Marsbarn Designs...

A Story for Little E.

From Big E.

Little E. has been ill all weekend. In an effort to persuade her to sleep, I read the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to her. It's a treat. We haven't let her listen to the second book on tape. It's the first time she has heard the story.

 My little squiggly wiggly lay still at my side as I read to her in bed. 

H read the next chapter later in the afternoon.

Sweetheart G read the third before bed.

This morning, minutes after I woke, she came into my bedroom with the book. I read her the fourth chapter.

She informed me I could now quiz her on the book when ever I liked.

Sweetheart G's reading the next chapter as I type.

It's a treasure to share a book together.

It's like the riddle of the Sphinx, but with calories.

The riddle of excercise.  
The more I exercise, the hungrier I get,
and the more I feel entitled to eat.

If the equation reads like this:
cardio=hunger+license to eat
why can't there be mathematical reciprocity?
Why can't the equation be read backward like this:
hunger+license to eat=cardio.
So totally unfair.

 

The March Everyday Food has this section on sweet baked goods make with pizza dough. This is the reason my family has had pizza for dinner 2 out of the past 3 nights. 
I had to give it a try, right? It was research.  

I make up the dough, divide it in half, be virtuous with the first bit (pizzas and then calzones the second night), and then add goodies to the second half.  The Everyday Food people have you add simply obscene amounts of butter and sugar, and I did reel that back quite a bit on the first night. And then to the second night's sweet dough, after decreasing the butter again by half, I added some chocolate chips.  It was an excellent trade.

To add a bit more good to the virtuous side, I did sub whole wheat flour for a quarter of the white flour in the dough.  Yes, it is a bit like holding my thumb down on the scale to tip the balance, but it must count for something, right?

 

The photos.. not a one of food.

How does that happen?  How do I end up with a bazillion photographs of sewing projects (this is a new prototype for a dice bag), but fail to take a single shot of the chocolate chip sticky buns?  Obviously this is some sort of failure of character.

Wanted: New Millennia Fairy Godmother

I've spent the morning cleaning toilets, sweeping stairs, washing dishes, and doing laundry.  Of course, the more I do, the more I see needs to be done.  There is an over flowing sewing table mocking me in the corner as I contemplate whether to shower or put in another load of laundry.  

This is where the Fairy Godmother comes in.  Cinderella had her priorities all out of order.  When she was slaving away cleaning, and her Fairy Godmother appeared, she should have said, "Hey, take care of the household chores so I can go and find a sense of personal expression and fulfillment!" not "I want to meet a prince!" or "I want to go to the ball!"

Honestly, what I need is a New Millennia Fairy Godmother who does windows.  She could float around in her Disney-inspired-technicolor-HD-quality floating soap bubble and clean the house.  The dishes would magically wash and re-stack themselves, the stove top would be clean and shiny, dust bunnies would be an endangered species, the laundry would be not only clean, but put away, and I.. I would be elbow deep in sewing projects with out the lingering aura of guilt that so often sits in the corner throwing spitballs in my hair.

Auction book exit stage left, 4th grade project take center stage, with one more project in the wings..

This morning I bound and packaged the first run of the Auction Book.

There was a mix up at the copy shop with our estimate, and we aren't making quite the profit per issue that I would have liked.  Still, this is a project that I am very proud of.  The quality of the images is just what I wanted, and I think that is more important than profit or who does the binding.

 

This morning, as I dropped off the first set of books, I learned that the last Scholastic release form had been turned in.  This means that we will be able to submit our class book to the Scholastic Kids Are Authors program.  

So, with one auction project down, I've moved my full attention to the 4th grade project.  
Know what? (Watch me tempt fate here.) 
After I finish the 4th grade wall hanging, I'll only have ONE in-progress quilting project (a commissioned queen sized quilt that has been patiently waiting in the background).
I'm savoring this sense of eventual freedom.  I'll leave my dance card open, so I can do some smaller, more casual projects when the queen sized quilt is done.... (Lets not talk about how long that will be, okay?)

The pages of the book can be seen here.

fiber and some fabric too!

A very quick note to say that this was a much better day.

Big E took me to Staples.

Oh ya.  Office supply excitement!

I now have a rockin' supply of 9x12" manila envelopes and 500 shipping tags (you know you're jealous), and I have had my mind put at ease about my choice of copier for the auction book.

Then the man (ready for this wildness) took me to Fabric Depot.

I know!

I was very well behaved and actually stuck to my list of needed fabrics.  I am happy to say that my stash has now been completely replenished with tone on tone brights, and I have the fabric I needed to finish up Sweetheart G's class Auction project!  

Plus last night I drowned my feelings of anxiety about the fragility of life by baking up a storm of high fiber goodies.  Pumpkin bread, pineapple bran muffins, and the best chewy granola bars ever.  (Honestly the granola bars are the BOMB.  I put dried apricots, golden raisins, wheat bran, flax seeds, unsweetened shredded coconut, maple syrup, cashews, and salted almonds in mine.  

(The muffins were from the latest issue of Everyday Food, and the recipe isn't up on the MS site yet.)

when the day calls for some comfort

You know those days when your heart just feels tired, and you want to surround yourself with your safe, cozy, happy things while and say "Lalalalala... happy thoughts, happy thoughts.. lalaallalaala.."?  

Ya, that's kind of where I am right now.
Another one of Big E's co-workers has died.  
He was coming from work, and was involved in a freak car accident.  On a dark, rural road he collided with a stalled dump truck that had turned out its lights, and was rolling backward.
If we are able to go, this will be our second funeral this year. 

That accident occurred the day after Big E's brother's work car was hit broadside by a semi-trailer.
 Amazingly, his only injury was a bruise on his hand.

So, this is why I'm letting the girls eat whatever they want for dinner tonight.  It's one of those nights where I just can't deal with the whole cooking/Food Pyramid thingie. Nope.  It looks like we'll be eating leftover chicken and breakfast cereal for dinner.  

First grade Auction Quilt Project: Little e's edition: The book

(If you find my post through an internet search for "Auction Projects" would you please see the note at the bottom of this post?  Thank you!)

One of the conflicting parts of auction projects is that the final product can only go home with one family.  This year our project yielded three wall hangings, so perhaps three families will take home a part of our collaborative project, but this still leaves 27 families empty handed.  

So, this year, in addition to making wall quilts, we also made a book using photos of the fabric art as illustrations.  (I talk a bit more about the process here.) This way every family has a chance to take home part of the project.  The books will be sold (for $10 each) to as many families as would like them.  The money raised (after paying off materials) will be added to our auction donation.

The story begins: 
"Last  night I dreamt that I went for a walk, and on that walk I saw..."
These were the words I used to prompt the students when we brainstormed ideas for each letter of the alphabet.  I used details the students had shared with me about their drawings to fill in the details of the book. 

Here's a sample of our book:
(Click on the images to make them larger.)

  

 

Yesterday, when I went to school to show the teacher the first draft of the book,  she had me read the story to the class instead.  It felt a bit like a trial by fire, but the students loved the book.  They were attentive throughout (which is amazing at the end of a long school day!).  There were gasps and squeals and giggles as I read the story.  At the end, the class gave the project a thumbs up and a silent cheer. What a thrill!

(A brief note... I know a lot of people find my auction projects through internet searches.  I love this sharing of information, but could I ask a small favor?  If you find me in this way, would you please leave a comment?  I'd like to know if my posts are helpful and what sort of a project you end up making.  Heck, I'd be thrilled with just a "Hiya! I'm from a school in...."  Thank you!)

A little bit of sweet thoughtfulness on a Monday morning.

We are entering a new era here at the Marsbarn.  Sweetheart G, as part of her new double digit status, is learning to cook. We're starting small, with a dinner here and there.  Her first meal was pesto pasta with chicken on Sunday night.  She did a great job, but it lead to this conversation on the way to school Monday morning.

Little e: Mom, I'm worried I'm going to hurt Sweetheart G's feelings.

me: Oh, how is that?

Little e: Well, when I say you are the best cook.

me: Explain.

Little e: Well, now that we have two people cooking in the house, you and Sweetheart G, I am afraid that I might hurt Sweet G's feelings when I say  (whisper voice) you are the bestest cook.

One last valentine treat

I have one last project to share from Valentine's Day, and then tomorrow I'll move on to other things, like auction projects.

My Mom and I both have this crush on red plaids made by Pendleton Woolen Mills.

 

Okay, our feelings probably run more toward love...
or obsession.

So for Valentine's Day I made my Mom a rose corsage out of some red plaid yardage.  
I was really rather pleased with the way it turned out, as I made it on a whim and without a pattern. 

playing a bit of catch up

So, while the computer was getting its star spa treatment,
in between the seaweed wrap and herbal detox,
we did a little thing called Valentine's Day.

There were hugs and kisses.

(I had fun renewing my relationship with embossing powder.
Happily, I discovered that embossing powder will keep for at least twenty years.
Ya, what does that say about my craft hoarding habits?)

 

And there were sweet sentiments in felt.

Of the valentines I made this year, this was my favorite.
It's made from felt.  The heart shaped words are interchangeable, and live (when not in use) in that little pocket.

The hearts have little slits cut in them to slip over the buttons.  

I used this valentine from JCasa *handmade as my inspiration, but I stamped my words on instead of embroidering them. 

The bird cutouts are from FIX Designs in New Zealand. 
They sell wonderful, wonderful things, with the fastest international shipping EVER! 

 

And there was just a bit of snarkiness to keep things from getting sappy.

(This is one of Big E's valentines. The illustration is recycled from a calendar by Linnea Designs.)

All of the valentines above were made at the group valentine making sessions I had this year.  I definitely want to do it again next year!