buzzville

Crazy Busy Weekend!

It all started on Friday, when I had to drive up to Santa Barbara for two doctor's appointments. We'll just call this the day of poking and prodding... First I had a referral to an opthamologist because my optometrist was a bit worried about early signs of glaucoma. After they dilated and numbed my eyes, the doctor decided he must poke my eyeballs with multiple instruments, all the while insisting I relax, not blink, and not move my eyes. In case you were wondering, this is not possible. Anyway, I got the all clear "for now" on glaucoma... phew! Later in the afternoon I had the annual fun time with my gynecologist, and I'm guessing you all know how much excitement that can be!

I was able to sneak in some quick retail therapy between appointments at Anthropologie and discovered a wonderful range of aprons (including sizes for girls!), the usual stunning and overpriced clothing, and some gorgeous paper goods. I came home with this set of labels by Lotta Jansdotter and some amazing letterpress goods from elum, a new discovery for me. Look at these amazing sets I brought home:

 

 

Saturday was another busy day. We started with some garage sales (no great finds...), and then went into lots of cooking. Some friends of ours just had their second baby (their first is just 3 weeks older than Brynne), and we were signed up to bring them dinner. The mom is a self-professed vegetarian who doesn't really like vegetables (!), and we are low-carb, so it was a little tough to come up with menu options. But, I did come up with a delicious lasagna recipe that uses zucchini in place of noodles. Everyone was happy and well fed!

For father's day, Brynne and I took Jerry out to brunch and we all ate way too much. We came home and I washed the cars while Brynne napped, and then I made a German chocolate cake as a special father's day treat. Among other little gifts, Brynne got the book "Bing: Something for Daddy" for Jerry; the Bing series is one of her favorites, so this book was the perfect choice. She also got him a new CD by Quantazelle, an experimental electronic female musician (relatively rare in that genre!) who makes really fun and pretty music. The woman behind Quantazelle also makes cool jewelry out of electronics components under the brand Zelle. I found several things I'd like to have, like this diode necklace:

or this toroid necklace:

I've saved the final discovery for last, because I'm thrilled to know that Japan no longer owns the market on delicious, flavored Kit Kats... introducing the crunchy and delicious orange and creme Kit Kat (yes! like a dreamsicle!):

And now I hear there are banana Kit Kats in Japan... must get some of those!

Kid Stuff

Apologies to those who don't have kids and/or aren't interested in them, because this post is basically kid related. First, I wanted to share (brag about) this picture my daughter drew this morning. Keeping in mind that she's not even 2 yet, she brought this to me and told me it was a cat:

Now, isn't that the cutest cat you've ever seen?!? I think we have a Picasso on our hands!

I also wanted to share a discovery that has also become my best friend. I recently bought a new bag (I hate the word "purse") because mine was pretty worn out. I wanted something fun that could carry my basic necessities (which aren't many - I'm pretty spare when it comes to my bag), but also accommodate the occasional toddler goods (sippy cups, snack filled tupperware, the occasional diaper, etc.). This new bag, called the Deluxe Everyday Bag, from LeSportsac fits the bill perfectly; it has two main compartments with several little zipper pouches, and one of the main compartments can expand with a quick unzip. This bag means that I never have to carry a diaper bag again, and it's really quite compact. It comes in a bunch of different fun patterns, too (I guess mine is discontinued...). I give it many thumbs up!

I also wanted to recommend a book to the other parents out there (or those who love children's books irregardless). Jerry found this book at a discount book store, and Brynne absolutely loves it.

It's a super crazy book! Each page has bizarre illustrations, holes to peek through to other pages, optical illusions, pages that can be looked at right side up and upside down, etc. It's just a really fun, silly book that appeals to my toddler. We have lots of fun going through it and pointing at the silly, impossible things.

Recent Discoveries

A day too late, I learn about the existence of Kinder Eggs (via My Paper Crane) - hollow chocolate eggs that are filled with cute little toys. I also found that you can order the toys by themselves (chocolate removed), and they come in a cute little egg-like capsule. We are trying to avoid candy as much as possible in our house, so the Kinder toys will certainly be making an appearance next year.

I also discovered two children's book illustrators who are new to me. Alain Gree is a French illustrator and author who published primarily in the 1960s and '70s. His work is really gorgeous and is in some ways stylistically similar to another of my favorites, Mary Blair. Here are some of the Gree book covers:

Russian author Eduard Uspensky and illustrator Leonid Shvartsman created the adorable Cheburashka, who later became a stop motion animation film star. Apparently, there is quite a revival of Cheburashka going on in Japan right now, as the character appeals to the kawaii culture. A search on Amazon Japan yields a couple of books and a dvd:

Those of you who pay attention to such things already know that Chebarushka was the official mascot of the 2004 Russian summer Olympic team. Now you can purchase all kinds of Chebarushka items as a result of the Japanese fascination with the little fuzzy guy.

Ultimate Sacrifice

Let it be known that I am willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for this blog. Last night, that sacrifice took the form of watching the new Style Network's show, Craft Corner Deathmatch. Before I write anything more, I will tell you that Jerry lasted through the first challenge, and then disappeared to the computer.

Rather than summarize the show, I'll just tell you that I wouldn't recommend it unless you're looking for some true trash television (and sometimes, there is a time and a place for that!). Given that the contestants don't get to choose their craft or their materials, I don't think that anyone is producing very good work on the show.

In other news, some of you may not know that the "Return of Spring" collaborative coloring book is now finished and available in pdf format here. Just send Jessica an email and she'll get it out to you. Many thanks to Jessica Poundstone for putting it together - it's really fun!

I'm going to my quilt class tonight and hope to complete the silly flannel quilt I've been working on for Brynne. All that remains is the binding, so unless the sewing machines explode, I should have something finished to show you tomorrow. I'm also trying to get to a little St. Patrick's Day surprise for Brynne, and that should be ready very soon. Easter thoughts are brewing, but I haven't gotten there yet (it's too early this year!).

Little Fish, Big Fish

Last Friday, Jerry, Brynne and I went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. This was our first time there, and I must say that it is a very impressive aquarium. We sometimes worry that there won't be enough to entertain an especially young kid, but most exhibits and activities were perfectly suited to her. I especially liked the fact that so many of the tanks went to the floor so that she didn't need us to hold her to see everything.

We made the obligatory visit to the gift shop, and I found Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Clare Beaton. The book's illustrations are what grabbed me - a vivid underwater world created with felt applique, embellished with beads, sequins, buttons, lace, etc. I showed the book to Jerry, and he didn't think that Brynne would appreciate the book as much as I did. But, I decided that in that case, the book would be for me! (Brynne has since surprised us by loving the book - returning to it again and again to hunt for the elusive seahorse!)

I may be a latecomer to Clare Beaton's books, but her work is truly gorgeous. I have now added her other books, Zoe and Her Zebra, One Moose, Twenty Mice, and There's a Cow in the Cabbage Patch to my wish list.

Here are a couple of photos from Secret Seahorse for you to admire:

I definitely found this book to be inspiring on the craft front, and I can certainly give it the thumbs-up from an almost 2-year old!