Picnic in January?

When my littles came home from school yesterday afternoon, the sun was shining and it was a balmy 51 degrees outside.  Chevi had managed to wangle a much-coveted afterschool playdate, so we pushed off homework and chores in favor of a romp in the (almost warm and entirely concrete-paved) backyard.  Then, in a fit of silly, I conceded to their pleas for a picnic supper.  The three dined al fresco, on lentil chilli and cornbread. With their jackets and their snowboots on. (Except Shani, who toga-ed out in her baby blanket. Whatever.)

Sugar High---Jelly Belly Warehouse Trip

We set the GPS for our destination and headed off for adventure.

Seriously.  Jelly Belly Lane....how's that for an address?  We had no problem finding the place---it's not exactly what you'd call  nondescript.  (And, no, it wasn't actually that gray today.  I think my windshield may be in need of a vigorous scrubdown.)

Once inside, the kiddos were enthralled by the vast variety of goodies on offer---especially the Harry Potter treats.

Bertie Botts' Every Flavored Beans!  (Kosher!)

Chocolate Frogs! (Not kosher---bummer!) 

While we waited for the tour to begin, we browsed around --and took (polite, appropriate) advantage of the free samples. 

And the photo booth.

The tour was so. darned. cool.  There was a tram, first of all.  Everything's better on a tram.

And, obviously, the mandatory paper-hat-wearing added to the overall experience. 

Snazzy, hey?

And then---Peaches, are you listening?---there was the Jelly Belly Fine Art.  Portraits, to be exact.  Composed entirely of Jelly Bellies.  Like so. 

There was an Elvis, too.  But, sadly, not a trace of Inigo Montoya.

Best of all, The Huz  drove, freeing me up to make oodles of earrings in transit. (I do tend to multi-task, even while I drive,  but I almost never pull out the pliers while I'm in the driver's seat.  At least not on the highway...) 

Eyes on the shop tomorrow, folks.  Lots of new pretties headed in!

Busy, busy...

I've had my nose to the grindstone of late, cranking out all kinds of pink earrings.

But now my kiddos are on Winter Break, so we're off to the Jelly Belly Warehouse.  I'm not actually a fan of jelly beans, but I love factory-tour type thingies, so this should be fun.  Pics forthcoming...

Global Climate Change: Right in My Backyard

It's been a wacky, wacky winter.  We had a sprinkling of snow back in November, and since then, nuthin'.  So I wasn't too stunned when last Tuesday's forecast called for sunny skies and temps in the mid-fifties, although thirties had been the norm for a few months.

I rounded up the troops and the spray paint, and took care of some projects that have been languishing on the back burner, waiting for their (literal) day in the sun.  Shani quickly amused herself with a stick and some dirt (she's nothing if not able to self-amuse, thank heavens!) and I got to spraying.

Short sleeves, folks.  Mid-January.

I found this huge, hideous/marvelous frame in someone's back alley when we got back from camp.  I'm planning to put a chalkboard inside, now that it's all shiny and chrome-y.  It used to be all peel-y and dull bronze-y.  Ugh.  Shiny makes everything better.

These jobbies are on their way to becoming mini-chalkboard signs for my craft-fair table.  Tip:  When spray-painting balsa wood, stick it down to the surface you're painting on with a scrap of duct tape.  Otherwise, you'll find yourself taking some much-needed (but less-wanted) exercise as you chase the wily little bits of wood around the yard. 

And here's what Wednesday brought. 

Finally!

That's more like it!

Hope you're enjoying the weather where you are, too...

All's Quiet on the (Mid)Western Front.

Not a lot going on at the moment.  We're doing the dailies, of course, and waiting for snow.  Other than that, things are slow.  It's been gray and overcast for most of the week, making for lousy picture-taking conditions as well as an acute case of homebody-itis.  I had an death-defying bout of what we'll politely call "gastro" last week, and actually went so far as to spend a full day in bed and drink several bottles of vile Gatorade.  (UGH.)  That, combined with the dismal weather, has made me feel like curling up with a book and a mug of hot soup and blowing off the real world.

But the guts are doing much better, thank you, and we actually got some snow this afternoon, so I'm a tidge  more chipper than I've been.  My new cell phone is on its way--- since the old one disapparated two weeks ago and, providentially, I was due for an upgrade.  Those of you who haven't heard from me in a fortnight can rest assured that I'll be programming in your personal ringtones by Tuesday evening.

The kiddos and I are dreaming of the garden we're going to create this spring.  Milwaukee has finally passed its chicken law---city residents are able to have up to 4 chooks---and Akiva is bursting with mini-coop plans and breed options.  The girls are eying seed catalogs and debating the virtues of raspberries over blueberries, and I'm trying to fathom our 95% concrete back yard growing anything.  Lots of raised beds, I suppose.  Yup, feels like January.

My Creative Space: Snowbound!

We're well and truly snowed in in these parts---drifts between 5 and 10 feet have closed the freeways, the government offices, and---most importantly---my kids' schools.  We received those wondrous tidings early yesterday afternoon, and settled in for a proper snowday.  A proper snowday, for those of you in more tropical climes, requires three sacrosanct elements:  chocolate chip cookies (which did double duty as supper chez nous), a raging fire (preferably in the fireplace, but one can't be picky about these things), and a stack of movies to entertain les enfants as Maman settles in with a good book, a hot drink, and a heating pad.

So, the book-drink-heating pad endeavor kept me amused till about 7:30.  Afterward, I hopped it to the dining room table with my jewelry-making kit, unabridged dictionary, and a box of Q-Tips in hand.  (Not all at once, mind you.  It's quite a sizable dictionary, and juggling was never my forte.)  I'd been tormented for hours by visions of a paper bead bracelet, and Operation Snowday gave me the  opportunity to crank it out. 

Thus equipped, I began the frustrating and tedious process of rolling the beads.  (Which was compounded, no doubt, by the fact that I neglected to cut the cotton buds off of the Q-Tips prior to rolling.  Cotton and glue is seldom a winning combination, and this instance was no exception.)  Roll, Mod-Podge, wait.  (I despise projects that involve drying time, but I really wanted to see this one through.)  Whilst my sticky beads languished on their fuzzy Q-Tip sticks, I turned my attention to the production of the wire links that would eventually hold the bracelet together.

It was at this point that I decided I'd really like a jig---a peggy contraption that enables the wire-worker to produce identical links rather than the somewhat sketchy method yours truly employed, which involved round-nosed pliers, the frequent removal of spectacles, and an ongoing string of muttered oaths.

Once the links were formed, I began the systematic whacking and pounding that "work-hardens" the metal.  I like this part the best, and have a recurring tendency to name the pretty bits of metal as I hammer at them.  (Don't tell my therapist.)

Long story short, I called it a night at this point, though the loinfruit were still happily ensconced in front of The Box.  I resumed my book-heating-pad regimen, but nodded off after a few chapters.

Morning brought with it the realization that there was bound to be a heck of a lot of shoveling on the day's agenda, and I felt compelled to occupy myself indoors before being drafted into battle against that wicked, white, stuff.  The usual bouts of laundry, dishes, and food service ensued, keeping me from my little jewelry-making-spree till well after lunchtime. Having settled the munchkin for her nap, it was time to play with harsh chemicals.  I gave the now-dry-but-not-stuck-to-the-Q-Tip-stick beads a good glossing over with clear varnish, then did it once again for good measure.  While they dried (I hate drying time...) I made a big batch of jump rings to attach the links.  I have to say I'm a little in love with the finished product, but I can't show it to you because my %#@!* card reader is on the blink. As soon as the roads are passable, I'll pick up a new one and upload photos.