It kind of looks like a shoebox

Jon has been wanting a record player so badly. We've looked on Amazon, ebay, and Craigslist to find a cost-appropriate option (I preferred one with a small footprint). I tend to give up after a while, but this kid is persistent. On the way back from the coast he tracked one down outside of Portland, and we stopped by with a record to test it. All I have to say is, thank goodness for hoarders. We've met several interesting people from Craigslist adventures; Bob who sold us the tivo who had 3 crazy recliners instead of a couch and his genius daughter's typewriter-piano instrument invention mounted on the wall, and a giant of a woman with her GIANT Big-Dawg wearing son who bought our enormous overstuffed leather chair (match made in heaven, that one). This most recent woman had a house that lives in my mother's nightmares--it was overflowing with cluttery, dingy, kind of weird smelling stuff. But she had a huge flat screen TV. $10 and a clorox wipe (or two) later, the next Sunday morning was filled with the sound of vintage Mormon Tabernacle Choir tunes.

 

 

impromptu mid-week getaway

Including: Storms, wind, a fireplace, ocean, meh chowder at Mo's. (& too many jelly bellies!) Ignored my cell phone. Not that anyone called.

Of note: Valentine's weekend made me the ecstatic new owner of two coral-colored (!) latte bowls. Pink and I may not be great friends, but me and coral are BFFs.

Nesting for beginners

Step 1: Buy a crib.
Step 2: Crib is delivered to front door (Wednesday).
Step 3: Leave crib outside until Jon comes home because it is about 5 million pounds.
Step 4: Help Jon bring the crib inside.
Step 5: Go eat dinner.
Step 6: Live your life normally around a 150 pound box in your entryway.

In more successful nesting news, I finally finished the hand quilting on the baby quilt I started a year ago.

When excitement leads to tears

My twin sister Mackenzie is super talented. Her magnets are featured in this month's Crochet Today!, one of the most highest regarded crochet magazines (I didn't have to tell you that, of course). In celebration, she is having a giveaway on her blog to win some of these great magnets, which have super powers to never come unstuck from the fridge/magnet board placed thereon.

The magnets you can win!

Unless. I wanted to take a picture to post of my special "face" magnets, which were hand embroidered with the likeness of Jon and my face (Tyler deserves some credit here). They are amazing. I love them. And then I could not find my face. And then I remembered an unfortunate incident where I was throwing around a deflated kick ball with Mia, the dog I watch occasionally, and how I have a small apartment, and how I threw the ball into my magnet board, causing a small explosion. I must have knocked off my face magnet. The explosion of stuff caused our trash can to pop open... and I think you can deduce the rest. Needless to say I'm a little (a lot) depressed. And in need of a new face magnet.

Jon's face magnet. The detail! The mustache! I also need a baby face magnet. With a baby mustache.

But check out Kenz's blog and try to win some magnets of your own! If she's anything like me (and she is, obviously) each new comment is like a tiny slice of joy. Served on a tiny plate, with a tiny fork. (but that may be just me)

the sun (and reflection off my white skin) was blinding

Our store bought navels do not come close to these Arizona beauties. I think a single tear rolled down Jon's cheek as he ate the last one brought back from our sunny trip.

(Side note: He also excels at cutting of people's heads with the Holga)

baby feets

All we need now is a tiny seersucker suit. Or a wool sport coat with elbow patches. Mini hi-top chucks. Lots of stripes and hoods. Cardigans and cords. Who says dressing a baby boy is less fun? (Kenz, the masculine pom-pom hat is still expected. Can I request some ear flaps?)

New friend-in-laws

I have spent this week feeling a little guilty (but barely) because compared to the rush of Christmas, I have had little to do with my time. Which means I spend many afternoons reading and taking naps. Two of my friends got married during and right after our break, so combine making two quilts at the same time, making/finding/buying about 20 different presents for Christmas (and some birthdays), 3 viruses, and general not-feeling-good-ness and fatigue due to a little friend spending some time in my belly (gender TBD in one hour), I presented my mom with two half finished quilts at the break that she most generously helped me finish. 

My mom has made quilts for weddings forever, and now that my friends have started to get married, it has been special for me to make something for these girls that have been so wonderful to me. I like picking patterns that fit their personality, thus Nikki's is more modern, random, and geometric--Darien's is more traditional and timeless. I only have pictures of Darien's finished quilt top (I'll have to ask her for completed ones) so the next picture is a half finished representation of hers (with bad lighting):

How cool is "Crockett" as a new last name? Totally sounds like a band. Their weddings were very different--Nikki's was relaxed and small (and snowy), Darien's traditional and large (and sunny). Both were so wonderful, but the best part was getting to know their new husbands more and seeing how happy and perfectly matched they all were. Tiff got a lot more fun pictures of Darien's wedding than me (including a Jon and Brandon and baby family picture that should not be missed) but here is a small highlight of both.

Highlight:  The accordion player dedicated a song to the couple, introduced it as a romantic Italian favorite, Darien's then fiance Eric gets so excited that it will be the song from "Lady and the Tramp," and then he launches into a rendition of the theme from "The Godfather." Which has words? Didn't know that.

 

 

 

I don't know what bridesmaids are technically supposed to do, and I don't think we did any of it. But we did dance for 4 hours. It was so great to have Cassidy and Heather at this wedding too! So much fun. It took about 2 full days to physically recover from this weekend.

Highlight: Standing silent and still during the ring ceremony, the Bishop says the word "cleave," and Mere starts contagiously giggling.

Support Haiti (and get a deal yourself)

Ending at midnight tonight (Thursday), Portland artist Ryan Berkley is offering a buy two get one free on all prints with 10% going to the Red Cross. We love his illustrations and if you like portraits of animals dressed as people, you probably will too. And I think they look best in sets of three anyway.

Gift giving report card

Christmas for the Naylor family is a time to do two things. Make my dad laugh and my mom cry (happy tears, hopefully). Both things are pretty easy to do (dad crying is already a given) so we try to out do each other. I have to say I did a pretty poor job this year, as my other two siblings out gave me and really pulled out the big guns (my gift of a book was a long shot in the first place). Kenz really knocked it out with a beautiful homemade, home-dyed quilt especially for the giver of all quilts who rarely receives one. But really Kenz, the woman has enough quilts. I was left holding my book saying, "remember you watched this mini-series on PBS? And I thought to write in it but Dad told me not to give it to you but I did anyway so I half expected a return?" (And to respond to the forthcoming comment from my mother--she did like the book and appreciated the fabric bound Penguin classic, which is quite cool looking.)

I did get a (small) laugh from my dad. I got him a heart in Oregon shirt and as he opened it I said, "and the middle heart is green, just how you love being green!" (he recycles, he just doesn't admit it). The shirt was a mark of victory that the conservative guy has grown fond of our more liberal state. However, Jon, Tyler and Jake did the best by finding this gem for free in a thrift store--

Dad, Leftse. Leftse, Dad. This hand made Norwegian elf figure has a label on the stand that tells its history, which I don't remember but I'm sure includes scaring children to death on Christmas morning, knife held at the ready in the pouch at his waist. My Dad lived in Norway for two years serving a mission for our church and loves to speak the rarely useful language whenever he can. I repeat the words I know to Jon whenever I want a laugh. We all look forward to future Christmases where he will lay in hiding with his beady eyes and stuffed pantyhose face, scaring the Christmas spirit into all who find him.

Happy third birthday, marriage!

Trick to see if your wedding photographer is bad: When you are sick of pictures and he asks you what else you want to do, say "go up to the top level of the rotunda and we will stand so that we are right in the middle of this garish, enormous Christmas wreath." If he agrees without hesitation, you got yourself a lemon.

But I don't need a poster sized artsy photo to know how this day changed my life forever. In the coolest way possible.

This picture made me laugh. About four of you might remember that there is another picture of me (at Ghandi's birthday party years ago) eating cake, and Jon's hand is also questionably posed like it is at left (sadly, Jon was cropped out). And it took me a while, but I found it.

And yes Mackenzie, I acknowledge I am making crazy dreamy photo eyes. Crazy, dreamy, and even staring off in a completely different direction.

It's the most wonderful time of the years!

 (I love this last picture because it demonstrates perfectly how we all could be doing the most random things while Darien is always ready for the camera)

All these people are in my Christmas future. I could not be more excited. It's been three years since I was home for Christmas (Jake's fault) and then, I was 2 days away from getting married and I think I stole everyone's stress free Christmas away. The year before I was heartbroken and alone with my parents (all I remember is watching It's a Wonderful Life nearly in tears and sending a spiteful text message--I was pretty much insane). This year, everyone is together, a dog will be flown in, we will be sewing our faces off, making adventurous food, watching a bowl game, Dad will cry at whatever movie we see, and the wedding will be for my wonderful friend Nikki. AND there is no freakish snow on the ground that would delay our flight for a week. I want to do a little dance, I am so happy.

Boo finals

Jon's finals have left me bored, carless, and without cable. I've gotten a lot of hand quilting done, which is good, but I have to watch horrible things like Jay Leno (nevermind--hello Star Trek Next Generation!). Why does Kenz live three time zones away? But I do have a couple exciting things to announce. One, I bought 24 boxes of Chex last night and spent $36 and saved $60. Two, I bought our anniversary present today. We usually don't get presents because our anniversary is two days after Christmas, but this year we decided we wanted matching, supersoft bathrobes. Not monogrammed yet, but hopefully soon.

Photoboothing yourself in your new bathrobe is admittedly lame, but in the process I found out that Jon takes random pictures of himself when I am napping. Talk about an early Christmas present.

What do you think he was looking at?

Am I 24? or 54?

 I was just thinking about how I don't know what I want for Christmas. Mostly, I am so excited to see all my family and I am content with my mostly present-less Christmas (reason for that apparent in two sentences).  Well, I do want a few things, but they are so...not exciting when said out loud. I've gotten a few things already, like a cast iron pot (fist pump!) and my beautiful, amazing, already-been-used-for-hours-and-hours-and-more-hours Viking sewing machine (swoon!). I know, real exciting. The only other thing I could think of to tell Jon was jersey sheets, but then I watched Martha this morning and my world turned upside down...

A PASTA PRESS ATTACHMENT FOR YOUR KITCHENAID. And yes, it needed to be shouted. I think I was sold as soon as I saw it included a plate for bucatini, the best pasta ever. Like hollow spaghetti.  You just plop a lump of dough in there and you can have amazing homemade pasta. I need this. I want to make fresh rigatoni, fusilli, and macaroni. I am way too excited about this machine. Especially since it is $180. Jon, think of all the money I will save us...

I am so lost in homemaker gadgetland I can never be recovered. Which is fine. Back to sewing!

What I could be like with more motivation and talent

My sister Mackenzie is cool. She has a name that you can legitimately shorten (she is mostly known as "kenzie" in the professional realm). You can shorten my name ("mal") which many people call me, but mostly because it saves two syllables. (Does your nick name inherently mean "bad?") Sometimes Jon introduces me to new people as Mal, and it upsets me because I think he is telling people my name is the sound a cat makes. Anyway. Back to Kenz. She crafts and does wonderful things with crazy crafting tools and has a dream of crafting fo' life. And she is living it! Over Thanksgiving she sold her stuff at Second Storie Indie Market in Rochester and casually and easily made friends with some of the biggest crafters and bloggers in the country! (some from Portland, ps) Jealous! If you need ideas for some Christmas gifts head on over to her etsy site--her magnets look amazing and are so powerful if you try to make fake earrings with them it really hurts. Which is a good thing. (psst you should post your cards too sis)

And I love Kenz because she does not use the words "found" and "bespoke," two words that for me have become the equivalent of "moist." 

Why have my last 3 posts been about TV?

Mal: Scrubs--Medical School seems a lot like...
Jon: Saved By the Bell: The New Class.
Mal: Exactly.