Saturday, March 29, 2008

On a Saturday

I am a total grump today. Henry woke up very early and I did what I always do when he is up before the sun rises, I brought him into bed with me in the hopes that he was still sleepy enough to drift back to sleep. It never works and in the end little bits of waking and sleeping are almost more annoying then just being up while rest of the neighborhood sleeps. I should have known it was doomed when the he started giving me directions right when we walked in the room. “No Mama, I go on Papa’s pillow and you go over there” (over there being the bottom right corner of the bed). “Henry, I don’t want to go over there, I want to lie on my own pillow in my own spot.” We lay down. “Mama? Let’s play the snoring game. Mama will snore and Henme say WAKE UP” “Baby please,” I say “take it down a notch. It is still night time. Please be quiet and go back to sleep.” A minute passes. “Mama?” Henry whispers “You say wake up?” “No Henry, I don’t want to say wake up. I want to go to sleep, please lay down.” I am begging at this point. He rests just long enough for me to drift off… “Mama?” He yell-whispers about 2 inches from my face. Ugh, it is like falling asleep in calculus class again…up, down, up down. “Mama?” he repeats, “I go look out the window and the sun IS still asleep. It IS still nigh-nigh.” Oh dear he climbed out of bed, walked over to the window and then climbed back into bed and I didn’t even wake up. He could have fallen, tripped, it's dark, there are clothes on the floor. He could have been playing with electrical sockets or eating antibacterial ointment and I would have just been snoring through it...I am a terrible mother! “You cold Mama? You need blankie? You have my blue blankie Mama. Here go.” And a damp blanket goes over my head. It’s damp because Henry likes to chew on his blankets. He takes the blanket off of my face and moves to about one inch from my mouth “You warm now Mama?”……and so it went. For over almost an hour it went. I woke up grumpy and even the shenanigans of the cutest little bean on the planet couldn’t snap me out of it.

After breakfast and some coffee, lots of coffee, I decided to tackle some unfinished business. Yesterday afternoon, before Henry took his nap we were supposed to bake some cookies together. But lunch took what felt like hours to finish and then there was still reading stories and getting into jammies to do. And speaking of lunch he ate 3 servings of applesauce and 2 servings of vegetables plus 2 pita’s with his hummus and probably 25 grapes for lunch. He ate more than I did. And he calls his applesauce “Dappletoss” and his vegetables “Bedgabuls” and I secretly hope that he never learns how to say it correctly. Anyway, we didn’t get around to making cookies. Henry was sad. He doesn’t quite understand how we could buy everything for cookies and yet when we got home there are no cookies. In the car he kept saying “Henme have tookie now Mama?” I just couldn’t get him to make the connection between the ingredients that make up the cookie and the cookies themselves. So we made cookies this morning. It is a challenge to make cookies with a two year old. For starters he is both slightly afraid of the mixer and wanting to stick it into anything that it might fit into at the same time. So he will gladly shove it into the sugar canister but then screams and cries when it makes a loud banging sound as it hits the metal sides of the canister and sugar flies all over the counter. Also, he has yet to get the concept of holding something still and not eating what you are fixing before you have finished fixing it. Being a vegan is good on that end because you don’t have to worry about e-coli in your batter. Anyway we got the job done and 20 minutes later sat down for some cookies and soy milk. Yum….but still grumpy.

I am at work now. Working hard (obviously). Being here on a Saturday doesn’t do much to help the mood. Maybe I will listen to a vegan pod cast or Savage love pod cast or an old Obama speech. Yeah, that’s right I listen to Obama’s speeches for fun. I also have a picture of him above my computer with hearts around it and I have already told my husband that if the time ever came I would totally pull a Monica Lewinsky on him. He seems okay with it.

In other non-Kelly family related news, the fabric for my chairs is still not out which is so bad because it gives me time to change my mind over and over again. Not only am I terrible at making decisions but I always end up wishing I had made a different one after I finally do make the decision. I am the person at the restaurant that takes forever to decide what to order and then wishes I had ordered what you ordered for the rest of the meal. Anyway, now I am thinking of painting my dining room table and chairs a brighter color. Like an distressed teal or a bright red. These bookshelves are such a great color and I love this red bed. Both of these pictures are from Anna Maria Horner’s blog. I love her style. I mean just look at this sofa. It is covered in her fabric. I LOVE IT! This is definitely the fabric I am going to use for the chairs. Any advice? I guess it is hard to say when you haven’t seen the table. Here is the post I did when I painted them months ago. I do really like white furniture. And I want to put in a bright colored chandelier like the one from Heather Bailey's blog I posted about months ago. I am thinking in orange (oh my mother would pass out if I did that...hee hee) which would probably be a little over the top with brightly colored furniture.

Okay, back to work. At least there will be basketball on tonight. I hope Louisville beats NC. I know I know….I am still bitter. And happy trails Miss Lisa. Hope you’re having fun in Chicago. My blog is a lonely place without you ;)

Friday, March 28, 2008

Weekend Maddness


I am not doing so hot with my bracket. In fact, if the goal of the bracket was to pick who does not win the game, I would be nearly perfect. So....it is another year and another crappy bracket. Oh well...this weekend is going to be full of basketball and while it is very unlikely that we will get to watch any of it except maybe the KU game tonight because it starts so late, I am still feeling the thrill of the NCAA tourney. I love this time of year. Go HAWKS!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

See...I told you

My photos don't even come close.
Tonight for dinner we had potato soup, salad, asparagus and whole wheat drop biscuits.

I am stealing her blog ::Things that make me happy Thursday

I feel like posting today even though I don't have anything to talk about. Oh, who am I kidding, I always have something to talk about but most of the time it isn't anything you would want to read about. There is all kinds of stories from NPR today that I could rant about. Or I could complain about my lack of sleep or tell you all about the books I am reading or pillow I made last week...but truth be told, I don't really feel like talking about that stuff anyway. What I do like is posting pictures of the new meals that I am going to try this week. The photos and recipes are from my favorite vegan site http://veganyumyum.com/ Even if you are not a vegan you might like going there just for the food porn. And besides, for Things that Make me Happy Thursday, this site really fits the bill. Tuesday is Wonton Soup
Tonight I am making a potato soup which I will post pictures of, if you like, but it will pale in comparison to Lolo photos above.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Inspiration

My search for fabric for my dining room chairs had lead me to discover Anna Maria Horner, an amazing and inspirational fabric designer. I had a feeling that I would like her style when I read that she lists Frida as one of her inspirations but I had no idea how much I would love her work. I seriously want to fill my entire house with her fabric. This is a photo from her blog and the fabric under her arm is the one I preordered for my dining room chairs but I am thinking actually using it for curtains because the print is just so amazing I hate to cut it up into small sections for chairs. I love both the fabric for her dress and the fabric on the sofa so if I do decide to change it up I know that I have a ton of options from her line. I am so excited, I just can't wait to get started.

Enough!

I am going to rant for a second and it is probably going to be over the top and sarcastic so be prepared. I am so so so so so tired of hearing about what Barak Obama’s former pastor said in the past or is saying now. Quite honestly I can’t believe we were ever talking about it and are still talking about it now. I went to Catholic school and attended a Catholic church until I was in my 20’s and the priest said all kinds of crazy shit about gay people and birth control and submitting to your husband and did the fact that I sat there mean that I agreed with what he was saying…hell no! I could have chugged down my birth control pill with the communion wine and not given two shits about it. And the fact of the matter is that that is how we all are, so people need to let it go and quit acting like Obama said it. He didn’t. And not only that but he gave an eloquent speech explaining to all of us how he felt about it and yet we are still talking about it, it’s stupid.

In addition to that the crap that is going on in the White House right now and has been going on for almost 8 years is enough to make any logical person pack up a bag and drive to Canada and the fact that we are giving any news time to something some old preacher said years ago is insane. News flash- the 4000th soldier died in Iraq today. They don’t even have a good count of the number of Iraqi people that have died…but we know that it is hundreds of thousands of people. Take a moment that think about that…..Hundreds of thousands of people......for what?..............Last year dozens of tax loops holes for rich people that were once closed were reopened by the Bush administration so that rich people could buy yachts and second and third houses without paying taxes. Reversing those tax laws would bring in 28 million dollars just in the state of California alone. But instead of doing that they are laying off firemen and closing down animal shelters...That is some shady shit! Last week one of the biggest financial institutions in the US just went bankrupt. We are in a recession. All of our jobs are going overseas. We are paying $4.00 a gallon for gas. 1 in 3 people will get cancer. Your next hamburger might be from a cloned cow (which from a biology person I can tell you is freakin scary). COME ON PEOPLE, THERE IS MORE IMPORTANT STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.

Not to mention the fact that I just can’t imagine that an intelligent person that is not a total racist redneck or just plan ignorant of what it is like for minorities in this country could argue the point anyway. If you have a male black friend that has not been pulled over for fitting a description or following around by grocery store security then you live in a Utopia, please clear out your guest room for the Kelly family. Has Hillary Clinton experienced what it is like to be a black man in America? No, she hasn’t. You can’t argue with that. Has Obama experienced what it is like to be a white woman in America? No, he hasn’t. It is not a headline, it is a fact. People like to drive by my husband and I when are walking on the street and yell stuff at us out of their trucks. Is that because I am a white woman? No it is because I am married to a black man. There is an elephant in the room, folks, and god forbid that someone actually say something about it…oh no, that will make white people uncomfortable. Poor white people, they have their feelings hurt. Let’s see…hurt feelings vs. a hundred years of enslavement followed by another 100 years of segregation and prejudice…hummm…yup, I am pretty sure that we should be mad at the black guy. COME ON! This news story is fucking twisted and I am about 1 news blip away from turning off NPR until next November. Damn!

Sheesh

I am the first to admit that I am not someone that should have nice things. I pretty much ruin everything I own. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sweater from J.Crew and these hair ties are pretty frickin adorable also. Ugh! Looks like I am going to be working some over time this week.



Saturday, March 22, 2008

Granola

*Reposting note: I realized this morning that we eat this granola with vanilla soy milk (which is the super best stuff on the planet) so I omit the vanilla from the granola recipe. If you make this and use cow’s milk you may want to add a tsp or 2 of vanilla extract to the liquids before you mix it all together. Also, I have made this is honey and karo syup (I know, I know…not the healthiest stuff on the planet but I had it left over from the home made marshmallows) and it tastes great. Substituting these might be a good option if you are someone that doesn’t like the maple taste in your granola. Okay…let me know what you think and be sure to try Vanilla Silk. You will love it!


I took 2 days off this week and it has been so wonderful. My house is clean. My laundry is done and I got to break up all the things that I usually cram into a 3 hour period on Sunday and actually enjoy them.

There are 3 reasons why I love making my own granola. 1) I get to pick the ingredients, which means I can use walnuts (for omega 3), almonds, and sneak in a little flax seed. 2) There is no high fructose corn syrup. 3) It makes my house smell heavenly. (and 4...it's super easy)

Granola:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tbsp. ground flax seed
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 canola oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dried fruit

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl mix oats, nuts, coconut, flax seed and brown sugar.
In a small bowl mix maple syrup, oil and salt.
Combine both mixtures and pour into 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Add fruit.

Run

Whew. We all took a 3 hour nap this afternoon.

Feet up

Wade's family is visiting today. I was so nervous about them coming to my house. They are all successful women with beautiful homes, I didn't know what they would think of my tiny house full of old mismatched furniture, crooked floors and dusty bookshelves. They were very kind...I think all the natural light and Wade's amazing pancakes put them in a trance. :)

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Corners of my home



I have seen this on a few of my favorite blogs and thought I would give it a try. {Plus it gives me a chance to show off the orange lamp my parents gave us as a house warming gift}

Spring

I bought some tulips this morning and the bloomed in minutes.


Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Help

The white one or this one? Quick... help please! It is time to order and I can't decide.

Nostalgia

For my sisters

Monday, March 17, 2008

Ice cream

I got an ice cream maker from my little sister last Christmas. So far, my attempts at homemade ice cream have been a little disappointing. It is pretty to look at and tastes good but is really soft and melts in seconds. I am not giving up yet. I have a few more months to figure it out before summer. This batch was a vanilla coconut ice cream. Iwas a little disappointed because you use coconut milk for the "cream" part but it does not have any coconut flavor. Once I get this basic vanilla down I am going to try to make an actual coconut ice cream. I have had a little more success with sorbet. This is a clementine sorbet that you serve in the frozen shells of the clementines. Perfect for summer and so easy (and cute!).

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

yummy

it is incredible what nice weather can do for your spirit. being outside. swinging. hearing the song of the ice cream truck and the sounds of kids playing in their back yards. spring is near. yesterday i spotted little purple flowers popped up through the brown grass in our yard and i had my first encounter with a butterfly. a little orange one. she walked with me for a few steps then flew around me a couple of time before being swept away by the breeze.

i feel inspired. i can't wait to stick my hands in the dirt and smell fresh cut grass and feel sunshine on my shoulders and sleep with the windows open.

i have been doing some embroidery. it's funny, i loved to embroider as a child but as an adult it was just something i set aside as childish and not creative. i have realized that it is neither of those things and that I can make some beautiful stuff and be proud of it. i have a bird pillow in the works. i will post a picture when it is finished.

i have this urge to bake bread. i know, it's weird, i can't explain it. something about having the kitchen window open makes me want to bake bread. i made raspberry bread on monday. i might make some strawberry bread tonight.

Monday, March 10, 2008

I picked one!

It's decided. The bird fabric on the left is the one. I think the bright color will look great with white table. The fabric is by Anna Maria Horner and will be out in late March. That will give me just enough time to figure out how to reupholster chairs ;) Also, the bed I have been dreaming of buying is finally on sale at Pottery Barn. It is $150 to ship it so I am going to the store this weekend to see if they have it in stock..whoo-hoo!



Friday, March 7, 2008

So

I found more fabric. This one is yellow, which I like, and it reminds me of the art work in the books I used to rent from the library as a kid. I don't know that it would make a very good chair cover, though.
I like this fabric in all of these colors and since I haven't really picked a color for the dining room it is hard to narrow it down. But I am not sold on it.
This one is by Heather Bailey, a person whose blog I blurk on daily. Her stuff is so fresh and has an antique feel but with a modern twist. To be honest I am leaning towards this one because I love colors and I love that it is a big print and I saw it as a cushion on a window seat on a flickr page and it was really cute.
I like this print but I don't love the color.

This is neat



For the past few weeks NPR has been promoting the book “Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project” by telling some of the favorite stories from the StoryCorp Project. It has become one of my favorite NPR segments. StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on CD to take home and share, and is archived for generations to come at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps started with the opening of a StoryBooth in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. In 2005 the first two MobileBooths - traveling recording studios housed in Airstream trailers - launched from the Library of Congress. By the close of 2007, they recorded stories in more than 70 cities in 46 states. They now have opened booths in several cities across the US and have a website that you can log on to and record your own story or listen to other people’s stories. I have always had a fascination with oral history {I only wish my Grandparents were still alive so that I could record some of their stories} and these stories are especially compelling because of how the interview is set up, oftentimes the interviewer is as invested in the story as the interviewee which creates a very intimate dynamic. One of my favorite stories was a daughter with Down syndrome interviewing her Dad about what was like when she was born. There is another one with a Dad and his daughter talking about the death of her Mom, his wife. The one they did this morning was about a woman who went to college in the 60’s at a school that had just gone from all boys to coed and the abuse she suffered from her teachers and what it felt like to be a woman in business at that time. She was interviewed by her daughter.


StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. It’s mission is “By recording the stories of our lives with the people we care about, we experience our history, hopes, and humanity.” It is really fascinating, You should check it out http://www.storycorps.net/

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Caffeine High

I’ve had 4 cups of coffee this morning and a coconut egg-which is no where near as good as a coconut nest, the best Easter candy on the planet, but I cannot find coconut nests anywhere this year...the green one, not the chocolate one. Anyway, between the coffee and the sweets I feel great this morning.

For the past few months I can’t stop listening to the news. I have NPR on pretty much all day. It’s funny because when I was a kid we carpooled with my neighbor Gina and her Mom would always drive in the morning and listen to NPR the whole time and I hated it. Now, I am that person! Crazy.

This weekend I am going to makes some cupcakes. I found some cute ones in Martha Stewart to use as inspiration. Henry is pumped, he loves helping.

This weekend I am also going to try to get some fabric to recover my dining room chairs. I am totally incapable of picking a fabric. This is my inspiration-

But I cannot seem to find anything like that in the stores but I found these, which aren't bad. What do you think?-Wait, there’s more. I just signed up for the Douglas County Aids Walk. If you want to make a donation or walk on our team (it's only 1 mile) let me know. :) {no pressure}

One more thing, thanks for reading my blog. I have been all over the place lately, feeling under the weather and grumpy. I am feeling a little better now so hopefully my blog will be a little more fun soon.