Friday, April 29, 2011

Globalization Project...

For my Globalization class, we were assigned small groups & were asked to visually depict the Development Project. Our group (Matt, Travis & moi) made a stop-motion animation of the Green Revolution. We tried to contrast two farmers, one of whom accepts HYV seeds, while the other remains traditional. The short, thick, HYV wheat demands more water and chemical fertilizers, while the natural variety is more resistant to pests, weeds & flooding.

We had to take over 500 pictures, & I guess I didn't let the camera auto-focus each time, so there are some blurry parts. It's pretty cool for first-timers though! Our class enjoyed it. :)

This is what we came up with...



This weekend, I don't have any major projects looming over me, so I hope to have a crafty night with the ladies! I've gotten my dress pattern, so I just need to pick which fabric I'll use & get going. Fun!

Oh, I found these cute Spring cookie cutters @ Goodwill the other day. I love the mushroom one sooooooo much!


We also found a mug rack...finally! Ethan gets annoyed with all my mugs. Whatever, dewd.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Ready to Sew!

Last weekend I spent some time re-organizing my craft supplies. I prioritized the sewing stuff, since that's what mode I'm currently in. Coral & I ran to the Fabric Depot, because they were having their Mother's Day sale. I got 4 yards each of green polka dot fabric & some bright orange flowery jazz (8th & 9th from the top). When my Etsy patterns arrive, I'll be making my second dress! Well, the first one is NEARLY done---I need to install the zipper & sew the bottom hem...I can't wait to wear it!

This pile of fabric is so bright & cheerful:


Here's a potential craftvalanche waiting to happen:


Sunday, April 17, 2011

So Many Houseguests!

It's been a while since I've posted anything. We've been busy with school & company, so I haven't been crafting it up much, besides adding tons of fabric to my stash. :)

We're watching Ethan's parents' kitties, Yoda & Lady Bobcat. Yoda was our kitty, until a few years ago when he got hit by a car. Thank goodness he survived, but it took thousands of dollars & surgery to fix him up! We sent him to the coast so he could live a peaceful life in the forest, away from speeding cars. Now he's back for a visit, & he's older & wiser. No more dodging cars, kid!


Lady Bobcat was a feral kitty at Nestucca High School, until Ethan's mom, Cathy, rescued her. She was named after the Nestucca mascot, but we just call her Bobby. She's really sweet & has a funny, chattery meow. She LOVES my bed...



Last weekend, we were fortunate enough to have my good friends from Washington visit us. Diane & I have known each other for 20 years, if you can believe that! I've known the kids since they were born, & babysat them a zillion times. It was so fun catching up with them! Eric, the oldest, is 18 years old & building a cabin, so he wasn't able to come down, but he wrote me a sweet card. They're such great kids!

Here are Diane, Marcus & Alaina:


Ooh...Ethan found a new gamer bud. Marcus was trash-talking him right & left! Look out!


In terms of food, I've been making lots of vegan soup on the weekends, then living off it for the week. It's super healthy & assures I'm getting plenty of veg. I usually freeze about half of what I make, so it doesn't go bad by Friday. A great trick I've discovered is blending 1 cup of cashews with 4 cups of water in my Vitamix. This "cashew cream" is a great addition to chowders. What I do is make the soup in a veggie broth base, then stir the cashew cream into it at the end. Ethan was going on about how good the potato chowder was, so I'm pretty sure it would pass for a "real" cream-based soup. Try it sometime!