Fat Quarter Skirt Comparison.

So I"m sitting here working on the giant St. Patrick's Day / Third Birthday recap post (spoiler:  it was insane) and my kid is frolicking about in her fat quarter skirt.  She wore the green one on St. Pat's, too.  And since it's super fun that they still fit 2 years later I thought it would be neat to do a quick comparison post.  So.  Here you go:

Then:  June 2010

Now:  March 2012

Then:  June 2010

Now:  March 2012

Then:  June 2010

Now:  March 2012

Crazy how time flies!  And how much use she's gotten out of 3 fat quarters...

Spring! Outside! OUTSIDE!!!!!

So.  I am straight up useless as an adult the first few nice days of spring.  I completely lose the ability to focus, be productive, do anything except for "LET'S GO OUTSIDE!!!!!"

Yes, even this post was written outside.  I have lost my damn mind.

Back in the day this used to manifest itself in sitting on the porch of the APX house drinking frozen yummy drinks with friends and then attempting to argue that "It's to nice outside to work" was a valid excuse to turn in assignments late (it totally worked, btw).  Then it was convincing half my office that it was a way better plan to spend the afternoon playing Frisbee instead of working.  And making ridiculous purchases for our garden.  Now my brand of spring fever looks like this:


Or this:

First picnic of the year.  The dog couldn't believe her good luck.

Or this.

So cool that Carters makes shirts with her picture on them.

 We've eaten an alarming amount of pb and j crackers, have no clean laundry, and are basically living in squalor.  But!  Outside!

And on the day we reached a tipping point and I promised my husband I'd at least get to the grocery store this happened:



Which means that this happened:



There's nothing more fun than the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on a nice day.

Checking out the koalas with her binoculars.

The binoculars were a HUGE hit that day.  As was my friend's collapsible wagon.

Even the lion agrees:

He has the exact same look on his face as my dog gets when sunbathing.

Honestly the first sunny above 70 day of the year really should just be a National Holiday because noone is getting anything done anyways, right?

Today I did manage to attempt to solve the laundry problem but then the brief morning rainstorms were over and we were back to this:

Baby in a hat!  Also this child is determined to get as dirty as possible.

You didn't really think he could be the only one with a kicky hat did you?

This year my Spring Fever is particularly bad.  Probably because I am looking forward to this summer more than I've ever looked forward to a summer ever.  Because let's break down my last four summers:  Pregnant/Sick, Had a Newborn, Pregnant/Sick, Had a Newborn.  So this summer?  The summer with a toddler (assuming he starts walking in the next couple of months) and an almost-preschooler?  When I don't need a giant diaper bag, or to feed a kid every 2 hours, or to worry about blowouts and spitup, and nursing in public? Is going to be the BEST EVER.

While I typed that paragraph she attempted to teach her brother to hula hoop.  She doesn't know how to hula hoop herself.  Causing both of them FITS OF GIGGLES.

However every night this week I put my kids to bed tired in the way that only comes from hours of fresh air.   I think that means I'm doing it right.

Butterscotch Trifle Recipe and Thirty Two.

So after Feb is for Finishing was over (emails have been sent to the last week's winners!) I immediately and completely dropped into a pot of dye. 



Really pretty dye:



Good thing I had some help getting ready:



Destination Yarn had a fantastic show at Yarn Cravin'


And somewhere during all of that we also celebrated my husband's 32nd birthday:


We had a lovely celebration as a family at B-spot burgers which - a-maz-ing.  We've been trying to get there forever but needed an occasion.  My only complaint?  We didn't load up on enough tony Packos on our first trip through the pickle bar.  Also that I didn't think of putting booze into milkshakes sooner.  Seriously rum in a milkshake?  Heaven.

My daughter's reaction when I asked her the question "So what do you think of this milkshake with dinner thing?"

The girl and I also made my husband a delicious trifle:



It's butterscotch.  Which is one of my husband's favorites.  Because he is an old lady.  But since it was way more delicious than a werthers I thought I"d share the recipe with anyone else out there who is into butterscotch.

What you need:
Box of Yellow Cake Mix (and stuff required to make it.  Usually 3 eggs, some water, some oil)
Box of instant Butterscotch Pudding (and stuff required to make it.  Usually 2 cups of milk)
Tub of Whipped Cream (if it's frozen stick it in the 'fridge for a few hours to dethaw)
Bag of butterscotch chips (I used about half a bag)
Rum.  Maybe.

Bake the cake in 2 round cake pans:


Make the pudding.
Allow the cake to cool completely and the pudding to set completely.  Then layer in a trifle dish:

1 of the round cakes (I cut it up into wedges first)
1/2 the pudding
1/2 the whipped cream
Butterscotch chips to taste

I attempted to chop the chips.  It did not work.  At all.

Then repeat the layers:
the other round cake
remaining pudding
remaining whipped cream
Butterscotch chips to taste.

Done!

Super delicious, super impressive looking, and super simple.  It tastes very butterscotch-y.  Which led to a discussion that it might be missing something... but we weren't sure what.  My mom in her wisdom suggested rum.  AWESOME IDEA.  So if I were to make this again (and was in a situation where I knew my kids wouldn't be eating this) I would pour rum over the first layer of cake.  Enough to soak it completely.  Then add on all of the layers.  I imagine that cake would be beyond delicious.

tasty even without the rum

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Feb is for Finishing - Contest #3 Winner

So the Week 3 February is for Finishing Contest winner is.... JULIE Z!  She won with this fantastic River Run Scarf:

Love the stripey rainbow-y goodness!  And it's a sock yarn scarf which as a dyer of sock yarn I always find fun.

Anyways Julie I"ll be emailing you soon to get you your prize.  And even though it's March 1 there's still a bit of time left to enter the final February is for Finishing contest!

In other news I've been dying like a madwoman getting ready for the Destination Yarn Trunk Show at Yarn Cravin' next Saturday.  Should be a pretty fantastic show... a preview: 

Yeah instagramming yarn is about the funnest thing ever.

Hope to see you there!

Leap Day Wordless Wed

Things I've finished today in a frantic February is for Finishing wrap-up blitz.  Details on these projects coming but for now some quick 'n dirty instagram fun.  Also don't forget that while Feb may be over the last Feb is for Finishing contest runs until Friday!




 Happy Leap Day!!!

February is for Finishing - Contest #4

Gah!  So I meant to post this on Friday as per usual but a combo of out of town guests and head colds pretty much ended that plan.  Better late than never, though, right!  And since I'm late posting it I'm going to extend the contest until this Friday.  So a couple of days into March as a bonus to finish everything up.

Anyways on to the last week of fabulous prizes!

Lake Michigan Treats Prize Package 

This package of delicious treats was put together by Lori - a fellow Great Lakes Enthusiast:


The photographs are mine but this wonderful package of deliciousness includes:
A loose Tea set, tea mesh ball, and honey from Light of Day Organic Teas
Grocer's Daughter Chocolates (Holy, yum, batman)
Cherry Berry Nut Mix, Chocolate Covered Dried Red Tart Cherries from American Spoon
Cherry Berry Spoon Fruit, Black and Blue Spoon Fruit from American Spoon
Tart Cherry and Wild Blueberry Nibblers from Just Good Chocolate

Seriously amazing package.  All of it is local to Michigan - specifically Little Traverse Bay.  I'm such a sucker for local food.  Also Chocolate.  Thanks so much, Lori!!!

Crafty Goodness Class
The second prize is from the store Crafty Goodness in Lakewood, Ohio.  I love this store and I love what it's doing for the crafting community so I"m thrilled that they wanted to play along:

This prize includes a beautiful fused glass necklace and a voucher for a buy one get one free class.  Here's there class list so you can see their many offerings.  Lots to choose from in lots of different mediums! Anyways because obviously this prize is only applicable for people who live nearby if you want to be entered into the drawing for this one please put CLE after your name.  You will still be entered in to win the Lake Michigan Prize Package as well!

Once again this linky is open until midnight on Friday, March 2!

Full rules listed below.  Yay for our last contest!

Full Entry info and Contest Rules:

Every project that you finish in the month of February can be a new entry into one of these contests!  It doesn't have to be knitting or sewing related.  Anything creative that you started before February will count.

To enter post a picture of something you finished in February to the linky in this post.    It doesn't have to be on a blog - flickr, facebook (hint you can find a link to share a gallery if you go to that gallery page), ravelry, will all work.  If you leave the url portion of the linky blank it will give you an option to upload an image from your own computer.  That's fine, too.  You must also include an email address so that I know where to contact you if you win.

If you finish something made out of Destination Yarn you receive an additional entry per project.

To receive an additional entry per project:  Link back to this site wherever you post your picture.  (again blog, facebook, flickr, ravelry, wherever.)

To receive another entry per project:  Tweet the project and a link back to this page.  Include @Sourire11 so that I know that you tweeted it.

So for every project that you finish you can earn up to 4 entries into a contest! 

The linky will be live until next Thursday at midnight when I will close it out and pick a winner.  Then the next day I will post the contest for the next week with it's own linky.

Happy Finishing!!!