Five Things I Didn't Love About BlogHer

I'm not going as far as to say I Hated These Things.. They were simply the things that detracted from the experience.

1. Sponsors with a flawed marketing concept for the group. While several of the sponsors had spot-on concepts and presentations (Saturn, Film-Loop, Six Apart), others were woefully inappropriate. MSN marketing Live Spaces to already bloggers? Elexa by Trojan passing out t-shirts that would primarily fit a 8 year old? Contrex giving us "european mineral water" (not necessarily a bad idea) and telling us that drinking it would make us skinny?

None of these companies quite grasped the concept that this group of women was savvy. That many were highly educated. That they couldn't talk down to us.

2. Poor connectivity. You would think that telling a center you will have 700 people showing up who will all want free wifi all the time, would convince them to have the infrastructure to deal with that. Not true. Apparently the Hyatt thought our demand would be no greater than 700 businessmen checking email. That, and most people couldn't find our complimentary connection so they ended up signing up for the $25/3 days cost.

3. Sessions that somehow didn't/couldn't live up to their description. Heather Champ, who did the session on digital photography, admitted she expected to be talking to maybe 15-25 people NOT the 50-100 that attended each section of the session. And she did it well. Other presenters, promising a lot, left me thinking that I made poor choices. After talking to other attendees, I'm thinking instead that there was a gap between expectations and reality.

I'm not sure how this could be fixed. But next year I'll probably position myself where it will be easier to leave a session when I realize it's not panning out.

4. Some of the food options. Mainly having only 2-3 stations for serving food by the pool meant long lines. And for the $25/ticket price.. I think we deserved a bit more than cold cuts and melons (all I got on Saturday night) and one drink. However the lunches were yummy; with chicken, veggies and fruit offered, and delicious desserts.

5. The sense of us/them inclusion/exclusion. There is a huge discussion going on post-conference about the mommybloggers. Those of us outside that realm had experiences of feeling marginalized by the mommybloggers; they claim we're mistaken. All I know is there was frequently a "in crowd" and "everyone else" division that nobody really anticipated.

Fortunately, the organizers are already evaluating actions for next year to deal with this.

Tomorrow: some of the highlights you might find only at a primarily woman-oriented function.

Tags: blogher07, blogher

Five Things I LOVED About BlogHer

I'm slowly processing my reactions to the weekend at BlogHer. I decided that I had to start writing some of this down before it slipped into the muddle of my menopausal mind. So I'll start with some of the high points.

1. I loved meeting people I read, even if only infrequently. I embarrassed myself constantly when meeting someone, to suddenly have their face and their photo click in my mind. So to the introduction: "Hello, I'm Betty Blogger". My mind would say.. Betty Blogger's photo.. look at this face in front of me, CLICK. And ALWAYS come out with: Yes!! You Are!!

Like they didn't know who they were!!I know it was my way of processing, or recognizing.. but I'm sure I sounded like a dingbat.

2. I loved meeting other people who blog and love it. Most of people I know IRL don't have the same passion. Most, let's admit it, either shrug at the word or more honestly say: I've read a few.. and what's the point? I could glaze their eyes over with techie speak: social networking. yada yada. Instead, I just keep this part of my life private. Another case of my feeling the need to segment myself. No segmenting at BlogHer.

3. I loved learning about a couple new applications. One vendor was thrilled when mid-talk I suddenly saw a way of using their product on my blog in a way that they hadn't considered. I'll be playing over the next few days and giving this a try within a week or so.

4. I loved being around strong, verbal intelligent women. I've said before that the reason I cherish my Pickle friends is the chance to experience intelligent women. Way too often in my life, I've felt the need to "dumb down" around women; at BlogHer I needed to smarten up. And when Nancy White told me she considers me a writer? Made the entire day.

5. I loved some of the schwag. We got really cools bags from Six Apart (typepad), and jump drives from Saturn. Got some cute "mommy" stuff that I'll pass along, and several books. But we also got sugar substitutes and condoms (?) which I could have done without. And all conference we were supplied with one brand of bottled water that didn't taste particularly good, and marketed itself as the water that will make you skinny!! (NOT). I get that these were people learning that it's important to market to women. But when will they learn that marketing to smart women means they have to market smartly?? I can only hope that the message gets through someday.

Not on the list, but a great experience: Friday night I sat at a table with a number of edu-bloggers (educational bloggers). In raving about the DOPA someone at the table decided that this law exhibits the current administration's culture of fear. And it was decided that the only way to fight it was with a CULTCHA OF LOVE. We started grabbing each person who passed by, trying to enlist them, we sang John Lennon, we got "that look" from the tables around us.Older savvy women on tear!! It was delicious.

Now BlogHer we know is atleast half about the social networking, so this is a good list to start with, but did you notice a lack of love for the sessions? Not that hated them all. But, I'll write more about the things I didn't love tomorrow.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
later today where I'll catch you up my everyday life (the AC, my TV obsessions and this week I hope to hire a trainer).

Tags: BlogHer07, BlogHer, NancyWhite, CultchaOfLove, cultureoflove

Lunchtime at BlogHer

Lunch at BlogHer. I had a nice tossed salad, some cherry tomatoes (they were fabulous!!) another cuppa coffee and a slice of pecan pie!! Who serves pecan pie at a conference?? I'm am not complaining.

I've re-met several bloghers, gotten to speak with several of the other CEs and had one workshop session. The most useful part of that will be an upcoming post on how to make your blogs or website more accessble for those with disabilities.

Maybe later today.

This afternoon is the big deal geeky stuff.

For what it looks like, check out the Flickr group.

If you are interested in what the news is saying, I'm including a couple of the links. A note about the headlines: The San Jose Grand Prix is also running this weekend.. so the print media is trying to tie the two events together.

San Jose Mercury News put us front page along with the race.

SFGate reported about the huge increase in size of the conference (from about 300 last year to 750 this year on Saturday) and pointed out the level of our speakers.

What the heck, Marian Richmond wrote a fine review of the news stories for BlogHer.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where eventually I'll be writing about some the plug ins and websites.

Tags: blogher, blogher07, flickr

Hope I know the way to San Jose...

(sorry folks, but photo uploading ain't working at the moment. So. No. Photo.)

I'm packed and ready to head off this afternoon to San Jose, CA and BlogHer 07.
where I'll be in workshops about better digital photography;building (or in my case, rebuilding) an audience; Primping (or prettifying) my blog; and understanding tagging and tracking.

I'll be talking with the other CE's, plus the quilting/knitting/crafting/gardening bloggers and whatever else will be represented in the 700+ folks attending. We are talking more face-to-face contact with other human beings in these 3 days than I normally get in a year!!

My Checklist:

Clothing packed: check.
Camera (batteries, memory cards): check
Computer accoutrement: check
Laptop (batteries, cord, chillpad): check
Business Cards: check
Tshirts and stuff for sale: check.
Excitement: Not In Check.

My other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions may have some of the fun stuff posted this weekend.

Tags: BlogHer07

Good, Better Best

The good news: The fog has returned to my part of the bay, bringing much cooler nights and somewhat cooler days.

The Better News: Kel-Aire is sending a repairman to fix our furnace on Friday morning. I'm leaving a note to Steve to have him do the regular maintainence stuff (as I was going to call them 8/1 to do this before the belt broke).

The BEST News: Katy visited her orthopedic surgeon yesterday for a check on how her leg is healing. Her bone has healed perfectly, and she received a release for activity. For the next 6 weeks we need to walk her longer distances every day, getting her up to about 2 miles by the middle of September. Barring any problems in this time, her latest incident is behind us!!

A moment to "shout out" to my peeps!!

Ok, do I sound vain to admit that I subscribe to my own blog on my bloglines feed?  And that today I actually checked out who else subscribes to it?  (yes it does.  You can tell me... I'm a sweltering blob of goo, but I can take it!)

I do not recognize the feed names.. but I'd like to give a shout out to the following. Please say "hey" back so I can a nick to a name:

• 4pj. Wait a minute.  I think I should know this. I don't.   But I can't put the blogtitle with the name.
• artstitches.  Made it easy.  Blog/nick the same.
• batixa.   A play on the word Batik??
  
• BrianShields.  Never met, Brian... but Hey!! Maybe next weekend at BlogHer.
  
• casuzen  A Susan in California??
  
• computerpeach.  I'm guessing a Georgian?? My newest subscriber.  Well, welcome peach!! Here, have a glass of Sun tea!!
  
• HeidiWofraat.  She reads a lot of the artquilt ring, but I'm not familiar with her.  That's OK.. Guten tag, Heidi.
  
• kt2734.  My oldest subscriber!!  She's been subscribed longer than I have.
• lynnedjohnson.  Well, that nick is easy to decipher!
• malittlej 
  
• orangina
• Renmeleon
  

Hot and Getting Hotter

It's 6:30 pm on Sunday; 92 degrees in the house and about 100 outside. I've been warned that it might take up to 3 weeks to get the AC fixed and the weather prediction is for hot weather for atleast the next week.

One important thing, here: the computer doesn't like being hot. At the moment it's sitting on an ice pack (nicely cooling my thighs). But I'm going to be using this in very short spurts until I get this whole thing dealt with.

I am being "cooled" by $30 Holmes stand fan (which atleast kinda moves the air) and icepacks. Katy lets me drape frozen bath towels over her to cool her off, but Jake is having none of that. Last night I pulled my recliner out on the deck and actually got about 3 hours sleep. I'll probably do the same thing tonight.

So think cool thoughts and send them my way. And if you know an HVAC repair man in Northern California who owes you a favor... please send him/her my way.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: Personal

Hot Times on the Old Home Front...

A cool view of Carquinez bridge and water...

It's 9:30 on Saturday night and 87 degrees in my house. Maybe 83 outside (it's too dark to read the thermometer). It's gonna be a long night...

Late this afternoon, I noticed that it was getting HOT even though the AC was cranking. The outside temps were 111F, and inside it was 94. Went upstairs and the furnace/blower unit (in the attic) was making an odd sound. So I turned off the AC. Fifteen minutes later, the power went out (a rolling blackout? ).

About 9 pm. I figured whatever had been happened with the AC had time to recover, so I turned it back on. Unit outside fired up just fine. Fan in the house? Not a peep. Oh, and it smelled like burned rubber.

I'm guessing the fan belt is shot.

It will be atleast Monday until someone can fix it.

The high tomorrow? Supposed to be about 90-95. I pick the spouser up at the airport about 1 pm. so I get a bit of relief, but the dogs? They are definately going to be hot pups.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Ready to Waste some Time??

I found this beautiful little API (application programming interface) called Retrievr.

Click on the link, and you will be transported to a page with a small simple drawing screen on the left. Choose a tool size, and a color and make a simple mark on the drawing pad. Then wait.

Retrievr will search the public Flickr photo pool and come up with photos that it thinks match it a little. Really this is hypnotic. Draw a couple thin lines of colors, the photos will change as the new colors are added.

The pool it draws from is fabulous, the process fascinating and whole thing a great escape.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I write about another little program: Trip Planner.

What Does My Name Mean???

Found on another blog: What Does Your Name Mean? No cute copy and paste option.

It changed completely when I added my middle initial (which I use on signatures on such). The Soul Urge stuff, however, is right on!! The inner self? So off!!

You entered: Debra Roby

There are 9 letters in your name.
Those 9 letters total to 45
There are 3 vowels and 6 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 9

The characteristics of #9 are: Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression.

The expression or destiny for #9:
The expression that you exhibit is represented bythe number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the 'big brother or big sister' type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire. This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel. Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It's possible that you're not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent. Be aware of your capabilities, so that you can make use of them at appropriate times.

If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.

Undeveloped or ignored, the negative side of the 9 expression can be very selfish and self-centered. If you do not actively involve yourself with work that benefits others, you may tend to express just the opposite characteristics. It is your role to be very involved with other people and their needs, but it may be difficult for you achieve this role. Aloofness, lack of involvement, and a lack of sensitivity mark the low road of this expression.

Your Soul Urge number is: 3

A Soul Urge number of 3 means:
With the Soul Urge number 3 your desire in life is personal expression, and generally enjoying life to its fullest. You want to participate in an active social life and enjoy a large circle of friends. You want to be in the limelight, expressing your artistic or intellectual talents. Word skills may be your thing; speaking, writing, acting, singing. In a positive sense, the 3 energy is friendly, outgoing and always very social.

You have a decidedly upbeat attitude that is rarely discouraged; a good mental and emotional balance.

The 3 Soul Urge gives intuitive insight, thus, very high creative and inspirational tendencies. The truly outstanding trait shown by the 3 Soul Urge is that of self-expression, regardless of the field of endeavor.

On the negative side, you may at times become too easygoing and too optimistic, tending to scatter forces and accomplish very little. Often, the excessive 3 energy produces non-stop talkers. Everyone has faults, but the 3 soul urge doesn't appreciate having these pointed out.

Your Inner Dream number is: 6

An Inner Dream number of 6 means:
You dream of guiding and fostering the perfect family in the perfect home. You crave the devotion from offspring and a loving spouse. You picture yourself in the center of a successful domestic unit.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I don't know what I'm writing yet.

It's hot..

It's Thursday and it's hot. I've been trying all week to get some stuff organized for our guild "garage sale" tonight, but much of it isn't going to happen. I still have drawers to go through, fabric to cut/organize as fat quarters, half yard pieces, etc. And everything to price. Plus some spare cash to grab.

Nope. Not going to happen. Ennui has set it and I'm not shaking it off. Not piecing, not quilting, not stitching, not knitting. I'm not.

I'll relist the books I have on Amazon and see which ones sell this time. The fabric? My other guild has a "little shop" before and after each meeting. I can give them the fabric and see what sells there. (you bring it, they sell it and keep the cash, if it doesn't sell, you take it home). Not any money for me.. but I think getting the uninspirational stuff out of my presence is worthwhile.
So what have I done today? Did a couple hours of housework (boring), discharged a couple shirts and prepped some more for dyeing and over dyeing.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I wrote about the Elimination show of RockStar.

Peeking at the Process

Ya'll know I write about art/craft and gardening for BlogHer. Today I shared a little bit of the process in my post. And I decided I'd share it here, too.

I subscribe to BlogLines.. and most of my subscription list is in the left hand column. However, when you subscribe (if ya don't know..) you get "subscription" webpage that shows not only all the blogs, but all the ones that are recently updated. You can even read the blogposts on that page. A couple times a day I check through the blogs (maybe in one or two categories) then move on.

At least a couple times a week, I'll be reading through my feeds and something will make me say: COOL!! It might be a turn of phrase in a post, a photo or an insightful comment. I instantly jot a little note in Performancing; if I'm still thinking "cool" the next day or two, and I think it will play to a slightly wider audience, I publish it there. That's my gut editorial policy: make me go "Cool!" and you're in. Admittedly, most of my cools don't get published; it's that wider audience that usually does them in.

This week, I thought I'd pick one category and just keep track of the cool things I found during the week and share the process:

Topic: Quilting
Statistics: 327 posts read in category.
Ideas organized for future posts ("crossing over crafts"/ snarky-craft/ challenges/ group blogs/is craft uncool): 2.

Cool Things:

ArtFabrik's Laura showed a gorgeous silk quilt.

Brenda Smith wrote about an interesting challenge: Refabricating Difference which is open to Australian artists.

Deb Lacativa posted some real fiber stuff!!

My gal Gerrie posted photos of her newest Tropical Fish quilt.

Cramzy posted a fabric journal to carry ATCs for trading.

Mrs. Mel explains why Channeling Nancy Crow is OK while her sister guest-blogged that her sister is a genius.

Sharon B. is continuing with her 100 days/100 stitches, has added a step challenge and organized her workspace. (this last... color me green...)

Elle, the Sew Chick, played tourist in her hometown.. and visited the Textile Museum in DC.

Finally, Sarah wrote an indepth review of Interaction of Color.

Edited from the post at BlogHer

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where yesterday I posted my Meez-portrait.

Tags: quilting, blogher, bloglines, Performancing

From Pam...

You are

What Rejected Crayon Are You?

Here's a hint.. just keep hitting the "submit" button until you find a crayon color you like.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I take you on a tour of my too-green garden. (too green, as in not ripe).

Just BlogMe Baby!!

Ok, so BlogHer is in 12 days. And the story goes that Mocha Momma thinks we should all get to know a little bit about each other before we get there. That's my Reader's Digest version of the short story version that appeared on Friday.

So, at Lisa's suggestion, I am including a part of me... my right eye. Why? So the world can see my completely wimpy eyebrows and maybe someone will take pity on me and show me how to fix them!! Oh.. and the roots? Don't look for them next week... they will be disguised as dark ash blonde.

I am feeling a little like real life in this... so far most the interviewers/interviewees are mommybloggers. And me? Well I have 2 dogs.. does that count? So even in this "inclusive" activity I am an outsider. Sigh. Welcome to my life...

Ok, so I pour myself a fresh cuppa coffee, stare myself warmly but intently in the eye and ask...

When did I start blogging and why? I set up my blog in November, 04, because someone on one of my mailing lists said they would be the new hot thing... a step up from usenet, groups and mailing lists. I wrote the typical 3 posts, then let it drop until someone set up a blogring for all us art quilters. Suddenly there were people reading and writing and into what I liked. Over time, I "sampled" from other people's blogrolls, expanding my reading list, and finding new blog friends. When I have time, I still sample... and look forward to the surprises.

2. Who do I read? Gerrie, Rayna, Pam, Deb, Deb, Deb (there is some name loyalty..) I check out for her junkdrawer posts, though I read less when she's doing all her blog challenge stuff, Melody. I miss Gabrielle...

3. How do you feel about meeting bloggers in real life? Are you nervous? Will you have great expectations? What do you home to take away from the BlogHer experience?

I've met several bloggers in real life and truly enjoyed the experience. I fear that I will never keep straight names/faces and blogs, and will spend the next year trying to organize all this. Nervous? more excited, but my introvert personality means a little nervous. Expectations? I expect to be completely overwhelmed and lost in the crowd. I hope to take home a clearer idea of what I want to do going forward in my blogs.

4. Are you and your blogging persona the same person? Completely. I have never been able to create a persona other the one I wake up with every morning. Even when I played D&D!! I am completely transparent in my blog. Or I'm lying to myself...

5. How do you party? I will the one on the edge of the room, or sitting outside in the hall looking for a little bit of quiet and calm. Privately, I wish I were the life of the party.. but I'm not.

6. What shoes will you be wearing? Shoes? I live in Keen sandals. Though I'll probably pack those wasabi keds that were my avatar for a while.

Who ya gonna tag and how will you decide? Ok, I'm scrolling through the blogroll for those attendees who may be overlooked...I'm tagging Jill who writes about her dog Honey, Pam (if you aren't reading Beancounters.. why the hell not??), Elizabeth, Leslie, Erica, Karl because he responded to a post of mine on BlogHer.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: blogme, blogher06

Imagine..

Imagine what you might resort to if a box of tampons cost 50% of your monthly income. If you could find them.

Project Runway.. Episode One

Yeah, I'm taking a break from blogging, but not from watching TV this week. So a wrap up of Project Runway is still OK. I'm not going to get all the names down for a couple episodes, but I'll give it a try. This is live blogged, but I'm promising this will continue all season.

They did a nice job of introducing the designers at the beginning. I already don't like Malan(?) so he'll be around for a long while. And Keith? looks like Jude Law... Stacy is a totally waste of thread.

First challenge: Design from the apartment. Interesting challenge. Seeing the participants decend like vultures on thier living spaces was amusing, but I would rather see something like the 5 yards of muslin challenge again. Sometime, you just don't have to work that hard.

Time: they gave them an additional hour of worktime (till 1 am instead of midnight). I wonder if this will be for the season or only for this episode?

Jeez, another weekly product placement: beyond the hair and makeup stuff, we now have "the accessory wall"!! And, there will be a lot more sponsors covering challenges this time.

The designs:

1. Laura, elegant. Looks just like her. (Can she design for someone with a different aesthetic?)
2. Bradley, interesting and innovative
3. Keith, played it too safe, IMO
4. Angela the flowers?? how strange.
5. Kayne: gorgeous and innovative. but the thing on the back??
6. Malan: stylish
7. Bonnie: weird picnic outfit, but not bad enough to be in the bottom 3.
8. Katherine: cool
9. Michael: very nice
10. Vincent: strange but not bad
11. Alison: styling but too short
12. Stacey: poorly fitting. And she can't sew!!
13. Robert: nice.. not too much. I loved the red on the back.
14. Uli : not bad, but what's with the yellow plastic beads?
15. Jeffrey: lots of nice layers but less is often more. He should have done either the dress or the coat but not both.

Stacy so deserved to be the first designer to hear "auf weidersehen".

So what do you think will be the "rule breaking" incident that makes Tim ask someone leave?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I blogged the elimination show for RockStar.

Tags: Project Runway, reality tv

Taking about a week off.

Just to let you know. I'm taking about a week off from blogging to actually live some life. Lots of little things that need to be done, pulling my attention away from here.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I'm saying the same thing.

When it's hot.. we model, don't we?

Damn, it's gonna be hot today..(upper 90s), so I just may hole up in my studio sorting out things for our guild's "yard sale" in 2 weeks. Or working on this top I'm sewing.

Found from fellow Woolfcamper Kris Robinson:

All I've got to say is, I'm laughing so hard... excuse me while I change into dry underwear!

You Are Most Like Daniela Pestova

Gorgeous and chameleon-like

Which Victoria's Secret Angel Are You?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Ok... My first (of the year) RockStar roundup

I tivo'd the show, so I'm watching it after it broadcast, and there aren't any stinkers so far. Yeah, I like this as much as last summer's edition. Probably helps that I didn't know a lot about INXS last year.. and with a "newly created" band this year, there isn't really that whole "collection" to deal with.

Ok, Storm reminded me a lot of Deana from last season. Liked her a lot. There is a strong group of potential competitors and a big group of "seat warmers."

Winners:
Patrice
Storm
Ryan
Toby
Magni
Josh
Dana
Jill
Phil

It's interesting listening to the subtext of the critiques. I wonder how many really heard the lines: interact with the band and the audience.. and "it's critical what song you choose..."

After this week, I'll be reviewing RockStar at deb's distractions, so I can save my tv review talk here for Project Runway.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: rockstar supernova

Who Needs PhotoShop With a Picture Like This?

I just uploaded this photos from my camera... and let me tell you.. this one is completely unedited. I normally tweak the color.. maybe crop a little.. but this one was (IMO) perfect as is!!



Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where today I'm going to be sharing some incredible yard art photos...

A Flowery Quiz...

Found at This Garden Is Illegal: What Flower Are You?

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

"When your friends think smile, they think of you. There is not a day that goes by that you can't find something good about the world and your fellow human."

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

One goal for this week.

I've been a very bad refashionista... not accomplishing much last month. So I'm trying again, by stating a specific goal for each week. Let's see if this gives me the focus I need to accomplish something.

Anyway, one of my goals when I signed up for this was to actually make some of the clothing for which I've already purchased fabric. Among this stash are two lengths of gorgeous border prints silk that I purchased in Singapore (4 years ago?? longer??). Last year (year before?) I paid for a workshop with a guild member who runs classes on sewing clothing. I brought in the simplicity pattern, and we fitted the pattern to me... adjusting for my total lack of shoulders and D cup bust. But I haven't taken the muslin created in that class and actually sewn anything with it.

This week I will. I needed dogfood this morning, and JoAnne's is next door. I decided to take on my fear of cutting (ruining) my fine imported stuff, by working out the pattern with local cheaper fabric. The pattern is sitting with my find of the day. Two yards of this (unfortunately polyester.. but similar weight and slipperiness to the silk) nice brown/red/black print for...

wait for it...

$3.50. Total. (from the marked down shelf where everything is an additional 66% off for the holiday!)

I could completely screw up the construction and not mind the loss!

So this week I will cut and construct a top (view A: clean neckline, short sleeves, no frills) from this.

Crossposted at Wardrobe Refashionistas

Tags: sewing, patterns

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

A small revelation

I was sorting through my fabrics the other day, and I had a bit of a revelation. Most of my painted and dyed fabrics are fairly mottled and muddy.. either by accident or by choice. It worked for what I was interested in the last couple years. But it's ... well... muddy. And a bit dull.

My commercial fabrics are multi-colored theme kind of fabrics... maybe inspiration fabrics but none that play well together except the batiks. And being batiks??... kind of muddy.

I need some clear color fabrics!! I gots to buy, paint and dye some with texture!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I share my recipe for Good Housewife Lemon Bars.

Tags: fabric, color

No Work Today

First, our neighborhood walk photo. Many of the yards in our neighborhood tell something about the nationality of the home's owner. This one doesn't. It's a nice fairly traditional entryway. But I'd envy them the nice glass door. Ofcourse ours would be covered with dog snot... so maybe I don't envy them too much!

I am officially taking today off to celebrate my birthday. I've got a free meal waiting at a cafe in a nearby town so we're heading there for lunch.

Then off for our traditional "birthday-summer blockbuster" movie. I chose Superman Returns. (and what does it say that when I decided to look for a link, my first choice was what they are saying over at Pajiba?). Home to walk the dogs, then hang out maybe watching some baseball. (I cannot wait for the summer tv season to begin. Atleast one more week!!)

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
tomorrow.. when I talk about the sex of some vegetable blossoms.

Tags: First Street Cafe, Superman Returns, neighborhood photos.

Thursday's Things

The entire front yard that houses yesterday's charming little corner. That corner is the shady little spot in the back part portion of this. Isn't this an elegantly simple front yard? I like it so much better than a swath of green grass edged with hedges. And I'm betting it's more water friendly.

Things To Do:

1. Weed the veggie garden, checking for insect damage and fruit production.
2. Walk the dogs. (Jake: 2 miles; Katy 6 x 14 houses).
3. Get a new tank of propane for the grill. Who can survive a long 4th weekend without grilling?
4. Get into the studio and start cutting a batik Sudoku cuddle quilt.
5. Add to and organize our queue on NetFlix.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I wrote myself notes on the 12 Super Foods so I don't forget.

Wednesday's Way

First a moment of garden. Walking Katy around the neighborhood six times a day, I've gotten the opportunity to see things that I haven't closely looked at. This charming corner is in the yard at the corner of our court. Isn't it delightful?

Thanks to the several people who commented or emailed me about trying to figure out where my passion lies now. I am going to take the advice from Twyla and simply start working; get in the studio and improvise. See if something happens. I either find the passion soon, or I'm having a great big supply sale!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I give a tip for folding a fitting sheet.

Tags: Japanese garden, photo, twyla tharp, finding my passion

Tuesday's To Dos

A moment of sunset from June 21st. This is about as far right as the sun sets; by winter it's so far to the left of this photo (south) that I don't actually see where it drops below the horizon.

I actually did some sewing Monday, though nothing artistic. I tried to refashion an older pair of jeans shorts from a "normal" waist to a lower rise pair. Note to the world: doing so is not easy. I would have had to cut down the yolk (is it a yolk?) by the small of the back, and move the pockets. And those thick seams? Broke 2 jeans needles just is trying to machine baste things to fit it. Oh well!

I haven't done any successful creative sewing in so long that a part of me is wondering if I should call it quits. However, I'd thought/said at some point every year for the last 3 or 4? So am I just in a rhythmic fallow period... or am I over it? Is this the reason for my all-over-the-place attention span? Am I searching for my next excitement fix?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where i wrote about some free pattern software from Wild Ginger.

Inspiration, yes??

Student knits her own Ferrari
Originally uploaded by hobart65.

When I graduated college I had to demonstrate my skills, yes. but that only meant student teaching, student consulting and writing a couple papers.

According to the story on ananove, Lauren Porter had to do a bit more.

First she built a steel frame that matches the sahpe and size of a classic Ferrari sports car, welding it herself!! Then she (and friends/family) knit the cover!

Yearning to Learn

First, a moment of garden. I was walking in the yard yesterday and was struck by the limey-yellow green and the rosy pink on the opening hydrangea blossom. A color scheme I haven't used that I will need to me remember.

The QuiltArt mailing list has been yammering about learning styles and Arlee Barr took a test to determine hers. Ofcourse, I followed suit.

First I took the test giving only answer to each question. In that try, I am a strong Kinesthetic learner. No surprise to me there.

But more interesting, I went back and retook it giving multiple answers when appropriate. That turned me into a multi-modal learner with a strong read/write leaning!! Kinesthetic came in second.

I love this line at the bottom of the "Read/write" help sheet:

You like this page because the emphasis is on words and lists.
You believe the meanings are within the words, so any talk is OK but this handout is better.
You are heading for the library.

And from Kinesthetic help sheet:

You want to experience the exam so that you can understand it.
The ideas on this page are only valuable if they sound practical, real, and relevant to you.
You need to do things to understand.

Both sound so much like me!! So what is your learning style?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I point some another way cool film from YouTube.

Tags: learning styles, VARK, hydrangea photos

Must View YouTube

This is only 5 minutes or so long... and worth watching.

The Immigration Debate

A fog bank rolling into the bay. Something we are not seeing at the moment.

It is hot again today. Yesterday it was 96 in the shade here, and I dont' have much shade!

So today I checked email, took Katy out for her first walk, took Jake for a 2 mile walk, returned and took Katy out for her second walk. Then showered.

It's eleven in the morning, and all I've done is walk dogs!

My studio is just the other side of the AC unit (not a sound I love to hear. It says: hello high electric bill!), so I won't be working in there today. Instead I'll grab some hand stitching and sit somewhere shady and quieter and try not to sweat.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I'm sharing a new recipe for dinner.

Yellow poppies from my garden. Why does yellow seems like such a summer color? Is it all the sunshine?

I'm working on reorganizing my studio (hey, our guild has a "flea market" in a month.. what can I possibly turn to cash?), so not much creative to chat about. So, of course a quiz. This one from Heather but sans a lot of neat "cut and paste" stuff for a blog.


Are You A Yankee Or a Rebel?
33% Dixie. You are definitely a Yankee. Not surprising! Actually most of the choices I came out as Great Lakes region. Gee? No surprise as that's where I grew up. Fun Test.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I wrote about growing great tomatoes. (one of my summer obsessions).

The Land of the Lost...

Reading Diane's blog about lost things got me thinking. Like Diane's corningware teapot.. there are things, I'm sure, that each of us knew was somewhere then it was gone.

This happened all the time to me when I was kid. I think I bought 4 Brownie beanies because they stayed where I put them. Since moving out on my own, the two great confabulations have been my high school class ring (lost in my first apartment.. how? did the rats take it?) and the bill for the new roof on our house.

Losing that invoice happened so early in our relationship, that it's become the running joke line. Anything in the last 23 years that's disappeared is "with the bill for the roof."

Personally, I think all these things are sucked into a great mystery place, much like a giant museum. Then randomly displayed for the enjoyment and entertainment of the museum's attendees. (think something like the picture above from the Mystery Case File games where you search for odd items in a diarama). Hmm.. I even think I saw Diane's teapot in one of these scenarios!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I've photographed my new garden path.

Katy time

I don't have much to say today, but I thought I'd give you a Katy update. We returned to the surgeon last Monday, where he declared that she is healing right on schedule. With the removal of her staples, she was given clearance to start walking a little.

So this last week we've strolled around our courtyard (7 houses) up to 6 times a day. She's feeling more confident about walking around too. When we get out to the main street, she pauses and looks down the street trying to convince me that we should travel a bit further. Starting this Monday, we will.

Jake isn't fareing too badly, either. To make up for taking Katy out 6 times a day.. Jake is getting 2 nice walks most days. And the steps on my pedometer is mounting. Guess we all win!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I talk about my garden path and the cool morning.

Recovering

Sunset, June 3rd this year. I didn't get the sunset last night and this one from a couple weeks ago was unusual and beautiful. Plus I don't think I blogged it yet. The deep fog moving in with the layered openings is just exquisite. And I tweaked it a bit for emphasis.

Writing yesterday about how my plan didn't work out as planned was a great step for me. It let me analyze what worked, what didn't, and gave a ideas for recovering.

This weekend I will prep a piece of fabric to paint the background I wrote about (sky, hills, grass) and then play with the tree silloutte on there. Did I mention that my sillouttes are cut from felt? That means I can stitch them then distress them a heat gun for more texture. Hmm.. do that in a small sample.

I will play with the Sudoku puzzle thing separately. This weekend I may whack up a bunch of my batik fabrics and make myself a cuddle quilt.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I'm talking about building my garden path.

Sucking Bilge Water

The semi-secret project I've working on?? sucks. hugely sucks. Sucks bilge water.

sigh.

Well, the way I was working it, it sucks... but the two parts separately have possibilities.

(huh???? you are cornfuzed and strangely curious at the same time).

I was being too clever. Much too clever. The idea was to start with 9 squares that represent parts of the landscape: the sky, the hills, the grass. (yeah, I showed you these 9, but I changed a few of them). Over this would go the sillouette of a tree. And this might be nice just the way I described it. Next time I'm painting a base for a piece I can do this.

But I wanted to be "oh so clever"...so I cut each square into 9 squares.. and them rearranged them all like a Sudoku puzzle. So clever! And doing with other fabrics would make a very nice quilt. Fast and easy. I'm going to have to do this again. And I hear my friend Del wants to do this with quilts for her guest room. Or use it as a piecing idea for a very neutral background. But not this one. Not these squares.

Then... like whacking up the background wasn't enough... I whacked up the silloutte piece too, mapping out where it should lay on the puzzle grid.. and placed the pieces back on their "home squares" (yeah, my original plan was to over lay everything first, then cut. but the seams? Not so pretty! I atleast rethought that).

And the irregularly placed tree silloutte pieces on the puzzle background? It just looks confused and muddled and not at all what was in head. I was trying to be so clever and I forced it. Lesson learned.

Fortunately, it's not all sewn together. So I will be starting from point B to rework this. Hmm.. maybe I should pull out the paints and paint that background...

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Monday's Monologue

Last week I received two silk screen that Gerrie made for me!! It's great having talented friends!

After playing on scraps for a while, I bit the bullet and screen two of the "trial" summer shirts I dyed a couple weeks ago.

I'm thinking I'll be wearing to BlogHer next month.












Here the tank is shot so you can actually read it! The font is called Matisse... isn't it perfect? The dyed shirt reminds me of Monet's garden paintings.

Do you think anyone would like to buy these? Because they are Dharma blanks, I can make them almost style and size.

I'm thinking that the tank and basic tshirts should be $20. The "nicer feminine tshirts" would be $25, because the blanks are just more expensive.


The other screen and the basic tshirt. I am not going to get into the discussion of art vs. craft. I can't tell if I screened this crooked or I'm crooked.

This one is in a font called "batik". Good for me!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: art, craft, tshirts

Wednesday's Wondering

OK, how did I not blog yesterday? It felt like I lived online.. even though I got 11,000+ steps in!!

Remarkably, this leads to my daily little take on Twyla's book: Perfectionism, Procrastination and Planning.

Yep. I've hit my weak spots. I tend to think about a project for a very long time... it can be months with an idea rolling around in my head.

Now if I actually journalled it, making notes and sketches and reasons for changing and altering a step, I might learn something from it. Might have a place to return to when I want to continue in a series making something different. Might actually have to do some work.

And it's not like when I get down to the work I'm all that much of a perfectionist. But I can procrastinate about a project by thinking that I don't have the steps planned out. I don't have the concept perfected.

I need to just get in there and work. Let the plan and project from something...And there isn't any "quick fix" for this except to walk myself into my studio and get working.

So, where do you fall in the perfectionism/planning/procrastinating play?

For my Moment Of Sunset... this was taken last Wednesday. Fog was sliding in gently softening the light and turning everything peachy/purply. Isn't it pretty, in a soft, dreamy sort of way?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Sunday's soliloquy

From DebR.:
The ABCs of Me Meme

Accent: Midwestern, Great Lakes. So I say "pop". though some have heard "Chicago"...

Booze: Beer. Ale. The darker the better. And the rare straight up shot of Irish whiskey.

Chores I hate: Cleaning the bathroom and picking up dog poop.

Dog/cat: Dog. Don't get cats at all.

Essential Electronics: Laptop, microwave, TV, Tivo, Sewing machine, lamps with 250W bulbs.

Favorite perfume: Clothes dried on the line outside.

Gold/silver: Both. But I don't wear jewelry.

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio. And, yes Cleveland DOES Rock.

Insomnia: Unfortunately, yes. Kind of. I seldom have trouble falling asleep, but I wake up way too early.

Job Title: The TechnoMage.

Kids: No Thanks.

Living Arrangements: Share a too-large with the spouse and 2 dogs.

Most admirable trait: I don't know the term. I can keep track of who has an interest in what, and actually call/write/inform a friend of something they would be interested in. It's not just being considerate... what is it (besides "cruise director")?

Number of countries visited: If you count just stopping in the airports? 6. If I had to actually see the country.. 4 (USA, Mexico, Canada and Singapore.)

Overnight Hospital Stays: When I was born.

Phobias: Deep water with no life preserver.

Quote: "Always cut the cards. It can't hurt and it might help." Lazarus Long.

Religion: Again, pass. If I had to choose one, it would probably be Unitarian... but why?

Siblings: Three. Older brother, Michael. Younger brothers, Mark and Kevin.

Time you wake up: Should be 7am. Too often recently it's more like 5:30 am.

Unusual talent: I can read upside down and backwards.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Lima beans. White potatoes are a close second.

Worst Habit: I bite my fingernails.

Xrays: Yes. Head, shoulder, hand, back, knee, ankle, ankle, knee, elbow, neck. Plus MRIs. And ofcourse teeth every year. Jeez, you think I'm a little clutzy??

Yummy food I make: BBQ. Thai peanut sauce.

Zodiac: Cancer the crab. Get those birthday greetings warmed up!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Red Shoe Ramblings: The ABCs of Me

Saturday's Spout...

Example of my 5 things to do list for today:
1. Take Jake for a walk.
2. Get the bottom part of the path ready up to the weedblock. (maybe get the sand base down?)
3. Write article for BlogHer.
4. Cut up trees blocks and piece back together.
5. Bake streudel.


Question du jour from The Creative Habit...


Names. Although my name is my name.. I'm not sure that it defines it. If I could change it to anything, though.. I'm not sure what I would change it to. As a child, my family knickname was Gretchen... and I'd be tempted to adopt that. There is something about it that feels right and familiar. Gretchen means "little pearl" does that improve my outlook any. Probably not. Debra means "the bee".. with all the meanings of fertility and industriousness. Except for me at the moment it's more about the flitting habit.


Does your name match your image of yourself? If you could choose a name for yourself, what meaning would you want attached to it?


Twyla wrote in part that parents choose names for thier children that have some kind of power and substance to them. Names from history (world or personal) of people with strength and fortitude, a sense of humor or charm. With so many of the younger generations choosing names based solely upon "how it sounds" and "making it unique".. I wonder if that's part of the lack of substance in their kids? Does having a name with no historical power in it weaken the child?


I'm not saying this well. I'll think about this while I'm working today and see if I can write a better discussion later.



And now, the moment of Sunset. This is from Thursday evening. The fog moved in, making the sunset all soft and blurry. And peachy.


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags:
Twyla Tharp, Creative Habit, Sunset photos

Friday's Free-for-All

First, a moment of fresh air. This was taken at Pt Pinole Regional Park a few weeks ago.

Since I'm reading The Creative Habit again... I'm curious not only about my own stuff, but everyone else's. Yesterday I asked you to tell me at what distance you view the world... thanks Rayna for responding (Yeah, I know blogger was down off and on all day. I'm really not complaining that nobody else commented. really. I'm not!).

Today: what are your habits?

The first 2 hours of my life are pure habit (yeah, you can tell I don't have kids). Internet stuff, 2 cups of coffee, breakfast for me and the dogs, and reading in the bathtub. The rest of the day is made up of "habitual units" that I pick and choose from for the day: cleaning, walking the dogs, sewing, painting, dyeing, gardening, shopping... you get the idea. Evenings are watching tv, knitting, writing, planning for tomorrow.

The one habit that when I remember to do it that is most success? Late in the evening, I write down the 5 things I want to accomplish the next day.

So what are your habits? And what is your most successful habit?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: The Creative Habit, creativity

Thursday Thoughts

I'm re-reading Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit. Just ended the chapter where she talks about our personal creative DNA and the way we prefer to view the world. She called it the focal points. She mentioned three fairly standard views, though I'm paraphrasing her terms:

panorama: the full long shot.. distant view. You can see the "whole picture".

arm's length: what I think of as portrait distance.

close up: tiny details, but not necessarily the whole picture.

In reading this I realized that I skip from the panorama to the close up views all the time. Big picture, tiny details, big picture. I don't particularly care for the "arm's length" view.. which might be why I don't like pictures of people.

Anyway, my question to you all:

What are your preferred creative focal points?

And for our moment of healing. Here's Katy, spending the afternoon on the deck. "Fresh air," she says, "is beneficial to healing." Most of the bruising and swelling is gone, and her fur is starting to grow back.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: CreativeHabit, creativity, dog photos

Wednesday's Way

Still working in a fairly distracted way. Yesterday I spent most of the morning going between cleaning up things in the sewing room and making a mess in the sewing room.

Today I am working on those squares I showed last week. Maybe next week there will be more than a clue where these things are going. (smiles).

I leave you a moment of sunset.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: sunset photos

Reading materials

I've gone back to re read Twyla Tharp's book. I read it the first time at the winter holiday season, when I first got it. I devoured the text but didn't work much at the exercises. I wanted the spouser to read it while he was off work. Her work ethic and his are quite similar; I thought the book might be a good resource for him.

He read it, liked it, and took it to work with him when he returned in January. I believe he's been passing it around for people who might need a little help with tackling research. I hadn't really planned on that happening; I figured it was that important he could request a copy be placed in the research library.

So I asked for the book back and finally got it a couple weeks ago. This time I'll work through most of the exercises.

I truly recommend this book for people who are having trouble figuring out a work habit and think it might be a worthwhile present for any new grads just entering the workforce.

What else am I doing? I have a possible plan for finishing Green Mars. I have to work it up and see it in place before I know if I like it. And those 9 squares.. are quickly on thier way to becoming something else.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: Twyla Tharp, books, creativity

Guess is shows (atleast here) that I my undergrad major was English.

True English Nerd You scored 78 erudition!

Not only do you know your subjects from your objects and your definite from your indefinite articles, but you've got quite a handle on the literature and the history of the language as well. Huzzah, and well done! The English snobs of Boston salute you.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on erudition

You can take the test here.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Get the fork ready. Yeah, that line of couching needs to be knocked down a little... and I need a better edging than simply the zigzag stitching. AND I need a sleeve and label. But this piece is basically done.

Time Off

I took the weekend off to start recharging. Off from the internet or many other activities. I napped, I read, I worked in the garden. I watched tennis and baseball on TV. I did lots of Sudoku puzzles.

Last night I finally slept for more than 4 hours... so I think the time off was valuable. I'm still cutting back on things for a few days, so probably won't be too chatty.

But what am I doing creatively?

I think I'm done with the beading on the Green Mars, and will be working out the edging. I will be couching yarn or string there, then adding stitching and beads. Think I'll put a sleeve on first.

And Gerrie made me a couple screens for my t-shirts. Today I'll play with how to screen print with them!! Stay tuned for photos.


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

So not directly "art related"...

I know.. but Crazy Aunt Purl's horroscopes inform my month. We won't talk about the fact that LAST MONTH SHE DOWNRIGHT LIED!! She knew that things might be dicey for us Crabs.. and chose to "pollyanna" it. And the stars smacked her back with big honking vet bills too. Hands up on the Crabs personally responsible for the vet's new vacation homes!!! (raises hand).

Anyway, she wrote a relatively accurate warning for friends of crabs:

June and July are Cancer birthday months (and Gemini, hi! yes, I know!) but I'm a Cancer and ya'll know how I can be. So. Around birthday time crabs become … melancholy? dour? moaning piles of self-loathing and pity? woe is me nobody loves me here let me eat this whole pie? I'm addressing that this month in the crab forecast. Just so you know, we're now the largest street gang in America. Hi!

So I'll be better in a month when my birthday is past, the celebratory movie is viewed, and I can get on with figuring out what the heck I'm taking to BlogHer at the end of July. In the meantime: Pie!! Send lots of Pie! Fruit pie (hey, it's a food group in my mind!) It may keep me fueled in this role as nursemaid/therapist/dogsitter/artist/writer/distracted beyond belief is there a nap in my future? woman.

And without further ado, what Purl projects:

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)
This month, you may have the feeling that you need to ask others what’s been going on in your own personal life since they’re all up in your bidness. (See me with the cool slang? That is how I roll, people. Don't hate.) Cancer folks have a knack for appearing too soft for this world, but people are always surprised (and maybe you are, too) to find that when the going gets tough, crabs get tougher. Do not mess with us, world! We will bust a claw up in yo nether regions!! I’ve always thought that the last (wo)man standing will probably be a Cancer. When it comes to clichés, we are truly born with the knowledge that success is its own greatest revenge. Learn it, live it, love it ... for this June is our month! Listen, I have a PLAN here, OK? The stars have been fucking with us for MONTHS, and I for one am sick of it. So tell me what you think: There are a WHOLE LOT OF CANCERS in this world. We're very stubborn. We can be the most tenacious and committed people you will ever meet. Right? So if we band together and put our collective weight behind this whole DO NOT MESS WITH CANCERS thing, surely June can end up being the month of me, and you, too? We'll be like ... a gang. The Cancercrips. Or something. We can have a gang sign, we can have a tattoo (or maybe just a logo? a logo would be good), we'll be rep'ing the hood down in the 12th house of KICKING ASS. What do you think? Are you in?

OK, instead of pie.. since I don't really need the calories.. will somebody design us a cool logo so we can all have tshirts? Crabs with tats or something. (Oh god.. the search parameters that are going to create hits for this post!! I shudder to think).

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: crazy aunt purl, horoscopes

Work of the day...

While cleaning my studio (trying to find my bottle of discharge paste), watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN, I will take a turn at blogtipping.

If you feel the Spirit of Blogtipping stirring your soul, join us on June 1st by sneaking up on a few blogs and offering them three compliments and one thoughtful suggestion each. (Or adapt according to your own preferences.)

WARNING TO ALL BLOGGERS: Look out for blogtippers. They know where you blog and they're comin' a-tippin' your way!

If you are a blogtipper, I thank you for showing your fellow blogger some love and sharing a bit of advice. Do this sincerely and you'll emerge a better blogger - yes, maybe even a nicer person - for having done so. And you'll make some blogger's day in the process. Feel free to blogtip at any time, and always remember that the first day of each month is a special Blogtipping Day!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: blogtipping, ESPN, Spelling bee

Homeward Bound...

No, not me! Katy had her surgery yesterday afternoon and will be asked if she's like to come home this morning.

She totally tore her cruciate ligament, but there was no additional damage (they suspected that she also tore a miniscus. Thankfully, no.). In dogs, the angle between the two bones in the knee is quite severe (like 60 degrees). They repair the knee by cutting the bone and leveling the angle. It's called a Tibular Plateau Leveling Something-That-Begins-With-An "O". Now there is a small chance that she will have a complication: 10% of dogs have the bone just below the knee break while they are healing. This happened to Katy with her other knee. I'm hoping that the surgeon did whatever he could to support that portion of her leg and keep this complication from happening. (yes, it means a second operation).

Thank goodness we didn't book our hoped-for cruise through the Canal this year. Our vacation money has gone into our dog's knee.

So after I pick her up and settle her into her pen, I will be whacking up my squares.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

The Work Du Jour

Yes, I am still beading Green Mars. Working on it while I watch baseball games. However, I do have other things going. So, for the record:

Under The Needle: A couple of fiber postcards.


On The Needles: A pale yellow cotton knit tank top.


On The Design Wall: The start of a series.

Don't fret the photo yet. (Del knows where I'm going from here). In a couple days you won't recognize this. But looking at the photo, I still need to replace a couple of these squares. So you really won't recognize it!!

If it's a holiday...

It's time for a quiz. This one courtesy of Leslie at The Clutter Museum.

Which StarTrek Character are YOU?

I really thought I'd be Guinan... but I see now that was not an option. And it's done my delicate psyche wonders to see that if I'm not an empath, I'm completely expendable!! Remember me for your next disaster.



Your results:
You are Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi 80% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 70% Geordi LaForge 65% Jean-Luc Picard 60% Uhura 50% Chekov 50% Will Riker 50% Spock 42% Data 42% Mr. Scott 40% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 40% Beverly Crusher 35% Worf 25% Mr. Sulu 25% James T. Kirk (Captain) 25%

You are a caring and loving individual. You understand people's emotions and you are able to comfort and counsel them.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

I took the pledge

Let it hereby be known that:

I, Debra Roby,

Pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 4 months.

I Pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle pre-loved items for myself for the term of my contract.

I Pledge that I shall create and craft items of clothing for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract.

I Pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recylcled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings!

The Wardrobe Refashionistas will be beginning this year's work on June 1st. (hmm.. do socks and underwear count? should I just make a run incase?). I read about it and thought that I have all these still wearable summer tshirts that I need to
a. discharge
b. batik
c. overdye

So these would work for the challenge. I think many of the participants are a lot younger than I am, and we'll have fun. Wanna come play, too?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: thriftcraft, refashion, recycling, crafts

Thank you all

for your kind words to Katy. We are working toward a new (temporary) routine.

I have Katy set up in a pen in the family room. She has a water bowl, a blankie and a couple toys (that she's ignored so far). She lies on her blanket and watches the world go by most of the day. When she needs to go out, she gets up and stands where the pen opens. Quietly. Waiting.

Got to tell you.. remember she's blown a back knee. Watching her piddle and poop without squatting is an interesting experiment in adaptive movement.

Each day she gets a hour or so to go sit outside in the sun. She seems to like it. I'm really lucky that she's not a high activity lab.

I really liked Del's take on the situation: I'd get lots of work done! (she's probably right).

Today I took Jake to the dog park for a nice long ball-chase. He got to hang with other dogs and chase tennis balls like a fiend. So he's not feeling "left out" to the invalid.

We're spending most of the weekend doing some cleaning/gardening work. Nothing exciting. And I've got real plans to start a new large-ish quilt this week. So maybe Del's right... I'll have plenty of time to get some work done.

Title Help

Got an email from my pickle friend Karen Boutte. Linda Schmidt has had to withdraw from coordinating PIQF's fashion show and Karen will be taking over. Gee, I get to help!! (NO, I won't be designing or modelling.. I'll be a dresser in the back).

Anyway, we are thinking about a new title for the show. In the past it's been called Designing Woman's Showcase. (to me, a bit of a '90s feel to it). So what suggestions might you have for a "hipper" fashion showcase at a quilt show?

Tags: PIQF, fashion show

Atleast I had a jacket this time.

My plans for today were fairly simple: do some long-weekend grocery shopping, take the dogs for a swim, do some pre-holiday cleaning while I mused on the postcards I'm working on. (I'm not happy with them).

I had thought I'd merely point you back to this post from last summer as the reference.

Plans change.

Three years ago while at Point Pinole, Katy blew out her left rear knee. Labs and lab mixes are prone to cruciate ligament tears. And once they blow one knee there is a 50% chance that they'll blow the other.

Yep, today while swimming in the same park, Katy blew out her right cruciate ligament.

Last time we had to walk the 2 miles back to the car alone. There was nobody in park at all. I took off my shirt and used it as a sling, walking through the park in my bra.

Atleast today I had a jacket with me. And better luck. As we passed the park equipment yard and office, I noticed there were people in there eating lunch. They called a van to drive us to the parking lot and carried Katy from the van to my car.

I drove straight to the vet's where without x-rays he could make a pretty good diagnosis of a blown knee.

We have our appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday. She'll come home on Thursday and I'll begin the six week rehab with her.

Oh joy.

Tags: dogs, cruciate ligaments, point pinole

Seven Degrees of Blogging...

Last year I'd try to play a game where I started with a blog from my own or someone's blogroll, choose one blog from that blogroll , choose again.. and again.

The idea was to try to get back close to where I started.

I could never do it.

Today, however, there are many more blogs. In reading through some of the knitting blogs on my blogroll, I've gotten to writers in my "craft", "altered art", "sketching" and "quilting" catagories appearing in their blogrolls.

Wonder if the game could be played now?

Yep, that's my town

You may have heard on your news that there is a town in California that is going to use the power of Eminent Domain to keep WalMart from building a store in their community.

Yep. That's my town.

The truly interesting thing about this that the news isn't mentioning: a year ago the council was pretty strongly telling it's citizens that we were going to have to accept WalMart. We needed the sales tax revenue.

But a citizen action group stepped in and started organizing the city (again). The council heard the voices (close to 75% of the town does not want the WalMart here), and decided to listen to the citizens. It's going to cost us $13 million or so to accomplish this task, but I'm glad it's going forward.

What will happen to parcel in the future? It is designed to be grocery store, a drugstore and other retail outlets. When the city gets the land it will invite developers to come up with a plan for the land that does not include any "big box" type stores.

I'm praying for a Trader Joe's.

Tags: Hercules, WalMart