laowai = foreigner

BUILDINGS AND PLANTS

Brian has been traveling a lot lately - this time to New York.

Meanwhile I've been on a couple walks to the Chicago Botanic Garden and we all went to the Garfield Park Conservatory over the weekend. 

Lately, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the birds are all chirping and whistling and honking and quacking. All along my path every kind of bird that lives or visits there is bursting out it's own brand of happy spring song.

All the green at the conservatory felt nice since I'm about to jump out of my skin anxiously waiting for signs of spring.

A BUTTON UP

I sewed a button up shirt over the weekend. I've had this pattern for probably a year or two. I put off making it because I was intimidated by the two part collar and all those buttons. But as usual with a Liesl and Co. pattern, it was much easier than I thought it would be. And I've had a little experience with my machine's button hole making function so it all went smoothly. 

This is the Liesl and Co. Classic Shirt pattern and I made it out of an IKEA curtain. It's sort of a muslin and now that I know I can do this pattern and I'm happy with the fit I can buy some fun fabric. Maybe a trip to Liberty of London over Spring Break - oooh there's something to look forward to!

Oh and yes, I forgot to button one of the buttons. Didn't notice til after I was done taking photos and I'm not going to re-shoot myself because it's my least favorite thing to do.

 

THIS WEEK

I'm feeling so anxious for spring - can't wait to get out into the garden. In the meantime I'll have to satisfy myself with some forced forsythia.

Lots of knitting news.

I finished my latest sweater - there it is in the sink getting ready to be blocked. It always smells like a wet sheep but blocking helps sort out all the fibers and makes everything behave.

So glad I finished this while it's still chilly out. I'm happy with the fit. Feels like a little jacket for the between seasons.

This week my knitting teacher helped me take apart my first sweater. Yes! I pulled the yarn and unravelled part of it. I love the feel of this sweater but the fit is just a little off. I'm hoping I can fix it by remaking the button placket. 

One more knitting photo - I started a new sock - baby blue and brown and so soft.

A big thing happened this week. Bea got her drivers license! It was fun when we were finally done at the Secretary of State office (two and a half hour wait) and she found out she passed the driving test. It was one of those big little moments. It felt especially strange when she drove Claire to piano later that night. My two girls just drove away in a car!

I did a little baking - one fail with some leftover pie dough

One success.

I made some new pillowcases because I am hungry for color right now. Yes, I like color.

 

And I went for a walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden to gaze at the snow drops and any other little bits of green coming out of the ground.

DINING ROOM DECORATIONS

I've been having fun playing stylist my dining room.

Just today some ribbon came in the mail so I finished one last project. I used the ribbon to make a tray holder - the style that seems popular in scandinavia. It's just a simple loop of wide ribbon that hangs on a ring. I've wanted to make one for so long. I might get a different tray to put in there but I'm so pleased because I love things that are useful and decorative.

My other project was a bit more involved. I made two candle sconces out of cardboard and paper mache. I was inspired by an artist named Corrie Beth. She makes the prettiest things out of cardboard and paper! And she sells a template for these sconces. I'm still trying to decide if I like the painting I did, but I'm super happy with the shapes.

I also framed and hung a print that Brian gave me for Christmas. It's a punchy happy print by a Minneapolis based artist named Asahi Nagata. I am puzzled why anyone would mount a big ugly thermostat (almost) in the middle of a wall. See that big round gold thing below - I had to try to make it work with my print and and a pretty plate.

And now that everything is looking the way I want it to I think it's time to get out some little chicks and bunnies and eggs. Time to celebrate Spring!

CLIMING AND SEWING

Bea has been enjoying rock climbing (inside) lately. 

She needed a special bag to hold chalk, so she made one. Nice to know that she can bring out her sewing skills when she feels like it. She made two bags (one for a friend) with very little help from me. 

I KNIT ANOTHER SOCK!

The next batch of yarn is ordered. Baby blue speckled socks with brown toe and heel.

I KNIT A SOCK!

And I'm working on the second one.

I can't describe how fun this is - getting the hang of the different parts and how it all comes together - I feel clever. I ordered some yarn for a second pair. I might become a sock knitting addict.

EARLY SPRING

Spring seems to be coming early this year. I heard from the Lurie Garden people that they are doing spring cleanup tasks 2 weeks earlier than normal. I did some winter sowing On February 12th and I'm worried that those plants won't get their required cold conditions. I guess I better get out in my yard this weekend and trim my hydrangeas.

Here are a few photos from my rainy walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday.

Last year I posted photos of witch-hazel and snow drops on March 11th.

BEA IS 16!

Bea turned 16 last week. Hard to believe. She hasn't gotten her drivers license yet because we're waiting for a form from the driving school and the secretary of state. She was disappointed but it will happen soon. 

I'm increasingly aware of the time we have left before Bea heads off to college. I can hardly imagine all the changes that are going to happen in a couple years. But Bea is confident and I'm excited for whatever she heads out into the world to do.

In the meantime - I'm going to keep enjoying making birthday cakes for her. And I'm going to appreciate every moment of her unique interests and her special sense of humor. 

She requested black forest cake again. It's so easy since it just uses whip cream - no frosting. I buy canned cherries and boil the syrup down a little. Then I brush the syrup onto the cake and layer with the cherries and whipped cream. And, yes, it's Grandma Dice's reliable chocolate cake recipe again.

Happy Birthday Bea!

MY NEW DINING ROOM

I am so pleased to have my dining room painted! For a very long time I've wanted to make it a beautiful pop of color that could be glimpsed from other parts of the house. This room started out as a screened porch but it was enclosed soon after the house was built. The room faces south and east - it's very bright and warm. 

Here's how the room looked when we bought the house. Fancy curtains!

And here it is today.

Here's how it looks from the tv room and from the living room.

I painted all the trim and the walls and the ceiling in the same green. I wanted to get rid of the blue trim and to reduce the visual clutter by making it all the same. I think having just one color also lets your eye get drawn to the outside more easily too.

It's funny that the color I chose turned out to match the original chandelier almost exactly. 

I want to hang some art, but not too much. The windows need some help - they are so dirty on the outside between the storms and the window - I'll tackle that problem this spring. And I also want to buy or make some candle sconces to go on either side of the bay window.

It's all still so new that I find myself peaking at my new room whenever I pass by. I love the way the paint changes throughout the day. Here are two photos one taken in the morning and one taken in the afternoon.

What fun to make such a huge transformation just using paint.