easter bunny

here's what you need to make this cute little bunny pick:

-felt

-bunny pattern

-pinking scissors

-embroidery floss

-dowel rod

-needle

-pom pom

-stuffing

cut out (2) bunny shapes with pinking scissors.

embroider a face on one bunny shape. sew shapes wrong-sides together, leave opening at bottom.

stuff bunny with polyfill.

insert dowel rod in bottom, hand stitch closed.

sew pom pom on back for tail.

enjoy!

weekending

this weekend went by fast. i can't believe that march is almost over and that easter is next weekend. went out to a small town near a state park this saturday to drop off kayakers and then meet them down-river with a picnic lunch. unfortunately our plans were a little bit foiled by a closed road - we ended up carrying the boats for about 1/2 mile. i took a few photos near the put-in point of this old train caboose. i'm also enjoying messing around in black & white.

how fun is this?

i would like one of these, but i'm not sure what i'd put in it.

i wish my caboose photos turned out as pretty as this.

i think i'll try this recipe (or something like it) sometime this spring.

so cute!

great songs like this make me want to bust out of the 'burbs.

the price is going down but this is still not affordable.

support our troops.

christmas in march

don't mind the messy hair... i skipped my morning shower to wait for the "signature required" delivery from the ups man. it didn't show up until 6:30pm! but i'm a happy girl now :)

(jumping in the shower now before my tv shows!)

martha's tortas

made these delicious chicken-cheese tortas from martha stewart tonight for supper. they were yummy! i highly recommend this recipe and i don't even like veggies. the slaw on top was really good and all the flavors from the lime juice to the cabbage to the cumin to the pablanos and onions.... MMmmmm! martha recommends it with fried plantains but i served it with chips and salsa. i got a plantain at the store but i'm a little nervous about cooking it. any tips?

the frumpy dress

i found this dress at nordstrom rack (it's the nordstrom outlet store that has everything that they couldn't sell in the regular department stores, stuff from last season, last year, returned merchandise, etc... so sorry if you don't live near one of these stores). i first spotted it a few months ago and tried it on. frump-ville. then i saw it again when i went back to the store several months later. not remembering that i had already tried it on. still frumpy. really, i'm straight up and down enough as it is, i don't need a dress to emphasize that even more. but i really liked the yoke and the material is a nice heavy knit, not cheapy feeling. i was back at the store the other day and it was still calling my name, with a 50% off tag. which, i might add, is 50% off the already discounted price. so, $25 later the dress was mine.

so, using my seamstress skills i took in the sides a little to add a little shape to the dress. another thing that works for me is to add a ribbon belt at my waist (none of this droopy, around the hips stuff ladies, put it right around your waist, at your belly button, where you're skinniest). i also found these brown tights at target on clearance for less than $2. i came up with two different looks, one for spring/fall, and one for summer. what do you think?

a new post

i needed a new post up here to remind myself that i've been doing more than moping around. i've done some moping, and stressing, but i've also checked out way too many books from the library,

decorated the house for spring, (i found this cute, turf bunny pick at pier one)

explored outside for signs of spring,

and even dug up an old photo from our vacation to oregon to remind myself not to be crabby or i'll have to live under rocks :) plus, if you're a crab, walking sideways will only get you off course. i found these guys who do a pretty good impression and it made me smile.

wilting...

it's been the feeling around these parts. the wheat grass i planted is wilting, not sure if i over or under watered it.... the spirits are wilting, too. we've had 3 showings of our house in the last 6 weeks. plus the fact that the neighbors house sold and now there are 2 more houses (directly behind us) that are for sale as of this week. i've kind of been a downer lately around here in blogland, so sorry, but this is another one of those downer posts.

i missed my 1 year blogaversary, it was on the 8th. i've skipped bench monday for about a month. i failed miserably at 30 days of beauty. over-stressed and over-tired is probably not a good combination for writing blog posts.

okay, i'm going to leave you with that.

spring is springing

"springing," to say, as it has not quite "sprung." i've been thinking long and hard about the marketing of our house for sale and comparing it to any other thing a person would buy. retailers have had spring and easter stuff out since valentine's day. it's time i took the same approach with the house. creating the anticipation of the new feelings that are associated with a new season on it's way is not just something a retailer can do to boost sales. so, out with the dark colors and cozy winter accessories (at least durring showings anyway) and in with the greens and freshness of spring.

i made these cute table top topiaries with foam spheres and cone, reindeer moss (much softer and prettier than spanish moss), dowel rods, and clay pots. they look very spring-y, if i do say so myself.

i also threw together a vase of green curly grasses and pussy willow branches. it looks surprisingly better than i imagined in my head (not every day that it happens that way). i haven't decided where i'm going to place the vase yet, i have several options around the house.

hope we can sell this house soon before i have to change the accessories to summer!