(the unofficial) fall break

Not a single person in this household is currently attending any school of any kind, but I am declaring this weekend "fall break".  Steve is off on Monday, the air is finally cool, and we have a new patio to hang out on.  Plus, we all deserve a break.  

Our new patio should be complete later today and I'm already dreaming of grilling sausages and pineapple and giving the lounge chairs a more permanent spot.  Perhaps we can convince Arthur that what he really wants to do is ride his tractor back and forth on it for an hour or so while Steve and I sip drinks and chat? I'll let you know how that dream turns out.  

Nothing sounds better right now than a couple of days with no alarm clock and no real schedule.  I've been thinking about what I'd like to wear during the cold months and am hoping to get a few things this weekend to round out my wardrobe.  Every fall, I pull out last year's clothes and wonder exactly what it was that I wore for five months while it was cool outside.  Then I remember (mainly yoga pants and hoodies) and vow to do better this year.  

I'm also hoping for a few hours to catch up on some sewing work because I feel perpetually behind right now.  Which is both a good and bad problem to have.  

Here's hoping your weekend is a bit of a break too!

the long weekend

Happy September, friends!  This is one of my favorite months and we started it off with a bang this weekend! 

We did some shopping, hung around the house, caught up on some chores, and just generally enjoyed being together.  On Sunday, we got super bold and squeezed in three very different outings.  

We headed over to one of our favorite photo spots and shot a bunch of scarf pictures.  I'll be posting new scarves in the shop all week and am so excited about the colors we chose this year!

Then, we tried out a new park, which is always a good time.  

They even had a splash park, which took Arthur a few minutes to warm up to, but he ended up loving.  After changing his clothes in the trunk of the car (which was thrilling, obviously), we tried out a new restaurant for dinner.  It was not the kind of place we usually go with a kid, but Arthur was so good and we all loved the food and I was glad we risked it.  

Sunday's photo shoot was actually our second one of the weekend.  I had both boys in the yard at 9am on Saturday so we could get some pictures before it got too hot.  I'm pretty sure Arthur's face says it all here.  

We cooked a big breakfast yesterday to celebrate Steve's extra day off and I made up a new muffin recipe, which I'll be sharing later this week!

eat outside

 Happy Monday, friends!  Did you have a good weekend?  

We sure did.  The weather couldn't have been better, which is not something that is often said about weather in the south, in August.  We had a lovely picnic with our friends, Aaron and Becky, on Saturday, grilled lunch out on Sunday, and worked and played outside between meals.  We even ate snack in our lounge chairs.  

Arthur's phrase for the weekend?  "Eat outside!"  He loved it.  

 It would be difficult to describe to you just how much fun this kid is, unless you lived with him.  He's creative and smart and funny and even when he wakes up eight times in one night we're still totally crazy about him.  

I put off my plans for scarf photo shoots in favor of more time for fun, but this week we are going to have to get down to business.  Luckily, my college roommate, who also happens to be an amazing photographer, is coming for a visit tomorrow.  I haven't told her yet that she'll be working while she's here.  

Sunday was a lazy day (see "up eight times in one night" above) where we attempted to make plans and then scrapped every single one of them.  It was for the best.  We lounged and relaxed and worked in the yard and cooked dinner together.  

Of course, it was sushi.  Obviously.

We gave Arthur a new food cutting set and he Iron Chef-ed it at the counter with me and it was lots of fun.  

Today, I'm feeling optimistic about the week ahead.  I've got a big to-do list, but I also have five whole days in front of me to get it all done!

sushi night

It all started with a rice cooker.  

Steve has wanted a rice cooker for some time now, because he likes to eat rice all the time.  I wanted a rice cooker to make sushi, because I read somewhere that you really need a rice cooker to make proper sushi rice.  But the thought of making sushi was not enough to push me over the edge to buy a new kitchen gadget, especially when we don't have any extra room for kitchen gadgets.  

Then we added a new family member who also likes to eat rice all the time.  The rice balance in the house has shifted.  

So out went the electric skillet (we have a strict one in-one out policy) and in came the rice cooker.  When I found out that it could steam vegetables as well, I felt better about giving it shelf space in the kitchen.  

Over the weekend, we purchased a few basic sushi supplies, all for less than $10.  We got bamboo mats and rice paddles and some beginner chop sticks for the little guy (all from World Market and Bed Bath and Beyond).  

We cooked the rice earlier in the day so that it would have a chance to cool off.  Once the rice was cooked, I mixed it with a mixture of 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt.  

I cut all of our ingredients into matchstick-like pieces and that seemed to work out well.  We used cooked shrimp, smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, carrots, and cucumber.  

It was so much fun to have all of us at the counter making the sushi rolls.  Arthur loved being a part of the action and wore his apron and pressed his rice onto the mat like a pro.

He also discovered a real love for nori and ate several huge sushi burritos of nori filled with rice and shrimp while we worked.  I know he has a developed palate, but even I was shocked that he was eating seaweed.  

Making the rolls was a little challenging and we've determined to need to watch a sushi chef sometime soon to get some pointers.  Our rolls all ended up being a bit too fat- it's hard to know how much you need to put in each one.  

Cutting them was also tricky, but I figured out that if you wet the knife between each cut it helped a lot.  We rolled some in sesame seeds before cutting.  

It all sounds kind of involved, but it really only took us an hour and when we were done, we had a huge platter of fresh sushi!  Even though some of the pieces were falling apart, it tasted amazing.  I think that sushi night may be a weekly event now.  

Today is rainy and my sidekick and I are knocking out a bunch of household chores and working on some new flannel scarves for fall!

our Easter

We had a great visit with Steve's family over Easter weekend.  We also got to see some of my family, some old friends, and a very full chipmunk. 

 

The chipmunk was cracking everyone up.  It's how serious he manages to look that really gets me. 

 

 

Steve's mom cooked a big Easter dinner, complete with asparagus.  Easter always signals the beginning of asparagus season to me and I was so excited that she'd gotten some. 

This was one of the coldest Easters in my recent memory.  Remember how we used to play croquet on Easter?   This year found me wearing two long sleeve shirts, double socks, and a down vest.  Now I understand why Steve giggled at me when I asked if I should pack short sleeves. 

We took the scenic route again and, after a missed connection, it ended up being a bit more scenic than we'd bargained for.  By the time we got home, I was ready to give up on car trips for good and just fly everywhere.  And I don't even really like flying. 

Needless to say, I'm thrilled to be at home all day today.  I've got the crock pot and the oven going and am about to divide the laundry into manageable piles.  Here's to a productive day of housework!

happy monday

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope your weekend felt like spring!

 

Ours was great.  We had sunny weather and a house full of friends.  Everyone headed home this morning and I've been working hard to restore some order to the house- it definitely looks like seven people have been living here. 

 

I'll be back tomorrow to share more about the weekend!

The Best Craft Party Ever

When Steve and I were making our plans to attend the Maker's Summit in Greenville last weekend, we had to decide if we would stay Saturday night, or head back home as soon as the conference was over.  But after the conference, in the very same space, was The Best Craft Party Ever, which included dinner, craft supplies, and access to some awesome printing techniques.  So we decided to stay.  How can you turn down something called "The Best Craft Party Ever"?

Dinner was catered by a local restaurant and it was lovely.  We sat at long tables and met people who we hadn't gotten a chance to speak with during the day. 

While we waited for the food to be served, we got to check out some 3D printer demonstrations.  I had never seen a 3D printer before, but they must be the next big thing because I just read about them on Design Mom yesterday too! 

After dinner, we went to the screen printing station, where we got to print our own t-shirts!  We learned about how they prep the screens and I was amazed that you can use a special heater on the ink that makes it dry almost immediately! 

I'm super excited about my new shirt: a) because it's gray, and b) because it's inspiring.  It seems like you're setting yourself up for a successful day by putting on a "Make it Happen" shirt in the morning. 

Next, we went to check out the letterpress and print our own posters.  The letterpress was interesting because the ink goes on a disk on top of the machine and then as you pull the lever, two rollers grab the ink, roll it over the stamp part, and then the whole thing squeezes shut to make the print. 

Again, both cute and inspiring. 

And the fun didn't stop there!  We picked up our craft supply boxes and got to work on the individual projects that we'd chosen. 

While we worked, we had a chance to meet a few more people, including Stephen Fraser, one of the founders of Spoonflower.  You know that we already love Spoonflower for printing our own fabric designs, so it was amazing to get to hear more of the story behind the company. 

Steve chose to make the beeswax candles.  They were really easy and kind of addictive.  You just cut the sheet of wax to the size you want, put the wick near one edge, and roll very carefully.  I love how they look and am not sure if I want to burn them, or just enjoy them whole. 

I chose the paper wreath project and opted for hearts, in honor of the month.  I'm actually still working on it to get the look that I want, but I came home with lots of cool paper to use. 

If you can believe it- there's more!  Tomorrow I'll share pictures of some of the items we got in our gift bags, plus the giveaway that I won while we were there. 

The Maker's Summit

So aside from staying at an awesome bed and breakfast, we also got to attend The Maker's Summit while we were in Greenville.  The Maker's Summit is a business conference for the art, craft, and design world.  There were several really inspiring speakers, discussion panels, and one on one appointments with professionals in multiple fields.  In between all the learning, we were treated to pastries, artisan coffee, a delicious lunch, and chocolate chip cookies.  High fives to the organizers for knowing what makes a conference great. 

Going into the day, I was super excited to hear from a couple of the speakers.  At the end of the day, I was thrilled to have heard from all of them and had pages of ideas written in my notebook.  It would be almost impossible to describe to you how a whole day of listening to people talk could be absolutely riveting, but it was. 

We spent an hour in small groups, discussing more specific issues that everyone faces with a small business.  Our group of twelve was made up of both women and men and probably had an age range of fifty years between the oldest and the youngest.  I love the diversity in the handmade community and how it's so easy for everyone to feel like they belong.  Before we left, I worried about what I should wear.  Once I was there, I realized how silly that was, because everyone was dressed so differently that nobody stood out, thus squelching my nightmare of being the lone jeans-wearer in a sea of pencil skirts. 

I'll be honest and tell you that I shy away from situations where I may have to meet lots of strangers and I think I am fairly terrible at small talk.  Luckily, Steve can make conversation with anyone, so it was easy to make friends.  We met pattern designers, jewelry makers, graphic designers, and some people who were just taking the first steps toward starting a business.  It felt amazing to be in a room full of people who are all passionate about making beautiful things. 

Another awesome thing about attending a conference that is put on by a group of creative people is that everything was so thoughtfully done.  From the goody bags to the table decorations to the flowers on the lunch buffet, I felt like I was at a lovely party at a friend's house. 

I don't actually know the story behind Barnum, the larger-than-human sized stuffed octopus, but he fit right in too. 

 

The conference lasted until 5:00, but the fun didn't end then.  We also attending the after-party which included dinner, craft making, and some other really cool activities.  I'm finishing up a few pictures of all the goods we came home with and will post a full party report on Thursday!

Pettigru Place

Wow.  Our weekend was so packed with fabulousness that I am going to devote the whole week to sharing about it.  In fact, it was so full that it seemed like way longer than two days.  I wonder if that is the key to weekends that seem longer?  I'll have to examine this theory later. 

 

First, I want to tell you about the place we stayed. 

We were attending The Maker's Summit in Greenville, South Carolina, which is a conference for makers.  Isn't that a great description?  Often, I am stuck when people ask me what I do for a living.  My answers may vary from "I sew" to "I run an online shop" to "small business owner", depending on my mood.  I think I may just start telling people that I am a Maker. 

We chose to stay at a bed and breakfast about a mile from the conference site, called Pettigru Place.  It was awesome.  Super cozy, despite the 19 degree temperatures outside (we even saw snow flurries!).  Our room was very comfortable and the owner was willing to accommodate all of our needs, from late check-in to early breakfast. 

Oh, breakfast.  I have a real love for breakfast foods.  Every morning we were treated to a pot of tea, fruit and granola, and then whatever amazing treat the owner had whipped up, from eggs Benedict with homemade Parmesan basil sauce, to breakfast cheesecake.  You heard me.  Breakfast.  Cheesecake.  In fact, on Saturday, I managed to each cheesecake at both breakfast and dinner, which was really all it took for me to consider the day a total success.  All the other stuff was just bonus. 

 



If it had been warmer, we totally could have walked to downtown Greenville, which I'm now tempted to go back and do.  As it was, we were pressed for time and it was teeth chatteringly cold, so we drove everywhere.  And when we got back to our room, we made tea and hot chocolate to drink in bed- the perfect end to a cold day. 

The other great thing was the bathroom.  Sometimes at a B&B, you'll find a hundred year old bathroom with terrible water pressure and lukewarm water.  Our bathroom looked recently redone, had amazing water pressure and super hot water.  The shower had one of those large, rain forest shower heads, which was cool, but not something I'd want to own.  But it was fun to try it out. 

As much as we loved it, we were both overjoyed to wake up in our own bed this morning (although I really wish there'd been someone here to make blueberry pancakes for us).  I can't wait to read over my conference notes today and map out a business plan for the coming months.  I'll be back here tomorrow to share some more pictures and tell you about some of the people we got to meet!