DIY iPad case

When I got my iPad, I assumed that I'd get one of those nifty folding smart covers - it both protects the screen and folds into a stand. It's magnetic! It comes in pretty colors! It costs $40 (polyurethane) or $70 (leather). Zoiks!

Now, I still probably would've paid that considering I got the iPad for free, and my new gadget was worth protecting. However, then I read that the smart covers stain easily, the color rubs off, and they don't hold up. So I decided to search for other options.

My problem with covers/cases for electronics, particularly ones for Apple products (that aren't designed by Apple), is that they're ugly. I really don't understand buying an iPhone or iPod (which let's face it, part of the appeal of Apple products is that they're beautifully designed) and then covering it up with some bulky fugly cheapo protective case that looks like it's made of old tires. No thanks. When my iPhone is not in use, I keep it in a simple gadget cozy that I got on Etsy. And when I'm using it? It's naked.

So, I had similar criteria when looking for an iPad case: Don't fugly up my sexy new toy. Protect it with something simple and sleek when it's not in use.

And there are some options for attractive handmade cases on Etsy. But I decided it would be easier and way cheaper to make one myself. At least, I hoped it would be. My sewing abilities are amateur at best. I like to sew and I've been teaching myself over the past year (a new electronic sewing machine has made this endeavor much easier!), but I've given myself the following restrictions:

1. Only sew straight lines.
2. Do not sew anything that is to be worn by a human being.

Successfully completed sewing projects have included: pillows, garlands, Christmas ornaments, and hemming my pants. (I guess pants are technically an article of clothing to be worn by a human - me - but it wasn't like I was sewing the pants from scratch. Just simple alterations. Though I do know how to sew a blind hem, which I'm pretty proud of.)

Luckily, no one (besides my iPad) has to wear the case and the iPad is rectangular, so I figured this project was a go. I started it around 10 pm the night before we left for the beach BECAUSE I HAD TO HAVE A CASE FOR MY IPAD BEFORE VACATION. I'm pretty sure Larry mumbled something about my (lack of) priorities, but not getting sand in my iPad was a priority!

This project cost me less than $2. Materials needed? Two pieces of felt, (I buy mine from American Felt & Craft - the colors and quality are far superior to the junky felt from the craft store) thread, and velcro. And a sewing machine.

I machine-sewed decorative stitching across one piece of felt (just simple lines across the front of the case) using thread in a contrasting color. Then I trimmed the felt based on the dimensions of my iPad, sewed the two pieces together on three sides, trimmed the seams, created a flap, turned it right side out, sewed on the velcro closure, and voila! I can't really give specific instructions because I just eyeballed the whole thing as I went, but it was an easy project and fortunately, my iPad fits in there perfectly.

It's a simple case, which is just what I wanted. It protects my iPad from scratches when I slip it in my bag and from dust (or wet dog noses) when it's lying around the house. No, it's not going to protect your iPad if you drop it on concrete...but you shouldn't be dropping your iPad anyway.

I made this thing two months ago and it's still holding up like new. Hooray for simple projects that I can actually complete!

goodbye slump, hello hump

I don't know what puts other people in an instant good mood, but for me it's the sight of two plastic dinosaurs humping on my kitchen window sill right next to the tomatoes. Courtesy of Larry, obviously.

slump

Can you believe there's an 80+ pound dog behind that tiny pinhead?

I've been in a slump the past week. Come to think of it, my whole household seems to be in a slump. Everything in my yard is dead. The dogs are lying around all day hardly moving. I'm way behind in the assignments for my photography class and can't seem to get a good photo these days - frustrating. Larry and I seem uninspired to make simple decisions such as What's for dinner? Bleh.

Time for some self-imposed art and/or exercise therapy. Maybe an ice cream cone. Some loud music. Or perhaps some indulgences in guilty pleasures...

P.S. If you've e-mailed/commented/convo'd me recently and I haven't responded, I'm SO sorry for being a jerkface. I really love and appreciate all your nice messages!

bread of the month | grilled naan

So, this whole Bread of the Month thing isn't exactly happening every month. So much for resolutions.

When I resolved to bake a loaf a month, I was imagining that I'd be baking actual loaves - the type of bread that could be sliced for sandwiches or just eaten with dinner. Oddly enough, what I've actually made is buns, rolls, and flatbreads. This month was no different.

July's bread was naan - which, if you've ever eaten it in an Indian restaurant, is delicious. I was making a recipe for Tandoori Chicken Sandwiches (which was also delicious, especially the mint mayonnaise - and this is coming from someone who hates mayonnaise and also hates mint in savory foods. At least I thought I did. This combo slathered on the sandwiches was fantastic.) and reviewers suggested serving the sandwiches on naan instead of the sourdough called for in the recipe.

So I made a recipe for Grilled Naan that I found on Food & Wine. Despite the fact that my naan were quite oddly shaped ("shape them into a teardrop"? I don't think so!), they were good and they worked well for the sandwiches. And they work well for scooping up hummus, tapenade, or any other dip you have lying around. But were they as good as Indian restaurant naan? Sorry, but no. I think making naan is better left to the professionals!

that's what he said . #4

This is what happened when he got ahold of my iPad. "Oooh, forward facing camera!"

Larry is extremely fair-skinned and burns easily. The other day as we were driving, we were passed by a convertible, top down, old geezer frolicking in the joy of the wind through his hair...

Larry: If I had a convertible, there'd be nothing left of me but a piece of ash on the seat!

an evening at wolf trap

There's nothing quite like sitting outside swimming in your own ass sweat while sitting on a wooden folding seat listening to a summer concert. Of course when it's 100 degrees out, the fun part of sitting outside quickly diminishes. Despite this weekend's heat wave, however, we braved the hellish temps ("it's not the heat, it's the humidity!") for an evening at Wolf Trap on Saturday night.

Wolf Trap is "America's National Park for the Performing Arts." It's located in Vienna, Virginia and is a great venue - you can sit out on the the lawn and bring your own picnic meal (this isn't a tailgating beer-chugging kind of place - instead, people bring gourmet picnics and wine) and listen to music with your toes in the grass.

I've been going to Wolf Trap every summer since I was a small child to see my cousin in concert and listen to the music I grew up with. (Plus music from her new album, Hard Bargain.) It's a great family tradition and it's fun to see all the family while they're in town - even if it is only brief backstage visit after the show.

People often ask me if musical talent runs in the family. If it does, it didn't reach me. (Though I did make All-County Chorus in seventh grade. Does that count?)

I love listening to music though, and I've probably mentioned before that Larry is a lover of music. (It seems there should be a word for someone like this? Musicophile?) Anyway, Larry is like the wikipedia of music trivia.

We've seen some other great shows at Wolf Trap, too - last summer we saw Willie, and we're hoping to see Big Head Todd and the Monsters in September. We first saw BHTATM together at Red Rocks while vacationing in Colorado in 2005, so it's kind of a tradition of ours to see them in concert whenever they're playing nearby.

10 pm snack

Oh yeah, Ricotta Fritters. Fried and dusted drenched with powdered sugar.

These were my reward for spending the evening working on a home improvement project that we started a year ago. Spackling, sanding, painting, frying, stuffing face. (Still working on getting over my fear of frying...didn't even freak out too much when the oil temp spiked to 400 degrees and everything started sputtering and crackling.)

So delicious.