First Dance Class, First Comments

[caption id="attachment_210" align="alignnone" width="556" caption="Ballet Class"][/caption]My daughter had her first dance class of the season today - new tap AND ballet shoe purchases necessary. I'm not complaining, I love to shop. Even better, Target doesn't carry tap shoes so I got to branch out and hit up a real shoe store (!!) Did I mention a brand new Target just opened TWO BLOCKS AWAY? Three aisles of dollar bins. I KNOW!

So the good news is that it's a drop off class, her first ever. The BAD news is that it's a drop off class - MY first ever. I only got to take one stinking photo before we got kicked out. I did have the grace to hug and thank the teacher for her sacrifice but as the door closed I felt... bereft? Deflated? Where are the tears, child? Where's the "I WANT MY MOMMY!"?

Nothing but giggles and joyous screeches in that room with no windows to the hall where we moms sat, chatting and wondering what we were supposed to do for an hour alone in a hallway without windows...

In other news, came to home to find ...Wow! I posted the Halloween Peasant Top to a few link parties and got loads of visitors. If you're coming back, please stop by the comment section and join Bella and Toni in saying hello! I can't tell you how exciting it is to get an email telling me there's a comment in my queue. In the meantime, I'm working on a new Halloween skirt. Tonight, maybe, after our evening art class and dinner. It's hard to imagine cooking right now. It's 85 degrees out at 5 pm and I'm still STUFFING myself on left overs from the Spiced Bulgar, Chickpea and Squash Salad I made two days ago. Seriously, try it.

The Halloween Peasant Top and Spiced Bulgar, Chickpea and Squash Salad

Today is the first day of fall classes with my three year old, otherwise known (at least for this day) as the demon. We've got art, tap / ballet, gymnastics, children't theater and "Adventures in Storytelling" which I think is another theater class. Coco is a very social child but I didn't want to send her to preschool yet so we're taking lots of classes together. Art is tough because I want to play, too! I have to sit on my hands a lot. Today we played with air drying clay and it was just impossible not to dig in but the demon wasn't having it. She took great joy in destroying everything I touched. Makes a mommy rrreally look forward to quiet time!

So I've decided that mid September is not too early to get our Halloween crafting and decorating on. Am I wrong? Never mind that I made Coco's Halloween peasant top back in August(!!) This is the first time she wore it.


Can you see the little ghosts and gravestones? The sleeves are spiderwebs! I have a ton left of both and I don't know what to do with it. I'm thinking skirts for my "someday" Etsy shop...

This isn't the first peasant top, I've made. I can't help myself, these are so much fun! I just picked up some corduroy I want to try next.

[caption id="attachment_188" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Patty Young for Michael Miller"][/caption]

I've only ever worked with light cotton so it should be interesting. I'll gladly take any tips!

Finally, gotta post about dinner last night. This is from a BBC cooking mag called Good Food.

[caption id="attachment_189" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="Spiced bulghar, chickpea & squash salad"][/caption]

This tasted just like Fall. For the Americans, instead of Harissa paste, you can you Siracha sauce (the red Asian sauce with the rooster on it!) Also, 140 grams of bulgar wheat equals a cup and I used two cups of hot broth. I added lemon zest to the yogurt. Any Greek style yogurt will work. I didn't have any spinach handy so I skipped it. This really was beyond easy!

Lazy Days, Slumber Parties and Fancy Nancy

Coco attended her first slumber party and we couldn't be more thrilled with the results. She had a great time, the hosting mom had a blast and has invited her back "any time" and most importantly, Stephane and I had a date night! We climbed the wall at the gym, used a groupon at a new local sushi place and we were even able to sleep in the next morning. Heaven, I tell you.

Oh yes, I've also been sewing. This has been no easy feat since Coco has given up all naps but I am occasionally able to talk her into some quiet time. Good thing the Lazy Days Skirt is so easy! The Strawberry Shortcake skirt was my first attempt and I really didn't get the hem instructions so I had to make up my own. See?



Coco loves it so I call it a success. I also made her a cute little matching drawstring bag from a fab tutorial at Crafty Gemini. If you're learning to sew, you have to visit Crafty Gemini. She does loads of video tutorials that are fantastic for people who learn visually, like me.

[caption id="attachment_160" align="alignnone" width="909" caption="Drawstring bag"][/caption]

Next up was this gorgeous fabric from Philip Jacobs called Daffodils and Dogwood. This was a remnant from a little fabric shop in Healdsburg, Calif. I wish there had been enough to make ME a skirt! By the way, this is how the hem is supposed to look.

[caption id="attachment_163" align="alignnone" width="768" caption="Lazy Days Skirt #2"][/caption]

And, last but soooo not least, the Fancy Nancy skirts I made last night as gifts for a princess themed birthday party we're attending tomorrow. They're for twins, turing five. I also made them matching drawstring bags filled with Fancy Nancy journals and stickers from the dollar bin at Target.

Of course, I had to make a prototype one for Coco. She's nuts for Fancy Nancy and secretly, so am I!

[caption id="attachment_172" align="alignnone" width="643" caption="Fancy Nancy Skirt"][/caption]

Still working on the Halloween costume.

Ohhh and I'm linking up Fireflies and Jellybeans Show Your Stuff Link Party. I learn so much from this blog and their many, many tutorials.

Summer Couscous with Halloumi Cheese

Maybe it's the heat or my recent detox but I feel like Coco has lost her mind lately.  She's gotten so tough to be around.  Everything is an argument. EVERY time I ask her to do something she responds with, "Why should I?" Would it be wrong to answer "because I'm going to smack you six ways from Sunday if you don't!"??

Is three really the new thirteen?

I posted on the subject to my mommy group and got some great responses, ranging from "yep, totally normal three year old behavior" to "HAH you ain't seen nothing til you've seen four!"  Some of the moms of babies commented that our stories left them reeling between tears of laughter and pangs of fear.  So very much for all of us to look forward to!

So, to celebrate surviving this day (all three of us!) we are having a favorite dinner,  just the two of us, and watching Inglorious Basterds on cable.  Going big, yeah.  That's how we roll.

Summer Couscous with Halloumi Cheese

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="Summer Couscous Salad"][/caption]

Go get the recipe.  This is seriously awesome. And use Israeli couscous instead of the normal stuff. It is ten times better. I promise!