See part 1 here. The re-fashioning of the bridal dress continues. I’ve finished the underskirt and begun work on the bodice. Here’s the underskirt, inside out so I could pin the waistband for hand finishing. I love the little train I left on it after raising it a few inches. We’ll see if the recipient […]
Back in August I told y’all I had picked up a chest freezer off Freecycle. I was happy – but man, was it ever beat up. Still, with lots of patience, a can of spray enamel, construction adhesive, and a whole lot of elbow grease, I got it to where I want it. That baby’s […]
Sofía is such a girl. We certainly haven’t been pushing girly stuff at her, so it’s interesting to see how she naturally gravitates to things sparkly and frilly anyway. I mean, she’s only two, there is no Disney in this house, and she’s never seen or worn a princess dress before – but she loves […]
The seedlings I planted for Fall harvests have loved this last week’s rain and cooler temperatures and are all starting to sprout. Buttercrunch lettuce I love how you can direct-seed in Fall because the soil is already warm. The bugs are fewer (slightly), and the cooler temperatures mean plants can survive more easily on their […]
Oh boy does Sofía know how to throw tantrums. She’s not the loudest, kickiest, screamiest baby I ever heard, but she’s darn persistent. She can wail and whimper and whine for half an hour. This new trait has not been helped by the recent proliferation of sweets at our house: first I made a peach […]
I adore olives. Back in Spain where they were ubiquitous on all restaurant tables, I could sure blaze through a bowl or two. Alas, copious olivery went the way of my use of artisanal olive oils as soon as I came back to the States – an olive habit here can get expensive. Ever on […]
What a lovely surprise to find when you crack open your breakfast – a bonus yolk! This is the second double-yolk egg I’ve gotten; I think both of them were from one of the Australorps.
Guess what I was up to this evening? A neighbor down the road has a huge pear tree, absolutely loaded with little fruits smaller than my fist. Last year I just walked by and eyed it longingly; this time I got up the gumption to knock on his door and, when he wasn’t home, leave […]
I bought these dual-flush-conversion kits at Costco about a month ago. For those of you not in the know, a dual-flush toilet has, well, two flushes. You push up for #1 and it dispenses a little bit of water. If you need (ahem) more water, you push the lower button. This can save you around […]
I love pickled beets. Actually I love all beets all ways, but I really love pickled beets. I couldn’t say why, other than we ate them a lot growing up; I’m not generally a fan of pickles. But beets are so firm and so tender, and their color – when processed – is truly magnificent.* […]