family holidays of my childhood.

And besides, we've already done our share of cooking for dozens and dozens of people this summer. It went well in June, but I'm not really inclined to tempt fate by trying it a second time. We are providing sandwiches for everyone, along with drinks and at least one dessert. (I absolutely have to bake a cake so I can share our little cake toppers with our Washington crowd...)

I'm trying to dress the sandwiches up a little bit. We'll have Mama Lil's, of course. And maybe some roasted veggies, if I can get my act together.

I'm also thinking of mixing up some fancy condiments, like this Mojito Mayonnaise, from Jean Kelley's cookbook, Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes.

Mojito Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix everything together and put it on a sandwich. Preferably one with pig on it. Preferably at a festive, sunshiny potluck at a beautiful waterfront park on a fine August day in the Pacific Northwest.*

I've managed to make myself incredibly hungry just now, thinking about fictional pork sandwiches. It might be time for me to take a dinner break...

I'll be back on Wednesday, though, to celebrate the--gasp!--100th post on The Stubborn Sparrow. See you then!

*The ingredients are Kelley's, but I did adapt the recipe, just a bit...

redux

2010-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

So, down to party planning. My approach to Wedding Reception II has two overarching themes.

The first: Do all those things we wanted to do at the wedding but couldn't pull together at the last minute. For instance, we will be having balloons at WR II. Red balloons. Round, not normal-balloon-shaped.

The second theme: Reuse the best of what we had at the wedding. My man's pennants, for instance. And all those lovely family photos. And the beautiful, hand-cut paper banners that my man's parents made for our sweet rehearsal dinner. I love birds and I love cut paper. Before these get tucked away forever in a scrapbook or a cedar chest, I want the world to have one last chance to enjoy them.

Granted, there are still quite a few big things that we need to figure out, like--say--the food. But I feel much better knowing that we have things nailed down in the decoration department.

With all this planning and plotting to do, we're in for a big weekend. I'll be back on Monday to bring you all up to date...

more slacking

2010-08-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

No real post today, friends. I'm headed out for dinner and fun with a friend. I'm hoping there will be alcohol. And maybe some giggling. Mostly, I just want to hang out.

Things around here are about to getting pretty interesting, though. Remember that circus of a wedding we had a month or so ago? We'd also planned to have a Washington state reception, too, for the friends and family that didn't feel like traveling two thousand miles to party with us. Thing is, we've been a little distracted by the fun and fireworks of married life, and we haven't done much planning for the follow-up event, which is less than two weeks away now.

We have some work to do and I have all intentions of dragging the rest of you along with me. Here's some festivity and celebration, just to get you in the mood...

See you on Friday!

moody

2010-08-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I had a day off today, which initially sounded very exciting and full of potential, but by ten o' clock or so this morning, it had already become clear that things just weren't going to live up to my expectations.

So I spent the day alternately bickering with my man and moping by myself. It was all kind of dumb.

In these last few hours, I've been trying to salvage things a little bit. Usually, this tactic involves food, and tonight has been no exception.

First, I made granola. Or, to be accurate, am making granola. It's in the oven right now. In a few minutes, I'll go stir it and then let it bake for another ten or twelve minutes. I like making granola, partially because it's the one baking recipe that I have entirely memorized. I've been making it for years, and at this point, I can just kind of fake my way through with whatever ingredients are around. It's a good granola. Maybe I'll pass along the recipe sometime.

I was going to pull a double-header and reuse the mixing bowl for a batch of cookies, but now, due to a local butter shortage--a crisis which seems to be limited to our small household--I'm going to have to put that on the proverbial backburner.

It's too bad. We had dinner at Delancey last night, and somehow, I let my partner-in-crime talk me out of capping our tasty pizza dinner with a bittersweet chocolate and sea salt cookie. I've been thinking about that cookie for about twenty-four hours now. I've even got Molly's recipe all cued up and ready to go. Maybe tomorrow night, I guess...

I don't know why I've been so excited about food lately. Maybe it's a nesting thing. Or maybe I just have a little bit of extra time that didn't seem to exist in our pre-wedding life. Whatever the reason, I've been drooling over back issues of Bon Appetit and plotting entire menus of things to serve on the fancy dishes we got as wedding gifts.

For tonight, though, I'm just going to have to be satisfied with a batch of granola and some heated up leftovers. I'm not sure it'll be enough for me. If it's not enough for you, either, take a peek at this--yet another food blog that's got me making grocery lists on tiny scraps of paper...

dinner

2010-07-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie. By three o'clock this afternoon, I'd already decided that we were having leftovers for dinner. I was tired, it was hot, and I just didn't feel like cooking anything.

But then, I came home and looked in the fridge. With our CSA box showing up every week, it doesn't take much dinnertime slacking to leave us with a crowded refrigerator and more than a few pounds of vegetables to eat. So I figured I'd throw something together after all.

My man and I have developed a fall-back dinner option that we've resorted to countless times over our years of cooking together. It originated as a MSL recipe that called for green beans, potatoes, and basil pesto, but over the seasons, it's turned into this:

1. Roast some vegetables: Maybe it's potatoes, but we've tried just about everything. Carrots and beets are common. We've also done turnips, rutabagas, fennel, broccoli, garlic, onions, shallots, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting right now. Just chunk them up into something approximately bite-sized, throw the chunks on a baking sheet, toss them in olive oil, flavor with salt and pepper and any other spices that grab you, and roast them at 385 or 400 degrees. (My man goes higher, but that's up to you...)

You'll probably want to open up the oven and scoot things around once or twice. If you're me, the veggies are done when they're making lovely sizzling sounds and they cut easily with the tip of a spatula. If you're my partner-in-crime, the veggies are done when they've turned into little fried cubes of crunchy goodness. My way takes about thirty or forty minutes.

Tonight, it's carrots and beets, because that's what we have.

2. Steam something green: I like green beans or peas for this, but you could use broccoli or chard or kale. Again, bite-sized pieces are a good idea. Steam things until they are just done, maybe even a little under.

It's snow peas for us today.

3. Make some pesto: If it's basil season--like it is right now--you can make fresh pesto by throwing a clove or three of garlic, a few handfuls of basil leaves, and about half a cup of pine nuts in a food processor. Puree until things look pretty mashed up, then, while the food processor is running, add about a quarter cup of olive oil and run the processor until your pesto looks like--um, pesto. Add some salt and maybe pepper, too.

I got this basil at the farmers' market the other night. I paid two dollars for a giant bouquet of it and it smells amazing. When we're not lucky enough to have cornucopias full of fresh basil, we use pesto from the freezer. My man makes a huge batch of it every summer and it almost always seems to last from one summer to the next.

You can make any kind of pesto you want. Arugula is good for this. You can use walnuts or pumpkin seeds instead of pricey pine nuts.

4. Make some pasta: Tonight, I'm combining the dregs of three different bags of pasta. We'll see how that goes. I like fusilli for this, but anything that holds a little sauce should work.

5. Toss everything together: It will be green and gooey and if you're using fresh pesto, it will smell freaking amazing. I usually do this with the stove turned off, but sometimes, my man likes to warm things up a little bit.

This is the point where you add extra things. Like cheese. We usually grate some hard cheese on top. We also add a can of chopped olives, because we add a can of olives to about 75% of the things we make. Sometimes, we sprinkle some more pine nuts in, just for crunch. And usually a little more salt and pepper is a good idea, too.

6. Serve it and eat: If you're lucky, you'll have leftovers for later in the week. This reheats well. If it's a little dry the second time around, drizzle a little olive oil on top.

This might not be a traditional recipe format, but I think it just might work. If you decide to try making our pesto-veggie-pasta thing, let me know how it goes...

Have a great weekend, everyone. I'll see you on Monday!

neighbors

2010-07-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Remember that block party I was cooking for last weekend? It turned out to be an even bigger celebration that I was initially anticipating...

Along with the usual "kiddie parade," yummy potluck, and neighborhood chit-chat we've come to expect from this annual event, our dear neighbors had an extra surprise in store for us.

After most of us had finished eating, at some secret signal, there was an explosion of party poppers and my man and I were presented with a mini-wedding reception! There was a cake, of course, complete with bride and groom toppers borrowed from the toy box of our 6 year-old next-door neighbor. There were calls for a "wedding kiss," which we were more than happy to indulge.

And there was a fantastic wedding gift and a custom-drawn card, signed by all our neighbors.

It was amazing. I cried.

The gift turned out to be something amazing, too. Maybe one of the most exciting things we've received.

We would never buy anything this fancy for ourselves, but I'm pretty sure that we'll keep this baby forever.

The card was drawn by one of our neighbors, a talented cartoonist.

I love it almost as much as the gorgeous casserole.

Gifts aside, it was really the celebration that melted my heart last weekend. We're so fortunate to live surrounded by people who genuinely care about their neighbors, who take the time to build connections and community. We posted a big thank you note right on our front door, so that everyone passing by on a morning run or a dog-walking wander can see how grateful--and lucky--we are.

monsters

2010-07-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

I harvested my garlic this afternoon. You can't tell from the photos, maybe, but these garlic bulbs are ginormous. They're practically the size of baseballs.

If you're a gardener, then you know that this is not necessarily a good thing. It certainly wasn't intentional on my part. Remember a few weeks ago, when I was delighting in how capable my garden was of looking after itself? Well, that might be true, for the most part, but I probably should have kept slightly better tabs on the garlic.

It might be fine. We'll have to wait and see. Before we store the garlic for eating, I'll bundle the heads together with some twine and hang them somewhere with shade and decent ventilation--the back corner of our kitchen, probably. Hopefully, this extra step will help the garlic avoid mold (ick!) and maybe make it last a bit longer in the storage bin.

Not that it will be lying around for long. We are garlic people, my man and I. It tends to wander into most of the dinners I cook--and sometimes breakfast, too...

I've mentioned that my partner-in-crime is not a soup-lover, but I'm hoping that when we're flush with garlic from our CSA along with this little batch from the community garden, I'll be able to trick him into trying a bowlful of this. I'll have to let you know how that one goes...

party

2010-07-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

After a long, crazy week, we have a long, crazy weekend coming up. A little travel, lots of family and friends, and to top it all off, our annual block party. There's a potluck, a kiddie "parade" up and down the street, and after dark, we sit in someone's driveway and watch a movie. If it sounds like I'm excited, it's because I am.

I really want to bring a dessert to the potluck. People will always eat a dessert. If all goes well, I'll be baking a plum cake in our cast-iron skillet tomorrow morning. I've got a recipe already, but I'm starting to lean towards something a little more like this.

I'm definitely in a party mood right now. If you are, too, you might enjoy this. Or that. Or maybe this is more your speed. In any case, I hope your weekend brings you whatever you're hoping for. See you next week!

soup

2010-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

We are having soup for dinner tonight. This is kind of a big deal. My man does not like soup. It's not something I can begin to explain, and I certainly can't identify with it, but that's just how thing are. Which is why I get excited when we stumble across a soup he actually enjoys.

The recipe is adapted from one our CSA farm sent along with a box of produce a few years ago. I like that it isn't fussy. You just chop everything up and throw it in a pot. The ingredients are pretty straight-forward, too, unless you're someone who's still afraid of a pine nut. Oh, and there's pesto--one of my favorite, non-fussy ways to really fancy up a meal.

I've never really posted a recipe before, so I hope you'll trust me and give this one a try.

Carrot-Fennel Soup with Dill Pesto

For the soup:

2 tablespoons butter

1 bunch thinly sliced carrots

2 bulbs of fennel with some of the green, ferny tops, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons dill seed

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the pesto:

1 cup fresh dill, chopped

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons olive oil

heavy cream or creme fraiche

Melt the butter in a big soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, dill, onion, and dill seed and saute for 10 minutes, or until things begin to soften a bit. Add the stock, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and let things simmer for half an hour. Transfer to a blender and puree in batches. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the pesto, either rinse out the blender or drag out a food processor and add the dill and pine nuts. Blend until smooth and then, with the machine still running, add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve it up, ladle the soup into bowls and plop some pesto into the center of each one. Splash a little cream or creme fraiche in, as well, and use a spoon to swirl the pesto and cream into the soup.

And then you eat it all up. Enjoy!

stretching

2010-07-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

It seems that life has gotten a lot busier in the last week or so. While I find my balance with a new job, wrapping up the old job, the peak of garden season, and oh, yes, that whole marriage thing, I hope you'll find it in your hearts to be patient with me.

For today, I'll just beg your forgiveness. I have a desperate need, after an eleven hour work day, to just sit. In the meantime, I'd like to invite you to have a peek at this. Or this. Or this and that...

See you on Wednesday!

the proof, part 3

2010-07-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is--Part Three. Have I mentioned lately what a lovely photographer we had? He travelled a long way to shoot our wedding, and we hope he doesn't regret it. We certainly don't. Andrew made us look like rockstars...

And that's the show, folks. I don't have much to say about the photos, except that I love them all. I'm glad we took the time for the "fancy" pictures. It will be fun to share them with the grandkids...

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

the proof, part 2

2010-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the second installment of our post-wedding recap. Today's feature: the party. Of course, after the vows were said and the family pictures were taken, our next priority was getting everyone fed. Remember all that potato salad and cole slaw? We laid it out, along with the corn muffins and the pig that had been cooking since six that morning, and everybody filled a plate...

and grabbed a drink...

After a lot of chatting, some dang good eating, and a few lovely toasts, we moved to the front yard for some much-anticipated pinata excitement. The papier-mache pig didn't last nearly as long as we thought it might, but it certainly got its moment in the spotlight.

We slipped away with our rockstar photographer while the candy got distributed and took some gorgeous photos I'll share with you on Friday. Fortunately, we made it back in time for dessert:

And for dancing...

And then there were sparklers, and fireworks, and dance lessons led by a six year-old. There was lots of laughing and our two big families mingling, and there was a show-stopping sunset. And there were fireflies.

When I say it was magical, I hope you won't laugh at me. If it helps, I'll confess that it all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye and that the evening seemed to end just as it was starting. Everyone warns you that the day will fly by and you think you understand what they mean, but then it actually happens to you and you understand...

I'll be back on Friday with one last dose of wedding photo bliss. See you then!

the proof

2010-07-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but we really did get married a few weeks ago. Now that we have the photos from our ridiculously talented photographer, Andrew, I can prove to you that the wedding actually happened. Today, here are a few photos of the ceremony itself.

I can't decide how much or how little to say about it all. The truth is I'm still kind of processing. So maybe for now, I'll just set the scene and then share the pictures:

In spite of weeks and weeks of rain, the wedding day was inexplicably lovely. We had the ceremony in the shade of the giant osage orange tree that's standing in my parents' backyard. My brother, Phil, was our officiant, and aside from the vows, the wedding mostly consisted of readings by my youngest brother, my man's nieces and nephew, and my dear Aunt Kathy. I wrote most of the ceremony and was still putting the finishing touches at the last minute. Fortunately, I managed to get things wrapped up before the first guests arrived...

Coming up in Part 2: photos of our pig-roast-and-pinata reception. See you on Wednesday!

a little break

2010-07-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

No real post today. I'm getting a few things in order before tomorrow, when I--gulp--get a few teeth yanked out of my mouth. I'll be taking Friday off, too, and posting again on Monday. (And yes, there will finally be some wedding photos.)

In the meantime, if you're bored, might I suggest you visit this sweet little blog?

in the meantime

2010-07-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

After catching up on the boring stuff like dishes and laundry, I finally spent some time yesterday in our community garden. I'd been a little worried about how things would go during my three week absence, but it was immediately clear that my little plot had gotten along just fine without me. Funny thing about gardens. Plants just do whatever it is they need to, whether you're around to watch them do it or not.

I actually don't have a whole lot planted right now. There's the garlic I put in last fall that's not quite ready for harvest yet. The raspberry canes are doing well, and the little squash and pumpkin plants have been busy, too. Everything else, though, the calendula and nigella and borage have all just kind of happened. Even the sunflowers that are growing--they're about four feet tall now--are volunteers. It's all making me feel kind of lucky, like I haven't done the work to deserve these plants, but I get to enjoy them, anyway.

Before I left town in June, I did ask a few people to keep an eye on my garden, in case things started looking thirsty. June in Seattle, though, was--well--June in Seattle. It rained a lot. It was cold. That's how we roll here.

Rumor has it, though, Seattle's going to get a bit of a heat wave this week, and for the people who shivered through last night's fireworks in a chilly mist, warmer temperatures probably sound a little more, um, summery. If you're like the folks around here, wondering where summer's been, you should read today's post over at Orangette. Molly's blogging has been a little spotty for the past year or so while life happened to her, but I can't help feeling like she's making a comeback. I, for one, am happy to see her.

And if Molly's summer list-making doesn't get you in the mood for popsicles and picnic blankets, there's always this...

Happy summer, friends!

dullness

2010-07-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

It's true. I've been in a little bit of a funk these past few days. I can't help thinking of the phrase a friend of mine mentioned recently: "post event dullness disorder." That pretty much sums up how I feel. The fireworks are over, the party's been packed away, and now it's just daily life again. I've been wandering around the house, unable to decide what to do with myself.

And yet. My man asked this morning, "Is this still the honeymoon?" And yes, husband. Yes, it is. There are still new things, small and sweet things for us to discover and enjoy together. And there is a marriage now, which is a big, slow thing that will take me a long, long time to really wrap my brain around. In short, the party isn't really over. In some ways, the fun's just getting started. It's a different kind of fun, though, and harder to sum up in punctuations of confetti and pinatas.

In the meantime, I guess I just need to recognize that I'm feeling the way I'm feeling, that there are some perfectly understandable reasons for it, and that my dark little mood will pass soon enough. I'm trying to calm myself with good things, like the socks I finally finished:

And the extra time I have to catch up on recent posts at Souris Mariage and A Practical Wedding.

And the fact that the little bean plants on our back porch are blossoming:

Oh, and the fact that we're having pizza for dinner tonight.

Because is there anything better than pizza and a beer to remind a girl to sit back, relax, and enjoy the waning days of her honeymoon?

No, I didn't think so.

I'll be back on Monday, friends. I promise I'll try to work out my kinks and cranks before then. In the meantime, happy weekend!