Laowai

I'm feeling so anxious for spring – can't wait to get out into the garden. In the meantime I'll have to satisfy myself with some forced forsythia.

Lots of knitting news.

I finished my latest sweater – there it is in the sink getting ready to be blocked. It always smells like a wet sheep but blocking helps sort out all the fibers and makes everything behave.

So glad I finished this while it's still chilly out. I'm happy with the fit. Feels like a little jacket for the between seasons.

This week my knitting teacher helped me take apart my first sweater. Yes! I pulled the yarn and unravelled part of it. I love the feel of this sweater but the fit is just a little off. I'm hoping I can fix it by remaking the button placket. 

One more knitting photo – I started a new sock – baby blue and brown and so soft.

A big thing happened this week. Bea got her drivers license! It was fun when we were finally done at the Secretary of State office (two and a half hour wait) and she found out she passed the driving test. It was one of those big little moments. It felt especially strange when she drove Claire to piano later that night. My two girls just drove away in a car!

I did a little baking – one fail with some leftover pie dough

One success.

I made some new pillowcases because I am hungry for color right now. Yes, I like color.

 

And I went for a walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden to gaze at the snow drops and any other little bits of green coming out of the ground.

I've been having fun playing stylist my dining room.

Just today some ribbon came in the mail so I finished one last project. I used the ribbon to make a tray holder – the style that seems popular in scandinavia. It's just a simple loop of wide ribbon that hangs on a ring. I've wanted to make one for so long. I might get a different tray to put in there but I'm so pleased because I love things that are useful and decorative.

My other project was a bit more involved. I made two candle sconces out of cardboard and paper mache. I was inspired by an artist named Corrie Beth. She makes the prettiest things out of cardboard and paper! And she sells a template for these sconces. I'm still trying to decide if I like the painting I did, but I'm super happy with the shapes.

I also framed and hung a print that Brian gave me for Christmas. It's a punchy happy print by a Minneapolis based artist named Asahi Nagata. I am puzzled why anyone would mount a big ugly thermostat (almost) in the middle of a wall. See that big round gold thing below – I had to try to make it work with my print and and a pretty plate.

And now that everything is looking the way I want it to I think it's time to get out some little chicks and bunnies and eggs. Time to celebrate Spring!

Bea has been enjoying rock climbing (inside) lately. 

She needed a special bag to hold chalk, so she made one. Nice to know that she can bring out her sewing skills when she feels like it. She made two bags (one for a friend) with very little help from me. 

The next batch of yarn is ordered. Baby blue speckled socks with brown toe and heel.

And I'm working on the second one.

I can't describe how fun this is – getting the hang of the different parts and how it all comes together – I feel clever. I ordered some yarn for a second pair. I might become a sock knitting addict.

Spring seems to be coming early this year. I heard from the Lurie Garden people that they are doing spring cleanup tasks 2 weeks earlier than normal. I did some winter sowing On February 12th and I'm worried that those plants won't get their required cold conditions. I guess I better get out in my yard this weekend and trim my hydrangeas.

Here are a few photos from my rainy walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday.

Last year I posted photos of witch-hazel and snow drops on March 11th.

Bea turned 16 last week. Hard to believe. She hasn't gotten her drivers license yet because we're waiting for a form from the driving school and the secretary of state. She was disappointed but it will happen soon. 

I'm increasingly aware of the time we have left before Bea heads off to college. I can hardly imagine all the changes that are going to happen in a couple years. But Bea is confident and I'm excited for whatever she heads out into the world to do.

In the meantime – I'm going to keep enjoying making birthday cakes for her. And I'm going to appreciate every moment of her unique interests and her special sense of humor. 

She requested black forest cake again. It's so easy since it just uses whip cream – no frosting. I buy canned cherries and boil the syrup down a little. Then I brush the syrup onto the cake and layer with the cherries and whipped cream. And, yes, it's Grandma Dice's reliable chocolate cake recipe again.

Happy Birthday Bea!

I am so pleased to have my dining room painted! For a very long time I've wanted to make it a beautiful pop of color that could be glimpsed from other parts of the house. This room started out as a screened porch but it was enclosed soon after the house was built. The room faces south and east – it's very bright and warm. 

Here's how the room looked when we bought the house. Fancy curtains!

And here it is today.

Here's how it looks from the tv room and from the living room.

I painted all the trim and the walls and the ceiling in the same green. I wanted to get rid of the blue trim and to reduce the visual clutter by making it all the same. I think having just one color also lets your eye get drawn to the outside more easily too.

It's funny that the color I chose turned out to match the original chandelier almost exactly. 

I want to hang some art, but not too much. The windows need some help – they are so dirty on the outside between the storms and the window – I'll tackle that problem this spring. And I also want to buy or make some candle sconces to go on either side of the bay window.

It's all still so new that I find myself peaking at my new room whenever I pass by. I love the way the paint changes throughout the day. Here are two photos one taken in the morning and one taken in the afternoon.

What fun to make such a huge transformation just using paint.

This week we had Valentine's Day. Claire has been doing lots of yummy baking and she make some heart shaped brownies for her friends.

I went for a walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Saw some interesting shapes and textures.

Brian went to New York for work.

After a very long wait our new car became unexpectedly available. That's the little poster below that Bea made when we ordered a car in July.

It's a Volkswagon ID 4 – an electric vehicle. We're a two car family for the first time and we're getting used to driving and charging an electric car.

Also, this week, Bea made these cupcakes to take to school for her birthday. They are actually mini chocolate soufflés with mint cream on top (from Smitten Kitchen). Yum.

I spent lots of hours painting and painting and painting this week.

And we ended the week with a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid show.

This week Brian traveled to Minneapolis and Boston.

And I have been spending all my time in my dining room. I finished all the annoying little paint touch-ups around the house as I promised myself. And so now I can work on this dining room project that I've been wanting to do for so long.

Here's the TV room where I repaired some peeling paint. I thought we had water leak sort of problem on this wall and it was stressing me out. But after scraping and sanding I think it may have just been a problem with the paint adhering to the layer under it. Fingers crossed.

And here's a sort of before photo of the dining room.

I'm so glad to be done with the sanding (so messy) and now I'm onto the painting. Yay!

I primed all the woodwork first. I'm going to paint the same shade of green on the walls and trim and even on the ceiling. It's taking a really long time to paint the window trim. These windows and their exterior storms need a little help on the outside but for now I'm determined not to paint them shut so I'm cutting in around all the edges. The good part is that this room is really warm and bright so It's a pleasant place to be – even on a cloudy day. 

I think I'll be able to finish the first coat of trim paint today and then I can get some green on the walls. Eeek – so excited! The idea is to have a glimpse of beautiful green from the tv room and from the living room.

Stay tuned.