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?