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Stephanie’s gifts
2007-11-05 23:38:00
So here are the gifts I sent my good friend Stephan ie-doo-dah. She’s my crafting guinea pig - she gets all the prototypes. The little bird (filled with catnip and bells) and coasters are from the book Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson (awesome book - you can find my review here.) The apron is from an Indygo Junction pattern, and the slippers were made from a pattern on crochetme.com. You can just search for “mary janes” - there are lots of patterns available online.
More About: Stephanie

Jerry’s kids
2007-11-05 04:55:00
I saw our firefighters out in the street the other day doing their annual fill-the-boot collection for Jerry ’s kids. I couldn’t remember what the disease was that those telethon’s benefit. At first I thought it was cerebral palsy, but I looked it up when I got home, and it’s muscular dystrophy. When I first saw them, I thought it was for the California Wildfire Relief fund. I bet lots of people did. Even if they didn’t, how can we refuse to put a couple dollars in those boots that have been saving our hides for weeks now? I hope they raised a crap load of money.
More About: Kids

Happy Birthday, Steph!
2007-11-04 00:58:00
Today is my very good friend Stephanie’s birthday. I am so glad she was born and that I get to be her friend. She is a blessing to me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. Thanks for being my friend, dude! Have an awesome birthday!
More About: Happy , Birthday , Happy Birthday

fire damage
2007-11-04 00:55:00
We drove down the freeway today through a couple of the towns that really saw a lot of fire damage. Wow! Awful. It really showed me how hard the firefighters worked to save homes. There were ridges and hills totally burned with a house sitting right in the middle with no fire damage. During the bulk of the fire coverage, I saw quite a few news segments where the firetrucks were sitting in peoples driveways, just waiting for the fire so they could spray it away. I guess it worked. There were a couple nurseries that had fire damage on all sides, but the orchards of palms and ficus trees were okay. Scary stuff. Let me just say again how grateful I am that we weren’t affected. There’s still a fire burning about 25 miles from us. It’s mostly contained, but there was a lot of smoke in the air yesterday. It just reminds me not to get complacent. And that I really need to get renters insurance and check out a term life insurance quote sooner than later. Count your blessings!
More About: Fire , Damage

heels, schmeals
2007-11-04 00:42:00
My friend Stephanie and I were talking about high heels and how we’ve damaged our feet so much, we are unable to wear them anymore. I used to waitress in character shoes - running around for hours on wood floors, up and down stairs, and I danced in a live show three times a night. This was a family place - it was a nice clean show. Anyway, my feet hurt, but more like, “man, I’m glad to get out of these shoes.” Not, “man, I couldn’t take another step if my life depended on it.” So anyway, now, I’m always on the lookout for comfortable shoes, but not comfortable to the point of prescription orthopedic. Enter Dansko Shoes. I love their Myla and Courtney shoes. Perfect with jeans, adds a little height to my squatty 5′2″ frame. Even better, Dansko offers free shipping on orders over $100. So if you have falling arches like me, and your feet ache as soon as you plant them on the floor in the morning, check out Dansko.
More About: Heels , Eels , Meal

My little Indian
2007-11-02 07:10:00
Man, this kid is cute. Feast your eyes, people. I got him in this costume with some smooth mommy wrestling moves. There were tears, but we powered through. Long enough to get a few pictures before the sun went down. He ended up trick or treating in khakis and a white shirt with his Indian headband. But that’s okay. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

Stand down, potato masher
2007-11-02 06:29:00
If you’ve read any of this blog, you’ve probably gleaned a little knowledge about my love of carbs. Specifically, noodles and potatoes in just about any form. But their must be a leader on this island, and I have elected the mashed potato as king of all other carbs. Although, truly, I’d never vote anyone off the island. When I was little, I remember my dad mashing the potatoes with the metal masher that kind of looks like a fist. This was hard work. My sister and I would peel, my mom would cut and boil, and my dad would mash and season, often breaking a sweat from the exertion. This is probably where potato flakes gained popularity - but any true lover of mashed potatoes knows that those paltry flakes could never really replace the king. I used to use a hand-mixer. This is effective, but only if you’ve cooked the potatoes really well so that they break down easier. If you chose red potatoes, you’re probably going to have lumps. I don’t claim to kn...
More About: Potato , Stand , Mash

Time to vacate
2007-11-02 05:42:00
So our vacation is looming. On one hand, I’m super excited to see my family, get my husband away from his horribly demanding job, and see UCF play. I’m also kind of excited about my two spa treatments. On the other hand, I’m worried about our cats. I’m also worried because we haven’t really done any budgeting and planning for the expenses, we’re just kind of going. We know this is not smart, but if we wait until we can afford everything, we’d never go anywhere. So basically, it’s exciting now, but after we return there will be many regrets about our credit card debt. C’est la vie, right?
More About: Time

Greeting Cards scholarship opp
2007-11-01 22:35:00
There’s a greeting card company offering a college scholarship for creating greeting card. Isn’t that cool? They are running a $10,000 Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest for high school and college kids. The Gallery Collection sells things like Corporate Christmas cards, personal holiday cards and assorted other greeting cards. I know I’ve seen quite a few cards and thought, “I could have made that.” So here’s my chance, right? Sadly, I’m not eligible because I’m not a high school or college student (you have to have been enrolled during the latter half of 2007). But I thought this greeting cards scholarship contest would be a great opportunity for budding designers because you can submit your artwork. So, all you Illustrator gurus, get your drawing chops ready. The contest runs until Jan. 15. I’m pretty sure everyone could use $10,000 for school. Submissions can also have original photographs. How cool would that be? To ...
More About: Cards , Greeting Cards

Presidential Primaries
2007-11-01 22:14:00
Does anyone else think it’s weird that some states will have the primaries on different days? Like Wyoming - they’re having the Republican primary on Sat., Jan. 5, and the Democratic primary on Sat., March 8. While it’s cool that they’re having Saturday elections, which I think all states should do, does this mean that your political party won’t be secret anymore? I know a lot of people don’t care these days, but I think a lot of people still do. I think voting is a very private thing. Well, not for me personally. I’ll tell anyone in earshot how I feel - which is probably annoying. But for some people, I think it’s right up there with salary information and medical histories. I’m getting these dates from the NY Times, by the way. I’ve been talking about the primaries on my other blog, InformedVoter2008.com, but since it doesn’t really have any readers (although my page rank just moved up to 1!), I wanted to solicit so...
More About: Presidential , Primaries , Resident , Prim

luxuries
2007-11-01 02:25:00
Does anyone know anything about blueray discs? Is this something I need to care about? I was updating my netflix list today, and noticed which discs were available in blueray. I’m pretty happy with my $25 DVD player from costco, and my two VCRs from the mid 1990s. I’m always eyeing fancy stuff like Bose home theater systems. I think that’s the only kind of high-tech AV equipment I would invest in. How cool is that remote that works through the walls? Bose is pretty cool. And what about HDTV? Do I need to worry about that? My friend Sara says it’s never going to happen - where all the networks switch to HD. But I think it’s already happening. I just can’t really tell the difference. No matter what, I’ll probably always leave the captions on. I know that’s weird, but I swear TV is so much better with the captions. Fancy home theater system or not.

vertical blinds
2007-10-31 23:03:00
I’m really not crazy about vertical blinds. It seems like every house and apartment I’ve lived in has had either vertical blinds or the regular skinny little horizontal plastic blinds. I hate all of these. I want curtains. I want plantation shutters. I want a home of my own that I can decorate. There are so many cool options these days. Not just for blinds, but for cool drapery poles with fun finials. As I get better at sewing, I hope I’m acquiring the skills needed to create some custom draperies for our home. One day we’ll have our own, and I’m going to make it nice. With no vertical blinds.
More About: Blinds , Vertical , Vert

Fear of fire
2007-10-31 22:52:00
I now have a serious fear of fire. Add that to the list that previously only included escalators and being caught without my glasses, and I’m turning into a scaredy cat. These wildfires really did a number on me. We were so lucky - only one fire even came close to us, and they put it out in an hour. I’m not sure if this is insensitive to make this comparison, but as I’ve been watching the news the last two weeks - which have been nothing but fire coverage, I’ve felt the same way I did after 9/11 and Katrina. That feeling of helplessness and sadness. I’m so sad for the people that lost their homes. I’m so concerned about the firefighters that have been (essentially) working non-stop. The only thing I’m grateful for is that there is no arbitrary country to blame and go to war with. But it is crazy that many of the fires were started by arsonists. What kind of depraved person does that? Anyway, I’d like to just escape. Stay in a beautiful...
More About: Fire , Fear

Craft Book Reviews
2007-10-31 22:38:00
(For my book count, these books are #59-#63. I wasn’t sure whether I should count them in my goal towards 100 books for the year, but since I’ve read them cover to cover more than once, I figured they should count.) I love pattern books.The easier the pattern, the better the book! So here are a few of my favorites, if you’re interested in sewing and quilting, check them out. This first book, Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol, is awesome for the beginning seamstress. I’ve already made two of the purses in here. The directions are really easy to follow, the patterns are easy to cut out. There’s lots of room for personal interpretation, but Amy also provides everything you need if you want to create exactly what she’s made. Fun project, great gift ideas - I really really recommend this book. The author has a super cool blog called Angry Chicken, and she’s also set up a fun flickr group where peo...
More About: Reviews , Book Reviews , Book , Craft

Sustainable Christmas
2007-10-31 21:45:00
Trying to live green? I know we are, and it’s not always easy. I’ve been looking for some different ideas and best practices, and here are a few ideas: Reuse wrapping paper, gift boxes and gift bags. If the paper is too wrinkled, use it as packing material to pad your presents. Doesn’t that sound festive? Use other things for wrapping paper - like newspaper or fabric. Ask department stores for their gift boxes, and then don’t wrap them at all. Have your kids color on them. Or cover them with Christmas stamps (like rubber stamps) or stickers. I have this big coloring/painting pad that my almost-two year old colors in. I tear out the used pages and use them as wrapping paper. Let’s face it, he’s really just scribbling, so I’m not going to save every sheet in a scrapbook, and this is a nice treat for the grandparents. The biggest point here is to try to reuse anything you can, and to be sure to recycle any paper products you receive. This year...
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I am the cure
2007-10-26 22:56:00
Last Sunday, I walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure . My friends and family donated money, and together, we raised $166 for the Komen foundation! I had grand ideas of running the 5k - which I feel is well within my capabilities, but I’ve been battling some kind of crazy flu/sinus disaster, and it just wasn’t happening. But with pocket full of cough drops and some bottled water, I walked it just fine. This leads me to my real point. I feel like I’m never going to lose any weight. I am so unmotivated about it. I go to the gym basically so I can keep eating what I want. This is not the formula for weight loss. I care, but I don’t. I care enough to keep going to the gym. But I don’t care enough to not eat pumpkin pie. I LOVE pumpkin pie. I use Cool Whip light on top - that helps, right? Anyway, my dad gave me some hoodia - weight loss pills. I think they are an appetite suppressant. But, I can’t take them because it says don’t take if y...
More About: The Cure

Perfection
2007-10-26 22:46:00
I just got home from JoAnns fabric, where I had somewhat of a run in with this mean woman. I was at the register, trying to get the cashier to honor my 50% off coupon, while she was explaining that if I wanted to use it for cut fabric, I needed the fabric cutting ladies way in the back of the store to put it on my fabric slip. Blah blah blah, so while I’m discussing the fairness of this with her, my son is (for the most part) staying right next to me. He takes two steps into the aisle and almost gets mowed down by a woman pushing a shopping cart. I give a loud, sharp intake of breath as I grab my son’s arm and yank him towards me and safety. He starts to cry because I scared him. I tell the cashier I’ll use the coupon another day and to just wrap things up. She apologizes and launches into a story about the JoAnns she worked at in Montana or whatever and meanwhile, my son is acting a little inconsolable. While I’m talking to him, trying to calm him down, I sa...
More About: Perfection

Where’s my extinguisher?!
2007-10-24 07:06:00
Man, fire is scary. So far, it hasn’t come knocking on our door, but say a prayer for my SoCal neighbors. And donate a little change to Red Cross, there’s a million displaced people here so far. Useful Links: Fire Map courtesy of KPBS Red Cross Wildfire Safety site

NukeFree.org
2007-10-19 23:09:00
We have to be vigilant. Even if distrust of our politicians is pervasive, we’re not powerless. It’s easier than ever to write your Representatives and your Senators. Don’t wait. How sad that anyone would allow a blank check for something as unproven as nuclear energy, when SCHIP fails again. Don’t let it happen. Take Action: Sign the No Nukes petition by October 22! Contact your Representatives here. Urge them to “REMOVE THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY LOAN GUARANTEES FROM THE PENDING ENERGY BILL.” Contact your Senators here. Urge them to “REMOVE THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY LOAN GUARANTEES FROM THE PENDING ENERGY BILL.” BTW, Bonnie Raitt wails. She’s freakin’ awesome.
More About: Efree

The nicest compliment
2007-10-19 22:24:00
There is one blog that I love above all others. It’s called Breakdown in the Fastlane, and it’s hysterical, sad, thought-provoking, moving, and everything else that good writing can be. I read lots and lots of blogs, and there are many that I return to (like Deborah’s and Allison’s), but I read Lin’s the most regularly and with relish. So when she left me this compliment the other day, I felt that I needed to take a little time to really savor it. I know she visits my blog, because she often leaves her little bits of wit for me. But to think she would go so far as to recommend my little blog to someone else. It’s the height of happiness for me. Thanks for the kind words, Lin!

Credit Cards
2007-10-19 19:51:00
I know the rules. I see the problems. But I can’t seem to break the cycle. We pay them all off, we run them back up, we pay them off, etc. It sure is a slippery slope. Mostly because we’re not saving what we should. If we had less credit card payments, we could save more. Balance transfers and other tactics allow you to save on interest, if you do it right, but they’re just a band aid. Clearly, spending is the big issue. My husband and I are both impulse buyers with very little use for delayed gratification. If you’re looking to build credit, it pays to research your options. I like Suze Orman’s books. It also pays to look for best buy credit cards, or cards that offer the best deals. This might seem obvious, but I know lots of people with credit cards high APRs and annual fees. Why? Who knows? I hope to break this trend with our son. I want him to know all about credit cards and the importance of saving long before he gets to college and everyone and t...
More About: Credit Cards , Credit , Cards

hobbies
2007-10-19 19:39:00
My husband is always saying he needs a hobby. I’m not sure when he thinks he’ll do this hobby, because he’s always at work, driving to or from work, or sleeping. He enjoys golf, but doesn’t get to play as often as he’d like. He likes to go to hobby shops and dream of having one of those kinds of hobbies. Making models, RC airplanes, or model trains. He takes our son (who is almost two) and then makes purchase for said son that are completely age-inappropriate. He came home with a radio controlled helicopter once and was so excited to take it to the park near our house and play with it. Our son was very excited too. Well, the thing is that he bought an inexpensive, small helicopter. Good plan when you’re trying out a new hobby. Bad plan when you have Santa Ana winds to contend with. On the helicopter’s inaugural flight, the wind captured it and carried it away, over the fence surrounding the park and into this scrub grass valley - a good 500 ...
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Laziness
2007-10-19 19:27:00
I am a lazy person. I do most things at about a 70% effort level. Maybe less. I rationalize everything, which probably lowers my effort level (except for the level of effort involved in creating the rationalization.) BUT, I accomplish a lot. This baffles me. My husband seems to think I am a creative genius, and that eventually, I will pay off. He thinks I have some great talents that if I only applied them in the right areas, we’d be rich. I try to tell him that I’m just too lazy to realize any kind of real success, but he doesn’t listen. He also thinks we should put our son in commercials. My husband sees cash cows everywhere. I don’t know where I’m going with this. I guess my point is that I joined the quilting guild, and volunteered for a couple jobs: PR Chairperson and Newsletter Editor. These are positions for which I am trained and skilled. However, the guild people seem to think I have bitten off more than I can chew. Perhaps. I have been known t...

Street Safe
2007-10-18 22:43:00
My husband likes ninjas. He likes to shout “Krav Maga!” and pretend to hit things. It’s all a show. The only actual hand-to-hand combat training he’s had is the same training I’ve had. About three hours of instruction at basic training (I got to flip someone!). But its still fun to play like he’s a ninja. And he’s teaching our son these “moves”. So we got this video from AAA-Safe ty First, a website that sells self defense product. The cover is a little deceiving. I thought it was going to be instructions on how to be street smart - like, “don’t talk to strangers.” I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s actually pretty cool. The instructor, Steve Vunak, goes through eight simple moves to get you out of almost any dangerous situation. These moves are so simple that size, strength and training become non-issues. As a smallish (well, not skinny, but short) female, I feel like I could execute all of th...
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I found more coupons
2007-10-15 21:42:00
Okay, people. You know I’m a fan of the online coupon code. I like shopping online. Mostly because there is not a lot of the normal inconveniences of shopping. Namely, a squirmy almost-two-year old, his toys, his sippy cup, his shopping cart cover, wipies, and pacifier. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Not to mention how much he hates shopping in the places I love to shop - i.e., every fabric and book store in my county. Anyway, so I shop online. And before I check out, I always check for coupon codes, because you never know when you’ll find a good one. Enter NCNatural.com, and excellent resource for online coupons. The site is so simple - online merchants are listed alphabetically, so you can scroll right to the store you want and check for current deals. Looking for Dell coupons? Check under “D”. Joann Fabric coupons - my favorite? Listed right under “J”. Too easy. The site is updated daily, and I’ve never seen an expired code....
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Saturday happenings
2007-10-14 05:53:00
I’m way behind on my book reviews. Like about 10 books behind. But let me just say that if you liked the Traveling Pants books, definitely read Ann Brashares new book, The Last Summer (of You and Me). The title is a little long and unnecessary, but the rest is excellent. Her first adult book. Loved it. Here’s a much better review than I have time or inclination to write. By the way, that blog I linked to, Books Are Pretty, is excellent. Great reviews that always start with a very funny, often unrelated intro. Today, my football team (University of Central Florida) got their asses handed to them. 57 to 12. By USF of all schools. The annoying upstart football team formed 20 years after us, and already ranked #5 in the nation. Lame. Lots of mistakes, but I’m confident UCF will rally and win the rest of the season. Go Knights! I started a new quilt today. The pattern is from Denyse Schmidt’s book Quilts, and it’s coming along nicely. I’m using Moda ch...
More About: Saturday , Happenings

Wealth Expo
2007-10-13 04:15:00
From Oct. 19 - 20, investors and entrepreneurs are invited to attend this year’s Wealth Expo , sponsored by MyWallSt.net: Your Financial Social Network. This three-day conference, located at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, features keynote speeches from well-known investment professionals including Money Coach Jean Chatzky, seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Founder, CEO, and Chief Analyst of Wall Street Strategies, Charles Payne, and CNBC Senior Analyst Ron Insana. Also included are exhibitions by some of the largest public and private companies in the world, and opportunities to network like no other investment seminar today. The seminar schedule really includes something for every type of investor. If you’re an entrepreneur looking for a wise business venture, seminars like “Building a Unique Energy Business” presented by Provident Energy Trust, and “Top Five Things to Consider Before You Buy A Franchise” presented by Colleen De Baise of Sma...

Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize
2007-10-13 03:36:00
Woo hoo! Congrats, Mr. Gore . Thanks for continuing to raise awareness about global warming! Read all about it here.
More About: Peace , Al Gore , Nobel Peace Prize , Wins

North Carolina
2007-10-10 21:50:00
Something funny is going on. I guess since I’ve been talking about our upcoming vacation to Alabama and North Carolina so much on here, it seems the folks at PayU2Blog think this is a North Carolina blog. By posting this link for Raleigh personal injury attorneys, I have now completed four North Carolina-related sponsored posts. Let’s just hope I don’t need the services of those attorneys on my vacation!

Playground etiquette
2007-10-09 22:42:00
We went to our favorite park today. There seemed to be more kids than usual. My first thought was that it was a little chaotic - what with at least ten kids between ages 2 and 4 running, climbing, screaming and laughing all over the toddler play structure. Their mothers seemed to be divided into two camps. The fit, attractive, cool moms wearing sunglasses and military style caps sitting around the edge of the play area, talking with each other. The less fit, less fashionable moms walking around keeping their kids within eyesight. I’m not sure why it was divided so, but I’m just the observer of the story. So a little boy (aged 2.5 years, I heard his mom say later) barrelled around the twisty slide, chasing a little girl of probably 3.5 years. The little girl kept saying, “no! no!” as the little boy pushed her from behind. She was clearly trying to get away. She ran up the big stairs of the structure, and he was right on her heels. She turned around once more t...
More About: Etiquette , Playground