still alive

Gotta update this blog one of these days. Maybe when I'm off the evil prednisone. Evil evil drug.

Finally recovered from New Orleans. $n pt. 2, $p Quilters

What, did you think ALA was just about food? Technically I guess it's about work, but that for another blog (that doesn't exist).

Saturday night's gathering was with the ALA Biblioquilters. We are librarians and library related folks who make quilts (imagine that) for charity. Read all about us HERE. There was a really nice write up about us this year prior to ALA. If you read the article, we did four quilts this year. Our display was set up across from the exhibits in the main convention center space and we had our own official sign! Yes, I was rather excited by the sign.

So, we did four quilts this year. I worked on the bookshelf quilt again. I may branch out next year and work on a different one. Everyone's hashing out what we want to do, so I'll just wait and see.

We have the library related t-shirt quilt:

I actually own two of those shirts. At least one will probably end up in my own quilt some day. Notice the Mardi Gras fabric?

This is the Music Quilt. If you haven't read the article, it was made by 2 librarians for a fellow librarian who had pancreatic cancer. They never got to give it to her and decided to donate it to the auction this year. One of them, Pat, died in January of this year (also of pancreatic cancer)

This is the Wonky Quilt. My mom likes to make these:

(no, we were not blocking the elevator)

And my favorite (because I worked on it), The bookshelf quilt. There's a neat hummel figurine on the top shelf that you can't see, but it is visible in the article. I did the bottom row, the one with the ereader

Here's how we looked all nice and lined up. To the right of the picture were some tables with the bid sheets and some donated artwork. I was all about the quilts, though.

I did not make it to a quilt shop in NO. There weren't any down town and I didn't want to spend taxi fare to get to it. One of the biblioquilters did go. Said she spent more on taxi fare to get there and back than on fabric. I think I'm fine with my pictures, food, and free books (oh, and work)

Here we are at dinner at Jacques-Imo's Cafe. See previous post for the food consumed. We do have one infiltrator. My roommate Jodi isn't a quilter. She does have a library degree and cross-stitches so I guess that counts :-)

It was great to meet everyone. I think I have faces with most of the names.

--end part 2--

Finally recovered from New Orleans. $n pt. 1, $p Food

Can you believe it's taken me a month to write my ALA update? I can. Laziness always seemed to set in. Hmm, you should update your blog - noo, I need to harvest these melons in farmville. Jodi-blog: no, just need to clobber one more ground hog in frontierville!

Let's see, before ALA my Hello Kitty vans came in. These are the shoes that kept me out of Harrah's. Huh? With shipping, they cost the same amount I would gamble (lose) at Harrah's in NO. Then I'd come home and order my shoes cause I had to have them. I allowed myself to order them BEFORE ALA on the condition that I couldn't go into Harrahs since I'd already spent that moolah. Don't roll your eyes at me, it worked. I didn't even go in to check out the decor or restaurants.

So very me.

On to New Orleans. ALA (American Library Association) was 5 days of RDA (gotta cover the work related stuff), food, authors, and friends. Did I mention food? So, lets cover the food.

Dinner the first night was at the Acme Oyster House. Since I was alone I sat at the bar. I ordered a ... (looking up menu) I ordered the New Orleans Medley (sampling of gumbo, jambalaya, red beans & rice, grilled smoke sausage). The pic is kinda dark. No flash on my cell phone. My neighbor (who turned out to be a pilot from my flight) let me take a picture of his raw oysters.

I don't do oysters - yuck. Not to mention the dire warning from my seatmate on the plane "don't eat summer oysters"

Thursday and Friday were work related days. Yes, I had to work for my dinner(s). Two days of RDA training. Very intense and rather mind-numbing. As usual, my day revolved around lunch. Heck, why not?

Day one, LG and I ate at Mulate's. It was pretty close to the convention center and within walking distance. Did I mention the weather? Actually cooler than Columbia. The humidity was there of course, but probably 10-12 degrees cooler than home.

After thoroughly interrogating the waiter on what exactly went into a shrimp po-boy (not much) I ordered and dug in. It was good, of course. How can you go wrong with fried shrimp, french bread, mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes?

Since I so obviously ate light for lunch, I was able to stay awake during the second half of the day's session. I was lazy for dinner. There was a Subway and a Walgreens near the hotel so I just got a sub and hit the Walgreens for desser: the delicacy known as the Choco Taco

Talk about yummy!

Lunch on day 2 of RDA was even more interesting (no, not being sarcastic). We ate at Cochon. LG mentioned this restaurant and their shop where you could buy pralines with bacon. I'd actually seen the place from the shuttle that morning, so talked LG and MM into going. We ate outside, which totally indicates the weather in NO. LG's must not have had anything too exciting. I didn't take a picture of her food.

Everything on the menu is a la carte, I had the Meat pie (which did have oysters in it, but they were buried and COOKED) and the eggplant & shrimp dressing. Both were very good.

MM had the fried alligator with chili garlic aioli (and some veggee). That was also good, much much better than the gator on a stick I had at the Taste of Charleston years ago

Saturday afternoon (yes, stupid timing) was beignet day. I cheated and ate at the one in the Riverwalk. After traipsing around the exhibit hall all day I was NOT walking to the original one. Almost forgot to take a picture:

Dinner that night was at Jacques-Imo's Cafe. I gathered up my roommate and a bunch of fellow quilters (the ALA Biblioquilters - more on them later) to eat there. I wanted to try an appetizer I'd seen on the food network. We did have reservations, thank goodness. The place was PACKED (yeah, Saturday) and we could barely hear each other but the food was awesome. The appetizer I wanted was totally worth the trip and the crowds. When it became obvious I was not sharing my Shrimp and Alligator-Sausage Cheesecake with my tablemates (beignets at 4 means a 2 appetizer dinner), the restaurant brought the table a slice. Everyone agreed it was wonderful. Even Travel Hedgie agreed it was wonderful

Totally recommend this restaurant, but would like to go on a weekday and not ruin my dinner with beignets.

-end part 1-

Countdown to ALA

Less than two weeks until I head off to New Orleans for ALA! (American Library Association) Yay! I'm really more excited about going to ALA itself than the actual city it is in. New Orleans seems to be out to get me sometimes: bruised tail bone one trip, picked up a parasite another (before Katrina), lost money at Harrahs another... Heat and humidity. Iceland would be better, oh well.

Plans so far:

Thurs-Fri - preconference
dinner Sat at Jacques-Imo's Cafe.  I saw an appetizer on tv that I want to try. I've got my friend Jodi and a bunch of quilters going with me so should be a blast.

Found another restaurant I want to try, it's a Thai place. Not sure when I'll it it though.

I was actually reading my ALA snail mail spam today and found out that one of my favorite paranormal authors is going to be speaking/signing in the exhibit hall on Saturday! Don't know what was on my agenda at that time. It no longer is. She lives in New Zealand so it's not like I'll get to see her that often. I've got all my books on my Kindle, so she'll be signing that. Who is it? Nalini Singh for you fellow romance readers.

There's an exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art of Madeline Albright's pins. Jodi and I want to try to make it to that.

Meetings you ask? Yeah, there are some scheduled in there :-)

Other news:

The quilt I made for SOS Aloha raised $250 and will benefit the Navy SEALs. Kim sent me a Navy Seal coin as a thank you. Did you know Magnum PI was a SEAL?

Ender and Calvin are doing well. Calvin had surgery last week on 2 masses. One on his side and regrowth on his leg. He's doing great.

Oh, and found some shoes I WILL be getting after I get back from ALA. Just not sure which pair. Have I grown up? No, why would I want to?

Off to design group. Expect lots of pics to look at for the post-ala post.

It's May already?

Boy, it's hard to believe it's May already. The hot months are slowly creeping up on us. I've got some project updates and cute hedgie pictures to share. The quilt I made for SOS Aloha is being auctioned on the SOS Aloha blog this month. Here is the LINK to the blog entry.

I also made a bookshelf "shelf" for the ALABiblioquilters donations to the ALA Exhibits Round Table scholarship fund. We had an article in the pre-conference Cognotes! I did a bunch of books, of course, but also an ereader. Mom had to help me with that one, I don't do too much fusing... Here's the LINK for that. It's a pdf. We're on page 13.

I'm still working on the Oh Mi Gosh quilt. Sewing strips together does get a bit boring so I mix it in with other projects. I have 20 little 9 patches done!!! 510 more to go:

The Pizza Ladies visited the Logan guild in April. Brought some fabric and tools and did a trunk show/demo/talk on what you could do with some of their rulers and templates.  I tried to behave, but had to buy this one pattern + template called Lollipops, by Laundry Basket Quilts. It makes these cute little pointed Dresden plates. I, of course, have gone crazy cutting fabric. I have finished 2 so far, not the center circles yet.

First one in batiks

Second one in stripes.

2 to 3 more in progress

Totally addictive of course.

And for my final project, I finally finished the blackwork cross stitch project. Yay!. I enjoyed doing it, but the darn bushes around the edges were endless. No mindless stitching there.

My newest project is a Teresa Wentzler design. I've been doing her stuff for years. I'm working on a Fruit & Floral Wreath kit I bought a few years ago. If you click the link, I'm doing the top one. I'm trying a new prepping technique. Some folks on a LJ group would grid out their fabric with basting stitches before a big project. I'm in the middle of doing that since TW's stuff is so heavy with colors and color changes. That part is taking forever of course. I'll keep you posted.

And finally, cute hedgie pics. Mom bought this shopping cart at World Market. I tried to get some good action shots with the boys. They weren't cooperating. Calvin spent half his time in the cart trying to poo and Ender was busy crawling out

Calvin shopping:

Ender shopping

March 31, 2011

Not the most interesting title, but I'm never good at coming up with titles. Tomorrow I mail off the quilt I made for SOS America at the RT Convention in LA. I don't get to go this year, sniff (I will be going next year) but I'm hoping it can raise some money and go to a good home. Currently I'm waiting for the picture to load so I can post it.

Here we go.

Designed and pieced by me. Mom did the applique on the baskets and the quilting and binding. Yes, I put a label on it. I didn't take a picture of the label, but I do have the file.

My next project will involved lots of teeny weeny squares. Because of some lady name Vicki, I had to buy Sue Garman's Ohmigosh! pattern. I started it last weekend. It's going to end up being batiks and orientals.

So far, I've just cut strips and sewn them together, all while watching Alaska State Troopers. I have flashbacks to cold, hairy, drunk Alaskan men. Could be worse I guess. I keep getting horror films at work to catalog.

Time to go for now. The hedgies are in bed and I have a few more FB games to play before going to bed.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Yes, I've been very lazy lately. Meant to post some pictures after Quilt Camp, but totally didn't feel like it. The pics from my camera are on my lap top at home so that's a start. Quilt Camp was loads of fun, of course. :-)

This weekend is the QSC Spring Meeting. Our speaker is Susan Cleveland. I'm not taking classes this year. Those fill up way to quickly for my procrastinating self.  I've also got to save up my leave for the next Quilt Camp!

On the hedgie front. We're still battling mites. I think Ender is towards the end of his run. His back looks much better and I only find 1 or 2 quills a day. Calvin is mid-outbreak? Still shedding quills like its snow. He's had 2 shots so far. Guess he'll definitely get a third. He also goes in tomorrow for surgery. *Sniff* He's had this bubble on his leg that we thought was just a blood blister. Mom and I poked it with a quill the weekend before his last shot. Not much fluid came out so the vet thinks it's a grown. Anyway, the poor little guy gets dropped off at 730 tomorrow morning before I head into work.

More to come later, and I'll let you know how the little guy is doing.

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. I had a very very lazy Christmas Break. You would think I could get something done with a week and a half off. Nope. I did get used to sleeping in, but that doesn't really count. :-)

I was interviewed for the SOS Aloha blog and want to make sure interested parties have something to read! Kim did an awesome job and I love all the neat pictures.

Mom and I went on a cruise in the beginning of December. We boarded a ship in Charleston and headed off to the sunny and COLD Bahamas. Our ports of call were Nassau, Freeport and Key West. Nassau was windy windy windy and cold, Freeport was COLD and Key West was cold and sunny. I usually don't bring quilty stuff on cruises since I don't do handwork (yet). I mainly worked on my cross-stitch project, when I could find good lighting.

The highlight of my trip was Nassau, I did the shallow water dolphin swim at the Atlantis. That was soooo cool. Want to see a pic?

Mom was off elsewhere in Nassau and Atlantis so we only have a few of the Atlantis-taken pics that I've scanned. More can be found in the webshots album: http://travel.webshots.com/album/579340504MdoHBE?vhost=travel

To show how windy it was that day, I took a pic of the harbor as we walked into town. The water was gorgeous, but brrr.

Key West was the next highlight. We'd already scoped out a quilt shop to go to, but I dragged Mom to the Hemingway house first. I wanted to see the 6 toed cats. We then walked to the quilt shop, and yest the travel hedgie made an appearance. He spent most of the trip in my camera bag, but popped out for a quilt shop photo.

The name of the place is the Seam Shoppe. They have a cute little store, also do upholstery and help with almost anything that comes in the door. Very nice folks.

Here's Mom rushing to get in:

And the Travel hedgie checking out the batiks. He has good taste.

It's funny looking at my pictures of Key West. I took more pictures of the cats and a graveyard than any of the buildings. 

Did I read anything on the ship? Of course, what avid romance reader doesn't travel without books and (now) her trusty Kindle. I love that thing

I'm going to close for now, work a bit, and then torture you with pics of SC snow! Here's a 6 toed cat paw (I think) to end on: You can see more at the webshots link above!