rain boots

We had a thunder storm last night. Today everything is wet. I need rain boots. Apparently I'm the only one because the only pair I found (that I like) are a houndstooth pair at target. Twenty five dollars is still too high. (Oh the joys of marriage.)

So our muffler fell off the truck last week and then Aaron was working in a different town and it fell off again on the highway. So he had to get off at the next exit and do some stuff and ended up running down the freeway to get it. (I'm not sure exactly what happened at this point because I think I was busy planning a sewing project in my head.) So after driving with no muffler for a bit he decides that today is the day he needs to fix it. He drags a piece of plywood out into the street under the truck and is laying there tightening something to fasten the muffler on (the same something he forgot to tighten the first time!) when he hears a noise. A snowplow is coming towards him. He curls into a little ball facing the curb and the wet sloppy snow saturates his entire backside. He relaxes. Then tenses. Usually the snowplows plow in groups of two. Sure enough another one is coming. He throws himself out from under the truck and narrowly avoids being hit.

At least he came into the house laughing.

This is why I need rain boots.

aprons and wee dresses

I made an apron for Hannah's (my sister-in-law) shower gift and had some extra scrap so I made an itty bitty baby dress. I got the free pattern from made-by-rae and it's super easy- no buttons or zippers!! She also has a number of other tutorials and free patterns that look cool, although I haven't tried anything else yet.

The photo was taken on the living room floor. I cannot wait until it's refinished as it gives me a million slivers a day. Very annoying. I promise it looks way better on Hannah than on the floor but her schedule was too packed for a photo shoot.

Oh- by the way- we just went through a snow and ice storm so it no longer looks like spring:(

tears, happiness and sorrow

PHEWPH. It's been one of those weekends. The kind where, when it's over, you want to crawl into a hole a sleep. This weekend was our conference and it went really well. (More on that later.) After the weekend I had to help aaron with work stuff, and apparently I am out of practice. We worked till midnight the first night and till five the second day. I ache. Every single muscle in my body hurts. Aaron says this is how he feels when he comes home everyday. Maybe I owe him a little more sympathy??! It was so bad yesterday afternoon that I have a story on myself.

I was industrially working away and Aaron was so finished that all he could do was wander around. He decides he needs some tool from home. Thirty minutes later he appears with a coffee from our favorite (really cool, local) coffee shop. It's a white hot chocolate espresso. Note: I love white hot chocolate and hate coffee. He loves coffee. He thought I would appreciate the hot chocolate part and be able to deal with the coffee part. So I'm in the middle of telling him that when I first saw the cup I thought it was all for meeeee and that it was my faaaaavvvooooorriiite whittteee hooooot (and by this time I am bawling my eyes out). When I was done crying and he was done laughing I felt much better. It's kinda like the time I cried because somebody ate all the lettuce. I asked him why he married an emotional roller coaster and he just laughed again. Poor guy.

So the conference. It was good:) I can't remember all the messages but I do remember some tidbits that have sunk in (hopefully).

First- reading your bible with technology spread around you within arms reach is NOT how to read. You can't concentrate (you'd think this would be obvious enough that it doesn't need to be stated, but it did).

Second- true happiness. All found through the Lord Jesus not through stuff and surroundings. Aaron and I have talked about this a lot over the past year or so especially in light of what we have and don't have as newly weds. And really- it doesn't matter. Those things (ie kitchens) would not make us any happier at all. The speaker went through and talked about the things that DO make us happier.

Third- sorrow. I haven't really had to deal with it personally, I know it will come though. Plus, you look at others and the intensity of sorrow that they have to deal with is just beyond my comprehension. Death, illness, waywardness, childlessness... again, I cannot imagine. It makes you realize how small and incapable you are. One of our family members had to go into the hospital because of a weird/scary health thing. I had myself so worked up and it just made me think about how short life is, we are not owed any length or quality of time. God is good.

Fourth- 2 Sam 17. Called Elijah the Tishbite in the beginning of the chapter and a man of God by the end. To be a man/woman of God.

And if you want to hear the messages (they haven't been posted yet but will be) go here.

And now I need to go have a nap.

spring is sprung

This is what I see from my front door. Spring. No snow. And it is Feb 18. I'm praying it lasts till real spring comes.

Moxie's Sweet Potato Fries Dip

I love the dip that Moxie's has with their sweet potato fries. I knew it was mayo based, and tried using just mayo but it didn't have the extra little kick. Well I did some searching, and my skills must be getting better, because I found a recipe that is almost like it!!! Apparently it's a curry dip. Who knew.

Found the recipe here if you want a look see.

Garlic Curry Aioli
1/4 cup mayo
2 small (or 1 large) garlic clove, mashed to a paste with salt, or use garlic powder
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Dash of black pepper
1 tsp curry power, or more to taste
1 dash cayenne pepper (I used chili powder)
Sea salt to taste (I used regular salt)

AMAZING. Aaron even liked it and he doesn't normally enjoy sweet potatoes. I might make more fries tonight. Although my numbers on the scale are going up again....

Oh- and sorry no pictures. I have determined that any pictures I take of food look gross and will not convince anyone to make said food. Besides- I wanna eat it. Now.

houndstooth skirt

Our bible conference is in a week and being newly married there isn't gobs of cash floating around for a new outfit that I have no need of. So I remade an old skirt. It was a winner. Trust me. I know I have pictures of it somewhere but haven't looked. Anyway- It was about 3 inches higher than my ankles and was a-line to my knees then had big pleats from the knees down the rest of the length. I had gotten it at value village way back when. (My sister-in-laws would call that one of my awkward stages.) I haven't worn it in years.

So I hacked the belt off, brought in various seams, hemmed it up to my knees and put in a gathered pleat thing in the back. I might bring it in a tad more and do a blind hem but likely not.

What think ye?

Funny how large it looks compared to baby clothes. The background is the people door to the garage.

inside out fabric

I'm up to 17 followers!! And I haven't even offered you guys anything free! Maybe one day....

So another wee dress done. I'm not as happy with this one as I made it up out of my head and it isn't as poofy as I thought it would be. (Note to self: sometimes math helps when figuring out the width of tiers of fabrics to make them poofy..... OR looking at other patterns for guidance instead of winging it!)

My mother-in-law gave me this fabric from her stash and it's a little thin. So I figured I'd just make the whole dress lined and instead it turned into a reversible dress. Unfortunately, the side I like better (which was supposed to be the wrong side) I accidently sewed one piece in backwards so the wrong side is facing out. ARGH. This one is also going to Penny's girl.

Oh- and it was hard to take pictures of the dress because it was so floppy, so sorry these aren't the greatest. The backgrounds are the floor upstairs (which we are carpeting eventually) and the wall in the spare room (which is now serving as a materials room).

Brrr it's cold in here....

Our house is drafty. As in when you stand by any exterior wall you feel a breeze. Our bedroom has no baseboards and there is a space between the drywall and the floor through which you can see the exterior wall. No insulation. So Aaron has started piling our shams along that wall to stop the breeze from hitting him when I steal all the covers. Now our covers. We have. the. best. sheets. ever. Aaron's Aunt and Uncle gave us a set of the warmest, most loveliest sheets that I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping under. Fleece sheets. Seriously- go buy them. Now.

dove grey pillow shams that are all about love

Some pillow shams that I made for our bed but..... I don't know.... the colour's off or something. So here they are hanging on the wall in our stairwell (because that's where everyone display's pillows!).

I did a cheat closure on the backs because I am scared of zippers. Like even that isle at Joanne's scares me. One day I'll have to learn how to put one in. Oh- haha! about learning new things. My sewing machine was really acting up two days ago with the top thread breaking every couple of stiches. I tried my hardest to fix it/force it into submission. Nothing worked. Called my mom. She suggest I read my manual. (And change out my heavy weight denim needle for a light cotton one. oops.) LAMMMMMEEEEEEE. I found out that I had been threading my bobbin clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. Problem fixed. I felt very stupid.

sewing little dresses

Aaron's sister, Penny, is having a little baby girl in about a month and so I've been doing some sewing for her. She lives in Mexico so I don't need to worry about sizes corresponding to summer dresses! Because sizes are a pain. This pattern said this was supposed to be for a 6 month baby but it doesn't look that wee. Anyway, whenever it fits, it fits. And if it's always too chubby for her babies she can give it back to me when I have some as I'm sure to have chubby ones:P

Now the bloomers. I have no idea what bloomers are supposed to even look like but these things look rather unproportioned. My mother says that, that's what diapers do to kids rear ends but I guess I've never had to notice?! Also notice some threads I forgot to clip showing up. Oops. Just ignore them. Oh- and that's the siding on our front porch, as with it all it needs some tlc (or a sledgehammer).

Happy Birthday to David and Penny's little one!

This is a Butterick B5017 size small (13-17lbs).

no kneading bread and turkey?!

I've been trying to try new recipe's as Aaron is getting bored of my present one week rotation (I'll admit it- so am I). Here's the bread recipe that I made last night, it's from his Grandma (I think) anyway, I got it from the family cookbook my sister-in-law made me and it seems like the same kind his Grandma makes.

Peasant Bread
-1 pkg active dry yeast
-2 cups warm water, divided
-4 cups all-purpose flour
-2 t. salt
-1 T. sugar
-1 T. butter or marg., melted
-1 T. poppy seeds (optional- I didn't have them so I used sesame seeds)

Dissolve yeast in one cup warm water. In large bowl, combine flour salt and sugar. Add the yeast mixture and remaining water; stir until combined. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about one hour. Stir dough down. Divide in half. Place each half in a greased 1 qt. round casserole or ovenproof bowl. (I didn't have two of them so I used one 1 qt casserole and one 1.5 qt glass bread pan.) Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from pans; serve warm (!!!) if desired. Makes 2 loaves.

EDIT: If you are lazy (like some of Grandma's other relatives:P) skip the first step and go directly from the initial mixing to the loaf pans. Let rise 45 minutes and bake as directed only put a bowl of water in the oven with the loaves.

Apple/Cranberry Turkey Breast

I got this recipe from a "Companies Coming" Book. Slice two apples and lay in the bottom of a slow cooker, dump and spread a can of whole cranberries on top (I only had crushed), place thawed bone in turkey breast on top and rub with gravy browner. Cook on high for 4-4.5 hours or low for 8-9 hours. Serves 6. (I had looked on the internet and they suggest cooking for 1 hour on high and 7 on low. I did this but it was done sooner as per the meat thermometer.)

Anyway- I've never had turkey in the slow cooker before and it was so moist. I liked the taste but it was sweet, probably if you like cranberries with your turkey you'd like it and if you don't you won't!

No pictures. We were too busy eating. And the leftovers looked like- well- leftovers.

the But.

..."But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:33-34

lilies of the field

Do you ever have such an immense feeling of gratitude to the Lord that it just overwhelms you? I do. It's amazing how he guides our lives so perfectly. No matter how difficult situations seem, He IS in control. It shouldn't surprise me when He works things out better then I could ever manipulate, but it does. There have been so many things over the past two years that just leave me with my mouth gaping open. He tells me to not worry because if He cares for the lilies of the field and the birds He is capable of caring for me, yet it sometimes is so hard. You'd think that if I paused ...... and thought over those things aforementioned that I'd "get it" and just NOT WORRY because He has the best planned. Isn't our God awesome?!

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" Matthew 6:25-31