Snippets and Blabbery

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

the cop is a stripper
2008-06-09 21:39:00
I know this is a little dated now, but it’s too funny to pass up.  
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Shirring
2008-06-09 04:19:00
My next project (thanks, Kukyideas, for the great tutorial): http://www.kukyideas.com/journal/2007/04/ shirred-dress-tutorial.html Now - where do I get this elastic thread? I checked Joanns today and the girl didn’t know what the heck I was talking about. Anyone know? I did my first tshirt surgery today - photos coming soon!

web skills
2008-06-07 04:55:00
I somehow became the webmaster for my quilt guild and I learned a new skill! The day before our quilt show this year, we’re hosting Eleanor Burns and her USO Quilt Show. I set it up so we can sell tickets on our website! This may not sound like a big deal, but I didn’t know how to do it, and I learned as I went, and it works great. I also created all the artwork - including the tickets and the web graphics. Next, we’ll tackle the show poster. In the mean time, I’ve also made some business cards (I got a great deal on printing from printrunner.com) for the guild - so members can hand them out at events or to people they meet in shops or whatever - anyone that’s interested. Here’s what I’ve learned. I have skills. The things that I’m doing for free other people charge a lot of money for. Each month, I create the guild’s newsletter and upload it to the website. I even make a cool little thumbnail of the front page for the link. I f...
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This American Life
2008-06-07 04:22:00
I know - I go on and on about This American Life . But they’re doing a little drive for donations because they’re trying to keep the free podcasts - that half a million people download every week - from costing Public Radio International any money. So I’m happy to pay a couple bucks to keep it free. But the reason I’m telling you about the fundraiser is that if you donate $20, you get a CD with the Giant Pool of Money show (the one about the mortgage crisis). I know a lot of people loved it as much as I did, and wanted to share it with people that don’t listen to podcasts (like my dad), so I thought I’d spread the word. If you’re feeling extra generous, you can also get the New Kings of Nonfiction - which is excellent! I read it cover to cover.

applique complete!
2008-06-07 03:46:00
My friendship group is making an applique apron quilt for the auction at our annual quilt show. We all made two blocks. I finally finished the embellishments on mine - I kept them pretty simple, but I’m happy with the results. The apron patterns are from Lori Holt’s Apron Club pattern. I don’t think she has a website, but I’ve seen her patterns in a few online shops. The cup and cupcake were embroidery patterns in Sublime Stitching. I decided to applique them first, then embroider over them. I had a few problems because I doubled the white fabric so my print fabric wouldn’t show through - made it hard to stitch, but I think it’s alright. Once the whole thing is assembled and it’s been washed, I know they’ll be great.
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where do I begin…
2008-06-07 03:34:00
So much has been happening. Obama clinches the nomination, So You Think You Can Dance started, I made lots of crafts and food, my son started saying things like “that’s enough, Mommy!” and “just leave it!” Whew. I’ve been avoiding the blog…too much to say. Well, let’s start at the beginning. First, I’ve been a little wary to claim victory for Barack - Hillary has 17 million reasons to hold out until the convention, and I wouldn’t put it past her. But I did receive my cool Obama magnet (my gift for donating), so that’s exciting. I also got my super awesome Shepard Fairey stickers from Sticker Robot, but because of they’re VERY permanent sticking capabilities, I’ve been a little gun shy about sticking them on anything. Not to be too much of a bandwagon fan, but as soon as Barack’s nomination is a little more set in stone, I plan to put the first on on my sewing machine. It’s decidedly naked in ...

running
2008-05-30 17:03:00
Did I tell you that I made it to the gym the other day? We got up on a Monday, had a small breakfast and headed to the newer gym that just opened near my house. I brought William to the kids club - their little babysitting facility, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the kids club at the new gym is almost twice the size of the one at the older gym. There were a lot of kids, but because of all the space, everyone seemed happy and occupied - coloring, playing dinosaurs, watching Dora. William walked right in, picked up a bull dozer and started playing. I headed out to the floor and had a nice 45 min. workout. I jogged and walked on a treadmill, used the ellipticals, did a bunch of crunches and girl pushups and stretched. It was wonderful. I went to get William and he seemed happy, albeit ready to go. The next day, we get to the gym and we’re heading into the main doors and he moves behind me and gives me a little shove, saying, “you go, mommy, I’ll stay here....
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speaking of airlines…
2008-05-30 16:47:00
Um, what’s the deal with tsa locks anyway? Our luggage came with them but they seem kind of strange to me. I guess I don’t really understand the concept. Are they locks that keep the airline employees and other strangers out but allow the TSA in? Does that mean that all TSA agents have something like a skeleton key and they can open them? Well, I’ve worked for a few government agencies in my day, and I think it’s pretty safe to assume that not just the TSA can open those locks. Hang on, I’m going to look this up on wiki just to see if I’m on the right track. Even better, this is from the TSA website: TSA screens every passenger’s baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While our technology allows us to electronically screen bags, there are times when we need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal “master” keys so ...
More About: Airlines , Speaking

Vegas, baby!
2008-05-30 16:33:00
Well, it’s official. I’m going to Vegas . We got a discount code for the Wynn, so we’re going for four days. It just so happens my good friend Steph is headed there for a super-fishing convention, so we’re going at the same time as her with the hopes of stealing her away from the anglers for a little while. I think we’re going to opt for driving vacations that don’t require travel insurance for a while since the airlines are going mad with greed and nickle and diming passengers to death. Did I already blog about this? I was just going to tell you how we’re trying to get my husband’s high-roller boss to go to Vegas at the same time so we can take advantage of some of his comps, but he never decides if he’s doing anything until the last minute. Him going is about the only way my husband will get to play golf on the Wynn’s course since it’s so expensive - $350-$400 for greens fees!!! This all feels like deja vu…I...
More About: Baby

Warning - Debbie Downer post…
2008-05-24 21:30:00
When I became a Christian in my early 20s, it was mainly because of music. My sister gave me a Susan Ashton tape (that’s right, a tape) for Christmas one year, and it spoke to me. Then I started listening to Nichole Nordeman, Jennifer Knapp, Cademon’s Call and lots of others. Especially Steven Curtis Chapman. It was through the music of these awesome singer/songwriters that I came to have a strong faith of my own. I can only imagine how the Chapman’s faith is being tested now. I was so sad to hear about the tragedy in his family - here’s an excerpt from the That’s Really Week blog by Lyndsey Parker: Maria Sue Chapman, the 5-year-old daughter of Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman, was accidentally, tragically struck and killed Wednesday by an SUV driven by her teenage brother. How does a family deal with that? Yeesh. So sad. Maria Sue was the third daughter that the Chapman’s have adopted from China. Which makes me think of all the families...
More About: Post , Warning , Debbie

gems on the web
2008-05-24 04:19:00
Some new and excellent web finds for the crafty: Feeling Stitchy - embroidery galore Redwork in Germany - check out that log cabin quilt! Doggedknits’ quilts on Flickr - beautifully crafted AND photographed. I aspire to this. This month’s Real Simple had these cute little cocktail napkins that had fortunes on them. I went to the website, and it turns out it was an Etsy shop - Avril Loreti! How awesome is that. A national magazine - great press for all Etsy sellers because even though only one product was highlighted, how could a shopper turn away from all the rest of that handmade goodness? By the way, her ideas on coctail napkins and heat transfers are super creative and wonderful. I will be copying them (for personal use, of course) very soon. If you’re not shopping on Etsy yet, you’re missing out.
More About: Gems

new 90210
2008-05-24 02:40:00
Um, am I that old? That the show I watched growing up is now being remade? Well, whatever. You know I’m going to watch this trashy show. It looks like the OC meets that crazy Palm Springs show. Love it! Cast looks cool - except for the teacher character played by Ryan Eggold. I really hope there’s no teacher/student lovin’ happening at West Beverly. We’ve got a big enough problem with that in the old US as it is.

baby showers…
2008-05-24 01:27:00
My best friend’s brother and sister-in-law are having a baby, and she asked me for ideas for the baby shower. First of all, I love baby showers! Bring on the boxed wine! Just kidding. Kind of. Actually, this one is a little wierd for me because said brother was my first love. It’s not weird because I harbor ANY feelings other than friendship for the guy, but I was not invited to their wedding - even though there has been no romance between me and him for a good 10 years. I think they’ve been married for two years or so now. The wife is a lot younger - in fact, she was their little sister’s best friend. That’s weird too. So anyway, back to the baby shower. Here are my favorite games: Guess the poop: Fill diapers with mysterious substances and have shower guests guess at the contents. Melted snickers is my fav. How big is she?: tear off squares of TP approximating the girth of the preggo girl. Bait and Switch: Have the guest of honor carry a tray of baby...
More About: Baby , Showers

new themes
2008-05-23 19:49:00
I’m testing out some new themes, trying to solve the problem of my blog looking fab in firefox and totally sucky in IE. I was hoping that I could just change the theme, and whatever weird code problem existed would just disappear. I should have known better. For your info, this site looks MUCHO better-o when viewed in Firefox. But that’s not your problem, is it. You should be able to view this site in any browser you choose - making it look good is my problem. Apparently, it’s my BIG problem. I wish it was just a lighting problem. But no, it’s some crazy coding problem. And since I just fumble my way through code, I can’t figure it out. Blerg.
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Idle thoughts on Idol
2008-05-22 09:07:00
I really loved Brooke singing with Graham Nash. What a treat. So much more pleasurable that watching Brooke dance! I hated Jordin Sparks gold dress. I totally loved Gladys Knight and the “pips” - my eternal love for Robert Downey Jr. is validated once again. Those were really the only highlights for me. I fast forwarded most of it. Oh yeah, I thought Syesha outsang Donna Summer, which (along with Donna’s wig) made me a little sad. I liked the George Michael tribute at the end - mostly because I love those songs. Especially Freedom. Chikeze is pretty awesome. I’ll buy his music on iTunes. I feel bad for the choreographer of the national tour…he’s got a tough road ahead. I think only three or four of those top 12 have any natural rhythm. Was Paula crying for George Michael? She’s so corny. She’s like the craziest fan girl of them all. As for the winner, I’m not going to post it, just in case you haven’t watched your Tivo yet...
More About: Thoughts , Idol

I heart podcasts
2008-05-19 00:52:00
Jay left me a nice comment explaining that she also enjoys podcasts while sewing. I was going to just reply to her comment, but I was going on and on, so I figured I should make a post about it. To me, listening to a good podcast while sewing (or driving or grocery shopping when I’m alone) is like heaven. Especially if it’s good. I feel the same about a good audio book, although, I’ve been picking duds lately. So I thought I’d share all my favorite podcasts with you. I hope you’ll share a favorite here too if you don’t see it listed! I included links to most of their websites, but I get all my podcasts on iTunes. Here are my free favorites in the strictly audio category: This American Life Slate Political Gabfest The Moth PRI Selected Shorts New Yorker Fiction Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher My favorite video podcasts are Zaproot and Threadbangers. And sometimes, I love Veracifier, but I don’t like to subscribe anymore, because they ...
More About: Podcasts , I heart , Heart

WE Prepare
2008-05-18 08:58:00
It’s fire season again. Today it was 105 and the wind was blowing like crazy up in Rancho Cucamonga. That means it was blowing even crazier in places like Fontana. My husband’s coworkers had a bike ride planned tomorrow, but the park they were going to ride through was on fire today. Fire scares the crap out of me. So I’m prepared. Anyone can go to the California Volunteers WE Prepare website and prepare a family disaster plan. I did the whole thing. It’s really cool - especially for people with kids. You fill in all the info and then you can save the .pdf, email it to family members (close and far) - it even has sample letters for your friends and family, particularly those you decide are your long-distance emergency contacts. Then you can print little wallet-sized copies of your plan so you can always carry it with you. Now, lets just hope I never need to use them! There’s also a printable book to help explain the emergency to your kids. Bottom line, ...

new sewing finds
2008-05-18 07:12:00
Guess how I found that awesome neighborhood in Historic Riverside. I was looking for a Singer Sewing shop. And I found it - in a nice lady’s garage in my favorite new neighborhood. I guess she owned a Singer repair and sales shop for a long time and retired, but kept selling from her converted garage, where she has an awesome Gammill long arm machine. It’s a really nice setup. Anyway, she was super helpful. I got a walking foot (finally), extra needles, and the all-important little key to open my bobbin case for cleaning. Her shop was a great find. The next closest Singer shop is over an hour away. They’re both pretty far, but this one is a little closer, and it a much more awesome neighborhood. Then I headed over to Joann’s and found a bunch of cool fabric, fun notions (like denim rivets and fancy buttons) and a ton of good white and black cotton pieces in the remnant bins. Which brings me to my real topic. Budgeting. David and I are going to follow the budg...

smart cars
2008-05-18 06:52:00
You know, we’re always looking at new stuff around here. I’m noticing that this is a real trend in my blog posts. Today, on our adventures, we passed a Smart Car dealership and a few Smart Cars on the freeway. I saw one that was a convertible! Very cool. And it must have been driving about 80, so they can go fast. For some reason, I thought they were like golf carts or something - but that’s dumb, right? Anyway, we were talking about how our neighbor should get one because she’s a surgical nurse in LA, and her commute is horrendous, and she drives some kind of sedan - like a chrysler or something. I was wishing we could get something like that, but it doesn’t even have a back seat. No room for a car seat. Pros: great gas mileage, super cool, fits into any space. I’m not one for spoilers, but it sure doesn’t seem very aerodynamic. But then, it’s not a jet, right?

anthropologie
2008-05-18 05:45:00
During our home shopping expedition, we stopped at Victoria Gardens mall. Its one of these new all-outside malls with mostly upscale shops. It would have been more fun if it hadn’t been 106 degrees outside, but we did manage to stop at Thomas Station - an all Thomas the train store, and Anthropologie . That place is an inspiration wonderland for sewing. There is so much cool stuff in there. We saw these fun vases, coasters and picture frames made from magazine pages rolled tightly into thin strips and glued together. First of all, great recycling. Second, I just know that those were made by some women using what they have to create something cool and how awesome that it’s being sold in this fancy store where t-shirts are $70! There was a bird cage made of fabric and wire that seemed so simple to make, but was really lovely. It was selling for $108! I’m sure I could make something similar. Lord knows I’ve got enough jewelry wire and fabric floating around my h...

more martha
2008-05-18 05:15:00
I have to say, too, that the Martha Stewart communities are in too few locations. We looked it up and they’re really only in about 10 places, none of which we are really in a position to move to. One thing I did notice was that the two communities in North Carolina are way more expensive than the communities in Southern California! That was very surprising. I wonder how much other stuff costs there - like gas or groceries or NC health insurance. I would think that we have the highest home prices in the nation - even in a desert area like Perris.

my new favorite neighborhood
2008-05-18 05:06:00
We’ve had a big weekend of house shopping. Well, window shopping for houses. Meaning that, as usual, we really have no intention of buying a house. BUT I found my dream neighborhood yesterday. Historic Riverside. I LOVE the houses. Today, I dragged my husband there - it’s a pretty good drive - and we saw one house for sale that was built in 1904. It was so gorgeous. I needed a lot of work, but wouldn’t that be fun? You know, if you had unlimited funds and perhaps some architectural and interior design expertise :) We have none, of course. The dreamy part about this neighborhood is really the trees. Just imagine, the trees have been growing in that neighborhood for 100 years also! I just love it. There’s even a kind of creepy cemetery right in the middle of the downtown area. It’s awesome. Then, in the opposite extreme, we found a KB Home Martha Stewart community in Perris. Suprisingly, Perris is one of the most undesirable areas around here. (No offense...
More About: Favorite , Neighborhood

Edwards endorses Obama!
2008-05-15 01:01:00
Hooray! That’s all I wanted to say about that. Here’s a link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on _el_pr/obama_edwards  
More About: Obama , Edwards

joy is…
2008-05-14 08:03:00
A blog full of awesomely-talented crafters! Some of my favorite craft/sewing bloggers and some that are new to me (hooray - new treasure!) have teamed up and created a virtual quilting bee. They’re calling themselves Common Threads, and there are links to their individual blogs as well as the chronicling of their bee projects, which are just getting started. I can’t wait to see what these girls cook up. Keep the pictures coming, girls!

mortgage woes explained. finally.
2008-05-14 07:43:00
As renters, my husband and I have been a little unclear on what all the hubbub is with the mortgage crisis. The other day, we saw a headline on the paper that said, “Crisis seeps into prime mortgages”…I took that to mean even people with 30-year fixed mortgages at reasonable interest rates were defaulting on their loans. Is this accurate? I don’t know, but my husband believed me :) Our landlord owns a few other properties. One of them went vacant and he cleaned it and listed it on Craigslist on a Friday. He was telling me that he had 60 people show up to see it that Saturday. He spoke of how he felt terrible for the people because many of them were in foreclosure situations and desperate for an affordable place to live. My husband and I were talking about how it must be difficult for a landlord to be in that position - do you rent your property to someone who has shown credit-unworthiness? Even if it was in unfair circumstances? Well, the question of credit-...
More About: Mortgage , Finally

Here’s to the Mothers!
2008-05-10 19:38:00
A small photo salute to some of the mommies in my life… Here’s to my pretty mama, who I miss every day. That’s my awesome sister in the photo - who’s a heck of a mom also. Here’s to my super wonderful step-mom, Sandy. She puts up with my dad, and for that, she deserves a medal! Even better, she loves me. I’m a lucky girl. Here’s to Luchy, my lovely mother-in-law, who I’ve come to know and love and be supremely grateful for. Here’s to my Grandma Jo, the sweetest, most wonderful grandma on the planet. Here’s to my Grandma Grace, who died far too young and I’ve always missed knowing. Here’s to my dad’s mom, my Nana Petters who was my kindred spirit. She taught me a great love for matching shoes and handbags and Esther Williams movies. I never met my Great Grandmother Adelaide, but I know she was well loved. Here’s to Mama, David’s grandmother, who is feisty and funny and too far away. There are, ...
More About: Mothers

Lynette Anderson Designs
2008-05-09 22:22:00
As you all (all four of my faithful readers :)) know, I have been bitten by the embroidery bug. Pauline sent me this awesome link…Lynette Anderson Designs . A lot of her stuff leans towards primative - as in the style, not as in primative peoples or something - anyway, that’s not my thing. BUT, she’s got the cutest Noah’s Ark Block of the month patterns - she’s offering the PDFs for free, putting one out every month or so. I love the cows with the rainbow. Here’s the link. Thanks for sharing, Pauline! http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com / - just scroll down, the Noah’s Ark BOM link is on the bottom of the left column. If you do like primative designs, check out the rest of her stuff. I love some of the samplers! I’m always excited to see people taking their passion and turning it into a growing, profitiable business. Good luck, Lynette!

justtellmewhy.com
2008-05-08 03:25:00
Here is the potential to waste hours and hours arguing with strangers! Awesome! Check it out: http://justtellmewhy.com/ Finally, a place where I know my vote will count!

a new kind of exhibit
2008-05-07 21:56:00
Something cool (or really not cool) from Amnesty Intl. Check it out if it’s near you! Dear Blabby, Amnesty activists welcome the cell to Miami Find out where the cell will go next! In the face of impossible odds, your thousands of letters made a huge impact last week. On May 1st, Sami al Hajj was released from Guantánamo Bay prison after six and a half years in detention. Al Hajj was a focus of our write-a-thon in December and was adopted by Amnesty groups across the country. Sami was a journalist for the television station al-Jazeera. In 2002, he was assigned to cover the conflict in Afghanistan. While traveling in Pakistan, Sami al Hajj was stopped by Pakistani police and detained. He was handed over to U.S. forces, taken to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, and ultimately to Guantánamo He was never charged with a crime, yet was held and allegedly tortured for six years. Upon being released, Sami flew to Khartoum, Sudan. His health was in such bad condition th...
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can we build it?
2008-05-06 17:32:00
In addition to watching Bob the Build er on a seemingly endless loop (for no more than an hour a day), I’ve been getting some sewing done. I finished my Bow Tuck’s bag, thanks to the patient instruction from Marcy and excellent pressing by Lynn. Here’s a photo. Then, for inside, I made this fun little wallet. This cool wallet is from this pattern on craftster.com. I’ve sent it to my sister already - so she should get it in plenty of time for Mother’s Day. I also finally sent her the rice and lavender heating pad I made her for Christmas :) After I finished up the wallet - which came together in less than an hour(!), I made us some napkins for the house. I’ve been meaning to do this, but I always find something else to work on. But since we use paper towels for napkins around here, I figured I better get a move on. I had random Surf and Sand by Marcus Brothers fat quarters with no project in mind, so following Amy Karol’s pattern in Bend t...