A Late Night Download

...yeah, so it's now after 1:30am and I am up getting new music. I have to admit the timing is a bit off but the new tunes were necessary. There were a few things on a list that built up...for example the Julian Casablacas solo album and a few Decemberists EPs.

I also discovered a new band from the northwest called Hey Marseilles. They are so cool that they let anyone, even this guy, embed their whole album. Take a listen...I did and I bought my first album in a few years.

 

Jack-O-Lanterns

Last night we carved pumpkins with two of our friends, to get into the "Halloween Spirit" since it's right around the corner.  I hadn't carved a pumpkin in quite awhile and forgot one of the most important steps - carve the top at a an angle to keep the stem from falling in.  Whoops!

Anyway, this is how the night progressed...

Step 1:  Gut

Step 2:  Sketch

Step 3:  Make (and eat) pumpkin seeds

Step 4:  Explain to the pups why they don't get to eat pumpkin seeds

Step 5: Carve

Step 6:  Share stories!

Step 7:  And Marvel at our finished products

 Left to right - Ryan, Kendra, Joey

Austin City Limits in Photos

I'm not playing games

...I'm training for the zombie apocalypse. You never know when it will come so I am keeping up on my skills by playing Left 4 Dead 2. Here are some of the important notes I have made during my zombie training.

1. Staying together is critical
2. Explosives are very, very useful
3. Zombies are attracted to electrical devices



This is the best $7 that I have spent this month. And I am lucky to have an all-star to train with me.

Sewing 101: Sewing Machine Cozy

My machine now lives on the table instead of a box!  I decided to make a little cozy to keep it protected from dust and such, and let's be honest, I just needed another project.

I thought I would pay homage to the first few fabric choices I've made by piecing the remains together in a quilt-like fashion to create the front and back of the cozy.  I didn't have a pattern, so I asked my wonderful sewing buddy to help with the measurements (she's such a pro!). I was a little off on the side panel measurements myself.  But hey, I made it and it serves a purpose and looks pretty darn cute.

The Chalkboard

We have a special place near the kitchen to write notes, to do lists, and other daily tidbits to each other.

Right now, lyrics from one of my favorite songs:

And for visitors to write us notes as well...

It's a small part of our home, but something I look forward to reading (or writing on) all the time.

Inspiration Daily

I really look forward to the daily inspiration from Creature Comforts.  She's just so creative!  I think last Friday's post screamed "Kendra".  Don't you think?

Stripes, birds, plaid, AND berries?!  Yes.

(photo: 1. BrowserPreview-2, 2. untitled, 3. Large Custom Ampersand, 4. Untitled)

Wheel Number

This is pretty amazing.


wheel number from E and M-P on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Honeymoon Journal

We kept up with journaling until the 4th day of our honeymoon, it was packed in a suitcase for the next stop of the road trip adventure, and never brought back out again!  None the less, I kept everything from the trip -- receipts, hotel keys, In-N-Out burger hats, and winery advertisements to make up for the lost entries.  I'm slowly piecing it all together (and thoroughly enjoying telling ryan "remember when...!" as if it was years ago). 

It's all about the food, right?

We did lots of things this weekend...
Lunch dates, dinner dates, a housewarming party, family time, movies, Tulsa state fair, and a game night with friends.

But from all the photos opportunities I had this weekend, I only took 1.  ONE!

Best part about the fair: THE FOOD, obviously

Sewing 101: Bloomers

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The bloomers are complete! 

The last few steps included casings for the elastic in both legs and waist.

...and cute little bows.

Things I learned:

• Picking the appropriate material is huge.  I think I will go back with a cotton blend and give the pattern another try. I already have some cute polka dots in mind.  The silky material I used was pretty tricky business.
• How to cut a pattern appropriately.  Really, I knew nothing going into this project!
• What "casing" means. 
• That I'm not a great Skype communicator when I'm sewing.  Like, at all.  Intense concentration folks!  But I did enjoy having a buddy working with me.
• To make adjustments depending on my machine, which I think will be super important in my future sewing endeavors.  I love my mini Janome, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles as most machines.  As Tim Gunn says,  "make it work"! And we did.  

What a fun project!