New toy!!

While I was in DC, helping Dr K prepare for the wedding, Phineas picked up my long- awaited, brand spankin' new Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 850 sewing machine. He was very clever about the whole thing. H-V has just introduced the Sapphire 855 - the next generation of this machine. So, Phineas found a store that was trying to sell the last few 850's it had in stock and was able to finagle a significant discount.

This machine sews so beautifully and has so many features that I don't even know where to begin singing its praises. I spent most of yesterday morning playing with some of the 100+ stitches and figuring out how to do some of the basics.

A few of the many decorative stitches.

The computerized system has a rather high IQ. It tells you to adjust the thread tension based on the fabric you are sewing and the stitch. It also suggests what needle size and foot to use for various stitches and fabrics. I forgot to change the tension a few times, which is why some of the test stitches are a bit puckered.

Pajama bottoms

My first mini-project was to finish the pj bottoms which I started with Erato a few weeks ago. They sewed up beautifully and quickly. My first impression - now that I have it in the Craft Lounge - is that the Sapphire 850 is an incredibly functional and user friendly machine. Everything about it was easy, easy, easy! Made to make sewing enjoyable.

I barely scratched the surface with what the Sapphire can do and am raring to go with my next project. So stay tuned for more sewing adventures.

Love Love Love!

Magenta got some great shots of the couple being their silly selves.

On Saturday, "I do's" were said, cupcakes were eaten, and I was able to add to my growing collection of pictures of Dr Kiang and Ivan, in which one or both were hamming it up for the camera. Typical!!

Look at how gorgeous Dr K looks, rockin' her Michelle Obama
inspired wedding dress and flanked by her smokin' hot entourage.

What a great wedding and what a great couple. Thanks for letting me be part of your special day!

Confession

Dear Dr Kiang,

I am so looking forward to your wedding on Saturday, but I have this one tiny confession to make first. I'm having some qualms. Serious ones. About the card I bought you.

You see, I spent quite a while looking for the right card in all the places that I usually have luck finding nice cards. But I am still just not sure about the one I ended up with. It isn't that it has humor that could be considered tacky. It doesn't. And I steered clear of the card that had a pop-up wedding cake with lighting and a soundtrack of Pachelbel's Canon in D when you opened it. What I was looking for was a card that had a pretty but unfussy outside and a simple, non-cloying message inside. A tall order! And I did find it, more or less. It's just that... well... in an act of desperation, when all hope for a simple card was gone, I found it at.... at... at Kmart. (hangs head in shame.)

Now, I know that you are a lady who likes a bargain. Target's profits in the northeast would collapse with out you. But lets not forget our conversation on Saturday about my very cute, but admittedly made-of-plastic shoes from Kmart. You suggested that if I had to put gel insoles in to make them wearable, that perhaps I ought to just start with shoes that actually came with insoles. Can I really give you a card, arguably on the most important day of your life, that I bought at the same place that I got $12 plastic shoes that lack an insole?

I don't know. But, personally, I am having some trouble getting over the $1.99-ness of the card. Oh, yeah, did I mention that it was on the clearance rack? Well, it was. So there is that too.

Anywho, I just don't know what to do and time (and card stores) are running out. So, you will probably be stuck with my cheapo card. But aren't you glad that you have a friend to think about such weighty topics in the run up to your special day? I thought so.

Love,
Clio

Obento!

I generally bring my breakfast and a snack to work and buy my lunch. But lately I've been bored of the lunchtime offerings near my office. Then the NY Times ran an article on the growing popularity of bento boxes, and I knew I had my answer to boring lunches.


A very simple explaination of bento, or obento, is that it is the Japanese word for a meal served in a box. However, a bento can be very simply rice, veggies and meat or fish packed in a plastic container, or it can be a "cute bento" - a child's school lunch full of fun accessories and fanciful presentation meant to trick them into eating good-for-you food, or it can be elevated to an artform with carved fruits and veggies and the like. Anything goes. But the whole point is to create a balanced meal that is easy to transport and pleasing to the eye.

So, I was thrilled to get a bento box for my birthday. Mine is a slick 2 tiered one in blue and white. Each lid doubles as a cooling/gel pack once you freeze it, so no worries about keeping my lunch fresh. It also came with dividers, so you can partition your food. In general, you are supposed to pack your box pretty tightly, with 3 parts rice or other carb, 1 part protein and 2 parts vegetable. Including two different veggies/sides is traditional.

Here is my very first 2-tiered bento box creation.

Top tier: Breakfast and snack

This tier has cut up strawberries topped with yogurt, granola and honey on the right, and a pile of baby carrots on the left.

Bottom Tier: Lunch

Tier two has a bed of couscous topped with a few slices of sausage, asparagus and poached sliced shrimp on the right, and cut up red pepper and broccoli on the left. I have to say that this bento was pretty easy to put together thanks to the leftovers from my birthday. All the veggies are leftover crudites that were already cut and blanched. The slivers of sausage were also from my bday. The couscous and shrimp were last night's dinner.

I'm getting hungry just writing this post. Anyway, my goal is to try to bring in my lunch twice a week, depending on leftovers. Whenever I make a good looking box, I'll post it.

And Now for the Loot!

Um, I would be remiss if I didn't say how my Muses and friends spoiled me rotten this birthday.

First off, I got my much wished-for bento box, which I will be posting about on Tuesday. And I received a visa gift card, which I will be using to buy some accessories for it.

Double level Bento Box and Insulated Carrying Bag

Next, several people gave gifts to support my sewing hobby. Even those who did not feel comfortable buying a sewing gift, gave me gift certificates specifically for sewing purchases. And I know they are all the kind of people who hate giving gift certificates, so it meant a lot to me. I also received a gift certificate to Mood, in addition to a shopping spree sponsored by Erato at the fabric store of my choice. We are planning a day to take off from work together. Hurray! And my mom and dad gave me 3 yards of a grey pinstripe fabric that has a lovely hand. "For trousers", mom says, and she is right - it will be great for pants. I am rather intrigued by it. Check out the name in the selvage.

Exclusive Armani Collection: could it be genuine?

Phineas, aside from cooking a birthday feast for me, has found my next sewing machine at the price I want (picking it up in the next day or so). Luckily, I received some funds from mom and dad to buy some additional accessories (presser feet!) for it.

I also have to give a special shout to Calliope, who, whenever I ask for slippers or pjs - which is quite often - gives me slippers or pj's. I love pajamas, especially as a gift. And she always makes sure I get them. I think we are just in sync in that department. And of course, Linus and Orpheus picked out a necklace and earrings for me and then helped me celebrate. Linus helped me blow out the candles on my cake and Orpheus threw confetti on me. All in all, an excellent birthday party!

My Birthday: Joie de Vivre

I'm backdating this post to my actual birthday, even though it is going up a bit late. As you know, it's been a bit busy these last 6 weeks or so.

Anita Ekberg's famous frolick in the Trevi Fountain in Fellini's La Dolce Vita

I didn't have much time to prepare myself mentally for my birthday. But as Phineas and I were driving home from my Oktoberfest-themed birthday, I was thinking about the past year and the next one to come. I couldn't stay focused on my accomplishments and goals because my mind kept wandering to happy places and faces. And the phrase that kept coming to mind was Joie de Vivre.

I look out across the world and on my life, and I feel elated. I feel younger this year. I feel prettier. I feel more talented this year. I feel more adventurous. I feel smarter this year. I feel confident. I feel appreciated. I feel loved this year. I feel happy with me. And I don't have it all figured out, but I think that loving myself is at the heart of my happiness in the world around me. Here I am at 34, feeling more myself than I ever have before.

So this year, my birthday gift to myself is to encourage my joie de vivre, because, after all is said and done, it is the happiness and joy that makes life so sweet.

Guest Blogger: Erato

So while Clio is (was) in the UK, I was invited to guest blog about my first sewing project!!! So here goes:

If you’ve been following Clio’s blog she’s already posted pictures of the pattern we were working on to make our pajamas. If not, you can read about it here and see the fabric we used here.

Sunday was the day we had set aside to really make some progress on our project. We had previously traced and cut out our pattern, added seven inches in length to the legs of my pants, (Yes, seven!) pressed the fabric and pinned the pattern to the fabric. We met for a quick dim sum and then got to work.

Now it didn’t seem like a lot to do or very complicated. Cut out fabric, sew the four pieces together (two pieces for each leg) add elastic and hem. Now, I should have been tipped off to how tricky this would be from my previous lessons. For example, pressing the fabric doesn’t mean ironing it. It means picking up the iron and pressing it down on the fabric to get out all the wrinkles, not sliding the iron along the fabric to get them out. I after about four or five hours hard at work okay, there may have been quite a bit of gabbing, gossiping and caffeinating) I was burnt out. We decided to wrap up after I had completely fudged my elastic casing and all of my stitches had to be ripped out. We left the pants still needing elastic and hems.

Monday I got home, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sewing fest from the day before. There had been so much to remember and I was still a bit discouraged by my elastic casing. So I puttered around the house avoiding the project until I really had a chance to see how much work we had done and how little was left. I decided to give it another shot and was pleasantly surprised when 45 minutes later I was wearing my new pjs!

All done sewing and ready to hit the hay.
Notice the lack of visible ankle!!!

I haven’t told Clio this, yet, but I was so proud and excited of my Pjs, on Wednesday I came home from work and made a bag for my shoes. I carry my real shoes with me to work in my purse and wear my Fit Flops. This used to mean I had a pair of shoes in a plastic Rite Aid bag in my purse at all times. Now I have cute little sack with handles to put in my purse. No more crinkly plastic bag sound every time I take out my wallet.

Bag, purse, shoes.

I winged it, so I wasn’t sure what stitches to use for the handles and despite my best efforts it may be a bit trapezoidal, but I got in some good practice and it does the job it was made for. Hopefully when Clio is back we can hit the fabric store again and help me pick out a nice easy pattern for my next project!