Wednesday, March 17, 2010

top o the mornin'


If the temps keep up the current way we'll all be walking in clover soon. I've been around here long enough to remember snow in April though so I remain cautious. Hope you're finding a good way to enjoy St. Paddy's day. We're being typically non-traditional around the McDonald House. Yesterday I went to the grocery store where they were being typically annoying by charging sirloin prices for corned beef. The least expensive piece I found was over $17. I'm not cheap but I'm not an idiot either...I'll wait till tomorrow when the corned beef is on sale for half price. It's still too much but you have to have some corned beef now and again if you hope to remain a registered Irish soul. It's funny about those prices. Years ago I used to get lamb shanks and skirt steak for next to nothing. No one knew about them and few people wanted them since they didn't know how to cook them properly. They were really cheap. They've now been discovered and you can't get them for a reasonable price to save your life. Not sure how people with larger families do it. Braised lamb shanks are so good it's ridiculous. Two smallish lamb shanks yesterday were around the $9. mark.
Crazy!

On a "Support your local talent" note, I ordered a diaper bag from my favorite bag maker Suzan. She has a company called "Hazelnut Hill" and I had a bag made for my DIL-to-be for Christmas that was just beautiful. On her blog she is showing the diaper bag she made for her darling new Grandchild. I thought that would be a great idea for the up-coming baby shower. So I ordered one and she can get it to me by the date I need it for. She really makes beautiful bags. They are so well-made and she always uses fabulous designer fabrics.

I'm still working on the several projects that I showed in the last post. Managed to put a bunch of circles into the Kaffe Crop Circles wall hanging. I think it looks really good but I did manage to forget how ungainly it is to sew all those circles. Round and round I go.

James and Dani are full speed ahead on the wedding plans. Dani begins her training period for her new job at the end of the month so I think she would like to get a few things settled before long. It's not a big fancy production but it will be a nice wedding with dresses to get and cake to order and center pieces to pick and so on.... The time really flies by. It's nearly April-the wedding is the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Yikes. What's worse is that I have to find a dress. What I'd rather have is maybe silk pants and top. We'll see what I can find.

Well, I hope your day is green and lovely. Don't forget Suzan if you need something one-of-a-kind and beautifully made. I'm not getting paid to promote-her work is just lovely and she's a really sweet & funny woman.

Talk to you soon.