tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150669390771041482024-03-18T22:01:22.502-05:00Nessa WeeklyThe Goings-on in my life in ATXVanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-27552128962799256512010-07-12T19:42:00.009-05:002010-07-13T16:15:02.438-05:00Save-The-DatesSo, things have been busy here. Busy doesn't even sum it up. I am surprised my head hasn't fallen off yet. So, sorry for my radio silence on the good 'ole blog.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Some big news as of late, and reason for my lack of posts:<br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>PhD Defense - August 9th</li><li>Starting job as lecturer of 3 chemistry classes (700 students) - August 25th aaahhhh!!!!<br /></li><li>Getting married - September 18th</li><li>Moving somewhere in between that!</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah, that's the big stuff.<br />I have been keeping myself very occupied lately, mostly with dissertation writing and my summer teaching job (TA). When I get tired of writing, then it's time for wedding preparations, etc. I'm constantly working. How did all of this happen? I don't know! I wasn't planning on everything to come at once like this. It's intense right now, and I was not expecting to start a job so soon, but I am very glad to have something that will add to my resume in the interim time between my graduation and Ryan's, and that we can also still be together in the same place. Then our wedding will be the icing on top of the craziness (it's worth it!). I can't wait to see all of my and his family (together! that's a first) and be in our BEAUTIFUL new apartment together. Anyhow, back to the title of this post. My save-the-dates. I haven't been up to any craftiness, except for these guys. I had such nice plans for them (as you will see) but then with time issues and snaffoos popping up here and there, I was THIS CLOSE to letting a facebook message suffice to give everyone advanced notice about the wedding. I know, SO WRONG, but I figured it would have been ok since it's all (mostly) family (I know, still not OK). Anyhow, they wouldn't have gotten done if it weren't for my cousin Meryl and her friend Georgia coming to see me and force me to do wedding preparations, like DRESS SHOPPING. yeah, I've been a total slacker. But that's for another post. Save-the-dates. These girls were awesome and helped me make them. Wanna see? I know you do.<br />I got (copied I think is more like it) my idea from 100layercake's<a href="http://100layercake.com/blog/archives/5114"> tutorial</a>.<br /><br />I started compiling these things weeks ago, and I did a couple things differently. I had a custom stamp made through Etsy seller <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SugarLetter">SugarLetter</a>. I wanted something that had our names and the location, since it is a bit of a destination wedding, so that our guests could know who this was for and where - without me having to add anything extra in the envelope. I used lace instead of doilies. Well ok, I ordered the doilies but they took FOREVER to get here - not until after my save-the-dates were in the mail! So I went to Joann and got lace to use instead (now I have something like 72 super cute 3" crochet doilies sitting at home). I used raffia and hemp twine along with various heart and flower charms, all bought at Joann. The "pressed floral" paper was found in the scrapbooking department at Joann as well. The biggest issue was the tags. I had ordered the exact same tags as was used in the tutorial. But with my stamp, which is much bigger than the library date-stamp used in the tutorial, everything looked really crowded and cluttered. I HATED it. I was actually very worried that my save-the-dates would turn out looking like a craft project gone totally wrong. And I dreaded trying to figure out what to do to make them work, I just didn't have the time or patience to really try to make it come together in a way that would keep all the elements I wanted. Further, none of the many places around town, craft supply and office stores alike, had tags any bigger. SIGH. Enter Meryl. "Why not just make our own tags?" DUH. I had thought of that. But making a template, tracing, cutting, yadda yadda. I SO didn't have time to do that on my own. However, with Meryl and Georgia along with lab and workout buddy Emma, we were able to tackle it <span style="font-style: italic;">via</span> assembly line. We got some thick linen card stock in ivory to serve as the tag material. Meryl made the template stencil, then Georgia traced, while Emma cut tags, (my rotary cutter saved so much time!), Meryl cut out the lace pieces and I sewed them onto the tags. Nearly 6 hours later, we had the tag bodies made. Then Mem, Georgia and I finished adding the other pieces throughout the next day. I am so happy with the result.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBkyg3IR7TkS5hHvD0_lSFoWIuxNn7Hsxks4tytCuw6pv-Gp4V_GQ6oFLM3-ndv7c-xh2DYaT3lYyyAxb612BDXFYLH0l-qdRbbx3i5ezM7iCfLGC6jd8H8BLTaL2xDlEbBTVx79NNNI/s1600/stds.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBkyg3IR7TkS5hHvD0_lSFoWIuxNn7Hsxks4tytCuw6pv-Gp4V_GQ6oFLM3-ndv7c-xh2DYaT3lYyyAxb612BDXFYLH0l-qdRbbx3i5ezM7iCfLGC6jd8H8BLTaL2xDlEbBTVx79NNNI/s400/stds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493189454122622178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">save the date!</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />There were several styles, though all very similar. You may have to click on the pic to view a larger version of it to see what I am talking about. The main differences include what type of string was used to tie the charm - raffia or twine. The next was the floral paper/stamp piece. It either had the save-the-date stamp or the "all you need is love" stamp. Additionally, the lace was cut in either a quarter circle piece (convex), or the opposite (concave) sloping inward piece. Finally, each save -the-date had it's own charm, so every one was unique.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wMFvLf_DiF-lUs7ds1VlW9rF4SsVNPIaZHNOpUaI2iD5eTkhDwfoF6aLXS8NH8BWouLdwEn3HHU5UOxfygLqqc0ef__tb4QYvqmRpryIKqdjYZc8Z90D8d8shU-W9Nl6rV5nIxn3cl8/s1600/save+the+date.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wMFvLf_DiF-lUs7ds1VlW9rF4SsVNPIaZHNOpUaI2iD5eTkhDwfoF6aLXS8NH8BWouLdwEn3HHU5UOxfygLqqc0ef__tb4QYvqmRpryIKqdjYZc8Z90D8d8shU-W9Nl6rV5nIxn3cl8/s400/save+the+date.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493189464772150210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">concave lace, raffia, small stamp on floral paper</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQG5OP_PIU8f5QK_ViYTQjMO2_D2twK7VDB1G3o4gRNGhcw4tacEJe8nj_9HwLPT-aRdH-WTuFeNhej7jKWk_e0VEFunVXoL8to-Wt1sYCieQitru2LW-xFMFbW77jrWF-scBgV4_x3Q/s1600/std-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQG5OP_PIU8f5QK_ViYTQjMO2_D2twK7VDB1G3o4gRNGhcw4tacEJe8nj_9HwLPT-aRdH-WTuFeNhej7jKWk_e0VEFunVXoL8to-Wt1sYCieQitru2LW-xFMFbW77jrWF-scBgV4_x3Q/s400/std-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493189471560328786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">similar, but this was my favorite charm in the bunch. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I believe Aunt Kristin got this one!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, I hand selected them for the recipients. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My workers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVU4Ux4wT1fTDp2F6oMZslan7R-0yezg3t8K1kc-DMaEXACtFXmkf2tGcbEfII25x0jsC5gySF1UNxHq93XpVqfdhMEMy7wcGojQlab7Cc27-7-exo9EXP3d1zyn4u-vmEQL8BPbbkim0/s1600/meryl.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVU4Ux4wT1fTDp2F6oMZslan7R-0yezg3t8K1kc-DMaEXACtFXmkf2tGcbEfII25x0jsC5gySF1UNxHq93XpVqfdhMEMy7wcGojQlab7Cc27-7-exo9EXP3d1zyn4u-vmEQL8BPbbkim0/s400/meryl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493187680343083394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Meryl</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUgmxjWLXDp67G17Nfk6N_WFLWoAqo4DfFGraue3AE3gu768UvevXZWe27RT-HGUaBAD-BkxUoVt72pci-gChaNhR3g87cTpwPPdjx1TeUnX8nzaSCN7NYEdimXhFIUt7bseD6kO_NE/s1600/georgia.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUgmxjWLXDp67G17Nfk6N_WFLWoAqo4DfFGraue3AE3gu768UvevXZWe27RT-HGUaBAD-BkxUoVt72pci-gChaNhR3g87cTpwPPdjx1TeUnX8nzaSCN7NYEdimXhFIUt7bseD6kO_NE/s400/georgia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493187664194100514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Georgia</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I am such a slave driver. They should start making unions for save-the-date makers because I worked these girls the entire two days there were here (as evidenced by Meryl in this next photo, upon completion of our project) She'll tell you, they were allowed only 1 Coke and 1 bathroom break per day. =) kidding! But we got them done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaV_Il-UVM2QRSnV_DUvZyCD3hsg8u0fdmxxpKQXzNae1HadQwtqAC8IoT9XC1uwGPNHnihJeELpbGdeqttDEbk0AEtAxBARhKwJlRmDc-Q1a0-yVFkx8wxFN_8IO7f-UtwZEvGsuaok/s1600/mem9.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaV_Il-UVM2QRSnV_DUvZyCD3hsg8u0fdmxxpKQXzNae1HadQwtqAC8IoT9XC1uwGPNHnihJeELpbGdeqttDEbk0AEtAxBARhKwJlRmDc-Q1a0-yVFkx8wxFN_8IO7f-UtwZEvGsuaok/s400/mem9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493187671033208402" border="0" /></a><br />I gave my helpers a very special save-the-date.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dqZvUVvS-57AShxk9fTCnFQPGKG7_2T3RE7z2Oqkl45txn0h7r1LPRkutOwAvg5KunqXqxwNXROqUcHl1W5ugNiDbKXUklIyA6BpfLMDQ-3YKC7nBVWD4UQdmpf7k-cELJeGgdL2hDw/s1600/special+std.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dqZvUVvS-57AShxk9fTCnFQPGKG7_2T3RE7z2Oqkl45txn0h7r1LPRkutOwAvg5KunqXqxwNXROqUcHl1W5ugNiDbKXUklIyA6BpfLMDQ-3YKC7nBVWD4UQdmpf7k-cELJeGgdL2hDw/s400/special+std.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493480854971649698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar scrub!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">made by me =)</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks Mem and Georgia!!! I couldn't have gotten nearly any of the things we got done without your help and I am SO APPRECIATIVE. Emma, you helped so much too, by staying late to get all those cards cut out. We wouldn't have been able to finish them the next day without that, I know it! Emma also baked german chocolate cupcakes . . . YYyuuuuuUUUMMmmmmm! Nothing urges you to work a little more quickly than the smell of warm chocolatey goodness =) You ladies are awesome! I had so much fun with you girls. . . Mem and GA, you're a riot. You guys definitely brightened my spirits when you were here. I can't wait to see you at my wedding!<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-51208801497681507322010-06-04T11:18:00.005-05:002010-06-04T11:41:00.237-05:00The sparklyHere are some more photos of my ring. =) I just love it!!!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaajhXxIi2W_CgUATKPJHAKahJf39oIh_LiKXNMb6-MVWtyJgWw_8FzQ0OjFZEA6uIUDUbLbkW-pkSorCF-tm3whw0gNiB2V7rupUQi70kcbLP6WXlh4TIB4fdV_ZthmLC4u2fndApAq8/s1600/ring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaajhXxIi2W_CgUATKPJHAKahJf39oIh_LiKXNMb6-MVWtyJgWw_8FzQ0OjFZEA6uIUDUbLbkW-pkSorCF-tm3whw0gNiB2V7rupUQi70kcbLP6WXlh4TIB4fdV_ZthmLC4u2fndApAq8/s400/ring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478955651205101106" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, those are my real nails. =P The ring is white gold, with a round cut center stone. It loves to sparkle and show itself off in the light! My camera really sucks at capturing it though, and I have trouble keeping everything still enough to get a super clear picture. Anyway, there are also four smaller diamonds on each side of the center stone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTBzvKIpGftO35lZTDxFYC5IvGCt4cG84eO3mWdm8PH_46Y_xIr0WDF87P4IfMzLIjTXIHkmASDbrdrxkyG7utb5GsCJZAI2u_gALUmnjt0m-Er690R1XXy-_eMFw2b6Aztk4f1SjDLc/s1600/ring+top.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTBzvKIpGftO35lZTDxFYC5IvGCt4cG84eO3mWdm8PH_46Y_xIr0WDF87P4IfMzLIjTXIHkmASDbrdrxkyG7utb5GsCJZAI2u_gALUmnjt0m-Er690R1XXy-_eMFw2b6Aztk4f1SjDLc/s400/ring+top.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478955664371730002" border="0" /></a><br />I love how it tapers and gets skinnier towards the center. I think it is very feminine. And the band is thin enough so that it doesn't truncate my already short fingers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6G_UUoB9bA-BnHbfko7xoX-X6p-Q4wKcBNrZB65wgpYxA5hnDtTTE2Dd-TIjHwkQNDlzDc6ihtgie8d6ysvIbArEz53gWtDDBp45CXyR6OlF7JjHYglO7MC687jrfD_lOD4vrc6ISoPE/s1600/ring+side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6G_UUoB9bA-BnHbfko7xoX-X6p-Q4wKcBNrZB65wgpYxA5hnDtTTE2Dd-TIjHwkQNDlzDc6ihtgie8d6ysvIbArEz53gWtDDBp45CXyR6OlF7JjHYglO7MC687jrfD_lOD4vrc6ISoPE/s400/ring+side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478955669808742546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">side view</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here you can see the cathedral setting. The diamond is "suspended" and you can see right through it. pretty cool!!! This also allows much more light to pass through it, and why is sparkles like it's meant to. It's hard to see, but there is tiny detailing on the edge of each ring, called "milgrain". It just adds more look to the metal, and makes it more antiquey looking. Ryan really liked that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUzAi5ifHHLcC2ubo5WAT2HZ7yCSzjshApxwXfsjKSMFcvOh-VHUa_zisXv3bXovpDN-HDGXyLoImdDOUaQsZ2qQxaeoeRBV2waQj7muZo1Xhgip4c2n4B-scjbO1qjUmfacStcw61lE/s1600/ring+set.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUzAi5ifHHLcC2ubo5WAT2HZ7yCSzjshApxwXfsjKSMFcvOh-VHUa_zisXv3bXovpDN-HDGXyLoImdDOUaQsZ2qQxaeoeRBV2waQj7muZo1Xhgip4c2n4B-scjbO1qjUmfacStcw61lE/s400/ring+set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478955658388889714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">bridal set</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He did get it as a set, so just showing them off together here. It's so nice because it's all PAID FOR and since I already have a beautiful matching band, we don't have to worry anymore about my rings. The band has small matching diamonds in it too, I believe there are ten.<br /><br />I love it! I am currently writing my thesis and I keep getting distracted by it. Ryan will also occasionally just grab my hand, look at it, and smile. So cute. =) He already says he wishes it was bigger, but I think it is perfect. There is no rush! And there will be opportunities later when he can upgrade me.<br /><br />He just loves to spoil me. =)<br /><br />The pictures really don't do it justice I think (at least my pictures don't). So, we'll have to wait for wedding paparazzi's to take some nice shots, or show it off in person. But for now . . . that's the ring. Next time. . . engagement story!!!<br /></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-318737211719523992010-05-23T22:37:00.004-05:002010-05-23T23:11:29.717-05:00Question:How is it that kitties, even though they are sleeping, know that you are taking pictures of them. . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_SlQlkCJB-7nUtqGZkK1uLkRkR7-_rzaIJ416s5GAdJwp9_xO47023nZiujJJDfbuNr4yq1xrDELqFkQ8iPHkpZ8WzDTu0rLlQsjYfZTcrAk39Mqn4KTEp0-i0Yx9pyMsbNided16LY/s1600/Picture+124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_SlQlkCJB-7nUtqGZkK1uLkRkR7-_rzaIJ416s5GAdJwp9_xO47023nZiujJJDfbuNr4yq1xrDELqFkQ8iPHkpZ8WzDTu0rLlQsjYfZTcrAk39Mqn4KTEp0-i0Yx9pyMsbNided16LY/s400/Picture+124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474677544753900882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And that they should twist and contort their bodies in the cutest way possible. . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCh-zGUHBEiM1ab96J3NYrONIC_ucGt78WRqV2ehJyQEUKYZsBDkBoJDpxtU1mBeHg27ZvTGfqVSHAMvi8nLR5qkpZPBKQgL2IAggHDm2kDTentzvwMWbZ3gsTaFoTaXi0RKFnBvkG7FE/s1600/Picture+125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCh-zGUHBEiM1ab96J3NYrONIC_ucGt78WRqV2ehJyQEUKYZsBDkBoJDpxtU1mBeHg27ZvTGfqVSHAMvi8nLR5qkpZPBKQgL2IAggHDm2kDTentzvwMWbZ3gsTaFoTaXi0RKFnBvkG7FE/s400/Picture+125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474677547629486034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />so that you just can't help but kiss that sweetly delicious little face?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3ajcugKgM5nBPEN2luTGpfQMJtLEVjo4ftG25_Ga67m_yuTVVBftUPrPuFz-J-CxTL9olOKwJXzMt-4cUew4wq0rDojsbipDAuuD-fKUM3tNZmUzKmfN6lvCeFvld0PJ-8wWq5qDehE/s1600/babin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 367px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3ajcugKgM5nBPEN2luTGpfQMJtLEVjo4ftG25_Ga67m_yuTVVBftUPrPuFz-J-CxTL9olOKwJXzMt-4cUew4wq0rDojsbipDAuuD-fKUM3tNZmUzKmfN6lvCeFvld0PJ-8wWq5qDehE/s400/babin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474683937819989746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They do it on purpose, ya know.<br /><br /><br />Happy Monday!Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-53132859018957514412010-05-21T10:49:00.007-05:002010-05-21T12:27:49.795-05:00A Fire Garden<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRucTG3uWHBCZLIR7dTu0uz2ht4qaysrDBHFzP5N0HFF9tLfW108z3omEWx7Od4TS4ejJIVTewI2DUB4vybfN4a-EvOG1K19mYUsd7lZa4VuuXGP0mJtQwPLxkdyQ7LqiiyFU96imWheA/s1600/Copy+of+IMG_3185.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRucTG3uWHBCZLIR7dTu0uz2ht4qaysrDBHFzP5N0HFF9tLfW108z3omEWx7Od4TS4ejJIVTewI2DUB4vybfN4a-EvOG1K19mYUsd7lZa4VuuXGP0mJtQwPLxkdyQ7LqiiyFU96imWheA/s400/Copy+of+IMG_3185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752412694209442" border="0" /></a><br />About two months ago, I planted a little garden on my balcony in my various window boxes and hanging baskets. When Ryan was little, he used to help his mom in her garden. He told me how he begged her to let him have his own little garden, a "fire garden", which would have only plants in fire-colored hues. She never let him. =( So when it came time for me to make my balcony pretty again, I decided to do a fire garden that he can enjoy.<br /><br />Please ignore my sad lights. They need to be reinforced, that is if they still work. I have had lots of critters (squirrels) hanging out on my balcony, and being rodents, I know they are perpetually chewing animals. I wouldn't be surprised if my lights have fell victim to their gnawing habits.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBRHsiHYNG_0f5OvdxVnZHEnwzq7BZpBnko7ivvSeIH9Or3lwFBI_mIs3LHwT9iRSGlc1IKXmieNGYV8HN51wDxiEFd6tcEtwA6-Alid_p74zJhhQsFrFVmUwny29t5vHsoQJg4Vbmbk/s1600/IMG_3203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBRHsiHYNG_0f5OvdxVnZHEnwzq7BZpBnko7ivvSeIH9Or3lwFBI_mIs3LHwT9iRSGlc1IKXmieNGYV8HN51wDxiEFd6tcEtwA6-Alid_p74zJhhQsFrFVmUwny29t5vHsoQJg4Vbmbk/s400/IMG_3203.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473753029588708130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The view directly out from my sliding door</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Remember how the wrens were tearing apart my planter? Yeah, I didn't feel like paying 9 bucks for another coconut shell planter shell, so I just provided more support by cutting up one of the plastic pots some of the plants came in. =) Directly left of this view is a bird seed feeder, so between the birds and squirrels, by balcony gets a lot of visitors. The cats of course, love to watch them from the window. Baby, very curious by nature, is always waiting at the door to follow me outside whenever I go out to do laundry or water the plants.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TEiEDxWWQ79oeDO1kQPoxkW1TThaKfEoq1nP9zbvX_-8YKKXHbn9L2m5hhJhLnSx0oa-G-q6VFdaRQBxJ9-gIOj2a4Een4wZAMFkkJ0B4LPoUrlnWCOs10acBKzxEUzSD3L0qJVIrNk/s1600/IMG_3201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TEiEDxWWQ79oeDO1kQPoxkW1TThaKfEoq1nP9zbvX_-8YKKXHbn9L2m5hhJhLnSx0oa-G-q6VFdaRQBxJ9-gIOj2a4Een4wZAMFkkJ0B4LPoUrlnWCOs10acBKzxEUzSD3L0qJVIrNk/s400/IMG_3201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473753037387642770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He always has to investigate<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">A view slightly to the right of that first photo. . .<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f68h8ba9ExMDQ8STS6fQ697KRZw0DGtVjOe2_VDyjT1g4EWSZLOPRkaBw9dAM3fdqjq1xHFvTYRmphoJdTubYmwWD7QJ4vNfYu1B85h2Tghq03MNGwHXuyDaUIB33wzst1xjGs49vOs/s1600/Copy+of+IMG_3204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f68h8ba9ExMDQ8STS6fQ697KRZw0DGtVjOe2_VDyjT1g4EWSZLOPRkaBw9dAM3fdqjq1xHFvTYRmphoJdTubYmwWD7QJ4vNfYu1B85h2Tghq03MNGwHXuyDaUIB33wzst1xjGs49vOs/s400/Copy+of+IMG_3204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752425099913074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">some of the window-boxes are the same<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />There is the wren house, a hummingbird feeder (though I haven't seen any yet) and yep, those are topsy-turvies. I'll let you know how those work. I have bell-pepper, tomatoes and tomatillos in them. My balcony doesn't get a whole lot of sun, so I am concerned with how well they will really do. I might need to move them to the front walkway where it's not so shaded by all the trees. I'd like to try to avoid that, because even though I am a friendly neighbor, I don't want my produce getting taken by others. =(<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVXDzu7xh1KC_clItH6yOuxoceEWJetanmBTp-D-oE76k0Zub6ooTh7pIleU_6KxdZi99s3-h-gbVX2vu9Xx9jfFsTceqA6nFaMd-bwwdES_f0g9jLFvaXtjuIRE3iVP0f6FKN7BeSDk/s1600/IMG_3199.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVXDzu7xh1KC_clItH6yOuxoceEWJetanmBTp-D-oE76k0Zub6ooTh7pIleU_6KxdZi99s3-h-gbVX2vu9Xx9jfFsTceqA6nFaMd-bwwdES_f0g9jLFvaXtjuIRE3iVP0f6FKN7BeSDk/s400/IMG_3199.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473753024832659378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the veggies</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been fertilizing the plants so they've really begun to take off. No baby produce yet though. That small soda bottle is for slow-watering so that the bag stays really moist.<br /></div><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXtErgWXUa9UU9dy0qLRpBnVrRaMck7ft46HuaJv_62ROvFar9NhZvTvsocshzdqlvcVoY39aeK2ndfWk5hjaFpwIR2TkkJHM-DZZByGyZggSIBUJ-y5p8SH2S4QS3vIzG4BTOAtdAa8/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXtErgWXUa9UU9dy0qLRpBnVrRaMck7ft46HuaJv_62ROvFar9NhZvTvsocshzdqlvcVoY39aeK2ndfWk5hjaFpwIR2TkkJHM-DZZByGyZggSIBUJ-y5p8SH2S4QS3vIzG4BTOAtdAa8/s400/IMG_3198.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473753018498607778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Some flowers and rosemary for cooking<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />My plant gnawer is back. I don't know if its a squirrel or what, but I just noticed it about a week ago. That little yellow plant is non-existent now. Something chewed all the leaves off just leaving the yellow head. And I found it yesterday, chewed clean off, laying there in the dirt all sad and brown. =( I've begun to notice it on one of the tomatoes too. I really want to know what is doing this!<br />Once, I did see a female cardinal in the trees just hanging out in the branches. Then she would jump up and pull a leaf off. I watched her for several minutes just plucking the leaves off the tree and watching them fall. It seemed like she was doing this for fun, because she was not collecting them. I was fascinated when I first saw this, and thought it was pretty funny. . . until it started happening to my plants! Now I wonder if it's her. Some of the branches and things that I have noticed are being broken seem a bit thick for a little cardinal beak though. I'll be keeping an eye out! Anyhow, I think I will replace that yellow plant with some lavender. I know, not a fire-garden flower. But as I do have some herbs here, it will fit in with that scheme. =)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFl5PDdntoPWkSKYV9WNP982-NPip0kOtnx3tNA2ndr7CYGF_Xi0eLpZVAwrhPQmIOcxwNb6460cbGlo61MmirWjwvL-u_TsOMxUd7PHyfSwpOngsaz3ONi7Kg2mvmo2s_kHbFRrTn02c/s1600/IMG_3196.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFl5PDdntoPWkSKYV9WNP982-NPip0kOtnx3tNA2ndr7CYGF_Xi0eLpZVAwrhPQmIOcxwNb6460cbGlo61MmirWjwvL-u_TsOMxUd7PHyfSwpOngsaz3ONi7Kg2mvmo2s_kHbFRrTn02c/s400/IMG_3196.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473753009767206162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Flowers, red and orange with one that looks like firecrackers. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvweSznzZqPKr4PkOkyKDsrrAzgKXHpcNuVeSUqWrzYsqhKudUCdQEmZVkvUeC4dFrlLChd_xVS2-GQGJnE87fvXBNFmSWX6JvzZIyrn7s8t9n4tt6dhsvO8xazY1TMpxhXG69mXiCsY/s1600/Copy+of+IMG_3189.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvweSznzZqPKr4PkOkyKDsrrAzgKXHpcNuVeSUqWrzYsqhKudUCdQEmZVkvUeC4dFrlLChd_xVS2-GQGJnE87fvXBNFmSWX6JvzZIyrn7s8t9n4tt6dhsvO8xazY1TMpxhXG69mXiCsY/s400/Copy+of+IMG_3189.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752420936290418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">window box with begonias, thyme and alyssum</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi5ESBHhOltucoMy1YVAsezVHe8IObMHT5VimJH_JFLAoaFLEp2odGh2pfSLaQv-Yl3zmOE2m6mz6_f9UCcSaE9VPKt2_SJ1CZ5A409eCrtBUYcS5qpVl0I5m1rGIim1xJgUCJIlcCSY/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi5ESBHhOltucoMy1YVAsezVHe8IObMHT5VimJH_JFLAoaFLEp2odGh2pfSLaQv-Yl3zmOE2m6mz6_f9UCcSaE9VPKt2_SJ1CZ5A409eCrtBUYcS5qpVl0I5m1rGIim1xJgUCJIlcCSY/s400/IMG_3191.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752440999241586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">hanging baskets of flowers</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The one furthest left has some begonias with other greenery.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnZHHzgcAyQzlX-L7qpZsYZvckOa_M3-2omBkBmWHztgcgwM3i-cphV9hAIMcO0LgT4guTyPf5x5PbIn9c4TXtJ7Mp3B20nYEV7fi3qsJe-JgBppAnvsbhRsA4e7LLtqQomrm8qr_PU4/s1600/IMG_3187.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnZHHzgcAyQzlX-L7qpZsYZvckOa_M3-2omBkBmWHztgcgwM3i-cphV9hAIMcO0LgT4guTyPf5x5PbIn9c4TXtJ7Mp3B20nYEV7fi3qsJe-JgBppAnvsbhRsA4e7LLtqQomrm8qr_PU4/s400/IMG_3187.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752434647848354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">a closeup</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Some butterfly bush (left) and I don't know what that red one is called. But I love how it looks like flames!!<br /><br />I love my pretty outdoor space. Hope you enjoyed it too. TGIF!<br /></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-33531136719309281112010-05-14T19:17:00.004-05:002010-05-14T19:39:08.331-05:00It Feels Good. . .<div style="text-align: justify;">to stretch some pennies. I had a very big choice to make the other day. . . my dilemma was if I should take a bubble bath or not. I know, TOUGH. Well, for a while now I've been wanting to make a sugar body scrub, but didn't have a shower appropriate jar for it (I have lots of glass jars, but I don't see that working so well on the slippery surfaces). Then I was really wanting to soak the other day, with this flowery bubble bath from The Healing Garden, that is conveniently kept in a plastic jar. As I was about to run the water, a (very obvious) light bulb went off. Let's use the rest of the bubble bath as a base for the sugar scrub! I had enough for a very rich bath, but I figured a month's worth of foaming, sugary exfoliating goodness to show off summer skin was a great way to stretch it out a bit. It works great! And smells WONDERFUL. =)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc90qLEMa5NKVWmLg6goNqXodQXymybQiKgyoDT7LtXShQIQCqASTLIIelj0_9I2lvZfNWwgKpvXAC3730UHFpTYhqJXBLevI1Fp-sSRkrhZeaHzda9JLWxxq0XoLzkk8hyAWf8nj8Iq4/s1600/salt+scrub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc90qLEMa5NKVWmLg6goNqXodQXymybQiKgyoDT7LtXShQIQCqASTLIIelj0_9I2lvZfNWwgKpvXAC3730UHFpTYhqJXBLevI1Fp-sSRkrhZeaHzda9JLWxxq0XoLzkk8hyAWf8nj8Iq4/s400/salt+scrub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471288107011899602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">jasminey foamy sugar scrub</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />When it runs out, I will make another batch of sugar scrub. It's really easy. . . Add 1/2 handsoap /bath gel to a jar then stir in sugar(or salt) until you get a nice paste. Use as often as you like for beautiful, healthy skin!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-37555734002424793182010-05-06T11:20:00.003-05:002010-05-06T12:20:02.687-05:00A sea of redSaw this off of the freeway a couple weeks ago. Made me grab my camera the next day and take that exit to share with you all. . .<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXZMCm-myxeesrh51i9FNI63UAdwgxLYzVoRA0gIm-ZVa8M-wkuW8xcg5ZhyguVZtwiOtOK5UVGD3aOptVlGR5CXXjRftjh9_fqwho8aLpU9Nn6f1gJsytJjGWEBenM0-0j-C_YQQIUc/s1600/poppies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXZMCm-myxeesrh51i9FNI63UAdwgxLYzVoRA0gIm-ZVa8M-wkuW8xcg5ZhyguVZtwiOtOK5UVGD3aOptVlGR5CXXjRftjh9_fqwho8aLpU9Nn6f1gJsytJjGWEBenM0-0j-C_YQQIUc/s400/poppies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468196566132608962" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">can you believe all that red?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>This sea of red poppies was the entire side yard of a cute house off the freeway. You can't see how big this square is, but I'd say it was at least 50'x50'. So you can see how it very easily caught my eye. Can we just get in a little closer please?<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LMZ1dDOK-7T3o51GHoff7LEgw9_vwIc8E-x1WDVvrdrZKRcPun2vOcjH1j1XHHzBTUQmHHoG8CejBJFAcz8LTn_WW50FckS9wMOEHOJYi8yGRR9rEbJ8yvJZBE3s3fdmfYy0I_xviHA/s1600/poppy+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LMZ1dDOK-7T3o51GHoff7LEgw9_vwIc8E-x1WDVvrdrZKRcPun2vOcjH1j1XHHzBTUQmHHoG8CejBJFAcz8LTn_WW50FckS9wMOEHOJYi8yGRR9rEbJ8yvJZBE3s3fdmfYy0I_xviHA/s400/poppy+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468196574373884194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">aaahhhhh. so delicate and dramatic.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I love poppies. Now I just hear a certain evil, nasaly voice saying in a drawn out way, "Poooooppieeeeees, pooooooopieeeeees."<br /><br />These remain one of my favorites.<br /><br />Happy almost-end-of-the-week!<br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-88659382549740221462010-05-03T12:21:00.004-05:002010-05-03T12:55:46.172-05:00From the Mister<div style="text-align: justify;">This weekend was pretty exciting. Ryan found one of his baby snakes that had escaped out of it's cage. It was actually his best snake, because he has a special gene for a certain type of coloring. So it was a huge disappointment when he got out about 5 weeks ago. Ryan has since started to build snake-escape-artist-proof-cages. We had both turned his apartment upside down looking for him on multiple occasions and he continued to look for him too, but given how long it had been since the snake last ate, we both feared that he had died or gotten outside under his front door. Anyhow, last week when I was visiting him, I noticed a snake skin under his toilet seat when I let it down. I immediately asked him if he had ever brought a snake skin into the bathroom when cleaning out the cages or whatever (it didn't seem likely, but I had to check) and he ran into the bathroom too to see the snake skin. It meant baby Hummel was still inside! Well on Friday night, Ryan had trouble sleeping and decided to get up and try looking for him again. Boy was he surprised to see him cruising around in his closet! The snake was tame before, but since he has been out on his own, he is pretty nippy. It's probably due to the fact that he is super hungry. . . . imagine a growing boy who hasn't eaten 6 meals. he would be grumpy too! I am sure that with more handling (by Ryan of course!) that he will calm down again. But I am SO glad that he found him. . . I now how sad it made him.<br />Well we were planning on going to the UT/Baylor baseball game Saturday night, so I met him over at his place so that we could drive to the park in one car and I wanted to see baby Hummel. And he surprised me with these:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-1FjoGDzR6E75vKZybkBFkqJVmH2CU04BG8QV6s89yPmgzcbfQSfhbSTOL4iHabw77FIKTrV0MSxKobjqFEyZCyZcPIcHFsCEsavPuBzyUJs6VJM50p5-UgwvKJHaWn36eMNnvpzK4E/s1600/peonies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 357px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-1FjoGDzR6E75vKZybkBFkqJVmH2CU04BG8QV6s89yPmgzcbfQSfhbSTOL4iHabw77FIKTrV0MSxKobjqFEyZCyZcPIcHFsCEsavPuBzyUJs6VJM50p5-UgwvKJHaWn36eMNnvpzK4E/s400/peonies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467097667528819794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">peonies!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">3 pink/coral and 3 white. Awwwww. He remembered that they are my favorite. And that they are in season now. what a sweet guy. I am sad I didn't get pictures of them sooner. I left them at his place when we went to the game, and i didn't get them after because the game went like 15 innings and by the time we got back to his place I just wanted to go home and not go inside and get them. I wish I had, because they opened up A LOT. especially the pink ones. And since he worked all day yesterday, I didn't get them until yesterday evening. But they are still gorgeous and I am enjoying them. So is Baby.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G2f91c6TC2Jxbe1ZqN81CVoZbPpEOS88LlNdRK1ikId6bA6Y-yDNTlnAOevNtHH-m82JjMYqaP-hy1FVtTQkRgUTNSADQaiNwFjedoM1pl9-bjfmHO0tmXub0gYRFCbxMl1NPZv1fKs/s1600/babin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G2f91c6TC2Jxbe1ZqN81CVoZbPpEOS88LlNdRK1ikId6bA6Y-yDNTlnAOevNtHH-m82JjMYqaP-hy1FVtTQkRgUTNSADQaiNwFjedoM1pl9-bjfmHO0tmXub0gYRFCbxMl1NPZv1fKs/s400/babin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467097688479851442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The stinkin babe-in. (stinkin babe-in is my nickname for him)</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKjmyH4l1G-f04jFP88sbYeYP7gwux7YCxGAj0AZvFZwZBu_WcVB7QyGrt_d1KO0cWizf4gi9zN7s8r9gkz0WtHcE-45sk6djFoN2rkXhLXF2KfB28I2nQTLxW1FbRgvpUauN0gJd2Pw/s1600/babin+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKjmyH4l1G-f04jFP88sbYeYP7gwux7YCxGAj0AZvFZwZBu_WcVB7QyGrt_d1KO0cWizf4gi9zN7s8r9gkz0WtHcE-45sk6djFoN2rkXhLXF2KfB28I2nQTLxW1FbRgvpUauN0gJd2Pw/s400/babin+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467097653850650098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">he only got to smell them until I saw him start to open his mouth to chew on them. And which point he got a little tap on his behind and moved them out of his reach.<br /></span></div><br />I love how big and delicate they are. The pink ones have those fabulous scoopy petals. while the white ones are all crinkly and pom-pom-y.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkcwqIFJow15ey98GKjiBZPqymHSRGF4hc4_YoeW0xXFDbcmDZZ9vRrw2gGGPykJNoSCdLDIkDuGTekcFiVYdxxTT2VnFrx6qRTInLunyI6JwSg4BytdptVFpsF2QwodudcQoBm3dr6U/s1600/peony+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkcwqIFJow15ey98GKjiBZPqymHSRGF4hc4_YoeW0xXFDbcmDZZ9vRrw2gGGPykJNoSCdLDIkDuGTekcFiVYdxxTT2VnFrx6qRTInLunyI6JwSg4BytdptVFpsF2QwodudcQoBm3dr6U/s400/peony+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467097670078827970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYcfiJp1xsSQD1o48M0HLj2mOUuyVYbSCWpKRzaMoGoszUG3ODZSND_p4mPsqutiCF19jnIYbKeWEACfyT3bsTKY33y1OOnrNBEnnvzaF8_L6JlEvmnpQ4uGUPicTrQIt0-dveVIsJA8/s1600/watercolor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYcfiJp1xsSQD1o48M0HLj2mOUuyVYbSCWpKRzaMoGoszUG3ODZSND_p4mPsqutiCF19jnIYbKeWEACfyT3bsTKY33y1OOnrNBEnnvzaF8_L6JlEvmnpQ4uGUPicTrQIt0-dveVIsJA8/s400/watercolor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467097680918401346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This one is the most open. You can't really tell the size of it, but it is much bigger than my whole hand open. the camera isn't quite capturing it, but the coloring in the petals is amazing. The only way I can describe it is like a watercolor. The colors blend and swirl, with the white at the center gradually growing to that vibrant pink.<br /><br />I was so surprised. He is such a good Mister.<br /></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-69008729250261693622010-04-30T14:07:00.007-05:002010-04-30T17:33:57.731-05:00The Stitchin' Bee - April Block<div style="text-align: justify;">I finally got my April blocks for this quilting bee finished! This was hard to do, at first, just because I didn't really know where to start. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48226404@N08/">Kelly</a>, our queen bee for the month, sent us a whole bunch of bright colored fabrics and one piece featuring a comic strip. She is calling this her "Dysfunctional Family Quilt" which will be used as a beach quilt since her family frequents the very nearby beach in Florida. Our directions were that we could design any kind of block we wanted, as long as the comic was visible. And boy, are some of the ladies talented. you can check out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1373757@N21/">Flickr page</a> for the group to see what some of them came up with. Talk about pressure to perform!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Anyhow, I had started off designing a block, which needed to be 12.5" x 12.5", made of four smaller 6.5" square blocks. This took me while to design, and account for seam allowances and imagine how it was all going to work. Then I made some prototype blocks so that I wouldn't mess up on the fabric Kelly gave me since that was the only material I had. Once satisfied, I made the blocks that did not have the comic strip. With those blocks in hand, I imagined how it would look with the final block and just wasn't feeling it. I think it would have been too crazy and too much going on. Since I didn't want to cut up the other blocks, I tried to think of what I could do with the remaining fabric, and some pieces from my own stash. This is what I came up with.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAtwRQiIvLjb-S97oaZRSC6HdMMCW6g4EEqmuaELCzIaj6WzFbuBhKy49QcCr_05c6PSP0PcMU23zyUl6_m2Pn_05BgywgJcaxgL908rNg6bBf3NAt2OpyddnX461euCCcVhMAFDtNJk/s1600/bee+block.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAtwRQiIvLjb-S97oaZRSC6HdMMCW6g4EEqmuaELCzIaj6WzFbuBhKy49QcCr_05c6PSP0PcMU23zyUl6_m2Pn_05BgywgJcaxgL908rNg6bBf3NAt2OpyddnX461euCCcVhMAFDtNJk/s400/bee+block.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466011500724652786" border="0" /></a><br />"Thanks babe, Mother'll never taste the arsenic!'<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I made the square, by bordering the white/lavender dot fabric with the dark purple. The mini-pieced border is made of a strip of (unfinished) 1.5" squares and (unfinished) 0.75" squares, in the order of 1.5, 0.75, 0.75, repeat. Then another bigger dark purple border, finally outlined by 3" triangle squares pieced together. Finally, I appliqued the comic to the center of it. It's a bit wonky. I don't think I have ever done such fussy cutting and sewing ever before. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. But I am pretty proud of it. When I showed it to Ryan, he was definitely impressed that I came up with that. His reaction was really quite sweet actually. Anyhow, this was very challenging for me, but also very fun and I have already learned a lot! I am looking forward to <a href="http://thebluedress.typepad.com/">Lisa'</a>s month next and what her assignment is.<br /><br />Since I didn't cut up the other blocks, I sent them along as well since Kelly can still use them maybe somewhere in her quilt. There was one fabric that had brightly colored circles (reminded me of beach balls) about the size of 50 cent pieces. I cut some of the full circles out and appliqued them to the center of each of these "beach ball blocks".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE5LlWJMW2tauo_r8rIQJFj2ipcXq3IhZv0oq25Pj-tJKxGNw72BOd-hu6kMvuBX6VhZnpXDQlT7WzJ_7ZAYwFr9OI7V8EVh92eIZx7ix60f9vobI-UkaK5tW0_OiWJnPEcscSjjsI2Q/s1600/purple+beach+ball+block.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE5LlWJMW2tauo_r8rIQJFj2ipcXq3IhZv0oq25Pj-tJKxGNw72BOd-hu6kMvuBX6VhZnpXDQlT7WzJ_7ZAYwFr9OI7V8EVh92eIZx7ix60f9vobI-UkaK5tW0_OiWJnPEcscSjjsI2Q/s400/purple+beach+ball+block.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466011526518527970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5zhNGvaGML1O7ncC4KxGNMzUzQrMa_jDZL0uneLS4J0B_ahiuLJpM7ULIYIZ2Fvhq-TleUwVjxQrEwHKTVajrLTVGgZDe5abtzdC7Co_3tad0Z8LKXH3rYlcax_F2oN3ZgfOXBurYBk/s1600/orange+beach+ball+block.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5zhNGvaGML1O7ncC4KxGNMzUzQrMa_jDZL0uneLS4J0B_ahiuLJpM7ULIYIZ2Fvhq-TleUwVjxQrEwHKTVajrLTVGgZDe5abtzdC7Co_3tad0Z8LKXH3rYlcax_F2oN3ZgfOXBurYBk/s400/orange+beach+ball+block.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466011517061173666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRjX3DiVgeH06UaIQR5gS8PekufPfXi8rFA2O1WYnKm0PQA-st7N8wAPguNVBf0AUnv2VT4VjpP39J4iKIEmGTBJ4tGA7hH0HQXWq8zgGTQ3QVcvpPUtiqo8-f9BnVVDEoEjfk55v1MU/s1600/green+beach+ball+block.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRjX3DiVgeH06UaIQR5gS8PekufPfXi8rFA2O1WYnKm0PQA-st7N8wAPguNVBf0AUnv2VT4VjpP39J4iKIEmGTBJ4tGA7hH0HQXWq8zgGTQ3QVcvpPUtiqo8-f9BnVVDEoEjfk55v1MU/s400/green+beach+ball+block.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466013554769028866" border="0" /></a><br />These are 6.5" square blocks. These pics were snapped post applique- so some of the blocks still have indentions from my little quilting ring. I was too lazy and tired to get out the iron, fire it up and iron them out, when they were going to be folded up and put in a baggie for the mail. sorry.<br /><br />This has been an adventure and I am looking forward to the next one.<br /><br />This week has been crazy and I am exhausted. My weekend plans? sleep. Hope you are doing something more exciting!!<br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-31884843042903811682010-04-01T09:43:00.011-05:002010-04-01T15:13:44.978-05:00Myla's Quilt<div style="text-align: justify;">It's done. The quilt for my future-niece. Whew. I don't know why this took me so long, because nothing about this was hard to do. Well nothing except resigning myself to the fact that with 160 little squares, I am not going to have perfect seams and some are going to be a little bit off and that's the beauty and love of homemade, handmade treasures. I showed a sneak peek of the quilt top <a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2010/02/ducks-and-then-tease.html">a while ago</a>, then it was time for making the quilt sandwich and doing the quilting, which was done by machine. I pinned the three layers, every other square, to keep everything together, taut and in order. Baby was very helpful throughout the entire process, like playing with strings, attacking my foot when I pressed down on the sewing machine pedal, jumping up onto my workspace to make sure I was doing everything correctly, chewing on quilt pins and especially testing out quilt softness and snuggleness. He was my quality control.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4373472613_b36f2c7290_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 469px; height: 351px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4373472613_b36f2c7290_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It's my little helper!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(being a good helper)</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4373472973_7ff0cba107_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 484px; height: 644px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4373472973_7ff0cba107_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The pattern: <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2009/08/berries-and-cream.html">Alicia Paulson's Ollalieberry Ice Cream Quilt</a></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is the "finished" quilt, complete with binding. The binding is a sweet pink gingham. Oh man, I hand-sewed the binding to it and could not wait to get it finished. Those (like <a href="http://thebluedress.typepad.com/chemistry_couture/">Lisa</a>) who do hand-quilting are very loving and brave souls. My fingers, even though I had a thimble, were definitely feeling it. Even more so, was my patience. The thing is, the fabrics for this quilt are not pre-washed, because you want them to shrink and get all crinkly when it's done. This also covers up all those little imperfections I was being so picky over. All I wanted to do was throw this baby in the washer and hot dryer to observe the magic. So you can imagine how I was was feeling as I was stitching on that binding, one stitch at a time, by hand. BUT, when I did finally finish and it came time to put it in the wash, boy was that the moment of truth. All I had running in my head was, "are you sure you want to put this in there? Are you positive it's not going to fall apart, and that you did everything right?" I know, it's ridiculous. It was definitely a trust-your-skills moment. But I am so glad I did. Because what came out was absolutely lovely, and I was all smiles over it.<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4374226620_14e280a23f_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 483px; height: 360px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4374226620_14e280a23f_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The pattern called for a muslin backing, but I opted for some snuggle flannel. I figured it would be a little bit warmer for those chilly Oklahoma winter nights. It's white with baby blue flowers.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VQpjUsgE0kYZApnEfvN-1vmJV1lRi7gF-w_Z07VBCVmLk1mCInWa8ik6BKDaeVZyrQ34rThq5oYBQoGniSstUY42PWSFMo61RABVOF9-XXh9xzoII5nT6tdxyD1O4_qdrk7od-7iMKU/s1600/myla+quilt+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VQpjUsgE0kYZApnEfvN-1vmJV1lRi7gF-w_Z07VBCVmLk1mCInWa8ik6BKDaeVZyrQ34rThq5oYBQoGniSstUY42PWSFMo61RABVOF9-XXh9xzoII5nT6tdxyD1O4_qdrk7od-7iMKU/s400/myla+quilt+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455180010970460946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This was taken kind of late in the afternoon's fading light, with flash.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The truly finished quilt! The bluebonnets here are blooming like crazy. I don't know how I have lived here almost five years and haven't had any pictures of the blue bonnets until now. I love them. Every time I drive on the freeway, or are going somewhere with Ryan and see a patch of them I go, "Oh, look at the blue bonnets!" every. time. I think he thinks I must be crazy, and may very well be tired of looking at them himself. But I don't care. They make me happy. All flowers do really. It is just breathtaking when you see whole fields and embankments covered in them.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVWjVX3rXcYsJcrmxagfUmkP__-d7Wtg3OT4cA3AVP0xQAE88W736RyPFMsj8NszrqXhyQImv_XRwJLjIYz9q-7eTCN0R8EctOu8NZJiqYxbmxLtFYn_8GFm0lhoJ2973pZ0dJZwNyjk/s1600/myla+quilt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVWjVX3rXcYsJcrmxagfUmkP__-d7Wtg3OT4cA3AVP0xQAE88W736RyPFMsj8NszrqXhyQImv_XRwJLjIYz9q-7eTCN0R8EctOu8NZJiqYxbmxLtFYn_8GFm0lhoJ2973pZ0dJZwNyjk/s400/myla+quilt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455180009916693282" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">picnic style among the bluebonnets. . . lightly laid it on top since i I didn't want to smoosh them. </span><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR4jbqZOSmqHg5c1o7iP2tCKW5p9r_fjDXbL1DxIdPrDw5bih5yN_DkTyZHJyht-p_X1YdRsaaqDqQOTthnZb7PIQhkiabgFXFJQKhS9AShf14F-7KvtinqlkhztnvdVbnn7PIX08viw/s1600/myla+embroidery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR4jbqZOSmqHg5c1o7iP2tCKW5p9r_fjDXbL1DxIdPrDw5bih5yN_DkTyZHJyht-p_X1YdRsaaqDqQOTthnZb7PIQhkiabgFXFJQKhS9AShf14F-7KvtinqlkhztnvdVbnn7PIX08viw/s400/myla+embroidery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455179994655484258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The quilt wasn't finished-finished until I made her name patch with birthdate, since this is her baby quilt after all! I made her name in pretty rose pink floss, following a trace of her name onto cream-colored cotton. I used a pretty Word font to write her name. Then I made an oval (or as best I could) and bordered it with light blue, light coral and finally chocolate floss in a running stitch, and appliqued the patch using the pin-turning method.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHO5Ue-E_HwVq2DpQ9qcf-WNt0UHpAsg2A_oAjexB_VxCaIaZJOkAq87wHm-aZswst2eix9ucOgPNgR23ZTsNH94e4dQ7JVydsIlyurW15Bnzn3DFPjC4CBN5oAU5fZzJ62EJdblMWTH4/s1600/myla+patch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHO5Ue-E_HwVq2DpQ9qcf-WNt0UHpAsg2A_oAjexB_VxCaIaZJOkAq87wHm-aZswst2eix9ucOgPNgR23ZTsNH94e4dQ7JVydsIlyurW15Bnzn3DFPjC4CBN5oAU5fZzJ62EJdblMWTH4/s400/myla+patch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455180002580276290" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Myla Denise</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">12. 5. 2009</span><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8C9nXA6RzwSJWyfgkpT5S0QwP4ThlpW5czbVGacXUW11EwlHG2Yf9Vwply3KJQnMEiLttzWgp1dIYTcQbvgBM_yoUJpeBjOnPahgxVqppMBE-k6J1o8UcbLgh6ZhQwbvgf7AsnzMOErY/s1600/momma+baby+bird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8C9nXA6RzwSJWyfgkpT5S0QwP4ThlpW5czbVGacXUW11EwlHG2Yf9Vwply3KJQnMEiLttzWgp1dIYTcQbvgBM_yoUJpeBjOnPahgxVqppMBE-k6J1o8UcbLgh6ZhQwbvgf7AsnzMOErY/s400/momma+baby+bird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455263473602493730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Momma bird loves Baby bird<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>There was a little hole, where one of the seams came apart. So I made a little patch to cover it up. I think it's really cute. One of the prints, Alexander Henry, that I used in the quilt has the little birds in it, so I traced their outline onto the cream fabric and embroidered them with various colors and stitches to decorate them. This way, they still "match" the blanket.</span><br /><span>Even thought there are so many cute and pretty fabrics in this project, I think my favorite print in the whole thing is that sweetly dainty white one with the pink flowers in it, just to the above right of the bird patch. I really wish I had gotten more of it. I want to say it's "le Fleur Prairie House" or something like that. But when I first saw it, I remember having distinct images of Laura Ingalls and her sisters running through the prairie grass on their many adventures. Those were easily some of my most favorite books growing up.</span><br /><br /><span>The quilt is in the mail and on it's way to be delivered to Jenny tomorrow. I am so proud of this one!</span><br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-60855582658809878182010-03-30T10:10:00.004-05:002010-03-30T10:27:25.340-05:00So That's Where My Planter is GoingI have these little iron baskets and window boxes with the coconut shell planter box out on my balcony. Of course, there isn't anything growing in them now. . . since it's finally consistently warm I need to put my green thumb to practice with some herbs and flowers. That is, if my planters are still intact. I've noticed over the last few weeks that chunks of them have started to go missing. I've caught the culprit red-handed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRCQmxb5rghajE4a-9Z40LFrr2lel9yrVKDGX2lM-LxL-YxkvQkFZS0oi9wiLvcO2qymlZ5Sxud5kTNMO7E_8AYA8r9v-Pk46XbVnBFzktrFHILmCT8hAdfZnU0UmoO6odCxt8fY8NGw/s1600/birdie+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRCQmxb5rghajE4a-9Z40LFrr2lel9yrVKDGX2lM-LxL-YxkvQkFZS0oi9wiLvcO2qymlZ5Sxud5kTNMO7E_8AYA8r9v-Pk46XbVnBFzktrFHILmCT8hAdfZnU0UmoO6odCxt8fY8NGw/s400/birdie+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454445441959485746" border="0" /></a><br />See that cute little wren there?<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The boxes are saggy, so I might have to get new ones anyways, but the cutest pair of wrens have been very busily taking bits of the coconut shells to make their nest. I would agree that it's a good building material! For being such little birds, these guys aren't very shy. They fly around while I am out on the balcony (I do have to be still though). I think they are very cute birds, (I've always had a thing for wrens) and that Wren is a cute name. Not only is this sweet pair taking my coconut planter, they have also re-established the use for one of my bird feeders.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuJY6lEJRuMfCnDIPnJkL6ATz6eh97nYZb95q5hYx_veXcFEM94Z5Toqid7Ef2avUWARyDfWxX53l0fjtE8siUntZmIOCcyG5NfChxELkOY97WdRVb-ZPvyzoiz_G4AzzX2dRB44GbB8/s1600/birdie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuJY6lEJRuMfCnDIPnJkL6ATz6eh97nYZb95q5hYx_veXcFEM94Z5Toqid7Ef2avUWARyDfWxX53l0fjtE8siUntZmIOCcyG5NfChxELkOY97WdRVb-ZPvyzoiz_G4AzzX2dRB44GbB8/s400/birdie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454445448372220354" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">it's a little wren house now!</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I have another feeder, just a cheap plastic one, so I am using that one for seed and letting these guys keep the schnazzy one for their nesty abode. I love watching them fly back and forth (so do the kitties).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzvkr-lfV-Owa354R9n4uu1EBC40FQi91lKiqmW0cS2YOPXqOb22bDX3VW7cB6Hi257D31dwd_Z77TJCsRp_dHbT3KufP9nsDMIkU4dhWnoq35tMzrOM6vEx4mBE8pTXqpjymNZcNUXg/s1600/mr+cardinal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzvkr-lfV-Owa354R9n4uu1EBC40FQi91lKiqmW0cS2YOPXqOb22bDX3VW7cB6Hi257D31dwd_Z77TJCsRp_dHbT3KufP9nsDMIkU4dhWnoq35tMzrOM6vEx4mBE8pTXqpjymNZcNUXg/s400/mr+cardinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454445458718211570" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Cardinal here also had to check out what's going on.<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Love that fire-engine red coloring. Cardinals on the other hand are very shy birds. I have some of those bamboo-framed round chairs with the big cushion out on the balcony. I am scheming to hide out there under a blanket to get some closer shots of them. These are taken through my glass sliding door. We'll see if I can get anything.<br /><br />I had fun this weekend with some bird-watching. Hope you did something fun too!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-64772659559527438252010-03-26T12:42:00.004-05:002010-03-26T12:55:20.037-05:00DonderdagThursday. In Dutch. That was yesterday, and I so appropriately finished a little bit of something....here's a sneak peek.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WLfHxGZFjo9ZRS0SHiLfFuAlEy_zKuUmzDr6DNAZztfRVjZTOpaZv3pl8f_sXMb1YgZScYL_n4nbht9rMLerjmsyyNqcCyr7H1mh_YN84msRLEntiWmb_BqA7pRovl3elnvv3rJ3CS8/s1600/towel_flowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WLfHxGZFjo9ZRS0SHiLfFuAlEy_zKuUmzDr6DNAZztfRVjZTOpaZv3pl8f_sXMb1YgZScYL_n4nbht9rMLerjmsyyNqcCyr7H1mh_YN84msRLEntiWmb_BqA7pRovl3elnvv3rJ3CS8/s400/towel_flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452999469866379298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Thursday" (you can click on the photo for a closeup)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I am making some special dishtowels for a special someone. These are <span style="font-style: italic;">a la</span> Alicia Paulson's (are you surprised?) <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2008/02/pleasant-kitche.html">Pleasant Dish Towels</a>. She has a free pdf pattern for them, but I decided to make my own Dutch-themed ones for the week. I got artistic and did all the sketches myself! I have been having a lot of fun with the embroidery. It doesn't require much thinking, just following the outline I have already sketched and traced onto the fabric with my needle and thread. Plus having different stitches to do keeps it from getting too monotonous. I think French knots are my favorite to make so far, and I know I haven't even begun to learn all the possible stitches. Anyhow, this towel is not complete yet. I have some pretty blue fabric prints to trim the border, so I'll get to that when I get to that. I'm not really in a rush.<br /><br />Those purple blooms are, I think, wisteria. I saw them when coming home yesterday, the vines climbing all over this old oak tree alongside the road just bursting with all this beautiful purple. So I rode my bike over (it was such a pretty day) with a little bag and cut some for my little photo op. =) They are fragrant, but not so heady as lilac, and that's why I think it could be wisteria. I could be wrong though! Aren't they pretty? I love purple. . . maybe that has to do with one of my Dad's nicknames for me, Sugarplum. Wisteria and lilac are on my "list of plants for my garden" to have one day, if my location allows for their growth. Anyhow, I am trying to be better about styling my photos . . . I'm learning! =)<br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-23048523258389717102010-03-24T17:48:00.005-05:002010-03-24T19:06:28.993-05:00I'm in LoveLast week, I discovered Anthropologie. Not discovered as heard of it for the first time, but went into the store, got to touch, see smell everything and be in total girly-fun wonder kind of discovered. I was meeting Ryan, his friend and friend's wife at Book People, had gotten there early and saw that Anthro was also in the same shopping mall. Now, I love me some books, but I love me girly things even more, and I really wanted to check it out. I am pretty sure I gasped as soon as I walked in. everything there is so feminine and just . . . <span style="font-style: italic;">pretty</span>. it's like a huge art project of clothes, home decor and well, everything! I saw a chandelier made of seashells, which if I had a lot of money (because that's how much it cost), would have bought for my beach-babe sister and her surfer beau. it was SO Ash. so Ash. But some other things that really caught my eye....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/030014_011_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/030014_011_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This dress was right at the front door when you walked in. Nothing says cool in the summer like crisp white and blue.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/033030_069_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/033030_069_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">purrrrty</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/013156_004_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/013156_004_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I know I could make something like this....</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And I think that was perhaps one of my most favorite things about the store. Other than being a place to splurge and treat myself to pretty things, it's a great place for inspiration. I just loved walking around and finding things that caught my eye and dissecting how it was made. It's really not hard (I can handle that), just impeccably done (where I need practice). Like said top above.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/030032_069_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/030032_069_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I bet this silk dress is heavenly to wear in the summer. It felt so light to the touch</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As did this skirt....<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/023045_049_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/023045_049_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">What about this capelet?<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043136_040_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043136_040_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I think its feminine and smart</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/013158_041_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 676px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/013158_041_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">ok, yet another example of something that, with a good amount of time, could totally be made!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043414_050_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 393px; height: 586px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043414_050_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">so dainty</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043441_071_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 595px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/043441_071_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">love that pop of color....something else that could be handmade!</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Emma, one of my buddies here, also loves this place and we have decided that we will make a girls date to go back. She hasn't been to the one in Austin yet. And I would love to get this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/79716_053_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 490px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/79716_053_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I've been on a lavender kick, and I am certain I won't get over it. I have a couple perfumes that are just about gone and I have my eye on this one!<br /></span></div><br />Their housewares section was just as fun.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/993372_067_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 377px; height: 562px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/993372_067_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is just a color gradient of cotton ruffles. viola! Expensive shower curtain! genius. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973971_066_m?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 539px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973971_066_m?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">poppy drawer knob? yes please. I would be fine not making this one. But it is so cute. I am already dreaming about a little studio/craft room so artfully decorated. . . complete with poppy drawer knobs. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973904_041_e?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 565px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973904_041_e?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">And pretty door knobs too.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973001_mul_a?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 577px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/973001_mul_a?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I would get fat making food just so I could eat them off these plates. And I'd have lots of dinner parties. more poppies. =)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/980057_040_b?$redesign-openLarger$"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 539px;" src="http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/980057_040_b?$redesign-openLarger$" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">embroidered dishtowels. how cute is that? I am working on some simple ones right now (the going is very slow) and this example, while very cute, is not nearly as ornate as some of the others they had. Anyhow, my eyes were opened yet again!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, that was my lovely adventure at Anthropologie. And I didn't even get to the bedroom section. But I did see a quilt that was made of jersey. huh? yeah. It was so gooshy and felt amazing. Kind of heavy, but somehow light at the same time. I'm sure I'll embark on such an endeavor sometime in the future. <span style="font-style: italic;">Now </span>I know what everyone has meant when they talk about Anthro, and I am all over that boat.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-44991229177829059882010-03-05T18:25:00.004-06:002010-03-05T19:14:43.948-06:00I love to. . .<div style="text-align: justify;">Wash my face. I know. Is that lame?<br />During the Superbowl, they aired some commercials for L'oreal's new <a href="http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#/?page=top%7Buserdata//d+d//%7Cdiagnostic%7Cmain:brandpage:goclean%7Cmedia:_blank%7Cnav%7Coverlay:_blank%7D">Go 360 Clean</a> skincare line. I don't know if these aired before because I don't have or watch TV. This line features a little "scrublet", a gentle little scrubber thingiebobber. The guys all laughed and thought it ridiculous. But I secretly wanted one. I hate using washcloths to wash my face. I just don't like leaving a wet, dripping cloth to dry and get everything else wet. It gets so humid here, that it often does not dry, and you're left with a mildewy towel. <span style="font-style: italic;">eewww</span>. definitely not washing my face with that. And I feel like my palms/fingers just don't clean as well. So, I promised myself that I would wait until my current bottle of face cleanser was gone, because I am one of those girls. you know, the kind that sees a new beauty product, then buys it, and has a whole stash that she never ends up using, taking up all the space in her bathroom. I hate seeing all that stuff around. It makes me feel guilty, like I'm really high maintenance. But really, I'm not. Anyhow, I finally got it last weekend. And I love it.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOkYbkqVrG-O6D4qzTPAPEGzt-Nf2VpM5XSB3XU-ArOKGJnfogklFc8AuEXmg5-flOcAH8kNDMSA94P84Yy1fU4rslL3B-WUkxqMlRDA2FLB-Y8J8UP221U15RxbBu7VjxhRpAqj2qGzE/s400/L'Oreal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOkYbkqVrG-O6D4qzTPAPEGzt-Nf2VpM5XSB3XU-ArOKGJnfogklFc8AuEXmg5-flOcAH8kNDMSA94P84Yy1fU4rslL3B-WUkxqMlRDA2FLB-Y8J8UP221U15RxbBu7VjxhRpAqj2qGzE/s400/L'Oreal.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">the scrublet =P</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I got the orange one. It's a foaming scrub cleanser. yeah, you're probably thinking, "geez, a scrub <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>scrublet? Does this girl have any skin left on her face?" I do. And it's soft. And my skin feels cleaner and my pores smaller. Plus, I loved the smell of it. apricots. it's like a fresh summer day, sun a-shining and birds a-singing. a near-spiritual experience, twice a day. for five bucks. (maybe the guys were laughing for a good reason) So yeah, I love to wash my face. You should try it, you will too. Now, I wash my face just for the heck of it. Ok, maybe not that much. But at least now it's fun.<br /><br />Oh, I also made a Flickr page. You can check it out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47706046@N03/">here</a>. I think I also have a space for it in my happy places. There are some sneak photos up there, so you can check 'em out if you like. and leave comments. Every blogger, poster, person who shares something over the web loves to get comments and feedback. I was reading an article somewhere about blogging etiquette, and how one should leave a comment whenever they come across something that really piques their interest or moves them in some way. I've really tried to get better about that. Especially since I use Google Reader to keep up with all my favorites. With reader, you don't have the option to directly leave comments, you have to go to the blog page itself. I used to be lazy and not leave comments, but now I'm being better about it. Because I know I like to get comments. who doesn't? =)<br /><br />Annnnd, I joined a quilting bee! <a href="http://thebluedress.typepad.com/chemistry_couture/">Lisa (The Blue Dress)</a> just started one, and asked me to be a part of the group! i'm excited. i'll get to be a part of 12 different quilts, one being my own. Each member, or bee, is assigned a month, and gets to decide on a theme for their quilt. They buy the fabrics, and send them to the other bees with instructions on how they want their blocks constructed. The bees then get to create the blocks and send them back to the Queen Bee for the month, who then assembles her quilt. Sounds like fun, eh? I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll learn a lot.<br /><br />Ok, that's it for now. I don't have much else to post about. i've been keeping busy with school stuff, and things are going to be pretty intense on that front for a while. I'll pop in and update when i can. Hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-48276464712705846742010-02-25T11:43:00.009-06:002010-02-25T18:11:45.575-06:00For a Friend<div style="text-align: justify;">My friend, Nikki, a former grad student in the department moved away up to Michigan last year. =( She got a job at a pharmaceutical company up there, and her fiance, Nick, is going to law school there as well. They both grew up in Michigan, so naturally, it made sense for them to go back home once they finished with school here in Texas. But oh how I miss my buddy.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />There were so many hours of fun game nights, with margaritas and Scene It! (fun game) . While they are not as frequently held now, we always play this classic for game nights that I still have at my apartment. There is always a sad empty spot on my couch, and it's just not the same without them. I will never forget the time she and Nick convinced Ryan and I to finally check out The Oasis (where Nick proposed to Nikki [awww!]), a beautiful restaurant high on the cliffs above Lake Travis. The sunsets there are quite breath-taking. Anyhow, we made a big trip to go out there (it's a bit of a ways out of town) one summer evening. Sure enough, as we get there, huge rain clouds are moving in. We decided to take our chances. As soon as we sit down, torrential downpours had us soaked in seconds. We all laughed, and thought it hilarious something like this would happen to us during all the possible summer nights we could have chosen to go there for dinner. Needless to say, we did not get to see the sunset that night, but still enjoyed their great company and dinner. I cannot think of Nick and Nikki without thinking of that dinner. good times.<br />Nikki and I were also pool buddies, shopping buddies and the likes. I miss her, and the fact that there haven't been too many girls here in the department makes her presence missed even more. They are getting married this summer, and just bought a house. I knew had to send along some things as a sort of house-warming gift.<br /><br />First I did some crochet produce bags. Nikki was here when I decided to take up learning how to crochet and knit. Remember that <a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2008/06/hobbies.html">knit square</a> I did way back when? Yeah, she was the second person I proudly showed it off to, in a sort of "Look, Mommy!" moment. As well as many of my other early projects. She thoughtfully picked up a knit and crochet magazine for me one day when she was at Barnes and Noble, so I wanted to do at least one gift of that craft for her.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8RbDhfuRF76n7tlwNX_Gk6BvMWrvK-V7GczZpR0Tusc9sLOaZi66kA79H_D__Xr8ILOHta8qe9Gmpp5j9xoGfWMYHPkQ_ZAJm-asFoO3N4vK6Rs-eXN7oQWmrDiHfQobvlI5J39oUvg/s1600-h/bags.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8RbDhfuRF76n7tlwNX_Gk6BvMWrvK-V7GczZpR0Tusc9sLOaZi66kA79H_D__Xr8ILOHta8qe9Gmpp5j9xoGfWMYHPkQ_ZAJm-asFoO3N4vK6Rs-eXN7oQWmrDiHfQobvlI5J39oUvg/s400/bags.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442242815230421346" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">two crochet bags: one dusty rose and the other heather grey</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> cotton blend </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The pattern I followed for these was from the <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/">Purl Bee</a> - Whit's <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/crocheted-linen-grocery-tote/">linen grocery tote</a>. I love the Purl Bee, they always have such great tutorials on this site. I have done several of them, and this was another easy, relatively quick project. I hope they work out well. . . it looks like they can get pretty stretchy. She already has plans for riding her bike to the farmers market downtown and using them once it warms up. I'm glad she likes them.<br /><br />I also did a napkin set, using <a href="http://angharadhandmade.blogspot.com/2008/04/napkin-set-tutorial_06.html">this </a>great tutorial. I'd made them before, f<a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-love-my-sewing-machine.html">or my sister Ashley</a>. She is keeping hers in her hope chest. =) Though now, I'm kind of feeling bad that she got those particular ones. They were the very first thing I made with my brand new sewing machine, and pretty much making something on my own. ever. So they've definitely got all that first-time love and little mistakes going on. Nikki's set turned out drastically different.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QxOkgJ4kLZgsR49bcBETH6ZWz9lU5zdvADhIZBCsYNj0H2gwBcXGa74Png2KzoA28KMEMDpwflF0lw4yVIFLOj-crEwZ5wvhSteu-ZRYFpKbF_GIuaRC3oFI4sKGTGdvdHewjBx-Jrk/s1600-h/napkin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QxOkgJ4kLZgsR49bcBETH6ZWz9lU5zdvADhIZBCsYNj0H2gwBcXGa74Png2KzoA28KMEMDpwflF0lw4yVIFLOj-crEwZ5wvhSteu-ZRYFpKbF_GIuaRC3oFI4sKGTGdvdHewjBx-Jrk/s400/napkin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442242081667615938" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">front of the napkin. the back is a dark wine red, you can see a glimpse of it to the left of the top-facing napkin.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I am kind of confused by that picture. Does it look kind of blurry to you too? It's weird, some parts look clear, others blurry. maybe my eyes are starting to give out on me. It's my only one of a single napkin front so I had to use it. please forgive me if it's just a bad picture! I'm really trying to be better and more conscientious of the photos I take.<br /><br />I chose that print because Nikki spent some time in Paris, and I remember her telling me about some of her travels in Europe. I've never been there myself, but this reminded me of that, with the fancy flowers, swirlymagigs (I can imagine this embedded in the ancient architecture, moldings, etc), French script, and Paris passport stamps.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIab3-JXc2ieazI3OSoHxSbw4WZQATLCNKSCogAqw328YI5zQdaG8E-gSxF5b9ET1Lc7iDCZ0j5uSED-rIHqclji0u8Fp-xm-KqBmld5jHvRuMMV7T0njL7qkfwGK2fJ7goIDPG9ia40/s1600-h/napkin+plate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIab3-JXc2ieazI3OSoHxSbw4WZQATLCNKSCogAqw328YI5zQdaG8E-gSxF5b9ET1Lc7iDCZ0j5uSED-rIHqclji0u8Fp-xm-KqBmld5jHvRuMMV7T0njL7qkfwGK2fJ7goIDPG9ia40/s400/napkin+plate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442242070595822930" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">with one of my plates</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I am so glad she liked the fabric, and she told me she was really needing a set of napkins. They just got a new dining table and she said that they looked great together. As if I had seen their table and made the set accordingly. I don't know how I am so lucky with <a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2010/01/aaron-and-carmelitas-wedding-quilt.html">picking these sorts of things out</a>!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV3QUHMlt-vkMA4ll2Df5UlXU6V3YeNwrmnxlxJjXXYRepCxhq9RW5Q7h8ExIhmfCnf2jJQGAx_yPtMQZ0s_hCGliT4d6KPL-Paxj0TVPEtXHqHhSAppbdFomsYO2DkChbkWDo7fGFGM/s1600-h/napkin+pouch+set.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV3QUHMlt-vkMA4ll2Df5UlXU6V3YeNwrmnxlxJjXXYRepCxhq9RW5Q7h8ExIhmfCnf2jJQGAx_yPtMQZ0s_hCGliT4d6KPL-Paxj0TVPEtXHqHhSAppbdFomsYO2DkChbkWDo7fGFGM/s400/napkin+pouch+set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442242063228858626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the whole set and pouch</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />There are six napkins and a linen pouch to store them in. The tutorial is awesome, I was able to follow it on my own, with little to no prior sewing experience to make that first set for Ash. Next time I make these though, I think I will make the napkins a bit bigger. I have long legs and they had just a little extra over my lap. I don't think they could even begin to think about covering Ryan's lap, plus I like a nice big napkin. Half the time I'm using them to keep my legs warm anyways. =)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdkygs2CaNPsF5RSzD-XYxH6lJSereRqN3VxT815r8B6tK2pbERFF96Psf4BX5TLsN1azaFqOmQE611doOVy21NQJ9d0O0YrChCoP50Z6PgydkycXu0I0eUPxJCMRykuy4PXwxMj3hRI/s1600-h/IMG_2958.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdkygs2CaNPsF5RSzD-XYxH6lJSereRqN3VxT815r8B6tK2pbERFF96Psf4BX5TLsN1azaFqOmQE611doOVy21NQJ9d0O0YrChCoP50Z6PgydkycXu0I0eUPxJCMRykuy4PXwxMj3hRI/s400/IMG_2958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442328029580028530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">tucked away inside their pouch</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ryan was impressed when I showed them to him, he thought they looked like something you would buy at a department store. I made sure to be as impeccable as possible, but I thought he was being overly nice, because he loves me and is always complimenting me like that. I talked to Nikki after she got them, and she said that when she opened the gift, she and her mom could not tell if I had made them or not. I had attached washing instructions, but did not say if I had made them and they had a hard time telling the difference. Can't say that I'm not proud of that. =) So Ash, if you want a better version of that napkin set, just let me know, k? You can tell me if you want different fabric too. I can whip it out for ya.<br /><br />The last part of the gift was a game, since they helped me establish game nights down here. It's the Werewolves of Miller's Hollow. I don't remember if I raved about this game yet on here, but it's awesome. It's for large groups (you need a minimum of 8, and can get up to 50!) and it is a lot like the Mafia game. I've never played Mafia myself, but others who have played both say that Werewolves is more fun. The overall point of the game is the same, but there are special characters and situations that add some nice twists and keep the things interesting. We love it here (we've even had a department game featuring the game and that <span style="font-style: italic;">never </span>happens here), and it's spreading like wildfire at my sisters' college campuses. Since Nick comes from a family of 8 and all his siblings pretty much have their own families, I knew they would have enough people to play. This is what the game cover looks like. It's just a small box with a set of cards, and their is also an expansion pack. I have both, bought from Amazon and it's so worth it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxFeZHSIjLm_8Q65h8ekjSvakmAeBklcBd-Z3nyd8aVm4iF8SwbG2-fQNiEFTZzmrok0hldkc2QJY3MJs_B9Kj2lFUZtAV-ttdM2HKs6ayq2jSjXwcwoRX8Ss0eil6HXaXJLdLDnYGrs/s1600-h/Werewolves.10.17.06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxFeZHSIjLm_8Q65h8ekjSvakmAeBklcBd-Z3nyd8aVm4iF8SwbG2-fQNiEFTZzmrok0hldkc2QJY3MJs_B9Kj2lFUZtAV-ttdM2HKs6ayq2jSjXwcwoRX8Ss0eil6HXaXJLdLDnYGrs/s400/Werewolves.10.17.06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442330705808967090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Get this game I tell you!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFdOeDUaEUoTacLJl5Bjo8NV5hBcVGpt6-VE_OFHg2qdFki3-hrCDqy1OJSyxmFiOx9YcLXxUr-FkywKrWw2MHdKZdWb6nd4EQLMXZp4PZu9HXmZRrHKtk4ApU_AkP9a_roK681gxHUo/s1600-h/Iguana+Grill+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFdOeDUaEUoTacLJl5Bjo8NV5hBcVGpt6-VE_OFHg2qdFki3-hrCDqy1OJSyxmFiOx9YcLXxUr-FkywKrWw2MHdKZdWb6nd4EQLMXZp4PZu9HXmZRrHKtk4ApU_AkP9a_roK681gxHUo/s400/Iguana+Grill+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442333342671315058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">at the Iguana Grill on Lake Travis celebrating my 25th birthday</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(me, Ryan, Chris, Nick, Nikki</span>)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Congratulations on your new house Nick and Nikki! Hope to catch up with you guys in person sometime soon.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-75326148121954547552010-02-22T18:56:00.012-06:002010-02-23T12:55:10.482-06:00My Cousin is CoolThis post is a shout out to my cousin, Alyssa. She is one of the So. Cal 9 (the 5 from my family, 2 from Tante San [Willem and Meryl], and Tante Bay [Alyssa and Brad]), so we grew up together and we're all really close.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v79/9/70/61500785/n61500785_30156990_791.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 472px; height: 354px;" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v79/9/70/61500785/n61500785_30156990_791.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa</span></div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">She is an officer in the Coast Guard, and 2009 graduate from the US Coast Guard Academy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs122.snc3/16937_516343103511_139000806_30629900_6210484_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 507px; height: 284px;" src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs122.snc3/16937_516343103511_139000806_30629900_6210484_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My sisters and I with her during graduation weekend<br />(Chanelle, Ashley, Alyssa, me, Ingrid)<br /></span></div><br />She is currently up in Kodiak, Alaska patrolling the Bering Sea and keeping up the fishing regulations/ law enforcement on the boats up there. There is also a lot of drug smuggling that goes by way of those northern waters, so they patrol and monitor that situation as well. scary! The ship, or more properly cutter, she is assigned to is the U.S.S. Munro. I'm not remembering all the stats, but it's one of the best cutters in the Coast Guard. She actually gets to steer the ship, turning it around, driving out of the harbor and out to sea. Talk about responsibility! Here it is:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAfFZZTkbi3F7PKvvlmWLGulwhxqGVOh1xg1KDMqWs1RC0TfiSZfB2bPtKKf8hZTbOmcexG1T8VjuwUOKAbP5uATMsxtXqJiTcfc9Lg7XidrqYCAWBaleyLWAoc7fAIUT-1mQXBg6L4o/s1600-h/munro.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAfFZZTkbi3F7PKvvlmWLGulwhxqGVOh1xg1KDMqWs1RC0TfiSZfB2bPtKKf8hZTbOmcexG1T8VjuwUOKAbP5uATMsxtXqJiTcfc9Lg7XidrqYCAWBaleyLWAoc7fAIUT-1mQXBg6L4o/s400/munro.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441497408100339394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This photo was actually taken by a crew member's wife from the dock. Alyssa is manning the wheel at the very moment!<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One day, they were notified to board another cutter, not knowing that she was going to be going aboard the Wizard! She was filmed on the Deadliest Catch doing safety rounds, log book checks and all that good stuff. . . though I am not sure if it aired yet this season.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCRYSVxuvsFEToCPJaUj6E8At8cBLHk65n1Fi2O37ms3OVfazoJSVU8Ucbsr9isAbfXqO9K8VHwOZgiPA1fRTEEenCRK83IsOCYBRn6EcxsvTg4H70yx8XlqI1ZLqFF8JUrWVhOO0q20/s1600-h/lys+-+small+boat+and+boarding+team+pt.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCRYSVxuvsFEToCPJaUj6E8At8cBLHk65n1Fi2O37ms3OVfazoJSVU8Ucbsr9isAbfXqO9K8VHwOZgiPA1fRTEEenCRK83IsOCYBRn6EcxsvTg4H70yx8XlqI1ZLqFF8JUrWVhOO0q20/s400/lys+-+small+boat+and+boarding+team+pt.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441497068684024722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A picture of them leaving the Wizard. That's Alyss!<br />Brrrr. . . that water looks mighty cold.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">It's king crab season. In Alaska. Thusly, crab is cheap. For her. So she sent a whole boatload (maybe not quite that much) to California, and my whole family (minus me) feasted on crab. Oh no, my mouth is watering again. She spent over $200 on the shipping (wowzers), such a sweet way for her to spoil all of them. lucky people I tell you!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />The whole point of being stationed up there is to log hours doing all kinds of various duties. While her main objective is to act as assistant boarding officer and law enforcement, she also does things like help Coast Guard helicopters safely land on deck (landing signals). You can imagine this gets pretty hairy at night and when it's storming. The Bering Sea is not a nice place, especially in the heart of winter. Yet she and her crewmates know how to make it fun. . .<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEXpFYWcKpzDb_Lkj5ajCY55o_YY61bMv7W0syEnfzha41eBoYzwsjkOmOaEfcYUhsHxGmtaVJDxaTHQnPd1Zhrc1230op-VFDH0QvbD61a2fKm3rVKmDEr2necKX2hHAMtEQYBOoaes/s1600-h/2010-01-25+Munro+PACD_03+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEXpFYWcKpzDb_Lkj5ajCY55o_YY61bMv7W0syEnfzha41eBoYzwsjkOmOaEfcYUhsHxGmtaVJDxaTHQnPd1Zhrc1230op-VFDH0QvbD61a2fKm3rVKmDEr2necKX2hHAMtEQYBOoaes/s400/2010-01-25+Munro+PACD_03+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441497402336732418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">You <span style="font-weight: bold;">know </span>that's Alyss in the middle<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Oh, and on off days she gets to do fun things like snow mobiling, shooting, hiking, 4-wheeling, making friends with bald eagles, etc. Yes, I said <span style="font-style: italic;">making friends with bald eagles</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs148.snc3/17566_509352766426_61500785_30420026_5999073_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs148.snc3/17566_509352766426_61500785_30420026_5999073_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ok, seriously?<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Am I the only person jealous here? =) I know her job isn't safe, she's worked her tail off to get there and continues to do so everyday. Yet despite the difficulty, I know she is having some amazing adventures and quite the time of her life.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs164.snc3/19166_509369732426_61500785_30420641_2052824_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 604px;" src="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs164.snc3/19166_509369732426_61500785_30420641_2052824_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Isn't he amazing?<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Love you Alyss, and praying for your safety out there! Can't wait to see you in the summer.<br /><br />Unrelated, but maybe kind of is since most of these pictures have snow. . . it's snowing here today! I mentioned it yesterday and boy was I skeptical. I thought we were going to get sleet at best. Sure enough, at 4:00 this morning I heard it skipping against my window. Did not enjoy it at all on the drive in (a tea latte had to make up for that) (Mom, I decided to drive in case they shut down all the buses and there was no way home, don't worry, I was and will be careful) due to all the overly-slow driving. See <a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2010/01/some-things-to-know-about-austin.html">this post</a> regarding that. Anyhow having Lisa, one of my students, shout out in class today, "Vanessa, it's snowing!" quite giddily, and everyone pausing their lab experiments to gaze in awe, smile and laugh, gush, "Ooooh, that's a big one!", then complain about not being able to be outside made up for all of that. I'm pretty sure I even squealed. <span style="font-style: italic;">And </span>I have proof.<br /><br />1) I am looking out my window and it just started coming down again. This morning, there were HUGE chunks. You don't know how hard it was not to run out of my lab section this morning when it started snowing. It sucks when you really have to stay inside! Ok, but that is just my word right here. In case you don't believe me. . .<br /><br />2)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8OjWZB-AfOrZKml5hfnG6XXRSlGuxwlytN8xo_ANMp3NWWLXC6R2Y9quP6VDbxW2agyz05qHUtdeJ1jdlWDkJCunGg1HMmfYvDpxZ7abA7dLkXcwqU2Ck6_ayyIpmSC5Hx8jIDdgX4g/s1600-h/snow.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8OjWZB-AfOrZKml5hfnG6XXRSlGuxwlytN8xo_ANMp3NWWLXC6R2Y9quP6VDbxW2agyz05qHUtdeJ1jdlWDkJCunGg1HMmfYvDpxZ7abA7dLkXcwqU2Ck6_ayyIpmSC5Hx8jIDdgX4g/s400/snow.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441501862578163682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I know, another weather report</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />But did you see that? Not just snow, but <span style="font-style: italic;">heavy </span>snow. K, just checkin.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><br />3) These were taken while I was teaching, from a dirty iron-paned glass window, from the fifth floor, and I'm sorry (perhaps more for myself than you) that I was not able to be outside. I <span style="font-style: italic;">REALLY </span>wanted to be outside. The hugest snow flakes were falling. I'm talking lumps of snow nearly the size of my palm sometimes. Does that mean it's wet snow? Because they are sticking together? I don't know, having grown up in Cali, where it's essentially desert, I'm not a snow expert.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjIeR7HCiI9wFZp52pb1mpSFOhIeRJZk0nTKJVWXrdUIucDLdb3uCw1o1_JmALnm20Bcat0TTofm12CkzE8vWrKbcS9eNKJv-9GO_J-aZ87gf-XdYLB4nmyhvdbskGuLCi4GXK4n00cs/s1600-h/snowing!.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjIeR7HCiI9wFZp52pb1mpSFOhIeRJZk0nTKJVWXrdUIucDLdb3uCw1o1_JmALnm20Bcat0TTofm12CkzE8vWrKbcS9eNKJv-9GO_J-aZ87gf-XdYLB4nmyhvdbskGuLCi4GXK4n00cs/s400/snowing!.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441504235164697330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, those are flakes!<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>This was near the beginning of when it started falling. There were times when the whole outside was white.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPN66j-hVjAMVMFiJqbXtIVCklWO3Z_Af9bLykORoIbgoM_-Ic0bbnoR5UOUHMWVONRsIRIau69fkJH6Xp7IACuuKAKjXaXKrZUQ97qiLSgndlQbMDQN0m7TB8Qex_q0AzdMCWeUhCvGk/s1600-h/snowing+more.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPN66j-hVjAMVMFiJqbXtIVCklWO3Z_Af9bLykORoIbgoM_-Ic0bbnoR5UOUHMWVONRsIRIau69fkJH6Xp7IACuuKAKjXaXKrZUQ97qiLSgndlQbMDQN0m7TB8Qex_q0AzdMCWeUhCvGk/s400/snowing+more.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441504238377445442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Over the trees for some better contrast against the dark leaves</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And of course my camera battery is low, so my picture taking today to chronicle this fabulous event is going to be minimal. big time boo.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6vlSjkXevOtd1VYSeR9aNVEhvjgE5DgnaP-o5I8iRL8tgtU_B_k5_rVdh9iXIV3IWt0yGhNbubfWXMLYlr6Sda-PjUxkFmvgmQYY08cQeCIlbJu3t_uuB1cl_OuVPoFKCKBggCtIuew/s1600-h/snow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6vlSjkXevOtd1VYSeR9aNVEhvjgE5DgnaP-o5I8iRL8tgtU_B_k5_rVdh9iXIV3IWt0yGhNbubfWXMLYlr6Sda-PjUxkFmvgmQYY08cQeCIlbJu3t_uuB1cl_OuVPoFKCKBggCtIuew/s400/snow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441504245977918226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the aftermath of those heavy morning showers. You can see it accumulated on the tin roofing, and in the flower beds. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides that, this is so fun. Even if I have to be at school. I love looking outside my window at the furious little flurries. They're really little right now (the flakes) and still swirling around, but it is supposed to continue until the end of the day. It's hard to believe our local high was 83 degrees only two days ago!<br /><br />Sheesh, it is <span style="font-style: italic;">still </span>snowing. All through the time it took to write this post, including uploading, editing and placing pictures, finding them online (Alyssa's fb pics) and writing. I'm in love.<br /><br />I'm having an AWESOME day. Hope you are too!<br /></div></div></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-21173650872365592402010-02-22T10:45:00.002-06:002010-02-22T10:47:45.661-06:00All About the Weekend(s)<div style="text-align: justify;">Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's weekend! I did. Our weather has been kind of cold, but I don't mind being cooped up indoors for a little bit. I did some not-so-spring cleaning. Washing the walls. and the base boards. cabinets too. REALLY good vacuuming. dusting. even those bits that collect so well on the fan blades and in the air vents. all the laundry. then I lit some lavender candles and did lots of sewing. That's why you guys got those tease photos of Myla's quilt. I had so much fun. I haven't gotten to do that much crafty stuff in a long time. Usually when I do things it's because I <span style="font-style: italic;">have </span>to. I am leaving for a wedding that week and I need a wedding present. Or it's someone's birthday. You know. And while I do have a stack of things that I "need" to do (like Myla's quilt because she was born just over two months ago), things that are bugging me because I don't like having a bunch of unfinished things left around waiting to be given to that special person to commemorate that significant moment in their life, there isn't that big of a rush for when I get them done. Gifts like those can be given at almost any time. I put those deadlines on myself.<br />So I had a really fun weekend of sewing, because I decided to do so for myself. And now I'm wishing I could all the time. Maybe someday.<br />Anyhow, Ryan got me some great presents. Gingher goodies!<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gingher.com/products/g_42.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 343px; height: 115px;" src="http://www.gingher.com/products/g_42.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">rotary cutter<br /></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I already had one, but it was the cheap-o one from Joann. It get's the job done, but it's not something that will really last. And when Joann has a 30% off sale for a President's Day sale, you gotta thank honest Abe (along with our many other great presidents) and let your man treat you once in a while. Am I right? This thing cuts so <span style="font-style: italic;">smoothly</span>. I'm excited for when I'll have the time to use it more often. I'm thinking I'll send the other one to my sisters. To my knowledge, they don't have a rotary cutter and they only do light sewing, so I think it will suit them well.<br /><br />Also, new thread snippers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC2InuzdyBYRlAevgQ9YUqR-yXqbjb6SywnFQBx-byBJmMDsmgSguUGEx3UUnuSe9gMt1f9zimgF4rJYAL-fRiEETDy5FzdAGR8g1R7RFilxfkUgXKlVbnpExnGDJ30xO39jE-7ow3LE/s1600-h/stork+scissors.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC2InuzdyBYRlAevgQ9YUqR-yXqbjb6SywnFQBx-byBJmMDsmgSguUGEx3UUnuSe9gMt1f9zimgF4rJYAL-fRiEETDy5FzdAGR8g1R7RFilxfkUgXKlVbnpExnGDJ30xO39jE-7ow3LE/s400/stork+scissors.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439056641925151602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">it's a cute stork!<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>I had snippers (emphasis <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span>), some my sister Ashley got me, and they got lost when I brought them up to Oklahoma at Thanksgiving. I looked everywhere for them. sad. These guys will do as a replacement though. I love watching the stork open and close his beak as he snips my thread. I'm very easily amused.<br /><br />So I spent most of the weekend, using some of my new tools in working on Myla's quilt. Sunday night Ryan and I went to the Alamo to see a movie. Jeff Bridges, one of Ryan's favorite actors, has a new movie out called Crazy Heart. I had no idea what it was about, Ryan didn't really either, but it was Jeff Bridges, so it had to be good. It WAS good! It's a musical , not like Moulin Rouge but more like Walk the Line, and it is country music. Jeff Bridges sings. So does Colin Farrell. What? not expected. I was pleasantly surprised, they are both really good, and the story was great too. I am sure Ryan will end up buying it when it comes out. I love films where the actors do things like singing and playing the guitar or other instruments. It adds a whole other dimension to them, and I respect them all the more for it, especially if they weren't very musical before the project.<br /><br />They actually filmed a part of the movie at a Toby Keith concert in New Mexico in 2008, so it's a live performance. Pretty crazy. Take a peek:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GkMDJuKeix0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GkMDJuKeix0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />We had some time to kill before the movie, so we went to Barnes and Noble. I went upstairs to the craft section to check out <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/">Alicia Paulson's</a> book, <a href="http://aliciapaulson.com/books.html">Stitched in Time</a>. She is the wonderful artist who wrote the pattern I used for Myla's quilt, and I love visiting her blog. It's definitely in my top three. I love her style, her writing, and she is a big inspiration for me. Everything over there just seems so magical.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://pennycarnival.typepad.com/.a/6a00e55104c1238834010536943eb5970b-800wi"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 313px;" src="http://pennycarnival.typepad.com/.a/6a00e55104c1238834010536943eb5970b-800wi" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ryan ended up getting that for me too!<br /></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />I'm such a spoiled girl.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This </span>weekend, so funny how time always manages to fly right on by, was really nice too. Yesterday was absolutely GORGEOUS. It was about 75 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. Our first warm day of the year. Oh man, I soaked that up. Ryan and I went to a UT baseball game, part of their opening weekend. Emma and James joined us there (she is a first year in our group and my workout buddy). For someone who seems to fail to have an internal thermostat and maintain her own body temperature, it was so nice to wear a sundress outside and not need to be bundled up in warm-ups and a sweater. I even got a little sunburned on my shoulders.<br /><br />However, I am confused. How can you go from that sort of weather to expecting 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow? Really, I <span style="font-style: italic;">just </span>checked the weather, because it is brrrrrr. . . cold outside right now.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div> </div> <span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div> </div> </div> </div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-10368953929668536042010-02-20T12:16:00.004-06:002010-02-20T12:26:23.991-06:00Our Newest Family MemberMeet Brooklyn Nichole Van Delden.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs435.ash1/24057_572200249036_8501391_33414860_3747726_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 447px; height: 335px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs435.ash1/24057_572200249036_8501391_33414860_3747726_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Check out that head of hair!</span><br /></div><br />She was born on the 18th, at 8 pounds 6 ounces. And she is perfect.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs161.snc3/18872_572166706256_8501391_33414146_507731_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 486px; height: 364px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs161.snc3/18872_572166706256_8501391_33414146_507731_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A picture of a picture. She's holding her daddy's finger.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My uncle was in the operating room when they were delivering her (C-section). When they took her out, he said she looked around, took a big breath and started crying. Then he made a cooing sound (which he routinely did when he would talk to her when she was inside Kelly) and she stopped, looked in his direction and went to sleep. How cool is that?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs375.snc3/24047_104881396200305_100000353357031_118460_4831834_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 512px;" src="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs375.snc3/24047_104881396200305_100000353357031_118460_4831834_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />My mom and sisters keep telling me is super soft and has that yummy baby smell. Kissing those cheeks is like kissing butter. I am SO jealous. Isn't she a total cutie?<br /><br />The nurses kept talking about how big her feet were. Her older sister, Brianna, is tall and plays volleyball. Looks like Brooklyn could be following in her footsteps!<br /><br />Congratulations Oom Tiki, Kelly and Brianna. I love you guys!<br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-42286410649721483032010-02-16T17:22:00.002-06:002010-02-16T17:29:19.873-06:00Want to see something AMAZING?Head over to Lisa's blog <a href="http://thebluedress.typepad.com/chemistry_couture/2010/02/the-bean-quilt.html">The Blue Dress</a>. now.<br /><br />It's stunning. I can't get it out of my head. It never occurred to me that a quilt didn't have to be a bunch of squares sewn together. The possibilities are endless!<br /><br />She's one of my heroes. For reals, I got in touch with my crafty side after feeling so inspired from stumbling upon her blog one day.<br /><br />thanks Lisa.Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-50414827406478112102010-02-15T16:10:00.011-06:002010-02-15T18:03:01.406-06:00Ducks, and then a TeaseAnd so the hunting saga continues....<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Once we had arrived in southern California, we celebrated my brother's birthday on Christmas Eve. We had a delicious home-cooked meal and the great company of family and a few close friends. Then, Christmas Day, we DIDN'T celebrate Christmas. I know, what's wrong with us? Well we didn't do Christmas in the sense of opening presents and all that. Why, you ask? As I am sure I've mentioned before, my family (immediate and extended) is rather large and we all celebrate Christmas together. At least in the good old days before everyone grew up and moved away. We also have the Secret Santa thingamagig which I mentioned when Ryan got his hunting gear. With this year being quite lean compared to most, we knew there weren't going to be a whole lot of presents, so the Secret Santa and white elephant exchanges were going to be a highlight. Oom Tiki and his girls were going to be with Kelly's family on Christmas day. AND, Tante San, who now lives in the great wet state of Washington, was in Vegas with Mem, who had to work until the 27th, but then they were going to come to see us. So we decided to hold off on all the present opening until everyone could be here with us and participate in the special events like old times. So, our "Christmas" was on the 28th. It was a good time, though not quite like old times since we were missing some people (mainly Alyss and Willem) but nearly everyone was there. Also, Tante San was flying out the next morning, so there was not enough time to make the big Dutch-Indo spread that she used to do. Anyhow, we were going to have another family classic, sate with spicy peanut sauce and cucumber salad, for dinner followed by opening presents on the evening of the 28th. Jopie took Ryan out to Salton Sea for duck hunting earlier that day.<br /></div><br />With a morning that started at 3am, it was a trekker. I didn't get to go so I couldn't get any pictures while they were out there. But here's what I got when they came back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1K9lxeYwX9ti-0nLi78_pBI3IKUEfQCJEPzInKWDE9_uR3KMH4yKifrLt3YSyVhi4N0r4n02y40fdCYdIsj2Q6_KHdPafD1qNb3M4S2dEQuepY_fkUjmTcF5qZt1-LJGjxb_x9eBlO8/s1600-h/all+the+birds.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1K9lxeYwX9ti-0nLi78_pBI3IKUEfQCJEPzInKWDE9_uR3KMH4yKifrLt3YSyVhi4N0r4n02y40fdCYdIsj2Q6_KHdPafD1qNb3M4S2dEQuepY_fkUjmTcF5qZt1-LJGjxb_x9eBlO8/s400/all+the+birds.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438605245080962370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">seven birds total: 1 coot, 2 greenheads and 4 ruddies<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />Did you know Daffy Duck is a coot? Aw, sad. These aren't just from Ryan and Oom Jopie, the Robs also went with them (Jopie's friend Rob, and his son "little" Rob). Ryan got three of the birds. Actually, funny story. It seems that with duck hunting, you can't really just go out to the lake/pond and go hunting. There are clubs and special days, yadda, yadda, and certain times you should go to increase your chances of getting some birds. Ducks can be elusive creatures. Basically, you want to go on days when other hunters are out there, so that the birds they scare come flying over to you, and vice versa. OR, you want to go on a day that is cold, windy, rainy and basically, miserable. This is because the ducks will constantly be moving around to find a better place to sit on the water, and they might come towards you. However, the day that the boys went, it was sunny and was the hunting club's off-day. No one was out there (this is why Oom Tiki didn't go). Well Oom Tiki called one of his friends who lives/works? out there to ask him if he has seen anybody(my uncle and the boys) and the guy says, "No, it's been really quiet. There's no one out here. Well except for these two fat guys in a canoe rowing around the lake." Oom Tiki says that this cannot be my uncle because he knows that you don't want to be rowing around in a canoe! You need to be in a duck blind waiting for the birds to come your way. Oom Tiki relayed this conversation to all of us back at home since we were waiting for Oom Jopie and Ryan to return from the trip. They didn't have their cell phones on them while they were out hunting, and the drive back is through the desert and the boonies with no signal, so we had no idea what is was like until they returned and we got to ask them how it went. This was their response..." Oh, it sucked until we got the canoe out." At that point, we all just started busting up laughing while they looked at us cluelessly, because what could possibly be funny about rowing around in a canoe? Apparently Jopie took command of the canoe, rowing around to make the birds fly while the others got to shoot. Each of the other guys took turns sitting at the front of the canoe shooting and moving to different locations around the lake. Since there was no rain, wind or other hunters around to do that job, Jopie was a good sport and rowed around all day. Hilarious story though.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />The ruddies aren't edible. While they don't taste very good, I think because they are mud-sifters, they have high levels of toxins in them. The coot is not edible either, but the greenheads are.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I2bUqoBKZCR-ynCDSDqVmSyheSiM_zFYEUpqFR0nnAmKwqV629beWiSZLhDeAFk3MMB72YozAmfmZ3Nie_RvoBCDNQmeS3n9W8hs1T03pxM91wCmsZmjPKsDWdE-z0IHcNnD1ircm7I/s1600-h/Showing+off+his+kill.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I2bUqoBKZCR-ynCDSDqVmSyheSiM_zFYEUpqFR0nnAmKwqV629beWiSZLhDeAFk3MMB72YozAmfmZ3Nie_RvoBCDNQmeS3n9W8hs1T03pxM91wCmsZmjPKsDWdE-z0IHcNnD1ircm7I/s400/Showing+off+his+kill.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438605254565776466" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TsuL4iCbDbTvzz41EZynpFCmGDrf6GujVoM0NUdhEo3_ksMjLUstRy_sfRDKh_98CufQUmsImtIsiVpHU9VWE5EHhemZyphCr5otAxc_iJmRvvNy1jTDtg4WJBQfcMUAm6jzjLA1MVc/s1600-h/IMG_2834.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TsuL4iCbDbTvzz41EZynpFCmGDrf6GujVoM0NUdhEo3_ksMjLUstRy_sfRDKh_98CufQUmsImtIsiVpHU9VWE5EHhemZyphCr5otAxc_iJmRvvNy1jTDtg4WJBQfcMUAm6jzjLA1MVc/s400/IMG_2834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438605232114523970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Can see that gleam of green on their heads?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">You have to look hard, but it's more obvious in the photo of Ryan holding them. Their feathers, particularly the down on the their bellies, are sooo soft. Actually feeling what goes inside those down pillows and comforters lends a great understanding as to why they are so luxe.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM-14E8P2LzgNxq_pps9Nk2LO3KgFon5cqIBRVsNtM21dJ5afG-WN6-Mtcq9NfuvhX7jsRq46OuQpFsUFJYnfTgQV7C0rfWBFz4auN0oDQCORBCtSDxuFv996xpW40lLSoX1yG_IsCnw/s1600-h/daytime+closeup.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM-14E8P2LzgNxq_pps9Nk2LO3KgFon5cqIBRVsNtM21dJ5afG-WN6-Mtcq9NfuvhX7jsRq46OuQpFsUFJYnfTgQV7C0rfWBFz4auN0oDQCORBCtSDxuFv996xpW40lLSoX1yG_IsCnw/s400/daytime+closeup.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438605233547457570" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">daytime. aren't they pretty?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Don't worry. . . we didn't let that meat go to waste!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wGNAdiXsmglaSeVNVTOwOUc97nmkrcv_DVvbukPJw3bx5DMqLJM9CFFbmbMz7W514u7bdrG117z_QMQxyWg8VmAOhQo446CZNq0z31yf49HWxgXSNtaVWNGd-wjMVcmRnsLYJVMEaXI/s1600-h/duck+pizza%21.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wGNAdiXsmglaSeVNVTOwOUc97nmkrcv_DVvbukPJw3bx5DMqLJM9CFFbmbMz7W514u7bdrG117z_QMQxyWg8VmAOhQo446CZNq0z31yf49HWxgXSNtaVWNGd-wjMVcmRnsLYJVMEaXI/s400/duck+pizza%21.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438607025664198338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">mmmm....<a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/10750">Asian duck pizza</a>.<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Not the prettiest, but it sure was yummy. Ryan says this was the best pizza he'd ever had. While it was good, I don't know if <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> would go that far. I am sure his manly pride was having a severe effect on his taste buds. =) Duck meat is pretty strong and has a distinct taste, I don't think I'd ever really had it prior to this. I'm glad that we did something where the flavor was more diffuse, rather eating a whole stuffed duck or something. The greenheads are also fairly small, like a cornish game hen, once they are dressed, so there was not a whole lot of meat to begin with. We got the crust from Trader Joe's. So good. I'd make more homemade pizzas, except we don't have a Trader Joe's here. Guess I have to go exploring for a good equivalent.<br /><br />Oom Tiki took Ryan out on another trip, with more "ideal" conditions, but they didn't get anything. Bummer. But that goes to show you never know what you're going to get. Ryan had so much fun though, and I know he's aching to go out with my uncles again in the fall. Thanks Oom Jopie and Oom Tiki for showing him such a good time!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRbDxIcsfR7yByqC_osfAWMYKETRHi-NnOznFZ7ntFtXnxFfYUuAT3lJHgt0noEPbsIwNLnSpWVJzZDYOn4d4GtQZM-vUGYLjcBqeQLX3ODJypK8IE8yM5fdd3ErLK_B00CBlsXfWLZQ/s1600-h/Ryan+%26+greenheads.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRbDxIcsfR7yByqC_osfAWMYKETRHi-NnOznFZ7ntFtXnxFfYUuAT3lJHgt0noEPbsIwNLnSpWVJzZDYOn4d4GtQZM-vUGYLjcBqeQLX3ODJypK8IE8yM5fdd3ErLK_B00CBlsXfWLZQ/s400/Ryan+%26+greenheads.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438605247757028962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This man is SO proud of these birds.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Want to see a bit of something I am really proud of? It's not quite done yet, but I worked really (like really) hard on it this weekend. My fingers are sore. I hope this makes you smile as much it did me!<br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBD_Pv9eQn18JmY1qPLhYECS6xMpAcgDi4R6f4J74LGtjWkFXy6I5fffjvaYPgICPzyJIJorOvHPziXbaYCg7ALNfucI6r1AHwp_hpUwjHAxBXjPTv_C_fPtHow78R3FGLfBdj5UIzkQ/s1600-h/myla+tease3_2906.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBD_Pv9eQn18JmY1qPLhYECS6xMpAcgDi4R6f4J74LGtjWkFXy6I5fffjvaYPgICPzyJIJorOvHPziXbaYCg7ALNfucI6r1AHwp_hpUwjHAxBXjPTv_C_fPtHow78R3FGLfBdj5UIzkQ/s400/myla+tease3_2906.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438616497772892050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">sneak peek of Myla's quilt top outside</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn6B1PlUgCMA5xDoQUNBoQVBq_QfrJ0N38jh0QpHz6qP_Qj9fWOpFbP4OLfg9yjcrZnB9SVjuu3DGg4L9XsExsSSiKVWFydv1n1YT957AQXZPvLReY6KuH1tL1HEDFj6gIsYN8FMpQBE/s1600-h/myla+tease1_2935.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn6B1PlUgCMA5xDoQUNBoQVBq_QfrJ0N38jh0QpHz6qP_Qj9fWOpFbP4OLfg9yjcrZnB9SVjuu3DGg4L9XsExsSSiKVWFydv1n1YT957AQXZPvLReY6KuH1tL1HEDFj6gIsYN8FMpQBE/s400/myla+tease1_2935.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438616493948047938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">on the floor getting ready for a sandwich!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm about to burst with excitement to show you more . . . but it will have to wait. Don't worry, I have other things to share in the mean time. Happy Monday!<br /></div></div><br /></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-71855633877543092332010-02-10T15:56:00.007-06:002010-02-11T15:33:22.615-06:00Brooklyn's Birthday!<div style="text-align: justify;">So baby Brooklyn's birthday has been set. . . February 18th! She is in the upright position, so they have scheduled a C-section. I just found out that I was like that too, then turned and ended up being a week early. Maybe she will also turn and come early, otherwise that is when we can expect to see her! Can't wait.<br /><br />As another part of her Christmas present, I made 12 burping cloths. These are just Gerber cloth diapers ($8.00 at Walmart), with some fabric bordered by a ribbon sewed onto them. This way, they are obviously burping cloths, and not a diaper! Wouldn't want to get those switched, even if it was washed. yuck. All in all, I'd say these are around $20 for supplies, and then time and love to make. But I think they are really special, and would love to get some cute burping cloths when I eventually welcome a little one . . . or I could just make them for myself.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ljWDhsNuvA-VZgRZYofY7YQEJ27FImc2afInyh2Tb6IHzxumANnq4r1yrECj2ZJkNx1mIGkcruxRy0qF-rcRsOl8koEQ4o_dHizy43EdZFCPc0KtwZEZmLnVbj1bRAZXMh8GV4PINlY/s1600-h/Copy+of+IMG_2815.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ljWDhsNuvA-VZgRZYofY7YQEJ27FImc2afInyh2Tb6IHzxumANnq4r1yrECj2ZJkNx1mIGkcruxRy0qF-rcRsOl8koEQ4o_dHizy43EdZFCPc0KtwZEZmLnVbj1bRAZXMh8GV4PINlY/s400/Copy+of+IMG_2815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435189097593910290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There are two of each type of print. The ribbons may vary.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">These were SO much easier to make than the ones I did for <a href="http://nnnnessa.blogspot.com/2009/11/webber-baby.html">Nolan</a>. For one, the diaper cloths were actually diapers. The ones before were just like, huge cloth squares. I bought the exact same thing. Maybe a lack in quality control? not sure. I had to resize his, which ended up being a lot more work. Erinn loved how they were so big though.<br /><br />I think I am going to be making these for every person I know that has a baby. They are just that simple, and I think, practical. Question though: I made the fabric and ribbon strips go across the width of the cloth rather than from top to bottom. It seemed to me like you wouldn't want to rub baby's face with some ribbon since it can be a bit coarse. I've been asked why I didn't run these lengthwise. Makes sense to you guys, right?<br /><br />Some closeups of the prints . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnHtt84UUZedDkGfi2dspPZg-4QOW3KyJ-DMuJ5ClmweF2cgP0aoiIoYhB6AmLkeGvFFVTYPKuV2nkqZVTc2HTMdMY6nosAX9fXVFYibkNcrHfCYiWSQ41N1CIUzTfOUy0UC650TDtk0/s1600-h/IMG_2816.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnHtt84UUZedDkGfi2dspPZg-4QOW3KyJ-DMuJ5ClmweF2cgP0aoiIoYhB6AmLkeGvFFVTYPKuV2nkqZVTc2HTMdMY6nosAX9fXVFYibkNcrHfCYiWSQ41N1CIUzTfOUy0UC650TDtk0/s400/IMG_2816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435189099455459810" border="0" /></a><br />I love those dots. They remind me of sherbert ice cream for some reason. Oh how I am longing for some warm spring/summer days right now. We are COLD here. Like 25 degrees lower than our usual for this time of year. I was walking back to lab in sleet/ rain/ hail/ ice / craziness today.<br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQhKGkY4uP665GQDx_y1JFXOEf0bc7WbLsqQL6To_VF_JxX_5eAe8vmEgOfDeP68bGK9Iduaj8y2ucpsSiNkKKvc-N25DBRKaEWJqMU88iDcSGiV8ZXWb5Tvooi2yyVVlLqb_65Ak0W8/s1600-h/IMG_2817.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQhKGkY4uP665GQDx_y1JFXOEf0bc7WbLsqQL6To_VF_JxX_5eAe8vmEgOfDeP68bGK9Iduaj8y2ucpsSiNkKKvc-N25DBRKaEWJqMU88iDcSGiV8ZXWb5Tvooi2yyVVlLqb_65Ak0W8/s400/IMG_2817.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435189109730319762" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ugh. I need to pay more attention to my photos! Sorry I was in a hurry. The monkey is upside-down, but it says "little monkey". And the one to the left of it says, "sweet baby, miracle baby". I think all of these prints are super cute. The furthest left is a baby animal with its mommy (zebras, elephants, giraffes, etc.) I got all of the prints at Joann. Hmmm....don't mind the ironing board cover though. yikes. Maybe one of my sisters can make my mom a new one (hint, hint girls!).<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl5iJFkArZI2xHtglatS0lMaKapjgfGAeSaWXwtS8gPR7aOW5zuMzNUqIOnPGLfI7LIfRj1LiIXylCtakrYoq78Vc48Ri-YeaAs5xYeVbMUtyqPiWTHskHw5BPXP_TgWlXMDbybGTb3s/s1600-h/IMG_2818.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl5iJFkArZI2xHtglatS0lMaKapjgfGAeSaWXwtS8gPR7aOW5zuMzNUqIOnPGLfI7LIfRj1LiIXylCtakrYoq78Vc48Ri-YeaAs5xYeVbMUtyqPiWTHskHw5BPXP_TgWlXMDbybGTb3s/s400/IMG_2818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436740455414605954" border="0" /></a><br />The one in the pink has the names and pictures of various animals (horsey, piggie, ducky, etc) including giraffes. Kelly's daughter, Brianna, <span style="font-style: italic;">squealed </span>when she saw them. She loves giraffes.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs54qXLCcUWrSqH4mZVQN38q1jSniBG7NjaoHUYEkGmMjTyzcL2XAe8vPAgw5AJOV7dvOy8F_GyRXOZsmkLgdRCNtMQPV8wtNh_2h70bqDxDcTsNl0TBRmpfByUVTfauIhmgZv48mqJeI/s1600-h/IMG_2819.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs54qXLCcUWrSqH4mZVQN38q1jSniBG7NjaoHUYEkGmMjTyzcL2XAe8vPAgw5AJOV7dvOy8F_GyRXOZsmkLgdRCNtMQPV8wtNh_2h70bqDxDcTsNl0TBRmpfByUVTfauIhmgZv48mqJeI/s400/IMG_2819.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436740459212305890" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">all folded up and ready to be wrapped up with snuggle bunny!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I sewed these up the day that they were going to be opened (they were coming over for presents that evening). I couldn't have done it without Meryl. She was my pinning hero since the pinning takes the longest. She pinned while I sewed and we finished <span style="font-style: italic;">right on time</span>. I love you Mem . . . you're awesome.<br /><br /></div>I can't wait for your birthday Brooklyn!Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-89494561536444125772010-02-10T15:46:00.002-06:002010-02-10T15:50:01.066-06:00Pheasant Hunting<div style="text-align: justify;">Now that Ryan has all his gear, we're ready to go. We woke up relatively early the next morning, but it would have been earlier if it wasn't raining, and headed out to the fields. Once we got there, it was POURING. But Oom Jopie noticed a break in the clouds to the east, and so we decided to drive to a little town, I believe it was called Springfield, to scope out places for breakfast. This was a SMALL town, like 1800 people, but we managed to find a little diner whose biscuits and gravy were raved about by people leaving it. Biscuits and gravy is probably Ryan's favorite breakfast, so we rode out the storm there. After having our fill of warm food, coffee, and listening to their cook sing along with the old country western tunes, we headed back to the fields to find that the storm had moved on. While it was pretty chilly, the sun was starting to break through the clouds.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9T1UhzDdE14MWXIs2Al_9X331_VahSv10tIgyocd7Gc13afwno5ns7Ew04YK1CxiISHdjcSzPAPwq0KthH0OrrnKCLQ7xBGmK6uEaBtFQV8Wpsut6xuouAlnitiR8WVasVqfXUANxDw/s1600-h/IMG_2798.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9T1UhzDdE14MWXIs2Al_9X331_VahSv10tIgyocd7Gc13afwno5ns7Ew04YK1CxiISHdjcSzPAPwq0KthH0OrrnKCLQ7xBGmK6uEaBtFQV8Wpsut6xuouAlnitiR8WVasVqfXUANxDw/s400/IMG_2798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483296528996562" border="0" /></a>Seriously, look how dark those clouds are. Just to the left are the cold, snowy Sierra Nevadas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBMfOolWVJXeOHEoLZfFJBXzlD4Csi-2d-8bUgd4uWrTOROwx9_1GacizFUcKoF1Se2HodiTYXi4j66l1-jVYsbglSQNLPyaqTON3iCZ0b0xwn10RYjqh7n9mJhYLiKkLz2kceLBsbbY/s1600-h/IMG_2793.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBMfOolWVJXeOHEoLZfFJBXzlD4Csi-2d-8bUgd4uWrTOROwx9_1GacizFUcKoF1Se2HodiTYXi4j66l1-jVYsbglSQNLPyaqTON3iCZ0b0xwn10RYjqh7n9mJhYLiKkLz2kceLBsbbY/s400/IMG_2793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483282656694706" border="0" /></a><br />Shelby couldn't wait to get out and start looking for some birds. She would run from bush to bush, sniffing and looking, while we waited for her to show a point. It looks kind of like this. . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYGrvRptX9b8JlHmPPa1N6XYvfy0DkvHw7RjVlRw-ykPTBFEiH_Idu46mwPSCBxJZgNDCUoVgHKvBmZWjP4EzoDx8noaKe62XolCNLLvJ8T2RQ1wtxPWWmtS8hd2NiUTt1b7_y7WkM0A/s1600-h/mom+holding+a+point.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYGrvRptX9b8JlHmPPa1N6XYvfy0DkvHw7RjVlRw-ykPTBFEiH_Idu46mwPSCBxJZgNDCUoVgHKvBmZWjP4EzoDx8noaKe62XolCNLLvJ8T2RQ1wtxPWWmtS8hd2NiUTt1b7_y7WkM0A/s400/mom+holding+a+point.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483949611720274" border="0" /></a><br />but not really. Mom IS holding a pretty nice point though.<br />Shelby continued to work the bushes, she is a Brittany spaniel by the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNdjtWqGYUiLA2vlmuIYYSWXK5s8cTr2rAjUhb2hthNR6fkCnslQFO9Nv8gMnMRsT-mV-gjr5UiTQ2SELLwAk1Gk4fHmwAfFGS_oBzvwcHTB7aw9eL1WYjGy06XeUuMZDDsvjW7S_kgk/s1600-h/Shelby+running.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNdjtWqGYUiLA2vlmuIYYSWXK5s8cTr2rAjUhb2hthNR6fkCnslQFO9Nv8gMnMRsT-mV-gjr5UiTQ2SELLwAk1Gk4fHmwAfFGS_oBzvwcHTB7aw9eL1WYjGy06XeUuMZDDsvjW7S_kgk/s400/Shelby+running.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483951078602226" border="0" /></a><br />And so did Mom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FSHYaVbq2nYL_QYoCeU7uwLSB18c-EoYroPj86HCX5QezTf-Lf6kzd9kDlu-xCBWZKXe00Q2ZDN4MwCT7RVwz-SfsZINI2UdvlZ0jJS2hRbXcW1gxLc6u5MqsPdkErfm_FCee4SeVd0/s1600-h/Mom.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FSHYaVbq2nYL_QYoCeU7uwLSB18c-EoYroPj86HCX5QezTf-Lf6kzd9kDlu-xCBWZKXe00Q2ZDN4MwCT7RVwz-SfsZINI2UdvlZ0jJS2hRbXcW1gxLc6u5MqsPdkErfm_FCee4SeVd0/s400/Mom.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483944166740146" border="0" /></a>Just kidding! This woman is hilarious.<br /><br />We walked and walked, just waiting for Shelby to find something.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLCU_TjQHHOqO-iHb_uYmeHzP4XZ8HyFXPHRrUCPu6cuyB6LD7MJ8cnOzqRoBMekhA2N7B9lY0Lu6UDg_HOgokvLUD333CFNJYvlZWzBvBnUfJ7qSYDGsVF_B-DWbFxVC_Jc0GKkQAmQ/s1600-h/Jopie+and+Ryan,+in+his+new+jacket%21.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLCU_TjQHHOqO-iHb_uYmeHzP4XZ8HyFXPHRrUCPu6cuyB6LD7MJ8cnOzqRoBMekhA2N7B9lY0Lu6UDg_HOgokvLUD333CFNJYvlZWzBvBnUfJ7qSYDGsVF_B-DWbFxVC_Jc0GKkQAmQ/s400/Jopie+and+Ryan,+in+his+new+jacket%21.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483929909639234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oom Jopie (left) and Ryan</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We found a cute, rustic windmill. I like windmills.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EiWx9dnidRmv_rDXFnlF5kKNmovD8PZ18RaXPW6o6HoX9CzuJxeFbIAKVI6bJn_LJIAh3oMEWC2jRaKkkErDsbvhmx7XrQKkSdAThDNkzmhzA9XmdIxgkX1Hi4Ks2LtVYiMx4ID0kE8/s1600-h/IMG_2805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EiWx9dnidRmv_rDXFnlF5kKNmovD8PZ18RaXPW6o6HoX9CzuJxeFbIAKVI6bJn_LJIAh3oMEWC2jRaKkkErDsbvhmx7XrQKkSdAThDNkzmhzA9XmdIxgkX1Hi4Ks2LtVYiMx4ID0kE8/s400/IMG_2805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483611587980514" border="0" /></a><br />and enjoyed the view of the pretty outdoors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pVedCQmdzvoZnDTs3o3NhHHg_LlnV_QURUZHezwUx9iarJQx996zDJVodZhhZl8fU59awhE3Syx1JvMg-LCYyyKLfrpkH4gk4N_4GgXvwqoKBoyfRqAvQ4twa2bNRdry5u-uDZPwpRE/s1600-h/IMG_2808.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pVedCQmdzvoZnDTs3o3NhHHg_LlnV_QURUZHezwUx9iarJQx996zDJVodZhhZl8fU59awhE3Syx1JvMg-LCYyyKLfrpkH4gk4N_4GgXvwqoKBoyfRqAvQ4twa2bNRdry5u-uDZPwpRE/s400/IMG_2808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483622479746242" border="0" /></a>cloud-hidden, snow-covered Sierras<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I love the mountains. It didn't rain the whole time we were out there, but it was totally storming <span style="font-style: italic;">just over there</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpW-osdgin4lXoQVY8WOdWPmj3P6W8jv5Z8bMDqIGpqhymYIj_P3UPyH7KPNwf_EywGvLyn4Z8xFebrmrBH3rFCS1lJUIZilcA0rUoAKyDh_p3a1Z3hYZDwPL2JHW-BfrH-5TbWNCt7U/s1600-h/IMG_2807.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpW-osdgin4lXoQVY8WOdWPmj3P6W8jv5Z8bMDqIGpqhymYIj_P3UPyH7KPNwf_EywGvLyn4Z8xFebrmrBH3rFCS1lJUIZilcA0rUoAKyDh_p3a1Z3hYZDwPL2JHW-BfrH-5TbWNCt7U/s400/IMG_2807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483617098538514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvIBW_JwVk2leq5-dgHfco1VV-HwFYK5GFmeidXsCjhL08tLAjshJG4p_Qg4X1p4batgoqHPpUTYiD6f2-hqR2WqMcXrPdcz1DwRSdaeVzaG-5tpNPzlgao0EQb6199xWnV32QKCaYUw/s1600-h/IMG_2803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvIBW_JwVk2leq5-dgHfco1VV-HwFYK5GFmeidXsCjhL08tLAjshJG4p_Qg4X1p4batgoqHPpUTYiD6f2-hqR2WqMcXrPdcz1DwRSdaeVzaG-5tpNPzlgao0EQb6199xWnV32QKCaYUw/s400/IMG_2803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483609555370290" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty much what the entire landscape looked like. A lone pair of trees. Piles of sage brush here and there. Then another cluster way over there. And we'd have to walk to it, because Shelby, with her amazing supply of endless energy was already over there scoping out the bushes and you didn't want a bird to fly and not be there. It was funny, because she would be sticking to a bush and Jopie would tell Ryan to go run over and wait for her to point, and so Ryan would. If it was my other uncle, Oom Tiki, they would argue with each other about whose turn it was to run over to Shelby, then watching the bird fly out and neither of them were there to get it. Then they'd just laugh at each other. Jopie enjoyed Ryan's eagerness to learn and get something.<br /><br />It was so muddy. I wish had thought to get a picture, but the mud attaches itself and grows on your boots. And you end up with a whole clod of mud, wet grass and leaves stuck to your shoe so that you are carrying an extra few pounds on your legs. exhausting. I think Ingrid is trying to show me here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalNzB9U_6ZD1ZwTH7aD97ltHOvfz9VxLLOXQuTU1nfLju9TdRm1wySrJXMB4uthtR-dFbjqyz7uRP_6rWq7kNXOqsH5Bs1BxCNDpU8gt30UMeoWxPP6REh1ZBreFnMlo9Gazr036OJv4/s1600-h/walking,+ingrid.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalNzB9U_6ZD1ZwTH7aD97ltHOvfz9VxLLOXQuTU1nfLju9TdRm1wySrJXMB4uthtR-dFbjqyz7uRP_6rWq7kNXOqsH5Bs1BxCNDpU8gt30UMeoWxPP6REh1ZBreFnMlo9Gazr036OJv4/s400/walking,+ingrid.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436728810126854098" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxETHnmK54qZ-Z4mrEsVe_KIZTKfsECxg49snaxc-v95fcQ89PqVyDw6YjXbm1N-tgDEaIFju6_k1pOASKdo0UQtpLh-SCSt5JRjyvCDDzCLLOm5ncGT1ADHwzUmZbl9DSgz-CKfvkyI/s1600-h/IMG_2795.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxETHnmK54qZ-Z4mrEsVe_KIZTKfsECxg49snaxc-v95fcQ89PqVyDw6YjXbm1N-tgDEaIFju6_k1pOASKdo0UQtpLh-SCSt5JRjyvCDDzCLLOm5ncGT1ADHwzUmZbl9DSgz-CKfvkyI/s400/IMG_2795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483287265545490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">sage and hills</span><br /><br /></div>There's the pheasant farm. There is some guy that raises the pheasants and lets them out periodically over the season. He has to do that since they are easy hawk/eagle/coyote prey and they often get pushed up into the hills behind his farm (where you're not allowed to hunt - there's a fence). So he ensures that there are birds for hunting.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvxMJIXK2-ctnQ8fQ_0wYordm9kbFbWvLEceV5ArMTCi2YVi_RgTioYhMdWz060kiPcHPmIn2gWUZzPgiNS9KCqZbLFCx5iEE4db6LjTDKvkubUoiCVqZDSYvfN9k_M6PLQ7xKzvko0g/s1600-h/IMG_2801.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvxMJIXK2-ctnQ8fQ_0wYordm9kbFbWvLEceV5ArMTCi2YVi_RgTioYhMdWz060kiPcHPmIn2gWUZzPgiNS9KCqZbLFCx5iEE4db6LjTDKvkubUoiCVqZDSYvfN9k_M6PLQ7xKzvko0g/s400/IMG_2801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483309360445602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">the Farm</span><br /></div></div><br />more walking . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0X-_HfU8VPU7msMvsGIxiG6VM_L09Vxqe-RPfaDHxQNwQvh2RdLDUxwJbLt0eqKzeJaaGlw8nbXai49ymh-5H421WTEGgfnWCe8gYcZJ5ul8BDwJ5Y77uerW3dZAMFHurC374WB1swA/s1600-h/walking.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0X-_HfU8VPU7msMvsGIxiG6VM_L09Vxqe-RPfaDHxQNwQvh2RdLDUxwJbLt0eqKzeJaaGlw8nbXai49ymh-5H421WTEGgfnWCe8gYcZJ5ul8BDwJ5Y77uerW3dZAMFHurC374WB1swA/s400/walking.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434484125581749730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingrid and Ryan<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">The boys (Ryan, Jopie and my dad) and Shelby also ended up sweeping the whole other side of the field. Mom, Ingrid and I huddled together on a log not too far from the windmill and busted out the snacks. Sadly there weren't any birds, or pheasant at least. Ryan shot at a dove but missed - they were in season too. Shelby was so cute, because she was getting so frustrated about not finding anything. She whined and whined. It was so sad. And she was a tired little girl too. </div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1JOM1AnKL3DYH9rrGxhPKNLpBfEb4ZEIu-3zSitLaLBwHrJAGCZbYDRHWfdeaA9ugJScEQxlg8q2msFBXfFA9-a-a82GgazpII94b0pYb8uRfh5ebB578WR_8OJeBmRIP-Cyw3Utf0s/s1600-h/IMG_2810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1JOM1AnKL3DYH9rrGxhPKNLpBfEb4ZEIu-3zSitLaLBwHrJAGCZbYDRHWfdeaA9ugJScEQxlg8q2msFBXfFA9-a-a82GgazpII94b0pYb8uRfh5ebB578WR_8OJeBmRIP-Cyw3Utf0s/s400/IMG_2810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434483631645424898" border="0" /></a><br />The Shelbs<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">She slept with Ingrid and I. Every time one of us would shift or move, you'd hear her let out this huge exasperated sigh, like "guys, would you <span style="font-style: italic;">please </span>let me sleep in peace!" We went out again the next day too. It was sunny and much warmer, but still no birds. We heard one though, crying out as if jesting at us because we couldn't try to find him. He was on the other side of the fence. O pheasants, just wait until next year....<br /></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-26345658149344012752010-02-03T11:07:00.009-06:002010-02-03T11:52:48.591-06:00Let's Go Hunting<div style="text-align: justify;">Here come the posts about the hunting trips! A did a short blurb a while ago right after we got back from California just briefly highlighting our trip. I had booked our flight with Jet Blue, and on our flight out, we had a layover in San Francisco with Long Beach as our final destination. Oom Jopie has an old buddy who lives in Sonoma who got his PhD from Stanford, and they thought it would be cool to pick us up in San Fran, go tour the Stanford campus (Ryan is applying for post-docs there) and relax a little bit in beautiful Sonoma county. We were quite brain-dead since we had both stayed up all night trying to pack and prepare for the trip and make sure things were squared away in Austin and good for us to go (long story that I can't really get into on here). Point is, it was quite an exhausting experience just to make sure we could leave Austin. Follow that with a bumpy flight complete with crying babies and no sleep, and we were running on fumes. It was good though, we were LEAVING.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jopie and Ingrid were awesome and did the drive to San Francisco to pick us up. We visited Stanford then stayed in Sonoma for a day and a half. We didn't get to see any of the wineries, we mostly stayed at Carlos' place. They were very generous hosts. We were tired and his family was great company so we visited with them. Their house was very cute, kind-of ranch style, with some sheep, chickens running around everywhere, cats lounging about as if they owned the place, dogs and even a horse. Ok, scratch that "kind-of" it WAS ranch style. Jopie and Ingrid has gotten up there a couple days before we flew in and were helping Carlos build a new shelter and manger since one of the ewes was suspected to be pregnant. They also have their own mini-vineyard (I think they have about 750 vines, I don't remember what types) but they do some of their own wine-making so we did get to do some wine tasting and learn about the process. It looked like a really fun hobby! Carlos opened up 6 different bottles of wine (don't worry we didn't drink all of them!) but I sure did sleep well that night. I think Ryan fell in love with northern California. It's absolutely beautiful, even while it was raining our whole time there. Shame on me for not taking pictures of it. Didn't even think about it.<br />Then we headed down to Porterville, a small agricultural town at the base of the Sierras for some pheasant hunting. Jopie also has a friend who has a house there so we had another great place to stay. We planned to be there for about three days then finally head down to Riverside for Ben's birthday (Christmas Eve). Pheasant season ended Christmas day, so we were taking a gamble that there would be birds left but we had to go and give it a shot.<br />Since my family celebrates Christmas with all the cousins, aunts, uncles and extras, we do a Secret Santa gift exchange so that no one is left out, and no one goes broke trying to get a gift for every single person. Ryan's secret santa (he lucked out and got Brooklyn's mommy!) totally spoiled him. Kelly and Oom Tiki sent his gift up with my parents since they were meeting us in Porterville to bring Shelby, my uncle's hunting dog. He got to open his gift early since he would most likely need some of these things for hunting.<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9R6txRP4Csaqdv05G6PNtRh4eIcQ__qjI0U2O8vBaC7BqXMxIwSBvnPVfoakV-V_FSfpyUJ4XJb9lUQE-kP6TQ9E8eDznRRZMCFhDhjU9GVgzf4YxGCTZ0CLZU326KwMQK4mOqgLrY/s1600-h/IMG_2787.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9R6txRP4Csaqdv05G6PNtRh4eIcQ__qjI0U2O8vBaC7BqXMxIwSBvnPVfoakV-V_FSfpyUJ4XJb9lUQE-kP6TQ9E8eDznRRZMCFhDhjU9GVgzf4YxGCTZ0CLZU326KwMQK4mOqgLrY/s400/IMG_2787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434065618881064466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">that's a pretty big box of goodies<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UYOTW0-Y8DDTsbADMqmH0EZAXTe8K6146rlqeSrPwPJNL-6ltgviitCDdP1xnu00BxT1hOsNuncATb_qGBEZz19OqKOtF-fSM6McbZp_ZU5DMrMIVPjMZI-IdlpwQVlnB1e4ykXRs-0/s1600-h/opening+up+his+jacket.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UYOTW0-Y8DDTsbADMqmH0EZAXTe8K6146rlqeSrPwPJNL-6ltgviitCDdP1xnu00BxT1hOsNuncATb_qGBEZz19OqKOtF-fSM6McbZp_ZU5DMrMIVPjMZI-IdlpwQVlnB1e4ykXRs-0/s400/opening+up+his+jacket.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434065623352086498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">waterproof camo jacket. PERFECT for duck hunting<br /><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt4w8M2I3StE0S_8Ve_k6FQSDRtE6twIvSqZvDLfV6rOXc8AUfTB3sU31G55DaJtQb-x3qWrKxfkwI2BJcjQgtDEJPduXfkqI3KyOBpDPGO84dHYOHsyCT9aVmd-iWcj5i0HbJwXeMFM/s1600-h/so+spoiled%21.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt4w8M2I3StE0S_8Ve_k6FQSDRtE6twIvSqZvDLfV6rOXc8AUfTB3sU31G55DaJtQb-x3qWrKxfkwI2BJcjQgtDEJPduXfkqI3KyOBpDPGO84dHYOHsyCT9aVmd-iWcj5i0HbJwXeMFM/s400/so+spoiled%21.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434065613933594706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">a vest and hat</span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuZtPk2VwODKERyD5l5EuiA9PvNl2XVk5EsV_Zn1N9pTztP7cEc14AJfGsiQd2gaWUjtxaONcxOm-Mh-uADW2NB01YQhCWCmFl082LqDNRVWcK0A78xdorIIRkQmu-iffC9qlXJBq9HE/s1600-h/trying+on+his+new+gear%21.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuZtPk2VwODKERyD5l5EuiA9PvNl2XVk5EsV_Zn1N9pTztP7cEc14AJfGsiQd2gaWUjtxaONcxOm-Mh-uADW2NB01YQhCWCmFl082LqDNRVWcK0A78xdorIIRkQmu-iffC9qlXJBq9HE/s400/trying+on+his+new+gear%21.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434065609682812610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">trying 'em on</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBkisWe03QzwFcA904lH8naX2BechKUPYg5Oca-J5pznLkLz5u2idp3zFgg8-vh3hB8oJvjaTIs5XB4cQgM2onMvUSap5rAulgQjrUWMKRiofWLUKzngNUaR4zufE3IyBaJ54LnVjwfQ/s1600-h/Knive+set.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBkisWe03QzwFcA904lH8naX2BechKUPYg5Oca-J5pznLkLz5u2idp3zFgg8-vh3hB8oJvjaTIs5XB4cQgM2onMvUSap5rAulgQjrUWMKRiofWLUKzngNUaR4zufE3IyBaJ54LnVjwfQ/s400/Knive+set.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434071109742970002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">a handy knife set</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjsLZi0yF-h08lW4ySun2cTciAsqoymGXI8LIcoulN2nL-hsNk0go9Kdq1r4cnHQUe_HOOT_xC56YVBSZlUsJYO2qCW1Bel0nlr_SwpdWEbuQATAYlZ0Li7v7jENeNDNmTybMVarYYJk/s1600-h/ready+to+go%21.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjsLZi0yF-h08lW4ySun2cTciAsqoymGXI8LIcoulN2nL-hsNk0go9Kdq1r4cnHQUe_HOOT_xC56YVBSZlUsJYO2qCW1Bel0nlr_SwpdWEbuQATAYlZ0Li7v7jENeNDNmTybMVarYYJk/s400/ready+to+go%21.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434065625169301922" border="0" /></a>"Who has two thumbs, is completely set up with nice hunting gear and ready to get some birds tomorrow?" This guy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ha ha, my ode to The Office. actual pheasant hunting coming next time....<br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-11831663832745238052010-02-01T13:40:00.005-06:002010-02-01T16:07:38.483-06:00Brooklyn Nichole's Birthday Month<div style="text-align: justify;">It's February! That means my new little cousin, Brooklyn Nichole, is coming this month! I am SO excited. I can't wait to see her cute little face, smile, fingers and toes. I am so sad that I won't be in California to see her right away, but I know my sisters will be taking lots of pictures for me. I am so happy for Oom Tiki and his family to welcome their new little one so soon!<br /><br />I was not able to go to Kelly's baby shower so I had to get my gifts done in time as Christmas presents. First up, the snuggle bunny.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4c643lnfS_fUlOvTIet7QW9TxYo0ku7S1oD4Z1GXPR_80wlCyihYqL0E8bNsbsNd7AdTUe2Bby-yXYbDV0NHuAonmGRPg5raS9lhzRieN-YkcYfcqVoNonpzglCAV7TpIbYUpy25X00Y/s1600-h/IMG_2822.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4c643lnfS_fUlOvTIet7QW9TxYo0ku7S1oD4Z1GXPR_80wlCyihYqL0E8bNsbsNd7AdTUe2Bby-yXYbDV0NHuAonmGRPg5raS9lhzRieN-YkcYfcqVoNonpzglCAV7TpIbYUpy25X00Y/s400/IMG_2822.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433372090498984514" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I like how she looks kind of vintage style baby toy. The yarn is Bernat baby softee in soft peach. I made her eyes and nose with brown embroidery floss. I used a free pattern from <a href="http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternFinder.fcgi?search=1&searchText=&craft=0&categoryKey=&subcategory=16&size=&edition=&cost=Any&yarnClass=&Go.x=1&Go.y=1&Go=1&start=15&pageLength=15">Lion Brand Yarn</a> for her, the fuzzy bunny pattern. I used polyester fiberfill to stuff her head. That used to be the only fill Joann's had, but I was just there yesterday and discovered that now they carry a bamboo fill. It's more expensive, but from now on, that's what I am going to use. It's natural and SO much softer....very yummy for soft baby presents and stuffed animals.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MAVBhMHVwBZlKLVP1Uk81pQr1e58UL_YjXmXM6Z64FmTm_XG5_gwtlBS0UEQsR6FtRSjXmlJJri9cccBlX0WRP3ydRa0VuKlLGoWFwmgnoR400WSmzCJjOwV1FVsCNs8u1TZuxwivdU/s1600-h/IMG_2820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MAVBhMHVwBZlKLVP1Uk81pQr1e58UL_YjXmXM6Z64FmTm_XG5_gwtlBS0UEQsR6FtRSjXmlJJri9cccBlX0WRP3ydRa0VuKlLGoWFwmgnoR400WSmzCJjOwV1FVsCNs8u1TZuxwivdU/s400/IMG_2820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433372082453163682" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The yarn isn't fuzzy, but it is very soft. And I think she turned out really cute. I hope Brooklyn loves her!<br /><br />And, I know, I had said I would post about the hunting trips....like TWO WEEKS AGO. I don't know what happened...it's been a blur. I'll do it though, promise. =)<br /></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-2864898566330663882010-01-27T10:58:00.002-06:002010-01-27T11:25:09.400-06:00Cool Concept<div style="text-align: justify;">So Ryan just discovered this place in Austin called: <a href="http://www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com/">Odd Duck to Farm Trailer.</a> He read about it on his bus ride this morning. It's a little restaurant out of a trailer, but this guy buys only local produce and meat from farmers around town.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I think this is really, really cool. Ever since watching that film, Food, Inc. I have completely changed how I have been eating.<br /><br /><ul><li>No fast food. (it's been over a month)</li></ul><ul><li>Bringing lunch everyday. Eating A LOT more fruits and veggies.</li></ul><ul><li>Making dinner/ eating at home...even if I get home really late.</li></ul><ul><li>No soda, and really trying to avoid things with high fructose corn syrup.</li></ul></div><br />Those are the biggest changes but for me, they are major. It takes a lot of work to meal plan and go shopping to eat healthy. Its even harder to do these things when you have only one day off of work. I've also been trying to be better about WHERE I am getting my food from, farmers markets, etc. (Sprouts, Sun Harvest, Whole Foods and Central Market are places I frequent now since the only real farmers market is currently only open in the middle of my work days). Which also means trips to different stores since I have not found a single place that has everything on my list. time consuming. I am not complaining, I am sure there are people more busy than I, but that's the whole reason those food corporations have been so successful....because they make food convenient. And cheap. But, I've been faithful and sticking to this resolution. And it's worth it. I feel great. Ryan feels great. (I have been packing lunches for him too). His pants fall off of him now, so besides feeling good, he is actually seeing the benefits of eating this way too.<br /><br />But this brings me back to why I think this new place sounds really cool. Even at the so-called farmers markets, I see blueberries, raspberries, apricots, and all kinds of summer fruits for sale. what?!?! It's WINTER here. even in Austin. When you look at the label, it's from Mexico or Chile. Americans are so spoiled. So accustomed to having what they want, when they want it, despite the practicality. Needless to say, I am slightly disappointed...that even at the "farmers market" I have to be wary about the produce I buy. Don't buy produce from Mexico or Chile! I don't know how much gas it takes to get produce from down there to up here, but I just calculated the distance from Arica, Chile (at the very northern end) to Austin and its <span class="copy">3828 miles. That is A LOT of gas people!</span> AND their pesticide regulations are nowhere near as strict as the US (which I think even some currently used here are questionable), so you're definitely getting some extra (not) goodies with your purchase.<br /><br />So yeah, I think this guy's place sounds pretty cool. He rotates daily menus and plans them based on what is in season here. Ryan and I will go check him out and show our support.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com/images/trailerpic2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 384px;" src="http://www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com/images/trailerpic2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Trailer. Looks cute, huh? </span><br /></div></div>Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915066939077104148.post-15348971691890499422010-01-16T17:28:00.007-06:002010-01-18T12:16:52.742-06:00Some Things to Know About Austin<div style="text-align: justify;">Thank God for holidays. I am at the lab today, just to take care of a couple things, but will cut out a bit early. In general, we have learned that we have strength in numbers, so most of the American students in the group (which is now a significant portion) as well as a few of the foreign post-docs are going to be coming over to my apt. complex for some grilling. It is kind of chilly outside, so the guys will probably handle the outdoor food prep, and then we will hang out, eat inside and play some games. I'm hoping I can fit some sewing in later on . . . I didn't get nearly as much done (craft wise) as I was hoping this weekend. Time flies when you have tons of errands to run. More about the hunting trips later on, but in the meantime . . . I saw this and thought it was too funny. Not only that, but having lived here for the past almost-five years, I have found all of these things to be true. Enjoy<br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hispanicsinaustin.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/austin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 369px; height: 230px;" src="http://hispanicsinaustin.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/austin.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A few observations for those of you who live here... or used to live here....or plan to live here.<br /><br />1. First, it's pronounced AWS-TUN. It doesn't matter how they say it in other places.<br /><br />2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Austin has its own set of traffic rules. There's no book about them. All you can do is get in your car and hope you survive to learn them.<br /><br />3. All directions start with "Go down Mopac... 'cause you don't want to get on I-35. Oh, yes, Mopac is Loop 1.<br /><br />4. Burnet Road, Braker Lane, and Lamar Blvd. have no beginning and no end.<br /><br />5. It is impossible to go around a block and wind up on the same street that you started on. The Chamber of Commerce calls this a scenic drive.<br /><br />6. Stay away from the Congress Ave. bridge at sundown if you do not like the thought of being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. (Largest Mexican Free Tail Bat Population in the US )<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/244002325_a409dcf889.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/244002325_a409dcf889.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The bats leaving the bridge at sundown, taken from </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shewhopaints/">shewhopaints</a><span style="font-style: italic;">' flickr stream</span><br /></div><br />7. The 8:00am rush hour is from 6:30am to 9:30am . The 5:00pm rush hour is from 3:30p to 7:15pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.<br /><br />8. If you actually stop at a yellow light, then you cannot be from Austin . Green means "GO"; Yellow means "GO"; and Red means "three more of y'all can GO". You may only apply your brakes at the end of a yellow light and the beginning of the red light when they create a burnt-orange hue. This is Longhorn Country, after all.<br /><br />9. Just remember that -<br />- Mopac is Loop 1;<br />- Capital of Texas Hwy is 360;<br />- Hwy. 183 is Research Blvd. , Anderson Lane; Ed Bluestein or<br />the Old Bastrop Hwy ;<br />- Hwy. 290 is Lamar Blvd ;<br />- FM 2222 is Northland Dr., Bull Creek Rd., Allendale Rd.,<br />Bullick or Koenig Lane ... <br /><br />Don't try to figure it out. Just accept it. If you question the intelligence behind this naming convention, people will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you.<br /><br />10. If moisture is determined to be rain, and not sweat, all traffic must immediately come to a screeching halt; ditto for daylight savings time, a female UT student applying eye-shadow crossing the street, or a flat tire three lanes over.<br /><br />11. DO NOT attempt to access any road after an apocalyptic event like ice, snow, SXSW (South by Southwest Music Convention). Construction on I-35 AND Hwy. 183 is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. Get used to it! <span style="font-style: italic;">( I also avoid being on the roads after a football game....if they're not leaving the stadium, they are leaving any place-of-business that shows the game and serves beer).</span><br /><br />12. Attn: All telephone solicitors...DO NOT correct my pronunciation when I say I live in Manchaca , TX .. It's pronounced MAN-shack (just like a man living in shack). Also realize that the city of Manchaca (MANshack) is in Hays and Travis Counties , and there is also a very long street in Austin named Manchaca (MANshack)! The city of Manor and Manor Rd. are pronounced 'MAY-ner'. We don't like corrections on that either. And, for God's sake, DON'T pronounce the 'E' at the end of Guadalupe. It's Gwada-LOOP and we like it that way!<br /><br />13. Burnet Road is pronounced BURN-it, not Bur-NET. Koenig Lane is pronounced KAE-nig not KOE-nig. The old airport (Robert Mueller) is pronounced Robert Miller and is on Airport Boulevard . The new airport (Austin-Bergstrom) is no where near Airport Boulevard . It's in the city of Del Valle pronounced Dell Valley !<br /><br />14. Keep in mind that the sloppily dressed 'hippie' in worn-out sandals and earrings is probably the latest IPO millionaire around here.<br /><br />15. Regardless of what you are told, the Capitol is CENTRAL AUSTIN, and yes, we do have a body of water splitting Austin into North Austin and South Austin and it is called "Town Lake" (by longtime Austinites, and Lady Bird Lake by newcomers) not the Colorado River (even though it is part of it).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imtc.ieee-ims.org/images/austin_texas_8fey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 449px; height: 300px;" src="http://imtc.ieee-ims.org/images/austin_texas_8fey.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">a picture I found of a partial view of downtown from the southeast</span><br /></div><br /><br />16. And, yes, we all know that there's a man in a teddy and a tiara on Congress Ave. It's Leslie and he probably makes more money than you do. (Surely, you have a homeless, celebrity drag queen that likes to run for Mayor where you live, too, right?)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://observantbystander.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/leslie1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://observantbystander.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/leslie1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Leslie</span></div><br />**And you wonder why there are so many bumper stickers that say 'Keep Austin Weird'!**<br />And why Pflugerville (which is between Austin and Round Rock) residents wear tee shirts that say, Pflugerville -- Between a Rock and a Weird Place !!!!<br /><br />This is a weird place, huh? There are so many things that Ryan and I see and we always end up saying "...only in Austin."Vanessa Monethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15812580832392440489noreply@blogger.com4