And I'm Back

Yikes, I haven't updated this in far too long. I have been pretty busy with all sorts of crazy stuff. Two weeks ago I was visiting my parents. Curt was in Pennsylvania with his family staying in cabins. Sounded pretty rustic to me. 

On August 14 my dad had heart surgery. Here's the after result, taken in the last couple days:

Pretty gross, huh? He had mitral valve repair via the da Vinci surgery robot. The big gash near his nipple was where the surgeon also had to cut him open a little more and go in with his own two hands. That's the biggest cut, and it's only 3.5 inches or so. We were really blessed with medical technology in Grand Rapids, without that robot it would have been open heart/slice him apart surgery. You'd be looking at a much different picture if that was the case! The other big hole is where his chest drainage tube was. That was the last thing to come out. The rest it just nasty bruising from all the hemming and hawing the doctors had to do. Most importantly though, a smile on his face. He's feeling tons better than last week when he was stuck in the hospital. It was pretty bad for a few days, but he's home now and my mom even let him stay by himself today. He can't lift his right arm over his head, that will come when he heals a little more. We are so thankful that he is doing well and will soon be back to his old self! 
So his surgery was on Thursday, and we spent ALL DAY in the hospital. At 6:50 Friday morning, I boarded a plane to meet Curt and his family in PA. That made for a very long couple days, but I was happy everything worked out. 
Friday night we attended the rehearsal dinner for Curt's uncle, who was getting married Saturday. We stayed at this cute little inn near Kate's (the bride) family farm where the wedding was. Friday night I slept like a rock for the first time in a week. Saturday we all got ready for the wedding, then off to the wedding we went. 

It was such a beautiful setting over looking the hills. Greg (the groom) made that alter, he's very handy.

Kate was an absolutely gorgeous bride. Her whole ensemble was so her. 

We had a wonderful time at the wedding, it was a perfect afternoon, although the evening did get quite cold. Everyone let loose and had their sweatshirts and jackets on while dancing the night away. 

Sunday after the wedding we made our way back to Michigan with Curt's family. From their house Curt & I made our way back to Grand Rapids. We were worried that we would then have to make our way from there to Anderson, but luckily (?) I didn't get a job I was planning on, so we stuck around GR for a couple days. 

Monday my sister moved back to college, so I stayed at the hospital all day while my mom helped her move in. I never want to spend that much time in a hospital again, what a drain! Amidst all that chaos, my mom's car had to go into the shop (turned out to just be a headlight that needed replacing - how embarrassing) so we were shuffling cars around. 

I forget when we actually headed back for Anderson, but that day we also had to drop Curt's dad's van off at the Grand Rapids Airport because he was flying in. Curt drove it in, parked it, and then I went in after him. I felt like maybe we were doing something illegal, but we didn't get caught and they haven't chased us down yet. 

So here we are back in Anderson for a week or so now. I've been applying for a job, we need something because we are both just left with substituting, which doesn't really pay the bills. I have an interview tomorrow at Sears. Not the place I want to work for the rest of my life, but working there for the time being will help us get by. 

In the past week we have been busy getting settled in the house again. I finished these socks:

We caught this spider:

Gross, I know. We killed it shortly after this picture was taken. RIP, spider. 

Let's see.. what else have I been up to? Besides that spider moving in, we have also dealt with hornets and ants. I can't figure out where the hornets are coming from, I found their hole on the opposite side of the house, and that goes into the basement. I think they are coming up into our living room through the basement via the heating vents or something. Is that possible? We need an exterminator. 

Yeah, that's all I can think of for now. I need to finish a baby quilt and then start a horse quilt for my cousin. Best get to that now before I land a job that will take all my time.. 

 

Back From Vacation Again

I have been camping in Muskegon for a week, and really enjoyed myself. We have been going to the state park for my whole life, so I consider it more our summer home. We were able to hit the beach everyday and my tan even caught up to my sisters, who has been a nanny all summer that takes the kids to the pool everyday. So needless to say, my weeklong tan is much more impressive than her summer-long tan. I much prefer myself tan!

Can we talk about the olympics? Like how the women's gymnastics were throwing away the competition? Falling on their butts, stepping out of bounds, totally screwing up? At least a couple of them were able to pull it together and qualify. Gymnastics is just about the only sport I will go out of my way to watch. I do enjoy the other sports, but there is just something about gymnastics that has always inspired. 

Swimming has been exciting; lots of record breaking. Oh, and this afternoon we saw synchronized diving, which was very cool. Also, did you see the pouring rain happening at the beach volleyball? That would not be a beach day at all, glad that wasn't my beach! 

While at the beach this past week I finished "Baby Proof" by Emily Giffin. I love this lady and her books. I have also read "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" and now I can't wait to get my hands on "Love The One Your With" which is her latest. Her books are smart and funny, easy reads but more depth than my typical beach books. They take twists and turns you never see coming, but they all end with a satisfying touch. I insist every lady read them. 

Now I am reading "The Appeal" by John Grisham. I also love his books, I still have many to read unlike my mom and Curt, who read them as they are released. I have been slowly working my way through his collection; read a book, what the movie adaptation (the books are always better.) I am only a few pages in, so I can't give a review yet. 

11:30? That means it's time for me to go to bed. What a loser; my parents have gotten me on their schedule so I now get tired around 10 pm and wake up at 9:30 am. Much different than my and Curt's 4am/1pm sleeping/waking schedule. I have to stick to this early to bed, early to rise nonsense though, because school starts August 18 and now that I am a permanent substitute, I have to get up even earlier. Curt better not try to mess my schedule up, he always does. Yup, definitely time for bed. I'll stay up a few more seconds to catch the end of this swim relay ... they are shattering the world record ... USA should get the silver ... oh my, the announcers are screaming ... USA TAKES GOLD right at the end! Plus a new world record. "That might be the most incredible relay sprint I have ever seen in my life" - NBC announcer. Wow, that was close, neck-and-neck, wow. The announcers are still going crazy with 80 different angled replays. Michael Phelps is going crazy, the whole team is going crazy, everyone is going crazy; expect that is, France. This is why I love the olympics. Dang, now I have to stay awake and watch the medals and after-race interviews. Wait... TV in the bedroom, thanks, Mom & Dad. 

iPhones, Aprons, and Sewing, Oh My!

How did Ashley Tisdale beat Vanessa Hudgens in the Maxim Hot 100 2008?! Must have been the nose job. I prefer Ashley over Vanessa anyway, she seems much nicer.

I got a bunch of fabric today with the intent of making aprons to sell at a craft sale/online. Maybe? I can't make up my mind about the craft sale, but I think it could be a good thing. It's in September, so I would need to up my stash and get a bunch of stuff made. I can make an apron or two a day, plus other little things like bags, oven mitts, iPod cases, etc really quick. Plus a couple little baby quilts that I can whip up in a few days? I think I'll do it! People overpay so much for things at craft fairs, I hope they like my stuff.

On the docket for today? Making a couple iPhone cases for Curt's new iPhone. Mine hasn't come in yet and that makes me very jealous. But I will make him his cases (he picked out fabric) while he downloads a million Apps and gets his setting all set. Lucky guy.

Someone Else's Giveaway!

Lila Tueller is having a giveaway at her blog for a purse made with a mix of gorgeous fabrics. Leave a comment there to enter, it's well worth the try because there is a runner-up prize too!

A bunch of my fabric came in yesterday and today and I also went to Joann's today and got even more.. so I will be a busy girl. And I have an order for a baby boy quilt for a girl I went to high school with who is pregnant and due in November! I'm so excited to be making things for other people, I get a lot of joy out of spreading the quilting love. Plus those adorable clothe shoes people can't get enough of! 

Back to sewing on the binding of that table runner I've been working on all week. I had just enough thread to quilt it, then I had to switch to sew the binding on. And I went to the library today to exchange some of the videos I've been watching for new ones. I got a Season 2 Beverly Hills 90210 DVD, 30 Rock Season 1 DVD, and Arrested Development Season 3 DVD. Those should keep me busy until Curt gets home in about 24 hours :-) I can't wait to see him!!!

Busy Week

Hardly, but a girl can dream. Wait, why would I dream for a busy week? Possibly because I am bored out of my mind. Luckily Megan came to visit me yesterday and today. We hit Panera yesterday and spent a lot of time chatting there. Today she came through to use my house to charge her phone and eat her Taco Bell. We chatted then of course, too. It was nice to have some outside interaction.. Finnegan is great and all, but he doesn't talk back to me, which gets old and makes me look like a crazy person.

I did stitch together this table runner top using this great pattern:

Oops, there is a stray triangle in the middle there, ignore that. It is a Christmas table runner, if you can't tell by the ornaments and snowflakes. The colors are not obvious Christmas colors, but that's what I like about it. Red + green gets so old so fast. This one was made with the Moda Merry & Bright charm pack I got on eBay. 

Next will be the same thing with the Moda It's Snowing! charm pack. But instead of the navy blue stars, it will be the same fabric in red (they have tiny stars on them).

Last weekend I also finished an apron for my sister-in-law. She went to the store with me and picked out the fabric (she's 12 mind you) and I went as fast as I could to finish it before she left town. She left before it was finished (barely) but still got it that day because Curt brought it to her on his way to the camp. I think it turned out really cute. Oh, and I made her a matching reversible headband to go along with it.

 

So they got finished and turned out super cute, but in the process this happened:

Yup, ironed my ring finger and it instantly blistered up -- really gross, I know, but also kind of cool if you are into gross things (which I sometimes am). And I have not burned myself since working the waffle irons at Cold Stone Creamery, but the very next day, I burned my arm:

I know, right? I don't know what the problem was, but my iron was out to get me. Luckily that one did not blister or anything, it is just a line now. But it sure does remind me of those awful waffle burns of the past.. 

The other day I caught Finn using my computer, he looked so innocent but he knows he's not supposed to touch our computers. What does a dog need a computer for anyway?

Next up on my list? I'm going to either quilt that runner or make a little phone case for my temporary phone. Curt & I are both waiting to get our iPhones, so in the meantime we have crapper Nokia loner phones. I wouldn't really care about it otherwise, but I have to turn it back in in like-new condition, so I figure I better avoid scratching it up and such... Back to the sewing machine for now, more pictures to come!

Winning Bids

My hubby was out of town last week playing at a camp in Wyoming. So I was home alone and lonely and I found love from ebay. Our conversation went something like this:

ebay: "Come on over, check out some of this great fabric I found for you."

me: "Well, alright, but just to look. Oh, that is pretty!"

ebay: "Bid, Brittney, bid, you'll never find a deal like this anywhere else."

me: "Oh, I guess a couple bids wouldn't hurt, I do love this fabric."

30 bids later....

me: "Crap, Curt is going to kill me. I'll tell him when I talk to him tomorrow. Wait.. does ebay send emails about all the bids you make? Because I'm using Curt's account..."

The next day: 

Curt: "So you were on ebay, huh? I have about 40 emails telling me every time I was outbid, and then telling me when I won."

me: "Ummm, yeah, I was going to tell you about that. I was lonely and I didn't expect to win everything I bid on, but then I did win quite a few. But they were all really great deals and I am going to get a deal on the shipping."

So here's what I got (so far... I still have about 24ish hours left on 9 items)

Moda It's Snowing Charm Pack

Moda Merry & Bright Charm Pack

Those will be used to make table runners for my mom and mom-in-law for Christmas. 

Heather Bailey Freshcut Assortment (5 Yards!)

I might make myself a quilt out of that gorgeous fabric, I can't wait to see it in person.

Jennifer Paganelli Bell Bottoms 

Don't know what I'll do with that, but it was so pretty and cheap, I couldn't resist.

And, last, but not least, in fact, the one I'm most excited to get: Anna Maria Horner Garden Party!

I also got some pink, teal, pink, and blue fabric strips in jelly roll form to bulk up my stash. 

I'm still waiting to win some Midwest Modern squares, which would make a cute bag or quilt or anything really. Also, a Moda Smores charm pack.. the cutest Christmas fabric ever! Little snowmen marshmallows in the brightest colors. I don't know what I'd do with it, but I know it would turn out adorable! 22 hours left on those. I have 1 day and 17 hours until I am officially done bidding on ebay for awhile. While I did get really great deals on all of these fabrics, I do not need to do anymore fabric shopping for a very long time. 

I can't wait to get it all, hopefully the Christmas fabrics will come this week so I can get started on the table runners while Curt is away AGAIN. He's in Michigan at another camp with the band for the whole week. I've started out my lonely week with an applique quilt project my mom-in-law gave me last Christmas. It's Christmasy, so I haven't been in the mood to work on it yet, but I guess Christmas in July hit me and I was inspired. Pictures to come.... 

Finn is brushing up against me to make me take him out.. what a cat-like thing to do! How strange. I will take him out, write a concert review for the paper, and then go to bed. 

The Nominations Are In

I was so pleased to hear that my favorite show 30 Rock got the most Emmy nominations, they deserve it! I love love love Tina Fey and majority of the rest of the cast. The show is so funny and smart and right up my alley. And along the same lines, rumor has it that Amy Poehler will be a part of the new Office spin-off, which would mean a combination of two of my other favorite things. Now if only we can get Tina & Amy together on a show... I guess I can settle for back-to-back in the Thursday night lineup. 

In other nomination news: I nominate myself as the worst house keeper ever. I've been spending my week sewing and painting and making a bigger mess rather than cleaning the one that already existed. So after spending the day enjoying myself, I will now be up all night cleaning. Anyone know how to effectively de-clog a bathroom sink? I've tried just about everything and the problem is that I can't actually get into the drain because the plug-thing doesn't come out the whole way. I am a plumber's worst nightmare...