Curtains Up

I finally got the curtains hung up in my daughter's classroom.  I had finished them before I got sick, but I didn't get them in and hung until this week.

I am really happy with how they came out, and so is her teacher.  They are 12.5" long, with a 1" solid border on the bottom.  They are backed in the solid color, and since they were made from a pretty thick canvas fabric I was afraid about how they would drape.  So, they are about 1.3 times the width of the window.  I think it gives it a nice clean modern look, but it still has some gathering.  There is a pink and green one on one side of the room, and a purple one on the other.  The backing color kind of lights up the window box when the sun shines on it.  Which is pretty cool, except that the sun won't shine around here again until June.  We are definitely in the rainy season.

Thanks for all the well wishes.  I think we are almost back to being completely healthy.  Now, I just need to get my energy back.  I am looking forward to a short week.

The Hat that wasn't

For weeks I had planned a little escape for this past Friday.  I was so excited and I had it perfectly planned.  I would take a ferry, with my sister, to Bainbridge Island, we would have lunch in a quiant little restaurant, and then we would walk down the main street of Winslow to shop all the cute little shops.  Then we would have headed over to the Eagle Harbor Inn where we would have attended a knitting workshop with the Jared Flood.  Yes, I was so looking forward to knitting, chatting, and getting away for a little while.

Unfortunately this is the current state of my Koolhaas hat.  Earlier this week I got the flu, which has since gone into pneumonia, so there is no knitting going on here.  Just a lot of lying around, resting, and drinking lots of fluids.  The only good thing I can say about this miserable week is all the cuddling time I have had my sick kiddos.

Moments: Focusing On The Little Things

I had to take a break from the blog because the last week and a half has been a crazy one for me, and just when it seemed things might slow down a bit my little one got sick.

It is just the croup, nothing serious, but she is still miserable.  A couple of trips to the doctor, many nebulizer treatments, infant's motrin, and eventually a steroid, and we are still up all night trying to help my little baby breath easier.   This week's grand moment started with the thought, "if one nebulizer treatment (which is a breathable mist of saline) works so well, why not set one up to run all night?"  That was my thinking when I decided to put  a mixture of salt and water directly into the humidifier, because I was truly thought it would help her (and me) sleep better.  When I woke up to her crying, and went in to her room to find a thick fog, I realized why nobody had ever thought of that before.  It was like we had taken her crib, dropped her off at the edge of the sea, and left her there for a year.  Not only was the fog reminiscent of an ocean harbor, but there was thick layer of dried salt all over everything.   And, I can't forget the sour smell that the humidifier was emitting as a result of completely overwhelming the filter.

Luckily my older daughter is showing no signs of sickness, none what so ever.  She has all the energy in the world.  Unfortunately she is starting to go a little stir crazy, and losing patience with the whole situation.  My perception is that her tantrums are getting a little more frequent and her screams are just a little louder.  Again, it could just be my sleep deprived perception of the world.  Yes, these days have been filled with moments.  So I am focusing on the little things, like all the colors in my backyard.  And, the plants that manage to barely stay alive even with just a hint of sun and no warmth in weeks.

Yes, winter is here, and although part of me loves it and is anxious for the beauty of the season, another part of me is already dreading the rush I feel in the evenings when the sun sets early.  It is like I have a feeling of always running late, and no matter how often I remind myself of what the clock says my internal clock can not get used to living at this latitude.

I am going to focus on enjoying this rainy, dark, Monday at home with my girls.  Because, I know no matter what, these days with them are going fast.  This is what we are listening to and dancing to this morning, to brighten up the day.  This is what we are reading, my childhood favorite.  What are the little things that you focus on?

Moments: Pumpkin Bread

Amy has started a series called moments. It is intended to show a more realistic look at the life behind the blog, moments that are not perfect and possibly more authentic. I love the idea. I write my blog to document or journal the moments that would otherwise probably be forgotten.  It causes me to be more present in the day because I am constantly looking for "blogable" moments. But, the moments that usually end up on the blog are not "typical."

For my first contribution to moments I could talk about how I never finished the laundry this weekend,because I didn't, or I could mention how the toys from yesterday are still all over the floor in the living room, because they are, or I could even mention that I didn't even get started on the curtains that I thought would be completed this weekend.  Instead I will talk about the pumpkin bread that we made yesterday.  Monday is my day home with the girls, and yesterday it was pouring down rain.  So I decided it was a perfect day to bake.  Together we decided we would make apple sauce, banana bread, and pumpkin bread.  The apple sauce came out pretty good, although after it was done my 3 year old declared that she didn't like apple sauce and wasn't eating it.  I never made it to the banana bread because I ran out of sugar making the pumpkin bread.  And, the pumpkin bread, well it resembled a pumpkin brick more than bread.  I halved the sugar in the recipe, but I don't think that should have mattered.  I don't know what went wrong.

So, now I am going to ask for help, does anyone have a good recipe for pumpkin bread?  A recipe that results in a bread that is not too oily or too sweet?  I am looking forward to reading more moments.

Hand Prints

I am so excited about the project I am about to start, because it is for someone who really deserves it.  I started back to work about 6 weeks ago after taking a year off after my second daughter was born.  I really enjoyed the year I spent at home with my girls, and I wasn't completely sure about returning to work.  I don't think it is an easy decision for anyone, and everyone has different circumstances.  I was particularly worried about how my youngest would handle the daycare environment.  I knew my three year old would love the new adventure, but my one year old definitely had more difficulties with separation.  I predicted that I wouldn't last more than one week before I gave in and changed my mind.  That was until I met her teacher.  She has helped me more than I can put in to words in surviving this process.  She has truly been a partner with my husband and I in making sure it was the right place for my little one to be.  She is exactly what you want in a teacher, and I just love her for it.  She and the other teacher in the room have created such a happy environment, that my little one is thriving and loving her new adventure.  And as a result, I am happy too.

One day they mentioned that the activity for the day was to have the kids put hand prints and foot prints on a large piece of paper.  They were then going to use the paper to make a valance for the windows.  She said she wanted to decorate the room with some curtains, and she wanted them to be something the children took part in.  I said, "oh no you don't.  If you want curtains, you can have real curtains."  They have done so much for me, making curtains for their room is the least I could do.

So I brought them in a large piece of canvas weight fabric. . .

. . . and they made their mark.  In the form of handprints and . . .

 . . . footprints, and anything else their little one year old bodies could coordinate.

They had a lot of fun.  Then I used my handy little Kona color card to match some of the paint colors.  Aren't those bright colors fantastic?  I am going to make three valances with a different color backing and small edging on each of them.

 These should go pretty quickly, so I hope to have them done by the end of the weekend.  I can't wait to see them hung up in their room.

Blog Makeover

I love reading blogs.  I think Facebook has its place, and I haven't caught on to Twitter yet.  But, I think blogs are an opportunity to really create your own space, document, and even journal our lives.  One blog I love to read is A Commonplace Life, written by Amy.  Her writing is so descriptive and insightful.  Most people, me included, write about things, things that are happening, and things that we are making, and things that are going on.  Amy's posts really capture feelings and ideas better than any other blog I read.  They always make me stop and think.  Her photos are also beautiful.  The combination of her writing and her photos provides me with regular inspiration.

So when she announced that she was starting a blog design company, I immediately wanted a redesign of my blog.  But, at first I didn't really think she was talking to people like me.  I don't sell anything or promote anything, or run any kind of business from my blog.  I just didn't think I needed a professional design on my little obscure spot.

Then when I read about her giveaway at the quilt festival, I decided I really wanted a redesign of my blog.  I realized this is my own space, my journal, and it deserves to be organized and neat. Even if it is only for my enjoyment.

Amy did an amazing job.  She captured my style perfectly with very little input from me.  It looks exactly the way I wanted it, but even better than I imagined.  She pulled some of my favorite photos from my photo stream, and put them all together in a banner that I absolutely love.  She organized all my links and information.  I am so happy with my little spot, it feels like home.

So if you are reading this in a reader, first of all thank you for subscribing.  Second, quick click over and see the new look.  And if you are even considering having your own blog redesigned, contact Amy.  She is so easy to work with.  I highly recommend her for her skills, talent, and creativity.

Mmm . . . Pumpkin

I love this time of year, because everything comes in the pumpkin variety.

Pumpkin ravioli from Pasta & Co, with braising greens from the CSA, and walnuts all cooked in a little olive oil. Also a side of Pumpkin ice cream, Dreyers (Edy's East of the Rockies) to go with it.

My husband doesn't understand my love of everything pumpkin. He thinks pumpkin in ravioli, coffee, pancakes, soup, beer, etc. . . is a bit of an overkill and that all things are better in moderation. I think eating pumpkin in everything for only 6 weeks a year is in moderation.