etsy finds

Etsy is one of my favorite websites. I check for new stuff almost daily.
I plan to do a regular series on cool things I find there. Maybe you'll buy something and I can live vicariously through you!?

I found these items while browsing the baby section:

soft baby shoes:


cute kimono set:


incredibly cute hat:

san marzano!

This summer I planted 4 san marzano tomato plants. Up until a week ago, it appeared that I was not going to be able to yield a single ripe tomato from these plants - I'm guessing that it never got warm enough to really yield a bumper crop.

Anyway this weekend I finally found some ripe fruit! I picked everything that was ripe, blanched it, pureed it and put it in the freezer. Hello delicious pasta sauce!

Freshly picked:


Blanching:


Ready for peeling and pureeing:

i love the thrift store

Check out the changing table that J found at the thrift store for $20.


On Saturday I spent about 2 hours sanding off the top layer of finish with our little power sander.
I still have some detail sanding to do... around the spindles and some of the other areas that I couldn't reach with the power sander. Once I'm done with sanding I plan to paint it in a semi-gloss black and do some nice distressed details on the edges.

Then all we'll need is a changing pad to go on top and several nice baskets to hold things on the shelves underneath.

I'll post another pic when it's done.

water births

I guess I always thought that the option of whether or not to have a water birth in a birthing center was just a forgone conclusion, like the option of whether or not to accept pain medications during labor. I thought I'd just get to say 'yes I want to do that, and so it would be done'.

Turns out I was mistaken. Water birth is not something that just any care giver or facility will allow. The midwives in the practice that I go to, do not perform water births. It is not clear to me if it is not allowed by the birthing center facility (owned by Group health) or if it is simply something that this practice does not do. Either way, it's not an option for me. I can labor in the tub in the birthing room all I want but I need to get out once that baby is really on it's way down the birth canal.

But maybe you have more options than I do. Or maybe you are not a chicken (like me) and you are having a home birth. Cue the aquadoula:


You can rent or purchase one of these to use in your own home for a water birth or even just so that you can labor in a nice spacious tub. How very cool that someone started this business.

Click here to learn more.

seattleites! come buy our stuff!

Next weekend marks the 2nd annual yard boutique. I am lucky to have a group of fashionable, crafty and resourceful friends so last year we decided to do an upscale yard sale of sorts. We pledged to sell only our nicest used clothing and accessories that we didn't need/want anymore. The sale was a success. We had beautiful weather, lots of customers and there were refreshments - lemonade (spiked and virgin), wine, water and PBR as well as homemade fresh baked goods for sale (first drink was free!)

Well we are doing it again this year. New location, more cool stuff, same cool chicks running the show. Hope to see you there!

Here's the info:

for lauren's friend

I made another hat per the request of my friend Lauren.
Her friend had a little baby girl. This is for her:

social networking, the next generation

Genius idea for a new web startup:
Hotornot.com meets linkedin.com.... Assess your coworkers and provide references/recommendations based on personal appearance.

Hot = Hire them at once!
Not Hot = Keep looking.

Ok besides the fact that this is mean, unethical and totally illegal, it is pretty funny. Timm gets half the credit for coming up with that one.

coming to the web www.rateyourcoworker.com

LOL...