Monthly Archives: May 2012

computer issues

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Just to let everyone know, I have not left this blog intentionally blank. My computer is dead, as in, not holding a charge. I’ve tried a different cord, and that is not the problem. So, until we can get to Portland to bring our computer to be fixed at the mac store, blogging isn’t happening. Today I am posting from my parents computer which isn’t convenient.

 

(Thrifted Nine & Co. shoes $6.99 and baby Levis sneaks $1.99.)

 

Lately we / /

  • Have gone visiting Joe’s family in Kansas (photos forthcoming).
  • Have gone thrifting, yard-saling,  and antiquing (there will be more photos, but see my and Piper’s new shoes!?).
  • Are getting ready for a Memorial Day weekend – Friday, Saturday, Monday (we don’t work on Sunday) – yard sale. Please contact me on facebook for an address if you’re interested in coming.
  • Are planting herbs and veggies and plotting out my herb garden.
  • Are taking care of a teething baby who isn’t feeling or napping well this week.
  • Are cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!

So until We get our computer back, sorry for the lack of posting.

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found this in the backyard…looks pretty fresh!

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If you can tell me where the line that I used for my title comes from you get a figurative gold star (my siblings are excluded from answering).

I’ve been wanting to do more foraging, and so I have a feeling you will see more foraging posts over the course of these warmer months.

Pictured above is plantain that I picked right out of my backyard. Much like dandelions, it is a “weed” that is also an herb. Plantain used to be a plant that grew only in Europe and central Asia, but came to America with the English settlers. Now it can be found pretty much everywhere. The native Americans would call it the “White-man’s footprint” or “Englishman’s foot” because it appeared wherever the white man went. The reason for that being because of how fine it’s seeds and it would cling to the soles of their boots, spreading the seed wherever they walked.

Plantain’s uses are beneficial both orally and topically. Young plants may be used for salad greens as they are the most tender. A list of the benefits of the plantain herb may be found here.

So, I picked some plantain, washed it and dried it in a paper towel, and added it to last night’s salad. I think that maybe my greens weren’t as small and young as they should have been, for they were a bit tough compared with the rest of my salad greens. The flavor was very good, though! I will definitely be making plantain part of my regular salads this summer. It’s local, and it’s in season!

goat baby!

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Just kidding. It’s actually a boy.

Joe and I have named him Bjorn. Marigold turned out to be the favorite for doe names though so it will be held for whenever we get one!

Sorry for the short post on Friday, but I had my hands full between taking care of Piper and checking on a goat baby and mama every couple of hours. That morning I was faced with the challenge of going in green and making sure the kid was able to latch onto it’s mama (apparently domesticated goats have lost that instinct?) and making sure that mama goat was getting taken care of with enough water, grain, and molasses.

A friend from church who has a farm of many animals came over to see our new arrival and helped me realize my error in figuring out the gender. Oops! She will also be over today to disbud (remove the horn nubbies) him.

Belle is such a good first-time mama. We didn’t have to deal with her rejecting her baby.

And he is a fun-loving little guy who jumps and prances and is so affectionate. He’s absolutely adorable!

free pattern: baby brewer

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Baby Brewer Hat Pattern / /

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GAUGE!

Yarn: Aran, 50g (my choice being Quince & Co.’s Osprey)

Needles: US 9 – 5.5mm circular or double-pointed needles

Gauge: 4 sts in garter stitch = 1 in.

Sizes: 6-12 months

Abbreviations:

BO: bind off
CO: cast on
k: knit
k2tog : knit 2 together
p: purl
pm: place marker
ssk: slip slip knit

Pattern:

CO: 64 sts, pm
Rounds 1-8: k1, p1
Round 9: k
Round 10: p
Repeat rows 9 & 10 until your piece measures 7 in. from the CO row, ending with a P round. For more slouch measure an extra inch or two before decrease.

Decrease starting with a K round:

Round 1: k5, k2tog, k2, ssk, * k10, k2tog, k2, ssk *, repeat in ** until last 5 sts, k5
Round 2: p
Round 3: k4, k2tog, k2, ssk * k8, k2tog, k2, ssk *, repeat in ** until last 4 sts, k4
Round 4: p
Round 5: (k1, k2, k3, k4), k2tog, k2, ssk * k6, k2tog, k2, ssk *, repeat in ** until las 3 sts, k3
Round 6: p
Repeat in this pattern until there are 16 sts left, and BO.

Weave in ends and add pompom or tassel. Embellish as you wish!

If you wish to add stripes, I recommend starting in contrasting color immediately after the 1×1 ribbing; always starting the stripe on a K row and ending with a P row.

© 2012 Nicki Corridoni

please let me know in the comments if there are problems or if i may improve this pattern in any way!

genius clothing storage

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I’m sorry for the absence, but I have been completely unmotivated and exhausted this week. Piper has been waking up much earlier than normal, and I’ve been napping instead of blogging. I do not regret my decision.

Last night however, Piper decided to sleep. Ah, glorious sleep! Which resulted in my finding fresh motivation for the day.

I want to share with you what I have endeavored to do. I wish I could claim this idea as my own, but it isn’t. I got it from a friend who posted a photo on facebook the other day. It is truly Pinterest worthy.

I just purchased airline tickets for our little family to fly out to Wichita, KS next weekend to visit my in-laws. We’re going out for Joe’s brother’s high school graduation. Because we don’t really want to have to check more than one bag, we are going to have to brainstorm how to use the suitcase space to it’s best potential.

Packing for a baby requires twice as much as packing for an adult. Twice as many clothes + diapers + food/drink + bibs, etc.

Then I saw this idea.

I also have had issues with Piper having more clothing than her tiny dresser can fit. We don’t have any closets in our home so everything has to go in drawers or on hooks.

But this idea is so great that it should sold all our storage problems. At least where Piper is concerned. Don’t judge me for the clutter – this is P’s dresser.

As you can see clothes are peeking out, because they are stuffed in so tightly – folded.

These are not quite vacuum sealed. Actually what I did was put the garments in 1 gal. freezer bags, seal almost to the end, squeeze out air rolling from the bottom up, and seal off.

I’m not OCD, but the way I have these things ordered is pretty OCD.

I have everything separated by size, sets, and type.

Example: 12 mo. dresses, 12 mo. dresses w/ panties, 6-12 onsies, 12- 18 month long-sleeved onsies, etc.

Makes everything so much easier for boxing up when she grows out of them too! I have a feeling I’ll be bringing out her smaller sized clothing to bag very soon!

thursday thanks

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Taking time to reflect on God’s goodness, no matter the circumstances.

Thanking God for:

  • Piper sleeping a really good nights sleep for the first time in 2 weeks
  • Piper getting her good naps back too
  • a new milking stand
  • painting work for Joe all this week and into next week (if you’re looking for a good painter, contact me).
  • tax returns
  • dirt cheap flight to Kansas next weekend for my BIL’s high school graduation
  • new clothes
  • fresh motivation today

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God concerning you