| |
| Thursday, May 08, 2008 |
| May Day and CS2 |
On Sunday, we took the doggie with us to Powderhorn Park for the annual May Day parade and celebration. It was beautiful and warm and sunny. I'll post some photos soon. For now, here's us sitting on the curb watching the parade, edited in my new version of Photoshop.
 Labels: events, holidays, matt, outdoors, springtime, thor |
posted by Jen @ 11:40 PM   |
|
|
|
| Sunday, January 06, 2008 |
| Failed to post |
I realized just now I failed to post this post about the homemade Christmas we had. I made a number of items for gifts, some of which I started before Thanksgiving.
These mittens I actually started last winter for Steph, but it got to be spring before they were done, so this year they were finished for her Christmas present. I lined them with a pink, orange and yellow flowered fleece. They are yellow at her request to match her yellow VW bug.
 I made my sister a calorimetry similar to my own because I know she often wears her own long hair up and could use the extra warmth way up on the southern shore of Lake Superior. She nicknamed it a baboushka. Pattern from Knitty.com, though modified a bit.
 Below is the wool wine cozy I made for my parents. Of course there was a bottle of red wine inside when I gave it to them, but it's meant to keep your wine bottle from warming up and also to keep it from clanking around when you take it on a picnic. Patten also from knitty.com.
 Last, but certainly not least is the froggy hat made for Matt's youngest nephew. I got the pattern from Lion Brand Yarn's website. The yarn was hard to work with, but it was so cute when it was done.
We spent very little on Christmas this year, opting for homemade. And to be honest we also had a little bit of a "regifting" Christmas. I prefer to think of it as recycling, reusing, reducing waste and reducing consumerism. We also bought a few of our holiday gifts way back in October in a silent auction at a benefit for Driftless Organics farm.Labels: holidays, knit and crochet |
| posted by Jen @ 10:16 PM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, November 01, 2007 |
| Halloween: Porch-style |
Since Matt was working and didn't want to dress up for Halloween this year, I attended the Porch dinner/Mafia/Halloween party. I also didn't want to spend any money on a costume, so I pieced together my fairy garb from things I already owned. A pair of purple wings and false eyelashes purchased in the after-Halloween sales last year, two of my favorite shirts layered, my pink skirt, some flower print tights I've had since junior high and the black ballet slippers from my college ballet class.
The eyelashes were something else. I'd never worn false eyelashes before, and these were out of this world long and sparkly. It took me a few tries to get them positioned just right and to get the "glue" to stick well. And contrary to popular belief, they aren't uncomfortable. Once the "glue" gets really tacky, you hardly know they are there (except for the tips hitting your brow bone or brushing the inside of your nose). And yes, this photo is kinda a goofy perspective on my face. I did if for effect.
Dan and Rachel came as Team Zissou from "The Life Aquatic". Very creative. You can't see it, but Rachel had her iPod stuck under the strings of the guitar with a little speaker playing parts of the soundtrack from the movie.
Dinner was followed up by many rounds of the game Mafia (and variations on it) with sets of very cool Mafia specific cards created by Luke. I got a good laugh out of the antics of the new characters introduced to this game by my friends.
I started the night photographing with film and when the roll was finished shot digitally until my batteries gave out (which wasn't very many shots). Hopefully I'll be able to complete the purchase of my new digital SLR in the next week and be back in full digital swing before Thanksgiving. I may add a few more shots once the film photos are done tomorrow. Afterall, my scanner has been feeling lonely.Labels: food, friends, holidays, solomonsporch |
| posted by Jen @ 10:04 PM |
|
|
|
| Monday, January 01, 2007 |
| Hopes and Dreams for 2007 |
Taking a page from Michelle's blog, I have decided to write down my so called New Year's Resolutions, but instead to call them my Hopes and Dreams for the New Year because I do not prefer the whole convention of making resolutions. It seems far too often we make them without intent to follow through or without real belief that these things can or will be completed. My list of Hopes and Dreams are things I have asprirations to pursue in the coming year.
1. take up belly dancing (and other various forms of Mideast dancing)
2. pare down my belongings to a set of things which are both useful and lovely
3. become a Minnesota "compacter"
4. take at least one road trip, preferably spontaneous with little direction and to locations yet unvisited by me
5. open a savings account and make regular deposits to it
6. dirty my mountain bike on the River Bottoms trails with Matt
7. try winter camping at least once and regular backpacking at least once more
8. learn to snowboard
9. ride my bike to work [weather-permitting]
10. create a list of long-term goals and dreams for myself (ie. 5-years, 10-years)
11. enter at least one art contest/show with new work
And that's what I've got for now. No doubt I'll find a way to add to this list before the year is well under way.Labels: daily life, holidays, musings |
| posted by Jen @ 12:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, December 19, 2006 |
| Our own Mastercard commercial |
One handmade crocheted elfin hat and fleece-lined pair of baby mittens made to match handmade poncho - $5 (and about 15 hours)  One vintage homemade toddler dress coat found at a local thrift store in mint condition - $3  Festive gift wrap, matching ribbons and gift tags - $2  Watching as child enjoys playing with and on wrapped box - PRICELESS! Of course, I had to spoil her more than that, but these are the only parts of her present I have photos of. She was so disinterested in removing the paper or opening the box. It was hilarious. She had the most fun using it to play super-baby and pretending to fly.  Labels: baby girl, holidays, knit and crochet, winter |
| posted by Jen @ 1:19 AM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, December 05, 2006 |
| Comfort food 101 - Pumpkin Pie |
 Last holiday season, the thing I missed most was pumpkin pie. It has long been my favorite pie and a central part of the holidays for me. Being freshly off sugar last year, I felt quite cheated out of the full experience at both Thanksgiving and Christmas without my pumpkin pie.
This year, I vowed to change all that and I did. What you see here is the fruits of my labor to find a recipie for pumpkin pie which does not use refined sugar and still tastes like the pumpkin pie I have come to know and love. The recipe wasn't quite perfect the first pie or two, but the third time's a charm as they say.
Since Halloween, I have eaten the better part of 4 pumpkin pies by myself. I had a little help from Matt and shared some of the pie I brought to grandma's on Thanksgiving. The good thing is, most of the ingredients are not bound to make me fat, as the only sweetener in the pie is a 1/2 cup of honey. I may find myself burned out on it soon and will be looking for other recipes to modify.Labels: food, holidays |
| posted by Jen @ 1:46 AM |
|
|
|
| Friday, November 03, 2006 |
| Nov. 2nd is the day to bake your Bubbs-o-lantern |
 Turns out I baked last year's pumpkin head on this same date. I just couldn't let it sit around and get funny or it would be wasted. Don't want to waste one morsel of that lovely orange flesh. This year's pumpkin was considerably heavier and obviously taller than last year's (not sure on the overall size, but pretty sure it was bigger).
I nearly had trouble getting him into the oven in one piece (not to mention without dropping him on the floor). Bubbs has been baked and cubed and is chilling out in the fridge awaiting his chance to become chili and pie and who knows what else.Labels: autumn, food, holidays, winter |
| posted by Jen @ 12:35 AM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, November 02, 2006 |
| All dressed up with places to go |
Steph, Matt and I got decked out for Halloween a few days early to attend some festivities. (Steph and I spent many hours one night making her costume from scratch and I spent another 3 making my cape). We went to a party at a friend's house and then attempted to attend a Wookie Foot concert.
The venue was completely packed and we got there early. We ended up in the middle on the floor next to an impromptu drum circle before Wookie Foot took the stage (we got there during an opening band). The crowd began pushing and claustrophobia set in. We tried to get out and got smashed in further, and I got choked with my cape when it became intangled in the crowd. We decided the crowd might be getting a little bit viscious for our usually quiet selves and left.
We'll have to see Wookie Foot another day, but we did get home in time to order a pizza from Galactic and watch a movie in front of the fireplace. All in all, a good Halloween romp.
 Labels: autumn, friends, holidays |
| posted by Jen @ 11:48 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
