Syntax and Salt

organized procrastination

2012-01-30T10:21:00.002-05:00

Rather than actually make something this weekend I decided to set up a new crafting area in my bedroom. I am happy to say I only spent 40.00US on a new bookshelf and everything else is fashioned from items already being (mis)used about the house.

I wanted to try to an separate the sewing and graphic design/painting spaces a bit. I also wanted to make it a wee bit harder for little hands to get ahold of some of my more precious/expensive art supplies and moving them out of constant eye sight will help.

I am extremely pleased that everything fit in just as it needed to. Justin was somewhat skeptical, I think, but championed on lugging things up and down the stairs and declared the whole thing a success.

I still need some small shelving to put up on the walls but having plaster walls makes that a bit difficult and it's just bad form to ruin rental walls.

Happy Monday everyone!

WIP - Rug

2012-01-16T09:23:00.003-05:00

Karen Barbe has this awesome rug that I found on Pinterest and I've been thinking about trying for some time now. Last night while Justin and the kids suffered through the ongoing stomach fail I dug out the rug backing I had stashed, some super bulky yarn and a plastic needle and set to it. I'm 4 rows in and this thing is a total yarn eater but I looooooove it so far.

Jane's rendition of the plague:

Oh, January...

2012-01-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

We're just getting back in the post-Christmas swing of things. I've hit that serious slump that can only really happen in January. Jane and I have been exploring the topic of "making stuff like Mom" and she REALLY likes charcoal and smudging. (And really, who can blame her.) She's been making me draw so she can smudge. The bottom one is mine and far less adorable.

I turned a few ungainly hexagons into an exceptionally ungainly and ugly pillow (Marley took serious offense to me calling it ugly) and Marley claimed it despite it's really hideous appearance.

January zoo trip! Who would have thought it would be 55 degrees on a Friday in January!

Christmas in Pictures

2011-12-27T22:22:00.001-05:00

almost. there. omg.

2011-12-22T10:57:00.003-05:00

Guess who's husband is finally 30? That's right, this girl's. We celebrated with pink cake and well-timed company holiday party. I'm finally caught up on Christmas presents. I really wish I had started making them sooner. There are a few people I just didn't have time to make anything for and sadly they are the folks who tend to like handmade gifts the most.

I finished Jane's Poppy Doll, her tiny mermaid and Marley's snake just in time. Now, I think I will put my feet up until we head up north.

WIP - Poppy Doll Pattern

2011-12-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

If you happen to still be looking for something to make for someone special for christmas then head over to HopSkipJump and pick up the Poppy Doll Pattern (or any pattern for that matter.)

2011 in Crafts

2011-12-09T15:32:00.001-05:00

Getting ready!

2011-12-07T12:31:00.001-05:00

Aren't felt circles the best way to procrastinate ever? EVER??

Christmas is almost here! What I should be doing is getting Christmas presents ready. What I've been doing is junking out on How I Met Your Mother and avoiding like crazy. It's like some kind of December only illness - the rest of the year I just can not sit still. And as soon as I have that giant scary looming deadline I freak out and sit down. So.... look! It's my kids!

Start your engines...

2011-11-14T13:21:00.001-05:00

I spent the whole weekend hiding in the kitchen baking, cooking, prepping and having a grand old time listening to old country music.

Zucchini bread is such an easy standby. The kids love it and it's a healthier alternative to some of their more prized snacks.

This might be the BEST bread ever. Honey Wheat and SOOOO soft.

Baked Potato Soup - I rarely make this because it is so time consuming and frankly it's a heart attack waiting to happen.

The boy, in his favorite handmade pants and tunic.

little feet

2011-11-11T12:28:00.001-05:00

She has such tiny little feet. New slippers and she's off ice-skating through the kitchen.

en mémoire

2011-11-04T12:30:00.003-05:00

derpy foxes

2011-11-02T07:17:00.001-05:00

Have you guys seen Amigurumi Toy Box: Cute Crocheted Friends? It's adorable. Everything in it is adorable. I had such a fun time making Jane's unicorn that I figured I'd give another project a go.

So I finished the little foxes for my favorite blond twins and I have to say, while adorable they (the foxes, not the twins) have the derpiest looks on their little faces. I actually had to reposition the ears on the one the right to make it less derpy. I'm pretty sure that I should have been paying better attention when I was putting the eyes on their little faces. Aside from that I was really happy to have saved some of the most perfectly fox colored yarn ever for this, despite the fact that Mama Fox won't be able to toss them in the washing machine. (Yeah, sorry, aesthetics won over practicality... again.)

In other news, the sky was gorgeous this morning.

Halloweeeeeeeeen!

2011-11-01T09:17:00.002-05:00

pretty ordinary

2011-10-26T08:59:00.003-05:00

Washi tape is awesome.

So are sandwiches wrapped in pretty napkins.

WIP for two very special little blond kids.

i can't come up with a witty title...

2011-10-25T08:47:00.001-05:00

So, I'm a bit of a container junky. The older and bluer the better. I scored the two really big old jars below for 5.00 for the pair, or something close, which is phenomenally cheap! In my crazed kitchen cleaning fit on Saturday I decided to put them to actual use rather than stare at them on the shelf. We now have like 15% more counter space. I call that victory. (Not to mention I have this aesthetic love affair with the contrast between the jar of coffee and the jar of rice.)

I love that my kids are still down with cardboard. Impromptu, three-minute instruments mean I get to listen to Jane make violin noises AND guitar noises.

Jane in motion.

Jane found a "family tree" and we set it up right outside of our gate. The girl is so creative. She can really imagine anything into life.

2011-10-24T08:47:00.001-05:00

The work week finished out on an incredibly dreary, "OMG I'm so tired, can I sleep through this season" note. The weekend was gorgeous, crisp and sunny. We built a lot of blanket forts, wrestle/tickled until we realized dad was the clear victor by way of not participating.

Shadow puppet theater is complete - I just have to make the puppets. You can find some easy and awesome instructions over at the Chez Beeper blog or at Minieco.

DIY dishwasher detergent: equal parts Borax and Baking Soda and a few drops of grapefruit oil. I put vinegar in the rinse aid part and only use two tablespoons in the compartment. I hear that hard water and this particular concoction do not get on well. It works beautifully in our dishwasher though. A++!

Pockets and stuff.

2011-10-19T08:53:00.003-05:00

I got smiling pictures! Of both kids! Granted, Jane is the cereal sentry but they are both smiling. THIS is victory.

(I will admit that I bullied Marley into smiling. But I won't tell you how!)

The explorer vest! It is complete!

Look at all the pockets!

Ohhhhh, weekend.

2011-10-17T08:24:00.003-05:00

This was an exceptionally busy weekend to end an exceptionally busy week. Saturday Justin and I went to the Occupy Lansing rally and march before he went up north. It was really amazing to see so many very different people peacefully working together to make themselves heard.

The kids and I did a little more Halloween decorating and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Barefoot. *sigh*

The elusive Marley and Jane.

Homemade Naan. OMG.

Starting Marley's explorer vest.

KCWC Goes on!

2011-10-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

So, I had this really long list of things I thought I was going to accomplish this week for KCWC. To be fair, it was a pretty ambitious list that would require not working and being left alone to watch old episodes of Northern Exposure for days. That being said, I've been having a really good time drafting and re-drafting patterns and sewing what I can.

I hand-sewed two scarves with the ball thingees - I fully admit the Jane is going to have to share with me.

Yeah - these are from a couple of weeks ago - because I knew I wasn't gong to have as much time as I wanted this week. These are from the Sewing for Boys book that I've been raving about. These are hands down the best trousers for little boys ever. EVER. You can read about the Henry shirt experience for my gushing review of the book.

The yellow tunic is a lot of fun and looks great on mega-long-armed boy.

These were fashioned using the mittens pattern from Little Things to Sew and my favorite old sweater. I also got a hat and leg warmers out of it :D

KCWC - Day 1

2011-10-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

I'd like to apologize for the TERRIBLE pictures but I felt I really needed to get something up here. It's motivating. I drafted a dress loosely based on this dress. The back is slightly more fitted and I wanted to make Ms. Jane something really bright and fun. I think I may shorten it a little to tunic length am otherwise really happy with this. Jane liked it enough to insist on wearing it to school today, which was awesome!

in progress

detail

yay!

Pre-KCWC projects

2011-10-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

zen.

2011-09-20T10:55:00.001-05:00

The Henry Shirt

2011-09-15T10:26:00.003-05:00

So, I still need to post pictures of the other items I've made from Sewing for Boys but I thought I would get at least one picture of The Henry Shirt up here since it is the current sewing blog darling. (I'd like you all to note that I managed to get another picture of Marley in his natural habitat - which has been increasingly difficult over the last few years.)

I really love the construction of this shirt now that it is finished. While I was sewing it up the only real issue I ran into was the yoke/sleeve construction. It was incredibly awkward to maneuver and the lighter fabric I chose wasn't terribly forgiving. The book itself doesn't relyheavily on picture explanations and, in most cases, this is fine because the written explanations are fantastic. Except for the yoke/sleeve construction. I'm a somewhat advanced sewer but not an advanced pattern user and I did find this one part pretty confusing. This is my *only* complaint. I love this shirt. Marley is fairly tall and I neglected to add any additional length to the shirt but it still fits.

So far all of the projects in the book are easily to modified to my size 8slim boy. (The official sizing goes up to a 7.) I love that the projects are drafted with extra width. Many of them will work as well for little girls. My daughter is still adorably buddha-bellied and a good number of the patterns/clothing I've come across assume that 5 year old girls are shaped like miniature teenagers. (Oh, skinny jean, how I loathe thee on my child.)

My one suggestion is that you take your time on these projects. There are a lot of additional details that give that well-polished finish that distinguish well-made home-sewn clothing from *cough* many of the things I've made in the past. There are some fantastic suggestions for finishing seams that I suspect will come in handy with other patterns as well.

In short, buy this book. No, really. I wish I had this book when I first started sewing clothing. As much as all of the projects are practical and wearable the additional information would have been useful for so many projects I've done in the past.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge

2011-09-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Why yes, yes I would love to! Info can be found here on the elsie marley site!

Impatiently waiting...

2011-09-09T09:46:00.004-05:00

So, I ordered this book and I can't wait for it to come. You can read a few reviews at elsiemarley.com, www.made-by-rae.com, and sewmamasew.com. I've waited a good long time for a book of patterns/ideas for boys over the age of 2 to come along and take its rightful place. Marley is 8, but he's extra slender and tall so I'm hoping that the size 7 stuff will be easy to lengthen. I know he will be happy to see more stuff coming off the dining room table for him.

back to school

2011-09-06T13:24:00.002-05:00

These were last year's back to school bears - the kids still love them on occasion.

This is a terrible picture but this shirt (pattern here) was really easy and sewed up quite neatly. I decided against the bow and I added some width to the front. Next time I will definitely add some length and a bit more width so Jane's little Buddha belly is more comfortable.

This little garden apron has been on the list forever - you can find it here. I love the elephants and this is such a Janicorn kind of smock. I wish I could get decent pictures of her in but she's developed a bizarre camera shyness.

the wild janicorn

2011-08-31T13:56:00.002-05:00

easiest hat ever. the janicorn needed it.

hot husband

2011-08-25T11:29:00.004-05:00

2004

2008

2011

He just keeps getting hotter.

summer, please don't go!

2011-08-25T10:36:00.003-05:00

After a year of procrastination we finally have fabric clouds on Jane's wall. I know it is hard to see the fabric but this photo is so dreamy and girly - I love it.

I finally have pictures of the boy smiling. This almost never happens. He usually flees at the first sign of the camera.

Monday, Monday

2011-07-26T09:31:00.002-05:00

It's not very often that I take a day off of work when I'm not sick or really busy. Yesterday I had a pretty productive day. We made lemondade, vanilla-bean cream soda, and leek and rice soup. I started sewing up a new bag prototype before realizing that I didn't have enough binding and damned if I was going to spend that much time in front of an iron.

I even made my bed, I was so productive!

Heatwave!

2011-07-21T09:34:00.002-05:00

Marley's Lego party was a ton of fun. I failed completely to get pictures of the cake when it was finished, the party while it was happening and the boy blowing out his candles.

I made little bags for the kiddos with a set of markers, some Lego candy and a set of coloring cards. We set up a big bowl of random legos so all the kids could build if they wanted to- especially the little kids who usually don't get the chance when the big kids are about.

Marley's favorite gift was the Space shuttle. With the shuttle program ending today I feel a little heavy hearted. It was such a cool part of my childhood - watching the launches on TV, daydreaming about being an astronaut, and knowing that Marley and Jane don't have it as a part of theirs as well is... sad.

I had a great time making these Lego dude design books for Marley, Jane and our Fox friends.

Despite the unbearable heat I'm crocheting like a mad-woman. I'm a little obsessed with afghan throws right now.

it's almost birthday time... shhhhhhh

2011-06-27T14:55:00.001-05:00

(many ideas shamelessly stolen from this lovely lady.)

in which i love the hell out of the weekend...

2011-06-21T13:02:00.004-05:00

Jane's first sewing project! A purse with a Boognish on it! She made Mom and Dad proud :)

Crepe and Leek lasagna fixings. OMG so good.

We hiked out in Lincoln Brick Park for an afternoon. It was an amazing time with the kids.

Super cheap frozen vanilla dessert (no really, that's what it is called, and man is it awesome) and fruit punch flavored soda make the best floats. Trust me on this.

Father's day lunch with Jane while Justin, Marley and Justin's parents were at MIS. She was a perfect lady! We libraried, we walked, went to the park. It was almost like it was mother's day :p

In which I give up my favorite jeans...

2011-06-10T13:26:00.004-05:00

I've had this one pair of jeans forever. They fit like a glove in the right places, faded nicely, essentially the best jeans ever. Then they fell apart and I managed to get another pair online. The last pair ever. And those fit in the right places, faded nicely and like the others finally developed gaping holes in the usual areas. So I patched them. Over and over and over again. And then I decided to empty my mending basket. So I made them in to super cute jeans for Jane. Who, once again, was an uncooperative model.

I really wanted them to be kind of girly and still kid-like. I left the legs the same width and just cut as much as I had from the top for the waist and legs to fit. I added a wee crochet pocket with a vintage button and some large red buttons on the front for maximum buttony-ness.

Jane is wearing them with my favorite shirt turned sundress and possibly the cutest Goodwill procured vest ever.

Anniversary Hedgies!

2011-06-04T19:55:00.001-05:00

6 years with J. <3

Finished!

2011-06-03T08:27:00.002-05:00

My model was uncooperative - she refused to be in pictures without making silly faces or turning away. You'll have to trust me, this is adorable on the girl and well worth the potential blindness and aching hands.

Lemonade Recipe

2011-06-03T08:20:00.004-05:00

You can find lemonade recipes all over the internet - this is kind of a mod of all the ones I've tried. It might be a little sweet for some but it's good for hot days when ice only lasts about 30 seconds and you don't want to end up with lightly sweetened lemon water.

You need:

1 bag of lemons

simple syrup (1 cup of water/1 cup of sugar heated until the sugar is fully dissolved.)

a container or two

lemon juicer

possibly a funnel

ice

Juice all but two of your lemons, you should have roughly a cup to a cup and a half. Mix that with your simple syrup. I mix it with a lot of ice and about a cup of water. Add lemon slices from the 2 reserved lemons. Shake it up. Try to save some for your kids. :)

Lemonade!

2011-06-02T18:11:00.002-05:00

Leftovers can be awesome!

Leftover pizza fixings on flatbread.

OMG Lemonade.

WIP

2011-06-01T17:40:00.003-05:00

What to do when a shirt you only slightly care about dies? Fix it for someone else! See that impossibly tiny chain - yeah, that might be causing temporary blindness. I just finished the rescue straps and it is *is* adorable but it was definitely a project that made my hands and my brain ache simultaneously.

Will update with finished (and modeled!) project!

also - i love my tablecloth.

I'm Back!

2011-06-01T17:17:00.002-05:00

Well that was a long (unintentional) break from the world of blogging. Spring, however, has sprung. My motivation seems to have returned with all the bright skies and budding trees. So, post mini-vacation, I have a lot in the works and pictures to come soon! Thanks for sticking around.

<3 Ani

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-01-04T14:46:00.002-05:00

I didn't handmake as much as I usually do for the holidays but I had fun making softies for the little folks. There are a few things that I didn't get pictures of but these are the cutest of the cute.

Super secret stuffs...

2010-12-14T12:26:00.003-05:00

I've been extra busy making presents - I can't post anything yet but I did take a few minutes to make a sweater for my garage sale stool. In theory this is to make it more likely that I will put my feet up here and there. So far, just a theory :) See you after Christmas folks, Happy Holidays.

SQUEEE!

2010-11-04T10:08:00.003-05:00

It came! Please excuse me, I will be over here having the great to cut or not to cut debate. You can get your copy here.

The Love Note Project

2010-11-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

Day Three

the love note project

2010-11-02T19:10:00.004-05:00

So, once upon a time there was this gooooorgeous boy named Justin and I absolutely luuuurved him the second I met him. No really. And as a seasoned cynic you can trust that I did not for a minute believe in love at first anything - until Justin. So in order in to convince him that I was completely awesome I did things like listen to music that I didn't hate but didn't really love either, read up on video games and... wrote a million letters. Some of them were epic in length. Some were REALLy short. All of them are in a shoe box and sadly not many have been added in the last few years. So this is the love note project. At least one everyday for the next 365 days. If you feel like joining me let me know and we'll get a flickr stream going.

Day One:

Day Two:

Freebies!

2010-11-01T15:10:00.004-05:00

A freebie because I love you guys! The paperdoll image is from graphicsfairy.blogspot.com - you can find a ton of free printable ephemera at this site. Download the calender here. (I love this little girl - she reminds me of the Jane.)

this perfect monday

2010-10-25T15:56:00.003-05:00

thisperfectmonday.com

workin'

2010-10-24T13:53:00.002-05:00

Ani and Benny's Magical Day of Random

2010-10-10T09:45:00.002-05:00

We started the day out in search of breakfast around noon and after a couple of ideas ended up at Sophia's House of Pancakes. It was amazing . Fritattas and blintzes omg.

Happy me in stolen husband hat!

BENNY!

Sophias!

Random car show! We found this when we decided to go garage sale hunting. (More on that later!)

Delicious home-made tikka masala at Benny's mom's. SO GOOD

2010-10-07T15:07:00.001-05:00

Lazy Fatterday

2010-09-26T12:44:00.004-05:00

Snuggly porch time.

Jane and her knee socks.

Chair time.

Splinter is not amused at this costume marriage.

ukulele, baby.

earl grey cupcakes.

sleepy kitty.

Yesterday was my first Saturday off without an event attached to it - no weddings, parties, out-and-abouts... just pure blissful nothing-to-do-ness. It. Was. Gorgeous.

putyer feet up and stay a bit

2010-09-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

comfort and light

2010-09-23T19:23:00.002-05:00

So I finally took Elna out of her case and set down to mod some t-shirts. It went poorly and led to me taking out my bag of super soft vintage sheets and pillow cases and putting them to use.

I just made a patchwork panel that fit the front of an older fleece throw I had and topstitched it together. Today was not the best lighting day but I kind of like how it looks in this picture.

I realized I never posted this - my favorite old tapestry turned light-weight summer throw - satin backed and soft as air.

Weekend, Yo!

2010-09-20T12:47:00.003-05:00

School Days

2010-09-15T12:53:00.005-05:00

Hello Fall!

Today Jane, my very sweet and friendly little monkey, started preschool. She was completely self-assured and ready to rock.

Marley has been having rough mornings similar to last year. He would much prefer to be home, getting his mad science on.

I haven't had much time yet to start fall crafting but the weather has been perfect for it. We've been spending a lot of time outside, waiting for the leaves to turn and enjoying the green while it lasts.

OMGCROCHETISFUN

2010-08-23T18:08:00.001-05:00

I taught myself to crochet and now the whole world can be brighter!

Which of course means: RED DOILY!

Haitus

2010-08-23T18:04:00.001-05:00

It's obviously been a long time. The past few months were not intended to be a haitus, it just sort of worked out that way. For the last few months we've been incredibly busy, either working or traveling or running about.

Marley, pensive and a little sleepy.

Jane and ice cream- a villainous meeting.

Crayon pucks!

homemade cotton balls.

Sand, sun and sweet vacation.

blackapple inspired tattoo

2010-06-11T14:15:00.001-05:00

i cannot get a good picture of this. and i still need one of Justin's.

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test from droid

2010-06-11T09:38:00.001-05:00

rainy first day of summer vacation.

Published with Blogger-droid

Princess Mothra's Pretty Pink Room

2010-05-03T16:36:00.002-05:00

Project Pink.

Jane's room was this dingy, flat blue.

Now - PINK OMG! This photo is not what I had hoped but the hanging butterflies are pretty (and pretty easy to make when you're vegging out on some Torchwood). The framed pictures are just pieces of Liberty of London folders I picked up at Target.

Marley and I made Jane this princess bunting for her birthday - he drew and I put it together.

I love this recessed shelving even more now.

Happy Summer Folks.

Pink

2010-04-24T11:31:00.004-05:00

Had a pink day with Jane yesterday. She picked herself out some pink flowers, we made pink (princess) yogurt popcicles, and stared happily at pink dogwood trees. I have changed my mind about pink over the last few years. I love it.

weekly zen

2010-04-20T18:28:00.002-05:00

Makin' Stuff

2010-04-19T19:04:00.005-05:00

I wouldn't say that my motivation to make or recycle or upcycle things that can be purchased at little expense is entirely motivated by a need to be green. I'm often motivated by aesthetics, the urge to see if I can make something I could purchase with higher quality, and a general pleasure gained from knowing exactly what is used to create something. Take deodorant; we all know that a number of the ingredients are flat out bad for us, and the rest are questionable. And yet, who wants to stink? Some of the organic and safe options are more expensive and just don't make the grade. So I decided to try How About Orange's recipe/tutorial and I could not be more pleased. There are four (!) ingredients. Four! And I know what they are. I can pronounce them. I have possibly lowered my risk for breast cancer and alzheimer's disease. Oh, and the packaging - much prettier.

I am equally in love with cotton, knitted bath poofs. A skein of Blue Sky Cotton yields 2 plus a plethora of little square face scrubbies. This is not necessarily a huge money saver but they feel so much better on my skin and the yarn holds up really well in the wash. The pattern? Sure:

Cast 45 stitches on 3 US8 DPNs leaving a 10 inch tail and join for knitting in the round. Knit in seed stitch until your tube is about 6 inches long. Bind off loosely leaving a 10 inch tail. Using a large needle baste the tail through the cast off edge. I made my basting stitches about 3/4" long. When you have basted all the way around pull the basting stitch tight and knot off. Do the same thing on the cast on edge but leave a large enough opening to pull the bath puff right side out and then pull tight, knot off and stuff the strings inside the puff. You could add an i-cord for hanging or a ribbon, anything you like.

inspiration saturdays

2010-04-17T09:56:00.002-05:00

For the Shorties

2010-04-12T16:43:00.004-05:00

Designed and made some shoe/flipflop/sunglasses hangers for the little guys for this summer in an attempt to keep my back room organized. The ones above are for my little guys. Below - for the flying fox twins.

From Tracy, With Love

2010-04-07T16:09:00.003-05:00

Tracy made me this incredibly cool craft apron for my birthday and I completely failed to show it off. Look at the pretty!

Ned: The Lonely Ghost Boy

2010-04-07T16:04:00.002-05:00

Bags, Bags Everywhere

2010-04-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

I have a bag obsession - tote bags, purses, you name it I probably love it. A few of these were made some time ago but they are all functional, all handmade and all my favorite at the same time.

zen

2010-04-06T17:14:00.002-05:00

Neglect

2010-04-06T15:52:00.004-05:00

This poor neglected blog. Lest you think I am neglecting everything, we are still painting, making, laughing, bending, taking pictures, playing and running around all over the place.

Easter Marzipan - of which we are a house divided.

Backpack for Jane, dinosaur designed by Marley

Jane Dolls - One for Jane, One for Maddie

Getting our Paint On

OMG 4!

Marley - also OMG Big!

It's a pony party with Mistress Jane.

2010-01-29T10:38:00.001-05:00

It's a pony party with Mistress Jane., originally uploaded by randomgoodness.

My girl.

Once Upon a Time...

2009-12-24T12:00:00.004-05:00

I used to fancy myself a writer. I like to paint, draw, engage in random acts of craftivity, but I'm not singularly gifted. I never had plans to drag a stack of canvas and paint to New York and starve until my magical discovery. I did intend to write. From wherever I might land. And over time with the addition of children, husband, lawn care, ever growing laundry demands, I stopped writing. It's not like I lost any love of the way syntax attacks in the middle of the night, rather that I start choosing sleep over inspiration, work over dates with my typewriter. Eventually I stopped writing the novel length letters that won my husband over to the dark side. Then the random post-it's scribbled with particularly pleasing phrases halted. And I miss it. Deadly miss it. And so:

syntaxandsalt.com

It's not much, but it's a start. I should disclaim: I do not censor my writing. Not in the way that I censor myself here.

oh wow - it's winter.

2009-12-06T10:58:00.003-05:00

I am definitely starting the mad dash to finish holiday gifts for the 25+ people on my list. This is me getting close to panic.

Did whip up a quick custom vase for my neighbor last night. This is yet another reason I love spray adhesive. Grab a mason jar, a scrap of pretty fabric, a ribbon and go!

Finally came up with an 11th hour advent tree: It was pretty easy, and the kids have been receiving the tiny ornaments in a nightly letter from Mom and Dad, that also contains a little mission that promotes giving and gratitude.

adventure is just one mistake away

2009-11-22T12:15:00.005-05:00

I almost feel prepared for winter. Almost. We've had a pretty busy fall this year, with Marley starting Kindergarden and lots and lots of work. This is a handful of the things I've been occupied with :

Painting dreams about Japan:

Drinking Tea and Knitting Teapot Sweaters (From Last Minute Gifts, mildly modded.)

Carving Pumpkins:

Homemade Cold Remedies (Honey and Lemon):

Justin's obsession with the black apple hedgies was simply my gateway drug to embroidery. The Hedgie design is definitely copyrighted by Emily at Inside A Black Apple.

2009-11-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

Better Late than Never!

2009-10-31T10:39:00.003-05:00

When Tracy was here visiting she made it a point to put me to work. And the best thing about Tracy is that her idea of putting me to work meant making stuff. Sometimes that push is absolutely the most perfect way to get me off my butt.

We had some happy random results from a couple of projects, including elephant masks and a baby sleep sack formed from a basic grey fleece pullover. Spray adhesive, old contact paper and card board were transformed into fairy wings and a crown. Tracy and Marley created the coolest Marley-Bot costume. It took a couple of tries to get the wings t-shirt right but that turned out to be one of my favorite projects. The dotted bag is a close second. I can't wait for our next visit!

Ladies Night!

2009-10-16T08:50:00.003-05:00

Quality time with my BFF's generally involves one or more of us doing something to make our husbands/mothers/SO's flinch. And since Tracy has not been able to visit sans twins & hubby until now we though it might be best to get a few months worth of trouble out of the way. And what is the best way to do just that? Tattoos. And tequila.

Photo Credits to Dan, of course!

Best visit ever!

Life in Color

2009-10-12T14:57:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends,

I don't write much about myself on here. At least, I don't provide a lot of substance. It is both intentional and not. I have a problem with drama; more so that I like it than not. I am determined that this be a reflection of peace and harmony amidst all of the craziness of working, living, loving and generally winging it.

That having been said, I have been stricken with the urge to write lately. I feel like a bridge suspended between autumnal bliss and evergrowing urgency. Some of this is the inevitable mania and motion that has always come with the changing of the seasonal guard. Some of it is a deeply rooted fear of success and failure at the same time. I am ever blessed with an abundance of under-appreciated family and friends and interesting co-workers, and yet there are days when I feel like I'm standing on a precipice waiting to be pulled back. Waiting for rescue is not something I do. I can't decide if this feeling stems from the last few months of constant worry and waiting at work, or getting steadily older and more comfortable and not wanting to lose that comfort.

Despite some of the inconsistencies of mood I am in love with fall. The leaves are an exquisite riot of color, the sky is that smoldering gray that I adore so much, and if I am superfluous it is only because pirate season is upon us.

Tomorrow my Tracy will be coming for some long overdue catching up. (Three days!!! Yay!!!) Marley and Jane are growing even faster lately and I can barely keep up with them these days.

Behold my beautiful friend Benny in laughing glory:

(picture credit goes to Dan, who is amazing.)

Namaste,

Ani

Weekend Zen in Pictures

2009-09-28T18:01:00.002-05:00

4 weeks...

2009-09-28T17:27:00.002-05:00

Well, almost. I quit smoking 4 weeks ago on Wednesday without an single relapse. YAY!

My first non-smoker self-portrait:

Look at that crazy hair!

You may have also noticed the site re-vamp. I wasn't terribly thrilled with the dark heavy look and feel and wanted to go back to something a little lighter and airier.

More to come in the next day or so!

I QUIT SMOKING - NOW WITH MORE CRAZY!

2009-09-03T16:16:00.003-05:00

So I finally quit smoking roughly 48 hours ago. I have been absolutely crazed, and trying to stay as busy as possible. Which has led to things like bleaching my fridge, cleaning every closet and cupboard in the house and other random acts of craftiness. I painted this for a show a couple of years go and never really loved it, however it works well for our entryway in the back of the house.

The top of our snack/craft/etc area- used the clear plastic top piece from a poster frame and filed the pointy corners. Yay recycling!

You know what's awesome? Spray adhesive. Also jars. I was stricken with the urge to redecorate EVERYTHING. Instead- toothbrush holder and bobby pin jar.

Oh look. Candles. O.o

I love these. Quick and pretty present for Benny. The pattern can be found here. I used about half an skein of Manos Silk Blend.

Last Days of Summer

2009-08-19T21:15:00.003-05:00

The dog days have been extra stifling the last couple of weeks. We have all settled into a general malaise, lazy and waiting for the sweet orange of fall. We have a new and most excellent kitten. Everyone, meet Five. Cat Five. Yes, I know it's geeky, but in order to convince Justin that we needed a cat I had to give up naming rights. And really, I kind of like it.

It is beyond lame but I knit a few billion washcloths this last week. For Justin. Because really, he does the dishes for the most part.

My new-ish project bag is the perfect depth and size for lugging about a few ongoing little things.

Behold the art corner. It is arty. And full of art.

MOAR STUFF!

2009-07-23T20:43:00.003-05:00

New Pillows for the porch chairs:

A shawl for Benny, in a hurry for her trip to Belgium and beyond:

perfect summer clouds (or why i fail at updating this here blog)

2009-07-22T08:51:00.004-05:00

I managed to finish Marley's birthday quilt just in time. He loves it. Phew. We've been go go go since the middle of last month. It's been sand, sun and sky every weekend. And now, back to our regularly scheduled city life.

My Kingdom for a Printer!!!

2009-06-16T13:24:00.004-05:00

Some people, when their children plead and beg for storm trooper masks, are able to print the ones they find on line out. With a printer. Other people (me) run out of ink, declare the printer broken/dead to them/lost for all time, and end up drawing storm trooper masks with crayon. Behold, my little tyrants.

So, I did this twitter contest right? I still can't post Michele's winnings because of serious postal fail. Meagan received the "little bird" watercolor and book of ripple patterns.

Benny received both her "do mermaids dream of cities" watercolor and new handwarmers, plus a bff forever bit o' stuff. Postcards, lavender sachet, and the voodoo Benny doll I used to stab every so often. (I'm kidding. Totally.)

Birthday Plans are in the works!

2009-06-14T19:42:00.004-05:00

With the help of Gimp, Echino fabric and Katie Cupcake's Simple Scrapbook font Marley's party thingees are in now in the works. I love birthdays. Love them.

TIMESINK OF AWESOME!

2009-05-25T20:03:00.001-05:00

Sunlight and Love by SyntaxandSalt featuring Prada bags

Spring (or how I fail to complete projects in a timely fashion when it is nice out.)

2009-05-19T08:53:00.006-05:00

le sigh. Spring is so distracting. I have still been working on a whole slew of projects, and I do have a ridiculous number of half finished tutorials. It's just that all the green and bright and fresh air are so hard to resist. The obligatory blurry dark group shot acts as proof that I am not completely slacking!

The sweet little elephant is stuffed with rice and lavender, and was a gift for Justin (the hot hubby) who kept stealing my lavender laundry sachets. Just look at this poor guy, he can't stay awake at all.

A towel! In my dirty bathroom! From Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines and this link. I used some super soft, slightly thicker Blue Sky Cotton.

Behold: my favorite new yarn. It's the color of lemons dipped in paprika, my favorite plate garnish, has a little bit of a sheen to it, and demands that you respect it with careful knitting. It's not the softest, easiest yarn to knit with. This yarm has a cool gaze and spike heels.

I knit this for Marley months and months ago and never took a picture of it, but it is the first thing he specifically requested that I knit for him. If you need something a little unconventional check out Val's Nimble Needles. She has some well written, easy to follow patterns for just about everyone.

Stay tuned for pictures of prizes from the twitter giveaway!

***Disclaimer***
I can be extremely offensive and profane on twitter. My twitter may not be for you. Tamer blog twitter will be coming soon.

Hello World.

2009-05-07T11:58:00.002-05:00

katie did

2009-05-06T21:44:00.000-05:00

this is the most gorgeous site.

TWIT2K! Final Round!

2009-05-06T18:55:00.005-05:00

Michele Wins round 1!
Benny Wins round 2!
Meagan wins the final round!

New Awesome!

2009-04-22T20:39:00.001-05:00

loxosceles.org

go. read. i love it.

... in which our heroine falls off a cliff

2009-04-08T10:39:00.005-05:00

I have always really loved the notions zipper pouch in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. However the ones that Purl sells are *really* expensive and not in stock very often. so I made my own. It was a surprisingly fast project, and I love how it turned out. Later in the evening during stencil-mania I dropped the scissors image on the front. The adorable felted pouch was a birthday gift from Tracy. And I love it.

I whipped this up for my friend Jess's birthday. It was hard to part with. The pattern can be found in Weekend Sewing, and was relatively easy to follow.

Behold the fruits (some of them- stupid camera died) of stencil mania. Jess, Justin and I went crazy with the cheeze whiz last night and kicked out a few beauties.

My sister wanted hand warmers while she was visiting this weekend so I grabbed some striated bulky pink yarn. (Brown Sheep for great justice!) and voila. She also has gorgeous hands so I made her model some of my favorite new yarn.

Stencils came from:

Random Acts of Domesticity

2009-03-25T09:18:00.004-05:00

With recent craziness at work and bordering on burn out there hasn't been a whole lot of crafting. But I have been making time to do a few things for sanity's sake these last few weeks:

My first attempt at socks. Making them for Jane as smaller is faster. I am loving the self striping yarn.

Wheeee! I finished it. Okay. Awhile ago. And it is AWESOME. I did make the linking a little short but can fix that easily enough.

I thought fresh orange sounded like win. It was.

Behold the power of citrus.

The kids had a "sleepover" last night. I may have gone overboard but I think the popcorn boxes are adorable. Thank you Martha Stewart. ./sigh.

See you again soon!

WIP

2009-03-07T18:22:00.004-05:00

Jane's handmade birthday was a success! She is pretending to be a pony. Hilarious.

This is actually almost completed- but I felt bad about not posting anything in awhile. Justin thinks it is hideous- reinforcing my absolute love of it. Manos del Uruguay in 6 colorways. Love it! From this book.

Small Pleasures

2009-02-20T10:39:00.003-05:00

The good stuff.

2009-02-05T11:26:00.005-05:00

Came home from work last with the urge to paint. The first one is for Justin, tentatively titled "ghost town".

Then I made a present for my Tracy.

This morning I thought it would be nice to have a painting that was a little more preservable, and also, it was time for an introduction to the good stuff and how to take care of it. Needless to say my image of painting then cleaning brushes together might have been a little less... realistic. But I love the results:

Jane Days

2009-02-03T14:42:00.003-05:00

The super hero costume was actually for Gus, Marley's snake. Marley announced a couple of weeks ago that Gus was 4 and we needed to have a birthday party. He was less than impressed with the idea of Gus as a super hero and Jane stole the costume. Much hilarity ensued.

She likes to fight crime with broccoli. Justin thinks we should take her to a phone booth, look the other way and see what happens.

Jane apparently has a post painting victory dance and a budding love of body art. Going to have to keep my eye on this one, I think.

My mom made Jane this gorgeous dress for Christmas 2007, and it has turned into her favorite costume. So much so that the girl has fallen asleep in it a few times.

And what about Marley you say? He's too busy working behind the camera to let me get a shot of him.