Come take a walk with me

I am so much calmer now than I was earlier today (see my previous post if you don't know what I'm talking about).  I got home and the sun was shining, the air was warm, and after all these days of rain, it was as if the cherry trees had blossomed into puffy clouds.  So I went outside.

Come along with me and take a look at what I saw...

I'm so mad I could spit nails!

Yes, that's right... I actually said it.  That phrase that, for over 10 years, I've been making fun of my mother for using.  All this week I've been administering a language assessment to my students.  It's a really important test that will decide whether or not they are in ESOL again next year.  So naturally, I don't want any of them to pass it, and they ALL want to pass it!  I mean, if that pass that's good because it demonstrates that they learned something while in my class -- but if they all pass, I won't have any students left to teach next year.  But enough with the explanations.  The reason I am so furious is because I caught one of my students using his cell phone to look for an answer.  I'm positively sure that my face turned beet red.  I didn't even have words for that kid.  In fact, I just stared at him (he was completely unaware).  When I felt like I had enough control over myself to talk to him, I calmly asked him to sit in the next room.  He figured out what was going on when I announced to that teacher why I was kicking him out.  Ugh.  Stupid kids.

Now I'm gonna sleep like a baby!

There was no need to party THIS Friday night... it was time for bed!  About two weekends ago, B and I ordered a new sleep-number bed because our old mattress was a piece of crap!  We had it delivered to my parents' house so that we wouldn't have to worry about it being left outside unattended.  Friday, they brought all the pieces over to us.  There were so many pieces that they were literally exploding out of the truck.

Unrolling the layer of foam padding.

B and my dad assembled the bed.

I even helped out a little bit.  The guys' hands weren't small enough for this job!

"Phew!"

I went into the laundry room to grab the sheets, and I when I came back I walked in on my dad giving B a lesson on the sleep-number bed. According to my dad, bonding in bed is "a man thing."  (Hehe... so cute!)

While all of these shenanigans were going on, my mom and I set-up a Craigslist posting offering our old mattress for free if someone would just come and get it!  I got an IMMEDIATE response (over 50 by the time I deleted the post). Since my parents had come in a pick-up truck, we ended up putting the old mattress in their truck and delivering it to some happy folks.  All that before dinner!  

Thanks MP and Pop(s)!

People, people who need people...

I thought I'd share some words of wisdom from Andrea Frazer.

"Society (aka: TV) makes it very clear on a daily basis that being sexy, doing sexy and acting sexy is what we need to be happy. People, what we need to be happy is PEOPLE. Real people. Spouses who have faults and baggage but ultimately heart and soul. With heart and soul comes the power to heal, the power to forgive, and the power to love. Now try getting that from your boob tube."

Now, go and take a moment to make sure that your people know what they mean to you!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Mmmm... corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes! Just what every good Irish girl--or 1/8th Irish girl--needs on a day like today. Too bad my Brazilian hubby wasn't on board. Something about boiled meat just ruined it for him. Oh well, more for me!

Census 2010

Is it just me, or is it super cool that we get to participate in the U.S. Census this year? Not that the filling of the form is anything particularly special, it's just neat to know that years from now it will be on record that hubby and I lived at this address. I can't help it... sometimes I geek out over these kinds of ancestry things.

Pot Holder

So, I just churned out my first pot holder! Of course, you should take that phrase with a grain of salt... there were lots of bumps along the way. However, I'm proud of the final product, which I put together using random scraps I already had lying around. I can't wait to see how they'll turn out once I'm using all the fun fabrics and patterns out there. I have this idea of practicing different quilt-square patterns and then turning them into pot holders instead of committing myself to an entire quilt. It seems like a good way to get practice, too. So S... hurry up and take that beginning sewing course so that you can get on board the pot-holder train!

Saturday Quilting

SLD came over to play yesterday, and we got down to business! By the end of our sewing session we went from separate blocks to completed tops! Next step: borders, binding, batting, and backing.

Here SLD is laying out her blocks making sure that all the adjoining edges look good together.

Here I've laid out all my blocks. The next step is to sew the blocks into rows and then the rows to each other.

Sewing the blocks into rows...

Ta-da... SLD is DONE!

Snuggled up under our finished tops. They're not actually ready to be used, yet... but we wanted to give them a trial run to see how they looked.

I could never love anyone as I love my sisters

(E: You're blood, and blood is number one) but after that, aren't we all sisters to one another? I'm so thankful to have each one of you in my life. Supporting, laughing, cheering, listening. Whatever I need at whatever moment, I know I can count on each one of you, and that means a lot to me.

PS: Blame E for getting me in a sentimental mood today.

Big Love (no spoilers, it's okay)

Well... I just finished watching the last episode of this season's Big Love. I got into the show because of L and she even kept me company (and helped to feed my addiction) while I caught up on the first 3 seasons on DVD. Which I thoroughly enjoyed.

However, they changed the opening credits this season, and instead of the man and his 3 wives skating around on a frozen lake and eventually finding each other, they're now falling hopelessly through blackness reaching out for someone, anyone. I guess that pretty much sets the tone for this entire season: everything is falling apart. I'm left feeling dissatisfied and quite frankly -- unsettled! I think the husband is a power-monger, and I get so annoyed at him for always getting himself (and his family) in over their heads. It seems like every season he has a new plan for "how to take over the world" (hehe--just a little Pinky and the Brain reference). No but seriously, he's always hatching these new plots to get more money, granted with 3 wives and all their kids, I guess he's always in need of more money! Anyway, I just wish he'd settle down and be happy with what he has. But then, what would be the use in watching that?!

I hope next season redeems itself. Hmph.

My First Quilt = DONE

Well folks, here it is... my very first completed quilt! It measures approximately 5 1/2in x 10in. I took a picture with my hand in it so that you all could get a sense of its actual size. I've heard other quilters complain that smaller projects are trickier because you have less room to work with. If that's true, then I'm well on my way! Here are some of the skills and lessons I learned as a result of this beauty:
-rotary cutting
-1/4 inch seams really are important
-sewing straight lines
-quilting
-sewing on bias tape
-mitered corners
-the joys of scraps

Now I just have to finish my "real" quilt!

Step 1 (from this morning): Use a fabric pen to draw lines on the backside. I followed these lines in order to "quilt" this mini-blanket.

Step 2: Sew in straight lines (this is more difficult than it sounds!)

Step 3: Look up instructions for sewing on bias tape. Thank you AngryChicken! Sew on bias tape.

Step 4: Very carefully miter the corners. This was NOT easy on such a small project. I couldn't use pins; I couldn't get my fingers in there. As a result, some of these corners aren't exactly up to my standards. But I'll get there!

Step 5: Photograph and show off.... Ta-Da!

Feast Your Eyes on These

SLD and I carpooled up to A's place for an afternoon of fun (we missed our fourth today... she was home visiting her parents). It was my first time making cake balls, and I'd say it was a success.  Granted, I'm not sure I ever need to make them again. These little suckers are tedious! Moral of the day? "If someone bakes for you, you know they love you. Baking is a labor of love after-all!"

Yummy cake balls! Thanks to our hostess, we made a new recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Although they were made from a box-cake-mix, they somehow managed to taste just like cookie dough. They're dangerous... watch out!

Too much to do

and too little time to do it! I need to quit my job so that I can focus on all my fun crafts, but I need more money so that I can afford all my fun crafts! If only I had actually read Catch-22 back in high school (when I was supposed to... er, thanks eizzil) I might have actually had a solution to this dilemma!

My (want) To Do List:

-scrapbook all of 2007, 2008, and 2009 including our trip to Europe

-finish sewing quilt top

-figure out how to quilt my quilt (and then do it)

-learn Portuguese

-glue the little plastic lights onto my ceramic Christmas tree

-read a book or two

-sew, sew, sew (I found 20 different crafty ideas the other night)

-make curtains for my sun room

-finish that wintry wreath I started several posts ago (oops!)

-create a decorative collage to hang in my dining room

-make a shower curtain for my bathroom

-refinish the chair I bought for my desk (a $3 thrift store goodie)

-study every crafty blog out there and hoard all the good ideas

New Color Quiz - What's my Occupation?

So,  How About Orange had another color quiz linked to her blog.  For this quiz all you had to do was rank your most and least favorite colors.  I couldn't help but take this one to see if #1 there was any accuracy to such a seemingly random quiz, and #2 if I was in the right line of work. The results?  Apparently the quiz is accurate, and I'm in the right line of work. Check out my results:

Best Occupational Category

You're a SOCIAL MANAGER

Keywords

Tactful, Cooperative, Generous, Understanding, Insightful, Friendly, and Cheerful

This very social type enjoys working in groups, sharing responsibilities, and being the center of attention. Fields of interest are instructing, helping, nurturing, care giving and instructing-especially young people. They discuss and consider feelings in order to solve problems, lead, direct, persuade, guide, organize and enlighten others.

SOCIAL MANAGER OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are... blah, blah, blah: High School Teacher.

SOCIAL MANAGER WORKPLACES
You are sincerely concerned for the welfare of others. Your kind, humanistic nature allows you to help those who can't help themselves. Others see you as idealistic, ethical, and responsible.

Suggested Social Manager workplaces are (among other things) schools.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords:

Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.