52' North Latitude

I just learned that Belgium is way up on the top of the world! Well, farther North than I have ever been. This explains why I see sunsets at 5 pm or 17 hour. Perhaps this explains my sleepy feeling overall? But it definitely explains my very tall, extra long legs in my shadows.

Or, maybe that is all the bicycling I've been doing...

Fun with Paper

Hallo! It's been a crafty weekend here in mi casa. Last night I finally finished my knitting project, (Yay!) and I will post pictures as soon as I get some good shots of that piece. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out, and I am eager to get started on the next yarn project: felted coasters. I have the colors selected, I just have to decide if I want to crochet or knit the pieces, and if I want them circular or square. Ah... decisions, decisions.

I made a few more paper cranes and have built up quite the menagerie. I wanted to string them and make some sort of mobile or hanging element, but I am not able to do that because my ceilings are way too high and there is just no place to hang them. In the meantime, I have placed them throughout our apartment for pops of color, here and there.

Last week I stumbled upon the website Dollar Store Crafts. Some of their projects look vapid and cheap, but if you scroll through some of the archives you can find some decent inspiring posts; like this one. And, I do like the idea of crafting from the dollar store. If only we had one here in Belgium, but we do have second hand shops where I found this vintage book in French. I think it's about some kind of psychosis...

Not exactly my kind of reading material, but it's browned, fragile, vintage, French printed pages are perfect for my project du jour.

Also,

I found a CRAFT STORE!!!!

This is a very exciting development in my life here in Leuven. I know where the store is, but I don't know the name of it yet. When I went last week they were about to close for lunch. I was only able to take a quick scan of the store's inventory; they have so many tools and materials, and they even offer classes. I will definitely go back when I have some time and some €s.

In the mean time I did pick up a styrofoam wreath and a glue gun:

Both items are also necessary for my project du jour.

Project du jour: I thought I would give the book page wreath a try. The original post is from the blog Living with Lindsay, which is a great DIY blog with tutorials and all kinds of fun projects and great design. She has one of those blogs that makes you think, "why didn't I think of that?!" But, at least she does and she shares them.

Her blog post on the book page wreath has a video tutorial, it's very helpful. I took an action shot as I was rolling up pages today.

My wreath didn't take too long to make.

(Sorry for the terrible picture. I will try to take a better one when I have some daylight.)

It only took one and a half episodes of the new show Glee to complete. (I absolutely love that show!)

I love, Love, LOVE the way this book turned out.

Who doesn't love a good page turner and a happy ending!

Yesterday's News

I finally got around to making this newspaper basket that I posted about here.

It was not as easy as the instructions made it out to be, but then that's the way I tend to do things... (I tend to make things difficult.) I was having a hard time keeping the form upright and trying to make my weaves tight. My fingers were black by the end and only two and a half editions of the daily Metro were mutilated. It took me about an hour and a half from start to finish, a much needed break from knitting and everything else I am supposed to be doing. It's my first attempt and I will make more. I like the look of the softly muddled newsprint with occasional color. It's a nice/aesthetic/eco-friendly project that will help tame my bookshelf/craft shelf/catch all.

I got a new skirt:
It's from HEMA and is a light weight, simple, A-line jersey number. It's a much needed addition to the other black skirts that I brought because this one will ride well on the bicycle, something I've been doing quite a bit of lately. It was 16 €, and I am very pleased.

I also learned that rok means skirt in Dutch.

I also bought a package of dried bay leaves. Bay leaves make chicken taste better and is an essential ingredient in various soups and stews. A simple addition of a few leaves makes an enormous difference. I am pleased with the little effort on my part this has required.

Don't they just smell divine?

And...

It's beginning to look a LOT like Chirstmas! (?)

All Saints Day and the USA

Yesterday was All Saints Day. I'm not sure what that means here in Belgium, but from what I remembered of my time in Mexico, it's a day to go to cemeteries and honor loved ones who've passed. The only cemetery that I know of here in Leuven is at Park Abbey. I came across it a few days ago, and blogged about it here. Park Abbey was open for a tour yesterday, so we hopped on our bikes to check it out. I'll post more about our tour later this week, I took WAY too many photos in awe and inspiration. The history that is in this town is AMAZING!

A memorial inside Park Abbey.

Spooky trees.

There is some hint of Halloween here, but not much.

I found this popcorn & candy-corn hand,

Gooey caramel apples,

And Pippy Long Stockings next to Michael Jackson.

These sites made me miss home a bit.

I was hungry for just a taste:

So, I made the best of it.

Bon appétit!

Fall

This past weekend in Belgium we turned back the clocks; we have officially 'fallen back.' Another aspect of falling back in Leuven is hazing.

The darker clad group is an assembly of singing students who have just been through an obstacle course filled with mayonnaise and mud. It was an interesting spectacle but not as beautiful as the colors of the trees.

I have never 'seen' fall like this before, the leaves are so beautiful. I can not get over all of the bright amazing colors and the consistent wondrous shapes that fall from the trees. It's so hard not to stare at the ground, and even harder not to pick up every beautiful leaf I see. I am in awe and at a loss for words, I have already used the word 'beautiful' twice. For someone who hails from Texas, I am not accustomed to such visual beauty. It makes me all the more thankful for my time here.

And again yesterday...

They are orange... the new color of the moment here in our house.

I am such a lucky girl.

My Love Brought Me Flowers Today

and chocolates.

Last week he brought me a pot of chilies.

That's why he is Mr. Wonderful.

Among many reasons...

Milk in a Tube

Have you ever seen this?

Sweetened condensed milk in a tube.

I had never, but my friends on Facebook tell me that it's available in the US. I just about died when I saw the packaging. Too funny! I've been eyeing it, wanting to buy it and use it.... And ok, I really wanted to get on my bicycle, go for a long hard ride up hill, reach my destination and squirt sweetened condensed milk in my mouth! Ahhhh! Sounds refreshing!

It's gotten much cooler here in Leuven, and while the sun was shining today, I was cold. I needed something warm in my system; I wanted arroz con leche and I needed bananas. So, I bundled up and went to the store to buy bananas, rice and a tube of sweetened condensed milk. I would soon taste sweet rice from my childhood. It's very easy to make, and is great dish that can be served warm or cold. Here's my recipe.

I do not have any measuring utensils in my house, sorry if my measuring devices are a bit peculiar.

First, you need a pot big enough to cook your rice. In the pot add

1 coffee cup rice

3 coffee cups milk

and another 1 - 2 coffee cups water (I added half of the water as the rice was cooking).

Also, add a few dashes of cinnamon. (Be generous with your dashes).
Bring the milk, water and rice to a boil, lower the heat and stir until the rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Next, add a tube of sweetened condensed milk - squeeze out every last drop!

Add 2 espresso spoons of vanilla beans and a few more dashes of cinnamon.

Stir. Sample.

Enjoy!

Provecho!

My New Project

The weather has turned cooler and I've been itching to get back to my knitting needles, but I left them in Texas knowing I would be able to find some here, not to mention the bigger selection of nice yarns. Prices for nicer years can cost some money in the US, but here skeins are reasonably priced. Personally, I do not knit with acrylic anything. When I can, I try not to buy any piece of clothing made of man-made fibers. I'm kind of a hippie that way.

Anyway, I have my eye set on a sweater pattern, but need to practice before I attempt such a project. Therefore, I resolved to make something for Mr. Wonderful. Respecting folklore and not knitting him a sweater, I decided to knit him a scarf - which is not as easy as it sounds. He is a minimalist, a man of good taste, he knows what he likes. I have not known him to wear a scarf, but I'm making it for him anyway. The only thing he was particular about was the color. It had to be Prussian Blue.

Image from ColourLovers.com

Once the color was established, I had to find the yarn. Fortunately a few meters from my door is a yarn store called Twolwinkeltje.

I found my skeins of 100% Italian Merino wool in the perfect color,

I still had no idea which pattern to use.

It couldn't be too fancy, or he would not wear it. It needed to be simple, but elegant. I searched until I came across this pattern for a scarf from World War I. During the war the American Red Cross encouraged Americans to knit for service men, they even provided instructions and yarn. This pattern appeared in the 1917 issue of The Modern Priscilla: A Magazine Exclusively for Women. I liked the idea of knitting from a pattern from 1917! It's a very easy pattern, not too much thinking involved for me. It keeps my hands busy and my mind clear, and I am excited to have something to do on the train. Find the pattern here.

The script on the bottom says,"This scarf is plain knitting. May be made by a beginner."

Knitting pretty in a skirt.

I have a way to go, we'll see how long it takes me.

Boeken

It's been busy here, but I have managed to read a couple of books, since my last post on the subject.

The last book I read was Spiral Jetta, a memoir/scholarly book of a journey out west to visit and contemplate earthworks such as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Walter de Maria's The Lightning Field, and Donald Judd's work at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. While the book was interesting from an art and art history perspective, the book was just kind of dry. I didn't really relate to author Erin Hogan's personality. She's a little uptight, a stereotypical art historian/librarian type stuck behind a desk in a white gloved world. Maybe that's too harsh... She did some of the trip alone, and stated that she set out to challenge herself. I just didn't really see her journey as that much of a human challenge. It seemed that she hadn't really done enough living before the experience, almost like her journey was for the purpose of writing this book. She went to the art works, and was constantly discontented. Site after site, work after work, this seemed to be the case. All I could think was, "we should all be so lucky." The times when she did find herself in colorful local watering holes , or lost, she definitely drew lines, distancing herself from her experience with her words. It was disappointing. I did learn a lot from this read, but nothing more than I could have found in the library or visiting these works for myself ~ which I still hope to do someday. Definitely.

Anyway, I was happy for the read, but also disappointed. Here is a NYTimes review, and a review from The New Yorker. If you have read it, let me know what you think.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was a book that I bought it here in Leuven at fnac. I was hungry for a good book. I have been wanting to read this book since its release as an animated film in 2007. I ravished it, I finished it in three days. I thought that was a long time, considering that it's a graphic novel, but the read was so interesting. Visually, the drawings juxtaposed are so simple yet complex at the same time. I learned something with each page, and related to Satrapi's coming of age story more than I initially thought I would. I knew nothing of the conflict in Iran, and it was enthralling to read Satrapi's perspective of the events.
I loved her illustrations, and the fact that she combines two of my favorite subjects: art and literature.

My Current Reads

I picked up this kid's encyclopedia at the Saturday market here in Leuven. I paid 2 Euro for it, and I LOVE it. The illustrations are wonderfully classic, executed in a manner only 1965 could appreciate.

Another fantastic example of art and literature combined, except this is more educational. It's a fun way to learn Dutch, not to mention colorful:

And finally, a FICTION novel!

I can't tell you how long it has been since I have read a piece of fiction. That's the thing about graduate school: it puts a damper on your luxury reading. I read so many articles about theory, practice and foundations that I wasn't sure I could enjoy or appreciate a work of fiction. The fictional works that I do enjoy have a memoir quality to them. Anyway, since I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo next month, I thought I'd better read an example of fiction. It's been ages since I've read fiction, and I did not bring one fiction book with me from Texas.

I found this book, Getting Back Brahms by Mavis Cheek, at Spit in the tiny, two shelf English language section. The back jacket summary was interesting: the main character Diane is broken hearted and is nursing herself with a project... And I do love projects! The price was right = 1,30 Euro, so I got it. Ms. Cheek is a writer from the UK, and even though this is written in English, there are so many paragraphs that I have to go back and re-read. There are words and expressions I don't know, because it's written in a vernacular that I don't quite understand... and English is my first language! So far it seems to be a fun read... fluffy.

It's been two years since I completed my MA, I think I can handle fluff now.