10 Random Things About Me

I'm honored that Amber thought to tag me. I'm barely a blogger, but I can't say no to talking about myself. First, here I am Mother's Day, 2011

So, ten random things about me.

1. I had to search for how to make an active link. And what it was called. You know, to tag people.

2. My celebrity crush is Brandon Flowers. I'm totally going to see The Killers when they tour again.

3. I really, really miss having friends.

4. I ran 4 miles a few days ago. Slow, but awesome. My motivation? Not being a mom or housekeeper for a couple hours each week.

5. My latest pet peeve is 'green' snobs. Those 'unpaper towels' you use? Us regular people call them towels, or rags. You are not special for using them.

6. I love to complain. I think I complain even more when I have less to complain about.

7. I never would have picked Cleveland as the city to move to, but now I love where we live, and don't want to move.

8. I love the change of seasons. SO glad I live somewhere that gets the extremes of each season. Fall is my favorite, followed by spring (or mabye winter), with summer last.

9. My favorite cuisine is Indian. I really could eat it most days of the week. I had it for the first time in college. My husband and I have a sort of little Indian critique checklist and as we've moved around and we compare each little restaurant we find to the one in our college town.

10. I am terrified of the dark. If I sleep alone, it's with a light or TV on. If I sleep alone at my parents' house, I read until I pass out. I won't sleep at my grandmother's old house unless I'm quite intoxicated and surrouned by people. I won't say I believe in ghosts, but I don't not believe either.

Now for questions from Amber (Is it wrong to feel like I'm important and being interviewed for a magazine?)

1. What is your current favorite song/band?

Besides the Killers, I've loved Airborne Toxic Event for the last year. Most recent song of theirs would be All I Ever Wanted.

2. What's the best new product you've bought recently?

It was a couple years ago, but Downy Wrinkle Release is magical.

3. What's your favorite summer beverage?

Homemade lemonade/iced tea. Six to nine black tea bags, brewed, and mixed with 2 Qt. portion of sugar-free lemondae mix with enough water to fill gallon jug.

4. Share one thing on your bucket list.

Keep running regularly, and see how big a race I can eventually run. And try minimalist shoes.

5. What's the last thing you made, craft-wise.

A Christmas stocking. I haven't crafted in months.

6. What's your favorite holiday?

Halloween and Christmas. It's nice to feel like a kid (and re-live it through yours).

7. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I wouldn't. I would, however, change the names of all the little Madison's and Madeline's running around. Too many Maddi's.

8. Stripes or polka dots?

Stripes.

9. How much
would you pay for a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Not much, love them simple. I'd pay a lot for a meat and cheese one though.

10. What's the
last thing you read?

The Help. Good overall, but the end felt rushed.

Now I'll tag Billy and Skye . Your questions:

1. If you could spend a week in any city in the US, which would you pick?

2. In the world?

3. What is a movie you love, but are embarassed to admit?

4. Here is $50,000. What will you spend it on?

5. What is your peanut butter brand of choice?

6. If you could be on any reality TV show, which would it be?

7. Coke or Pepsi?

8. East or West Coast?

9. Favorite song of 2011?

10. What is your absolute least favorite chore?

How Not to Make a Princess Dress

I'll start by saying I already know this will end in complete disaster. Ninty-three percent sure. D. wants his little sister to be Princess Peach for Halloween. He will be Luigi. I thought I'd try to make her a dress. Never sewn clothing before. Not going to use a pattern. I've got a couple yards of light and dark pink satin material. Some tulle. I couldn't even find one of my several measuring tapes to measure her; used a ribbon and a ruler. Not a good start.

Sewing Lock-In

In high school our SADD group put on a lock-in each year. You know, to prove you could stay up all night having fun without drugs and alcohol. I'd have to say they were some of the best nights I can remember. Everyone in the SADD group could bring a guest, and we met at the school sometime in the evening. We were locked-in until 7 AM. Lots of yummy food and drinks (sans caffine) in the cafeteria, movie marathons in the library, dancing in the auditorium, hours of volleyball games in the gym. I'm sure there was more. But I don't think many other nights in my memory held as much exhausting fun as those.

So, tonight, I'm hosting my own little lock-in. In my dining room. Me, my sewing machine, and a backlog of projects. Oh and some pie, chips and salsa, and Miller Lite (it's legal now, and sometimes I do need it). First up: pillows.

A Study in Appliqué

I finally made it to a quilt guild meeting. More on that later. The guild has a library of books, and I grabbed two. One on the basics of quilting, and another with some awesome (AWESOME) appliqué flowers. A machine appliqué quilt block is actually pretty easy to put together (left). Just trace patterns on bonding paper, cut and iron on your fabric. Then place the pieces where you want on the square and iron again. I had some fabric scraps from a couple failed quilts and found some that looked cute together. The stitching is fairly sloppy in places, but overall I was really impressed with the outcome. I just wish I could finish projects faster than I find more fun things to try. I need sleep.

Project #7.5: Footstool Covers: Complete!

Always looking to practice my sewing machine skills, I thought I'd make my mother a pair of footstool covers. I was buying some fall fabric for myself, so I just bought a little extra. The nine-patch square should just fit the top of the foot stool. I added borders and matched it up with some muslin, sewed the edges and turned it back right-side-out. Added some nice (ok, it's sloppy) topstitching to the edge. I suppose it's really a giant unstuffed pillow.

I'll Never Learn

Sigh. Three months ago, to this day, I blogged that I'd never machine quilt. So who was up until 2AM shopping for quilting feet for her sewing machine? This girl. I feel like a snowball flying down a mountain; collecting all these ideas but steadily losing control. Until I reach the bottom of the mountain and smash into a car. Driven by me.

Project #8: ??

This one is going to take me a while ;)