Happy Zombie

All this week I’m at a work related seminar with my husband at the BEAUTIFUL Naval Base Kitsap - Bangor (Washington). Of note… there are about 35 males in the class… and I’m one of four females. And this is what’s called justice…

Sashay.
Sashay.
Sashay, sashay away - it’s good to be a girl today.

Posted in How I Live | 49 Comments

Thank you to everyone who played in my Holiday Happy give-away.   Like getting 506 love letters!  I’m awed by the such kind responses - almost to the point of embarrassment (I did pee my pants a little).  I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy.  I quickly got over the embarrassment - and hopped on the gratitude train - and I’m never getting off it (besides - my gratitude train has a dining car and a sewing car and…).  Not only do I feel like the sixth winner - but I’m by far the super duper mega grand winner!  Thank you everyone for your kindness and excitement.  Hands down.  I win.

I’m so happy to say…
here are the other 5 Holiday Happy winners!

Grand Prize winner of Holiday Happy Fat Quarter bundle:
#98 - Nikki of The Girl Who Quilts

The wee little Holiday Happy Fat Quarterlettes winners:
#237  Sandy McClay of 521 Lake Street
#215  Nadra of von kleinen dingen
#452 Rebecca Woods (no blog… and it’s her birthday today!)
#38 Natalie VV of Chicken Blog (winner winner chicken blog dinner)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love and kindness comments!   If anyone is making anything with Holiday Happy, or spots it some where, or just has a stash of it, or is seen frolicking on the beach with it… I would love to see it!  Like seeing what my little kids are up - it’s like Mother’s Day every time I see a photo in my HH flickr group.  Momma’d be so happy if you’d join the Holiday Happy flickr group - and added any ‘baby pics’ of HH.  I don’t except flowers or candy, to be taken out to brunch… or even a phone call on Mother’s Day.  Just photos.  It’s all I ask.   That’s not too much to ask, right?   xoxo

Posted in Stuff | 41 Comments

GOOODIES!
For dessert.  Not until after this post is finished.

Now boarding, Alaska flight 38
Good-bye Seattle. Hello Minneapolis.
Waiting for me below… AlmostUtopia. If only MN had an ocean - it’d truly be Utopia.  What a beautiful state filled with beautiful people.  Beautiful, friendly, nice people.  Minnesota Nice people.

I was just getting over a cold, and then I got hammered with it while in MN (I blame my flight) - so I’m missing lots of bits and pieces of market.  Missing photos, missing people who I wanted to see but didn’t/couldn’t.  An abbreviated, prescription drug induced snapshot of my trip to Market.  I could not have made it through Market without my Nurse Nightingale when I was so sick, and my interpreter when I lost my voice - Pam.  And to my roomie Karen - you took such great care of me and made me feel so loved and cared for.  Thank you Pam & Karen - from the top, bottom, sides and middle of my heart!!!!!

Twilight on Crack Hotel
Or to someone who’s hip, young, trendy, cool and likes sleeping in a black box and showering with a wall of window to the bedroom - and showering with essentially a shiny garden hose for a shower head, (or has a really cool suite like The Pioneer Woman did)… then you must give The W Hotel in Minneapolis a go.  Bottom right) ME: Hey Karen, what’s the weather like today?  KAREN:  Sunny with a chance of brick. 

Sample Spree
Clockwise:
1)  Showin’ off her bling - cuter than cute Lizzy.
2)  For YEARS we’ve been blog/flickr pals… I FINALLY get to meet The Adorable One - That silly lil Doe.
3)  Funny-girl Kathy of Teacher’s Pet.  Are those boxes for meeeeeeeee?!
4)  Another one of my blog/flickr pals… me and Miss Minnesota Nice Mary of Mary on Lake Pulaski fame.  Mary was as nice as I imagined her to be + 1000 times more.
5)  Cara - we met over having some words. Words with Friends, that is! Cara’s first time as an exhibitor. Yay Cara!
6)  All around sweethearts and Sample Spree queue entertainers…  Jennifer, Kaye, Stefanie, Doe & Cara. Are Stefanie and Doe just not too cute?! If I were Paula Abdul I’d want to squish them/squeeze their heads off and dangle them from my rear-view mirror. But I’m not Paula - so I’d like me a set of Stephanie & Doe salt and pepper shakers. Or S & D bobble heads.
7)  No photos, I only heard rumors… that Carrie saved the day for Vickie at the Lecien table and snagged her the last bundle of Holiday Happy for her.  Carrie is not just a rockstar and Schnibble Queen… but she’s my hero too!

Breakfast
Karen, Pam and Flat Nat - amazing breakfasts at the Key’s Bar & Grill at the Foshey.  Amazing Gin Fizzes and finger lickin’ ooie gooie make-you-weep pecan rolls.

Lunch
Brit’s Pub… on EVERYBODY’S list to eat at. Pam and I are able to snag a table in the much coveted shade at Brit’s Pub. Outdoor eateries in Minneapolis are plentiful and wonderful.  A foodie’s paradise.

Cake Party!
Mother/daughter dynamic dynamo - Cherri & Lizzy’s Cake Party to celebrate Cherri’s breathtaking new book City Quilts and Lizzy’s adorable newest fabric line Castle Peeps from Andover.
Clockwise:
1)  Yes, I’d love a piece of that one, Lizzy.
2)  Melissa’s friend Unicorn tries to french kiss Flat Nat… and Jana (aka Carol) behind her does nothing to stop it.
3)  Scott brought me an RX all the way from Seattle.  I heard whisperings that he brought a bag for Patty, too.
4)  Who’s this?  OIC… it’s Caroline of jcaroline.
5)  The cool kids table - smile and say “Glee!” -Beth, Melissa, John and Scott.

Eat, again? Ok!
L to R:
1) Me with Flat Nat toss ala Mary Tyler Moore.  It’s Minneapolis.  It’s the law.
2) Pam, Cyndi and I have the best salads for dinner at the News Room.  And lucky Cyndi gets carded for beer.  I got offered the senior menu.
3) On Radio KPKM I said I was going to be Pam’s weather girl.  So here it is.  Minneapolis was hot.  Not unbearable hot… but hot enough to want to traipse in the fountain.

Maybe just a nibble for now?
Nope. Not yet.

Lecien
Goodness in the Lecien booth - Flower Sugar II, my Holiday Happy (pinch me) and Brenda’s beautiful Durham “Anew“.
In the line-up… aaaaah-dorable sweet Kate, me (apparently I either forgot to do a mirror check - or - my goal for the day was to look like a gaucho from Fogo de Chão.  Steaks anyone?), Brenda, Pam and Nireko.

Karen, Pam, Elizabeth, Keiko, Brenda, Meg, Jennifer, Nireko and Tracy made some of the most AMAZING samples for the Lecien booth - check out their blogs and see what they made - the booth was oozing in cuteness thanks to them.  (I hope I didn’t leave anyone out!!! Please let me know if I did).  Cover your keyboard with a drool towel.  

Izzy & Ivy
Oh. My. Gosh. I love Team Izzy & Ivy!  I called my mom and asked if I could keep them.  She said no.   Too cute for words… so they get four pics. L to R: Jana, Shasta and Jenny.  My new BFF’s + medical team + everything.  By far the coolest, hippest (I bet they would like the W), funnest, darlingest peeps at Market.  I can’t wait for SLC next year.  I think Team Izzy & Ivy is going to turn Utah upside down and back up again.  As if they haven’t already.

Vegemite not included
The Roo Crew from Down Under!
1)  Lynette from Lynette Anderson Designs.  Not just a friend, but a twitter and Word with Friends pal.  It was so wonderful to finally meet her.  And she’s so lovely and fun - as I knew she would be!
2)  Anni from Hatched and Ptched.  Lynette intoduced me to her - and like every Aussie I’ve ever met… so friendly and nice.  Australia… the Minnesota of the southern hemisphere.   Aussie Nice.
3)  Kellie and crew from Don’t Look Now!  Who is that pulling a Wilson behind that pillow?!  Hey, it’s my lovely sister-wife Anna!  Well if Anna is in Minnesota, and I’m in Minnesota… then it must be sister-wife Sarah’s turn to be with hubby.
4) Aussie, Aussie, Aussie… oi, oi, oi - wish you were there Natalie Lymer (aka Flat Nat’s mum), Rosalie and Natalie Ross too!

Don’t look now…
But there’s a constant, HUGE crowd at the Don’t Look Now booth.  No suprise - jaw dropping gorgeous, happy and unique.  You can’t help but smile when you see the amazing quilts of DLN.   Even the rockstars come to see DLN.  I’m sooooo in awe of the masterpieces cranked out by Kellie.  Awe.   If Don’t Look Now comes to a show near you… RUN, not walk to it.

From the Land of Tall Trees
My Oregon, Washington & Montana friends. Clockwise:
1)  My sweet friend Mo of Lime Gardenias.  Just over the hill from me -  why we’re practically neighbors.  If we were crows.  And we flew.  Mo’s big debut of her gorgeous Party Dress line with Blue Hill Fabrics.  I sure wish Mo could have been at Market!!
2)  Also in Mo’s neighborhood is Michelle from Busy Bee Quilt Designs.  Michelle was MIA while I was at her booth, but luckily I caught her mom Birdie.  I’ve been lucky enough to sew with Michelle and Birdie.  Well… they sewed… and I  danced with my chair.
3)  Just up the river (the Columbia) in SE Washington is Crabapple Hill.  I love Crabapple Hill and have made countless embroideries using CH patterns.  I even won a blue ribbon on my quilt with the Crabapple embroidery on it.  I finally got to meet Meg… the genious behind CH and fellow COSMO floss user!
4)  Sandi, Sandi, Sandi… my dear and amazing friend and my milk buddy for life.  Or as Sandi calls me… her milk soul mate.  Yea… we both love milk THAT much.  I have photos of Sandi… but saving them for my [future] Iowa post.   Oh, and DYING over Sandi’s chairs.  Montana monschmana… those chairs look like they’d much rather go to Oregon.
5)  The Anne’s!   L to R, Anne B. of Cottons n’ Wool and Anne S. of Bunny Hill.  I’m *related* to The Anne’s by both our Oregon and Walnut Creek connections.   And because I’m Super Fan #1.  I’m so excited for Anne S. - who has joined the Moda family - and joined in a big way with the debut of her oh so yummy Lily & Will.   YEAY Anne!  I heart The Anne’s soooo much!  If you’re counting… I typed “Anne” seven times.   Eight.
6) My pal, my sistah-friend, my neighbor, my lunch buddy, my roomie, my travel pal, my personal shopper… Karen is like having a dozen friends all lovingly wrapped into one awesome friend. Karen’s latest beautiful line Dear Dorothy debuted at the Timeless Treasure. And just look at the sample in her fabric… it’s an Izzy & Ivy pattern!
7) My oldest and bestess and dearest and funnest friends Leslie. We were neighbors at one time - like only a block from each other neighbors.  We were inseparable, from sun -up to sun-down… until she moved back to Michigan.  There were rumors we wanted to start our own commune - but instead - Leslie’s mom opened up Hearts to Holly quilt shop.  Leslie is the person responsible for putting a rotary cutter back in my hand somewhere around 1999.   When Leslie and I do get to see each other, there’s a photo we take to show her kids that Leslie is growing taller and I am shrinking.  If anyone saw me bawling at the MCC… it’s because I had to say good-bye (again @#$!) to Leslie.

Mi amore, those who I adore
1) Clockwise: Elizabeth “MacGruber” Stumbo (my BFF, my mug-arita buddy and super stylist for all things APQ/Quilt Sampler/Q&M), Jill Abelo Mead (my Quilts & More editor and my cheerleader and she’s got a sassy new hair-do!), Karen, Linzee (freelancer to the House of Meredith - she’s like me… but she quilts with letters and writes beautiful profiles in American Patchwork & Quilting and Quilts & More), Pam and me.
2) Sherri of Sherri Falls of This & That fame. Pam (who knows EVERYBODY) introduced us - we would soon be going to Iowa together, so Pam and Roseann both thought I should meet her right away - not to waste ONE MINUTE of not knowing her. To say I adore Sherri is an understatement. More on Sherri in a future post.
3) Bonnie and Camillie - another amazing and adorable mother/daughter dynamic dynamo! A. Dor. Able.

I spy - some happy for my eyes
Clockwise:
1)  I love Riley Blake.  Love them!
2)  Pillow & Maxfield.  Loved their booth, loved them.
3)   Cara’s first time as an exhibitor. Yay Cara!
4)  Lakehouse Dry Goods… I love all things Lakehouse.   Every market I tell Holly I want to move into her booth.  One day I will be sucessful.
5)  Hemma Design… a Swedish inspried company from Minnesota.  Really caught my eye (and Karen’s too).  Love the simple happy look of Kathy’s [Kathy on right, Mary on the left] that’s oh so Swedish.
6)  Last but not least… check out the delicious yummies fo dear sweet wonderful Nanette of Freda’s Hive fame made for the RJR booth.  Darling!   The only thing better than seeing Nanette’s yummies… would have been to have had Nanette there with them!

Checking out… Checking in
Good-bye Minneapolis (and the crazy Twilight on Crack hotel)… Hello Des Moines (and your beautiful vintage hotels filled with light and brightness).   Lots to show.  Lots to tell.  I’m still on a Cinderella high - I’ll be blogging my Iowa trip after I rest up.

Now it’s time for dessert
Fresh from the oven… a little Holiday Happy to go around. I was going to do a give-away with 2 fat quarter bundles of my Holiday Happy - but one of the fat quarter bundles had unprotected sex and gave birth to 4 little fat quartlettes (9″ x 10½” cuts).  So 5 winners instead of 2.  One comment per person - no fuss no muss… just leave a comment by noon PST on 6/14/10.  I’ll have random.org pick the winners. EDITED IN: Contest is now over - anything past comment #506 is too late (sorry). Winners to be announced shortly.

I still need to add who I wanted to see but couldn’t make it… and who was there but somehow missed them… and who I saw but didn’t get a picture of  (need to draw my pics) - but It took me 3 days to finish this post/edit the photos - so I’ll write a part two-er to this.  I really should double check for typos and make sure all the links are correct…. I’m taking a nap.

Posted in Quilt Market | 509 Comments

Amy’s Mr. Linky says I have 10 hours to post - and then he’s gone. Wham bam thank you Mr. Linky man. So squeaking in under the wire and getting this post done before my market and Iowa posts… here’s my Blogger’s Quilt Festival entry.

My Anne Sutton of Bunnyhill BOM. My “Dude, Where’s My BOM” quilt. My favorite quilt I ever made. More info on Anne’s A Tiskit A Tasket BOM here. More info on my process here here and setting here.

On a side note, THANK YOU to EVERYONE for the kind, sweet, funny and made-my-day-with-a-cherry-on-top comments on my previous posts. I haven’t been able to reply to all the comments - please know that I’m soooooooo very touched and honored by everyones kindness. THANK YOU! xoxoMo

Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 61 Comments

Previews and peeks of what will be in the Lecien booth at Quilt Market in Minneapolis.  If you’re going to Market, be sure to stop by Lecien booths 3329, 3331 and 3430.

If you want to keep up with all the big Market happenings - you can get your one-stop shopping for market blog posts on Radio PKM at Pam’s blog.  And hey, whaddayaknow… Pam has a side-kick/aspiring weather girl on her station this year!

My “Glow Happy” lantern quilt.  My free pattern is available here.

Little quilts for the Lecien booth - samples to show mixing and matching my Holiday Happy with Lecien Flower Sugar and Lecien Color Basic’s.

The pink and green little quilt is called Cherry Christmas, and my pattern is free for download here.   A basic 9-patch with the appliqué method I use here.

Last minute samples… little Gnoma Claus bags.  One of the things I’ll show more of after market - plus I’ll have a tutorial or pattern around the time Holiday Happy hits the stores (June/July 2010).

Last but not least… this is Flat Nat. My sample does not do her justice.  What started with dreaming out loud wishing that Natalie could make it to the US for market… joking around that I needed to have a “flat Nat” of Natalie so I can take her around Market and the sights… and like magic (aka Natalie’s seriously creative juices)… Natalie created Flat Nat.

There’s much more of her to see - so be watching Natalie’s Cindeberry Stitches blog.    You will want to keep your browser running on Natalie’s blog and keep refreshing.  Be prepared to squeal when you see Natalie’s Flat Nat.
Be.
Prepared.

You can follow mine and Flat Nat’s Minnesota/Market/post-market shenanigans travels on my twitter - and I’ll be blogging later next week when I return home.  Did I say something about a give-away in my title?

Posted in Stuff | 83 Comments

I’ve never done so much sewing and un-sewing - then I have in the last few weeks.  That didn’t come out right.  I’ve never done so much sewing and un-sewing WHILE NOT ONLINE - then I have in the last few weeks.  My in-box, my blog pals visiting, my Twitter, my Words With Friends, my Face-what?… all neglected.  To be fair, I neglect Facebook regardless of sewing.  I feel like a such a sucky friend.  A super duper sucky friend.

I feel so out of it, so disconnected.  Like I’m down in one of those holes on Lost - and everyone else is up top… laughing, having fun, eating Dharma peaches out of a can - and I’m down in the hole glued by the magnetic force that emanates from my sewing machine - the evil clock clicks, clicks, clicks… mocking me.  The Smoke Monster is actually the exhaust coming out the back of my sewing machine.  Ooops, sorry.  Spoiler alert.

I’m leaving for Quilt Market in a week.  I’m actually looking forward to the flight - to sitting and doing nothing.  I think I’ll load up my iphone with a couple of Gilmore Girls episodes.  Maybe four episodes should do me between Seattle and Minneapolis?  Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch an episode of Lorelai sewing.  I think I’ll loop the scene and watch over and over and over - watching someone else sewing.  And then I’d be wishing to be sewing too. Because I heart sewing. And these are the inner workings of my absurd universe.

Posted in Stuff | 53 Comments

I’m sure anyone who’s ever had pre-Market stuff to get ready, knows it’s not done until the empty spool sings (even though I burned through a spool of Aurifil on Saturday and I still have more sewing to do).   One more thing for my to-do list - buy more thread.   While I was threadless (or rather out of the color I needed), I did some to-do’s on my computer… new [updated] banner that PamKittyMorning lovingly calls,”it’s HZ on supercrack“, got my Holiday Happy Flickr group running, made a Holiday Happy info page, made a HH “Swatchamacallit” swatch card PDF and made some buttons.

What I have been able to accomplish:
- Neglect my blog.
- Neglect my in-box.  I am bad, bad, BAD.
- Neglect visiting everyone’s blogs. I am bad, bad, SUPERBAD.
- Neglect my yard work, laundry and housework.
- Watched episodes 1-20 of Gilmore Girls while doing handwork.
- Wore my pajamas while working for 5 days (not consecutively… I’m not THAT bad).
- Scored an 111 point word (which I’ve forgotten) on a Words With Friends game with Lynette (sorry, I just can’t stop talking about it).
- Gained a bonus 10 lbs from my DH’s thoughtful cooking.

My accomplishment highlights:
- Spending an amazing laugh filled fun wonderful day with sistah-friend and super rockstar Tammy Gilley at her AMAZING house.  We are seeking a contractor to build an underground tunnel between our houses (who will accept pita chips and beer as payment).  Tammy showing me how the Hoosier-daddy cabinet works - she’s milling me some pretend flour.

- Finishing my Market/Lecien project.  Next stop… Lecien booth.

- Working on a special (and Bliss-ful) project unrelated to Market, but needs to be done before I leave for Minneapolis.

My semi-accomplishment highlights:
- I put myself on a 3 day Twitter Exile Island.  I lasted 18 hours.
- Suggesting to the writers/producers of ABC’s sweet deliciousness of a Nancy-Drew-on-crack-goodness new show of Happy Town - to add a quilt shop to the town… Our Daily Thread.  And of course - carry my Holiday Happy fabric line.  (Happy Town Twitter Guy - I’m watching you, too.)
- Hitting “publish” on this post!

Posted in Stuff | 38 Comments

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind and loving comments about my upcoming fabric!  I think I read each comment 5 or 6 times - soaking it all in knowing how lucky I am to be surrounded with such warmth and kindness.  So much is going on at my house, and I wasn’t able to answer the wonderful comments.  Please forgive me.  I’ve been sooo busy - that even most of my bolts are STILL wrapped in plastic.  I KNOW, crazy.   I had some really cool company come last week, so I had a lot to do before hand (because I’m not blessed with he cleaning gene).  Probably the most exciting visitors I ever had… and I can’t talk about it until 2011.  I KNOW, crazy.  

So last week in prep for my company - I decided I needed to go to Ikea and redo my living room.  I KNOW, crazy!  But not to worry, I didn’t.  But… Ikea did give me a thrill.  A red and aqua thrill.  I’ve been loving the red and aqua since before September 2006 (I know this because that’s when I partook in my 1st red & aqua swap), and NOW, almost 4 years later… Ikea is FINALLY on board with the color combo.  I KNOW, crazy.

I don’t need any more drinking glasses… but I had to get these. My cupboard complained. I KNOW, crazy!

Have to have the dinner napkins. And the best part… I get to rub red and aqua all over my face and not be looked down on like a weirdo. I KNOW, crazy.

Picnic trays.

The cherry on the aqua pie:

I did find a really cool red shelfy thingy at Ikea that I HAD TO HAVE. It was intended to go in my studio, but it didn’t work out there. I tried it in the kitchen and then twitpic’d it in it’s temp spot… and then I got tweeted that it’s a good spot. I do what my tweet peeps tell me. And plus my DS walked into the kitchen and said, “wow, perfect spot” (I KNOW, crazy).

My favorite thing to do at Ikea (besides filling up the yellow bag), is to pick out a showroom flat (notice I didn’t say apartment - because I always feel so Euro when I’m at Ikea) and pretend it’s mine. This was my flat pick - my Mo Faux Home - I’m gaga over the navy/pink/red/white combo. Ga. Ga.

Here’s the living room - I love the pink club chair (bottom left, just barely). Perfect to have *Secret Society of Something meetings in.  Jona is bringing cheesecake, and Mary is bringing her specialty.  Anyone else want to bring a snack?

*So secret - it’s not even been established yet. I KNOW, crazy.  No membership dues, no business meetings, no blech… just food, fun, sewing, crafting and friends.  Some day - so be ready!

Posted in How I Live | 65 Comments

Mad dash for my camera… he’s here, he’s here! UPS is here… the wait is over!  My Holiday Happy is here!  Oh Topeka… my camera battery was dead.  Luckily my iPad Mini (my iPhone) was charged.  Even luckier for the UPS guy since I couldn’t ask to take his photo while he handed me my box-o-Lecien-happiness.

I was about to do a mad sweep of my dining room table with my arm (ala 1970’s tv sitcom - including mental laugh track).  And then I realized I was too lazy to pick up all those pencils off of the floor.  Dramatic box opening thwarted.

Hyperventilating, peeing my pants, my head exploding and my hands shaking like a quaking Aspen - I manage to fold each piece of half yard cuts. Stacking and re-stacking. Rotating the colors. More stacking. Re-folding into different configurations. Folding back to the way I first folded it.  And then I tossed it all in the bathtub - and took a bubble-bath in it.

We went out to dinner with friends, and I packed it all up to take it with me to show them. My son says to me, “You’re taking it to the restaurant?”… I then mortified him when I said, “… and I’m taking it to Costco, and then the bank, and then on to the post office, and then to the grocery store. I may even go to the water district, the electric company, the newspaper office… an then to my doctor, my dentist and my veterinarian. I may even buy an infant car seat and buckle it in. And when I’m all done showing everyone I know - I’m going to get one of these and walk downtown and approach all the people I don’t know and show them.“  Yes.  This is what I’m going to do.

A brand new swatch card of Color Basic’s.  Tons and tons of color me happy matches.  Part of me can’t wait to start making samples… and a bigger part of me can’t bear to cut into it.  Maybe it’ll be easier when the bolts arrive?

Thank you everyone who cheered me, gave me lovin’s, made me laugh, made me blush and warmed my heart. There are no words I can find to express the joy of being a recipient of such kindness. There is no better community then the quilting, sewing, needleworking and crafting community. From the bottom, top, sides and middle of my heart… THANK YOU - xoxo!

Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 188 Comments

… and he’ll be wearing cute brown shorts and driving a big brown chariot and hell bring me the glass slipper.

I’ve been waiting almost to years for this - but the wait these last two days… AGONIZING.

Posted in How I Live | 44 Comments