Happy Zombie

I’ve been tagged by Cindy, Tiff and That Silly Lil’ Doe with a 7 random facts about me. I like so much the way Pam did hers, and then Elizabeth did hers… I’m going to carry on the idea! I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be random facts or weird random facts… either way, I’m weird and this is the short list.

1) I’m easily amused. Simple pleasures for simple minds??? I listen to Adam Carolla’s radio show in the mornings. In my house in OREGON, for best reception I listen to his show on the Seattle station. In the car, when I cross the river into WASHINGTON, for best reception I listen to his show on the Portland station. This amuses me to no end. I know I can listen online at home, but how amusing is that?

2) I love going to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned. It’s a Spa Day for my teeth. And when the hygienist reclines the chair back and my feet are higher then my head… PRESTO - instant tummy tuck for 30 glorious minutes!

3) I love the rain and stormy weather. Too much sunshine and I get reverse-SAD. I love sunshine for gardening, eating outside, outdoor quilt shows, picnics, campfires and camping… but I also need a good balance of cozy rain.

4) I love riding on a school bus. The bumpier the road the better. Hills and valleys… euphoria.

5) I can’t sit still. Even writing this post I think I’ve gotten up like eight times. I also need to keep my hands busy when I watch TV. If I didn’t quilt or do redwork, I couldn’t just sit there and watch (sans Lost… I totally focus on that). It’s why I think I don’t like going to movie theaters… because I can’t do handwork there (hey, you in the back… turn off the @#$%! Ottlite).

6) I hate going grocery shopping. BUT… once I’m there I linger. I read labels, smell shampoos, spend 10 minutes picking the best mushrooms, spend 15 minutes searching for the forgotten item I needed most (and still not find it only to remember what it was the minute I pull into my driveway).

7) I have favorite parking spaces at various establishments. When I find one of “my spots” open it’s like I won the lottery. Another example of #1.

I realize no one is reading my words as I’m sure you’re all under the influence of this yummy fabric and are currently in a cotton coma. I can almost hear, “get to the part about the fabric!”. This glorious stash of 30’s fabric belongs to my sister-friend Karen. You know you want it… I DO! I’m trying to catch up, so a lot more trips here are in order! I mentioned in an earlier post about the fun time we had folding these fabrics and that it was from Karen that I learned the cool folding method by Lois Hallock that changed my life. Lois’ book Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space is a MUST HAVE BOOK for anyone who creates with fabric. I BET there’s not a fabric lover out there who wouldn’t have been thrilled to help fold this! It truly was a privilege (and I’m tempted to sneak in and mess it up so we can do it again).

This is Karen’s new studio (I call it Casa de Washtub) and it’s a paradise! Heaven on earth. Karen and her studio are profiled in the Spring 2007 issue of Designers’ Quarters magazine. Don a bib… you’ll be drooling!

I’m lucky to be surround by such great women in my life. Amazing. Talented. Giving. Inspiring.

A huge shout-out and whoooooooo - whoooo goes to my wonder twin Pam! Yeah, see that quilt… the quilt of a million pieces of fabric expertly sewn into a beautiful quilt? Click on the image to see a larger photo. Yup… that’s our Pam who made that quilt for Alex’s newest book. Alex you know, doesn’t just ask ANYONE to make a quilt! When you want the best, you want PamKittyMorning! I’m so proud of you Pam!!!! I bow before thee oh Great One.

And speaking of Pam… when Pam and Elizabeth went to Market (you HAVE to go to their blogs to go on “a tour of Spring Market” to read and see all about it!), Pam brought me home a little goodie. Ok, not little… it was a really big deal to me… Pam got for me the latest book by Darlene Zimmerman AND had Darlene sign it. HOW SWEET to be thinking of me (while I was home scrubbing the floors while all my friends were at the ball in Salt Lake City)!

QUILTING - THE COMPLETE GUIDE  by Darlene Zimmerman is a book that should be on every quilters bookshelf! From beginner to expert… it’s a must have! Nicely spiral bound for easy reading and following along. Beautifully worded and beautiful illustrations by Darlene’s daughter Rachel. Aside from the fact that it’s packed with helpful info and tutorials… it’s so darn cute!

My talented and dear friend Robin made these ADORABLE 4-patches for Mimi and I can’t wait to make them into a small doll quilt (and then put it in Calamity Kim’s new Doll Quilt CrAzY flickr pool). Or will it be Mimi who makes it? All are vintage fabrics and sewn into tiny little 2” four-patches. I was giddy with joy when Robin gave them to me. Robin, who is blogless (and shouldn’t be) is a fabulous quilter and one of the sweetest kindest people I know. Chances are if you’ve learned to quilt or hand quilt and live in SW Washington or NW Oregon… Robin has taught you!

A pioneer of women in business and designing is Ruby Short McKim. Ruby truly blazed the trail for women in publishing and design. She’s worth reading about if you’re unfamiliar with her. I think Ruby’s biggest fan is my dear friend Melinda. Melinda not only made me this darling celery crisper, but I think she made close to 30 more of these! Melinda just finished her term as our guild president (she was awesome) and she thanked so many members with a darling celery or lettuce crisper she made us from a vintage Ruby McKim pattern. Can you imagine! I’d be pooped after making just one (and formulating a new plan to make something faster). WOW and how BEAUTIFUL!

I don’t have a photo, but if you have a copy of The Mag in your hot little hands, you can see the stunning and beautiful machine quilting my dear sister-friend Karen did on my cherry quilt (and you can also see in the issue on the Make Your Point quilt pattern that Karen is offering a kit for sale - how cool to share pages with her!). I don’t know how she does it. Designing new fabric, writing books, running a successful quilt shop (as seen in BH&G’s Quilt Sampler Fall 2006 edition), volunteering, teaching classes, cook her Bob dinner, traveling (I’m exhausted just thinking about her busy life)… she has time to do something so nice and so beautiful for me.

Amazing women!

Seriously… I received a sign! Not from God, not from the universe… but from Deanna of Domestic Chicky and The Apronista. This is so cool what she did for me and I had to learn more!

This looks so real! I thought FOR SURE Deanna had one of those long poles with the suction cup thingy at the end and on that busy street putting up the letters. And I’m no less thrilled to find out she did this from the comfort of her keyboard!

Do you have time to kill? Looking for a good time (that’s so PA Bob)? Do you have a zillion things to do that you’d like to put off so you can play? Check out RedKid.net! Thank you Deanna!

Things are really hopping at my house, and it’s really cutting into my blog-time! Ok, it’s all good, but my bloglines is lit up like a Festivas Tree and I’m itching to catch up with everyone’s blogs! DS has taken it upon himself to re-landscape our back yard, which is no easy task since we live on a hillside. DH and I have jumped on the band-waggon (though I’m working in a not so treacherous area of the yard, ie., with the potted plants and keeping the work crew happy with pancakes and pizza). Outside and in the sunshine non-rainy weather we’ve been having… make for glorious family time! My bloggy fun time and quilting/sewing have been neglected, as well as cooking, cleaning and the laundry (the latter not too unusual). And speaking of neglected… I’m learning fast I need to keep a closer eye on PA Bob and Mimi!

And NOW I KNOW why PA Bob has that grin on his face!

Thank you all for your wonderful and sweet comments on my Zombiversary. I’m still in awe, shock and delight that so many of you commented. I’m also so happy to see so many of you have delurked yourselves - and it’s so nice meet you! I’m also gushing over the comments you guys left on my mag post. I was thrilled when I found out I made cover, but nothing can top the sweet (and hilarious) cheers you guys sent me. When the mag hits the streets and I’m in line at Safeway - I’m going to be dying when I see it. Me. There. Right there. On the rack. I BET Oprah and Martha don’t get that joyous feeling in their stomach when they see themselves on the cover. So Oprah and Martha… I have something you don’t have. HA! I heart all you and thank you so, so, so, so much!

That’s right… this post is about the drawing and here I babble (again)…

Blindfolded and burger hand taped (we’re so hi-tech around here), PA Bob swished and swirled his burger hand in the bowl-o-bloggylove. It’s a good thing I added a second bundle since PA Bob picked two numbers! And those numbers belong to (drum-roll)….
39. The fabulous lindiepindie of Craft Apple!!!
and
92. The fabulous Michelle of MichelleSews!!!

Confetti!  Thank you all for participating.  I wish I could send each and every one of you something!  Hearts & Crafts - Monica  :)

It’s official… I’ve crapped my pants and my head’s exploded from mass expansion. My little cherry quilt made the cover!  Not to mention getting published by my favorite publisher isn’t cool enough as it is!

And the winner is… me! You guys are are all so nice and here I am being a smarty pants. For real though…

Friday night the ultra wonderful and uber sweet Paula of On A Rainy Night hosted a Scrabble Night instead of our usual “Craft Night” (aka Wine Night). What fun we had!  Being in Paula’s home is like being cuddled in Autumn. Like Paula herself, her home is warm, happy and cozy - and very hard to leave once you step foot in it. I had originally met Paula online when we both were in Jackie’s tea towel swap. I had gone to Paula’s blog and seen her photos of her neighborhood… and they looked so familiar. So very, very familiar! Turns out, Paula lives not only in my town - but in my neighborhood as well!  Wild, eh!  And look at the DARLING and clever treat Paula had for Kathleen, Wende and me to celebrate Scrabble Night!  Is she not toooo sweet!  I’m soooo lovin’ the bowl! And I’ve been trying so hard not to chow down on the A to Z Spaghettio’s while I waited for my camera battery to charge!  Thank you so much Paula!

Last week talented and sweet Carrie of Sommer Designs had a Mother’s Day gift give-away for three of her BEAUTIFUL Lavender Drawer Liners on her blog. Thinking, “I never win anything” but still wanted to post a comment just the same - I commented. The next thing I know… I get an email from Carrie saying I won one of the them! And now I gladly put the words “I never win anything” into the recycle bin!

Of course the best part was that is was from Carrie. She could have sent me a deflated balloon, with a hole in it and smeared with peanut butter… and I would have been dizzy with joy. Today my package from Carrie came. OMG does my house smell good. Fresh. Clean. Pretty. It doesn’t even smell like two golden retrievers and a smelly 15 year old boy live here anymore. It’s a magic lavender drawer liner I tell you. Magic. Beautiful. Thank you so much Carrie! And my guests and visitors thank you too!

WOW… you guys are awesome! I can’t tell you how happy and special you all make me feel with your sweet, sweet comments! I had no idea little ole me would get so many comments, and such sweet comments at that! I heart you all!

Because I was not expecting sooooooooo many comments… I’m going to add one day to my give-away and I’m going to add one more bundle (4 fat quarters and a panel of Wash Tub Butterflies)! So we’ll have two winners! Even though technically I’m the winner! My trusty personal assistant Bob will be blindfolded and draw two names. Please do not attempt to schmooze him (even though he is easily charmed). I will have my eye on him during the drawing at all times.

I heart you all and want to personally respond to each and every one of you. I cherish each comment and plan on getting to my email box soon!