Huggermugger

Featured on the CAST blog

2011-03-28T08:56:00.003-04:00

This weekend, a set of my wooden word ornaments was featured here on the CAST blog!

CAST stands for Christian Artists Street Team, a group of Etsians who publicly profess their faith in Christ as our savior.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27.

Back. Again.

2011-03-07T16:51:00.005-05:00

Since the last time I blogged, we've moved, we're mostly unpacked, and I'm starting to get back into crafting. At last! Which means I'm also getting back to my blog :-)

I just listed this sweet hat in my shop:

It's a 6-12 month hat I made from 100% merino wool. Divinely soft! And I love the happy, springy colors, don't you?

Here's my current project:

Yes, I'm knitting! Crazy, I know. I realized I'd pretty much forgotten the little I'd learned about knitting, so I decided to jog my memory and use up a bit of left-over yarn and make something small for Mercy -- I was thinking a Barbie blanket for her to play with when she's older, but I think I'm going to run out of yarn before I make a whole blanket, so it'll be more like a Barbie throw or rug or something. But again, don't you love these colors? Bright and cheery, and I love them!

And finally, my friend Julie from This Cosy Life gave me this gorgeous yarn as an early birthday gift:

It's hand-dyed cotton chenille from Etsy shop Crochet 4 U 2 Dye 4. I'm going to make Mercy a sun hat from it as soon as I finish my little knitting project. Fun, fun, fun!

Confessions of a Control Enthusiast

2011-01-20T22:06:00.004-05:00

This post is going to get personal. Just so you know. Not in a weird, icky, tabloid way; I'm just going to discuss some stuff that's going on in my life and some of my own inner struggles. It's not going to be one of my happy, perky crafting posts.

I am a control enthusiast. I borrow that term from Joss Whedon, who used it to describe himself in the commentary on some episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I forget which one. I loved that term, because I feel like it describes me better than the more usual "control freak." I am enthusiastic about controlling things. I like to have plans, I like to know what's going to happen when, and I often have a real difficulty dealing with having my plans changed. It's something I struggle with a lot lately, since babies and three-year-olds rarely adhere to any kind of coherent schedule and don't generally consult me about what I think their itinerary should be today.

Well, today, a bunch of stuff in my life totally derailed. I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but we're moving to Virginia because my hubby's being transferred to a new position in DC. This is really exciting for us, and we've already gone there and found a new apartment. We were told that our travel-down-there date would be January 27th, and then Larry would have the 28th off to help unpack, and he'd be able to start work the 31st.

And now those plans have all fallen through. The moving company won't get here to pack up our stuff until the 28th and, according to them, it could be several days -- up to two weeks! -- before they deliver our goods. I don't know what kind of Mickey Mouse moving company this is, but frankly, I think something is rotten in the state of Connecticut. This is but the latest in a long series of screw-ups, mistakes, and fall-throughs involved in this transfer. Everything seems to have gone awry that could possibly do so, from lost paperwork to bank snafus to illnesses.

And I realized tonight that maybe this is a message from God for me. A reminder that I can't control much of anything. I can call myself a control enthusiast, I can make plans all I want to, but in the end, God "works all things after the counsel of his own will." (Ephesians 1:11b) The truth is, I need to stop trying to control my life, my children, and the US Department of State, because that's not my job. It's God's job. I need to quash my hubris, quell my pride, and stop trying to do his job for him. Because, clearly, I'm no good at it at all.

So, with much prayer for strength, I am going to try not to make any more plans about this move. I am going to just deal with each day as it comes and trust that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) We will get moved to Virginia, our worldly goods will be delivered to our new home, and in another month we'll be smiling as we realize everything worked out after all.

Hand Knit Hand Me Downs

2011-01-17T19:58:00.005-05:00

My friend Julie from This Cosy Life has had an awesome idea. Those of us who knit and/or crochet occasionally make something that doesn't fit its intended recipient, that doesn't turn out quite the way we wanted, or that we're just plain tired of. What do we do with those handmade items? If we give them to a thrift store, will the person who acquires it know how to care for it? But throwing them away is wasteful, and storing them forever is impractical.

So Julie has created Hand Knit Hand Me Downs, a Flickr group for people with hand knitted or crocheted items that they no longer have a use for, but that still have good wear in them. You offer them for free, only asking that the recipient share a photo of the item being worn/used. Anyone who knits or crochets can join and offer or ask for items. You can join the group here, and also with the complete rules for joining.

I've joined, and I've already thought of several items I'm going to offer once I've finished moving. So in a couple weeks or so, lol. Speaking of moving, we went on our hunting trip and found an apartment, so won't be long and we'll be living in the great state of Virginia! Woo!

My First Treasury for 2011

2011-01-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

The title is "I Want You, I Need You, Oh Baby, Oh Baby!" That's a line from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, one I quote quite a lot :-) The first four items illustrate the title, and the rest of the items carry out the burgundy-and-grey theme. I hope you like it!

2010 in My Rearview Mirror

2010-12-31T17:11:00.010-05:00

It's been such an amazing year! My daughter came into the world, my son turned three, my brother graduated from law school, my husband got a new job that he'll be starting before long... and my shop has done me proud.

I don't know about you, but the last few days of the year always make me introspective. What went right this year? What didn't? What do I need to work on in the coming twelve months? What do I want to improve on?

I know my parenting skills need work. I lose my patience too often, even my temper sometimes, and I need to get better at maintaining my cool. I also need to take more time for Dano -- he's had a rough ten months, having to share his world with a noisy little stranger. I try to spend Mercy's morning nap time with him, doing whatever he wants, but lately I've been squeezing laundry or dishes or checking email into that time slot, which is not at all fair to him. Having my Mom here the last week and a half illustrated very clearly to me how much he's missing having lots of attention -- he soaked up her time with him like a happy sponge. Sure, all kids want more attention than they get, but I feel like I've been capitalizing on his ability to amuse himself too much lately. So no more multitasking during Mercy's naps unless it's truly unavoidable.

Creatively, I've had an awesome run. I've nearly completed my fifth novel -- one of my aims for January is to finish the first draft so I can let it sit for a few months, then see if I think a rewrite would make it viable, publishable material. Who knows -- by the end of 2011, I may be on my way to getting a novel published!

As for my more crafty creativity, I've done well there too. I've had satisfying sales with Huggermugger, I've created some new products, and I've got ideas for more. I want to collage more composition-sized notebooks, try out some new hat patterns, maybe even branch out into something altogether different. I'm currently crocheting a cardigan for myself, my first attempt at crocheted clothing if you don't count hats, scarves, and mittens. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Happy New Year!

Yarn, Glorious Yarn!

2010-12-22T20:22:00.006-05:00

I took Mom (and my kids) to the local yarn store today, A Stitch in Time. What bliss, what joy! I bought a yarn winder and swift! And also a bunch of yarn, including this really interesting kind made from corn fibers. It's really soft -- I can't wait to use it to make some things for my shop!

I also bought yarn for a custom order for a baby hat, which is what you see on my swift and winder here. It's a lovely super-wash merino, with pretty pinks ranging from dusty rose to delicate pink. I'm going to start that hat as soon as I've posted this and linked to it on my Facebook page.

Tolkien Treasury

2010-12-20T20:14:00.008-05:00

I created a new treasury last night, and it's quite possibly my favorite treasury I've ever created. It's 100% Lord of the Rings things! I call it "Souvenirs from Middle Earth" because it's the sort of things you might buy while on vacation... if you could vacation in Middle Earth. Here it is:

If you're a Tolkien fan, or generally a fantasy fan, there just might be something there you'd like to spend your Christmas gift money on :-)

Finally -- Facebook!

2010-12-17T17:59:00.012-05:00

I have finally made a page for my shop on Facebook. I know, I know, took me long enough, right? But better late than never. My page is here, and I'll be posting all kinds of stuff there. Like what? Like new items when I list them in my shop, a link every time I post here on my blog, news about sales I run, treasuries I create or am in -- all kinds of stuff. You can even request custom items by posting on my wall! And who knows, I might even run a giveaway for my FB fans only. Anyway, it'll be the quick and easy way to stay up to date on everything Huggermugger! And you can "like" me right from here by using the handy-dandy tool in my sidebar.

In other news, I'm all excited because I've sold enough items since Thanksgiving that I will be able to buy my very own yarn ball winder and swift! If you don't know what those are, here are a couple pics. Basically, any time I buy awesome yarn that's sold in hanks instead of a ball or center-pull skein, I have to wind it up into a ball in order to use it. Which takes a looooong time by hand. But with a winder, it takes a matter of minutes. You loop the yarn hank around the swift, then attach one end to the winder and crank the little handle, and before you know it, you have a beautiful, center-pull yarn cake. Wooo! I can't wait.

Cyber Monday Sale!

2010-11-27T20:13:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in a $5 sale starting on Monday, Nov. 29, along with lots of other members of the Trade-a-holics team. It will run for one full week -- I'll post here again on Monday with links to participating shops. For now, just know that I'm going to have a bunch of my Christmas decorations, journals, and hats on sale. Yes, my new Wooden Word Ornaments like these will be included :-D

Featured on Evoluchun's Misc Blog.

2010-11-04T17:47:00.003-04:00

Danyale of Evoluchun's Misc Blog featured one of my Instant Canteens today! Go here to read her nice review. She does a lot of giveaways on her blog, so definitely check it out if you like getting free handmade stuff.

Tallulah's Soaps

2010-11-02T14:15:00.004-04:00

I actually won two giveaways from Nutshell Farms -- the other thing I won is a cake of Pumpkin Brulee soap from Talulah's Soaps on Etsy.

This soap is awesome! The cake I got is about twice as big as most of the other cakes of handmade soap I've ever gotten. And it honestly smells good enough to eat -- I get hungry every time I use it. Tallulah's has lots of other scents too, like this French Apple Tarte soap that looks amazing.

Another good spot to pick up a gift for one of those hard-to-buy-for people on your list!

Sea Willow Herbs

2010-11-02T10:09:00.006-04:00

Done baking cookies -- on to the blogging!

Thanks to a giveaway that was part of the Autumn Harvest Extravaganza on the Nutshell blog, I won a lip balm from the Etsy shop Sea Willow Herbs. Which lip balm? Kissed by a Vampire, of course.

This is the best handmade lip balm I've tried yet! It's neither too greasy nor too hard, unlike most of the other lip balms I've tried. And it smells sooooo good! Orange and cinnamon :-9 And if you don't particularly want to be kissed by a vampire (really, it depends on the vampire, doesn't it? Angel or Spike, absolutely. One of those nancy-boy vamps that are soooo popular right now? No thanks) -- this is really the same as her Orange Spice lip balm. And she has some Christmasy flavors too, like this Peppermint Stick lip balm.

Sea Willow Herbs also sells aromatherapy body oils, bath salts, healing salves, and more. A great place to pick up some stocking stuffers or treats for yourself!

Not Such a Long Break After All

2010-11-02T08:31:00.003-04:00

I'm back. Turns out I still have stuff to say about my crafting, about my fellow Etsy artistes, etc. I think I'm going to shy away from the book reviews for right now, and I may not be posting as often as formerly, but I'm not done with this blog after all.

Now, of course, I need to go make breakfast and don't have time to write the post I've got planned. Maybe later this morning, after I bake a big batch of cookies and package a bunch up to send to a friend's friend who's serving in the military overseas. Okay, so maybe I'll get to that post after lunch...

Into the Sunset.

2010-09-21T17:30:00.005-04:00

I've decided to end this blog. At least for now. I feel like my work here is done -- my creativity for this blog has ebbed, and I have other stuff going on that needs my attention instead. Mercy is learning to walk, Dano is learning to read... some days I don't even manage to read all my email, much less think about writing something.

I've had fun writing this blog, and I'm going to leave it up for any stray visitors to find. Who knows, I may resurrect it someday. I've made some friends here, and I plan to continue following them.

I'm not closing my Etsy store, at least not right now. But as far as this blog goes, it's time for me to walk out the door, mount up, and ride off into the sunset. Adios!

Two More Books: Another Comparison

2010-09-04T16:58:00.006-04:00

I'm at it again, comparing two very dissimilar books that I read almost right after each other. This time, it's Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin. This time, the two books begin with a similar situation: a young girl from a large family being sent to live with her wealthier relations. I know this was a pretty common occurrence once upon a time -- one of Jane Austen's own brothers was adopted by relatives. So it's not as if Wiggin borrowed a literary device from Austen. But I did read these two books nearly back-to-back, and the similarity struck me.

The title character of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is an irrepressible, joy-filled girl. She's basically the prototype for L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and the other spunky heroines who followed. She goes to live with two maiden aunts and grows up under their care into a spirited young woman. She makes friends with almost everyone, softens an aunt's hard heart, and generally brings sunshine into every life she touches. It's a sweet story.

The protagonist of Mansfield Park, Fanny Price, is the opposite. She's shy. Retiring. Passive. She hides her feelings, suppresses her desires, and is so delicate of feeling, she can't even bring herself to explain to her uncle precisely why she has rejected a marriage proposal. I'm afraid that, accustomed as I am to spunky heroines, I wanted more than once to reach through the pages, give Fanny a good shaking, and tell her to be a more active participant in her own life for once! This is also a sweet story, but definitely not my favorite Austen.

The last chapter of Mansfield Park feels rushed, as if Austen either was sick of the characters and wanted to be finished with the book, or else was under a deadline and spent too much time describing dinner parties and evening strolls earlier to wrap things up properly. In writer's parlance, the last chapter is almost entirely 'telling' the story, not 'showing' it to the readers.

So. Two books, published nearly a century apart. Similar, yet different. Would I recommend them both? Yes. Did I like them both? Let's just say I liked Sunnybrook Farm well enough to keep my copy, but I'm donating Mansfield Park to the library.

Easy-Peasey Glue Batik

2010-09-01T15:52:00.001-04:00

A month or so ago, I read a post on That Artist Woman's blog about doing batik with kids. I'd actually never heard of batik before, but it looked fun. Instead of using hot wax to create designs like classic batik, That Artist Woman used Elmer's Washable School Glue Gel. I thought maybe I'd try it sometime. Well, Danol spilled orange juice all over a plain white shirt one morning last week, and it didn't all come out in the wash, so I thought, why not try that batik thing with it?

So, armed with blue glue gel, watered-down acrylic paint, Dano's shirt, a body suit for Mercy, and one of my hubby's old undershirts for me, I embarked upon my batik experience. That Artist Woman said it would take 12 hours for the designs I drew with the glue to dry, so I did that Thursday night. I did a train for Dano, autumn leaves for Mercy, and for my shirt I wrote "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD" (Psalm 98:4) and surrounded it with music notes and symbols.

I learned a few things. If you do big, filled-in shapes with the glue, like the smokestack on the train or the bottoms of the music notes, they'll take longer than 12 hours to dry. And if you try to do a lot of little lines together, they'll probably all run together. If you're doing shirts like this, definitely put waxed paper between the front and back of your shirt or your design with go all the way through and your shirt will glue itself to itself. Which didn't happen to me, but with as much as they stuck to the waxed paper, I know it would.

But eventually, the glue was dry, so on Friday afternoon, we took our shirts out to the balcony and painted them. I'd mixed up acrylic paint with water in squeezey bottles, which made painting the shirts really easy, especially for Dano. I learned some things here too. Putting down plastic garbage bags under what you're painting is good (I did, and got very little paint on the balcony). Also, prewashing your garments if they're new is good. I didn't prewash Mercy's body suit, it was brand-new, and the paint did NOT want to soak into it. With Dano's and my shirts, the paint soaked in where we squirted it. But I had to rub and pat it into Mercy's body suit, and it didn't soak in as well or dye it as brightly.

I also learned that little boys who are not yet 3 years old can be awesome at this! Dano's shirt turned out the best of all, I think. He was super-careful and thoughtful about where to put each squirt of color. He would put one color over another, which made his shirt look beautiful and artistic, while my shirt looks blobby and blotchy because I was trying not to let them bleed together very much.

I think this would make a really cool craft project for Vacation Bible School, a summer camp -- anything where you can take multiple days to make it. Because after the paint dries, you have to soak the shirts to get the glue out, then let them dry again. So it's at least a two-day project, maybe three. Read That Artist Woman's post here for all the details on how to do this.

I've washed our shirts in the washer, and they've retained their colors quite nicely, so I'd say this craft project was a rousing success!

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

2010-08-13T16:54:00.005-04:00

I know I did a book review already this week. I planned to post a recipe for blueberry muffins next, but I can't. Because this book with the absurd -- and absurdly long -- title has captured me and I don't want to ever get free of it. And when I love a book this much, I have to share it with whomever I can.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is written almost entirely as a series of letters and telegrams from and to a woman writer in post-WWII London, Juliet Ashton. She learns about an extraordinary, eclectic group of readers living on the island of Guernsey who turned to books to help them get through the German occupation of their home. Juliet decides to write an article, then a book about these people, goes to Guernsey to meet them, and then... then it gets reeeeeally good.

I read this book in less than three days, and immediately began to re-read it because I love it so much and want to spend more time in the company of these characters. I bought my own copy yesterday. I honestly can't recall the last book I read twice in a row (other than picture books to Daniel, lol) -- maybe Jane Eyre? If so, that was more than a decade ago.

This book is crammed with delightful people (and yes, a few who aren't, since every story needs an antagonist or two), delicious writing, and a palpable love for books. These people are as enthusiastic about books as I am, and I think that is what makes me so very fond of them. Sure, the setting helps, as I love learning about the 1940s, but really it's the characters that I don't want to leave. Plus, this book makes me laugh aloud, even on the second reading, and I love books that delight me so much I can't help laughing aloud.

Here is an excellent site about this book, including an excerpt from the book if you want a taste of it without seeking it out at your library or local bookseller. My dear friend DocB recommended this book to me, and I can never thank her enough.

If Wishes Were Horses

2010-08-09T18:15:00.005-04:00

CraftGossip.com is giving away 3 Etsy shopping sprees of $100 each! Go here for details on how to enter yourself.

If I won one of those sprees and could spend $100 on Etsy, here's what I would get:

To Thine Own Self Be True spiral pendant
from lpjewelry

Staying Home for Comfort Mug
from KnittingBetty

Little Engineer t-shirt, size 5T
from CantaloupeCorner

Shakespearean Onesie, size 18mo
from RoslynsCloset

Why yes, I'm one of those literary types, why do you ask? :-)

Two Books: A Comparison

2010-08-09T17:53:00.007-04:00

I recently read Death Qualified by Kate Wilhelm and Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd. They're rather different books, but they both have a mystery at the heart of them, but aren't exactly mysteries. And my expectations of -- and reactions to -- these two books was quite different. So I thought I'd compare them here.

+++WARNING!+++ There's spoilage ahead, so if you've been meaning to read either of these and don't want to be spoiled, don't read this post!

Death Qualified is about Barbara Holloway, a former defense lawyer who gets sucked into defending a woman who's up on charges of murdering her absentee husband. It's got some sci-fi/fantasy elements to it -- no aliens or unicorns, just an alternate way of interacting with the universe that I will not attempt to explain here. But by and large, it works like a mystery/courtroom drama, trying to establish the client's innocence, figure out who did kill the husband, etc.

Ordinary Thunderstorms also involves a murder. Adam Kincaid, an American scientist in London to apply for a job, accidentally walks in on the freshly-committed murder of a stranger he'd bumped into earlier that day. Suddenly he's wanted for murder, on the run, hiding out with London's homeless. Eventually, he rebuilds a life for himself and the real murderer gets brought to justice.

So, two books, both involving a murder. Neither one is a conventional mystery. And neither one ever reveals the whole plot behind the murder, brings the culprits to justice, or clears the wrongly accused. They're very similar in their open-ended endings.

And yet, I did not like Death Qualified when I'd finished it. I felt let down, unfulfilled. I wanted my good guys to triumph and my bad guys to pay, darn it all! And although Ordinary Thunderstorms had a similar lack of resolution of similar issues, I liked it.

Why?

I think it's because, somehow, Death sets itself up as a mystery/courtroom drama with a bit of a supernatural twist. And then it fails to fulfill the rules about solutions or crimes that those kinds of books generally adhere to. Thunderstorms, on the other hand, sets itself up as a literary novel with a mystery as a catalyst but not the central theme of the story. And so I didn't mind not getting a tidy wrap-up at the end because I wasn't expecting one.

Silly expectations.

However, both books are quite well-written, so I do recommend them both.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle

2010-08-06T07:26:00.006-04:00

I made this for the dinner celebrating our new pastor's installation last Sunday, and I also made it a month or so ago for a shindig at my hubby's office. It's based on this recipe, but I've changed it a bit. Because it uses pre-made cookie dough and instant pudding, it's quick and easy.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle

Ingredients:

1 (18 oz) package ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookie dough
2 cups milk
2 (3.4 oz) packages vanilla or chocolate instant pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping -- thawed1/2 quart fresh raspberries
1 quart fresh strawberries -- sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Cut cookie dough in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise again, creating four long wedges. Cut each wedge into 4 logs, 2 1/2 inches long each, to create 16 logs. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for one minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Beat milk and pudding mix in large bowl until blended. Fold whipped topping into mixture. Crumble 4 cookies and sprinkle on the bottom of a 2-quart trifle bowl or other deep glass serving dish. Cover with 1/3 of pudding mixture. Add the raspberries over the pudding. Cover with half the remaining pudding mixture. Stand up 10 cookies, face side out, along the inside of the bowl. Add strawberries. Cover with remaining pudding. Crumble last two cookies over the top. garnish with sliced strawberries or raspberries, whatever strikes your fancy.

Makes 12 servings.

A First

2010-08-03T09:01:00.015-04:00

If you're wondering what I've been up to for the past couple weeks, wonder no more. A good deal of my time was spent crocheting this dress for Mercy. I bought a couple hundred yards of divine hand-dyed yarn from my friend Julie back in June -- it's the same as this yarn she's selling in her shop, ThisCosyLife. I knew I wanted to use it on something special for my baby girl, but I just couldn't decide on a project. I wanted to try making her a dress or other piece of clothing... but I've never crocheted clothing before. I felt daunted by the idea.

But I started looking at crochet patterns for baby dresses. I couldn't find any I really liked -- they were all too complicated or too frilly or just not what I wanted. I wanted a simple, sweet sundress she could wear to church or the mall or whatever.

Then I said to myself, hey, I know what I want -- why don't I just make up my own pattern? I make up patterns all the time! What's the worst that can happen -- I have to unravel it and start over. Big deal. I knew my 200 yards of yarn from Julie wouldn't be enough for a whole dress, but I had some wool yarn left over from another project that was a lovely peach and just matched one of the colors in Julie's yarn. I figured between the two, I'd have enough.

So, after much trial and error, ripping out stitches and redoing, I have the sundress I wanted. Simple, colorful, and feminine without being fussy and frilly. I even had enough of Julie's yarn left to make a matching diaper cover! I found these perfect buttons at the craft store, and my first attempt at crocheting clothing was complete!

I plan to offer my original pattern for this dress in my shop soon -- I just have to write it up first :-) And now that the dress is done, I can get back to blogging and post about the two books and three recipes I've been meaning to share.

Let Me Espresso My Love

2010-07-19T10:57:00.009-04:00

I have acquired a daily vice. I now drink a cup of coffee every morning.

I had noticed that ever since Mercy arrived and I stopped getting as much sleep at night, I had been super crabby most mornings, with poor Dano bearing the brunt of Mommy's crankiness. But the days I had a Coke with lunch, my mood noticeably improved. So since the beginning of July, I've been drinking about 6 oz of coffee every morning. And mornings are going much, much better. Caffeine is my friend.

We have very little counter space in this apartment, and most of it is overhung by cabinets that are so low my coffee maker doesn't fit under them. A couple of years ago, my mom got me a little French press coffee maker like this one, and that's what I use every day now. I only fill it half full, as I never have time to drink a whole mug of coffee, and the half serving seems to do me just fine. It fits nicely in these beautiful coffee cups I inherited from my grandparents. Every morning as I sip my coffee from one of them, I feel so grown-up because when I was a kid visiting them, these cups only came out when their grown-up company came over. Yes, I'm thirty and "feeling grown-up." Guess I've achieved my goal of never actually growing up, at least so far.

Anyway, while I'm singing the praises of coffee, thought I'd share my favorite song about coffee, "Espresso My Love," by The Divers.

This is a performance on the theater stage at my alma mater -- the two guys in the center, Pete (singing) and Andy O. (playing the bongo), are professors at the college (Theatre and Art, respectively). The other two are brothers and also attended my alma mater back when Pete and Andy were students instead of profs. Since they sing fast and the video is a bit hard to hear, here's a link to their delicious lyrics.

An Unpleasant Milestone and The Farmers' Market

2010-07-16T16:09:00.009-04:00

What a week! Mercy cut her first tooth on Wednesday, which means we have had a cranky girl for four days. At least now I know why she didn't sleep well on Tuesday... but she hasn't slept well since then either. That first tooth is such a killer :-(

Anyway, I took the kids downtown to the local farmer's market today. It just started up last weekend and is supposed to run through October. When the weather cools down a bit this fall, I'd love to walk there with the stroller, but today we drove. I bought tomatoes, blueberries, and a bulb of garlic. I haven't tried the tomatoes or garlic yet, but the blueberries are excellent! I'm going to have to find some recipes to make with them, as I doubt they'll last long even in the fridge. Hmm, maybe blueberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow? :-9

We Have a Winner!

2010-07-09T08:12:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Heather! You won my Instant Canteen :-) I'll be contacting you via email to get your mailing address. I hope you get lots of great use and enjoyment out of your new water bottle carrier!

Everyone else, thanks for playing! Your feedback on what things you like in my shop helps me figure out what items I should concentrate on. I'll do another giveaway again one of these days, so check back here for another chance to get something for nothing.

(I chose the winner with the random number generator at random.org.)

Like Seven Inches from the Midday Sun

2010-07-07T10:37:00.006-04:00

It's disgustingly hot here this week. I just read in the paper that it was 106 yesterday. In Connecticut! In Iowa, North Carolina -- I understand it when I'm in those places. Here? Not so much.

So in honor (?) of the heat wave, here are my fave summer songs. No particular order :-)

+ "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas. Probably the first song I really liked by Thomas, though now I'm a fan of him and Matchbox Twenty. It's great for blasting while you drive with the windows down.

+ "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys. I first heard this at a skating rink when I was a little kid, probably right when it came out in 1988. Didn't know until years later who sang it, I just knew whenever I happened to hear it in the grocery store or mall that it made me happy.

+ "Lazy River" by Bobby Darin. Sure, Hoagy Carmichael wrote it, and everyone's recorded it, but for me, this is the best version. Naturally, since I'm a Bobby Darin addict. This song was on the first CD of his stuff I ever bought, and I sang it all summer long that year, especially while I was at Myrtle Beach with my family. I think I was sixteen.

+ "Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers. I've loved this since I was an oldies-obsessed teen. I dig the imagery of things like dancing in the sand and stepping out of a rainbow. Great for groovin'.

Okay, time to go get a popsicle. Don't forget to enter my giveaway! That water bottle carrier is perfect for a hot one like today.

"The Pawn" by Steven James

2010-07-05T07:46:00.000-04:00

I actually read this almost three weeks ago, but haven't managed to blog about it until now. Thank the Lord the rest of my summer looks calm and empty!

Anyway, my mom recommended Steven James' books to me when I was at home in NC last month. We were watching an old ep of Bones together, and I told her she should read Kathy Reichs' books that inspired the series. I said one of the things I liked best about her books is that they take place partly in North Carolina, my adopted home state. Mom said. "Oh, you should read the Patrick Bowers books by Steven James! The first one takes place here too!" So when I got back to CT, I got the first one, The Pawn, out of the library.

Ironically, I had warned her that Reichs' mysteries can get rather gruesome and spooky, and I wasn't sure if they'd bother her because of that. Turns out, I needn't have worried, because The Pawn was more gory and creepy than any of the four books I've read by Reichs. A goodly chunk of it is written from the point of view of a sadistic killer, and it creeped me out so much, I had to read it in just three days because I wanted to get it over and solved and behind me as fast as possible.

The Pawn is about FBI Criminologist Patrick Bowers tracking down a sadistic serial killer in the mountains around Asheville, NC. Bowers is recently widowed and alienated from his teen stepdaughter, and his personal life gets tangled up in his work and vice versa. Overall, the book is taut and suspenseful.

I think this is James' first mystery thriller, and as a debut in the genre, it's pretty good. The only thing I didn't like, besides it being a little creepier than I care for, was that I kept seeing the author in the book. By that I mean there were things that made me go, "Oh, he's setting up the workplace conflict here," or, "Here's the obligatory Special Ability that will come in handy at the book's climax." As the book went along, it had fewer obvious Mystery Components, and there were quite a few twists I didn't expect, so I'm betting the other books in the series (it totals four so far) are smoother and bear fewer authorial fingerprints.

Anyway, I liked James' style, so if I can get more of his books from the library, I probably will read more. So yes, if you like suspenseful mystery thrillers, you'll probably dig this book.

PS. Don't forget to enter my canteen giveaway here! Only four days left!!!

Popcorn Cookies

2010-07-03T18:18:00.006-04:00

Looking for a fun recipe to try with your kids this summer? I found this one on tasteofhome.com, and it was easy and tasty. Plus, it doesn't make so many cookies you're stuck with them for weeks (okay, never a big problem around here, but I can see how it could be), but you have enough to share if you want. I sent some to a friend who's serving in Afghanistan right now and still had some for us to enjoy here too.

So, here's the recipe. Yum!

Popcorn Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter -- softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
2 cups popped popcorn -- lightly crushed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the popcorn, chocolate chips, and pecans.

Drop by tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto greased (or non-stick) baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yields 2 1/2 dozen.

++Don't forget to enter my giveaway for your chance to win a free Instant Canteen!++

Giveaway: Instant Canteen!

2010-07-02T09:37:00.007-04:00

What could be a more perfect giveaway item for the summer than one of my Instant Canteens?

They're the hands-free way to stay hydrated -- an Instant Canteen ensures you'll never set your water bottle down and forget it ever again! They're great for any outing, whether you're going to the zoo or beach or hiking trail... or just the playground down the block, which is where mine goes the most. And you can enter to win this Peacock Swirl canteen for free right here!

(I sell these for $10 in my shop if you love the idea but don't like this one -- I have oodles of different fabric designs and strap colors.)

So, how can you win the Peacock Swirl canteen? There are two ways:

+ 1. Comment here listing your favorite item from my store -- www.huggermugger.etsy.com -- and either your email or blog address so I can contact you if you win.

+ 2. Post about this on your own blog. Leave a comment here with a link to your blog post, plus either your email or blog address so I can contact you if you win.

This means you can be entered twice!

Giveaway ends the morning of Friday, July 10th when I draw the winner, announce who it is here, and contact them to get their mailing address. Good luck!

Adieu, Adieu, We're Going to the Zoo!

2010-07-01T16:00:00.010-04:00

I'm finally getting a chance to post about our zoo trip! Things have been crazy here -- we took off for Boston for a couple days to help my brother and his wife pack up their moving van 'cause they're deserting us, sniff sniff sniff. Between packing for the trip and then unpacking and doing laundry, I have had few minutes to call my own. But right now, both my little ones are napping, so maybe I can get this written and posted.

Dano loves the zoo. We took him to this same one three times last year, and he remembered it pretty well. We walked through their rain forest exhibit first, where Dano loved the birds and was leery of the monkeys, but thought their ocelot was awesome. Here's a shot of his favorite way to check out the animals: crouch as close as possible to the glass/fence.
After that, we lunched at one of their many picnic areas, where Dano ate his sandwich as fast as he could "so the ants can't have it," then roamed around, climbing on rocks, while I fed Mercy and myself.

Usually she loves the stroller and conks out in it, but this time she was at The Zoo! She wanted to see the animals! She had to ride in the sling so she could see! In fact, she refused to have her head inside the sling pretty much the whole time -- she had to peek around it to see everything.

Okay, I've got a recipe, a book review, and shop news I've been wanting to post for over a week now. And a giveaway! I plan to get that rolling tomorrow, then do the rest next week. Adieu!

Picnic Time!

2010-06-23T17:04:00.005-04:00

Michele of This Decorated Life featured one of my canteens on her blog today! Their post was all about picnic items. Just so happens the kids and I had a picnic at the zoo today. (Pics of that tomorrow, I hope.)

Here's my latest Instant Canteen, just in time for the 4th of July. I love those bright stars!

"Knuffle Bunny Too" by Mo Willems

2010-06-14T16:20:00.006-04:00

In case you haven't guessed, I'll tell you: I love children's books. I love re-reading old favorites, I love finding new favorites... and I even love that my kids and I have different favorites.

My hubby picked the books for Dano at the library this week because I was busy feeding Mercy. He found a winner this week: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems. (It's a sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, which we haven't read yet, but will definitely seek out on our weekly Saturday pilgrimage to the library.)

This book rocks! Dano says it's "a particular funny book," and he is soooo right. The drawings are awesome -- it looks like Willems takes black-and-white photos and draws cartoon characters on them, and they're sort of story-boarded like a comic strip or cartoon, with multiple pictures on a page.

It tells the tale of a little girl who takes her special stuffed Knuffle Bunny to school, only to discover another girl has the Very Same Bunny. To make a short story shorter, the two bunnies get swapped accidentally, and there's a delightfully noir-ish Knuffle Bunny Exchange in the middle of the night that involves dialog like, "We have your bunny!"

Honestly, this book makes me giggle more than Dano :-)

This Cosy Life's 7 Days of Giveaways

2010-06-08T18:10:00.005-04:00

My friend Julie of This Cosy Life is doing a full week of giveaways, starting today! All you have to do to enter is become a fan of her Facebook page. Visit her blog here to read all about it. Today she's giving away one $10 gift certificate for her Etsy shop. She's been adding a bunch of supercute new items lately, from hand-dyed yarn to little teether dolls like this one, and some of them are sure to be prizes. So what are you waiting for?

"The Cinder-Eyed Cats" by Eric Rohmann

2010-05-21T08:09:00.008-04:00

I picked this book off the library shelf because of its intriguing, poetic title. I opened it because of its alluring front cover. I checked it out for Dano because its simple, dreamlike story was so unlike the realistic books about trucks and trains he favors, and I wanted to see if he'd like this too. Stretching his imagination is always a good thing.

Turns out, he does like it! Which means I've gotten to read it over and over this week :-) I love the simple story of a boy sailing off to a dreamy island and cavorting the night away with the five cinder-eyed cats and a host of ocean creatures. The text is as poetic as the title, beginning with free verse, then rhyming later on. My favorite line is: "Cats like velvet shadows move." I love the alliteration and assonance of the Vs and As, and anyone who's ever been friendly with cats knows that's just how they do move.

The Cinder-Eyed Cats combines simple, poetic text with soft paintings and a story that will delight children and parents alike. Or at least, it delights my children and me :-)

Dancing in the Moonlight Treasury

2010-05-16T17:19:00.004-04:00

Aren't trees lucky? They get to dance in the moonlight whenever they want. See?

FoundHandmade.com

2010-05-08T17:43:00.002-04:00

If you haven't visited FoundHandmade.com yet, I advise you to check it out posthaste. It's a neat place for crafters to advertise as well as a great place to discover new things you want to buy :-) I'm working on advertising some of my products there -- it's really easy, and right now it's free! They featured my yellow sun hat on their blog a couple days ago, which is how I learned about them. Anyway, thought you might want to see what they're all about yourself.

"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas

2010-05-01T17:59:00.011-04:00

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is my second-favorite book. Ever. Since we got Mercy's name from it, I decided it was high time I reread it, in honor of our new daughter and because I haven't read it in years.

I first read this book at age eleven, and even though I didn't understand parts of it (the hashish references, for instance), the tale of betrayal and revenge captured my imagination enough to keep me reading. I had read a radio drama version of part of the story in a literature textbook, and I liked it so well, I convinced Mom to help me find the book in the adult section of our local library. I remember that copy well: a worn, red hardcover, the edges frayed; faded brown pages that crackled as I turned them; an antique print that sometimes wavered a bit, one letter rising above its fellows now and then; a dusty, comforting smell of age and wisdom and knowledge greeting me whenever I opened it. I remember being so proud to be reading a grown-up book -- I even took it with me to the orthodontist's office and read it, not just in the waiting room, but in the exam chair until Dr. Pokley arrived. (He was a wonderful orthodontist, despite his unfortunate last name.)

I've read it twice since then, once in high school and once during summer break from college. It's amazing how little I remembered. Oh, I recalled the basic plot: Edmond Dantes, young and promising sailor, is arrested during the feast before his marriage. The charges are false, trumped up by his enemies, but he is imprisoned in the dreaded Chateau d'If anyway. Years pass, Dantes escapes, uses a buried treasure to transform himself into the Count of Monte Cristo, and sets out to revenge himself on the men responsible for his unjust imprisonment.

I didn't remember all the scenes set in Rome and Paris that constitute the middle of the book. And one scene I thought belonged in this book must be from Dumas' The Three Musketeers instead. In fact, I only clearly recalled the first quarter of the book and a later subplot about two characters named Valentine and Maximilian. So reading this a fourth time was not only a joyous reunion with beloved characters, but an adventure of discovery as well.

This is a story about revenge, but revenge is not something Christians are encouraged to seek. Maybe that's why this book is something of a guilty pleasure for me. It's a bit like the story of Joseph (Genesis 37 and 39-46), only without the forgiving end. That's my favorite Bible story, so I guess the themes of unjust imprisonment, eventual triumph, vengeance, and mercy resonate with me.

I've seen several movie versions of The Count of Monte Cristo, and the best by far is the 1975 version starring Richard Chamberlain as Dantes, with Louis Jourdan, Tony Curtis, and Donald Pleasence as his enemies. That version is how my husband first encountered the story, and the only one I like well enough to own a copy of.

If you love stories of revenge with a bit of a swashbuckling swagger to them, read this book or watch that version! You won't be disappointed.

Gene Autry's Peanut Butter Pie

2010-04-28T18:11:00.008-04:00

This is what I made to celebrate my birthday last week. It's so rich, we've been eating half a piece at a time, so you can feed quite a few with one pie.

I made this before, several years ago, after finding it in The All-American Cowboy Cookbook, which is a collection of recipes from stars of western movies and TV shows. If you know how much I love cowboy movies and shows, you know this cookbook was a hit with me :-)

This particular recipe comes from Gene Autry, the beloved singing cowboy star. It's quite simple, especially if you use a pre-made graham cracker crust like I did.

Gene Autry's Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese -- softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup whipped cream
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 graham-cracker pie crust
hot fudge sauce

Directions:

Cream together peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Stir in butter, whipped cream, and vanilla. Mix well and pour into crust. Chill for 4-5 hours or until very well set. Top with melted, thinned hot fudge sauce. Chill again for 30 minutes.

Yum! And this recipe lends itself so easily to modification if you're on a diet -- just use low-fat or lite peanut butter, cream cheese, and whipped cream instead. Thank you, Gene Autry!

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

2010-04-24T17:50:00.009-04:00

(That means "happy birthday" in German.)

Yesterday, I turned thirty. My hubby planned to take me out to the restaurant of my choice when he got home -- he drove to work instead of taking the train so he could be home half an hour early. But for whatever reason, Dano decided he needed a longer nap than usual. A marathon nap. Usually, he goes to sleep at three-thirty and wakes up anytime between five and seven. My husband got home at 6 as planned, but Dano didn't wake up. We waited. We puttered around doing odd chores. We waited. We gave up on him and made grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Dano slept on. We eventually woke him up at eight-thirty so he'd be up a bit before bedtime and we wouldn't have to worry about him waking up at four in the morning with his usual, "Boing! I'm awake!"

So we went out for lunch today instead. I chose to go to Cafe Little Europa in Brookfield. We'd been there for supper last summer and enjoyed it, but never made it back since. It's a charming little place, and we had a lovely lunch. They had a box full of train tracks and blocks, which Dano loved. He almost didn't want to stop playing to eat, and hopped back off his chair as soon as we'd let him. My hubby had Weiner Schnitzel and I had Sauerbraten, and we ended with yummy dessert: a slice of chocolate mousse cake for me and Palatschinken (a thin crepe) ala mode for my hubby. Dano had macaroni and cheese, but he liked the cheese Spaetzel that came with my hubby's entree just as well. Next time we go there, we'll have to remember just to get him that.

The owner, Manuela Young, has a blog here that is quite fun to read. She's actually from Germany, and we had a nice little visit with her today. She held Mercy for a while so I could eat more easily, and got along with Dano well too.

I know most of my readers and followers don't live around here, but those of you who do and who enjoy trying new foods, I absolutely recommend Cafe Little Europa. It was the perfect place for my slightly belated birthday celebration :-)

The Ladybug Dress

2010-04-16T18:00:00.005-04:00

Voila! If you've been wondering what I've been working on lately, here it is: the Ladybug Dress.

Nope, it's not for Mercedes, it's for a friend's daughter who will turn five next month. I'm hoping to make a little handbag to match it, we'll see.

This is the first garment I have sewn since I was... twelve? I think so. And the first time I've followed a dress pattern by myself. So I'm really proud of it, even though it's a frightfully easy pattern. I did have to use bias tape, so it wasn't all straight hems and stuff. I love the ribbon sleeves too -- I'm totally making a smaller version of this dress when Mercedes is two or so.

And I love this fabric! It's a cotton seersucker, very breathable. And so cheerful! My friend happens to love ladybugs, so I had to get this and make something from it for her little girl. I actually bought more and made a sling for Mercedes from it because it's so cute!

Mother's Day Scavenger Hunt

2010-04-12T15:54:00.003-04:00

The Busy Moms of Etsy team is holding its first ever scavenger hunt, and I'm participating! A whole bunch of team members, including me, donated an item from their shop to put in a huge prize basket -- everything from jewelry to snack bags to gift certificates. I donated the three dish scrubbies in this picture:

And that picture is just a sample of the stuff in the gift basket -- the blog post lists and shows more, and there are more being added still.

All you have to do to join the scavenger hunt is browse the participating shops, which are listed here on the Busy Moms Blog. In each shop, hidden inside the listing for some random item, you'll find this icon as one of the photos listed with the product:
When you find the icon, go back to that post on the Busy Moms Blog and leave a comment stating which store and item you found the icon in. You get one entry for every flower icon you find, and there are more than 20 stores participating, so you can enter quite a few times! Plus, you can browse for a gift for your own mom at the same time :-) All non-team members are eligible, so happy hunting!

Life Lately

2010-04-06T17:23:00.006-04:00

Life is starting to settle down a little. Finally! Mercedes turned 6 weeks old yesterday, and while not every day is smooth sailing, at least I'm not physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted every evening. Tired, yes, but not at the end of my patience and energy anymore. We had a great Easter :-)

It helps that we've got Mercedes used to going to sleep at 10pmish instead of midnight now. It also helps that Daniel's adjusting more and more every day to not being the center of his universe anymore. And it helps that she's old enough and it's warm enough that I can take her to shops and things without so much worry of her catching something. I still haven't taken her anywhere really crowded, but we did go to the local train museum (aka Daniel heaven) last week, and to an independently owned yarn store (aka Mommy heaven) that I just discovered not tooooo far away.

It did rain a bit last week. Daniel stayed busy with painting after lunch one day. I figured out a quick way to make him a little painting smock: I took one of my hubby's undershirts that was stained and on the rag pile, cut it off below the breast pocket and trimmed the sleeves, and it's perfect!

And these are Mercedes' tiny feet, which I adore. She's already got little arches! That amazes me no end, because Daniel's feet curved outward for months and months, they were soooo chubby. She's chubby everywhere else, but not those little feet! They're long like Daniel's, though -- she's in some 3-6mo socks already.

So, that's life here lately. I've got some craft projects in the works too, but I'll post about those some other time. Hope your Easter was joyful. Happy spring!

Pepper, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

2010-03-30T11:33:00.003-04:00

My husband made this on Saturday night. We'd never made leg of lamb before, so we just used a recipe out of our Betty Crocker cookbook. It turned out so succulent and savory, I have to share it.

French Leg of Lamb with Herbs

Ingredients:

5-7 lb. Leg of lamb
3 cloves Garlic - minced
2 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Sage
2 tsp. Pepper

Directions:

Combine spices and garlic into a dry rub. Rub over entire surface of lamb leg. Place lamb leg fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes per pound. Meat thermometer temps: 140 = rare, 160 = medium, 170 = well done.

(Next time, we're going to add parsley so we can sing "Scarborough Fair" correctly while we cook.)

Last Year's Books

2010-03-23T17:30:00.002-04:00

So, here's the list of books I read in 2009. It's a bit later than usual, due to a Major Life Event commonly known as a new baby. But here it is all the same. Listing all the books I read in the past year is something I started doing on my Inscriptions blog several years ago, and I'm posting this list there as well. Some of my book reviews I've linked to are on that blog, not here.

January

Women of Valor: The Rochambelles on the WWII Front by Ellen Hampton
I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnik
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

February

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Complete Short Stories of Jeffrey Archer by Jeffrey Archer

March

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

April

Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout
Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

May

Hollywood Buzz (Starring Pucci Lewis) by Margit Liesche
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Giant by Edna Ferber

June

Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

July

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

August

O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King

September

101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen by Patrice Hannon

October

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

November

A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
By Myself by Lauren Bacall

December

The Watcher's Guide: Volume 1 by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder

Pretty different mix from the year before in one major way: in 2009, I read six books I'd read at least once before; in 2008, nary a one. A lot of old favorite authors this year: Jasper Fforde, Rex Stout, Laurie R. King, J.R.R. Tolkien. And two new authors who quickly gained my appreciation: Jeffrey Archer (for his mad plot-twisting skills) and Kathy Reichs (for her plotting prowess and technical knowledge). Two non-fiction books, one memoir, one play, a healthy dose of fantasy, several novels, and gobs of mysteries. A satisfying year, for sure! If a somewhat scanty one -- the older my son gets, the less time I have to read. Now that I have a baby daughter too... who knows what 2010's list will look like!

The Flight of Time

2010-03-19T16:41:00.002-04:00

Mercedes will be a month old on Monday. How is that possible? Two weeks, that I could believe, but a month? Where did those four weeks go? Sure, I've changed about 900 diapers, sung a million songs, taken her on lots of trips to the playground with Daniel, emptied and refilled the dishwasher a few times, folded some laundry... but a whole month?

Honestly, this makes me feel terribly unproductive. I've been neglecting my shop a lot -- despite working up and taking photos of 20+ new items before Mercedes was born, I've managed to list six. I have a brilliant (I hope) idea for a new product, but I haven't managed to make a prototype yet. I bought incredibly cute fabric to make a new ring sling to carry her around in so I don't have to use the plain blue one I made for Daniel (and thus I won't get any more questions about how old my baby boy is. He's 2 1/2, thanks -- the baby in my sling is a girl, see the pink sleeper?), but I haven't managed to do that either. I did make some brownies today, at least. And I've been doing some writing. But I have all these projects I just can't seem to get around to. ARGH! Very frustrating.

On the other hand, I've done an amazing amount of snuggling with Mercedes, I've built Daniel umpteen bridges and tunnels for his trains, and I've even read a couple books that have more than 20 pages and don't star Winnie the Pooh or Thomas the Tank Engine. So my time has not been wasted, I guess. And the new product idea and ring sling aren't going anywhere -- maybe I'll get to them this weekend.

No, this weekend I should box up all the clothes people have given us for Mercedes so we can actually walk in our bedroom again without knocking over some pile or other.

Urgh.

Interview with TrinketsnCharms

2010-03-15T09:03:00.003-04:00

Today I'd like you to meet the crafter behind the Etsy store TrinketsNCharms, a shop full of handmade beaded items and cards.

What is your name?

Katie Collins.

Where are you right now?

In my Mum's kitchen, eating my breakfast (in England).

How did you choose the name of your Etsy shop?

My Dad suggested it. At the time I was going through a different name every day. The closest I got was "Katies Charms" until someone pointed out that that could be viewed as an entirely different kind of product. And then my Dad suggested Trinkets And Charms, when I shortened for Etsy.

When did you learn to create the things you sell in your shop?

Three years ago in the summer between finishing my BA and starting my MA. I was browsing Ebay one day when I saw the "Crafts" section and decided to have a look. The first section I clicked on was "Beads" and I just fell in love with the colours and styles and shapes and sizes, and the rest is history!

If you had to choose one craft to do for the rest of this year, what would it be?

Umm...probably jewelry, I've had more practice at that than card making. But a big box of card making supplies arrived on my doorstep from the Postman this morning so that's a very difficult decision to make.

What book are you recommending today?

Today I am recommending Sleep, Pale Sister by Joanne Harris. Harris shot to fame after her novel Chocolat was turned in to a film with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

Why do that book and author appeal to you?

I like Joanne Harris as a writer because the majority of her books tell the same story but from several points of view. A lot of books involve one character and they describe what they do, how they do it, and why they do it. But Harris deftly weaves the story lines of multiple characters together, so you get the different reasons and motives for each character from their own minds. Each chapter covers a different character, and she ends each one in a way that makes you go "and!?" -- forcing you to continue reading so you know what is going on.

This is a decent enough read, but it is one of Harris’ early works so do not expect the same level of writing that we get from her other books. And definitely do not expect the same warm, domestic magic you’ve seen in Chocolat.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Tea cures everything! Now where's my mug?

"A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

2010-03-11T15:14:00.006-05:00

I didn't start reading Hemingway until I was in college, which was probably good, as I don't think I was ready for him any earlier than that. I really liked the movie City of Angels (1998), in which Hemingway's memoir A Moveable Feast played a crucial role, so one summer I looked for the book at the local library. They didn't have it, so I got The Sun Also Rises instead. I remember I chose that one because the title comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, my favorite book in the Old Testament.

Ever since, I've been a Hemingway fan. Over the last decade, I've been slowly working my way through his works. It's been a while since I've read any of his novels, so when the book I was hoping to read wasn't in at the library a couple weeks ago, I picked up A Farewell to Arms. I started reading it a couple days after we came home from the birth center, and like most Hemingway, it was a quick read. (I only get a few minutes a day to read right now, so anything I finish in less than a month feels quick these days.)

A Farewell to Arms, as you may know, was inspired by Hemingway's own experiences during WWI. If you've ever seen the movie In Love and War (1996), you know something about them. Like Hemingway, the protagonist in Farewell is an American driving an ambulance in Italy. Like Hemingway, he gets wounded and falls in love with a nurse while recuperating. Unlike Hemingway, he deserts from the Italian army and runs away with the nurse.

Much has been written, said, and argued about Hemingway's "iceberg theory" of writing -- he tried to record the outward motions of his characters and let most of the emotions ride below the surface, unwritten yet tangible. It's a style that I dig, but not everyone does. Still, if you've never read him and would like to, Farewell is a good place to start, as it's more accessible than The Old Man and the Sea, more engaging than The Sun Also Rises, but not as long as For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Interview with EmbellishYourPage

2010-03-08T09:13:00.006-05:00

This week's interviewee runs the Etsy supply shop EmbellishYourPage, where you'll find handmade paper embellishments and other supplies.

What is your name?

My name is Lacey Noel.

Where are you right now?

I'm at work right now. Super slow!

How did you choose the name of your Etsy shop?

I picked my shop name because that is what I would like people to do, embellish their creations with items from my shop.

When did you learn to create the things you sell in your shop?

I was originally a cardmaker and I had a different shop. I listed cards, borders, quilled items (twirled paper), some paper punches, and knitted items. I am self taught (books helped alot) starting in 2005. I was addicted to EVERYTHING. Eventually, I went to smaller handmade items since cards and scarves didn't seem to sell and changed my shop to be focussed on scrapbooking and cardmaking. I love buying punches and stamps for myself as much as for my shop.

If you had to choose one craft to do for the rest of this year, what would it be?

I think if I had to stick with one thing, it would have to be knitting, but deciding is so hard! I couldn't stick to one thing unless someone made me.

What book are you recommending today?

I am recommending Flirt by Laurell K Hamilton.

Why do that book and author appeal to you?

I really love first person work since you can get inside a person. All the things that people censor for the world are right there, take it or leave it. This is one of her shorter works (some are over 600 pages!) that really focused on the main character, Anita Blake, and her men issues. She has several sweeties that she juggles, but never really mastered the art of flirting. She gets into trouble mastering the art and endangers some innocent bystanders in the process. With her usual flair, there are fight scenes, love scenes, hard choices, and mostly happy endings (things don't go well for the bad guys).

This particular book is almost exclusively Anita-focused, probably because of the length, but there is still a good dose of the supernatural with a pride of werelions, zombie raising, and her menagerie of werewolves, wereleopards, and vampires. Anita puts all her supernatural powers to good use to save the day (and collect a new man).

All in all, a fast, fun read for Anita Blake fans. There is some fun personal info about the author as well that gives insight on how she collects ideas and fits them to her use. I really do think that a good author leaves a little piece of themselves in every work.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I love to connect with people! Tell me your special crafting needs or your story. I love it all! I get a wonderful kind of thrill from every order, no matter the size or type. Sending overseas has been especially thrilling as I tell my friends and family the new country that I am sending to now.

Please take a look around my shop and take advantage of any specials that I will be running. Something new every month.

I am also offering a special discount for readers of this blog, 15% off your order, including shipping costs! Go ahead and combine this with specials for extra savings. Please use the code "huggermugger" in the message to seller field and I will refund your savings through Paypal. The code never expires.

Thanks so much for reading and happy crafting!

"Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin

2010-03-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

My friend Julie (of Etsy shop ThisCosyLife) recommended Ina May's Guide to Childbirth to me when I was pregnant with my son Daniel. Reading it prepared me for giving birth more than anything else I read or watched or was told during my entire first pregnancy. Naturally, I turned to it again while pregnant with Mercedes to refresh my memory. If you or someone you know is pregnant right now, even if you're/they're not considering a midwife-assisted birth, I strongly recommend this book as an excellent preparatory tool.

Ina May Gaskin is widely recognized as the nation's premier midwife. She's attended more than 1,200 births, so I think you'll agree she knows what she's writing about here. In this book, she guides the reader through the birthing process with a friendly, knowledgeable style.

The first 120 pages are filled with birth stories told by many, many mothers from all walks of life and spanning decades. Some of them gave birth in a hospital and had a later child with a midwife, while others turned to midwives right away. I especially found this first section to be helpful because it illustrates how different every birth is, and how following your body's signals and doing what it seems to need can lead to a quicker, easier birth.

The rest of the book is a guide to pregnancy and birth, from advice on how to choose a practitioner that's right for you, to a step-by-step explanation of the stages of childbirth, to a discussion of modern midwifery.

While this is definitely a pro-midwifery book, it does not take the stance that all hospitals are bad places to give birth. Not all mothers are suited to natural childbirth, and at-risk pregnancies are generally better off at a hospital with emergency medical intervention at hand if needed. But for someone like me who wants to have natural births, a midwife-assisted birth is definitely a sound option.

One Week Old!

2010-03-01T11:37:00.008-05:00

I had my baby last Monday! As I had suspected, I had a girl. Why suspected? When I had my ultrasound at 20 weeks, she wouldn't uncross her legs, so we never found out what I was having. But back in early June, I woke up one morning with the firm conviction I was pregnant and having a girl. The pregnancy test confirmed the first fact, but I'd had to trust my gut on the other. I was convinced last time around I was having a boy, and I did, so I was pretty sure I was right this time too.

Daniel is getting pretty well adjusted to life with his little sister now. The first few days were really hard for him because Mommy can't do everything for him that she usually does, like pick him up and carry him. But he's starting to enjoy his new role as a big brother now, and loves bringing toys over to show to Mercedes, especially the new wooden tracks he got this week for his Thomas trains. He even kissed her on the head this morning!
So now you know why I haven't been updating this blog or my shop for a while. Hoping to ease my way back into both now that life is settling down a bit....

Interview with ByCinByHand

2010-03-01T08:55:00.004-05:00

Today I bring you the woman behind the Etsy shop ByCinByHand, where you can find handmade knitwear and vintage goodies.

What is your name?

Cinthia Singleton

Where are you right now?

New Mexico. I live in a neighborhood of old Victorian homes all built as the railroad expanded West. My home is 1908 and a labor of love, and home too.

How did you choose the name of your Etsy shop?

My shop started out as a place to feature my knits. Since I've been knitting and designing professionally for decades now, I just used that name - bycinbyhand. "Cin" is short for Cinthia. "by hand" because all the work's done with my hands. Then I started selling my vintage finds and book...but the name stays, even if I use more than my hands to keep the shop running.

When did you learn to create the things you sell in your shop?

My grandmother was an expert knitter. She knitted my grandfather's cardigans, dresses for my aunt as well as her Barbies. When I went to Gramma's house, I did what she did but in my own child way so I had my own ball of yarn and needles and a book called "How to Knit." I had to have been in 2nd grade. By the time I was 9 I made a vest which I still have that won 2nd Place at the county fair.

If you had to choose one craft to do for the rest of this year, what would it be?

I'm a knitter but I've been using more embroidery this year than ever before. It makes a piece so interesting!

What book are you recommending today?

I am recommending my book, The Soul Companion Exercise. I wrote it as a result of a manifestation exercise I worked on with my astrology clients... how can you be clearer about what you want so you aren't compromising when seeking a love? I had gotten a very abbreviated version of this exercise about 30 years ago during a tarot reading and just thought long and hard about it, did it, then expanded upon it. I self-published it last year and have been selling it here on etsy, on amazon, as well as consigning it to some very sweet little boutiques around the country.

Why does that book appeal to you?

It's a fairly simple approach to manifestation...put the desires to page and think about them once you see them there. There's something special about the written word and journaling, even in this cyber age. Another appeal for me is that I myself did the exercise and it did work. Oh, and I love the book's design. Worked very hard on that with a great graphic designer who's here on etsy as well, 240inc - http://www.etsy.com/shop/240inc

Anything else you'd like to add?

The hoodies - one in kids size and one in adults - are 20% off this week!

Interview with JavaGirls

2010-02-22T09:12:00.005-05:00

My second interview is with the two women behind the Etsy store JavaGirls. They sell awesome journals, notebooks, and sketchbooks, and I love their slogan: A little caffeine and a lot of creativity!

What is your name?

Java Girls is a two-person team. My name is Ruth Gadbois, and my business partner is Renee Coombe. Renee is the primary crafter in our business, and I do photography, posting, accounting, shipping and banking.

Where are you right now?

We both live in Salem, CT.

How did you choose the name of your Etsy shop?

We have been friends for 25 years. Over these years we've shared many cups of coffee. Actually, the discussion of opening our shop was over a hot cup of java! Therefore, the name, Java Girls, seemed perfect!

When did you learn to create the things you sell in your shop?

Renee is a natural artist. She has been an avid scrapbooker for years. She decided to apply these skills to making altered journals. She is self-taught and a very talented crafter. I am continually amazed at her creations.

If you had to choose one craft to do for the rest of this year, what would it be?

I think we're doing it: altered custom and personalized keepsake journals. Families are very important, and we feel that our journals and notebooks provide a means of bringing families closer together. Our journals are meant to be used and treasured. They are a way to preserve precious memories and express heartfelt thoughts and feelings. It's very rewarding when someone chooses one of our journals. It's not just a product. It is a very precious keepsake.

What author are you recommending today?

I love Mary Higgins Clark.

Why do her books appeal to you?

I enjoy her easy-read style. She's an amazing author. I personally prefer books that are not too deep. I also appreciate the fact that her books have very little profanity. Her books are intriguing, full of suspense, and very enjoyable and entertaining.

"The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory

2010-02-20T21:40:00.004-05:00

You may remember me listing this book in my sidebar a couple months ago as the book I was currently reading. When I checked it out from the library that time, it was so new it was still a "7 Days" book that wasn't renewable. I don't have a huge amount of time to read right now, and I wasn't able to finish reading it before it was due. I finally got it again after a few months, and finished it this week.

I love historical fiction. Actually, I just love history. I love learning about how people lived long ago, seeing how different, and yet how similar, they were to people today. Along with mysteries, historical fiction is probably my favorite genre.

But I did not love The White Queen by Philippa Gregory.

I didn't hate it either. This book was well-researched and well-written, no question about that. And the main character, Elizabeth Woodville (wife of England's King Edward IV), is a complex, believable heroine. The dialog was great, and the description was well balanced -- I could envision the world inside the book, but I wasn't overwhelmed with minutiae.

But after a while, I honestly got bored by all the court intrigue and political finagling, the endless alliances and double-crosses. I kept wanting everyone to just settle down and live peaceably for a chapter or two. It didn't help that half the female characters were named Elizabeth, and most of the men were named Edward, Richard, or George. That got a bit confusing at times, trying to keep everyone straight, like the reverse problem from Russian novels where every character has six different names and nicknames. None of this was the author's fault -- Gregory was dealing with real people and real events. They just weren't the kinds that interest me deeply.

So if you like historical fiction about royalty, chock-full of court intrigue and the machinations of power-hungry people, you'll like this book. If that's not your thing, then you -- like me -- may end up wishing for it to end a hundred or so pages before it does.

Interview with TheSquareGrammy

2010-02-15T09:17:00.005-05:00

I'm doing a new series of blog posts, starting today. Every Monday for the next few weeks, I'll be posting an interview with a fellow Etsy shop owner. Part of that interview will be for you to get to know them, and part of it will be for them to recommend a book or author. I know a lot of you, gentle readers, are book lovers like me, so I thought this would be a cool way to bring you some new recommendations.

My first interviewee is none other than my own mom. Her shop is called The Square Grammy. Read on to learn more!

What is your name?

My name is Beverly Ohlendorf.

Where are you right now?

I live in Taylorsville, NC

How did you choose the name of your Etsy shop?

I chose the name of my shop because Daniel calls me "Grammy", and we crocheters make Granny Squares, and I'm kinda "square" sometimes (maybe more often than just sometimes) so it all kinda fits together. I like puns.

When did you learn to create the things you sell in your shop?

I've been crocheting all my life. My mom taught me to crochet when I was very little, before I could read or write, I always say. I don't remember not being able to crochet.

I've recently learned hairpin lace, and I'd really like to learn how to make some things to sell out of it. Right now it's just a fun thing to do, but I'd like to be able to create things that look good with it.

What author are you recommending today?

I really like books by Jodi Picoult. I only read certain books by her though, because they're about controversial topis, and some of the topics she writes on are, frankly, not my "cup of tea". I really loved "Plain Truth", "Nineteen Minutes", and "My Sister's Keeper".

Why do her books appeal to you?

Jodi has a very compelling style of writing that keeps you reading late into the night. Her topics are so thought-provoking, and she keeps you guessing right up to the end.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I'd like to offer my Snowflake Scarf for 10% off for just your readers. They can convo me and tell me they're from your blog and I'll give it to them for the discount.

Merseth Morsels

2010-02-11T20:00:00.004-05:00

Do you like to try unusual recipes? Do you experiment with food to make it healthier? Have you ever wanted a recipe for homemade peanut butter cups? If so, follow this link to a new blog called Merseth Morsels.

I went to college with Megan Merseth and her husband Jeff a decade ago in Mankato, MN. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, we've gotten back in touch, and when Megan started her new blog this year, I was quick to follow it. We have quite a bit in common -- we're both stay-at-home-moms with two-year-old sons, and she has a 4 month old, while I'll be having my second kid any minute now. And we both love to cook and bake! But Megan is much more into healthful cooking than I am, which is what fascinates me about the recipes she shares on her blog.

I asked Megan some questions about her approach to food and the recipes she shares on her blog. Here's what she responded:

My journey to truly nourishing real food started back in 2005 after starting to use some "health" products from a well-known company. It was my first step toward a lot of eye-opening research, as I realized the food I was eating was contributing to my less than excellent health. A lightbulb also went on when I was able to connect BBQ sauce (which has Worcestershire sauce containing soy sauce in it) to these itchy red bumps I would get after eating it. Ever since then, I've been abstaining from soy products as much as possible, and if you've ever looked at the ingredient label of anything, there aren't many things without soy in some form. Soy comes under many names, as I've discovered.

Soy is the only "dietary restriction" I try to cook around, although when I'm cooking for my brother-in-law, he doesn't do dairy, so I use olive oil or coconut oil instead of butter. I also stay away from as many refined foods as possible. That includes white bleached flour, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and most anything pre-packaged or processed. I will either soak whole wheat or rye flour in an acidic solution overnight or use sprouted grain flour. I usually use real maple syrup or raw honey instead of white sugar.

I also own a copy of the cookbook "Nourishing Traditions" and follow a couple of "real food" blogs which is where I get most of my cues about what constitutes truly nourishing food. I use the term "nourishing" because I strive to make food that truly feeds the body instead of just giving it empty calories. I don't want to jinx anything, but we've had a pretty healthy winter thus far, and I attribute that to taking fermented cod liver oil, drinking raw milk, and eating organic citrus by the box.

Besides all this, I just love to cook and try new things in the kitchen. I'm thinking of making some fermented foods soon, perhaps some fermented marmalade! It's still an on-going learning process for me, though. I'm always reading, trying new things. Never a dull moment!

I live in Minnesota with my two boys ages 2 years (Judah) and 4 months (Andrew), and husband (Jeff) who is a vicar (sort of like a student teacher position, part of his schooling) at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I teach part time as an adjunct faculty member of the music department at Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, giving voice lessons.

Megan posts some truly fascinating -- and yummy-looking -- recipes on her blog, as well as amusing stories about her sons, complete with cute pictures. If you think the pictures I've posted here look tasty, please check out Merseth Morsels! You won't be sorry you did.

Gingerbread Carrot Muffins

2010-02-08T10:39:00.009-05:00

I got this recipe from the 3rd edition of What to Expect When You're Expecting. They're supposed to be good for reducing morning sickness, what with all the ginger in them. I haven't had morning sickness, but I thought these might be great to take along to the birth center since we have to provide our own food there. I know muffins usually freeze well, so I've made these up now and I'll toss some in the freezer to take along when the time comes.

I'm not a huge fan of fresh ginger, so I left that out, though I did use the ground ginger. I used wheat germ and chopped pecans, but I didn't toast the nuts cuz grating the carrots was enough work as it is.

These turned out really yummy -- Daniel and I had them with lunch, and he ate a whole one and then asked for more. I think I would rename them Apricot Carrot Muffins if I made them again, since without the fresh ginger it's the apricots and carrots that really stand out.

Gingerbread Carrot Muffins
(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup white grape juice concentrate
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup grated carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line a standard-size 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, flaxseed or wheat germ, oats, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda. Add apricots and nuts (if desired) and stir to blend.

In another bowl, combine the juice concentrate, eggs, oil, vanilla, and fresh ginger and whisk to blend. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently just until the batter is smooth and well blended; be careful not to overmix. (It took me about 25 strokes to mix the two.)

Gently fold the carrots into the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. (Cups will probably be very full.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.

Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or frozen up to 1 month when individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag or container.

Note: Not a fan of ginger? Leave it out and substitute another teaspoon of cinnamon.

And the Notebook Goes to...

2010-02-05T09:24:00.004-05:00

...Betsabe! Congratulations, you have won the Extraordinary Women notebook! I'll be emailing you to get your mailing address so I can send the notebook to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll be doing more giveaways in the future, so even though you didn't win today, you may have better luck next time.

I chose the winner with random.org's true random number generator, if you're wondering....

Giveaway: Extraordinary Women Notebook

2010-01-31T16:19:00.016-05:00

As promised, it's time for another giveaway! For my first giveaway of 2010, I'm giving away a composition notebook decorated with some of my original collages. It would make an awesome Valentine's Day gift for any free-spirited woman you might know... yourself, perhaps?

I'll draw the winner around 9am EST on Friday, February 5th. That means if you really do want to give it to someone for Valentine's Day, it has a good chance of getting to you before then, at least if you live in the USA.

This is a composition-sized notebook. It measures 9 3/4" (24.7cm) x 7 1/2" (19cm) and has 100 wide-ruled sheets (200 pages). You can write a lot in one of these! I use this size of notebook a lot myself because it can hold so much, and because it lays flat pretty nicely.

The front cover is a collage of pictures of six vibrant women, some of them famous (Halle Berry, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Shakira) and some not. It also has the words "extraordinary" and "decadent."

The back cover features more bold women, from Charlie's Angels to Catherine Zeta-Jones to Courtney Love, and more. The back collage also bears the words "exotic" and "playful."

Both covers are covered with clear contact paper to protect the collages from wear and tear.

I sell this size notebook for $19 in my store. How can it be your for FREE? As always, there are three ways:

+ 1. Leave a comment here listing your favorite item from my store, www.huggermugger.etsy.com , and either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 2. Follow my blog. Leave a comment here letting me know you're a follower, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 3. Post about this on your own blog. Leave a comment here with a link to your blog post, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

This means you can be entered up to three times!

Giveaway ends the morning of Friday, February 5th when I draw the winner, announce who it is here, and contact them to get their mailing address. Good luck!

Huggermugger Hats, Babies, and Friends

2010-01-28T20:13:00.010-05:00

At last, I've created a hat worthy of the title Huggermugger! Ever since I opened shop, I've been wanting to make up a hat pattern that I could call the Huggermugger Hat because wearing it felt like a hug for your head. And I've finally done so! I have four in my shop at the moment, all adult/teen sizes, but I'm working on making a child size.

The Huggermugger Hat is crocheted from two strands of yarn held together, so it's extra thick and extra warm. I'll be adding the crochet pattern to my shop soon as well.

In other news, I'm 36 weeks along in my pregnancy today. I had a midwife appointment this morning, and the baby is head-down, in perfect position for birth, so I'm praying it stays that way. I haven't really mentioned being pregnant much here, and that's because there's rarely anything to say -- I'm having a very ordinary, normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, so what's there to write? I've gained 26 pounds so far, the baby's growing nicely and has a strong heartbeat, and I'm pretty much ready for it to arrive any time now :-)

Speaking of baby arrivals, my best friend Julie, who runs the Etsy shop This Cosy Life, had her third child this week, a healthy baby girl. Hooray!

Up next: another giveaway! Don't touch that dial ;-)

Want to be a Rock Star?

2010-01-20T16:43:00.007-05:00

The Etsy Trade-a-holics team has started doing a monthly design challenge this year, and the first one has the theme "Rock On." You can go here to view all the entries, or just search Etsy for the tag "tradeonjan10." Then if you go to the team blog here, you can vote in the sidebar for whichever store's entry was your favorite.

This is my entry. I call it the Rock Star Notebook. I covered it in pictures of musical artists from Elvis and the Beatles to Creed and Shakira, plus a few others.

This notebook is bigger than the journals I've been selling before -- it's a composition notebook, the kind some schools require. It's 9 3/4" (24.7cm) tall and 7 1/2" (19cm) wide, and has 100 wide-ruled sheets (200 pages). I'm going to be adding more notebooks this size to my shop soon, so stay tuned for those.

Featured on Cassia's Kitchen Blog

2010-01-13T11:15:00.008-05:00

The Cassia's Kitchen blog is featuring an interview with me today! Go here to read it. The interview is part of an ongoing series featuring women entrepreneurs, and the previous interviews she's posted are really interesting and informative too.

"By Myself" by Lauren Bacall

2010-01-11T20:04:00.007-05:00

I've been a fan of Lauren Bacall since the first time I saw her in a movie, which was To Have and Have Not (1944). I saw it in high school, when I was probably seventeen or eighteen -- only a year or two younger than Bacall was when she made that film. I've seen her in nine or ten other films since then, and my admiration has grown with each viewing. Her characters are cool, sophisticated... and yet, they always have a sweet vulnerability that keeps me from getting annoyed by her.

So when I found her autobiography, By Myself, at a used bookstore, I couldn't resist it. And I'm happy to report that it has enhanced my admiration of her, not tarnished it. The book traces her life from growing up in a single-parent family in New York City during the 1930s through her fantastic burst on the Hollywood scene, her marriage to Humphrey Bogart, and her life post-Bogie as she struggled through other relationships, raised her three children, and made a place for herself on Broadway.

This is a poignant, honest book, with a measure of soul-searching that I'm not accustomed to in autobiographies. As she says toward the end of it, "When I plunge I do plunge; halfway is not my way." (pg. 358). Throughout this book, she shows how throwing herself wholeheartedly into everything, be it a film or stage role or a personal relationship, has both its advantages and disadvantages.

My only disappointment with this book is that it ends before Bacall makes The Shootist (1976) with John Wayne -- I would love to have heard her thoughts on an older, ailing Duke, as she had some kind things to say about him when she discussed making Blood Alley with him in the '50s. But Bacall has written two more autobiographies, and I'm sure she covers the making of The Shootist in one of them.

If you're a fan of Bacall's, or simply of classic Hollywood, this book is an enjoyable read that feels like a chat with a friend over a cup of coffee or two. Thoroughly engaging, even in the sad parts.

Twist of Fate Treasury

2010-01-09T16:53:00.005-05:00

I made a treasury today. I was supposed to be going to see Avatar, but Daniel protested taking his nap for so long that I ended up missing the movie. So instead I made this treasury, which I call Twist of Fate:

You can go see it here, and if you're an Etsy member, I'd love it if you commented on it!

I didn't actually plan to do a blue theme, but after choosing about half of these yarns, I realized I was being drawn almost exclusively to blues, either because of the blue characters in Avatar or because I was a bit blue about not going to see it today. Or maybe just because I love the color blue. Anyway, I think this is the prettiest treasury I've made yet.

Moi

2010-01-08T15:27:00.005-05:00

Lisa over at the Alterity blog tagged me in this rather fun meme full of random stuff about me -- and since I've got nothing else in mind to blog about, here goes:

Your hair Brown, long, and straight.

Your favorite food Chocolate. That's a whole food group, right?

Your favorite drink Coca-Cola.

Your dream/goal To have a book published.

Your hobby Crocheting, collage-ing, photography, writing fanfiction about the 1960s WWII-based TV show Combat!, baking, playing Scrabble on Facebook....

Your fear Failure. Also, seeing someone I love plummet to their doom off a high cliff while I stand helplessly by.

Where were you last night Here at home.

Something you say all the time I have this habit of ending sentences with "so...." I'm trying to break myself of that.

Something you are not Unpregnant.

Wishlist item The Australia soundtrack.

Last thing you did Went to Daniel's room to remind him he's supposed to be taking a nap, not carrying on both sides of a conversation about his toy semi truck.

What you are wearing Jeans and an over-large black t-shirt (that still fits over my 33-weeks-along tummy) that says "Let's hunt some Orc."

Your pets None at the moment, alas.

Friends I've got four best friends in California, Minnesota, and North Carolina, and other friends everywhere from Connecticut to Australia.

Missing someone Larry, who won't be home from work for three more hours.

Something you're not wearing Shoes. I hates them, Precious.

Your favorite store Michael's, Barnes & Noble, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Suncoast, Borders, FYE.

Your favorite color Purple, blue, and green. And grey.

The last time you cried Tuesday.

The last time you laughed About 15 minutes ago.

One place that you go to over and over Church, the library, the grocery store, and Walmart -- our regular weekendly destinations.

Where do you eat In the kitchen. Or at a restaurant now and then.

I'm not going to tag anyone -- play if you want to!

Tale of Woe

2010-01-05T11:31:00.005-05:00

How's the new year been treating you? I'm hoping yours is going better than mine.

Daniel, my two-year-old, came down with a cold back on December 17. I got it the next day. I shook it off in a little more than a week, but his nose just stayed stuffed up, though by Christmas he was acting pretty normal. But then he started to cough. At first, it was just one of those post-nasal-drip coughs, kinda dry, which is what I had too. But on New Year's Eve, it turned into a wet, chesty cough. He ran a low fever that evening for a while, though thankfully that went away by bedtime. But he woke up coughing several times that night and for the next couple of nights. Which means I woke up too, because I'd hear him over the baby monitor. One night, he and I were awake for over an hour -- every time I (and probably he) would just about doze off, he'd cough again.

So I took him to the doctor yesterday, and they said that although we can't hear it, his lungs are wheezing again. Last winter, about this same time, he had a cold that went into his chest and he was wheezing audibly, so I took him to the doctor and ended up renting a nebulizer for a week to give him Albuterol treatments. Well, although we couldn't hear him wheezing this time around, the doctor could via the stethoscope.

And so yesterday's trip to the doctor at noon turned into a four-and-a-half-hour ordeal involving lunch, renting a nebulizer at a medical supply store, two trips to the pharmacy, and a parking ticket for spending 40 minutes at the Post Office for what should have been a 15-minutes-tops stop to mail a package.

The good news is, the nebulizer does seem to help him breathe better, and he slept for almost 11 hours with no coughing last night. The not-as-good news is that the medicine they gave to loosen up the mucous in his lungs makes him hyper, but it also lowers his immune system, so we're supposed to avoid contact with other germs as much as we can, ie, I can't take him out in public places to run off his excess energy.

And my husband came down with the cold at the end of last week too.

So, that's my tale of woe. I'm praying it's not a portent of things to come in 2010! And I hope you've been having a much better year so far :-)

EDIT: They haven't diagnosed Daniel with asthma, however, so that's a blessing. If this happens again, then they would probably diagnose him with "asthma-with-colds," meaning he's prone to having bronchial problems when he gets sick.

Featured on A World of Creativity

2009-12-31T19:00:00.004-05:00

The last time I'll be featured this year: A World of Creativity has a post about lots of end-of-the-year sales on Etsy, and I'm one of them. Check it out!

Sale Time!

2009-12-27T15:29:00.017-05:00

Through January 1st, I am having a sale in my Huggermugger store. I'm getting rid of some older items to make way for new designs and ideas.

If you're like me and looking for Christmas stuff this week because you know they'll probably be on sale, my Christmas items are no exception. They're all 50% off this week!

Also, I've marked all my winter hats, scarves, and mittens down by 25%-50%. All of them -- the baby hats, the child hats, and the adult/teen attire. So if you want to keep your family warm with handmade items, here's the perfect opportunity!

Hot Wings Pizza

2009-12-22T16:59:00.006-05:00

If you like hot wings and you like pizza, you need to try this simple recipe. It'd make a great addition to a Christmas or New Year's party, or just a quiet evening at home relaxing with a movie.

Hot Wings Pizza

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust -- prebaked
2 cups chicken pieces
2 tbsp. butter - melted
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. steak sauce
2 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup blue cheese dressing
3 green onions -- chopped
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

In a medium skillet, mix butter, tomato sauce, steak sauce, and Tabasco sauce. Add chicken pieces and heat through. Meanwhile, spread dressing on pizza crust. Top with chicken mix. Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Christmas, Tradaholics Style

2009-12-18T21:23:00.003-05:00

Time for my third -- and final -- selection of five Christmasy items, this time from the Tradeaholics team.

This adorable tutu comes from TheGirlyPlace, where you'll find lots of other tutus, hairbows, and more.

I love this ceramic Cowboy Santa pendant! And it's two-sided, with a moose on the other side. It's from ArtrageousClay, which has lots of other holiday jewelry too.

These holly blossom hairpins from TattooAnnie are one of a big variety of Christmasy accessories you can find in her shop.

These six mini thank-you cards are only one set out of many you'll find at PeculiarParchment, where you can also get Christmas cards and gift tags.

And these felted whatnot bowls from MissyAndMe would be great for holding all those little doodads that seem to multiply this time of year. They have some cute felted ornaments too.

This concludes my last-minute team gift guide. I hope it gave you an idea or two for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list, or maybe you've found something you'd like to give yourself for Christmas :-) Happy browsing!

Christmas, BusyMoms Style

2009-12-17T18:31:00.005-05:00

Tonight, I continue my last-minute Christmas shopping gift guide by bringing you five festive items from members of the Busy Moms team.

First off, here are some lovely red lampwork and silver earrings from NewHopeBeading, where you can find lots of other Christmasy jewelry as well.

Next up are a pair of microwave mitts that will lend some joy to your kitchen. They're from BijouxDesignsForYou, which is advertising $5 stocking stuffers right now!

This Christmas berry candle comes from OzarkScentsCandleCo, a shop replete with Christmasy candles and soaps in all sorts of scents, shapes, and containers.

This half-apron with attached hand towel is from SlingabyeBaby, a relatively new shop that also has some holiday hats for little ones.

And lastly, this peppermint patty soap is just one of many Christmasy gift ideas available from Cassia'sKitchen.

That's all for tonight -- stay tuned for one last set of gift ideas tomorrow!

Christmas, CAST Style

2009-12-16T21:45:00.004-05:00

I belong to three "teams" on Etsy, the Christian Artists Street Team (CAST), the Busy Moms Team, and the Trade-a-holics Team. This week, I'm going to highlight a few of my favorite Christmas items from each team.

Tonight, I bring you five items from the CAST team that have caught my eye.

This cute little ornament comes from BlackBrookShop, which has lots of Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and more.

This Snowflake Sparkle wreath or centerpiece comes from Ivyndell, which has a variety of lovely Christmas-themed wreaths and centerpieces, some of which can pull double duty like this one.

This set of five cross-stitched gift tags comes from BountifulBlessings, where you'll find Christmasy quilts, baskets, and more.

This hand-painted First Christmas Together ornament is one of many in the DoodlePadDesigns shop, where they offer free personalization of ornaments.

Finally, this unique Christmas card comes from LemonadeSun, where you can also get a variety of Christmasy handcarved stamps.

Remember, there's still a little more than a week before Christmas, but you need to order soon to ensure timely shipping!

Featured with a Giveaway

2009-12-09T11:08:00.005-05:00

I'm being featured here on the Alterity blog this week -- and as part of the feature, I'm giving away these three eco-friendly spiral scrubbies. Made from 100% cotton yarn, they are great for scrubbing dishes or even using in the shower for a little exfoliation, and you can toss them in the washer when they're dirty. Read Alterity's blog post for details on how to enter to win these scrubbies!

Many thanks to Lisa of Alterity for featuring me on her highly cool blog :-)

My7Kids

2009-12-08T21:20:00.003-05:00

No, I don't have seven kids suddenly -- number two won't arrive for another couple months yet. Actually, My7Kids is the name of one of my favorite Etsy shops. This shop specializes in yarn, so you can see the appeal for someone like me who loves to crochet (and is still trying to conquer that whole knitting thing). But the yarn from My7Kids is especially cool because it's recycled!

This yarn starts out as a sweater, usually a commercially made one bought from a thrift shop. It gets unraveled, washed, and then redyed. Though the photographs mostly show artful hanks and twists of yarn, it actually arrives on your doorstep in a convenient center-pull ball, which I personally prefer to those artful twists (because those tend to turn into a big tangled mess when I try to use them). I've bought four different yarns from this shop, and they are awesome! I haven't had a chance to use the two balls I bought most recently, but I'm planning to make things for Huggermugger from them once I finish a couple projects I have going.

The other cool thing about My7Kids' yarn is the way the different colors are named. Three of the skeins I've bought were called Boromir, Inigo Montoya, and The Shadow -- I happen to love Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, and the old radio show The Shadow (the movie was pretty good too), so you can see why I might be attracted to those particular yarns.

Right now, My7Kids has lots of yarn named after/inspired by the movie The Christmas Story, so if you're a fan of that movie, of recycling, or just of yarn in general, definitely check My7Kids out! The prices are incredibly reasonable -- all the yarns in the shop at the moment are under $20 and many are under $10. I may have to pick up a couple more myself, as a matter of fact.

My7Kids is run by Nikki, a Christian stay-at-home mom who homeschools her kids -- in other words, she's a lot like my mom and me, just with more kids. You can learn more about Nikki by reading her blog, My Thoughts on Life, Yarn, Kids, and Other Stuff.

Broccoli and Squash Medley

2009-12-03T14:36:00.007-05:00

This recipe from BettyCrocker.com combines four of my son's favorite foods: broccoli, squash, dried cranberries, and nuts. And yes, I have an absurdly healthy boy. If I ate the way he does, I'd be a lot better off. Working on that. Anyway, this is fairly quick to make -- the hardest part is peeling the squash. It makes enough to feed 3-4 people as a main course, or you can use it as a side dish for a bigger gathering.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Frozen broccoli
2 cups Butternut squash -- peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup Pecans - chopped
1 tbsp. Grated orange peel
1 tsp. Salt

Directions:

Steam broccoli; set aside. In a large skillet, cook squash in orange juice 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add butter and stir until melted. Add all ingredients and toss to coat.

This also tastes good cold, so you can make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge if you want a cold veggie side dish.

And the Winner is...

2009-12-01T08:25:00.003-05:00

...Tesoro Jewelry and Art! You've won the handmade purse giveaway! Congratulations :-D I'll be emailing you this morning to get your mailing address so I can send you the purse right away.

Thanks to everyone who participated! I'll try to do another giveaway here after the first of the year. Meanwhile, keep an eye out here for a link to a giveaway of some of my items on someone else's blog next week! Details later.

(I chose this winner using random.org)

Giveaway: "Denim" Purse

2009-11-23T13:37:00.021-05:00

To celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week (and the kickoff of the Christmas season), I'm holding my second giveaway! This time around, I'm giving away this groovy purse:

You have one week to win it -- this giveaway ends on November 30th.

I've crocheted the outside of this bag from fuzzy denim-colored yarn that's a mix of acrylic/mohair/polyester. It has a nice ribbed pattern, and I've lined the bag with actual denim. The top flap fastens with a loop around a bright red- and pink-striped plastic button that says "Be happy" in purple letters.

This bag is 9" tall, 9" wide, and 2" thick. The strap is 2" wide and 39" long. That gives you plenty of room to carry around your stuff, but isn't so big and bulky it'll get in your way all the time.

How can you win this bag, worth $30? There are three ways:

+ 1. Leave a comment here listing your favorite item from my store, www.huggermugger.etsy.com , and either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 2. Follow my blog. Leave a comment here letting me know you're a follower, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 3. Post about this on your own blog. Leave a comment here with a link to your blog post, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

This means you can be entered up to three times!

Enter by midnight on November 30th! I'll draw the winner on December 1st, announce who it is here, and contact them to get their mailing address.

Sound good? I hope so. Be Happy!

Santa Hat Pattern

2009-11-21T20:31:00.005-05:00

I just added my original pattern for baby/child Santa hats to my store! It's in my Crochet Patterns section (obviously). This pattern is really easy, perfect for beginning crocheters. If you can chain and work a double crochet stitch, you can make this hat! This pattern has instructions for five sizes: 0-3mo, 3-6mo, 6-12mo, 12-24mo, and Child. I also include the directions to make the pom-pom.

I've been selling my crochet patterns quite a bit lately. I love the idea of someone taking my pattern and making something of their very own with it -- it's like getting to be a teacher, in a way. And since I also love making up my own crochet patterns when I can't find one for what I want to make, I'm sure I'll be adding more patterns to my store in the future.

If you order this pattern now, you'll have plenty of time to make one or two of these before Christmas, even have your kids' portraits taken in them if you want. I also sell the already-made hats in my store if you don't feel like making them yourself, and if you don't see the size you need, contact me because I love making custom orders.

Up next week -- a giveaway!

"101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen" by Patrice Hannon

2009-11-16T19:52:00.006-05:00

I picked this up on the bookstore's bargain shelves a couple months ago, thinking it would be basically a list of 101 random facts about Jane Austen, one to a page or something. I flipped through it a bit, saw it was more substantial than that, and figured for less than $10, I couldn't go wrong.

Turns out, this book is a little bit biography, a little bit literary analysis of Austen's works. The only purpose the 101 facts seem to serve is to break up the book into readable chunks, and they're not even presented as "facts," but more as topic headings. Here's a sampling:

5. A family member meets the guillotine
25. Arrested for shoplifting!
59. Why are there so many clergymen in Jane's Austen's novels?

As you can see, this book covers a wide variety of material, and in only 230 pages. For the casual fan of Austen, like me, it's a great way to learn more about the author and her books. Those who are avid Austenites would probably also enjoy it, particularly if they want to know more about the author herself, but don't have time for a lengthy biography. I enjoyed the bits of literary analysis the most, undoubtedly because I minored in English and still love delving deeper into books than what an initial reading gives you.

101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen: The Truth About the World's Most Intriguing Literary Heroine is a fairly easy read, and enjoyable even if you haven't read all her novels yet (like I haven't). It's not engrossing, however, and it took me over a month to read it because I kept getting sidetracked by other books. But because it's broken up into 101 little chunks, it's perfect for picking up whenever you have a few minutes.

Turkey Treasury

2009-11-15T14:13:00.004-05:00

I got a treasury today! I call it Turkey Tots, and it's full of turkey-themed wearables for kids. Hope you like it! Remember, it'll only be available for viewing for a couple days, so check it out while there's still time.

Also, my Free Shipping offer will end tonight, so if you've been putting off taking advantage of that, don't wait much longer.

FREE Worldwide Shipping!!!

2009-11-13T09:38:00.002-05:00

I'm offering FREE shipping to anywhere in the world this weekend! Today through Sunday, you pay no shipping, no handling, just the list price for each item. If you were thinking of getting something from my shop, but hadn't gotten around to it yet, now would be a good time ;-)

I'm doing this as part of a team promo put on by the Busy Moms of Etsy team. Click here for a list of all the shops participating and the deals they're offering.

Cranberry Orange Tea Bread

2009-11-11T15:48:00.007-05:00

This is a great recipe for the holidays, when cranberries are readily available in the stores. I've had this recipe for several years -- I have no idea where I got it, maybe in an advertisement or something. It's also found here at motts.com. It says to make it as a loaf, and I've done that, but this time around I made 24 mini-muffins and 6 regular muffins. This doesn't rise a lot, so fill your muffin cups almost to the top if you make those instead of bread.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup dried cranberries OR 1 cup whole fresh berries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup cinnamon apple sauce
1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted
1 egg
2 tsp grated orange peel

Directions:

Combine flour, cranberries, sugar, and baking powder in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Blend applesauce mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan or muffin tin lined with paper baking cups. Bake at 350F 45-50 minutes for loaf, 16-20 minutes for regular muffins, 12-16 minutes for mini muffins, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing loaf to cool completely on wire rack. Loaf makes 12 servings.

I use whole cranberries because I like things that are tart and tangy. If you prefer sweeter bread/muffins, you'll probably want to use sweetened dried cranberries (like Craisins) instead.

I made the 24 mini-muffins to send to a friend of ours who is serving in Afghanistan right now. Happy Veterans Day! I can never say 'thank you' enough to those brave soldiers who have put their lives on the line to defend ours, both in the past and today. You are my heroes.

The Spice of Life?

2009-11-02T13:53:00.005-05:00

At a craft show I did a couple weeks ago, a fellow vendor stood inside my booth and said that she prefers to focus on one kind of craft when she does shows so that her booth "doesn't end up looking like Wal-Mart." I can only assume this was a not-so-subtle hint that my booth looked like Wal-mart because I do not focus on one kind of craft. Just like in my Etsy shop, when I'm at a craft show I sell crocheted hats for the whole family, journals, scrunchies, wash cloths and dish scrubbies, instant canteens, sachets, and Christmas items.

I have two reasons for not focusing on one specific kind of craft:

I like making different things! I enjoy crocheting, collaging, sewing, and painting. Why limit myself to only one kind of craft? Why miss out on the pleasure I could get by plying all my trades?
I want my shop to have a little something for everyone. Maybe you don't need a new winter hat, but you do want a new journal. Maybe you don't need a journal, but you do need something to carry your water bottle in. Or maybe you want a hat for your grandson and a journal for yourself. And so on.

But I'm beginning to wonder... am I wrong? Would it be better, business-wise, to restrict my store (and craft show booths) to just crocheted items or just journals? Maybe just baby/child-oriented things?

I put it to you, Gentle Readers. Do you think it's a better idea to sell only related items, say things made of yarn, or jewelry, or artwork, etc? Or is it better to have a variety? Is variety no longer the spice of life?

And if you shop at craft shows or on sites like Etsy, are you more likely to buy from a person who sells a whole lot of variations on a single theme, or from someone who makes many different kinds of things? Or is it a silly question, and you don't care one way or another?

Leave me a comment with your opinions -- I'm really interested to know.

Still See a Pattern?

2009-10-28T09:31:00.005-04:00

Remember the snowman hat I talked about in my last post? I've made another one and listed it in my shop in my brand new Child Hats section. I'm planning to add some more hats there soon -- after all, why should babies have all the fun? I've also added the pattern to my shop, so now I have five of my original patterns for sale! I've expanded my pumpkin hat pattern to include a child size too.

The North Wind Doth Blow

2009-10-15T14:41:00.007-04:00

It's snowing! It's not sticking, of course, but still, it's snowing! In honor of our first snow for the season, I thought I'd highlight some of the new winter hats I've been adding to my shop lately.

For adults, I just added this groovy hat. I call it the Purple Waves hat, not just because the yarn is purple and the pattern is wavy, but as a reference to one of my favorite books ever, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I crocheted this hat from a wool/acrylic blend that has a handspun texture, which means it has "slubs," or thicker parts in the yarn. That gives this hat a nobbly aspect that I think is extra fun.

Another adult hat I added recently is this black and burgundy cloche. A cloche is a close-fitting women's hat that's sort of shaped like a bell. They were really popular back in the Roaring Twenties. I made this one from satin-finish acrylic yarn, so it's extra soft. And it matches a pair of mittens that I made a couple months ago. Both mittens and hat are done in single crochet for maximum warmth.

And I'm adding some children's sizes to my shop! My first is this Jack-o'-lantern hat that's actually a larger size of the baby ones I already offer. This is big enough for a toddler up to about a ten-year-old. (I offer the pattern for the baby sizes here.) I'm going to be adding a snowman hat soon -- I made one as a custom order and it turned out so cute, I'm going to make more for my shop. In fact, I've got one started already. More about that when I list it!

Quick Feature

2009-10-08T12:28:00.002-04:00

The Busy Moms Team did another publicity blitz these last few weeks, and today is my day, so BijouxDesignsForYou has a little feature about me on her blog, including a short interview...

"Death du Jour" by Kathy Reichs

2009-10-07T07:34:00.010-04:00

I read Death du Jour so quickly, I didn't even get around to putting it in my sidebar here before I'd finished it. I'd say it was even more absorbing that Reichs' first book, Deja Dead. The characters are more fully realized this time around, and the dialog in most places was much more natural.

Once again, the story crept inside my head and stayed there until I'd finished the book, which is the main reason I read it in just a couple days despite it being nearly 400 pages long. That's pretty rare for me these days, with Daniel demanding so much of my attention, though it was normal for me back in my pre-parenting days. It was possibly even more creepy than Deja Dead, as it dealt with things like cults and some decidedly unnatural deaths. So if you're not a fan of creepy books or all those forensic crime shows on TV, you might not dig this.

Death du Jour focuses on a series of seemingly unrelated murders in Canada and South Carolina that Dr. Tempe Brennan ends up investigating more than her jobs as forensic anthropologist and professor would ordinarily necessitate. It involves more personal relationships than its predecessor, and we not only meet up with Brennan's daughter and ex, but also her sister and nephew. And her professional relationship with Montreal detective Andrew Ryan takes a more personal turn as well, much to my delight.

Reichs' descriptions are the most powerful aspect of her writing, something I admire since I often struggle when describing things in my own writing. Here's my favorite passage from this book: "The new flakes lay white atop the underlying gray, like newborn innocence on last year's sins." Good stuff!

Last Saturday

2009-10-03T20:56:00.004-04:00

I've finally uploaded my pictures from the craft show I did last Saturday. We had gorgeous weather, sunny and in the 60s, with a breeze to keep it from getting too hot. And considering it was a smallish show (only 50 booths I think), we had fairly nice crowds.

However, everyone was looking at things, and few people were buying. The show ran from 10am-4pm, and I made less than $50. Considering my booth fee was $75, I was not pleased. But most of the other vendors I talked to had similar complaints -- people just weren't in a buying mood. Whatcha gonna do?

At least I got these nice pics taken of my booth, so if I decide to apply for a booth at more juried shows (next spring, maybe?), I'll have good photos to send. I have another show in a couple weeks, and one in November as well, so I'm hoping I'll be able to make up what I lost at this one between those two.

You Win! You Win!

2009-09-24T09:17:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Shore Debris, who won the set of three Halloween votive holders!

(I let my almost-2-year-old draw the winner out of a hat, which I figured was as fair as a random number generator, since he can't read yet.)

And thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway :-) That was lots of fun, and I expect I'll do another sometime, maybe something Christmas-y in a few months....

No Trick, Just a Giveaway Treat

2009-09-10T15:16:00.012-04:00

This hereby kicks off this blog's first giveaway!

What am I giving away? These three spooky glass candle holders! They're perfect for tea lights or small votives. Each one is 2 1/2 inches tall, 2 1/2 inches across, and 9 inches around at the top. One is decorated with spiderwebs and a tiny spider; one with a black cat, a black witch's hat, the word "Boo!," and a ghost; one with the line from Macbeth's three sisters: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

The cool thing about these, as you can see from some of the pictures, is that when they're lit, they cast shadows of their decorations on whatever surface you set them on. These make a great decoration for a table, counter, desk, etc. Add them to a centerpiece or set them up alone, whatever suits your fancy. I sold these for $5 each at a craft fair last fall, so this set is worth $15, and it can be yours for free! I'm even throwing in three free Halloween-y tealights, the ones you see in the top picture.

You see, I'm going on vacation until the 23rd, so you have until midnight that night to enter. On the 24th, I will draw the winner.

How can you be that winner? There are three ways:

+ 1. Leave a comment here listing your favorite item from my store, www.huggermugger.etsy.com , and either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 2. Follow my blog. Leave a comment here letting me know you're a follower, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

+ 3. Post about this on your own blog. Leave a comment here with a link to your blog post, plus either your email address or your blog so I can contact you if you win.

This means you can be entered up to three times!

Enter by midnight on the 23rd! I'll draw the winner on September 24, announce who it is here, and contact them to get their mailing address. Then I'll ship these three candle holders to the lucky winner, and that will be that! Good luck :-)

Montreal

2009-09-08T14:22:00.002-04:00

We spent Labor Day Weekend up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. My brother and his wife came along too, so it was a really fun trip, despite the longish drives up and back. We got there late Saturday afternoon, and left Monday morning after breakfast. So all we really did Saturday was find the historic district and have supper there at a French/Alsatian restaurant, then go back to our hotel and crash.

On Sunday, we walked around the historic district again and did some shopping. We bought really yummy hot apple cider laced with maple -- the morning was a bit nippy, and of course we all forgot our jackets at the hotel, so the warm drink was welcome. Less welcome were the yellow jackets that started following us around, attracted by the sweet aroma. So we drank up kind of quickly and tossed our cups before anyone got stung.

We had lunch there in the historic district, then drove back to the hotel so Daniel could get his nap. Larry decided to snooze as well, but the rest of us went to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. We didn't get to see everything, as we only had a couple of hours there before the museum closed, but what we did see was awesome. A Rembrandt, a couple Monets, a couple Picassos, a Degas, a Salvador Dali... and a lot more that I'm forgetting. We also got to see a whole bunch of paintings and artifacts from the Napoleonic age, including some busts and portraits of Napoleon, and also his actual hair in a locket, one of his famous hats, a boot, a pair of his gloves, and one of his shirts. Too cool.

We ate supper Sunday night at a restaurant near our hotel, in the newer section of the city, then took a dip in the hotel pool before bedtime. Daniel's starting to really enjoy playing in the pool, and he's getting very good at kicking his feet. He's even starting to trying "swim" by floating on his stomach with his face up out of the water while Larry or I supports him. Won't be long!

Anyway, that's all my news for now. We'll be going on a big vacation on Saturday to visit Larry's family -- we'll be gone for almost two weeks, so if you don't hear much from me for a bit, you know why :-)

Givaway from Grace Hester Designs

2009-09-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

GraceHesterDesigns is offering a great giveaway on her blog: 500 free business cards! I've recently been looking into getting some business cards of my own, to include with orders and to hand out at the craft festivals I'm hoping to do this fall. So I know that depending on where you get them printed, 500 business cards are worth $50-75 or more! So you definitely want to go here and enter her giveaway right now.

"O Jerusalem" by Laurie R. King

2009-09-01T15:48:00.005-04:00

I've read O Jerusalem before, but I think I enjoyed it more this second time through, possibly because I got to relish the storytelling this time through instead of breathlessly wondering what would happen next. It's one of Ms. King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books, and it's actually the fifth book in the series, although it takes place during the events of the first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Someone recommended that I read O Jerusalem after Apprentice and before the second book, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, and I've done that on both my trips through the Russell/Holmes books. I've yet to read all of this series, but I was inspired to start the series afresh when I met Ms. King a few months ago at a book reading. I'm not sure it's best to read the books out of published order like this, but that's how I've done it, so oh well.

O Jerusalem follows Mary Russell and her mentor Sherlock Holmes to Palestine, where they seek refuge from a deadly enemy back in Britain while helping solve a mystery in the Holy Land. Since this is a mystery, I won't say much more, so as to not spoil things for anyone coming newly to this marvelous series. If you want to know more, you can read an excerpt and reviews here on Ms. King's site. I will only say that this book continues the exceptional relationship between Russell and Holmes and is an adventure worthy of them both. If you are a fan of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I highly recommend this series, as it is the best non-Doyle portrayal of the master sleuth I have ever read.

Quick French Onion Biscuits

2009-08-29T17:46:00.017-04:00

We made these biscuits to go with a ham the other night, and they were amazing! They're quick, easy, and tasty -- what more could you ask for? We found the recipe here at BettyCrocker.com.

Quick French Onion Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup milk
8 oz French onion dip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Stir all ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop dough into 6 mounds on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm. Yum!

Withdrawl

2009-08-27T10:28:00.003-04:00

I know I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I didn't realize just how much until our modem died on Tuesday morning. Suddenly, I couldn't check my email, I couldn't do anything with my Etsy shop, I couldn't blog, I couldn't check my Facebook... and what was worse, Daniel couldn't talk to his grandparents on Skype or watch an occasional Veggie Tales silly song on YouTube.

By the time we finally got a new modem hooked up and were back online Wednesday night, I felt like I'd been trying to quit caffeine or something. My husband and I had to take turns catching up on our internet lives after Daniel went to bed, and our own bedtime was rather later than usual.

But while I was without internet access for two days, I got an astounding number of other things done. I finished crocheting little flowers for a scarf I'm making for a custom order. I crocheted almost a dozen new scrunchies. I picked all the dead blossoms and leaves off the flowers we have hanging on our balcony. I did laundry. I fixed a toy for Daniel. I wrote up some episode reviews of my favorite TV show, Combat!, to be posted soon on the Fruit Salad fansite a friend and I have created. I worked on a story I've been revising lately. In short, I was very productive when deprived of my internet.

So I'm thinking I need to scale back on some of what I do online. Do I need to belong to quite so many Etsy teams? Maybe not. Do I need to spend quite so much time online promoting my shop when I could be making new items for it instead? Maybe not. Do I need to take quite so many fun quizzes on Facebook? Maybe not. I'm definitely going to be giving this a lot of thought. But I'm really glad I'm back online anyway :-D

Square Hip

2009-08-21T13:29:00.008-04:00

Square Hip is one of my favorite Etsy shops. It's full of cute hair bows, bibs, burp cloths, and... recycled crayons.

I'm all about these recycled crayons! I bought a couple sets a few months ago because Daniel is all into Winnie the Pooh and also into coloring, so how could I resist these super-cute crayons? Plus, they're recycled, which is always good. PLUS, half of the proceeds from all the different crayons get donated either to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the Autism Society.

And these are amazing crayons! Daniel has yet to break a single one, and he's really good at breaking crayons. It does help that they're not long and thin like normal crayons, but he has tossed them on the floor, dropped them, and even run over them with his ride-on bulldozer, and they do not break. To me, that is way worth $1 a crayon. Especially when they're so cute!

Square Hip has lots of shapes available, not just the Pooh, Lego, and Halloween shapes I've got posted here. And they'll do a custom orders for you, so you can get whatever assortment in whatever colors you want. I just ordered a whole bunch to give as gifts to some of the little people in my life (specifically some of the ones who are about to become big brothers and sisters).

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

2009-08-17T15:36:00.004-04:00

It's 98 degrees here today. Yesterday was almost as bad, and tomorrow promises to be the same... if not worse.

So what better time to think about Christmas, right?

Last year, I crocheted a tree skirt for the little table-top Christmas tree we have to use because this apartment is too small for a full-size tree. And I made one for my shop too. Now, I've transcribed my somewhat illegible scribblings for the pattern, put it in pdf format, and am offering it for sale in my shop. Sure, it's only August, but I figure if you want to make your own tabletop tree skirt, you might want to get started on it before, oh, December 24th. So this gives you lots of time :-)

Featured on 5erg's blog!

2009-08-13T19:49:00.002-04:00

Click here to read a really fun interview I did for 5Erg's blog recently! I think it's the most fun I've had doing an interview for a long time -- she asks a great mix of questions. 5erg has an Etsy shop too, and is from Estonia! Her blog is always lots of fun, and I highly recommend following her.

"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith

2009-08-11T17:23:00.003-04:00

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is an engaging book, full of earthy wisdom and charming observations on life. Told mostly from the point of view of Mma Ramotswe, the only lady detective in all of Botswana, this book is a collection of several small mysteries and one larger one that runs through the others now and again. I found this to be a quick read, though not a particularly absorbing one.

My favorite aspect of this book was the look it gave me at life in modern Botswana, as well as other parts of Africa. Mma Ramotswe had a likeable voice, and the writing was never dull. But as a mystery book, it wasn't terribly exciting. So if you're looking for a thrilling mystery, this might not be for you. But if you want some lighter mysteries, this would probably please you. I thought it was a good summer read.

Wondering Where I Am?

2009-08-07T18:14:00.003-04:00

If you've been wondering why I haven't been posting much lately, well, it's because I'm pregnant. Yup! Eleven weeks along, so due at the end of February. This is our second, and we're pretty excited, as you can imagine. And I'm pretty tired. Running around after Daniel is tiring enough, and this just adds another level of weariness to the mix. So I've been napping several times a week when he naps, which would ordinarily be my time to blog and work on stuff for my shop.

The other thing is, I'm not feeling very creative right now. I remember this happening the first time around too -- it's like when my body is creating new life, the rest of me loses the drive to create much of anything else. I haven't been writing much, I haven't been crafting much, and I just mostly want to sit around and watch old eps of Lost and munch on dried apricots. Plus, my mom is here visiting this week, so we've been doing some fun stuff like take Daniel to the train museum and go shopping at the mall, which is lots of fun but also tiring. But I'm not abandoning this blog, or my shop, honest! I'm just taking it easy right now.

So now you know :-)

"Brisingr" by Christopher Paolini

2009-08-02T14:10:00.001-04:00

On a whole, I found Brisingr to be a much smoother, richer, more thoughtful book than the first two in the series, Eragon and Eldest. Paolini's writing becomes more subtle with each book, and you can definitely see him growing from a talented adolescent into a gifted adult writer.

In fact, the only thing I didn't particularly like about Brisingr is something it can't help: it's a middle book. As such, it doesn't have a definite conclusion, but keeps leading up to things that will happen in the final book.

For those who found out about Eragon's parentage Eldest and thought it was too much of a Star Wars rip-off, I say this: new information comes to light in this book. Read it.