Vouslez-vous crochet?

If the answer is "no", you don't crochet, than may I make a suggestion that you try it out?

(don't you just love the dead plant bodies in the background? Lovely.)

I finished Samster's hat yesterday afternoon and the flower only took 20 min later that night while watching tv in bed. Although I love the finished result of knitting I feel like it takes forever & I always end up getting bored. I have MANY half knitted projects in my yarn bin. Very sad. Crocheting on the other hand is much faster & in my opinion much easier & forgiving of mistakes.

If you want to give either knitting or crocheting a try I would suggest buying Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook&/or Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.

Her books are how I taught myself both techniques, the instructions are very clear, the illustrations are detailed and as you can tell by the titles she's got some spunky humor going on. I don't know Debbie and she certainly doesn't know me but I'm happy to say I've put some money in her pocket by buying her books. It was money well spent!

Sam's hat is a tweaked version of the one in the book and the flower pattern is in there as well. I put a safety pin in the back of my flower instead of stitching it on, that way I can remove it & she can wear the hat plain or I can pin it on my sweater.

Tomorrow's my first day working at the hospital...I've got some major '1st day at school' jitters, wish me luck!! Also can anyone recommend a good pair of comfy shoes to wear since I'll be on my feet all day? I tried on a few at the mall today & felt like a geriatric patient. There's got to be something that's kind of cute AND comfortable, right?

(Note- If you'd like to purchase either of the books I've recommended you can use the links above & the nice peeps at Amazon will give Samster Mommy a lovely commission of 4% to go towards her craft addiction.)

Mommy Outfit: Leggings

Leggings- AE Striped Button Leggings, $19.50

Sweater Dress- Nordstrom Rack, $14.95

Flats- Boden Ballet Bow Flat, $108

In my opinion if there is one piece to have a good inventory of this winter it's leggings.

I have about 4 pairs to choose from and they ALL get good use, I wear them with sweater dresses like the one above or a tunic like the picture below. They're also a good option to wear in place of tights when you want a little more coverage or warmth.

Here are some of my rules for leggings:

*Make sure they're long enough, I think anyone can wear leggings but you have to do it right. If they're cutting your leg across at mid-calf then guess what? You're shortening the look of your legs & making your frame look smaller & stocky. I think they should at least come within a couple of inches of your ankle bone.

*They have to be thick enough, some of the cheaper ones can be a bit see-through around the thicker parts of your leg. Try them on 1st. They should be very comfy, if the waistband elastic is too snug then go up a size or try a different brand.

*No spandexy shimmer. When you put them on if you can see the sheen from the elastic in the legging then take them off. Immediately.

Here are a few of my favorites...

American Eagle- Striped Button Legging, Benneton- in stores sale $17, Gap $19.50 & Target Xhilaration $12.99

Have a happy leggings Thursday (:

T-Rex Applique

Here are some more details from the dino tee on yesterday's "mish-mosh" post in case you'd like to make your own plaid dinosaur. Just download the picture below and print it full size. (Fit to Page)

If you've never appliqued before here's some quick instructions...

-Cut out applique image and trace onto backside of bonding paper. (I like "Wonder Under" best)

-According to the manufacturer's instructions apply your applique to the fabric. (shirt, onesie, pillow...)

-Using a small zig-zag stitch sew around your bonded applique.

-My plaid fabric unraveled really easily so I also went around the exposed edges with some fray check.

That's it! I'm hoping Sam will take a good afternoon nap today, there's this Anthropologie belt that I've been dying to try & make!

Recipe Review: Verdure al Forno

I have to tell you, honestly, the Samster Mommy family is eating GOOD this week!

On Monday night I made Verdure al Forno, and no, I had never heard of it before! Have you? Let me translate for you- "cheesy veggie goodness"
Alright, the direct translation is actually more like "vegetables in the oven", you slice up veggies (I used zucchini, squash, eggplant & button mushrooms) and then layer them in a casserole dish along with 3 different Italian cheeses, cream & breadcrumbs. Not a diet dish.
This was AMAZINGLY good, it reminded me a white lasagna but without the noodles. And somehow the veggies stayed crisp even though they baked in their cheesy bathtub for 40 min!

Last night was a leaner & lighter dinner but just as good as the indulgent Verdure al Forno.
I grilled tuna steaks, topped them with her easy basil pesto & served it with wild mushroom & pea risotto. Oh my gosh, people, this was DARN GOOD. We (including Samster, although I made a little tilapia filet for her since the tuna was medium rare) ate every last bite. When the yummy pesto runs into the creamy risotto...oooo, hold onto people. Hold on.
Obviously I'm really loving Giada's Everyday Italian, the two recipes I've tried are both going to be keepers. Three more to go but so far it's looking good Miss Giada, lookin' very good.

Mish Mosh Projects

Usually I'm really good about not starting a 2nd craft project until I finish the one I'm working on because I know myself, I'll never end up going back to the 1st and will end up with craft room chaos because the 1/2 done projects pile up everywhere. I don't know why I made an exception to this rule but for some reason I did and up until last night I had 1/2 sewn, 1/2 painted, 1/2 glued projects all the way from the craft room to the kitchen. ACK! I hate it! So last night I stayed up until midnight finishing up as many as I could...

I started off with an order for a turkey tie onesie & while I was waiting for each color layer to dry I went on to this...

Taking the leaves Samster & I picked over the weekend & sealing them with the some mod podge. (btw, I used a catalog to press my leaves in overnight & had to throw away a lot of leaves that weren't covered very well & therefore had dry brittle spots. Newspaper is definitely better to press leaves with)

I was making good progress covering this $1 wood frame from Michael's but then I ran out of leaves. Boohoo! We'll have to go try & find some more in the backyard today, hopefully they haven't all died because then my frame would be left 1/2 done and I would be very very sad.

After I ran out of leaves I went on to this project that I'd been meaning to do...

Samster has started ripping out her hairbows that are attached to clips so I've had to use rubberbands but that's kind of boring. I dug into my ribbon stash and tied little bows around her tiny rubberbands, then I just put a dab of hot glue inside each bow to make sure they'd be tied permanently (tip- if you do this make sure the glue doesn't touch the hairband, it'll melt & snap)

Finally I thought I'd take care of one more quick project. After all it was only 10p, I could be crazy! I've had this post on non-fabric appliques bookmarked forever because it gave me the idea of how cute a plaid dinosaur could be, so cute & funky that maybe it's actually an applique I could wear...

And this is where my 'wrapping up projects roll' STOPPED. Drawing a stupid t-rex. I looked through tons of google images but didn't like one in particular so I thought, "eh, I could totally just take what I like from each picture & draw my own." MISTAKE. An hour and a half later I did have a sketch but was seeing double. I hurried up and finished the applique because I knew there was no way I could sleep knowing I had started and not finished yet another project.

I wish I could say I felt better but it still feels like chaos. Maybe I should make some lists of what I need to do. Lists always make me feel better. (NERD.)

Let me know if you want a tutorial on any of these or I could put up the t-rex design so you could make your own...if you want...

Oh! And the 1st Giada recipe review last night was AMAZINGGGGG, seriously, I'll post the goodness later after I get my head straight.

be nice.

You guys know how I love the generous wife emails? Well I thought I'd give a quick post for this one because I know I can get so involved, & sometimes overwhelmed, with the day to day chores & chaos that I'm quick to answer & maybe even a bit brash when P asks me things.

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 01:30 AM PST

"Our husbands need our kindness. It's that gentle consideration and helpfulness that warms them and opens their spirit. I really think that God gave women a unique kind of grace and beauty and ability to be gentle and gracious (not that guys don't have those things, it's just that we have a feminine brand that guys hunger for). So the next time you talk to your husband, let gracious words fall off your tongue and the next time he needs some help, offer it with a smile and a gentle pat on the arm."

I think I'll try and take a breath before speaking & work on being a nice girl today.

Mommy Outfit: Comfy Rocker

Sweater: Gap, Rugby Cardigan, $39 (on sale in stores)

Tshirt: Lucky Brand, Slit Neck Tee, $15 (40% off in stores)

Jeans: Jcrew, Vintage Slim, $78, (on sale online)

Boots: Steve Madden, Engineer, $99 (on sale online)

This outfit is a great example of how I want to change the way I to step up my day to day look. It was cold & rainy, was my first thought to put on my fleece pants & hoodie? Yep. But was this warm, comfy & stylish too? I'd like to think so. Without looking costumey I think its' good to dress with a bit of fun sometimes. Add a little funk, edge or something special to your everyday look & I think that's a great way to feel good about yourself even when you don't have an office to dress up for. Today it was the combination of my motorcyle boots, boyfriend fit ripped jeans, and slouchy rugby sweater that made me feel like Gwen Stefani. Seriously, just try & you'll be amazed how much better you'll feel! Promise.

Recipe Review: Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

My third test drive was Thursday night, I had Coq Au Vin on the list and was pretty excited, it looked very yum going in...

We put it in first thing in the morning so it'd have plenty of time to simmer, Samster was quite helpful in her own special mess-making way...

And then the big finale!

Yeah, I know. Eh.

In my opinion it tasted "eh" too, however in all fairness P thought it was really good. I guess I'm not a big fan of chicken thighs & also expect big flavor from crock pot recipes...I mean, isn't that the point of cooking it all day? So these great flavors can all meld together in a taste euphoria?? (wow, I can't believe I just said "taste euphoria"...it's obviously after 10p. My writing gets flowery past bedtime)

So in the end I have to very regretfully give "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" a thumbs down.

I really REALLY wanted it to be better, when you read the recipes they all sound oh so good, & the author sounds like someone you'd want to be best crock pot buddies with but the actual results? EH.

Previous Reviews: Applesauce Chicken & Cherry/Blue Cheese Meatloaf

I will say that I'm going to keep trying some of the recipes in here, maybe I had bad luck with the first 3 I picked. Perhaps I should try one of her recipes with cream cheese, how can you go wrong with cream cheese?

And the next "recipe review" cookbook??

*drumroll please*

Giada's "Everyday Italian"

I picked it up awhile ago at Crate & Barrel because it looked delicious and I made the mistake of shopping while hungry. Even cookbooks aren't safe!

Jcrew Online Sale

www.jcrew.com

(sale online only)

if any certain significant other gives you a hard time just tell him samster mommy made you do it...

I know a lot of us have been doing jcrew knockoff tutorials lately (I mean, look at that shirt in the picture, you could TOTALLY do that) but sometimes it's just nice to buy it. Especially if it's on sale since their regular prices for tees are downright stupid. Good thing about Jcrew though? EVERYTHING goes on sale, you can count on it.

***JCrew is in no way paying me to do this, in fact I feel pretty confident that they know nothing of my blog because they'd probably be really pissed about my knockoff instructions. I just like to share a sale when I see one. (:

Mommy Outfit: Proportion

While I was in Florida I had my sister takes pics of me in this outfit so I could then write about how much I loved this skirt & how you can wear a skirt and still run around & be comfy. But then I downloaded the pics and went, "ew." That does NOT look good.

In the interest of honesty I decided to post the pics anyway and write about what mistakes I made.

Skirt: American Apparel $34

Tank: J Crew (sold out online but similar to this one) $23

Shoes: Converse (you will get SO much wear out of gray shoes, highly recommended!) $39

I do still love the skirt but will have to figure out a different way to wear it. I'm thinking it's the length that's wrong. When I get dressed I try to pay attention to proportion, it's not too hard to figure out...basically the area of your body that's covered the most will look the biggest. For me picking the bottom half is rarely a good choice. I'm thinking of cutting off some length & making it a mini I can wear with tights. Although then I do lose some of my day-to-day wearability because getting a kid in & out of a carseat & a mini skirt should not mix. (perhaps my creepy neighbor would beg to differ)

Style tip #2 in the "what I learned from looking at pictures of myself" playbook...

Wear a bra that not only fits in the front, but THE BACK too!

I don't think I have a particularly large amount of back fat so this just goes to show that bad undergarments can make things appear that don't really exist. Samster & I are off to the mall & I'm going to do some seamless/tshirt type bra research. I'll get "back" to you with the results. Hehhe, you love the bad puns, I just know it.