I blogged a blog.

Well hello, blog.  It's been awhile.  After I write something new, I tell Michael that "I blogged a blog."  And then I get made fun of.  Apparently that's not the proper lingo.

'Tis the season for sewing.  Christmastime warms my heart.  I love sewing gifts for people, so this time of year is a lot of fun for me.  Slash super stressful.  I always get in up to my eyeballs somehow, and then freak out…I have how many more presents to make?  And there are how many days till Christmas?  And then I watch those warm Christmastime fuzzies float out the window.

You know what will usually snap me from crazy grinch mode back into Suzie Snowflake?  A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Something about that smooth Vince Garaldi jazz and hearing Linus read the story of Jesus's birth stops me dead in my tracks, and (dare I say it?) even make me tear up a bit.  You can add that to the list of things that make me cry.  It's so simple, really, and I make it all chaotic.  Bah humbug, me!

Moving on…

This year, for the very first time, my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our house.

Yes, I know.

It is a well known fact that I am not culinarily inclined.  I cook because I have to, not because I want to.  This is a big moment for me, folks.  We are making dinner for our parents and siblings.  The tables have turned.  When we decided we're doing this, my husband immediately made an excel spreadsheet in his excitement.  (He's one of those.)  I immediately started praying.  "Lord, thank you in advance for Bellacino's Pizza right up the road, for when my house burns down with the dinner on Thanksgiving Day.  Amen."

…

In light of the recent election, I thought I would share with you my own political aspirations.  When I was in the third grade, my teacher had us write a paragraph on what we would do if we had a million dollars.  I recently unearthed this paper in my memory box back at home.  In list fashion, here's what I said I'd do:

1. Use some for my college education.
2. Give some to the "poor and starved people", most of it going to Somalia.
3. "I would buy a good paying job when I'm grown up.  A good job would be a congresswoman.  I would feel really special being a part of the president.  I think it would be a good job."

My teacher must of thought I was a strange bird.  "This 9-year-old has a million dollars, and she wants to buy herself a good paying job?"  I've said it before…I was born old.  America!

Cry Me A River

Wouldn't you know I just about bawled my eyes out in the grocery store this morning?!  Yeesh.  I ran into a family from my block, said hello, and asked what they were up to today.  The mom said, "Oh, just spending the last few hours with my son before he leaves for the military tonight."  I knew this kid was leaving soon, but I didn't realize how soon.  It caught me off guard.  I barely know this family, and as they walked off down the produce aisle, it took everything in me to not start weeping like a willow.  I was literally holding my breath, repeating to myself, "Don't cry…don't cry…don't cry….".   Luckily, Gene Kelly stepped in to save the day.  I don't know if they have this in your grocery store, but at mine, they play a little bit of the song "Singin' in the Rain" right before the sprayers turn on to mist the lettuce.  One of the top 10 best ideas ever, hands down.

I'm not a huge cryer.  But some things get me every time. 

1. Anything to do with the military.  
2. The curtain call of any live musical (amateur or professional)
3. Cutting onions
4. It's A Wonderful Life (Especially the part where all George's friends come over to his house and give him money so he doesn't have to go to jail.  Harry Bailey, toasting: "To my brother, the richest man in town!")

Hold on, let me wipe my tears.  Darn you, Bailey brothers!!

That's me in a nutshell.

I am so happy to show you my latest quilt, which will be given to my friend this evening.  Actually, it's for her sweet little baby boy.  I hope it brings him lots of warmth and comfort in these cold midwestern winters.  

I did a little sneaking and found this pattern on my friend's Pinterest page.  You can call me Detective Ree.  It's the Jungle Path Baby Quilt by Jessica over at Moda Bake Shop.  I used Riley Blake's Mod Tod fabric line.  Here are some other shots:

I'm going to end this little post with something I'm REALLY looking forward to next week.  My little sister is participating in her 5th grade talent show with her best friend.  They're doing stand-up comedy. It should be amazing.  And I just may cry.  

Book Christmas!

This week, something big is happening (in my mind and a few others' too, I'm guessing).  On Thursday, the lovely and talented J.K. Rowling will release her new book The Casual Vacancy.  I'm trying to prepare myself for this properly.  I was so swept up in her magical story of The Boy Who Lived, so completely enthralled and inspired.  But I know this will be entirely different, written for adults.  Containing scandal and real-life adult problems.  But I respect her for it; publishing something so different from what she's famous for is nothing short of brave.

What I appreciate most about her writing is how great of a storyteller she is, how easy it is to be wrapped up in her story and not want to close it.  How this entire world in her mind was put to paper, and by simply reading the words on the page, I was there.  That, my friends, is magical.  If I can look for that in her new book--her stellar storytelling ability--and not for whimsical imagination, and if I find it, I will be pleased.

Needless to say, I placed an early request for The Casual Vacancy at my local library.  A little trick to pass on to you…request the Large Print edition.  You'll get it much faster.  I requested both the regular hardback and Large Print, and here's the difference in my position in the waiting line: Regular Hardback--position 90.  Large Print--position 9.  Large Print, please and thank you.

In honor of J.K.'s literary "coming of age", here is a little project I made quite some time ago.  Ten points to Gryffindor if you can guess where this is in my house!

I've had such a dry spell when it comes to good books lately.  So this is coming just in the nick of time.  And…when it rains it pours.  Another of my favorite authors is releasing her newest novel in October…The Secret Keeper (by Kate Morton).  This is her fourth book and I am so looking forward to it.  She, like J.K., is crazy talented at storytelling.  Her stories typically revolve around some sort of mystery in England during WWI and WWII.  And I devour them.

Folks, this is Book Christmas for me!  If anyone reads either of these books, I would love-love-love to hear your thoughts on them.  We can have Book Christmas together, drinking hot chocolate in our footie-pajamas.  Think about it.

Thievery and Other Foolishness

Grocery stores and I go way back.  My earliest memory of going to the grocery store involved a little bit of crime.  I was probably 4 or 5 years old, and there was this great candy out at the time…perhaps you remember it?

I'd had my eye on this candy for quite some time…I think I remember seeing my neighbor Cindy with it once and knew I couldn't live without it.  I mean, come on, she listened to the Fat Boys…

Every time we checked out at IGA, there it was…staring at me.  Now, I don't know how this idea popped into my head at such a young age.  I guess I was born a rebel.  (Takes long drag on a Virginia Slim…)  But I decided that I needed to steal this candy (because asking my mom was not an option?), and there was only one way to do it.  I quietly grabbed the candy while my mom's back was turned toward the cash register, hid it in both my hands, and proceeded to perform the "I really REALLY need to go to the bathroom" dance.  So, we hurried out the door with our cart, dancing all the way out to the car. And to my horror, I could hear the candy moving around inside the box with each little jump I took.  Surely I would be discovered!  I jumped a little less vigorously…no reaction from Mom.  Shwew!

I sat in the back seat of the Chevy Celebrity with my prize clutched tightly in my sweaty palms.  Should I eat it now and risk Mom seeing me?  No.  I will perform this in full Shakespearean glory…all the way to the bathroom.  We arrived home, I rushed to the bathroom, closed the door and devoured my little box of gum-candy.  It was the best tasting candy I'd ever had (at that time)…it tasted like victory.

I wish I could write that my mom suddenly burst through the bathroom door and caught me red-handed (or orange-mouthed), clued in by the overwhelming scent of oranges and high fructose corn syrup.  And that I received a spanking and was sent back to IGA to fess up and pay up.  But no.  She never knew.  And I wish that I could say something cool like, "And that was the beginning of my run-ins with the law…", but alas, it was not.  And that is because I was born the Oldest Child…Type A…Brown-Noser….Goodie Two-Shoes...Rule-Follower…People-Pleaser.  I was punished by my own guilty conscience…"What have I done?  This isn't how my parents raised me.  Can kids go to jail?"  And thus ended my life of crime.  I was the thief…and my own police officer.

Other Foolishness…

I made an owl for our goddaughter.  Got some ideas from different stuffed owls online, put together my favorite pieces and came up with this…

I must say, I was quite pleased with how it turned out.  Then, one day, I came home to discover this…

Mayhem!  Foolishness!  Paul Terry!  (That's our dog's name.)

So, did a little amputation surgery on the owl, and gave it to her for her first birthday, sans a middle toe.  I think she loved it anyway.  :)