Auntie Fafa's Small Potatoes

Beyond Excited!

2009-10-21T19:35:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to learn how to screenprint for years now. I finally took the class last weekend, gathered all my supplies, and went for it!

Let me point out that immediately upon my first step, I messed up (added too much water). I forged ahead anyhow with fingers crossed.

So, what started as a little doodle:

...was turned into an transparency:

...was developed into a screen:

...and became these!!:

Here's a closeup of my first one on paper:

And by the last one, I must have been pressing too hard or made too many passes with ink:

And it even looked great on fabric (my eventual goal):

(woops, accidentally enhanced this photo)

I am squealing and high-kicking with excitement! YAY!!! Ok, what's next?

I'm A Winner!

2009-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

And, frankly, this is how I feel about the whole thing...

One of my very favorite blogs, Pink Chalk Studio, had a big giveaway last week. And I won! There were actually several winners, but I think I won the best prize of all - $10 to her fabric shop.

Kathy's blog was one of the very first blogs I ever read, and this project in particular sparked this project of mine...and, well, the rest is history.

By the way, I AM working on something at the moment, I just won't let you see it until it's finished.

Screen Printing Class

2009-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

My family bought me a screen printing class for my birthday. I was SO looking forward to taking this class! It was this past weekend and it was pretty much rad. I can't wait to get my hands dirty making stuff... By the way, I highly recommend this class (and this instructor) to anyone interested.

The process is a bit more involved than this, but here's the general idea.

First you make the screen (once you make it, you have it for a while):

Then you burn your image onto the screen:

After rinsing and scrubbing a little, you have your screen ready to go:

Then you ink your screen and squeegee it (make it snappy!):

And voila! Here are the finished products. Mine is the one on the far right. It turned out a little light. I gotta use more muscle next time!

The instructor saw my tears of disappointment (kidding) and offered to trade his for mine. I've already been proudly toting my bag all over the neighborhood. I love it! *high kick*

Oh, the possibilities!!

Butternut Squash (Love) Soup

2009-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've got a sick one here at home. I made this soup especially for him. It's the Butternut Squash Parmesan soup from one of my ultimate favorite cookbook, The Daily Soup Cookbook.

I've been on a bad cooking streak, so I think I redeemed myself a little with this soup. Plus, a cream heart on top is worth a couple points.

p.s. except for the cream heart, this soup is really low fat! If you're trying to stay slender through the holidays, this is a good soup to try. And you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Little Red Ramekins

2009-10-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about these yet. They're my newest favorite things!

I actually bought them at an antique store at the Marin Art & Garden Center (we're 99% sure we're getting married there!!). I have visions of baking little individual macaroni and cheeses with crunchy bread crumb topping. But for now, I mostly just eat yogurt and cereal from them.

I wish I had about 8 more of them, but I'm obsessive like that.

In the Spirit

2009-10-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

(Pun totally intended)

We're having a holiday craft/bake sale at my work next week. I made these little Halloween-themed pennant cards. But this time, I was not too lazy to put them through the printer (pat on the back). I swear, these are so easy to make!

The back (though centered):

I hope they sell like hotcakes!

Petit Pennants Pour les Filles

2009-09-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Girly pennant cards this time.

I loove it! *high kick*

Petit Pennants

2009-09-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make a pennant for months now, but never really get around to it. While I have finally started making a real one, I was looking for a little more instant gratification today.

(that one little flaggie doesn't want to lie down...I'll iron)

I made this little celebration pennant card in about 5 minutes. I used scraps, of course, and some plain greeting cards from Michael's.

While I was futzing with the card, I accidentally hit something on my camera and it took this photo:

Kinda cool! Now if only I could figure out how to get rid of it....and how to make it do that again, that would be so useful!

Such an easy makeshift greeting card. You could probably throw it through your printer before sewing on it and write, "Hooray!" or "Yay!" or "It's a boy!" or something celebratory like that.

Ooh! Ooh! I'm getting wedding invitation ideas as I write!! Mwahahahah!

Piggy Potholders

2009-09-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, D and I happened upon a fabric store in Berkeley. D selected this Echino fabric for me to make "something" out of.

Finally, today I crafted these little potholders while D made us pizza for dinner (which was delish, by the way).

Now they hang on our new pot rack and accessorize our kitchen with a little pop of piggy potholderness (that's alliteration).

Design Within Reach Airstream

2009-09-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's decided. I definitely want this. Like, really badly. REEEEEEEEALLY badly. This is not just an ol' Airstream trailer - this is the Design Within Reach Airstream, and it comes with an awning and chairs and nice linens and a ball clock and sustainable flooring, and ooooooh, I just want it!

So, if any of you feel like buying me this as a belated birthday present, or a Christmas present to last me the rest of my life, I would totally accept your offer.

Doesn't it make you want to take a year (or many) off and just travel around the country?

Did I mention I want this really badly?

*photo from airstream.com

Personal Watermelon

2009-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Who ever heard of a personal watermelon???

So silly.

But now I am the proud owner of my own personal watermelon.

Mine!!

Birthday Cake Y'all

2009-09-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Look at this beautiful coconut cake my sister (and mother of 3) found time to make for little ol' me! She asked me what kind of cake I wanted, and the nice thing to say would have been, "funfetti" or "a betty crocker cake mix", but I didn't....bad Sara. But look at the cake!!

I can't figure out how to take a good photo in the darkish...so you get to look at my crappy photos. Trust me, this cake from Paula Deen was scrumptious, decadent, & beautiful. Wasn't that so nice of her? With all she has to do, she made me this cake. Aw, shucks, Monica.

And I have to show you this photo of my niece, Maile. Refuses to take a nap in her own bed, but boy, can this girl nap on the go. Here she is at Costco with a chip sample in her hand snoozing away. I wanted to just eat her up...

Happy Campers

2009-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacation all week, and it has been so great! I love my job, but I also love my life, so a little break now and then is very welcome.

D and I went to Yosemite on a whim. Well, sort of. We were going to go to Sequoia but at the last minute changed our minds and went to Yosemite. Fortunately, we found a camp site (the last one available!!) and set up shop.

The first thing I noticed was how quiet the campsite was. Aaaah, serenity now. The second thing I noticed was THIS in the next campsite over:

SO JEALOUS!! Someday....Anyhow, despite my jealousy we had a wonderful time.

We made some yummy supper (it's called "supper" when you're camping, fyi) over the fire:

relaxed a bit:

And made our coffee and tea. Do you love my little Goodwill kettle?:

We did a little hiking and a little bicycle-riding through the valley. The weather was warm and summer was barely hanging on by a string. I would like to go back when there is a little water in the "falls." :)

Although not captured on film, mostly because I have already exhausted the s'mores discussion, there were many s'mores enjoyed this trip. Because, camping just ain't camping without s'mores....or jiffy pop popcorn, but that's another discussion.

Passionfruit

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love my sister very much, but MAN am I jealous of her passion fruit vine! I hope it's written in her will for me... Remember how obsessed I said I was with them? Lucky for my, her vine is huge and prolific.

If you've ever wondered what a passion fruit actually looks like, here it is.

the outside:

the inside:

If you've never tasted one, they're tart, the pulp a little slimy, the seeds a little crunchy, and oooooh so good and you can get one at my sister's house. Her address is.... just kidding.

Plus Macarons

2009-09-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

(that's supposed to say "more macaroons" in French)

I'm always pretty awesome about thanking my friend for doing my taxes in a timely fashion. Last time, I thanked her in November, so "repaying" her in September is like - Whoa! I decided that it might be a nice, unexpected surprise to give her something a little indulgent, yet consumable. It's the new black.

Paulette kept calling me back to buy more macarons, and I thought this the perfect occasion. Oh, and Blue Bottle Coffee, of course. I had to keep them in the trunk of the car to keep myself from eating them during the 4 hour drive home. Ooh, they were so beautiful and tempting!

(She, by the way, ALWAYS completes my taxes on time. I could learn a thing or two from her)

20 Minute Tee

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to do this for a while now. I keep buying shirts with the hopes of "embellishing" them, but never really get around to it.

So, I bought this shirt last week for this purpose at Banana Republic and embellished it this morning in about 20 minutes. I have ADD, so I was really in the middle of another project when I thought, "Hmm, a 1" strip of leftover fabric. I'll bet this will make a nice little flower on my shirt." And so it went.

Two cream-colored flowers and a yellow, because I'm all about green and yellow these days (eventhough we're approaching fall - and since when do I care about this?!).

The awesomely blurry self-portrait. I still have to wash it, so hopefully it will be nice and wrinkly and lay a little flatter. You like?

Oh yeah, today's my birthday. I hear 26 is a tough age...

New Favorite Thing: Macarons

2009-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

There are some rare occasions at work that we are overstaffed. So, in the event of overstaffing, you can put yourself on a list to get "called off". First on the list, first to get called off. You don't get paid, but you don't have to work either! :) I liken it to winning the lottery...

So, I was called off yesterday and with my free afternoon, I walked down to Hayes Valley to score me some macarons. I thought about it, and within a 1 block radius, there are 3 different places where you can procure such beauties. There's La Boulange, Miette, and Paulette.

These are from Paulette. The colors were so vibrant and beautiful! I bought a lemon and a passionfruit. I am obsessed with passionfruits, so I'll buy anything with pasisonfruit in it. They were both SO scrumptious - fluffy and soft on the outside, juicy and tart on the inside.

I gotta learn how to make these bad boys. They're definitely my new favorite thing.

Letterpress Class

2009-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

I recently took a letterpress class in the Mission (this is my new favorite blog, by the way). It was kind of awesome and when I have a giant house with a crafting studio, I'll probably buy one (maybe).

The class was geared towards people who want to learn more about letterpress and those who might one day want to buy a letterpress. I was just going for general interest.

Ever wonder why letterpress cards are so expensive? They're a lot of work, that's why! And you couldn't really ever make your own letterpress, because most of the work involved requires you already have the letterpress. It would be easy to show up and crank out your own cards, because all the hard work has been done in the set-up.

Anyhow, there were about 7 of us, and we each submitted a design for a "business card" (I don't have a business, so I made a "calling card"...except I didn't put my phone number on it, so maybe it's just a "hey look at me!" card, or "oh, hey, yeah, I have my own card....jealous?" card). Whatever....we all submitted a design, and they were all combined into 1 8.5 x 11 plate. We letterpressed (not sure if that's the correct verb) them as one and cut them out.

So cute, right? I was inspired by Kate's awesome cards, but I needed more information on mine.

(my photos have been rad lately, I know...)

Nicey Bicycles!

2009-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to explain this phrase. "Nicey bicycles," is something that my friend's foreign exchange student used when he really liked something. It sort of stuck, and oh, how I love this prhase (clearly, since I went as far as to embroider it on a pillow).

Remember that bicycle I free-hand "drew" with my sewing machine? Well, with the purchase of our new sofa, I was inspired to turn it into a pillow.

I made the seat red to match this guy:

Are you a little bit sick of the white cross? Well, this white cross was the original prototype for the quilt. But, as you see, it's much bigger than the one I end up using. And so it hung on my inspiration board until this week...when I decided it would be the perfect "pimiento" on our new "olive" sofa.

So the pairing of the bicycle and the cross were unplanned, but I think they are a perfect little pair adding the pop we needed.

I even put zippers in them! I conquered the zipper again!!

Jamming at Eat Real

2009-09-06T17:11:00.001-07:00

The Eat Real Fest was awesome - a foodie mini-mecca.

It was HOT, so we thought it only appropriate to sample some cold beer. How rad that they served the tastings in a mason jar?

The jam competition was fierce. Actually, I have no idea, but there were about 50 other peach jams, so mine didn't stand a chance. Next year, I'm making my pickles, fo shiz.

the competition table

The canning exchange was a little lame, mostly because everyone participating decided (before I got there) that you should do a 1:1 trade with another canner. Here, you take one of mine and I'll take one of yours....instead of putting them all in a "pot" and if you bring one, you can take one. So everyone sort of stood around the hay bail waiting for someone to budge. Eventually, someone said, "Well, I'll tade you your peach for mine." Which makes me giggle a little. I suppose nobody who brought lavender quince preserves wanted to go home with plain ol' peach. I wouldn't either. So, next year I'll up the ante and bring something a little more exotic and trade-able. I did end up with someone else's peach jam, a pineapple mango chutney (woot!), and a peach-raspberry jam. So silly.

the swapping goods

The food booths were *awesome.* Check out this little unnecessary treat I indulged in - a souped-up s'more.

Hello! We watched this guy pull our mozarella right in front of us. It was still warm!!

A pickle platter

And a gazpacho cone (in my opinion, the greatest snack of all time).

Probably one of my favorite days living in the Bay Area.

To Market To Market

2009-08-28T15:19:00.001-07:00

Today begins the Eat Real Fest in Oakland. D and I are going on a special date to the Foraging and Canning Exchange where I will be trading off these jars of peach jam for (hopefully) something a little more exotic....or something savory. We have enough jam in this house to last us a decade or more!

I used the Perfect Peach Jam recipe in the Ferry Plaza Cookbook. And the recipe says it will take about 1 hour, but it took me about 3. So, I will probably just stick to the Certo recipes from now on (wham, bam, throw in some pectin and boil, thank you mam!). The jam I made is quite delicious, but if you gotta life to lead, maybe this isn't the recipe for you....lucky for me...

There is also an ice cream social tonight (which I wouldn't miss for the world, especially on this particularly hot day). And over the weekend there seems to be tons of cool stuff going on. Depending on how tonight goes, I may try to go for a few hours before work tomorrow.

See you there? Toodles!

In a Pinch Notecards

2009-08-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

My good friend just got engaged! Yay! So I made her these little notecards until the official "invitation suite" arrives. Because you never know how soon you'll need some joint stationery.

I made 2 (very sophisticated) variations.

I'm probably breaking all kinds of wedding etiquette. Although, I do know you're not supposed to use a joint monogram until after you're married - but that's all I know...and if nobody else knows, who cares?

The envelopes and cards (and inspiration) are from Paper Source. The fabric is from Purl. I might be a little bit obsessed with Paper Source these days. Maybe when I change careers again, I'll be a greeting card designer...*sigh*

Pretty [Yucky] Cake

2009-08-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

See my beautiful cake?

This was a dry, awful, cardboardy, took-one-bite-and-tossed-it-in-the-garbage cake. But boy was it cute. :)

Rekindled

2009-08-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Finally starting something new...

we'll see if I have the momentum to complete it in a timely fashion.

Frogs and Snails...

2009-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

...and Necktie Onesies... that's what little boys are made of.

(and double-decker bus onesies with matching burp cloths)

My friend is having a new baby soon, so we have to make sure he's well-dressed when he arrives.

Welcome to the world, little man!