Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Brave Girls Club

My friend Maya forwarded this to me. Normally, I'm not big into receiving daily fortune cookie type mailing, but this site has had some positive words that I really enjoyed. Including the following:

Dear Terrific Girl,

Sometimes you just have to jump...you just have to take that leap....JUMP....
even if you feel like you aren't ready.

We can make a million excuses for all of the reasons why we aren't ready...why
it isn't the right time yet, why we aren't up to the challenge, why we don't
have time or why we just don't have what it takes to EVER do it, but really....
all we need to do is take the first step, the first leap....and then keep going.
It won't be much different if we wait, it will still be the first scary step,
the first scary leap....but if we wait, we might never do it.

YOU KNOW it's time. You know where you want to be, and even where you are meant
to be....but YOU are the only one holding you back from taking the first step
towards that place. Don't hold yourself back anymore.....take the leap....if
you don't like it...you don't have to keep going....but chances are, you will
wonder why you waited so long.

Bliss will fill you up and you will feel so on track!

DO IT, BRAVE GIRL!!!!

xoxo


To read more, check out the following link:  http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/

Monday, August 30, 2010

Yay for a mellow weekend.

Or was it?

Saturday after Jeremy left for a bike ride, I headed out to the Bothell Bike and Ski shop to test two more bicycles. A Scott road bike and a Felt road bike. The Felt road bike was nice, but I felt super wobbly on it. I was on a XS Scott, because the frame was longer. I liked the bike, but did not like the two gears on the left hand (where the Felt had three).

Afterwards, I went home and took a mile long walk while the laundry ran. When I got home, I started pruning blackberry bushes that had grown into our backyard. I did not get all of them.

I met Jeremy in the U Village area, where we picked up a couple of filets from Bill the Butcher (in the Sandpoint area). We later turned those into Pepper Encrusted Filet Mignon with a blue cheese-chive (I screwed up and bought green onions, whoops) butter with Green Beans Amandine on the side. Noms.

Sunday we spent some more time in the back yard. Jeremy got attacked by yellow jackets under the big tree in the right corner. He got bit on his arm and under his knee. They blew up, but no allergic reactions that required a trip to the ER.

We had invited the Thibodeauxes over for dinner. I baked a Shepherd's Pie and a Pear Custard for dinner and Jeremy made Broccoli with Mustard-Red Pepper Vinaigrette. We had a nice, relaxing evening hanging out. Bob was on autopilot and on his way out, grabbed a grocery bag full of items I was going to donate to Goodwill or some other thrift organization. It was pretty amusing.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Gah. Stalled out.

Stalled out on my sewing projects with my backstitch button broken on my Pfaff.  Crappy week for sewing. Two of my lesson canceled. With a third one probably to be called off as well due to a lack of a machine.


Tonight I was supposed to go to NW Bernina, but apparently they overbooked themselves. Sad that I was the one that they canceled on, but I guess I wasn't generating very much money. They were the ones that offered it on their website. How to use your older Bernina. I guess I'll just have to wing it.


My private Friday lesson was canceled due to a schedule conflict. Her work schedule was 11 - 7 pm, and I'm not willing to have a lesson after 7 pm on a Friday in Bellevue. Once I leave, I'm not going back.

Saturday's lesson is at Quality Sewing & Vacuum. I'll have to postpone it myself because of my Pfaff. Since that is the one that I bought from them a few years ago, that is the only one I can get a lesson on. Boo.

Including a photo of all the apples that I picked up off the ground tonight to throw in the yardwaste bin before I mowed the back yard.

I should go to sleep now. I need to finish throwing away some junk mail, and then I can snoozarooni.

Rocked another evening.

Got home and didn't take that nap I wanted to. Sigh. My own fault.

Instead, I put the dishes from the dishwasher away, started a load of laundry, put some cookies to bake in the oven, and went out in the backyard to clean up some yard waste before trash day.

I ended up completing three loads of laundry, 5 trays of chocolate chip cookies, and 2 bags of yard waste before I had to leave for dinner at my friend Maya's.

I feel exhausted just reading my blog entry. Heh.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Ready to pass out.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. No nap today. Been up since 1:40 am.

Here are the napkins I made against the apron that I finished last night.


I am very pleased at how both of them came out. The apron ties are a little shorter than I expected. Did the photocopy enlargening process fail somehow? Or is it just me. Probably just me.  

I met with my teammates Em and Elle today for coffee briefly. Just touching base on the upcoming season. Our newest member is currently on vacation in Montana.

Em and I are sometimes confused for each other at our local curling club, due to a lack of Asians in the sport as well as plain old inattentiveness. It is a running joke that we are 'twins'. We have a few interests and items that we share in common, such as a best friend named Maya. Different best friends, same name.

Today was amusing because we both baked and brought chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with salt to share with the team. We both brought out ziploc baggies with the goodies in them. 

Afterwards, I headed to Renton to hang out with my mother. We made a quick trip to the International District in Seattle to pick up what translates loosely into "Chinese tamales." If I were to spell the chinese word in English, the closest I can get is probably "jeung" or "joong".  There is tonal inflection that is involved that doesn't capture in text.  

I hung out with my mother and sister for a couple of hours and now am back home ready to pass out. Lots of things to do, but too dang tired to do any of it.

Aargh. No sleep for me.

I could not sleep at all last night. I can't understand why. I was and still am exhausted.

Yesterday we picked Ali up from the airport and the headed to Paseo for lunch. we then stopped by bothell bike and ski shop for jer to exchange a jersey.

We then stopped by home for a bit. Ali helped me pick towel colors for the bathroom. There was also some attempt at Yoga from
a DVD that Ali brought with her.

After Jer and Ali left for Bellingham, I stopped off in bothell for gas, returned some library books, and the test drove two different bicycles. I tested a hybrid and a basic road bike. I had planned to test a Felt bike today, but it is raining.

I drove to north bend to the gap outlet and picked up a pair of jeans they are no longer carrying at the regular store. the I went back to Bellevue to return all the bath towels from the day before and to buy the ones that we decided on.

finally, I stopped by joann's for a little fabric for my next project. I headed home just before 9 pm. I finished my apron and got some fabric cut for my napkin project.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Disappointed in Speck iPhone 4 case


I highly recommend avoiding the Speck iPhone 4 case. I have the green striped version. I should say HAD. I haven't even had the stupid thing for 30 days and it has broken already. It is NOT from dropping my iPhone. It broke in the right corner, where you press the power button to turn your phone on and off. It cracked in that area, and now the front of the case will not stay on. Terrible. $30 not including tax for a piece of plastic that doesn't event last a month? Bah.

A little disc golf anyone?

On a day that broke heat records in the Seattle area, I joined my husband and a couple of his coworkers after work for a little disc golf.

Note to self : Always carry a pair of real shoes in the trunk when wearing flip flops or dress shoes.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Another type of tote bag.

Project 4




I found this project really time consuming and frustrating. Is it because I'm new, or is it just really frustrating. Jeremy made fun of it because it is so tiny.

Projects 2 and 3

Out of the Sew What? Sew Bags book, I created projects 2 and 3.

Project 2
A dog drawstring bag. The book calls it a ditty bag. Right now it is sans drawstring.

Project 3

Tissue holder! I made one for myself, for Jeremy, and for Maya.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Finished the Simple Tote sewing project!


First sewing project has been completed out of Lotta Jansdotter's book. Time to start celebrating. For those that are interested , I've included a link to Amazon below. 












Sis-in-law visit!

My sister-in-law Ali is in town for a visit! She flew in from Houston yesterday.

From the airport, we took a leisurely drive on 99 into Ballard.



We had some fun walking through the Sunday Ballard market. We looked at various booths and listened to the musicians.



After making it up one side of the street, we stopped by Harry's Hamburgers for some tasty nom noms.

We headed back down the other side of the street towards the car. I bought some olive bread by The Tall Grass Bakery and a BPA cup at the Monster store.

Craft room is now a guest room!

On Friday after after getting approval from Jeremy, all my cluttered items from my craft room exploded into the living room.


24 hours later, it all went back into the craft room. Less 2 bags of books to go to Half Price books, a few bags of recycling and other garbage.


Set up the old futon frame, and voila! A guest room!