so, honestly ... /  by jen geigley

(photo from nirrimi)
Lately, there has been a refreshing dose of 'getting real' around the blogs that I frequent. You know, we're crafty and we share tutorials and take pictures of our feet and everything is sunshine, vintage dresses and washi tape.

I think we all sometimes yearn to share a bit more than that. But it's risky to put yourself out there. You could be setting yourself up for disaster ... ridicule. But when you're already putting so much out there, it doesn't always feel authentic to share anything at all unless you sometimes dish out the bad with the good.

For me, it all started with this post from VeryPurplePerson, a fantastically talented seamstress who lives in Japan. I had never imagined from her beautiful photos, perfect dresses and seemingly lovely life that she had some pretty huge things to confess. I was bowled over by her honesty.

Leigh-Ann totally had me when she started writing out her Odyssey on her blog. I've been skimming through most of the things in my google reader lately, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I read what Leigh-Ann was getting ready to share. She promised to be candid, brave and authentic. I started reading and I was amazed at how much the same we all are. Us girls. We all have a long story behind us, whether it's pretty or pretty horrible or a combination of the two.

And then there's Kara, who we can all agree is wise beyond her years. Her fearless sharing and outpouring of her worries and triumphs and mini-freak outs has held my attention and I've long admired her for not caring whether people thought she was emo or not. Encouraging people to stay positive but to also not be ashamed of the bad stuff? Ummm, okay!

I can be overenthusiastic. It's not fake; I'm just like that. I can also be pretty selfish. And impatient. And stubborn. I'm an over-apologizer. I'm socially awkward. I have major OCD tendencies. And I'm a music snob.

For a long time, I struggled with an eating disorder. This is hard for me to talk about but I know it's okay to share, even if it's just to help someone else know that they're not alone (and that it is possible to make it to the other side.)

When I was younger, I had a hard time being friends with girls. I hung out with the art room kids. I loved marching band. I was nerdy, scrawny, awkward, insecure and usually felt like an outsider. In high school, I won the vote for quietest girl in our class. I think I'm finally growing out of my shyness.

My childhood started off pretty good but then got really hard and complicated ... (but this is too long of a story to share today.)

I'm totally afraid of being a not-good-enough wife and mom. With a not-clean-enough house. But I love my husband and my kid fiercely and hold on tightly to what we've got.

I'm a Christian. And I suck at going to church.

I am not afraid to mess things up. And at the same time, I'm really really afraid to mess things up.

compliments to the chef /  by jen geigley

This is my totally gorgeous friend, Brandy. I met her at a local wading pool one day a couple of summers ago, each of us with a toddler in tow, and pretty much thought she was the coolest. She's a stay-at-home mom and a chef. I used to bug her about ideas for meals to make since Bo is a vegetarian and I'm still sort-of a meat eater. Even after ten years of cooking some meat/some veggie or all veggie or whatever, I just sometimes find myself getting stumped in the kitchen. And then, last week Brandy announced that she'd had this idea: once a week, she will come up with a couple of meals that people like me could choose from (who either don't like to cook, don't have time to cook, or just need a break from the kitchen but want something delicious to eat for dinner.) Then she prepares some gourmet awesomeness for you. I knew right away that whatever she made would be amazing, so I signed our family up for her first week of this new adventure. (Extra cool: she offers vegetarian dishes, shops locally and at the farmers' market and sometimes does deliveries on her bike.)
So this is how dinner started off tonight! My mouth was watering as soon as I opened everything up and saw that yummy ciabatta. This is the beginnings of the vegetarian ciabatta pizza with gorgonzola, walnut pesto, pears, (omg ... the pears were so good,) arugula, and per Brandy's suggestion, a little honey on the side.
It was seriously the most flavorful, delicious pizza we've ever had – and Bo has had a lot of pizzas. It was the perfect summery meal and we all were in love with every single bite. More like, freaking out about how good it was after every single bite. Again with those fresh pears. Delicious. We even have enough left over for tomorrow. (Yay!) So yeah, it's a pretty brilliant idea and I'm happy to reap the benefits. (If you're in the Des Moines area and want Brandy's contact info, shoot me an email and I can hook you up.)

'Cause I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes; talking with strangers, waiting in line ... /  by jen geigley

Hello, Motion City Soundtrack!
My friend Erin and I went to see these dudes play at People's Court last night. I was super impressed by how crazy fun Justin Pierre was onstage and they sounded really good. It was my first time seeing them; Erin had followed them more faithfully in years past and had been to their shows several times.
Erin got to hang for a bit with bass player Matt, catching up and remembering past shows from like eight years ago in Minneapolis. He totally remembered her. Because she's a memorable girl, that Erin. Fun show and rad night with my pal. Tell me that you're alright, yeah everything is alright. :)

cool knitting patterns /  by jen geigley

A few interesting patterns that have caught my eye ...
Oversized boat neck sweater from Knit.1 ... I'm very curious about how this would end up fitting, and if it has potential to be one of those go-to favorite pullovers.
Floppy summer sun hat free pattern from Vogue Knitting ... a summer hat! Normally I'm a little bit on the fence about knitted hats, but this one I like.
Crazy cool afghan from Knit.1 ... this might be the first granny blanket I've seen that you can knit instead of crochet.
Chain link necklace from Knit.1 ... like Yokoo's, but on a smaller scale.
Tribeca scarf, a free pattern from Vogue Knitting. Not summery by any means but the attached arm warmers are interesting. Although, I'm not sure this would be practical while wearing a coat. It's always the styling that gets me on these projects ... it looks so cute on her!

Puff Daddy and Puff Daddy's Baby by Anna and Heidi Pickles ... the pouf. I've seen so many people making these.
Striped dish cloths from Lion Brand Yarn ... I have been obsessing over colorful dishcloths. I can't get enough, and I'm loving these color combos.
And saving the best for last ... this Grass Rug by Lion Brand Yarn. I mean, are you kidding me? Killing me with coolness. It uses a TON of yarn, but it's just so incredible.
(So ... do have any particular knitting patterns stuck in your brain this summer? Do share.)

Saturday at Market Day /  by jen geigley

This was the view from my space at Market Day, which was cool because I sat directly in front of the elevator where Scott Rocketship (and sometimes Cat) played lots of vinyl, directed traffic, answered questions and such. What a fun day ... it was awesomely organized and I'm loving the new building that we're in now.
It was a great way to start off the summer and we had a steady crowd coming through (espesh with the farmers market traffic.)
There was lots to see, including tons of super cute vintage finds.
Christine from Bean and the Spout had lots of lovely accessories made from recycled/vintage dresses and fabric ... and was wearing the cutest dress of the day.
New screen-printed Market Day bags? Such a great idea and I love the design/logo work by my pal Dani Ausen/Awesome, who sat at the table next to me at the show.
And of course, my best pal Erin was there with her recycled vinyl goods. Crafting and vending with friends? I recommend it.As usual, a few pals popped in to say hi. (Thanks to everyone who stopped by!)
Meanwhile, where was Lo all day? Having adventures with dad. Here she is at the Farmers Market.
I had to end the day with a crazy good pink tart cupcake from Darby Cakes, just one of the reasons I keep coming back to Market Day. (Seriously. So good.) I find that cupcakes help get me motivated enough to pack all my crafpt back up into my car in the blazing heat and head back home.

And here I am, sweaty from loading and then unloading the car. Hair completely disheveled and in need of a trim. But I had to show off the spandex headband that I got from Leslie Hall. (Yeah ... did I forget to mention that? She was a vendor at Market Day. Did you see her?) I don't have a photo of her or her booth but I promise she was there and I totally dorked out when I spotted her, because I'm taking a class she's teaching at the Des Moines Art Center next month. And I heard we're supposed to dress appropriately so I had to ask her a little bit more about that. Still have no idea what I'll wear ... but ... now I have this headband! So I'll possibly mold my attire around that. Yes? :)

(Hope you're enjoying your weekend!)

getting ready for Market Day /  by jen geigley

YAY ... so stoked for the first Market Day of the summer. Tomorrow, from 9 – 2! New location this time around, so be sure to check that info carefully. (But it's going to be awesome to be so very close to the downtown Farmers Market.)
Preparations are in full-swing around here. (Which means lots of late nights that don't exactly mix with my early morning running schedule, but that's okay.)
I've got a good pile of hand-knit scarf/necklaces ready to go, amongst some other random crafty things that I don't have pics of yet.
Market Day is always such a fun time and the weather is going to be beautiful, so I hope you'll stop out to see us while you're downtown hitting the Farmers Market. Me and my pal Erin will be there, along with tons of other local vendors with lots of handmade and vintage goodies. See you there!

too hot to knit? (nah...) /  by jen geigley

I haven't talked about knitting projects in awhile because I guess I was feeling a little bit silly for working on cold-weather accessories when it's 80 degrees outside. But summer is a great time to catch up on your knitting! So here's what I've been up to.
Dishcloths. This is the ball band dishcloth, a classic pattern by Elmore-Pisgah. I just knitted this for a review I did on the book Mason-Dixon Knitting where they say: “Here’s the classic dishcloth recipe that goes with Peaches & Creme the way champagne goes with truffles. Or a Diet Rite Cola with a Moon Pie, to be more exact.” True.
I don't even have pics of all the cute dishcloths I've been making (some were for gifts.) But I love making them, and even more, I love picking out the colors. I'm working on some stripey citrus-y ones right now to bring to Market Day this weekend.
And speaking of colors, I keep getting stuck on blues and greens for some reason. Here's some yarn I used to make a quick lap blanket.
I made it using Lion Brand Speed Stix with four strands of the colors above and wow, there could not possibly be a faster way to knit a blanket or throw.
I can't decide if it should be just a lap blanket or a baby blanket or throw for a kiddo. This one (and one more in girlier colors) is coming with me to Market Day, too.
Then, I finally tackled Braided by Susan B. Anderson. Ohmygoodness. This scarf pattern has been in my Ravelry queue forever. I finally got around to knitting it and I want to make a hundred more because the braids were so much fun.
I love that gray color and I totally cheated and used cheapo Lion Brand Home Team yarn instead of the gorgeous Spud and Chloe yarn that I wanted to use. But I still may splurge on some because it would be totally worth it (and Spud and Chloe is so soft and luxurious.) Anyway, I love this scarf.
And finally, I've been making tons of these little guys.
You can wear them any time of the year and I love the way they look. (Another thing I'll be bringing to Market Day, in lots of other colors.)
So that's what I've actually accomplished, but I have so many knitting projects I want to start. But don't we all? My queue could eat me alive, I swear. First up on the to-knit list is the Destroyed Cowl by Martha Merzig. Love this chartreuse color, but I think this would look rad in black.
And Pasha by Jane Richmond. (I love every single thing that girl designs.)
I have yarn picked out to make the Treeline Striped Cardigan by Isabelle of Purl Soho. I am particularly in love with how Urbanizer made hers, pictured above. It's the perfect boyfriend cardigan.
And there are two patterns that I'm looking at kind-of modifying to make a knock-off of this scarf from Anthro. Can't decide on a color yet but I really want to get going on this before fall.
So what's on your needles this summer? (I want to know!)

downtown with my Erin /  by jen geigley

This is my friend, Erin. We like the same foods and order the same thing when we go to a restaurant. She's my partner in craft and the person I call (okay ... text or email) when I want to go see a show. We're both moms, so we try to make time to hang out once in awhile after the kids go to bed so we can catch up on life.
She totally gets me and I feel pretty lucky to have a friend like her. (Here are a few pics from our adventures downtown last weekend...)
I think we managed to hit the High Life Lounge, El Bait Shop, Hessen Haus (for a millisecond,) the Royal Mile/Vaudeville Mews patio, and then the perfect end to any night – Fong's Pizza. (But the best part of all was the girl time.)