Frosting

There is nothing finer than homemade cake frosting. This recipe is the one Brett's Mama made every year before we got married and although I've made it at least ten times (birthdays and other days) I can never remember where I put my recipe card. You have to remember we've moved our kitchen four times in the last six years. I told Cheryl that I would paint it on my wall when we finally bought a house.
I called her again yesterday to get the details but she was away from her own recipe box so Jaime, Brett's youngest sister and a fine baker herself, gave me the ingredients and guessed the measurements. As I went along I could tell it wasn't turning out per usual so I kind of winged it and added a little more of this and that until it was suitable.
Despite its unusually light coloring, the frosting was delicious.

It was a relaxed birthday weekend. We talked about going to see Kimya Dawson in Visalia but then remembered all the practical reasons why we shouldn't. I know. We're old. The last concert Brett and I went to was Over The Rhine in Seattle two years ago this month. Sebastian heard the muffled version through the amniotic fluid he was floating in.

I've really enjoyed NOT working on anything crafty this weekend. I don't usually lock myself out of the crafty space because I always enjoy spending free time making stuff but it can really keep me from spending that important 'do nothing' time that every soul needs to anchor itself. This morning I realized how much I love sitting under the huge shade tree that graciously hangs over our backyard. I was just there. Not making lists or worrying about how much t.v. time Sebastian is getting, etc. but just noticing and absorbing and sitting. Its what being six feels like.
Thanks to all who left their two cents and birthday wishes for Brett. He felt the love. Still no decision on the birthday checks except that he's happy to not spend them on debt reduction!
Ta-Ta!

Rock the Vote

Saturday is Brett's 27th birthday.
He is sitting on the couch going over all the possibilities of what he can buy with his birthday checks.
He needs your help.

Should he:

A) Get a tattoo

B) Drop it on iTunes

C) Pay off debt

D) Start his Vespa nest egg

Its always a toss up between instant gratification and long term happiness but I tend to choose the former when it comes to birthday money.

More random things about Brett.

*He subs at a middle school where ALL the 8th grade girls have a crush on him.

*He makes the best lattes.

*He used to paint his fingernails black.

*He wore the same pair of pants (that turned into shorts) every day during 11th grade.

*His top three favorite things include reading, sleeping and.. guess.

*He knows almost everything about indie music, sports and politics because of his aforementioned reading hobby.

*He is totally supportive of my artistic endeavors.

*He always writes thank-you notes.

*He likes Grey's Anatomy, too!

*He wants a Vespa real bad.


Feel free to leave Brett a 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAD HUSBAND OF RACHEL's' message. He'll blush.


Happy weekend!

DIY Woodgrain Book

You can make your own if you go HERE.

I'm Better

Ya'all are the best at making a girl feel loved. I laughed my way through many of your comments. THANKS!

Enjoying these lovely blogs lately.
Making It Lovely
Paper Pony
Heart Handmade
Mati Rose
Oh Joy!
Jen Gotch Photography
Wondering if I could make one of these myself.


And I'd like one of everything from this shop.

Chill-Out, Man!

Uggghhh. Totally feeling lame.

I think I'm about to menstruate. Yes, I said menstruate.

So, I woke up yesterday and watched yet another 40 minutes of (the same) Elmo's World, did NOT go jogging, spent some fabulous time outside in the backyard with my journal, and stayed in my 'morning clothes' until 3:30 p.m. when Brett got home from subbing and I was able to take a shower in peace before tutoring. Bumming around in my 'morning clothes' puts me in a bad mood. Answering the door in my 'morning clothes' usually makes me feel awkward. So, when the salesman knocked around lunch time, I was in no condition to stand in my 'morning clothes' with a diaper clad toddler tugging my arm to get back to Elmo's World. He said he wanted my help in getting points to win a trip to some exotic location. I told him I wasn't interested in helping him win a vacation to said exotic location. I just wanted to get back to my pissy morning. I regretted being so rude as I watched him walk down the driveway, shaking his head and probably wondering if he could get away with tagging our fence. (Sorry, Sebastian has already claimed that canvas!)

The rest of the afternoon and evening just felt forced as far as work goes. Its hard to be creative when you're about to menstruate. Anyone? Anyone? Sebastian pooped in the bath tub and will probably wet the crib for the fourth night in a row despite his super absorbent, overnight diaper. I will probably regret staying up a little too late again when its time to roll out of bed in the morning, find the coffee, and insert the worn-out, Elmo DVD while I check out how many comments I have on my blog.
Glam-or-ous! So leave me a comment or I'll probably yell at another salesman.

Tag Time

I was tagged by Jocelynne. I'm feeling compliant.

What was I doing 5 years ago?
Finishing my junior year of college, working in the library, being newly married.

Five things on my to-do list today ( or things I did today):
1. Tutor Verujan
2. Work on secret project
3. Take a shower
4. Entertain my son in the backyard
5. Return e-mails and phone calls (the phone calls probably won't happen, though.)

Five snacks i love:
1. avacadoes
2. yogurt
3. chocolate chips
4. apple sauce
5. peanuts

-Five things i would do if i were a billionaire:
1. buy a house for my family
2. fund an art center in my community
3. move to italy for a few months
4. send a good portion to some friends doing good work in Haiti
5. send some to each of our family and friends

-Five bad habits I have:
1. saying 'yes' when I need to say 'no'.
2. being impatient with sales people at my front door.
3. not calling people back.
4. not cleaning my bathroom as often as I should.
5. making piles instead of putting things away.

-Five places i have lived:
1. Roseville, CA
2. Fresno, CA
3. Ashby-De-La-Zouch, England
4. Shawnee, OK
5. Seattle, WA

-Five jobs i've had:
1. Yogurt Server (yogurt technician?)
2. Reference Library Assistant
3. Day Care Worker
4. English as a second language teacher/ tutor
5. Kit Club Designer/Owner

If you're into tagging and have some free time today, be my guest.



No pressure.

Tuesday

We went to the edge of town and stared the foothills in the eye.
The weather seemed warmer there.
Sebastian loved the cows until they tried to lick him.
I just wanted to lay in the flowers.

I Bought A Pink Flamingo

I found this blog through many clicks that originated from this girl's flickr favorites.

Speaking of Elsie, if you haven't already purchased one of every print, you may want to head over to her Etsy shop and see what is new as of late. These are my favorite three at the moment.

Yes, I Still Scrapbook

I was so happy to be asked to showcase a few of the new products from Elle's Studio during her blog party this last weekend. I love the number tags and the candy store journaling spots! I've still got a pile of tags to work through on future layouts. Thanks, Elle!

The rest of the mini is here.


(Prepare for the parenthesis')
This month has been irregular but so refreshing. We're starting to figure out where we'll be living in Springfield, sorting out jobs and planning how to be organized enough so the kit club isn't too affected by the timing of our move.
Last night I went to bed before 11:00 p.m. (never happens!) just to get a head start on the week ahead. We slept with our windows open but it got too cool for Sebastian around 4:30 a.m. I woke up and covered him up with a blanket and then got back in bed but laid there for about 45 minutes going over kit club details, imagining what our new place will look like, wondering what life will be like in the Midwest, etc.
Finally, I decided to do something productive with my alert state of mind and crept out of the bedroom so as not to disturb anyone who might be happily asleep (yes, our son sleeps in a crib in our room...thats another blog post). I made it into our bathroom where I located my bra (ahem) and morning clothes (aka: clothes I wouldn't be caught dead in outside) in the dark and was about to step out into the hall when I saw a dark figure coming towards me. (Gasp!) It was my half-asleep brother and his full bladder (yes, another blog post). He had a little green flashlight with him but he looked quite scary and I was a little nervous that he had seen me clawing around in the bathroom and brought his gun to investigate! My brother is in the Army Reserves and is an accurate marksman with a full plan of attack if ever anyone tried to break into the house, so you can see why my heart might start beating rapidly. Fortunately, he was just getting up to use that bathroom and was too groggy to be alarmed.
I eventually made it downstairs without peeing my own pants and got busy working through e-mails and ordering the final bits for the kit club this month. 9:30 a.m. hasn't felt this good in awhile. I might try this early to bed, early to rise thing out again.

Off to the foothills to take some pictures in a field of wildflowers this afternoon. Does it feel like Spring where you are?

I Think You're Just So Pleasant

Elle's Studio is having a blog party today and you're all invited. I've heard mention of give aways and new product debuts so make sure you stop by and check the schedule.

The above image is not a give away but it is yummy to look at. Brett is learning about Vespas so its on the mind.

San Francisco was almost a week ago but the after glow is lingering. Its so refreshing for the imagination to have an exciting change of scenery, change of pace. Its like opening the windows and letting the spring air in to blow the stale air away. There were so many 'best parts' that I can't put them in order of importance but the VERY best part of any trip is spending new time with my family and especially my husband. We did road trips a lot in college so it takes us back to the fluttery days of young love set to lots of indie music.

I felt less intimidated than expected on the walk to Rare Device to see if I could meet Lisa Congdon. Mostly I tried to remember that she did a show called the 'Tenderhearted' because she is one. I knew it would not be an encounter that left me wanting to slip out after the second awkward pause. We walked about 1.5 miles from our hotel to the shop and as we figured out if the baby jogger should go inside or stay outside, I looked up and saw her at the desk. She helped us bring the jogger in and introduced Sebastian to Wilfredo, her pup. We talked a little about the strange weather, her upcoming shows, how good Wilfredo is with her niece and nephew and our move to the Midwest. I browsed around and other people came in to shop but it was a really easy feeling considering I was coming into her store to meet her as a fan of her work. That can be an awkward time on any level of admiration. Brett took our picture as Sebastian was scurrying around after Wilfredo who was trying to snag his cheerios and then we said goodbye. She helped us out the door again and we took our Rare Device goodies with us in search of a few Vespas. I was really happy to have met Lisa, but more happy that I did something that was brave. I think my dad explains that every inaction due to fear leads to further fear, and every brave step forward moves you away from it.
Something like that anyway. See, Dad. I do listen.

Three other major highlights of the trip were (1) meeting Nikki and her friend Courtney at the (2) Alameda Antique Show and eventually finding (3) Marie at the correct Starbucks in Manteca. It was a full 36-ish hours of new and exciting moments.

I can't stop looking at this picture of the quilt I brought home from the Show. My Grandmother in Oklahoma managed to find the couple that this quilt was made for and they are still alive and in California! She found their address and sent it to me. I'm so curious about all the reasons this quilt would be special to them and what their life was like and why it was separated from them, etc. so I'm going to sit down and write them a letter sometime to let them know I have it. I'm halfway scared they'll want it back but if the roles were reversed...

I've got a few LO's to share this weekend.

I hope you have some sunshine for breakfast.

Words Will Come Soon

Road Trip

I was reading about the Alameda Antique Show today and realized its happening again this weekend and decided I needed to be there. Brett and I had been talking about a trip to the Bay Area for his birthday so it didn't take much convincing to make plans to leave Saturday morning and make a weekend of it.
I've been reviewing sfgirlbybay for some tips on how we should spend our time in one of the most brilliant cities in the country. How many times have I been to Pier 39 but walked past countless photo booths and local galleries? I'm hoping to make it to Rare Device but I will share with you that I'm at the same time hopeful and afraid that Lisa Congdon will actually be there! Its one thing to e-mail someone, admire their flickr feed, check their blog, but to meet said artist in person means I can't erase what I was going to say three times and keep an appearance of radness. Its enough to keep me from introducing myself at all and just cruising through and taking pics. Not going to happen, though. I need to be vulnerable and brave and shake a hand. Because awkward is beautiful, right?
I'll be taking both my digital and my polaroid cameras on the trip and I plan on taking an obnoxious amount of pictures in the city. If anyone wants to meet up on Sunday afternoon for coffee/tea in or near San Francisco, I'd love to hang out. Send me an e-mail.
I shall leave you with pretty things to look at. Happy weekend.
~r

1. my kitchen (after), 2. Interview with Pieces Owner Lee Kleinhelter, 3. Untitled, 4. Giant Golden Book of Biology - Illustrations by Charles Harper, 5. cozy.corner, 6. one.dress.finished, 7. na na na, 8. 24032008, 9. Untitled, 10. little deer, 11. Untitled, 12. Untitled, 13. cutmecutme!, 14. Untitled, 15. Ava, 16. Vespa- the Anti-Hummer

Why I Keep Every Catalog

Anthropologie knows what makes a girl swoon. Their children's bedding is glorious and I was inspired to finally make my own backyard version of their indoor sheet tent (Christmas '07).

Today I thought a lot about why I love springtime. I think its the movement towards better things that seems to infuse the day to day with a little more joy. Longer days, brighter colors, far off travels...

~r

The First of The Month Means Everything

I made this pretty collection over the weekend of happiness in Springfield, MO. They are for Sebastian's new room and hopefully will be joined by a smattering of other, same in likeness of color, prints. They are very inspired by Elsie and her brother's new tattoo. (You'll have to use your imagination on that one as I can't find a pic anymore). Its of an octopus and reads 'A Life At Sea' in a scroll. I'm also working on a large canvas for my studio but it'll have to wait until May to have a chance of being revealed.

Paper Kit

Project Kit

Kits are up in the RVKC Etsy Shop.

April is a very important month for me personally and artistically. I'm changing up my routine and plan on spending a lot less time reading blogs and scouring flickr but I hope to still post a few times a week. I'll have to outsource the eye candy.

May is where everything is getting dumped that can't be squeezed in for April. The two most important things I hope to accomplish in May include thinning out my fabric/scrapbook stash and learning to use Photoshop. I tried it out with Sarah from RVA but without my computer there to follow along I knew I would forget it. And I have. Once I've managed to make sense of things it'll be time to start packing up and heading back to the mother land. After spending the last five days in Springfield, I'm confident that our transition back to the midwest and all its lovely parts will be a smooth one. They have the best flea markets and thrift stores in the country so you can imagine the little dance I'm doing.

Long weekend recap:
Thursday: Woke up at an ungodly time to make my plane that sat on the runway for an hour before taking off to Dallas. Met the lovely Sarah and Emma at KCI airport, picked up our Silje, said hello to the puppy, talked about tattoos and movies for three hours until we reached Springfield and collected our dear Elsie. Thai Peppers for dinner. Yum. A little bit of jewelry crafting and the first of many nights to see 3 a.m.
Friday: Trip to Hobby Lobby for class supplies, coffee, lunch and preparation for the Red Photo Shoot. The most fun I've had in an abandoned building in a long time. Photo editing and octopus making with three girls and a boy who isn't afraid of a little crafting. SUSHI! Patchwork heat packs, 'Peter Pan' and an attempt at 'Life Aquatic' before we all fell asleep at 2 a.m.
Saturday: Thrifting and shopping for Lara Bars and Green Tea. Lunch at home, painting until we must all put down our brushes and say a sad goodbye to the Kansas City girls. More painting, a going away party, more painting and talking, back to the party to grab my purse, Sigur Ros on DVD, another early morning.
Sunday: Sleep In, lunch with Elsie and Emma's family, touring Springfield for rentals, meeting up for coffee with Katy and touring some more. More painting, homemade pizza, packing, coffee and plans for big things. Embroidery and a little more painting with girls and a boy named Will. In bed before 2a.m. but not by much.
Monday: Get up early, drink vanilla latte that Jeremy brought over and get in the car and drive three hours through the rain and haze. Tofu and 'Awesome Thai Sauce'. Sad goodbyes and a short wait in the KCI airport. Phone call to Pasadena. DFW encounter with an old high school classmate. She and I ran against each other for Homecoming princess our Freshman year. She won. We didn't chat because I am a little bit of an avoider of high school acquaintances even though I know its silly. Sebastian and Brett. Happy.

Best weekend of my life? No. Second best? Probably.

Home Again

Kits will be posted in our Etsy shop on April 2nd. I got home late tonight due to delayed flights and bad weather in Dallas so I'm off to bed. It was the most fabulous of trips. I'll tell you about it soon.

~R