Catnaps and Studio Plans

This is what Friday afternoon looks like around these parts. Those two are the best of friends. Hope everyone is gearing up for a nice weekend. We've had an entire week of spring-esque weather, and I'm practically giddy from it. This afternoon turned a bit rainy, forcing us back indoors, but at least it's not snow.

We're staying cabin bound this weekend, but we have big plans. Miss Katie Mae is spending the entire weekend with the grandparents, and Mark and I are locking ourselves into the home studio to finish up some recording projects that have been lingering around for awhile. Because our little cabin is, well, little, we don't have a separate room to keep a studio set up permanently. That means every time we want to record, we have to set up mics and such all over the house, and that gets a bit dicy with a two year old running rampant.

So, we've set aside an entire kid free weekend where we can leave everything set up and pretty much plow through as needed. We have two new songs on the board, and a third waiting in the wings if we get really ambitious.

I'm determined to improve my production chops this weekend. Usually I've just let Mark handle all the computer and equipment stuff, and merely pushed buttons or whatnot, but this weekend I'm breaking out a pen and notebook and what I'm sure will be a slew of annoying questions. But, I am determined to learn. It would really speed up production if I had more than a mere working knowledge of the process. Besides, I'm really shooting for a co-producer credit, rather than production assistant. :) Baby steps.

Wish us luck! I'm almost nervous about it, even though essentially, we're just spending a weekend at home, but the stakes are high and the red light's coming on.

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite links from this week:

This poster pretty much sums up my life philosophy.

I can't wait to make this cake for St. Patrick's day next week.

When I look through my bank statement and realize that the grocery store somehow ends up with most of my money, this great article from Martha Stewart hits home: 12 Ways to Prevent Food Waste

Lilith Fair lineup looks AWESOME! Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Heart, Sheryl Crow! And so many others! Mark and I are just trying to figure out which concert to go to: probably Raleigh, Charlotte, or Nashville.

And don't forget we spring forward this week folks. Here's to long days again!

Ephemeratopia

I spent more time at this site than I probably should have this morning, browsing through this amazing collection of ephemera: antique trading cards, old advertisements, postcards, etc. I've always been fascinated by these sorts of treasures, and it's nice to see so many quirky, unusual ones all in one place. Lovely blog. A few of my favorites:

Chocolate Bread Pudding or Crazy Good Leftovers!

Ever since I started making my own bread regularly, I'm always trying to find ways to use up the leftover odds and ends. Throwing away half a loaf of store brought bread is wasteful, but throwing away the tiniest piece of homemade bread that you so lovingly kneaded and tended through pretty much the whole Little Red Hen process, well, that's just heartbreaking. So, I keep my nose to the ground for recipes like this. I first spotted this chocolate bread pudding over here, and it is indeed swoon worthy. Last night, we ate it fresh from the oven, drizzled with the butterscotch sauce (which is super easy and a keeper recipe on its own!), warm and gooey and rustic, and just perfect. Since I'm not known for my will power around anything chocolate, this morning I sprinkled powdered sugar over it and called it breakfast, and even cold, it will still make you turn cartwheels!

A few things: (1) Like Amy suggested, I doubled the chocolate and added 1 tsp. cinnamon. No espresso powder for me though, I'm not big on coffee flavored desserts (which is strange since I'm such a coffee hound!) (2) The original recipe calls for cinnamon raisin bread, but since I was using up old bread, I used a combination of a few days' old Who Bread and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Jill Andrews: These Words

Mark and I went to see Jill Andrews a few weeks ago, at the Gray Eagle, and I was completely blown away. Her voice is mesmerizing. Smooth and ethereal, but still twangy and powerful. You can hear East Tennessee in every syllable, and in my book that's a good thing. This video is not from that show, but it features one of her songs that has been nominated for the International Songwriting Competition. I confess, I don't normally participate in these kind of things, but I was so floored by this song, that I hopped myself right over here and cast my vote. Whether or not you vote, please take a moment and listen to this song. Jill also showcases one cover song a month on her website, plus has a new EP out, so if you like what you hear, there's more.

Glimpses of Spring

I realize that March is a fickle month. Some might call her an all out flirt. A tease. Well, despite all that, and despite the fact that the forecast calls for a return to rain and cold weather later in the week, I'm reveling in these glimpses of spring. Days like these are a call to action. It's time to:

Skip down the driveway.

Gaze at Carolina blue skies.

Laugh at the antics of silly dogs who are just as enraptured with a bright sunny day as we are.

Dig in the mud, and come home with dirt caked under your fingernails.

Hitch a ride back up the hill after a jaunt to the mailbox. In fact, today marked the very first ride in the back of a pick-up truck of 2010. All in all, the makings of a lovely, spring day. So, to quote my hat, life is good!

Last Days of Winter

More snow this week. I suppose you could say that March came in like a lion, which leaves me hopeful for the whole easing out like a lamb at the end of the month. We'll see. In any event, snow in March is not so bad. In fact, it's much easier to enjoy it because there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel, which is not the case in January or February when winter seems dark and endless. Plus, this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous, in the 50s and 60s.

Today is Kate's Kindermusik class, and after that she is having a little friend, Molly, spend the day with her. I'm looking forward to it, because Molly is a real sweetheart. Her mom and I went to both high school and college together, and I used to work with Molly's dad. I'm a wee bit nervous though, because, well, two toddlers!

This weekend, we're headed down to stay with some friends in Lenoir, NC. Patrick and Kay put on the yearly Caldwell County Traditional Music Showcase (a consistently amazing show!), and after the show they always host a big soiree at their lovely home. It's one of those pickin' parties that last until the wee hours of the morning, if you can make it that long (which I rarely do).

I'll leave you with a few things catching my fancy lately:

• Kate and I made these granola bars yesterday and oh my! They're rather homely there on the plate, but they taste delicious! I've made my own homemade granola for ages now, but until yesterday had never tried to make actual bars. Well, they were quite a success, albeit more squares than bars. Still, yummy and portable. For the three cups of fruit/nut mixture, I used: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup of coconut.

• I read this book, Girls Like Us, a few weeks ago, and never got around to posting about it, but it was exceptional. It's a bit hefty, but reads quickly, much like a novel, and the lives of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon certainly provide a wealth of fascinating material. Besides being a simple biography of these three women, the book is really a sort of social history of feminism and what it meant to be a woman during the tumultuous years of the 60s and 70s. I found Joni Mitchell the most intriguing, although not always the most likeable, and watched this documentary after reading the book. It's available on Netflix instant play, if you're interested.

• We've been led (okay, pushed might be more like it, by a very strong willed two year old) into the realm of kid's music lately, and to save our sanity, have been seeking out adult friendly kid's music. I'm sorry, but I do not allow obnoxious purple dinosaurs into my home. We just wanted music all of us could enjoy. Elizabeth Mitchell is one of the first such artist's I discovered, and both Kate and I love her! The whole sound is mellow, folky, and acoustic, but very kid (and adult!) friendly. I've spent a lot of time perusing her website, and that of her adult indie band, Ida. I LOVE her independent record label's manifesto. A great NPR interview can be heard here.

Homeschool Preview

Studying the greats with Daddy.