tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38991433599436149192024-02-07T19:27:44.197-08:00Snickerdoodle...my place for sugar and spice and everything nice.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-47496285871785403492012-12-05T15:29:00.000-08:002012-12-05T15:29:19.624-08:00sweet clover cardiganI haven't had as much time to knit lately as I'd like, which makes it such a big deal when I actually follow through and finish a project that I started 8 months before.<br />
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This little sweater is my favorite yet. I love how sweetly it turned out. To be truthful, I wasn't sure it would turn out at all, since this was my first attempt at designing my own pattern. And my first attempt at cutting a steek (who'd have thought such an adrenaline rush was possible with knitting?!). But it worked!! I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself right now. <br />
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The stitch pattern in the yoke looks complicated, but it's just made by slipping stitches from the previous colored row. I borrowed it from Nikol Lohr's <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/craft/craft_pattern_sally_cardigan/"><i>Sally Cardigan</i></a>. It's actually a fairly simple stitch and I love how it almost looks like polka dots. <br />
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And <a href="http://crazyknittinglady.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/cutting-a-steek/">steeking</a> is flat out AWESOME. A cardigan worked up with the ease of knitting in the round? Yes please!<br />
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<b>Details</b><br />
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Pattern: from my own noggin<br />
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Size: 9-12 months (ish)<br />
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Yarn: (green) Fingering-weight merino wool harvested from a thrift store sweater<br />
(white) Fingering-weight wool/angora blend harvested from a thrift store sweater<br />
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Satisfaction level: Completely thrilled.<br />
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-82812640076448109682012-04-22T20:19:00.000-07:002012-04-22T20:19:07.035-07:00fruit punch sweater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0i8hAgIH6Dvq1OpuAndN96XICUNVk8qVM7BReN3Cgv9A4d_50CTJV7FeH6LMTzWJAEHEkAluoNYGIXhxFSKgfqdXGvEJ_Rkk1zl0ex_9rinxY-YSHAE59G0tT6m0FAJDjfhcltWytIyi3/s1600/photo-788015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733567400255758034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0i8hAgIH6Dvq1OpuAndN96XICUNVk8qVM7BReN3Cgv9A4d_50CTJV7FeH6LMTzWJAEHEkAluoNYGIXhxFSKgfqdXGvEJ_Rkk1zl0ex_9rinxY-YSHAE59G0tT6m0FAJDjfhcltWytIyi3/s400/photo-788015.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div>
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Done: my first Fair Isle sweater. </div>
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Fair Isle is a knitting technique used to create colorful patterns, and since it involves knitting with two yarns at at the same time, I found it seriously intimidating-- so much so that I held off on this adorable pattern for almost a year. Turns out it's really not so bad. The key is to keep the yarn floats <i>really</i> loose. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVMPaHJYdv0">here is a great video tutorial</a> if you're curious how to do it)</div>
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The pattern is Purl Soho's<a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8071-Purl-Soho-Baby-Girl-Fair-Isle-Cardigan"> Baby Girl Cardigan</a>, and while I usually knit free patterns because I'm so cheap, this one was worth every penny. It's knit from the bottom up, which I hated at the beginning. That turned out to be motivating though-- since I was so anxious to try out the color work at the yoke (which was almost the last part). That's a pretty good thing for a girl that occasionally has trouble finishing projects. </div>
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There are so many little details that make this sweater special. I love the hidden rib that keeps the front edges of the cardigan from rolling (which stockinette on it's own is notorious for). Also, the crocheted button loops and the tiny yellow vintage buttons add a happy little touch. It's a shame I couldn't manage a picture of the front, but alas, my little model thinks it's hilarious to run away whenever mama pulls out the camera. </div>
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<u><b>Details</b></u></div>
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Pattern:<a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8071-Purl-Soho-Baby-Girl-Fair-Isle-Cardigan"> Baby Girl Cardigan</a></div>
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Size: 2T (as written, the pattern only goes up to 12 months-- it took a little math to calculate the larger size)</div>
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Yarn: Wool/Angora blend, fingering weight. All the yarn was recycled from the same white sweater, I used my microwave, some tap water and a few packets of Kool-Aid (hence the title of this post) to dye small hanks of yarn for the patterned section. </div>
<ul>
<li>Red = Black Cherry</li>
<li>Orange = Black Cherry + Pina Pineapple (equal amounts)</li>
<li>Yellow = Pina Pineapple</li>
<li>Light Yellow = Pina Pineapple in a much lower concentration</li>
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Satisfaction Level: 100% I'm thrilled with the way it turned out and Stella insists on wearing it even on warm days. <br />
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</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-18884637025036569112012-04-17T20:46:00.000-07:002012-04-22T20:48:31.692-07:00cloth diapers revisitedEvery now and then I'll get an email from a friend asking me for advice on cloth diapering. Since I'm lazy, I figure I'll just post it all here so I can send those friends the link instead of writing a 35 page essay on the subject every time I'm asked. (and my advice differs a little/a lot from most of the information I've seen out there on cloth diaper washing)<br />
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I'm a bit of a cloth diapered veteran (all 4 of my babies have been cloth diapered at some point or another), and even though I'm reluctant to pretend to be an expert, there are some things I figured out the hard way. Hopefully my sharing this will help some other mamas out.<br />
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<b>Ammonia is a beast</b> (but it doesn't have to be-- keep reading). For some reason, it doesn't seem to be much of an issue with new little babies, but once my kids were well on their way with solid foods (around 9 months old or so), the ammonia smell in our diapers became the knock-your-socks-off, make-your-eyes-water and peel-the-paint-off-the-walls variety. And the rashes that went along with it were awful. They were so bad with baby #2 that (it got to the point that it looked like he had a chemical burn on his bum) that we had to go back to disposables when he was about 18 months old. <br />
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Everything I read about cloth diapers and washing them pointed the finger of blame to hard water and/or detergent build up in the diapers, so I tried <i>anything and everything</i> I could think of to deal with those two issues: switching detergents numerous times, water softening laundry additives, copious amounts of vinegar and/or baking soda, ridiculously elaborate washing routines, strange chemical reactions, even aquarium ammonia remover. The results were unimpressive, mediocre at best, and that pesky ammonia problem was still dogging us.<br />
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I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that the real reason for ammonia stink came as such a surprise to me. Maybe you've already figured it out. The real culprit (at least in my own experience) in ammonia build up is... <i>bacteria.</i> If you think for just a fraction of a second about what those diapers are holding on a regular basis, it seems pretty darn obvious. Clue #2: The presence of bacteria will quickly speed up the breakdown of urea into ammonia.<i> </i><br />
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Please don't be totally disgusted with me and assume I'm a filthy slob. Well.... I might just be a filthy slob sometimes, but that wasn't the case here. I was meticulously following the washing instructions that came with my diapers and assumed that would be enough to keep them clean and sanitized.<br />
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It wasn't.<br />
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I've tried a few different brands of cloth diapers and without fail, they are all adamant in their washing instructions that bleach should not be used at all on their diapers, or if you must, no more than 1/4 c. <i>once a month</i>. And that, my friends, just won't cut it.<br />
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Once I started sanitizing the cloth diapers regularly, our ammonia problem disappeared. There are three ways to do this:<br />
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#1. <b>Enzymes. </b>Thank goodness for helpful little enzyme cultures that gobble up bacteria and organic waste. Biokleen Bac-Out is my favorite enzyme cleaner. (it also happens to be the best product hands down for getting vomit smell out of your couch and carpet, and for cleaning up potty training accidents, etc.) It's very gentle on diapers and baby skin. I use it every time I wash diapers. The only downside is that it requires a long soak to do its magic-- overnight in the washer does the trick for us.<br />
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# <b>Bleach.</b> Knocks out bacteria and germs like nobody's business. The trouble is, it's also murder on elastic and waterproofing-- nothing will shorten the life of your covers like bleach will. I like to use this every six weeks or so on just my prefolds to make sure that they're deep down clean. The diaper covers get an extra dose of Bac-Out, but <i>no bleach</i>.<br />
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#3.<b> Boiling</b>. This is a lot of stinky work, unless you happen to have a sanitize cycle on your washing machine. But if you have qualms about using bleach, a diaper boiling marathon every 4-6 weeks (in addition to regular use of an enzyme cleaner) will do the trick. <br />
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Here's what our diaper wash routine looks like now:<br />
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<i>At night after the littles are in bed:</i><br />
cold prewash, with no detergent or additives<br />
cold soak overnight, with 4 generous squirts of Biokleen Bac-Out<br />
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<i>In the morning:</i><br />
drain and spin<br />
hot wash, with one scoop of Charlie's Soap<br />
2 cold rinses (most<br />
diapers go in the dryer on high and the covers are hung to dry<br />
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<i>Once every month or so</i>:<br />
skip the overnight soak<br />
hot wash with one scoop of Charlie's Soap<br />
1 cold rinse<br />
pull out the covers and start a short wash cycle for just the diapers. Add 1/2 c. bleach, no detergent<br />
2 cold rinses<br />
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<i>If you notice lots of bubbles during your rinse cycles, that means that you've got detergent build-up. Just rinse and rinse and rinse until you don't see bubbles anymore. </i><br />
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That's it. No need for any other additives and/or laundry boosters-- and I have very hard water. This routine has <i>finally</i> conquered our ammonia problem for the last 6 months.<br />
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<i>A word on detergent:</i> we use Charlie's Soap and are happy with it, but have also had success with Country Save and Tide Free. <br />
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<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-72293145955665380722012-04-02T13:29:00.000-07:002012-04-02T14:24:26.260-07:00Bird is the Word<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46789814@N05/4631446086/" title="Long-Billed Curlew by JAC6.FLICKR, on Flickr"><img alt="Long-Billed Curlew" height="423" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4028/4631446086_00c68bfd84_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>Long-Billed Curlew, photo via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46789814@N05/4631446086/">Flickr</a></i></div>
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Okay, so Mr. Snickerdoodle and I may have jumped on the birding bandwagon after reading (and loving) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Year-Nature-Obsession/dp/0743245458"><i>The Big Year</i></a>. <i> Is</i> there a birding bandwagon? I dunno. Whatever the case, everyone in this family (even the 3 year old and 1 year old) has gotten really excited about birding (or bird-watching) lately. We've now got a (very amateur) family <a href="http://www.backyardnature.net/birdlist.htm">life list</a>, and have started spending most of our family fun time looking for birds. <br />
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We've long been aware of the Pigeons, robins and quail in our neighborhood, but had no idea until recently that we had a Downy Woodpecker living in our yard, that House Finches and Northern Flickers have been regular visitors to our bird feeder, that the flock of pretty little birds in the trees outside Mr. Snickerdoodle's office are Cedar Waxwings, and that a few of the birds we thought were pigeons are actually Eurasian Collared Doves. <br />
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It's been amazing to see the variety of birds that surround us on a regular basis. They've always been there, but we're just now starting to appreciate them. It kind of makes me wonder what else we're missing out on because we're not paying attention...<br />
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We spent a little time yesterday at a Migratory Bird Refuge on our way home from Nana's house, where we got an up-close look at a Long-Billed Curlew (pictured above) <i>and</i> a Blue Heron, along with about 10 other birds we hadn't seen yet. <i> </i><br />
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<i>Very Exciting.</i><br />
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And yes, without a doubt, <i>very nerdy</i>. <i> </i>But in a world where where it seems to get harder and harder for kids to develop any sort of real relationship with nature, I'll take nerdy any day if it means my kids are excited about being outside and looking around.<br />
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As far a bird guides go, we've really loved Stan Tekiela's bird field guides. Our copy is<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Utah-Field-Guide-Tekiela/dp/1591930197/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333398408&sr=8-2"> <i>Birds of Utah</i></a>, but he's published one for every state (<i>Birds of Alaska, Birds of Alabama, etc.</i>). We love them because they are so user (and even kid) -friendly. The birds are organized by color and then size, so you don't have to know a bird's name to look it up. The field guides also include only birds you're likely to find in your State, so you don't have to shuffle through pages and pages of unrelated birds. They've been perfect for beginners like us.<br />
<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-64727406561872158572012-03-26T13:28:00.001-07:002012-03-26T13:38:36.261-07:00microwave caramel popcorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7yuLkJR8W087F2YzVTf3L68moFJMZaboqkFkRFDPmCRcfxDjVbPY9V9TeSgZ4vFqU7HP4L4p-8au2TrqfwRBlj2b6DlSDXWKlDCBT-CpfDg-idZy3O6_SF5GK_b8ObmNcJx5s55-fakb/s1600/photo-731805.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724037057663469426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7yuLkJR8W087F2YzVTf3L68moFJMZaboqkFkRFDPmCRcfxDjVbPY9V9TeSgZ4vFqU7HP4L4p-8au2TrqfwRBlj2b6DlSDXWKlDCBT-CpfDg-idZy3O6_SF5GK_b8ObmNcJx5s55-fakb/s400/photo-731805.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>Hungry?</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Caramel popcorn is good old-fashioned comfort food in my family. I have very fond childhood memories involving huge (clean) garbage bags full of caramel popcorn and intense games of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_foot_%28game%29"> chicken foot</a>. Also, <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2008/07/heirloom-recipe.html">chocolate cake with caramel icing</a>, catching fireflies, wild little-girl-Cyndi-Lauper-dance-parties (who else was crazy about <i>Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?)</i>, long small-town bike rides, and secret forts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I digress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What I really want to talk about today is caramel popcorn. Made traditionally, it is <i>delicious</i>, but time-consuming. Made with the microwave, that miracle of modern technology, it is <i>delicious</i>, and almost instantaneous. <i>Almost.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I whipped up a batch last night to see just how fast it was. Start to finish (and that means in my tummy), it took just less than 10 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Almost Instant Caramel Popcorn</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup unpopped popcorn <b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup. (1 stick) butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup light corn syrup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon real vanilla extract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a medium sized glass bowl, melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir. Cook for 1 1/2 more minutes (again on high). It can wait in the microwave until the popcorn is ready.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While the caramel is cooking, pop your popcorn. My air popper pops 1/2 cup at a time, so I do it in two batches. Pour the popcorn into a large paper grocery bag.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stir vanilla and baking soda into the caramel. It should get foamy. When well blended, pour over the popcorn. Fold the top of the bag down and give it a good shake (sometimes it's helpful to stir with a long-handled spoon). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Place the bag in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds, then take it out and shake/stir it. Do this two more times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pour popcorn out onto wax paper-lined counter tops and let it cool as long as you can stand to wait. Just try not to burn your mouth. I'd feel really bad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">**Also, if you like a higher caramel to popcorn ratio, just halve the amount of popcorn you use) </div><div class="mobile-photo"></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-41469324754093641272012-03-21T20:13:00.000-07:002012-03-21T20:13:51.512-07:003....2....1....Blast Off!!My littlest man turned three today. He's had high expectations for his birthday ever since his big brothers had their birthdays in January. What he really wanted most was to launch some model rockets. He's been asking for that for weeks. I wasn't too keen on shelling out cash for a one-use rocket and launch system, at least not for a three year old, so it was a good thing we remembered the water rocket we built last summer and stored away in the garage.<br />
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We used the plans from one of our all-time favorite project books, <i>Howtoons</i>. You can find more information on building your own at the<a href="http://www.howtoons.com/?p=481"> <i>Howtoons </i>website</a>.<br />
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In the meantime, check out how high our rocket flew:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwJrOJIpXDmI78B8GfJtFZMYOIY1Dgv3FnNQEOuSLjQleeB8m96zTs4zL392UkBai_qqC2avdWhNjOR_-EqGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-63134465679613422032012-03-09T11:31:00.002-08:002012-03-09T11:33:11.076-08:00Garlic stink be gone!You'll never believe this crazy trick to banish that lingering garlic smell from your hands after you've been cooking something delicious (translation: loaded with garlic).<br />
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It'll blow your mind. Are you ready?<br />
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Find yourself a stainless steel spoon and rub it on your hands under running water. Pretend it's a bar of soap.<br />
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Now, sniff those hands and be amazed. <br />
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There's probably a simple scientific explanation for this, but i'm going to chalk it up to magic.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHh774tbhlC4yR4kClVYRdrKrOgv3erSUaYw0Vujq9phaoqQOPRsr7kAnAuGpG4MtCYU0t1GJ3m8kMzkXiHVGSS2pzwwM-VIaaRa3tcHRCSe-Bt0NbBO04SegDN4sYAXaRsCXblEtAFbp7/s640/blogger-image-1612800325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHh774tbhlC4yR4kClVYRdrKrOgv3erSUaYw0Vujq9phaoqQOPRsr7kAnAuGpG4MtCYU0t1GJ3m8kMzkXiHVGSS2pzwwM-VIaaRa3tcHRCSe-Bt0NbBO04SegDN4sYAXaRsCXblEtAFbp7/s640/blogger-image-1612800325.jpg" /></a></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-55620414991132611272012-02-16T21:19:00.000-08:002012-02-16T21:19:15.366-08:00subtraction war<div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qqQNwTf2n2cvYian2jeKYrI6dGmZvwJXOlE0RFfCZAwV3kPA7q9h2iw80iyMmi5T2kJGWyHTV5z0rd8imDDI1CrQvlitOjMzsHlANWb1yJIKhz8WoBIGOH1aKfygaCs63X8JWW7ruI4Z/s1600/photo-759447.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709423551714977938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qqQNwTf2n2cvYian2jeKYrI6dGmZvwJXOlE0RFfCZAwV3kPA7q9h2iw80iyMmi5T2kJGWyHTV5z0rd8imDDI1CrQvlitOjMzsHlANWb1yJIKhz8WoBIGOH1aKfygaCs63X8JWW7ruI4Z/s400/photo-759447.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The boys have been working on their subtraction facts and we made up a little game to help them increase their recall speed. Here's how we play:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The quick instructions: War (that card game you played as a kid) + 2 cards + some basic subtraction= Subtraction War </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The detailed instructions:</div><ul><li> Take a deck of numbered cards (we used Phase10 cards with the non-number cards removed, Uno and regular face cards would also work well here-- I like Phase10 because they go up to 12)</li>
<li>Deal the cards out just like in a regular game of war; the entire deck divided evenly between both players. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR CARDS!!</li>
<li>At the same time, both players flip over the top two cards from the top of their piles (rearranging them if necessary to be sure that the larger number comes first-- my kids eventually got too lazy for this step and just did it in their heads)</li>
<li>Players subtract the smaller number from the larger number and the player with the largest difference wins the round and collects all the cards.</li>
<li>If both players end up with the same difference, they should shout "WAR" in the loudest voices they can muster and play another round on top of the first: each flipping over their top two cards again and subtracting the numbers. The player with the largest difference wins the whole pile. </li>
<li>Play can continue for a set amount of time (we usually go for 30 minutes-- player with the most cards wins), or until one player ends up with all of the cards. </li>
</ul>----------------------------------------<br />
other random things:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>A<a href="http://www.progressivephonics.com/"> free all-in-one phonics program</a>! (bookmarking for when Jack is ready to start reading) I'm normally of the "you-get-what-you-pay-for" mentality when it comes to free curricula, but we found <a href="http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com/bksrd.htm">Tanglewood</a>'s*** phonics curriculum, "Really Reading", to be very helpful for my 1st grader who just needed a little boost-- and it was free! ***It's a little tricky to get to, but click on my "Tanglewood" link above, and once you get to their page, click on the little apple in the red box.</li>
</ul><ul><li>I finally bit the bullet and ordered<a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8071-Purl-Soho-Baby-Girl-Fair-Isle-Cardigan"> this pattern</a>. I'm slowly working my way through the body of the sweater and am dying (DYING!!) to get to the fair isle section so I can break out my kool-aid dyed yarns (the colors came out so pretty and it smells so yummy!)</li>
</ul><ul><li>Have you read <a href="http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/02/im-woman-with-plan-and-routine-and.html">this crazy post</a>? Seriously loved it. </li>
</ul><div class="mobile-photo"></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-9098063757717198272011-11-22T13:57:00.000-08:002011-11-22T13:57:08.267-08:00floraBabies, babies, babies!! My sister-in-law had one last week. (a girl after two boys. yay!!) Which, of course, I saw as an opportunity to knit yet another <a href="http://thebrownstitch.com/2009/03/little-coffee-bean.html">Little Coffee Bean cardigan</a>. I shouldn't have to say it again, but I will anyways: this is a fabulous pattern. It's very well-written, quick, easy, and comes out cute every time. And did I mention that it's versatile?<br />
<br />
'Cause it is.<br />
<br />
The original pattern calls for wide stripes (like <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-little-coffee-beans.html">this</a>), but it's also cute in wide and skinny stripes (like<a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/11/7-month-sweater-cautionary-tale.html"> this</a>), or in a solid color with a little bit of embroidery (like a<a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-little-coffee-beans.html"> little bird</a> or a<a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/03/mi-hermana-also-dino-sweater.html"> dino)</a> I needed a bit of a change from the stripes and embroidery though, so we rallied the troops and brought in the floral applique<br />
<br />
I love it so much that I want to go stick some flowers on all of my sweaters. Isn't it sweet?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaMvFXgVwc2Hs6jZ18DRIegIg7EwOJP9BPpwrj-3gui-sTMT0vcH9Yn7e_VCXiE1qzvAIXBH3AJrIClmKbZ9RU_nTPC6LlIcIIPDmBPXkaNJjNutVh-n0xYwTRUuYidcrrEXi8U1FUSKW/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaMvFXgVwc2Hs6jZ18DRIegIg7EwOJP9BPpwrj-3gui-sTMT0vcH9Yn7e_VCXiE1qzvAIXBH3AJrIClmKbZ9RU_nTPC6LlIcIIPDmBPXkaNJjNutVh-n0xYwTRUuYidcrrEXi8U1FUSKW/s640/IMG_0015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
And here's an up-close of the flowers. They're made out of some wool felt I found on Etsy a couple of years ago. The stuff is wonderful: great colors, fabulous texture and no funky stretching or shine. I'll never be able to go back to craft store felt again. (they're stitched on with embroidery floss in the closest matching colors I had on hand)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aoY4_WGME-X2U1knl6KMBg4MPgBkR2gaV7OnjH3zuIn7MXxiMHzglyznibEA7KMtsAzfgv7jFPYpuOpLDjVMGZLs1Gj7_vE72VZbKqP8umtZi_u5f2hYHejeOEeTS-84V3O-65BVrqpf/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aoY4_WGME-X2U1knl6KMBg4MPgBkR2gaV7OnjH3zuIn7MXxiMHzglyznibEA7KMtsAzfgv7jFPYpuOpLDjVMGZLs1Gj7_vE72VZbKqP8umtZi_u5f2hYHejeOEeTS-84V3O-65BVrqpf/s640/IMG_0017.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
I used<a href="http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/sweeten-your-sweater-diy-by-lori-marie.html"> this tutorial </a>as inspiration for my flowers. The tip about using a glue stick to position the flower pieces was genius. Stitching them on would have been much harder without that little trick.<br />
<br />
<br />
I couldn't resist trying the sweater on Stella to see how it fit and looked. Hmmmm... maybe she needs one too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPfB7oXVH9xW1E7fYkFtNgdUPoQuEQJp9ePZHzVcadHnnTtAgEepNX6SVwjNDDOsTYvWbpafpgDHNcSNUUjp8nwkx5syOjZVFCGDgHvE47u7HtCbeqJHgOtOQWf3C9Ti6cTOGmhs4Wjpj/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPfB7oXVH9xW1E7fYkFtNgdUPoQuEQJp9ePZHzVcadHnnTtAgEepNX6SVwjNDDOsTYvWbpafpgDHNcSNUUjp8nwkx5syOjZVFCGDgHvE47u7HtCbeqJHgOtOQWf3C9Ti6cTOGmhs4Wjpj/s640/IMG_0013.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Details</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pattern</b>: <a href="http://thebrownstitch.com/2009/03/little-coffee-bean.html">Little Coffee Bean Cardigan</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Size</b>: 12 months (hopefully little Hannah will get some use out of it this Spring and into next Fall)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Yarn</b>: Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn", off-white (I can't say that I quite love it, but it's pretty good for an acrylic and the price is right)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Buttons</b>: from my vintage stash</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Verdict: </b>Love it!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-18770942715001244852011-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:002011-11-16T09:00:02.518-08:00Math Doodles<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>{I mentioned in my back-to-blogging post that I'd occasionally share some of our favorite educational resources. While these posts would be of obvious interest to other homeschoolers, I hope that they'll be useful for anyone who is involved in helping children learn, no matter how they do it. }</i></span><br />
<br />
Kids (and grown-ups too!) need many opportunities to play around with math; to have fun with numbers and mathematical principles. I'm always on the lookout for some good math games and puzzles and we've recently found a winner in Carston Studios' <a href="http://www.carstensstudios.com/mathdoodles/mathdoodles.htm"><i>Math Doodles</i>.</a> (Click on Web Demos to get to the games)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWaboOC_HOqJ9kEdfgAQbjM0zIzIn1iN7zUVADfrYGte5c5ccffthe4P6Q5KdTLsvY_gnQl8OyHCkW98WregqIlgQSHDpolSnTQgOGQSr3Qpv1XbO4_yRnjpIJJW4fFslJTewuYc-u1d_/s1600/numberline.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWaboOC_HOqJ9kEdfgAQbjM0zIzIn1iN7zUVADfrYGte5c5ccffthe4P6Q5KdTLsvY_gnQl8OyHCkW98WregqIlgQSHDpolSnTQgOGQSr3Qpv1XbO4_yRnjpIJJW4fFslJTewuYc-u1d_/s400/numberline.gif" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We love all the games there, but our favorite right now is Hydromaze. The Sums Stacker and Number Jump games have also been great for practicing addition facts and money math.<br />
<br />
My big complaint with free online math games is that they're usually just glorified flashcards. There might be some fancy graphics and maybe a cool storyline, but they require virtually no creative thought or problem solving. <a href="http://www.carstensstudios.com/mathdoodles/mathdoodles.htm"><i>Math Doodles</i> </a>are a refreshing change from the norm. All the games on the site require players to think flexibly to solve the various problems. And they're universally enjoyable. My first graders both love them, I love them, even two-year old Jack loves to try to help figure out the Hydromaze.<br />
<br />
The Web Demo games can be played for free, and they also have iphone apps available for purchase for those who like to keep their math games portable.<br />
<br />
Go on now, play with your math. Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-27662012320636524332011-11-10T13:07:00.000-08:002011-11-10T13:07:03.702-08:00the 7 month sweater (a cautionary tale)My dear darling neighbor was expecting a baby last March.<br />
<br />
In February, I decided I wanted to whip something up for that sweet little addition to our neighborhood. By the time little B.W. was born, I had the body of a very adorable sweater, but no sleeves.<br />
<br />
Fast forward 7 months...<br />
<br />
I finally had those sleeves knitted on, added the button bands, sewed in the loose ends and attached some buttons. B.W. was 6 months old and growing bigger every minute. Better late than never, right?<br />
<br />
Fortunately I'd long since learned my lesson about knitting newborn sized things. That lesson, by the way, is <b><i>don't</i></b>. Teeny tiny newborn sized things are oh-so-adorable, but they'll also be oh-so-unwearable after about two weeks what with the way those little beings grow like weeds. Baby will get far more use out of a 12 month sized item than a newborn item. <br />
<br />
<i>Do not be seduced by the adorableness of teeny tiny itty bitty!!</i><br />
<br />
But I digress. Where was I?<br />
<br />
<i>Oh yes</i>, 6 month old baby got the sweater, which happens to fit perfectly. <i>Phew!</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX23-q5QJ_5Zp_pP6PpqToyVA7rNtKf92a3t5Q6jf-UB3q_YxObyLaonphRD1tqDi9954n-2VHJfDbDOVPm1DGtVqfJYjZDieb2Se2pfH8hij_roCYvkdPqgCBKCgqXIkjlrKnE1bwxI5/s1600/IMG_7004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX23-q5QJ_5Zp_pP6PpqToyVA7rNtKf92a3t5Q6jf-UB3q_YxObyLaonphRD1tqDi9954n-2VHJfDbDOVPm1DGtVqfJYjZDieb2Se2pfH8hij_roCYvkdPqgCBKCgqXIkjlrKnE1bwxI5/s640/IMG_7004.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pattern</b>:<a href="http://thebrownstitch.com/2009/03/little-coffee-bean.html"> Little Coffee Bean Cardigan </a>Oh how I love this (free!) pattern. It's so well-written and versatile.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Yarn</b>: Recycled from a thrifted merino/cashmere blend sweater. It was all originally blue, but the green stuff was dyed with food coloring (a remarkably satisfying experiment that I documented<a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/01/crockpot-dyeing-take-2-fern.html"> here</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cost: </div><div style="text-align: left;">Yarn: about $3.00</div><div style="text-align: left;">7 months of my time: about $47,040<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Total: the most expensively awesome baby gift ever.</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-786674701701926592011-11-07T20:38:00.000-08:002011-11-07T20:38:49.950-08:00am back (with some notes on halloween costumes)So, last Spring, I decided it was time to let this blog slip gradually into oblivion. <br />
<br />
Maybe you noticed. Maybe not.<br />
<br />
I was nearing the end of my first year of homeschooling two kids (and wrangling two others) and the fact of the matter was that I didn't really have time for any of the crafty-type stuff that used to find a home here at Snickerdoodle. Or if I did have the time, I didn't have the mental energy to take (semi)decent photos and compose a post. Seriously, it took me 7 months. <i>(seven months</i>!) to knit one teeny little baby sweater.<br />
<br />
I'm realizing now though, that after a good 6 months off, I kinda miss the ol' blog. It was a lot of fun and I loved how easy it was to reach out and connect with people I never would have met in real life.<br />
<br />
So.... I think I might be ready to come back and try again. It might be a little bit different this time around. Now that we're well into our second year of homeschooling, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it and I might just have time for a few crafty projects now and then. And I may share some of our favorite educational resources here and there.<br />
<br />
But don't hold your breath. Let's face it: I'm lucky to get a shower most days, so blogging can't be my #1 priority.<br />
<br />
Maybe priority #264.<br />
<br />
Yeah, that sounds about right.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQL6G3sCd4KCJyI9qMy3-2YrfXDh0gg8p3WUfzrdKRDR9QjGpsHgSQd9WRcf4DNIGMKUvolQW5KRjqBW9_axnxXMsg7n2IWbOC2jWx8zmoQxS28OJQ_smGGD7aUegW94xembg1saKBfIS/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQL6G3sCd4KCJyI9qMy3-2YrfXDh0gg8p3WUfzrdKRDR9QjGpsHgSQd9WRcf4DNIGMKUvolQW5KRjqBW9_axnxXMsg7n2IWbOC2jWx8zmoQxS28OJQ_smGGD7aUegW94xembg1saKBfIS/s640/IMG_0019.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Anyhoo, my kids are obsessed with Star Wars. OBSESSED. Other costumes didn't even get a chance for serious consideration. Here's the breakdown:<br />
<br />
The Mr. and I wore some last-minute borrowed costumes, but I made the kids' costumes (for a total of about $20)<br />
<br />
L: Storm trooper-- Armor made from 9 12" x 18" sheets of white craft foam; used <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Kids-Stormtrooper-Costume/">this tutorial</a>. Helmet made from two milk jugs, some electrical tape and paint; used <a href="http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/10/milk-jug-storm-trooper-helmet.html">this (brilliant) tutorial </a>from <a href="http://www.filthwizardry.com/">Filth Wizardry</a>.<br />
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D: Luke Skywalker-- (borrowed) Karate uniform top, khaki pants, belt and boot covers from fabric stash felt. Borrowed <a href="http://inchmark.squarespace.com/inchmark/2010/11/2/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away.html">the idea</a> from <a href="http://inchmark.squarespace.com/">Inchmark</a><br />
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J: Yoda (or "Massa Woda" as he likes to say)-- Brown sweatsuit (already had), a rustic little robe that I found in my fabric stash (maybe for a Nativity shepherd? who knows...), and modified pilot cap. I used Sew Liberated's lovely <a href="http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2010/02/sweet-pea-pilot-cap-pattern-and-tutorial.html">Sweet Pea Pilot Cap pattern</a> and tacked a couple of Yoda ears to the side of the cap.<br />
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S: Princess Leia-- White turtleneck and tights, <i>very</i> simple sheath dress (no finished edges and a safety pin closure-- yeah baby!), and modified pilot cap. Used the same pattern for the Yoda hat, only out of brown fleece instead of green, and with "buns" instead of ears. Each bun was just a 1.5" wide strip of fabric about 18" long that I twisted and tacked onto the hat.<br />
<br />
And there you have it: a copy-cat Star Wars Halloween on the cheap.<br />
<br />
cheers,<br />
StephStephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-87228479301306303742011-04-12T14:23:00.000-07:002011-06-15T11:39:13.522-07:00Summertime, here I come! <span style="font-size: large;"><i>{Update: Over 8 weeks later, I still do not have my suit, and it looks like it could be weeks more before it would show up. Buying directly from Esther Williams Swimwear has been a headache. If you love this suit, save yourself the trouble and buy it through Modcloth.}</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
I am the proud new owner of this lovely little number:<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
<br />
</span><a href="http://www.modcloth.com/productshots/0037/6841/12150-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.modcloth.com/productshots/0037/6841/12150-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 500px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 350px;" /></a>Well, kind of the owner-- it's still making its way to me.<br />
<br />
There's so much to love about this suit: the polka dots (sigh...), the sweetheart neckline, the flirty ruching, the vintage-looking wonderfulness, et cetera, et cetera. I love how perfectly it manages that VaVaVoom factor without totally showing off The Goods.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, I first stumbled across it at <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/Womens/-Beach-Blanket-Bingo-One-Piece-in-Red">modcloth</a>, but it's out of stock there. A little sleuthing led me directly to the source, <a href="http://www.esther-williams.com/swimwear/1-pc-classic-sheath/">Esther Williams Swimwear</a>-- so I bought it straight from them. And for a little less $$ too!<br />
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Now, if only the suit came with a guarantee to make me look like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Williams">Esther</a>....<br />
<a href="http://www.modcloth.com/productshots/0067/3507/27264-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br />
</a><a href="http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1020/143104.1020.A.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1020/143104.1020.A.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 888px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 580px;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-50171717926951950292011-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-11T07:00:13.764-07:00news flash!The <a href="https://theallnaturalface.com/gto/store/epp_index.asp">All Natural Face</a> is having a huge sale. Everything in the shop is 40% off now through April 22nd if you use the code NEW SITE (be sure to use all caps) at checkout.<br /><br />If you're a fan of mineral makeup, you need to check it out. If you've ever been the least bit interested in trying mineral makeup, you need to check it out. Their prices are normally great; with this sale, they're a steal. (afraid of buying makeup sight unseen? they offer samples!!)<br /><br />A few of my favorite products:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mineral Foundation and Hydration Mist</span>. The mineral foundation is great-- very lightweight, lots of colors to choose from, and smooth even coverage-- but the hydration mist makes it awesome. A few spritzes over my foundation give me a perfect, non-powdery finish. I love this stuff!</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mineral Eye Shadow.</span> There are about a bazillion colors, including some wild and crazy ones. I play it safe with a few different browns.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tinted lip balm</span> in <span style="font-style: italic;">cherry bomb</span>. I love the way it looks as much as I love the fact that it's free of funky chemicals and additives. </li></ul><br />p.s. I am in no way affiliated with The All Natural Face other than being a happy customer for the past 2 1/2 years. I haven't been paid or otherwise compensated for this post.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-10929703077194054882011-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:002011-03-22T14:45:52.507-07:00happy springWhew! <span style="font-style: italic;">We made it</span>.<br /><br />Spring is here and I'm feeling quite <span style="font-style: italic;">relieved </span>that the long slog through Winter is over-- at least for this year.<br /><br />I've got about 101 things in my head that I'd like to get down on the blog, but our household is still recovering from a crazy past week. Sweet Stella came down with RSV and an ear infection at the same time and although we were lucky enough to avoid hospitalization, there were many trips to our hospital's respiratory outpatient clinic.<br /><br />She's still got a bit of a cough, but she's back to her pink and smiley self. Looks like we're out of the woods-- knock on wood. <br /><br />Anywho, I'm in desperate need of sunshine today, and since Mother Nature doesn't seem interested in helping me out, I figured I'd make a little of my own. I whipped up a cheerful printable-- <span style="font-style: italic;">my very first</span>!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgX4SXjP3pkriFBD540ba_D4cTxyrBxB1wewA7XRqcicTjtIHo0RZrabuO0FGxC9UMrbe7_4j1rW0b2G1J9Mp6cp9dyD0_xdAKZen03qLEs_nAq4IGYNUMBOEeFDc8FuGKbqsxvhHQqC1J/s1600/carpe+diem.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgX4SXjP3pkriFBD540ba_D4cTxyrBxB1wewA7XRqcicTjtIHo0RZrabuO0FGxC9UMrbe7_4j1rW0b2G1J9Mp6cp9dyD0_xdAKZen03qLEs_nAq4IGYNUMBOEeFDc8FuGKbqsxvhHQqC1J/s320/carpe+diem.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587020050018053762" border="0" /></a>If you'd like, you can <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B7OKaz0g74f_MTFhZGNmOTQtOWNlMy00MGNiLWI4NjUtNWM4NmE3YjQ0MjA5&hl=en&authkey=COqkxtcH">download the pdf</a>.<br />ps. it'll fit in an 8 x 10 frame<br />(or you could be like me and just use a magnet to stick it to your fridge)<br /></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-22733192885939229962011-03-04T10:21:00.001-08:002011-03-04T10:59:21.121-08:00wind towerOne of my kids' favorite features at the children's museums in our area is a wind tower. Most children's museums seem to have them, and they're always a huge hit with the littles. It's basically a fan set into a platform so that it blows air straight up-- and the kids get to experiment with making cupcake liner papers and coffee filters fly in the windstream made by the fan.<br /><br />A few days ago, on one of the rare days that I actually blow-dry my hair, I got a stroke of inspiration: we could make our own wind tower. We dug a cardboard box and Styrofoam packing insert out of the recycle bin and got to work.<br /><br />I traced the shape of my blow-dryer nozzle on the top of the box and then cut it out. Then I stuck the nozzle into the resulting hole, and propped the blow-dryer up on the packing insert. I used masking tape to hold down the "cool blast" button and we were good to go.<br /><br />That all took about 5 minutes. Here's what it looked like on the inside:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIdIitGh2AgJ7jiPSZp6nv1mdrhEiOJPCnlghIRQLAbPZrWRw_1kPm62pxUBbEWP72v2sO_FH4vsU8N_Ewyvryvdg6IVBVuYWOd0fgDO2eEGaO-I7_vLs9SdEEM36Q798wCrzIEAN5TRx/s1600/March+5+2011+012.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIdIitGh2AgJ7jiPSZp6nv1mdrhEiOJPCnlghIRQLAbPZrWRw_1kPm62pxUBbEWP72v2sO_FH4vsU8N_Ewyvryvdg6IVBVuYWOd0fgDO2eEGaO-I7_vLs9SdEEM36Q798wCrzIEAN5TRx/s400/March+5+2011+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580291837331478162" border="0" /></a><br />Notice that the air intake thingie on my blow-dryer is kind of pointy, so it doesn't rest flat on the Styrofoam. We would have had to figure out something else if my blow-dryer was flat there.<br /><br /><br />Here's a view from the top:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPpf8dynHNnU6CCSJfHulv2yPBD0XYbakjkVh7pk7BLyNiI7FymUjrdaPI_ySzlYYeQXCcZ-nODOINwedA-j9aRBiuWd_H3xdxFtH8LJyMt9-Sp6l1hqMhMU_K731UUptLA1H-9WbbJQ7/s1600/March+5+2011+011.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPpf8dynHNnU6CCSJfHulv2yPBD0XYbakjkVh7pk7BLyNiI7FymUjrdaPI_ySzlYYeQXCcZ-nODOINwedA-j9aRBiuWd_H3xdxFtH8LJyMt9-Sp6l1hqMhMU_K731UUptLA1H-9WbbJQ7/s400/March+5+2011+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580291842560867026" border="0" /></a><br />Ping pong balls and coffee filters both flew really well. We didn't try cupcake liners today, but I'm sure they'd do great too.<br /><br />We had fun taking pictures of the kids being "wizards" and making their balls float in mid-air.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjSB39hBvb8XKYGJWTNLc5V35noCP5siKgKJW5vLh8RSNct9mc2gFNcPlwuR2kh3PZ6KDgdaZ7gS0orDM3M6jt2P9zg2nu5hSf5hiBpWG9rV2zXXBaVxA_rDpTHGZ-BaPgqWzLq4C33fn/s1600/March+5+2011+005.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjSB39hBvb8XKYGJWTNLc5V35noCP5siKgKJW5vLh8RSNct9mc2gFNcPlwuR2kh3PZ6KDgdaZ7gS0orDM3M6jt2P9zg2nu5hSf5hiBpWG9rV2zXXBaVxA_rDpTHGZ-BaPgqWzLq4C33fn/s400/March+5+2011+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580291852940288770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We ended up getting an entire morning of entertainment for the cost of 5 minutes of work and a raid on the recycle bin. <span style="font-style: italic;">I love it when that happens!</span><br /><br /><br />Here's a video of the contraption in action:<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yUqRChM1Zns?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yUqRChM1Zns?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-59903121041245457092011-03-02T14:34:00.000-08:002011-03-02T18:55:58.324-08:00mi hermana. also, a dino sweater<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFvkFQNxw0g804imXma9f8zhZOnUcczVlMYRzgWn7oenMbS_SS65zSBov_o4Oc6u3LzUWHvdShfKrJZMI5XjgwTGUlx8DS9sdD3yIV3OEA5dTyerTVW1VoKYII2y35STg27FkQXD_DZgd/s400/March%202011%20024.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFvkFQNxw0g804imXma9f8zhZOnUcczVlMYRzgWn7oenMbS_SS65zSBov_o4Oc6u3LzUWHvdShfKrJZMI5XjgwTGUlx8DS9sdD3yIV3OEA5dTyerTVW1VoKYII2y35STg27FkQXD_DZgd/s400/March%202011%20024.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My sister left today to serve a <a href="http://www.mormon.org/missionary-work/">mission</a> (Carlsbad California, Spanish speaking). She'll be gone for 18 months.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I couldn't be more proud</span>.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">She's been living with us for the past 6 months, and I've gotten <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> used to her helpful nature and cheerful disposition. She's been an incredible help with the kids, provided me with stimulating day-time adult conversation (and lots of funny stories from her waitressing job), and has basically been a great person to have around. And she used to babysit the kids one night a week so that Mr. Snickerdoodle and I could go out. On dates. <span style="font-style: italic;">Loved that.</span><br /><br />The reality of her departure hasn't quite sunken in yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be curled up in the fetal position and sobbing by this time tomorrow.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Maybe some knitting will distract me. I just finished up this sweater for my cousin.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXV5Au3LyZynQWtfedWN0GsMEx01SJ6Q05tb9M-Dr8Nzjgugo39yABedRiUL4Yez6uoJaBPBNB4OzEXMokKJCXQ_eZ_eZenkbFyvqiVWqwk0dyA419HddZP0nb7S18iku5uLNfTGaz0Qt/s400/March%202011%20001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXV5Au3LyZynQWtfedWN0GsMEx01SJ6Q05tb9M-Dr8Nzjgugo39yABedRiUL4Yez6uoJaBPBNB4OzEXMokKJCXQ_eZ_eZenkbFyvqiVWqwk0dyA419HddZP0nb7S18iku5uLNfTGaz0Qt/s400/March%202011%20001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />She's expecting a baby boy in April. No name picked out yet, but his aunt calls him <span style="font-style: italic;">Choncho.</span> I wonder if that will stick...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Have I ever told you that I have 73 cousins?</span> Crazy.<br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Anywho...</span><br /><br />One of my favorite baby gifts is a simple cardigan made interesting with a bit of embroidered something or other. I think this bit of embroidery is cute...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8S5z_hvFF9l3UufaoSzg2NB4PTb2mbEKaiYTpj4AEiQwn6hrxPrNkirdw9jwhyphenhyphen0v35BQ-tGD3ciY36qDNO-ekhzkjJbNFWNreSPsSp-W-XtQoLbRpISZHkn0Bc-UNAhvg8Zc13AbOY0t/s400/March%202011%20002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8S5z_hvFF9l3UufaoSzg2NB4PTb2mbEKaiYTpj4AEiQwn6hrxPrNkirdw9jwhyphenhyphen0v35BQ-tGD3ciY36qDNO-ekhzkjJbNFWNreSPsSp-W-XtQoLbRpISZHkn0Bc-UNAhvg8Zc13AbOY0t/s400/March%202011%20002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>... even if it's hard to tell what it is.<span style="font-style: italic;"> Loch Ness Monster?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Earless green giraffe?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>It's actually a dinosaur. Some kind of sauropod, my kids tell me.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And one more thing, I've learned a lesson that I feel compelled to pass on to you:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When you're knitting baby stuff, bigger is always better.</span><br /><br />Like size 6 months or bigger at the very least.<br /><br />It's terribly tempting to knit teeny tiny sized things because teeny tiny things in general are so cute that they make your eyes hurt.<br /><br />But we all know the sad truth: that babies grow <span style="font-style: italic;">fast</span>.<br /><br />What is the sense of taking the time and energy to knit something that a baby might only be able to wear for a couple of weeks (or not at all if they're ginormous like my kids)?<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />Save your teeny tiny knitting for Barbie. Heaven knows <span style="font-style: italic;">she </span>could use some warm clothes<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br /><br />P.S. If you're interested in the details of the dino sweater, you can find them <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/doulamama/dino-sweater">here</a> on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ravelry.com">Ravelry</a>.<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-22248601388927969282011-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:002011-02-28T19:46:34.099-08:00knit-a-long wrap-up (and giveaway winner!)First off, <span style="font-style: italic;">thank you<span style="font-style: italic;"> all</span></span> for participating in my little knit-a-long. I'm thrilled that strangers would reach out like that to do something kind for needy babies. It's just another testament to the fact that people are generally <span style="font-style: italic;">good.</span><br /><br />The grand total for this first <span style="font-style: italic;">Knit for Good</span> knit-a-long was <span style="font-weight: bold;">36 sweet little hats</span>. Just think of it: 36 little babies will be warmer because of your generosity and kindness.<br /><br />An extra special thank you is owed to <a href="http://knitterofhatsspeaks.blogspot.com/">Amy</a>, who cranked out 22 of our 36 hats. <span style="font-style: italic;">Well done</span>! It is fitting then, and not completely surprising, to see that Random.org picked her as the winner of our giveaway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_U0ehuJGT2nc/TWxk7JjH-KI/AAAAAAAAHa8/vm0byJA4zso/s800/random.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 254px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_U0ehuJGT2nc/TWxk7JjH-KI/AAAAAAAAHa8/vm0byJA4zso/s800/random.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Let's do this again next year, <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span>?Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-87970971387431377772011-02-25T11:04:00.001-08:002011-02-25T11:34:13.051-08:00don't forget!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WinjR9FSGF2yyVQbUgyKYFU57BVEJ0CkzJQ4NReTBOIPYkDDRvrwIsNxIvrRbltt1RSdnJyMc3UgxV4y1dkJErvHKz1ptB7pZ1xMz1pCV6-D7fMeD-ctw45hnPrpW9pFo0BuvybHRWQ8/s1600/february+2011+020.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WinjR9FSGF2yyVQbUgyKYFU57BVEJ0CkzJQ4NReTBOIPYkDDRvrwIsNxIvrRbltt1RSdnJyMc3UgxV4y1dkJErvHKz1ptB7pZ1xMz1pCV6-D7fMeD-ctw45hnPrpW9pFo0BuvybHRWQ8/s400/february+2011+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577705181129743810" border="0" /></a><br />Hey knit-a-longers! Don't forget to get those sweet hats in the mail ASAP. If you've got a half an hour to spare, maybe you'll want try out my <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/01/recycled-mailer-tutorial.html">recycled mailer tutorial</a> before you make a run to the post office.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Just a suggestion</span>. (wink, wink)<br /><br />Also, if you've uploaded pics to the flickr group or emailed them to me, don't forget to swing by the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/giveaway-luxury-yarn-and-knitting-bling.html">giveaway page</a> and leave a separate comment for each hat to enter yourself to win that yummy yarn and the knitting needle bling (stitch markers).<br /><br />You've got until Monday (Feb 28th) at 8 pm Mountain Standard Time to get your comments (and pictures) in. That's when I'll pick a random winner.<br /><br />Happy Weekend!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-1602696888779594382011-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:002011-02-22T12:58:33.116-08:00the quilt<span style="font-style: italic;">{It's not too late to join in on the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-do-something-good-together.html">knit-a-long</a>. Don't knit? That's okay; just check out my <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/pep-talk-and-virtual-knitting-lesson-1.html">virtual knitting lessons</a>. Help us spread the love and keepy needy babies warm. And don't forget to enter yourself in the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/giveaway-luxury-yarn-and-knitting-bling.html">giveaway</a>!!}</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm sorry, I'm sorry.</span> It wasn't very nice of me to put up teaser pictures of Stella's vintage quilt in that last post. I should have known you'd want to see the whole thing. (and the Little Miss herself, thrown in for good measure)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidHHwtE1mUyiXlFEuHMS3u6j7dPI8KCpQjpvUX18_8G4XCF3LudR_o908HpFC9LvEj2x14EzfVDpjuIYGeVEIwjLv_Wtvad3FbM04KKW9GvJ4PjAbyE2nFvC-Ept6kUfD8_LRo0_v4kFy/s1600/february+2011+003.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidHHwtE1mUyiXlFEuHMS3u6j7dPI8KCpQjpvUX18_8G4XCF3LudR_o908HpFC9LvEj2x14EzfVDpjuIYGeVEIwjLv_Wtvad3FbM04KKW9GvJ4PjAbyE2nFvC-Ept6kUfD8_LRo0_v4kFy/s400/february+2011+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576615403852332498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OztKK_uzzwe-nxlSGhINWyzundO-O_C5L6k0Bijs1SWM2ru7-uihu9eOF2y4U5R7rSJPGmv9Xd62KsPlPVhkHDvkHRP3dql9EzlnnzvyRypJVkC1zPXUmPWozaZ-3oLKRp7AdYvCMuPH/s1600/february+2011+003.jpg"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Happy now?<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">You can see pictures of the entire quilt, front and back, <a href="http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2011/02/vintage-sheets-baby-quilt.html">here</a> (you've got to check out the cheerful tangerine colored binding-- it didn't make it into my pic, but it's one of the best things about the quilt). My friend Amy whipped it up from pieces of her vintage sheet collection.<br /></div></div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-41084498710741447242011-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:002011-02-16T14:14:27.889-08:00knit for good show -n-tellThis first picture is for those of you who want to knit, but lack a little confidence. Meet the two newest knitters in the Snickerdoodle household:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghm5aLcRnLXSwhcB4AIQYKs3nY9ajJW4Opr_9qUk_GMwlxeT2jkcfEMyFt5KURxV0Zur3jRisRd5z_kKPLtlCIo0chND9VcfuAsOlmgDEAyjxZHeZiJJ4eye7ujIjfLz8iJgZ30SSbP3hE/s1600/IMG_9195.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghm5aLcRnLXSwhcB4AIQYKs3nY9ajJW4Opr_9qUk_GMwlxeT2jkcfEMyFt5KURxV0Zur3jRisRd5z_kKPLtlCIo0chND9VcfuAsOlmgDEAyjxZHeZiJJ4eye7ujIjfLz8iJgZ30SSbP3hE/s320/IMG_9195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574410230676286866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">My sister Kaley (and live-in nanny for two more weeks!)<br />and my 6 year-old, Lincoln.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If a six year-old can learn how, so can you. If you've been trying to work up the courage to learn, hitch up your britches and get to it!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">How's that for a pep talk?</span><br /></div></div><br /><br />And now, my first little Knit For Good cap. It's teeny, but teeny babies are born every day, right?<br /><br /> (I totally broke my first knitting commandment: <span style="font-style: italic;">Thou shalt knit a gauge swatch before thou beginnest a project. </span>Oops!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB3a1h2OzC31km_BWhIUtOgYKcx-vzl3izQjAEKzj-m1Qzx2x7_zfA0MpxqJK7hdEzzljhAL6GS0a1HtLd6jKqudCSpzj_24KP59YSy5W_bRCPVE1KukLQDPfM58La1CXgaPVzrqtuzkR/s1600/IMG_9200.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB3a1h2OzC31km_BWhIUtOgYKcx-vzl3izQjAEKzj-m1Qzx2x7_zfA0MpxqJK7hdEzzljhAL6GS0a1HtLd6jKqudCSpzj_24KP59YSy5W_bRCPVE1KukLQDPfM58La1CXgaPVzrqtuzkR/s320/IMG_9200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574410235549082498" border="0" /></a><br />Be sure to take a quick look at the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/snickerdoodle/">flickr</a> group to see the great caps our Snickerdoodle friends are putting out there. I want to send an extra special shout out to those who have contributed so far: jajvennett (11 hats!), angelapea (4 hats!), and wolfcreeker (1 super-de-duper cute hat!). <br /><br />Thank you, and keep 'em coming!<br /><br />P.S. A non-knitting-related show-n-tell: the quilt in the background of my pictures was a gift for sweet Stella from the kind and ever-talented <a href="http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/">Amy</a>. (Her Mr. is a friend and co-worker of my Mr.) It's made up of scraps from her vintage sheet collection and it might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-24259385671763180512011-02-14T08:08:00.000-08:002011-02-14T08:20:11.528-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5VMA6aQJEaHDg0m9DE40WLvEMH2H6Jjh-ADZSLX4xq1e0YGJugzrtdswFnXJtt6tIXCFYp2-iMb2Z2vdfh4dgG855i-s78Up9DExRCxmpfx0kuxuSkQAKDs3zoUE26aSn7wvITyKvuYu/s1600/IMG.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5VMA6aQJEaHDg0m9DE40WLvEMH2H6Jjh-ADZSLX4xq1e0YGJugzrtdswFnXJtt6tIXCFYp2-iMb2Z2vdfh4dgG855i-s78Up9DExRCxmpfx0kuxuSkQAKDs3zoUE26aSn7wvITyKvuYu/s320/IMG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573578294287159010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I like you<br /><br />And I know why<br /><br />I like you because<br /><br />You are a good person<br /><br />To like."<br /><br />and<br /><br />"I guess I don't know why I like you really<br /><br />Why do I like you<br /><br />I guess I just like you<br /><br />I guess I just like you<br /><br />Because I like you."<br /></span></div><br />I couldn't resist sharing a thought or two from our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-You-Sandol-Stoddard-Warburg/dp/0395071763/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297699964&sr=1-1">favorite little Valentine's book</a>.<br /><br />After all, it's important to<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">like</span> </span>the people you <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">love</span>, right?<br /><br /><br />Thank you so much for reading my little blog, and Happy Valentine's Day!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-18396298948303344792011-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:002011-02-11T14:54:26.330-08:00love love love-ity love<span style="font-style: italic;">{It's not too late to join in on the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-do-something-good-together.html">knit-a-long</a>. Don't knit? That's okay; just check out my <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/pep-talk-and-virtual-knitting-lesson-1.html">virtual knitting lessons</a>. Help us spread the love and keepy needy babies warm. And don't forget to enter yourself in the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/giveaway-luxury-yarn-and-knitting-bling.html">giveaway</a>!!}</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ir_7WePuhRO6TmRQIZ1X1TPJOMgArs9nh_xQ1zRB80USvlsQDxeJYdKD2pReOsgylONUZacJPFD0vNsTaATHVdQgrBnICfUp5yZV3PFKLS6XYuJiwc6568dJVmOfjQrCTcYr8u-cyG6O/s1600/IMG.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ir_7WePuhRO6TmRQIZ1X1TPJOMgArs9nh_xQ1zRB80USvlsQDxeJYdKD2pReOsgylONUZacJPFD0vNsTaATHVdQgrBnICfUp5yZV3PFKLS6XYuJiwc6568dJVmOfjQrCTcYr8u-cyG6O/s320/IMG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572497886860829410" border="0" /></a><br />I can't believe it was just about 9 years ago that<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">this girl</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">this boy</span> fell in love. A whole heck-of-a-lot has happened since then: 7 moves, 4 kids {3 boys, 1 girl}, 3 college degrees, 2 jobs, 1 mortgage, 1 minivan, and 1 beagle.<br /><br />(Not counted: a bazillion poopy diapers, and who-knows-how-many nights up with sick kids.)<br /><br />It's been a crazy ride, but good.<br /><br />So good.<br /><br />Back when we were poor married college students living on love and ramen noodles, we couldn't afford all the commercialized V-day hoopla. However, the ever pragmatic Mr. Snickerdoodle realized that all that commercialized V-day hoopla suddenly became <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">very</span></span> affordable on the 15th of February.<br /><br />Like magic or something.<br /><br />So he started buying me day-after roses and chocolates. <span style="font-style: italic;">Was I bugged?</span> Heck no! I'll take roses and chocolate any gosh-darn day of the year, thankyouverymuch.<br /><br />Eventually we graduated and moved on to real jobs. With real salaries!! And although Mr. Snickerdoodle could now afford to buy me that commercialized V-day hoopla on the 14th, we quickly realized that finding a babysitter and getting dinner reservations on the 14th was a logistical nightmare. But try to find a babysitter and dinner reservations on the 15th? No problem!<br /><br />Like magic or something.<br /><br />So, we still celebrate love on the 15th of February. Our own private little inside joke against the world.<br /><br /><br />P.S. We don't totally ignore the 14th these days. At our house, it's all for the kiddies. Lots of silly goofy love stuff, although I'm really tempted to start <a href="http://placetobloom.blogspot.com/2011/02/family-valentine-tradition.html">this tradition.</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-17118823925897790442011-02-08T19:10:00.000-08:002011-02-08T19:31:44.727-08:00we interrupt this knit-a-long...I finished up my first cap last night, but I'm still behind in the count. Amy's already whipped up four teeny caps and posted them to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/snickerdoodle/">flickr group</a>. Thanks, Amy!!<br /><br />I'll get pics of mine up on the flickr group soon-- it is stinking cute, if I do say so myself. But today is not the day. Not only are the batteries in my camera dead, but my monkeys have been on a rampage. And the baby was insatiable today, so I spent the entire day nursing. Or so it seemed.<br /><br />Anyways, this post is not an apology for a lack of pics. I just feel compelled to share with the world what I'm up against. It's oddly therapeutic for me to send this report from the trenches of motherhood out into the cosmos. And this is my blog so I can do what I want. (which also includes plagarizing content from my private family blog) Here goes:<br /><br /><br />To say that our big boys are obsessed with the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">How To Train Your Dragon</span> would be a serious understatement.<br /><br />They have convinced themselves that they are real vikings and that our beagle is a fearsome dragon.<br /><br />Recently, they moved every single stick of furniture out of their bedroom. Ok, everything except for the dresser. They got that halfway across the room before they gave up and decided it would be their Viking table. You know, for making Viking weapons and stuff.<br /><br />Apparently, Vikings don't use furniture.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They accomplished this all before breakfast</span>.<br /><br />Later that morning, I came downstairs to investigate when I heard sawing sounds coming from their room. Copper (the latest name that our five year old insists that we call him by) was using a butter knife to remove paint from the orange wall in their room.<br /><br />Apparently, Vikings do not have orange walls.<br /><br />After I confiscated the butter knives, they moved their mattresses back into the bedroom. They patiently explained to me that Vikings do have mattresses, but not bed frames, and <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely </span>not bedsheets.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Apparently,</span> I've got a lot to learn about Vikings.<br /><br />But I draw the line at a fire pit in the Viking bedroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Even if I have to turn into this lady to get a little respect around here.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGKKXbSFPCaNbXdNxdJho6JG3dhAMDpclICa0rdwRTiPGOzNDLbpvoEBBNlfu75QMKJU7zQCHcqZcyCN-SYcSuuF6Qr4fJgBiPgFApuI5KilwF4fKvo9pV8UUPcOrxJJwi3oXVXpdBj8/s400/FatLadySings.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGKKXbSFPCaNbXdNxdJho6JG3dhAMDpclICa0rdwRTiPGOzNDLbpvoEBBNlfu75QMKJU7zQCHcqZcyCN-SYcSuuF6Qr4fJgBiPgFApuI5KilwF4fKvo9pV8UUPcOrxJJwi3oXVXpdBj8/s400/FatLadySings.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3899143359943614919.post-88041482369580369042011-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-07T08:00:02.720-08:00Knitting Tunes<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">{There's still time to join the <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-do-something-good-together.html">Knit for Good Knit-A-Long.</a> Help us make hats to keep needy babies warm, and enter yourself in our <a href="http://snickerdoodlesteph.blogspot.com/2011/02/giveaway-luxury-yarn-and-knitting-bling.html">great giveaway</a>!}</span></span><br /><br />Hey knit-a-longers! How are those hats coming? Now that I'm done with all of that kick-off week craziness, I'm ready to get down to business myself.<br /><br />A great pattern, some nice yarn, a cup of (dairy-free) hot cocoa, <span style="font-style: italic;">napping children, </span>and some cheerful tunes: that's pretty much my idea of a perfect afternoon.<br /><br />Maybe you'd like some good knitting music too? Enjoy.<br /><br /><br /><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyOTcwMTE2Mzk2NjUmcHQ9MTI5NzAxMTY*MzMwOSZwPTY5NDMwMSZkPSZnPTEmbz*5YzNmZWEwZjFjYzE*MGJhOTlk/N2MzYWRiNTcwYzAwNCZvZj*w.gif" /><div style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; visibility:visible; margin-right: auto; width:450px;"> <object width="435" height="270"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=270&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D83861544%26t%3D1297011639&wid=os"></param> <embed style="width:435px; visibility:visible; height:270px;" allowScriptAccess="never" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=270&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D83861544%26t%3D1297011639&wid=os" width="435" height="270" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" border="0"/> </object> <br/> <a href="http://www.playlistproject.net"><img src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/create_gray.jpg" border="0" alt="Get a playlist!"/></a> <a href="http://www.playlistproject.net/playlist/21468555275/standalone" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/launch_gray.jpg" border="0" alt="Standalone player"/></a> <a href="http://www.playlistproject.net/playlist/21468555275/download"><img src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/get_gray.jpg" border="0" alt="Get Ringtones"/></a> </div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01784528619251594328noreply@blogger.com0