Team Struckmeyer

I live in the coolest town.

2012-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Madison is so darn cool.

The main library is going to be completely rebuilt, but before the old building was demolished, people took advantage of the huge empty building and held an event called Bookless last weekend. Tons of artists had installations-- I even got to help a friend build hers, out of catalog cards and microfiche. Karl and I went to check out the event during the day. It was basically the most awesome thing ever in the world.

At the Ask the Oracle station, we wrote questions on catalog cards...

sent the cards through the pneumatic tube system...

and someone downstairs wrote an answer and sent it back up! I won't tell you what my question was, but the answer was, "How much?" which was the perfect answer. Thank goodness those tubes got a last hurrah!

Lots of the art involved library items like Kik-Steps:

Kik-Step peek-a-boo!

This one is made of shelves:

And then at night they turned the whole thing into a dance party. We're never moving.

Show and Tell!

2012-01-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a sewing program at a library in Madison. We made oilcloth dop kits. For someone who has never successfully sewn anything with a zipper before, this project was a little overwhelming at first.

But look at how cute it is! And the zipper actually works! I like it so much, I'm already planning to make more. If you are reading this, you'll likely be getting one (or several) of these for Christmas. Just forget you read this and then act surprised when you open yours up in eleven months. Okay?

Don't Mess With Texas

2012-01-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I went to a conference in Dallas. I could tell you about all of the new books and authors and literary stuff, but let's skip that and talk about the best part of the trip: touring Cowboys Stadium. You may know that I adore the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, thanks in large part to the CMT reality show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

Karl knows how much I love the cheerleaders, and he left several darling secret notes in my luggage, wishing me luck at my audition.

We got to go in the cheerleaders' locker room! Definitely the highlight of the tour. Other people on the tour were interested in the football team, players, the stadium, etc. Bo-ring. I just wanted to see cheerleader stuff.

Here I am with my new uniform:

You're not supposed to touch the pom-poms, but the tour guide let me! It's possible that she just wanted to get me out of the locker room. Whatever. It was still awesome.

Nerdville, Population 2

2012-01-16T14:46:00.001-08:00

This is normal, right? All garages are full of card catalogs, aren't they?

But seriously. They're so adorable.

All those drawers... all those labels... it's true love.

But what I'm really excited about is this little beauty. Check out those label holders just waiting to be filled.

Future home of all of my knitting supplies!

Just My Type

2012-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here's my newest score from the University of Wisconsin surplus store... tell me it's not the cutest thing you've ever seen.

Right now, it's living on the kitchen table until we find a good spot for it. But I'm beginning to think that the kitchen table may be as good a spot as any. Perfect for an ongoing grocery list, or little surprise notes to one another.
On the same shopping expedition, I snagged a card catalog. It's waiting to be picked up, but I'll share some photos once we've got it home!

Husband's Handiwork

2012-01-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

For the last I don't know how many years (at least 7), I've stored my jewelry in this darling little set of wooden drawers, courtesy of a yard sale. Each drawer is labeled with a different battery size, and I could never bear to take those sweet labels off.

Even though it has a handy nail hole for hanging, I never hung my jewelry keeper up. Instead, I've kept it behind my sock basket in the armoire. Here it is in its natural surroundings:

For Christmas, I asked Karl to make me a new jewelry holder, mainly so that my earrings are in plain sight so I'm more likely to wear them. We had a simple wooden frame from a thrift store, and Karl painted it, fitted it with wire mesh, added some knobs, and there you have it! Cute, huh?

Don't worry about my tried and true jewelry keeper. It's still in its rightful place behind the socks, holding a few things that didn't fit on the new one. And I like to think it is a lot more comfortable now that its drawers aren't crammed completely full.

Sweet, Dude.

2012-01-06T08:42:00.001-08:00

My friend Kate recently introduced us to this simple and delicious sweet potato recipe. It didn't take long for us to try it at home, with our own spin...

Pithy Instructions for Delicious Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes

Mix equal parts chili powder, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. We used about 1 Tablespoon of each because we like a lot of flavor, and because we were making a lot of sweet potatoes.

Rub the seasoning on clean sweet potatoes.

Wrap each potato in tinfoil. We cheated and wrapped several of the small potatoes together, which seemed to work just fine.

Pile them all in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours (the recipe says to cook on high, but low worked fine for us).

Serve with rice, black beans, salsa, cilantro, and avocado. Yes, please!

Christmas Present to Myself

2012-01-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

Woodland Critter Christmas: Roll With It

2012-01-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

Not sure what to make for breakfast on the next family holiday? Team Struckmeyer's got you covered.

Start with a package of refrigerated biscuits in a tube. Get the butter flavored ones if you must. Relish the feeling of opening the tube. Shape each biscuit into a basic small animal form. Think rounded blob with smaller rounded blob sticking out.

Sterilize the scissors on your mini Swiss Army knife and snip the dough to create spikes. The more spikes, the better. Just keep snipping.

Bake according to the instructions on the package; serve warm with honey.

Woodland Critter Christmas Meringue Contest

2012-01-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

A lot of time on Christmas Eve was spent creating woodland critters out of meringue. Our favorite Christmas cookie magazine features a recipe for meringue angels, so we used that for our starting point. We mixed up a few batches of meringue in my mom's Kitchen-Aid, put it into decorating bags fitted with large tips, and away we went! Each of us had a workstation covered with parchment paper, which made transferring the critters to baking sheets really easy.

Elsworth did a lot of research before starting his critters.

Hanna, piping away:

Karl... so serious! He probably didn't want to get any meringue on the new sweater his wife made for him for Christmas.

A few favorites! The m&ms dots on the mushroom didn't quite turn out as we had hoped...

A squirrel angel:

Happy Woodland Critter Chistmas!

Woodland Critter Christmas Accessories

2012-01-02T14:08:00.001-08:00

My mom lives out in the woods, so we didn't have to decorate much in order to get in the woodland critter spirit! Here are some highlights of our woodland decorations:

We hung die-cut moose from the candelabra, just above the centerpiece (which was actually a collection of pieces, in the center of the table). The moose are a red and white Scandinavian print (thank you, Ikea).

Here are the centerpiece items up close. Nut cup, anyone? I found the little papers for the nut cups at a specialty baking store. They're shaped like little flowers, with petals. They're really meant for mini cupcakes, but they worked just fine for our woodland treats!

This was in the middle of the kitchen island, where all of the baking activity took place. The squirrel box is full of candy.

Can you believe I got the two owls at the bottom of this photo at a yard sale, in the free box? We were all really glad that the gnome with the broom was there to sweep up after us.

My sister's dog, Nilla, was the only actual woodland critter in attendance. I think she liked the attention!

Woodland Critter Christmas Cookies

2012-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

I have so much to report from Woodland Critter Christmas! Let's start with the most important item: the cookies. Every year, I make two favorite recipes-- Chocolate Almond Parsons' Hats and Raspberry Candy Canes. They're both from the oldest Christmas cookie magazine in the history of America, which my mom still owns. We got it in the checkout aisle of the grocery store one million years ago and we haven't looked back. You might come from a family in which a lot of items are purchased in the checkout aisle, but I do not. This magazine was a magor thrill, which is probably why I still adore paging through it every single Christmas. One year I followed a recipe in the magazine and made an entire sleigh out of gingerbread, featuring little stained glass panels in the back made of crushed hard candy which melted in the oven. But that was when I had a lot more time on my hands.

This year, for our Woodland Critter Christmas theme, I used the cookies I was already making and created some thematic treats out of the same dough. The parsons' hat dough, plus some slivered almonds, became hedgehog cookies.

Before baking:

After baking, alongside some of the original recipe parsons' hats:

Some of the candy cane dough became a bird and a little bear's head. The bear was meant to be peeking out from behind a log, but I think he was eaten long before that could happen. Here are the bird and bear with a whole herd of hedgehogs:

Another Christmas Miracle

2011-12-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I know I talk a lot about pre-Christmas miracles, meeting miracles, and wedding weekend miracles on this blog, but seriously, this is amazing.

I've been making a few infinity scarves for friends-- basically you sew a wide tube of fabric (knit, not woven), and kabam! you have an infinity scarf. You don't have to hem it or serge it or any of that business. Just sew it into a tube, loop it twice around your neck, and you're done. It looks like you just walked out of the Gap or American Apparel.

Recently I was at St. Vincent de Paul (my favorite thrift store) and I spotted a piece of blue stripey knit fabric that would be perfect for making these scarves. After scooping it up for the bargain price of $1.00, I took it home and dumped it in the Project Pile, where it sat for a couple of weeks until last night, when I realized that if any of my friends were going to receive infinity scarves for Christmas, I would need to actually make the scarves and put them in the mail. So I got out the fabric, and I was just about to get out my sewing machine when I noticed that the fabric was already sewn into a tube! No lie. The fabric I was going to sew into a tube was already freaking sewn into a tube. Please someone comment, "Totally tubular." Anyway, I grabbed my rotary cutter and sliced that long tube into four shorter tubes, making four scarves. They're in the mail now! If you get one... I'm sorry your present only cost 25 cents. I still love you.

The site of the miracle

Showing off one of the new scarves... with an angel on my shoulder.

Pre-Christmas Family Field Trip

2011-12-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, my mom, Karl, and I drove down to Oak Park, Illinois to visit my brother, Elsworth, and his girlfriend, Lia. They have a super cute apartment. Here's their Christmas tree:

The ornaments are all beautiful and handmade, including ten guinea pigs, like this one.

Elsworth had a cookie exchange at work while we were there. One person brought rosettes and of course they were completely mashed by the time Elsworth got them home. Note to cookie bakers: Rosettes don't travel well.

Here's our mom, posing with some squash.

Lia and Libby like to play Wheel of Fortune on the ipad.

We got to tour Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Oak Park, and we took the train downtown to a Christmas market. Karl and I got to go to Macy's and see the big Christmas tree on the 7th floor, and we were lucky enough to visit my wonderful friend Mara and her sweet baby Simon. I couldn't get enough cuddles from Simon!

We also managed to stop at Ikea twice during the 49-hour adventure. Nothing says "Christmas" like Ikea.

Pre-Christmas Miracle

2011-12-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking for a while about re-vamping my weekday morning routine. After realizing that about 30 of the 45 minutes I need to get ready in the morning are spent boiling an egg (in my amazing egg cooker), packing my lunch, and making oatmeal on the stove, I thought I'd try to scale that back and maximize on sleep. Packing my lunch ahead of time is easy (the hard part is remembering to grab it from the fridge!). And when we recently got a new Crock-Pot, a mini Crock-Pot came with it (for cheese dip and that sort of thing). I just put my oats and water in at night, plug it in, and in the morning my oatmeal is done! And of course I can make the eggs ahead of time, but I needed a little push... which I found at a thrift shop for 26 cents over the weekend. It's a vintage refrigerator egg box (not the one pictured above; mine is actually olive colored and a teensy bit cooler than the one in the picture). On Sunday, I boiled five eggs and put them in the new box. They're ready and waiting for me every morning!

Can you believe I found that egg box just when I needed it? Now I can get up at 7:30, which is a full half-hour later than before. I'm in love. Maybe I'll start sleeping in my clothes.

Overheard on the Bus

2011-12-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

I got on the bus after work yesterday and sat down toward the back. I wasn't really paying attention. The bus wasn't crowded, and there was someone sitting a few rows behind me, at the very back of the bus. A couple of stops later, someone else got on and sat down by the person in the back. This was the conversation I overheard:

Person 1: This is the last day I'll be seeing you on the bus. I got a new job, and I'm moving to New York.

Person 2: Whereabouts?

Person 1: Manhattan. It's for a company I used to work for. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It's going to be amazing. I fly out on Thurdsay.

Person 2: Do you know where you're going to live?

Person 1: I got a great place, just five blocks from my new office.

(long pause)

Person 1: What are you thinking?

Person 2: I'm just thinking that I've always wanted to kiss you, and now I'll never have the chance.

Person 1: Oh, no, you need someone much taller, with better legs.

(short pause, while I assume Person 1 rolls up at least one pant leg)

Person 1: See? My legs are all pasty and skinny.

Person 2: No, your legs are perfect.

Honestly, it was all I could do not to turn around and watch the scene unfold. Among other things, I love the free entertainment available on most public buses. Unfortunately, I had to get off the bus right after the perfect legs comment, so I have no idea what happened. Best of luck to Person 1 at your new job in Manhattan!

Christmas Tree is Up!

2011-12-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

We got our Christmas tree! Every year, we go to the tree and wreath sale at the UW-Madison Stock Pavilion. You drive right inside, pick out your tree, write a check to the forestry club, and you're on your way. So fun. I'm completely in love with our tree and the lovely light-up tinsel star at the top. Soon we'll have the ornaments on it, and our own little indoor woodland will be complete.

But let's get serious. I'm trying to decide on a tree skirt. You may remember our original mini-skirt from 2009. Since that time, we've gotten a new tree stand, so we needed a larger skirt. I made a blue and brown one last year, and that was the one I originally put on our tree this year:

But last night I was at a thrift store, and I snagged this hand-crocheted beauty in 100% acrylic for just 60 cents. That's right, 60 cents.

So now the dilemma is choosing which tree skirt to use. I like Bluey, but Acrylicy is so sweet and quaint. I know I don't need two tree skirts, but I'm afraid that if I re-donate Acrylicy, it won't get purchased and loved by anyone else. Can I really live with that kind of guilt? Christmas is so difficult. Please feel free to comment with your opinion, or just stay tuned and I'll let you know what we end up doing.

First Christmas Present!

2011-12-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Guess what? I got my first Christmas present of the year! My sweet friend Laura left it on our doorknob yesterday, and it was waiting when I got home from work. All wrapped up in woodland Christmas paper and everything! She's so thoughtful. And the card was signed "XOXOXO, Gossip Girl." My friends are the best.

Last week, my mom gave us an Avent calendar that is also perfectly woodland critter-themed. Plus it has glitter on it. What more could you ask for, really? It's precious. I can't wait to start opening the doors to see what's inside! Here's our little Hedgie, showing off the gift from Laura and the Advent calendar from my mom:

Advent Calendar Mayhem

2011-12-01T11:18:00.001-08:00

I'm sure you've been wondering what I put inside our Advent calendar. Well, wonder no longer.

What we have here is a little assortment of goodies from Trader Joe's and World Market, plus a couple of other things I picked up here and there. The little Pinnochio is from our trip to Italy this spring.

"Help! I'm stuck in a stocking!"

Here's what he looks like at night.

Chocolates, lip balm, and more chocolates aren't my dream contents for the Advent calendar, but December 1st crept up on me and it was the best I could do. I have a secret plan for next year's calendar: I'm going to put 24 slips of paper in our nightstand. Then throughout the year, when we do something special together or have a really great day or something happens that we want to remember, I can write it down on one of the slips of paper. Secretly, of course. Then when December 1 comes, I can just roll up the slips of paper and put one in each stocking. Karl can open one up each day and read about some of our favorite memories from 2012. Hopefully we'll have more than 24 memorable days, but realistically, it will be an accomplishment for me to write down that many!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 30

2011-11-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for:

venison chili in the crockpot

the chance to wrap up birthday presents for our nephew's 2nd birthday party

a not-so-little treat I just ordered for our house... I'll tell you all about it when it gets here!

the library

Christmas movies, especially this one!

the Thirty Days of Thankfulness project (which I did not invent); it has kept me thinking all month long

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 29

2011-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

This morning before work, we hung up our Advent calendar. I still need to fill it up, but it made me so happy to get those 24 little stockings up on our fireplace.

Last night I got home from work after a looooong work day (ending at 9:00) and I found the sweetest surprise! My mom had dropped off a copy of this book, which I've been secretly wishing for. I'm thankful for my mom and her thoughtful treats. Can't wait to try some of the projects in the book-- there's even a squirrel ornament, which of course will be perfect for Woodland Critter Christmas!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 28

2011-11-28T12:57:00.001-08:00

Today I'm thankful for the fantastic thrift stores in our area. I love shopping at thrift stores because of the prices, the environmental impact, and the fact that the money I spend goes to an organization doing lots of great things in the community. I also love the idea that any item I purchase has a secret past that I'll never know about. So mysterious and fun! But even more fun when this sign is posted on the door:

That's right, twenty percent off at my hometown St. Vincent de Paul store on Black Friday. My mom and I found a few treasures, including wrapping paper that I've already put to use. Whoever thought of thrift stores was a total genius.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 27

2011-11-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Overheard today (from a little boy):

"Ya, but infinity only goes up to 'and beyond.'"

I'm thankful for all of the candid little comments I overhear on a regular basis at work. I'm not eavesdropping; a lot of kids just aren't really good at talking quietly.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 26

2011-11-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with lots of family time with Karl's family and my mom. We had amazing food, celebrated our nephew's second birthday, and got some plans nailed down for Woodland Critter Christmas. The newest addition is the meringue contest. I'm imagining meringue mushrooms and possibly squirrel tails. I'd better start practicing!

I'm thankful for our family and friends, and for what promises to be a delightful Christmas!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 23

2011-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Remember the other day when I broke a mug? Well, a chunk of the handle was still hanging around in the garbage disposal today, causing all kinds of havoc. I'm thankful for:

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 22

2011-11-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

I paid our mortgage today. While I don't love paying that ridiculous amount every month, I am thankful that:

We have a house to live in

We have enough income to pay for our house

Our bank (UW Credit Union) is fantastic

My sweet husband is great at home repairs

We live in a safe neighborhood within walking distance of lots of things, including the bus line, grocery stores, and a movie theater

Karl and I have an emerging shared vision of how we want our house to be "someday"

Our cozy fireplace is willing to work for us all winter long, keeping us happy and warm

I get to wake up tomorrow and not have to leave the house to go to work... I took the day off and I'm looking forward to an around-the-house pie-baking jammie-wearing kind of day. Hooray!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 21

2011-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

I know a girl who is allergic to corn. I am really thankful that I don't have that allergy. Talk about inconvenient. Actually, the only thing I'm allergic to is nickel, which is pretty easy to live with. I just have to keep a sweatband in my banjo case to protect my wrist from the nickel-laden metal part of the instrument. Who doesn't want to play banjo while wearing a pink sweatband?

I'm also thankful for a nice sunshiney run this morning, for friends who make me laugh, for fires in the fireplace, and for the fact that I don't own any clothing that says "ZUMBA" on it in rainbow colors. Unlike one of my Zumba classmates last night (not the teacher). Who knew they make parachute pants and matching tank tops with ZUMBA written all over them? I really was dying to know the back story on how that woman got her outfit. Where, when, and why, please.

Oh my gosh. Do a Google images search for "Zumba clothing."

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 20

2011-11-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

Today I tried Zumba for the first time. And the last time. It was an okay workout, but man alive, that music is dorky. I was thankful for:

the rest of the people in the class, who seemed just as uncoordinated as me
the opportunity to leave early (during a water break)
an open lane in the pool, where I went to finish working out. No dorky music there, thank you very much.

Karl and I went grocery shopping and I think we've got everything we need for Thanksgiving! We're doing the two-family double-header this year, so I better start working up an appetite now! We're planning to get our Christmas tree on Friday and I cannot wait. Did I mention that I'm thankful for Karl? I am. He's the best.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 19

2011-11-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today I accidentally broke three drinking vessels (two glasses and one mug) in three separate shows of coordination. I'm thankful that we had more than three drinking vessels at the beginning of today.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 18

2011-11-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

This morning I got up early and went swimming before work. And it was a looooong day at work, so I was thankful all day for my morning swim. It made the day a lot more bearable. I'm also thankful that my mom called a couple of hours ago! She was in the neighborhood, and she picked me up and we did a little bit of Christmas shopping. It was a fun surprise to see her!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 17

2011-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for:

Items crossed off my to-do list

A short Friday to-do list

A two-day work week next week! (Well, okay, four days if you count Saturday and Sunday)

The luxury of not needing to own two cars

A really nice swim last night

A brisk but sunny walk to the Post Office today

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 16

2011-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started and ended my day at healthcare facilities. I had a 7:45am appointment at the clinic for routine blood tests, which was super fast and easy. But on my way to my banjo class last night, I was rear-ended, so after class I stopped by urgent care. Just a casual spine X-ray, nothing to worry about. So today I'm thankful for access to medical care.

The people at urgent care last night were really nice. I got there fifteen minutes before they closed, which I apologized for about a thousand times. They were all super cheerful and made me feel like I wasn't standing between them and their cozy houses and families (even though I was). I hope I treat library patrons the same way when they come in just before closing!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 15

2011-11-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

Is it really already November 15? How in the world did half of November already happen?!

Today I'm thankful for:

My wonderful husband, who got up early to drive me to work

The gorgeous, gorgeous weather (I ran home yesterday, with no jacket or gloves)

The promise of a Chirstmas tree in the near future (I cannot wait to decorate for Christmas!)

My Tuesday schedule at work, which includes two storytimes and an after-school knitting club

Working in walking distance of the Post Office

Approved vacation for the day before Thanksgiving! I work on Saturday and Sunday, but I'll have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. Yay!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 14

2011-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for screen-free days (like yesterday!), when I don't look at a computer at all. So refreshing.

Last night I was talking with some friends about curtains. At our house, we still have the boring blinds that came with the house. Snooze. But I've been searching and searching for the perfect curtains-- or at least ones that I like. Nothing too sophisticated. Nothing too drapey. Just something fun and colorful. A few months back, I met the curtains of my dreams at a coffee shop. They were darling: floral but not too floral, colorful but not overwhelming. The barista told me the curtains were from Urban Outfitters, so of course I immediately tried to order them... only to find out that they were discontinued (why a company would discontinue the most darling curtains ever is beyond me). After our curtain chat yesterday, I decided to check out the Urban Outfitters site just to see what else they've come up with. And guess what? THEY'RE BACK! The perfect curtains are now available... backordered, but whatever. I just have to do some measuring at home and then order them. I cannot wait. And let me just say that the photos on the website don't do these curtains justice. They're way cuter than they look online. All that to say that I'm thankful for potential home improvements!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 12

2011-11-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

How luxurious is it to lay in bed mid-morning, reading? Very. I love it. Today I'm thankful for the chance to relax.

For you curious readers who commented with questions:

1. Karl and I went to Luigi's, a new Food Fight restaurant near Sequoya Library, with Nichole and JM. I'll let you wait and read the full report on their blog, but for now, let's just say... go somewhere else. The best part was going next door for chocolate-dipped bananas for dessert and then checking out the self-check machines at the library (Nichole is a librarian, too; we love these things).

2. Photos of the miracle posters, taken in the driveway... there are 12 all together, but I'll just give you a little peek. They're by illustrator Brian Wildsmith and I think they were made in 1971. Each month features a different animal.

My friend Caitrin used to tell me that I was the world's worst photographer, because I was always cutting people's heads off in pictures. I guess that applies to turkeys, too (look on the left). Oops. Always room for improvement, I guess!

This one might be my favorite:

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 11

2011-11-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Guess what Karl and I get to do tonight? We get to go out for dinner with Nichole and JM of Eating in Madison A to Z! Nichole and I went to library school and volunteered with the Jail Library Group together. We also ride bikes and play games together sometimes. So I am thankful for what will surely be a fun evening of good food and good company!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Four on Ten Edition

2011-11-11T10:52:00.001-08:00

Usually on the tenth of every month, I post ten photos of my day, as part of the Ten on Ten project. Yesterday was the tenth, and here are all the photos I took. In my defense, I had an all-day meeting and I didn't want to be the inappropriate person taking pictures during a meeting. Then I got to hang out with a sweet baby, and of course we were much too busy playing to even think about getting the camera out.

Garage roof dusted with snow :: Car heater turned up :: Knitting bag :: Teeny knitted gnome

I'm thankful for tons and tons of great ideas that were shared at yesterday's meeting (youth services librarians are a creative bunch, let me tell you!), and for the chance to play with Baby K, who is cruising around as if he's been walking all his life. He's also on the verge of talking... so fun.

Oh and I am thankful for the Meeting Miracle of yesterday. For a long time, I've been looking for a certain set of posters that we had when we were growing up. They're basically impossible to find. At yesterday's meeting, some people brought extra stuff to give away. I brought a really awesome tri-fold flannel board that we weren't using (it got snapped up right away) and two pitiful marionettes that no one wanted. The poor things are going to Goodwill later this weekend. But I scored-- you guessed it-- the entire set of posters. The whole set! They're not perfect but they're intact because they were laminated and honestly I think it was meant to be. I was so happy that I nearly hugged the librarian who put them in the swap pile. A Meeting Miracle, I tell you!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 9

2011-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

This morning Karl and I left the house in the pouring rain. By 9:15am, I was watching snow fall sideways out the windows of the library.

I'm thankful for:

My co-workers, who are lovely to work with

The teensy bit of sunlight remaining in the sky at 5pm

A weekend, only two days away!

The promise of a fire in the fireplace tonight

The cutest little itty bitty gnome on my knitting needles

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 8

2011-11-08T12:35:00.002-08:00

It's rainy and dreary, and we finally turned on the heat (but I'm trying to convince Karl to turn it off-- it's in the mid-50's today!). I'm thankful for:

Storytimes this morning

My 'tween knitting club this afternoon

Banjo class tonight!

A husband who chops up butternut squash and helps me make delicious dinners

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 7

2011-11-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

How is it already November 7? Wasn't it just September?

Today I'm thankful for:

A reasonable to-do list

A newly cleaned storage closet at work

Fun ideas from other librarians

Finding my pinking shears (they were in the storage closet)

Usually I work from noon till 9pm on Mondays, but today I'm working 9-5, which is AWESOME! I love it. You guessed it: I'm thankful for today's work schedule.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 6

2011-11-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for the extra hour we had today! I slept in, went to a baby shower, visited Karl's grandma, and did a bunch of canning and freezing. We now have several quarts of beets (not pickled; I used my new pressure canner so I didn't have to pickle them!) in the pantry and a few bags of frozen kale, squash, and pumpkin in the freezer. I'm thankful for the big bucket of beets my mother-in-law picked for us; we'll enjoy them all winter long!

It's not even six o'clock and my to-do list is basically finished! Hello knitting. Hello reading. Yes please.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Five

2011-11-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for gorgeous weather! I'm just about to walk out the door to frolic in the sunshine. I love fall!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Four

2011-11-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for a day off with my husband. Seriously this never happens. He has clinicals every Saturday and Sunday right now from noon to 11pm. So a whole day together is very rare. We went on a little tour of thrift stores this morning. I scored a water bath canner with the insert for jars and everything. I already have one water bath canner, but having two means I'll be able to process twice the number of jars at one time. Oh and it was $1.67 after tax.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Three

2011-11-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to a conference in Milwaukee today, where my library director and I are giving a presentation. I'm thankful for the bus ride there, a nice long chunk of uninterrupted knitting. I love sitting back and relaxing while someone else takes care of the driving. With Christmas just around the corner, I 'll take all the knitting time I can get!

And I'm thankful for the chance to hang out with two of the coolest kids ever, William and Henry, tonight!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 2

2011-11-02T12:31:00.001-07:00

Today it's rainy, and I'm thankful for:

an indoor job

hot tea

wool socks

my husband picking me up after work

Today is the birthday of my lovely friend Bridget, who passed away this spring after a courageous battle with cancer. I'm thankful for the chance to have dinner with her sweet husband, who lives in Portland but is coming through Madison, and friends tonight at one of Bridget's favorite restaurants.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day 1

2011-11-01T10:10:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's already Thirty Days of Thankfulness time again! Many thanks to Cassie for being on the ball and posting her first Thirty Days entry super early today-- I probably would have forgotten otherwise!

Today I'm thankful for sunshine and leaves turning colors. I'm thankful that I got to drive to work today, which means that my commute was super short and I can go run a couple of errands at lunch (I'm buying tomatoes and ginger for slow cooker Palak Paneer, if you must know). I'm thankful for my husband, who was washing dishes as I left the house this morning, and who studies around the clock so that he can finish his nursing program.

And I'm thankful that Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is back on in its full glory. Man, I love that show. We don't have cable, but the full episodes are available online. If you've ever secretly wanted to be a dancer or a cheerleader or a prancy-prance type of girl, you'll love it.

Sharp Shooter

2011-10-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

This is what my brother gave my mom for her birthday. It's a BB gun. She lives in the country, okay? She has a lot of varmints that like to destroy things. We're just trying to be proactive.

This is one side of my mom's yard. Notice the beautiful red apples hanging from the tree, just wainting to be eaten... or shot at.

Guess who nailed an apple on her first shot?

Weekend at Home

2011-10-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to my mom's house. All of my siblings were there, too. We played a lot of Boggle (our favorite game) and ate nonstop. Here are a few peeks at the highlights:

I love rural Wisconsin.

Yep, we did the 10 for $10 deal.

Elsworth and Lia's sweet dog, Libby, in her mummy costume

A little trip to the apple orchard

I have adored this cabin at the orchard for basically my entire life. You can look in the windows and it's set up like a real old house, with furniture and accessories and everything.

My mom!

I Love My Husband

2011-10-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, our across-the-street neighbors came over for dinner. We made Brazilian Black Bean Stew, the same meal I made for Karl on our very first date. The food was delicious, the company was fantastic, but the best part came after the neighbors had gone home and the kitchen had been cleaned up. We could have plunked down and watched The Office, as usual. It was tempting. But at Karl's suggestion, we got out our instruments and played a few songs together. Just your typical lineup: You Are My Sunshine, She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, Careless Love, those kinds of songs. Karl is so patient and tolerated my millions of requests to change every song to multiple keys (I'm learning how to change keys in my banjo class). It was so nice just to be doing something together, to take the time to interact. I recommend it.

Ten on Ten: October

2011-10-11T07:09:00.001-07:00

Making pumpkin cookies (again!)

Chimney cleaning by my multi-talented husband, looking forward to many cozy fires this winter

Karl's contribution to our seasonal decorations

Let the raking begin!

Karl got to go canoeing at Devil's Lake... I got to go to work. Not fair. But I'm glad one of us got to go.

From the bike path on my way to a meeting on campus (repeat x 5-- it was so beautiful)

Cutest Wedding Ever

2011-10-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Our friends Angie and Brett got married yesterday! The wedding was outdoors at a park in Madison. Everything was just gorgeous.

They had a woodland theme... so great. Perfect for fall. Here's their arbor, on the edge of the lake where they said their vows.

Perched at the top of the arbor were these little friends.

The musicians! Love that banjo!

Angie walking down the hill to the ceremony with her dad. Her dress was beautiful! It actually made me want to get married again so I could wear a dress like that. And boots.

Angie and I know each other through our knitting group. What a great bunch! Do you see Stacy's needles poking out of her red and white purse?

The Gomers (a local live karaoke band) played at the reception, and the knitters really rocked the house. I mean, not this knitter specifically, but Stacy, Kate, Anna and Pixie all belted out rockstar-quality tunes on stage. Karl and I did sing one song but it was so embarassing I don't even want to talk about it. I have some seriously self-confident friends.

We had so much fun! Angie's woodland touches were darling (hand-felted wool acorns, anyone? How about invitations with owls on them?), and of course the reception had us all laughing and dancing. Can we do it again next weekend?

Presto Pesto Chicken

2011-10-06T13:34:00.001-07:00

Karl and I have been enjoying a recipe from this cookbook for pesto chicken and sweet potatoes. It's pretty amazing: combine three ingredients in the morning, and enjoy an actual meal in the evening. By "actual meal," I mean something other than granola bars and bagels. In the cookbook, the author gives instructions on how to make your own pesto, but here is my quick and easy version of the recipe:

Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

You'll need:

Chicken breasts (2 or 4, or I suppose any number as long as everything fits in the slow cooker)

Pesto (any kind)

Sweet potatoes (how many do you want to eat? That's how many you should put in. Again, I think any number is fine as long as they fit in the slow cooker).

A piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper about as big as your slow cooker (a little bit bigger. It doesn't have to be exact. Just tear off a piece and as long as it covers the slow cooker, you're all set).

Assemble and cook:

Put the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Spoon a big dollop of pesto onto each piece. Cover the chicken with the aluminum foil (just lay it on there. It doesn't have to be perfect). Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and put them on top of the aluminum foil. Put the cover on your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Then enjoy your meat-and-potatoes dinner!

Today

2011-10-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today I am...

Hoping my husband feels lots better in time for his finals

Going for a lunchtime walk in the gorgeous sunshine

Riding my bike home! There won't be many more opportunities to do that this year

Looking forward to chili for dinner

Ready for my banjo class... I've been practicing all week!

Loving the fall colors (no I did not take that photo... I borrowed it from here)

Hosting 'tween knitting club at the library

A little overwhelmed with millions of work projects

A little overwhelmed with millions of home projects

Thinking that hot tea might be a nice pick-me-up this afternoon

Baby Biker Hoodie II

2011-09-26T07:44:00.001-07:00

One of my most favorite things in the world is surprising people. I just love it.

When Kate's son was born a year ago, I knit him a little blue cardigan and was thrilled beyond words when I saw photos of him wearing it (in the garden, no less). So for his first birthday, I thought he'd need another sweater. I used the same pattern and some lucious red and white wool. For the past few months at our knitting group (which Kate is part of ), I've been lying about who the sweater is for. Tee hee.

This is actually my second Baby Biker Hoodie-- the first is probably the first of many. Who can resist a baby sweater with bikes on it?! Kate and her family love biking. I even got to go on a bike ride with them recently. So fun.

You can see some photos of the sweater in action here. Caution: cutest smile ever!

The Big Three

2011-09-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Karl and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary this week! It was on Tuesday night, and since he had to study and I had banjo class, we snuck in a special early dinner. We had figs, stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped with prosciutto, as an appetizer (sounds fancy, but they were really very easy-- the perfect appetizer to make ahead). Then we had salad, roasted potatoes, and a yummy rolled beef dish in the slow cooker. The beef recipe called for kitchen twine... I just used cotton yarn. No one's been sick yet, so I guess it was okay. I've always been terrible at photographing food, so I'll spare you most of the images and just share these:

It was still light outside when we had dinner, but I wanted candlelight anyway!

There it is... thin beef, wrapped around parmesan and parsley, rolled up and tied with kitchen twine.... er, cotton yarn from my knitting basket. Trust me, it looked good in person.

I ordered a mini version of our wedding cake from our favorite bakery. This also looked good in real life... geez, these photos are terrible. Just picture the best meal you've ever seen, okay?

I can't believe it's been three whole years since our magical day. I'm so lucky to have the best husband ever. Apologies to all of you other girls out there.

This is just to say

2011-09-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

We picked up these plums last weekend at the farmer's market, and they've been ripening in a bowl on the counter ever since. I just love them. They remind me so much of:

My grandma and the plum cake she used to make

This scrumptious poem by William Carlos Williams:

This is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

This is why I'm not allowed in thrift stores.

2011-09-16T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today I had to drive to Portage, a town about an hour away, for a work meeting. I grabbed my ipod, loaded with a very addicting audiobook, and headed out.

After the meeting, I really had no choice but to stop at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Portage. And then at the St. Vinnie's Dig and Save when I got back in to Madison. I don't drive very often (usually I'm on my bike or the bus), so this was a rare chance for me to fill up our little car with thrifted goodies. It's a good thing our car is small, because I was really on a roll today and very nearly tried to tie a humongous hutch onto the canoe rack. It's such a darling hutch. I might go back tomorrow to see if it's still there.

Want to see what I brought home?

I know a little girl who calls these "corners."

There's a fine line between need and... well, it doesn't matter. I needed this globe.

Just in case our current tent ever malfunctions. Now we have a backup. Plus we might have kids someday and they'll want to play with a tent in the yard.

Lately I've been drooling over projects like this one. Soon the hideous light fixture in our guest room will be replaced by a work of art by yours truly. And even if it doesn't turn out to be as gorgeous as I imagine, it can't be any worse than what we've got in there right now.

Another project-to-be. I'm seeing blue paint... maybe I can use the same color on the light fixture and the table. Hey, what's that on top of the table? Is that a mug? Yes, yes it is. Why on Earth would a girl who already owns one million mugs need another one? I can't answer that. All I can say is that they regularly call to me from thrift store shelves and garage sale tables.

Come on. It has smiling lemons on it.

I've been thinking about trying pressure canning, but I didn't want to make a huge investment. Problem solved. And this is the second white enamel stockpot I've found this summer. This one might become a give-away for some lucky blog reader... since I've done so many give-aways this year (zero).

An embroidered tablecloth! My dream kitchen is red and aqua... this will fit right in. In twelve years when we actually get around to creating that dream kitchen.

In the course of taking these pictures, I managed to knock down our blinds and almost poke a huge hole in the couch. That will not surprise any of you. Just thought you should know. xo

2011-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of reading this treasure...

Here's my favorite part so far:

In September's world, many things began with pan. Pandemic, Pangea, Panacea, Panoply. Those were all big words, to be sure, but as has been said, September read often, and liked it best when words did not pretend to be simple, but put on their full armor and rode out with colors flying.

I just love the idea of words putting on full armor and riding out with colors flying. Yes, please.

I've Got My Hush Puppies On: Labor Day Recap

2011-09-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know a secret? Anytime I have to say "Labor Day" or "Memorial Day," I quickly remember which is which by thinking of Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett. One line says "Headin' out to San Francisco for the Labor Day Weekend Show" and then later "Yes, it's been quite a summer." So if it's been quite a summer, then Labor Day must be at the end of the summer, right? So the other one is Memorial Day. There ya go, a little hint to make your life easier.

I adore three-day weekends, and this past weekend was no exception. A few highlights:

Organizing our Tupperware drawers. Is it weird that I love this? I could organize Tupperware all day every day and be happy as a clam. My mom could have told you this when I was about three days old, and it's still true. Plus our Tupperware area is now completely revolutionized.

Making Ginger-Pear Preserves with pears from Kate... it turned out delicious and lovely. If you try the recipe, I recommend immersion-blending it right before putting it into jars.

Canning salsa with tomatoes from my mother-in-law's garden. Our pantry has never been so full of home-canned goodies! So far we've got pickles, salsa, diced tomatoes, and at least four kinds of jam.

A nap! I love naps. So luxurious.

Going on a nice long bike ride with Kate, Jeremy, and Jr. We rode from Belleville to New Glarus on two state trails. We had perfect biking weather-- sunny and cool.

Several picnics and walks with my sweetie

Working on my knitting project, a red hooded baby cardigan. Would you like to see it? I'm not finished... it's still sleeveless and the hood is just one big rectangle, but here you go...

I hope you had a lovely weekend and are enjoying the short work week!

Rummage Sale Finds

2011-08-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

Karl and I hit a super sweet church rummage sale on Saturday after the farmer's market. Here's a peek at what we brought home:

A vintage Pyrex dish with lid (which I have already cooked dinner in, thank you very much... for $1.50, I couldn't possibly leave it there)

A Snoopy Christmas ornament (Ten cents! Ten cents for an ornament featuring my favorite dog ever!)

A Christmas tree topper (It's about time. For the past three years, we've been making weird ones out of things that really don't belong on the tops of Christmas trees. Plus it was 25 cents.)

A humongous tub of Tinker Toys with their original antique packaging and instructions

A delightful homemade laundry bag

Okay, so there's nothing in the photo that we actually needed. But the prices were awesome, so even if we just enjoy our treasures for a little while, I won't feel badly donating them or reselling them in our own yard sale. Plus it was so much fun picking things out with Karl.

But wait, there's more. Karl spotted these old puzzles and immediately fell in love. For 50 cents apiece, the bookshelf in our living room now has just the little something it needed:

Mostly I loved seeing him so happy about his finds. And so happy about displaying them on the top of the bookshelf. Yes, there is now a picture called "Last Cartridge" featuring a cowboy shooting at a bear with his dead horse at his feet in full view in our home. Why wouldn't there be?

Craigslist Score-a-Thon

2011-08-23T06:23:00.001-07:00

Ever since we got married (three years ago!), we've had this plain-Jane, falling-apart, hand-me-down IKEA table. It has been great for art projects, because we don't care what happens to the top.

It has also been great for storing our cloth napkins and such, because the top lifts off. IKEA is so genius. By the way, the set started with six chairs but two of them are beyond repair, with two more heading that direction.

So for a long time, I've been trolling Craigslist for a new table. It had to be small, and we needed chairs. Last week, we snagged this adorable vintage set:
Cute, huh? I love the painted details.

The day after we bought our new table, we posted the old one on Craigslist. Within an hour, it was out the door. I thought we'd have trouble selling it because we were very up front about the falling-apartness of the chairs, but it's the time of year when a lot of students are moving in to new apartments, and I guess the price was right. Here's the best part: The price of the new set minus the amount we got for the old set equals $100. One hundred dollars! For a super cute table and four chairs. I think we lucked out.

Dinner at Eight

2011-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

My lovely friend Andi and her friend Rebekah have been posting all about their totally wonderful Dinner at Eight project. Of course I wanted to jump in, too, so last night I put together a special dinner for Karl. Today he started his one-year intensive nursing program, so Dinner at Eight was a good way to celebrate that new beginning and send him off to his first day well fed and feeling loved. Even though the official Dinner at Eight theme for the month is picnics, I went with an Italian theme. We'll just say it was an indoor, Italian picnic, okay? Karl loves Italian food, and I had been hoarding a few little treasures from our trip to Italy this spring and I just couldn't wait to use them.

Sunday was a pretty busy day, so I decided to make the main dish in the slow cooker. Many thanks to this cookbook, the kitchen smelled delicious all day and we ended up with amazing Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs. p.s. I took most of these pictures during the getting-ready stage (I knew I'd forget to take pictures during the meal!).

I set the table with paper placemats from our favorite restaurant in Florence (Who am I kidding? They were all our favorite.) and candle lanterns I recently snagged on clearance at Crate & Barrel.

We started off the meal with two appetizers. One was honeydew melon and prosciutto, a favorite from our Italy trip.

The other was caprese salad, with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.

Who could say no to tortellini? This little bag was imported (in my backpack) and stashed in the freezer until now.

The slow-cooked ribs knocked our socks off. Karl said they were the best ribs he's ever had, and I think he might have been serious. Lucky for him, there are leftovers in the fridge!

For dessert, I considered making tiramisu, but gelato won out in the end. Mainly because I wanted to use the little gelato cups and spoons I secretly brought home. We had pistachio and dark chocolate, which also happened to be our favorites in Italy.

After dinner, I gave Karl a little back-to-school gift, an electric kettle. He loves to use the French press to make coffee in the morning, so this will get him off to a quick start!

As you probably know, I love projects and themes, so this Dinner at Eight will likely not be the last at the Struckmeyer house! Thanks to Rebekah and Andi for the inspiration!

Time to Start Crafting

2011-08-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

As you may know, we're planning a Woodland Critter Christmas at our house. I'm hoping to make at least one gift for each person in our family-- a minimum of eight woodland-inspired gifts. I just did a little counting on the calendar and realized that we have eighteen weeks until Christmas. That's only eighteen weeks to knit little woodland critters (after the two baby sweaters I'm working on!), felt woodland critter-inspired cozies (egg? coffee? beer? fruit?), and sew snack bags with woodland critter-themed prints (don't hold your breath, family members. I've never actually sewn a snack bag before). Not to mention collect recipes for woodland-inspired dishes and screen print gift tags featuring furry friends. Geesh, I'm already getting stressed out just thinking about it. I better go make a list.

Owl, anyone?

Leave My Tomatoes Alone, Please

2011-08-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of finding tomatoes that look like this:

Honestly, the squirrels have eaten more of my tomatoes this year than I have.
So this morning, on the advice of several friends, I went outside with this:

The ground around the tomato plants is now sprinkled with cayenne pepper and two types of fresh hot peppers. Hopefully that will do the trick and keep our furry friends away!

Seen on my bike ride to work

2011-08-15T09:00:00.001-07:00

Ten on Ten: August 2011

2011-08-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this a little early today because my afternoon and evening are jam-packed with reference desk hours (you don't want photos of that, trust me) and go-go dance practice ( I'll be too busy shimmying to take any photos; sorry!). Enjoy this little peek at my morning:

Karl making coffee, pre-early morning fishing outing :: All of the pickles sealed! :: Ready for double coupon day :: A little banjo practice in the morning :: Finally! A little peek of red! :: My ride to work :: Processing books :: Organizing storytime supplies :: Sorting through yarn donations for our knitting club :: Definitely a day for a coffee run!

More ten on ten here!

Weekend Tidbits

2011-08-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today I drove to work (because my bike got a flat last night... ugh) so I brought along our rugs and washed them at the laundromat during my lunch break. Now the car smells like laundry soap, which I love.

I'm hoping to make pickles this weekend. We'll see what the cucumber and dill situation is at the farmer's market. I haven't made pickles in at least four years, when I lived at my old old apartment and my lovely friend Bridget came over and helped. But I have a vision for a really cute Christmas present: a jar of strawberry jam with a jar of pickles. Red and green! And usable, so the recipients won't have to find a space to store something till the end of time.

Today was Karl's last day of Chemistry class! Fingers crossed for a good grade on his exam. I better make an extra lasagna for him!

Our Summer Reading Program at the library wraps up tomorrow. Huge sigh of relief. We're all ready to move on to fall programming (including my 'tween knitting group!). Summer at the library is fun but very very busy!

Enjoy the weekend!

Christmas Breakfast Just Got Sweeter

2011-08-03T12:11:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Erin, who emailed me this oh-so-woodland-critter-y photo:

What could be more perfect for Woodland Critter Christmas breakfast? Instructions on how to make your very own hedgehog donuts are here.

Defensive Camping

2011-08-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Karl and I went camping in Blue Mounds on Friday night, after a very successful (though short- thank goodness!) garage sale. We drove through the state park first, and it was packed. The state park has a pool, by the way. There were a few sites left, but we decided to check out the county park down the road. It was nearly empty... bliss! We grabbed a nice wooded site and set up camp. Knowing that other people would likely be driving through considering an overnight, Karl did some strategic placement of one particular camp item... can you see it?

How 'bout now?

Here's a close-up.

Yep, he conveniently set his guitar so it was visible from the road. Who wants to camp next to the loud, guitar-playing people? No one. And that's why we had no camping neighbors that night. It was lovely.

Actually, the entire night was lovely. We made a grilled pizza and watched the sunset, and the weather was perfect for sleeping out. We've gotta camp more often!

Woodland Critter Christmas Etsy Finds

2011-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

As you probably know, we're planning a Woodland Critter Christmas at our house this year. Of coure, I've been loving collecting ideas and little items involving squirrels, acorns, hedgehogs, mice, deer, and the like. Today I was searching on etsy, just for some inspiration. It's almost August, after all, and Christmas is right around the corner! Can't let the spirit die now!

A friend who is getting married this fall (with a woodland theme! A woodland theme, people! Why didn't anyone tell me that was an option when we got married?!) told me about some cute, rustic cupcake stands she had found on etsy. I wonder if these are the same ones? I think they're perfect for our WCC, but definitely not worth $39.99. Karl could make one of these in about four seconds. And then we could use it as firewood so we wouldn't have to store it. What do you say, honey?

I kept on searching around on etsy and found these bookends. Kind of cute, but a little too cartoony for me. Oh, and there's the $160 price tag...

And then I happened upon a real treasure. One that makes you think, "Surely this is a joke." But it isn't. Check out this acorn family tree wall sticker here. It even includes four squirrels! At just $89.99, every family needs at least one.

Thursday Lineup

2011-07-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

For the past three weeks, I've had the chance to see fantastic concerts every Thursday. Check out the lineup:

July 7: Kenny Chesney at Red Rocks
July 14: Arlo Guthrie
July 21: Gillian Welch

I'm still in post-concert haze from last night, listening to Gillian Welch on Pandora and itching to play my banjo.

Also sprinkled in during the last couple of weeks was a visit to a coffee shop where Karl and I went to see a little bluegrass band. Two of the musicians from our wedding were in the group, and it was really fun to see them.

I hope your summer includes some good live music! Soak it up!

Boring Meetings: A Suvival Guide

2011-07-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

The strategic planning session. The all-day workshop. The never-ending meeting. The seminar. We've all been there.

I'd like to share a method I use to get through those situations while keeping my brain alive. I like to call it "Alphabet Roundup." But you can call it whatever you like; maybe you should brainstorm names during your next long meeting. You can write them down while pretending to take important notes.

Playing Alphabet Roundup is really simple. All you need is a basic knowledge of the alphabet. Start the game by listening for the speaker to say a word that begins with the letter a. After you've heard one, start listening for a word that begins with b. And so on and so forth, all through the alphabet. When you've finished with the letter z, you get to check the clock. That's your prize.

If you've got limited time, consider adapting Alphabet Roundup (also consider yourself very lucky). You might make certain letters "wildcards," which can be found any time, not just in their sequential places in the alphabet. For example, if you decide that v is a wildcard, and you hear the word "voracious," go ahead and count it even if you're really only through h. I like to make a little box on my agenda with my wildcard letters, so I can cross them off as I hear them.

Of course, there are many other adaptations that can be made to Alphabet Roundup; why not listen for words that end with each letter? Why not start with a list of all 26 letters and cross each one off as you hear it, regardless of the order (that goes really fast, and I only recommend it in a big group because it's pretty obvious)? The possibilities are endless.

Curry Chicken Salad

2011-07-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

It's hot here. I feel like I'm wilting every time I go outside. Karl and I have our little window air
conditioner going full blast, and it's still hot in the house. The last thing I'm about to do is cook.

Here's one of my new favorite recipes, Curry Chicken Salad. I got this recipe for a wedding shower (almost three years ago!), and I just tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Remind me to try more of those wedding-shower recipes; what if they're all this good?!

Curry Chicken Salad (serves 2)

1/2 cup chopped chicken breast (get a rotisserie chicken or talk your husband in to grilling on the weekend so you have chicken for this salad during the week)
1/2 cup red grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped apple
1 T dried currants
3 T mayo or mayo-ish product
1 T honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
a pinch of salt
a pinch of pepper
1 T chopped almonds or walnuts

Combine the first four ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix mayo and the next five ingredients to create a dressing. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and mix well. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill and serve in pita bread or a wrap. Yum!

Maxwell Street Finds

2011-07-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I ventured downtown to the annual Maxwell Street Days sale. It's always crazy and packed, but I still usually manage to find some good bargains.

I've been hoping for a while to replace my worn-out Keens. This picture doesn't make them look that bad, but believe me, they've got to go.

I was so thrilled to find not one, but two replacement pairs! One for summer...

And one for whenever... (I love these. I almost bought them full price a few months ago!)

My other great score of the day was this sweet tote bag for fifty cents! Can you believe it?

I also brought home two huge bags of art supplies for work and a couple of things from Urban Outfitters, which I have already worn. Hooray for bargains!

Arlo Guthrie in Concert!

2011-07-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, my mom and Karl and I went to see Arlo Guthrie at the Barrymore Theater right here in Madison. It was so so so so good! Here we are before the show... I wasn't going to post this picture because when I looked at it, the first thing I said was, "I have got to start wearing makeup." But if you read my blog then I'm sure you know me in person and you've seen me looking much worse. So here ya go:

Karl is so photogenic. And he was wearing makeup. No, not really.

I took about 20 blurry photos of Arlo. This is the best of them. Totally doesn't do him justice. And we weren't even far back in the theater; we had awesome seats. So just believe me when I say that he sounded fantastic, looked great, and totally engaged the crowd. And his wife was sitting two rows ahead of us.

An added bonus was going out for Thai food beforehand. The leftovers were my lunch! Lucky me!

Weekend in Denver

2011-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I went to Denver to see my friend Caitrin. We met in 1995 on a college orientation canoe trip. Here we are, fresh off the St. Croix river and ready to start our freshman year:

Last weekend, we went to see Kenny Chesney at Red Rocks. It rained the entire time. I was hoping for some serious country music people watching, but everyone was wearing ponchos and raincoats. Well, except for a few die-hards in cutoffs and tight tank tops. Caitrin made a clutch out of two trash bags to carry her phone in. Her phone is now not working. Note: do not rely on clutches made of trash bags to keep your phone dry in the pouring rain at an outdoor concert. But she did manage to get this picture:

Sweet, huh? The next day we drove around in the mountains and saw a marmot. It was super windy and cold. Caitrin's daughter, Macie, would have been just as happy to stay in the car the whole time! She was a good sport, though, and smiled for the pictures.

Like mother, like daughter... world's skinniest legs.

On Saturday, Macie had an Irish dance competition. She had a gorgeous new dress to wear. You would not believe all of the accessories and details that go in to getting ready. The hair was a huge undertaking, to say the least. But doesn't she look great?

Here she is, glueing her socks on like a good Irish dancer:

Seriously! What a heartbreaker. And it seems like she was just a teeny little baby sitting inside a pumpkin last week. How is she nine years old?!

Thanks to Caitrin's parents, we had this nice SportBrella to sit under:

Caitrin's aunt and I had a good time picking out the most hideous dresses. This one was a front-runner:

Macie in action! She was so great! She even got first place in one of her dances.

It started to rain just as the competition ended, so we scurried off for Mexican food and margaritas.

I have determined that I do not see my friends often enough. So you can all expect visits soon! xo

Surprises!

2011-07-12T12:30:00.001-07:00

My friend Laura recently got back from a trip to Europe. Yes, that is the same Laura who accompanied me to Greece earlier this spring. She's a jet-setter.

Before she left, she borrowed my travel purse. When she brought it back (she even delivered it in person to the library; I was so excited to see her!), it was full of goodies. Three chocolate bars (not pictured below for obvious reasons), a crocheted dishcloth, and a BSC postcard. So fun! And the dishcloth is totally, 100 percent perfect. Would you believe that she just learned how to crochet, during her trip? What a natural.

Welcome back, Laura! And thank you for the very thoughtful gifts!

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T05:55:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th!

With my older brother in 1979, ready to march in the parade!

With my grandma, looking forward to sneaking into the kitchen later and digging in to that fluffy white frosting by myself (it was Independence Day, after all... might as well show some independence!). My mom still has the plastic marching band figurines on top of the cake. They're family favorites!

Let Me Count the Ways

2011-07-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

My husband is the cutest. Here's proof:

Cake Confidential

2011-06-30T07:17:00.001-07:00

Have I ever told you how much I love cake? I adore all sweets, actually, but cake and I have always shared a special bond. My mom likes to tell a story about my two-year-old self sneaking into the house during a 4th of July party, tearing the plastic marching band off the top of the cake, and digging into the fluffy white frosting. I'm still willing to go to great lengths for a slice...

Karl and I got married in late September of 2008. On Labor Day weekend that year, we went boating with some friends on the Wisconsin River. We stopped for dinner at a restaurant/bar/supper club overlooking the river, where there happened to be a wedding reception happening. If you're anything like me, the word "wedding" immediately brings to mind a much more important word: "cake."

Naturally, I wandered in to the reception area just to look around-- you know, to get some ideas for our wedding (which, three weeks away, was fully planned, mind you). I made a hopefully subtle beeline for the dessert table. The groom was standing nearby. I congratulated him and explained that my fiancee and I were planning our wedding and trying to decide on a wedding cake vendor. Where had they gotten their cake, I asked, and were they happy with it? I totally wasn't listening as the groom told me which bakery had supplied their cake. Price, delivery, flavor options, blah, blah, blah... My ears perked up, though, when he said the magic words and my plan fell neatly into place: "You should try a piece!" Oh, no, I couldn't. It's your wedding. "No, really, you should try some. Here, let me cut you a piece." Well, okay, if you insist (sneakily grinning inside as he lopped off a humongous slice). Mmmmmm....

And that, my friends, is how it's done. See if you can score some free cake for yourself this weekend!

Today

2011-06-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

Today I am meeting my husband for lunch!

Today I am regretting not bringing my raincoat to work... and considering trying to bike with an umbrella.

Today my suitcase is packed for a weekend conference in New Orleans.

Today I'm loving salads from our garden.

Today I chose my next knitting project.

Today my lunch is full of strawberries.

Today I am already missing home a little bit, even though I haven't left for New Orleans yet.

Today I'm thinking about craft projects and book clubs.

Today I need to remember to pick up hand soap.

Today I'm wondering how July is almost here.

Today my go-go dance group will shimmy and giggle together.

Today I'm bolting out of here right this instant because the sun finally came out!

Recipe for a Happy Husband

2011-06-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

When you saw the title of this post, did you think it was going to say something like, "Mix one cup of love with three kisses, a pound of compliments and a generous scoop of laughter"?

Gross.

Maybe your husband likes cheesy things like generous scoops of laughter, but mine is perfectly happy with the following, as I found out last Friday when I ventured down to campus to meet him for lunch.

Find a beautiful, sunny day.

And a Peruvian food cart.

Make sure your husband wears some kind of Peruvian t-shirt (no doubt he's got several). Get him the sweet potato/chicken/pork wrapped in a banana leaf and an Inca Cola (which tastes exactly like bubble gum).

Watch him eat and smile and eat and smile and eat and smile. While he's doing that, think to yourself how cute he is. Because you have to admit, he is cute. Especially with that big smile and that Inca Cola.

Bake for one hour at 350.

Kidding!!! I'm totally kidding!

Out With the Old

2011-06-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

.... and in with the new (nameplate, that is). That's right, I have a new title. Here's my new, improved nameplate along with my old one (on its way out). Truthfully, though, I'm keeping the old one. I just love the word "Librarian."

Shoe Karma

2011-06-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was very very very tempted by a Groupon to a fancy local shoe store. But in the end, I didn't have $50 sitting around, and I didn't exactly need a new pair of just-for-fun shoes, and I have big feet so I wasn't even sure they would have my size, so (in a show of extreme willpower) I passed it up.

Two days later, on my bike ride to work, I stopped at a yard sale. Wonder of wonders, I found the most adorable pair of pink Dansko sandals in my size for $5! Five dollars! Danskos! Pink! My size! It was instant love. I of course wore them out to dinner that very night. My feet have never been happier- or cuter.

I truly believe that if I would have bought that Groupon, I never would have found these shoes. Maybe that's ridiculous (but maybe it's not!). In any case, I'm in love with my new pinkies.

Sunday Morning in Madison

2011-06-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning, I loaded up the canoe and joined my friend Laurie and her 5-year-old son for a Floating Circus. What's a floating circus? Well, it's just what it sounds like: a ton of people of all ages in canoes and kayaks, wearing costumes, playing instruments, singing and having fun.

The weather was perfect. We floated down a little stretch of the Yahara River, between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. These crazy, fun events are something I really appreciate about living here.

Laurie is an amazing artist and happened to have three badger hats sitting around, so our costumes were really easy!

Ten on Ten: June

2011-06-10T18:06:00.001-07:00

Post-bike ride pile in my cubicle :: To-do list :: Raindrops hanging on from last night :: Lunchtime stop at the co-op :: Ready for some weekend canoeing with friends :: Lap swim :: My favorite part of the pool area :: Pizza toppings :: Little treats :: On the kitchen table

See more ten on ten here!

Ride the Drive

2011-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, an event called Ride the Drive took over the city of Madison. Some of the main roads were closed to cars, and bikes rolled freely. It was glorious. I went with my go-go dance/bike group, the Greasy Gears, and we stopped along the route to perform. We've got a sound system that we pull in a bike trailer (the kind you put kids in) and a few spiffed-up bikes. Here's a little peek:

Dancing go-go in front of the Capitol

Fancy schmancy glitter bike (and my fishnetted legs in the background!)

Taking a break for a group photo

Messin' with the cops... as usual.

I have:

a. Never worn such a short skirt in public before, and

b. Never had so much fun before.

If you're in Madison, be on the lookout for a turquoise and silver glittery streak... it could be the Greasy Gears!

Auction, May I Take Your Bid?

2011-06-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

This was quite possibly the best weekend ever. Karl and I went canoeing on Saturday, I biked all day with my go-go dance group on Sunday, and I volunteered for two shifts at the Wisconsin Public Television annual auction. Today I volunteered with a group of eleven staff members from the library. I absolutely adore the auction and look forward to it every year, so I was thrilled to be able to rope so many of my coworkers in to it this time!

I only bought one thing from the auction while I was volunteering: a much-needed set of bike lights, at a bargain price. Can't wait to try 'em out!

Karl and I also went on a DATE on Friday! A date! Can you believe it? Don't worry, it wasn't planned or elaborate or particularly romantic. It was just dinner out at a very Wisconsin-y place on a lake. The fish fry wasn't even very good, but eating outside by the water was fantastic. Here are a few photos for your enjoyment...

I Guess I Never Told You

2011-06-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

I got a new bike bell! Isn't it cute? And it's so dingalingy. I don't know how I went so long without one.

Baby Biker Hoodie

2011-05-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

The red baby sweater I've been knitting is finally finished! The pattern is here. I changed the ribbed edging to seed stitch, and I added a little bike vrooming down one sleeve. Perfect for a bike ride on a cool evening.

Woodland Critter Christmas: More Edibles

2011-05-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

One of my siblings is gluten-free, one is allergic to dairy, and one is vegan, so it can sometimes be hard to find foods that everyone can eat (veggie curry with coconut milk is our fallback). But it won't be hard during Woodland Critter Christmas, thanks to trail mix! I'm thinking maybe a make-your-own-trail-mix bar.

I've always I (and I mean always... I've got the toddler birthday party photos to prove it) had a thing for nut cups. How could you not? They're so adorable and versatile. I can't think of a more perfect way to serve trail mix. Note to self: start scoping out the cutest nut cups you can find.

This is not trail mix or nut cup related, but it's a little piece of Woodland inspiration as the season tiptoes closer and closer. Can't you see it tied around white candles, or wrapped around packages?

Woodland Critter Christmas Edibles

2011-05-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

Kate asks what we're going to eat for Woodland Critter Christmas. It's up in the air right now, but we're not planning to eat forest friends... we're going to eat foods inspired by them! Although we might have rabbit stew, now that I think of it.

We usually make a Yule log (a cake in the shape of a log, decorated with little meringue mushrooms), but this year we'll be having... wait for it... a Yule HOG, as in Hedgehog! Like this one:

Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?

Christmas Prep... a little early

2011-05-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Karl and I were at my mom's house recently, and my little sister was paging through a British home and garden magazine (Mom, don't throw that magazine away!). She spotted an adorable wool mouse paperweight. It was something like these:

Cute, huh? We had to fight our initial impulse to create one on-the-spot because we were short on time, but the little mouse paperweight in that magazine has become the inspiration for what is sure to be the best holiday season ever. Last year, we celebrated with "Holiday Thai-dings: Christmas in the Peanut Gallery" which of course was delicious. Two years ago, our theme was "Feliz Navidad: A Mexican Christmas." Nothing like three kinds of enchiladas to get you in the holiday spirit! But this year, we've got the theme to end all themes and I cannot wait to start working on it:

Woodland Critter Christmas

Can you even imagine all the fun we're going to have crafting woodland critter ornaments, gifts, and food? I've already gone through my knitting books and marked the patterns for squirrels, mice, foxes, and bears, and I may have ordered one teensy little thing today... well, okay, two things...

Pewter buttons from my favorite online knitting shop. Don't they just scream Woodland Critter? Perfect.

Want to see the inside of my fridge?

2011-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

No, you don't. But I'll let you, just this once, so I can show off my new purchase in action:

The other day, Karl announced that we needed a butter dish (apparently the bare stick of butter on the salad plate in the fridge didn't cut it), so I jumped on the opportunity to cruise around etsy and find the perfect one. And it is adorable. Vintage Pyrex with a sweet design. Why did we go so long without this? I'm in love.

Super Sweet Thrift Find

2011-05-23T11:20:00.001-07:00

Karl and I stopped by the St. Vincent de Paul Dig-and-Save outlet on Saturday to donate a box of stuff. It's this great thrift shop where everything is in huge troughs and customers pay by the pound. Of course, we couldn't leave without going in and peeking around for bargains... and we found one! This huge enamel stockpot was just waiting for us. It had something burned to the bottom, but after a little vinegar soak, it's good as new!

Oh, and the price was fantastic: One dollar and eleven cents. Can you believe it? This pot is so perfect for canning. Before we know it, it'll be filled with strawberry jam!

Garage Sale Finds

2011-05-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday morning, I rode my bike to work. On my way, I passed two yard sales. Of course I had to stop! I picked up two planters (a red one that will be perfect for basil, and a sweet little blue and white one for a small houseplant), a very small glass measuring cup marked with ounces, teaspoons, and tablespoons, two Snoopy figurines (I have a few of these from when I was little, and these are perfect to add to my collection!), and six Hallmark pins (also joining a collection from my childhood).

Check on the little elf nestled in a leaf. Total gem right there. Love it.

This was definitely my best garage sale shopping day of the year so far, especially because it was so unexpected!

Once in a Lifetime

2011-05-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Every day, on my way to the bus stop, I use a sidewalk that crosses a Starbucks drive-through exit. All of the cars leaving the drive-through are turning right (it's a divided road, so they can only turn right), so the drivers typically only look to the left, to watch for an opening in traffic. Since I approach on the drivers' right, they don't see me. Sometimes I'm in the middle of the exit as they pull away from the window, and they still don't see me. Who knew people could be so focused on their coffee and the traffic coming from the left? Anyway, I usually manage to either jump out of the way or wave my arms enough for them to stop. It's an adventurous way to start the day, almost getting run over. Today, though, the woman who almost hit me with her truck actually stopped, rolled down the window, and apologized profusely. This has never happened before. It was great! Usually people either ignore me even more, nod at me (are they expecting me to nod back?), give me the finger, or say something nasty out the window to me. "Watch where you're going!" is a phrase I hear a lot. But an apology was like a whole new world. Truly, I wanted to hug the woman. Next time I accidentally almost kill someone, I'm going to apologize, just because I know how good it feels to be on the other side. Isn't that called paying it forward?

We CAN Do It!

2011-05-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I was on a CAN-struction team with other city workers. It was part of a huge canned food drive for a local charity. A bunch of teams from different organizations in the area competed to see who could build the most amazing structure out of canned goods. Here's a photo of our platform as we started to build in the morning.

And here is our finished product:

It's a chair and an ottoman, in case you couldn't tell. Our structure was significantly lamer than some of the others because we followed the rules, which stated that you weren't allowed to use structural supports. Humph. We didn't end up with a prize (though I unofficially gave us the "Rule Followers of the Year" award), but it was lots and lots of fun. Here are some of the other structures. See if you can spot their supports! None in ours, thank you very much.

Stamp out hunger... get it?... STAMP....

It's Cinderella's castle! It lit up, and Cinderella and the prince are even in attendance. Do you see them down towards the bottom, in the middle of the upside-down V?

Bunsen and Beaker... Karl and I agreed that this was our favorite.

Garage Sale Goodies

2011-05-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

I hit a few yard sales this morning before work! Most were duds, but I found these treasures:

Two large corkboards for work for 50 cents apiece
A Topsy-Turvy tomato planter (I've wanted to try one! I know you can make one out of a bucket or a plastic bag, but I'm lazy) for 50 cents
A complete Badge-a-Minit kit for work (including a circle cutter and two presses) for two dollars
A Yogitoes yoga mat cover for one dollar (I have one, but it gets so sweaty during class that it's hard to wash it fast enough)
I also scored a stocking stuffer for Karl- new, in package- for one dollar. I can't tell you what it is because he might read this and ruin the surprise! He'll just have to wait till next Christmas to find out! xo

I sold my first item on etsy!

2011-05-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't made a big announcement about my etsy shop yet because I wanted to get it stocked with a bunch of goodies first. But get this-- someone already bought a book from my shop! I got the email this morning and I could not believe it. Especially because the book the person bought was the one with by far the worst photos of all of the books in my shop. But it is such a great book. See for yourself...