casapinka

Otomi Decor

Traditional Otomi embroidery from Mexico makes the winter days brighter. I love the versatile ways people use these textiles. This one is available on Ebay.

Anna Spiro framed a bit of otomi to beautiful effect. 

The simple hanging of this otomi, dorm room style, isn't too formal or fussy. It seems to complement the vibe in the room, what we here in New England might suggest, with a bit of arrogant smugness, is "California." I'll take it.

Otomi stretched and hung in an Australian home, from Table Tonic.

Finally, this is an otomi inspired painting framed in gold, via Liz Caan Interiors. I'm sure textiles these will look wonderful power-stapled over the dark paneling Husband seems so intent on acquiring in our new home.

 

 

 

Christmas Fire

Permanent Magenta was over this morning and we were happily sitting on my bed exchanging gifts. My gift to her was an incomplete poncho made out of fuchsia Donegal Tweed. I smelled faint smoke but thought nothing of it, even with the sound of the fire alarm going off next door (must be their timer.) Then sirens. "Poor chumps," I thought...having a fire on Christmas. And the BANG BANG BANG and the "fire brigade" as Husband calls them, burst on in...THERE'S A FIRE - GET OUT!! Are you having deja vu?

What do I do, again? Right. Laptop into purse. I was tempted to grab the jumbo bottle of Baileys in our bedroom which we'd enjoyed while wrapping gifts last night. Permanent Magenta raced down the stairs to help out with the kiddos. We were all still in pjs which is always fun when it's snowing out. (We'd made the little snow heart above earlier.) The kids were sobbing terribly, with memories of the previous fire close in their mind, and the people whose house we go to when our landlords have a fire (this is their third) were gone for Christmas. 

We all sat down on the curb like we usually do,  but when the firemen got on the roof with the axe and more fire engines arrived the crying increased into howling and other neighbors took us in. The neighbor husband was hobbling from a recent vasectomy. If I'd just had a vasectomy I'd have run for the hills rather than host two hysterical kids and their blank looking mom in weird rainboots. Thanks, Dave - you're our hero, as are you, Jen my new-found Etsy/Pinterest friend!  There is no damage to our side but nobody wants to make Christmas dinner anymore. I want sushi in bed with a book and Husband wants a real meal around the table to materialize from a fairy godmother.  I think we might serve the breakfast leftovers Junior brought us at 430am which were also last night's dinner leftovers (shown above). With plenty of wine, it'll be just great. Merry Christmas, all!

 

Santa KNOWS

For Christmas, Juniorette asked Santa for a trundle bed for her American Girl Doll. A trundle because Junior's Power Rangers have to sleep there, too. Good lord, what would happen if procreation occurred - An American Girl Power Ranger in calico spandex?! What wasn't on the list, however, learned in the car yesterday morning, was that Santa will include bedding to go with it - in pink and "aquamarine" no less. "How will he know to bring those colors?" I ask, thinking that the bedding can be picked up at Target or somewhere, most likely in colors other than pink and aquamarine. "Mommy, (incredulous at my ignorance) he knows. He's SANTA." Like, Duh.  A race to the fabric store, stealthy sewing when the kidoodles are asleep. Pink and aquamarine, indeed. At least she didn't request brown and yellow.

I thought a couple of little cushions made out of the green flowers would also be pretty. Hopefully, Her Highness will agree and her faith in Santa's color sensing powers won't be shattered. Tonight, this little pink elf gets to sew sheets.  Of course it would be a trundle bed...double the bedding, double the fun. Do Junior's Power Rangers really need sheets? Can't they sleep on their nunchucks or something?

Thinking Pink

No wonder we haven't found a house yet. Husband must visualize just this type of scenario when he invites his snooker playing, Irish whiskey connoisseur-ing buddies over. From Selina Lake's Flickr page. 

And rightly so. I have many, many plans that possibly contradict the manly vision he has of his homestead. I don't think his vision includes this couch, from Skona hem.

Or purple doorknobs for that matter. From 9Minutes Etsy Shop. God love him, I know we'll somehow compromise. 

Last night I got a video message from Portable North Pole  (if you haven't already, you must make one for your kiddos - it's a huge hit in our house for the second year running. ) that thanked me for being such a loving wife, and in particular, tolerating "Sweetie's snores." I figure that's good for at least a fuchsia foyer. And the way the kids keep falling over in giggles and saying "Sweetie SNORES!" to Husband is just priceless. I know you've probably all seen this House Beautiful image 1000 times but it's a favorite of mine and I don't know that I've ever put it on Casapinka.  Have a balanced and mindful Thursday, everyone. 

 

Madelinetosh Silver Fox

Does it shock and dismay you that I love a nice, silvery gray? This is my latest knitting pattern in progress. I'm using Madelinetosh Vintage in Silverfox and it's like butter through my fingers. Of course, it won't be left just plain gray - what do you take me for?

The variations in the yarn mesmerize me...from white to silver to gray. It takes a real artist to dye yarn like this. This gray will eventually play host to a subtle rendering of a bright color such as ruby red or, er, some shade of - what do you call it? Ah, that's it. Pink. Or maybe I'll just be a woman of unpredictability, throw all caution to the wind and use purple or better still, lavender. All opinions welcome.

Gingerbread House

Every dang year I picture myself as this benevolent, loving mamacita, gently guiding her children into crafting a beautiful ginger bread house. And every freaking year I forget that I ever so carefully load the messy icing into the plastic bag and prematurely congratulate myself and Juniorette for successfully completing the messy difficult part. What I forget is that I go to make a frosting door or window and end up backsqueezing it so the whole damn thing  of icing goes sailing out the bag onto my hand, arm, table and floor.

And then I swear loudly, causing each kid to charge me $1, much to their delight. So, a happy Christmas project now has me fuming at the kitchen sink, cleaning all the sticky icing off, while the kids are down on their knees wrestling each other while licking the frosting off the floor until I come in and announce that they need to GET OFF THE FLOOR NOW.  We try again, this time with the lesson imprinted in my mind (seal the end, seal the end.) The giggles (even mine) return and we have a great time finishing the house. At least it didn't collapse in on itself this year - that would have cost me at least $5 in bad words. We ran short of candy since we ate every second piece or so, which was part of the fun.

They were instructed not to eat the house until Christmas Eve, yet when I went to take pictures of it this morning, it seems something had happened to the back, which I guess I wasn't supposed to notice. It's like the gingerbread equivalent of stripping copper pipe from abandoned houses. So Pink, next year remember that the bag backfires if it's not sealed properly and the kids are going to eat part of the house no matter how many times you tell them it's for decoration (yeah, right - decoration. Good one, Pink.) Nevertheless, I suggest this activity to most of you who probably don't get fined for saying bad words because you don't ever say them, and you have all the right attachments and clamps for pastry bags. You guys just go right ahead since your kids probably don't lick frosting off the floor, either.

Pom Pom Pony Scarf

Yea! Another knitting pattern I designed is up for sale. A very colorful and happy scarf with bobbles and pom pons - what more could you ask for in a scarf?

Every bobble is knit in and guess what - no obnoxious ends to weave in at the end - just stick them through buttons and tie a square knot and cut them off so it is reversible!

Pattern available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop. Have great weekend, everybody!

Holiday Welcome Mat

The Idgran welcome mat from Ikea is very cute but in my opinion just needs to be taken to the next level. I was looking for a holiday welcome mat and the Santas and cutesy holly leaves just didn't do it for me. 

The mat comes with an indented heart in it. All you need to do is fill it in with fabric paint of your choice. I used neon pink, naturally. It was also approved by Juniorette (and Husband likes it, too!)

And let's face it, a girl needs a mat to match her favorite holiday shoes. 

Snow Globes Again

We made more snow globes last night while also making a holiday welcome mat, which I 'll show you tomorrow (you're gonna die - it's neon pink and straw.) Peaches and cream cupcakes are also on the list to do, hence the picture. We headed up to Ikea yesterday afternoon where we bought the aforementioned welcome mat, had dinner, and sang Christmas carols in the car. At home we made Hot Chocolatenog, which is when you make hot chocolate and then add enough eggnog to cool it down. The kids love it more than Nutella, if that's possible. I also grate fresh nutmeg on top because they stare at it me wide-eyed like I'm doing a magic trick.

There's been a lot of bickering lately between the two pinklets. "He pinched me!" "She pulled off Clawzord's head!" When Junior is mad at his sister he also has this way of growling softly which drives her crazy. She starts yelling that he's growling and it's driving her crazy and then -the ultimate insult -tells him she won't marry him, ever. Apparently, having staples in one's head only earns sisterly love for a couple of days. Juniorette also got fired from being the angel Gabriel in the school play because she didn't know her lines, which added to the antsy mood. I think we were all a bit distracted last week, poor kid. So, snowglobe making and welcome mat painting was very centering and calming for children and mom alike (Husband was working.) 

Humpty Junior Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

Humpty Dumpty got a great big fright      (as did his parents)

But won't concede he lost the pillow fight. 

The "funny" conversation between the trauma surgeon and the ER doc parents while sitting in a pool of blood in the bathroom trying to put pressure on a screaming 5 year old's head:

Me: He needs S.T.A.P.L.E.S.
Husband: No he doesn't! He needs Hemostatic S.U.T.U.R.E.S. 
Me: What?! No he doesn't!
Junior: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Juniorette: I can spell!!! Why are they going to put staples in his head?!?! Don't put staaaaaaaaaaaaaples in his heeeeeeeeeeeead!!!!!

What a week. Send anti-aging cream. Please.

(He's fine and insisted on going to school to show everyone the staples in his head.  Husband told me not to keep him home and coddle him. I want to coddle him SO BAD, though.  Photo from Laughing Squid.)