Happy Zombie

As a Californian, a snow day used to mean driving for hours up to the Sierra’s. After almost 9 years now of living on the Oregon coast… a single snowflake AT MY HOUSE sends me into a giddy childlike state. I will NEVER, EVER get tired of snow falling AT MY HOUSE. My HOUSE. Not a weekend trip to Tahoe or Big Bear… but at MY HOUSE. I realize people in Minnesota or Wisconsin might laugh at me, but this was my morning paradise on Monday…

The girls had even more fun then I did. Though I’m not too sure.

I see sno-cones.

Driving down my street I had an epiphany… I don’t know how the eff to drive in snow!

Plenty of this goin’ in the fireplace!

At least I’m not in flip-flops. A sure sign that I live in a Scandinavian community… if I tilt my head to the left - my shadow looks like a Dala horse.

A little sprinkle of “magic”, and it’s a red & aqua morning.

Cabbage-ishy. Kinda reminds me of the dress Chris & Christian designed on Project Runway.

First there’s laughter - then there’s tears. Good-bye snow. I will always love you. I’m not bitter that you’ve left me for some higher elevation. Just sad. I’ll be here waiting for you should you ever come back to me.

I heard about this on Adam Carolla this morning… and I think I have a crush on Mark.

No blah, blah, blah… I’ll get right to the point! One contest, two winners. And the winners are…
Comment #32 - Tami of Lemon Tree Tails
and
Comment #126 - Mindy of Mindy Said! Yeah Tami and Mindy!

So now the blah, blah, blah. Going back in time (insert wavy tv magic trick going back in time, rubbing my chin and looking up and squinting)… to lunch on a beautiful sunny day at the Bridgewater Bistro in Astoria… Karen and me yackin’ it up and having a fab, fab, fab lunch and time together.

Columbia River traffic - watching the ships go by. Well, not us. But these people are watching. We were watching the people.

The ultimate place I want to cocoon in with the T-man on a stormy weekend. The Cannery Pier Hotel.

Lunch at the Bridgewater was great - dessert was divine. I’ve been on a Bread Pudding World Tour to find the best. My journey is now over - and right here in my own backyard. Bread pudding from fresh baked bread (from scratch) with Cremé Frech, Cognac and dried cranberries. TO DIE FOR!

Karen’s dessert - Carrot Cake with candied carrots and Cardamon. Karen said it tasted like Sweden. I can honestly say we had a healthy lunch. Karen had veggies - carrots. I had fruit - cranberries. No carbs, no calories, and certainly no twisted rationalization. Sorta kinda honestly.

Even the HZ staff got to go today. Here’s the staff validating the winning comment numbers. Mimi, PA Bob, St. Joe-Joe and the newest member of the staff… Heinzelmännchen Hans-Olaf (he’s half German half Swedish, don’t ya know). I have to keep an eye on naughtly little Hans-Olaf… he’s always hiding my stuff behind his back. One time he even took the entire month of December and hid it from me. But on most days, he just likes to eff with me and hide my glasses, my keys, important receipts, my car in the Safeway parking lot, and so on. I’m really concerned about what he’s hiding back there today.

Our draw-er was Mr. Bridgewater Cafe himself… Tony Kischner. Tony’s put many a meal in front of me here, here and now here. Great guy, great sense of humor… and great food! Here Tony draws Mindy’s comment number.

Here Tony draws Tami’s comment number. Thank you Tony! BTW… Mimi’s got herself a new cause - and sporting her new bracelette… WristStrong. Go Mimi, go!

Karen signing her book as the staff watches on. Hans-Olaf reminding Karen it’s Tami with an “i” and one “m”. I have a sneaky suspicion he’s got Tami’s other “m” behind his back.

Thank you all for playing and leaving the sweet comments for Karen. [whispering] I think she really got the message to get a blog [/whispering]. ;)
And now I must nap.

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

———————————-

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

—————————————–
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.

Because I have a to-do list a mile long, I of course found something else to get me off track. Today was supposed to be a brand new day - a day where I’d be focused and on track. So off I go on my way to #3 of my to-do list… my bank. It was not yet open when I got there. Hmmm. Twenty minutes to kill. I could just sit there and wait and take care of #5 on my to-do list - balance my check book and register my mountain of wadded up receipts. HA. Right. I’ll just go and get a bagel with lox, dripping with cream cheese and sprinkled with poor-man’s caviar (capers) and tomatoes. I’ll even go to The Cove and watch with waves while I nosh.

Turns out I was not alone… and someone on the hood of my car was just as eager to eat my breakfast as I was.

Learning how to use my video on my new little camera AND learning how to use Garage Band is on my to-do list. It’s just not on this month’s list. And now I’m going to try my hand at YouTube as well. Curse you technology. Curse you.

Thank you to my techno audio advisor who helped me with the tunes!

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???