Tighter, cluttered spaces during colder months.

 // Our dining table didn't look much like a dining table at one point but a place to set random thingamajigs and trinkets and stuff. // 

Despite the fact that I had a boatload of things to do yesterday I had an urge to do something that I haven't done in a long time. 

Rearrange the living space. 

I used to scare Yangkyu every time I would randomly say "I want to rearrange {insert room name}." I would do this probably at the worst times ever, like 8 pm on a Sunday night. Other times I would surprise him and start re-arranging when he wasn't home. He would figure out what I'm up to when he would try and open the front door to come inside and it would only open on a crack because I would have all sorts of things blocking the way. {I know.. fire hazard...} 

Anyway, that's what ended up happening yesterday. While Yangkyu was out seeing his chiropractor, I began to rearrange the living room. And now that we have a bigger space the front door wasn't crowded, but Yangkyu still gave that look when he saw the mess I was making after he came home. When he proceeded to go upstairs to get back to work, Piri promptly escaped with him. Oh I felt so betrayed. 

But what I always like is that after everything has found its new place, we all end up liking the re-arrangement a whole lot. I think I go into these phases - during the colder months, I like things that look ever so slightly cluttered with tighter spaces. Then during the warmer months, I like things that are more cleaner, minimalist with wider spaces in-between things. 

So right now, that's what it's like. Tighter spaces. 

I'm still trying to find a corner in our home where I can take photographs and set up a little DIY studio. I am finding that the natural lighting and the shadows are a bit more tricky here than our previous living space, but I'm sure I can work something out. 

Our chalkboard wall is also moving so after all the paint jobs and new spaces are figured out, I'm all good to go to hibernate in the winter. 

What do you have planned for the weekend? 

We're going to a birthday party of a cute little one year old and we also have a meet and greet with a furry guest who will stay with us in December. Piri's Place is all booked for the holidays and we're so excited about it! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Dear pumpkin cream cheese bread,

Why do you look so good on Pinterest but look completely different when you come out of my oven? 

Is it the way I whisk? The way I crack the egg? Or perhaps the way I scoop the cream cheese. 

You gave me a scare when I took you out after the given time you were supposed to bake and you were still kind of all jiggly happy. 

Happy is good. Not the jiggly. 

Jiggly. Jiggly. 

OK. Stop with the jiggly. 

So you went in for about 30 more minutes. 

Then you weren't so jiggly anymore. 

You came out with a nice round top and a golden crust. 

Wow. 

I thought I finally mastered how to bake pumpkin cream cheese bread. 

I left you to cool off. 

Then I came back and you totally changed on me. 

Your round top was all flat and sunk in. 

You look so depressed. 

That made me sad. 

And I felt a little deflated, too.

But I took a bite and you didn't taste that bad. 

And so I gave you to my husband to taste. 

He gave you a thumbs up. 

But he usually gives anything I make a thumbs up. 

Even that time when I burnt the toast or when I made a really salty soup base or the half cooked soo jae bi. 

Eh, but really, you weren't that bad. 

Except for the lack of the cream cheese taste. 

What happened to the cream cheese? 

Bullied by the pumpkin, I'm sure. 

Sigh. 

You weren't so bad but I'm not sure if I will ever have the heart to bake you again. 

Love, 

The disheartened newbie baker who will most likely bake the pumpkin cream cheese bread again next fall only to be greeted by a happy jiggly thing that will fall flat once cooled. 

These are my peoples.

It's ok.

These are my peoples. 

Sometimes they are like this. 

You gotta let them be silly every once in a while. 

It keeps them happy.

And we want them to be happy.

So get silly peoples and puppies!

Love, 

Piri

PS -- The human girl is playing Christmas songs this morning. This too can be overlooked from time to time. Plus, it's funny to see her sing along and dance, too. It's my morning entertainment before I nap again until I eat. Ah, this is the life.

Crispy fall leaves at Scott's Run Nature Preserve.

Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, Piri put on his blue shoes...

Yangkyu got out his Adidas that I got him some birthdays ago.. 

And I wore my red chucks. I never liked that color but it's Yangkyu's favorite and somewhere, somehow in our 13 years of knowing each other, red rubbed off on me. 

We squeezed into our little hatchback with some bottles of water, apples and bananas and followed our GPS that took us in the wrong direction. 

But the weather was nice and we rolled down the windows and let the wind play with our hair. 

When we finally got to our destination, Piri smelled all the incredible smells in-between the tree stumps, leaves and branches. Every five steps he stopped and smelled. He took everything and anything in. Some days this can really test our patience, but this day we let him do what he wanted and together we slowly walked the trail. 

We met a corgi, a lab mix and a couple of poodles, too. And also saw a steady stream of families, couples, runners and people who came to enjoy this scenery alone. 

We didn't quite make it to the waterfalls but we decided that would be for another day. 

So another day in the distant future, Piri will wear his blue shoes again and Yangkyu his Adidas and me my chucks, and we'll head out to Scott's Run Nature Preserve and finish the trail and see the waterfalls, too.

We pinky promised and then headed back home. 

  // Thanks for the photobomb, Piri! Your expression is priceless. // 

My sunburst granny square dilemma + other weekend things.

A few months back, I saw a pretty sunburst granny square blanket and wanted one for myself. And so I picked up my crochet hook and scoured Youtube to find tutorials and I crocheted away. One sunburst after another. The squares I made were definitely sloppy and not very pretty but I plowed on anyway because all attempts to create clean looking squares went out the window after the bazillionth time I tried starting over. All I wanted was a finished product. I got to about 60 something squares and then I went into a rut. A sunburst granny square rut. I hated the way they looked and I couldn't find the motivation to continue on. And so they just sat there in my little crochet project bag waiting to be joined and finished. In the meantime I went on to knit and crochet other things like hats and scarves, blankets and dolls. I felt like I was cheating on my sunburst granny squares. Oh that sounded slightly dramatic. Ha. 

Anyway, I found some renewed motivation over the weekend to pick up on my granny squares again. I went to our local yarn shop and picked up a few new yarns and also a new crochet hook in bamboo and got to crocheting squares again. But then my inspiration was short lived. I still didn't like the way they were turning out. The white border - round 4 - was driving me nuts. 

I wondered.. was it the yarn? Was it the triple crocheted corners? What was it? 

I must have crocheted 10 different squares switching up yarn and using different crochet stitches. And just as I was about to throw in my towel again I found it -- a granny square that I could live with. And so my spirits were uplifted once more and we're in production again for some really colorful and cheery sunburst granny squares. Still slightly sloppy but an improvement from when I first started. 

Yay!

I'm still trying to figure out what to do withe previous ones. I was thinking maybe I can create a small area mat or use them to wash dishes {I already use ones that are crocheted instead of sponges but they are store bought}. We'll see. I'm sure I can come up with something. 

The weekend was a good one! I did some shopping, had some friends over for some pizza and we're watching their dog, Mini the Westie, while they are away in NY for a night. She is definitely a sweetheart and among other things on her resume you will find "professional squirrel chaser" listed. The way her ears perk up when our nut eating friends scurry past her is a delight to see. 

Have a wonderful week everybody!