{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.
the cutest coffee pot ever
What is it about coffee?
There are so many things that I love about it: the rich aroma of a new bag of beans, freshly ground and percolating in the pot; the special rituals of my favorite mug and the perfect amount of milk (no thank you on the sugar); and how it pries even the sleepiest eyes open.
A few weeks ago our cappuccino machine died. The pump just stopped working. We had dug it out of the closet to replace our coffee maker, which had been turning itself on during the day for no reason (and with no water inside!). Both have served us well for at least 10 years, maybe even longer, so we really couldn’t complain.
However, the thought of replacing either one of them was overwhelming. My husband started researching online and I switched to green tea.
A few weeks later I saw this pot at a friend’s house. I was smitten with its design and simplicity — just three parts, no on/off switch and no pump. Could less really be more?
Oh, I am so in love with this little guy! I also bought a foaming wand for milk. The cappuccinos just might be the best I’ve ever tasted.
Apparently Italians have been using this to make espresso for over 75 years. L’omino con i baffi has a fascinating history. If you have a thing for product design and branding, it’s worth a read.
for the curious: I purchased the 6 cup Moka Express and Aerolatte foaming wand (links go to amazon.com). Note! 6 cups = 6 two-ounce espresso cups, not 6 eight-ounce cups. It’s a tiny little thing.
This is not a product endorsement or paid review. The Bialetti and Aerolatte folks have no idea who I am. I just love a good cup of cappuccino.
crochet flower hair ties
These are way overdue. I promised them to my daughter a long time ago. I even put the hair ties on my desk to remind myself to make them. I found them last week when I cleaned my office. Whoops.
I had made her pink and blue ones, but she needed red and white. Why? Husker colors, of course. She’ll be happy to see these when she gets home from school today.
The pattern is the Five Petal Pointy Flower from Crochet Adorned. Yarn is from my thrifted stash of cotton.
spring break
This week was Spring Break and all productivity was tossed out the window. The weather was beautiful, so I guess if you had to toss something outside, at least it was warm and sunny.
Most of our days were spent hanging out with good friends for park dates, thrifting dates and lunch dates. My daughter and I even had a movie date. (The Lorax — it was ok. She would have preferred more screen time for the little orange guy.)
- I spent a lot of time with yarn, most of it trying to knit something teeny tiny with sock yarn. I eventually gave up — too much concentration for a brain with spring fever.
- I wound all of the sweater yarn into hanks, soaked, de-kinked, and rewound into yarn cakes. It’s all ready for a new swatch.
- I found some new yarn for a project after my swatch didn’t felt and wound those hanks into yarn cakes, also. My swift has been getting a good workout.
- I cleaned my office. Is there anything more wonderful than a clean work space? My desk is clear. My sewing table is uncluttered. The piles of abandoned yarn from past projects have been put safely back in plastic tubs.
Wow. After reading all that, it seems like I was pretty darn productive after all. I just need to get something back on the needles. Now that my sewing table is clear, maybe I’ll dust off my machine, too.
What have you been up to this week?
the cost of thrifting
When I think about going to the thrift store with my daughter, I’m always reminded of the phrase “the cost of doing business.” The more stores you visit and the longer you stay at each, the higher the cost of thrifting.
Sometimes you can get away with a book or small toy. Other times you come home with an electric guitar. Today we came home with all three. I can’t complain, though. After watching my daughter play with her uncle’s guitar a few months ago, I didn’t think twice when she asked if she could have this:
It’s mostly black and silver with just a hint of pink. It’s not covered in Disney characters or princesses. It doesn’t play Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber. It was only $4. It was, in a word, perfect.
I came home with a cool wooden crochet hook and a set of presser feet that sadly do not fit my sewing machine. I also found some cute dresses for my daughter to wear next summer.
None of that compares to what she scored, though. The guitar, a cat book and plastic Easter eggs = the cost of thrifting.
coming soon!
projects in waiting
I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post. I don’t have much to show for it. A lot of projects are stalled for one thing or another.
- The Cars shirt was a thrifty find. My daughter’s fabric bag for her matchbox cars is too small. When I saw this on the rack, I thought it would make a cute basket or tote for her ever-growing collection. I just need to get started.
- This sweater was unraveled and ready to knit, but the swatch turned out lumpy. I have to straighten the kinks out of the yarn before I begin.
- I’m still trying to swatch for another wooly project.
- I have a whole slew of sewing ideas that are just bouncing around in my head.
- I have been working on a little project that I hope to have ready next week. Fingers crossed.
- I’m knitting a sock, which deserves it’s own post and picture.
What is everyone else working on these days? Share a link to your blog in the comments!
this moment
Watercolor flower in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe, by Mirabella.
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.
thrifty thursday: bowls
It’s been a long time since my last Thrifty Thursday post. It might be because my partner in thrift moved away to California. She came back for a visit last month and it was just like old times! I found a few things that I’m planning to transform, but I want show you these little bowls first.
I was so excited to find them. They match our plates nicely and are perfect for a side bowl of dal. When we have an Indian dinner, we use a soup or cereal bowl for our dal. Considering how much I love all kinds of beans, that’s not a problem for me. Now the rest of the family can have a proper-sized bowl on the side.
thrifty: I scored 10 Oneida china bowls at 65 cents each.
finished: toto the potholder
Good grief. This project took way too long. I got frustrated with the fair isle tension and the double stranded cotton. I’m glad I didn’t give up, though, because I love it so much I want to make a set.
I’ve rescued a pair of socks from the UFO pile and have started swatching for another project, however. All that yarn might distract me from a second potholder.
project notes: can be found on my first toto post, yarn from my thrifted stash