Decorate with recycled sweaters

I just got around to listing a few of my recycled sweater pillows on Etsy. Currently, I have them all in my living room and to be honest, I won't be all that sad if some of them don't sell.

Sunday Dinner

I thought this looked so lovely, I had to take a picture, this was tonight's dinner. Here are links to the recipes along with my modifications:

Grilled Chicken Breasts: I only marinated for a few minutes, not overnight, grilled for 10-15 minutes after baking for about 20 minutes.
Pilafian's Pilaf: omitted salt and used 2 T oil rather than butter
Grilled zucchini: baked in oven for a few minutes with the chicken, sprayed with Pam and sprinkled with Italian seasoning, cooked on grill alongside the chicken for a few minutes.

Dessert will be: Oatmeal bars and vanilla ice cream: I double the oatmeal bar recipe and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 9x13 pan. Sorry no photo of the oatmeal bars. They are a "regular" in the HomeMadeOriginals household.

Birthday Banner Ideas

I think I'd like to make a birthday banner for my grand daughter's first birthday. Today, I spent some time exploring the web looking for ideas and thought you might enjoy seeing these in case you are contemplating making a banner too. Click on any of the pictures to go to the page where I found these banners. Most include detailed instructions. Check back later to see what I decided to make!

PS Blogger continues to frustrate me in terms of placement of photos...this is the best I could do. -)

Twin Sweaters

I've returned from a short trip to California.

Highlights:

• Seeing my 10 month old grand-daughter cruise, laugh, and dance


• Visiting The Channel Islands National Park
  
• Completing the second "Drifting" kids sweater and delivering both of my '"twin sweaters" to their intended recipients.

Summer's Here....Or is it?

They say that summer's here, or at least that's one of the topics for this week's Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival and summer does officially start Sunday, the 21st, in the Northern Hemisphere. However, you wouldn't know that from looking around here. It is green, practically lush which is saying something for this high desert climate. I've joked about starting to build an ark because we've had rain for all but two days in June so far. I've been reminded of the year I lived in Seattle AND why I didn't stay there. I started to feel like moss was growing on my feet.

My memories of summer growing up involve days by the neighborhood pool, backyard barbecues, and hand cranked ice cream....running through the sprinklers to cool off and climbing up into my neighbor's tree. It was always hot (I grew up in Central California) but I don't recall being bothered much by the heat. It's June

18th and I'm getting impatient for some hot summer days.

Since it's nowhere to be found here in Southeast Idaho, I'm going to see if I can find summer in California. I'm packing my "pedal pushers" aka "clam diggers" aka capris and my suntan lotion in high hopes that I will finally find some sun. I'm packing my camera and most importantly some yarn and knitting needles, because I plan on knitting while I travel and maybe even when my grand daughter is napping. I don't plan to come back with a sun tan, but I hope I can bring a sunny disposition back home with me. These photos of my son enjoying his pool about 25 years ago are getting me in a summer state of mind.

Featured Blogger of the Month

This month's featured blogger is...LazyTCrochet. I assume the "T" in her blog/shop name is for Tricia.

Visit her blog...she crochets, she knits, she cooks, she posts wonderful giveaways on her blog, like this one from Cleveland Handmade.

She and I share two Etsy teams, Etsy Bloggers and EtsyFAST (fiber arts) so we cross paths quite often online.

And you really must visit her Etsy shop. The blue photo above shows one of my favorite items in her shop currently, but I also love the other item, the fisherman's knit collar which I found in her sold items.

PS Blogger is not cooperating with me, I'm unable to move my photos around where I want them. ARGHHHHHHH! And it is raining again! I'm going to quit and go watch a movie.

Blogabsentia

Sorry I've been mostly absent from Blogland the last few weeks. I just haven't felt inspired. I've felt about as lazy as my cat, Snickers (above). We had 14 days of rain in 15 days of June (today is possibly the second day in the month without rain, but there are still 5 hours left before midnight!) At work, my mentor and friend retired and as I watched him pack up and leave, I mourned that he would be gone from my work life and also very much envied him the freedom that comes with retirement from a 40+ hour a week career.

I have a short trip coming up where I will get to see my 10 month old grand-daughter and that is sure to rejuvenate my soul.

I continue to knit, my current project is another fair isle toddler sweater that was "commissioned" by a work colleague who saw sweater #1 and wanted it in brown, for a boy. I'm working on a few modifications to the pattern (Drifting Kids Sweater) that will make it more boyish. Photo to come soon. In the meantime, I too feel I am drifting like the sweater.

Crunchy Romaine Salad

I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of this salad before we ate it. Recipe came from Idaho Power's customer newsletter for May and is a wonderful change from your typical salad. I think a few green onions would have been a nice addition but I didn't have any.

Crunchy Romaine Salad Salad

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• ¹⁄8 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, broken into small pieces

• 1 tablespoon butter

• ¼ cup sliced almonds

• 2 cups chopped broccoli

• 1 small head romaine lettuce, torn

Dietary information per serving:

Calories: 150

Fat: 9g

Protein: 4g

Carbohydrates: 16g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Sodium: 180mg

Fiber: 2g

To make dressing combine sugar, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight

fitting lid; shake well and set aside. Sauté noodles, butter, and almonds in a skillet until golden

brown. In a large bowl combine romaine and broccoli. Just before serving toss romaine with

dressing and noodles.

Makes 8 servings; each about 1 cup.

Fair Isle Cutie

I've finished my first Fair Isle sweater. Here are the particulars:
Pattern: Drifting Kid's Raglan Pullover from Inspired Fair Isle Knits by Fiona Ellis
Yarn: Plymouth Encore DK, 2 skeins of 2 main colors, 1 skein of 4 other colors
Size: 18 months (but it appears much larger in spite of knitting a swatch)
Started May 25, finished June 5
Matching buttons to be added for left side when I receive them.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

A Special Jewel

One of the Etsy blogger's bi-weekly themes this time is: "June's birthstone is the pearl or moonstone. June's flower is the rose. Share your favorites or stories or blog on June symbols of your own." At first I drew a creative blank on both proposed topics for the Blog Carnival, but then I remembered something my father did years ago.

It was my 16th birthday and to commemorate he had gone to the local jeweler to find something special for his daughter. I was excited as I opened the little wrapped box. I think it was the first "real" jewelry I ever received. It was my birthstone, a topaz, but the stone was very large and although I think I tried to hide my disappointment, he knew immediately that I wasn't thrilled. So, he told me that he wanted to take me to the jewelry store and make sure there wasn't something I would like better. At first I insisted that wasn't necessary and thanked him for the ring, but he persisted and a day or two later he drove me down to the jewelry shop. I eagerly picked out a ring that was more to my liking which I have to this day. It's a single pearl with a small diamond accent. That act by my Dad and the ring made it a very special "sweet sixteen" for me.



While on my recent Arizona travels, I purchased a lovely hand crafted topaz necklace for myself. So finally, I have my topaz too. Interestingly, I picked out the necklace without realizing the stone was topaz. Now each time I wear it, I smile, thinking about my Dad and how he made my 16th birthday so special that I still remember 44 years later.