Tis the season...for some crafting!

Alexis and I busted out our craftiness in preparation for the upcoming Halloween Carnival Block Party on the 23rd of October.



We strung up some cute construction paper pumpkins, and we made a spooky wreath out of a hanger and a trash bag. Brilliant, in my humble opinion!

Our block is starting to look like a fun house :) I still can't get over how festive South Philadelphians are...no matter what the holiday.

BOO,
Jess

My new boss

Meet Roxie. Every day, we spend a few hours together walking around Center City. This is the perfect job because I get to explore my still-new city, and Roxie gets to tour with me. We are really getting to know each other, and I'm feeling lucky to have her. I never realized how many chicken bones are all over Philadelphia until I started walking with Roxie. She can find a chicken bone ANYWHERE!

Malcolm isn't even jealous. He's too grown up for jealousy. This past week (Sept. 15th) Malc turned 4 years old!!

I made the party hat, and Malc wore it for a total of two seconds. Oh well.

Happy Birthday Malcadorius Glorious McMore-ious!
--Jess

Babydelphia

As you already know, John and I moved to Philadelphia about two months ago. Lo and behold, I'm SEVEN WEEKS PREGNANT!! There is something in the water here. I'm not the only pregnant lady in this urban setting. Oh no! I'm one of about a million of us, all waddling around to catch the subway.

Being pregnant thus far has been a lot of fun. And a little scary, but I'm working on not letting any thing freak me out. I want to enjoy this new adventure in my (our) journey. However, I do have a teeny tiny tendency to over-dramatize things, so let's see if I can chill out and let my body do it's thing.

So far, pregnancy symptoms I've proudly experienced include:
-peeing all the freakin' time
-Fatigue (with a capital F) seriously, this one has knocked me over!!
-a couple headaches
-cramping
-HUNGER (I'm the big hungry bear) from morning to night
-Fatigue (did I mention this already?)
-metal mouth: this is REAL...a metallic taste in your mouth...so weird
-FATIGUE

By the way, I'm not complaining. I'll take fatigue and metal mouth ANY DAY over nausea and vomiting!

YAY for BABIES...what a turn our lives have taken! Can't wait to meet this person who will steal our hearts :)
--Jess

Malcolm gives it TWO PAWS!

There is something deeply satisfying about creating your own effective cleaning products. I have been using this book: Make Your Place by Raliegh Briggs, and for the past six months, our home has been transformed from a hazardous, toxic, chemical-friendly zone to a now safe, non-toxic, spic and span nest. I have slowly swapped out our chemical cleaning products for homemade remedies that really do the trick, and everyone (including our pup, Malcolm) is reaping the healthy benefits.

I started by opting out vinegar for bleach. I'm currently only using bleach for one tiny corner in our bathtub that is mold-prone. I love the smell of vinegar, as well as the effective cleaning power it displays.

When something was eating my basil in our tiny herb garden, I used simple castille soap mixed with water in a spray bottle. Worked like magic.

But, my proudest cleaning moment thus far is the Dog Shampoo. When I noticed fleas on Malc, I consulted my Briggs book for tips on natural flea repellent. The following concoction is a sure-fire, tried and true shampoo that REALLY works:

2 T Castille Soap
1.5 cups of warm water
about 5 drops of lavendar essential oil
about 5 drops of geranium essential oil

mix well, pour over pet's damp fur, and massage into a surprisingly rich lather.
rinse thoroughly, and say buh-bye to those pesky fleas. Plus, your furry friend will smell like herb salad! Delish :)

Hurray for healthy homes!
--Jess

"Think about your life, Pippin"

I Netflixed the 1977 movie Pippin this week because John had never seen it. Every time I see this movie, two things happen: a) I notice something new about the production design b) I cry.

Originally a Broadway musical directed by Bob Fosse, Pippin stars William Katt, Chita Rivera, and Ben Vereen. I can't imagine the original cast being better than this revival cast, and I can't imagine any other director taking this play by storm the way Fosse did. Pippin is disguised as this fluffy, fantastical, whimsical fairy tale about a boy who seeks an extraordinary life. But, hidden behind the costumes and choreography and fabulous seventies music is this incredibly deep morality tale that always leaves me speechless.

When Pippin finally recongnizes that the only time he was ever truly happy was when he was with Catherine, living under her roof and loving her son, and he sings "I'm not a river, or a giant bird that flies to the sea. But, if I'm never tied to anything, then I'll never be free" I get goosebumps.

This movie inspired me today to remember that the simplicity in life is golden, and even the most mundane, ordinary tasks can be beautiful if you have someone to share them with. Also (to add more cheese to an already cheesy post), love is all you need.

Cheers to Broadway's finer moments,
Jess

Washington...a lovely place to camp

We just got back from our Seattle adventure, and I'm really missing the Washington weather. Apparently, the temps can get pretty hot there, but we only experienced pleasant 65-85 degrees.

Enough about the weather.

We were there with our "family": a group of friends so dear and near to our hearts, they'll be our friends for forty years. Once a year, we come together to do something outrageous and fun. This year, we camped at The Gorge concert venue to hear Phish (John's favorite band of all time, and one of my new favorites) play for about 50,000 dancing fans.

John and I gave each other the trip for our one year wedding anniversary, with the disclosure that each year we will see a new show to celebrate our marriage. We also brought along our brand new tent that we got as a wedding present. This was our first time to use it, and we've fallen in love with the sweet little shelter.

Enjoy some Washington pics!



And here are a couple pics of some knitting I finished for the babies in my life:
One is an backpack for Ro (complete with elephant button from Loop)



and one is a newborn sweater with matching pants (not pictured because I finished them on the plane on the way to WA) for Baby Boy Barnes. He's due in November. Yay Scorpio!

BEAT THE HEAT,
Jess

BIG NEWS!!!

I finished my first knitting project that uses no one else's pattern.  This pattern is mine!!  It's a shrug made with recycled yarn.  The pattern is as follows:

Cast on 35 stiches with size 15 US 10 needles.

In Garter stitch, knit 10 rows (1 row=two knit).

Cast off, and repeat two more times.  

You will have three blocks all he same size.  

Using a darning needle, sew two blocks into sleeves.  Attach to the third block.  Easy.

I'd like to thank the Academy, Cash & Jennifer, and Alexis (for her hot photography skills...with the spot light).

More Shrugs!

--Jess