squirrel momma

Oh I'm a Lumberjack, and I'm Okay

Meet Joe.

 

Joe Pho Bwah.

Fangy Flashback

Found these floating around my jewelry drawer, in need of a minor repair. Turquoise set in sterling silver, circa 1998. They're actually fairly small earrings--her face is about 1/2 inch high--so people have to squint to see what's dangling from my ears.

Apparently fangs are not a new thing with me.

 

I Fought the Fabric, and the Fabric Won

Well, actually I think I won, but after spending over an hour wrestling this funky tweed into a purse frame

 

I don't think I'll ever agree to a rematch. 

Some fabrics are just tougher than this little squirrel!

9:24.12

I've mentioned before that my daughter--aka Squirrel Girl--is a runner. A pretty serious runner. At the end of her sophomore year in high school she's helped her team win two consecutive cross country state championships, and made the All State cross country and track teams both her freshman and sophomore years. (My contribution to her success, if I can claim one, is my outstanding ability to remove mud and grass stains from virtually any fabric. Really, I am amazing at that.) 

Last year her 4 x 800 relay team (that's a relay team with four girls running 800 meters/one half mile each, for all of you who aren't track geeks) got third at state finals. Since then she's become very close with those three teammates, all of whom are now seniors, and the four of them set their sights on a first place finish this year, the last chance for three of them.

Yesterday was the Big Day--the State Meet--and Squirrel Girl was assigned the final leg of the relay. When her turn came I could hardly bear to watch, because after the first three girls pour out their sweat and blood, then the baton is passed to the last girl, who has to keep that lead her teammates have earned and stay ahead of the pack for the next two laps around the track.

 

It was so important to her to do well, both for herself and her team, but especially for her three good friends.  Girls she would never run with again after that day.

Wondering how it went?

First place.  New school record.  Four very, very happy girls.

 

Meet the Marvelous Mr. Morphoso

Or maybe his name is just Bob.  I haven't figured that out yet.

 

He wasn't born to fly.  So I made him some strap on wings.

 

 More bugs to come!
 

The Monsters Have Passed Their Test

As I mentioned yesterday, I sent a slew of monster purses out to the Plush Team booth at Maker Faire.  I felt that this type of craft fair, with 25,000 people, would be a good test of the whole monster purse concept.

To be honest, I live in a pretty conservative part of the universe, especially when it comes to arts and crafts.  And I was getting some rather odd looks when I tried to describe what I was currently working on.  "Well, they're purses, but they're made out of fake fur.  Blue leopard and hot pink and zebra striped fur. And they have evil little grins, with fangs!"  That's about the time people start edging away from me, and I start thinking, "Should I be making normal purses?" (When I should be asking myself, "Am I capable of making normal purses?")

But--phew!--the purses were apparently a hit at the show.  Half of them sold which, given the fact my stuff was in a booth with nearly 30 other artists, makes me feel pretty good! And my favorite customer? The woman who bought a large Cheshire cat clutch to carry to a wedding (and if by some miracle you read this, thankyouthankyouthankyou and PLEASE send me a picture!).

So, to get to the end of my ramble, I feel that I can still indulge my strange obsession with fanged purses. And I've combined it with the faux bois fabric I've been hoarding, if you can imagine that (actually, you don't have to go to all the bother of imagining it, as I should be finishing him in the next few days...).

 

Best of all, I now have enough stock that I can keep one for myself.  I don't have to verbally describe my work to freak people out--I can show them the real fang!
 

Things I Have Learned

I'm so sorry I took that unexpected--and unexplained--sabbatical!  I did, however, learn a few things while struggling to juggle my "Squirrel" and my "Momma".

1.  If there's an earthquake they IMMEDIATELY shut down the rides at Disneyland. Seeing people trapped at the top of Thunder Mountain has solidified my desire to never, ever ride a roller coaster again. (Yes, we went to L.A. for spring break. See item #2.)

2. I really wish someone would move the Pacific Ocean to Michigan. Sorry, but Lake Michigan is not the same.

 

3. On average, more 11 year olds limp off the field during a lacrosse game than during a football game. Way harder ball. Way less padding. It definitely helps to squint slightly as the ball whizzes towards your son. 

4. High school girls who run wear at least 14 changes of clothing per day. My laundry mountain would be much smaller if I only allowed my daughter to own 2 outfits. 

5. Some of my current projects would be simpler if I conquered my fear of my Bernina's walking foot.

6. All of my current projects would be simpler if I would just work on them for more than five minutes at a time.

7. I am going through a phase where no project looks complete unless I add fangs to it. Hmmm. Must mean something.

Sorry about the lack of pictures. I actually finished a lot of things--a whole slew of monster purses to send to the Etsy Plush Team booth at Maker Faire in San Francisco and a flock of albino bats that flew off to Vancouver, among other things--but I was so frazzled meeting deadlines I forget to snap pics. Fortunately I still have my mysterious entomological experiment, and I'll try to get him to pose for a shot as soon as it stops raining around here.

Thanks for all the kind words--I missed you, too!

I'm Back!

And so is Mr. Nutters!

 

 

Brownies of the Gods

I was going to call this recipe "Best Brownies in the Universe Bar None", but that sounded too pretentious.

Brownies of the Gods

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate*

8 Tbl/1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbl espresso powder (if you substitute instant coffee pulverize the crystals before adding)

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil.

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter together in a large bowl in the microwave.  Stir until smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients one by one.

Spread into pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is barely set.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  These brownies are meant to be gooey.  In fact, they are meant to be eaten out of the pan with a spoon while watching trashy crime shows on TV.  But let's not talk about that.

*I can't come to your house and force you to use a good quality chocolate such as Ghiradelli, but I'll be very disappointed in you if you don't.

And if you are using this recipe to bake the chocolate drizzled brownies I showed a pic of a few days ago:

1. Omit the walnuts and chocolate chips

2. Bake slightly longer--a toothpick should come out with crumbs, not chocolate goo, stuck to it.

3. Let the brownies set overnight (or chill thoroughly in the fridge) before peeling off the foil, slicing, and drizzling with chocolate.

The Flight of the Sugar Plum Fairy

I take my duties as the Sugar Fairy very seriously.

Chocolate Espresso Brownies drizzled with dark and white chocolates, to help the teachers at the high school make it through another day?

 

Check.

Chocolate Chip Cookies crusted with dark Chocolate and M&M's, to  help Nut Boy and his class celebrate on the day before his birthday?

 

Check.

Monkey Power activated?

 

Double Check.  I'm ready for take-off.