glitzed

Garden Bounty

2011-09-28T20:12:00.001-07:00

Im finally getting tomatoes and the lemon cucumbers are taking over the garden! Check out my lonely little mutant carrot!

strawberry success

2011-06-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

first strawberries of the year from my garden

My garden

2011-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

This year I got serious about starting seeds indoors. I found an old florescent light the previous owners of my house left here and jerry rigged my own set up for seeds in the kitchen. I used a heating pad to help with germination. It seems to have worked. I have lots of little seedlings almost ready to transplant outside next weekend!

My alter, alter ego...

2011-05-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

So you already know that I played roller derby for about 3 years under the alias Cherry Lipsmacker. But, did you know Cherry Lipsmacker as a side gig as a blogger? It's true. A few months back I started a second blog, Roller Derby Deals where I re-post sales, contests, and special deals that would interest other derby girls or soon-to-be derby girls. The idea behind the blog was that I know first hand how expensive derby can get, and I wanted to make it easier for skaters to get the quality gear they need to stay safe and lower the barrier to entry for anyone who is thinking about getting involved or trying out for Fresh Meat.

I've finally got the blog to the point where I'm feeling really good about it, and I'm ready to share my derby little secret with my friends and family (that's you!).

To kick things off, I've teamed up with Ms. Doom De Doom, a Duke City Derby skater who also skated briefly for Rose City Rollers & the founder of Caustic Threads. She generously donated a bearing necklace, a hand made, screen printed item of the winner's choosing, and her time to do a giveaway and interview on the Roller Derby Deals blog. So take a look at the blog, send me your suggestions and ideas, and while you're there, enter to win some lovely items from Caustic Threads.

e-t-s-y

2011-03-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

My etsy store, glitzed, is back with a vengeance. Oh, and I design knitting patterns now. Say what?

Yep it's true. It all started when I decided to dress up as The Bus for Halloween (he is sitting on my lap as I type this). I made up my own pattern for a kitty ear hat and paw-like fingerless mitts. One of my co-workers who runs Knit Picks IDP program loved my costume and asked if I wanted to publish it. I was beyond flattered.

You can download that pattern here for $1.99.

My next foray into pattern designing was inspired by November Pain. When I heard there was a little Pain on the way, I knew she desperately needed her own little jammer and pivot caps to keep her toasty.

I published these on Knit Picks too (after I knit a custom set in Heather's colors for Tequilya to give Ruby Bruiseday), and I decided while I was at it, I'd use it as an opportunity to resurrect my etsy shop too. It's been so much fun getting reacquainted with etsy. It seems so much more interactive now, and I've gotten an amazing response to my stuff. Of course, I haven't actually sold any yet, but Derby Little Secrets loved my patterns and contacted me to see if I'd sell them whole sale. Heck yeah, I will! They're up there now.

I was also contacted by Derby Girls Blog about an interview and a blog giveaway, that should be going up soon.

And my Madonna painting was included in the "Feeling the 80's Blues" treasury by TheMuppettoy.

Thanks for all the etsy love everybody! And stay tuned to glitzed for more items soon, I'm having so much fun with it that I keep coming up for new ideas for projects and patterns I want to offer!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I only try to make resolutions I think I can keep.

So far, I have 3 for 2011:
1. Learn colorwork knitting
2. Finally finish my t-shirt quilt (I started it when I still lived in Virginia!)
3. Try one new thing or visit one new place every single day in 2011.

The last one is the one I'm the most excited about, and the first two will probably be a couple of the new things I'm trying since I've never tried to bind a quilt before or knit a Fair Isle or intarsia pattern. I'm giving myself a lot of leeway, trying a new pattern, recipe, or restaurant would count. I've been giving it a try for the last week as a warm up. So far I made a hash brown casserole, learned how to give a Persian eye medication, and went to Slappycakes, and started watching Dexter. Nothing earth shattering, but I like trying and learning new things.

Happy 2011!!

Living the Dream

2010-12-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, I had this fantasy that I was going to grow up to live alone in a fancy apartment in New York City with a white Persian. Fast forward 25 years or so, and I'm all grown up. I don't live in New York City (although I did try Brooklyn, it wasn't for me). I do live alone (in my little bungalow in North Portland). And as of 3 days ago, I do have the Persian. Meet Boo Radley (who I have also been calling Boosh).

He's not fluffy and white, actually he's kind of scruffy and matted. But he is very friendly and very sweet. I adopted him from the Oregon Humane Society where I volunteer. Boo had been there since late October when his family had to give him up because they couldn't afford his vet care. Boo had lived with them for 9 years. He was declawed when he was little. When most cats are declawed, the vet cuts through the bone of the third digit of the toe so that the cat doesn't have the part of the bone that the claws grow from. In Boo's case not enough of the third bone was removed and his claws started to grow back inside his paw and became infected. There was a possibility Boo's paw was going to need to be amputated. One more reason not to declaw your cats!

Boo was lucky and his surgery went well. When I first saw him, he was in the back kennels at OHS and had a huge purple bandage on his paw. He was heartbreakingly cute. Now he's all healed up, and he's recovering from a viral upper respiratory infection he caught at the shelter. I should have known he'd be coming home with me when I started making trips to volunteer at the humane society just so I could visit him in the ICU! I lived in a state of denial for about a month until he became available for adoption right before Christmas.

I feel sorry that Boo and his family can't be reunited, but I feel pretty lucky to have this guy in my life now. We'll see if the Bus feels the same way. He can't meet Boo until his URI is cleared up. Things are about to get interesting in my household.

Chocolate Pudding Cake Plus

2010-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

The chocolate pudding cake from How It All Vegan is one of my all time favorite cake recipes. It’s a magical recipe. While you’re making it, it seems like there’s no way it’s going to work. You make a cake batter, dump tons of sugar and cocoa powder on it, and drown it in boiling water, but when you pull it out of the oven, you get a rich gooey dessert that’s half cake/half pudding and 100% awesome. This year I made it for a Thanksgiving potluck and topped it with a jar of brandied cranberries a friend gave me. It’s not much to look at, but it was a huge hit at the potluck!

Beefy Stew

2010-11-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

I've been really into gardein products lately. Last week I used the "chicken" cutlets to make chicken-free Parmesan with pasta, a chik pizza melt sandwich, and I tried the recipe on the back of the package, and they were all very tasty.

This week I'm trying out the beefless tips. First up was a vegan version of my mom's beef stew. My family always broke out the Christmas dishes, decorated the tree, and put up the lights the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm a sucker for traditions, so I put up my own mini-tree this weekend and some lights on the back porch. When I'm missing my family, vegan-izing Mom's recipes always makes me feel a little closer to home. The beefless tips were the perfect substitute for beef chunks.

Ingredients:
1 package gardein beefless tips
1 Tbsp flour
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 tsp Lawry's season salt
1 tsp onion flakes
pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can vegetable broth

Boil carrots and potatoes until soft. In another pit, brown the beefless tips in olive oil. Season with season salt, onion flakes, and pepper. Once the tips are nice and brown, add the flour and stir everything around until the tips are completely coated. Slowly add veggie broth, stirring constantly to make a gravy. Add boiled carrots and potatoes. Simmer until thick and bubbly.

Pesto Kick

2010-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

While I was rummaging through the cupboard looking for the pecans, I found a bag of pistachios still in their shells. I was going to give them to the squirrels, but then I remembered a recipe I saw in Splendid Table's e-news last week (or was it the week before?). It was pistachio pesto, and since I'm currently on a pesto kick... I googled pistachio pesto and came up with this recipe on relishmag.com. The only substitution I made this time was to use nutritional yeast instead of cheese. I wasn't sure what the article meant it when it said this pesto was "lighter and brighter", but after I tasted it, brighter really seemed like the best way to explain the difference between the pistachio pesto and the classic pine nut pesto.

I like to make pesto in big batches and freeze it in my heart shaped ice cube trays. Once they're frozen, I pop them out and put them in baggies and store them in the freezer. That way I always have pesto on hand when the mood strikes.

Pesto Party!

2010-11-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have a ton of sage growing in my front yard. Sage is one of those flavors that definitely tastes like fall to me. So I decided since it's November, I should use it to make something. I found this recipe online for Walnut Sage Pesto at Epicurious.com. I didn't have any walnuts on hand, but I had pecans I wanted to use up, so I substituted pecans for walnuts. I also used nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. And I didn't use parsley. I guess I'm not very good at following recipes. :) But it does taste delicious! Here's my version:

1/3 cup chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a little water, just enough to get desired consistency

Throw it all in the blender and blend until smooth. Serve over pasta.

I think it would also be great in a bread pudding or stuffing.

greatest grilled cheese

2010-11-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Today I made the best vegan grilled cheese I think I've ever made. I used slices of homemade spicy bread a friend made me, slapped some soy cheese and garlic salt between them, slathered the bread with Earth Balance and fried them up. Two thumbs up! Thanks for the bread AB.

My neighborhood bar

2010-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

It's not like everyone knows my name there or anything, but I'm still pretty happy that the Sundown Pub on Lombard is within walking distance of my house.

Last night after an especially crummy day at work, it was nice to go snuggle up in some lounge chairs, watch the Steelers beat the Bengals, drink a couple of glasses of wine, and get some vegan grub. Sundown Pub always has vegan options, and everything I've had has been delicious. Last night I opted for some fried rice and veggies, but I also highly recommend the veggie burrito.

Tonight I'm cooking at home. Maybe tomorrow I'll share Isha's world famous mac n' cheese recipe with you. I wonder if I could make it gluten free with some rice noodles? Hmmm.

What not to do with Mint Chocolate Silk

2010-11-06T17:57:00.001-07:00

This morning I thought I had a brilliant idea. I thought if I put the Mint Chocolate Silk in my coffee instead of regular soy milk, it would be like a fancy mint mocha coffee shop drink. I was wrong. It was not delicious. I do not recommend this.

Oops, I missed a day!

2010-11-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

So not only did I forget to blog yesterday, I practically forgot to eat. Is anyone else noticing that Vegan MoFo is making them realize how terrible their eating habits are?

Since all I ate all day yesterday was a Luna bar, a handful of cocoa almonds, and a frozen waffle, I was ravenous by 7pm when I chowed down on Halo Thai (on Alberta). I was way too busy stuffing my face to think about taking a photo or blogging.

But today I made up for yesterday with a mixed berry turnover from Back to Eden for breakfast. Delicious! A chik patty as a snack and leftover Thai food for lunch, and I'm feeling pretty good.

In Portland, we are very blessed to have several vegan bakeries to choose from. I love them all, and I always pick something up from Black Sheep when I go to the PSU farmer's market, but Back to Eden is my favorite. My Tuesday evening ritual has become candle light yoga at 7pm followed by a walk over to Back to Eden and a post-yoga treat. I can't tell you how delighted I am to be a regular at a vegan bakery! In the summer I can't resist soft serve in a cone, but when the weather gets cooler, I indulge in baked goods and chocolate. They even have a whole row in their display case dedicated to gluten-free cupcakes, macaroons, fudge and other GF goodies, which makes it a perfect date spot for me and my gluten intolerant sweetie. I <3 Back to Eden. See you next Tuesday, B2E!

What will Silk think of next?

2010-11-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

October is my favorite month of the year. I like fall leaves, pumpkins, Halloween, and my birthday. November is always kind of a let down, but Silk Nog is my consolation prize. My very sweet boyfriend bought me my first nog of the season yesterday.

Then when I hit the grocery store, I saw a newcomer next to my beloved nog- Mint Chocolate Silk! I had to give it a try. It's not bad, but it's not as delicious as Silk Nog, or even the Pumpkin Pie Silk which I also enjoy. But after I heated it up with some Dandies marshmallows as a treat after cardio boxing class, it tastes pretty great.

The Bus was less than impressed. He prefers cat food. Go figure.

i have good intentions...

2010-11-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

But when I get super busy and/or stressed, my lunch and dinner ends up looking like this:

That's white pasta with Earth Balance margarine, salt, pepper, and soy cheese. Strangely comforting, but not very healthy or energizing. What do you make for lunch that's quick, easy, and cheap?

Saddest Vegan MoFo

2010-11-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

My vegan month of food is off to a pathetic start. I ate leftover mashed potatoes and coffee for breakfast and peanut butter on white bread for lunch. This is all that's in my fridge:

Tomorrow I solemnly vow to go to the grocery store. For now, I'm off to make another soy grilled cheese.

GF baking might be harder than anticipated...

2010-10-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

My first two gluten free baking experiments have ended badly. I'm sorry I didn't snap photos of them for you before they went in the compost heap, but they weren't much to look at, just shapeless brown blobs.

I tried substituting white rice flour for brown rice flour, I guess they aren't interchangeable? Or maybe the problem was that I left out the xantham gum (which I think I might need to order online?). Either way, more experimentation is necessary. I packed the GF bread and the tofu scramble hot pockets for my recent trip to Big Sur, but neither got eaten. I'm glad I packed them though, the bread was dense enough that I probably could have used it as a weapon to knock out a cougar if there had been an attack.

In other food news, I'm considering signing up for the VeganMoFo challenge for the month of November to get myself back into the swing of blogging. I'm sure you're all dying to see photos of what I eat for lunch every day, right?

gluten-free vegan recipes?

2010-09-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

My very sweet boyfriend appears to be allergic to gluten. He's been gluten-free for a couple of weeks now, and his belly has been feeling much better. However, we aren't finding too many places that serve vegan, gluten-free fare (thank heavens for corn tortillas and thai food!), so I see a lot more cooking in my future.

That's a-ok with me, I've been meaning to get back on the cooking at home bandwagon and I love trying new recipes and science experiments in the kitchen. I'm going to stock up on rice flour this weekend. Expect to see a lot more recipes from me on this blog as I attempt to make my vegan favorites gluten-free. And if you have suggestions or tips, send them my way. I picked up a copy of Flying Apron's Gluten-free and Vegan baking book at Powell's yesterday and The Gluten-Free Vegan is in my Amazon cart.

First cooking challenge? What to make and pack for camping for 5 days in Big Sur?

When life gives me green tomatoes...

2010-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

...I Google "green tomato recipes"! Only one of my early girl tomatoes has ripened this year since we've had a late, chilly summer. Other than breading and frying them, I wasn't sure what to do with my green tomato bounty.

I'm trying very hard to stay positive lately despite a couple of curve balls that have come my way. Some days I'm more successful than others.

Today, I am determined to practically ooze positivity, and now I've got 6 green tomato recipes to try and veganize. I'll keep you updated on the results. I hope I have enough green tomatoes!

Sweet Green Tomato pie (like apple pie?)

Savory Summer Tomato pie

Green Tomato Bread

Green Tomato Rice

Spiced Green Tomato Cake

Green Tomato Salsa

Maybe I should plan a green tomato potluck!

What will my next DVD series be?

2010-08-02T16:15:00.001-07:00

I'm between tv series at the moment.

I like to pick a series and watch all the DVDs in a row. Most recently I watched all the Arrested Development DVDs that way. I was really sad to watch the last episode because I didn't want it to be over. I still think about Tobias sometimes.

I've also enjoyed House, Six Feet Under, Gilmore Girls, and Friends in a similar fashion, but I've been having trouble zeroing in on my next series. It's time to make a decision, The Bus and I have been watching too many late night re-runs of Criminal Minds lately.

I'm having auditions. I've added disc #1 for a few different series in my Netflix queue. Here are the contenders:

1. West Wing (recommended by Mr. Lipsmacker and seconded by Netflix as a recommendation for House Lovers)
2. Weeds (suggested by Isha and Marci)
3. Whale Wars (another Marci recommendation)
4. Veronica Mars (recommended by Nell)
5. United States of Tara (a Netflix suggestion for those who enjoy Six Feet Under)

Am I missing anybody? Who gets your vote?

Boy oh boy, I've got a lot of eating to do

2010-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

The PDX Vegan Hundred: 100 Great Foodz in Portland, OR

Some of the best and most unusual vegan options Portland has to offer, with a few peculiarities, for peculiarities’ sake.

How many have you tried? The ones I've tried are in bold.
Fries with spicy tofu sauce at Dots
$1.25 Corndog from Hungry Tiger Too (Wednesday special)
McMinnville Cream donut from Voodoo Doughnuts
Tiramisu from Portobello
Vegan Soyrizo Burrito from Los Gorditos
Professor Nanotear Ham and Cheeze sandwich from Tube
Milkshake from Sip
Gnocchi from Portobello
Boston Cream Pie donut from Sweetpea Baking Co. (Saturdays only)
Soft serve from Blossoming Lotus
Local cherry tomatoes from a farmers market
Sesame Tofu from Bay Leaf
Jerked chickun from Assase Ital
A Big Big Lunch Special from an Indian chaat house
Soy latte made with Stumptown espresso
A crappy tofu scramble
Cornmeal pizza from Dovi Vive.
Weeping Tiger sandwich from Bye & Bye
Bye & Bye or Floor Punch from Bye & Bye
A Bowl meal from a cart
Vegan nutella from Freddy Guy’s hazelnuts
Soy curls in bulk
40 cent Tofuffalo at Hungry Tiger Too (Thursdays)
the weekday vegan pancakes from Laurelthirst
Maple vegan sausage waffle from Flavourspot
Drunken noodles with pepper steak from Thai Food Cafe
Macnocheeto from Homegrown Smoker
Veggie platter from an Ethiopian restaurant
Blackberries picked from a public place
Baba Ganouj from Ya Hala
Coconut Smashed Yams from Papa G’s
Vegan slice from Bella Faccia
a Whiffies fried pie after midnight
Chili dog from Zach’s Shack
Vegan poutine from Potato Champion!
Missionary Chocolate Truffle
Apron Activists 4-Course Dinner
Hot Wok at New Seasons
Che Guevara Burrito from Laughing Planet
Pad Thai from Pad Thai Kitchen
Random vegan dessert from a stand at Last Thursday on Alberta
The Giant Pancake at Hungry Tiger Too
TLP from Red & Black Cafe
Cornmeal tempeh plate from Proper Eats
Maple Walnut Scone from Back to Eden
Vegan Mezza platter from a Lebanese restaurant
Crispy eggplant from Fujin
Lemongrass Tofu Sticks from Van Hanh
Tofu Salad Bun at Pho PDX
Cocktail made with local liquor
Biscuits and Gravy from Paradox or Vita
Coconut fried oreos from Homegrown Smoker
Field Roast sausage
Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce
Toddbot’s Triangles
Local microbrew
Hot Lips soda
Herb Crusted Tofu with Mushroom Marsala from The Farm Cafe
Picnic in Laurelhurst Park
Burrito eaten in Pioneer Square from Shelley’s Honkin Huge Burritos
Eggplant tibs from Bete Lukas
Tator tots before noon or after midnight
Lone Ranger from Chaos Cafe
Hand-crafted mocktail at Portobello
Tofu at a BBQ place
Mint Fava Falafel at Nightlight Lounge
An unexciting hummus plate at a bar.
Koi Fusion spicy tofu tacos
Tofurkey dog with grilled onions from the Veggi Dog Stand
Sesame chicken from a vegetarian chinese restaurant
Bagel with scallion cream cheese from Sweetpea Baking Co.
Vegan savoury crepe
Club Vegan at Backspace
Ice cream sundae from Back to Eden
Raw fudge from Blossoming Lotus
Tempeh reuben
Pause vegan burger
something baked with local marionberries
Sunday Brunch at Sweetpea Baking Co.
Dave’s Killer Bread
Higher Taste Burritos
Thai food that the server swears is vegan, but you taste fish sauce.
Elephant ear from the Saturday Market
Sticky bun from Dovetail Baking Co.
Savoury pie from Nicholas
Giant salad rolls from the Just Thai cart
Vegan torta from Los Gorditos (cart or taqueria)
Nutritional yeast on your popcorn at a movie theater
Vegan grilled cheese from The Grilled Cheese Grill
Vegan Nachos at El Nutri (2 carts)
Something from the by-request vegetarian menu at Andina
Vegan Steak and Cheese from D.C. Vegetarian
Dragon Noodles at Red & Black Cafe
Falafel from Wolf & Bears
Vegan apple fritter from Voodoo Doughnuts
Four-Cheese Lasgana from Blossoming Lotus
Vegetarian Chinese lunch buffet
Chicken Salad Sandwich at D.C. Vegetarian
Cinnamon Roll from Dovetail Baking Co.
Personal Pizza from a cart with a wood-fired stove

Only 47 out of 100? That's not a passing grade is it?

Weekend Success!

2010-06-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Did you have a nice weekend? I hope so.

-Sunshine in Portland +
-Strawberry shortcake with berries from my garden +
-Working on the yard and meeting neighbors +
-Watching WOJ beat Boston with Punchkin and Chuck +
-First fire pit of the summer +
-Free sunflower starts, chicken coop, and punching bag off craigslist +
-Yard sale shopping +
-Lots of snuggling with the Bus +
-Cute haircut by Hard Knox=

*WEEKEND*SUCCESS*!

Summit of Awesome

2010-06-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

If you visit my etsy shop right now, you may notice it's empty. After a lot of soul searching, I've come to the conclusion that the kinds of crafts I like to make aren't the kinds of crafts that there is a big commercial demand for or that make sense to sell online. I like knitting and other projects that take hours and hours of work. To pay myself a decent wage, even $10/hr, I'd have to charge a lot for my work. I don't want to charge a lot, and I don't think there's a huge market for expensive glitter paintings.

My bearing rings were selling well, but I was having issues with the bearings breaking off, and I was getting tired of dealing with complaints and driving to the post office every other day. I am planning to make a tutorial soon for how to make your own bearing ring, but I don't have plans to make more to sell.

So if my etsy store is empty, why did I go to the Summit of Awesome last Thursday? Well, I still want to be involved in the PDX craft community, but I'm not sure how I fit yet. I went to meet new people, reconnect with people I've met before and haven't seen in awhile, and see what I can contribute.

I left with a million business ideas, and now I'm trying to sort through what my next steps should be. Social media consulting for craft businesses? Maybe... Craft Bar? A possibility (especially if I find an investor or win the lottery!) E-books about marketing for crafters? Probably not, it seemed like a good idea before the conference, but there appears to already be a lot out great material out there and many people are already doing this really well... Teaching an art class for kids as a volunteer? I hope so!

I left the summit feeling really inspired. I'm excited for what might come next. We'll have to wait and see what that might be!

Quick chick update

2010-06-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has expressed their sympathies. It's a good feeling knowing so many people out there care about me and my chickies.

Foxy and Babette have been drinking their medicated water since Friday, and so far they seem healthy. Knock on wood.

Keep your fingers crossed for them! I'll post a photo of Babette soon.

RIP Wrench and Amelia

2010-06-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a very rough week for chickens at Casa de Cherry.

A couple weeks ago I took June to a farm out in Oregon City where she can squawk her heart out and will have to learn to accept that the rooster is the boss. I'd come to accept that she is just too loud and too aggressive to be at home in a small backyard flock in the city.

Around the same time Wrench started acting a little funny. Kind of droopy and emo. She wasn't as pushy as usual when I handed out treats. She wasn't trying to escape from the run. She wasn't laying any eggs. But, I figured she was just stressed since I'd brought in Amelia and relocated her buddy June. I was wrong.

Last weekend, Wrench stopped eating. Her comb was pale. She was all hunched up like she had was cold. I was worried. I checked the forums at BackyardChickens.com, and they suggested she might be egg bound. Long story short (the long version involves warm baths, massages, children's vitamins, and other failed attempts at making her feel better), Wrench died last Sunday. We buried her near the raspberries.

I was sad to lose Wrench, but she was older, and she'd lived a good life. Chickens don't live forever. I was fairly sure she had a tumor, since I discovered a lump on her side about the size of a quarter when I was giving her a chicken massage.

Life went on for me and the chooks. I saw a listing on PDXBackyardChix yahoo group by a lady who needed a calm, mellow home for a 10 week old Cochin who was blind on one side. We e-mailed and agreed my flock sounded like a good fit. I brought home Babette Mendenhall on Tuesday. My friends started calling my house "Cherry's retirement home for special needs chickens".

Thursday I got home from work and Amelia was acting funny. She didn't come to greet me. She didn't try to fly on my shoulder. She was all hunched up. Alarm bells started ringing in my head. I drove frantically to Livingscape, who recommended I try another feed store in Portland. I rushed over there (I only had 40 minutes before they closed), and they reassured me that it didn't sound like the same problem Wrench had. They were concerned about her crooked beak and suggested I trim it so she could get more food. More food + apple cider vinegar, garlic and carrots in her water should perk her right up. I trimmed her beak (and accidentally cut the quick), dusted her for mites, tried to get her drink, gave her vitamins and kept an eye on her. By 9pm her feathers were still matted with blood from her beak and she couldn't stand. She was in sad shape. I wrapped her in a towel and brought her inside for the night. In the morning she didn't look any better. I pored over forum posts and every chicken article I could Google to try to figure out how to save her. On my lunch break I drove to Orchard Mills Feed Store, described her symptoms and what happened with Wrench, and he agreed with the diagnosis I'd been avoiding all morning- coccidiosis. We've had a very very wet spring, and apparently it's becoming a problem for other backyard flocks in the Pacific NW too. He broke the news that Amelia wasn't going to make it, and gave me meds to give Foxy and Babette.

By the time I got home, Amelia was gone.

Babette hasn't been introduced to the flock yet, but she's in the same area of the backyard as Foxy and Amelia. Mr. Lipsmacker and I moved the coop last weekend, so hopefully that will improve their odds, since coccidiosis resides in the ground. I'm watching Foxy and Babette for symptoms and trying to get them drink as much medicated water as possible.

I know they're "just" chickens and death is a part of life, but I'm still heartbroken. I feel guilty and sad.

Amelia was the funniest, sweetest chicken I've ever met. She made me smile every day. She liked to rest on my lap and perch on my shoulder. She was incredibly curious and fearless. She followed me around the garden like a puppy, and chased the Bus around the yard. I miss her already.

I miss Wrench too. Wrench was my alpha hen and kept everyone in line. She was a very determined chicken and devoted a lot of her time into getting over the fence so she could get to places she wasn't supposed to be, like my strawberry patch. She wasn't as friendly as Amelia, but she was a very good chicken.

I never thought I'd be writing obituaries for chickens, but these things happen. Please think good thoughts for Babette and Foxy.

chook chooks

2010-05-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I'm still struggling with some decisions that feel like they need to be made. One of those decisions is whether or not to keep my chickens.

I know it seems weird to a lot of people that I even have chickens. I'm vegan, I don't eat eggs. What does a vegan want with chickens?

Well, ethically, I wouldn't feel bad about eating my chickens' eggs. Foxy, Wrench, and June are well treated, happy backyard companion chickens. They are older hens who don't lay many eggs, and I'm glad they're in my backyard instead of somebody's soup pot. I just don't happen to like eggs.

I do like chickens. I've had a soft spot for them since I was involved in a battery hen rescue right after I graduated from college and had the privilege of visiting United Poultry Concerns, a chicken sanctuary on the East Coast. They're funny and cute. I like nearly all animals, someday I'm going to end up with my own petting zoo of rescued cats, dogs, goats, bunnies, chickens, cockatiels, and who knows what else if I'm not careful!

I also like gardening, and the chickens like eating bugs in the garden and adding nitrogen to my compost pile. :) It's a win-win.

And I'll admit, since I bought my own house, I've gotten kind of caught up in the idea of homesteading. I've been trying to grown some of my own food, replace ornamental plants with edibles, and yeah, raise my own chickens.

The trouble is that I like my chickens so much that I end up feeling guilty a lot. Guilty that I can't let them out more. Guilty when their covered run leaks in the winter, and I'm not handy enough to do more than throw a tarp over it to keep them dry. Guilty that they don't have more space. Guilty that I get mad at them when they eat all the strawberries and lettuce. :)

I also have limited resources, and if I have to choose between traveling (or some other luxury) and paying for chicken food...should I re-home the chickens?

Of course, my obvious solution to this dilemma was to get another chicken. Wait, what? Yep. Meet Amelia Snaggletooth.

Since I've been feeling conflicted, I've been stalking the PDX Backyard Chicken Yahoo Group, lurking on Backyard Chicken Forums for tips, and checking Craigslist compulsively for a cheap, big, cute coop for the girls. When I saw a posting for a chicken who nobody wanted because she has a genetic defect that made her beak crooked and she doesn't lay many eggs, how could I resist?

She's been at my house for about 24 hours now. Foxy doesn't mind her, Wrench is curious, and June hates her guts. Amelia's already flown the coop (literally), and I had to track her down in my neighbor's backyard when I got home from work today(Hi neighbor! Have you seen a small brown chicken who looks like she lost a boxing match?). A bigger covered run or a chicken tractor are definitely in my future. The Bus is on chicken patrol. And I think the chickens are here to stay.

More chicken pictures.

Simplifying

2010-05-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know I've been MIA for quite awhile. My forced retirement from roller derby (damn you knee!) left me a little disoriented. After the years of practice 3-5 days a week + fundraisers and league/team commitments + derby related social engagements and then the months of physical therapy, I suddenly found myself alone with the Bus and a lot of free time on my hands and it was... disconcerting.

I've avoided the urge to throw myself into something new and time-sucking. Instead, I'm trying to take a step back and re-evaluate where I'm at and where I want to be. A bit of navel-gazing now and then isn't such a bad thing.

I felt out of control, over-committed, overwhelmed. It was time to prioritize.

Some things, like furniture that was just taking up space, were easy to clear out. Piles of stuff I never used went to Goodwill. Boxes of craft supplies I hadn't used in years went to SCRAP. I stopped feeling guilty for not returning phone calls from people I didn't particularly want to see.

Other decisions were harder. I sold my beloved Frankenvolvo and bought a more reliable car. I quit coaching the Rosebuds, Rose City's jr. derby league, to maintain my sanity, but I do miss being involved with the league and seeing the Buds every week. I've decided to take a year long hiatus from glitter, and I've given up my etsy shop (more on that later).

And some things are obviously here to stay. I'm keeping the house. The Bus is my true love. I'm still vegan. I love my boyfriend.

There are still some gray areas, decisions I haven't made yet. Deciding whether or not to stop blogging has been one of those nagging little questions in the back of my brain for a couple months now. If I'm not writing about roller derby, and I'm not trying to promote my own glittery little business, why keep the blog? And who reads it anyway? In the end I've decided to keep it going for awhile. I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't update it, so posts might be few and far between, and I might seem more emo than I used to be, but I'm still here. Are you?

2010 snuck up on me

2010-01-11T20:13:00.001-08:00

Today it finally hit me that it's actually 2010. Between flying back to Asheville for New Year's, getting caught up on a few big projects at work, and battling a monster cold, somehow the New Year sort of slipped past me this year.

I don't really like to make resolutions, but the beginning of a new year always seems like a good time to step back for a minute, take a breath, and reflect a bit on where I was a year ago and where I see myself a year from now.

2009 was chock full. I had practice, meetings, parties, bouts, commitments, work, more practice... It was lots of fun, but now that I've retired from roller derby, I'm looking forward to having a bit more breathing room.

When I get busy, busy, busy the projects seem to pile up. Hopefully 2010 is the year of finishing things! Here's a few projects I'd like to finally finish up:
*My first sweater!
*My t-shirt quilt
*Apple curtains for the basement, hem dining room curtains while I'm at it
*Curtains for the open shelving in my kitchen and bathroom
*Spice shelf
*Caulking the molding in the basement and complete the finishing work
*Chalkboard wall!
*Paint the bathroom and living room
*Decorate the bedroom
*Stencil the basement floor
*Weave my first scarf (it's 1/3 of the way done!)
*Embroider tea towels
*Kill the grass!!!! Maybe create a patio in the back?
*Mosaic the basement steps
*Grout my coffee tables and cupcake mosaic
*Finish making the switch from Napster to Rhapsody on my MP3 player
*The Bus's cat door (with Punchkin and Mr. Punchkin's help, I couldn't do it without them!)
*Hang up my pink zombie sword with heart hooks. Oh yes, there will be photos.

I'm sure I'll add more projects as I remember them.

In order to get all this done and cram some travel time and adventures into 2010, I'm looking at where I can cut back and simplify things.

I'm seriously considering putting my etsy store on hiatus and taking a break from glitter for a year. I still like sparkles, but I think it'd be interesting to see where else I end up with out my old glittery fall back. Plus, constantly feeling like I ought to be doing more-- painting more, posting more, taking better photos, starting a web site, marketing my work, etc. etc. etc.-- has been exhausting quite a bit of my mental bandwith. I want to give it a break. No roller derby AND no glitter painting?! What next?

My next big project is to destash the studio and reorganize the basement. Then it's full speed ahead with that to-do list!

What do you have planned for 2010?

Did I mention I went to Iceland?

2009-12-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. I went on a whirlwind adventure to the land of ice and snow and geothermal plants earlier this month.

I tried to take lots of pictures, but most of them turned out like this:

It was incredibly beautiful there. My digital photos don't really do it justice. The sun rose around 10:30am and set by 3:30pm, which made picture taking a challenge.

I ventured into No Man's Land, which is the crack between the North American and Eurasian Tectonic plates. It's growing by 2.5 cm every year!

I also saw really cold, really spectacular, really icy waterfalls.

And I saw my first geyser!! AMAZING!

My very favorite place in Iceland was the Blue Lagoon. It was snowing while I was in the hot springs, and there were snowflakes stuck to my eyelashes, but I didn't feel cold. It was completely surreal.

I also learned how to play backgammon. And I tried something called Black Death from the duty free shop. I don't like it much.

It was a very memorable trip. I want to go back in the summer time.

Pumpkins!

2009-11-19T17:49:00.001-08:00

Here are those Halloween photos I promised. Just in time for Thanksgiving!!

I was the tattooed lady. MizGuided and I posed at the Rose City Rollers Nightmare on Burnside party.

The Bus didn't dress up this year, but a pumpkin was carved in his likeness.

Then The Bus pumpkin hung out on the porch with my skeleton pumpkin.

I also made this cute, festive little lantern at Crafty Wonderland.

However the true Queen of Halloween is Susan B Anarchy. Look at this pumpkin carving mania!

I carved the pirate ship pumpkin:

But the sugar skull by Susan B was my favorite:

If I die before I wake...

2009-11-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

...I want a totem pole and a big party.

Sorry, I know that's morbid, and no I don't have anything immediate and sudden planned, but since dear, sweet, funny Bunny passed away this weekend, I can't help thinking about what will happen when I die someday.

It's comforting to know that if anything happens to me a group of derby girls will meet for a drink and toast to Cherry Lipsmacker. The rest of you better plan a party too. And build me a totem pole to house my ashes.

The next blog post will be more cheerful. I've got those Halloween photos I promised.

mustachioed

2009-11-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

Isn't that a funny word?

A co-worker sent me this diagram yesterday (click on it to make it bigger). I'm not a huge fan of facial hair, but since I was the tattooed lady for Halloween this year, now I can't stop thinking which style I'd go with if I'm the bearded lady next year! What do you think?

I'm currently torn between the French Fork, the Ducktail, or the Klingon...

popcorn party

2009-11-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

I'm planning a Halloween recap sometime this week, but haven't quite gotten it together yet. My photos are all over the place!

In the meantime, I'll give you my famous vegan popcorn recipe. This is funny because I don't really do anything too special, but I do make popcorn every time I invite people over, and I've had two requests for my "recipe" lately, so here you go.

Step 1. Buy a bag of popcorn from the grocery store. The old fashioned kind. No salt, no butter, no microwave friendly bag, just corn kernels in a bag. While you're there get garlic salt, nutritional yeast (try the bulk foods section), and pepper.

Step 2. Pour enough canola or veggie oil in a pot to cover the bottom. Drop in 3 or 4 kernels. Put the lid on.

Step 3. Turn the heat on high. Wait for the test kernels to pop, shaking things around occasionally.

Step 4. Once they've popped, throw in more kernels, enough to cover the bottom of the pot.

Step 5. Hold the pot 2-3 inches above the burner and keep it moving until all the popcorn has popped (or the lid is falling off, whichever comes first. In my kitchen, I usually lose the lid before every last kernel has popped.)

Step 6. Dump the popcorn into a bowl. Add garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and black pepper to taste. If it's kind of bland on top, stir it around some more, lots of the seasoning will fall straight to the bottom.

Step 7. Eat popcorn. Share with friends. Kitties like it too.

etsy love

2009-10-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

I just got a note from bipolarbettygoods that she featured my bearing rings in a roller derby treasury on etsy! I feel very special. You can check it out for yourself if you click this link before Halloween.

Thanks Bipolar Betty!

I've actually sold about 10 rings in the last couple weeks, it's been awesome. I'm almost out of bearings, so I've decided that if you send me a set of your old, crappy used bearings, I'll send you a ring for free. I'd rather use recycled bearings from derby girls than keep buying new ones, that just seems silly.

I used the cash from my sales to buy tickets to the Rose City Rollers' Nightmare on Burnside Halloween party this weekend. It's going to be a blast!

so what's new with you?

2009-10-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

They're doing some construction at my office. I usually work in a cubicle upstairs with the majority of the marketing department, but I've been relocated downstairs in a more private office with only one other co-worker. This has some perks and some disadvantages.

Pros
- the kitchen is nicer downstairs
- I like the co-worker I'm sitting with
- I can't hear the sawing and banging and loud construction noises upstairs
- There was a dog in our office today!
- The co-worker I'm sitting with is a superstar knitter, and I'm almost to the point in my first sweater where I'll need lots of help and moral support.

Cons
- I need a key to go to the bathroom
- It's a little lonely after 4 when my co-worker goes home.

All in all, it's not a bad deal. I wonder what it will be like when they move me back upstairs?

My heart says yes, but my knees say no...

2009-10-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been putting off this blog post for over a week now. Time to bite the bullet.
I don't know why saying it on my blog is harder than posting on Facebook or Twitter, it seems more official somehow. This is almost as hard as telling my team.

I've retired from GnR.

I'll still be involved with the team in some capacity, because I'm GnR for life, but I'm not on the skating roster anymore. My knees can't take it. My MCL is actually feeling a little better and I can fully straighten out my right leg for the first time in 5 months, thanks to a cortisone shot. But my physical therapist and my doctor have advised me that injuring my knee again would be a seriously bad idea, like the kind of bad idea that involves surgery and screws and cadaver tissue and never skating again. So I'm throwing in the towel.

I'm still coaching Rosebuds.

And I'm working on a list of things I can do now that I don't have practice 3 times a week. Here's what I've got so far:
Knit more/go to local knit nights
Teach an art class?
Learn to play my drums
Update my etsy shop.
Travel more
Volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society
Paint
Write a book about glitter

So my life won't be totally empty and meaningless, but it's still kinda heartbreaking. I'm trying to stay positive. xoxo Cherry Lipsmacker.

Whip It spoiler alert

2009-09-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

Spoiler alert! If you are going to see Whip It and can't already guess the ending and don't want to know what happens, don't read this blog post!

So I was lucky enough to attend a preview of Whip It with some of my fellow Rose City Rollers last night. We laughed, we clapped, Malice cried, we passed out flyers for try outs and our October bouts. It's a cute little movie, I heart Ellen Page, and I thought it was a fairly realistic portrayal of banked tracked derby, based on the one TXRD bout I saw in Austin. I'd recommend it.

But I can't help wondering what's going to happen to sweet little Babe Ruthless in a year or two. What happens after she moves to Austin to play roller derby and blows out her knee at practice or damages her rotator cuff at a bout? Is Whip It 2 going to be about her post-surgery physical therapy? I love derby, but I'm not sure this is a good life plan, Ruthless...

Can you tell my own physical therapy hasn't been going well? It's been 17 1/2 weeks since I've skated. I'm getting cranky.

too cute to ignore

2009-09-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a loooonnnnnng time since I posted random cute stuff, but I saw this little birdie necklace on Craft Zine (or was it Craft Gossip?)...

...and clicked through to Chinacherie's etsy shop, I got a sudden urge to blog (and shop!).

Her stuff is just too cute to pass up! And super affordable. Anyone else thinking of Christmas presents?

Heart-O-Meter Spinning Arrow Copper Plated Necklace
$14

Original Bow Necklace Silver Plated Ribbons and Bows
$11

Love Letter Necklace Brass Ox Envelope with I Love You Enclosure
$16

my fall to-do list

2009-09-23T13:45:00.001-07:00

It's the second day of fall, so even though it's 90 degrees outside, it's time for the fall list.

I did everything on my summer list except roller skate outside (curse you, MCL!)and finish the basement (but it's really really close!).

So here's the plan for this fall:
-bake a pie
-pick pumpkins
-carve pumpkins
-go to the corn maize
-plant a fall/winter garden (the seedlings are already sprouting for kale, brussel sprouts, spinach, and lettuces)
-finish my sweater (I know, I know, but it's really going to happen this time. I've got one sleeve to go!)
-roller skate
-finish the basement for real
-make apple infused liquor for my annual apples to apples party

Yay fall!

sneak peek

2009-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm almost ready for the Skating With Scissors craft bazaar tomorrow:

Bearing rings in RCR team colors? Check!

Everything priced and ready to display? Check!

New glitter painting completed of the Wheels of Justice logo for the auction? Double check!!

Here's a sneak peek of the painting I just finished last night.

The money from the auction is going straight to the Rose City Rollers' league, so you should come on down to the hangar at Oaks Park tomorrow between 10am and 7pm, bid on something pretty, and check out the amazing wares of all the vendors (derby girls and non-derby girls).

So what's left to do? Well, I'm collaborating on a new set of paintings with one of our league photographers, Mr. Masonite Burn, and I'm hoping to get the first of the series done in time for tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it. But that's all I'm saying for now, you'll just have to wait and see...

Hey, that's my cupcake!!

2009-08-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I took a class at Collage/DIY Lounge on mosaics. I'm thinking about doing some mosaic work in the basement and wanted a quick lesson on how to do it right. The class was tons of fun. I highly recommend it.

This morning, I opened up the DIY Lounge e-newsletter, and look what I saw:
***
In Progress...

This is a work in progress from Megan Klepp's Beginning Mosaic class.
Visit the DIY Lounge blog to see more photos from Klepp's mosaic classes.

That's my cupcake! I'll post more photos after I've grouted it.

What's new with you?

2009-08-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Where have I been all summer? Let's see...

I bought a new bed. It was a very grown up purchase. The Bus likes to puke on it.

We grew some veggies.

Built a fence for the chicken coop that does not seem to prevent Wrench from wandering all over the yard.

Taught Vixen to knit.

And started playing around with some new ideas for earrings.

What have you been up to?

Kitty Drama

2009-07-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Bus is not usually a very high maintenance cat, but the last couple of days have been really scary!

Over the weekend, I noticed he wasn't eating very regularly, and he had a couple of other symptoms that he'd probably prefer that I didn't reveal to his public. Suffice to say, it was enough to necessitate a call to the vet yesterday. They told me I needed to bring him in right away. I was hoping we'd go home with a prescription for a UTI and call it a day.

Instead, we spent over 2 hours in the clinic while they poked and prodded him and tested his blood. And he didn't even bite anyone. This was a horrible ordeal because each possible diagnosis was scarier than the last. He was tested for diabetes, liver failure, kidney failure, Hepatic Lipidosis...By 6pm we found out he was anemic and had a slightly positive test for feline leukimia, and his blood was sent to an outside lab for more tests. We spent yesterday evening sitting outside in the yard with the chickens drinking wine, watching Gilmore Girls and drinking wine, and staying up much too late because I was too worried to sleep and drank too much wine.

This morning we finally got the call from the vet. After 3 negative tests they've confirmed the Bus is leukemia free. BIG sigh of relief. But we still don't know exactly what's wrong. He's going to go on some antibiotics and hopefully he just has an infection and hates the heatwave, and he'll be back to his cranky old self in a week or so. Please think good thoughts for the Bus and keep your fingers crossed. He's a good cat. Thank you.

Cooking Spree

2009-07-21T17:11:00.001-07:00

I didn't plan to, but last night I went on a huge cooking spree.

It started by trying to make homemade tortillas because I saw some guy make them on his grill on OPB's "Create" channel, and it didn't look so hard. I now understand why someone invented a tortilla press, but my thick, crumbly tortillas still taste good.

In total I made:
12 tortillas
Black beans in the crockpot for the first time
Pesto
A vegetable pot pie
A blueberry cheesecake cream pie
lemonade

After I finished cooking, I wasn't hungry, so tonight I'm going to have a lot to eat!

Present for Analog

2009-07-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight and tomorrow night are Analog's last two nights in The Bus's Bungalow. She and B are moving on to bigger and brighter things.

I'm sure going to miss that little ball of black fluff though. Here are some of my favorite things about Analog.

1. She sleeps on the bed with me.
2. She mews when my alarm clock goes off because she wants to be petted.
3. She's scared of chickens.
4. She hates it when I kiss her.
5. She sasses back when the Bus tries to lay the smack down on her.

I learned how to needle felt last night, so I made her a going away present. It's a bunny.

I didn't want the Bus to get jealous (plus, I think he's secretly going to miss her too) so he got a lion.

Analog and I are going to watch girly movies tonight and make popcorn. When she was a kitten she loved playing with popcorn.

Not-so-early-girls

2009-07-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy, I've been a bad blogger lately. I haven't been a great gardener either.
The Trader Joe's/Topsy Turvy experiment doesn't appear to be going well.

This is the day after I planted my Early Girl tomato start (a month and a half ago).

This was taken earlier this week.

The only thing that makes me slightly hopeful that I might get one tomato is that I saw one tiny yellow flower this morning when I fed the chickens. So my experiment still has the teeniest bit of tomato potential.

I threw a couple sponges into the bag because all the water was running straight out the Trader Joe's bag and into the (sanitized!) kitty litter bucket I'm attempting to grow potatoes in underneath it. I thought the sponges might help the plant retain some water. Any other helpful ideas are welcome. Bring 'em on!

Hazy lazy summer days with the Bus

2009-07-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded Picasa and I'm playing with the special features. Doesn't the Bus look extra handsome with all this crazy editing?

I think he and that hose might be in love.

knitting catastrophe!

2009-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd learned my lesson ages ago when I knit the ugly watersock/slipper (remember that?). When it comes to knitting, I should listen to Kelley. Or I could have listened to Marci or Tina or Brett or any of the other many people who tried to tell me the body of my sweater was much too big. But I knit on. I had rationalizations. I had gauge. I could always steek a little extra if it was a tiny bit big. I had already cast on 3 times, and I was NOT doing it again.

I finally had to face the truth at craft night last week when Kelley staged an intervention and insisted I try on my knitting.

It was 16 inches too big.

Sigh.

Kelley ripped it out and did the cast on for me. I think she and Xena felt a little sorry for me.

While Kelley ripped and cast on, I frogged Karen's abandoned scarf so she can start over with a clean slate too.

Now that I'm almost back to where I was in the pattern when we frogged it, I can look back and laugh. But it was a rough night. I have to publicly thank everyone in the Classic Lines Cardigan KAL for all their support. I should always listen to Kelley.

I am choosing not to listen to the stranger from the Edgefield last night who asked me what I was knitting. I told her it was a sweater, and she thought I'd started at the neck. I know I'm a big beefy roller derby girl, but my neck isn't that thick, is it?

Raspberry parfait recipe

2009-07-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't get around to making freezer jam, but I did make ice cream and a parfait, and since the parafait got the Knox/Cher the Pain/Mrs. Cher the Pain seal of approval, I'll tell you how I made it. It couldn't be easier.

Ingredients:
Raspberry sauce (from Vegan Brunch cookbook- basically 4 cups of berries, some water, a little sugar, and a thickening agent)
cookies or leftover coffee cake (that's what I used)
instant jello pudding (Chocolate Fudge and many other flavors are vegan)
soy milk/creamer
fresh raspberries and chocolate chips for garnish.

First I mixed the instant jello pudding mix according to the directions on the box, but I used 1 cup soy creamer and 1 cup soy milk instead of cow milk. If you omit the creamer, just use 1 1/2 cups of soy milk instead of 2 so your pudding isn't too runny. Chill.

While the pudding is chilling, crumble up the cookies or coffee cake in the bottom of a glass bowl and press it so it kind of sticks together a little, like a crust. If you feel fancy, you could use individual cups or glasses, but I had to transport this concoction to a BBQ, so I used a bowl. Pour the raspberry sauce on top. Layer pudding on top of the raspberry sauce. Garnish with raspberries, cookie/cake crumbs, and chocolate chips (Ghiradelli semi-sweet are vegan as are Fred Myer's generic and organic brands). YUM!

Raspberry mania!

2009-07-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

The raspberry bushes in my backyard are out of control!!

Twice a week for the last two weeks I've picked over 4 cups of raspberries.

This week I've made raspberry coffee cake...

Raspberry sauce...

Raspberry chocolate muffins (no photo, sorry!)

This weekend raspberry mania continues with raspberry ice cream, raspberry parfaits, and maybe even raspberry freezer jam (my first time making jam!)The chickens seem to especially enjoy fresh raspberries too, so I'll share some with them.

She's a maniac, maniac...

Short but sweet visit with Boo

2009-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is Pulin. He's my boo. He's been my boo since my pre-PETA2 days when we met gathering signatures for a campaign to ban gestation crates in Florida.

He still works for PETA, but every once in awhile he pops into my life here in Portland and brightens my day. Yesterday was one of those days.

We shared a chocolate berry tart and a key lime pie tart at Sweet Pea Bakery. So yummy! Isn't funny how vegans and bloggers both take photos of their food before they eat? He did it too. It wasn't just me.

Come cheer for us this weekend!

2009-06-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

You know you want to. Who can resist these faces?

summer to-do list!

2009-06-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to make my summer list! The summer list is actually my favorite, and it's where the whole idea of making a list for each season started because I felt like summer slipped away before I got to do all the summery things I love that you can't do during any other season in Oregon. So here it goes:

*finish the basement
*eat popsicles
*walk to 7-11 for slurpees
*roller skate outside
*go on a boat
*hike
*pick strawberries at Sauvie Island
*shop at yard sales
*float the river
*drink cocktails in a kiddie pool

That is a great list. I actually picked one strawberry last night and one the night before in my garden, but that's not the same as picking enough for strawberry shortcake and Cyndi Lauper ice cream (cinnamon + strawberries. I think it sounds like something Cyndi Lauper would like to eat, hence the name.)

Heartbreaker...

2009-06-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

In the immortal words of Pat Benatar, dear Betties,
"You're a Heartbreaker, Dream Maker, Love Taker..."

Yes, I'm sad to report, the Betties came from behind after half time and demolished GnR's dream of a championship win this season. But GnR never say die,(no, no no!) and we've got the Heathers in our sights now. Rematch, anyone? Say, oh I don't know... the Expo Center, June 27th, 6pm, GnR vs. the Heathers?

In other sad news, I will not be skating against the Heathers at the championship. I got my MRI results back. The good news is I didn't tear my meniscus, and I don't need surgery. I've got this sweet brace now to help the MCL sprain heal up.

I'll be good as new by next season, so "don't you mess around with me".

For those about to rock...

2009-06-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

I salute you. I'm looking at you, GnR.

Tomorrow GnR has a very. important. bout.
This bout will determine who we play in the championships on June 27th and whether we are still on our way to the top or whether we're duking it out with the Heathers to see who is last place in the league.

I am cursing my knee, not only because it still hurts, but because my injury means I can't skate in the bout tomorrow. However, it also means our new draft pick, Sugar N Vice is taking my spot, and I'm so excited to see her play. Go beat those Betties, Sugar!

Since I'm not going to be on wheels, I'm doing my best to support my team in other ways. Last night Kitty and I worked on these sweet uniform shirts for GnR. They're all band shirts on the front with names and numbers bleached on to the back. Sweet!

Win or lose, GnR will look hot tomorrow night.

I've also watched Karate Kid, Breaking Away, and Kung Fu Panda lately for inspirational purposes. Here's what I learned so far:

1. Focus on your defense. Points will come.

2. Don't get hit.

3. To make honey, young bees need young flowers not old prunes.

4. GO, damn you! (shouted with love!)

5. You must believe.

6. There is no secret ingredient.

7. Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why it's called the present.

Here's some added inspiration:
"You're the best around, nothing's ever gonna keep you down..."

To the top, to the top, to the top, GnR!

Introducing...Chickens!!!

2009-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

A day late and a dollar short, but better late than never, right?
The ladies:

That's Wrench (the white one), Clusterfox AKA Foxy (the Buff Orpington), and June (the reddish brown one and Jamie June's namesake).

I got them on Saturday. They are all 2-3 years old so their egg production has started to slow and their previous family wanted to replace them with more productive chickens, so they've come to Cherry's retirement home for old hens.

Foxy is the youngest, she's missing some feathers because she was the object of some unwanted attention from an aggressive rooster in her old flock, so she's safer and happier with us. Her feathers will grow back with time.

Wrench is the bravest and seems to be the alpha. Her old family initially thought she was a rooster until she started laying eggs! She was the first one to lay an egg in her new nest box.

Everyone is adjusting well, Foxy and June are currently duking it out to see who gets to be second in the pecking order. They take turns pushing each other off the highest perch.

The Bus hissed at the chickens once, but now he ignores them completely. Analog is terrified of them and is scared to go in the screened in porch now. I hope she gets used to them soon!

Things I've learned from roller derby #6

2009-06-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wear pants with no zippers and a sports bra (no underwire!) when you go to get an MRI.

(I learned this from roller derby, but it has been confirmed by House and his team.)

Pictures of the new chickies tomorrow, I promise!

The Bus in the WILD!

2009-06-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

It started off innocently enough. I thought The Bus would like to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine, but since he was declawed before I adopted him and I've heard lots of horror stories about what can happen to outdoor kitties, I decide to build him a screened in porch.

The porch doesn't have a cat door yet, so I had to carry him in and out, which he hates. And which is also very tricky when The Bus and Analog both want to go out. She's faster and more skittish so I thought I could pick her up and then herd The Bus into the porch. It worked for awhile. He played along. He even went so far as to amble directly from the back door to the porch door leading me to believe I had "trained" him. Sneaky Bus.

Then slowly but surely, he started to go a little further than the porch door. He'd roll in the driveway for awhile first, or chew on a bit of grass right outside the porch. It made him so happy! Now we've devolved into this--

Oh The Bus.

EZ thinks The Bus thinks he's a cow. He eats a lot of grass. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a cow's digestive system which means lots of undigested grass for me to clean up. Maybe he thinks he's a bulimic cow...

Garden!

2009-06-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about owning my own house is gardening! It's like one big science experiment!!!

I think it's going pretty well, even if the only edible things I've grown so far are spinach and kale.

The broccoli is starting to look like broccoli.

The strawberries are starting to look like strawberries.

And I got a ton of free plants at a plant exchange this weekend. I traded some raspberry, garlic, and lemon balm starts for lamb's ear, calendula, ruby lettuce, early girl tomatoes, parsley, purple basil, spearmint, a jade plant, potatoes, and what might grow up to be an almond bush.

I've been tempted by the infomercials for the topsy-turvy, so when D-Day told me her genius idea of using Trader Joe's recyclable bags instead, I had to give it a shot. These cost a couple bucks each instead of $20, and they look pretty.

Only time will tell if tomatoes and lemon cucumbers will like them as much as me.

Things I've learned from roller derby #5.

2009-06-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

Gel ice packs can cause chemical burns. Be careful when you reuse them (over and over and over again). Frozen peas are safer.

Luckily, I didn't learn this first hand. Sadly, a couple other girls in our league did.

A sleeve, a sleeve!

2009-05-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that many other knitters have knit dozens and dozens of sleeves , so the fact that I finished one measly sleeve might not seem very newsworthy. But this is my first sweater! And I've finished my first sleeve! This feels like a major accomplishment. I'm one step closer to a whole sweater. Of course at the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to finish it by fall when the weather gets chilly again, but that's okay.

Actually, it turned out knitting a sleeve wasn't all that different from knitting my legwarmers (except that I'm double stranding Gloss Lace and adding in stripes of Bayou Shimmer instead of just using one strand of worsted weight yarn).

Legwarmer:

Sleeve!:

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that knitting a sweater has been on my to-do list for quite awhile. I'm finally doing it! One of my co-workers designed this sweater herself, so it seemed like a good choice for my first sweater. I mean, how often can you run downstairs and ask the designer for help if you get stuck? And the pattern is free!

I've also been getting lots of moral support from the Classic Lines Cardigan KAL in the Knit Picks Knitting Community. If you're thinking about knitting this sweater, I highly suggest you come join us. It's lots of fun! Next up- the body!

Smile pretty!

2009-05-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

I forgot to report on one very important and exciting development this weekend-- I got a new camera.

I liked my old one, I got it by trading two paintings for one used Craigslist camera, which was a great deal. But I needed one that takes better close ups for my etsy shop.

Taking pictures with a new camera is lots of fun!!
broccoli and kale:

Analog in the great outdoors!

raspberries

Jr. Derby

2009-05-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Our Rosebuds might be under age, but they're starting to hit as hard as some of the big girls!

They faced the Eugene Gems in Eugene over the long weekend. The Gems won, 105 to 75, but the Buds played a pretty fierce game and once they figured out a. to follow the yellow line not the red line and b. half time was over and it was time to get off the playground and play more derby, they did a good job.

And they are always good sports, very classy.
We're still going to work on our pack awareness and playing as a team, but those are skills that can always use refinement.

We were doing team work drills at GnR practice last night! Speaking of GnR, who knew Knox was moonlighting as a gym owner in Eugene?

Bottom line, I heart the Rosebuds, and I'm proud to be their assistant coach.

Watching them skate was the highlight of my weekend. And getting limeades and slushes before the game at Sonic.

Do she think she plays derby for Emerald City?
The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the sunshine, gardening, and reassembling the chicken coop!

deep fried...

2009-05-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Normally, I am of the opinion that everything tastes better deep fried. Potatoes, tofu, and even oreos are all better battered and fried. I do think frying can be taken to extremes (my ex deep fried a gas station donut that already contained over 50% of the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat before it's trip to the fry daddy!), but deep fried asparagus sounded like a great idea to me.

After a trip to Burgerville, I'm surprised to say I was wrong. Golden fried asparagus was kind of tasteless and very chewy and hot grease spewed out of each tough stalk as I tried to gnaw through it. It is definitely not a food I'd recommend eating while driving. Turns out I prefer my asparagus roasted with garlic or sauteed with lemon and pepper, which is how I intend to eat it tonight.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I'm going to Eugene tomorrow to cheer on the Rosebuds at their rematch against the Gems!

cold med muddled thoughts

2009-05-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

Dear blog,
I'm sorry for my sudden, unexplained absence. I have no good excuse.
I got sick... I planted a garden...The Bus was getting jealous of the time I spent with you...I bought a chicken coop... Nothing you haven't heard before, I'm sure.

I know you know about my recent infatuation with Twitter. Twitter is no substitute for you. Twitter is like flirting with a stranger at a party- Twitter is just interested in the glitter, the glamour, the facade... You, my blog, you're more like that one last party guest who is still lurking around even after I've had too much wine and lost my shoe (again). You're always hungry for just one more story. Or are you more like that saint of a room mate or live in love who will be there the morning after the party to help collect the empties and toss them in the recycling and patiently listen as I piece together the night before? Hmmm...

Either way, you shouldn't take it personally that I've been tweeting but not blogging. You are totally different creatures, and I love you equally but in different ways.

Done and done

2009-05-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite photo from our scrimmage on Friday. Vixen sent it to me; PDXSharkey took it.

I had a productive weekend. Win bout? Check! Plant strawberries? Check! Go to parade? Check! Let's see if I can keep it up this week!!

Big plans

2009-05-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend I want to:

1. Plant strawberries.

2. Go to the St. John's parade.

3. Beat Puget Sound tonight at our scrimmage.

Our MVP trophy had to undergo emergency surgery this week. It was a delicate procedure, as you can see here:

Now it's all fixed up and safely in the care of Mullet, our April 18th MVP. I wonder who will earn the trophy tonight?

Eek! Where has the week gone?

2009-05-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

How is it the end of the day on Thursday already? What happened to Cute Stuff Wednesday? And what do you mean GnR is scrimmaging Puget Sound TOMORROW? This week is flying by!

How does Cute Stuff Thursday sound?

Here's a peek into what I've been checking out on Etsy lately. Any guesses what I'm making next?

Speaking of etsy, did you see that my glittery Audrey Hepburn is for sale? This is gonna be a tough one for me to part with, I've got such a crush on her!

The other derby

2009-05-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Normally my evenings and weekends are filled with roller derby, but last Saturday afternoon B and I watched the other derby- The Kentucky Derby.

Now, I am NOT a fan of horse racing (or the Kentucky Derby's sponsor YUM Foods), but I couldn't resist the opportunity to dress up for a party, wear a funny hat, and drink mint juleps.

I even won a prize for best dressed female!

Maybe next year peta2 and Rose City Rollers should join forces and host an alternative event- the Kentucky Roller Derby??? I'm picturing derby girls dressed like ponies racing around the track and legions of derby fans and animal rights activists in flowery hats. We could sell mint juleps and sweet tea instead of PBR. Sounds like fun, right?

You spin me right round, baby right round...

2009-05-04T16:41:00.001-07:00

Dear Twitter,
You are making my head spin. I consider myself fairly internet saavy. I have a blog, juggle a couple of ning accounts, and update 3 Facebook pages. I know what a meme is. I still have a myspace account out there somewhere. I even know a tiny bit of HTML which is a very big accomplishment for me. But you, Twitter, you've got me beat.

Hoot Suite, Tweet Deck, Twitter Mass... the list goes on and on. And each one does something different? Huh? You seemed so simple, like a Facebook update, but now I'm faced with all these other choices. I feel a little misled.

And am I following or being followed? Being followed is a good thing right? Not like internet stalking? I followed some tips for getting more followers I"m suddenly DM-ing with all these strangers who seem to want to sell me things and I can't find my actual, real friends...

Twitter, I want to make this work, but I think we need to take a step back and figure out what we both really want out of this relationship. I need some cyber space. Maybe we should go back to just being "Facebook friends".

To the top, to the top, to the top!

2009-05-01T09:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay-so we lost to the Heathers. Who hasn't? There's no reason we can't rally and still take our rightful place as 2009 champs this year.

Come see us in action on Friday, May 8th at the hangar for a $5 suggested donation at the door-- we're going to scrimmage against a team of assorted Washington players. This is going to be very, very fun. We're gearing up at 8pm.

Or if you have plans next Friday, you can come see us beat on the Break Neck Betties on Saturday, May 16th.

I got a request for photos of me actually playing derby. Here are a couple. These were all taken by Skippy Steve or Angel, our beloved photographers.

Working with EZ to try to pull 20 ft. on the Heathers.

Waiting for the whistle.

Warm-ups, I think...

Lip-smackingly cute

2009-04-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Cute Stuff Wednesday!

I gotta say everything in Fashion Candy's shop is so cute, it was hard for me to pick just one to picture.

Luscious Lips Resin Necklace
$15
by Fashion Candy

This is everything I love in a necklace. Glitter? Check! Hearts and Kisses? Check!
Bright, fun colors? Check!

I've been having my own adventures (and misadventures!)with resin lately, so I have a new found respect for anyone who does it well.

I have more luck with charms and beads. Have you seen my new high rollers vs. guns n rollers earrings? I think they'd coordinate quite nicely with those sparkly lips!

I do my little turn on the catwalk.

2009-04-28T16:29:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I'm a model now. Maybe you've seen me in Interweave Knits. You don't recognize me? Oh wait, let me turn around so you can see my butt. Now do you recognize me? :)

And just think, before I started roller derby I didn't even have a butt!

A couple months ago we needed a last minute model at Knit Picks for a print ad, so I agreed to do it. Of course, the real star of the ad is the Montavilla Market Tote, so I'm just a prop really. Kerry, our in-house photographer, did an amazing job. These are some of the out takes.

I was wearing the rose wrapped wire ring that's for sale in my etsy shop, in hopes of getting glitzed a little teeny tiny bit of exposure, but I don't think it made it into any of the final shots.

Here's the final ad. It will also be in Creative Knitting and Knit N Style. My butt is pretty pleased.

The Bins of Vancouver...

2009-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since I've moved to Portland, I've heard people talking about this mystical place called The Bins. Locals described a magical store where you pay for your items by the pound and wrestle with plastic-glove-wearing women (who are speaking to each other in Russian)to see who gets to take home prized goods. I had never been to The Bins...until today.

I ventured out to the Goodwill outlet store in Vancouver with some co-workers on our lunch break today. I was especially excited because rumor has it that the bins in Vancouver are even better than the Portland store because their less picked over. When we walked in, I was stunned. I don't know what I expected but the cavernous warehouse space filled with row after row of bins of random stuff was overwhelming-so overwhelming that it took me awhile to get acclimated. I just wandered up and down the rows while my seasoned co-workers dug out amazing treasures like ottomans and croquet sets! Eventually, my eyes started zeroing in on anything that was leopard or zebra print, and I started scooping up everything a GnR could possibly wear. I quickly realized I could have filled 5 shopping carts with everything that was GnR appropriate so I put it all back except a leopard print horse finger puppet and a zebra print dress. By the end of our adventure, I managed to score:

1. The aforementioned finger puppet. He is coming with me to our team meeting today.
2. A stretchy velour zebra print dress. If it doesn't fit me, I think it will fit Punchkin.
3. A sweater and a blue lacy blouse for work. Actually my co-worker found these but gave them to me because they wouldn't fit her.
4. Dolly Parton's biography (or autobiography?)
5. A blue raincoat with hearts on the lining
6. A book about canning and freezing (I'm optimistically hoping I'll need it for all the fruits and veggies I'll grow this summer!)
7. Glitter Fun in the Artic!!! There is a whole series of books about glittery animals in the wild. I'm now on a mission to collect all 6!

My grand total was a little over $6. All in all, I think it was a successful first trip.

...to be your unlawfully wedded derby wife...

2009-04-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a few odd comments and raised eyebrows since I posted a new item in the glitzed etsy shop this week- an engagement ring for your derby wife!

Maybe an explanation is in order. Many derby girls have a "derby wife" (or two or three!). Your derby wife is like your partner in crime. She gives you pep talks or puts in extra practice with you if you're down, tells you if the back of your skirt is tucked into your fishnets, and generally watches out for you. She's the one who is riding in the ambulance with you if you break a bone. Sometimes, she even gives you presents.

It's even possible to publicly declare your undying love at RollerCon by getting "married".

So with that in mind, what derby wife wouldn't want an engagement ring made out of a bearing? It makes sense to me!

Is an Earth Day dress in order?

2009-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

If Earth Day was the kind of holiday you had to dress up for, I would want to wear this dress:

The Shell Collector
$160
by Gaia Conceptions Organic

It's made of organic cotton and looks very soft and cozy, especially for a summery dress. I adore the pockets; pockets are exceptionally cozy.

I need something cozy because I am in a foul mood this Earth Day. I think I'm grumpier than Grumperina or Oscar the Grouch. Why?
1. The sunshine is gone.
2. General icky feeling about the current state of roller derby. I feel confident that the amazing High Rollers/Betties bout Saturday, a couple of team/captains meetings, and an upcoming rules change will clear this up, but at the moment, ick.
3. My computer sucks. We probably would have broken up by now except he won't move out on his own, and I'm afraid of what life would be like without him.
4. Polar bears are drowning because the ice caps are melting. Drowning!(If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times- PLATFORMS FOR POLAR BEARS! We need to get on this. Who is with me?)

I think a new dress might be the only solution. Anyone got $160 I can borrow?

gossip girl

2009-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever said something and then instantly wished you could hit rewind and take it back? That happened to me last night.

I'm not a malicious gossip. I'm not mean-spirited. But sometimes when I hear a story that's especially juicy or dramatic, I can't stop myself from sharing. I have a theory that the reason I feel compelled to participate in the gossip is because knowing something that not everyone else knows makes me feel special or important. And sharing a story about someone that a friend of a friend heard gives a sometimes-shy girl like me something interesting to talk about when I'm at a loss for words. Um, yes, I did have a hard time making friends and fitting in as a child, why do you ask?

But the reasons behind it don't make it okay when spreading unfounded rumors cause hard feelings between two groups of people to continue to fester and grow.

I think gossiping is a worse habit than cracking my knuckles. It's something I've gotta work on.

Things I've learned from roller derby #4...

2009-04-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

You win some, you lose some.

On Saturday, we lost one, but I'd like to think we did it with grace. I'm glad to be part of such a classy team.

24 hours from now...

2009-04-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

I will have my skates on and my team mates and I will be gearing up to bout against the Heartless Heathers. The Heathers are undefeated so far this season, and they've only lost twice in the last 2 years, but I feel ready to take them on. Here is how I've prepared:

1. Drank lots of water. Lots. So much I can feel it sloshing in my belly.

2. I've gotten mucho sleep this week. That's good. The cats like it too.

3. Sewed up a hole that was in my black skirt with the ruffle.

4. Ordered socks for my team so we can match. When we look like a team, we play like a team.

5. No alcohol this week. We'll see if I can stay strong at our team dinner tonight at Knox's. One little margarita wouldn't hurt would it?

6. Skinned Knee gave my IT bands their monthly massage. Hurts so good.

7. Listened to my GnR team cd on repeat all week. Welcome to the Jungle is seared into my skull.

8. Napalm and I hung the GnR Back In Black banner in the hangar so our fans know where to sit.

9. Went to the gym to stretch today instead of going shoe-shopping which is what I felt like doing on my lunch break.

10. Oh yeah, and practiced many many hours with my team. I can't tell you all our strategies because a Heather could be reading my blog, but trust me, we're ready.

PS-photo by Skippy Steve

the meaning of life

2009-04-15T12:51:00.001-07:00

Since I'm obviously feeling philosophical this week, I thought I'd try to figure out the meaning of life.

First I checked wikipedia. Then I turned to Etsy. This is what I learned:
1.Keep calm, carry on.

Scrabble Tile Pendant - Motto for Life
$5.95, by ThePendantFactory

2.Live Within Your Means.

Live Within Your Means Tote.
$16.50, by bunkleberrystudio's shop

3.The Meaning of Life is to Give Life Meaning.

Meaning of Life Bookmark
$1.00, by Miyazawa

3. What if the Hokey Pokey Really Is What It's All About?

Hokey Pokey - Understated Greeting Card
$2.50 by time2cre8

Hmmm. All good points. I might need to think on this a bit more.

navel gazing

2009-04-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

I usually listen to Splendid Table on my way home from practice on Sundays, and I get home before Speaking of Faith comes on. But on Easter I went to endurance from 6-7 instead of 5-6, so I missed Splendid Table. Speaking of Faith isn't usually my kind of radio program, I'm not a very religious person, but since it was Easter, I decided to give it a listen. Vigen Guroian was on, and he was talking about gardening and experiencing God through all your senses, and he seemed like a pretty nice guy.

He also said something that kind of struck a chord with me. I'm probably botching this up, but the gist of it was that he was using the metaphor of a song to represent creation. "God" (or whatever higher power you happen to believe in) wrote the music and the first few verses (like in the Garden of Eden), but each of us adds to the lyrics as we live our lives, and we're all contributing to the same song. Isn't that kind of a cool idea?

When I was growing up, I really wanted to be the girl that Joe Queer was singing about in Punk Rock Girls. I chewed a lot of bubble gum, and I did wear Converse ALL THE TIME, but I was always too shy and too afraid of being grounded to *really* be a Punk Rock Girl. But now, using Vigen's logic, instead of trying to be someone else- some fictional punk girl in a made up song- I can just be me, and the girl in the song will be as nice or cool or tough or "punk rock" as I am in my day to day life. Whoa. Deep, huh? I wish 15 year old me had heard of Vigen Guroian.

An exciting weekend for the cats

2009-04-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

B came home from work Friday night bearing a big, fancy scratching post as a present for Analog's first birthday.

He'd never baked a cake from scratch before, but I coached him along. I think Analog appreciated her chocolate birthday cake with rhubarb topping and coconut ice cream.

She's a pretty lucky little kitten. The Bus was jealous. I promised I'd make him a cake in August for his birthday.

The fun continued on Sunday when the Easter Bunny came to our house and hid plastic eggs filled with catnip and treats (and a certain handknit bunny) all over the living room.

Analog cared more about batting the eggs around than eating what was in them.

The Bus found one egg with catnip in it and called it quits.

After they got their treats, we decided to make some treats for us too. We baked sugar cookies from scratch, another first for B.

My bunny was the Easter bunny. His was Harvey.
They both got their heads bit off. Happy Easter.

I'm not a bunny nugget!

2009-04-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

One little known fact about me is that I used to be the voice of peta2's "I'm not a Nugget" chick. Here is a sample of me as the voice of a cartoon chick.

I have since been replaced, but I still have a soft spot for nuggets and not a nuggets so yesterday when I saw this free pattern for "Bunny Nuggets" on Ravelry, I found these little knitted bunnies completely irresistable. Last night I hosted my first craft night at my house, and I knit my very own Bunny Nugget who I have now named the "I'm not a bunny nugget". I'm sure peta2 will start making "I'm not a bunny nugget" stickers right about now.

The Bus and Analog enjoyed craft night, even though The Bus thought the I'm not a bunny nugget was a sock at first.

Won't he be surprised on Sunday morning when he opens an Easter egg and finds that sock has grown ears and is now stuffed with catnip!?!

Here's I'm not a bunny nugget posing with chicken bunny, who is a Cadbury bunny that really clucks when you squeeze her paw.

These are the two funniest bunnies I've ever met. They seriously crack me up. And look at their tails! Too cute!! I'm not a bunny nugget was supposed to have a little pom pom tail, but I wanted to avoid any yarn-y bits that Analog could bite off and swallow.

If you like I'm not a bunny nugget, you should definitely visit Rebecca Danger's etsy shop, Danger Crafts. There's a whole family of cute knitted creatures!

Danger Craft Knitting Patterns
by Danger Craft

B loved I'm not a bunny nugget too. Awww...

experiencing technical difficulties...

2009-04-09T16:31:00.001-07:00

Do you ever feel like technology is out to get you? Yeah, me too.
Hopefully we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming soon...

My first First Thursday

2009-04-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Check-Ya, a Betties alumni, recently contacted me to see if I'd want to bring my glitter paintings down to the frame shop where she works and be one of their featured artists for a bit. Heck yeah!

I dropped off 8 glitter paintings last night, and they should be up in time for First Thursday this evening. So if you're in the Pearl District anytime soon, stop by Frame Central on the corner of NW Davis and 13th and have a looksey.

camera shy

2009-04-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I've had a very good excuse. I very diligently took photos of the fireplace and the kitties and a new glittery project I'm working on, but my camera is refusing to cooperate. It will take the photos, but I can't get them off the camera and onto the computer.

Since it's Wednesday, I thought maybe if I posted photos of cute hand made camera-related items using photos that are already online, my camera might get jealous and start playing nice again. That'll work right?

Hey camera, look at this really adorable camera ring!

mini camera ring
by kaylah7 AKA The Dainty Squid
Jealous yet?

NO? Well, look at this-

Vintage Polaroid Camera, Large Pendant
by uniqueartpendants
A POLAROID camera would always spit out my pictures when I need them. Unlike some cameras I know...

Oh camera...are you above bribes? What if I bought you a cool strap?

Camera Strap- Amy Butler Lotus Temple Garland Pink
by VMJESS

You like Amy Butler right? No go? Sigh...

Things I learned from roller derby #3

2009-03-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

You can break someone's collar bone with only 5 lbs. of pressure.

I did not learn that first hand. November Pain told me, but I trust her.

I hope the Wheels of Justice win tonight! Go WOJ go!

Crazy cat lady potential

2009-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know I only have 2 cats (and one is technically B's, not mine), but I think I have great potential to grow up to be a crazy cat lady.

Exhibit A. If you were a fly on the wall at my house last night, you might have heard something like this.

Me: Hi, the Bus! How was your day?
The Bus: nothing
Me: Oh that sounds nice. I'm glad you didn't puke on the rug again like you did this morning. Are you feeling better?
The Bus: nothing
Me: Where's Analog? Is she in the basement?
The Bus: nothing
Me: Oh Analog, there you are! Did you have a good day?
Analog: nothing
Me: What do you guys think of the new fireplace?
Kitties: nothing
Me: I really like it. I think it looks nice. I kinda wish the molding wasn't there because it makes a crack between the fireplace and the wall, but I think I can live with it. I don't think it would be a good idea to saw into the molding, do you?
Kitties: still nothing
Me: What should we make for dinner? Pasta with broccoli? That sounds good. Do you want a drink out of the bathtub?
Kitties: follow me into the bathroom and take turns drinking out of the tub, still saying nothing. Etc, etc, etc...

This is a pretty typical day in our house when I get home before B, which is roughly 5 out of 7 days of the week. They may not be great conversationalists, but they sure are cute!

tax time hat

2009-03-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

When my dad was here last month, we worked on my taxes together. While he was going through my paperwork and filling out some forms, I started knitting this hat using Wool of the Andes Bulky hand dyed in Galaxy and Kim's Hat pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

I've never thought of myself as a purple person, but I love this colorway. I used it around Christmas time to knit this hat for my sister.

The spiraling stripe looked really cute on her, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted for my hat, so I doubled up the yarn to break up the pooling and knit it on size 11 needles. It knit up so fast that I was done with the hat before my dad was finished with my taxes!

I've put the finishing touches on it now. It's still been cold enough here that I have been getting some use out of it already...

I'm also really excited about Knit Picks' new Comfy Bulky, I think I might use Blackberry to knit a scarf or cowl to match. It's so so soft. Although, hopefully spring is just around the corner and I won't need a scarf anytime soon!

birthday mania

2009-03-25T12:48:00.001-07:00

My Mom and Dad's birthdays are only one day apart, and my Papa's birthday was the same week. I've always had a very hard time keeping them straight, so when the week of March 25th rolls around, I just go into birthday mode and start making phone calls and sending e-cards like crazy.

I planned ahead and packed Mom and Dad's birthday presents in my luggage when I went to North Carolina for Christmas. My sister has been hiding them for months, and she'll give them their gifts for me this week. I kind of can't remember what I got for Mom, but I remember I thought she'd like it...

I always wish I could bake them a birthday cake, but since I live all the way across the country, maybe something like this is a more practical solution?

The ULTIMATE 3 TIER FaiRy PriNceSs CAKE
by Palm Tree Princess
$29.95
It might be a little girly for Dad...

How the heck?

2009-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with Picnik this week.

I made a new banner for my etsy shop.

I made a fancy banner for my blog too, but for some reason every time I upload it, it shows up sideways, like this.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here? I've tried rotating it every which way before I upload it, but it hasn't worked yet.

just browsing...

2009-03-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had a whole day to myself on Saturday so I decided to check out a couple of nurseries that are close to my neighborhood to compare prices and get an idea of how much I should budget for my garden this summer. All of the vegetable starts and magnolia trees and cherry blossoms were very, very tempting, but I managed to escape with only a soil test and a soil thermometer.

It took all of my willpower not to come home with a couple of these cuties.

Every book I've read about gardening has recommended testing your soil, which sounded like a very scientific and daunting process. The home kit I bought only cost $9.99, and it was actually kind of fun. You just dump some dirt and a capsule of water in the little chamber, shake it up, and wait for it to change colors.

I tested 7 different sites in my yard, and found out most of them are around 6.0 ph which is just what I need for the plants I want to grow. Awesome!

I was seriously considering replacing our grass with an alternative lawn that would be a mix of clover and flowering natives, but B convinced me to start small and focus on the beds and maybe a couple of self-watering containers this year. He thinks we should wait until next spring to smother the existing lawn and replant it. Ah, the voice of reason!

Spring list

2009-03-20T09:59:00.001-07:00

Oh dear.
I'm looking back at my winter list, and I didn't do a very good job of accomplishing much on it this winter other than decorating cookies and 2 trees.

In my defense, I did take on a few big projects that weren't on the list (like putting up walls in the basement!), and I crossed a couple things off my life long goals list (bouting and going to Hawaii). So I'm not going to beat myself up over this. Maybe the spring list should be a little less lofty though.

How about:
*tape, mud, and paint the basement
*plant a veggie garden
*finish my lost boys linen stitch scarf
*post more stuff on etsy
*go rollerskating with B
*drink tea on the porch with the kitties

That seems reasonable, right?

my strangest purchase?

2009-03-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

I'm not totally sure about this, but I think I may have made my strangest purchase yet. I bought a fireplace from Target.com. It will be delivered in 5-7 days. Last year I bought a little electric "wood burning stove" for my apartment, which I also thought was funny. Actually, the fact that I already own one fake fireplace probably makes this purchase even weirder. But this one burns gel and it's non-toxic and it makes real flames and that nice crackling sound. And it didn't involved building a chimney or venting to the outside, and I'm 99% sure I won't die of carbon monoxide poisoning or have birds get stuck in the flue, so I think it was a good buy.

Since I missed cute stuff Wednesday yesterday, I'm declaring this cute stuff Thursday. The only downside to my gel fuel burning fireplace is that you don't get to enjoy the smell of wood burning. Maybe this candle would do the trick?

Fireplace Soy Candle
by lilyladyscreations

plotting...

2009-03-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm itchy for spring, and I can't stop thinking about my first garden. I've grown herbs on my window sill and catnip for the kitties, but I've never had a whole yard before.

Every day I come up with some new scheme for how I'm going to organize and plant everything. Today I'm slightly obsessed with this site that helps you plan how to plant a 3'x6' raised bed using a square foot method of planting. I might have to give that a try.

Last year I planted basil, sage, and pumpkins as soon as we moved into the house in July, but this is all I harvested...

I'm also reading The Urban Homestead which B got me for Valentine's Day, so in addition to the raised bed I already have and the additional raised bed I'm building, I'm also daydreaming about stacks of tires filled with potatoes, bean and pea pod tents, and living awnings of tomatoes. And I can't stop thinking about chickens. Help, someone talk some sense into me before I'm in over my head!

quiet time

2009-03-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling very chatty today, but I'll post a couple more pretty pictures from Hawaii to compensate.

Hawaii 5-0

2009-03-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

More like Hawaii 1-0-3. I think that's how many photos I took down there. It was so incredible. We got to snorkel and swim with a sea turtle, watch turtles swimming in the ocean, hike on lava and through rain forests, feel steam from an active volcano, relax in a wood burning hot tub, and I even saw a whale!
These are a few of my favorite photos from our trip.

If you'd like to see the rest, they're on my Flickr page. Aloha!

I'm back!

2009-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have never been so glad to be home. Hawaii was great, but I got food poisoning on the way home and ended up in the San Francisco airport's medical clinic getting 3 liters of IV fluids. It took us 34 hours to get from Hilo to Portland. Portland has never looked so good.

I'll post some photos from Hawaii tomorrow.