Hamburgers, green salad, grilled potatoes and onions. Fresh strawberry daiquiris for the grown-ups and milk for the youngin's. The not-so-local items- ketchup and mustard, rum in the daiquiris, the hamburger buns. But hey! The meal was super fresh and delicious, so I'm calling it a success.

We're unofficially joining this challenge. (But keeping it low key, people. There's no stress in the summer.) We've been trying to eat more local foods for awhile. You are aware of the benefits, so these detailed posts are for us to record our progress. You may find them quite boring.

Anyway, here's the dirt. I've found local and affordable sources for many of our staple foods:

•milk and butter. I'll never go back. As long as they're in business, I'll be a customer. SO YUM. We're going to go take a tour of the dairy soon!
•I use their milk to make our yogurt and ranch dressing. (um, we eat lots of ranch dressing.)
•beef
•produce. Choosing to frequent the organic farmers market this summer, we've left our CSA. It was a great group but was too much stuff we really don't eat. That makes for pricey compost. I'm trying already to overbuy and prepare and freeze the extras.
•STRAWBERRIES! Woo hoo! It was a drive, but we're planning a trip back. I need me some more berries.
•blueberries and blackberries. I can. not. wait.
•tomatoes. My mom grows gobs of them. (I may have to learn to can before August.)
•cukes. My mom's neighbor is the cucumber expert.
•eggs. I think I have 3 dozen in my fridge right now. Thanks, dad!!
•flour. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm going to call this week to get the scoop.
•tofu. My kids love stir-fry with veggies and tofu. LOVE. It's our standby meal.
•honey. It's called Jordy's honey. I don't think they have a website, but I get it here.
•vodka. Alright. I'm pretty sure they don't use all local ingredients or even make a lot of it here, but it's a local company and that can't hurt.
•beer! The same as the vodka. What? Beer and vodka aren't staples in your household?

The things I'm currently looking for:

•cheese.
•chicken. I've found several sources, but I just can't afford a $12-$15 chicken. We eat a lot of chicken.
•beans. Surely people in this area grow and dry beans.
•rice. Lost cause? I think. Rice (unless it's some creepy genetically modified variety) just doesn't grow in Kansas or Missouri.

Needless to say, growing your own veggies would help. That's another post all together. Making food from scratch is also immensely helpful. I make most of our bread in the bread machine now- hopefully soon with local whole wheat. I make our noodles, pie crusts, rolls, etc. I make our spaghetti sauce in big batches and freeze it in glass canning jars. It works really well.

The Food Circle has been an invaluable resource, but I'm ALWAYS open to suggestions and sources. If you have any, bring 'em on!

So, there you go. More than you care to know? I'm sure. In the wise words of Lauren, another local treasure, "Did you ask? No. That's the point of blogs."

*** Hey, Hey, my local peeps! My friend Jamie just emailed me this link: Merriam Organic Market. That's pretty close to me and Tuesday evenings might be really handy. Plus there's a whole different crowd of vendors there to try out.**

Posted by Alicia at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Good friends, a berry patch, a picnic lunch. A long drive home. Cooling off with strawberry daiquiris and fresh strawberry smoothies. Dinner with those same friends at the neighborhood art fair.

She found the perfect berry. And we all found the perfect first day of summer vacation.

Posted by Alicia at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

April: Amanda Jean

May: Courtney

My vqb Flickr set is here.

I'm really having fun with the Virtual Quilting Bee, even though last month I got a smidge behind. I'm excited to see some of the quilts come together. And I've started thinking about my own quilt, but I'm not until November. I think.

Am I November, Jen? That's a long wait.

Posted by Alicia at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Saturday morning we stopped in for a little visit with Heather.
The apron looked adorable on her. (This is her photo- I swiped it.)

Her studio is INCREDIBLE.
It is big and airy and was lovingly built by Matt.
And Emily- that chair is even better in person.
I got to see my favorite (larger) painting of hers.
J spent the entire visit in the garden eating strawberries straight off the vine.

Then we went camping with friends.
The weather was beautiful- a little windy but that was fine.
The kids played and swam.
And slid around in gooey mud.

Lori (and kiddos) stopped by the campsite to say 'hi.'
She's so sweet.
J wouldn't even talk to Aidin.
But as soon as she was gone, he was asking for her to come back.

We had to cut the camping short.
A big storm was coming.
We headed home Sunday night instead of Monday.
It felt odd to leave while the weather was perfect.
But it rained most of the night so we were thankful.
Wet tents are always miserable.

Now the washer is chugging away.
The laundry is almost done.
The camping gear is put away.
Summer vacation officially starts for us this Thursday!

I have TWO quilt squares to photograph and mail off.
Come back to see photos tomorrow.
And two baby dolls are in the shop today.

Posted by Alicia at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

mother, child, bowl of raisin bran.

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!! (we're hoping for dry weather.)

Posted by Alicia at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

collects things.

Posted by Alicia at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

but you all get dibs. they're in the shop.

xo.

Posted by Alicia at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

for hanging out on the back patio.

Shop Mayfly update today, 2 p.m. : (3) artist totes
Wednesday, 2 p.m. : (4) artist aprons- I will post a preview photo on Flickr as soon as I get one ready.
Thursday, 2 p.m. : ??? I'm thinking. and working.

**p.s. I interrupt this beautiful day for some shameless self-promotion. Here's what some friends have said about the artist totes: Kathy. Grace. **

Posted by Alicia at 07:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

happy monday!

Posted by Alicia at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

tulips (in pots) that my dad brought me.
beautiful, springtime weather predicted all weekend.
fluffy little white clouds floating by.
little girl back to herself again. *sigh of relief*
many errands done, clean car, oil changed.
long lists of outdoor tasks.
long list of studio tasks.
(today, both somehow make me feel invigorated not overwhelmed.)
grilling tonight. and a fire of course!
thinking about a camping trip.

MUCH to smile about today.
I hope you find something to smile about too.
(next week: just photos from me, and a shop update Tuesday.)

Posted by Alicia at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Well, then. I didn't think things could get much worse on the illness front. Lordy, I was wrong. I felt sure I had dodged the stomach flu bullet, you know taking care of and cleaning up for the sicklies the last two weeks without getting it. But I awoke early yesterday morning, and I had it. Did I ever. And the aches? The aching pain in my hip sockets was almost unbearable. I found myself doing this low-in-the-throat humming thing that I involuntarily did when I was in labor. as in childbirth. Man-oh-man.

NOW, things are looking up. The evidence: At about 8:45 a.m., just as I was pondering what I might be able to eat, there was a knock at the door. It was my friend, Penny. She handed me a box of fruit-juice popsicles and blew me a kiss. An angel from heaven, that's what she is. And at nap time I found this. Heather! All of you! Thank you. I am so thankful for you all. Lastly I am thankful for my dearest friend of all- Brian. Not a word was said yesterday. He just knew. He stayed home from work, entertained Miss N, ran about 100 errands to keep the house quiet, delivered gatorade with a bendy straw, tylenol, back rubs.

Thank you. I mean it.

(Speaking of friends- that's N's bunny buddy up there at the top. Isn't he sweet?! He's pretty tame too.)

Posted by Alicia at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

So last week was really strange. Poor little N was not herself. A bad cold + the stomach flu + a wheezing cough + a prednisone intolerance = one crabby kid. There seems to be a twinkle in her eye this morning and a tiny bit of cereal in her tummy, so we're hoping for a better week.

(she's trying to feed a baby bunny.)

I had more than a minor meltdown on Friday. My mom swooped in with a plate of spring rolls and a shoulder to cry on. Then my in-laws arrived and dear Maw Maw lovingly took over a great deal of the cuddling, nose wiping, and coaxing to eat of the sickly girl. Moms are so good. Thanks, my moms, for rescuing me, another very fatigued mom. I love you both.

Lifting my funk further were a lovely evening at the carnival and a Mother's Day brunch with the whole family here at our house. And the rolls. Of course, a big batch of cinnamon rolls never hurt anyone. Things are on the upswing.

(waiting to be frosted. yum.)

I'm still planning my shop update, but I'm going to put it off until Tuesday, the 20th. I have several things in various stages of completion, but I really don't want to stress over it this week. I just want a nice quiet week to regain our mental and physical health.

You guys take care of yourselves!

Posted by Alicia at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

That's life for you. I had a pretty tight time line set for myself to get all my shop items done and photographed by tomorrow. And SURPRISE! Both kids woke up screaming in the middle of the night- J with the stomach flu (same virus as daddy?) and N with a cough and high fever.

SO if you're looking for me, I'm the one in my robe, with green snot on my shoulder and vomit on my slippers. I'm looking pretty. For now, as much as it sometimes pains me, I'm mommy first and artist second. That's what I signed up for.

I'll let you know soon when the rescheduled update will be. HOPEFULLY before the week is out. See you in a day or two.

Love and good health to you all.

(p.s. free motion quilting is like drawing with thread. cool.)

Posted by Alicia at 08:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)

on a friday afternoon:

nice weather is much less scary than stormy weather.

no flower in the world is better than a lilac. i'm sure of that.

the Noticing Project is officially 33.33% finished. some days I just sit and look at the archive page. it makes me happy.

your Guest Week photographs are amazing. THANK YOU.

my sweetie is sick. home from work sick. head in the toilet sick. poor thing.

and tomorrow is our eleven year anniversary. bummer. (the sick part not the eleven years part.)

tuesday's Shop Mayfly update is still on. it will be sewn items this time- artist totes and a few new things too.

george w. sent me a check. so i'll be stimulating some old-camera-repair-guy economy now. yippee!

i'm hoping each of you has a wonderful weekend!

Posted by Alicia at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

My friend's little girl turned five today. This child. This child is beeeea-utiful inside and out. She's calm and kind and so well behaved. And my Miss N adores her. Adores. We all do, really. She is a peach.

Her mom ordered her a baby doll for her birthday and we did a little it's-my-first-day-being-five photo shoot this morning.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, sweetie!

Posted by Alicia at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)