Twitter-dee-dee, blog radio and other random bits

Well, after much ado around here yesterday (arranging childcare and other household hoopla), I participated in Celebrations.com's premiere radio show with lifestyle party expert Jeanne Benedict and three other crafty bloggers. More info here. Or, listen to the show right here on my blog.

I am busy, busy getting ready for our 2nd Chicago Craft Social. It's going to be fun! This time, Jess and I are arranging a publicity table for local bloggers, artists, business owners and the like to display promotional materials like cards, flyers, free samples, etc. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about our guests and seeing what they're up to when they're not crafting, snacking and socializing with us.
I'll be making some more alphabet block card holders (any thoughts on items to use in place of the blocks?) and here's a peek at Jess's homemade business card stands. We plan to use colorful mixing bowls, canisters, and other kitchen-y things for sample collections.
I will be leading guests in making paper airplanes that actually fly (Hopefully. Do you have any tried and true airplane patterns I could add to our selection?) and a "green clean" sample kit which will include an all-purpose disinfectant spray, a soft scrub, and a powdered laundry detergent. Let me tell you, it can be a chore locating washing soda. Until you find it at the market right next to the Craft Social venue. Argh.

Last week I tried out this recipe for Pasta Primavera and really liked it. Great for those of you who need to use up that fresh summer squash and homegrown herbs. But good for those of us who don't, too. And you don't have to turn on the oven.

Yes, I have set up a Twitter account. No, I don't really know how to use it and am not sure if I want to. My generous and extremely experienced friend Becky is becoming my Twitter mentor, however, so under her guidance perhaps I'll learn to enjoy it. (This is where I would smile at her, but I don't want to make one of those punctuational happy faces). I'll try to put a link on my sidebar soon so you can easily find me.
I'm working on creating a Facebook page for this blog, as well. Not sure when I'll have that ready.

To come: Green Clean sample kits, alphabet block frames, back-to-school fun, product review and give away. But not before the Social!

Blueberry picking

We made our annual blueberry-picking trip last Saturday. Every year I consider changing it up by choosing a different farm, but every year we decide to go with what works. I suppose there is something to family traditions and it's fun to know the kids are old enough to remember and look forward to it. It is only once a year, after all.
We started out at The Blueberry Patch in Sawyer, Michigan, and picked for about 3 hours (I think that included trips to the restroom, diaper changes, sunscreen application, and some snack eating). After paying for our (approx.) 15 lbs. of berries, we drove a mile over to Warren Dunes State Park for a picnic lunch. My husband and the kids made the trek up the giant sand dune while I hung with the baby and our guest on the beach. We enjoyed the sand and the warmish lake water until the sun set. Almost exactly like we did last year.
People have asked me how we choose farms for picking and I predictably look here every time we pick something (I've used it for picking in IL, WI, MI, and TX). Checking your local paper archives may be good, too.

A day in Lincoln Park

Chicago really is wonderful in the summer. We've been enjoying the strangely comfortable, though on the verge of cool, weather with multiple trips to Lincoln Park. My kids are loving it. Admittedly, we're spending so much time there because we happen to have a free parking pass through the end of the month, so I can't say if our visits will be as frequent come August. But I have to put in a little plug for this area in case you live near here or plan to visit.
Here are some excellent things to do in Lincoln Park that all happen to be FREE and within walking distance of each other.

Green City Market-Wonderful farmers' market with a wide variety of delicious foods to sample, purchase raw to carry home or cooked for lunch on the spot; live music; chef demonstrations and more. Open every Wednesday and Saturday year round. Check out the chefs' recipes section on their website. Yum!

Lincoln Park Zoo-Some very nice exhibits (especially the newest African animal habitats), but we tend to be most attracted to the landscape and the children's climbing structure.

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool-I can't believe we just found this lovely little urban oasis. Where have we been? Prairie-style architecture (nice shaded pavilion for resting, snacking, drawing, etc.) and landscape design, water lily-covered pond, waterfall, and plant and tree lined stone paths with nooks for pond and wildlife gazing. Also seems to be a popular spot for wedding portraits.

Lincoln Park Conservatory-An especially nice escape when the weather turns cool, but beautiful any time of year. Unusual and beautiful varieties of trees, plants, and flowers housed in an 1800s Victorian glass house.

My advice: Head out pretty early in the morning and hit the market first. Snack on some of their offerings (the lamb-mushroom and strawberry-rhubarb hand pies and blueberry mint sorbet were amazing, as were the million varieties of cheese), make your way through the zoo and conservatory, stopping to picnic on the zoo grounds or gardens outside, then take a relaxing stroll through the lily pool, making sure to dip your feet in the cool water at the fall. Be sure to bring your shopping bag and camera!

Chicago Craft Social, August 14

Yay! Craft Social is back! We had such a good time hosting this gigantic night of crafty fun in May that we've brought it back for a summer session and added an hour of fun. That's not the only thing we've added. Now, you may bring your men friends. That's right, they're crafty, too! And we're glad to have them join us. Now, if we could get some enthusiastic ones to help lead a project, that would be even better. Let us know if have a friend that fits the bill.
Also, we will now have a lovely little publicity/freebie table set up for you to spread the word about your own creative business or for you to peruse and find out what everyone else is up to. Feel free to bring some business cards, postcards, buttons or the like to share. We're excited to learn more about you.
If you're in the Chicago area, or plan to be on August 14, head on over to the Craft Social blog and rsvp. Remember, we do have a limit of 150 guests, so move quickly! Oh, and if you saw a project that interested you last time, but you weren't able to try it, or if you have something you've been dying to learn, let me know and we'll consider that as we plan our dozen plus activities.
Hope to see you there!

Kids and goats

We have been visiting the zoo fairly often and recently paid a visit to the goat pen. I find it impossible to not chuckle and take pictures of my precious children, frightened by overly friendly goats (like my baby in the bottom left, clutching my leg). Apparently, my mom is the same way. That's me in the top two pictures. (Nice beard, Dad). And my kids in the bottom set.

Commentary: When I looked at that top picture, I totally thought that poor baby goat was about to be pulled apart at the middle, like a wormy roll of clay where it gets too thin. Then I finally realized his feet are tucked up under him and it's the body of a different goat behind us.
And how about that front-butt look I've got going on up there in the thigh region? (Thought you'd like that, Amy).

What's on your fridge?

When I'm in Texas, I try to do things with my dad that I don't do on my own in Chicago. Outdoor sportsman-type things like kayaking, fishing, and shooting.

My dad took me to a firing range the other day and I shot a pistol for the first time (previous experience being pellet or bb guns and a rifle). I figured, considering my newbie status, my scores warranted a bit of display time on the fridge.

Shot-up targets in between sweet kiddie pics, mail from grandkids and BBQ coupons. That's normal, right?

Summertime blues

The kids have remembered some of our activities from last summer so fondly they've begged to repeat them this year. They couldn't wait for my parents to take them to the ice cream shop so they could struggle to keep up with that shockingly blue ice cream as it melted and dripped down their arms.

Ahh...summer in Texas.

Summer fruit

Ahhh...don't you love the fruit of summer? I'm making my plans for strawberry-picking, blueberry-picking and any other picking we can manage. I just learned that Michigan is the number one producer of tart cherries in the US. Hmm. Wonder what we can do with that. For those of you in California and anywhere else with access, go pick cherries!

I have our belt tutorial ready to go, but am running short on computer time. I hope to post it tomorrow. And the Craft Social was awesome! We are expecting to gather and post pics soon.

Oh, I forgot to mention when I posted this earlier-I love my cherry pitter. I got this one a couple years ago after using a similar one at my parents'. It works great and I love the shield feature. It really makes a difference. Keeps the squirts off your shirts. For those of you not into the gadgets, I've seen several different methods for pitting cherries without it-paperclips, nails, pastry bag tips, pencils, bobby pins. Most of these methods are messy but frugal.

Candy wrapper belts at Craft Social

Yikes! I've been so busy this week preparing for our gigantic Craft Social that I haven't had time for blogging. We have around 120 people signed up to join us tonight for making stuff and making friends (good tagline, Jess). I'm excited!
One of the projects for which I'm providing instructions and materials is this candy wrapper belt. I found it online here, but have written up my own tutorial which I will share here next week. It's so simple and so cute. I've been wearing the Starburst belt this week and have felt very hip.

Trains and the city

We did make it to the National Train Day event on Saturday. We toured two passenger trains: Amtrak's Texas Eagle and the William and Evelyn Henry cars. And, of course, we traveled through the city by train.
The William and Evelyn Henry cars were built in 1955 and so had that cool retro-elegant feel. They operate as private charters now, which means all you need to enjoy a few hundred miles of that fascinating compact luxury and pretty countryside is a few friends and about $8500/day or 800 of your closest friends with about $200 a piece (two party packages). What do you think, anyone want to go?
While at Union Station, I picked up some info on the Illinois Railway Museum, a living history museum out in the 'burbs where you can experience 10-mile ride on an electric, steam or diesel train. Less than $10 a person. We're definitely planning a family outing there this summer.

I mentioned last week that my family has a long history of railway careers, but I wasn't able to gather as many pictures as I'd hoped. Here's one of my dad (love those boots, Dad), probably at the Frisco trainyard in Springfield, MO (late 50s or very early 60s) and one of the Frisco 1522 steam locomotive we caught on its 1994 excursion.

You're invited to a Craft Social!

Yes, you! Anyone willing and able to travel to the north side of Chicago is invited to join me and some other crafty ladies, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, for a child-free night of crafting, snacking, and socializing.
I am helping to organize this fun event with my friends Jess, Amanda, and Megan. We have some very lovely ladies signed up to lead you in creating a variety of different crafts and will have space for anyone who desires to bring a project you've been meaning to complete but haven't had the chance.
We have our very own Craft Social blog set up for you to get all the information you need about the event and for you to RSVP. Space is limited, so check your calendar and sign up now! I hope to meet you there!

Catch that train

I've just made our FREE reservations for the National Train Day event at Union Station next Saturday here in Chicago. Live music, interactive exhibits, discussions with actual engineers and conductors, photo ops, historic train cars, cute souvenirs, etc. Should be fun.
My family has a long history in the railroad industry, which, I'm pretty sure has halted with my generation (Dad, correct me if I'm wrong about that), so I feel a little sentimental about trains. I'll be rounding up a few pics of our family with trains for next week. I'm sure you can't wait.
If you're in the Chicago, DC, Philly, or L.A. areas, check out the schedule for your local National Train Day celebration at the website link above. Take the kids or take yourself. Trains are cool.

P.S. Check in Monday bright and early for an invitation to another Chicago event: a gigantic night o' crafts and fun hosted by some crafty bloggers in the area. You'll want to reserve your spot!

Vintage enamelware and antique shopping tips

Many people have asked where I get my antiques. I thought, instead of e-mailing everyone individually, I'd do a little post on the topic. Disclaimer: I am NOT an authority on antique shopping in the Chicago area or anywhere, for that matter. You can find many articles like this written by more experienced collectors online or in print. BUT, I am glad to share my personal experience with the hows and wheres of antique shopping.

First, some shopping philosophy.
Above is part of my collection of enamelware. I also have a couple casserole dishes being used for book storage and likely a few pieces gone MIA. This is a good example of how I've applied my most common shopping criteria: items must be cheap, colorful, old, and should travel easily (meaning, I don't need an alternate mode of transportation for hauling it home).
Now, once in a while I stray from this. I may purchase a large piece like this cabinet. Or this desk. Or this chair. Or my kitchen table (to appear later). But, seriously, not very often. Once in a while I may fork over a little more cash, but typically only if it's been given to me for fun spending purposes (like as a birthday gift).
I don't get stuck on one item. Many things I buy in multiples because collections are fun and attractive to display or use in sets. But I'd rather have many small collections, like these needle books or these rolling pins, than one large one. Besides, I don't have the perseverance for finding every manufactured piece of enamelware, for example, or the financial resources with which to pay for it all. I think I'd get sick of it if that's all I had, anyway. I need variety.
That being said, these varied items or collections still need to fall into the same general categories, allowing them to live in harmony in my home. For example, I would not pair a mint condition 1970s metal avocado green bread bin with black plastic handles with a rusting 1940s metal bread bin painted white with red lilies. I think time period, color, and materials (or perhaps condition of materials) are key for marrying vintage odds and ends in your home.
I tend to like items that fall into these categories: kitchen ware-primarily 1940s/50s, toys, small painted wood or metal furniture pieces, fabric, table linens, or quilts (I don't have much to show for in the fabric categories, particularly quilts, as they are harder to come by in good condition and in my price range). Knowing this makes my shopping a tiny bit more efficient.

My antique shopping philosophy checklist:

• Know your spending limits.
• Know your storage/display space at home.
  
• Know your storage space for traveling.
• And, often helpful, know your storage space and relationship boundaries with your parents. Is your mom willing to store your gigantic antique (that you can't cart home on the plane) until you can transport it by car?
• Know your style-what colors, materials, and time period attract you? Do those things work well with each other and with the other items in your home? Do they fit your other criteria?

My antique shopping tips:

• Know what you'd like to have more and less of and then focus on building and getting rid of a collection.
• Browse other stores and online shops to become familiar with typical prices for items you like.
  
• Find some reliable dealers. This means you'll need to be familiar with selling prices and at least be comfortable with the dealer, if not friends. Listen to other patrons' experiences. Read feedback, if you're shopping online.
  
• If you come across an item you think you love, but aren't 100 percent convinced you don't have something more important on which to spend your money or you can't think where in your home you would put it, then go home and sleep on it. Four things can happen: 1) You may realize you don't have the space, after all, or you may get a speeding ticket on the way home (which would answer the money part of the question), 2) You may forget about it (I like this one best), or 3) You may decide you can't live without the item, go back to buy it and find it's been purchased by someone who didn't have to go home and think about it, or 4) You may decide to go for it, and you do, and you and your antique live happily ever after.
• Peruse some decorating magazines to get a sense of what styles, materials, and colors go well together and to help confirm which looks make you most happy.

Now for the wheres of shopping. Yikes. This is not a short post.
Know first-
I may have found ONE item, total, at one of these locations or many items.
Sometimes I hit a sale at a typically high end store or find a hidden treasure at a low end one.
Sometimes I stop at a store as I'm passing through a different town during a long trip.
I have not done much shopping, anywhere, since I've had kids.
Chicago is big and I have not covered it all.
It's just good to know those things.

The "Where I've found stuff" checklist:

Sandwich Antique Market-greater Chicagoland
Kane County Flea Market-greater Chicagoland
Volo Antique Mall-greater Chicagoland
Heritage Trail Mall-Wilmette, Chicagoland
Secret Treasures-Evanston (just north of Chicago)
Edgewater Antique Mall-Chicago, my neighborhood
Broadway Antique Market-Chicago, my neighborhood
Lincoln Antique Mall-Chicago
Chicago Antique Center-Chicago
Salvation Army Thrift Stores-Chicago
Village Discount Outlet-Chicago
Unique Thrift-Chicago
Garage/Yard sales
Some random stores in Chicago that don't exist anymore, thrift and antique.
Other stores I can't remember without the help of a shopping buddy.
Random stores on the road in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri (particularly Springfield), Texas (particularly the Forth Worth area), and possibly other states.
Last, but not least, my grandfather's house. My grandfather is a part-time junk collector. He does some buying and selling and keeping and giving to grand kids. This is usually a hunt for treasure among non-treasure, but it's cheap (free) and has often worked well for me. This is how I acquired my trucks, some of the enamelware pictured above, and some other little goodies.

That is absolutely all I have the brain power for. I hope that answers your questions!
Happy shopping!

Ribbon and felt pocket bracelets

We celebrated my daughter's birthday yesterday with two of her friends and a trip to the Exploritorium. After playing, snacking, and opening gifts, I gave each of the girls one of these little pocket bracelets I had made just before walking out the door. (Why plan ahead and ruin my reputation?) I had filled them with M&Ms so they would have a little surprise upon opening them.
These were really quite easy to make and I figured the girls would enjoy having a tiny pocket filled with secret treasures on their wrists. My mistake was not making the flap of the envelope/pocket longer with the button hole a little lower, allowing the pocket to expand a bit more when filled. It still works nicely for very small treasures such as 5 M&Ms, tiny notes, spare change, small jewelry items, etc. Just a thought, in case you end up making some.
These would make sweet little Easter gifts, too.
If I get around to making a more masculine version for my son, I'll post that, as well.

Starbucks and Panera freebies

If you're out today and find yourself thirsty, stop by Starbucks or Panera Bread for a free beverage. Starbucks is offering a free Tazo tea between the hours of 2 and 5 this afternoon. Panera Bread is offering free coffee with samples of their new breakfast offerings all day. If you're home, you may want to check their websites for your local store number. Doesn't hurt to call in advance and make sure they're participating and still have the goods!

Go to California then get a new computer

I highly recommend it.
Seriously, though. Happy New Year! You know, I mentioned previously that I'd been out of town for a bit visiting my sister. I had a really nice time, despite having a nasty cold and feeling like my head was going to explode all over the inside of the plane cabin, and I'm looking forward to future visits to the Bay area.
The purpose of my trip was two-fold: help my sister (you know my name is Megan, so I will call her Amy) with wedding preparations and enjoy some quiet time away from my 3 small children. Amy and I got some important wedding things accomplished, enjoyed a lovely shower with her very warm and welcoming girlfriends (so nice to meet you Heather, Amy, Missy and all!), and discussed, as we do so often, the merits and shortcomings of the 1994 movie version of Little Women.
I highly recommend going to visit your sister if at all possible.

On another note, we did get a new computer. Ours died over Thanksgiving (making my posts here very infrequent since then) and we've finally gotten most of our new systems in place. We are missing our master calendar due to some manufacturer's failure to produce upgrades and I feel like I'm operating a bit in space without it, but hey, I can blog again.
Which brings me to one exciting new feature: our photo organizer. I thought I was just ignorant when it came to manipulating digital photos, which is pretty true, but I've just found (within the last few minutes) that with better software I can give the impression of being more skilled than I am. See above, my first photo collage. I didn't take great care in choosing, cropping and all that but I'm still pleased. It's a whole new world for me!

Anyway, I'm up and running again and I'm excited to be posting! I can't guarantee that I'll come up with any more time to do so in the new year, but I'm thankful to have the resources. It was a nice Christmas present.

Woodworking for kids

Today I have a post up at Blissful Kids about the kids' workshops at Lowe's and The Home Depot. I've mentioned it on this blog before, but today I've shared pictures of another project of ours as well as details on the upcoming projects at both stores. Check it out and make your plans for tomorrow morning!

How do you like them apples?

We went apple-picking this week. Always fun. We've been to a number of different orchards around here and have never been disappointed. This year we tried Royal Oak Farms and found that we really like Liberty apples. I'm looking forward to cooking and will definitely share recipes as I find good ones. What do you do with your apples?

The Zoo

I really enjoy visiting our local zoo, the Lincoln Park Zoo. I am a bit disappointed, though, when we discover (what feels like) the majority of the animals taking indoor breaks instead of strutting their stuff outside. I get tired of passing habitat after habitat explaining, "Well, I guess that one's inside for dinner," or "The sign says he had to go to the doctor" or whatever. I've even been inclined to think that some of the animals listed don't even exist. Within the zoo, I mean. But despite that, I've come to love the beauty of the zoo grounds and the enthusiasm evident in my children.
We usually go in the afternoon and spend two hours. This is a good amount of time to catch a portion of the zoo (which now always includes a visit to the fantastic tree-climbing structure in the Children's Zoo), leaving a different section to explore during our next visit. Honestly, I find the zoo a welcome change from following my kids around the playground. Much more interesting for me while physical and educational for my kids.
Above, you see two of my current zoo favorites: the beavers and the lovely fall foliage. Below, you see one of my kids' favorites: the animal statues (Those belong to the Brookfield Zoo, but their fondness for animal statues extends to all zoos). Really, this is why it doesn't matter if any of the animals are out or not. The only other thing that excites them nearly as much as the statues is the animal poop. If they only had beautifully landscaped pooping-animal-statue parks we wouldn't really even need the zoo.

Camping for a day

I love camping. Funny, because we didn't camp as a family when I was growing up, but I've since discovered it's one of my favorite ways to spend a weekend. We haven't had many opportunities to camp in recent years, or maybe just haven't seized the opportunities, but are still excited about introducing our children to the joys of living for a weekend in the great outdoors.
Last time we camped, my oldest was 16 months old and I was 7 months pregnant suffering from sharp back pain. At that time, I came up with some criteria for our camping eligibility: must be less than 7 months pregnant, must have immobile lap baby or walking baby (I wasn't keen on the idea of keeping a crawling baby out of danger at the campsite. I think that's why we didn't camp the summer I wasn't pregnant.), and must camp with other people (unless children are old enough to help out or at least be free from danger for a few minutes). That's it.
But this summer I was hit hard with the camping bug. I was hesitant to break my second rule, however, so to test the waters, we spent a day camping with some friends. This turned out to be loads of fun (minus, of course, some setbacks like getting the day started much later than planned and having a child fall and scream in alleged pain for an hour or two--yes, same child that fell at the grocery store).
First, it was a beautiful weekend. We began our adventure with a picnic when we arrived at the state park. We walked for an up-close view of the river then hit the creek. I've mentioned before that I love wading. This time was no exception, just different. With a baby strapped to you and a small child or two pulling on your hands, your sense of fallibility is a lot keener (or your sense of fall-ability, whatever you want to call that). Still, I loved pointing out the crawdads, minnows, clam shells, slippery moss-covered rocks, etc. just as I loved my dad pointing them out to me and my sister. And, of course, I loved the feel of the clear, cool water over my feet and up my to my knees. We walked, waded, and climbed until the creek joined the river then paused for snacks at the river's edge.
Several times this summer, my daughter and I have played "campfire" at the playground and have eaten imaginary s'mores, so I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to the real thing. After our wading trip and some time spent at the playground, we set up "camp" and prepared our fire. The kids loved playing in the tent, although, without being staked down it became a game to bounce around inside causing the tent to roll over. No matter.
We roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, instructed the kids in the art of building the perfect s'more, played around in the moonlight (gorgeous full moon), stargazed a bit and packed up. At the end of the day, I figured the only things we lacked in making this an actual camping trip was sleeping and eating breakfast, which I felt pretty confident we could handle. Wow, I had even broken rule number two.
Unfortunately, it's too late for us to squeeze in a camping trip this summer, but I'm going to plan early next year (Can someone hold me accountable to that?) and wholeheartedly recommend to anyone dragging their feet about family camping that you try a day camping adventure to get your feet wet (actual wading, optional).
In case you're wondering, here are the criteria I went with for choosing a park: accessible water for playing, picnic space, playground, fire pit, drive under 2 hours, no park fees, convenient bathrooms, space for free play and crawling. Additional criteria could be: stroller-accessible trails, fishing, swimming, canoeing, etc. So many options!
Happy belated camping!

P.S. Pardon me for being so wordy this week or thank me for the brief nap you may have taken while attempting to read my blog.