Monday is Pants Day!

So, here are the two pairs of pants I made today. I really love the butterfly ones, but the denim ones need help because of this morning's iron-on disaster (see post below). Please feel free to let me know if you have some ideas on how to save the denim pants. Other than the messed up decal, they are fine.

Naptime

This morning I was lulled into a false sense of having a smooth day. After breakfast, I took the baby for a short walk, and then she played by herself nicely while I worked on making her some pants. Aaahh! "I can do stuff while the Peanut is awake," I thought to myself. Pants are an easy 30 minute project, and I finished them up no problem. These ones are plain denim, and I decided they needed a little personality, so I got out an iron-on patch I found in the clearance aisle at Michaels and began applying it, carefully following the directions on the package. That's when the wheels started to come off, slowly at first, but gaining momentum until there were wheels flying dangerously about the house in all directions. First, only half of the iron-on patch adhered to the pants, so they look ridiculous. I couldn't peel off the part that DID stick, so I will need some kind of new patch to put over it. So much for 50-cent iron-ons. Then, as I was trying to figure out a plan to save the pants, I noticed that while I was busy with pant-making, the baby had pooped a huge gross poop that was by now all over her clothes. So I went to change her diaper, and mid-change I ran out of wipes, so I had to wrestle the baby and keep her feet up (she wanted them down) so the poop didn't get all over the table, while trying to open a new package of wipes, which requires two hands, and trying not to say any cuss words.
I have recovered now. The baby is napping, and I've had my lunch, and after re-reading what I've written so far, I realize it wasn't really so bad. Still, I think I am going to get a pieice of my Easter chocolate and go sit in my chair for a few minutes.

Best Day Ever

I got a balloon! I got a balloon!

Tara Ingalls Wilder?

On more than one occasion recently, GG has commented that I would have been a good pioneer, and although this is very flattering, I feel I must set the record straight. So here is why I would make a terrible pioneer:

• I do not like to lift heavy things
• I do not like bugs of any kind
• I do not like dirt, especially if it is on me. I particularly do not like dirt on my hands or feet
• I have a very narrow window of comfort. Over 76 is too warm, below 67 I get chilly. That does not even factor in wind or humidity.
• I would rather starve than have to kill and skin my own chickens
• Indoor plumbing is a must
• Where would I plug in my sewing machine?*

So, as you can see, my enjoyment of knitting and sewing and birdwatching and baking pies and so forth makes me more of a square old lady than a pioneer. But that's OK with me.

*(There are many more reasons, which I am sure the people who know me well would enjoy telling you about, but they probably shouldn't so they don't get in trouble. )

Go Joe!

It was recently both Easter and Kev's and my anniversary (4 years). We don't really do anniversary gifts. We usually just go out somewhere. This year we went to Cafe Madrid, which might very well be my favorite restaurant in Dallas. It has great Tapas, and as we found out this time, delicious desserts. Go there if you can. Get stuff that has manchego cheese on it. You will not regret it.

For Easter, we usually give each other a small basket of stuff, and this year, among the fancy mustards and Walker's shortbread cookies that are staples in Kev's basket, he got a GI Joe. Not the new crummy one, but the original GI Joe, with fuzzy hair and kung-fu grip. Kev keeps Joe on the computer desk, and sometimes when I come in to check email, I will find Joe in a different pose. It gives me something to look forward to. His current pose is pictured above.

In my Easter basket, I got the usual supply of chocolate to get me through until my birthday, and some bird post-it notes, and this gift certificate (below) to my favorite yarn store! Isn't it pretty? I can't bring myself to open it and ruin the wrapping job. It came with a little chocolate sheep. Nice touch. Kev is cool for going into the yarn store to buy it. He's probably the only straight guy besides the mailman to ever go in there. I need to decide on my next project so I can go buy some yarn.

Kev took the Peanut to New York for Easter to visit his family. She had a great time with aunts and uncles and cousins and dogs and Kev's mom and dad. I stayed home. Four whole days by myself. I spent most of the first day crying/worrying, but once they called to let me know they had arrived safe and sound, I began a sewing frenzy not to be believed. I made 2 skirts for myself, an apron, a skirt for Daphne, the re-cycled fruit skirt from the other blog, a tote-bag, and a few t-shirts. It was fun. But what I should have done was relax. Because by the time they got back, I was exhausted.

I lack the ability to relax at home. If I am home, there are things to be done, so I can't justify not doing them. I have to actually be removed from home to a place with nothing to do if I am going to do nothing but relax. I think the last time this happened was on the cruise I went on with my mom and aunts a couple years ago. When you are stuck out at sea, you can't really have a sewing frenzy.

I am going to have to work on this, because I am pretty keyed up most of the time, and I don't see a whole lotta cruises in my future. Step one is making myself go sit in my chair at least once a day. I think I'll do it now. I'll lament about the Mavericks first play-off game some other time.

Go look at the nice furniture Fooie made...it's on his blog. I envy his woodworking skills.

Going through the tunnel...Not sure I like it

Going through the tunnel...Not sure I like it
Originally uploaded by Tara Holt.

Green Baby

This is a picture of the Peanut back in August of 2006 wearing her beautiful fruit halter dress that her daddy bought for her. Sadly, it did not fit her for very long, and at her age, she could only lie around in it or be propped up for a quick picture. So, in honor of Earth Day 2007, I re-fashioned her fruit dress into the skirt you see below, which will probably fit her for a while. I am hoping it will fit her long enough for her to learn to twirl around in it. When she outgrows it, a square of it will go into a quilt I am planning to make with my favorite first-year outfits. Also in the spirit of recycling, the watermelon shirt was made by using some of my scrap fabric to applique onto a onesie. Go Team Earth! See, the baby is even cheering!

When Camels Cry

The closest movie theater to our house is the Angelika, so we see a lot of "art" films. It's pretty hit or miss with these movies. Some are great, but many are awful - trying too hard to be quirky or smart or surreal or whatever. A couple of years ago,, though, we were lucky enough to see The Story of the Weeping Camel, which is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. Last week it was on the IFC, so we recorded it and watched it again. I think I liked it even more the second time, maybe because I have a baby now. Anyway, I looked it up, and it is on IFC a couple of times during the day next Wednesday. I HIGHLY recommend that you set your VCR, DVR, PVR, TIVO, or whatever you have and record this movie. You will NOT see any explosions, cool spy gadgets, or long and drawn-out car chases. It is a slow, calm movie. There are sub-titles. You have to pay attention. But if you don't like it, I'll be shocked. So next Wednesday, put the kids to bed, get yourself a cup of hot tea and a cookie, put on your housepants and get your quillow (if you are lucky enough to have one), and watch this movie. You will go to bed relaxed and happy and wishing you lived in a yurt.

(Look it up on Wikipedia for more info).

Pretty Things

Some of you might remember a couple of years ago when Kev got me this chair for my birthday (http://housepants.blogspot.com/2005/08/hello-37.html#comments) It is more than just a piece of furniture. It is a Tara Place. A place where I could sit and read or write or think about making various pants or whatever I wanted to do. My own little spot in our house. I love my chair, but I hardly ever get to sit in it these days. I am going to try to spend more time there. I think it would be good for me. Anyway, this is a picture of the chair, but as you can see, something about the worn-out salmon-colored pillow from Kev's batchelor days detracts from the whole idea of it being a Tara Place.

I like pretty things. Flowery stuff. Lace. Girly-girl things. They makes me feel happy. Sometimes, I think there aren't enough pretty things in my life. Like on Monday. So I made this pillow for my chair. Aaaaahhh. Much better, huh? I am going to go sit there right now.

(When I say girly, I mean simple girly, not extreme girly).

Paloozahead Peanut

http://www.paloozahead.com/25357-e64d

click link for silliness.

Pantsapalooza

You may recognize this fabric from the pile I got at the antique store the other day. Some of it, as you can see, is now pants for the Peanut. I used Simplicity 3941 which was in the Sewing for Dummies section of the pattern book, so the pants were REALLY easy to make. I knocked them out in about 45 minutes. I used the 18 month size though, so they are too big, and Daphne will have to wait to wear them later. I am going to make some more in the 12 month size in the meantime. This opens up all sorts of pants possibilities. I can make her some housepants. I can make her some plain denim pants and stick groovy patches on them or I can embroider them. I can put ribbon or lace trim on the bottoms of the legs of some pants. I have a lot of pant-making plans in the works. I'm having a hard time thinking about anything else.

Map

Here is the floating England weather map I was talking about. I think it is gone now.

I started sticking bows in the Peanut's hair recently so people would stop thinking she's a boy, but now she has figured out how to get them out and I'm afraid she'll eat them.

Twister

We spent some family time in the bathroom last night as tornados blew through the Metroplex. Normally I don't get too worried about this stuff, but last night the warning sirens went off, so I figured it was pretty serious. So we all gathered in the bathroom for a little while, lit some candles, and Kev entertained us with some ukulele. It was almost kinda fun.

The weather reporters around here get all excited when there is anything going on, so they sort of tend to blow everything up. I don't mind, really. Better to err on the safe side. But it drives Kev crazy.

Kev said last night that if he was the weatherman, he would wear a costume. I thought he meant like he'd come dressed as the weather of the day, like he'd show up in a cloud suit, or a big lightning bolt. But it turns out he meant he'd dress up like Napoleon or George Washington or people like that. It would be pretty good schtick actually. I'd watch.

When I was in England, the national weather was delivered by a guy in Liverpool who stood on a giant map of England that was floating near the docks on the Mersey. He would hop around the floating England and tell what the weather was like in various parts of the country. I'd like to see Kev do that on a US map floating in the Mississippi in his Mark Twain suit.

Anyway, we didn't have a tornado after all.

Blog Backlog

Dang. I have so much to blog about and so little time. I wanted to blog about my Big Weekend of T-Time Sewing Extravaganza, and our Palo Pinto Easter-versary celebrations, and various Peanuty bits and pieces, but something always gets in the way of my blogging time. I will try to get back to it soon. I am sad to say that nobody else seems to be doing much blogging lately either. Except for Fooie (http://mindsquirt.blogspot.com/ ), and you should all go read his latest blogs because they are funny (cuss-word warning).

Here is a quickie from me. Today I took the Peanut for a stroll down to the local antique store, and pictures are my findings: A cool ukulele book for Kev (above), and a stack of pretty vintage fabrics for me (below). Don't know what I'll use them for yet. Something pretty for Daphne I reckon.

I am sad that the great Kurt Vonnegut has passed away. Read his stuff. It is genius.

I have found a new radio station for when I need a break from talk radio. It is The New Movin' 107.5. It plays stuff like Prince and Madonna and cool old hip-hop, and some bad stuff in between. I finally heard the Holla Back Girl song. I didn't really get it. She's going along OK, and then starts spelling banana. She lost me there. Nice beat though.

April 5, 2003

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KEV!!!!!