Pie, Pie, Pie

(Sung to the tune of The Three Little Kittens)

No sewing, but these pies ought to count for something (they're apple, boughten Pillsbury unroll-n-bake crust, but otherwise homemade, really!) I cooked them up this morning for the TP's school's semi-monthly homemade lunch program.

My subversive plan to cheat on Christmas is working...I've been in a fine mood all week. Saturday the Teen Princess and I march in Oakland's Holiday Parade, and Sunday I hope to knit knit knit and order some gift cards!

And We're Off!

Holiday season is in the air! I got my ornaments in the mail this morning, my spouse promises to do his decoration extravaganza this weekend, and I'm giving myself the first gift of the season!:



Sunday morning I had NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR. I started to go over alllllll I had to do before Christmas, and I felt the stress level creep up and up. And I just decided I'm not going to do it. Nope. Can't make me. Won't go there.




So I formulated a plan, and spent most of the day watching TV while knitting. Big rainstorm outside, chilly temps, and my sweet mom and auntie even made dinner for us (turkey soup!). It was heaven.

Here's my plan:

• Ornaments for everyone (I'm over half done with this).
  
• Gift cards for almost everyone (some for merchandise, others for charities such as The Heifer Project)
  
• Cute Christmas cards (I learned how to use embossing powder!)
  
• Thought-out gifts for my kids and spouse
  
• And finally, because I can now afford it: A holiday attitude toward everyone I meet!
  

Wheeeeeee! A Less Than Perfect Christmas. It feels just perfect.

My Pretties

The closing of Yarn! prompted a brainstorm for me - I am having a hard time making it out back to the sewing studio during daylight hours to sew, and it's going to cost some bucks to install new lighting - not likely to happen soon. I was starting to freak a little about the finishing (starting!) ornaments for cake + pie's swap, especially since I've already received two of them in the mail.

But even on the last day before the shop's closing, there were some lovely gilded yarns...and so, behold!

Inside each one are two little Ghirardelli chocolates. Very sparkly, and re-useable as gift card bags, even!

Ultimate!

The best I'll be able to do wrt sewing this weekend is to hem a new pair of pants, 'cause I spent the weekend learning about Ultimate Frisbee! Great game, even in the pouring rain/howling winds/icy temps we encountered Saturday.

And here, topping off two days of play during which we witnessed the gelling of a new girls' team, is my Teen Princess scoring her second point, against (ahem) the UC Davis Aggies. Yeah, baby, a COLLEGE team. Our girls (7th through 11th grade in this game) almost beat them, too, but in the end fell to the slight height advantage and better time-on-earth stats.

I am totally impressed with this sport. Great athleticism, no refs, great (GREAT) spirit. Humboldt State got together after beating our team and made up a song to honor the girls to the tune of Hit Me Baby One More Time. UCLA came and cheered our team on during the match against Davis. Our two teams got public props on the Ultimate boards, and great support from the people running this college tourney. It was really a fabulous, if exhausting, weekend.

Sausalito is done, really done (no more ripping!), except for the sleeves...hmmm. A vest?

When Pigs Fly

I *did* sew some this week, I really did.

Did I make ornaments for the swap?

No.

Did I work on those long-promised baby quilts?

I did not.

Did I work on the skirt I said I'd finish months ago?

Um, nope.

And in the background of the first photo you can see the Most Exciting Purchase since the car. Well, better, even - 'cause I got it for $100 plus buyers' fees at auction. A nearly-antique, grown-up, not hand-me-down, perfect scale for the room, beautiful dining table and 6 chairs (including what my husband calls the King's Chair, with arms). And, to welcome the set to the house and bring the living and dining areas together, I covered the seats in the same fabrics you see in the pillows, each different.

So...matchy and yet not.

This entire weekend will be spent driving teenagers back and forth to an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Santa Cruz (about 1.5 hours away), and I'm starting to panic a bit about my ornaments for the swap. I have no light in the sewing space right now (long story), so I have to work there during the day. The Flickr photos show perfect, creative, adorable ornaments...um...what have I got myself into?

Sherrod My Man!

Sherrod Brown has been declared winner in Ohio. Thanks to those who contributed to his campaign! I feel empowered!

Don't know if the senate will be lost to the GOP, but the predictions are that the Republican lock on the house is ended, and for me...that is enough good news for one night!

It means we're not lonely voices in the wilderness any longer. And that's a good, good feeling.