Happy Friday

For those who warned me about the mint, I have heeded your words. It is now safely contained in a pot--its dreams of world domination crushed for now.

In other gardening news, while GH and I were out my neighbors accidentally backed their truck into my containers! It's lucky for me (and unlucky for them) that it was the neighbors who care about gardens, so they spent a lot of time putting everything back together again--even re-potting one plant whose container was crushed under the wheels. So the plants are fine and are now living a little bit closer to the building. Extra sun is nice, but safety is nicer!

The Tiny Dark Lord wanted to say hello too. He's feeling good about life.




Little does he know how awesome it's about to get around here. I skipped the Provo Balloon Festival this morning (shhh! don't tell him) because it was feeling a bit too 6am-ish for both of us. But tonight we're going to try to hit an outdoor concert and tomorrow is the Cache Valley Cruise-In up in Logan. Since he loves watching cars go up and down our street I'm hoping this will just blow his little mind apart. There will also be parades and fireworks and every good thing.

ALSO? Check out my domestic goddessery. Am trying to be a little more "observing of the holidays" around here while keeping in mind that my space for storing decorations consists of one already-full plastic bin. So I've been finding a bunch of printables to slip into empty frames that I already have lying around my house. (Seriously. They are lying on my bedroom floor, in a corner, and sometimes I stub my toe on them. And then I hiss the first half of swear words. It's not a good way to live.)

I found this one and printed it out in honor of GH, who loves him some Neil Diamond with a devoted sort of love that makes me roll my eyes.

(print courtesy of Less Cake More Frosting)

Here's another from Madigan Made (also comes in navy blue with red):


I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Independence Day weekend. Remember to wear your sunscreen, to place your fireworks on the ground before lighting them, and to listen to those liberal nutjobs on NPR read the Declaration of Independence on Monday.

The Labor of my Labor Day

Have much birthday loveliness to report on, but first I have to show you what I did yesterday. I watched Pride & Prejudice (you can read my original fan-girl review here) and finished making a little something for my brother Dave's soon-to-be baby girl.

Dave & Valli, if you want to be surprised then you'll need to not scroll down or turn images off or something.





. . .









Ready?

Tah-dah!

I flatter myself it's quite adorable, even if I did come really close to chucking the thing off the balcony a time or two.

As promised

Here is the fruit of my labor. Hold on to your ovaries:

I know, right??? Could you just die? (Not that I flatter myself, but my friends do say I know how to stitch a garter.)

For the knitters (or should-be knitters) who want to try it, this is the garter stitch wrap top from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight. I used Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino yarn, which is so soft that every now and then I had to stop knitting and run the skein along my cheek while I purred like a cat. Try it, it's fun!

I modified the pattern because I was running out of yarn. Also, no lie, I had the thing almost finished and then realized that it was too small. Like, small as in the only thing it would ever fit is perhaps a malnourished Chihuahua. So I ripped the whole thing out and started over again. (Only for my sister would I do this. Anyone else would just have to not feed their kid. Or get a Chihuahua.) This time I followed the directions for the size 6-9 month sweater and ended up with something that might fit a newborn for at least a few days. So do be very aware of that if you give it a go.

Check it out, though! Buttonholes with actual buttons! Yeah, that was me. I totally did that. And if any of you out there are knitters or crocheters, you can find me at Ravelry under the username "missnem." I'd love to meet up and see what you're working on.

I wrapped the sweater and gave it to Jen on Saturday at a little brunch/shower thrown by the ever-elegant Jeri. Also, look how cute my pregnant sister is! Her face isn't even big. She's due in a week and you wouldn't know she's pregnant except for the part where she's tired and uncomfortable . . . and also the massive growth in her abdomen which causes men at church to do a double take and tell her how fat she's getting. Those men are lucky to be alive right now, I can tell you what. If I weren't wishing for her to go into labor this week, I would instead be wishing that this Sunday were the day when she started the killin's.

Also here's a pic of Savvy at the shower, in a Snow White costume (of course). Because if you're talking about cute things you really can't be leaving her out.

And get off my porch while you're at it

About 18 months ago I got knitting again, which you might remember from the time I posted the angora baby booties that are as precious as baby birds and cute enough to eat. (Desmama's words, not mine. I never compliment myself.)

I revisited the knitting for several reasons:

1. I decided that it might be nice to see what my fingers looked like with fingernails attached to them.

2. Pictures of knitted baby clothing and accessories are the devil and will suck you in and take away your power to resist and you will just have to make them whether or not you even know any babies.

3. There were still people out there who did not mistake me for a crotchety old woman. Had to remedy that.

So here are the things I've done in the last little bit. I shall show them to you now so that you may admire with me. It's what I do to everyone who enters my home, so why should you be let off the hook just because you are out of my physical clutches?



These are the socks I knitted for my brother as a Christmas present. And one of these days I will put them in the mail. I hope this glimpse helps you hang in there, brother!



These fingerless gloves were actually Spitfire's birthday present last year, but I just barely got around to taking their picture. This year she asked for a ski cap to wear under her helmet while snowboarding. I imagine I will get that to her sometime in July or so. You know, when it will do the most good.


Made this little bunny hat for GH's baby niece--it was a late Christmas present. And since GH's baby niece is almost as cute as my own, I need to include her picture too, wearing the still-too-big hat.


Yeah, she's a cutie, non? That's one of the weapons GH used to bring me around--showing off his niece and nephew so that I would fully comprehend his worth as a potential breeding partner.

Also made one for Cicada's baby Gulliver. Cicada's obstetrician terrified me after measuring Gulliver's still-in-utero head and pronouncing it to be roughly the size of Cinderella's pumpkin-turned-coach. So I decided to be on the safe side.


He should fit into it when he's about 4 years old. Also, isn't Cicada pretty? Why yes, yes she is.

Soon to be featured: Savvy's legwarmers.

Soon to be knitted: Spitfire's boring black ski cap (she won't let me use colors) and a beyond-beautiful (but still manly) wrap cardigan for Jenny's baby boy.

And best of all, my fingernails look great.