Scribbles & Bits

Frost/Nixon Has Nothing to do with Robert Frost

Ok, technically, I knew that.  But that's the show that's in right now.  We bid a fond farewell to Rent, but not before I got to see a 6'+ guy in 6 inch stiletto boots.  I in no way object to his choice of footwear, just to the fact that he didn't seem all that steady on them.  I just wanted to go up to him and tell him he's ruining it for all the guys who CAN walk steady in their 6" stilettos.  I was hoping he wouldn't trip and fall, although my inner 5 year old thought that might be one of the more fun incident reports to write.  It probably wouldn't have been my favorite, though: that title continues to strongly sit with the incident report about the guy who accidentally handcuffed himself to a rail at a children's holiday pageant.  

Rent was followed by a performing group that protested Communist China but was fearful of protests from people.  That was very odd, to say the least.  Their security guy was convinced that Communist spies lurked around every corner.  I felt bad that I picked that day to wear that red sweater, but it does such a good job of covering my hammer and sickle tattoo.  (disclaimer: I don't think communism is funny, but this guy's paranoia was).  And I don't know what he was doing to his "security" staff, but he was short-handed the first show, just as short plus an additional 4 shorter for the second performance, and so short by the last performance that he didn't have enough people to man the lobby.  After all his over-the-radio freak outs at me, I enjoyed the moment when he informed me of such (well after lobbies were open) and I informed him that I had noticed and already posted people in those spots!  I also enjoyed telling him later that I didn't think much of his observational skills when I'd been introduced to him as Virginia, wore a name tag with my name printed on it, responded to every radio call identifying myself, yet he persisted on calling me Victoria.  No wonder they've had such disasters at other venues!  I was pleased that there were none here.  Why?  Because my staff is amazing and competent!  Another amusing note from this event: many of them thought I was from Canada because of my accent.  I said y'all enough times that I can only presume they meant southern Canada.  :)

  I love a lot of things about my job and one of those things is staff meetings.  Yes, sometimes (even most of the time) we all sit in a room and put on a serious face and talk about budgets and upcoming shows and problems, but sometimes we get to go someplace and have fun!  That was the case with our last staff meeting.  We went to the botanical garden where they had glass works by Chihully. I by no means consider myself a photographer, but I was happy I brought my camera and gave it a go anyway.  I won't barrage this post with every picture, or even all of my favorite pictures.  I'll conveniently litter them among the next few posts.  It was such a great experience to go to this.  To be honest, due to this job, I rarely go out anyway, and when I do, going to something like this would not have been my first pick, but I loved it!  Perhaps I should make trying new things more often a New Year's resolution.  It's not too late to add that one on, right?  It will look great under "No more procrastinating!"

Still, as great as this staff meeting was, I can't beat the one where Garry Marshall sang Happy Birthday to me!

Finished Objects and Some Rambling

Hurrah!  The hummingbird cross stitch is completed!  Now to frame it!  Double hurrah!  The garnet and gold scarf is completed.  I was surprisingly productive last night!  Of course, Knitting History's post from the other day has me thinking about all my WIPs I still need to whip into shape.  Some are nearly completed such as the blackwork teacup worked in cobalt blue.  Remember that?  Well, it still needs the felt and the hanging ribbon sewn on the back followed by a vigorous stuffing.  The snowflake quilt has only a bit more quilting and the binding to go, yet still it languishes by my sewing machine.  Other things have quite a way to go, such as the Purple Haze cardigan (the completion of the second front panel and both sleeves.  All with 4 inches of the dreaded 1x1 ribbing) and the Greedy Cat bellpull (which I've paid little attention to lately, but is here with me to entertain me at break and lunch).  And I have one item that I don't even think counts as a WIP since the cat frogged it (a lovely purple cap-sleeved wrap sweater).  Yeah, I wasn't too happy that day, but I can't blame him.  I love handling the yarn, so why shouldn't he?  Then there are the scads of items I'd like to start.  Knit, sewn, stitched, stamped, whatevered: they all catch my eye.  This would make a great present.  That would look lovely on my wall.  What couldn't I do with these?  But time is quite a bit like money: no matter how much I think I have, it's never as much as I thought and just won't go quite as far as I planned.  Ah well, preaching to the choir, right?

Updates!

Between work and some Typepad funkiness, I've been delayed in updating.  But no more!  Let me start with the quilt. Still unfinished.  I need to finishing quilting around the edges of the snowflake  and then bind it, of course.  But even before those things, I have to find time. 

Next, I'm working on a friend's birthday present.  The scarf is a simple garter stitch and is a very nice break from the ribbing on the cardigan (yep, still haven't finished that.  As a matter of fact, I still haven't gotten past the first row of 1x1 ribbing on the second front panel). 

During lunch, I've still been working on the bell pull, but I didn't think it was quite impressive enough to take pictures of yet.  And I didn't want to unhoop/unpin it.   

Mother's Day is coming up quicker than I think so I need to get cracking on gifts for that.  I don't really have any ideas just yet.  I toyed with that card idea again, but it just doesn't seem appropriate for Mother's Day somehow.  "Thanks for always thinking of others!  Here's a gift that will help you continue to do so."  Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.  Maybe I'll make some body lotion.  Glass etching it is! 

I haven't really had a chance to do much cooking.  It's been a lot of heat and serve around here. 

And that's all the news that's fit to print!

Well....

....I haven't been crafty lately, but Nanogirl has!  She made the awesome banner for my blog links and if you click on over, you can also see an animation she did with (I think) crocheted critters and hearts!  Very cute! 

In the mean time, I'm working on getting out of my funk.  I did get a very new haircut and that's definitely helping!

It's Hard to Think of a Witty Title Involving Corn

The image (WWII postcards) is quite a bit in the theme of yesterday.  I just can't seem to resist these vintage bits.  And really, I have no image that fits the rest of this post, a recipe for corn casserole.  What, take a picture of the casserole?  It was a big yellow square.  Not very dynamic.  Plus, I fixed it this weekend. It is gone!  Anyway, it makes a great dish for various holiday meals, although I fix it up as part of a normal meal, too.  It's certainly easy and cheap enough.  So without further ado:

Corn Casserole

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can creamed corn

1 box (8 1/2 oz.) cornbread muffin mix

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs.  Mix in both cans of corn, the muffin mix, sugar, and sour cream.  Mix in the butter last.  Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes. 

And just randomly, if you decide to try any of my recipes (or anything else I post, for that matter), just let me know how it turned out!  I like to know if my directions are clear and I'm always curious to hear if someone liked the final result! 

Random Things With Little to No Segue

This communism pamphlet might be another one for a shirt front soon.  I know it will be a card front or a note card.  It begs to be!  It knows I can't resist it's vintage charms.

As I mentioned yesterday, I did a lot of cooking and baking this past weekend.  I made another loaf of white bread and a loaf of "Apple Pie" bread which was tasty enough but is going to need big time revamping.  But I was successful with my lasagna (I can't think of a time I wasn't), so here's my recipe.

Quick and Easy Lasagna

Lasagna Noodles

1 lb. ground beef

small package Italian Sausage

3 jars Ragu (or other red sauce) in your favorite flavors (I use Traditional, 6 Cheese, and Mushroom)

Black olives, sliced

Mushrooms, sliced

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare Lasagna noodles according to package directions.  In a large pan, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage.  Add the jars of sauce and let simmer while dealing with the noodles.  Spray a non-stick spray into your lasagna pan to make cleaning up MUCH easier.  place a single layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan.  Add a layer of sauce.  Top with black olives and mushrooms to taste, followed by the cheeses.  Continue layering like this until you run out of sauce.  Top your last sauce layer with the black olives, mushrooms and cheese (as opposed to more noodles).  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. 

I love this recipe because it's simple to prepare.  It may be a bit hectic while you've got the two pots boiling (things want to boil over and pop and such), but once you get it in the oven, you can relax and do other things.

Tomorrow, I post the Corn Casserole recipe. 

Have You Hugged Your Cell Phone Today?

This weekend brought a new cell phone that seems so small I don't know how I'll listen and talk at the same time.  It also seems really delicate to be bouncing around in a pocket in my purse.  Hence the quilted cell phone case in the picture.  Yes, it's OK to laugh.  I even laugh a bit.  BUT if you would also like to swaddle your cell phone, I offer a brief tutorial.

Quilted Cell Phone Case

Materials

Fabric (a fat quarter should more than cover it)

Quilt Batting

Your favorite fastener

Needle and thread or sewing machine 

1. Measure your cell phone.  Length, width, and depth. 
2. On all sides, be sure to add the depth of your cell phone.  Add enough on each long side for 2 sets of your favorite seam allowance (one set to hem the sides and 1 set from when you sew the sides to themselves to make the pouch).  Add enough on the bottom for a seam allowance.  Add enough at the top for a seam allowance plus enough for a flap (if you're so inclined). 
3. Cut out 2 pieces of fabric if you would like a different lining fabric or cut out one pattern piece on the fold of one fabric. 
4. With right sides together sew up the sides, leaving one open to invert it and shove the batting in.
5. Invert it and shove the batting in.  I did one big piece folded in half lengthwise.  You can do more or less.  Whatever feels nice.  Too much more and you might want to consider cutting a larger piece of fabric.
6. Sew up the last side.
7. Quilt the whole thing using your favorite stitching pattern.  In my case, I just followed the diamonds printed on the fabric. 
8. Place your cell phone onto the side that will be on the outside of the case (long sides of the fabric rectangle should be parallel with the long sides of the cell phone).  Gradually pull the fabric over it until you have a pocket as deep as you would like.  I made mine so it completely covered the cell phone.  You may wish to see the cell screen.  Whatever works for you. 
9. Pin those sides together, slip the cell phone out and sew up the sides.  Invert the pocket.
10. If you made a flap, attach your favorite fastening device (snap, button, Velcro).  Hoorah!  You are done!

What I like about this is you can do a lot of variations.  Since it only uses a little bit of fabric, you can use a special fabric on the outside and a less precious fabric as the lining.  It uses up scraps.  You can try a new quilting stitch.  Always wanted to learn sashiko?  This would be a small, non-threatening project to learn it on.  Love buttons?  Use that to close it.  Want to add a pocket to the side for lipstick or a pocket to the back for a notepad?  Easy enough.  Want to skip the quilting and embroider it instead?  Or make a case for your glasses?  Turn it into a gift bag?  Bead it?  Knit the whole thing?  Well, there you have it.

Randomly, I also cooked this weekend, but I think I'll post the recipes tomorrow.  This post has really gone on long enough. 

Baking Bread is Fun....

...especially when you've just gone ahead and bought a bread machine because, left to your own devices, you never bake bread because you're tired from work and stress and, quite possibly, because you're a lazy bum.  So yes, this is the first loaf of bread that I have baked in my new bread machine!  That's a 2 pounder right there!  It's a basic loaf of white bread (basic except for the freakishly huge, big-as-my-head slices).  It's dense and filling and SOFT!!!!  I tried ( with only a smidgen of success) to cut it with a steak knife.  I don't have a bread knife.  As a matter of fact, besides the 8 butter knives that came with my silverware set, I only have one steak knife and one paring knife because I don't like knives at all, but I've been finding more and more just how much I need a set of knives so I guess I should suck it up and go buy some.  Anyway, It's OK, because this is perfect for ripping chunks off and dipping them in melted butter or honey or maybe even an olive oil.  I think I'll try making a one pound loaf for day to day use, though.  The slices from this were so huge.  But first, I want to try one of the recipes in the instruction booklet.  A rosemary bread.  Sounds tasty, and might possibly smell even better than the basic smell of baking bread!  Also, this puppy makes jams, so I would like to try that (maybe this weekend?)!  I'm rather thinking this would all work out to be a nice gift for someone: a loaf of fresh-baked bread with a coordinating jam and maybe some tea (packaged up in a tea cup?).  I'll have to think on that part some more.  Which reminds me that I still need to learn how to can.  I helped with canning when I was a kid (and probably wasn't even that big a help: my help was probably more along the lines of staying out of the way), but never did it all by myself and it's been such a long time since I've even watched anyone do it, that I just don't know really how to do it.  I only mention this because all the jam recipes says they have to be refrigerated, but if I wanted to send some to someone as a gift, I could can it and it would be OK, right?  And they wouldn't have to start eating it as soon as they got it.  They could wait till they were ready to start smearing strawberries/blueberries/what have you all over everything.  Anyway, there's this one jam recipe in there called Cherry Bounce that uses Kirschwasser and I have to say I'm quite excited about that! 

Also, randomly, there are no new pictures of the cardigan because I haven't made it past that one row of 1x1 ribbing.  I didn't receive the best of news on Monday and I guess I just haven't really been in the mood for much of anything.  C'est la vie. 

A Multimedia Extravaganza!

Well, after such cruel words the other day, I should show you this hell.  That is a smidgen over 2 inches of the 4 inches of 1x1 ribbing I need to knit.  The color is not at all accurate (I'll blame the late night lamp light) but the softness is.  The yarn is fantastic to work with.  It's a strand of Rowan Kidsilk Classic and a strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and also my post-Christmas splurge on myself (finally purchased this past Tuesday).  I can't wait to get past the ribbing though and really watch this puppy grow!  By the way, I don't have the shade number, but it's a heathered light purple (prettier than it sounds).

But of course that's not all I've been working on!  I finished this teacup (embroidered in a cobalt blue) a few days ago.  It will become a door hanger just like the shoe and will go in my kitchen.  It's not sewn and stuffed yet, but that just makes it easier to photograph.  Also, like the shoe, it is from the New Anchor Book of Blackwork Embroidery.

This is the replacement coffee break piece.  It is the Greedy Cat Bell Pull from Celtic Art in Cross Stitch.  It is HUGE!  And it's 14 count canvas which makes the progress imperceptibly faster.  I've never really bothered with bell pulls before but now that my other one has worn out from ringing for some tea and scones for the visiting duke or for a hot bath to be drawn....  Oh, wait.  Delusions of grandeur again.  Honestly, it's just a great fit for this bare spot on my wall between the front door and coat closet.  That bare spot has been bothering me for years, but no more (in a few weeks when I finally finish this). 

And Finally, just because I think it's cute, this Clementine box! 

Brief Announcement

I have updated my photo album finally!  I'd been putting it off due to some annoyances in uploading, but I have found a much quicker way of doing it, so problem solved!  Originally, the photo album was going to be all the projects I finished since I started this weblog, but I think before it's all over with, I'm going to start going year by year.