Honestly ...

So ... I came home from out of town only to find that I had been tagged by Queen Pam at PKM to tell six (count 'em 6!) honest things about myself. I have already disclosed several such items under the heading of True Confessions, but I will dig deep into the well of all Honest Mary Weirdness and see what I can come up with.

(1) I am a compulsive bed maker. I never don't make my bed first thing in the morning unless a) PDaddy makes it instead, b) I'm washing the sheets and don't finish the whole job until later or c) I am still in it.

(2) I have already owned up to an unhealthy relationship with cold cereal here, but to further freak you out as to my culinary tastes I will honestly admit that if the above carton is sitting in my fridge ... I am more likely to drink it than to whip it.

(3) I'm also a bit overly enamored with olives (green or black) which I am likely to mix with almost anything ... except that which sits in the gold carton, pictured above.

(4) I'll admit it, I watch my share of television. My favorite programs are The Office, 30 Rock, Chuck, The Mentalist and my newest fave Lie To Me. I watch them while sitting in this sweet little love seat, pictured above. I have also watched enough Law and Order in the course of my life to pass a bar exam.

(5) I love, love, love to read self-help books. They're like candy to me. (Unfortunately ... candy is also like candy to me.) I cannot honestly say that I have incorporated into my life every single helpful tidbit, but I can say that my attitude has been formed in part by what I have read.

(6) My dream career would be as a motivational speaker (see #5). Or perhaps as someone who works on a "Whale Watch" boat.

There you have it. At this point there is not a heck of a lot you don't know about me. Please still be my friend.

Oh, and I tag Brooke, Renee, Jody, Ginger and Ginny. Go for it.

Cereal Thriller

So ... I thought it was high time for another facinating True Confession. Another tidbit to further cement in your mind that my mind is not all it could be. Another reason for you to snicker and for my children to mutter "oh, please" under their breath. But here goes anyway:

I have an unnatural obsession with Cold Cereal. I cannot ... repeat ... cannot live without it in my life each and every day. There are currently 9 separate kinds of cereal in my pantry, with multiple boxes of some of those. I realize that's not too weird, but when you add to that the fact that I must ... repeat ... must have at least two cereals mixed in my bowl each day plus the added bonus that my favorite snack is a bowl of dry cold cereal mixed with chocolate chips and ...

... yes ... I do believe I can hear my children muttering from coast to coast.

But just so you know, I still have friends, despite my propensity for all things oatey. In fact just this week my friend Kelley gave me this darling cake stand set. To add to the fun, she let me know what an absolute steal it was because she knew I would love it even more with the added bargain factor. (And ... no ... she didn't actually steal it ... as far as I know.)

So do me a favor and help out a girl's self esteem by admitting to me and the blogging world:

Do you have any food oddities/obsessions and ... What's your favorite cold cereal?*

*mine would have to be Life mixed with Heart to Heart.

Score!

So ... remember how I won another GiveAway from the Jolly Jabber (aka the Fat Quarter Shop) and then I never checked back to see if I had won, but she hunted me down and then I couldn't wait until it arrived?

Well ... yesterday it arrived and since I was expecting some "charm packs" or even "jelly rolls", I couldn't figure out why the package was so dang heavy.

And then I opened it. And then I gasped just a little. Drool may or may not have been expelled.

What you see here is forty-two (count em, 42!) fat quarters from the newest* line "Aviary" by those secretive, yet talented 3 Sisters at Moda. I am stunned. I am excited.

I am very, very grateful.

Thank you Jolly Jabber. And for the record, I want you to know (somewhat sheepishly) that I did go back to your blog ... I was just so busy looking at the pictures that I never read the text.

And that, my dear friends, is a serious True Confession.

* I'm not even sure it's out yet.

The Real & True Confession

So ... I really didn't want to bore you with the details of the quilting and the pattern-ing and all. Let's just say they are both coming along. While we are anxiously waiting ... how 'bout a new True Confession?

I am really not that fond of Reality TV.

In fact I real-ly don't like it. It's true that I watched a season of Trading Spaces when children #1 & #4 happened to be living at home and were bored as posts. I believe I caught a wee bit of American Idol the first season ... which was that same summer. But that was all about the family togetherness and very little about the reality.

In the last few years I have been strongly encouraged by friends and family alike to watch Project Runway. Eh. Hard to get past the hair. And the extremely large collars. At least in the little bit of last season that I saw, there was a minimum of drama. Meaning ... Scripted Drama.

Which is pretty much what I hate about Reality TV.

However. Recently, PDaddy has become a fan of some reality shows that actually involve ... Real Reality.

First ... Deadliest Catch. The story of those who crab fish for a living and no one can figure out why. It's scary. And wet. And I am pretty sure I could add smelly to the mixture. Next: Ice Road Truckers. The story of those who drive multi-ton vehicles through the ocean ... when it just happens to be frozen on the top part. Again ... don't quite understand the draw of this profession.

After watching a couple of seasons, we have come to the conclusion that even here there appears to be a need to manufacture some of the drama. (Falling through the ice isn't enough? Getting pinched by those scary little claws?) But we have enjoyed it.

The truth is this: There is only one reality show that we both really and truly love and that would be Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. If I didn't already have a funny son who can cook ... I would adopt that Guy Fieri on the spot.

So ... what are your reality faves? Just because I don't like them, doesn't mean I don't want to hear about you.

Driving in Circles

So ... I feel the pressure to blog even when I am not bubbling over with good material. Or any material. I'm drowning in fabric people, but I've got no material.

It's not my fault of course, it's the fault of the whole blogging system. But that is beside the point.

So, once again I have dipped into the picture archives and pulled up this quilt that I designed and made last year. If you look closely, you will see that all the fabrics are dotty, as well as a border with the same theme.

I am also dipping into the children archives to refer you over to this daughter's blog, La Dolce Vespa, to hear the most intelligent breakdown you have ever heard about driving on freeways ... most particularly in Los Angeles. (Don't think for one moment that most of it can't apply to where you live, however.)

Which brings me to the following True Confession: I am just not that fond of driving. I never have been. I would always prefer to be the passenger. It's that simple.

So ... I have the following questions: #1) Do you like to drive? #2) If so, why? #3) Do you think someone can learn to like to drive? and #4) Do you think my daughter should receive the Pulitzer Prize for her insights?

Bugs in my Brain

So ... it's time for another True Confession. Number Five, I think .... but honestly who is counting? So here goes:

I am really ... really .... fickle.

I change my mind about things about as often as I change my clothes. For instance ... I change my mind about the style of clothes I like. And then I think that I will never ... ever ... again go back to my prior way of thinking. And I don't.

For about a week and a half.

This applies to particularly to styles in decorating and sewing. Right around Christmas time I always get the bug to simplify, simplify, simplify. After removing the decorations I remove all other ... frou frou ... and vow to never again adorn my home with a ruffle. Until I see a really ... really ... attractive ruffle and then I am all about ruffles.

About two weeks before Christmas this year, I went even further. I resolved that in 2008, I would do little or no sewing. I convinced myself that I was spending way too much time (not to mention money) on something that was not solving the ills of the world ... or my family. I actually stuck with this one a tad longer than usual. I breathed a sigh of relief when no one gave me sewing-related gifts. I threw away any JoAnn's coupons that came my way and opened nary a quilting book or a magazine for quite some time.

Until I remembered that I needed to have a sample of a project for the February meeting of Grandma's Club, to show at yesterday's meeting. I mumbled under my breath at the obligation of it all ... because remember .... I was not going to enjoy sewing in 2008. While blinking through some blogs I came across this lovely free pattern for this lovely little quilt on this very lovely blog. I gingerly ventured into the sewing room to pick out fabrics for the sample. I breathed in the heavenly scent of my Bernina. I layed out a dozen fabrics on the table and may or may not have been in some kind of a trance.

I don't know when the last time was that I enjoyed a project so much. I loved the cutting and the piecing and the quilting and the binding. The fact that I did all of those things in the short span of a few hours just increased the euphoria. I removed the 2008 ban (although I am still trying to cut down on the spending part ... or I was trying ... until yesterday ... and today.)

So tell me, please ... Is anyone else as fickle as me? Do some people actually choose a style and stick with it ... always?

And I really ... really ... need to let PDaddy know that my fickle ways do not apply to him.

Just the Two of Us

I have discovered what may be the most useful purpose of a blog:
You get to talk to yourself ... and it's perfectly, socially acceptable.
Sort of.

So ... here are some conversations that have taken place in and around my head over the last week:

(Mary to Self:) What the heck happened to all the patterned sheets? Why are so many of them (and by that, I mean ... all the ones at TJ Maxx) in solid colors?

Shortly after Sonny and the Mrs. shipped off to Spain, I soothed my aching heart by giving myself permission (oh yes ... another conversation) to buy brand new sheets for the guest-bedroom bed. I knew I wanted girly-girl floral stuff and (having found nothing at a boffo price that fit the bill at TJM) I found some Shabby Chic ones at Target (see green ones below) -- for bigger bills. But, I wanted some king pillow cases and I wanted a floral skirt and I didn't want to continue to pay the full price at Target. So back to TJM I go and ... hidden in a dark corner with other lonely-hearts-on-sale-for-6-months linens, I found the perfect pillow cases ... encased in plastic with an entire king-sized bed set.

(Mary to Self:) What the heck can I do with the rest of the set? Can I justify buying the whole dang thing just for the pillowcases? The guest-bed is queen, my king bed is in blue (because I love you PDaddy, and because I am adverse to too much pink) and I still need to spend money on the bed skirt.

Ooooohhhh. (Mary and Self jelling as one.) I can use the sheets to make the bedskirt.

When I got home and opened the plastic, I was ecstatic with the sheets. Mostly white, a touch of pink and all in all perfection for $29.00!

Oh ... here's a heads-up on True Confession #4: I am really ... really cheap.

True Confession #3

So, I'm torn as to what of two confessions would qualify for the coveted #3 spot: 

My computer hates me . . . OR

I have an unnatural obsession with pillows.

Because there is such an obvious link between the two, we'll just deal with them both and move on to other, more random confessions at another time.  So . . . my computer hates me.  Just me.  Even though he uses the same computer, it doesn't hate PDaddy (although, truth be told, it could treat him better too.)  Several days ago I went to make a comment on this blog and I filled in my user name and password before I noticed that there was NO icon to click in order to publish said comment.  So, I gave up on that temporarily and went to publish a new post on my blog.  Once again, I filled in the appropriate gobble-de-gook to sign in, but alas there was NO "sign in" icon.

So I did what every computer-literate woman in my position would do . . . I made Sonny-boy come and fix it. Sonny-boy has the patience of a Saint, but the best he could do was to sign me up with a new server.  That night when PDaddy got home, we made the discovery that his side of the same computer worked fine and dandy. And that's when I learned that our computer has a personal vendetta against me.  Just me.

Pillows don't hate me.  They love me and I love them. They are soft and fluffy.  My computer however, hates my pillows.  On Monday I published a post with 3 pictures.  By yesterday the bottom one (which was of a pillow) was somehow erased . . . erradicated . . . gone.  I am going to try and fool my computer today with a picture of three (3) pillows, hoping their combined strength can ward off the computer's evil influences.  Only time will tell.

I will save more of my pillow-obsession-confession for another day.  I will only say that at this point I mostly just slipcover existing pillows to avoid being taken over by them.  At Christmas my children held a "pillow-intervention" and threw out (actually, gave to D.I.) a large number of my back stock of pillows.  I suppose this is akin to flushing contraband down the toilet.  It didn't help much.  As long as they stay away from The Stash, I will be able to make more pillows.  I already have.

Did I mention that Sonny-boy and the Mrs. are moving to Spain for fun, adventure and a sweet architecture job?  What the heck am I going to do then?

true confessions one and two

So . . . Mary . . . what projects have you actually been working on, you know, . . . as we speak?

Why thanks for asking. I spent most of last week (when I wasn't figuring out how to post, checking my blog, reading other people's blogs and just "blinking" my brains out in general) working on these two little numbers.

They are actually samples to be displayed at this store and will be taught by me in October at that same store in Grandma's R Us Club. They are a pattern from a book called Winsome Baby by Nancy Halvorsen at Art To Heart. Other than using my own fabrics from my own Store (see disertation on The Stash) I followed the instructions to the letter (the letters "e" and "T" specifically). Which brings us to True Confession #1:

I have a really, really, hard time just following someone else's design and not veering off into La La Land when the slightest whim catches my eye. I have never understood how people can enjoy making something straight from a pattern. Except that . . . I really, really enjoyed making these. And frankly, that scared me just a little. (That would be True Confession #1A.)

So TC #2 would be this: I sew really, really slow. Seriously, it took me way longer than it should have to make these, especially considering the fact that I wasn't having to make creative decisions along the way. What is the deal? Could it be because I have never been one to put the "pedal to the metal" in my car or on my Bernina? Could it be because I stop all too frequently to admire my work? ("Now that is one mighty fine seam.") Or could it be because I only sew for 2 to 3 hours at a time?

Let's face it I have got to speed things up, if I don't want The Stash entirely willed to my children. In the meantime I need your help with two questions:

Q#1: Any tips on the speed issue? (My children would be grateful if you could also apply those tips to my driving.)
Q#2: Do you think Miss Dub and L'il Gee will like their new toys?