Play with your food

Can you guess what these are?

If you are my husband you would answer, "A waste of money", which would be the wrong answer.  Does this picture help?

If you guessed that they are boiled egg molds, you are correct!  How cute are these?  I had no idea that you could mold boiled eggs into cute shapes like bunnies and bears until I saw them here and then I had to have them.  These would be fun for a child's lunch box, or an adult for that matter!  I brought a couple of eggs into work and although I got some confused looks, everyone thought that they were cute.  Come on, wouldn't finding a bunny (shaped) egg in your lunch box make you smile?

Country Fair

We woke up silly early this morning, and despite the family moaning and the rain pouring down, we went to our first ever country fair.   On the way, we stopped for rainboots and umbrellas as only we would do. We sat on bleachers and watched a sheep show that was out of this world, paraded through deep and muddy puddles squealing, oohed and ahhed over the handcrafted exhibits, petted handspun alpaca, ate black bean brownies, admired pumpkin twins and award-winning indian corn, and laughed at crazy clowns zooming around on motorcycles.  Country fairs are where it's at.  Even when it's raining cats and dogs.

I returned home itching to bake and knit and search local farms for sale.  Never hurts to dream my Amish dream a little. :)

N

Hot mama

I almost wanted to flag this post as containing "adult content".  Have you ever seen so much fondant cleavage?  I may have went a little overboard with this fondant figure's chest area but really, this is what happens when you're eight months pregnant.  I was only being anatomically correct.  This cake was made for a co-worker's shower yesterday.  The colours correspond to the baby's nursery colours.  The mother-to-be was so tickled with the cake that she asked everyone if they would be ok not cutting into the cake so that she could bring it home to show her husband.  Luckily there was a back-up sheet cake that was served so no one minded.  I've never had anyone not want to eat my cake before but I guess it's a compliment!

Pictures of a Picture

I can't believe the amount of work that went into this picture.  When I saw it at the bottom of a Goodwill heap, there was no question in my mind that it was meant to be mine.  I love those little golden knots and every single whipstitch on this loosely woven canvas.   Unfortunately it isn't framed, but I can fix that, or maybe I'll just tighten it up on a new board as it's gotten a little saggy.  I was picturing it hung up in my craft nook, but visitors would have to descend into the basement to admire it.  :)  And I think this sort of stuff needs to be oohed and ah-ed tout le temps.  Perhaps I will incorporate it into my autumnal decorating of the mantle.  I confessed to friends over the weekend that I had a whole dresser drawer full of branches, pods and pinecones from last year, so I'm pretty much all set.  I hope that came off as normal behaviour.

N

Mini Me

It's no secret how much this one and I clash.   Mr. J says it's 'cause we're the same person.  Have you ever tried arguing with yourself?  It's an impossible battle to win.  We're not exactly the same.  I haven't a clue from where she gets this sweet curly hair, and she's crazy pretty.   My mum permed my hair a few times in my youth, and my hair stayed limp and heart-breakingly straight, and I was super nerdy.  It was the giant glasses.  Honest!  Her witty and dry off-hand comments usually floor us.  Do I do that too???   I guess we both get choked up and passionate about silly things.  I once went in to speak to her Principal, and it wasn't long before I was crying, and the lady sighed and noted that sensitivity must be a family trait.  So what!  We're artists!   No sooner did I bring home my new camera, she had my 'old' one in hand snapping a hundred pics a day.  In fact these photos were completely her idea.  The wall was changing colours, and it never occurred to me that it would make a great background.  It's gut-wrenching when the mentee surpasses the mentor.

N

Autumn

The fall officially begins tomorrow and as much as I've been complaining about the cool weather that fell upon us on Labour Day, I secretly love it. The fall means apples, boots, cozy sweaters, and best of all, using wool again! Welcome back wool, oh how I've missed you. This baby sweater is for a co-worker who is due in October. She and her husband have chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, hence the neutral colour. It was a quick knit, as most baby items are.
This is the start of a complicated cowl neck for this sweater. I'm still not sure if I got the pattern correct but this is what I translated it to be. The cable pattern is turning out to be quite fun to knit once I somewhat figured it out and just gave into the pattern. You know what I'm talking about.
Here is a tiny apple pie. I used a muffin pan to make up a few of these. The apples used in the filling are called SweeTango. It's a "new" apple that was developed by the University of Minnesota. They were really tasty but for some reason I still feel weirded out that there is an apple breeding program at the U where all they do is breed new apples. I suppose that everything we eat these days has been genetically modified in one way or another. On that note, I'm going to find a snack before bed. G'nite!

Doors Open

How can moths - our archnemeses - be so pretty?  The Canadian Agricultural Research Centre was very educational, and it took all afternoon to tour it.  I was astounded by all the work that is being done to control infestations, soil amendments and genetic weaknesses.  For a moment, I imagined being a scientist hunched over a microscope dressed in a white lab coat and scribbling notes on a chart.  It was quite spectacular.

The next day we took in the Museum of Archaeology, and we got to see a real pow wow! 

I totally would have danced had I not been lugging around a heavy soapstone carving kit and a bajillion flyers and my camera.  I was the juggling act! :)

Really.

N