Baby on the Way!

Ha! You thought I was pregnant, didn't you? Well, nope, I'm not pregnant, but my friend is! She is expecting her second baby and I am very excited for her. She already has a 2 year old baby boy and we are hoping for a girl...well they are hoping for a girl but I am totally cheering them on. She is experiencing some morning sickness, which apparently she did not have on first pregnancy. Since both pregnancies are so different she thinks it's a girl. Ok...I better stop telling her business.

CONGRATULATIONS YESSICA!

If you are waiting for me to make a similar announcement then you will be waiting for a long time.

Grim Reaper Cape

So this is what the grim reaper cape that I am making my husband looks like. Now, if I can only get my sewing machine repaired in time for Halloween I can finish. If not, then he's going to have to wear it out whenever I do get a chance to finish - to be worth the time and effort. LOL

Sewing Machine

I know I was raving about my new sewing machine, but while I was sewing my husband grim reaper cape something happened and now it's not working! The thread keeps getting tangled and it's not sewing at all. I hope I can get the problem fixed by Sat. Wish me luck. FYI if you know how to repair sewing machines or know someone who is good at it let me know.

M&M's

Mmm....M&M's is coming out with personalized M&M's! You can write messages and/or print pictures on the small candy. This would be be a great idea to surprise a special someone. I saw the special service at the Target website. Check it out and let me know how it turns out:

http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=mm

Election

Whether you are a Reece fan or not, you will like this movie. It's about a young girl who is running for high school student council and two teachers that are intertwined in the election. Now I know it sounds pretty tame, but believe me, it's really crude and a lot of fun!

My Soap Box

I HATE HOUSTON WEATHER!!!!

It's the end of October and it's hot and humid. WTF?! I can't wait to get out of this city!!!

POV

Point of View. POV is a 1 hour show that airs several short documentaries. Really interesting stuff! The last ones I saw was about this woman (Monika) whose father was the leader of a Nazi concentration camp. The producers also interviews a concentration camp survivor (Helen) who was held prisoner by Monika's father.

The other story was about a young man (of Mexican decent) who was killed on the border of Mexico and the US by men who were supposed to protect Americans. Very interesting stuff!!! You should watch it!

http://video.pbs.org/

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is have a huge sale on flights!!! You can travel for as low as $25 for a one-way trip, depending on how many miles you fly. Here is the breakdown:

up to 374 miles $25

375-549 miles $50

550-999 miles $75

over 1000 miles $100

Just go to www.southwest.com to take advantage of the savings!

Congratulations

Congratulatons on your new job Alexandra!

My friend Alexandria got a new job at New Jersey's version of CPS. Good luck!

Hope You Feel Better

I hope you are feeling better honey!

My husband was sick over the weekend and had to go back to work today :(

Amy Butler

I am so excited!!! I got 2 Amy Butler patters over the weekend. One is for a travel bag, seen on the bottom let hand corner, and the other is for a shoulder bag, seen on the top left. I hope I can get one sewn soon.

Janome

This is the sewing machine I have been working on to make my sewing projects. The Janome, Sew Precise. I absolutely love it!!! It has every function a beginner like me needs. You can choose the speed (very helpful), make buttons holes, sew on buttons, serge, blind hem, applique, and many more options I will probably not use. We paid $189 but it originally was sold for $400 (we purchased it online and used a coupon). So if you are looking for a sewing machine, I highly recommend the Janome Sew Precise, totally worth it!

Jacket

Jacket update:

Here is what the jacket looks like so far. I still have to hem the bottom, insert shoulder pads (yes shoulder pads, not the 80's kind, but the 2000's kind), add buttons, and iron it. Believe it or not, well made jackets all have shoulder pads, although very thin, to keep the shape of the shoulder. I just learned that...LOL.

Here is one of the button holes:

All three button holes.

I should be done with it by next week, and I will make sure to post the finished product.

Band Contest Update

I want to congratulate my niece and her school band for getting 1st. place in their competition!!!

Good Job!

American Psycho

This movie is one of my favorites of all time. It's about a rich investment banker who is crazy and goes around NY killing people. Now, this movie was released in 2000 but takes place in the 80's and surprisingly enough, it's really cool. I have seen this movie countless times and always thought of the movie as a satire. A few weeks ago I was watching the movie again with my husband and some friends and we got into a debate. They thought he was crazy and imagined killing all those people and we think it's a satire about the rich elite. Watch the movie and tell me what you think. Click on the pictures to see one of my favorite scenes.

Good Luck!!

I just want to wish my niece good luck on her band competition this weekend.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Yoga Update

Ok...so I have taken 2 yoga classes now and I am really liking it!!!! Believe it or not my stomach is looking a little better (TMI?). Some of you may not know, but yoga focuses a lot on your core (stomach) area. While I am not able to do this just yet, I am getting closer, LOL.

Jacket Update

I have worked really hard over the past few days on my jacket and I am very close to finishing it! So far I have my sleeves, which I still have to sew close:


I also have my collar sewed on and working on my lapel:

Finished lapel (it does not look it's best because I have not pressed it)

I hope to have the jacket done by next week. Stay tuned...

Sunday!!!

My husband and I had a great time today! We had dinner at Myakos, and like always I had the SNM roll with shrimp tempura and a Kirin beer. Always a perfect meal! Then we decided to go to Discovery Green for some chill time and to spend time outdoors. To our surprise they were showing a documentary called Fresh. Really good movie! Just click on the picture to go to their website.

This movie explained how the food and farm industry has fallen into a viceous cycle of mass production and poor quality food. They juxtaposed the two different ways farmers are producing food and raising their livestock. From feeding them antibiotics, keep a abnormally large amount of animals together, to working with the land, and letting nature take its course. I highly encourage everyone to watch it.

International Quilt Festival

Yes, I went to the quilt show and it was amazing. I was under the impression that all of the quilts were going to be of the traditional sort, but I was pleasently surprised. Check out some of my favorites. Keep in mind that none of these quilts are painted! Enjoy...

Meditation Class

I had my first meditation class today and it was a great experience. I definitely need many more classes to achieve a true meditation mind. I kept wondering off into my own crazy world instead of focusing on...well nothing. The cool thing about this class is that it incorporates some poses for you to do while meditating. My instructor and another guy in the class were able to do a free standing head stand.

I know it's going to take a while for me to get to the point in my yoga/meditation class to do this, but I can't wait. I could not believe my eyes. Any who. I have a yoga class on Sunday so I will keep you posted on my progress.

Ciao

Yoga & Meditation

In the hopes to re-gain control of my sanity, I will begin a yoga and mediation regimen. I have practiced yoga before but I am completely new to the whole meditation thing. I am hoping to like it, especially since I have already paid for the classes. LOL. Either way I will keep you guys posted on my experience and my progression. Wish me luck!

My Soap Box

1. OK...So no one ever told me that I would one day I would turn 30 and still not know what I want to do with my life. Do most people know what they want, or does life just happen to them?

2. Why are people so strange? Why do they take themselves so seriously? Why do people get their panties in a wad when you do something better or makes more sense? I am so tired of working with people who take advantage of their employees for their own personal and financial gain.

Ok, much better. Stay tuned.

Hard to Get

This is the first (and LAST) romance novel that I will ever read. The book centers around a bitter woman who rekindles a love affair with her ex-boyfriend who is now a stripper. YES A STRIPPER!!! This book crosses over the sexy and into the vulgar and ridiculous. In fact, some of the scenes are so outlandish that at one point she writes that the main is character is so turned on that she gushes to her knees (practically verbatim)! Really?! If that's the case then she needs to seek medical help, and fast. If you are ever over at my house, let me know so we can read through this junk, and have a good laugh.

Living Under Las Vegas

It turns out that Las Vegas has a city beneath the city. News reports have surfaced that there are people living and making a home out of the Las Vegas storm drains. A man and his girlfriend opened up their "home" to the CNN cameras to give them an insight of how they live and survive. These people have a king size bed, a makeshift shower, and even a place to cook. It is unbelievable and out of this world. Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB8J2yqglNY

Hi Mom!

I would like to take this time to express how proud and thrilled I am to have Teresa M. as my mother. Some of you may not know that she was diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Throughout the entire ordeal she maintained her strength and never let cancer beat her down. At times I was able to muster my strength by following her lead. She is doing fine and has finished her radiation. Mom, I love you! I encourage everyone to please check yourself every month and encourage the women in your life to do the same.
http://ww5.komen.org/
http://www.breastcancer.org/

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I was not initially eager to read this book but my husband kept ranting and raving about it. To say that I have fallen in love with the book and the main character, Oscar, is an understatement. The book is about a family who was personally impacted by the tragedy of 911. Oscar, a 9 year old boy, tries to look for clues that will get him closer to his father. I found myself drawn and captivated by Oscar's experiences, wittiness, and yearning for closure to a heart crushing situation. I cried and laughed and by the end of the book missed reading about Oscar and his heavy boots.

The Grove Restaurant

After walking around and enjoying Discovery Green, my husband and I decided to try out The Grove. We did not have dinner but we did have a couple of drinks and tried one of their appetizers. I really liked the ambiance and the overall feel of the place. While I can't vouch for their food, I do suggest this place if you are short on cash and want a nice place to hang out and enjoy a couple of drinks. I had a glass of red wine, he had a Bloody Mary, and we shared chips and queso, guacamole, and some sort of chile sauce. Our overall bill came to about $27, which I thought was reasonable for what we had. I can't wait to go back and have a full lunch or dinner.

Discovery Green Earth Globes

A new instalment to the Discovery Green landscape is a series of globes meant to create awareness to global issues. I was impressed by their size and the amount of creativity that went into creating some of these globes. Check out some of our favorites.

You should go check them out yourself if you live in the Houston area.