oh, I wish I were an ... /  by jen geigley




We were driving around town, running errands over the weekend when we spotted this! Even my vegetarian husband was stoked to get a pic with the Wienermobile. (Bo hasn't eaten meat in well over fifteen years, but if you ask him, he'll tell you that hot dogs were one of the last foods he gave up. Yes, hot dogs.)

every girl needs ... /  by jen geigley


Now that it's almost spring, of course, I'm finally getting around to knitting a bunch of woolens that have been on my to-do list all winter. Go figure, right? These are the latest to come off the needles ... some basic black leg warmers.

I used Joelle Hoverson's Super Easy Leg Warmers pattern from the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Love that book!

And they were. Super easy, that is. But it did seem like the k1p1 rib went on for miles and miles. On tiny 12" circular needles.

But now that they're done, I totally want to make a mini pair for Lo. I love taking her yarn shopping (and she loves to help) so I think I'll let her pick the color. After all, dance class will be coming before we know it. And every girl needs a pair of leg warmers.

Facebook shenanigans /  by jen geigley


New Dare is up! I'm lucky that I have so many brilliantly hysterical friends who light up my Facebook news feed like no other. Because this Dare is dedicated to just that – shit from Facebook. The inside jokes, the awesomeness, and the need for our own terms in the urban dictionary. (This one's for you, KGB, A-Rock, G20, K-Balla and the rest of my girls.)

on the sticks /  by jen geigley


At the very beginning of winter, I lost my most favorite Burton warm winter hat. I was so mad. It was so good. A tiny bit too big so it always covered my ears. And I kept holding out, thinking I'd find it. And never did. So this knitter went hat-less through one of the most record-breaking, snowiest winters Iowa has ever seen.

So, over the weekend, I finally broke down and knitted a new hat.

A replacement hat.

(But it's okay. Because this one is even better than the other hat.)

It was instant gratification knitting. Two episodes of Weeds (season 5) and it was finished. The pattern I used is Really Warm Hat by Melissa LeBarre and I knit it with a skein of Twinkle soft chunky in haze, and ... wow. I love this yarn so much.

Now that it's done, I'm certain that one of two things will happen. 1) spring will finally come and it will be too warm to wear my new hat. 2) I'll find the other stupid hat that I lost in the first place. It might be buried under the snow in our yard. Because it's possible that I just took it off and left it outside that one time we were pulling Lo around in the sled ...

with love. /  by jen geigley


I spent the past few days at home with my family, saying goodbye to my sweet aunt Sue. I sang along with unplugged Manchester songs on Alt Nation and cried as I drove in my car. I held my dad's hand again and exchanged silent nods of understanding with my brother. I got to hug and talk with an uncle I thought I might not ever see again, and I listened to bits of our history from extended family members I had never had the chance to meet.

One thing I forget sometimes about being from a small town is that when something tragic happens, everyone rallies around to give you a big hug. Through cards, flowers, cookies and casseroles. (Up north, we call them hot-dishes.) When I go home, people still call me "Jenny" and people in passing vehicles wave when I drive into town. My best friend since elementary called me to talk before I could call her, and managed to cheer up my whole family after the funeral. Even just watching Vera Bronleewe – who taught piano lessons to almost every single kid in Buffalo Center for generations – play Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art was comforting. Because everything felt like home. And it felt like family.

Sue was a very sweet aunt and an extremely independent, strong woman. She overcame insurmountable odds from her childhood, yet was always happy and smiling. She was real and funny and believed in second chances. She made amazing sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top during the holidays. She volunteered at homeless shelters and helped anyone who needed her. She was a great listener and always had a open ear and an open heart. (We love you and will miss you, Aunt Sue.)

so, I think this officially makes me a hooker. /  by jen geigley


I'm a hooker! (Awww, but not that kind.) Last week, I got to hang with some really cool girls and take a granny square class at Ephemera from Chrissy Jensen. I'm so excited to cross over to the dark side and start crocheting something. So here's my first imperfect but bright granny square, which will hopefully be part of a throw in the near future.

I met Chrissy over the internets + her blog and ran into her at the local craft fairs a couple of years ago. Ever since, I've been dreaming about her amazing granny blankets (pictured above.) She has two Etsy shops – Popsicle Stick (for her crochet amazingness) and So Automatic (fun vintage finds) – that you should totally check out if you have a sec. She also is working on a new project ... an online and bricks and mortar shop called Domestica. (Love the name, love the logo too!)

Switching gears ... because the day after the granny class, I taught session two of my knitting class. I just loved hanging with these ladies, practicing our knits and purls.

Everyone did such an awesome job.

It's so much fun to see what each person in class accomplishes between the two class sessions ... some walk in with piles of finished or near-finished projects.

And there's always lots of laughing, story-telling and joking around by the time we're done. (If you're interested in taking this beginner knitting class at the lovely Ephemera in the East Village, I think there may be a spot or two left in the Feb 25th/March 11th session. If not, there is another session coming up soon after! Email info[at]ephemeradesign.com for details.)

scrappage /  by jen geigley


New Dare is up today: fashion on paper. Tina picked this rad collection of outfits to serve as inspiration for our pages. (Makes me wish for spring to get here already.)

This is a little page about the first sweater I knitted for Lo last fall. I wish I had gone more light and airy with this one; next time, I swear, I'll be all light and airy. (I try sometimes, but it still comes out looking like this.) I sorta ran with the navy and I want a do-over.

And there's a new challenge up at The Creative Type, too – type + comics. I hoard this kind of stuff, so I was ready to go. This was a pic from the trip to Kansas City that Bo and I took last summer to see Rancid. (I love this Bam Pop paper. And the 'super rad!' stamp. And yes, there are a couple of stickers on this page that came with our Guitar Hero game.)

she's three... /  by jen geigley


This past weekend, our house looked like this ...




Lotus picked Ni Hao Kai Lan for the theme this year (which was perfect, since today was also Chinese New Year!) She's been talking about this party since July. ;)






















Two days of birthday parties ... 50 cupcakes, paper lanterns, paper flowers, paper garlands, fortune cookies, chop sticks, adventures in frosting + fondant, plus lots of friends and family. It was definitely a busy weekend, but celebrating another birthday with my baby girl is definitely one of the most fun parts of being a mom.