I actually have items I want to show to you now, and my camera is still gone. I told Helen earlier this week that I had no more new photos of Nathan to post because I have no camera and I finally caught up with my backlog. This is ridiculous. I literally feel no need to craft, too, because without a camera, my mind subconsciously feels there is no point.
Anyway, very very hopefully I'll have photos to post on Monday of my new cute tape measure and my sewing. My cousin Talena (at whose house my camera is currently visiting) offered to get together on Sunday. Let's just pray that Nathan doesn't flip out and ninja us with his snots like he did yesterday. Babies with molars coming in are not happy campers.
In other news, I am listening to a few new podcasts, but I haven't yet mentioned that I enjoy The Knitmore Girls. I'm not going to say it is my favorite podcast of all time, but it's great enough that it isn't leaving my listing of recommended podcasts any time soon. It features a mother and daughter discussing their knitting, spinning, mistakes, and news. Some things that irk me include that the daughter, Jasmin, can be a bit judgmental and kind of snobby. Now, for those of you who know me, you can all think to yourself... *ring*, *ring* "Hello?" "Hi, this is the pot, kettle. You're black."
They also tend to advertise in their podcast a lot as well as ask for donations to go to things like Sock Summit. But then again, that might just be me being envious, so I tend to let it go. What's good about it? They are both insanely fast knitters. They give good reviews of yarns. Their discussion of buying fleeces is intriguing. They have a great relationship! They used to have Tika from Gives Good Knit guest host. (Seriously, I love her podcast.) Jasmin is a very smooth speaker, which isn't true for many podcasters. They have very good sound quality in later episodes which matters more than you might think to me. Give it a try if you like two people podcasts. For the record, I can say that I listened to the full backlog of episodes which I usually don't, because I found them all interesting.
For all those who are keeping track, I now listen to Manic Purl, Never Not Knitting, Stash and Burn, Gives Good Knit, Knitmore Girls, Knit Picks, Sew Forth Now, and Sticks and String. I've ordered them their by my preference.
Update: Because even my positive reviews tend to sound mean, I'd like to re-iterate that I really like the Knitmore Girls podcast and that the faults I cite in Jasmin are faults that I acknowledge in my own self. It is a good podcast that I enjoy.
20090829
20090824
Depression, It Has Me
I crafted tonight. Or, more accurately, I am crafting tonight. It's sending me into a depression spiral that I can't seem to get out of.
The thing is that I have one major problem with sewing (and many other minor problems). That is, I can never seem to place my patterns properly on grain lines. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but it's super depressing and annoying and hateful. It's okay now that I'm making make up bags and slippers and other stuff that doesn't really hang on the body, but what's going to happen when I make a dress or jacket and I can't true the fabric and cut on grain? It's going to look hideous and I'm going to die of shame. Does anyone out there have advice for getting your fabric to true and cutting on grain. If your advice is pull on the fabric on the bias or slip a thread from the weave or weft free and use that as your guide, please explain more fully. Pulling on the fabric has not trued my fabric in the past, and I can't damn well seem to pull a thread free.
Hopefully later this week I will have some finished sewing projects to post (and a camera to use to photograph them), but until then, it's Linky Tuesday. Like how I just pretended that I always post links on Tuesdays?
Here's some of my favorite crafty finished objects! Let's start with my newest obsession, quilts. I love, love, love this beautiful quilt from CharlotteCarotte. First off, it looks simple and modern. Second, it looks soft. Third, it looks gorgeous. It makes me want to quit with the idea of fashion sewing.
Then, there are the cookies. I love cookies and I always want to be able to make beautifully decorated cookies, but if I could make ice cream cone cookies or starry window cookies, all I'd do is make cookies and charge ridiculous prices for them at craft sales.
You all know I love to cross stitch, but it takes a hell of a lot of time to do the 'good' designs because they intersperse colors very thoroughly to get a more natural looking finished product. And the really good ones that require beads require even more time and energy. That's why this finished mermaid cross stitch is a phenom. If I had made this, I'd frame it and put it up in the middle of the most seen wall in our house and I'd tell everyone that came into our house that I had made it.
Nathan is obsessed with trains, and I'm obsessed with clothes for Nathan. That means I love this adorable Kai shirt made of a very train-y fabric. I'm thinking of how it would look fantastic over some thermal shirts this winter as part of his every day wardrobe. Slip that on over some jeans and he'd look stylish without looking like a tiny little man. Helen has often pointed out that most boys are dressed like little men, and that's true, but the pointed use of cute prints can help alleviate that fact.
When I was younger, my mom would try to teach me to craft and fail. This is due to two things. One, I'm a horrible person learner. I've had fantastic people try to teach me, including my own husband (a patient tutor that many of my friends have told me is extremely patient with those willing to learn), and I can't learn from them. I dislike people telling me what to do. I hate when they keep going on about something I understand already. I dislike telling teachers I don't understand, so I let them stop teaching me when I don't understand the subject matter. I get angry with myself for disappointing people who are attempting to teach me. Two, my mom is a horrible teacher, apt to blame her 'student' for failing to learn or likely to not care about teaching. "You picked out horrible yarn to learn from, and that's why I can't teach you to knit." "I never installed zippers or buttonholes. Your grandmother did it for me. I mostly just made elastic pants." If you can't guess, these two things are probably related. That's why I'm always amazed to see these blogging mothers featuring their child's amazing creations, such as this Wall-E stuffie, or this awesomely chic knitted sweater.
I hope that one day, Paul can teach our children well or at least filter my instructions well. I can already tell that I'm more a teacher like my mom.
The thing is that I have one major problem with sewing (and many other minor problems). That is, I can never seem to place my patterns properly on grain lines. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but it's super depressing and annoying and hateful. It's okay now that I'm making make up bags and slippers and other stuff that doesn't really hang on the body, but what's going to happen when I make a dress or jacket and I can't true the fabric and cut on grain? It's going to look hideous and I'm going to die of shame. Does anyone out there have advice for getting your fabric to true and cutting on grain. If your advice is pull on the fabric on the bias or slip a thread from the weave or weft free and use that as your guide, please explain more fully. Pulling on the fabric has not trued my fabric in the past, and I can't damn well seem to pull a thread free.
Hopefully later this week I will have some finished sewing projects to post (and a camera to use to photograph them), but until then, it's Linky Tuesday. Like how I just pretended that I always post links on Tuesdays?
Here's some of my favorite crafty finished objects! Let's start with my newest obsession, quilts. I love, love, love this beautiful quilt from CharlotteCarotte. First off, it looks simple and modern. Second, it looks soft. Third, it looks gorgeous. It makes me want to quit with the idea of fashion sewing.
Then, there are the cookies. I love cookies and I always want to be able to make beautifully decorated cookies, but if I could make ice cream cone cookies or starry window cookies, all I'd do is make cookies and charge ridiculous prices for them at craft sales.
You all know I love to cross stitch, but it takes a hell of a lot of time to do the 'good' designs because they intersperse colors very thoroughly to get a more natural looking finished product. And the really good ones that require beads require even more time and energy. That's why this finished mermaid cross stitch is a phenom. If I had made this, I'd frame it and put it up in the middle of the most seen wall in our house and I'd tell everyone that came into our house that I had made it.
Nathan is obsessed with trains, and I'm obsessed with clothes for Nathan. That means I love this adorable Kai shirt made of a very train-y fabric. I'm thinking of how it would look fantastic over some thermal shirts this winter as part of his every day wardrobe. Slip that on over some jeans and he'd look stylish without looking like a tiny little man. Helen has often pointed out that most boys are dressed like little men, and that's true, but the pointed use of cute prints can help alleviate that fact.
When I was younger, my mom would try to teach me to craft and fail. This is due to two things. One, I'm a horrible person learner. I've had fantastic people try to teach me, including my own husband (a patient tutor that many of my friends have told me is extremely patient with those willing to learn), and I can't learn from them. I dislike people telling me what to do. I hate when they keep going on about something I understand already. I dislike telling teachers I don't understand, so I let them stop teaching me when I don't understand the subject matter. I get angry with myself for disappointing people who are attempting to teach me. Two, my mom is a horrible teacher, apt to blame her 'student' for failing to learn or likely to not care about teaching. "You picked out horrible yarn to learn from, and that's why I can't teach you to knit." "I never installed zippers or buttonholes. Your grandmother did it for me. I mostly just made elastic pants." If you can't guess, these two things are probably related. That's why I'm always amazed to see these blogging mothers featuring their child's amazing creations, such as this Wall-E stuffie, or this awesomely chic knitted sweater.
I hope that one day, Paul can teach our children well or at least filter my instructions well. I can already tell that I'm more a teacher like my mom.
20090819
I'm Melting!
Before I get to my rambling, anyone have any good recommendations for where I can buy some Malabrigo online? I'd like lots of color choices, and good photos of the yarn.
Woah, I bet you guys didn't even miss me, did you? If you did, I'm sorry and I have legitimate excuses for not doing anything in August.
One, I'm still down one tape measure. I wonder if Nathan just ate it. At this point, that idea seems plausible.
Two, it is hot out. (I'd make a joke, but every joke I could make sounds incredibly joke-y as if I'm mocking jokes about heat, so let's just say we're in the middle of a heat wave in Philly.) No scarf knitting in heat waves, since the scarf is now about four feet long and made of heavy yarn.
Three, my camera is at my cousin's house. And as I always say to Helen, "If you can't take pictures of it, you can't blog it. And if you can't blog it, it's like it never happened." So, why knit if it never really happened?
Four, the library is my doom. I'm getting book after book after book from it and stuffing 'em into my brain.
Five, Nathan is on the verge of both walking and talking, meaning I'm spending a great deal of time bribing him with food and toys and wondering how I'm going to cope when he walks and talks. He already has a good handle on making his will known with his single non-mom, non-dad word, "GOOOOO! GOOOOOO! GO! GO! GO!" and Indian war-cries. (There is nothing on Earth more hilarious than having your son get incredibly upset and go into an Indian war-cry.)
Six, I'm too lazy to take out pieces to sew stuff.
Seven, I'm really focused on the success of Helen's food blog. She's gotten links from a number of awesome food blogs in Philadelphia and from a store she reviewed! I publish Paul's recipes there occasionally, so check it out. I'll be posting a Tarte Tatin recipe soon, I hope. If you live in or near Philly, you might even consider subscribing since Helen does restaurant highlights and reviews.
Eight, I'm dreading the return of television season since I always fall behind on watching my shows in October and I never catch up until July.
Nine, I spend about an hour or two a night washing dishes, surfaces, cleaning up toys, doing wash, cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing floors, etc.
Ten, I still love computers. I need to love them less. I also need to stop fantasizing about owning The Sims 3. And buying a PSP, PS3, and XBox 360. (If I ever bought those three machines within the same year, you might as well give this blog, my Twitter feed, and my Flickr account their last rites.)
Anyway, I still love you all. When it gets cooler and I feel more ambitious and I stop obsessing over my library, I plan to come back to you. I need to knit Shalom after all.
Woah, I bet you guys didn't even miss me, did you? If you did, I'm sorry and I have legitimate excuses for not doing anything in August.
One, I'm still down one tape measure. I wonder if Nathan just ate it. At this point, that idea seems plausible.
Two, it is hot out. (I'd make a joke, but every joke I could make sounds incredibly joke-y as if I'm mocking jokes about heat, so let's just say we're in the middle of a heat wave in Philly.) No scarf knitting in heat waves, since the scarf is now about four feet long and made of heavy yarn.
Three, my camera is at my cousin's house. And as I always say to Helen, "If you can't take pictures of it, you can't blog it. And if you can't blog it, it's like it never happened." So, why knit if it never really happened?
Four, the library is my doom. I'm getting book after book after book from it and stuffing 'em into my brain.
Five, Nathan is on the verge of both walking and talking, meaning I'm spending a great deal of time bribing him with food and toys and wondering how I'm going to cope when he walks and talks. He already has a good handle on making his will known with his single non-mom, non-dad word, "GOOOOO! GOOOOOO! GO! GO! GO!" and Indian war-cries. (There is nothing on Earth more hilarious than having your son get incredibly upset and go into an Indian war-cry.)
Six, I'm too lazy to take out pieces to sew stuff.
Seven, I'm really focused on the success of Helen's food blog. She's gotten links from a number of awesome food blogs in Philadelphia and from a store she reviewed! I publish Paul's recipes there occasionally, so check it out. I'll be posting a Tarte Tatin recipe soon, I hope. If you live in or near Philly, you might even consider subscribing since Helen does restaurant highlights and reviews.
Eight, I'm dreading the return of television season since I always fall behind on watching my shows in October and I never catch up until July.
Nine, I spend about an hour or two a night washing dishes, surfaces, cleaning up toys, doing wash, cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing floors, etc.
Ten, I still love computers. I need to love them less. I also need to stop fantasizing about owning The Sims 3. And buying a PSP, PS3, and XBox 360. (If I ever bought those three machines within the same year, you might as well give this blog, my Twitter feed, and my Flickr account their last rites.)
Anyway, I still love you all. When it gets cooler and I feel more ambitious and I stop obsessing over my library, I plan to come back to you. I need to knit Shalom after all.
20090805
Crafting is hard. Let's go shopping!
(Note: I'm blogging this because Jenn is not online right now, and we don't really call each other. Like, ever. Whenever I do call her, and it's not because we have plans that day, I start the call with, "nothing is wrong," so she doesn't think I'm bleeding to death or that Pobox has exploded.)
Jenn has been trying to talk me into taking up sewing. You know, because between knitting and beading and cooking and blogging and photography, I probably don't have enough hobbies these days. I told her, "If I have a cute girl baby, who I can get away with just swaddling in a cute fabric sack and calling it a dress, I will take up sewing, but I don't see it happening before that." But you know it is. Someone proposes an idea, and you dismiss it, and then you start thinking about it....
I'm not ready to take up sewing. But I may be ready to take up that gateway drug, fabric buying.
(Thanks, spool blog, for the pic)
My bed is from IKEA (ok, my apartment contents are from IKEA -- ooh, and not to digress or anything, but the new catalog came today!!!) I got one that's padded all the way around, because, let's face it, I'm a klutz, and I bruise more easily than a ripe peach. It has this delightful green fabric cover, which I love, but it's 7 years old, and my bedroom gets a ton of sun, and, well.... it's faded. It's getting to be a pea soup green instead of a grassy spring green.
I've seen all those home makeover shows, and I know that all I need to refresh this piece of furniture is some cloth, an iron and a staple gun. That is easy! I know how to staple!
(Another digression - a friend recently unearthed some high school pics of me refreshing my bedroom furniture with paint. Thanks, Sassy. You were such an inspiration to me in my youth.)
So, Jenn, when do you want to hit some fabric stores?
Jenn has been trying to talk me into taking up sewing. You know, because between knitting and beading and cooking and blogging and photography, I probably don't have enough hobbies these days. I told her, "If I have a cute girl baby, who I can get away with just swaddling in a cute fabric sack and calling it a dress, I will take up sewing, but I don't see it happening before that." But you know it is. Someone proposes an idea, and you dismiss it, and then you start thinking about it....
I'm not ready to take up sewing. But I may be ready to take up that gateway drug, fabric buying.
(Thanks, spool blog, for the pic)
My bed is from IKEA (ok, my apartment contents are from IKEA -- ooh, and not to digress or anything, but the new catalog came today!!!) I got one that's padded all the way around, because, let's face it, I'm a klutz, and I bruise more easily than a ripe peach. It has this delightful green fabric cover, which I love, but it's 7 years old, and my bedroom gets a ton of sun, and, well.... it's faded. It's getting to be a pea soup green instead of a grassy spring green.
I've seen all those home makeover shows, and I know that all I need to refresh this piece of furniture is some cloth, an iron and a staple gun. That is easy! I know how to staple!
(Another digression - a friend recently unearthed some high school pics of me refreshing my bedroom furniture with paint. Thanks, Sassy. You were such an inspiration to me in my youth.)
So, Jenn, when do you want to hit some fabric stores?
Summer Downtime
Don't you love how every knitting blog in the whole universe is suddenly either shutting down, talking about gardening or sewing, or simply discussing vacation plans?
I've not been knitting much myself. I keep going on the sock, but I appear to have lost my tape measure to one of Nathan's daily playtimes, so I need to order another one (or two or three). It is way too hot to knit on a long wool scarf that weighs a lot. Truth be told, Nathan has been so active and whining recently, that by the time night rolls around, I just want to read a book or my blogs and then go to bed. I do read a lot now. That library reserve feature has revolutionized my life once again.
I haven't been sewing or cross-stitching either and I miss both. I might close up shop on the computer early tonight to cross-stitch. It's a quiet activity that allows me to focus on the television, so I can watch things like the third season of Gilmore Girls in peace.
What's up with you, internet? Have you been shutting down for the summer too? Going to the shore? Or are you knitting away like some of my friends?
I've not been knitting much myself. I keep going on the sock, but I appear to have lost my tape measure to one of Nathan's daily playtimes, so I need to order another one (or two or three). It is way too hot to knit on a long wool scarf that weighs a lot. Truth be told, Nathan has been so active and whining recently, that by the time night rolls around, I just want to read a book or my blogs and then go to bed. I do read a lot now. That library reserve feature has revolutionized my life once again.
I haven't been sewing or cross-stitching either and I miss both. I might close up shop on the computer early tonight to cross-stitch. It's a quiet activity that allows me to focus on the television, so I can watch things like the third season of Gilmore Girls in peace.
What's up with you, internet? Have you been shutting down for the summer too? Going to the shore? Or are you knitting away like some of my friends?
20090726
Hello, Cupcake!
As many of you might know, I'm obsessed with Heather Ross, her fabric, and her book, Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching. I think her fabric is delightful and whimsical while still being usable.
When I fell in love with her book, I decided to do the simplest clothing pattern first, and we all know what that means. Pajama pants. Quick, cute, yet also useful around the house.
Pattern: Pajama Pants for Everyone from Weekend Sewing
Fabric: Printed Quilting Cotton from Jo-Ann
I really wanted to love these pajama pants, and they were mostly good, except for the following flaws:
1. The butt was tight, but the rest of the pants were normal. I'm not particularly booty blessed, so I'm not sure if this was because my hips are much larger than previously believed or if the pattern allowed for no butt at all. I will try to make myself a medium some time in the future to see if this resolves issues. After all, I need a flannel winter pair.
2. The yardage called for was incorrect, even after I checked the errata. I bought three yards of the fabric even though two yards were called for. I'm very glad I did.
3. There was no "neaten the seams" instructions or hints in the book. I neatened a few seams on my own just to make the final product feel more finished.
4. I had the brilliant idea to put in a little tag in it to differentiate the back from the front. Only I stupidly put the tag in the front by accident.
The fabric I used was an adorable little woven cotton from Jo-Ann.
One suspects that this is the type of fabric that cheers a person up even when life is handing them sad no-cupcake days.
I'm definitely going to have to try the Yoga pants from Sew Everything Workshop as well, sometime in the future, but I do like these PJs. I want to make Nathan a slightly match-y pair. I love family matchiness!
It's so much fun doing a photo shoot on your front lawn in your PJs.
When I fell in love with her book, I decided to do the simplest clothing pattern first, and we all know what that means. Pajama pants. Quick, cute, yet also useful around the house.
Pattern: Pajama Pants for Everyone from Weekend Sewing
Fabric: Printed Quilting Cotton from Jo-Ann
I really wanted to love these pajama pants, and they were mostly good, except for the following flaws:
1. The butt was tight, but the rest of the pants were normal. I'm not particularly booty blessed, so I'm not sure if this was because my hips are much larger than previously believed or if the pattern allowed for no butt at all. I will try to make myself a medium some time in the future to see if this resolves issues. After all, I need a flannel winter pair.
2. The yardage called for was incorrect, even after I checked the errata. I bought three yards of the fabric even though two yards were called for. I'm very glad I did.
3. There was no "neaten the seams" instructions or hints in the book. I neatened a few seams on my own just to make the final product feel more finished.
4. I had the brilliant idea to put in a little tag in it to differentiate the back from the front. Only I stupidly put the tag in the front by accident.
The fabric I used was an adorable little woven cotton from Jo-Ann.
One suspects that this is the type of fabric that cheers a person up even when life is handing them sad no-cupcake days.
I'm definitely going to have to try the Yoga pants from Sew Everything Workshop as well, sometime in the future, but I do like these PJs. I want to make Nathan a slightly match-y pair. I love family matchiness!
It's so much fun doing a photo shoot on your front lawn in your PJs.
20090724
Knit Reset!
Dear readers, I hardly deserve to craft blog. You see, I have fallen off the knitting horse after spending months working on the same scarf. Tonight, Jenn went through my "stash" (if you can call an assortment of remnants that) and I did an inventory of my projects. I own and have assigned yarn for:
I have been working on the scarf FOREVER, and it is so slow and boring and so many months until I will want to wear a scarf again. So, Jenn told me to take a break, and knit the slippers. I had done a swatch months ago, so I had to rewind my yarn. See above re: my craft blog deservability... Jenn just gave me this look, and said, "Do you want me to wind that for you?" Yes! Perhaps I can absorb your ways through osmosis alone.
We then spent an hour looking at sweater patterns and yarn colors for said sweaters. And then I noticed that she was knitting, and I was not. And this is why she has many completed projects, and I only have a blog post about projects I haven't even started. :(
- Helleborus in pink
- Eskimo slippers for bda in grey/blue-grey
- Endpaper mitts in purple and black
I have been working on the scarf FOREVER, and it is so slow and boring and so many months until I will want to wear a scarf again. So, Jenn told me to take a break, and knit the slippers. I had done a swatch months ago, so I had to rewind my yarn. See above re: my craft blog deservability... Jenn just gave me this look, and said, "Do you want me to wind that for you?" Yes! Perhaps I can absorb your ways through osmosis alone.
We then spent an hour looking at sweater patterns and yarn colors for said sweaters. And then I noticed that she was knitting, and I was not. And this is why she has many completed projects, and I only have a blog post about projects I haven't even started. :(
20090719
One Year Old Plus
Oh, Nathaniel, I'm a slacker. Your first birthday came and went and I posted no blog entry, nor did I even post photos until two weeks ago. I wasn't even going to write anything tonight until I realized I was going to put it off forever, forget some of the sweet details of your birthday, and be angry at myself for the rest of my life, just because I wanted to read more blogs.
On your first birthday, or slightly before it (because it is bad luck in the Korean culture to throw a birthday party after an individual's birthday, and your grandmom refuses to acknowledge that Americans believe in 'jinxing'), you had your first birthday party. It was thrown by my mom, your grandmom, and your whole family was there.
I mean Aunt Becky and Uncle Tom and their family came! Your Godparents and Isaac came! Every Korean my mom knows came!
There was sushi, and kalbi, and kimchi, and meatballs, and roast beef, and scallion pancakes, and every good thing. Your grandma's friend Janet, and Mrs. Shin, and grandma, and your grandma's family spent days making the food. It was all delicious, and everyone enjoyed it. The main decorations were baby blue "First Birthday" and baby Winnie-the-Pooh "First Birthday" selections.
There were a ton of little kids like Josh, and Isaac, and Misha, and Andrew and Lilly, and Nate, and Hana and all of your cousins from the Laub side. I had got some sidewalk chalk and they spent a great deal of time eating or drawing. It was fun to watch you interact with all of them, even if you couldn't walk or talk much yet.
We dressed you in an adorable little "First Birthday" onesie, and then changed you out of it to put you in your hanbok.
You hated it, and I really can't blame you. It was really hot at the party, and that outfit was even warmer.
I wish I could say you had a terrific time, but you were overstimulated, tired, and cranky. You mostly wanted me or your daddy to hold you, or you wanted to ride your horsie all around the place. The best part of the day for you was playing with the balloons we blew up prior to everyone arriving.
Dear Lord, Nathan. You love balloons. If I owned a balloon emporium, you'd be the happiest baby on Earth. You love Mylar balloons, regular latex balloons, balloons that float, balloons that bounce along the ground, single balloons, large batches of balloons. You've never met a balloon you didn't love. You only loved the balloons (including the batch your Aunt Talena and Uncle Dan brought).
Wait! That's not true. You also liked the cake.
We ordered it from Rillings, a bakery that also made the wedding cake for your daddy and me. We tried to do the standard thing where you smooshed cake in your hair and face, but you're kind of a little too neat for that, just like your mommy. You touched it, hated how it got all over you, and refused to do anything more than lean in for bites of it after that.
We also made you pick out your future/destiny/big life deal out. I think it's kind of mean to do that, but it's tradition. We offered you wealth, a long life, health, art, and sports, but you wanted to be a scholar or a reader.
Then, Nathan, people accused me of training you to pick that option, because your mommy loves to read. Nathan, I didn't train you, but you probably associate books with your daddy or me snuggling you up tight and making funny noises and kissing you and tickling you and telling you we love you.
We gave away little party bags to the children who came. I remember that they included animal crackers, bubbles, stickers, and crazy straws.
After mostly everyone left, a few close family members and friends such as Uncle E and Aunt C (who were engaged at the party) and Aunt Talena's crew, and Uncle Erick and Uncle Jason, and Mr. and Mrs. Shin were all still around, and my mom made us open your presents. You were too tired to care at that point, but you got some cool little presents, such as trucks and cute clothing and a wheelie bug.
Your daddy and I celebrated your actual birthday two days later a little more quietly. We opened a little card I got you, and gave you a little cake, and danced with you. You seemed just as thrilled with that option.
Happy Birthday to my little man, snuggle bug, bunny, baby boy, Captain Rottenbottoms, and all around awesome little son. May you have many more.
On your first birthday, or slightly before it (because it is bad luck in the Korean culture to throw a birthday party after an individual's birthday, and your grandmom refuses to acknowledge that Americans believe in 'jinxing'), you had your first birthday party. It was thrown by my mom, your grandmom, and your whole family was there.
I mean Aunt Becky and Uncle Tom and their family came! Your Godparents and Isaac came! Every Korean my mom knows came!
There was sushi, and kalbi, and kimchi, and meatballs, and roast beef, and scallion pancakes, and every good thing. Your grandma's friend Janet, and Mrs. Shin, and grandma, and your grandma's family spent days making the food. It was all delicious, and everyone enjoyed it. The main decorations were baby blue "First Birthday" and baby Winnie-the-Pooh "First Birthday" selections.
There were a ton of little kids like Josh, and Isaac, and Misha, and Andrew and Lilly, and Nate, and Hana and all of your cousins from the Laub side. I had got some sidewalk chalk and they spent a great deal of time eating or drawing. It was fun to watch you interact with all of them, even if you couldn't walk or talk much yet.
We dressed you in an adorable little "First Birthday" onesie, and then changed you out of it to put you in your hanbok.
You hated it, and I really can't blame you. It was really hot at the party, and that outfit was even warmer.
I wish I could say you had a terrific time, but you were overstimulated, tired, and cranky. You mostly wanted me or your daddy to hold you, or you wanted to ride your horsie all around the place. The best part of the day for you was playing with the balloons we blew up prior to everyone arriving.
Dear Lord, Nathan. You love balloons. If I owned a balloon emporium, you'd be the happiest baby on Earth. You love Mylar balloons, regular latex balloons, balloons that float, balloons that bounce along the ground, single balloons, large batches of balloons. You've never met a balloon you didn't love. You only loved the balloons (including the batch your Aunt Talena and Uncle Dan brought).
Wait! That's not true. You also liked the cake.
We ordered it from Rillings, a bakery that also made the wedding cake for your daddy and me. We tried to do the standard thing where you smooshed cake in your hair and face, but you're kind of a little too neat for that, just like your mommy. You touched it, hated how it got all over you, and refused to do anything more than lean in for bites of it after that.
We also made you pick out your future/destiny/big life deal out. I think it's kind of mean to do that, but it's tradition. We offered you wealth, a long life, health, art, and sports, but you wanted to be a scholar or a reader.
Then, Nathan, people accused me of training you to pick that option, because your mommy loves to read. Nathan, I didn't train you, but you probably associate books with your daddy or me snuggling you up tight and making funny noises and kissing you and tickling you and telling you we love you.
We gave away little party bags to the children who came. I remember that they included animal crackers, bubbles, stickers, and crazy straws.
After mostly everyone left, a few close family members and friends such as Uncle E and Aunt C (who were engaged at the party) and Aunt Talena's crew, and Uncle Erick and Uncle Jason, and Mr. and Mrs. Shin were all still around, and my mom made us open your presents. You were too tired to care at that point, but you got some cool little presents, such as trucks and cute clothing and a wheelie bug.
Your daddy and I celebrated your actual birthday two days later a little more quietly. We opened a little card I got you, and gave you a little cake, and danced with you. You seemed just as thrilled with that option.
Happy Birthday to my little man, snuggle bug, bunny, baby boy, Captain Rottenbottoms, and all around awesome little son. May you have many more.
20090714
Just So You Are All Aware
I resent every single one of you who didn't tell me that knitting socks on size 0 DPNs would take effing forever.
I've been working a tiny bit on my gorgeous Schaeffer Anne anklets, and I'm only half way done the first heel! I'm not a fast knitter, by any means, but this is unusually bad, even for me.
Anyway, internet -- shame on you for not warning me.
I've been working a tiny bit on my gorgeous Schaeffer Anne anklets, and I'm only half way done the first heel! I'm not a fast knitter, by any means, but this is unusually bad, even for me.
Anyway, internet -- shame on you for not warning me.
20090710
Highlights Of A Disorganized Internet
I was on Facebook today, and a random grade school individual who I never chatted with had friended me. I was feeling generous and I friended her back. It was odd because on reading some of her wall, I realized I'd probably like her now. I'd probably be friends with her. We have a ton in common, including reading habits and the same sense of humor. Yet, we'll probably never be anything other than Facebook friends. The internet is weird. I think I would have been happier not knowing this.
It's been a while since I posted random links to my blog to see what sticks, so let's get to it.
I'm on Ravelry, Twitter, and Facebook. Let's be social networking pals, okay? If you don't think I follow your blog, let me know, so I can!
I follow a lot of sewing blogs, and I've seen a series of people doing jeans this summer. None of them have impressed me as much as the ones Quixotic Pixel has done. If I thought I could make these jeans, I would start sewing now.
So, I have a terrible confession to make. I don't like the sweaters people make from EZ books. I just don't. I don't like her baby clothes either. It is horrible because this probably makes me a bad knitter. I mostly try to get over it, skipping EZ related podcasts/blog updates/stuff, however, I had to read this blog post about a children sized February Lady Sweater. It's so adorable on this little girl that I'm thinking about adding the FLS to my queue!
Knitted fabric scares the pants off of me. I have yet to work with it, and I'm terrified to. When scanning through Vogue's patterns one day, I noticed a very cute drawn picture of a dress made from knitted fabric and it was one of their Very Easy, Very Vogue patterns (Vogue 8571), so I added it to my wishlist of patterns. I started to believe that it was too cute in the drawing and made up it'd look horrible. Turns out? I was totally wrong. It's super cute in this blog post and I want to make it in deep red or brown or grey. What say you, internet?
Anyway, it's time for me to head out now. I need to go put on my cute new cupcake pjs and knit a row of my scarf and go to bed. Oh, what cute new cupcake pjs, you ask? Well, that's another blog post!
BTW, if any of you use a social site for keeping track of books, let me know which you prefer, okay? Thanks!
It's been a while since I posted random links to my blog to see what sticks, so let's get to it.
I'm on Ravelry, Twitter, and Facebook. Let's be social networking pals, okay? If you don't think I follow your blog, let me know, so I can!
I follow a lot of sewing blogs, and I've seen a series of people doing jeans this summer. None of them have impressed me as much as the ones Quixotic Pixel has done. If I thought I could make these jeans, I would start sewing now.
So, I have a terrible confession to make. I don't like the sweaters people make from EZ books. I just don't. I don't like her baby clothes either. It is horrible because this probably makes me a bad knitter. I mostly try to get over it, skipping EZ related podcasts/blog updates/stuff, however, I had to read this blog post about a children sized February Lady Sweater. It's so adorable on this little girl that I'm thinking about adding the FLS to my queue!
Knitted fabric scares the pants off of me. I have yet to work with it, and I'm terrified to. When scanning through Vogue's patterns one day, I noticed a very cute drawn picture of a dress made from knitted fabric and it was one of their Very Easy, Very Vogue patterns (Vogue 8571), so I added it to my wishlist of patterns. I started to believe that it was too cute in the drawing and made up it'd look horrible. Turns out? I was totally wrong. It's super cute in this blog post and I want to make it in deep red or brown or grey. What say you, internet?
Anyway, it's time for me to head out now. I need to go put on my cute new cupcake pjs and knit a row of my scarf and go to bed. Oh, what cute new cupcake pjs, you ask? Well, that's another blog post!
BTW, if any of you use a social site for keeping track of books, let me know which you prefer, okay? Thanks!
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