Because I need another project

I've been following Block Party! for awhile now, getting inspiration from their virtual quilting bee projects. It's been neat to see how different people interpret a theme and even a pattern- but all making something a little bit different that can be brought together to make one whole project. They're going to start posting patterns soon, and showing all the ways that their readers interpret the patterns, so I'm looking forward to even MORE inspiration coming out of there. I got the fabric above very recently, and although some of it is earmarked for other projects (the Christmasy stuff, brown & bright blue prints), I got the black and white windows specifically for a future quilt project.

I've been wanting to make a quilt for a loooooong time, and now that I have a few little stashes of fabric on hand I don't want to wait any longer! I really like this pattern on Etsy, but I figure I should probably start with something simple like 'wonky blocks' (since it's probably going to come out wonky whether I want it to or not). I just need to comb through my stash and start picking fabrics- I think some of my stuff might be a little too matchy/matchy... Hopefully I'll be able to get started on a quilt top sometime this winter.

Boo Berries

On Sunday I made blueberry pancakes. They were super tasty so now I'm using this recipe for ever and ever and ever. It prolly has more sugar than it should, but whatev- it's crazy delishus.



Then last night I decided I needed MORE blueberry goodness. Also, I am sick, so I start nesting and cleaning and wanting to settle in and be cozy and BAKE. Or something. You want logic from me? I have none. I have only a dozen muffins.



The other reason this happened is because I have a jar of pear-sauce (think applesauce, but with pears) in the fridge that for all intents and purposes should've gone bad a WHILE ago. But since my fridge is the place where food goes to be put into suspended animation, it is miraculously still fully edible. Hence, I wanted to use it- preferably in a healthy-ish way- like substituted for oil in a muffin recipe.



Except I couldn't find a recipe with a big dose of oil for me to swap for the pear-sauce. So instead I used this recipe, and I gotta say that so far the results are super delicious.



NOM NOM NOM.

February, Month of Fail

Ok, so I slipped. I missed out on posting Sunday, Monday, AND Wednesday, and let's be honest- Tuesday's was a bit of a cop out. The goal was to bring you somewhat meaningful content every day, and apparently I just didn't have it in me. Sunday I spent much of the day sleeping, walking my dog on the beach, packing, and driving or being driven home from North Carolina. Monday i pondered my will to live while cursing seagulls for being able to come and go from the ocean as often as they please. My survival instinct kicked in just long enough to retrieve a cheeseburger and malt vinegar soaked fries from Five Guys, then disappeared again when my tummy informed my brain that without the assistance of my long-gone gall bladder, that cheeseburger would be staying awhile. Wednesday I worked from home for the last time as part of my "Injured-Grown-Ass-Moron" status assigned to me by my doctor, then later made my first ever slow-cooker meal AND returned to the gym for the first time in a week. This is also when I discovered that not only are Springtime Oreos NOT the breakfast of champions, but apparently when you're sick or injured you do not get carte blanche to eat whatever you want without having to face the consequences of heightened caloric intake. Oops.

So I fell behind on the blogging. I also missed my first 365 self portrait. Day 41, a day that will go undocumented. It's the day I was sucked into a vortex that was just out of reach of my D80. Otherwise you KNOW I would've taken about a million pictures of that thing. What else am I failing? No Soda 2009. DUDES. I'm literally minutes from marching myself into the break room and buying a big 'ol 8oz Coca Cola Classic. I want it so bad, that if I were on an island and some skinny blonde had just taken off her bikini for some peanut butter and chocolate (which CBS would have us believe is the end all be all of women's culinary delight), I would offer to have her do it again so that I could enjoy a giant chug of soda. And then I'd gulp too big and get that big carbonation bubble in my throat and feel like I was gonna die for about 15 seconds but it would be SO WORTH IT.

What else have I failed at this month... ah yes, roller derby. Just over a week ago I went to a local skating rink to practice my skills, in anticipation of a new 'fresh meat' training camp for the DC Rollergirls. After almost 2 hours of remaining successfully upright, I fell right on my ass while pointing and laughing at a friend who was in the process of losing her balance. She stayed on her feet while karma refocused her attention on me just in time to show me that my but is not the massive cushy pillow I originally believed. This left me with a bruised tailbone and the inability to sit properly on ANYTHING. Awesome.

My original plan was to soldier on- enjoy the Vicodin induced hazes while they lasted, go to training camp and stand on the sidelines until I was able to get back into some skates. But then the economy took another dive and reality stepped in to remind me that perhaps I should persue a different and less painful hobby. Because let's face it, I'm gonna land on my ass again, and when I do I'm gonna be sooooo pissed about it.

Instead, I'm going to rededicate my focus and monies to my original passion- the sea. I want to learn to SCUBA dive this year, and that ain't cheap. I also have wanted to learn to sail for a while, and there are a few marinas in the area that offer workshops. Since I just can't seem to grown any gills I figure it's time to find other ways to sustain myself under and on top of the water. I'm definitely looking forward to persuing those interests, and content to watch other girls push each other down on a derby track. Well, for now anyway. Let's face it- I just wanted the fishnets, a cute skirt, some rollerskates, and a cool nickname anyway. I'll find out what other ways I can support the ladies of DC Derby without having to get my healthcare provider involved.

and a start to steer her by

I want to learn to SCUBA dive,



and learn to sail,



and get myself a boat and wander around the ocean



until I get tired and want to do something else. I would take Riley with me, and stop into ports to check up on friends and family, refill my tanks, replenish my stash of produce and dog food, and upload photos.

And that is your blog post for the day.

Reset

Here's where I am this weekend:



Except it's cold, and there's no one in the water, and I'm painting. So, yeah. Still a good place to clear your head.

Friday Flickr Favorites

Here we have the first edition of Friday Flickr Fav's. I know that lots of other people do this, but I've decided to jump on board because I noticed a few weeks ago that I hadn't fav'd hardly any photos in a while, and I want to start using Flickr as a reference guide again; for places I want to go, things I want to try, and inspiration for my own photos in the future.



1. Wave, 2. Minnesota Roller Girls January Bout, 3. YIP, a week in progress in the studio, 4. Sparkleheart, 5. Bora Bora - Hotel Meridien Vue Arrière, 6. Young Green Turtle, Bora Bora, French Polyneasia, 7. Le Meridien Bora Bora - Tahiti, 8. Bora Bora Satellite, 9. Shark feeding in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, 10. The Intercontinental Resort & Thalasso spa Bora Bora, 11. Autokap at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa Aug 03, 2008, 12. Cau ca Ho Tay suong mu DSC_0897e 800x505e, 13. www.iecreative.ca, 14. Seemingly empty, 15. 275 Battery Street, 16. White quilt -- Tree and Angels, 17. Allison and Brian's Wedding Quilt, 18. Plain Spoken Quilt Back Detail, 19. Spiral Quilt, 20. case study bed & quilt

What you're seeing here is like a little cross-section of my brain and the things I've been enamoured with throughout the week. The photos of beaches are 99% Bora Bora, which I went searching for after reading a survey question that asked about where you might want to honeymoon- well there's my answer. The many crafty photos are representative of my new facination with quilting, and my urge to learn more about the different ways to design the tops as well as stitch them together in different patterns and combinations. We've even got a few crafty hearts in there with Valentine's Day looming on the horizon, and one lone Roller Girl, photographed by someone who helped introduce me to the DC Roller Derby scene here in DC (though he has since moved to Minneapolis).

These are all photos that I have loved this week, which is to say that not only can I still be charmed by the fact that all of these things have been experienced somewhere and by someone, but that I can also be inspired to make them all a part of my life too. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

It's awfully drafty in here

I use Gmail as a weigh station for the brilliant ideas I come up with throughout the workday. Because I've never been good at keeping track of post-its, and if I put something in Gmail I know I can access it across both Windows (work) and Mac (home) platforms. Of course where this process goes horribly wrong is when I forget to ever go back and follow up on my genius moments, instead leaving them to fester and perish in my Draft folder.

(Click for larger, more detailed image.)

This might seem kind of silly, but I have a terrible short term memory, which I suppose could be partially blamed on certain substances imbibed in my younger years- but has probably just as much to do with my lack of focus in regard to just about everything besides my daily essentials; wake up, feed and walk dog, drive to work, work, drive home, feed and walk dog, go to gym, come home, walk dog again, go to sleep, and do it all again tomorrow. Where in that list do you see time for creative endeavors such as: Learn to Quilt! Make a Terrarium! Improve my French! Cook something with Sweet Potatoes! DO LAUNDRY!?

And that's kind of ridiculous too. There should be time in there for all of those things, at least a few times a week (especially on the weekends). Meanwhile, I already have a house full of unfinished ideas and endeavors that started the very same way- in my Draft Folder. In theory, I should tackle those first. That is... after I clean out all the drafts in my spare bedroom, kitchen, and dining room first.