One Blue Bicycle

Status Update

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 00:42:00 +0000

:: I'm in the middle of grading a mountain of papers ahead of report cards coming out this week. This is one of my least favorite parts of my job. A teacher friend described it as "death by a thousand paper cuts." I'm not sure why, but I felt compelled to write a bit here. Some status updates below.

:: I moved. I live in a cabin on a historical farm in the small community outside the city where I work. It's an old house with beautiful wood floors. I've thrown down some cozy rugs and made it home. Maybe a home tour should be placed on the docket soon.

:: Season Two of Serial is out. I'm obsessed. Go listen.

:: I lacerated my extensor tendon in a kitchen accident not too long ago. I'm thankful for insurance and knowledgable doctors. I expect to have full range of motion back in my thumb in a few months, but I'll rock a lightning bolt scar on the back of my hand for the rest of my life.

:: I feel like I've lost a bit of myself when I started teaching. I love my job, I love my kids, but I miss myself too. I'm hoping in this second semester, I can get back to doing more things I enjoy.

:: My friend Marissa is doing a project examining gender expectations and blogging about it at My Fuzzy Year. She is kind, insightful, and intelligent. I enjoy reading what she has to say.

:: I have big plans for this spring and summer. Looking forward to what this new year brings.

Kinship Cairns

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 13:54:00 +0000

I went camping in Avery county over the weekend. We found an incredible swimming hole (more on that later) and on the surface of the rocks in the river we found piles of smaller rocks, cairns. I had no idea why, but the sight of them filled me with tenderness.

Lately, I slingshot between a swelling sense of peace and slow burning fury when I listen to the news. Last week, my heart grew (grinch-style) as I read the Obergefell v. Hodges decision.

...and let me just say, dorkily, that Justice Kennedy is a fantastic writer and the whole opinion is worth a read:

"Marriage is sacred to those who live by their religions and offers unique fulfillment to those who find meaning in the secular realm. Its dynamic allows two people to find a life that could not be found alone, for a marriage becomes greater than just the two persons. Rising from the most basic human needs, marriage is essential to our most profound hopes and aspirations."

"The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation."

We find freedoms in the creation of kinship, defined as both blood relations and a sharing of characteristics or origin. Today was a day of heart-stretching but on my days of simmering anger, my frustration generally comes, not from the ideological violence (because I believe most sane people see the horror in that) but from the tearing polarization that follows in the court of public opinion and the degree to which we will set aside our highest ideals in order to destroy that which wishes to destroy us. In doing so we're destroying ourselves. We're so busy finding the contours of other-ness on the opposite side of the aisle, tracks, or world that we forget our kinship.

We, all people, share characteristics or origin. Whether you believe that cradle is Abrahamic or Darwinian in nature, a luscious garden in the middle east or in the belly of the African continent is mostly irrelevant, because we share origin. And with that shared origin should come a profound, sacred respect.

My faith is not particularly ecclesiastical; heaven to me looks like peace on earth-- where this profound, sacred respect abounds for each other and for the earth (and everyone rides bicycles. and good salsa comes with every meal.)-- but we lead different lives and protect each other's right to that difference voraciously. A small thing I appreciated in the social media explosion post-SCOTUS decision was this, posted by Stephanie Nielson:

"As Church members (Mormons) strive to protect marriage between a man and a woman, they should show respect, civility, and kindness towards others who have different points of view."

I am not Mormon and I do not agree with Nielson; but I respect the sentiment (though maybe not the exact meaning) behind these words. Her faith precludes same-sex marriage. But extending respect, civility, and kindness towards others who believe differently is one step towards towards the world I want to see. It's a hard step, I think.

Many months ago, in the midst of dealing with a student situation that mirrored our nation's political pulse, I stormed into my boss' office with indignant rage. He patiently listened to me rant, then remarked, "isn't that the hard part of tolerance? We must be tolerant of even the intolerant." The zen-buddhism of this statement threw me for a loop. It runs against my natural grain, to show tolerance to the intolerant (and yes, I am aware of that irony: what does that make me?). And I think there is a place for righteous anger in the conversation, especially when the intolerance is directed at you, personally. But I am trying to extend this namaste unto others who think differently than me.

And this is what touched me when I saw the cairns.

Cairns are used more often as trail markers, but throughout history they've also been used to mark physically or astrologically significant places. These cairns may have just been marking the way to the swimming hole; but I prefer to think of them as little altars everywhere, tiny prayers marking this sacred space. In the midst of all the crazy, it was peace.

Wishing you cairns, chocolate cake, or whatever else you might need this week,
Madelyn

:: :: ::

"Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other."

-Mother Theresa

Not Sorry

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:58:00 +0000

I've fallen off the bi-weekly post bandwagon. And I thought about writing this post apologetically, softly, begging forgiveness for my absence, but then I decided, like a petulant teenager: I'm not sorry.

Good words, ripe and juicy sentences, the ones that taste sweet on your tongue, aren't coming to me easily as of late. I have a lot to say, but not a whole lot I want read. I'm not sorry.

Graduating from college is like running a 5K: you train for it, you want to do it. You feel good about it, strong and powerful in your stride, but your lungs still hurt on that second mile, you're still wheezing as you cross the finish line. I was ready to be done. It felt good to be done. I've heard that college is the best years of your life-- and yes, they were really good years (I had a blast)-- but I'm looking forward to things like my own kitchen and a solid paycheck. Is it odd to say I'm looking forward to being an adult? That I don't buy the "college is the best years of your life" bit because I think there's good and bad in each living season, and life is what you make it? I'm not sorry.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want for this space. My favorite posts to write, my favorite posts to read on other blogs, are the essays on big and little things in life; reflective of the whirlwind, the sweet and the sour, and the sprouts that push through the loose, rich earth every spring. Sowed dreams.

I'm not stylist, designer, or professional photographer. I don't know where this web address will fit in the blogosphere-- certainly not in fashion (ha!). But I find great comfort, wide inspiration, and growth in written words and new ideas (probably why I will be teaching English next year). I'm a logophile and I'll maintain this space for the love of life and writing. So, I may not be posting on here as often. I'm not sorry. But when I do, I hope my words nourish you, dear reader. Thank you.

Bye, Bye Boonetown

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I graduate in ten days. Ten.

I can't believe it. Four years have gone by and I still can't believe that this is my backyard. I get to see this view every day.

I'm a big believer in trusting your gut. Sometimes it's hard to tune into that humming intuition-- like finding that great song on the radio when you're driving into town. there's so much static it's hard to hear the song. It's there. you just have to wait until your back within the county lines before the sound becomes clear. I knew when I first stepped onto campus nearly five years ago that this town was where I belonged.

"the mountains are calling and I must go."

Four years here, I danced, stretched, and hiked my way through college. I learned so much. I found love and friendship. I grew into myself-- filled out my skin-- grew in the ways college is supposed to make you grow. Now that it's time to go, I've felt that same humming, a feeling in my gut that tells me while I'm done with college, I'm not done with this place.

A few weeks ago, I walked down the trail feeling the soft earth squishing underneath my feet. The skies had opened up and a torrential downpour soaked through my raincoat, drenched my hair and clothes, and saturated the forest. I looked up the umber trunks into the treetops in awe. Standing there, raindrops on my face, I felt the hum. I'm not done with this place.

Driving at rush hour, stuck in the typical 321 traffic with my windows rolled down and St. Paul & the Broken Bones on the radio, I felt the hum. I'm not done with this place.

Looking down into the Linville Gorge, I felt the hum.

the mountains are calling and I must leave, but I know I'll be back.

Love,

Madelyn

P.S. This song.

Growing// Garden Progress 2

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

We got a sneak preview of a Carolina summer this weekend. Despite the first thunderstorm of the season earlier last week, the earth was dusty and parched by the time Noah and I made it to my plot on Saturday morning.

We sowed kale, basil, carrots, and sunflower seeds. We met our neighbor; he gave us leeks, which we tucked in between the rows of basil and carrots. He was friendly; we talked about school plans and pest control. I've been worried about deer coming in and gobbling up the tender seedling stalks. He gestured to the lettuce growing at the south end of his plot, "we don't really have a problem with that here. I don't know if it's the traffic..." he gestured out at the quiet-- then empty-- road.

The quaker church, which owns the property and manages the garden, mandates that we grow organically. I love the concept, but am a little nervous about the practice. I've been googling "organic pest management" and "organic" followed by the various veggies I'm growing. Part of me is okay with this season just being a learning process, trial and error, and the other part of me really wants homegrown tomatoes. Any advice would be appreciated.

On the north end of the row (side note: technically, it's not part of my plot, but my mom and I miscommunicated so when she weeded and tilled earlier this week (thanks, mama!) and she did this part too. It was all weeds so I'm hoping the owner won't mind...) we founds some of the pests I fear.

Darn, they're cute (baby rabbits, if you can't tell). It's hard to know if does have abandoned their kits because mama rabbits have really hefty milk, so oftentimes, she visits only for 5-10 minutes a day, when the kits feed. Then she's off for the rest of the day, keeping predators away from the nest. We covered them with some grass and will check back tomorrow, if the grass is moved, we'll know that the mama is still taking care of them. We'll go from there.

What plans do you have for your garden this year?

Love,

Madelyn

Liebster Award

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Facades and Nuances. Blogging is kinda funny sometimes because you write and write and write... and then that writing is out in the world. It's exhilarating and a tad bit scary. It's so nice to get encouragement from anywhere, but especially from other bloggers who understand how much thought and work goes into any given posts. Thank you!

Without further ado, the Liebster Award questions:

1. Tell us the story behind your blog! What inspired you to start blogging?

Hi! my name is Madelyn, I'm a cyclist, maker, and writer currently living in the mountains of western North Carolina. I teach yoga and make a lot of pizza. I started a blog because I love writing, taking pictures, and reading blogs. I believed I had something to contribute, but I'm still working on finding my voice and my groove. :) My blog name comes from being known around my town as, "that one girl on the blue bicycle".... that's a little long for a blog name so I shortened it to one blue bicycle.

2. What are some of your favorite blogs?

My favorites to read right now are Dig This Chick, Foxs Lane, and Oh Dear Drea.

3. What is your dream job?

Gardener/Educator/Beekeeper/Writer/Maker/Social Justice Advocate- I just want to live a great life and do good things!

4. What is your favorite color and why?

Believe it or not, it's orange. Which is funny because there's a lot of blue in my life. Orange is just such a happy, vibrant color.

5. What are three things on your bucket list?

Be a mama, Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel, and publish something I wrote.

6. Name three of your favorite books.

Oof, I loooovvvee books. Right now, some of my favorites are Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

7. What is your favorite travel destination?

Cape Town, South Africa.

8. What is your least favorite travel destination?

Is there such a thing? But I don't really like road trips when I can't be in the front seat or driving... I get car sick. :(

9. What place have you always dreamed of visiting?

I actually just wrote about traveling back to Europe (I lived there as a child), but I think my big dream would be to master Spanish and travel in South America.

10. What is your favorite quote?

"do small things with great love." ~Mother Theresa

11. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

Maya Angelou, hands down.

The Tail of Dog Twain: Golden Doodles and Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

As I write this, I'm sitting on my parents back deck, drinking sparkling water, and hanging out with this pooch. He's sprawled out at my feet munching on a stick. It's good to be a dog.

Oliver is our family's first pet (besides beta fish) ever. I know there are a significant number of people out there in my situation: with allergies, who want a dog but are worried about how truly hypoallergenic golden doodles, and breeds like them, are. My family's greatest fear, and the reason we did not get a dog for so long, was that we would get a "hypoallergenic" dog and learn after a few weeks that he or she still bugged my allergies/asthma and we'd have to give the dog back.

I'm writing this post in the hopes that those of you in a similar situation will feel like you have more information to help you make an educated decision on what's best for your family and health.

To give you a picture of what my allergies look like: I am severely allergic to most things with fur-- dogs, cats, bunny rabbits, and most especially horses. The itchy eyes and stuffy nose is fairly manageable and not super harmful, mostly just annoying. But, eventually, my allergies trigger my asthma which can be life-threatening rather than just annoying. Growing up, I could usually go over to a friend's houses if they had dogs or cats, but sleeping over was iffy (if I so much as walk near a horse barn and the wind is blowing in the right direction, I can feel it in my throat. A pet horse will never be in the cards for me). I took Zyratec, Singulair, Flonase, and Advair to manage my allergies and asthma growing up. Around 17-18 years old, I realized I didn't really need the Advair, Singulair, or Flonase. Last year I stopped taking Zyratec regularly and now only take it seasonally (Fall and Spring as needed).

Oliver's dad is full poodle and his mom is 1/2 golden retriever, 1/2 poodle, which makes him 1/4 golden retriever and 3/4 poodle. We got him from Jackie's Goldens in Lexington, NC. He has a very golden-ish temperament: friendly, playful, and smart. His fur is hair-like and wavy. He does not shed and needs haircuts regularly so he doesn't look like an angst-y teenager with his hair flopping in his eyes.

He does not bother my allergies. Yay! But, as he is a dog and does dog-things like roll around in grass or other stuff with pollen (which I am also allergic to) that will sometimes (not always) bugs my allergies. If he's been into something I'm allergic to and I am petting or playing with him, I will notice it. We handle this in two ways: either I take a zyratec or he gets a bath. Usually it's the zyratec because getting this dog to take a bath is an ordeal. He likes jumping out of the tub and shaking frequently.

I hope this helps! If you'd like to learn more about how and why we got Oliver, click here.

Also, compare the top photo with this picture. Resemblance? Hmmm.

Source

Love,

Madelyn

April Sewing Project// Arrow Tail Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

This month's project made me say a lot of bad words.

I used this resource as guidance, but quickly struck out into my own territory when I realized that somehow-- despite using a template-- some of my cut pieces weren't the same size. *&%$.

I realized this after sewing some of them together. Double @!#$%.

I did my best to follow the instructions and try to make the rows as even as possible. Even still, this quilt leans like a cool kid.

While I was working on the binding I broke a needle off inside the bobbin carriage. It spun around inside a few times and ended up doing something funny to my machine because the replacement needles (yes, needles.) all scraped the sides of the entry and jammed the machine all over again. $#!*&. It's still broken. I haven't had the patience to get around to fixing it yet.

I haven't wanted to get a sewing project the ^%$@ over with yet this year. This one lay on my bedroom floor for almost an entire month. By the end I didn't care how it looked. I just wanted it over with. It turned out okay. A good first try, I'd say.

I love these pictures though. The rough memories of this project are already smoothing themselves over in my mind. Like, was it really that bad?

I could totally do another one of those...maybe.

I just have to fix my machine first.

-Madelyn

March Sewing// here
February Sewing// here
January Sewing// here

Bucket List: To Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I spent the summer before I turned 17 traveling through South Africa. I cannot begin to express how that trip changed my perspective and worldview.

I wish I had the opportunity to study abroad in college. With my academic program and financial situation, it just didn't work out. I made friends with the international students; it was the next best thing to traveling myself and I met some of the most interesting, smart, amazing ladies. We still keep in touch.

But I dream of hopping on a plane and exploring faraway places as soon as I have the opportunity. Lately, I've been dreaming of Europe. I lived in Germany as a little girl, but don't remember a lot of the experience. I'd love to go back and see it with fresh (older) eyes.

Noah and I talked about our summers-- how for the next few years, that will be our only extended time together-- and we decided we want to make them special, exciting adventures. Making a dream (or plan) public brings it to life and I am giving this dream wings by sharing it with y'all.

Soon, I will explore Europe.

Madelyn

Recycled Bird Feeder

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite sounds in the world, along with my dad's laugh and Corinne Bailey Rae's Put Your Records On is the sound of birds chirping. The quintessential springtime cacophony can be lost in the low hum of city sounds outside our back door. I can see myself seriously taking up birdwatching as a hobby. Is that super dorky? I think it'd be fun.

Low on funds, but in want of a bird feeder to attract more fine feathered friends to the vicinity, I set out to create one from recycled materials. It's quirky and cheap, the only thing I paid for was the birdseed. It'd also be a great craft to do with kiddos!

You'll Need:

recycled half-gallon milk carton

knife

scissors

colored pencil

hot glue
fishing wire

paint (if desired)

1. Cut a hole in the milk carton, about the size of the label on the front. I had to make an incision with a knife first, then use scissors to cut the rest.
2. Cut a small hole underneath the larger hole-- just big enough to insert colored pencil. Don't worry if the cut is too big.
3. Push colored pencil into small hole, top of pencil first so it touches the back of the milk carton. Reinforce with hot glue.
4. Cut length of fishing wire longer than you think you'll need. Wrap wire around the top of the milk carton several times and reinforce with hot glue.
5. Let dry. Test the colored pencil stand and fishing wire by holding the bird feeder by the wire and putting light pressure with your fingers on the colored pencil. Hopefully nothing gives. If not, reinforce with more hot glue.
6. Paint a funky design on milk carton!
7. Let dry.
8. Fill with birdseed, hang and enjoy.

Happy birdwatching and listening!

Madelyn

Growing// Garden Progress 1

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

After a long, rough week I finally made it out into my garden. The plot was covered in a rug of deeply-rooted weeds. It was warm, but the dirt was cold, wet, and heavy just like the gray rains that fell steadily throughout the previous week. My muscles ached as I shoveled, raked, and carried waterlogged weeds and soggy leaves out of my plot, filling six trash bags full of debris. It felt good.

This time was a comma, a heavy sigh, punctuating the long month filled with a to-do list that fills pages and pages of my notebook. The week was a long, run on sentence and I was running out of breath. It felt like a heavy load before this garden day.

This time change. It's only an hour time difference, but it makes all the difference to me. That extra hour of sunshine fills my soul. Energizes me. It feels like I am, alongside my tomato seedlings, poking my head out of dirt and rubbing my eyes, stretching out towards the sun.

I adore this season and all it's about to bring.

Next up is tilling... that is, if it doesn't keep pouring rain (who am I kidding, this is North Carolina) and come April I'm planting red russian kale, cosmic purple carrots, black cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, all the funky veggie varieties. Be still my dorky heart. I'm so excited!

What are you planting?

What advice to you have for a dreamy newbie like me?

-Madelyn

Grapefruit Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

This post is a digital high-five to all those citrus fanatics who will eat grapefruit any way it's presented (I know you're out there. I'm one of you :P). Some of y'all might of read the title and thought, "what? seriously? she's gone off the deep end." Maybe I have, but Erica made me do it. We had all the ingredients and this idea has been marinating in our brains since the kale and grapefruit salad episode. This pizza is savory and so, so good. I know I say that about all the wacky pizza combinations I post, but this one might be the wackiest and the best-est.

Grapefruit Pizza

You'll need:

1/2 a grapefruit
1/2 an onion
4 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic garlic
handful of arugala
shaved parmesan cheese
herbs de provence
sea salt
crust recipe of choice

For the crust:

Erica and I used this crust recipe (except that 00 flower is waaaaayyy out of our budget we just used all-purpose white flour for the whole thing).

For the sauce:

In another pan, pour three tbsp olive oil and mince or grate one garlic clove. Let sit on low heat for 5-7 minutes.

For the onion and grapefruit:

Dice onion and put in pan with a tablespoon-ish of olive oil on low heat. Carmelize.

Carve out grapefruit and sprinkle pieces with herbs de provence.

To Bake:

Roll out dough on pizza stone with parchment paper cut to size. Add sauce, onions and grapefruit. Bake at 550 for 6-8 minutes. Broil for one more minute.

Remove from oven.

Spread arugala and sprinkle parmesan and salt onto pizza. Let sit for two minutes, then slice and enjoy!

-Madelyn

How to Ride a Bicycle (Like an Adult)

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Hi friends!

I think most of you already know the mechanics of riding a bike. This post is not about that (and besides I don't think I could teach that in a blog post). Since it is spring and most of us are pulling our bikes out of our shed/garages/ dining room (my roommates are lovely people and allow me to stash my ride by the kitchen table in the wintertime. I'm lucky), I thought it would be a good time to remind y'all of some bike safety tips.

Most of us learn to ride as kids. My parent's safety tips were: wear a helmet. watch for cars. don't be stupid. Those rules still hold true today with some extra detail. Here it goes:

How to Ride a Bicycle (Like An Adult)

You are a vehicle. Meaning that you can ride on the road (it's required in some cities, like mine) and you MUST ride with traffic. The number one cause of cyclist deaths is biking against traffic. Obviously, a bike lane is ideal, but be aware that these lanes sometimes abruptly end and that silly motorists sometimes confuse them for parking spots. For etiquette's sake, it's nice to stay to the right hand side of the lane so faster vehicles (read: cars) can pass you. If you feel it's necessary to ride in the center of the lane, do so. The law is completely on your side. You have a right to be there. If a car cannot safely pass you, they must slow down and drive behind you until it does become safe to pass you.

In my personal experience, I don't always find this the safest options because, I'm not going to sugarcoat this, drivers can be raging jerks. I've had nasty people ride inches away from my back tire, laying on the horn and cussing me out. I've had people pass me and throw things-- like drinks and trash-- at me. I only ride in the center of the lane if I absolutely have to because I don't want some idiot breaking me or my bike, even if the law is on my side.

Wear a helmet. Your cranium is important because it houses that wonderful little control center that your body capable of doing fun things like knitting socks and riding bicycles. Protect it.

Also, "helmet hair" is a good excuse for a bad hair day.

Be predictable. If you follow traffic laws, drivers can anticipate what you're going to do next. If you're weaving on and off the sidewalk into the road, taking your hands off your handlebars, or popping wheelies you are not predictable and not safe. Pick either the sidewalk, bike lane, or the road, and stick to it. This requires that you know where sidewalks and bike lanes end and plan accordingly. In my commute to work, I use the road even though there's a sidewalk right next to me for about three quarters of the way there. My reason for doing this is that the sidewalk ends at a busy intersection where I'd have to turn right onto the road at the same time a lot of cars might be turning right on red. They don't anticipate me coming off the sidewalk because many of them are unaware that the sidewalk ends there. It's generally not safe to weave on and off the road, if you must do so, make sure you signal it (see below) and that it's in a relatively quiet part of the road.

Use turn signals!!! Bikes don't usually have turn signals but you, the rider, have arms with which you can signal which way you're going. There are fancy signals:

Source

In my experience, I confuse people when I use the L shaped arm turn signal so I tend to point with my left arm when I'm going left and point with my right arm when I'm going right. I use the stop signal often, and haven't had a problem with it because usually I'm stopping at stop sign or a red light, and drivers can infer what that signal means as I slow down.

Be visible. If you ride bikes anywhere near dawn or dusk, invest in a front and back bike light. I have a set from Noah that have a regular setting and a flash setting. I always use the flash setting when riding at dawn, dusk, or after dark because it makes me super visible to drivers. I've noticed motorists usually give me a wider berth during these times of day. I appreciate that a lot.

If you want to know, specifically about how to stay to the right, or how to handle stops, or other safety tips, check out these links:

Bike Expert: Street Smarts

How to Not Get Hit By Cars

That's it! Be safe and happy riding,

Madelyn

P.S. As I am a North Carolinian, my knowledge of the rules of the road are specific to NC. NC has equitable biking laws, unfortunately most other states do not. This doesn't change the overall rules in this post, but there might be minutia specific to your state that you'll also want to consider while riding. You can see a map of the specific laws about bicyclist by state here.

A Science-y Lesson About Your Houseplants// Also a DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

House plants are a hot ticket lately. Every home tour on every blog and every interior design pinterest pin feature at least one funky planter filled with beautiful greenery.

I love being surround by stuff that's alive when everything outside is dormant and cold. I love propagating plants, finding or making funky containers to put them in, and placing them in sunny corners of my home. One of the things that might get lost in the plant craze is, well, how to keep them alive.

:: :: ::

Plants are great decoration, but they aren't just decoration. Like I said before, they're alive and require a bit of care. Today, I'm gonna get a tad bit science-y in here with my explanations of what your plant needs. Stick with me. It makes sense. And there's a DIY at the end:

1. Your plant needs light. Different types of plants need different amounts of light, of course (you can consult that little plastic stick that's planted in the dirt next to your plant when you buy it or the quasi-omniscient Google to determine the exact sunlight recommendation). Photosynthesis, the process by which plants make the sugars that they use as food, requires sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. This is what happens:

6O2 +6H2O +sunlight= glucose (sugar) + oxygen (the byproduct that we breath, yay!)

Another equation:

no sunlight= no photosynthesis= no food =no plant

2. Your plant needs water. Water is a big part of the biological processes that keep plants (and lots of other living things. you. me.) alive. I have friends who'll say, "I love plants but I can't keep them alive!" My first question is usually "...well, do you water them?" Water is important.

3. Your plant needs have good drainage. This is the thing I'll be talking about the most today because I think most people are at least familiar with the other two.

Your plants need to be planted in a pot where excess water can drain from the bottom of the pot. A pot without drainage can trap water and cause the plant to rot or mold from the roots.

These are some of plants I have around my apartment: a leggy aloe plant in a regular looking terracotta pot, a cactus in a tea tin, hoya in a painted pot, and a succulent in an old tomato can. Two of the pots already had holes in them, one I punched holes in with a hammer and nail, and the other I lined with rocks and gravel at the bottom. I love finding funky container to plant my plants in, but it's important to plant your plant in a livable container.

My mama gave me a cutting of this real-but-looks-plastic-y plant, which I think is a hoya plant and after rooting it, I stuck it in a plastic pot this past week.

I love how the hoya hangs over the edge of the pot. It kinda looks like curly hair so I decided to paint it white (purposely thick and haphazardous) and add eyes so it looks like a face. I'm not *super* great with a paintbrush though so I kept it simple. Eyes closed.

....so wait, what's the DIY part? That's it. There's not much to it: find a container you like or make a container you like. Think about how you need to create drainage, or how you want to decorate it. Do it. Plant the plant. Place in sunny spot. Water regularly. You can do it! I believe in you.

-Madelyn

P.S. As a little girl and a military brat, I grew up watching a much tamer version of the soldier show mentioned in episode #549 of This American Life. This account had me crying I was laughing so hard.

A Review: Rug Pad Corner!

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Several months ago Rug Pad Corner contacted me about doing a review of their product. They must've been reading my mind because I've been coveting all the pretty rugs on pinterest lately. I think it'll be one of my first major investments when I get my own apartment. Rug pads are a material that goes between the rug and the floor to prevent the rug from damaging the floor beneath while also extending the life of the rug. With rugs as expensive as they are, it's a worthy investment.

Rug Pad Corner is a family-owned business that makes rug pads out of recycled felt and natural untreated rubber. Y'all know I have a soft spot for reusing and recycling. I also have a lot of respect for companies who understand the importance of giving back to the community. This is directly from their website:

"We believe that every person should have a chance at a good life and unfortunately for some, there are conditions beyond their control that prevent this."

With this understanding, they donate a portion of their sales to three different organizations: St. Jude's Children's Research, The American Cancer Society, and The American Red Cross. The more I learned about this company, the more impressed I was. We laid out the rug pad underneath a rug in my family living room and my and my mom's first comment upon stepping back onto the carpet was "ooohh, it's kinda squishy!" (that would be the natural untreated rubber, I'm guessing). I'll report back in 15-20 years to let you know if the pad lasts as long as it says it will.

I've written some about voting with your dollar, and if you agree with me that the purchases you make support the world you want to see, then this company is one you'll want to support. Their product is great, the business is doing good things. They are offering 15% off to blog readers with the code REVIEW15.

I leave you with a photo of Ollie, who barked the whole time we laid out the rug pad. He doesn't like when new things are in the house. He's a bit of a 'fraidy cat.

-Madelyn

This post is sponsored by Rug Pad Corner, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the rad bloggers and businesses that make running this blog possible. You rock. :)

Snowpocalypse Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

It has been over a month since my last pizza post! Can you believe it?

Both my roommates have commented on how long it's been since I last made pizza. When I looked in the fridge one afternoon and saw I was low on food in the face of a much anticipated, impending snow storm (about half a foot of snow, winds reaching up to 50 mph, -30 degree wind chills. blegh), I rolled out the dough.

Our local grocer reopened his doors at the beginning of this semester. He's about two blocks away from my apartment. Around 4 o' clock, during a break in the downpour I bundled up and ran down the store and grabbed an onion and a white sweet potato (I planned to get just a regular ol' russet, but like I've said before: I'm a sucker for funky vegetable varieties). I ran home and pre-heated the stove.

This pizza came out of the oven just as the sun set and the wind picked up. Noah and I were in the midst of a intense game of scrabble. The storm lived up to it's expectations. So did this pizza. It's the perfect compliment to frigid temperatures and evening board games.

You'll Need:

-1/2 a white sweet potato, thinly sliced
-1/2 a red onion, also thinly sliced
-kale
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-2 cloves garlic
-feta cheese
-s & p
-crust ingredients and recipe of your choice

Preheat the oven to 425.

The Crust:

Make the crust recipe of your choice and roll dough out on pizza stone lined with parchment paper. Cut parchment paper down to size under the rolled out dough.

The Sauce:

In a pan on very low heat, pour three tablespoons olive oil. Use microplane to grate (or you can mince) garlic and add to pan. Gently stir to spread the garlic bits out evenly in the olive oil.

The goal here is to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavor, not to really cook (burn) the oil and garlic. Our burners have levels that start at low and then are numbered 1-8 and then have a high setting. I set the burner in between the low and 1 setting and only let it set for 5-7 minutes. The oil should be warm but not hot.

Spread evenly onto rolled out dough.

The Veggies & Cheese:

Slice the potato and onion very thinly. If the potato isn't cut small enough, it won't cook through at the same rate of the rest of the pizza. Think thin. Once the onions are cut out separate the rings. Distribute potato and onion slices evenly onto dough.

Rinse kale and cut/rip to bite size pieces. Add to pizza.

Sprinkle Feta on top.

Cook at 425 for 12-15 minutes. (Tip: I like to broil my pizza for the last minute of cooking to get the golden brown color on the crust) Enjoy!

-Madelyn

Kitchen Philosophy 101

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0000

If you've been around here long enough, you know that I am a kitchen philosopher. I reflect over cups of flour and sugar, dashes of salt, drizzled honey.

I just made a killer cake for Erica's birthday and I while I measured and mixed I thought about a great many things: how this is the third birthday I've celebrated with Erica, the second time I've baked her cake. How we're almost done with college. How time flies.

When I read a book, I rarely feel sadness at then end of a chapter rather, excitement and anticipation for what the coming pages contain. A chapter in my life is about to end: college.

I saw a quote the other day that hit me like a ton of bricks:

the universe took its time on you

crafted you precisely

so you could offer the world

something distinct from everyone else

so when you doubt

how you were created

you doubt an energy greater than us both

-rupi kaur

I'm not sure what I believe about Faith or Higher Power, or any of those other rightfully capitalized words, but I see this quote and resounds like a bell in my chest. It's a great time of year, a great time in life. I'm not yet sure what I have to offer the world that is so distinct from everyone else-- now is the time to discover that.

My roommates and I are brainstorming ways for this chapter to end with a bang: a big party, a beach trip. Something that says: this chapter was great, the next will be even better. 'Cause it was. And it will be.

with big hugs and chocolate cake,

Madelyn

P.S. This.

March Sewing// Dress E from the Stylish Dress Book

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Hello friends!

I am so excited to share my March sewing project with you this week. I ordered Yoshiko Tsukiori's Stylish Dress Book: Wear With Freedom back in January. After flipping through page after beautiful page, I decided that Dress E would be my first make from this book.

It was a bit ambitious of me, as my last dressmaking attempt ended in disaster. I had never finished a neckline, sewed sleeves, or darts into a dress before so I am very proud that this dress turned out as well as it did.

Orange is a color that a lot of people (especially redheads) think they can't wear. It's my favorite color so awhile ago I said, "oh well!" to that silly restriction. I'd been holding onto this delicious sherbert-y floral fabric for a bit and this dress was the perfect opportunity to showcase it! However, I didn't have enough fabric to cut all the pieces from the same orange fabric so I cut the back panel from the same red polka-dot fabric that I bought for the pocket. It adds a bit of quirk to the dress.

My absolute favorite part of this dress is invisible in these pictures. My beautiful aunt put together an extraordinarily thoughtful present for my birthday over the summer: it was my own sewing kit complete with some bits & pieces from her stash as well as from her mother's-- my grandmother's-- who passed away several years ago. I was going through my collection of thread and found this canary yellow thread labeled in my aunt's handwriting, "mom." That this dress is held together from something that belonged to my grandmother makes it extra special.

This dress is part of my new year's resolution to grow this year. I'm growing my sewing skills by sewing one new thing a month. I hope you're enjoying following along! I love this project-- I already feel like I've grown a lot.

Lots of Love,

Madelyn

January Project// Here

February Project// Here

Bucket Fillers// Long Overdue

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Wow, a bucket fillers post is long overdue. I haven't done one of these in awhile! Have you heard of the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud? Go check it out the next time you're at the library. It's an awesome children's book about 30-pages long with cute illustrations and a fantastic message: everyone has an invisible bucket that you can "fill up" with good things by having positive interactions-- smiling at a stranger, telling your parents or a good friend that you love them and why-- or you can "dip" into by being unkind or cruel-- by bulling or excluding friends. The young kiddos that I've worked with find it really relatable, easy to understand, and it's very easy to discuss behavior in terms of, "are you filling a bucket or are you being a bucket-dipper right now?" This series is my way of curating the things that have "filled up my bucket" lately.

My freshman roommate was an international student from Mexico. If a Spanish or English word came up in conversation that wasn't either a cognate or in our (hers-advanced, mine-limited) second-language lexicon, we'd resort describing the word in a kind of high-stakes game of catchphrase until we found the translation. If that didn't work we resorted to google. I learned a lot of Spanish words this way: avocado is Aguacate. Tulipanes (her favorite flowers) are tulips. They make me think of her.

My morning commute sometimes features a strawberry sunrise.

His bus was in a car accident a few weeks ago. No one was hurt, but I've been hugging him especially tight lately.

Tea bag wisdom. Sometimes I think I should get this tattooed on my forehead.

We celebrated Erica's birthday with this chocolate cake. Birthday cake calories don't count, right?

This. *Sigh*

These songs: Amor T'es La, For What It's Worth Cover

Love,

Madelyn

Socks!

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Fresh off the needles: my first pair of socks!

I've been dreaming about knitting my own socks since a friend gifted me my own cozy, homemade pair. Seriously-- is there anything more comfy and thoughtful than socks made just for you? I think not.

It was tricky at first. I've learned to purl probably half a dozen times in my life. For some reason, I have selective amnesia in regards to this particular skill so knitting these socks meant relearning how to move the blasted needles in this unintuitive way several times over. Youtube became my good friend. My boyfriend's sister showed me how to shape the heel (thanks Cortney!) and the good people at Unwound in Blowing Rock, NC were incredibly helpful when I came in to their shop puzzled as to how I was to shape the gusset (does it take a village to knit a pair of socks? hmmm...) A lady sat down with me and gently pried the needles from my hand. She narrated as she knit across the instep, then handed the work back to me and gently guided me while I stumbled through the other side on my own. Like a knitty fairy godmother.

I liked, but didn't love, the pattern I used called Beginner Socks 9728 by Knitting Pure & Simple. My fairy godmother agreed, it wasn't the best pattern out there for clueless beginners like me. She recommended Knit Socks by Betsy McCarthy, which I will be picking up along with new yarn from Unwound as soon as some of the snow clears.

You can find my knitting to-do and done lists here.

-Madelyn

Growing: My Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

This space may not look like much, but it's the place where one of my long-time dreams will come to fruition (literally: hah!) this summer.

That overgrown row with the abandoned cages is the space where my mama and I will be growing a vegetable garden this summer! I've always wanted to grow a vegetable garden but never had the sunlight or space to make that dream a reality. This time last year, I began researching community gardens in my hometown, but as a college student splitting my time between two cities, it wasn't practical to rent a space last summer. I tucked the dream away for the season, admiring other's gardens on instagram and frequenting the farmers market every Saturday morning to get my fill of fresh-from-the-dirt, good food.

My new years' resolution motivated me to pursue this idea again. Just this weekend, I rented a plot in a community garden within biking distance of my parents' house (where I'll be living this summer after graduation). I am so excited!!!

I've got big dreams for this weedy space and I'll be putting those cages to good use.

But the first thing on my to-do list is to till.

Here's to the warmer days to come (I'll be spending them in the garden!),

-Madelyn

Unsour Sourdough// Sourdough Bread Troubleshooting

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

I made a loaf of sourdough bread just before Christmas break. It was good-- crusty on the outside, airy and chewy on the inside-- but, it wasn't sour. A little bummed, I typed into google, "why isn't my sourdough sour?" and came up with a variety of reasons the bread didn't have that much-coveted sour taste and a myriad of solutions including everything from feeding your starter rye flower to catching wild yeast (I know, I wondered too...). I'm no sourdough expert, but after some troubleshooting, I've put together a list of recommendations that worked for me. My last loaf of bread was mouthwatering-- hard crust, chewy center, and sufficiently sour. I hope that if you're also struggling with your bread recipe, these ideas help! Here we go:

1. Feed your starter 12-24 hours before using it. If you see hooch (the liquid that develops on top of your starter) in your starter, that means the starter has nothing left to "eat" and if that hooch has been on your starter for awhile (like if you forgot to feed it for a bit) that might be contributing to the lack of sour taste in your bread. When you decide you want to make bread, feed your starter the day before you make the sponge for your dough.

2. Let your dough chill in the fridge overnight (or at least several hours). Fermenting your bread, what you do when you set the dough aside and let it rise, at a warm or room temperature just doesn't create the same flavor as when you put the dough in the fridge.

3. Add a spoonful of plain yogurt to your dough. I've read some bakers recommend adding the spoonful of yogurt to your starter, but I'm hesitant to add anything other than flour and water directly to my starter because.... well... if you ruin it, it's tricky to bring it back. Instead, I added a tablespoon of greek yogurt to my dough. The theory is the sour taste of the yogurt will add a tangy flavor to the dough as it rises-- I definitely noticed a difference in the flavor of my bread when I added it.

Good luck, and happy baking!

Madelyn

Growing: The Pile of Things I Made

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

I did laundry the other day (when the cover was off our couch) and while I was folding I made a specific pile for the articles of clothing I made, mended, or altered. It's small but growing. I did not expect my new years resolution to have an effect so quickly, but my confidence behind the sewing machine, pins in hand (or-- let's be honest-- between teeth), has grown exponentially in the past month.

When I'm behind my machine, I get lost in the rhythm of making. It's addictive. Once I start, I can't stop. My intention was to do projects in small, manageable chunks but I inevitably end up staying up late or pushing other things on my list to the side in order to get just a little bit more done on my project. The events that used to slow me down... don't anymore.

Bobbin empty? No problem. Unthreaded needle? Piece of cake. These are things that once intimidated me about sewing-- not the actually sewing but the machine troubleshooting and maintenance. It doesn't scare or hinder me as much as it did at the beginning of the year (43 days ago...weird). I'm loving this project and am so excited to see where this goes.

Hope you're having fun with your resolution!!

-Madelyn

February Sewing// Cloth Napkins

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning!

In January, I shared with you that my new year's resolution for 2015-- in conjunction with my one little word for the year, grow-- was to increase my sewing skills by sewing one new thing a month. This month, I went with a relatively simple project in order to showcase a brilliant fabric I bought over the summer from 1canoe2. I only had a half yard to work with and had major anxiety about what to make with it. I called on good ol' instagram for suggestions: an apron? pillows? some friends suggested.

I pulled out my fabric scissors, fully intending to cut square pockets for a yellow apron, but I couldn't do it. It didn't feel right. So I stashed it away again and waited.

Smile and Wave has a sweet post that inspired me to turn this fun fabric into cloth napkins. I've wanted to make a move towards using more environmentally friendly paper products in my kitchen and this gave me just the nudge I needed, as well as practice in creating good-looking hems.

This is a simple, economical project. I've enjoyed using these a lot lately; it's nice to see the fabric out on display during dinner. They add a bit of homey flair to a simple meal (cough, leftover Mellow pizza, cough). I've been setting aside swaths of leftover fabric from projects to turn into more napkins.

Side note: I need to come up with a good system for storing clean napkins/storing dirty napkins before I can wash them. I'm thinking baskets? What works for you?

I'm hoping I might be ready to tackle a dress again next month! Cross your fingers for me.

Happy Sewing. :)

-Madelyn

P.S. Along this journey already, I've found some really talented and inspirational seamstresses and bloggers including Ivy Arch (who I mentioned last month), Tilly and the Buttons, and Red Red Completely Red. Check 'em out.

Food...Don't Waste It

noreply@blogger.com (Madelyn) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 11:00:00 +0000

This poster is hangs in my kitchen as a reminder to myself. It's a digitally remastered poster from World War I to promote the responsible use of food.

The food situation in the United States is a sad one indeed. I'm not going to go much into here because there are many more writers and experts who can speak to this issue in much more eloquent and expert-ish ways but in the context of my own life: I love to cook, I love to eat. Some of my best memories from childhood take place at orchards in upstate New York-- the smells of overripe fruit fallen mixed with earth, the rustle of leaves when you pluck one from a tree, the crisp taste and the sharp crunch of the first bite--and around berry bushes in the foothills of North Carolina-- the drone of busy bees, the dark purple stain on your fingertips from picking, on your lips and tongue from eating-- all of this reminds me that selecting and consuming food should be much more holistic than diagnostic, sensual rather than clinical.

I love sharing time with the people I love in the kitchen and around the table. Food and time, this is my love language. I buy with thought, I cook with care, I barely eat meat (I looove bread)...but I struggle with what's leftover at the end of the meal.

But, I am not a leftovers kinda girl. I come from a big family (of boys) and didn't grow up eating leftover food from earlier meals because, well... it was a blue-moon miracle if there was any leftover!

Fast forward to college and I struggled with paring down recipes to feed just me (and ~~occasionally~~ often Noah). After the original meal, I was left with an extraordinary amount of extra food that either I grew sick of or went bad before I could finish it.

I learned to cook from my mother and we cook for six, sometimes seven, people. My eyes are often too big for my stomach. I know it's a skill, not a gift, the ability to eyeball portion-sizing and rethink leftovers comes with time and practice. I'm working on it.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with what I did with my leftover onions and butternut squash from this recipe:

You'll Need:

Butternut Squash

Onion

Lentils

Curry

Cumin

S & P

Cook the lentils, add in onions and butternut squash cooked from the original recipe. Add curry, cumin, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I made an unfortunately large amount of this (delicious) recipe, ate it for a week, then got a little sick of it, and then it went bad. I had to throw it away.

It's a process, right?

-Madelyn

Deets:

Food Poster// Paper Time Machine via Etsy
Books on Food// The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Compassionate Carnivore , In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto