AfricanKelli

My friend Min says blogs without a touch of drama aren’t worth reading. And well, this blog has become a showcase for all things domestic. I’ve lost my dramatic flare. I’ve avoided political arguments and even stopped posting about the books I’ve been devouring as of recent. I’m not sure why, other than I’m very comfortable in the crafting niche and I receive positive feedback from my creativity. But in comfort can come laziness and I’m ready to stir things up a bit.

So, let’s hope I don’t regret this. Shall we?

I went on a spontaneous date this weekend. And guess what? It was fun! (And thank God he doesn’t know about my blog. So I can rant and rave all I want.)

He’s cute. He’s employed. He has nice friends. He is polite. His friends are polite. And, better yet, he’s smart.

We’ll see if there is a date numero dos, but I’m hopeful. Yay!

I also saw an ex-boyfriend, which was far more dramatic, and I acted like a five-year-old who just wanted to avoid the entire situation. So rather than try to be polite, I just left. Eh. Live and learn. At least I didn’t say anything stupid and or get myself into any trouble. In some ways, leaving was polite.

~

• In other great news, I’ve ordered my dream camera. It should be delivered within the next two days. Quality digital photos to be displayed soon.
• I transformed my little garden this weekend. Photos to be posted ASAP.
• The great home renovation project continues this week with both bathrooms being updated.
• In two weeks one of my best friends from college is coming to visit, and I cannot sit still I am so excited about it. We are going on a crafting/girl weekend binge. I’m thinking knitting stores, margaritas poolside, expensive shopping neither of us can afford, catching up with other college friends in town, and a few more margaritas poolside. This will undoubtedly result in lopsided knitting and uncontrollable laughter, as it did last summer.
• I saw “Brokeback Mountain” last night and I’m wondering who I love more, Wyoming or Heath? It is a tough call. Pretend Wyoming is this quiet, understated, gorgeous man who just keeps surprising you with his beauty. The scenery in this movie is worth the ticket price alone. And then there is Heath. Yum.
• This surely doesn’t need my advertisement for success, but I am pretty darn excited to read more about the new crafting cooperative web site: Whip Up! So fun!
• Speaking of crafting, here’s a sneak peek at my Valentines. I had such fun pulling these together!

(This might be a sickness. I tried desperately to avoid talking about crafts, and darn it if it didn’t happen anyway!)

~K

“Simpson, Flanders 04“

(A candidacy I wish I had supported.)

This week I’ve been having vivid dreams about swimming. Last night’s was so strange, I stayed in bed for five minutes this morning running the events through my head. The emotions felt  real; it was eerie.

It went something like this…

I was at a swim meet, present day, sitting on the deck getting ready to compete.There were all of these swimmers around me talking about what events they were going to compete in, and our coach (my childhood coach Todd) was there encouraging us in his comical/torturous ways. For whatever reason, I didn’t want to swim the 100 freestyle. Out of no where, my teammate Janet Evans (who hello! She so didn’t swim the 100 free) appears, and gives me a new pair of goggles to talk me into competing. Of course I agree.

She’s Janet Evans, my childhood athletic hero. I’m not telling her no, even if she did just hand me a snorkeling mask to swim a sprint with.

I get on the blocks and am in lane five, and I am hyperventilating at the fact that I am NOT a sprinter and ohmygod Janet Evans is standing behind my block rooting me on. So what do I do? I jump the gun and dive in too early. The officials fire the false-start gun, sound the signal and call all the swimmers back up on the blocks. Thankfully, they couldn’t tell who left early, so no one is disqualified. In the meantime, my mask has completely filled with water and I can tell this race is going to be a disaster. I have that sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach that I’ve just embarrassed myself and my team, as if standing in my Speedo with a snorkeling mask on isn’t embarrassing enough.

Back on the blocks I go, and the announcer clearly says, “Swimmers, take your mark,” …

I hunch down, look at my toes and say a little prayer. And then of course I wake up.

I spent so much of my childhood poolside, smelling like chlorine, fiddling with my cap, feeding my anxieties with pacing. It is strange that the nervousness and disappointment of never being great are still with me.

~K

If I weren’t trying desperately to be responsible financially, saving for the exceptionally bland such as carpet, faucets and light fixtures, I would be spoiling myself silly with a bit of extravagant flair.

Like these. My goodness, I can’t imagine spending $170 on sunglasses — especially those I’d more than likely wear this summer to work in Nicaragua and Mozambique, but we aren’t being practical here. Today is a practical-free day. And they certainly are extravagant, non?

And while we’re at my very favorite store, how about these too?

Mmm… yes. They are completely impractical, but pretty.

To wear with spring skirts:

Mmmm… so much more fun to think about than:

Damn practicality.

~K

Today is Ms. Kacey’s 27th birthday! (Ms. Slackdaddie too!) Happy birthday to you both.

I’ve mentioned before that I grew up with a group of girlfriends who I chat with everyday. After reading Rebecca Well’s book, we oh-so-creatively started calling ourselves the “Ya Yas” several years ago. The Ya Yas and I have been plotting for several weeks about how to spoil Kacey with a sewing machine she’s long wanted.

The gift was delivered to her Chicago doorstep this weekend, along with a package of materials and sewing notions we’d all pitched in. I know I’m not the only one to be happy about having another crafter among us! One of my additions to her gift was my January submission to Tie One On. The theme of which was to create an apron out of an old piece of clothing.

I don’t keep clothing past its prime, and am an avid Goodwill purger. What isn’t used must be given to someone who will use it. This was my first time doing crafty with a garment and I can’t say I’ll do it again. Nonetheless, I am impressed by Amy’s creativity in coming up with apron-related themes.

Jacket I’d only worn twice. It had shoulder pads. Ew!

I won’t lie. There was some strange gratification in cutting this thing to pieces.

Two pockets? One? Where to put the scissors?

Mr. Chair — the apron model for the girl who lives alone. Voila - an apron for sewing, with scissors and a pin cushion pocket.

Otherwise you get photos like this.

Happy day to you birthday girls!

~K

I’ve decided my new dream job is to be a TV host for the PBS show “Globe Trekker.” Have you seen it? It is just about the best travel program I’ve ever watched. To my delight, last night’s program was about Cameroon. I was able to see several of the places I visited (Mount Cameroon, Limbe) and several that I wish I’d gotten to (Waza National Park, the north). Such a great program. You can see photos from it here.

~

One of my goals for 2006 was to learn to quilt. My mother, as I’ve mentioned, is an incredible quilter. I, on the other hand, can’t sew a straight line to save my soul. Nor do I have the patience for cutting all of those itty bitty teeny tiny squares and then having to sew them on a straight line. But I do have an appreciation for fabric and I do want to learn patience. I figure quilting is a good way to honor both.

Inspired by Denyse Schmidt’s very different designs, I am working on my first quilt. (Well, my mom has held my hand through two other small quilting projects several years ago, but this is my first solo adventure. Let’s hope we don’t lose communication somewhere over the Pacific, a la Amelia.) It is small — 36″ wide by 44″ tall, and is a gift. I find projects are easier to complete when I’ve got a recipient in mind. I am using fabric for the backing that was a gift from American Robin. She purchased it in Mali and I’ve been waiting for just the right use. Thank you again Robin!

This is the Denyse quilt I’ve got in mind. I cut my fabric yesterday (ever so carefully) and I imagine I’ll start sewing them together tonight. Very slowly. On a straight line. I do have a couple of questions for you quilters out there:

1. What type of batting do you purchase for a quilt? Any suggestions on brands? Do you buy it by the yard?

2. Do you add the binding and then quilt the layers together? Or, do you quilt it all together and add the binding last?

3. Have I lost my mind thinking I can do this?

My fabric selection for “African Sunrise:”

Good luck and advice are sincerely appreciated.

~K

I’m starting a new trend at my house; I work from home on Thursdays, providing a bit extra time to cook. I’ve decided to have company every Thursday for dinner. If you are one of my Phoenician friends, look for an invite soon!

Last night Elaina and Nick stopped by for some chipotle meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. It was ohsogood, if I may toot my own horn. I borrowed the recipe from Min.

And for dessert? Rock Star Buns, no less. This time I didn’t use enough flour, so they were more like Rock Star Cookies. But delicious nonetheless! This recipe really is worth visiting Jane’s blog and trying. They are quickly becoming the favored baked good around my house. Yesterday I used orange peel and the entire place smelled like an orchard when they were baking. Yum!

Happy Weekend cooking to you!

~K

My studio is done! (Minus the crown molding being installed next weekend.) Everything I can do is finished. Yay! I am really pleased with the way this came together.

Redecorating on a budget is possible. Who knew?

Before:

I had rented this room to a roommate for two years. The walls were begging for a fresh coat of paint, the windows needed to be caulked, the ceiling fan was twirling lopsided because of the accumulated dust. The whole room needed a bit of a revamp, without any additional furniture.

After:

So, it still may not be anything you’d see in a Pottery Barn catalog, but it is me in every nook and cranny. I learned to make quilted pillow cases for the first time, made the curtains (with functioning Velcro lifts), painted the room and trim, framed my Italy map and two new Frida pieces, and purchased my little shelf from eBay. I’m guessing the entire project cost +/- $150. More photos of the process can be seen here.

This weekend — the patio! (Yes, I am beginning to feel like a bit of a Home Depot junkie. What’s sick is I kind of like it.) If I were really brave, I’d tackle a kitchen like Finny. Ay!

~Kelli

My wanderlust is never really satisfied, just temporarily quieted. It’s been more than six months since I’ve traveled internationally and I don’t like the dust collecting on my passport.

I am hungry for adventure.

There is lots of work-related foreign travel scheduled for this summer, with developing world adventures surely sprinkled on top. But I’m talking real adventure. Take a fantastic vacation and see something amazing adventure.

I learned this week my former Peace Corps friend Todd will not be in Uganda when I wanted to visit him in July. He’ll already be back in the States. (Already. He’s been there nearly a year and I pick the month after his departure to plan a visit. Bad timing on my part, a big eye roll on his.) So, Uganda is out. I’ll hopefully (fingers crossed) be in Mozambique in July for a couple of weeks. I think a weeks vacation to some place in Africa sounds just about right. But where?

Here is where the adventure/weighing of risks comes in to play. I’ll more than likely be traveling alone, which is a bit scary for any woman, much less a young American woman in Africa. Hello flashbacks of fleeing the Peace Corps in 2000. Hello overly friendly African men who don’t care that they aren’t being sensitive to your culture by their grabby ways. I’m a little wary, but at the same time could use a huge helpin’ of adventure in my oh so suburban life. It makes me almost yearn to be in the back of a dusty cab in a sweaty t-shirt with mosquito bites on my arms and a backpack full of trinkets and goodies I can’t wait to bring home. Oh, the good days. Alas, the grass is always greener.

I’m thinking either Madagascar — not a terribly long flight from Mozambique. Or perhaps a trip to Kruger, although I’m not sure I could afford the fancy private photo safari I would so love to take. Eat new food, see some animals, hear some music, spend a few days on a beach. African beaches, for the most part, are empty. You can flop around in your bikini scott free without anyone bothering you. (You give up the ability to order a fruity umbrella drink from the lounge in your cabana for such isolation.) And I suppose there is the good chance I will meet someone fantastic within the next six months who will want to adventure with me. In that case, we’ll have to bring our own umbrellas for our Nalgene bottles, filled with iodine purified margaritas. Wouldn’t that be a sight?

Any suggestions? Have you visited some place in Africa that is so outstanding you can’t help but recommend it to others? Where is the craziest/most fun place you’ve ever visited? Then again, southern Africa isn’t that far from Australia. Perhaps I’ll just jaunt that direction for a week instead… History shows I love me some Australians.

I’d love to hear from you. I’ll even send some African fabric to a random commenter. So speak up!

And yes, Alexis, thanks for the reminder. Bravo to Africa’s first female head of state!!

~K