pink picket fence

Me too and something new.

In advertising, there is something called a 'ME TOO' ad.  It's when you're not selling a unique quality or super-feature or price point, but you are pretty much just saying, hey, yeah, we do that, too.  It is not highly effective, nor is it terribly engaging.

And that is pretty much how I feel about posting this top I made for Fidget yesterday.  (Because Erin, Sarah, Kirsten and Candace have already posted their adorable versions. As well as a couple others I probably haven't seen yet... )

Yes, it is smocked with elastic thread.  That thread is a pretty remarkable and wondrous thing I never should have feared.  I bought the thread a year ago and was always too chicken to use it.  Um, hardly worth the worry. 

I got Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book for my birthday a few weeks ago, read though her instructions, and just kind of threw the top together in about an hour.  I used stash fabric that didn't especially love, since it was an experiment. There wasn't even enough for it to be dress-length, so it's tunic-y.  Now that it is done, I do like it very much.  Funny how that happens. 

I have lots of ideas for this thread.  It opens up a whole bunch of possibilities... Yes...Me, Too.

 

Like the red door?  It's part of the whole Exterior House Paint Job of 2009.  We are now the Gray  House with the White Trim and the Bright Red Door. I love it.  The red (SW Radish) turned out a little too bright and hubs is ready to slather on another coat of a deeper color, because he thinks it looks a little too pink.  It totally goes with the impatiens though.

I chould even change the blog to 'Pink Front Door'.  Oh, the possibilities. 

So random, I can't come up with a title.

 

I can't seem to put these away.  The candy canes are the only thing left from Christmas around here; major cleaning is still in process. 

Today the sofa slipcover is in the wash, which is a necessity when you can see shoeprints on its kick pleats and bookclub is here next Monday.  I have to say, having an off-white slipcover shows me exactly how dirty things can get.  It makes me look at my other furniture and think, hmmmm...  It doesn't help that we have a golden retriever who likes to snooze with her back to the couch in the same spot every day.  A lot of that dirt is from her.  But I'm pretty sure the pen marks and smudges on the cushions are not.  Anyway, I don't mind washing it.  I really like knowing it's clean. 

Speaking of bookclub, has anyone else read "The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian?  I really enjoyed it, but it is the kind of book that you can easily ruin for someone just by talking about it.  Just imagine The Great Gatsby + photography + mental illness.  I'm sure that cleared it up for you.  Ha.  The end did catch me by surprise, so I can't wait to discuss this with my fellow bookclubbers.  Now I just have to figure out what to serve for dinner and we'll be ready.

One more note.  I promise I am not going to turn this into a pregnancy blog.  But I did go to the doctor today and we have a strong heartbeat, which is such a relief.  Also, since I am considered 'high risk' due to my 'advanced age' (ahem), I automatically qualify for a Level II ultrasound for my next appointment in February.  There will be lots of detailed measuring to confirm healthy growth and normal development.  I'm hoping not to be so paranoid after that session.  

Oh, another thing.   We really don't want to find out the gender, so hopefully they can keep that under wraps, too. Fingers crossed.  I found out with the other two, and since this is my last chance at experiencing this miracle, I want to look at my husband and have him tell me in his own words whether we'll need the blue or pink going home outfit.  I can't even imagine how awesome that would be :)

Have a happy weekend!

monday.

Good morning.

It was a busy weekend around these parts.  Friends in town on Friday, the plaza art fair on Saturday, conspiring yesterday to surprise a sweet friend with a scrubbed-down house, fresh laundry and flowers... ( I cannot tell you how wonderful that felt! )

Tell you what, though, my dogs are tired. 

I may very well be one of the last people on Earth to read The Time Traveler's Wife.  I am about halfway through, and enjoying it very much.  It challenges me, as I am visual-tactile learner, and this book jumps makes me stop and process the chronology with every chapter.  I am happy to see Rachel McAdams will be playing the role of Clare in the movie.  A nice casting choice, I think.  ( Are you on goodreads yet?  I'm not very good about writing reviews, but I do keep my list current.  What a fun little place to be. )

And I am so very excited to have been invited to participate in a virtual quilting bee organized by this gal.  I'm so excited and nervous at the same time.  :)

Here's to a fresh start.  I love Mondays for that. 

Characters.

Looks like my last post got screwy on bloglines, where special characters were added throughout the text.  Nice.  Not sure how that happened, as it is appearing on my blog the right way. 

Just wanted to let any subscribers know I'm not trying out new languages and getting fancy with foreign characters for fun.

Speaking of new languages and things that are just stupifyingly challenging, has anyone else read Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet? 

(image: Amazon.com) 

It is a riveting self-penned memoir of a 27 year old autistic savant who can learn a language in a week and sees numbers as landscapes... It was our bookclub selection last month and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  What a peek into his extraordinary mind.