Quilting

I had a great time visiting my family back east, and going to a quilt show with my mom and sister. There were most definitely quilts of all kinds from modern art and activist style quilts to unicorn/medieval and religious quilts. (I have pics and will share an album so you can see the wide variety for yourselves.)

I am not much of a seamstress, but even I was inspired to sew a cute little purse (is there any other kind) from some vintage fabric. This is something that I would not normally try on my own, but with my mom's expertise at hand it didn't seem so impossible.



Of course what really sealed the deal was the super cute Japanese purse handle - love it! Hopefully it will be enough to inspire me to use the stacks of fat quarters I came home with...

What's that you say? No more scooping?

I NEVER EVER click on random internet ads, but today I happened upon an ad for the CatGenie and I must say that their site (not necessarily this YouTube video) got my attention. I HATE scooping cat litter, and hate having to throw it out...

Love the accessories and installation videos. I wonder if it really works...

On another note, I'll be visiting my fam back east for the next few days, so posting and pics will most probably be on the spotty side. Enjoy stitches!!!

Silver Linings

Sorry for so little posting over the past few days. I think it has this long just to get used to the idea of no longer being gainfully employed. It's just so much more difficult to swallow when it's not on your own terms.

That said, I have still managed to muster up a few silver linings:
1. I finally had time to inventory my yarn stash on ravelry
2. While visiting my family next week on the East Coast I don't have to check email or work even one little bit
3. I finally have a good excuse to update my resume/portfolio
4. I have more time to enjoy the sunshine/natural light and relax with the kitties

File Under: BS

I just got f!$%!&* laid off.

Ripped From the Headlines

This article from the Onion is a real slice of life -- I swear, Monkey and Mabel are locked in a battle for each and every little thing they can find.

Obviously Monkey is a Johnsonian and Mabel is a Boswellian.

Cherry Blossoms

Spring must be here, because the cherry tree in front of our house exploded with bountiful pink blossoms this weekend. I swear I blinked and the magic happened.

Unfortunately the yellow jackets love it too, which means there isn't much time for photos without the risk of a sting.

Happy Friday

This is how Monkey spends almost every Friday these days -- wresting with a stuffed cat.

Warning: you may want to mute the audio - I was rocking it out with Lisa Loeb while recording this...

There's hope...

...for the cats, anyway. I swear they are going to be snuggling up soon enough. This is a big step for Mabel to even be sleeping in the same room as Monkey sans moi.

In other news, today was my first day commuting to the peninsula, and if was everything I dreaded and then some. It took me 40 minutes to go 22 miles. Sigh. In stop and go traffic.

Also, for the first time in my experience, GoogleMaps failed me and mapped the new digs in the wrong location. Now down there in the boonies there are just tons and tons of office parks with tall towers. Lots of cement, and for some reason all of the numbers on the side of buildings appear to have disapparated.

So, while I was on a wild goose chase this morning, thanks google, and managed to negotiate my way to the office park next to my office park some fellow backed right in to my car. Of course he was on his cell and backed up full throttle right into my car. I had time to stop and lay on the horn, but he wasn't deterred and backed bravely up at a high speed - I guess that's how you do it when you drive a really expensive luxury convertible and are in the middle of a mid-life crisis.

Luckily, my car was ok except for a bent license plate. My nerves were totally shot and I was another 20+ minutes late to work, but other than that I made it. Let's just hope when i go back next week things go a little more smoothly...