The semester has begun in earnest; I may not ever have time to craft again! (Craft a musicological argument, maybe.) Life has been just so … life-y… lately too, with lots of curves thrown my way. Not to mention politics, teaching, etc, all wanting a piece of my attention. So, apologies, I have been absent from the blog and the sewing machine, and may continue to be.
M and I did make yogurt “cheese” from plain yogurt, salt, and fresh dill… it’s delicious! I need to find some more applications for it – it would make a stunning accompaniment to lox. M had it for dinner on toast, with tiny tomatoes that my dad brought her from the farmer’s market (he works for some local farmer friends most Saturdays in exchange for produce, and most weeks he sets something aside just for M). The other food items I have been loving lately are the DIY salsa and guacamole kits from Trader Joe’s…. it seems so much easier when they just put it together for you.
I am planning to make a tweed wrap skirt from Sew What Skirts, soon, so that I’ll be able to wear it in the fall weather (I took my unusually narrow boots to the cobbler in our neighborhood – how many people can walk to their friendly neighborhood cobbler?? – to get them, um, enlarged 
with a bigger gusset for my calves – they never really fit well even when I was thinner). My unfinished crafty objects are mostly put away. Next on the list, though – the rag rug, and my embroidered blog header.
What else am I loving and looking forward to? Browsing natural, simple gemstone jewelry on etsy… I’m also browsing the gemstone beads themselves, designing necklaces and earrings in my mind. I’ve been online shopping for sweaters, purses, and a few other things – not actually buying them but deciding exactly what I want for when my ridiculously late tax refund finally comes. I’ve been lusting over shoes that I would probably never even get a chance to wear (those new geeky oxford high heels, among others); I’ve also been wanting to buy a Flea ukelele (Dan Zanes model, perhaps). I did order a kid’s yoga dvd and an accupressure release thingie for myself, so I’m waiting for that to come. I have been drinking yerba mates, trying to stick to a diet, watching Mad Men like everyone else (it gets so much better after the first couple of episodes) and generally trying to manage my time. Oh grad school. I love you, but you are kind of hard.