http://thecurtiscasa.blogspot.com/

recipe here & icing here

Well, we can only go up from here, my friends. I crumbled the first layer and the icing was too runny, but it’s only January in my 2011 quest to bake one cake per month.

Update January, 31, 2011 – a few minutes after this post: This cake may not be the prettiest, but it is delicious!

This is Birch’s favorite chair at my parents’ house in NC. It just happens to flawlessly match the rusty color of his fur.

The dogs! All seven dogs had a great time romping around outside. I’m pretty sure Birch was in heaven.

The chickens! I love the Chicken Coup. Byron built these lovelies a home the size of a child’s playhouse; which is not small. They each have a little nest area to lay their eggs, indoor-outdoor area, feeding area – basically a pretty posh lifestyle.

We gathered about nine eggs from these lovely ladies, and promptly went inside to whip up a spinach tomato frittata, along with a huge day-after-Christmas brunch. It was such a surreal feeling to walk out into the backyard to gather your breakfast.

The lamas! These furry creatures will always remind me of the fictional Push-Me-Pull-You from the original Dr. Dolittle, obviously the best one.

Image Credit: Movie still from Dr. Dolittle, 20th Century Fox, 1967.

This lama was particularly interested in my parents’ corgi, Nugget. We all kind of watched in slow motion as the lama leaned down to get closer. Lamas can apparently get aggressive sometimes, so we weren’t sure what to expect. Even Birch is like “Uh, Mom, is Uncle Nugget okay?!” They were fine, just sniffing each other.

Thanks for the great day on the farm!

first, i accidentally made a pillowcase. it was just supposed to be a liner, so i didn’t measure it or anything but i ended up liking it, plain as it was. so i put some colorful buttons and tried to remember how to sew a buttonhole and voilà – a cute little pillow!

next, a placemat i had been thinking about for a while. i got the inspiration here from Darby’s Dish Mat tutorial. i sized it down a bit because mine is just for Birch’s food bowl area, so i cut the size almost in half and then followed her directions. it’s great! it has an old bath towel underneath to wipe up spills and provide thickness.

ta-da!

Do you like it, Birch?

"....huh?"

Etsy Shop: Ron Krajewski

Etsy Shop: ACEO

P.S. – Maybe it’s because he’s a vizsla or maybe it’s because he’s an inside dog, but I think Birch smells so good. Allen often finds me with my nose squished up to his paws or cheeks or neck… just sniffing away. I promise, it is not like a normal dog smell – it’s lovely.