Random Stuff

First, another epicurious recipe, dulce de leche ice cream with fresh strawberries and Mexican chocolate sauce... an interesting concept.

Next, an E-card site worth mentioning: Jacquie Lawson. My mom introduced me to the site a year or two ago and still sends the cards often. Some of my favorites can't be previewed without a membership, one of which was recently sent to Tommy. It is both a greeting card and a kitty matching game. Behind each matching kitty card is another animated kitty, and each completed match reveals part of a background scene. Once the entire background is revealed, a big black kitty saunters in and meows at his bowl. Someone then comes in and pours some milk, and the kitty laps it up. It's simple enough, but it's very cute, and Tommy likes it. Some of the cards are particularly beautiful too. There are some especially nice Christmas cards in the collection. Example here. Of course, they aren't free. That's mostly why I just enjoy receiving them.

Third, my mom sent Tommy some self-drying modeling clay last week, and Brian, Tommy, and I played with it, off and on, for hours on Sunday. We made ice cream cones, kitties, cups, airplanes, and mice. Tommy made his own kitty but later took it apart and asked me to make him one. I ended up agreeing after bed time drew near and he hadn't saved anything that would stay together once dried. We will probably paint them tomorrow night. (The pitcher has a kitty's head over the handle and a tail coming up inside, as well as two mice around the outside. The other things are supposed to be a kitty, two mice, and a little water bowl/dish.) Here they are:

I was hoping to have some quilt progress photos to post too, but while I did piece and sew two quilt squares over the past couple of days, I rushed them and will almost definitely not use them for anything. I do still hope to make a quilt soon, but I want to map it out properly and take my time to do it right. -I will probably just make a wall hanging or something, as I have no need for an actual quilt and prefer to be done with it before my 83rd birthday. I have also been dreaming up a design for an advent calendar since before I had a sewing machine. I just need to purchase the right material and get it all planned out. (I prefer the part where I actually sew stuff together, and all my work starts to look like something.) Another thing I'm looking to make is a simple tote bag for my knitting. I'm thinking something reversible with toile on one side and a complimenting solid on the other. Clearly I have lots of ideas. I only lack only money, experience, and time. Who needs those, anyway?