every little thing

I didn't really know how much I loved Cuban food until I went to Kuba Kuba, a tiny, unassuming restaurant in Richmond.  I was sort of surprised to find that they actually have a decent website, since there are scarcely 15 tables in the whole place, the menu is written on giant chalk boards hung overhead, and the building itself is rather tucked away off the beaten path. The black bean soup (above) is not from the restaurant, but rather is a cheap imitation I made to hold me until my next visit.  I mean, the soup I made was OK, just not Kuba Kuba.  The squeeze of fresh lime did help, though.   

The cornbread I made, however, was not OK.  Was not good at all, actually.  I would have been better of with the old stand-by box of Jiffy Mix. At least I tried.

So this post is not merely a tribute to a wonderful restaurant (the plantains-tostones are like little bites of heaven!) but also to the revival of interesting cooking I hope to make a part of our daily menus.  Things get stagnant so quickly, don't they?  I used to be adventurous in the kitchen, and now I'm resorting to the old can-of-soup casseroles way too often.  I also love how the arrival Spring and Summer helps to firm my resolve even more, it's amazing how the promise of a tomato with actual flavor will inspire one to try a new recipe or find a new cookbook.  I'd love some suggestions for new and exciting recipes, if anyone has a favorite! 

I noticed that I haven't posted many pictures of our house lately.  This is currently our little dining area, (I say currently because our home, space, rooms and furniture are constantly moving and shifting!)  Just look at that giant glass of sweet iced tea!  Mike makes delicious tea, and I think it always tastes a bit sweeter when someone else makes it, you know?

Happy weekend!

And the Hero award goes to...

Mommies!!!  (of course.)

Happy early Mother's Day, everyone! 

My Mother's day treat is an afternoon with my boys seeing  Speed Racer at the movie theater.  They crazy part?  I'm actually really looking forward to it.

~see you next week!

Yes, I am a fan of all his movies, but I am most particularly in love with Rushmore.  (Bottle Rocket being a close second.)  I can't say for sure why I've become so attached to the little worlds he creates, but I know I'm not the only one.  I even found a Wes Anderson related swap over on SwapBot a while ago, and I just had to join up. (And I don't sign up for many swaps these days because of my over-commitment phobia, so this was an exception.)  The requirements were pretty open, you just had to include items related to his movies (any or all) and at least one quote.  After a lot of though, I decided to just stick with Rushmore since it's my all-time-fave.  I started with this great vintage book:

Then, I cut out a hidden compartment inside.  It was a very fun project, even if it took a long item to cut all of the pages.  I just used a ton of Mod Podge to seal the whole thing when I was done, including the outside edges.   It worked quite well, and now I actually want to make one for myself! (You know, for all of my contraband.)

The secret compartment isn't particularly relevant to the movie (though the 'Deep Sea' topic is, )  I just thought it seemed fitting, and I liked the idea of all the extra items fitting inside.   So inside the book there are:

"Save Latin" buttons, Perfect Attendance and Punctuality award pins (made from shrinky dink), Kite Flying Society postcards, and a mix CD of songs from the soundtrack (OK, the CD is a little  on the unimaginative side, but everyone loves music, you know?)  When I found out my partner lived a mere 20 miles from me (what are the odds?) I thought it would be really awesome to include 2 tickets to the Virginia Aquarium.  But alas, there is no way to buy them in advance and at over $20 a pop, that would have been overdoing it a tad.  I'm not bucking for swapper-of-the-year, or anything.  For my quote, I wrote the famous Cousteau quote onto the inside of the book before I sealed it:

I received the package from my partner a few days ago and if was very cool!  The savory snacks (a nod to Darjeeling) were so delicious I think I am officially addicted. 

So yes, I'm a Wes Fan.  I don't know if I would recommend his movies to everyone, though.  I think they definitely fall into the you'll either "love it or hate it" category, and I hate to gush over something just to have someone look at me blankly like, "I just really don't get it."  (Which is the same look I give to people who gush over David Lynch movies.)  Whatever floats your boat, folks.

And do I even need to point out the Bill Murray factor?  I mean, I would still love the movies if he wasn't in them but, to use a Val Kilmer metaphor, Bill Murray acting in Wes's films is like lasing a stick of dynamite.

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

 

There's nothing like the arrival of a Land's End Swimsuit Catalog to have one dashing over to Netflix to browse the exercise videos, (a section rarely perused in this house, that's for sure.)  But nevertheless, there I was, desperately looking for help (and possibly a miracle), and all I could really find were the hip hop style work-out tapes.  Since there were several on instant view, I thought I'd give them a shot, and WOW was that educational.  I'm not usually embarrassed to flail around like an idiot (in the comfort of my own home, with he shades drawn), but these videos were difficult.  I couldn't begin to keep up, I felt beyond ridiculous, and Max was better at it than I was.  I about gave up, but then I found the video pictured above. I Hate to Exercise, I Love to Tap.  Now this was more like it!  The difference was night and day.  Instead of a Britney Spears look-alike screaming at me to "pop it and reverse", (excuse me?) I was gently told to "step-ball -change."  Ah, a familiar phrase from a distant memory of Elementary dance lessons!  Now this was more like it.  I've been doing the video for over a week now, and I'm about ready to put taps on my shoes, thirft some dancing outfits, and have Mike cut a big piece of plywood for me so I don't destroy our wood floors.  After that, Broadway?  Perhaps not, but there are a few routines from some favorite musicals that I'd like to learn.  Like the 'Easy Street' number from Annie.  It looks pretty simple, lots of organized flailing.

Think what you want about the movie, but it's worth watching just to see Tim Curry lick that envelope, yowza!  So, it looks like I'll actually need two more people to pull off this routine.  Whatever, as long as I get to be Bernadette.  Actually, if I could be anyone in the world, I would be Bernadette Peters.  She's just the bee's knees and I've always loved her.  She totally cracks me up in The Jerk, and I love this scene (which reminds me to put learning to play the ukulele on my 'to do' list.)

If I could ever pull off a real, semi-difficult tap routine, I would try to learn the elevator scene form Throughly Modern Millie, another movie/musical dear to my heart.  If you've never seen it, you should.   It's an odd mix of zany, charming, and plain silly (all with a strange backdrop of kidnapping and the sex slave trade.)  It's totally crazy and surreal, but it will make you want to be a jazz baby, I guarantee it. 

(Oh, and by the way Kat, my copy of Millie mysteriously decided to start playing after you left that night!  Not that is was disappointing watching Clue instead, but I really missed the Tapioca, you know?  Maybe next time....) 

(Helpful Hint: Hang in there through my mindless blathering 'cause there is a giveaway at the end of this post!) 

Most all of my fabric has now been sorted, folded and stacked.  (The big section on the lower left still needs some work, but we'll get to that eventually.)  At least you can see everything. and though it may not be so spectacular by traditional crafty-blog standards, when I look at this shelf I'm like, "Holy crap, that's a lot of fabric!"  Where did it all come from?  80% thrusting & yard sales, 10% hand-me-downs, 10% Fabric store coupon day.  I don't buy expensive fabric, I just can't.  My sensibilities will not let me, no matter how pretty the pattern.  I see a $$-a-yard price tag and I just laugh,' I don't THINK so.'  I'm not putting down the folks who do splurge on the good stuff, not at all.  You go ahead with your bad-self.  It's  just not my thing. 

Here is breakdown of my STASH:

   
   
   

The above photo collection was inspired by this lovely blog post about an equally yummy yarn stash.

Mostly I just want to get some sewing projects going so I can make room for more fabric, therefore continuing the cycle and feeding my addiction.   Know something else that can help?  A GIVEAWAY!  Oh yeah!  What a perfect way to get some space on the shelves, allow innocent blog readers to be my enablers, and make me feel like a good, charitable person all at the same time.  Genius.   I actually love doing blog-giveaways.  It is also pretty awesome that I participated in a giveaway on the Marmee Craft Blog recently and was a chosen WINNER!  Wow, I don't think I'd ever won anything online before, and I was just tickled pink.  Her blog and shop are one of my faves, and you really should drop in if you have the chance.

OK, down to business.  Anyone want of piece of my stash?  Just leave a comment in this post, preferably picking a style or two of fabric that are your ultimate favorites.  (And be sure to leave an email Addy or link so I can contact you if you win!)  I'll leave the comments open and choose three, random winners next Monday.  Each chosen one will receive all the lovely fabric bits that I can shove into a large bubble mailer.  Sound fun?  Then please play along! And, as always, thank you all for reading and participating on my blog.  It ain't much, but I'm kinda fond of it.

(Psst.  Comments are closed now, but oh my goodness!  What a ton of responses, I'm speechless!  Look out for the drawing of the names later this evening, when I'm back from the Post Office , and supper is over.  You know how it is.)

This is not just a tribute to Bill Murray, who is amazing, but more specifically, a tribute to his "It just doesn't matter" speech from the feature film Meatballs, circa 1970-something.   (Meatballs is one of those movies I watched so many times I actually wore-out the VHS tape.)  This is the best motivational speech of all time.  Bar none. 

It's reminds me of  the old "don't sweat the small stuff" mantra, except more realistic and self deprecating.  Love it.  Own it.  I didn't post on my blog all week:  it just doesn't matter.  I didn't even do the "Hero" post last Friday: it just doesn't matter.  You can't see the floor in Max's room due to the glistening layer of hot wheels: it just doesn't matter.  I ate an entire box of Girl scout cookies: it just doesn't matter.

It just doesn't matter.

Anyway, you gotta love Bill Murray.  No, really.  It's a requirement for my blog, you have to love him.  If not, then don't let the cyber door-hit your ass on the way out. 

The Strongest Man - in the World!

Ok, this is pretty literal take on the whole 'hero' thing, seeing that Artie is an actual Superhero, and all.  Still, he deserves this honor, and I'm proud so say that we are all big Artie-fans.  The Adventure's of Pete and Pete is an all-time favorite with me, and my brother and sister...Mike too, for that matter. It hails from early-nineties, Nickelodeon fame.  It has a pretty solid cult-following, and it's been called ground-breaking, and 'before it's time.'  I'm not really sure what that means, but it has always stuck with me.  Then, a few years back, Nick finally released seasons 1 and 2 on dvd and I pretty much fell in love with the show all over again, and especially with Artie, the best super hero ever.

The scene where Artie battles a bowling ball is Max's favorite. I can't tell you how cool I think it is that he loves this show, too. I guess I shouldn't be, but I'm always surprised when Max connects with the things that I loved as a child. And I can tell that he's really into it, and not just because he sees how much I enjoy it.  You can tell by his uncontrollable belly laughs, and his constant requests to watch the dvd over and over. He actually said he wanted to be Artie for Halloween this year! Be still my heart.  Whenever I hear people talk about wanting to have kids, but being worried how they will turn out, or thinking they won't have anything in common with them, I feel for them because I used to think those thing, too.  But, I have now come to observe that kids are pretty much tiny, concentrated versions of the people they spend the most time with (mum and dad, usually.)  So, you better like yourself, because that is what you're gonna get, the good and the bad, all condensed into a tiny, amazing and terrifying little being.  And, don't be afraid to expose them to things that you like, not just things they are supposed to like.   Sure, most kids go through a Teletubbies phase (or something of that mind-numbing equivalence) but you don't have to dumb things down for kids all of the time.  Don't assume that they won't like what you do, or that it will be too far over their heads.  Children catch on quick, and their busy brains can grasp far more information than we give them credit for.   That doesn't go for just t.v. shows either.  Books, hobbies, music, crafting, food.....it all works the same way.

Artie is just one of the many ways that Max and I connect, and I know it's just a silly t.v. show character, but I don't care.  The truly important things in life usually turn out to be very silly, indeed.  We love you, Artie!

I consider myself a semi-creative gal, I always try to think outside of the box, and all that.  But, it never occurred to me that you could mix leafy, green vegetables into a smoothie.  That makes green smoothies, it makes them even healthier for you, AND it means that Max will eat VEGETABLES!  Why have I never though of this before?!?!  I found a blog, Happy Food, through some random blog-hopping the other day, and it's a very fun site with lots of neat ideas about vegetarian and raw-food eating (of which, I am neither, by the way.  I just love trying new things, plus our family eating habits have gone from decent, to marginal, to downright awful over the last few months, and I've been trying to turn that train around.)  I'll also be the first to admit that Max has turned into a picky eater completely due to my enabling, and often times, downright laziness.   I'm not proud of that, but acceptance is the first step.  Instead of "sneaking" the spinach into his smoothie, I told him what I was doing, and I let him watch while I made it.  Hopefully, at some point, he will realize that veggies really aren't something evil that I have to trick him into eating.  We are taking the 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge (more info on the blog) and I'm really very excited about it!  It's only been 4 days, but I feel better already.  I think this is just what I needed to jump start our family into better eating habits this year.  Plus, these green smoothies will be even better when I can use fresh spinach and swiss chard from my own garden!  Ah, come on Spring!!!!  We are SO ready.

*Smoothie pictured above was made with frozen bananas, frozen pineapple, lots of pea shoots and a splash of water.  (and it was very, very good!) 

Anybody who's anybody in the crafty-blog-world knows that craft books are hot, but Asian craft books even hotter.  I've always been jealous of those Japanese craft books that everyone has, but I have yet to buy any.  (I can barely follow instructions when they are in English as it is.)  But then, last spring, I was contacted by someone about doing a tutorial for possible publication in a Chinese craft book! Oh I was SO excited!  I can't believe that it has been almost a year, and I've actually kept pretty tight-lipped about it on the blog.  Partly because I'd never done anything like this before and I didn't know the protocol for when you are supposed to blab the details, books take a long time to get made, I've realized.  Also, I was just submitting my work, there was no guarantee that it would be included in the book.  Now, the book has actually been published, and my tutorial is included, and I'm so very grateful!  The book is called I Love Handicraft, by Affa and Wing,  published by China Light Industry Press.  Here is what my pages basically look like, the tutorial is for a small, drawstring pouch with a felt flower detail:

Cute, right?  I'm so honored to be included in this book, and I can't wait to receive my copy!  I will scan and post better pictures then, too. I made/sold these little bags last spring on my webshop and in a couple of local craft shows.  Affa found my pictures on Flickr and contacted me about writing a tutorial.  The book features 56 crafters form all over the world, and you can meet some of the other contributors and find more info on how to order a copy for yourself over at their Flickr group.  It looks like Wing and Affa are already scouting projects for book number two, so if you are of a crafty nature, be sure to join the group, introduce yourself, and post some picks of your work!  The whole experience was so wonderful!  I was very nervous writing the tutorial and taking the pictures, it was all such new territory for me, but I'm glad I did it. Affa and Wing are my heroes, who would of thought that I would ever get to be published in an Asian craft book?!?!  I truly do love handicraft.  Truly. 

buck up, little camper....

This child has managed to contract a year's worth of childhood  illnesses in just under 4 weeks.  I'm thinking he's working on Pink Eye now, so it's off to the doctor this morning.  We are a relatively healthy family, and it's hard to complain, but dang.  The poor kiddo.  Not that I mind having him home from preschool, quite the opposite, actually.  But even being home sick gets old after a while, and now Max is just pitiful, kinda depressed, and grumpy.  (And who wouldn't be?  You should just see the goopy mess that is gushing from his wee, little eyeballs.  It's absolutely awful.)  So, Max...this Friday's for you.  Chin-up, my darling.  You'll be back in the game soon.