Happy Zombie

I don’t know if it’s because I’m lazy… or because sometimes I can’t even find the glasses on the top of my head… but come Quilt Market time, I always get frazzled and razzled trying to find all the blog posts about quilt market. Pam has always done a great (and HILARIOUS) job of not only posting about market… but posting about who’s blogging also.

Apparently it’d be really rude of me ask everyone who makes a market post to email me the link.  Luckily Pam has set up her own little “radio show”.  Radio KPKM is like community radio… but in text - all the who, what and where all in one place.   And no one’s gonna out you on-air for leaving a crusty casserole dish behind after the recent community potluck down at the grange.

So now anytime anyone makes a market post on their blog, all they have to do is go to the Quilt Market blogging center of the universe (aka Pam’s “Radio Free PKM“) and add their Market permalink into Mr. Linky.  The more one posts, the more often they get to say hello to Mr. Linky.  It’s like everyone is practically emailing me!

Even though I won’t be at Market,  I plan on a Market report of my own.  A WYWO at market post - and I plan on building a tent in the living room with chairs and a big quilt and I’ll tweet and facebook and eat cupcakes with all my other Non-Market-Going friends and hope you all will join me in making WYWO Market posts… grabbing a button… and enjoying the fun at Radio Free PKM.  And I say we NMG peeps have a potluck.  I’ll bring the cupcakes!

Posted in Quilt Market | 24 Comments

Pics from my iPhoto… odds and ends of things that crack me up, inspire me, embarrass me and make my heart swell.

In Portland, Oregon in the South Waterfront district - peppered with train/trolly tracks.   I love this sign.  Though I am puzzled that the bike has no front tire.  Maybe the sign means, “Caution: Ride with all tires” or “Beware of floating tire thieves”.

Five Guys in Beaverton, Oregon.  It’s not every day I get to sputter things like “Let’s do 5 guys for lunch”.  Thank you to Jackie who suggested I try the hot dog there. WOW!   I’ve found THE perfect hot dog.  Mad love fest for the Five Guys hot dogs!   And yes, I really did want to word that differently.

Target in Walnut Creek, California.  Thanks a lot Wipeout.  Now every time I go to a Target - I have an urge to jump on the big red balls.   Shout out to Sarah… Good Day, and big balls.

On I-5 near Eugene, Oregon. Oh Land of Lincoln… you are so funny.  You really have to super-size this photo.   The best part… the couple in the car looked like textbook Norman Rockwell midwestern grandparents.  And also funny… this is a numbered plate.  You mean there’s more like this?   Watch out Missouri… I’d keep on eye on Illinois - they may have plans to copy (and slightly modify) your Show Me State nickname. EDITED IN: If you don’t have flickr or can’t read the plate… I’ve edited what it says on my photo’s caption here.

Lunching at Bagels by the Sea in Seaside, Oregon…. I caught the color fairies spreading a little color magic.

On I-5 near Mt. Shasta. The color fairies spreading even more color magic - and this time in my colors.

At my parents house in Walnut Creek.  Yes, it’s a bull.  Yes, it’s a chair.  Yes, we are an odd family.  After his recent trip to Australia to visit my oldest son and DIL - my youngest son brought me back a shopping bag from Oz.  He said he knew I was going to go gaga over it - and that I would probably blog it.  Yes - and yes.   Mission complete.

Sunkist Zombie - circa late 60’s. I hated my freckles as a kid.   HATED.  THEM.  Now I wish they’d show up more.  I guess if we had that stuff in the sky (sunshine I think it’s commonly called)… my freckles might just pop out.  Photo credit:  George George of Berkeley, Calif.  Oh yes, definitly circa 60’s.

Mami Zombie - circa late 30’s/early 40’s Germany.  I’m seriously ticked at my mom for not saving her toys for me.  I’m sure the captain of the Mayflower would have made room for the buggy.

Back to iPhoto… Amy of Park City Girl is getting ready for her next Blogger’s Quilt Festival.  It’s almost time to pick a quilt!

Posted in How I Live, I Heart Oregon, I Heart California | 45 Comments

Wow, that’s a lot of f-words in my title.   I’ve always gotten a kick out of “fat quarter friendly”… very District 9-ish.  Like the fat quarter is either allowed or not allowed to mingle with the other fabrics.

Three fat quarters.  Three different versions for three different “pooches”.

I call the bottom corners “milk carton corners” to make the bag “pooch” out. A poochie corner. I know there’s an official sewing term (boxed corners), but this is what I like to call it. Plus I love milk, and milk in a little carton is just plain cute… and I highly doubt the official sewing term is going to be something cute.
- Moda’s Aviary bag has no boxed corners and is poochless
- Sandi Henderson’s Farmer’s Market bag has 1″ boxed corners to yeild a 2″ pooch
- Lecien’s Flower Sugar bag has 2″ boxed corners to yeild a 4″ pooch

Milk carton boxed corners not only alter the pooch of the pouch - but the height as well.

I like a chubby pooch.

“Baby Happy” is the quilt under the poochie bags and my PDF pattern is available here.   A freebie from meebie.  And fat quarter friendly.

You can get my PDF pattern here. My little pattern is fast, fun and a good use for one’s ever growing fat quarter stash (they’re like bunnies - seriously… WHAT is going on in my cupboards!?). I’ve started a Poochie Bag flickr group - I think it will be fun to see all the fabric combos and what’s put inside the bags. And where the bags are going. And who are they for. And so on and so forth.  Hope you have fun!

PLEASE NOTE:
This pattern that is for someone who knows how to sew. If you’re interested in learning how to sew or quilt and don’t have access to a quilt shop or community college that teaches sewing and/or quilting - here are some good online resources and books to help you get started on the sewing quilting crack.
INTERACTIVE/ONLINE:
– All People Quilt
– Sew,Mama,Sew! Forum & Book Shop
– Threadbias

BOOKS:
– The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman
– Complete Guide to Quilting by Better Homes & Gardens
– Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes
– Start Quilting with Alex Anderson by Alex Anderson

Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 94 Comments

Yesterday in the Pacific Northwest - the weather was hot, sunny and A/C worthy. Herr Zombie and I took a little trip inland to Battle Ground, WA for Barn House’s 2009 Fall Harvest and for Beyond the Garden Gate’s Vintage Gathering (also in Battle Ground). My mini sequel to last year’s adventure (Part I & Part II).

A sweet day with just hubby and me - a nice drive, seeing my friend Karen from TheCityWho’sNameICanNeverSpell and buying some of her incredibly awesome Cardamom Bread, hoping to see my friend Laurie and finally getting to meet her IRL (please notice that I typed that in a non-stalker font)… and for seeing all the harvest goodness and getting my harvest groove back on.

This vendor (The Olive Kat) at Vintage Gathering had THE most beautiful Pyrex display I’ve ever seen - and I wanted it all to come home with me (and I brought my husband with me why?).   I sucked at taking good shots, but I found some photos of their booth here (along with gobs of photos of the entire event).

Next stop… Barn House.   The weather was sunny and beautiful, but I was jonesing me some rainshine.

Sudden craving for some baguettes, balsamic vinegar, basil…

I wish this was my barn.  And I’d live in it.  And I’d hang my hat here.

Of course I’d have to have my TV hidden behind it. I may be able to live in a barn - but I do need my TV. My fantasy barn comes fully wired.

Continuing on with my living in a barn fantasy… this would be my spa slash bathroom. My fantasy barn comes fully plumed. And with a housekeeping and kitchen staff.

This would be my craft slash sewing room.

Oh beehive.  Shout-out to Nanette and Lori!

I know the actual arrival of Fall is still weeks to come - but I could really give an ess what the calendar says. Why?
1) My friend The Queen of Cuteness, aka Jenny - has released my long awaited dream blog, where I can live in AutumnLand year round at Owlsorts. Three words - Ooooh. Emmm. Geeee!

2) Fall at Casa de Zombie starts when I take a certain someone out of the closet and recycle him.

Jack’s coming out of the closet (again)- from 2006’s Halloween.   I know… it’s kind of like handing out stale left-over candy from last year.

No dust, no rot, no seeds, no funny smell.   Just Jack.  For your own recycled Crayon Jack, click here.

Tingle on Wayne… tingle on Garth.

Posted in Quilty n Crafty, Field Trip | 17 Comments

I love my iPhone
I love my toys

I love my hamburgers,
I love them animalized

I love my fries,
Dipped in mayo
I hear my arteries cry,
I don’t listen to what they say-o

I suck at poems,
I suck at rhymes…
This here post should be a crime.

Posted in Stuff I like | 29 Comments

I’ve been entrusted to carry out a top secret mission.  I’m like Agent 99.   I’m armed with a shoe phone and craft supplies.  My mission is to make some very special boys and girls know the world is their friend.   Actually, I’m more like Agent 40… if one were to count my secret counterparts.

Boy goodies.  Irony that I would be sexist. As kid I had dozens of Hot Wheels - and one crappy poser Barbie.

Girl goodies.  I’m enjoying my girlyside now at 40mumblemumble - I got a dolly for me too.

A stylist I am not.   Unless Wes Craven or Rob Zombie is hiring. Must learn to edit… like moving the scissors out of an inappropriate position.

Maybe Courtney Love or Amy Winehouse needs a stylist/photog?  ‘Cause I can do those sidewalk shots.

All packed up and ready to go…

where they end up… nobody knows. For now.

Idaho? Iowa? Indiana?  Is it worth trying to bribe me of info??? YES, it is. I’ll have instructions to make the bags when I get to spill the beans (when “Max” gives the ok). Happy Labor Day!

Posted in Do Something | 36 Comments

I’m so passionate about Iraqi Bundles of Love.   My first bundle is already in Iraq, and all I want to do is send more, more, more. There are no words to express my joy when I saw the photos of my bundle in Iraq. IN IRAQ!   Thanks to Art La Flamme (aka IBOL Guy), and with the help of his wife Kristin La Flamme… there’s a new Oprah in town.

Because of IBOL - we’ve been given the opportunity to give big.  To be ambassadors in global kindness.  Little grass roots grow into big beautiful bountiful harvests - and continue to grow and grow.   Bundle by bundle.   My deepest thanks and gratitude to the La Flamme’s for giving me the privilege of Doing Something and Making A Difference. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!  And thank you to all the good people who serve our country… and also to those who are servin’ up the Bundles of Love in Iraq.

And because my creek-bed of curiosity never runs dry, I’d love to know via comments what you’ve sent or plan to send or what you think is a good idea to send.  I’m thinking my next bundle I’m going to name.  It seems only fitting that I name it Stephen.  Stephen Colbert.  And the one after that… I’m calling the next bundle Al Roker. It think we should all name our bundles!

I made myself an IBOL button, and please help yourself to one (or both).   SPREAD THE GOOD WORD!  Two options, 1) download the button, or 2) snag the code, or 3) print it out and pin it to your clothing.  Enjoy!

Yellow & Pink, 130 px wide:

<a href=”http://ibol.wordpress.com”><img src=”http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g105/cheesezom/ibol_yellow_130.jpg” alt=”Iraqi Bundles of Love” width=”130″ height=”172″ border=”0″></a>

Green & Blue, 130 px wide:

<a href=”http://ibol.wordpress.com”><img src=”http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g105/cheesezom/ibol_green_130.jpg” alt=”Iraqi Bundles of Love” width=”130″ height=”172″ border=”0″></a>

Posted in Do Something | 42 Comments

Lucky me (super lucky me), Jona is visiting the motherland - and I got to be a part of her visit!   Non stop talking and laughing - and even some tweeting thrown in.

Tweet-n-Eat… it’s what happens when two friends meet up for dinner and their iPhones are just as important as their forks and knives!

Then after the tweets come checking the @replies and txt’s…
Me: Pam wishes she was here too! (and we did too!)
Jona: Bari says hi! (Hi back, Bari!)
Me: Patty says it looks like we’re having a great time (we WERE!)
Me: Joanna says no fair… she wants to be here eating fish and chips instead of writing patterns & prepping ads… (us too!)

Some days I shun technology [insert Laure Ingalls fantasy life here], but had it not been for technology and blogging… I never would have met Jona. Well, I think we would have met eventually… but it sure made it faster with the help of technology. Speed friending. AND… we kinda had our friends join us for dinner… three snaps in Z formation for technology!

Before dinner, I give Jona the not so E-ticket tour of Hacienda Happy Z… like making her walk through the golden retriever mine field to show her my secret forest - and show her were I want to park my fantasy camper.

We had so much fun, and it went all to fast. There was never a moment where we weren’t talking. And never ever have I ever seen such attentive service at The Wet Dog. Our twenty something waiter was at our table I think every 5 minutes. But I can see why, when this person is at your table!

Saying good-bye is hard - luckily it was bone chilling cold or we would have stood by our cars for a couple more hours chatting! Good-bye Miss Jona Arizona… hurry back soon - and thank you for making me a part of your trip home!

Posted in How I Live, I Heart Oregon | 21 Comments

Come on in.  Right under Pam’s bridge (aka The Astoria-Megler Bridge) is Three Cups Coffee House in the beautifully restored old Finnish Meat Market on W. Marine in Astoria’s Uniontown district.  3CCH shares this space with Columbia River Coffee Roaster, aka the Thundermuck peeps.   Artisan hands and fantastic beans… 3CCH can do great coffee while standing on their heads.  Blindfolded.  Spinning.  While jumping rope. And chewing gum.

But something else has brought me to 3CCH - not just the great coffee and panini’s.  A little voodoomoojoo.
Yup.
Voodoo Doughnuts of Portland.
No way.
YES WAY!
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they can be found at 3CCH.

Naturally I’m drawn to the closest doughnut to resemble a zombie.  I’m not quite clear if that pretzel is his belly button… or something else.  I’ve looked at Voodoo Doughnut’s menu and saw the bachelorette party doughnut… so I’m pretty sure it’s something else.  And I do believe he’s happy to see me.

I don’t know that I’d be happy with my guts ooozing out if I were a doughnut. But the fact that I’m eating a doughnut that has guts makes me happy.

So now I have a fantasy… that Voodoo Doughnuts creates a zombie doughnut.  A happy zombie doughnut, with sweet cream cheese and strawberry jam filling (because of course, the zombie just had a full supper of brains).  I dream big. {{Pssst… Cat Daddy and Tres, I have sketches.}} Please tell me that everyone wants a food item/dish named after them. Right? I want to know!

After dessert, it’s time for lunch. T-man had a roast beef panini, and I a Prosciutto and cheese panini with a balsamic chaser. KILLER panini’s.

This just floated my boat. What I also love about 3CCH is that they’re so green.  So here’s the thing. Those aren’t cloth napkins… they’re IKEA dishtowels cut in half and then hemmed on the raw edge. I know this… because I DO THAT TOO! I was destined to be a patron of 3CCH.

They walk the walk.  I love this. I love 3CCH.

Leah and Carly, who welcomed us into their sanctuary and made us feel loved and nourished.

From The Daily Astorian’s Coast Weekend: “The name is based on the book “Three Cups of Tea,” and the new business owners hold strongly to the Middle Eastern proverb: “First cup you’re a visitor, second cup a friend, third cup you’re family.”
Three Cups Coffee House made us feel like family after the first cup.

Posted in I Heart Oregon | 41 Comments

I teased about it here - that something was up.  A lot of laughing and trunky-business… and now the cat’s out of the bag and our story will be told.  Our day at Alex’s - she interviewing Pam, Elizabeth and me for the Daily Blog at The Quilt Show.   I cringe seeing myself on video.  For certain I thought I looked like Heidi Klum as my parents have told me… only to discover it’s not true… is so very painful.  So, so, so very painful.   Grab some popcorn, Red Vine’s and Milk Duds… and enjoy the six part series of the Blogging Queens Adventure - Part One.

Bonus features…  behind the scenes.  Or more appropriate… behind the screams.

Pam and Alex prepping for production. That’s right.  TV lingo.

Alex and Pam prepping.  More TV lingo… Monica:  When does the craft services truck come?

Pam and Alex get Pam’s quilt hung on the wall.

Elizabeth (and her quilt) gets hung on the wall.  Don’t worry E, those pins should stop hurting in about 5 minutes.

Alex posing for her Al Roker shot.

Elizabeth gets interviewed.

Pam gets interviewed.

Dueling interviews. Alex interviewing Pam who’s interviewing Alex, and so and so forth and they told two friends who told two friends…

No relevance to the story… just a cute shot of Pam.

All three of us getting interviewed. This was my favorite part, as Alex had us place our blogging arsenal in front of us. If only we had had ONE MORE camera to take a photo of it all. Good thing Alex was armed with a video camera. My other favorite part was saying my blog was ad free… and poof, I now have an ad! I should have said my blog has no X-5. POOF.

As it turns out, the entire morning was one big rouse for me to pay up on my TQS membership.

“No, no, no… we don’t take American Express“. Later I was flogged, tarred and feathered.  I’m thinking that entering Pam’s contest might be in order. Or dig out my Visa… because I want full access at TQS.  And besides… these #@$%! feathers hurt.

Behind the screams… Elizabeth & Alex = trunky-business.

How nice… Pam even provides a complementary ¼ full bottle of water for her trunk *quests*. You know you’ve arrived when you’ve landed in Pam’s trunk. You know you’re an A-Lister when you’ve been served a ¼ full bottle of PKM water.

Blogging Queens Adventure:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6 Fin

Posted in I Heart California, Field Trip | 44 Comments