carrot cake

I made my 1st carrot cake for Dave's birthday. We shared some left overs with our neighbor which lead to the creation of my 2nd carrot cake - for my neighbor's birthday party. It was much easier the 2nd time around. The thing that made the biggest difference was I was able to do most of it while my little helper was taking a nap.

I love this color. Making carrot cake is probably better for you than making chocolate chip cookies. You snack on carrots instead of chocolate chips and it is a mini workout to grate the carrots by hand.

I used the recipe from "The RED & WHITE" (Better Homes & Garden) but I added some shakes of nutmeg and splashes of vanilla. Yum. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, I think this can make a most excellent "breakfast cake".

What do you like to do?

Moving to a new place, meeting new people, I get the question "so, what do you like to do?" That is a hard question for me to answer. I like to do a lot of things. I like to ice skate, but it has probably been over 2 years since that has happened. I like to play the guitar, but I can't say that I have picked it up lately. So for me the answer to that question lies in the present. So here goes. This is what I'm up to and what I like, in no particular order:
- Malcolm
- playing with paint chips
- rock stacking
- puddle splashing
- reading - just finished the Potter, loved it!
- outings to the library
- trips to the zoo
- down time with Dave
- strolls to the grocery store
- getting organized, well trying...
- rearranging the furniture
- turning up the music and dancing (most of the time Malcolm gracefully joins in)
- refinishing furniture (any guesses what this is?)

"So, what do you like to do?"

Use What You Have Decorating

Use What You Have Decorating by Lauri Ward
I checked this book out from the library and it is really helping me get a sense of what to do with the rooms in this house. It is worth a look if you feel stuck, at a loss, or confused about your space. The book helps to train your eye to see the problems in a room and know how to easily fix them. Putting to use what I already own helps the budget too.

rock stacks

M woke up from his nap in a mood. We went outside. I did a little rock art. M had fun knocking them down. It was quite relaxing.

yesterday

To get ready for this special day, Malcolm and I planted Dave's papyrus plant shoots. Malcolm thought it was terribly funny to "pat-pat" the dirt.

Carrot cake, yummm. Happy Birthday Dave!

yard sale finds

Check out these charming chairs I bought at a yard sale Saturday. They are metal and I am in love. Such character. The woman selling them thinks they are from the 30's or 40's (?). They just need some fresh paint and new rubber feet. I can see great things for these chairs. The problem with "seeing potential" in cast off furniture means I get a lot of projects lined up for myself.

Such as this.

(Sorry the picture is turned, I don't know why it does this, or how to fix it.)
Painted white, it will be my yarn shelf. I've already taken off the door, and I'm not sure it is going to make its way back on again. We'll see.
And I can't forget about the fabulous solid wood desk in the garage, waiting so patently for some attention.
I need to get ORGANIZED so that I can use my energies, and Malcolm's nap times, for these projects. I bought another journal that I can dedicate to the house and yard. I have started to fill it. Each space gets its own page - kitchen, 1/2 bath, entry, etc. and then I list all that I would like to have happen. It is amazing to me how fast these lists form. It feels good to get them on paper rather than continually rattling around in my brain.
Today I played with Malcolm, took a nap, bought groceries, cleaned a toilet, and cut back some of the plants in the front yard that are plotting to take over the world. "Living the dream, living the dream."

My Studio - setting up

It was a happy 4th.

Pancakes, picnic, and fireworks!

But in addition to all that, while Malcolm napped, I took the chance to work on "my studio". Before the move, I started journal dreaming about what my ideal workspace would be.

Now that dream is coming to life. This is so exciting to me.

I don't know how to move with out at least one room as the "catch all". That's what the spare room turned into. It was getting pretty scary. But since we moved here I knew that this was going to be my space.

The other half of the room, not pictured, still needs some attention, but I am tickled about how things are unfolding here. I moved up the yellow table from the basement laundry as a temporary working surface until I refinish the "find" (from the Isoms move) in the garage.

I love this corner. Isn't it the most beautiful place to type? It is where I am now and I will tell you that I love the light of the window coming in over my shoulder. I think this will be the place for a bulletin board. On the floor is my beloved "star box" from Annie made from the skilled hands of her husband, Spencer. Only good things are allowed to go in that box. The little table was free from some other friends moving. Sweet. So while I am enjoying this place of peace...

Let's not think about the mess in the hall.

New Journal

Isn't it pretty? I think that journals should make you want to write in them. I was seven years with my last journal (pictured underneath the new one). But I am happy to say that it has been filled. It's time to start in this new beauty. I wonder what its pages will hold. There is something special about pen to paper. I can see mood in my handwriting, layering meaning to the words I write. There is always room for a doodle. The scratched-out and misspelled words are both annoying and endearing. I love the smell of paper and the feeling of pages flipping by my thumb.

1

Happy Birthday, my little Malcolm.

Parade

This parade was such a colorful and creative welcome to our new home in Cleveland. It was a great escape from the un-packing and a feast for the imagination. It is put together annually by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Parade the Circle, it makes you consider taking a stilts class.

So a lot has happened since I last blogged.

Dave graduated!

We moved.

(the bare bones of our NY place)

(home delivered in a truck)

Already up to making messes as you can see.
Love to New York, Hello Ohio!