HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One last project to finish out the 2008 craft cycle. For Christmas, I received the awesome knitting book Pretty In Punk. I didn't do much knitting in '08, but now I'm totally inspired!

The hat came together in an instant. It's the "Lucky 13" pattern and marked the first time that I felted a project. I love it! Now if we could just have some wintry weather, I might get a chance to wear it.

From Sewing Project 2008

From Sewing Project 2008

I love the Union Jack mohawk hat ... but what do you think about using the Norwegian flag instead? That's what I'M talkin' 'bout!!

Have a wonderful 2009!!!

X-mas Gifts 2008!

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for - the annual holiday craft recap! The anticipation was positively killing you, wasn't it?

Took it much easier this year than last and only made stuff for the niece and nephew. Perhaps I would have been a bit more ambitious, but Rock Band 2 has me on a short leash. I can't decide if that's pathetic or TOTALLY AWESOME. At any rate, here be-eth the gifts:

Graham is 5 and totally into dinosaurs and art. Needless to say, I plan to encourage him in these pursuits. He received a dino art smock to take to Kindergarten on painting days. Found the pattern here.

From Xmas 2008

Keaton is 2-and-a-half and has discovered her inner princess. She received a Cinderella apron and a purple & pink striped scarf. Super soft!

From Xmas 2008

Yeah ... they're kinda too adorable for their own good. :)
Merry Christmas, Zemke family!!!

... And Then Some

What good is being in a band if you can't make yourself some crazy clothes? While shopping at Jo-Ann today, I came across their "Dark Visions" fabric collection, which seemed absolutely tailor-made for Roxcetera. Here's the palate I chose:



Yeah, it's basically your standard purple sparkle stretch knit, green leopard print chiffon, black crushed stretch velvet and something they called "Caviar Silver Crushed Foil."

(*PUMPED!*)

Oh, Jo-Ann Fabric - is there anything you can't do? Well, besides having enough staff (I've stopped hoping that they might also be knowledgeable), being organized, having prices clearly marked, being well-stocked, and offering the absolute bare minimum of customer service ... beyond that, you're AMAZING!

It's On

My brand spankin' new Brother 1034D serger arrived yesterday. Check this bad boy out!





Remember how, like, over a month ago I was talking about all those knit clothes I was going to make? Well, buckle up. While I'm at it, I just might *finish* all those hems that look like sh!t on some of my old sewing projects. ROCK!

She's Done It Again!

That Wendy Mullin! I just finished reading Sew U: Home Stretch and am completely ready to transform my t-shirt drawer. Too bad I hadn't read this book before dropping a good amount of money on vintage patterns. I'm all for the styles of the '60s and '70s, but they're not things I wear every day. T-shirts, sister. That's what I wear every day.

Just like the first Sew U book, this one contains 3 patterns and several ideas for customizing each. I've got so many t-shirts that are too small or too tattered, but are also too sentimental to part with. Now I'm armed with ideas and raw materials. Scissors, here I come!

Even More ROXCETERA!

This Thursday! September 18th! ROXCETERA, PISTIL and TIN STAR!
CCB Plaza (Downtown) -- 5:30-7:30pm

We were rained-out last time, but it looks like tomorrow's skies will be clear and sunny. We're really excited to be performing with Pistil and Tin Star. Why don't you come on out and enjoy a perfectly beautiful afternoon outdoors ... and get your keister rocked off while you're at it! You know you want to.

Fall Garden

Yesterday, we embarked on another garden "first" - the fall/winter garden. It's still hard to wrap my Minnesota brain around the fact that green things can grow during the winter, but I'm prepared to give it a shot.

I pulled most of our now-raggedy tomatoes (many of them volunteers from last year) to make room for the fall/winter crop. Our SunGold has seen better days, but that thing refuses to die so I couldn't rip it out. As per usual, I went a little overboard at our friendly, local garden store.

Romaine & red leaf lettuce, spinach, collards & carrots - oh my!

We'd still like to plant some garlic & onions, but will have to wait until the rest of the summer crop fades. I'm double-pumped! Now if I can just make them grow ...

Sex, Drugs, ROXCETERA!

This Saturday - September 6 - Roxcetera will join the cast of "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" for a special performance at Common Ground Theatre in Durham. The play features several monologues and Roxcetera will perform live throughout the show. It's gonna rock, y'all - and the Indy thinks so, too. Check out the feature in "8 Days A Week!"

Visit the Common Ground website for more details and ticket information. Several other local bands will be featured on subsequent nights, so even if you can't make Roxcetera's show (and you'll be kicking yourselves, fo' sho'), try to support one of the other great local acts!

Join us on Saturday for THE ROCK!

Adios, Perros

Just saying so might invite a deathly September to my door, but I think the dog days of the NC summer are behind us. Temps have been cooling down into the 60s at night, and highs in the 90s are rarer and rarer. All this translates into a happy Mara - a Mara who suddenly becomes motivated to get back in the garden and get rid of those weeds that flourished in July.

The cucumbers were great while they lasted, and we'll definitely make their trellis a permanent fixture. They succumbed to the high heat - which spells yellowy ultra-bitter cukes - and I ripped them out. Since we have ample growing season yet, I started some new seeds. Good thing, too, because we're on our last jar of this summer's pickles. The best yet!

New cukes, and a second chance at yellow squash

The tomatoes have been a capital-D Disappointment this year. Last year I made tons of sauce, and they kept really well indoors. This year, we're lucky to get one or two ripe ones that haven't split on the vine (I'm lookin' at you, Cherokee Purples!). Then, once we bring them in, they seem to rot overnight. Luckily, the Sun Gold and the volunteer Juliets have ensured our summer isn't salsa-free.

We also planted a second crop of yellow squash and zucchini. Crossing my fingers!

Carmen Peppers! Carmen Peppers! I'll say it again - Carmen Peppers!
Try these bad boys out next summer.

Updates from Flower Land

The moral is: Don't be afraid of and/or Don't forget to fertilize.

Figaro Mix Dahlias
I'm proud of how these rebounded considering deer ate them into oblivion earlier this summer.

I replaced all but the moss roses in this bed with some $0.50 annuals (vinca and dianthus) from Durham Garden Center. And I started fertilizing it. Duh, MT! It's much happier now.

Dianthus have replaced the abysmal blue petunias that I got for this bed. The original vinca and moss roses are now healthy, green and blooming - as opposed to stressed out and yellow.

I love moss roses. Do I ever.

2 Pink Wave replacements - again, $0.50 each - have added lots of life to a formerly dying pot. What the hell was up with those blue petunias I bought? Spindly and didn't respond at all to being pinched back. I'm sure my lack of fertilizing didn't help.

A Friend Visits The Rosemary

Hello, Mr/Ms Praying Mantis!
Is summer over yet?

One Of These Days

Oh, the skeletons in the closet. The dust bunnies under the bed. Those projects you expected to finish - and by all accounts easily *could* have finished - 4 months ago. These shirts have been hanging in my kitchen/sewing area since May. I was all whipped up in a froth to finish them in one weekend. And then came the last step - sewing on 2 buttons. Have I done it yet? Haaail no.

"Place Button Here." I was actually pleased with how the epaulets turned out, after a less-than successful attempt with my "Janie" shirt.

Part of my less-than-fervent desire to finish these has to stem from the fact that I'm unhappy with their fit. They are based off this pattern (on the right), which I bought way back when - before I learned how to read a pattern.



Once again, sized way too big for the likes of me and I'm not yet adept enough to easily customize the fit. Plus, as much as I like these two colors together, the two fabrics don't mesh very well. the pink is really soft (a light cotton blend), and the turquoise is a stiffer linen-y fabric. So, on the pink shirt especially, the stiff bust-area piece just accentuates the fact that there's nothing happening upstairs. Whaddya gonna do /shrug/ .

I still like these pieces conceptually, and if I ever opened a diner you'd better believe the wait staff would all be wearing these shirts.

Zebrawood Shelf!

Later this month, Rob and I will celebrate the 2-year anniversary of becoming homeowners. If you think that means that we've completed all those tasks we planned to do before we moved in, you're wrong. If you think that means that we still don't have unpacked boxes, you're wrong again. As is the case, or so we've found, one project typically begets another, and our To Do lists tend only to grow.

When we moved in, we joined the ranks of *those* people who own one of *those* TVs. We initially didn't plan to put anything on the wall behind it, lest we detract from the HD awesomeosity. Over time, we decided that we were ready for something to complement the TV and not take away/distract from it.

Originally, we planned to make a simple canvas out of printed fabric. We liked the pattern in the store, but nixed it when we got home (and it became a curtain - see below). Then we got the idea to make a floating shelf for plants. And just like that, another project was born.

Closeups of the Zebrawood. Handcrafted by Rob!

Finished! We can cross something off the list!

Crazy Sewing Fool

The hot weather has given me a good opportunity to organize my sewing space and my fabric. I came across this pattern that we had intended to stretch across a frame as a piece of wall art. I ended up not being wild about that idea, but instead decided to make a curtain out of it. It's in our computer room, which is just a big hodge podge of books and National Geographic posters (i.e. absolutely no design aesthetic/defined style). I love it!



In my organizing frenzy, I came across some old pairs of Rob's work jeans that badly needed patching. I have to say that I'm rather proud with the end result. The first project that got me back into sewing last year was attempting to patch these by hand. Conceptually, this job came so much easier to me now. It just made more sense - and that made me feel good.

I'll keep the soapbox-ing short, but I really encourage you all to take a moment to consider the stuff you throw away that could easily be repaired or transformed into something else. Patching pants is NOT rocket science. I'm not saying you need to make haute couture out of it, but maybe a few simple touches will give it another year of life and save you from buying something you don't need. Or send it to me! Free Time is my middle name these days!

Congratulations!

In the "Better Late Than Never" category, I finally got around to sewing some onesies for friends who recently had babies. Hopefully the little ones haven't gotten too big yet! I recently found out that a few new friends are expecting, too, so I'll definitely have more in the works.



Sewing the onesies was fun, but if you're looking at it from a cost perspective, it's probably better to get one at the mega-store. However, there's something to be said for a custom-made outfit, even for a 6-month old! As another option, you can always take hand-me-downs and sew a cool swatch of fabric or a pirate applique over the glittery "Princess" on the front.

Good Eats

Even though it's hard for me to be outside this time of the year, I can find ample solace in the delicious food that the garden provides. Our Carmen peppers have been amazing this year. We've even allowed them to go red on the vine, which added additional sweetness. This one starred in a Wheat Berry & Red Lentil salad that I made recently.



Behind the fresh veg is the ice cream maker. I hadn't used this bad boy since college. A recent trip to Rob's grandma's house yielded a gigantic bowl of fresh blueberries (that we picked!). I've frozen a bunch of them for future use and made the rest into blueberry puree. So far we've made two batches of blueberry ice cream, and I'd still like to try the blueberry brulee recipe in Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." Delicious!

Summer Dresses

Here are the matching mother-daughter dresses I made for my sister-in-law Ayme and niece Keaton! Hopefully they had a great time on their Mississippi River trip!

What to Get For The Zombie-Loving Gardener Who Has Everything

I have the greatest friends. Truly, truly, truly. Today is my birthday and I received a very unexpected gift from the incomparable Alysha & Cory. My very own, personal Garden Zombie. It's basically the zombie lover's answer to garden gnomes and gazing balls.





I've named him "Bill." Bill's purpose in the undead life is to counterbalance the scary people down the block who have a giant cross in their front yard. As long as I've got Bill watching over my marigolds and lilies, I have no doubt they'll flourish. He's f-ing *loaded* with organic matter, after all.

Next time you're in the neighborhood, c'mon over and say Hi to Bill!

The Garden In July

We just returned from a week-long trip to Minnesota where the weather was absolutely beautiful. Highs barely in the 80s, cool evenings - a dream! Now we've returned to the amazing humidity of North Carolina in July. Thankfully, we're in the midst of a rainy spell. At least the plants can enjoy it - and maybe they get a laugh out of my afro-like hair.



The lilies have begun to bloom! They make a lovely addition in July - thank you, previous house owners, for planting them!


Thank you for the cannas, too!


The "sink" flower garden - it's a jungle in there! We need to do something about the lamb's ears before they devour everything in their path.


Our hen has its first chick!


Marigolds are totally rockin'.


Butterfly bush in bloom.


The zinnias are unstoppable. To think I almost didn't buy them, and now they're easily my favorite flower (and most prolific AND longest lasting) of the summer.


The dahlias are making a triumphant comeback after being eaten by deer early in the season.


We had some unwelcome visitors while we were away - deer tracks right in the flower bed! Not uncommon, unfortunately. We might have to put some fencing back up as they're eating the tomatoes (something they didn't do last year) as well as the beans.


Carmen peppers (sweet peppers). Trying to let them go red on the vine.


Yep - I think the cucumber trellis was a good idea.


Cherokee purple heirloom tomato


Bring on the juliet tomatoes!! We just got a dehydrator, so my sundried tomato dream will now become a reality.


Our backyard is home to some amazing mushrooms. Check this guy out!

The Backwaits In Action!

Here are some shots from our recent performances at CCB Plaza and Mark & Sandi's wedding reception. Coming soon to the YouTubes! Cheers!!

CCB Plaza - with The Midnight Gladness band and The Dry Heathens!!
Thanks to Reese & Justin for the pics - you guys rock!









Mark & Sandi's Wedding
(I promise - we'll play "Cruel Summer" next time!)