i’m not home many evenings.  actually, it’s quite pathetic how not home i usually am.  i forget how much i need these quiet evenings (not to mention how much a dirty bathroom and laundry need me).  so tonight is a down night (which means that i keep busy with lots of things that don’t involve getting in my car and driving away).

everyday i read many blogs.  now that i think about it, probably too many.  but anyway.  i “star” all my favorites — the articles i want to remember, the recipe i’d like to try, or some sort of craft that seems simple enough for this not-so-talented-in-the-crafty-department girl to handle.  an evening at home is perfect for pulling out some of those starred items and actually trying them.

i did that tonight and it was a complete success.

i made this for dinner.  mine looked more saucy and less spinachy than hers, but i got rave reviews from most of the table (the merrick man didn’t much care for it but the jess girl asked if we could make it every single day).  i think the family liked this out of the ordinary meal of toasted baguettes and tomato-ey beans on top.  and it was SO simple.  perfect for the working gal over here.

i’ve been feeling the urge to work with my hands and since i hit a roadblock in my knitting (a multi-colored scarf for a friend that just looks terrible) i decided to try this button creation.  it’s a perfect finish-it-in-an-evening project for someone who sews buttons on at the same pace the snail scurries along.  most of the time, when i try something artsy-fartsy, it turns out looking completely amateurish.  i do believe i’ve finally found my niche.  i think this evening’s project turned out quite darling:

can i be a teensy-weensy bit proud of myself?  okay, then i am.