Apron swap -- Halloween edition

This has been quite the domestic week here on the blog. Baking, gardening and today, sewing. I'm participating in a fall-themed apron swap over at Sassy Apron Swap. And you know how I've mentioned that the fabric selection in Vienna is not so grand? Have I mentioned this? I think so. There's just not a lot of selection. Or, if there is, I haven't found it. Maybe that's why no one my age sews. Every time I mention sewing to someone my age they're all like, Sewing? Oh yeah, my grandmother does that. But I'm starting the revolution, baby. Sewing is going to sweep across the city like... like something that sweeps across something else.

Uh, where was I? That's right -- fabric selection. I wasn't able to find anything remotely fall-ish. I bought something I thought was fall colors, but when I started sewing it up it turned out to look not fall-like at all. So I went back and in the three or four days since my previous visit, they (meaning the Ikea fabric folks) had added some orange and black solids. My partner said she was up for a Halloween themed apron, so the ideas started churning. And this is what happened.


It's a rather simple design, but I really like it. I probably tried the applique two or three different ways before I settled on this method. I wasn't working from a pattern, so it took a lot longer than it should have.

The swap also included a potholder. I had originally planned on making a pumpkin applique for the potholder, but then I decided to cut strips from my three fabrics and piece them together. I think it turned out way cuter than a pumpkin applique.


I don't know what I'm doing with that ridiculous look on my face. The sun was really shiny and even though it was behind me there was some major glare coming off the window in front of me. Plus, I didn't think my head was actually in the shot. I guess I could have cropped the photo.

The potholder, by the way, nearly sent me over the edge. The actual potholder part was easy to make and my sewing machine handled the layers quite nicely. But when I tried to add the binding, my machine wasn't cutting it. I tried several methods and while I was able to get the binding on, it never looked good on the back side. And since there really isn't a back side to a potholder, that just wouldn't do. I finally decided to hand sew the binding in place and it turned out great.

I think this will be my last apron swap for a while. I enjoy it, but I'm ready to get started on Christmas sewing. I'm determined to make something other than coasters this year.

More news from the garden/balcony

Is it starting to feel like fall already? I know it's still summertime, but I've been noticing a chill in the air in the evenings. And it's getting dark a little earlier. Fall must be on its way.

So it's a little disappointing that I don't have any pumpkins sitting on my balcony. I've noticed pumpkins (or some other kind of gourd) in the stores, so why hasn't my pumpkin vine produced any pumpkins? I had such high hopes for it.

Here it is about a month ago. Look at all of those lovely flowers. I was sure I would go out to check on it one day and see a big, fat pumpkin sitting on the vine. Or at least the beginnings of a big, fat pumpkin.


But here it is just a few days ago. The vines are dying. No flowers.


Sharkdog thought it just needed some pruning, so he tried to help. I figured he couldn't make things any worse, so I let him give it a try. He's such a good helper.


Just when I was ready to give up hope all together, I spotted this little thing today.


Could that possibly be the beginnings of a pumpkin? I really have no idea, but I'm going to keep an eye on it. And give it plenty of water. We'll just see what happens.

The sweet potato vines seem to be the success story of this gardening adventure. The first photo below is from about a month ago and the second one is from earlier this week. The vines are still growing, I just hope the potatoes are growing under the dirt. The suspense is killing me!





I'm going to be really disappointed if it comes time to dig up the potatoes and there are just a few scrawny things in the dirt. Really disappointed. If my calculations are correct, I should be able to start digging in about two weeks. I'm sure you're just as anxious as I am to know the results.

Worth the wait

There's just something about living in Vienna that makes me want to bake chocolate chip cookies. Maybe it's because it's like biting into a little piece of America. Or maybe it's because the only time I get chocolate chip cookies is when I bake them myself. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because I really like chocolate chip cookies. Whatever the reason, I seem to get the urge to bake them every couple of months.

So last month when I read a rave review of a chocolate chip cookie recipe over at Orangette, I marked it and decided I would have to give it a try. There are a couple of interesting things about this recipe. First, you're supposed to let the dough chill for 24 to 36 hours before you start your baking. It's hard, I know! But I could really tell a difference between the cookies I baked a few hours after making the dough and the ones I baked on the following days. And second, you sprinkle a little sea salt on top before baking. I tried baking cookies with and without the salt and I preferred the salty ones. I love the sweet and salty mixture, but Brian said he couldn't taste the salt.

Don't be intimidated by the recipe. It calls for cake flour and bread flour, neither of which are available in Vienna. Well, maybe they're available. But I can't really tell the difference. So I used what I think is an all-purpose flour and cornstarch instead and the cookies turned out delicious. If you want to give his a try, substitute 3.5 cups flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for both types of flour. (In other words, instead of using 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour and 1 2/3 cups bread flour as the recipe states, use 3.5 cups all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. You can also throw in a tablespoon of wheat gluten if you have it, but I didn't.)

So head on over to the recipe and give it a try.

Label me happy

Well, I've hit the big time. I have my own brand. That's right, folks, my very own brand.

I decided to have labels printed to use on some of the things I sew. After playing around with "Made by Alisha" and "Homemade with Love" and the other typical text, I decided to get a little creative and come up with a brand name and logo and whatnot. After some introspection I came up with this: Monkey Do. Notice that's "do" as in "monkey see, monkey do" and not "doo" as in the stuff monkeys have a reputation for throwing. Just wanted to make sure that was clear.



If you want to be cool like me, you can find a lot of label options at Etsy. I bought my here. I'm very happy with them, although I haven't tested to make sure they are non-fraying, non-fading, etc. They came out a little lighter than I had expected, but they still look good. I guess it's time to hit the sewing room so I can use these labels.

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

You may have noticed that I like to use song lyrics or movie quotations when I write. Or, if we have drastically different taste in music, movies and tv shows, you may be completely oblivious to all of my witty references. So in case you don't have that song by Five Man Electrical Band stuck in your head now, I have an alternate title: I saw the sign.

Sorry, but it had to be done. If you knew good music, you wouldn't be stuck singing that Ace of Base song the rest of the day.

So anyway, I wanted to show you some signs. Notice anything strange about the men on these signs?


Okay, aside from the fact that the guy in the first sign looks like he's kidnapping the little girl, do you notice anything strange? Give up? They're all wearing a hat. Am I the only one who finds that odd? I'm probably the only one who finds it odd enough to go around the city taking photos of signs with the silhouette of a guy wearing a hat. So maybe now I'm the odd one.

Awkward moment #359

I've noticed that the office attire around here is less formal than what I'm used to in the U.S. -- especially during the hot summer months. However, I was still surprised by the fellow I ran into outside my apartment building today.

We were approaching the apartment door from opposite directions so I got a pretty good look at him. He appeared to be carrying a briefcase and wearing a dressy t-shirt and his whitey tighties. Well, they weren't white, but you get the idea. No pants.

As we rode up the elevator together, I wondered, What kind of job does this guy have that allows him to dress like this? And what could he be carrying in that briefcase? That's when I decided to steal a look at the briefcase. But it wasn't a briefcase. It was a bag. With a wet towel inside. He must have been swimming! He wasn't wearing his underwear, he was wearing speedos!

Unfortunately, that realization didn't make the moment less awkward.

I wonder if we live within their delivery area

Have you ever craved a food so much that you did something a little ridiculous just to get your fix? Go out in the middle of the night in your pajamas to get a Sonic Coke? Stop by Chick-fil-a for a chicken biscuit even though you're already running late to work? Traveled to another country to get a slice of pizza?

What? You've never gone to another country for pizza? Surely I'm not the only one.

Last week, Kim, Amanda and I took a little road trip to Slovakia for two purposes: Tesco and Pizza Hut. In our defense, it was less than an hour from Vienna. Well, it would have been had we not lost our way in Bratislava. But when we finally found it, the clouds parted and a bright light shone down upon this glorious place.


Okay, so maybe I'm being a little melodramatic. But just a little. Imagine with me, if you will, what it would feel like to have no Target, no Wal-Mart, no supercenter of any kind. And then, suddenly after one year, you stumble upon a store the likes of which you thought only existed in your dreams (uh, or in the U.S.) It. Was. Magical.

Oh, and the pizza. Delicious. See Amanda and Kim -- they're giddy over our pizzas. I was quite excited as well, which is why the photo is not-so-in-focus.


Next time, I may just have to order an extra pizza or two to take home with me.

P.S., I know you're probably thinking, "Pizza Hut? Really?" But it's true what they say -- absence makes the heart grow fonder. If there were still Pizza Huts in Vienna (they closed several years ago), I probably wouldn't even think twice about it. But since the closest one is in Bratislava, man, I sure do miss Pizza Hut. :)

Potty talk

It's not completely unheard of to have to pay to use a public toilet in Vienna (and many other parts of the world). I used to think it was silly, but these days I don't mind so much. When you pay to go to use the facilities, you usually have cleaner facilities. On a recent potty break, I had a guy (the bathroom attendant) actually hold the door to the stall open for me to enter. Now that was a first, not to mention a little awkward.

And I think this was a first as well -- a self-cleaning toilet at Schönbrunn Palace. When you flush, the small arm extends and sprays water on the toilet seat while the seat rotates. How cool is that.