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A Gray Ribbed Scarf for Mother’s Day
With my mom being so sick this past year, it has been a roller coaster ride of a year. My mother has proven to be one tough cookie though. She had a rough go over the winter. As a result of the liver disease, she had pneumonia twice and several bouts of hepatic encephalopathy, where she was confused, sometimes to the point of unresponsiveness. I am (and I think the doctors are too) surprised and impressed by how well she is doing health-wise and how gracefully she is accepting HUGE changes in her life. I hope if, and when, I am faced with a serious illness like my mother’s, that I will…
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Baby Shower on a Budget!
I’d never been a part of planning a baby shower before, so when I was recently asked to help with decorations for one, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. Pinterest is great for party planning, as you can make a “secret board” that only people you invite can see. This way, I could pin inspiration to “Traci’s Baby Shower”, invite the people who were helping plan the shower and then Traci (who follows me on Pinterest), would not be able to see what we were planning. It’s brilliant and so helpful. I’ve made the board public now, since the event is over, if anyone wants to take a look. My friend, Val, and…
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Goat Cheese Making: Homemade Chèvre
One of my goals for 2013 was to make cheese. I am lactose intolerant, but have found that I can eat sheep and goat cheese. I have wanted to make my own cheese ever since reading about author, Barbara Kingsolver’s, own lactose intolerance and cheesemaking in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Exciting stuff, huh? Well, you try not eating cheese for years and you may think it’s pretty exciting too. Unless you are vegan and then you just have more willpower than me. Also, I like the flavor of goat cheese. Some people don’t. Even some other lactose intolerant people I know don’t like it. So they may not be…
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An Interview with Sarai Mitnick of Colette Patterns
The The Colette Sewing Handbook played a huge part in me learning how to sew. The first three garments I ever made were the first three patterns in the handbook, the Meringue skirt, Pastille dress and Truffle dress. Colette Patterns are some of my favorite to sew. They are everything I want in a pattern; vintage inspired, yet contemporary, stylish, cute and unique. They come in beginner, intermediate and advanced patterns. I have only attempted the beginner’s patterns so far, but I have found them all to have easy to understand directions. With each new project, and the handbook open to the chapter on fit, I have been getting better and better…
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Super Simple Pea Trellis
This pea trellis is so simple it is almost ridiculous that I am even posting about it, but it is the one I always do, so here it is. SUPPLIES: trellis netting- the larger size, so I get the 5′ x15′ wooden garden stakes- pack of six, six feet tall staple gun with 1/4″ 6mm staples INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Put stakes in garden bed where you want them. 2. Staple trellis netting to stakes, cut where you need to. What I like about these: They are cheap, simple and fast to set-up. It’s not permanent and so can be placed anywhere in the garden. What I don’t like about these: They…
