Hurry Quick - Giveaway Deadline Approaching

This giveaway has been open for a while, so hurry over & put your name in the hat. Fabric Family & Fun is celebrating 1-year in business with a great giveaway.

This is sad

Two things are sad about this picture, a screen shot of my browser with CNN open:

1. My Girl Scout Cookies will have less yummy goodness in the boxes this year.
2. LA car chase is once again a focal news story...notice how you never hear about car chases anywhere else... But it happens here quite frequently, and still manages to attract a lot of media attention.

Giveaway Time...Again...

Bitty Bits & Pieces is giving away a ton of Valentine-y 2.5" squares... I want them for this heart flag pattern I have from Nanette!

Fabric Giveaway: Anna Maria Horner from fabricworm!

The Fabric Shopper: Fabric Giveaway Anna Maria Horner from fabricworm!

I'm crushing on this new line by AMH, so I would LOVE to win these fat quarters! :)

A Follow-Up

...to my post earlier today - I downloaded some photos to share...

This is what the back of the new receiver looks like:
See, even Steve looks a little intimidated:
He got it all hooked up while I took a nap on Saturday afternoon.


This is what avoiding homework looks like tonight:

...xbox controller in hand.

And this is what my new B&W lap quillow is going to look like:

It's all quilted, I just need to put together the pillow part & attach, and then bind the quilt. But first, I need to wash the crunchy pillow/binding fabric to soften it up a little. I think this little quilt might qualify as my first stash-buster quilt - I'm using fabrics I bought with no specific purpose in mind (although I knew they would probably end up in the living room).

The front cheater cloth is this print from Marcus fabrics.

Ok, two things I need to vent about:

• I hate blogger's spacing issues in most of my posts - even if you look @ the HTML code, and that looks OK, doesn't mean it will publish OK. Maybe at some point, I can convince Steve to help me figure out how to use my own host for a Word Press blog.
• Second, I really don't understand the people who buy vowels on Wheel of Fortune when they know the puzzle. I end up yelling in frustration at the TV at least once each show for this very reason. Seriously people - $150 per vowel can knock a lot of your total!

The Curious Case of the Foxy Weekend

The working title of this post is "Did I ever tell you I was struck by lightning seven times? "

We FINALLY went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button this weekend for date night - I've been wanting to see this for a while now. Partly because of the strangeness of the story, partly because of the Oscar buzz, and mostly because Brad Pitt is one of the guys who lives on my island (my fantasy hot guy island). Plus, I LOVE Cate Blanchett - she's such a cameleon (she sort of freaks Steve out though - he says it's the eyes, I say it's just the crazy eyes in LOTR - see below).

But whatever, I always think she is great. And designer extraordinaire Heather Bailey had mentioned the scene with the red dress, and I sort of gasped in recognition when it came on!

I really enjoyed this movie, although based on the other movies in contention for honors this awards season, I can't say I'm surprised CCoBB hasn't won a whole lot - those awards tend to go to the movies without the large-scale mass appeal (except for Titanic & LOTR: Return of the King).

We also helped Circuit City liquidate some inventory this weekend. Steve bought a new receiver in anticipation of receiving his bonus from work at the end of this week. And I decided we should get a really inexpensive 19" LCD TV with HD Tuner. We're in the process of getting rid of our cable TV, and just watching network TV via HD antennae streaming from the desktop. The bedroom TV was originally going to be left out of this plan, since we had a small 13" one we bought with wedding gift money 4 years ago that had no such HD tuner. But now, this problem is going to be rectified with the additional purchase of another $40 HD antennae. I think we'll end up saving almost $1000 per year without cable, so we make up the cost of all these purchases in a very short amount of time. I hope I survive - I don't think I've EVER not had cable, so this will be tough on me. But we mostly watch the major networks, and we'll still be able to get those, so I think I'll be OK. Plus, the xbox interface with Netflix is amazing, so I can always find something to watch in my queue there.

On the crafty front, I have half of a new quilt quilted (wow, that seems poorly worded - "have half" and "quilt quilted"). I figured I better run with my mojo while it's still around. But...that doesn't mean I actually pieced together a new top...I took a cute yard of cheater cloth fabric I got a while back (and I can't remember what it is @ the moment, I need to look @ the selvedge again - but I definitely saw it in the newest Hancocks Paducah catalog) and used a white/black yard of Deb Strain's Daydream fabric for the backing. I'm going to practice making a quillow for our living room, in prep for the baby girlie quilts that are ready to be pieced.

Ok, time to go back to work - boo hoo me!

133

I saw this over at Nothin’ But Nett and thought, why not give it a go. (and copy most of her post -hehe).

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 of these films, you have no life. Well, I just happen to love movies...and books...and blogs...and crafts...so yeah, I suppose I don't have a life. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this. Then, put x’s next to the films you’ve seen, add them up, change the header adding your number. My little addition to this list is to add another x if you own the movie. Have fun.

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show

(x) Grease

(xx) Pirates of the Caribbean

(xx) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest

( ) Boondock Saints

( ) Fight Club

(x) Starsky and Hutch

(x) Neverending Story

(xx) Blazing Saddles

(x) Airplane

Total: 8, 3 owned

(xx) The Princess Bride

(x) Anchorman

(xx) Napoleon Dynamite

(x) Labyrinth

( ) Saw

( ) Saw II

( ) White Noise

( ) White Oleander

(x) Anger Management

(x) 50 First Dates

(xx) The Princess Diaries

(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 16, 6 owned

(x) Scream

(x) Scream 2

(x) Scream 3

(x) Scary Movie

(x) Scary Movie 2

( ) Scary Movie 3

( ) Scary Movie 4

(x) American Pie

(x) American Pie 2

(x) American Wedding

( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 24, 6 owned

(xx) Harry Potter 1

(xx) Harry Potter 2

(xx) Harry Potter 3

(xx) Harry Potter 4

( ) Resident Evil 1

( ) Resident Evil 2

(xx) The Wedding Singer

( ) Little Black Book

(xx) The Village

(xx) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 31, 13 owned

(xx) Finding Nemo

(xx) Finding Neverland

(xx) Signs

(x) The Grinch

( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre

( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

( ) White Chicks

( ) Butterfly Effect

(x) 13 Going on 30

(x) I, Robot

(x) Robots

Total so far: 38, 16 owned

(xx) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

( ) Universal Soldier

(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events

(x) Along Came Polly

( ) Deep Impact

(x) KingPin

(x) Never Been Kissed

(xx) Meet The Parents

(xx) Meet the Fockers

( ) Eight Crazy Nights

(x) Joe Dirt

( ) KING KONG (The Original)

Total so far: 46, 19 owned

(x) A Cinderella Story

(x) The Terminal

( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie

( ) Passport to Paris

(x) Dumb & Dumber

( ) Dumber & Dumberer

(x) Final Destination

(x) Final Destination 2

(x) Final Destination 3

( ) Halloween

( ) The Ring

( ) The Ring 2

( ) Surviving X-MAS

( ) Flubber [the original]

Total so far: 52, 19 owned

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle

(x) Practical Magic

(xx) Chicago

( ) Ghost Ship

( ) From Hell

( ) Hellboy

( ) Secret Window

(x) I Am Sam

(x) The Whole Nine Yards

(x) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 58, 20 owned

( ) The Day After Tomorrow

( ) Child’s Play

( ) Seed of Chucky

( ) Bride of Chucky

(x) Ten Things I Hate About You

(x) Just Married

( ) Gothika

( ) Nightmare on Elm Street

(x) Sixteen Candles

(x) Remember the Titans

(x) Coach Carter

( ) The Grudge

( ) The Grudge 2

(x) The Mask

(x) Son Of The Mask

total so far: 65, 20 owned

(x) Bad Boys

(xx) Bad Boys 2

( ) Joy Ride

( ) Lucky Number Slevin

(xx) Ocean’s Eleven

(xx) Ocean’s Twelve

(x) Bourne Identity

( ) Bourne Supremecy

( ) Lone Star

( ) Bedazzled

( ) Predator

( ) Predator II

(x) The Fog

(xx) Ice Age

(xx) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

(x) Curious George

Total so far: 74, 25 owned

(xx) Independence Day

( ) Cujo

( ) A Bronx Tale

( ) Darkness Falls

( ) Christine

(x) ET

( ) Children of the Corn

( ) My Bosses Daughter

(x) Maid in Manhattan

(x) War of the Worlds

(x) Rush Hour

(xx) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 80, 27 owned

( ) Best Bet

(xx) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

(x) She’s All That

(x) Calendar Girls

(x) Sideways

( ) Mars Attacks

( ) Event Horizon

(x) Ever After

(x) Wizard of Oz

(x) Forrest Gump

( ) Big Trouble in Little China

(x) The Terminator

( ) The Terminator 2

( ) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 88, 28 owned

(x) X-Men

(x) X-2

(x) X-3

(x) Spider-Man

(x) Spider-Man 2

(x) Sky High

(x) Jeepers Creepers

( ) Jeepers Creepers 2

(x) Catch Me If You Can

(xx) The Little Mermaid

(x) Freaky Friday (the original)

( ) Reign of Fire

(x) The Skulls

(x) Cruel Intentions

(x) Cruel Intentions 2

( ) The Hot Chick

(xx) Shrek

(xx) Shrek 2

Total so far: 103, 31 owned

( ) Swimfan

(x) Miracle on 34th street

( ) Old School

(x) The Notebook

( ) K-Pax

( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe

(xx) A Walk to Remember

( ) Ice Castles

( ) Boogeyman

(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 107, 32 owned

(xx) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring

(xx) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

(xx) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King

(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 113, 35 owned

(x) Baseketball

( ) Hostel

(x) Waiting for Guffman

( ) House of 1000 Corpses

( ) Devils Rejects

(xx) Elf

( ) Highlander

( ) Mothman Prophecies

( ) American History X

( ) Three

Total so Far: 116, 36 owned

( ) The Jacket

( ) Kung *** Hustle

( ) Shaolin Soccer

( ) Night Watch

(xx) Monsters Inc.

(x) Titanic

(xx) Monty Python and the Holy Grail

( ) Shaun Of the Dead

( ) Willa74

Total so far: 119, 38 owned

( ) High Tension (Haute Tension)

( ) Club Dread

( ) Hulk

( ) Dawn Of the Dead

(x) Hook

(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

(x) 28 days later

( ) Orgazmo

( ) Phantasm

( ) Waterworld

Total so far: 122, 38 owned

(x) Kill Bill vol 1

(x) Kill Bill vol 2

( ) Mortal Kombat

( ) Wolf Creek

( ) Kingdom of Heaven

( ) the Hills Have Eyes

( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman

( ) The Last House on the Left

( ) Re-Animator

( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 124, 38 owned

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace

(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones

(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith

(xx) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope

(xx) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back

(xx) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi

( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage

( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 130, 41 owned

(xx) The Matrix

(xx) The Matrix Reloaded

(xx) The Matrix Revolutions

( ) Animatrix

( ) Evil Dead

( ) Evil Dead 2

( ) Team America: World Police

( ) Red Dragon

( ) Silence of the Lambs

( ) Hannibal

Total: 133, 44 owned

That's a TON of movies. There are so many not on the list - like the 3rd of the three-quels (Ocean's 13, Shrek the 3rd). And a bunch more that I own that I feel are fairly mainstream. And why don't I own some of these movies? Like 10 Things I Hate About You - for me, that's when Heath first popped up on then-teenager radar. *sigh* And I LOVE 16 Candles - why don't I own that so I can watch anytime my heart desires cheesy 80s movies?? And we should just buckle down & get the newer Star Wars movies.

Ok, enough for now :) Your turn!

Sorry - Couldn't Resist!

Little known fact about me: my friend Meryt totally got me (and Steve, actually) hooked on a funny little comic strip known as Get Fuzzy. I have an intense appreciation for the stereotypical cat/dog roles portrayed in the strip - because it's funny!

One of the best quotes EVER came from Bucky Katt:

"You can wordify anything if you verb it."

So every year, after Christmas is over, I head to the calendar shop at whatever mall happens to be closest (always in Nebraska - we're there for the holidays), and I buy a Get Fuzzy 365-day calendar at the 50% off post-holiday price.

This year, I was especially excited because I finally have a desk to call my own, and get to look at the comics in all their glorious color each and every weekday morning...I usually read ahead on Friday for the Saturday & Sunday strips.

I had to laugh at today's strip... I used the copy machine to send myself a PDF, then I used the print screen to copy/paste into Powerpoint, then saved as a JPG, just so I could share with you:

*giggles* This is why I think yoga classes will never be an option for me!

Cute Quilty Font

...can be found here. :)

It's Baaacccckkkk!

My quilting mojo, that is...

Well, at least for these 11" squares, I was able to stipple without too many hang-ups. No weird tension/thread issues, skipping stitches, etc. I still have a tendency toward the tiny stitches, but as long as I remember to slow it down a bit, it seems to work OK.

*sighing with relief*

These blocks are destined to become a cute little sling bag...but whether I decide to make one or two bags is up in the air at this point.

Oh! And the answer to the question from the other day? What do rockets, owls, and mermaids all have in common?? They are all fabrics that I couldn't refuse from Fabricworm. I love ordering from Cynthia, because she's also in Cali, so I get my fabric next day. :) The rocket scientist fabric is going to become a wall-hanging (using Whirly giggles, perhaps?) for Steve's office, as he is truly a rocket scientist (aka - aerospace engineer). He told me that he thought that was a good idea - he can tell people his wife made it. I like that idea too!

And one more thing...Happy Inauguration Day!