Elephant Tops

I was going to make this top for Ellie for Valentine's Day, but since we were so busy getting things ready for ski trip (and I was making a backpack) I didn't get to it. Woopsie! Dan was on a 30 hour shift Saturday and I just sat down and finished these after putting my girls to bed. They turned out really cute... guess I'll just hang on to them until Easter.

Backpack

After carrying around my current diaper bag for the past 6 months, I have thought to myself "this thing is too big." And not only is it too big, but it's insides are also not very well planned. I made the pockets too deep and narrow and one giant pocket that is just too big. Back to the drawing board! I'd been eying those vera bradley backpacks and decided to make something similar. I actually followed a few pre-teens around the mall one day because they had on mini vera backpacks. I took some mental notes and started drafting (and re drafting) the pattern in my head. When I was ready to put it on paper, I made a few measurements down and across my back and got started. I played around with things on paper and after a few days I just decided to go for it.

I've carried it around for about two weeks now and I love carrying a backpack! Here's what I think about this particular bag:

What I like:
- The size is great, not too big and not too small.
- The interior pockets (which you can't see...) are a great size
- I made the shoulder straps out of belt fabric covered in the backpack fabric and they are nice and sturdy. Need to reinforce them in the seam, though.
- I love the fabric! It goes with everything.
- Love the quilting that I did, the lines are very fluid and don't follow a pattern.
- The handle at the top is quite useful and how I transport the bag when not wearing it.

What I don't like:
- Too flimsy. I quilted the fabric and should have used a thick interfacing so it wouldn't be so floppy.
- I used the incorrect zipper and it shows. Should have used a smaller (easier to sew) zipper on the front and side pockets.
- The side pockets aren't near deep enough. I didn't allow for enough room when assembling the bag... oh well.
- The back open pockets are pretty but not very useful. I didn't want the back to be bumpy against my back so I made these pockets to be flat, but I just don't think they will amount to much.

Overall I will most definitely make another backpack again, probably soon. Maybe this time I'll just find some already quilted fabric so I can omit that rather laborious step.

Purple House Dress - Update!

So I finished Ellie's purple house dress the day or so after I posted about it back in January... I guess that's been 2 months ago. Geez, I'm behind on posting! I just cut out a new bodice and sewed it together and voila! Done! She loves it and has worn it several times. I went ahead and made a matching pair of pants, because, why not? And then I went ahead and made an "E" shirt since I had an extra shirt laying around. Now she has two things to wear with the pants.

Citrus anyone?

Twas a rainy and not-so-loverly day here in Kentucky. The highlight of my weekend was when my neighbor (fresh from a trip to Florida) showed up on my doorstep with a massive bag of oranges, grapefruit, & tangelos. He said he and his wife picked them! As sad as this is, I have never seen a grapefruit with the stem and leaf still intact and was pretty excited to uncover this gem in the giant Bag O Citrus.

It's Pepsi... Thrownback

Yeah baby, that's the way I like it. Have any of my 5 readers tried the Pepsi Throwback? I'm not sure how long they've had it out, but tonight I found myself saying these words: oh my gosh this taste like the Pepsi I used to drink when I was a kid. Did I just reveal my age? I really don't care... I'll have the big 30th birthday this year (August 1st for those of you who are interested). Back to the Pepsi. It's made with cane sugar instead of HFC and I'm loving it! [Side note: It really IS too bad McDonalds has trademarked that phrase: I'm loving it. I mean, who has the right to a phrase like that?] It's also the official soft drink of the NFL... can you tell I'm watching football with the hubby? Doesn't get much better than that, now does it? Football and Pepsi Throwback.

Purple House Dress

About 8 months ago I started working on this little dress for my 2 year old Ellie. I had assembled the dress and was serging the bodice onto the skirt when the bodice got caught in the sergers crossfire creating a nasty gaping hole. A hole! Front and center of the top. I felt like such an idiot. I literally stood on the landing and jumped up and down I was so mad (are you picturing it? because you should be). Then I decided to trash the dress. A few days later I took it out of the trash and started thinking of how I could repair my mistake. Ribbon? A pocket? An applique? No... I really wanted to add purple polka dot fabric to the bottom of the dress and I didn't want to add more stuff to it. So I just left it alone. It has sat in my "to be completed" box for the past 8 months until now. Yesterday I decided to finish the dress. Partially because Ellie is really into purple right now, and partially because I'm tired of looking at it, and partially because it's the new year and I'm feeling energized. I have decided to just cut out a new top, not very creative, but it's what I want to do. I liked it the way it was. More on the dress when I finish!

Yummus Hummus

I was talking to my good friend Maryann today - probably my oldest friend, actually... we went to school from pre-kindergarden to 12th grade through college (and shared the same major) together and even knew each other before good ole pre-k. Anyway. She asked about food and this started a list of things that we eat here in the Raz household. One of thing that struck her fancy was the mention of our hummus and veggie sandwiches/wraps. Then she told me I needed to share my hummus recipe. So instead of emailing it to her, I decided to "put it on the blog!" A much-repeated phrase here the past few days (it must be said with gusto while shooting a fist in the air). This is probably the first hummus recipe that I totally made up myself. It uses soaked nuts because I find tahini overpowering. I think I just don't like tahini, I'm really not sure. Here it is!

Yummus Hummus!
Anna Raz

1/4 c almonds
1/4 c cashews
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1 can chickpeas
3/8 c lemon juice
1 T olive oil (isn't required)
1/2 c fresh parsely (get the tops, not stems. loosely pack)
1 T Tony Chacheres
2 or 3 cloves minced fresh garlic
Water

Cover the nuts & seeds with water and allow to soak overnight. When you are ready to make the hummus, throw the nuts with the water in the blender or food processor. Add everything else and go to town. Use as much water as you want to achieve the consistency of hummus you prefer. There really isn't a right or wrong here. You won't need more than 1/2 a cup, we rarely use more than 1/4 c or so (but we have a blendtec and it blends this stuff to smithereens). It's always better the next day, but still good the day you make it. Should last in the fridge for a week or more, but it rarely makes it this long in our house so I really don't know how long it will keep.

What we use it for: sandwiches/wraps with a generous amount of hummus, sliced bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, & a little feta if you have it. YUM. We also just eat it with crackers or crudites (a fancy way to say veggies: carrots, celery, broccoli, & cauliflower pair well).

If you're trying to keep things raw, you can make it raw quite easily (this is how we make it). Raw Yummus Hummus instructions: use all raw nuts/seeds, squeeze your own lemons, used cold pressed olive oil, and soak dried chickpeas in water overnight or as long as it takes for them to get softer. Voila! It's raw!