Karger/Tift Blog

Girls with Gemstone Eyes

2011-06-11T17:33:00.002-05:00

Matthew brought the girls to the cabin letting me have some much needed, uninterrupted work time. While they were away, he sent me this photo -- one of very few photos that managed to get them both smiling and looking at the camera. And one that highlights their gorgeous blue eyes. I love my girls. And I love my hubby. :)

The Ends

2011-06-09T16:06:00.005-05:00

Hooray! This afternoon, a big ol' 2nd grader stepped off the bus and raced toward me.

I held out my arms to hug her, but she stopped and showed me her face instead, specifically the giant gap in her top teeth.

Mere minutes later, we were in a local chop shop with both girls saddled into cushy chairs for a trim. While Leah's was just a trim to correct some of my errors from a while back, Natalie's was her first "major" haircut -- the haircut that would release the ends of the hair that had been connected to her scalp since birth.

As I expected, she sat very still for the stylist, and kept catching glimpses of herself in the mirror. each time she did so, she grinned an excited little smile and worked down a thrill through her shoulders.

The stylist worked quickly and well and within maybe fifteen minutes, she was done, and we were introduced to the Brand New Natalie!

She was made for inverted bobs.

I took both girls out for a little hot cocoa treat to celebrate "the ends": the of the school year, the end of a baby tooth, and the many curly and blond ends of baby hair that were swept away off the floor.

The End. :)

Babies in the House

2011-05-25T23:25:00.003-05:00

Leah was allowed to bring home two of the 6 Mallard ducklings that her class has been incubating for the last two weeks. They are about 2 days old, curious, patient, and loud when they want attention. And, yes, they are as soft and cuddly as you think they are. Leah and her friend named these two Pumpkin and Baby.

Their first swim.

A little smile, maybe?
Getting ready for a snooze under the heat lamp.

They are super adorable. We have them for only one night, then back to school they go, probably to head home with another family tomorrow night. Eventually, they're destined to live on a local farm, where they will inevitably turn into beautiful, hissing beasts. As 2-day olds, they've been absolutely lovely little creatures, and we're glad to have them here.

A Snow Sandwich

2011-02-21T09:29:00.006-06:00

What's a snow sandwich? I suppose it could be something the kids make up as they pile snow in their mittens and pretend it's some gourmet delight. I'm using the term to describe the weather we've had this winter, and especially this month.

We've had snow on the ground since before Thanksgiving and it basically just built upon itself until the sides of our driveway were nearly as tall as Leah. Then, beginning earlier this month, we had over a week of rising temps, above-freezing nights, and massive marvelous melting. We celebrated the day the deck was clear by grilling brats and Matthew even put his winter boots away.

The forecast for this weekend began as a possibility of snow, then a predicted 4 - 6 inches, then 6 - 8 inches, then 10 -12 inches, and you can see where this is going.

You can certainly argue that talking about, let along blogging about the weather is pedestrian or downright boring. But this stuff is pretty amazing. Here is our attempt to capture the accumulation of Sunday's snow into Monday morning:

Sunday at 11 a.m.

Sunday at 2 p.m.

Sunday at 5 p.m.

Sunday at 8 p.m.

Monday at 9 a.m.

I'll be the first to admit it's not as impressive as the viral video of the storm that hit the Northeast coast in December, or the windy and thunder-riddled beast that hit Chicago a few weeks ago. Perhaps I'm more amazed at the simple contrast between losing so much snow and ice to warm temps over a week, only to gain new snow in a single 24 hour period.

Last night, I tried to photograph some of the more abstract elements of the snow around our house. This was the view out the front door:

I liked the glow of the lights along the steps as they were buried under the flakes:

And on the back deck, as some of the snow falls between the spaces of the decking, a sort of "Snow Braille" forms:

It's still snowing out there. Lighter now, and everything is very, very white. Our street has been plowed and the salt and dirt they spread is already covered by new snow. If I was a school age kid, I'd be really bummed that we already had today off for President's Day!

Lots of Lovely Locks

2011-02-01T22:14:00.004-06:00

Once again, Leah decided to chop off over a foot of hair and settle on a sassy, little bob. She was waiting until her hair reached down to her butt, and reach it did!

It was pretty, there's no question. But it was prone to near dreadlock-like tangles, and Leah only managed to brush the front third of it on any regular basis.

So, away it went! And here's the new Leah!

After the first, rough cut to lop off the pony tail, Leah leapt from the chair and ran around shaking her head with the freedom and feeling that comes with such quick and massive weight loss. :)

The next day, we bagged it up and mailed it to Locks of Love. Leah was really pleased to be able to send her hair to someone who might be able to use it. For me, it felt very odd and also wonderful to be donating part of my baby girl. I know it's just hair, it's not even living, but those little, sandy brown curls have been through a lot in the last two years!

Now, Leah proudly brushes all of her hair herself, at least twice a day, and it takes her all of about 15 seconds. She's a happy girl!

A January Afternoon

2011-01-12T12:14:00.003-06:00

Five days a week during the school year, my trusty poochie and I trek out to the end of the road to wait for Leah's bus to drop her off. Despite the routine, no two afternoons are ever alike. In the fall, Jack and I kick through drying leaves, and in the spring, we find a serpentine path around the street lakes formed from melting snowbanks.

This day, was an overcast, chilly, nearly windless, January day with light snowfall of itty-bitty flakes. The sun was already very low on the horizon and casting an amber glow as it sank, promising to take a little longer to do so tomorrow. And Jack, perky eared and shivering, was almost monochromatic against the snowy road and backdrop.

"Where's Leah?" I whisper to him. He looks up, turns his head in the wrong direction, and looks earnestly for his little friend. We're quiet and, for a few seconds, so is the neighborhood. Then, faintly before growing, we hear the quick clackity-clack of the diesel engine groaning up the road. Then we see the lights on the top of the orange bus. Then the whole bus. Squeaking brakes, noisy idle, size 12 boots on the steps, and Jack's soft, happy whimper. She's home!

Top Picks of our Pics

2010-12-12T18:36:00.006-06:00

Why hello there! I have no profound introductory remarks to make, so we'll treat this like a last-minute decision to get a take-out pizza, and just dig in.

We caught our first "indoor" mouse using a toilet paper tube, some spreadable "cheese product" and a tall, unused garbage can. We set the trap in the kitchen, not far from where we've seen their sh--tuff lately, and voila! An adorable little rodent.

I "tagged" him with a bit of silver nail polish, before we dropped him off at the end of the street. He ran away from us, and up a tree. Not sure if he survived past the day, if he found his way back to our house, or if met up with his long lost lover. We caught one other mouse in the house since then who ran around in circles like a nutter, and we've heard others, so the trap will be set again for the foreseeable future.

We do know that these little guys can survive this weather. Meet "Om Noms".

I'm not sure if it's the same squirrel or two who are the brave ones of the flock in our back yard, or if they take turns nabbing the goodies we throw out. Whoever it is, s/he likes to come right up to the sliding door, even placing her/his front paws on the glass to look in, as if to say, "Oy! We're fresh outta bread heels out here!" Once I replenish the stock, s/he is content to let me take some photos and/or watch him/her munch away, mere inches from that fluffy little body.

Here are some other cold-weather survivors:

Matthew, Leah, and Grandma Jan participated in the Turkey Trot, a 5k run on Thanksgiving. Not just any Thanksgiving, but the coldest Thanksgiving in 20-some years. Leah did really well, thanks to the encouragement of her daddy, and Jan was a trooper despite her frozen toes. Matthew hopes the run, minus the single-digit temps, will become an annual tradition.

Much of our month so far has been filled with more "firsts." We recently endured our first major snowfall, and Matthew got to give our new snow blower its first major workout.

It blows! And that's a good thing!

I attended my first art gallery reception as one of the featured artists.

I survived my first year as a vendor at the uber-fun, 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama. I don't look busy in this photo, but this was taken on Friday early evening, before things really took off for the night, and well before the madness ensued the next day. Later on in the show, it was nearly impossible to take a photo of the booth as it was constantly crowded with shoppers, eager to shed a few pounds of their moola and cross off the names on their shopping list.

I attribute my success to many things. One was making a ton of specific lake papercuts, including Superior, Michigan, Minnetonka, etc. Another was having a a brand new fancy, schmancy gridwall display to show off all those lake pieces. A third was being across the hall from the wickedly wonderful Adam Turman and the crowd of adoring fans that flocked to his double booth like the rock star he is. A fourth factor is that people were in a buying mood. Most people who made a purchase mentioned that they would be giving the piece or the card to someone else, and that it would be "perfect" for them. I can't tell you how much my heart and ego swelled to hear these tales. The final and most important factor was having exceptional help. Matthew's folks were able to take care of the girls and the dog, leaving Matthew as my capable assistant, cheerleader, and show coach. I could not have done it without my sweetheart, and his sweet folks. Thanks again, guys.

Matthew has taught Leah how to play chess, and the two of them match wits nearly every day. It seems that Leah's developing a good instinct for the game, and it's fun to hear their dialogue about strategies and "what-ifs."

Both girls have re-discovered how much they like grapefruit, although Natalie's technique has changed somewhat.

This one may gross you out a bit, but I think it's actually kind of cool. Leah's chapped lips worsened to a case of impetigo, and then her picking on that may have lead to a nasty little cuticle infection.

Don't worry, it's much better now. I was impressed with the size of the pus sac and her body's gruesome way of trying to fight off these heebie-jeebies.

To round out our little tour of what we've been up to, here's a cute one of Matthew and his baby girl, on their way back into the house, and out of the sub-zero windchill.

Later that day, Natalie came downstairs after a non-nap, and she was sporting this custom outfit that cracked us up.

This girl re-defines "goofy" every day.

Oh, and my Christmas cactus bloomed again! I didn't kill it afterall!

Eeeek!

2010-11-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

On our way back into the house after a walkies, Jack perked up at something inside the big Red Wing crock outside our front door. He occasionally sniffs places where someone who has a dog has walked, or where he last saw a chipmunk dart into a drainpipe, but this time he was committed.

His tail, usually quite dormant for a dog, went berserk, whipping in every direction, his ears stood at taut attention, and his neck strained at his collar and leash.

And this is why:

It was so cute! After I snapped these photos, we brought Jack inside, came back out and carefully tipped the crock on its side. The lil' guy wasted no time and bolted out of the crock, down the porch, and under a crack in the cement. He's probably related to if not complicit in the group of mice that have been leaving their little black calling cards in our kitchen recently. But finding him/her helpless in this crock gave me hope that we could use the dangling toilet paper roll method to catch one of 'em one of these days and actually find him/her in the garbage can in the morning. What we'd do if we actually caught one? I don't know. I guess if we release them outside, they'd just come back in and think it was all just a fun field trip. I don't want to kill them either. And, in case you're wondering, I don't want to keep them as pets either. We already know what Jack thinks of them. :)

If you've got any tips, let me know!

Monday Morning

2010-11-08T13:31:00.006-06:00

Both girls had the day off from school this morning, so we took advantage of that and a gorgeous morning and headed downtown to our local main street.

After dropping a few things off at the post office, we indulged in some treats at the bakery. The girls shared a cookie, while I had my favorite combination: a pain au chocolat (or "Chocolatine" as they were called in France) and a double espresso. Decadent and flavorful. Natalie provided a little "whine" to our petit dejeuner, but otherwise is was parfait. ;)

We wiped our crumbs from our laps and walked down to the water with some expired buns, set on feeding the myriad sunfish that gather at the end of the dock. On the way, we found some spent rose bushes. Since we couldn't stop and smell the roses, I stopped and shot the rosehips. That counts, right?

The fish were a no-show, but I told the girls to throw in a few bits to see if any lunkers (a.k.a. gi-normous carp) came up from the murky depths for a nibble.

Still, no fish, but soon entered about six or seven gulls, squawking and screeching and eyeing the goodies. They were timid about entering the water while we watched, but they hung around, modeled a bit for me, and continually pestered one another.

After a bit, they all flew away, and at the same time some crows began calling to one another. Soon thereafter, two bald eagles flew overhead. I'm guessing these events were not coincidental, and I kicked myself for not bringing my bigger zoom lens -- not that I could have changed it AND shot a decent pic anyway.

Still, the avian wildlife we saw more than made up for the lack of fishies. We said good bye to the birds and took a spin through the tiny pet shop. I paused almost too long at the baby dumbo rats for sale -- they were SO CUTE -- then we kept moving and ended our trip at the library. With a bag loaded with new books, we came home happy and satisfied.

It was a lovely way to spend some free morning hours, and I couldn't imagine two girls with whom I'd have rather spent it.

New Camera = Loads of Fun

2010-11-01T22:35:00.008-05:00

With the actual NEED for both of us to have cameras coming up more and more, Matthew and I decided it was high time to finally buy a second camera. We've really enjoyed the shots we've taken with our Canon Powershot SD 1000, and we wanted to step it up with number two. We looked at the lovely Panasonic Lumix with the ample digital zoom and HD video capability, but ultimately, I persuaded Matthew to take the leap of faith with me into the world of dSLRs. After some research online, a few, informative chats with friends and camera store employees, and deep soul-searching, I selected the Canon T1i as my golden ticket. Costco had a lens and gadget package offer I couldn't refuse and I am now a proud owner of this beautiful device.
I am still a complete novice with it, but the controls and menu are fairly in line with the point-and-shoot we're used to, so that helps. Basically, it's a thrill to use, and I am amazed at the difference in not only how the photos have turned out, but also in what conditions I've been able to shoot. It's opening up a whole new world of photo capabilities that were previously impossible in our shady house and yard. Oh, and yes, I do love the cha-click of that shutter opening and closing.

Knowing that I'm still new at this, that these were not taken under ideal circumstances, and that they've been reduced to fit on your screen, please don't throw any tomatoes at my recent batch of show and tell pics. Here we go!

Jack was my first official subject, and like a good greyhound, he stood statue-like under the golden canopy of changing leaves for this one, my first favorite photo from my new camera:

Then, onto some flowers still showing their colors in mid-October at the Arboretum. I could quite get the vividness of the purple in these little flowers, but I like the depth of field in this photo:

Here again, the red is a little too pink, but I think I nabbed the softness of the petals, the perfection of the rain drops, and that lovely yellow glow from the inside of this rose blossom:

On to moving targets, here's my papa (hi, Dad!):

Leah, with her growing collection of these infectious Silly Bandz:

And Natalie, posing on the deck in her Halloween costume:

Speaking of Halloween, here are the girls in full outfits. Natalie is a chef who says she'll cook us all a mean-a pizza pie. Leah is a veterinarian, poised with syringe and stethoscope, and evidently not wearing any shoes.

Both girls brought home enough candy to last them until next year, and enjoyed the entire weekend in their alter egos.

To close, one last photo of Nattie on her bike. With practice at preschool, she's getting this peddling thing down pretty well and can cruise up and down the street a few feet at a time on her own (with training wheels, that is). Something about those little rosy cheeks makes me like this one a whole lot:

I can't promise the blog posts will be any more frequent, especially as we near the holiday season and my work picks up big time, but I will do my best to take even more kick-butt photos to include with the posts I do manage to write. Thanks for joining me! See you soon.

Day Ones

2010-09-13T14:39:00.004-05:00

Another year has passed, the Earth has completed another race around the sun, the air coaxes goosebumps on our arms, and the 2010-11 school year is off with a bang. Last week, Leah began her year as a first grader, attending the same Spanish Immersion program as she started with Kindergarten last year. She exuded confidence and, thankfully, lacked any sense of that "Yeah, Mom, I knoooooow" attitude that I expect many of her peers have by now. You can sense her enthusiasm in her porch photo here:

This week was Natalie's turn for a first day. She'll be attending a half-day pre-school program a few days a week. Starting "slow and easy" is probably more for my sake than hers. She is my baby after all. She was very excited, super prepared, and quite thrilled to be able to use my old backpack from college. I washed and dried it the night before and left it on her chair for her to find in the morning. According to my morning report, she had it on since 6:30 a.m. She even picked out her own outfit and dressed herself head to toe. This girl was born ready. Check it out:

Am I ready? I think so. I will make really good use of the time she's playing, and hopefully be able to enjoy more of the time we share. Knowing she is so adroit at fitting in and playing well helps a ton. Now if only I could do the same. ;)

How to Age your Kid in 5 Minutes

2010-08-17T21:48:00.005-05:00

I finally cut Natalie's hair. Maybe it's because she's the baby and I don't want her to go through any of those rites of passage that signify aging, maybe it's because I had hopes that she would be the kid that didn't mind having her hair brushed every day, or maybe it's because I didn't want to risk marring her innate "cute" factor, but I haven't cut Natalie's hair at all. Not even to get gum out.

By this age, Leah had been having her bangs cut fairly regularly and was nearing her first major haircut. But, and I sadly admit this, Natalie does not have Leah's hair. Incidentally, Natalie's fingernails, ear wax and hair grow slower and less abundantly than Leah's. So, on a bit of a whim last night after dinner, I asked, "Natalie, would you like to get some bangs tonight?" To which she giggled and cheered in approval.

Out came the good scissors and a comb, and we set up a makeshift salon on the back deck. A quick "Before" shot...

And we dug in. Look at how much these long bangs pain her. They have got to go.

And go they do! And already smiles and laughter from the little one!

And here's the "After:"

Who is this bright-eyed three-year old? It couldn't possibly be the same little tyke sitting in this chair five minutes ago! As soon as I'd cut it, I kicked myself a bit for not doing this sooner. It is such an improvement to be able to see her face!

This past week, we also rang in Leah's birthday. We rode through the rain in the Tour de Tonka before heading up to the cabin for the lake association's annual picnic and games, as well as some delicious homemade pizzas for dinner. It turned out to be a very busy and beautiful day. A week later, Leah had her friends join her at a nearby community farm for a belated birthday party. A fun mix of small farm life, amazing cupcakes, and mega crazy kids.

I also tried to recreate some scrumptious and substantial corn flake crusted, french toast that I enjoyed at Wishbone in Chicago years ago. Using this kid-friendly recipe, the girls and I putzed through the steps and turned out some rather tasty dippers. By themselves, they're not that sweet, which is fine considering we drowned them in syrup, but I'm tempted to try different, more sinful cereals to coat these bad boys. Coco Roos, perhaps? :)

That's it for this post. Go Twins!

G-bye, June. HiYa, July!

2010-07-14T11:41:00.005-05:00

Once again, I've left you with a sizable gap in time between blog posts. I did this so you could fully absorb the awesomeness of the last post and prepare yourself for still more awesomeness in this one. Yeah, completely planned this out to the minute. Yeah. ;)

Enough of that. On to the goings on!

Natalie has recently taken to drawing little people with great big eyes and heads, and little bitty arms and legs. Here, she's posing with one of her creations on the big Magna Doodle.

We all took a trip up north to visit family and take in some nearly perfect summer days. We enjoyed the newly renovated park by the lake:

Natalie on the springy sea horse:

Leah, halfway up the swirly slide:

Then we returned to my folks' house for some outdoor sightseeing of Mom and Dad's hard-earned gardening efforts.

Mom de-weeding between the brick border:

A peony with salvia in the background:

A clutch of boldly bright dianthus (my camera couldn't seem to grab the color as it was):

Yellow, evening primrose:

And a monarch foraging in a huge lily blossom:

Of course, no June tour of the gardens would be complete without seeing some bug pornography. These nasty little buggers are the dreaded rose chafers, or what Mom calls "f*ckin bugs." When they hatch from the ground, they swarm the plants, eating and mating, mating and eating. I still cringe when I see them:

Soon after we returned home, we welcomed some of the up north crew to our place to gather and attend a Twins game. Before the game started, my brother was honored in a ceremony for his outstanding commitment to keeping DUI-ers off the roads. He was in an elite group of officers from across the state and we cheered like obnoxious children when we saw the group emerge onto the field. I was too zoomed in at the time to make it clear, but this is my brother on the gi-normous t.v. screen at Target Field:

And here he is making small talk with T.C. Bear (mustachioed in honor of pitcher Carl Pavano that night):

We are so stinkin' proud of you, Lyan! Keep kickin' butt out there!

This was my first time at the new ballpark, and I think it is GORGEOUS! We found Matthew's family name on the Tradition Wall (a gift to his Dad and uncle):

Took the obligatory "in the seats" shot:

And the obligatory "from the seats" shot (I loved how monochromatic the skyline looked as the sun set behind us):

Back home once again, we've been thoroughly enjoying our CSA share this year -- our first, officially. We also bought a meat share from an organic lamb, beef and chicken farm. One night, we dined on this feast: A huge beef sirloin (most of which we saved for another meal) and a sugar snap pea, potato, fennel and mustard salad. Delicious!

Most recently, we rang in Nat-o's third birthday! She picked out a chocolate cake from the grocery store. It was decorated like a picnic blanket with plastic ants and a lady-finger/pink frosting hot dog. Natalie went straight for the hot dog and it was gone in a flash.

And finally, we leave you with another shot of one of the elusive "Whitey" squirrels in our neighborhood. This one perched atop our short woodpile to munch on something tasty.

Thanks for tuning in once again! I hope you've enjoyed the show! As always, I encourage you to visit my shop blog as well to see what I've been doing there.

Might as well JUMP!

2010-06-22T21:01:00.004-05:00

Fewer words. More photos.
Things we learned last week.

1. Jumping is fun.*

2. Jumping is very fun.*

3. My girls fancy themselves budding supermodels.

4. June flowers are purdy.

* Photos 1, 2 & 4 taken by Rebecca. Thank you for sharing!

When you say, "Craftstravaganza," you've said it all!

2010-04-26T21:13:00.001-05:00

Last year, I took in my first St. Paul Craftstravaganza as a shopper, in awe of the awesomeness at every single booth (yes! None disappointed!), and taking mental notes for what I might do were I to tackle my own craft fair booth someday.
This year, with a couple of shows under my apron, I will be on the other side of the booth as a vendor, hoping to meet lots of cool folks, hug lots of new friends, and sell lots of my neat-o work! If any of you are in the area, please, please come and check it out. You will not leave empty handed. In addition to all the tempting goodies crafted and otherwise, there will be make & take demos, and I'm giving out free hugs! It's going to rock!

*** this post is cross-posted from my shop blog***

Happy, Happy!

2010-03-23T17:46:00.003-05:00

This post is all about sharing some smile-inducing moments from the last week. Enjoy!

"Whitey." One of at least TWO albino grey squirrels in our neighborhood.

Tulip "spears" in the front yard!

Muffin head.

Smiling Nato

Happy girls by receding lake ice.

Girlie Things

2010-03-07T23:14:00.005-06:00

In the past couple of weeks there have been some significantly "girlie" things happening. And by "significantly" I mean that Leah and I have actually done *something* remotely associated with taking advantage of our extra x-chromosome.

Two weeks ago, I got to be kid-free for a wonderfully long morning and afternoon to celebrate the soon-to-be (and now current!) birth of a little one that a couple we know and love is adopting. After stuffing my face at a breakfast out, five of us wimmings took over a bank of fancy-schmancy pedicure chairs for some royal toe treatment. It was wonderful and over much too soon. Before we all scattered, I snapped this pic of our pedigree piggies:

Just this past weekend, Leah had her first manicure in the company of her auntie Kira and Grandma Jan. She held very still, and was even tearless and scream-free as the manicurist brushed Leah's snarly hair into a ponytail so she'd look better in the photos.

Now that she's been introduced to the whole procedure, I'm sure we'll have to visit the salon at least once a month, don't you think?

This past month, we also had the chance to get together with Natalie's closest cousin in age. When the two of them realized that they both had a "Woof Woof" it was just a "Woof Woof" weekend from then out. Here they are snuggled in Ellie's big girl bed with their pups at hand:

Taking this picture reminded both Sarah and me that we have a small but special collection of photos of these two monkeys from very early on. Separated by only 16 days, we have a sneaking suspicion that, left to their own devices, these two could get into a lot of mischief together.

About 7 months:

About 2 months:

Just a few days for Ellie:

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a very girlie girl. But with these two, I might just change my ways.

Piles o' White Stuff

2010-02-11T16:21:00.001-06:00

When assembling the photos for this post, I couldn't help but think of the Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right and the themed collections of "fabulous prizes!" So this blog post features "prizes" that all include piles of some sort of white, fluffy stuff.

Knowing we live in the the arctic state of Minnesota, it's easy to predict that the first set of piles are comprised of white, fully snow. We've had snow that has stuck around since early December and most of it has fallen in relatively easy-to-shovel increments. Our last batch measured just over a foot within 48 hours. I'm always grateful for any balmy blue-sky days after a load of snow like this. Makes all the sweat and back ache from shoveling well worth it. And for the record, nearly every inch of this was cleared, lifted, hoisted, scraped, scooped, etc. without the use of a snowblower. If we get another storm like this one, that fact may change.

The homestead from the road:

View from the front door:

Looking from the front porch out to the street:

The next white fluffy stuff is edible even when in shades of yellow. I made a batch of vanilla meringues, let Natalie sprinkle some red sugar on top, and dipped each into a bit of melted chocolate chips. They make the perfect little sugary treat sometimes, and they look pretty cute too.

The final white, fluffy stuff is in the kitchen sink. Following in her big sister's footsteps, Natalie volunteered to wash a few dishes after I had done the bigger ones. She still had a bit of a stretch even with the help of the step stool, but she was fully engrossed with scooping, pouring, and scrubbing for a good twenty minutes.

Sorry, there's no trip to Exciting Las Vegas and no one will win a mid-size sedan with California Emission, but there's no need to guess the price since this package is... well,... priceless. *cheese*

Big, Honkin' Craft-acular News!

2010-01-22T14:27:00.005-06:00

It's official!

My cards are now for sale at the Museum of Modern Art's Retail store in New York!

It's completely awesome sauce and a bag o' chips.

You can catch the full story on my shop blog here.

On the immediate to-do list: dance around the house and play some wicked air guitar.

Dee-lish!

2010-01-15T00:11:00.005-06:00

Along with so many other awesome goodies, my lovely folks gave us a big ol' bag of pecans and some locally sourced and produced maple syrup. Not long after our return from the holiday trip, I put those two magical ingredients to work with the help of a recipe I was itchin' to try for Cinnamon Maple Pecans.

*** Please take a moment to wipe the drool from the corners of your mouth. ***

I found the recipe on the Craft zine blog and immediately bookmarked it. I love the simplicity of ingredients, the fact that it's not terribly sinful as a snack, the aromas that escape the oven as the pecans roast, and the amazing taste -- a bit like kettle corn with with balance of salty and sweet. So good, I just had to share.

This treat does have one major drawback -- they simply don't last long in our house. We all grab a little handful whenever the stash is out, and within a day or two, they are long gone and I'm prepping a new double batch for the oven. Give it a whirl, and let me know if any of you come up with some fun variations.

Little Traditions, Little Changes

2010-01-09T23:31:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!

The weeks leading up to and including the recent holidays tend to dredge up family traditions that, like opening a box of tree ornaments, causes me to pause and reevaluate each one. Some traditions feel imposed and of those, a few feel uncomfortably imposed. Others seem more "optional" but tend to happen almost every year anyway. As our own family unit, we know its important to plan our activities based on more than just our own gut feelings. Sometimes, you have to hang that ugly, little ornament on the front of the tree because doing so will make someone's day, and that makes it completely worth it.

In the spirit of traditions, I bring you three comparisons of events that transpired two weeks ago as well as those of a year and two weeks ago. The traditions shown are not the "we do this because we've always done this" kind, but more of the "we do this every year because we want to" variety.

Christmas Morning '08:

Christmas Morning '09:

Bon Fire '08:

Bon Fire '09:

Cousins '08:

Cousins '09:

Blogging, not unlike writing in a diary, has proven to be a great way to look back and compare, to notice little changes in the way people look, and to admire how long a little tradition has "hung on" over the years, for better or worse. I think it will be fun to do this sort of thing again next year and for as many years after as this is possible to foster a little nostalgia or something like it anyway. Chalk up another little "tradition."

We Liked November Very Much!

2009-12-02T23:17:00.005-06:00

Dear November 2009,

Thank you for being so exceptionally mild, sunny, and beautiful. After fearing that winter had won an easy battle over summer in early October, it was to our delight to find, upon opening our door, balmy temperatures, clear blue skies, and a chance to reclaim a bit of autumn for ourselves. Here's how we celebrated the opportunity:

We ate well.

I made my first batch of caramel corn. I used this recipe and doubled the amount of caramel per the overwhelming suggestions in the comments. It was a messy task and I was disappointed that the caramel didn't completely coat the popcorn, but one bite turned into handfuls and the aesthetics were soon forgotten in favor of flavor -- sinful.

Despite her innocent look, Leah was sneaking bites when I wasn't looking. Can't really blame her though, can we?

We traveled.

Matthew and a fellow rider took advantage of the late fall beauty and spent a few hours attacking over 60 miles of hills on the roads along the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers near Redwing. I've always loved that area of the state and brought the girls along to tootle around the shops, marvel at the size of the waterways, and enjoy the scenic landscapes. November, darling, you somehow convinced my girls to pose for a semi-decent photo, too! I can't thank you enough.

Leah and Natalie were excellent tourist companions. Upon returning to the pickup spot, Leah remarked that one of the lift bridges near Prescott on the Wisconsin side looked like Mickey Mouse. Too true, I thought, if in a steampunk sort of way.

We tried something new.

Due to non-weather related issues, thanks again, November, we had to relinquish our beloved minivan to the dealer for repairs. To compensate us during that time, they outfitted us with a smooth as silk '09 Accord. Natalie found it especially soothing as it got closer to her nap time. That's luxury, baby.

We fell in love.

November, one of your greatest gifts to us this year was the views. With the leaves gone from the trees, we've had sunny interiors in our home once again, twilight nights with full moon shadows, hand-painted sunsets, and even this sunrise, captured on one of the last days of the month.

Perhaps more than the subject of the photo itself, I appreciate the fact that the photo was taken by Matthew, not me. It's not often he takes the time to notice such wonder, and to grab the camera, play with the settings, and capture it perfectly, no less. Yes, November, you've outdone yourself.

December has come and we're already missing those warmer breezes and clear, blue skies. Please consider this an open invitation to return during any year in the future. We'd be lucky to have you stay with us again.

Sincerely,

The Karger/Tift Family

November Novelties

2009-11-17T01:17:00.005-06:00

O.K., so October was November, and November was October, got it? Good.

We've been relishing the warmer temps and clear, blue skies this past month -- things we missed most of the month before. I'd bet that we're enjoying it all even more because of the fact that October was so stinkin' cold and wet. Despite fewer wakeful hours, November has treated us well.

We let the back yard just get leafy this fall rather than blow the leaves into the woods and let the...ah...dirt and moss have its moment in the sun. This allowed for the girls to make a big 'ol pile of leaves at the bottom of their slide. I'm not sure it was as cushy as either of them thought it might be, but it made the slide "new" again and they spent hours out there. At one point, I coaxed them into lying in the leaves and letting me cover them up for a quick photo. Not perfect, but gosh darn cute, if I do say so myself:

Leah, in her wild animal way, loved being able to prowl around in the leaves, pretending she was camouflaged and stalking prey.

And Natalie, safe from the predators below, stuck to being adorable in the playhouse.

Last weekend, Matthew competed in his last cyclocross race of the season at the State Championships. As usual, it was a beautiful day, there was a small crowd, the course made for easy spectating, and the girls were "having none of it." Natalie was sad:

Leah was mad:

And their daddy kicked some butt and still had enough umph to smile brightly as he rounded a tight corner on the course:

What a stud! Matthew kept getting better and better all season, so we're looking forward to next fall already and the 2010 season opener. Matthew will be training on his bike; meanwhile, I'm going to put the girls through a 12-week cheerleading/anger management course. They'll be belting out obnoxious encouragement in no time.

Back at the ranch, I've been working on some new things in the studio, many of which are currently in the shop. New this week is this subtle "Koi" papercut:

And the third of three sets of "Mod Ornament" cards -- this one in all white layers with silver caps:

We hope this finds you well, enjoying sunshine wherever and whenever you're able, and saving up your calorie intake for the big turkey day "hoo-ha" later this week. Dig in!

Kids! Kids! Everywhere!

2009-11-05T14:34:00.005-06:00

A few weekends ago, we had the pleasure of hosting nearly every member of my immediate family at our house. With a total of nine adults and all seven grandkids, it was a houseful, and it was a blast. One of the days we shared, we took everyone to the Science Center. The musical staircase provided a good photo opp. If only they came equipped with restraints -- Natalie's a blur!

The following day, most of us had a small adventure at Costco. We found a two-for-one deal on munchkins and couldn't help ourselves!

More recently our house has been quieter, so we sought noise elsewhere, finding it at Leah's school Halloween dance. Leah was content just to take it all in as a wall flower, but Natalie wanted to get out there and boogie. Look at her go!

I brought the girls with me to cheer their daddy on his latest cyclocross race. As you can see, they were a little less than enthusiastic. Ah, well.

This past week, Natalie give the fish rides a whirl at the new play area of the Minnesota Zoo. Fun little area -- and it was so nice to visit the zoo when it's not completely overrun with visitors.

There's been more going on than what these photos reveal, but these are among the cutest pieces of evidence that we've been busy lately. If you're curious, you can pop over to my shop blog and see what this is all about:

Ponies, Apples and Studs

2009-10-07T16:32:00.008-05:00

Welcome back for another quick tour of what we've been up to lately. Let's dig right in.

On one of the last steamy days of summer, we brought the girls to Matthew's folk's church where they got to ride on a couple of very patient ponies. Leah looked like a pro, especially with her new bandana.

Natalie mounted her pony with confidence and an unorthodox saddle horn grip.

She looks unsure here, but within a few paces, she was all smiles and she thoroughly enjoyed her ride. (More recently I spied a pony for sale on Craigslist for 100 bucks. Tempting...)

This year yielded another bumper crop of apples at the Tift homestead. I didn't get quite as nice a shot as I did two years ago, but it's pretty, and the apples are tasty.

I managed my second craft fair in Uptown. You can read more about it on my shop blog here.

Matthew raced in his first cyclocross event in St. Cloud. It was a beautiful day and a good course for spectating. The girls and I found one spot where we could see Matthew riding in about three different places. This is the start of his heat:

Here's daddy gaining ground on the straightaway:

And it wouldn't be a cyclocross race without barriers across the path, up a hill.

The race course took over the grassy portions of a city park. When we weren't cheering for Matthew, the girls and I had a fun time playing on the playground equipment.

And, finally, we leave you with these three pics of the girls in their new, matching pink, penguin jammies. They're fresh from bath, as goofy as ever, and super cuddly.