Happy Zombie

UPDATED 1/21/08, 10pm PST:
Comments are now closed. Tomorrow Karen and I will have 2 names drawn while we lunch (because this is how we roll). Our mystery drawer is being fiercely guarded. Stay tuned!
xo,
Monica

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I missed my 200th post (this post marks an obscure #225). I’m too lazy to look at how many comments I have. My blogaversary is in some-other month. I’ve got nuttin. Just a really cool giveaway - complements of my sistah-friend Karen Snyder.

Hmmm… what should I celebrate. Thinking. Thinking. Oh, I know! I’ll make a big to-do-ha-ha over the fact that my flickr photo of my studio has had more views then of my photo of Karen’s studio. Monica -vs- Karen. No, no, no. I can’t do that. That would just be mean of me (moo ahh haa haa). And besides - now everyone is going to go look… and there goes Karen’s view count back up again.

This blogebration is about Karen. Not because she’s such a great friend (even though she claims that MY parents think SHE’S their favorite “long-lost” daughter). No. This blogebration is because even with all that talent of hers - she has no stinkin’ blog! I’m sorry Karen, but your newsletter is just not enough!

So here’s the deal. Leave a comment telling Karen to GET A BLOG - and win this wonderful Fat Quarter Fun book by Karen (and signed just for you)! Giveaway ends 10pm PST on January 21st, 2008 and a name will be drawn the following day.

Ok… enough about Karen. [begin Jan Brady whine] Karen, Karen, Karen! [/end Jan Brady whine]…

I have my favorite part in Bundles of Fun, and that’s on page 17 - with shots of some of my quilt labels, and one of them couldn’t thrill me more. The label is of my “Basilisa’s Garden” quilt that I named after my late paternal grandmother - the beautiful Basilisa Solorio. OHMYGOSH. My grandmother. In a book. A book I tell you… A BOOK! My dad read it and I thought he was going to cry. Hard to explain… but it means so much to me to have that label in Karen’s book… and for the whole world to see it! So because I’m feelin’ all warm and fuzzy… I’m sweetening the pot with a copy of Fat Quarter Fun from me too.

Two books = two winners! One from Karen, and one from The Favorite Daughter (that’s me, regardless of what Karen says).

Get a blog Karen. Get a blog. :)

My super-sweet, super-fun and super-awesome friend Raesha tagged me with this meme. I was reading it and thought it was so neat - I had actually planned on swiping it. But no crime was committed since I saw that she tagged me at the end. I’m not going to tag anyone, but rather make an open-tag. So if you wanna play on your blog - leave a comment saying you’re playing.

8 Passions in my life:
My family
My friends
Living a good life
Quilting - sewing - embroidery
Crafting
Eating food other people cooked
Color
Being cozy at home surrounded by family

8 Things to do before I die:
Own a huge piece of land and live in my own village with everyone in my family.
Go to Paris, London, Spain and the Iowa State Fair (really)
Go back to Germany
Build a big studio
Learn to read music and play the piano
Lower my cholesterol
Get a de-boob job
To witness and live on a planet with no war

8 things I often say:
I love you
Holy crap
Shit, no shit and oh shit
The F word (sparingly though - I hope)
WTF, OMG and BTW
I’m pretty sure I was doing 55, officer.
Where do you want to go to dinner?
I’d like 2 yards please.

8 books I’ve read recently:
Books? How ’bout what I’ve just plain read lately…
The Target ad
Instructions on the Ikea chive sauce mix (WTF??? I need 1.77 oz of butter?)
Crate & Barrel catalog
FEMA forms, contractor bids and insurance papers
Debbie McComber’s “street books” series (I’m up to #3)
The Daily Astorian
The Oregonian
My latest cholesterol results (which have improved)

8 Songs that mean something to me:
Where You Lead - Carole King
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
Dear Mr. President - Pink
Not Ready to Make Nice - The Dixie Chicks
Candle in the Wind (the Dianna version) - Elton John
All Kinds of People - Big Mountain
Oh Bla Di Oh Bla Da - The Beatles
Hawai‘i Pono‘i - written by King David Kalakaua

8 Qualities I look for in a friend:
This is Raesha’s list… but it’s exactly what I would say.
Honesty
Compassion
Humor
Charity
Loyalty
Uniqueness
Silly
Loving

8 TV shows I never miss:
Lost
Amazing Race
Nip / Tuck
Big Love
Entourage (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Project Runway
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report
Jimmy Kimmel
Survivor

8 Radio shows I listen to:
Adam Carolla (and Teresa Strasser) - KLSX
Heidi, Frank and Frosty - KLSX
Daria and Mitch - KRSK
Fresh Air with Terry Gross - NPR
Car Talk - NPR
BBC World News - NPR
Ooops. That’s six

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Thank you Rae-Rae!

Edited in:
I noticed there were SIX things on my EIGHT things list. So I added two of my own after the six from Raesha’s. Not very creative on my part - but it’s something I like to read about from everyone else.

If fabric is my food, and patterns are my recipes… then why is my cholesterol so high? I know why - because I can’t cook. Recipes perplex me, food combinations bewilder me, and ideas escape me. I wish I had the same enthusiasm for creating dinner as I do my sewing and quilting projects. I should just rewrite my few recipe cards with more alluring terms:

2⅔ yd. fresh salmon
1½ x 3½” of cilantro
1” butter
3¼” wine
1 fat quarter sliced avocado
2 spools of lime juice
¼” salt and pepper to taste
Cut, sew, press. Heat on high steam setting. Embellish with avocado.

But that’s not gonna happen. So I’ll just keep focused on sewing & quilting - and continue to support my local dining establishments. And this is what I’ve been focused on for the last few days. Gawd I love this fabric! One of my all time faves. It’s one of Darlene Zimmerman’s from her Little Darlings 5 for Robert Kaufman. Not much of a shot… but it’s still a prototype.

A tease? I danno. Unlike this tease… as soon as the Better Homes & Gardens Quilts and More Spring issue hits the newsstand… it will no longer be a tease. I’m not the only tease… there’s is a nice shot of my Secret Project #1 near the back of the Q&M Winter issue on the “coming soon” page.

I’m preparing my neck with vitamins, exercise and a strict strengthening work-out - for my head is sure to snap off next week from all the added growth and weight. ESPECIALLY since my head had already stated swelling soon after I heard from Caren at HGTV.com - that she wanted to put my little “ironing center” pic in her newsletter. Oh yeah… my head’s REALLY close to snapping off after I saw this.

Aside from the fun of having my little ironing center on HGTV.com, I got to e-meet the super sweet Caren and learn that there is soooo much more then I ever imagined at HGTV.com. I know, I sound like an blogomercial… but I was really amazed to learn of all the good stuff at their site. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one on the planet who doesn’t know about cool places and stuff. One-stop click… just check out Caren’s fabo blog Design Happens - and that will lead you to all the goodies. Comment and say hello… then check out all of her HGTV links. Seriously… you could be there for hours reading. Seeing. Drooling. Absorbing. If there is just one link you click on from this post (even though I hope you click them all)… check out this photo of Caren’s. Get a towel first. You’re gonna need it to mop up your drool.

I’m on my second towel.

I have a Euro-pass aboard this train - and I just can’t seem to hop off the Sidetrack Express. Trying to catch up with everyone, write a pattern that’s due, mountains of laundry, get out of my jammies, blah, blah, blah… and up pops the greatest little toot on June’s blog. I couldn’t just try this later when I had more time. No. I had to do this now. Right now. And now the bee is flying up my butt again, as I’m already fusing fabric to cardstock in my head! Must get off the train. Must get off the train. Must get off the train. What’s really scaring me is if I go here, here and here… I know all three of those fabric-pimpettes are going to send me to another project I’ll want to start RIGHT NOW.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who’s on the train with me. Click if you dare.

Sweet and innocent Mr. Mochiko…
Watching.
Waiting.
This purse strap is MINE! At least I can say my sewing is done. ~WHEW! Ha. For now at least. But I do so love to sew.

And now Mamacita Naturita has it in for me too. It’s snowing! Doesn’t she know I have a deadline???