Purlewe Knits

I FINALLY got to go to Ikea. I love that place. Seriously. I wanted to move in. All those little rooms they have set up with toilets, sinks, and stoves – those work right? Like, I could live there and NO one would know.

Luckily one of Hubby’s army buddies met us there and he entertained Hubby and the girls while I SHOPPED. I’m certain we will be making trips to Ikea in the future and I’m certain you’ll be seeing more about it here.

The POINT of the trip was to get beds and dressers for the girls. I had things pretty much picked out, BUT since we were THERE we looked.

I had chosen the Malm bed, but I really wanted a captain’s bed. I don’t understand beds that don’t have drawers under them. Hello! Wasted storage space! (esp in a kids room) So when we were looking Hubby saw the ODDA and said, “Isn’t that what you want – lets get that.” Well, ok. They weren’t that much more, BUT the drawer faces were BLACK. Black does not go in my little girls’ room (stay tuned for why). I’d heard of Ikea hacks – so I said, “Let’s do it!” We did.

The drive home was the pits, but we made it and then had to start putting the room together. The challenge, right? I mean, Ikea furniture DOES have reputation.

First though – the ceiling had to be painted – at least finished. I started it 9 months ago when a friend and I did this rock star paint job.

Everyone got in on the fun.

The ceiling NEEDED it – how is it that ceilings get like this?

The next day I started my hack while Hubby started assembly.

I looked around a bit and didn’t find a ton of ODDA hacks – which really surprised me. Are people just going with the black? Or are they craft shy? Not me!

The one I really liked was this, but I wanted it done THAT day. So I decided to just paint them. (once again, our table rocks)

While we waited for paint to dry (and Hubby to assemble) we played. There is NO shortage of pink and purple in this room.

Little L woke up with some crazy hair!

He knows how to work it.

Finally the paint dried and we got everything back together. Note – I will probably NEVER had everything perfect and made and picture worthy – so here are occupied pictures – cuter? – maybe.
K’s side. No idea why her sheet is balled up like that. See her cute little feet sticking out?

B’s side. Looks like she feel asleep reading George. Ahhhh!

BUT the drawers, right? They look damn near perfect (in the pictures). I can’t imagine the black, at all, it would be terrible.

Here’s the deal with the painted drawers though. I didn’t prep them, at all. I just painted away. It don’t expect it to last. It will peel right off. But right now, they look great. I’m putting stuff in them that isn’t high use. Hopefully it will last for a while. When it is time to do something new I’m going to Mod Podge them, like the link above. I got some Mod Podge this week and have started experimenting. I want to practice so I do a GREAT job when it is a permanent hack.

So there it is. My first sort of Ikea hack.

I know you have been waiting eagerly for this (yeah right, who would eat a flax egg if they didn’t have too), BUT for my friends with allergenic kiddos HERE IT IS!

How did I come up with the recipe. I found a basic cupcake recipe (I think through yahoo answers), compared it to a GF cupcake recipe, swirled them around in my head …

ALMOST TED CUPCAKES

4 C flour (I used an even mix of rice, tapioca, and arrowroot)
2 t xanthan gum
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder (Hains is corn free)
2 C sugar (I used white)
4 flax eggs
1/2 t salt (I use canning salt)
1 C rice milk (I used Rice Dream Original Classic)
3 T vanilla (made my own with beans and brandy – this takes about a month)
1/2 C oil (I used safflower because I knew it was ok for us)

mix and bake – you know the drill

I did mine at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Two different types of pans; the cupcakes in the stoneware pan in papers came out great, the cupcakes in the silicone muffin pan the girls got for xmas – not as done. So adjust accordingly.

How were they? Good, really. Hubby said they were great. I wouldn’t go that far, but food in general is loosing it’s wow factor with me. Not much REALLY tastes great these days. I thought they were a bit sweet. (this coming from the girl that eats brown sugar by the spoonful to boost energy these days) I really had no idea on the sugar – a few ingredients were that way. I think if I make them again I’m going to try and replace the xanthan gum. I just found a page that mentions a slick feeling on the roof of the mouth (here). This might be why I wasn’t jumping up and down about them.

Today I made cookies – from a mix – I feel like a bit of a failure as a mom just TYPING that. I’ll tell you about those soon.

What did L think of the cupcakes?
Somewhat interested – you can see he’s already smashed it around a bit.

AND … no thanks mom, but I’ll mash it some more while you wash dishes. Oh well – at least he is cute.

(gluten, wheat, egg, dairy, soy, corn, potato, chocolate, and all other taste free)

Have you seen those “sh*t my ___ says” sites/videos?

I think I need one, for things my daughters say.

Today K asked me, “Mommy, why is your milk out of your tank top?” Um, well, it WASN’T (they weren’t?) I just had a bit more cleavage showing.

Another K-ism from today.
“Baby Monkey is a boy.”
Me: I thought Baby was a girl, why does baby wear a dress.
K: Well it is a boy dress, ya know, it is okay for boys to wear dresses if it is a boy dress.
Me: Ahhhh, I see now.
(right, like anyone can ever really understand a 3.5 year old)

This wasn’t said, but still funny.
We take B potty in the middle of the night now (well, when we go to bed). It is only way she doesn’t soak the bed. I took her the other night and she was so tired that when I said, “ok, babe go crawl back in bed” she started climbing in the bath tub. “um, no. Go hop in your bed B. That’s the bath tub.” At this point she was all the way in and starting to curl up. “Ah, ok, lets get you in bed … ” as I pick her up and carry her to her REAL bed – we don’t have her sleep in the tub – no really.

I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a 3.5 yr old girl for a day. What would I appreciate more? What would I do differently as a parent? Would I get every pee in the potty? Deep thoughts … from a tired mama.

It’s here! The second month of the year. So what did I knit in January?

A hat. A dead fish hat. That I have wanted forever! I hate it. Yep – hard to believe that I hate something funky and off beat, but I do. I hate it. Pattern is here. It has nothing to do with the colors or the knitting or anything that happened while knitting.

(and yes I know I need to clean the table – a little girl keeps writing on it)

I don’t like the shadow of the hat. That’s right, as ridiculous as it sounds, I don’t like the shadow of this hat, so I don’t wear it, won’t wear it, I’m giving it to an auction. (I only wore it about 3 times and have washed and blocked it since.) The shadow reminds me of one of those 1970s deep sea diving suits. The ones that have things on the side and top that stick out.  I might have to put it on one more time and take a picture of the shadow – I don’t feel like I’m describing it well. So yeah, since I don’t like the shadow this hat is going to live somewhere else – lets just hope there is someone at this auction that likes funky hats.

I finished the mittens and ornaments I had (to keep the schedule) to knit for X-mas 2012.

I knit the wool pants I swapped with a friend for L’s pants.

I also have two works in progress.

I’m knitting another pair of wool pants – these for an auction too – for a little girls too (too?). These will also have ruffles, heat knees, and possible a heart on the bum. I’m at the split for the legs (hence the extra needle).

I’m knitting Arleen, found here, in Cestari. Remember the green yarn? It is going well so far. I’m past the back and forth of the top, so now it’s just in the round and should go quickly. I’m almost at the under arm, try-it-on, point.

Looking back it doesn’t seem like that much. Is this really ALL I accomplished in January? Humm, maybe it is a lot and I don’t realize it and have unrealistic expectations? Maybe somebody could actually COMMENT and let me know.

For now, the baby is up and demanding a clean diaper and some milk. I really wish I could knit and nurse this guy.

of it … is really that I can’t keep up.
I’ve been trying to make this post for 3, THREE, days.

I’m thinking about maybe trying to post 2-3 times a week. Maybe when the weather is nicer (which ironic to say because today is BEAUTIFUL) I’ll be able to go back to a picture a day.

Some knit progress …
I had some fairly hard goals I had to make to ensure that I have advent for next year. So far, so good (almost). I need to knit 3 ornaments today and tomorrow. That’s doable though.

I’ve decided to do a knit update on the last (or the first) day of the month. Maybe I can hit that tomorrow?