I Suck At This

So it has literally been almost 2 years since I last posted anything on here. Part of me really wants to design and create a legit, aesthetically pleasing non-canned blog. Another part of me feels like I will fail at keeping it up regularly. Yet another part of me feels like no one will about the things I post. It usually ends up being a random potpourri of crafts, recipes, rants, reviews, inspiration etc...I have a serial mentality and can never stick to one subject.

That being said, I really want to give it a go again. What are some of your favorite blogs? Hosting sites? I am super computer illiterate when it comes to any kind of coding - pretty much anything other than design software. Do you have any tips on dedication/commitment to blogging? I'd love to hear about 'em.

xo

Crocheted Bow Headbands

This is going to be just a quickie post.

I was super pumped a couple weeks ago when I got my biggest etsy custom order to date. Charlene, a really great customer ordered 5 crocheted bow headbands in a variety of colors. She got a few for herself and a couple for her sister. It's always cool to think that someone else in a different state is not only sporting something you made but also helping to get the word out!

I made the pattern for these about a year ago. If you are interested, just let me know. I'd be happy to share :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Ava's Cupcake Hat

As soon as we found out that or next little one was going to be a girl, so many ideas came rushing in for things to make. Being that I am still heavily into crochet at the moment, I started looking for fun and easy projects. I came across lots of cute baby hats on different sites. I especially liked the cupcake hats that I found on www.ravelry.com However, I did not want to purchase a pattern.

I looked at the general parts - the frosting, toppings and base. Then I just sort of winged it on my own without a pattern. I crocheted all of the elements separately and then used yarn to stitch them all together in the end.

these were my two basic pieces.

this is the finished product with sprinkles and a cherry on top.

it was so easy, I decided to start another.

I didn't have a reference as to head size, so my only hope is that the hat fits! If not, I'm sure Ava will have some doll that can wear it eventually. ;)

Grandma's Alfredo (recipe)

Last night we decided to mix up pasta night again. This time we used a recipe that my grandma told me about for an Alfredo sauce. The traditional stuff usually makes me feel pretty sick, because I have a very hard time with cream-based foods. However, some dairy is tolerable to my system in smaller doses. This sauce was no exception.

Grandma's Alfredo

1/4 butter
4 oz. cream cheese/ neufchatel
1 cup milk
3-4 oz. parmesan cheese (the shaker worked just fine)
1 tsp. garlic (I used the wet minced kind)
salt and pepper to taste (I omitted the salt)

Set burner to low heat. (I was using it at the 2-4 level).

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small sauce pan.

Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth.

Add in the garlic and stir.

Pour in the milk gradually and continue whisking.

Whisk in the parm gradually - making sure to break up all the little bits.

Add the salt and pepper. (I also added some basil flakes for flavor at this point).

Turn off burner, and remove from heat to let set for a few minutes.

After a few minutes I poured the cream over our drained rigatoni pasta.


We really liked this recipe a lot. It was simple to make, and we already had all of the ingredients on hand. I didn't know how it would sit with the milk AND the cream cheese, but there weren't any problems.

This would also be great over a side dish like broccoli or a protein like chicken. It's always nice to have another recipe in the arsenal. Thanks, Grandma!

New Curtains

The other day I had noticed while cleaning that my dear, sweet husband had somehow managed to get the previous night's cheeseburger on our curtains. My best guess is that it came from the grill spatula and when he was coming in it rubbed up against them. Either way, I took them down and put them in the laundry. I didn't notice any special care instructions, so I tossed them into the dryer. After they came out literally every square inch was wrinkled. I tried 'fluffing' them in there again, and there was no change. I ironed one two foot section for about twenty minutes, and they were still as wrinkled as before.

This wasn't so horrible, because it gave me the idea to make some new curtains. We put our orange ones up when we moved in three years ago, so I was looking forward to the change. I searched the fabric and home stores online, but nothing was really jumping out at me. We had a little money, so I decided to run to Ikea and look at their selection. I ended up finding this pill-like looking fabric. It's a white background with colored half circles. At $6.99/yard I was able to get all 5 yards for under $40.

Ikea 'Edholm' fabric

curtains before: plain orange with white sheers

curtains after

I also found a great new lime green sheer at Target for $1.94

I'm really pumped with the final results. The new curtains are so fun and colorful. I also think that they mesh really well with our retro themed kitchen. I just asked Phil to please promise me that he wouldn't get and burger or any other food on these. ;)

I also actually ended up with a little extra fabric, because I opted to not to do the tabs at the curtain tops. Just this morning, our lovely dog Paisley destroyed our cute little couch pillow. Since I already had the machine out and threaded I whipped up a new one from the same fabric.

Needless to say, it was a good productive day and I'm happy that I got some sewing done again. I used to take classes downtown at the Singer factory every Monday (and had done so for almost three years). With my health and our finances I had to let them go this past December. It was a bummer, but at least I have the skills and the equipment to continue sewing at home. 

I cannot wait for spring when we repaint/ redo the living room and I get to make more custom curtains for our picture window!

Scalloped Cowl

As you may know by now, I love to crochet. Yesterday I finished my most recent project - a scalloped cowl. It was made in the round from a pattern on Lion Brand Yarn's website: (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90438B.html?noImages=) However, I only half used it. I needed a jumping off point, and I really liked the look of the stitches from the first three rows. Instead of following all of the instructions, I just repeated rows 1-3 throughout the entire project. I also used a much thinner yarn then they recommended for a lacier effect.

The finished results do not look like the original pattern, but I am very happy with the outcome. It's a very feminine piece and can easily dress up any outfit. This cowl is also a great scarf alternative and perfect for the spring weather that is hopefully on its way!

^ close up neck view 

I do plan on adding a few to my etsy shop in some nice spring colors as quickly as I can get them done!

I Love Lamb (not lamp) - recipe

This Valentine's Day was definitely our tightest ever budget wise. But honestly it has never been about gifts with us anyway. Phil had the day off work, and we got to spend it together at home which was amazing. Nonetheless, I wanted to do something special for him. I decided to make a new-to-us meal that we've never had before. We had both been really interested in trying lamb at home.

I bought some beautiful lamb loin chops from my local produce market. They basically looked like little t - bone steaks. Since I had never cooked them before I researched online various ways of cooking them. In the end, it seemed like the grill was the best way to go. There were so many variations on time and temperature for oven and stove top preparations. The result was actually quite delicious (after BOTH grillings, because it was a complete learning curve. Our chops were quite thick so we kept them on longer than the average 3 minutes per side for medium rare doneness).

lamb chop loin with basil/mint pesto, orzo and oven roasted potatoes

Here's what I did for the lamb:

Three hours before dinner I made a marinade of olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper.

Twenty minutes before cooking the lamb, I took it out and out it on the counter to come closer to room temp before grilling. We initially grilled it for 3 minutes on each side, and it was dead rare. (Like I said, these were monster chops). We re-fired them for another 3 minutes, and they were a perfect medium rare. Sometimes a little trial and error is necessary.

The pesto:

I used equal amounts of fresh basil and mint, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, a good helping of minced garlic, olive, pignolis (pine nuts), salt and pepper. I just loaded everything into the Vitamix and pulsed until I got the desired consistency. Phil used his pesto as a dipper, and I went for more of a glaze effect - as shown above. (This stuff was also delicious mixed into the potatoes and orzo). 

The potatoes:

I always roast my potatoes in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. (It is really easy to remove them). I preheat my oven to 350. Then I chop whatever potatoes I have on hand to bite size. I throw them in a bowl and mix with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. 30 - 35 minutes in the oven is usually just right for a nice crispy outside and a tender inside. 

The orzo:

I had never cooked orzo, before but the directions for timing were right on the box. After draining it, I returned it to the pot and added butter and parsley. I stirred it for a minute to make sure everything was well incorporated. I have to say, this is my new favorite pasta. It eats like a rice but tastes like a noodle.

Even though we had a hiccup along the way, I would still call the night's romantic dinner a success. We now know that we can cook lamb at home, and we got to try some new flavors that we really enjoyed!

Feather Headbands Coming Soon...

I have decided to make some more feather headbands for my etsy shop. They were really popular before, and they are super fun to create. This time I have amped up the design too making them even bigger than before.

Each 'feather' is individually hand cut by me

I made this one for an upcoming event.

I'm hoping to have the new designs up and in my shop with in the next week if life cooperates with me. For now I still have some of the older ones listed there too. Thanks for looking!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Recipe: Lemon Pepper Farfalle

In our house we typically have pasta once a week. Most often it's some kind of noodle with red sauce and sausage, because we are carnivores and we love our Italian sausage. However, the routine is starting to get a little dull week after week. I wanted to still keep our staple easy and cheap pasta night but just with some new flavors. I didn't even have to leave the house for ingredients. I just used odds and ends we had on hand, and it was a quite successful and delicious meal!

Lemon Pepper Farfalle

You'll need:

at least 1/2 box of Farfalle (or your favorite noodles)
jarred, marinated roasted red peppers, chopped
jarred, marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
a small yellow onion (or white if you prefer), diced
a lemon - juice and zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used the bottled as well)
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsps olive oil
1/1/2 tbsps butter
basil to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste

I started out by getting my pasta water boiling. In the meantime I was able to prep all of my other ingredients.

I chopped my roasted red peppers and put them in a bowl.

I also chopped my artichoke hearts and put them in the same bowl with a little bit of their marinade.

To that bowl I added some lemon juice and mixed it all together.

Next, I diced my small onion and set it aside.

By this time my water was boiling, and I threw in the pasta.

I got a large pan heating up with the olive oil and then tossed in the onion and garlic for a couple minutes on their own.

Then I added in the bowl of ingredients and stirred everything around.

After zesting the lemon and squeezing in some fresh juice, I seasoned with the basil, red pepper flakes (just enough for a little kick, not blow your head off amounts) salt and pepper.

Everything sauteed for a few minutes until the past was ready to be drained. (The cook time for everything including the pasta and 'sauce' was about 12 minutes total).

After draining the pasta I poured it into the pan with everything else and added the butter.

I stirred everything around until the butter was melted and then served it up hot (topped with some parmesan cheese).

(not a wonderful picture but oh well)

I was a little nervous about what Phil would think, seeing as he loves his sausage so much (insert joke here). But he honestly was impressed and enjoyed it very much to my surprise and relief. It was definitely different than the norm and vegetarian to boot. We both completely emptied our bowls. Needless to say, I'll be making it again in the future.

Just thought I'd share in case any of you out there are looking for some different recipes. If you have any awesome homemades please feel free to share as well. We're always looking for something new.

:)

A Resurrection...perhaps

Well, as per my usual style I have let this blog go far beyond the wayside. As a girl I was never able to keep a diary for more than a couple of weeks. In school I diligently updated my planner for the first couple of weeks of school and then abandoned it altogether. So I suppose to have written pretty frequently for just over half of a year was a victory for me. Who knows, maybe this time around I will go a full 9 months...

Speaking of which...

shirt courtesy of my friend www.hellowars.com

I'm 19 weeks along at this point with my second. We are thrilled to say the least. I'm finally out of the first 15 week bed rest phase, (someday I may publish a book will all of the details, but I will spare you for now). It's just great to feel like a person again and move around and do things. I have felt especially productive the last few weeks.

Still very much unemployed for a staggering 15 months and counting, I am fortunate enough to have a trickle of freelance work coming in. Anything right now is income, and every little bit helps. One thing my 'dry spell' has shown me is just how lucky I am to have the family that I have - immediate and extended. I've never appreciated my marriage or my son so much as I have especially these past few months. We have a bond that I'm sure some can only dream of. 

With bringing a new life into the world come a plethora of thoughts (and worries). We are in no way shape or form financially stable, and that is scary. I have spent years single and married stressing out over money and debt. While I do still have my woe-is-me, errr -us- days, it isn't enough to keep me down anymore. No matter what happens to our jobs, our cars, our house...I know that at the end of the day we have each other and a love that is unconditional. (I'm sorry if this is a little too 'sappy Sally' for some, but it is the honest to God's truth).

Veering off on a different path now - all of this time has done wonders for my creativity. Though there may be a lack of professional design in my life, there is no void of constant inspiration and creation. I've never been one to be short of ideas for a barrage of projects, and luckily I have the time and materials to bring many of them to fruition. I may have had to give up my favorite Monday night sewing classes and some good friends in it, but I am fortunate enough to have that skill now. The same goes for crochet. I took one class and loved it. I crocheted lots of fingerless gloves and scares, because that's all I had the knowledge to make. Case in point:

the chunky green neck warmer,

what I call the self-contained scarf &

the fold over cowl

While there is a lot of variety to be had in linear crochet I still desperately wanted to learn in-the-round techniques. I tried lots of times to do it from looking at pictures and ended up with what looked like, for lack of a better term and I apologize in advance, penis cozies. Needless to say they were all trashed. I rented some books from the library and downloaded some tutorials and still struggled a bit, but still I kept flailing/trying...

Finally the other day I found a really cute pattern on the Lion Brand website for an amigurumi lovebird. It looked damn near impossible for my skill set, but I read on anyway. Looking through the pattern there was only one abbreviation/stitch I was not familiar with. I said what the hey and decided to give it a shot. No joke, the first time I tried to do the 'magic ring' I got it. I also learned how to legitimately decrease using sc2tog and not just 'dropping' of stitches. This may sound ridiculously meaningless to some, but it empowered me. These days if I have a reason to shower and put on clothes, it's a celebration - so picking up a new skill falls into that category as well. Here is the result of my first 'round' project, the lovebird.

If you enjoy this little guy, here is a link to the free pattern:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80015AD.html?noImages=

I now feel obsessed with all things crochet and amigurumi and have a very growing folder on my desktop of things to make.

At that, I think this has been a good start to the rebirth of the blog for now. Considering it's been about 6 months I'd say more than one paragraph is an epic leap forward. Hopefully this hasn't been to long-winded; I just felt the need to catch up a little bit. I will forewarn you that postings may seem a bit schizophrenic at times. As passionate as I am a crafter, the same goes for cooking and baking. So if one day recipes start popping up here out of seemingly nowhere, yes, it is still me. Food in my belief also gets classified as a handmade good.

:)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Going Mad

It feels great to get a chance to catch up again after such a long time. I have really let this blog go for the past month, which I am not too proud of. 'Life' has just been happening all too frequently lately. However, now that I have the time, I want to share a few things I have been working on in the past few weeks.

Like so many others, my husband and I have become obsessed with Mad Men. While for us it is a difficult moral and ethical watch - we love everything else about it. Phil and I were both raised in households with grandparents. We've always had older souls and retro sensibilities. Granted, the sensibilities of the show don't match ours, we are completely in love with the visual aesthetic. Everything from the costumes, to the furnishings and apartments speak to my inner style and fashion sense.

My grandmother on my dad's side, Betty Jo, was such a role model for me growing up. One summer while I was in camp I got to live with her. My grandfather 'Boompa' was already gone at this time, so it was just me and 'Mama.' The woman lived and breathed class and style. Her all designer wardrobe rivaled that of Jackie O's. She used to be a stylist at an upscale Palm Beach fashion boutique for the later half of the year. (They were sun people, and every fall they would live in the beach-front condo in West Palm Beach - until the sun came back to Chicago). Anyhow, Mama was way ahead of her time.

She refused to leave the house without her hair fully set, her face on and would never be seen without her patterned pumps. Her West Palm Beach condo was all black, white, yellow and chrome. She had beautiful, elegant and simple furniture. Everything was very mid-century modern. Her condo up here was no different. (When she and Boompa were raising their three boys in Glencoe, her house was featured in Better Homes and Gardens)!

Also in the style of Mad Men, the woman loved her cocktail hour(s). Right around the same time every evening she would have her glass(es) of vodka or gin. I think it was more routine than anything else. I only ever saw her get really hammered on a couple of occasions. One time while in Florida, she and my grandfather took all three of their sons and families out to dinner at the nicest steakhouse around, the Rain Dancer. At the time it was definitely equivalent to a 5* restaurant nowadays. My dad and his brothers made the mistake of grabbing the bill from the waiter. Mama in all of her drunken glory got up on the table in her Donna Karan suit, golden jewelry and heels and crawled across the table to reclaim the check! (I will never ever forget that. She was still the classiest drunk I have ever seen).

But getting back to the actual reason for this post, I attribute my love of fashion and all things vintage/retro/modern to her. Watching the women on the show and the way they dress often reminds me of her. During one of my many library outings I found a wonderful book of women's fashion throughout the decades. I have only tapped into a few illustrations so far, but I plan to do many more. Here are the four as of now:

Thank you so much letting me share my story with you. I really wish more people could have met my dad's parents. They were two truly amazingly modern people for their time, and definitely helped to shape me into who I am today.

These illustrations (and more) will be available as poster prints as well as cards in my etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Simple Father's Day Card

I got a call in from my good friend Sarah (http://www.quartersofacreative.com/) to make a fish-themed Father's Day card. I looked through all of my stamps, books and handmade stencils and found nothing fishy. Upon my rummaging, I came across my miniature brown paper bag envelopes. They are one of my favorite card accents - as they are interactive. Once I knew I was using one of said envelopes, I looked for appropriate coordinating papers and a white envelope.

Here is what I came up with:

The striped and textured card was pre-made. I added the brown paper bag

envelope. The large mouth bass is cut from Paper Source's 'Croma Lime' paper.

(I illustrated the bass first and then cut it out with needlepoint scissors).

I also used a needle to poke a hole near the bass' mouth. Then I threaded 

some coordinating blue embroidery floss through the hole. This gave the fish that 

'hooked' look.

Lastly, I put the fish away in the envelope's pocket. His mouth and the string

stick out just a little bit to let you know there is something inside. The floss also

acts as a pull to get the fish out!

I hope you enjoyed this simple Father's Day card. This would be great for any man's birthday in general. It can be customized with lots of different fish and papers too. Have fun with it!

New Embroidered Cards

If it has to do with a needle and thread I love it. While I have a sewing machine, sometimes I like to get back to things like hand embroidery and hand stitching. Recently I have been working on embroidered cards.

I always have a surplus of blank cards and envelopes at my disposal. The other things I used were my: bookbinding awl, embroidery floss, a cutting mat, needlepoint scissors, and a sharp needle. Once I knew what I wanted on the card I "illustrated" it by stabbing a series of tiny holes with my bookbinding awl. Then I picked out my colors and 'connected the dots.' (I used 'running' stitches for all of the cards, but there are many other methods).

Here are just a few of the latest embroidered cards:

Please keep an eye out for similar items in my etsy shop soon! :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Lucy's Birthday Presents

Last week was one of my close friend's daughter's birthday. Her name is Lucy, and she just turned a big three years old. My friend Liz (Lucy's mom) is quite the crafter extraordinaire. I knew I was going to make Lucy's gifts, and I wanted them to impress. Knowing I had zero money for supplies I rummaged through fabric bins in search of inspiration. I knew that Lucy's parents had bought her a big girl bed recently, so I thought to make her a cute pillow for it.

I also make felt headbands. Typically I make them for women and young adults. I liked the idea of making Lucy a headband, but I knew I wanted to make her something different than the 'feather' headband. I know that she and her family are very healthy eaters. I also wanted something that would stand out and be feminine. That's when I got the idea to make her a strawberry headband. I found some amazing bright-colored little girls headbands at my Target.

So, these are what I gave Lucy:

I actually bought this fabric about 5 or 6 years ago and never used it. 

It seemed like the perfect choice for a hip and super girly 3 year old.

Some More Crochet Projects

I really have taken a liking to crochet. After finishing my first pair of fingerless gloves a few weeks ago, I quickly set in on my second. This time I have opted for a different, more intricate stitch 'shell lace.' It's a simple series of double crochets and chains. I really love the look of it - a kind of nod to art deco shapes. They're even light-weight enough to wear during the summer months as a cute accessory!

I also learned how to do some cut crochet roses. They are basically composed of a ruffle that is pun and stitched all the way around. These roses would make a cute accent on a scarf, gloves or worn on its own as a brooch.

It is my hope that within the next few weeks I can add some of these items to my etsy shop! I may even also start in on some scarves and cowls for the fall season. :)

Etsy Bordello Treasury

Hello. I don't have anything really clever to write about. I am in recovery mode from a looooong week/weekend. I just thought I would share this neat treasury that I was graciously made a part of:

 http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bf1fec04d168eef082b19ea/bordello

(that is my journal/sketchbook on the bottom right)

Trail Mix Brownies

Ok, so this 'recipe' I made a few weeks back, and it got stellar reviews. I had a box of plain dark brownie mix. I always like to add in and make things my own as much as I can. After going through the pantry I saw that we had almost half a bag of trail mix left over. I figured I'd try it and see what happened.

GLORY! These brownies were incredibly rich and decadent and delicious. All I had to do was make the brownie mix according to the box. Then I floured the trail mix and folded it in. (Flouring it keeps all the wonderful chunks from sinking to the bottom of the batter). Then I just baked according to box instructions as well. I pulled them 2-3 minutes early to achieve a 'fudgier' texture. I let them sit for a good hour or so before cutting. *I cut all brownies with a plastic knife - sometimes run through a little water. I also grease all sides of my pan in addition to the bottom. It makes for perfect removal every time.

Each bite of these things were amazing. They were chock full of cashews, cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds and other little bits. I also felt like they were kind of healthy due to the nutrient-rich fillers. ;)

I actually made another batch of these today. I am hosting some lady friends tonight and figured these would be good to munch with our fruit, cheese and sangrias. If you make them I hope you enjoy them just as much!

Michael Jackson (R.I.P.)...

I know the title to this post is kind of weird, but it will make sense. Stephanie and I have been through 4 crochet classes now. We have learned so many new techniques and have definitely enjoyed it. My first project is this pair of fingerless gloves from a found pattern. I finally got one done. Now, I'm debating whether or not to make the other, or to just rock one Michael Jackson style - out of sheer laziness of course. I do think I will make the other...but the next project I do will be on a smaller scale for sure. Lol, this one got a little repetitive. I could never make one of those awesome throwback afghans. Kudos, Grandma!

Here is my *glove:

Hopefully it won't be too long before it has a mate! The bows also make great barrettes :)

Sew Many Projects To Do

This past Monday my sewing class started up again. I always get really excited for it. Even though I am still mediocre at best, it's a sort of therapy I get to indulge in. I get to leave everything and everyone behind for 2 hours every Monday night and make something for myself. I honestly can't remember what class # this is. It's up around 10 - needless to say approaching the nearly 3 year mark.

I have put my stretch corduroy jumper on hold for now. It's about half done, but it was getting stale. I wanted to have fun again with what I was making. This time I have opted to go for a cute handbag. It'll be nice to get some everyday use out of something I make - other than my shopping tote. Though it is a small project, it still presents its own challenges. There is pleating which I have not yet tackled before (different from a kick pleat in a skirt). I also have lined anything before or worked with satin. Hopefully it all goes smoothly.

So far I have done just a few steps. I am totally in love with my fabric though! I've had it for about a year and just needed to settle on a project for it. I give you my purse in its primary stages:

basic bag body and overall shape

close up shot of center pleat

the green shown here will be the band and strap color.

In addition to this handbag, I have many other projects in the works. I am still working on my fingerless mittens for crochet class. I think it is safe to say I have mastered the back loop only single crochet by now. ;) I also plan to make a few more summer skirts for myself. I rarely find a skirt that I love as is. I figured I would just source out some amazing fabric and create my own. Here is what I have found so far:

these two fabrics are recent purchases from Ikea. i fell in love with them immediately. even though they are canvas-based, i think they are thin enough to make cute, structured skirts with. fingers crossed ;)

Finally, I got this amazing Erin McMorris/Park Slope Birds fabric from an auction on ebay. I found it, adored it and had to have it. It is definitely next in line project-wise:

this could be the every day go-to for summer skirt

So I am very busy, but then again that is how I like to be. I'd also just like to ask everyone to cross your fingers if you would please. My friend Stephanie and I just sent our applications in this past Tuesday for Chicago's 2010 Renegade Craft Fair. We both specialize in felt and thought it would be a great opportunity to try and sell together at this year's big craft weekend. It will still be another month before we hear back, but we are still really excited that we got our stuff together and went for it. I'll definitely keep you posted as the time comes around. :)