Marilla's Christmas Dress

I finished Marilla's dress! I'm losing a bit of steam lately on these projects I need to get moving faster if I'm going to be done with all my Christmas projects in time.

anyway, same pattern as Libby's, and to be frank the same size around, but a size 6 in length. Rilla's a skinny one. ;)
Gotta have the big bow. Rilla's sash is cut from the border design, so I left them rectangular to show off the print better.

With Rilla's I also cut the bodice from the border and left her cummerbund removable. I doubt we'll ever wear it without the cummerbund, but it does give us another option if we want it.

Detail shot of the edge of the skirt. I do love this fabric. I love the green and black and gold on this. So pretty.

And of course, the doll, Gracie, got a matching dress!

Whew! Now onto Sarah's. Hers is turquoise and her border design has elephants in it. She wants a cummerbund and full skirt as well. We chose the pattern for the bodice style we like and I'll cut a skirt in a basic rectangle to fit like we want it to fit. The rectangle shape isn't the most flattering skirt shape but it has to be that way so we don't cut off the poor elephants.

Nothing To Say

Really. I feel like I need to update my blog but nothing much has happened this week worth reporting.

I have a few more wrestling pictures from Sarah's last match. She lost both matches but she fought hard. Both wrestlers were more experienced than she is and were able to control the match.

Joshua is obsessed with paper airplanes. He makes several a day, throws them around the house, and then leaves them there on the floor. He keeps trying to find the perfect paper airplane, whatever that means.

Rilla is excited to get to try on her Christmas dress today. I'll be sewing in the zipper today and finishing the cumberbund. It looks like Libby's except hers is green.

Matt is still a spelling freak. Libby brought home magnetic letters from a library reading class this week and it's Matt who plays with them. He loves to spell words. Word World on PBS is his favorite TV show.

Libby decided to make a shopping list this week. We needed TOES (toys) and a princess car. She is writing more words now that she's more comfortable with reading. She's progressing well and is now about a mid 1st grade reading level.

Tomorrow we're going to do family pictures and we're going to the zoo. We tried to go last week but the Africa exhibit was closed and that's the reason we were going. I'm excited to get to use one of the parks in Boise for the pictures. I'll have lots to say next week, I'm sure.

She's a Winner

It was a pin in the second round. (Sarah's the one in red.)

She fought hard and was really tough. The other girl never had a chance really. Steve was so proud he could have burst. Of course, he spent the whole match yelling instructions to her from the stands. I doubt she could hear him, but he yelled them anyway.

She has at least a meet a week until the end of the season. I think she's even more excited now that she has a win notched in her belt.

Target practice

No really. I did go target shooting. I know, not exactly in my normal character. I'm a peer pressure pushover though, so when my friends decided the wives needed to join their husbands on the shooting range, I followed along.

I shot a 22 rifle, some pistol that I can't remember what it was, a Glock with a silencer (that was easier than the one without the silencer to aim,) a small .22 pistol, and the one that will make my brother jealous: an AR-15 assault rifle. Yeah, one of those army type guns.

I discovered that rifles are easier to aim than a pistol. that I need to shoot rifles left handed or I can't aim a thing. Being left eyed and right handed doesn't exactly line up the barrel right. But I did best with the big army gun because it had a scope. Once they adjusted the stock so it fit me, I did pretty well.

My friends were impressed anyway.

Steve was not impressed when the girls went the car and visited instead of watching the menfolk shoot clay pigeons. Apparently we were supposed to be sitting in the car ooohing and ahhhing over their rifle shooting prowess. He should have warned me.

I wish I had pictures but I forgot my camera. dang it. I totally planned to bring it and then didn't grab it before we left. It would have been cool to have a picture of my shooting the AR-15 right about here:





You'll have to use your imagination.

Libby's Dress

They match.

And you can cursty in it.
With the requisite big bow.

I think she's happy. Don't you?

Experimenting in the Kitchen

I have quite a bit of fresh herbs I rescued from my herb garden before it got too cold. Lots of lemon thyme (love it so much more than standard), mint, Oregano, and a bit of basil. I have no clue what to do with most of it now that it's sitting in my refrigerator. Today I decided to experiment a bit with the mint just for fun. This is what I came up with:

Creamy Mint Risotto

2 c Arborio rice

2 T butter

1/2 sweet onion, like Walla Walla or Vidalia, chopped fine
5 c chicken broth (aprox. 3 cans if that's what you use)
4 t finely chopped mint leaves
1/4 c Romano cheese
1/2 c sour cream

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with a dash of salt. Cook until onion is soft. Add rice and cook stirring until edges of rice turn translucent. Begin adding chicken broth. Start with 1 c. and stir until the broth is absorbed into the rice. Add rest of chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until broth is absorbed between each addition. Cook until all broth is absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy. Reduce heat to low. Stir in mint and cheese then add sour cream.

I garnished mine with a mint sprig because I've got plenty, and served it with pork chops. I think it would also be good with chicken flavored with a mild marinade. Risotto can be heavy and rich, but the mint lightens the dish as a background note. It was very good. Let me know if you try it and like it.