Well....

It has been an interesting little bit of time. As you are all aware that I have failed at keeping my WIP going, but really I have a good reason for that! I swear! :P

Well let's see the biggest news is that my hubby and I are expecting September 8ish.

It is our first child so it has been interesting. The first trimester was good - no morning sickness (don't shoot me!) and apparently my Mom and her Mom (my Mémère) never had morning sickness either, so it must be genetic! :) But I have to say that I was SO tired the entire time. No energy, 3 hour naps after work, etc. I even fell asleep after the news, woke up at 8:30 brushed my teeth and went right back to bed. I was zonked! (I even napped in my chair at work I was so pooped!). No foods that I couldn't eat, but lots of foods I just didn't want to think or look at. I think I didn't have any eggs for 12 weeks! LOL and I love eggs. Mostly wanting to eat carbs and not protein. Strange, I know!

So everything I wanted to do went out the window. I was surprised I even managed to get my Bee block cut and mail out on time to the other bee members. My secret project, due in April - not even cut out completely...bah! So maybe it will be a birthday present instead. Ugh! But once 12 weeks happened, my energy seemed to come back, and the extra sun I am sure has helped too!

I know that I am starting to get the "nesting" feelings...not in cleaning my house or such (I have a bit of that) but more of wanting to get started canning food, making bread, making cheese and my own sausages, especially dry ones! I have strange obsessions. My friend Siglinde has a leg of ham drying in her basement and I so want one too! LOL (Dried Ham Yum!) Who doesn't want their own prosciutto in their basement!
 

Copyright Siglindesart's Blog - Photo

I know not the nicest looking thing, but soooo yummy looking! I could eat dried meat and fresh cheese with bread FOREVER! Thank goodness I can't make my own olive oil or balsamic vinegar! Time to move to Italy!

So things have changed for us, going to Pennsic is out, my cousin getting married August 18 might be out, not sure about Hubby's cousin's wedding in Alberta, but probably out too. I guess I will be working on the baby's room, trying to get the house in order so I don't kill anyone once the baby is born. I still want to install my new floor in the sewing room, so I need to work on that too. Plus all my weird obsessions I want to start over the summer.

Let's see:

1. Baby Room
2. Finish Kitchen Trim
3. Redo floor in Sewing room
4. Super Secret Project
5. Finish Planning a 30 dish feast... (oops! didn't tell you about that one did I - I will explain further down)
6. Make Cheese
7. Make Sausages
8. Make Breads
9. Canning Tomatoes
10. Canning pickles
11. Maybe some sauces or condiments like relishes!
12. Freezer Jams
13. Have a baby! LOL

Well I am ambitious and hopefully not rubbish in my attempt at this. I have nixed any garb making until after the baby and since I am not really going anywhere for it, I won't be missing it! :P

A little more about that feast...I decided to take it easy in the SCA over the summer, but I hope to go out with a bang! My local canton (Harrowgate Heath) is having a borders pat with the neighbouring Barony (L'ile du Dragon Dormant). The event called "Border Spat: For Love or Vengeance!" happens May 12, 2012 in Cornwall Ontario (my hometown). It will be a huge Fencing event as we will be getting very experienced teachers from all over the known world coming to teach and fence! So it is very exciting.

Of course there will be armoured combat, archery and classes too. A full day of fun! So I offered to do the feast (since I will be out of a while) and decided that since we were on an Italian Renaissance theme, that I would do and Italian feast! It is also the 30th anniversary of the Barony of Skraeling Althing (my Barony), so  I decided to prepare 30 dishes in celebration! Well the tentative menu has been decided we are now in the recipe testing stage. Once that has been completed we will do a full test cook for timing and food tester's opinions. Should be wild as I want to get the menu up by the 2nd week of April the latest. I suppose I could post now with the caveat that it will most likely change...we shall see!

So of course I couldn't do this feast without my 2 best friends and fellow Surly Mermaids - Avelyn and Dafydd! Thanks guys for keeping me on track and somewhat sane! LOL! Love you both!

So! If you are in the Ontario/Quebec/Northern NY area and want to see a fabulous event (and have my great food), please consider coming out to the event in May. I will be in the kitchen, but someone can always fetch me to say Hi!

Officially Insane,
~E

Shoes! How I love them...

I am a regular follower of American Duchess's blog and I LOVE her stuff. I always look to her for inspiration in the 18th/19th century costumes (and vintage stuff) I want to make but really have no where to wear it! :(

It is always sad, that we don't have any 18th century reenactors here in Ottawa area, though the war of 1812 is coming up this year. *le grand sigh*

Anyway, Lauren (that's The American Duchess) she has done something that really you can't find anywhere else and that is she decided to design, and have made, period shoes for the reenactor! She has a wonderful shop at American Duchess Historical Footwear that carries 18th century shoes, Regency shoes and Edwardian shoes...and she keeps adding to them. The other great thing is that her shoes are beautiful and are made of leather. I know that she is looking at a Victorian button boot! w00t!

But enough about this store, why am I blogging about this? Well she has started her pre-orders for the new Kensington shoes ($99) and has a giveaway for people who Blog, Tweet and Facebook about it. I am dying for a pair of these shoes, especially the red ones.

I want a pair that I can make an outfit to go with it! I really want to win. So have a peak at her store and blog and enjoy the fabulous dresses she creates! Wish me luck too!

~E