Hi

Hi, I am Phoebe. I am just starting to post. Isn't my baby sister, Renée, cute?

Ultrasound revealed

Back in October we had an ultrasound with a great face shot of PB&J. While obvious to us (we're the parents and all), here is an overlay with Renée's face to really see what the ultrasound showed.

Bye-bye, Nalgene

Well, this is just about the crappiest dilemma. If you are unaware, Nalgene bottles are being replaced with new BPA free ones. Mine, of course, isn't BPA-free. I loved my BPA-ridden Nalgene pink plastic water bottle because I could easily track my water intake (too bad it also didn't track the hormone altering count). I drank 96 oz of water a day and I remembered to take my daily pills. Sigh, I miss my large capacity drink container.
I have found two products that I like. If they were to mate and make an offspring, I would fall in love with the water bottle product. First is the Thermos Foogo. Second is the Nalgene Standard Stainless (not available until Jan 1, 2009-geez! 2 days to go!)
Let's view each products virtues and drawbacks. First, the Thermos Foogo:
GOOD: it is a double walled, stainless steel container and can keep breastmilk cold. Come on! It is a Thermos! Always been a great product. "All competitor products reached room temperature (70°F) in less than four hours, while the Foogo by Thermos products only reached room temperature in 16 hours" is a statement from a Cornell study. And come on, the name is fantasic-Foogo! You drink the contents through a silicon straw and the lid closes down and covers the straw. Funk doesn't get on where you drink. BAD: only 12 oz. I finish off the Foogo in one gulp.

Next, the Nalgene Stainless Standard:
GOOD: it is large capacity 38 oz container with a wide mouth. It is black and stainlesss-classic. While I like the Foogo fun colors and the pink of my recycled Nalgene, the basic coolness of flat metal speaks to my inner metal-loving soul. BAD: it is only single walled.

So, if these two products mated, I would get a stainless steel, double walled, silicon straw (1 cm diameter), and a top that covered the straw. I want the Nalgene stainless, but almost 30 bucks is a steep investment. Phoebe has a Foogo and is all over it. Renée will get the Foogo sippy when it is her time.

Check out the Nalgene outdoor site for information.

EDIT: Found what I want! Thermos 18 oz hydration line up. My purse has a bottle holding pocket I have never used. This should fit in it.

Heaux, Heaux, Heaux

Merry Christmas!!!
For some odd and bizarre reason, we lost power. A whole big section of the city! After a few minutes, the front half of our subdivision was restored, but we went without power for almost 2 hours. I have no complaints as I enjoy those times when we rough it without modern conveniences. It tests our primal instinct to survive. I mean, we went without our DVD movie and suffered with the inferior screen size of Catching Kringle on the iPhone!

Gifts were interesting this year, but there were some that are missing from the under-tree line-up. Such as the must-have product that I didn't get for my husband: FLAME™ Body Spray. "American fast-food chain Burger King has come up with a novel Christmas gift idea for the meat-loving man who has everything: barbecue-scented cologne...the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broilled meat" writes the UK's Telegraph. Buy yours immediately! Without delay! Right now! Order Now, operators are standing by.
(Mel, you MUST order this for Joey! Thank you Sarah for the information. Grant will no doubt be ridiculously good-smelling.)

On another note of Christmas commercialism, here is something that just sent me a-ponderin'. The top paid iPhone app in the iTunes store for Christmas Day 2008 is
.
wait for it
.
.
.
iFart Mobile-Fart Machine for all ages.
Yes, you read that correctly! What kind of smelled-up society do we live in when SimCity and Tetris are ousted as Top Paid app by iFart? It is Christmas for crying out loud! Geez!
I guess you could cover the smell with your new meat-scented cologne.

Missed her stop

Just like her Poppa, Phoebe got so caught up in her book riding home on the bus that she missed her stop. Thank goodness there is another stop at the end of our block!
Mike got to ride the entire bus route in his youth because he was too engrossed in a book.
Like Father, Like Daughter!

Holiday party

We went to Mike's company holiday party last night and had a blast! When we entered the Alamodome arena, we were greeted with Lonestar singing Walking in Memphis. That is one of my favorite songs. A Cher impersonator closed an episode of the X-Files singing the song and if Cher never sang the song (I cannot determine that she did) she should. The massive visual of tables filled with people was quite overwhelming. I figured we would never find our friends.
Mike walked toward the stage passing all the serving tables with lines. Once the dessert area was behind us, there was another set of serving tables with NO ONE standing at them! We loaded up, went to find seats, and ended up in the stands with our plastic tableware. I ate my food like a pig as I couldn't cut up my meat. Big slabs of turkey diminished in size as I rotisserie reduced it with my teeth.
Wouldn't you know it, while finishing up, I look toward the crowd and see a tangerine dressed gal and a limon dressed gal. Our friends! I figured they dressed brightly because the monotony of black and red was bland. No, they were as surprised to see each other and determined next year to consult one another as to not appear to pose as rainbow sherbert. (Their joke, not mine)
Styx took stage early and we enjoyed it immensely. I was so glad they didn't do Mr. Roboto. It just didn't fit their set. Their show was awesome! They had a little comedy, heavy bass, loud drums, Polaroids, picks galore, tight pants, long hair-everything needed for 80s rockers! Their show was great and you could tell how much fun they had playing together. That made it extra enjoyable.
Mike got us to the back of the arena towards the end of the last song and that facilitated our escape. We were on one of the first buses!
Home by midnight. Asleep by 12:30am. Renée slept like a rock so we got some much needed rest.
Awesome date!

Pardon the postings all of a sudden

I forget that my posts sent from my phone need to be confirmed in Blogger before they post.
Please pardon the onslaught.

Getting things done-NOT

I am not getting much done, but my sister sure is.
How on earth would I have made it two weeks without her. I have been so afraid that Phoebe would feel left out with her baby sister's arrival. Not so with Auntie Sarwah in the mix! It is official, Phoebe's favorite toy is her aunt.
The fabric store saw too much of me during my pregnancy while I worked on finishing projects. Now, they haven't seen me in weeks!
My work toward earning my literary braille certification has taken a hiatus for about 4 weeks. I have been doing awesome on it, but my last assignment threw me a curve. Figuring I had it all sorted out, I turned it in. I brailled it twice, did a file comparison, and transcribed it. Three times over and I totally messed it up! Apparently, one aspect of the style rule just flummoxed me and I lost a ton of points. Go figure. I am sure I skimmed over it thinking I got it. Obviously, no. No, I didn't.
I am looking forward to getting my hands back into my projects.

Josie oversees baby care

Phoebe is doing a great job as a big sister. The cat is doing a great job as a nanny to both.

1 week already!?!

I just can't believe that one week has flown by! Phoebe is 8 years old and I can't believe how quickly that has passed.
Phoebe determined the many faces of Renée: happy, tired, content, and curious. Phoebe caught her curiosity.



I caught her happy to have Auntie Sarwah here.

Pick your Nose!

emailed from Mom

Renée

Renée Gabrielle Michaela
8 lbs. 4 oz.
20 inches long
November 26, 2008 at 8:08am

She arrived 1 week and 2 days early! My water broke and two hours later at the hospital contractions started. Epidural, rest, and push. Voila! Mike says her arrival was a drive-thru delivery. It was the delivery of my dreams!
We are at home adjusting to life with a little one. It is wonderful!


Afternoon of birth


Big Sister Phoebe loves on her new sibling


Those are pads and earphones for the hearing test. I think she looks a bit like Lea from Star Wars


Her foot blocking any further picture taking


She ate football style and had her arm over my belly. When she was finished, she didn't relax her arm, but just fell back in satisfaction.


Poppa and Renée hanging out. She keeps peeking out with one eye.

Best preview (actually, the only one worth my attention) Harry Potter 5. Weasley looking more git-ish than ever! The small glimpse of Snape looked remarkably de-greased. Good image for Mom. Won't see it on opening day though. Too disappointed about the move to next summer. Oh! It starts! Well, it was good. The extreme Edward eyeball close-up showed the edge of a contact. That bothered some. If nothing else, this is a demonstration that I am from a totally different generation than the focus of this story-hair styles, clothing, what is cheesy (at least to me). Someone in the theater was actually sobbing when Edward kissed Bella's forehead. Yeah, I guess she might have been a Whoo Girl.
Either that, or I am totally jaded.
Also of note, no animals were harmed or drained dry during the making of the film.

Twilight

Well, I would not get too see Twilight unless it was this morning. I
couldn't stand in lines with anxious teens. Crying out loud, I
couldn't stand in line period!
Only like 30 people In the theater. Looks like college age crowd,
except for mr and the 50ish couple.
So, I'll update after the show.
Stacy

Sculpture in the eye of a needle!

http://www.guzer.com/videos/needle-art.php

Incredibly small sculptures! Sold it all for $20 million.
I gotta get a hair from the back of a house fly and get painting!

Great Escape, Feline style

The cats enjoy their romps around the back yard. Vern and Josie go out the back door and return in through the back door. Vern scares so easily that she doesn't even really go near the fence (the unknown is beyond)!
One of our fence boards had warped and offered Josie an easy out to roam to the front door. Upon repair, she was always at the back door.
Baby Cat (obviously named by Phoebe when she was 3) is another story. She is an escape artist! She waits on our front porch for Phoebe to get home from school. I have gone around the fence line and discovered 3 places she could be getting out from and fixed them.
Well, I just watched Josie & Baby Cat conspire to slide bricks, dig holes, and burrow under our fence to the great dry creek beyond. ARGH! Cats!

37 weeks

So, I am walking around at 3cm and 70% effacement. Mike says before Thanksgiving. Michele says within the next 5 days. I am saying nothing as I am sure I will jinx it.
What do you think?
Sorry, no picture at this time. Will talk with Mike to get you one, though.

Happy Dance

Obama!
Video
on MSNBC of his acceptance speech.
Favorite parts:
his daughters have earned the new puppy coming to the White House;
young people rejected the myth of their generation's apathy;
this is the chance to make change and without us it will not change-summon our spirit of patriotism and responsibility!

Gosh, that last bit really sums up my feelings. We each do our part and our country will grow and prosper; in turn each of us will grow and prosper.

To our next 4 years!

Election Day 2008

Love Google's image for the election.
We got to early vote here. Thank goodness, too, as I wasn't looking forward to long lines.

ARGH! Makes me mad!

There is nothing like those in the education field being stupid and making everyone else in the education field look like freakin' morons!
Hell no, Cindy, I won't vote for you to get on the school board!!! I'm actually frightened you might get on a surf board!
Courtesy of Apostrophe Abuse

Wrap Rage

Wrap Rage (wrapping rage or package rage) is the common name for heightened levels of anger, frustration and violence resulting from the inability to open hard-to-remove packaging.-Wikipedia

I just viewed the front page of Amazon and they are implementing some changes in packaging. This is something that I have wished to see happen for so long! I wouldn't mind seeing a bunch of cardboard boxes on store shelves-no over-visual stimulus! The same with board games. I really wish they would quit with all the cheesy plastic holders for cards, little wooden pieces, dice, etc. Just give me the box with pieces! Geesh!

Long time between...

I can't believe I haven't put something up in that long! It doesn't seem like it to me.
I have gone to a Braille workshop and have another one on tactile graphics this Friday in Austin. I really am looking forward to the workshop, but not the drive.
Mike is heading up there tomorrow.
We got Mom on Saturday from Austin.
Why can't all these things coincide on one day? Geez!
Mom's visit is way fun! We have eaten out and had bad food. Our own cooked meals have made up for it! Birthday food is seafood gumbo! TASTY GOODNESS! Plus, it is all US grown seafood!
Can you tell I am excited because of the exclamation marks?
We visited our quilt shop and Mom got her hot mitt making materials and quilt fabric. Tomorrow is hot pads, pendants, dough art, lunch at Phoebe's school, and Girl Scouts. Full day! We be a crafty bunch!

Martha Stewart Bloopers

The line about the worst thing in life being marks from your hangers is hilarious! I love it when I laugh and start crying! That one sent me over the edge.

Artisan Bread wheat stalk

Artisan Bread wheat stalk
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

So, it looks a little lumpy and not quite wheat-ish. My scissors weren't long enough to really cut it well in one snip.
With all the economy flippity-whoo, here is a breakdown of the bread, not including energy for baking.
Cost for this bread (estimating 1 pound of flour has 4-1/2 cups):

• flour 91 cents
  
• yeast 9 cents
  
• salt (I have 25 pounds for $3.25. I can't figure out the minimal amount for 1-1/2 tbls.)
  
• water from the tap
  

The above amounts will make 4 loaves/wheat stalks of bread. So, the ingredients cost us a bit more than a quarter. Now, if I go ahead and sell these along side my distressed denim jeans at $7.50 a loaf, I will be in business!

Phoebe asked for the bread today and I felt successful because she asked for it. Now, I just need to find that one food that Mike can't live without.

soft circuits

Don't think that I have time on my hands. You know me! My mind is always cruising along and I need to be thinking about something. That being said, while my bread rises: It really bothers me when I don't understand something. One such concept has been electricity and circuitry. I have been tinkering with project ideas from this book Fashioning Technology. While I took physics in college, the true-life application slipped me by. No longer! I shall understand a circuit through embroidery if it kills me!
What has so-far been accomplished? I have (successfully) used Ohm's Law to figure out how many resistors to use for a circuit. That circuit completed and I didn't burn out my LED. Now I know that I really want some cool conductive thread.
Ideas abound for this: purses with lights, little decorations, the crawfish family pot wall hanging, etc. As I complete them, you'll see 'em.
I also realize that sometimes my blog writings aren't getting across what I mean. I am working on that. To better understand what the heck a soft circuit is and what it looks like, check out this cute frog embroidery.

Artisan Bread

Here is the video showing the basic dough that prompted me to put a hold at the library for the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The book's website shows variations with step by step pictures.

My cookie pans are stoneware and I use the broiler pan for the steam. The wood from a fajita pan works to rest the dough on and slide onto the stone (like a pizza peel). I have already made a couple of batches of bread and my oldest dough is only a day. The bread tastes awesome and I can't wait to get some dough that is old! I keep the wet dough in a broken microwave rice cooker. Last night we had corn chowder for dinner and they would have made awesome bread bowls! Super yum! I had to get the 25lb bag of flour as I was going through flour like crazy. I found that approximately 4 1/2 cups of flour is in each pound of flour.

The book also has a bagel/pretzel recipe. Phoebe wants pretzels.

The recipe along with the video will get you a basic loaf until the library can get the book.

I'll post as I make more bread. What about your love of bread?

PB&J's face

Here she is looking right at you! The funny looking pig nose thing at her chin is the umbilical cord. She hid throughout most of the ultrasound and right at the very end, moved big time and looked at us. I rarely see an ultrasound that actually looks like a baby! She looks just like Phoebe, don't you think? hehehe

I've been informed...

Momma, you're not weird. You're yummy and cozy.
-Phoebe

That is what a baby belly will get'cha!

Phoebe's sewed up a bib for PB&J!

Phoebe's Bend the Rules Sewing bib
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I am so proud of her! She overcame her fear of the sewing machine and made up this bib! Lately, we have been working on facing our fears. She even climbed up the attic ladder to deliver tools to Poppa!

distressed denim!?!

Went and got another ultrasound. PB&Js weight is 4 lbs. 14oz., give or take a half-pound. This will put her delivery weight at 40 weeks between 8lbs. 8oz. and 9 lbs. 6oz. Got another Phoebe sized baby growing!
I saw this today and it just irks me to no end! A denim distressing factory! What a waste of resources!
I need to enact my idea: buy new jeans, give them to the homeless/low income/3rd world people for 1-3 months of use, collect them and give them a new pair. Then, sell the "distressed" jeans for big bucks, donate the money, and buy more new jeans. Expand the enterprise.

Fabric dollhouses

Fabric dollhouses
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I made these cute little fabric dollhouses recently. I used some fabric scraps and cute $1 trim on sale to make them. Please note the use of the mangosteen fabric of which I have still have yardage!

Mustachioed?!?

Can you be a real man without a mustache?
Is Sesame Street evil?
Did that owl ever figure out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie pop?

Schmap

Just received an email from Schmap that they want to include my New Orleans Hot Sauce image from my flickr account in the next version of their New Orleans Schmap.
That is cool. Hopefully, it will make the final cut and be included.
Keep your fingers crossed!

Bacon Tiara

Oh my! I can just see this on top of someone's head back home. She would get ALL the guys! hehehe
For those of you who can see yourself wearing this, please see this tutorial.
Yes, there is a tutorial and it includes the recipe for MEAT GLUE!

Southeastern Basketry database

The database Mike & I have been involved with is now online and available for research and viewing. This is just so cool and I cannot explain my enthusiasm over this finally coming to fruition!
8 years of involvement. The number of technological avenues I have researched to deliver this photographic database online has made my head spin. I cannot say enough about MIT's SIMILE project, Exhibit. COOL! It is a topic of which you don't want to talk to me about because I get all talky and excited about it.
Please check out the baskets. You won't be disappointed.

Cane syrup is NOT a honey substitute

I have made Alton Brown's granola bars before and we ate them up. FiberBars have become a staple in the house, but I want to substitute something healthier and be able to alter the flavors as we get sick of them.
What a boo boo I made! I had some cane syrup from the farmers' market that needed to find a use. Granola bars are definitely not the use. Back to the mixer I go.
I also made the digestive biscuits. They are good out of the oven, but lack on the next day around. It is a small batch, so if I half it, we could enjoy them during a movie or game of Settlers.

granulated salt vs kosher salt

Yeah, made the big mistake tonight. I didn't compensate for the quantity difference between kosher and granulated salt. So, I ended up using twice the amount! Now, I am so thirsty!
Doctor says all is fine with baby and I. Belly hasn't grown too much, so another picture when there is real progress.

On Top of Homemade Pasta!

Whew, what a crafty weekend! Phoebe and I made felt barrettes, ribbon barrettes, a barrette holder for all the new barrettes, worry dolls, and, to top it all off, homemade pasta.
FINALLY! I have found a good, basic noodle recipe! I found it in my pasta machine's instruction booklet [Note: Dang! Those things have just shot up in price!].

Pasta Dough Recipe
6 Servings
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 lb flour (I used about 4 cups)

Place a pound of flour on a working surface and make a hole in the center. Put 4 eggs into the hole. Gently begin mixing the flour with the eggs.
To soften the mixture, 1/2 oz of olive oil, a little water, or another egg may be added. (I dipped my hands in water and kneaded that into the dough. It really only needed the slightest bit more dampness).
Continue to knead the dough until it reaches a uniform texture and color. It should be soft and smooth. Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in a towel, and let it rest for a few minutes.
Cut the dough into small slices and pass each piece through the flat rollers of the Atlas Pasta Maker, with the regulating knob set at the widest position, number 1.
Fold the pressed sheet in two and pass it again through the rollers.
Repeat folding and rolling several times, lightly flouring the sheet each time it is passed, to keep it smooth.
Then reduce the thickness of the sheet by passing it through the rollers one thickness setting smaller each time, until you reach the desired thickness.

The trick was: I kneaded it all with my hands! Every batch I made in the KitchenAid was bland and weird. This doesn't mean I won't try to make these with it or my food processor, but the tactile sensation associated with the kneading and mixing was necessary to get the right dough. Added plus: the recipe is so basic it is a great base for flavored pasta.

Phoebe & I rolled these through to a setting of "3" and then through the fettuccine cutter. The result was similar to kluski noodles. Phoebe & Mike thought them a bit thick. For sauces, I agree. These will be perfect in Beef Stroganoff!

Phoebe took all the bit dough left overs with which we had cleaned the pasta machine and dyed them all sorts of colors. She has plans for red & green Christmas noodles; orange & black Halloween noodles; and orange, red, & yellow for Christgiving time.

Side note, yet still applicable: I found a whorking huge bag of salt at Costco. So ridiculous it was in hugeness that, of course, I wanted it. 25lbs for $3.25! I didn't get it, but now I will. I need to salt my boiling water since the noodles are so basic.
Now, to get fancy and add flavors to the noodles. What can I add?

Wicked good candy

Now, these aren't listed on the Hershey's website, but here is a site with some more info. I found mine at the local Target for $2. All of their Halloween M&Ms and Kisses are $2 a bag.
What the heck am I talking about?!? Ahhh, the most delectable little delight I have experienced in a while: Hershey's Candy Corn kisses. They are like that flavored fake chocolate people make for weddings and the like. Meltable. Delicious. Satisfying.
Now into my bigness and last trimester, nothing tastes good, yet I crave EVERYTHING! I am working very hard not to become a big pig and just eat candy goodness.
Mike likes candy corn and I got them for him. I am afraid there might not be many for him. I sure am glad he loves me and will forgive me for eating all of them.

Talk like a Pirate Day Today!!!

Shiver me timbers! Don't ye be endin' up in Davy Jones' locker, me hearty! Find yer gold whi'e you spread th'virus of pirate-speak.

Crawfish Earrings

Here are some earrings I designed many a moon ago for one of the NSU/Natchitoches folk festivals. Feel like taking up a new hobby? Tatting might be for you!

Find more photos like this on eTatters

Mangosteens are everywhere!!!

Mangosteen patterned Belle Epoque Tote
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I had to make this cute, little tote for Phoebe's Christmas gift. I have a set of sewn items that should prove to be fun for her and the new baby upon Christmas morning.

Twilight author on Ellen

Stephenie Meyer on Ellen show!
Must watch.

Fabric Crawfish Boil

I have been working on some sewing projects to offer in my Etsy shop. Please check out my craft related blog for more info on this cute project!

Puissant Ike

We are so glad about the amount of data and coverage available to us concerning hazardous weather.
But at the same time, it is turning into some type of B-rated sports coverage. The Weather Channel has the Law & Order *dun dun* down pat with the Hurricane 2008 coverage screen shot. Hurricane Ike was "Stubborn Ike" yesterday. Today, it was "Mighty Ike." Now, it is "Powerful Ike." After a tour through the thesaurus for powerful, I anticipate that it will be "Puissant Ike" by tomorrow morning.
That being said, your word of the day is: puissant.

The Wii!!!

So, the weekend begins and it started with my sister's call that she made it home. I am trying to entice her back-soon!
Mike & Phoebe need her to get that Wii online with licenses! Mario Kart races must begin immediately!
She also informed me of some info from Stephenie Meyer. While visiting, I got her hooked into the Twilight saga and she completed it last night. She visited the website and found some disturbing info about a draft that got leaked. It just makes my stomach hurt that her work is not being seen in the manner she wanted. I understand her feelings as I keep many of my creative endeavors from ever seeing the light of day because they don't stand up to my scrutiny.
If you haven't read the saga, you just gotta! The movie is coming out in November! Are you going to see it!?!

Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike is heading our way. Thank goodness that we learned some lessons living in Louisiana during Katrina and Rita! I already stocked up on food and water. We have our camping gear ready to be put to use.

Mike has made his server out of the rolling metal cart and it is in place with our new desk. How does this have anything to do with hurricanes? Well, Mike has been figuring out where weather information is databased and how to access it. You should see what he has figured out! It is very cool. Of course, when he shows me, I am like: okay. I mean, what do you do when your husband shows you the path of a hurricane that he generated from numerical data?

They have begun the evac of the coastline. We invited some friends to come up if they need to. Please, be safe!

Belly shot

Now, by popular request, this photo is going out for all you baby lovin' fools! 27 weeks along.
My overalls don't fit. They are so tight! I look like fraudulent farmer trying to sell off some goods that shouldn't be for sale. No, I will not provide a picture!

Baby booties

Baby booties
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

When Phoebe & I went back to Natchitoches, Aunt Bonnie had dropped off her super cool embroidery sewing machine to MoMo. Phoebe fell in love with it and did one of the butterflies on the toes of the white shoes.

The instructions I found at Maked, Crafts Exposed also had a pattern. I took that pattern and modified it for different sizes. I had so much fun making these and want to get some more done. I am busy trying to create a pattern for Phoebe & I. We both have some big ol' paddles that need some tender lovin' geometry for these types of fabric shoes to fit comfortably.

Finger in the pot

Well, I am busy working on 15 different projects. Aprons, SIMILE, crawfish, black pots, putting out grease fires and cleaning up after them-you get the idea. Actually, I am exaggerating a little here. The grease fire was last week.

I have been researching Etsy and assembling an inventory. My hand has been in many a pot with crazy ideas and I have learned some interesting things about myself:
1) I don't always think the whole idea through. My initial thoughts pan out, but then momentum wanes. I have business plans but no marketing plans. Sarah pointed this out and has helped get that part ready.
2) I think about the money to earn on each little part rather than how much I want to make overall in a time period.
3) I wear all the hats in the business: accountant, designer, creator, shipper & handler, advertiser, motivator, etc.
4) I jump in before it is all thought out because I feel that I am going to miss out on some opportunity!

What does all this mean? It means that I am going slow and actually sleeping on some ideas before I gather materials and begin the project. Some of my projects are still being sorted out while others are in the middle of the game. When those projects come to fruition, you'll be the first to know! Get the RSS of my blog and it will delivery to news to you, kind of like the stork!

Whoa! Big Momma!

I am having some nesting-type behavior going on. While my sister was here, I accomplished much! In addition, I dealt with her "harassment" over all that I got done. If I even mentioned that something needed done or wasn't done quite up to par, I heard about my insanity of the morning!
That being explained, I have demanded of myself that I sit and do something while watching TV. I have some computer work stuff, but can't just veg while doing that. I can sort photos, though! It seems that it is a never ending task! Crying out loud! How many pictures do I really need of some things!
One of the MANY pictures is of my first pregnancy with Phoebe. It was a close-up showing the large-ness of my belly at 31 weeks: 42 inches (over jeans with snaps and pockets). I was 42 inches on week 19 of this pregnancy and am still growing! No wonder my skin feels stretched like upholstery!
-Keeping my fingers crossed that bigger is better for when it is time to deliver.

Gustav

My sister has left for the coastline of South Padre. I am glad that she will not see any of Gustav's rain.
Mike & I have been glued to information of Louisiana as we remember Katrina and the evacuees, although it was Rita that effected us through the damaged to our home. I have included a video of our USPS delivery man coming to give us our mail during that hurricane! Flabbergasted we were to see that he was out! My camera didn't record audio.
We are concerned for all. I have been very appreciative of blogs, Twitter, SMS, and LinkedIn as they all have brought reassurance and news of friends and family.
Let us know how you are! If you participate in any online informative media, please let us know that, too!

Thought for the Day

Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and you do whatever it takes, ruin as many peoples lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose, or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose, or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way.-Derek

Completed desk and stool

WHOO HOO!!! The desk is complete and in place. It has already held the screws and tools for the new curtain system we purchased. Pictures of that later, once the "supervisor" and I have determined the best solution for the streamlined, linear look I am going for.
I put some foam and a removable top to cushion the stool. An embroidered frog is in the center. Mike says I should have made it a turtle instead of a frog since the stool looks turtle-like.
This whole project came out totally awesome, don't you think?

Future mangosteen kitchen curtains

My sister's visit is going too fast! Every turn offers more hilarity!

She is inspiring my craftiness to new heights as we have made (I made-she supervised) a removable cover for our "coffee table," an embroidered stool cover, and refinished a breakfast tray and TV tray.

While searching for some interesting fabric to mock up some diaper bags/purses, we stumble upon bolts of this fabric.

Ahh, just as the humble Artichoke is undervalued and ignored, so is the illustrious mangosteen.

Harry Potter is put off until next year: July 17, 2009! Holy mackeral! What kind of *&#)! is that! The preview on the official site still ends off with "NOVEMBER." Warner Bros. reasons are to take advantage of next summer's poor movie offerings and the OoTP did so well during the summer 2007. Quite frankly, I prefer Heckler Spray's reasons.
Since I am due December 4, I was really looking forward to the pain of standing in line big and huge to watch the movie before I holed myself away to delight in our new baby. Well, no HP line for me.
INSTEAD! I get to enjoy the pain of line standing to see Twilight. They pushed the release up to the Nov. 21 spot. I got myself hooked on that saga when 1/2 Price Books had a copy at the checkout. On an impulse whim, I got it. The cover got me, what can I say. Plus, Cedric Diggory is Edward! He isn't exactly what I pictured of Edward while reading, but his unusual facial characteristics surely say supernatural.
Are you planning on seeing either movie?

PUN INTEDED

Bill sent these out! A pun is a great way to love the language and these continue to get better as you read on.

PUN INTENDED

1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.
2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."
3. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.
4. A dyslexic man walks into a bra.
5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."
6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"
7. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'"
   "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
   "Is it common?"
   Well, "It's Not Unusual."
8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.
9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.
10. DejaMoo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.
12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!"
    The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"
13. I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.
14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fish.
15. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!"
16. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse.
    "But why," they asked, as they moved off.
    "Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
18. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Year's later; Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him...a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
20. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Don't embroider with the fabric upside down

Working on another felt book. So close to completion, yet so far. That is what I get for not stitching left to "write."
It seems that the corn posts have caused much pun.

UPDATE: Cease and Desist Unicorn

It seems that the "CORNY JOKE/UNICORN" I blogged about earlier was unattributed. To appease the Unicorn Nazi, I provide his original email and attribution :-)

Begin forwarded message:

Date: August 10, 2008 1:26:26 AM CDT

Subject: Cease and Desist

This is a Cease and Desist Notice.
As I am sure you are fully aware, plagiarism is against ethical conduct as well as illegal.
It is with great disappointment that I must issue this Cease And Desist Notification as I have become aware of the illegal use of my original copyrighted material entitled "CORNY JOKE." Please discontinue all uncredited use of said material on you blog as it is an original intellectual property of one MR. James E. Deshotels. Continuing to use this material in this unauthorized fashion may result in serious consequences. Evidence of said illegal acts is attatched. You will notice time of sent email and notice of your posting of Mr. Deshotels works. Please respond in due time.
Cordially,
Mr. James E. Deshotels

Screenshot images of his original email and my blog were included for evidence.

Not hard enough!

I didn't even try the door as I was afraid someone might think me a weakling if I could muster up the strength to pull even harder.

Lint Special

I am in the mood to shuck! My sister has arrived for a stay until the end of the month. Thank goodness her husband called at 10:30pm or else we would have stayed up all night yakking with each other!
I preparation for her arrival, and my mom's in October, and the baby in December, I have begun the laborious process of moving my onion and potatoes to a better location than the hot pantry next to the outside wall of the house. How does that equate? WELL...it gets hot in the pantry and I get bad root veggies. They needed to be moved to the large storage cabinets that were filled with small appliances, junk, and my stone bakeware. That stuff needed to go somewhere, and there were shelves in the garage next to the kitchen door. The stuff on those needed to be combined with the other garage goodies. In order for all of that to fit, I needed to move the desk (that is currently undergoing a refinish) into the house. The refinishing project began as the garage stuff was consolidated, the kitchen items moved to those shelves, and the potatoes and onions put in the cabinets. This also opened avenues for the crafty items to be put with the kitchen goods (lap loom, crayon maker, paper making kit, etc.) This all was in preparation for visitors and family expansion.
During this clean out, I would take a break but still needed that "mood for shucking" feeling to be appeased. I began going through our families' extraordinary large collection of photos. As I do, there are some that are going to need to go on the blog. Here is one now that I got around Easter time. Who knew that Easter and Lint were so closely related? Must be a dust bunny thing! OH, har de har har.

iPhone screenshots

While looking through my photos in my camera collection on my iPhone, I kept thinking it had freaked out and switched to my phone favorites. It took a couple of days until I realized that I had somehow taken a screenshot.
How'd I do it? Hold the home button and then press the power button for the screen you want.
Voilá!

crazy card

Another prize from the collection is this card. They do indeed make cards for everything! The preposterous wording makes me laugh every time I read it.
Before we go any further-
before we continue with our relationship-
before we go deeper into this-
there's something I need to tell you.
I'm a little confused, I'm a little unsure.
I love being with you and spending time together but I can't help but think-
Is this too perfect to last?
Where will it go from here?
Please understand that it's not you-
it's me.
I want you to believe in us.
Just give me a little understanding and a little time.
Oh, the comments for this abound!

face bowl

I used to work for a university. My office was decorated with every piece of insanity and human conundrum. When I left, I kept much of the junk and just recently went through it to shuck. Here is one of the prized pieces from the collection.
This was posted above the faculty restroom sink in one of the buildings. It stayed up all semester until some staff member removed it. I wonder who could have done that? Hmmm?

Desk redux

Mike's dad's desk's (had to go with the listing of apostrophes there) refinishing project is coming along like a charm.
Here he is wiping it down to prep for staining. Stay tuned for the finished project!

Have you checked out www.apostropheabuse.com

Rare photo of a unicorn

Extensive research has been done! Proof exists! Witness for yourself this photo of a unicorn!


Please note the UPDATE to this CORNY JOKE. ;-)

I just completed the Louisiana felt book for the upcoming family addition. I enjoyed doing this! I still have some work to do to get my stitches a bit more even, but this works great for us.

Tater fun

While Phoebe perused the Pokemon toys, I was kept amused by the spud offerings.

Mom's tureen/salad bowls

This unique item was on my mom-in-law's table. It looks Polynesian (stylized pineapple) from the early 1970s. It is a lazy susan and all the leaf bowls detatch. What is it? The main pineapple is a larger bowl. Do you know? Please post.

Forced to blog!!!

So, my brother has a blog up and Mel has showcased my image on her blog (thanks for choosing one that is so flattering! I'll get you!) Being half-way through my pregnancy, I figure this might be the best way to get new news out.
What is there to report? A fantastic baby shower thrown by the illustrious, industrious Mel! She got it together and held it at the folk festival. It was so much fun! Thanks to her and everybody that participated and gifted and came!
I am at home and Dolly is dumping rain in buckets over our house.
Phoebe is with MoMo.
I am trying to make a pair of baby booties. I started a pair of smocked ones when Phoebe was a baby. I am currently trying to finish those, but they are so small! I saw these on flickr.

watermelon styled

Love the pleats!

Great use of rickrack! Love that they are reversible.
I am actually enjoying working out the design for what I want!

Google Share

In my efforts to "get out there" in this crazy online world, I provide the link to my shared RSS feeds. Free great stuff coming at you! Think of it as a bargain for you!

I even signed up for mobile blogging so I can get some of the crazy stuff I witness daily to you.

Stacy's shared items

Happy Pi Day!!!

Ahh, raise thine glass at 3:14:15.9 to salute pi!
http://www.piday.org/

Making Real Words

I watched this TED talk last night: Erin McKean: Redefining the dictionary. She was witty and truly geeky-right after my own heart, particularly her saying If you love a word, use and make it real. I love to make up my own words, particularly suffixxing them with -orama, -ista, -izationally, or -inator (you must speak it like a Terminator). Culture and language-fun stuff with which to play.

I love how culture changes. Take the rubber shoes that are so hot now for example. Mike bought me green rubber Berkenstocks in 1999 while I was pregnant with Phoebe. I worn those things out! There were holes in the toes from where the metal protection on the stairs sometimes caught them (I wear a size women's 11). So, imagine my surprise when rubber shoes became so popular! My paranoia also set in since I am convinced that there is some fashionalographer (photographer of cultural fashion) assigned to me now.

Vicky Beckham's hair style is another example. I sported that style Summer 2007 for my donation to Locks of Love. I cut it like Aeon Flux so I could maximize the length of my donation. I then did a touch of traveling and I know that fashionalographer followed me!

Now I know that I am being watched, possibly even heard! I will use my words and make them real and see how long it takes before Erin puts one of my words in the OED.