It's all apart of life's pageant

Portlandia kind of week

Gearing up for a busy latter half of the week! Portlandia type of events - comibned with early morning [3AM PST] UK promo launches at work is going to be sporting at best.

First up, today is the Drive by Truckers concert. This is Kirk's band of the moment right now and we are going to make it an afternoon and evening event.They are doing a pre-show concert at Music Millenium and then their sold out concert is at the Wonder Ballroom.Which also means dinner at Russell Street BBQ!

Friday evening is also includes music - Iris Dement @ the Aladdin Theater. If you have seen the movie True Grit you might recognize her song Leaning On the Everlasting Arms. Excited to go with friends and have dinner at Foster Burger

Saturday is the 21st annuall Buckman Art Show with good friends and followed by an early dinner at Screen Door

Then Sunday - after all the good eats and drinks [won't be earning any challenge points the next few days!] I will be running [but mostly walking] the 5K Shamrock Run! I am hoping that my new Shamrock socks will keep me motivated.

The rainy weather, music scene, art scene and exercise you couldn't ask for more 'Portlandia' .... if you live in the area or visiting be sure to check out some of these places!

 

 

Dottie

This is the last picture taken of Dottie and I together. It was October 2007 - she passed away five months later, March 12, 2008.

I remember the week like it was yesterday, we attended some art classes, went shopping, and just hung out. We talked about everything (as usual), laughed out loud, cried and gave each other crazy advice. What I didn't know then was that she was really trying to tell me good bye. I think she knew, deep down inside she knew the cancer had spread. Me, I was still in fighting mode. I knew if anybody could lick this it was Dottie.

[circa 2001 I think this was Dottie's first trip to see me]

Advice she gave me that week:

• Have F-U-N! If it isn't don't do it
• Surround yourself with the real people, not the ones that project that their lives are better than they really are.
• Stop drinking the kool aid - be inspired by someone or something, but stay true to your own path
• Give yourself permission - don't let someone else give you permission or let you think they can give you permission.

miss you - love you!

Inspiring more fabric love

Remember this post? Well look at what I received in the mail from my friend Aly....

HOW COOL is this???!!!! My very own Twilight lap quilt handmade by her with some of my favorite quotes from the series! HELLO - how very awesome is she??!!! Here is another shot just to make you even more jealous... ;)

Inspiring me again in so many ways - grateful for a new friendship and looking forward to spending more time on my sewing machine. Thanks Aly!

Twilight | New Moon PARTY!

This is a party I wish I could have gone to! A friend of mine Aly is the hostess with the mostess - she put on a New Moon movie release party and no detail was missed...

Check out the entire Flickr gallery here... AMAZING!!! But even more amazing is the quilt she made for charity.

The raffle for this quilt will be held for a Spokane, WA teen shelter that is in desperate need of a library. Raffle details to come soon from Aly - the winning ticket will be drawn early May at the Junior Lilac parade in Spokane. Stay tuned!

Also be sure to check out Aly's blog - she is a teacher and a huge proponent of literacy. She has some great resources and ideas on how to encourage your kids to read more or get them started. Stop by and say hi!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you enjoy your day with family and friends!

 

I am taking a break from the blog and until next week  - see you then!

The day after...

Congrats! We all made it right?? Well just for grins here is a wonderful recipe I tried out a couple of weeks ago - right before the cleanse. It's from a dear cyber friend Shanon! The cookies are called Pumpkin Chocolate Chip...little bit of fall, little bit of chocolate and good cakey delight.

 

My photos are way off - so please go to her blog and enjoy the richer yummier version!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies

• 1/2 cup of butter (brought to room temp)
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (I used the Pampered Chef mixture and a little more!)
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (I added more!)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg, pumpkin and vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl mis the baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and flour together. Gradually add the flour to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a teaspon drop[ the mixture onto a cookie sheet and back for 17 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.

The dough is extra thick for these cookies and they do not spread out when cooked. Shanon lined her cookie sheet with parchment paper which would work great. I used this amazing perforated cooking sheet and silpat by Demarle. I went to a friends' party and have loved this sheet and mat every since.

 

Dozer Days

Last weekend we had a chance to spend some time with good friends and attend Dozer Days. This was our first time and it was a little boys (and big boys) playground! I had no idea how many people would attend and apparently in years past around 15,000 are in attendance - WOW!

So what exactly IS Dozer Days? It is an event that is organized by the Nutter Foundation here in Vancouver, WA that allows young kids to run the big construction machinery, supervised of course. The money raised from the event goes to the local Parks Foundation and the children of our community.

The best way we could describe it was a small scale Disneyland but the lines were for taking your turn at driving/running the equipment! We loved seeing all the expressions on the kids faces while they were digging with these large backhoes - eyes as big as saucers and the concentration was intense.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we are frantically running around trying to cook master pieces let's not forget what this holiday means. This was taken from the GOOP newsletter today:

Today is a day when we are meant to give thanks - which seems quite general. In your opinion, what are we giving thanks for and how can we genuinely activate that feeling of gratitude?

Dr. Karen Binder-Brynes replies:     
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is a day for the gathering of family and friends and typically involves the sharing of delicious food, laughter and conversation. The holiday originated with long-awaited harvests which the early American settlers experienced in their new country. After struggling to find their way and establish themselves, the colonists were finally able to celebrate the bountifulness of their new world. The word bountiful resonates with me when I think of giving thanks this time of year. Virginia Satir, a preeminent family therapist, describes the feeling of well-being her family experienced when the big kettle in their midwestern farm kitchen was brimming with food scrumptiously stewing and filling the room with wonderful aromas. The full pot came to symbolize the well-being of her family

The human spirit is incredibly strong, bountiful and miraculously resilient! Even in hard and trying times such as these, it is important to fill our hearts and minds with childlike wonderment at the miracle of being human. Look around this holiday season and SEE the light in children’s eyes, HEAR the laughter in your homes and SPEAK of your love to your family and friends. Fill your inner kettle with love and hope and you will know what it is to be thankful. Happy Holidays.

– Karen Binder-Brynes, Ph.D.
Dr. Karen Binder-Brynes is a leading psychologist with a private practice in New York City for the past 15 years. See her website for more information.

Today give thanks for right thought, give thanks for right speech, and give thanks for right intention. We hope that everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving day spent with family and good friends.

Love Seattle!

We had a great time at the CKC Seattle event this past weekend. Packed schedule but good times! We started our day at the Cocoa Daisy booth. If you were able to attend this event and stopped by the booth there were great deals to be had. Tricia definitely wanted to go home with the minimum amount inventory, so it was a win win situation. Stacy's kit sold out at the show but Tricia is going to be taking a wait list - Stacy's free class will be launching in about two weeks and some of you may want the full kit. Of course you can do the project without the kit by using your stash!

On the way home on Sunday, Sara and I made a stop at Pike's Place Market. We enjoyed all the sights and sounds that place has to offer plus some good chowder with a grilled halibut sandwich.

Happy Birthday Buddy

Today would have been Dottie's birthday. Words cannot express how much I miss her - how much I miss her presence in my life. I have days of total sadness and other days laughing out loud when remembering moments spent with her. So today I ask you to raise a glass of wine (or drink of choice, maybe put it in a fancy cup - she would love that) at 6pm and toast to live life as full as she did. Wish you were here buddy!