Voodoo and Snow White

Whenever given a chance, Missy Moo likes to steal my pins.  She likes to stick them into all kinds of things: pillows, sofa cushions, teddy bears...  Today, this is where I found them: in Snow White.  I'm pretty sure this isn't an anti-Snow White demonstration.  Rather, this is Missy Moo practicing sewing skills that she sees me using.  I must say, I'm pretty excited about the day when she makes her first sewn thingy.  My pride will know no end.

Until then, I'll just let her help me with my projects - which, usually, are really her projects.  For example:

We started this dress last night and finished it tonight.  It was insanely easy and cheap.  Total, I think I spent less than $5 on the costume satin at WalMart (and I have enough to make 2 more dresses) and maybe 3 hours cutting, piecing, and sewing. It would have been less sewing time if I hadn't had to bind every edge without a serger!

For my pattern, I used a wonderful one from Charity over at IndieTutes.  This particular pattern is really a how-to for a peasant top which I shortened.  Then I whipped up a skirt, bunched it with some clear elastic (thanks for introducing that to me Charity!  I LOVE it!), and sewed the top to the skirt.  Truly, I kid you not, this was SO easy.  You should give it a try!

Snow White is waving goodbye!

Guest spot, tutorial, and my first giveaway!

Hey Everybody!

My good buddy and used-to-be neighbor Katie over at The Squid's Accomplice let me steal her spotlight today!  Go take a look and learn how to make hair bows!  While you're over there, enter to win a customized hair bow made by me!

Ciao.

Another day at the Renaissance Festival

The Daddy-Man got some free tickets for the Maryland Renaissance Festival, so that's where we spent our day today.  That's where we were last weekend too.

I must confess that I wasn't loving it as much as I did last weekend.  Several things conspired to poo-poo the day for me.  1) It was hot and humid - not quite Louisiana humid, but close.

2) There were BILLIONS of people - okay, not really.  Just a bunch.  3) Missy Moo was being a serious space cadet.  She kept walking into people, she kept wiping her face paint on me (even though I told her a million times not to!), she almost tripped a little old man.  And, every time I corrected her, she'd go crying off to The Daddy-Man.  Ugh.

4) If taken separately this next combo of evils isn't so bad, but combined they were killer: seriously dirty feet and a really long trek back to the car.  For some reason, I was having an internal fit on our walk back to the car because my feet were dirty and I couldn't stand it.  This is pretty weird for me, but it is what it is.

There were two things today that made it almost all better though.  The first was that I got to watch The Rogues today!  They are an amazing Celtic/Scottish band from the U.S.

And the second is that the Daddy-Man came through on his promise of Popeyes for dinner.  It's really a shame that the local Yankee population has mangled the spiciness of Popeyes, so much so that the HOT tastes like a New Orleans mild.  But, they had air conditioning and iced green tea.  Good enough for me!

Really though, if you want to know the truth, what I really, really enjoyed about Popeyes was that I got to wash my feet in their bathroom sink.  Yeah.  That was AMAZING.  If I had had my camera while I was in there, I would have taken you guys a close up of my dirty feet, followed by a beaming smile from me due to my clean feet status, and then the wet shoe prints I left as Missy Moo and I left the bathroom.

All in all, I guess I enjoyed my day.  I think that our recently busy schedule just caught up to me today.  We've just been going, going, going for the last 5 or 6 weekends and I'm tired.  We had those 2 trips to D.C., the 2 trips to the ren fest, a trip to Oktoberfest, and, before all this, two weekends spent spending too much money on the car at the Columbia Mall.  I fear it's not going to stop anytime soon either.  We've got an end of season soccer party at (of all the horrid places!) Chuck E. Cheese and then a birthday party for a lovely lady Squid of my acquaintance coming up soon.

Oh well.  Better to just live in the moment.  And, in this moment, I am going to go to bed - after I wash off my face paint.  So, ciao.

Oktoberfest...in September... Yeah, I don't get it either.

Tonight we went on out to our local Oktoberfest Festival.  (Is it redundant to add on that other "festival"?) So, here's some new pics!

I'm so glad that she decided to give her pink fairy costume another wear!

Daddy-Man was quite nervous about getting on the ferris wheel.

Bounced around like a little flea

For Pop-Pop

For Donna

For Meme

She insisted we take a picture with the lion.

So, yeah.  We enjoyed this festival more than we thought we would.  I think that the key to having fun is to eat (and use the toilet) before you go!  I hope you had as lovely an evening as we did!

I just knew this would happen...

Weeks ago, I thought to myself, "I'll get a jump on Halloween and make Missy Moo's costume now!  Oh, how clever I am!"  I proceeded to pat myself on the back.

However, I didn't count on Miley Cyrus ruining my plans.

(P.S. Pause Erik Satie over on the left so you can fully enjoy the video...)



One of my old schoolfellows posted this video to her Facebook page and, on a whim, I clicked it this morning while Missy Moo and I were eating our cereal.

Let me just say, Missy Moo was MESMERIZED.  Over the course of the day, we have watched this over a dozen times - probably close to two.  She tells me, "When I'm older, momma, I'm going to sing and dance like that bird lady.  When I grow up, I will be a bird and I will fly all by myself, someday, momma."

So, it only followed that she'd ask to dress like Miley too.

Well, I'm a little bit bummed that she's only worn her pink fairy costume once, but you can never have too many costumes.  Also, I'd like her to win the neighborhood costume contest again this year and while the pink fairy costume is nice, I don't think it's a winner.

So, here's what I've come up with!

The last two pictures aren't the best, but you get the idea, right?  The bodice/top will be thin strapped and it'll be black with black feathers (or fabric feathers) on it.  The colored feather section will be sort of like a bustle, though I'm toying with the idea of just making it an overskirt.  The second layer of feathers, the black ones, would extend to the ground.  Those last, long black feathers would be like a train.

I'm having trouble thinking of some form of headdress.  If you look at the middle picture, you'll see that I've got two ideas: 1) feather thingies sticking up from the top of her head, 2) some form of little hat thingy that's got a bird face on it and beak.  If you've got a suggestion, I'd LOVE to hear it.

What I'm really excited about are the wings!  They'll be like fingerless gloves and I'm toying with the idea of making her some talons - though those don't belong on wings...  LOL.

So, yeah.  I foresee a trip to JoAnn's in my future!  I'll keep you posted on this latest development.  You might even got a tutorial or two...  Who knows?  We'll see!

Yum - Coconut Chicken Curry

Hello Everyone.

I thought that I would share my top secret Coconut Chicken Curry (aka: CCC) with you today to celebrate my Google-able-ness!  Hurray, hurray, hurray!  This is more a Thai type of curry than an Indian - though I would LOVE to learn an easy Indian curry recipe - hint, hint Daffy!

And, while I'm thinking about her, if you've got a moment, you should check out Daffy's Dream for some really great sewing projects and pictures from India!

On with the show....er...recipe.

Coconut Chicken Curry a'la Jade

You will need the following:
  * approx. 3 lbs of chicken
  * two bags of "Asian" frozen vegetables
  * one 14 oz. can of coconut milk
  * some garlic - either fresh or powdered
  * a decent sized onion
  * the magic ingredient: Golden Curry sauce mix - look for it in the "International" aisle
  * three tablespoons of sugar
  * Optional: a heaping tablespoon or two of peanut butter

Step One: Cut the fat off your chicken.  Cut the chicken into bite size bits.  Saute with the onion in a little bit of olive oil and toss in that garlic!

Step Two: I forgot to take a picture of this step, but it's simple.  After your chicken is cooked all the way through, throw in your vegetables and half a cup of water.  Put on the lid and let sit for a couple of minutes so the veggies can heat up.

Step Three: Break up the block of curry mix.  The little tray is indented where the block can easily be broken.  Toss the chunks in.  As they melt, they'll form the sauce.

Step Four: Vigorously shake the coconut milk can, open it, and dump the contents in with the chicken, vegetables, and curry mix.  Fill the coconut milk can up 1/4 of the way with water and dump that in too.

Step Five: Sprinkle the sugar in and stir to distribute.  Now is when you'd add the peanut butter too.  Let everything simmer and thicken while you make the rice.  Though, it occurs to me that if you're not using 10-Minute rice like me, you should have started that earlier.  LOL.

In the meantime, while you're waiting for your rice to cook, check on your spawn.  Mine just happened to be making a delicious dinner of mud pie with ingredients from our compost pile.  Yum.

Anyways, serve over rice!  This recipe is good for 2 adults and one child for two night's worth of meals. We LOVE this recipe.

I like how the steam looks like a ghost!  LOL.

Too tired to write...

But here's a picture or four!

We had a great time today!  If you're in the Mid-Atlantic region and have some money to burn, take a drive down to the Maryland Renaissance Festival!  It runs on the weekends through October 24th.

Smithsonian Institute - Hyperbolic Reef!

Hello Everyone,

This past Saturday, we were down in D.C. again.  Missy Moo wanted to see the animals and dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum, so that's where we went.

Not the greatest picture, but I like it.  :)

As we were wandering around Sant Ocean Hall, I saw a sign for the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef:

That beautiful jellyfish on the sign is actually some crocheted yarn!  Isn't that crazy?!  

So, we hightailed it over to the demonstration table to give it a looksie.  The project organizer briefly taught Missy Moo how to finger crochet.  Then I took over with a crochet hook and whipped up a funky orange and hot pink hyperbolic crochet coral.

The project organizer told me that she's got over 400 people on her email list of contributors and they represent 22 different states.  All of the crocheted pieces were due on Sunday, September 12 and they'll all be featured in a giant handmade reef in the Sant Ocean Hall from October 16, 2010 - April 24, 2011. Because I was able to finish our piece right there, it'll be featured as well and our names will be included in the creators plaque!  I am SO excited and can't wait for October!

Isn't she cute?  She's pretending to read our names.  When we make our return trip, I'll be sure to take some more pictures!

Here are a couple more pictures from our day in D.C.

Missy Moo and her Daddy-Man looking at a penguin skeleton and mural

Me and the Moo in one of the art museums.  I LOVE this painting.

Me and the Moo in front of some coleus at the Botanical Gardens.  She's eating an apple we pilfered from one of their trees.  It was delicious!
 

View of the Capitol Building from the Botanical Gardens.

So, yeah.  That was our day in pictures!  We LOVE D.C.  If you've never been, you should go!

Fundraiser Extravaganza!

Today was the big fundraiser day for our soccer team, The Dragons!  We spent four hours out in front of the commissary with some of our team members.  Our total haul?  Over $500 for just about 3 hours of fundraising.

Not bad.  Not bad at all.

The kids were SO cute!  They were all 3 - 4 years old and dressed in their team shirts.  SO cute!  "Please ma'am!  Please donate to our soccer team!"

I'm glad I didn't have to get through them on my way out the door.  I'd have been several dollars poorer, let me tell you!  Three of them would camp out in front of an exit and would then ambush the nice people leaving the store.  As the helpless victim reached for their wallet, they'd look into those three hopeful faces and then they'd plunk down a dollar in each bucket.  If they only donated into one bucket, two sets of sad eyes would look up and then two more dollars would come out.  It was hilarious!

Let this be a lesson to you: Don't go to the commissary in the fall on the weekend unless you've got $5 in ones to hand out.  You won't be able to resist those sweet faces!

A True Horror Story

Now that I'm rethinking about La Madeleine, I feel I should tell you about some upsetting recent occurrences there.  Forewarned is forearmed!

This past weekend, we were at our local La Madeleine soaking up some French roast coffee and general deliciousness.  I happened to look up and saw a really disturbed customer.  She was frantically pawing through her purse and wasn't finding what she was looking for.

"My wallet.  It's gone!"

Turns out, the couple that had sat at the table over from them had stolen the lady's wallet.  The man/scum kept repeatedly backing his chair up against the lady's chair, knocking into her.  The lady didn't think anything of it aside from, "My purse is zipped," and "Gee, this guy is an ***hole."

After several minutes of this, the woman/scum got up from the table they'd shared without ordering anything.  A minute later, so did the man/scum.  And that was that.  He'd been unzipping her bag and searching for her wallet while bumping her.

Now, yesterday, another lady was stolen from.  This time it was just the woman/scum at the table and she reached back behind her and into the victim's purse.  Then she calmly got up and left.  One of the other customers saw her do this and told the management.  The manager (or one of the employees) ran after the woman/scum as she was leaving and heard her yell to a man/scum in an idling car, "Go!  Go!  Let's go!"

The police came for both occurrences.  Apparently this couple/scummies does this all the time.  They manage to worm their way into a purse and then they high-tail it out to the mall.  The police officer said that the last time they did it, they charged over $1,000 at Nordstrom's.

I cannot imagine the feelings of these two poor ladies.  Such a violation!  I really hope the Howard County police catch these scum.  It doesn't seem like it would take much effort to set up a "sting" operation - just set up a lone female with a cup of coffee, a pastry, and a book and let her sit there with her purse wide open.  Do it for a full week and they're bound to catch them - or am I being naive?

One thing I don't understand is why La Madeleine doesn't have any surveillance cameras!  I guess they covered their butts by posting a "Please Watch Your Valuables" sign.  You'd think they'd want to protect their customers and their wallets so they can continue to spend money there.  Guess they just don't care.

Zombie Girl

My little zombie girl

I just thought I would share a rather scary photo with you today.  Isn't she gruesome?  We spent the day in Columbia - getting lunch at La Madeleine, at the "big park in 'Lumbia" (as Missy Moo calls it), and getting spritz and lippy and eyeshadow at Kohl's.

For today's Halloween line-up, we have:

1. Demon Doll - Here's a new way to bring life back into dead baby dolls...  Mwhahahaha.
2. Nutella Mummies - Nutella and mummies?  What's not to like!
3. Mini Pumpkin Pattern - It is what it is and I love it!

Stay cool.

Tick...tock...goes...the...clock...

I spent a lot of time yesterday looking for that cute little Halloween countdown clock over in the right corner.  I thought to myself, "Mwhahaha!  Now I will know precisely and exactly how much time until Halloween!  Mwhahaha!"

Really though, if I'm being honest, it's making me nervous!  I see all these seconds going by and I'm really thinking to myself, "Oh NO!  Another day is gone and I didn't make anything for my yard!  Oh the agony! I only have 52 days left!"  This is followed by heart palpitations.  What a goose I am.

Here are your Halloween goodies for today!

1. All Free Crafts - Um, the name says it all!  They've got links to lots of cool stuff.  Here's their Halloween page.
2. Disney's Family Fun - I really like this Disney page because they've got stuff for you to do with your kids.
3. Better Homes and Gardens - Here's their list of links for crafts to do with your kids.

Go make something spooky!

Hip hip HOORAY! Halloween is coming!

Oh my giddy god.  Guess what I just remembered is right around the corner?  Guess.

HALLOWEEN!

Mwhahahahaaaa!  I LOVE Halloween and I am oh SO EXCITED that it is now September which means it's one month closer to HALLOWEEN!

However, with this remembrance comes a tinge of bitterness as I was TOTALLY gipped last year in the base-wide yard decorating contest.  See for yourself:

See?  My yard was pretty darn good and almost 100% homemade.  My friend, JR, let me borrow some of her store bought stuff for extra ambiance.  Instead of winning, at least for my neighborhood, some guy who put out a pumpkin at a cafe table and then put up a couple lights did.  Oh the injustice!

At least Missy Moo won for best costume!  I'd like to point out that it too was 100% homemade - except for the headband which was a throwback from Easter...

(Incidentally, if you'd like to make yourself one of these skirts, you can find the tutorial here at IndieTutes.  Charity makes some of the most beautiful stuff EVER and she usually offers the how-to up for free.)

Anyways, this year, I AM GOING TO WIN.  Yep.  I am.  I TOTALLY am.  And, it won't just be the neighborhood contest.  Oh no.  It's gonna' be the base-wide contest.  I am PUMPED!

Let me just take a moment to thank the someone who was instrumental in the tombstone making process: my very great and good friend, Erin, mother of the oh so charming Amelia.

Erin, without your help, those tombstones would never ever have been made.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  I am glad we now have jigsaws.  I hope we have many more wonderful crafting experiences!

And, because I can, here's a picture of the coolest Squid I know:

So, yeah.  I am psyched about Halloween.  In the interest of sharing some coolness, here you go!

1) Mr. Bottle Bones - Here's a great recycling project that turns into a really great SKELETON!
2) Dave Lowe - Mr. AMESOME! - He doesn't call himself Mr. Awesome, but he should.  Here's a list of some of his Halloween decorating tutorials!
3) Pumpkin Rot - This site is great for inspiration!

Fear not!  I will almost undoubtedly share every super cool Halloween thing I find!  And, expect some tutes on outside Halloween yard decor!

Peace.  Love.  AND HALLOWEEN!!!

You've eaten my bread...

Sorry for the hiatus.  Daddy-Man has been off lately, and I find I don't have as much time to write when he's around.

We took a trip down to D.C. last week and it was great.  Missy Moo decided that we were going to the zoo and nothing would dissuade her.  We also made it out to Columbia without having to visit Sears Automotive.  Big yay for that!

Today's pictures are from our trip to Burba Lake (which is really a glorified pond).  We played at the new "sensory" park and then walked around the pond, looking at wildlife.

I'm not entirely sure why it's called a "sensory" park, but Missy Moo really enjoys it.  If you're a Ft. Meade-r, you should check it out!  It's behind the base library.

While we're talking about parks, please allow me to share something that really gets on my nerves: rude children.

Every time we go to a park, Missy Moo says something like, "I'm SO excited to find a friend today to play with!"  She usually spends the first several minutes at the park asking various children, "Will you be my friend?  Would you like to play with me?"  Eventually, she finds one.  Today, however, she was rudely rebuffed by not one, not two, but THREE kids with virtually the same response: "Ew!  I don't want to play with YOU.  You're too little!"

This puts me in mind of a time we went to Chic-Fil-A and three African American kids decided to loudly play "Keep Away From The White Girl!"  Missy Moo ended up in tears because these three kids kept running and hiding from her and acting like she had the plague.  When I went to pick her up, their mother looked me in the eye and was all, "Yeah, I heard them.  What are you going to do about it?"

Seriously, what are parents teaching their kids today?  Aren't we all supposed to accept each other and revel in our differences?  Aren't we supposed to be kind and do unto others as we would have done to us?

Wow.  Sorry.  Angry mommy rant.  These kids, I tell ya!  They SERIOUSLY get on my nerves.  Where do they learn this stuff?  At home.  Who teaches them?  Their parents.  What can be done about it?  I don't know.  I mean, I get that those 3 kids today were a bit older, but they didn't have to be so rude!  As to those kids at Chic-Fil-A, well, nothing can excuse them for their behavior.

Anyways, here are some pictures from today:

I've been working on some renn fest princess headbands lately and she's got one draped around her neck.  She refused to leave it behind at the house for fear that the hair mice would get it.

We figure that because the ducks eat our bread, that gives us leave to chase them!  Like her dress?  It's actually a maternity shirt.  LOL.

Thankfully, she's a happy child and even those mean kids couldn't keep her down.  We saw Canadian geese, a giant snapping turtle, a little red eared slider, some blue gills, a bunch of ducks, and some caterpillars.

We also toured the RV park.  I should mention a very helpful and polite person we met today - a young boy, maybe 7 or 8.  He punched in the code to get into the bathrooms at the RV park for us.  Maybe there is hope for the adults of tomorrow.



Regardless, I hope Missy Moo is strong enough to ROAR at the rudeness and not let it faze her.