Happy Zombie

Going through the motions of getting ready for Market. Not quilt stuff - but clothes stuff. I’m a t-shirt, jeans, hoodie and flip-flop kinda gal, so finding clothes that look presentable and yet still I feel comfy in, well… it’s a CHALLENGE for me! I’m sick of shopping and finding nothing that pleases me.

So I’m sitting in front of my computer (and conveniently right in front of my iSight), in my jammies, and day dreaming of what it would be like not to have to worry about what I was going to wear… and my only worry was what color to pick for that day…

Nah… I think I’ll keep shopping.

Life has been so busy, nutty and hectic… Triskit’s arrival was pure sunshine! All I want to do these days is stock up on cans of pork-n-beans, podcasts of Frosty, Heidi & Frank and coffee… unplug my phone, disconnect my computer, disable my doorbell - and plant myself in front of my sewing machine. And take lots and lots of pics of Triskit.

Feeling very Ted Kazinski-ishy… but without all the creepy bomby stuff. Fabric is my ammo - that makes it ok, right? Anyone care to join me? We can make it a quilt retreat! Sigh.

Going to Doe’s blog really should come with a warning for protection. That’s right. She knocked me up.  Knocked me up with cute stuff. Again. Looks like Wren, Sophia and Devon will soon have a little cousin.

My nap is over…

Here’s a little of what’s been humming through my sewing machine lately. Blah, blah, blah… top secret stuff. But mmmmmm… deeee-licious! A beautiful new line from Moda called Flutterby by Tula Pink, paired with some Deb Strain fabrics. I can’t take the credit for picking this out… but I would have! No licking your monitors.

Same project, different fabrics. Love the Benartex fab, but the cut I had didn’t have a full selvege - so not more info on that. The black with white polka dots is what everyone is raving about… Mary E’s new fabric from Moda. Some of the best fabric I’ve ever sewn with and the hand is incredibly silky. I want it all! Ah, ah, ah… keep that tongue in your mouth.

This is something I’m working on for Holly’s booth at Market. Blah, blah, blah… top secret stuff too. Though some jolly peeps may recognize what I’m working on. Shhhh. Holly’s Lakehouse Dry Goods fabric is like candy. Candy, candy, candy. You can’t help but smile when you look at this. I’ve been having a lot of fun sewing with this, and when I had all the fabs laid out on my work-table… and it looked like a rainbow of happy exploded in my sewing room.

Ok. NOW you can lick your monitor.

My subject title makes no sense, other then I’ve not made my bed in days… and have skipped breakfast for weeks. Which is really bad, because I’m one of those peeps who makes the bed as soon as I hop out of it! So here’s a little of what’s been going on…

I’m gushing and blushing - I’ve received some wonderful emails asking if I’m ok… why am I MIA… did I know that moss was growing on my blog… all wonderful and I thank you for your concern. I’m so touched!

Also in my in-box… but the big in-box that’s at the end of my driveway… some mailbox love from That silly lil’ Doe! I’m going to be very quiet. Shhh. Quiet. You’re getting very relaxed. I have a nice afternoon nappy time story for you. Shh. No talking. Just enjoy:

Once upon a time, that sweet lil’ Doe sent some shroonie love to Oregon.

A teenie tiny little shroonie tea set. The plate no bigger than a dime. Who could use such a small set?

This is who. A sweet lil’ Annie.

Annie is an Annie… but Annie is not her name. She’s been too busy settling in (with her new best friend Mimi and the adorable pineapple pincushion Auntie Karen brought back from Maui), to pick out a name for herself. I think she needs help and suggestions.

I think someone is right at home! Isn’t she just the cutest thing ever! Doe adopted my Annie for me from here. Wowie, zowie - be prepared for the second cutest Annies on earth (that’s right… you know who’s got the #1)!

But wait… there’s more:

Sigh. Marie Clarie Idées Love. Oh thank you Doe!!!

But wait… there’s EVEN MORE!

Recently my fabulous friend Deanna of Domestic Chicky had a contest on her other blog - The Apronista, for a DARLING apron from Marie-Madeline Studio. Out of 399 comments… mine got drawn! Get out of here! This is the cutest apron! Oh I love it so. Thank you Deanna and Marie-Madeline!

I was going to post about what I’ve been working on… but I suddenly want to nap. Part II after my nappy-nap.

… that he wanted to come visit me. My little birdie friend is named Oscar, and he visits me via his 5th grade boy Cole. Oscar is traveling all over the globe for Cole’s class project at The Overlake School in Redmond, Washington. Cole’s class project is called, “Travel Owls”. The school’s mascot is an owl.

Oscar’s visit to Astoria was full of excitement, fun and learning new things - like quilting and blogging. Oscar would like to write his first blog post and will be guest blogging for me today. Oscar… take it away!

My very first blog post! And I did it on an Apple. Shhhh. Can’t let anyone back up in Redmond know that I’ve used a Mac. My host made me do it. Just saying.

Anyhoo…  AnyWhooWhoo…

I carry with me a passport and travel journal. There are lots of interesting facts about me, as well is important stuff my host family needs to know about while I visit with them. Like my allergies. Since I am allergic to canned tomatoes and soy milk, I will never get to taste the soy milk tomatoccino smoothie my host Monica made for me. Oh darn. I arrived in Astoria, Oregon with a passport stamped full of the exciting places I’ve been, and the wonderful friends I’ve met there - The Long Beach Peninsula, Washington; the island of Maui, Hawai’i; Bend, Oregon and most recently, from sunny Orlando, Florida.

It was quite the climate change from sunny Orlando to cold, wet Astoria. My host Monica thought it might be a good idea to warm me up with a cozy quilt, and thought I would enjoy making it myself. My host taught me how to design, draft and cut. Well… she did the cutting for me. That rotary cutter is heck-a SHARP. I picked out some really yummy green fabric (it’s my favorite color).

My host suggested I add in some blue - this way I could show my team spirit should I ever go to a Mariner’s game with Cole, as well as keep warm at Safeco - cuddled in my quilt.

Look at me, look at me! I’m sewing! This is so easy, I just don’t know what all the fuss is about. Easy McCheezie.

Ooops. I spoke to soon. Why. Why. Why. Why did I sew those two pieces with the wrong sides together. Something else new to learn… how to use the seam ripper.

Sewing and quilting was fun, but I needed to go out and spread my wings a bit. My host and I met up with friends Robin and Karen (aka Cole’s Aunt Karen) for some antiquing at Farmhouse Funk and lunching at the Cannery Cafe, both in Astoria. Antiquing is fun, but boy is it exhausting!

The yummy Red Room at Farmhouse Funk. Bet you can’t find me in this photo!

Seriously. I bet you can’t find me. My host didn’t get me in the shot. I think she was too busy being under the influence of cute stuff to pay proper attention to my photographic needs.

Lunch time! Sniff. Sniff. What’s this??? Mmmm. Krumkake.

Cole’s Aunt Karen gives me a bite. Mmm… lingonberries. They remind me of Sweden, where I was born.

With lunch time over, it’s time for me to protect and serve the county I’m being hosted in. Evil doers beware. Deputy Oscar is on patrol.

So this is what riding shotgun means.

“One Adam 12. One Adam 12.”… I have no idea what that means, but my host dared me to say it over the radio.

With the county all safe and secure, now it’s time for me to guard the coast for a bit.

Ensign Oscar, reporting for duty.

This is my kind of flying!

That was my big adventure in Astoria. My host has more photos of me in a flickr set here. In a few days I’ll be going back home to Cole. I’ve missed him so much and can’t wait to tell him about all of my most excellent travel adventures. Hmm… I wonder if Cole will have adventure stories of his own to tell me???

Trying to play catch-up, but I keep landing on the Sidetrack Express.  Sidetracking instead of working… something in the paper caught my eye.  I took it as a sign…

and then I declared it Staff Appreciation Day!

Be good to your “staff” too! Seriously.

Idol chatter… I gotta talk about American Idol. Just gotta. I see stars! What an amazing group this year (and some not so amazing to me - Cruella de Rocker). I adore David, though last night’s performance wasn’t his best I thought, bummer - but I trust he’ll bounce back. I also think Brooke was amazing and I think she’s got a pure and true love for singing. I had leaky-eye listening and watching her (and I loved how she took a shoe off to play the piano… just like most of us do when we sew on the sewing machine!). Loved Chikezie’s performance, song and style! Plus, I have a fantasy he’ll make it really big and will take on a duet partner named Macaroni. My other faves are Carley, Michael and Jason. I like Syesha too, and think she’s as cute as a button. She’s Hello Kitty come to life (you’re shakin’ your head agreeing with me).

I’ve been meaning to post about my quilt in the latest issue of Quilts & More, but have been under the weather with that cold that’s going around. You’ve either had it, are having it or you’re about to have it. It’s a doooooozie! Luckily I have my very own publicist and cheerleader who cheered me on even before I got an issue myself (how does Pam always get things first???!). Giant mahalos to my other cheerleaders on the squad too. Thank you Nanna Jamma, Cyndi, Connie, Lisa, Wendy, Anna, Vickie and Amy!

I see stars… do you? Maybe if you click on my graph drawing you can see them. Q&M has named my quilt Spice is Nice (which I think is a great name), but I’ve named my quilt Peek-a-Boo Stars. I love the fabs I used, but kinda hard to see the stars hiding in there. Olly olly oxen free!

Another change made for the issue was going from row construction instruction to block construction instruction (makes me wanna sing Conjunction Junction, what’s your function after typing that). For this quilt I set it using row construction. Much easier to get the stars where they belong and still keep all the hair on your head. If you look at my graph drawing, you can see my row setting. E-z cheezy, macaroni and chikezie.

And other stars… some hometown loggers are starring in AxMen on the History Channel. I’ve been obessed watching the loggers log the storm damaged forest across the street from me, and now I can watch on tv some other parts of Clatsop County being logged too. Who knew loggers would be tv stars! Well, I did, actually.

Hmmm… interesting epiphany of mine. Thom Beers the creator of Deadliest Catch and AxMen… features many of our local fishermen and loggers - just like our local high school mascots… Astoria Fishermen, Ilwaco Fishermen and Knappa Loggers. Are the Seaside Gulls next? Sorry Mr. Beers… I beat you to the punch. Ga-head, the Tillamook Cheesemakers are all yours.

Feeling a little Perez Hiltonishy with this post.  And now I must nap.

I made bagels. Real bagels! Bagels that taste like I remembered from Bagel King in Walnut Creek a lifetime ago. I base every bagel I ever try to the Bagel King bagels, and so far nothing compares (Noah’s comes close). I live where krumkake and lutefisk are as common as bagels in NYC - so finding a good bagel in my area that comes even remotely close to my Bagel King comparison is non existent. Until now - and it’s right out of my own oven.

When I saw this post over at My Paper Crane, I just KNEW I had to try it. And check out that carrot cake she’s got too. Way too advanced for my limited cooking and baking skills… but it’s sure darn pretty to look at!

Not being one to follow directions, I used regular flour instead of bread flour (didn’t even know there was such a thing). You’re also supposed to kneed the dough for 15 minutes. Yeah. I gave it 5. But no matter… it all worked out for me!

Newest member of the staff - Henrietta. Isn’t she cute! She’s an egg cooker thingamabob. Way cool and she makes perfect soft, medium and hard boiled eggs. I really miss my chickens, so Henrietta is doing the egg thing for me now. Henrietta inspects the just rolled bagels. She’s got that I danno… they don’t look like bagels to me look.

Time to tuck in the bagels for a nap. I let them sleep for almost an hour, and then gave them a boiling quick bath right before they went in the oven.

Someone wanted to help… and make a flat bagel.

Golden and happy. Happy bagels. Happy me.

Omega 3 bliss. I was too eager to eat this that I skipped the tomatoes and the poor-man’s-caviar (capers).

If I can make these bagels… ANYONE can!  Ga head… lick your monitor. No one’s looking. Guten appétit!

My friend Lisa is a bag enabler, and I love the awesome rockem’ sockem’ little bag she made me!. Lisa has mad sewing skills and the inside is just as amazing as the outside (I have to wait for better weather to take an interior pic). I love pink and green too… how did she know!?! Psychic abilities must be another one of her many amazing talents. Lisa also put inside the some delicious Aloha fabric for me. Mmmm! Have you met Lisa? She’s awesome. We met over a strawberry, and now I’m addicted to her blog as well. Lisa’s blog is so much fun, and her field trips are the bomb. Edited in: Here is a link to Lisa’s post about the box bag.

Speaking of bags - I’m makin’ a bag and as I get to the “threading” the drawstring part, I thought I would share my tip. I wrestle with sharing tips because I always feel like everyone knows it already and I’m the last to discover it and then I feel like a doof for posting it. Necessity was the mother of my invention, so if you already know this tip - humor me and pretend you didn’t learn it already via your grandmother’s great aunt who’s been doing this since before the bread slicer was invented.

E-z cheezy… here’s whatcha do. Get an el-cheapo letter opener with a puka on the end. I got mine at my local Safeway for 99¢ (which means it’s probably about 49¢ elsewhere). Thread and knot a ribbon to the end of the letter opener. I suppose if you’re not lazy like me, you could actually tack or sew it down instead of knotting it. Attach a safety pin to the other end of the ribbon.

Attach your drawstring or strapping to the safety pinned end. Your letter opener is now one gianormous Land of the Giants sewing needle… and you can thread your drawstring through the tube/channel with speedy ease.

Before you know it… you’re done and doner with that pesky drawstring.