Monkey Bites

CRANBERRY SAUCE! I made jellied cranberry sauce. Supposedly, I...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:16 -0500

CRANBERRY SAUCE! I made jellied cranberry sauce. Supposedly, I can stick the jar in some hot water to melt the sides a little, and it’ll still pop out like the stuff in the can- the most FANCY way to serve it, obvsly. Making a ton more cranberry puree tonight to prepare for even more jellying.

Because I need another project

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:05:18 -0500

Because I need another project:

I’ve been following Block Party! for awhile now, getting inspiration from their virtual quilting bee projects. It’s been neat to see how different people interpret a theme and even a…

It's true.

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:20:00 -0400

Little girl in the beach: What's your dog's name?
Me: Riley.
Little girl in the beach: There's a girl named Riley in my class.
Me: Well you tell her she's got a dog's name.

I have the prettiest friends

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:36:45 -0400

…and Kim appears to be the puppet master.

Dudes. I just don’t know what’s going on with my...

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:16:34 -0400

Dudes. I just don’t know what’s going on with my domestic equilibrium. I made 5 pints of garlic dills on Monday, and 3 total pints (2 pints, 2 half-pints) of pickled beets last night (Wednesday). I have 2 boxes of okra that I’d intended to pickle for my sister-in-law, but I just don’t know if it’s gonna happen. And for some reason, I’m under the misapprehension that I need more jam. Perhaps this weekend I’ll finally get around to that lavender peach combination I’ve been wondering about all summer. If I could find a good economical source for raspberries and figs, that’d be wonderful too.

This is SamSam. And he is soooo cute. He’s got a little...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:21:54 -0400

This is SamSam. And he is soooo cute. He’s got a little underbite that makes it look kinda like he’s always smiling, while also looking a little lost and confused. You really can’t blame the little guy.

My sister-in-law in North Carolina called us last week asking if we were interested in getting another Yorkie, as Sam was days away from being dropped off at the pound by an overwhelmed dogsitter. Of course, we agreed- intending him to be a playmate for Riley (which we always thought he’d needed). Unfortunately, being 5 years older and nearly twice his size, Sam was not all that interested in our little plan. Riley also seemed intimidated by having Sam at my place, where there were less people around to play and pick him up.

Over the last few days, Riley has spent a lot of time in hiding. We are sure that some of Sam’s issues stem from being shuffled around a lot in the last 2 weeks, and he likely has some abandonment issues as well. He just hasn’t had anything stable/normal/routine for a while. And while I’m very sorry that kind of environment won’t be provided for him here, but he’s getting very close to it.

My dad and stepmom are currently visiting from Arkansas, and she has always wanted a small dog. They are smitten with Sam, and will be taking him home with them on Wednesday morning. Sam will join a few kitties and a wuss of a Border Collie to boss around. And since my dad & stepmom are retired, one of them will nearly always be home with him, which is what he is used to (having originally come from a home where he was cared for by a stay-at-home elderly couple).

I truly am sad to see him go, and would have liked a few more weeks to try and help Sam and Riley adjust to each other; but since my dad and stepmom are here NOW, I have to make the decision NOW. And I know they’ll give him a good home, which is what’s most important. Plus, I’ll get to see him the next time I head west for a visit.

Thanks to Kim for tipping me off to the impending White Chicks...

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:34:05 -0400

Thanks to Kim for tipping me off to the impending White Chicks sequel. Oh you didn’t know? Check the clip. I love me some Terry Crews.

I spent Saturday morning volunteering with the USO, putting...

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:22:00 -0400

I spent Saturday morning volunteering with the USO, putting together care packages for deployed service members. Although I don’t personally know anyone currently serving in the military, I recognize all the sacrefices our troops and their families make to serve our country, and feel compelled to do my part to try and let them know that they are appreciated. (Also, it’s no secret that I love a man in uniform.)

These care packages are filled with everyday sorts of items; trail mix, razors, toilet paper, Tang, peanuts, copies of Reader’s Digest. Quite honestly, things they’ll prolly never wanna see again once they’re home. But it’s something, and hopefully let’s them know that there are people in the US who care and haven’t forgotten that they’re out there.

If you have a friend or loved one that you’d like to see a shipment of care packages to, please leave a comment with the following info:

•The Service Member’s or Senior Ranking Officer Name •Unit •APO address •Number of persons in the unit

I’ll pass the info along to the USO DC Metro office, and they will make sure the unit is added to their list of unit requests.

Support the Troops!

I took sailing lessons last week at Belle Haven Marina, and...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:39:00 -0400

I took sailing lessons last week at Belle Haven Marina, and today will be my first day of solo practice since. It’ll actually be a whole 7-day since I’ve been on the water, so I’m a little nervous. I don’t have to rig the boat myself, but I almost wish I did. Here’s hoping I don’t get stranded in the Potomac, or end up being boarded by pirates before nightfall.

watermelon tetris

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:51:40 -0400

I’m kind of a geek.

This shoe totally makes me think of Princess Lasertron, who has...

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:14:21 -0400

This shoe totally makes me think of Princess Lasertron, who has some of the cutest wardrobe styling ever. Lots of funky and interesting pieces she puts together for different looks, and she’s never afraid of standing out or looking different. And it always works! She’s got an awesome (and growing) business making custom boquets, accessories, and now journal covers on Etsy and is also currently in a contest trying to get on the Martha Stewart Show with the best DIY wedding crafts. If you have a minute go vote, leave a comment, and help her get in!

This adorable wrist corsage has been in my Etsy fav’s for far too long… I should really get on that. Maybe I’ll buy the shoes too!

ok, so… i made more peach jam last night. i didn’t...

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:27:00 -0400

ok, so… i made more peach jam last night.

i didn’t mean for it to happen, but i had peaches leftover from making peach butter on Sunday (I should’ve used ALL of them for that recipie, which would’ve given me at least another 8oz) and since i tend to get “seconds” for my canning recipies, these wouldn’t have been fit to eat or do anything with past Tuesday. So, jam it was. Only took about an hour and now i have more to ~~hoard away~~ share!

if i do ANY canning this weekend, i’m limiting it to blueberry pie filling (i already have the blueberries), pickles, and pickled beets. i have more jam in my pantry than i’ve ever consumed in my life thus far, and i need to ease up on the sweet stuff!

who makes ketchup? i made ketchup! it’s actually pretty...

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:07:00 -0400

who makes ketchup?

i made ketchup!

it’s actually pretty good too. i made out with 3 pints total (divided between 2 pint and 2 half-pint jars). it was pretty labor intensive so I’ll prolly never do it again, but at least now i can say i did it once!

These are the start of some beauuuuutiful cherry tomatoes....

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:15:58 -0400

These are the start of some beauuuuutiful cherry tomatoes. i’m pretty excited about them, as they seem to be progressing on a bit better than my regular tomato plant. I’m also really happy with my decision to try container gardening this summer. It was a longtime goal to grow my own tomatoes, and this year I deffinintely rocked it.

Things have been busy, but I sense a return to blogging....

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:46:59 -0400

Things have been busy, but I sense a return to blogging. Possibly here.

More to come.

Boo Berries

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:30:20 -0400

Boo Berries:

On Sunday I made blueberry pancakes. They were super tasty so now I’m using this recipe for ever and ever and ever. It prolly has more sugar than it should, but whatev- it’s crazy delishus.

Derby! Derby! Derby!

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:58:06 -0500

more.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:29:20 -0500

Oh man. I want these guys to build me a house. “The Brain” “Chicken Point Cabin”

I know a few people who enjoy covers, and through someone...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:58:29 -0500

I know a few people who enjoy covers, and through someone else’s blog post I was also reminded of how much I love 311’s version of ‘Love Song’. Enjoy.

February, Month of Fail

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:33:06 -0500

February, Month of Fail:

Ok, so I slipped. I missed out on posting Sunday, Monday, AND Wednesday, and let’s be honest- Tuesday’s was a bit of a cop out. The goal was to bring you somewhat meaningful content every day, and…