Arts, Crafts, and Fun Things to Do and Make with your children
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Interesting photos showing up in Leah Buechley’s photostream of reconfigurable circuit components attached with magnets to magnetic and conductive paint! Using a LilyPad Arduino variant, no doubt: paper computing.
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Interesting Instructables and comments for the vertical-axis wind turbines that one Faroun is developing. Here’s his latest progress, based on 4″ PVC pipe for the blades:
Check out 4 more turbine designs by the same user here. Things get a bit wobbly at the end, but much healthy progress with an admirably low cost setup!
Remain Calm has a nice little roundup of homebrew music applications for use with Nintendo DS – ds music apps [via Matrixsynth]
The false alarm I am referring to is my 6:45am call of serious abdominal cramps and terrible back pains. As an inexperienced pregnant woman I thought, is this it? Is my labor starting? Then I remembered my midwife saying if you take a hot bath/shower and the pain goes away- it isn’t true labor. So I took a hot shower and then went back to bed. When I woke an hour or so later I felt a little better. Whew! No Baby Yet! As I looked around the apartment and the baby’s crib ( full of clean linens,clean baby clothes & other items) I thought- dear Lord- don’t come just yet.. we still have SO much to do!
With that cue, Zach hooked up the car seat and we took some of the other things out of the closet. I even started decorating for Christmas! Yes, this will be by far the earliest I’ve ever started, but I wanted to have most things ready so whenever Hazel arrives, I won’t have too much to do by way of the holidays.We traded (most) of our Harry Potter busts for our collection of (mostly) holiday-oriented snow globes. I hung a wreath and scattered a few semi-neutral winter pieces around.
The new friend I mentioned is this guy:::
(or girl) Zach found in the bushes by our recycling bin. Much smaller than any other kittens we’ve seen around our apt. complex. Z had been feeding and checking on it all day- he said he couldn’t tell how old it was. When we walked back over to it, he was asleep on the paper plate we had fed him on earlier. The plate we used was a cake plate, so can get a visual of how tiny. As soon as it saw me, it ran directly into my arms! It was pretty amazing considering it was hissing and scared of Zach at first.So I carried it back to our apartment and directly to the bathroom. He mewed, we fed him some soft kitty food and Cat’s Milk ( I don’t even want to know). We called a bunch of places trying to find a home for him, but it was 5 on a weekend night- so we didn’t have much luck. After writing emails to friends and family- including this photo in all of them- we got a few replies for possible homes. Then out of nowhere- my parents decided to adopt him. They’ve always had kitties and now have Bean- the one-eye-wonder cat and thought maybe it was time to get another. My mom had such a positive attitude about it- she was grateful they have a roof over their heads and that they could take this little guy in. At one point we we’re scared we would have to raise a 3rd kitty with a baby on the way… he/she is adorable- but kittens are a lot of work so you can see why we we’re so grateful to find him a home. Now we’ll still be able to watch the baby grow and play with him!
Friday I started making these::::
They’re little girl ornaments.You can hang them on a door knob, a tree branch or anywhere you want something sweet. I’ve filled them with a mix of organic lavender or rosebuds and polyfil. Just in time for the holidays!
The Halloween party I planned for- we passed on. My tummy just wasn’t into leaving the house. Here is what I would have worn- minus the yellow stripes
This is where I’ve started sitting and taking cat naps, reading my favorite stories to Hazel and dreaming of when she’ll arrive. The pillow and crocheted rug (!) are both from my dear friend Suzanne, who just moved. I love this little nook. Once Hazel arrives it will be my nursing corner as well.
Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite books to read to Hazel:::
A Child’s Calendar, by John Updike- illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman
::::::::::::::::::
November
The stripped and shapely
Maple grieves
The loss of her
Departed leaves.
The ground is hard,
As hard as stone.
The year is old,
The birds have flown.
And yet the world,
Nevertheless,
Displays a certain loveliness-
The beauty of
The bone. Tall God
Must see our souls
This way, and nod.
Give thanks: we do,
Each in his place
Around the table
During grace.
:::::::::::::::::::::
It goes through every month. If I am running short on time I read her my favorite months or just the two I think she’ll be born in ( Nov & Dec).
Hope you enjoy it~
Happy Monday
M
Friday~
Yesterday I did actually make applesauce and it came out delicious! I can’t wait till our apple-picking adventure at the end of September. We’re taking my mom picking for her birthday!
Last night after Zach went to bed, I did some tidying and sewing. I’ve been wanting to make a simple bunting of sorts for my little studio nook shelf and here is how it came out:
Hello Kitty in a Squirrel Suit!
Saturday~
This morning we woke and had a yummy breakfast of egg whites, toast and potatoes. Bland enough to soothe my tummy, but delicious enough to make my pallet smile. We ran errands to the post, the market (where we picked up a My Little Pony Halloween addition- for baby,of course)and even hit a yard sale. With the dollars in my wallet I managed to spend two and the other went into one of the various-crazy Japanese piggie banks we’re saving for baby.
Quirky, vintage banks- all thrifted- all from Japan. The .00 was spent on some fabric( over a yard of flannel, white with teddy bears wearing pink overalls & pink engineer hats) the other dollar was spent on an adorable jumper, that reminded me of mini version of
this lovely lady, Secret Lentil.
We also hit the library, who was having a SALE. After renting becoming Jane and King of California ( two movies I’ve wanted to see, but knew Z did not) I headed down to the basement. I found Z with an arm-load of children’s books. Together we found vintage classics, old favorites and a few new adventures.
we found this kitty curled up in a box of books, he was only 10 cents! So we bought him too!
In the mail today, I received 2 copies of Rockland Magazine(a local publication)- where I was one of the women featured in the September issue ” Women & the Web”- I’m very excited and will scan in a copy ASAP. It will also be available to read here very soon.
Now with the house quiet(the cats are sleeping and Z is away for the night at his Manly Movie Night(he and his friends get together- make dinner and watch movies that are manly-yet easily laughable & make-funable (new word?) Think Mystery Science Theater)), I’ve just pulled
these brownies from the oven and I’m going to work on a few projects, the baby quilt, a small tree scene on an embroidery hoop and spiffing up a new bulletin board for the kitchen. Of course I’ll make time for some brownie noshing, tea drinking and magazine/catalogue browsing.
Sunday & Monday~
Sunday was spent working on a piece of embroidery for the baby’s wall and one for a tote I made my niece for her birthday. We watched a lot of movies,I went through some old boxes of childhood toys( think My Little Ponies with no tails and ratty manes) and we found some winter boxes full of scarves & hats & gloves- nestled away a few years ago and forgotten about.I love when that happens b/c it feels like we’ve just gone shopping in a store that knows exactly what you love!
Today we ran to Ikea, alas our crib was out of stock- in fact all cribs were out. So we’ll make a trek next Friday. We still managed to find some goodies. We hit the market on the way back for a stock up on bagels,juice & other Trader Joe favorites. Tonight I’ll take apart our current coffee table ( the edges are kind of dangerous) and although I love the spaciousness- we have an inherited wooden one from Z’s family which is lovely.
I want to make some carrot puree, banana/pumpkin bread and so many things now- tomorrow-this week. I’m excited.
We had a very full vacation weekend. As I look over at Z asleep on the couch with Hermione, I’d say they feel the same.
xo
M
This week:
Kirigami by Kanako Yaguchi, The Web Server is Running, Controlling a Model Train with Acceleromoters, an iPod Touch and Gainer, Denkuri Master – Completed, Controlling the Gakken SX-150 with MIDI via USB, Making a Bug Trapped in Amber (Candy), High-Temp Superconductor Coaster, Rabbit-kun garbage bag + friends.
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(My pedicab, pre-foam-addition.)
Thanks to everybody who commented on my first post in this series: I’ve got great feedback, including a hilarious put-down from another local pedicabber (“Luke, Death Cab for Cutie called. They want a photo for the next album cover.”)
And, appropriately, there’s been a call for data. So here’s what I’ve got:
To address some safety issues raised, it’s useful to look at the style of pedicab in use by many other Austin pedicabbers: also no brakes, and attachment to the bike by a single bolt. There are even 20+ home-brews of this style on the Texas capitol’s streets. And, to be fair, I would estimate half of the licensed pedicabs are the far-fancier (and more expensive) 3-wheeled versions (one company making these, and another.) And good luck finding any materials analysis, even to the low level I’ve provided, from any pedicab manufacturer. It may exist, but the city certainly hasn’t sought it until I came up.
So, if I may conclude this post by being overly general:
As always, any comments appreciated. Including put-downs about my pedicab, so long as they’re at least as funny as the Death Cab for Cutie one:)
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In the final keynote of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) Thursday, Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer, shed some light on work around programmable matter, as he teased the audience with what Intel believes would apply as technology in the next four decades.
The idea of programmable matter, he explained, revolves around tiny glass spheres with processing power and photovoltaic for generating electricity to run the tiny circuitry. These particles called catoms would move relative to one another via electrostatic.
The concept of programmable matter can be thought of as “the ultimate form of digital printing”, Rattner told ZDNet Asia Wednesday in an interview. “You literally could make an object of any imaginable shape, or design an object of any imaginable shape, and simply ‘hit the print command’ and the matter would take that shape.
“[The late] Arthur C. Clarke (famed British author and inventor) had this wonderful quote: ‘Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic.’ And that’s what programmable matter is–it’s a technology so advanced it might as well be magic,” he said.
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With the success of our T-shirt SALE, we’ve decided to have a .00 coffee cuff SALE for certain cuffs. If you’ve always wanted a coffee cuff- now is the time to MAKE YOUR MOVE!
Each cuff is unique, handmade and each special. Perfect for a back-to-school gift or as a treat warmer. Just think – as colder weather comes as do all the yummy drinks! Cider, hot cocoa,carmel lattes! Feel great using an eco cuff- good for you and the trees!
Going up for a visit always feels like a mini vacation. We go out to eat, visit shops with abandon and basically do things on a whim. It’s kinda refreshing and fun! Saturday my tummy was acting up, but I encouraged everyone to go about their plans. Zach went with his mom to a local knitting shop, where they were having a -a-bag sale. They came home with the majority of yarn for me! Some wool-blends, acrylics and super-soft yellows and pinks — perfect for baby stuff.
I’m almost finished with the scarf I’m making for the baby. I don’t do complex patterns — who am I kidding, I hardly do any patterns! My brain functions better when I can create, but leave actual room for the creativity!
While everyone was bustling around, I sat in the back yard, listening to music and knitting. I also got bit by something. I thought it was a mosquito, but now my finger has blown up to 2x the size! So I’m trying not to itch, but I can’t wear my wedding bands and I look like lobster girl. Oh, how I won’t miss the bugs of summer — dang things!
This week I have a midwife appointment and a bunch of custom orders to fill. The last week has been pretty busy in HoboLand — Yay!
All at once my packages have arrived. Prenatal yoga, angel milk protein mix, IBS books and I’m waiting on one other vegetarian & pregnancy diet/whole food book.
We picked out fabric in bright yellow with white polka dots, and I’m going to make curtains to go all around the changing table we inherited from my brother’s kids. That way, you won’t be able to see the unmatching baskets that will live there, housing onesies, diapies and other baby goodness.
Z made a good point about green. I wanted to use it for the curtains and as a main color in our bedroom, but we went with yellow. Our living room has a lot of grass green, which we love. So we’ll do yellows and maybe black & white in the bedroom. We still need to get a crib and a million other things, but little by little it’ll all come together.
