Happy Zombie

What started out with a little field trip by Pam and Elizabeth, turned into a big field trip for my friend Robin and me. Robin and I both read Pam’s and E’s post about their antiquing adventure in Alameda, and Robin and I both clickie clicked on the link to Willow Nest on E’s post.

I looked, sigh, how pretty, must be in the Bay Area. But sharp eyed Robin noticed Willow Nest is in OUR backyard. Well… backyard for me is 2 hours inland… works for me! So off Robin and I go to the Willow Nest Flea Market!

Lot’s of great vendors and the setting was magical. Dreamy pink and white joy on a sunny day in beautiful Skamania Co., Washington. And at some point in Robin’s and my dreamy adventure was lunch and a quilt shop too.

All the vendors were so friendly and so happy to allow me to take photos and blog about them.

Even the “snack shack” was a thing of beauty. Pure pink and white joy. Who knew a tub of Costco sized Red Vines could look so pretty!

Pimp My Shopping-cart. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah.

And if the Willow Nest Flea Market was not enough… just over yonder a bit was an iris farm.

I’ll post my booty on another day.  But for now if you want to see all the photos, I have a flickr set here.  Pam and Elizabeth… your adventures really paid off for Robin and me.  Thank you!

I’m full of secrets and up to all sorts of juicy stuff. At least it’s juicy to me, ha. So if you’re thinking I had a secret rendezvous with George Clooney, um… ok, please continue to think that (just don’t tell Jon Stewart, k).

So many secret projects I’m working on. Some are for me, some are for a certain someone’s next book (and you KNOW I’m going to be gushing out-loud when her book hits the market, oh yeah). I feel like I’ve neglected my blog for so long (I love you blog honey, really, I do). I actually have so much blog-food, but have not had the time to feed it. As well, my blog needs a bib when fed. Oi’vay… such a mess it makes.

Aside from me feeding the blog, I’ve had little time to be fed by all your blogs. Unfortunately… I haven’t lost a pound. Chubby is in, right? I feel like there’s a party going on in the next building over, and I’m in the basement of my building… with no windows… a single blinking fluorescent bulb… and the occasional Cheez-it’s for nourishment. Not complaining in the least about my projects, I’m feeling so blessed about em. BUT… I do miss all that blog action from you guys! A beautiful book has been published, hints of gianormous cottonlike proportions, aprons have been accepted to be published! I’m crazy happy thrilled!

My Secret Project #1 is being made with the Urban Chicks Blossom line from Moda. OMG… this fabric is so stinkin’ yummy I could eat it. I don’t know if it’s out in the stores yet. If it is… snag it up quick because I think it’s gonna go fast. I really wanted to capture this delicious fabric in pixels, but I sorely lack in the photography department. I wish I could capture it like the Purl Bee does. OMG… Purl’s stack-o-fabric photos are works of art. Quilter’s porn. Yup… those photos are the blond chick with big boobs donned in leather knee high boots of the fabric world. So anyhoo… this is how I live. No neat and tidy opening of a box, no perfect lighting, no neat little stacks. This is my world. A ripped open box and its contents piled on to the table.

Secret Project #2 is all finished and ready for the post office. I wish I could show more, but in time it will be seen. ;o) The fabrics I used are from Lisa Quan’s and Joanna Figueroa’s Fig Tree Quilts Allspice Tapestry by Moda. Another fabric that is so yummy I could eat it! Seriously, seriously yummy. It’s hearty and soft at the same time.

And that is my current episode of Knotts Landing! If you’re in the Pacific Northwest region in a few weeks… my dear friend Cindy will be visiting and we’re planning a quiltycraftyblogapalooza luncheon at McMenamin’s Kennedy School in Portland. Hope you can make it and go to Cindy’s blog and comment your rizavip!

I’m always saying, “I’m gonna write a letter” - and nine times out of ten I fail to do so. Maybe I just need a short cut! So here I go…

1. Dear People of the City of Portland,
Every time we come visit you it’s a treat. You are so friendly and so kind and always make us feel welcome. You always put that extra foot forward to be kind and helpful. You’re always colorful and exciting. Thank you!

2. Dear HBO,
Thank you for a second season of Big Love!

3. Dear T. Paul’s Urban Cafe in Astoria,
Thank you for serving the finest food (and atmosphere) ever and for always remembering who we are when we come, (and that we have our ice-tea with no sugar on the rim).

4. Dear Shampoo manufacturers,
Can you please tone it down a bit on the scented products? If I want blueberry citrus kiwi peach vanilla milk n honey blast on my hair… I’ll just go to Jamba Juice and pour a smoothie over my head.

5. Dear IKEA Portland,

Open!

Open!

Open!

6. Dear former Portland mayor Vera Katz,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! (see #5)

7. Dear Scientists,
I’d like to be cloned please. One of me that just blog surfs and sews all day, and another one of me that cooks dinner, works, cleans, pulls weeds and does laundry.

8. Dear Merry Maids,
Since I can’t have #7, do you take on charity cases?

9. Dear ODOT, WSDOT and Caltrans,
Your orange vests and cones really do the trick and I can spot you quickly and easily… but I do think you need some jazzing up. How ’bout some nice pink and green to go with the orange? Or aqua? Safety does not mean having to being unfashionable.

10. Dear clock,
Must you always move your arms so fast?

11. Dear Quilty & Crafty bloggy friends,
You are the nicest, warmest, friendliest, giving and inspirational women ever! Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives, and thank you for being a part of my life!

And last but not least…

12. Dear John,
Will you PLEASE teach Mochi and York how to use you? The whole litter box thing is so gross. And while you’re at it John… can you please teach them how to flush as well?

Jelly Roll trix… just add milk and watch em grow. Ok, not with milk. BUT… with an Easy Angle and Companion Angle you really can seem to make the Jelly Roll’s grow. There are so many great patterns for Jelly Roll’s hitting the market (Nicole is making a beautiful one… go see it!), but I want to make something from a non-JR pattern too. With a 2½” strip, there is a way to make your strip width “grow” to make a 2⅞” half-square and a 5¼” quarter-square. If you’re using a non-Jelly Roll pattern that calls for these two measurements… here’s your answer!

Easy Angle: For a 2⅞” square, cut a 2½” x 3¼” rectangle and use the Easy Angle and cut into two half-square triangles.

Your final result:

Companion Angle: For a 5¼” square, cut a 2½” x 13½” rectangle and cut into four “quarter-square” triangles. Discard the ends - or save them for another project.

Your final result:

An extra added bonus is half of your dog-ears are magically trimmed. I use the rulers for dog-ear trimming on other projects too. I also find it hard to cut into a piece of fabric to make say a 5¼” square when I have plenty of 2½” strips or I only have a 2½” strip. Using the Companion Angle I can avoid cutting a big square. I love these rulers and think if you’re someone who’s addicted to Jelly Roll’s (and who isn’t!), these two tools will add big bang to your JR bucks!

I have a new Moda Holly Jolly Jelly Roll that stares me in the face waiting to be made into something. Waiting, waiting, waiting!  But for now all I seem to be doing is repeating over and over… Holly Jolly Jelly Roll, Holly Jolly Jelly Roll, Holly Jolly Jelly Roll, Holly Jolly Jelly Roll, Holly Jolly Jelly Roll…

Never again will I bad mouth Blogger. Why? Because I want to work live here!

I was tagged by Pam and Missy with a fun to-do list. Eight or so days between posts, and today I have two. I should put continuity on my fantasy to-do list.

1. Return George Clooney’s phone calls. O-kay, ok… we’ll do lunch. Happy now?

2. Refresh the housekeeper of all her daily duties and chores.

3. Send Oprah a thank you note for the nice weekend visit at her Santa Barbara house.

4. Talk to Barbara about me filling the empty seat and promise not to yell or fight.

5. Send email reply to Moda. Why yes… I can make room for a bolt of everything.

6. Pack for trip to Australia, New Zealand, Paris, London, Germany and Barcelona.

7. Wake up.

Now it’s my turn to tag! Moooo ahhh haaa haaaaa! Seven items, seven tags. Miss Mouse, Raesha, Darlene, Michelle, Angela, Kim and Deanna… tag - you’re it!

His & Hers… or what’s better known at our house - what’s yours is mine, what’s mine is mine. Ok, not really. But since I’m the Director of Operations (aka Hazel) I get to call it all mine. Right? Right!

Because everything at our house is a constant WIP, DH decided to start a new WIP. He and I are really not so different. He has his tools, I have mine. He has his fibre, I have mine. He has his stash, I have mine. He has his WIP’s, I have mine. I have my WIP’s shoved gently stored in a cupboard and out of sight… he has his WIP’s for all to see (read: me).

Last weekend was another busy day in the yard on the landscaping WIP (still a WIP btw), and DH starts digging a notch into the hillside off the back deck. DH got the bee up his butt to start his fantasy outdoor kitchen. Being that it was our 17th anniversary and I was feeling a bit lightheaded (apparently), I whispered those five little words every man fantasizes hearing his wife say… “Want to go to Lowe’s?”.

My suggestion was to go the following morning, but the sparkle in DH’s eyes told me otherwise. I guess it’s like The Little Blue Pill…. once you take it you have to use it right away. So we dropped everything and headed to Lowe’s. Friday night, 8pm and an hour’s drive to Lowe’s. SURE… why not! And to top it off… dinner at 11pm at Jack in the Box (and my JITB two taco fix). Happy Anniversary darling! DH did his thing - he calls it loading the truck.  DS and I do our thing - we call it an opportunity to goof off. In my case it’s a blogotunity, in DS’s case it’s a myspaceotunity. The apple does not fall far from the tree!