Beautiful Baby Shower

Both my mother and mother-in-law threw me some amazing baby showers. I don't have any pictures from my mother-in-law's shower but I do have some pictures from my mother's shower.
My mother went with a bird nest theme for the shower. She held it at the local city park in a room overlooking the river. It was beautiful!She placed flower garland down the tables with little nests from Pottery Barn nestled among them (and filled with chocolate eggs, yum!) Candles were placed in antique blue Mason Jars filled with cracked corn.
The plates and glasses were all vintage/antique and again were mostly blue.

My mother surprised me with a beautiful baby quilt that she had made for the little man. Every guest was asked to write a little note for the little guy on the back. It was fun to read everyone's blessings when the shower was over.

And we can't forget the food!!! My dad was a huge help (as well as other family members). We had delicious chicken salad (my mom used dried cherries instead of cranberries) that we could put in huge croissants. We also had my Grandma's spinach salad, strawberries, and some amazing desserts. First off was my dad's famous hamentashens (we aren't Jewish, but my best friend was growing up and every Purim festival we would eat HUGE hamentashens and I begged my dad to come up with a recipe and we've used it ever since!) These are apricot, my favorite.
My dad also made some red velvet cupcakes and banana cupcakes that he decorated with coconut nests and little bird eggs.

The whole afternoon was just beautiful. And I received so many thoughtful presents and enjoyed catching up with people and celebrating the soon-to-be birth of our son. Our cloth diaper stash surely grew.

2 months later...

I can't believe how long I've neglected this blog for! I'm so sorry. But I've been busy with a new job, being pregnant, and finding a new home in a new state. So I have a couple excuses... right?

(image via DryIcons.com)

Well, I guess I should publicly announce that we are expecting a little BOY. I know I didn't announce on the blog when we found out because I was waiting to surprise my family. The secret has been out for a while but I haven't been around to declare it publicly yet. We are super excited for his arrival and can't wait!
In the crafting sector - I've been busy at work with all sorts of projects for our son as well as a couple for the house and the dogs. The most important project that I have completed recently was my FIRST QUILT! Yes, you heard right - I finished a quilt. I'm a member of the Bernina Sewing Club at our local quilting store. Once a month they hold a class and teach you a new technique on your Bernina Sewing Machine. It's a nice afternoon that I spend with my mother (who is a great quilter). One of the projects last fall was a quilt that you quilted as you went along. So it was quilted block by block instead of quilted at the end. This was what allowed me to finally make a quilt. With my back injury I can't quilt the top of a large piece of fabric because it just makes my back throb. But since they were 16 inch blocks (I believe) it was much easier and I could do a little at a time. I started the project last November and finally finished the quilt which was laying in the closet last month.
Here it is! The fabric (I can't remember it's name) was purchased in a fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop online on SUPER SALE. I think it turned out summery and bright (I can't stand baby blue stuff for the baby). What do you think?

Debuting Our Baby

I'm going to debut our little baby here on my blog. Here is the most recent ultrasound that we received - our little one is measuring a week ahead of schedule and I am more than halfway done with my pregnancy! Yeeha!I'm still nauseous in the morning but hopefully I will continue to feel better every day. We had a terrific ultrasound session this week that lasted for almost an hour. They measured every organ/body part and everything looked spectacular! For now we are still keeping the gender of this little one a secret, but it was confirmed to us. So we know for sure what we are having. It's so nice to be able to call the baby by name and also to start being able to buy stuff. I love me some shopping!
Now the knitting can begin! I did start knitting a sweater when we found out the "tentative" gender - but since it wasn't 100% I decided to knit the sweater in gender neutral colors. I figured the sweater could last for more than one baby too. I should have the last arm knitted this week and will post the finished project and details.
I also knit a "sleep sack" like item for baby. It's my own pattern and I hope to have it written up and posted as a freebie here soon. I knit it in gender neutral colors as well hoping to get more use out of it. I figured if I'm going to spend big bucks on expensive yarn and spend a lot of time making it - I better be able to use it for all my children! I also started that project before I knew the gender.
I also am finishing up a quilt - hopefully I will have the binding finished this coming week. Gosh! All these projects to finish! So that will be posted soon too.
Sorry I have been so absent. Not feeling well, lack of energy, and all the stuff that I need to accomplish in the next several months is really keeping me away from this blog. I'm hopefully starting a new job, I need to sell our current house, buy a new house in the city we're moving to, Sam is finishing up his PhD, have a baby, and move to our new city all in the next 4-5 months. Eeks! What do I start with first?? How about just starting with the craft projects that I listed in this post? Sounds like a good start to me!

I Could Tease My Mom All Day!

(A random picture I took recently)

Hi Mom (I know you're reading this)! I'm sure you're sitting there now just beet red in the face because I'm being so stubborn. But I promise you, the news will be worth the wait...

To All Readers - I'm sure you're confused what I'm talking about. But yesterday Sam and I went to the OB office for a check-up (I wish I would have been warned about how long you can wait to be seen by the doctor!! It seems like 2 hours is the norm and I think that's just ridiculous!). After talking with the doctor and getting some useful information on my nausea she grabbed the doppler to listen for baby's heartbeat. She couldn't find it after some long searching. So she grabbed an ultrasound machine out of the hallway and placed the probe on my belly. Immediately our little bean starting doing the jig! Little Bean was sucking it's thumb and even waiving at us! Too cute and so exciting to see. I couldn't help myself, I asked the doctor if she could give us a gender determination. You see - we're excited to know what this bean is! I have to know if I should be knitting pink or blue!

After searching the ultrasound for a minute she was able to get the aptly named "toilet shot" for a gender prediction and gave us her *guess*. I say "guess" because she doesn't want to be held responsible for being wrong. But she was pretty sure and said that they can confirm at a high powered ultrasound in 2 1/2 weeks (our ultrasound was an oldie: Sam laughed when it popped up on the screen "Copyright: 1998").

So we celebrated the big news and are so excited to know if we will be having a little daughter or a little son. But I haven't popped the news to my parents yet and my mom is less than happy! But I'm kind of enjoying this little secret that Sam and I have. So you'll have to wait just a little longer mom!!

In craft news, there are a couple items that I have on my list of "To-Do's". Here are links to projects that I will be getting started on ASAP:

1. Sleep Sack Pattern by Twice As Nice Boutique. I just bought this pattern and can't wait to receive it in the mail. It will be a lot of fun to sew!!
2. Berroco Booklet #292 Patterns called "DK Baby". I want to buy this pattern book because there are a lot of cute patterns. Anyone ever made anything from this?
3. The 90 minute shirt by MADE. This is an awesome blog that I read regularly. This method for making a shirt is so cute!
4. Wee Weka Cloth Diapers. I've made tons of cloth diapers for baby gifts and now I'll need to start making some for myself. Let the sewing begin!

Dexter is growing up!

Many of you know that I rescued a little kitty from a compost pile last August at a friend's farm. He was less than 2 weeks old and teeny tiny. Well... 5 months later he has grown into quite a cat! If you know me, you know that I don't like cats. I'm not a cat person and I don't think I ever will be. But somehow little Dexter made his way into my heart. So we permanently made him a member of our household and we haven't looked back.
He's become Mia's best friend. They sleep together in Mia's bed and they romp around the house playing with each other. Maddie will occasionally get in on the play but mainly her only interaction with the cat is if they are both lying next to me and then she'll let him groom her (Maddie never turns down a belly or back rub, no matter the species performing it!)
I just thought I would update you on our little man who is turning into quite a big man. He's about the size of Mia now...

Oh Where Have I Been?

Wowsers! It's been a couple months since my last post in November. I'm sure many of you were wondering if I was keeping up with this blog. I have to admit that posting hasn't been on my list of priorities, but I have been answering pattern questions and other knitting questions as quick as I possibly can. I've also been spending time thinking about what I would like to do with this blog in the coming year. I have some ideas for projects to post, tutorials to make, and things that I would like to get accomplished (a real, customized blog site for one). But this has all taken a back seat in the past several months since finding out I am...Yeppers - I found out a couple months ago that my husband and I will be expecting our first bundle of joy in early July. I've hit the second trimester and I am still waiting for my nausea and vomiting to taper off. No such luck! So I haven't picked up a pair of needles since November (other than to knit my mother-in-law a Christmas present that she wanted). I do apologize to all you guys who are waiting for new patterns to pop up - even my dogs look at me with slight disgust since they usually have new sweaters every couple of months. Last year Mia was still a puppy and I've found that this winter she really doesn't fit in many sweaters and Maddie's sweaters are too large for her. Every time I take the little pooch out I look at her freezing, pathetic face and feel terrible that I haven't made her a toasty sweater to stay warm in. She doesn't even fit in her snow suits from last year. Poor thing! Hopefully this will be our last frigid winter as we are moving to North Carolina this summer. I keep telling her that if she can hold out for now she'll be warmer next year.

So I promise you - I have plans in the works. I just need a little time to get my energy and stomach back. The thought of knitting right now makes my stomach churn - I get motion sick just walking up the stairs. I can't imagine looking at needles flying with yarn between them. But I do have pictures of November and December that should allow for a couple posts before I start my crafting again.

Until then: Happy 2010!! (oohh... it rhymes!)

Crazy Weekend!

As you already know from my last post, my little sister got married this weekend. It was a LONG weekend and I'm still trying to recover from all of the activity. My sister looked beautiful and extremely happy - and my mother did an amazing job at decorating the ballroom where the reception was held. Had it not been pitch black at both the wedding (held at the Botanical Gardens in the greenhouse when it was dark) and the reception, I would have some pictures to post here. All I have are some pretty pathetic attempts at trying to get a picture with my aperture set at f1.8 and a really long shutter speed...
I got Leah's present done in time. I made her an 8x8" scrapbook with pictures of her and her (now) husband that I had on my computer. It was a 20 page scrapbook that took a lot longer than I imagined. But I finished up the last page 3 hours before the ceremony! It didn't even dry all the way, but I threw it in the book anyway!
I also asked our family to send me favorite recipes to compile a cookbook for my sister. When I got married I was surprised by my mother in law with a recipe card box filled with favorite recipes from everyone attending our wedding. It was so thoughtful and so sweet that I had to do it for my sis. But knowing Leah, I am aware that she might not be good at keeping a box filled with individual recipe cards. So I enlisted the help of Google and found the website called "Tastebook". You upload recipes, notes, and pictures and they print and mail you a professional looking cookbook. It turned out spectacular! I loved it so much I had one made for myself!

Sunday I spent all day in bed with my back killing. I didn't even see Mia until it was time to go to bed because she was downstairs all day. But Dexter did lay with me and give me his cuddly sympathy...Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

Going to the Chapel...

My little sister is getting married today...

From this day forward,
may you share life's joys and trials,
may you always comfort one another
with a smile...
May you always be together through
both laughter and tears...
Depending on each other...
Loving happily ever after.

Best Wishes on Your Wedding Day Leah & Erin!
All my love,
Sarah

I'll have a freebie soon... I promise!

I'm currently working on finishing up a freebie to post here... soon! It's a lot of knitting compared to a little dog sweater. I had 4 skeins of cotton yarn laying around that has been asking me to make it into a blanket. So inspired by the blankets that I make for charity - I'm knitting up a mitered blanket for a stroller (or hospital crib as it is for charity). I'm hoping to put a cotton backing on the blanket with a corded edging. The knitting is finally knit (!) but I still have the seaming and sewing that needs to happen. Hopefully it will be ready for it's debut this weekend.

Until then, not much is happening around here. My sister is getting married next week so I have a lot of projects that I'm trying hard to complete by then. I'm not posting them here until the wedding so I don't ruin the surprise. But one of the finished projects has shipped so I should have part one of my gift soon.

The weather is warming up slightly here. The dogs are hoping for a trip to the dog park but it's been rainy so they are hyper running around the house with kitty Dexter. Who knew that the cat could keep them so entertained!
Hope you're having a great Wednesday!

I know I treat my cat like a dog...

So this morning I was taking a shower and had a little visitor - Dexter. He has been interested in the shower since he was born - jumping in it from the moment he was able to jump. But this morning I was surprised to find him in the shower while it was on. Since I was done with my shower and about to get out I decided to give him a bath. I give him a bath weekly in the bathroom sink but since he was so interested in the shower I thought it might be quicker and easier (yup, it was). I know people are probably thinking "You bathe your cat weekly? Cats hate water". I hear this from a lot of people who hear what we do with Dexter. I even give him a good blow dry when we bathe him - it dries him off and prevents really any extra shedding. He is also so fluffy and smells delicious!
But the funniest part about all of this is the explanation of the coat he is wearing in the picture above. After I blow dried him he was still shaking from the cold (we haven't turned our heat on yet and it's a cool 63 degrees in our house). Since I've been sorting through the dog coats for the blog I thought I would try on one of Mia's coats from when she was a little puppy. It fit him like a glove. Sure, he was a little weirded out by the coat. But after he rolled around a couple times and acting like a limp, dead kitten, he sprang back to life and is nice and toasty. I promise - I won't make a habit out of this strange behavior of putting a coat on a cat - but when it's necessary, I'll do anything for my animals :-)
All in all, Dexter is doing wonderful. He's become a great part of our families. He's certainly won over a dog lover. I've never had a cat and certainly don't know how to treat a cat like a cat - but whatever I'm doing must be working because he's a friendly, sweet cat.
I've gotten some looks when I mention that our kitten is "crate trained" (he sleeps in his crate and is put in his crate when we need him out of the way and he likes it). We also get stares when I mention that we bathe and blow dry him weekly with the dogs. Heck, he even plays with the dogs like he is a dog.
Dexter has never known another cat. His mom left him when he was a little over a week old. So he grew up and learned from our dogs. It's interesting to see the dog-like characteristics he has learned and the cat characteristics that are just engraved into his brain (litter box use and when he goes on the prowl).
So I'll admit, I treat my cat like a dog. But who cares - he's sure one cute, loveable dog-cat!

Baby Shower Gift

My cousin and her new husband (as of June this year) are expecting a bundle of joy this coming January. Since they are very green and plan on cloth diapering their little man I thought I would send them a package that would help get them started. I included a wool diaper cover that I made following Cat Coyle's Bobbled Bloomers from Boho Baby Knits. If you recognize the name it's because I've made the pattern before and loved it. It was easy to follow, fairly quick (about 5-6 hours), and seam-free. The first time I followed the pattern as written and they turned out darn cute but this time I thought I would omit the bobbles (they might be irritating to sit on) and instead just make them striped in black and blue (6 rows blue to 2 rows black) in Knit Picks Merino Wool Yarn. I think they turned out adorable!
To finish off the package I made 2 newborn sized fitted diapers and stenciled a onesie with a whale motif to match the diaper cover. I also included 3 burp cloths that I sewed from flannel and organic cotton. I thought the package turned out beautiful and I should have taken a picture before I wrapped it all up!
Hopefully they find the presents helpful and they live up to the wear and tear of baby. But most of all I wish them the happiest and most precious moments in the new year with their little boy. Congrats Todd & Bethany!

A Picture I've Gotta Post

This is just too hilarious not to post!!

Can you see what is in Maddie's mouth??If you guessed a chicken nugget... you're right! I gave her a chicken nugget and she walked around for several minutes just holding it in her mouth like this. Too hilarious!

Dexter at 7 wks

Sam was lucky enough to catch this incredible picture with his iPhone one night while we were watching television. Maddie was snuggled up next to Dexter on the couch with her paw wrapped over him. So he's definitely found Maddie's soft spot.

Dexter was 7 weeks this past week. He weighs in at shy of 2 lbs. He's really just growing into a real looking cat. His legs have lengthened, his body has slimmed down and developed muscle and his snout has grown. His whiskers are also extremely long now! And man can he jump and run!!

It's been an amazing journey to see this kitten grow up. I still can't believe that we got him from a compost pile in 90 degree heat and saved his little life. I've never really been a fan of cats. I can't stand shedding and hair (that's why we have a poodle and maltese) so a cat wasn't on my list of things to own. They've also always kind of scared me. I worked at a vet and cats always seemed so unpredictable and crazy. They don't respond to commands, they don't snuggle up to you and look to you for love the way a dog does. There are a lot of things that I didn't understand in cat owners. But after having Dexter for the last 6 weeks I'm starting to understand. Dexter has this way of stealing your heart. He doesn't ask to be fed like the dogs (puppy dog eyes and sometimes begging) but demands to be fed (mewing like he has to be fed now!) When he snuggles up on our laps he demands to be pet the right way, held the right way, and not be moved until he's ready. If you don't listen to these needs again he lets out an unhappy mew and walks away. It's almost like you have to earn his love - the opposite of my dogs. It's an interesting relationship that I'm falling for.

We took care of this kitten expecting it to be a short term relationship. We expected to get him to 10 weeks old and probably find him a home with my husband's parents or someone else we know. But as time passes we are having a harder time with this, especially seeing the relationship the dogs have developed with this cat. Maddie loves to sleep with him and Mia just loves to play with him. So we're taking it week by week to see where this kitten ends up. I have a feeling that he will have a place in our home forever.

D.I.Y Laundry Soap

Last April I wrote about my experiment to try out a recipe for making my own laundry detergent. It was a success and I was instantly hooked. After buying the necessary ingredients (bar of soap, borax, and washing soda) I was on my way. I was able to fill 4 old laundry detergent containers with the amount of soap it made and it lasted our house (which consists of just me, my husband and our 2 dogs) over 4 months. Usually we buy a container of detergent a month. So it saved us approximately $14/month in detergent costs.

After 4 months of use our clothes are clean and smell great. I don't think we'll ever buy another bottle of detergent again! The recipe to make your own costs:

• 1 Box of Borax = $4
• 1 Box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda = $3.75
• 1 Box (contains 2 bars) of Yardley Soap = $1
• Total = $8.75 for more than a year of detergent for us.

We now spend about $0.75 a month for our laundry soap compared to over $14/month! Now that's some savings!

Some of you might be asking about the time or hassle it takes to make your own soap. I agree: It's not worth making some of these things when the time to make something takes hours or days. However, this small change takes about 30 minutes every 4 months and is actually kind of fun.

What are some changes that your family has made to save money in these tough times?

My Birthday

Today my parents threw a little birthday celebration for me at their house. It was a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon - my brother was even in town from Chicago. We had a wonderful brunch and cake for dessert (yummy Hummingbird Cake from Zingerman's). It was a delicious meal and I was stuffed!!
After the wonderful meal we (my parents, husband, grandparents, brother, and aunt) played a hand of cards called "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" (known as "Oh Hell" to others). I didn't win - couldn't they have let the birthday girl win??
I also got to open presents and my husband surprised me with a new lens for my camera - the "Nikon 35 mm f/1.8 AF-S Dx." It's great for low light situations so I don't need to use a flash so often which is fabulous.
A gift that you crafters would be interested in is a BAG FULL of yarn from my Grandparents. They gave me 4 skeins of wool yarn in 3 different, coordinating colors for a total of almost 2000 yards of yarn! I'm thinking I might made a felted carpet bag from the yarn. Any other suggestions?
We brought our animals over to my parents house, including little "Dexter" hoping that the added interaction with people would help him learn social skills. He had a blast running around with Mia and snuggling with every family member. He's still bottle feeding and has absolutely no interest in trying to eat anything other than something coming out of a little latex nipple. But I'm sure he won't eat out of a bottle forever so I guess I just need a little patience....So today was a nice Sunday afternoon. A day filled with great food, presents, my brother I never see, and the love of my family. Now it's time for the week to begin...

Dexter at almost 4 wks old

I can't believe that it's been 2 weeks since we got Dexter! He was such a tiny, helpless kitty when I brought him home. But since we got him he's really developed into such a sweet and healthy kitten - full of life and energy!

Since Dexter is 4 weeks old we're starting to think about how we're going to wean him from the bottle feedings. I still feed him KMR (kitten milk replacement) every four hours or so (when he's hungry) with the bottle. Hopefully he'll be interesting in starting to lap up the formula sometime this week. He's starting to lick his paws and clean himself. We also introduced him to the litter box which we filled with "Yesterday's News" since it's dust free and won't get stuck in his paws and he can't eat it. The first time we sat him down on the litter he peed on his own! Man, that instinct must just be burned into them. But he doesn't do it all the time but he's on his way.

Dexter is also starting to really play like a kitten. He and Mia play all the time! Luckily Mia plays really gentle with him and Dexter is getting really good at walking so he can scurry under the couch if he's had enough.

I am really enjoying watching this kitten grow up. It's quite an experience.

Nichols Arboretum at the University of Michigan

What an enjoyable Sunday afternoon I had with my husband and dogs. We took an hour to walk around "Nichols Arboretum" downtown Ann Arbor. It was a warm, sunny day and it was a busy day at the park. We started at the Washington Heights entrance which is mid-elevation near the University Hospital and then we walked down towards the river. We finished our walk when we got to the River Entry. I sat and waited in the parking lot and Sam retrieved the car. The dogs had a blast running up and down the hills and sniffing all the smells and I enjoyed spending the afternoon with my dear husband.What else is Labor Day weekend for? It's time to relax and enjoy friends and family...

"The Big House" and Heating Pad Cover

Aahh... college football season has started! My Alma mater, the University of Michigan, has their first game of the year vs. Western Michigan University. We should win... but I'll bite my tongue until we have it in the bag.

On a crafting note, I finished a quilted cover for a heating pad. I was tired of the ugly cover that came with the pad (and it wasn't padded enough so even on the lowest setting the pad burned my skin). So using scraps that I had around from a couple projects I whipped up an impromptu cover. I didn't follow any pattern hence it's about 1/2" too short in length (darn it!) but it turned out cute for costing zero dollars!
I used batting between the layers so I could quilt it which also gives a little buffer between your skin and the hot pad. The back side of the cover is just a double layer of off-white quilter's flannel. I made little ties with scraps so the pad couldn't fall out of the cover.All in all, I'm pleased. Next time I'll measure twice and cut once to avoid the size problem!

Dexter at 3 wks old

The changes that this little kitten make day by day are amazing! I've had Dexter for 10 days now and he's now a 3 week old kitten. What do 3 week old kittens do exactly? For starters, they now have their eyes wide open and can follow you. He can see my dogs when they are a couple feet away and he gets up on his little legs and will run (if that's what you call it) after them. He's not so wobbly on his legs anymore although he still falls over if he moves too fast.
Dexter is still drinking from a little bottle that I fill with kitten milk replacement. He drinks a whole 2 tablespoons at a time (compared with about 1/2 tablespoon when we got him). He sucks it down quickly too! He's growing every day. Today he weighs exactly 12 oz - up from 6 oz when we got him 10 days ago. His ears are totally erect now which makes him look so much more like a kitten than his baby ferret face that I said he looked like last week.He still needs help going to the bathroom but hopefully will start being able to go on his own next week so we can introduce him to the litter box. I also hope to start introducing him to wet kitten food by next week so we can start the weaning process. He just started to lick himself so he finally understands how is tongue works which is vital for the weaning process.All in all, he's a great little kitty! We're going to have a hard time giving him up since he's become best buds with our dogs and has wrapped my husband around his little paw! Take a look... isn't he cute!

Goodbye, August

This month seemed to come and go at the blink of an eye! I guess summer is a busy time for all - but I feel guilty for my lack of updates lately.My first update is about a new (*temporary*) part of our family - a little kitten named "Dexter". In this picture he's a little over 2 weeks old. Just started to really open his eyes and his ears finally popped up. We got him when he was just barely 2 weeks old (from the way he looked). My mother's friend lives on a farm where a feral cat abandoned the little kitty in the compost pile. She didn't come back for the kitten for days and finally my mother's friend (and daughter who was visiting) called me. When I got the kitten he was dehydrated and very skinny but with some kitten replacement milk, a tiny bottle, and a heating pad - we got this kitten up and moving! I weighed little "Dexter" when we got him and he was about 6 oz. and today he's a whopping 9 oz! His appetite has really picked up and he's gotten accustomed to the latex nipple which was hard for him at first. But man are these kittens a lot of work this early on! We have to feed him, make him go the bathroom (kittens are unable to do this on their own until about 4 wks old), and keep him warm (again, kittens this young don't shiver or produce their own body heat efficiently). But he's enjoying our family and especially our dogs. I'll keep you updated as he grows and gets ready for a new home!