Paper Pie

Four Years Later

Oh my, this is awkward, where do I even begin. I feel so rusty, dusty and out of practice. Maybe the best idea right now is to keep this very short and sweet. I've missed this blog of mine, and I've thought of it often in the past few years, knowing that when the time was right I would get back here. I knew that life, in all of its glory and mystery would let me know when it was time to pick back up with this beloved practice. And well, I believe that time is now. I promise there is a lot more to say and share here, and that I will be doing just that much more often. To new beginnings, and lighter days. 

"Smile, Breathe and go slowly" - Thich Nhat Hanh

Rylie's Dolly

In the middle of reimagining, redecorating and reorganizing our house, I got a irrepressible compulsion to make Rylie a doll. I mean, when is a better time to sit down to a big, detail- oriented project than when all of ones physical belongings are either strewn about or in boxes. I'm quite sure this is precisely the right time as it has distracted me from the gigantic task of finding an orderly rhythm to it all. I'm not much of a stuffie maker, not like some (incredibly talented) people that I know. You may remember that I made a bunny for Rylie right after she was born, but I have not tried my hand at making little sweet animals and dolls very often. However, ever since I bought this book (4.5 years ago, mind you) I have often flipped to the Nutcracker Doll pattern and thought: one day, one day. 

The doll was an absolute joy to make and certainly stretched me in new ways and sometimes flinging me right out of my comfort zone. Very detailed, very precise, and very patient are the words I would use to describe the experience of making her. I ought to add very worth it, because I love her! And I think Rylie will too. The only thing that I showed her was at the very beginning when I was done embroidering her face and it was still in the hoop. She said: 
"You have a lady?"
And I said "Yes."
And she said, "Did you paint her?"
And I said, "Kind of. But I used thread instead of paint."
She needs a name, I think I'll leave that up to Rylie as she is the real genius in that department.

As I was making her, I thought about if I would give her to Rylie and let her play with her as she wished or if she would be more of a sit on a shelf and look pretty kind of doll. It reminded me of a sweet doll that was given to me when I was a young girl and my mom told me she was very special and was only to lie on my bed. She had blonde white thin yarn hair that was glued to her head and ended in a pigtail at each of her ears. She wore a heavy white pinafore over her pufffy sleeved gingham dress and right at the middle of her chest was embroidered: Elizabeth. I was fascinated by the concept that a doll could look just like me and have my name. I was a doll! I did keep her very nicely on my bed for at least a couple months, but I remember little by little pulling her glued down hair a way from her forehead. It was too easy and too fun to resist. I still have her and she now lives in a cedar chest that is still in my mom's basement. I think I need to rescue her and give her a new life. I quite imagine she would love to play with Miss YetToBeNamed.

Autumn At The Shore

Even though we are far from Autumn now, I want to share our camping trip to El Capitan State Beach that we took during Thanksgiving weekend this past year. You may remember our trip to this same campground about a year and a half ago, it is an incredible, majestic place. Our outing fell in that couple of months that I was on a bit of a blogging hiatus. Now that I am back at it, blogging that is, I wonder how I ever let that time pass without checking in here and there. Busy, I guess. But still, it feels great to be back. We are approaching the fourth year of this blog's existence and through the years Paper Pie has been so many different things to me at different times. Sometimes, it has solely been a place to record my projects and work. Sometimes it has been an outlet for my feelings (and work out my feelings) about motherhood, living a creative life and all the other stuff. It has seen the creation of two fabric lines and the birth of our most precious Rylie, and simultaneously a rebirth in myself. It has seen our living space in it's many states and forms and week to week, month to month, it has seen my knitting journey unfold. It's hard to believe it is four years now, but as long as I keep showing up it will continue and sometimes in order for it to go on, I need to step back, take a breath and make sure that it still means to me what it once did. What I am finding out is that it means even more to me now. Four years offers some perspective and what was once a record of my art and craft projects has become the story of us, our growth as a family and how we spend our days months and years. That is worth all the time, effort and keystrokes that make there way into this place with each post.

Anyways, that was quite an unexpected digression there, I want to tell you about the amazing camping adventure we enjoyed back in November with our family. We had never been this late in the season, but it was perfect. It seems to be somewhat of a thing that people do around here, camping for Thanksgiving that is. We did not go on actual Thanksgiving, but the Saturday and Sunday following. The crowds were thinning out by then and on Monday we had the gray and chilly beach to ourselves. See that picture of Rylie next ot the great big tree? It is the fourth one from the last photo. It reminds me of this photo a year previous and she is wearing the same sweater. Like her mama, she loves the big trees! We also fit in a trip to the Coronado Butterfly Preserve. Remember when we went there last year? I brought my zoom lens this time and got that shot above of one of the clusters amongst the Eucalyptus. Magic. There were less butterflies this year because Thanksgiving was a week earlier in 2012 as it was in 2011. As autumn turns to winter, the number of butterflies steadily increases until about late February when they leave and go back whence they came. I'm sure I said this in last year's post, but if you live in Southern California it is well worth the trip to check this place out. You travel down an unassuming neighborhood street in Goleta and park your car on the side of the road, get out and head up the big hill into the forrest. On the way you will pass the home of an old man that knows everything there is to know about the Monarchs and their habitat and he is eager to share his knowledge. He is short in stature with a cheerful open face and very large round glasses that are as sincere as himself. He was present at the site both times we have been there and both times he was wearing the same blue t-shirt emblazoned with large, bright orange monarchs. He is a forrest butterfly gnome, I think. If you go to the Autumn Beach, you'll see how this could be true. The chilly air, noisy birds and vibrant butterflies are pure enchantment. 

Confessions Of A Bedknitter

I knit my very first sock, well, my very first adult-sized sock anyways. I was so excited to get this Turkish Bedsock off the needles and try it on that it honestly did not occur to me until later that I would need to cast on and start all over again in order to have a pair. Oh drat! Historically when I have knit pairs of things like baby booties and legwarmies, I have found that the first one takes me a very long time but I can fly through the second one with relative ease. The second tends to look a bit tidier too. 

I have been enjoying the new season of Downton Abbey quite a bit. The stories seem slightly more slow and subtle compared with Season 2. Don't get my wrong, I adore season 2 just as much as the rest of it, but there were some storylines in the second season that were pretty melodramatic even for melodrama. I've been going back and watching the first season from the beginning and it is really interesting to see how the characters have changed and developed. Is it just me or has the cast as a whole kind of softened a bit? In the first season Mrs. Patmore is downright cruel to Daisy. Thomas and O'Brien, though still foul, seem particularily odious. See what happens to my vocabulary when I watch episode after episode while knitting socks? I become a part of the early 1900s British aristocracy. Not complaing. I love the show so much - the high production value, the costumes, the sets, the color palette, the characters are irresistable and the plot (though sometimes pretty grandiose) never disappoints. We bought the first 2 seasons on iTunes which is great for going back to rewatch past episodes, they are all just right there and it is dangerously easy to push play, paly, play, one after the other. I haven't really watched tv shows on my computer before but I made the wonderful discovery of being able to bring my laptop to bed with me and watch Downton as I knit until my eyes close. If you wonder how I have time to knit, it is because I literally do it until my eyes close. And while watching tv of course, that is must. 

I'm linking up for Ginny's Yarn Along today. I've been rereading Little, Big when I am not knitting and devouring Downton. I read this several years ago now and remember not being able to put it down. This time around I am looking at it through an entirely different lens and it feels as though I am having a brand new experience with the story. Love that. 

January Ramblings

The weather has been downright blustery here the last few days. The wind is whiping through our little valley of a neighborhood and rushing past the leaves that are still clinging to trees. The weatherman says the highs will be in the 50s for as far as the forecast will predict and at night the temps have been dipping into the 30s. Despite the chilly air, the sun has been blazing clean, clear, bright light. It's as if the wind comes in and moves all of the dirt and smog out of the way and then the rain follows up by giving the whole city a good wash. When I dare to get out of the house and run errands, it's as if all of Los Angeles is brand new: "How long has that majestic snow-capped mountain been there?" Rylie and I were driving through the neighborhood the other day and the giant hill was so vibrant green and looming crystal clear that Rylie shouted, "Look at that mountain, right there!" Each evening, I run out into the frigid wind, slipper footed with my camera in hand to try and capture the way the sky feels. Rylie follows behind in shirts too thin for the cold and we scurry back inside after a few snaps. The shots above have not been doctored at all, the sky really has looked just like this the last few evenings. I can't wait until tonight. 

This really is my favorite time of year weatherwise in LA. Midwinter feels very much like early fall in the Midwest, maybe that's why. The leaves are swirling, all the people and doggies on the sidewalk are bundled, and the days are short allowing plenty of long nights for sitting on the couch watching Downton Abbey and knitting socks. Speaking of which, I made a winter morning drive over to my new favorite yarn shop today and picked up some sock yarn to try my hand at these Turkish Bedsocks. I bought shi bui staccato fingering weight in the jackie colorway because it matches my new bedroom set which is made with a brown grey wood matched with yellow striped sheets. In my book, it's pretty important that your bedsocks match your bed. While I was at said yarn shop, I ran into this MadelineTosh sock yarn in the turtle colorway and even though I have never knitted a pair of adult sized socks, I thought I'd buy enough yarn to knit 2 pair! There is no way I could pass it up though. I tell you what, MadelineTosh yarn is beautiful. The colors, my goodness! They've got my number for sure! But I don't think I will be using it for socks, I am pretty sure that the minute I finish my bedsocks I will be jumping straight to this jacket for Rylie. But we'll see, I've been known to change my mind.

As I've mentioned a bit here and there we are in the midst of a pretty major redecorating and reorganizing project. We have a garage sale scheduled next weekend so we've been purging from all corners of our house and focusing on getting our spaces to fit our needs more efficiently. It's amazing how fast stuff accrues when you have a little one. It feels wonderful to lighten up like this even if it usually involves a lot of swearing, shaking of heads, and fantasies of becoming tidy neat freaks. Yeah right, who are we kidding?

Delightful Day

There is no better birthday present in the world than these two! And being the lucky girl that I am, my wonderful husband also made me that adorable little baking class gift certificate up there so now I can go and learn some new skills at an incredible school in Santa Monica. Remember when I was hinting around about how cool that would be?

I've been meaning to tell you about what we did for my birthday, but with the snowy getaway, New Year celebrations, cleaning, organizing, redecorating, prepping for our garage sale and general getting-back-into-the-swing over here, I just haven't had the chance to get my fingers on the keyboard. My happy day started with a birthday banner and prezzies, and then out for a very special and very delicious feast of a breakfast at FarmShop. It was so cold, so gloomy, and so rainy (just the way I like it, really.) After our meal, we did some window shopping/browsing and headed home to get ready for our movie. Ryan and I had a date and the rare treat of sitting in a theater. We saw Hyde Park on Hudson and I studied every inch of the clothing and set design like I was going to be tested later. What a breathtakingly beautiful movie, and a great story with outstanding performances to boot. After our movie we had mac and cheese and brussels sprouts at City Tavern and headed over to the new restaurant in town for an after dinner drink. We ended the night with a bite of my tiny cake and a wish. It was a perfect day in every way.

Snowy Getaway

We were lucky enough to turn over the new year in the mountains with our dear friends Mandy, Griff and Fauna. We spent New Year's together last year in the same, most magical, of places. I am hopeful that this could become a very special tradition for our families. Oh, I hope so, I really really do. We also snuck in a trip for St. patrick's Day last year, too. We love it so, and it is relatively close to the city. It was warm when we left LA, but as we approached the mountains, the clouds kept piling up on top of each other and the lazy hazy fog appeared that could only mean one thing: SNOW!! Our hopes and wishes of the past few days were gloriously granted.


It wasn't long before we saw kids and adults alike taking advantage of all of that snowy goodness. This particular hill was so steep and icy, I was very happy to whizz by as an onlooker from my toasty warm heated seat.

Pine Mountain Club is a private community nestled in the Los Padres National Forest in a deep valley on the San Andreas fault. It is a sleepy place of beauty, filled with vacation homes for rent and surrounded by mountains. Unlike other mountain communities in Southern California, PMC is not a mecca for winter holidayers from the city. That is why we like it, it is quiet, like really quiet (like the town's two restaurants are closed on New Year's Eve, quiet.)


We arrived at our very well-appointed rental just in time for lunch. 

After lunch there were puzzles to do, birds to watch, books to read . . .

and I sat and knit knit knitted my head off as I had a hat to finish.

After all of that fresh snow had fallen we had to get out and play regardless of what time the clock said.

In the morning when the static electricity has wreaked havoc on your already infamous bedhead . . .

. . . it's really nice if you can have your best friend there to tame it for you.

If it still doesn't calm after all that fuss, you can alwyas pull on your new hat!

After more snow play, our New Year's Eve was filled with cake-baking, spoon-licking, castle-building, book-reading, fire-making, teddy bear-carrying, and game-playing. We said goodbye to 2012 doing all of our favorite things with our favorite people. Perfection.

On New Year's Day, we went up up up to the very top of the big mountain wrapped in all of our warmest woollens and sleds in tow. It was cold up there, but filled with people young and old playing together. So many sweet sights as we climbed the mountain: tiny dogs in even tinier Scandinavian ski sweaters, tailgaters cooking food on barbecues that they hauled all the way to the top, cozy clad children sipping warm mugs of soup, fresh families hugging fresh snowmen. So many people taking advantage of the holiday and starting the year off with such fun.

I honestly could not have imagined a more picturesque, storybook setting to play, sled, and explore. We made our way through the snow on the top of the mountain and took in breathtaking views that surrounded us on all sides - ancient Ponderosa Pines, and lichen covered rocks. 

If you are wondering the perfect way to end an enchanting little respite in the mountains with your most wonderful of friends, the answer is with a moustache party (of course!)

 

***************************** HAPPY NEW YEAR *******************************

Magic Snow

We are in the land of snow and pine for the turning of the New Year. We got our wish for magic snow this afternoon, so pretty. I can't wait to tell you all about it (and my birthday too!) when we get home.

A very happy and safe New Year to you and yours!

Tiny But Intense

Today is my birthday. I made myself a flourless chocolate cake from my new cookbook that I got from my parent-in-laws for Christmas. It is called Tiny But Intense Chocolate Cake. I will be enjoying it this evening with a glass of bubbly after the little one is tucked in her bed.

This morning I woke to the most shrill bang crash of a rumble. It sounded like a semi-truck had fallen off the hill behind our house. It really was that outlandish. Turns out it was thunder. I have never heard thunder like that in my entire life. I have only ever heard thunder one time in Los Angeles and it was seven years ago. Ryan was already up for the day and I yelled to him:

Was that thunder?

and he said:

Yes, I got you a thunderstorm for your birthday!

It only lasted for a short minute. It was . . . Tiny But Intense.

Brevity aside, it was hands down my favorite present.

I Finished It!

I did it! I did it! I finished the Christmas dress that I set out to make for Rylie on December 5th. It was a breath-holding, heart-pumping, sweaty race to the finish as I was attaching the buttons minutes before we stepped out to attend our Christmas Eve concert downtown. And to let you in on a little secret, I did not finish the neck the way that the pattern was written, in fact I kept the scrap yarn cast on and just went with it (it was red too.) I'm learning that I kind of like these funky details (mistakes, accidents) that are happening in my knitting lately. I like to think it adds charm and an indication of my skill level at this moment in time. But besides the messy bits, I love this dress! I mean, I really really love it. When I began I didn't quite expect to finish, but I thought: What the heck, I should give it a go! I think that is a nice thought for the New Year, too; the notion of starting things that seem too challenging or projects that cause a little friction in my brain. I think that giddy nervousness experienced when your not sure if you can do it or not is a good thing. This dress was born because I was curious to see if I could do it, if I had it in me, because I could not stop thinking WHAT IF. I have a note on my computer desktop that says: Surprise Yourself, and for the first time in a very long time I can tell you that I have done just that. Thank you for indulging this verbose pat on my own back, but I kind of just want to really take it in right now. As someone who historically is a bit hard on myself, a bit too self-critical, I want to kind of enjoy this moment of pleasant surprise in my skill and ability to meet an ambitious deadline. That's not to say that I was not up every night in December until the wee hours, nor that there were not mistakes. Oh, there were plenty, like when I knit half the sleeve on the wrong side, or when I did not order enough yarn -three different times! No kidding, but that is all part of the story, that is the narrative of this particular luscious jeweled pomegranate of a dress. I think this is quite a nice tradition - to knit dear Rylie's Christmas dress each year. It's only December 27th, I have an entire year to get the next one done. I also want to mention that my incredible man of a husband showed me unparalleled supprt in this endeavor. He ran to the yarn salon to get me more yarn when the aforementioned paltry supply ran out. Had he not done this I would not have made it to the finish line and he also wrapped a lot of presents and took one little toddler on many a Christmas errand so mama could focus on the really tricky parts. Oh, and not only is he super supportive and consistently garners very high marks on the awesomeness scale - the man also knows his yarn! I mean he really really does. He bought me a couple of skeins of Madelinetosh Vintage, hand-dyed, worsted weight, 100% merino wool in the most gorgeous of all colors - a glow of gold called Candlewick. It was exactly what I needed to start on this little gnome hat for Rylie. I am trying to get it done in time for our trip to the mountains in a few days - because, as I  am finding out, a hard deadline is just what I need to get my motor running.