Sugarloaf Craft Festival

Yesterday the Bug and I dragged Mr. H. to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Chantilly, VA, although there was very little dragging involved. I felt it was only fair that he attend since he's requested my company at gun shows and car shows in the past. Again, it didn't take much to get him to go; all I had to do was ask. I didn't even know about this Festival until I saw that a former roommate of mine from New York was showing at it. Thank you Facebook. Anyways, it was like any other craft fair (but much larger), with the typical vendors (but higher end) which I could have easily separated into The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly categories. Here are some of our favorites from the festival...

by Cindy J Cook (my former roomie)

by The Grant Rocker (Mr. H really liked this chair)

by Claymonster Pottery

Photo Props

We didn't have any special newborn photos taken of Sweet A. I think it was our overprotective parental instincts that prevented us from doing so. Our Bug-a-Bug was born with a few facial... deformities? They've been called "skin tags", "polyps" and "lesions", but whatever they were, they were prominent enough to make people ask, "What's on her face?" She has since had them removed, but at this age, I'm not sure she would tolerate being posed for photos. I've seen a lot of cool newborn photos and really regret not having it done. I think a professional photographer definitely could have posed Sweet A in a manner that hid her blemishes. Here are some really neat ideas for newborn photos that I'm totally in love with.

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Did you have newborn photos taken?

Just Another Day

Day 13: In Your Bag

Yesterday was my birthday. It was just another day. My stepfather used to say this all the time. We used to kid with him about it, but I now believe he was warning us. Birthdays have lost their appeal. Gone are the parties, the decorations, the cake and ice cream, the friends, the family and the presents. It's a travesty. Adult birthdays are so dull.

Mr. H tried to organize a birthday dinner for me this past weekend, only, there was no one to invite. Every year it saddens me when I realize that I have no real, quality friends anymore; a product of our nomadic ways, I'm sure. Yeah, I have work "friends", but our lives are so different outside of work, I couldn't imagine hanging out with any of them. I've tried to get involved in local Mommy groups, but they're not very working-mom friendly and have chosen to get together on the weekdays, when I'm working. I've tried to get involved with groups on Meetup, but I have yet to hear back from any of the groups I wanted to join.

Day 14: Something You're Reading

I spent my birthday at home with my Bug-a-bug. She (and I) was sick (and still is) with a pretty nasty cold so I kept her home from daycare. I'm sure daycare would have taken her, but all I could picture was my sweet girl, all alone, snot running down her face, sad and lonely and miserable and wanting her mommy. We've been cuddling a lot over these past couple of days.

We were going to go out for sushi for my birthday, but those plans were postponed. Mr. H picked up takeout from the Cheesecake Factory and a cute little cake from a local Swiss bakery. There were no candles. I recalled how last year's birthday was quite similar to this years. I was sick with a bad cold (and sick from pregnancy), we had to postpone our dinner plans (Russian food) and ordered delivery. We ate Italian and celebrated with cannolis. There were no candles then either.

Day 15: Happiness

I received a few gifts this year. Practical gifts. Mr. H, who lacks patience when it comes to gifting, gave me a gift card this past weekend. I used it to go buy some much needed clothes. On Monday he gave me the rest of my gifts, an attachment set for my Kitchenaid so that I can make Sweet A's baby food and a ring with A's birthstone surrounded by two of my birthstones. It was too big. And kind of gaudy. Plus, he already bought me an August birthstone ring that I love. It just needs to be fixed.

I've always hated having my birthday in January. It's such a blah month. The weather is disappointing and dreary and everyone is still suffering from the post-holiday hangover. Mr. H's birthday is in August. Recently we've been having some pretty good get-togethers for his birthdays. I remember when I turned 29, I told Mr. H he had exactly one year to plan a phenomenal 30th birthday party for me. He accepted the challenge. I should have known better. I did know better. I told him I wanted to go skiing in New York or Vermont. I wanted to rent a cabin for the weekend and invite all of my New York

Day 17: Water

friends and our family out with us. He had a year to plan it. He waited until a month or so before my big day to start planning. Nothing was available, no one could make it, and it was going to be too expensive. We ended up in West Virginia instead. Just the two of us on some way out there slopes. The conditions sucked. It was very warm and wet. There was no cake. No candles. No decorations.

Next year, next year, I want a party. A big party with guests and balloons and presents and a cake with candles. And I want to dress up. Why do birthdays have to be boring as adults? Why can't we still have the fun, over-the-top parties we used to have? Bring on the streamers and the party hats and the favors and the pizza. Heck, let's make it a themed party. You know what? I might even make it a sleepover. You're invited, of course.

A Photo A Day: Playing Catch-Up

I've been slacking with my Photo A Day posts, but that doesn't mean I haven't been taking them! In lieu of posting my pics, I've been spending my evenings falling asleep with my baby. My nights have been pretty unproductive, but I'm okay with that. Sweet A won't be little forever and there will soon come a day when she doesn't want to snuggle to sleep with her mommy.

Day Three: Something You Adore

Cloth diapers and leg warmers!

Day Four: Letterbox

I neglected to do this day. Every time I went to take a picture of our mailbox, someone else was there, and I felt weird taking a photo in front of others.

Day Five: Something You Wore

A piece I commissioned from my sister

 

Day Six: Makes You Smile

Just look at those eyes!

 

Day Seven: Favourite
My vintage kitchen clock, gifted to me by my mom from here

 
Day Eight: Your Sky
It's been beautiful here lately

 
Day Nine: Daily Routine
Gotta get my water!

 
Day Ten: Where You Sleep
Pillow cases and comforter from Anthropologie. Sheets...?

Day Eleven: Childhood
Stuffed animals from my childhood

 
Day Twelve: Close-Up
Oil pastels from my art room

 

Phew! I hope to do better at keeping these posts updated daily.

Kitchen Quickies

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No, not that kind of quickie. I mean the kind in which you don't have to spend forever in the kitchen making meals. Ever since I had Sweet A, the last thing I've had any motivation to do was spend any time in the kitchen. Heck, let's be honest here, I've never been motivated to spend time in the kitchen. Unless I'm baking. At any rate, since having the babe, I really, really don't want to waste what precious little time I have cooking. Mr. H and I recently decided that we need to cut back on all the delivery and take out we've been consuming (seriously though, after having a baby, returning to work two months later, AND moving three months later, delivery and take out has been SO convenient). Fortunately, winter is upon us, not that you could tell with the temperatures we've been having around here. In my mind, winter is the perfect time for crockpot meals. I can through a bunch of stuff in the pot Monday morning, and Wha-zam! Dinner for the week (unless Mr. H decides to take it for lunch, which he's done to me before). We mainly stick with chicken recipes. Right now I've got this recipe brewing, Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie. I'm typically not a fan of "convenience" foods or ingredients like condensed soup, but I was willing to overlook it for this dish.

Basic white sandwich bread

As much as I'm loving the Crockpot right now, there's another machine I'm obsessed with, the bread maker. I never would have thought I would own a bread maker. I remember when they were all the rage in the 90s. My mom had one, and she used it for a bit, but then the novelty wore off and the loaves of bread became few and far between. Well, my dad came to visit for Christmas and he came bearing a bread maker as a house warming gift for us. At first I was skeptical and appreciative, but not sure if I would ever use it. You see, I love baking, but as a rule, I avoid anything that requires yeast. If a recipe requires that a dough rise, I immediately move on while thinking back to my Amelia Bedelia days. I've never had any success with yeast breads, rolls or doughs. When I bake, I barely measure anything precisely and I'm constantly substituting ingredients. From my experience with real bread, precise measurement is a must and substitution is a no-no.

Peanut butter bread

One morning I decided to get out the bread maker and give it a shot. My dad had provided us with some of the starter ingredients after all. Well, I was right, measurements need to be exact, but I was wrong in thinking that I would fail at even bread machine bread. My first loaf came out so well, I whipped up another one later on that afternoon. Who knew bread making could be so easy? Just toss some ingredients into the machine, push some buttons, and walk away! You don't even have to mix it! My Crockpot isn't even that convenient. Well, three loaves later and I'm a fan. Mr. H recently picked up the ingredients necessary to make a whole wheat sandwich bread that he can take to work. Now if only I could find a machine to wash the bathrooms for me.

*Bread made but not pictured: Vanilla sour cream

10 Things I Love: Etsy Taste Test (aka: Typecasting)

1. Vintage Starburst Clock

2. Vintage Holiday Dishes

3. Vintage Rainbow Mugs

4. Vintage Alarm Clock

5. Vintage Russel Wright Eclipse Old Fashioned Glasses

A Photo A Day: Something You Adore

A Photo A Day: Breakfast

A Photo A Day

I've seen people do these sort of things all over the web, mostly the 365 Days of... version. In fact, I have a friend on Facebook who does this and aggravates me to no end because her daily photos are often movie posters or screen shots, and it makes me want to yell, "That's not original! Be creative!" I mean, who really wants to see that? Anyways, judgement aside, I often wonder if I'd be able to stick to a challenge that required nothing more of me than to take a photo a day of, well, anything. Um, probably not, since I get bored easily. But then I came across this unique (to me) photo a day challenge started by Fat Mum Slim that includes daily topics, and I figured, surely this is interesting enough to keep me committed, right? I guess we'll find out. I missed Day One, but you can check out my pictures beginning with Day Two here, here and of course, here.

Do you participate in anything like this?

Etsy Holiday Shopping

I hit up Etsy this year for some of my holiday shopping. I love how Etsy has something for everyone.

For the Fashionable Sister

 from LiReca

For the Nature-Loving, Farmhouse-Dwelling Sister

from Foxtail Creek Studio

For the Phish Loving, Beer Drinking Mr. H.

 from The Coaster Store

For the Cancer Awareness Aware Sister

 from PhDstressrelief

For the New Baby (aka Sweet A)

 from Sweet Pea Sunday

and...

 from Buttonwilloe Designs

For the Nursing Mommy (aka Me)

 from KangarooCare

Did you give any Etsy gifts this holiday season?