craft fever

For my birthday, KnitMoka took me to visit the La Connor Quilt Museum. What a fantastic place! Three artists were displaying their collections, Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston, who make the craziest, brightest, hilarious and poigniant quilts, and Marianne Burr who is more fiber artitst than quilter, employing innovative techniques to create some of the finest work that KnitMoka or I had ever seen. Just. Lovely.


Of course, a creative type doesn't leave a place like that just itching to get started on two, three, or twelve new craft projects. I am not exaggerating, either. I could hardly think of anything except getting right behind my sewing machine and pushing out some lovely little bit of fabric piecing. Problem is, that sensation has faded significantly by the time you get home and see the dishes still in the sink and the dog hair all over the floor.


But that didn't stop me from going out today (Eric is still is San Diego) to what has been toted as the finest apparel-grade fabric store in Seattle, Nancy's Sewing Basket. After wandering and wandering, and not finding quite what I wanted for a summer dress, I left with a tank top pattern and some fabric. After further consideration, I may redesignate the fabric for another project and find something else for the top.

the big three oh

To celebrate my birthday, my friends matt, frank and monika took me out on Friday. We ate delicious Indian food and then danced our butts off to The Tall Boys at a place called Connor Byrne....





Matt was apparently very happy that it was my birthday....





And monika doesn't dance so much, but had a good time anyway (I hope!)....



I only wish Eric could have been there, but he was visiting his family in San Diego, which is a good excuse. I sure missed him though.

lent update

Hurrah! I successfully went jeans-free for an entire week (well, monday to saturday, anyway). Friday's weather was so lovely I wore my new spring skirt....

Saturday called us to the dog park and the farm, which called for my trusty hiking pants....

And then, just in time to work in our garden -- jeans on sunday!

One thing I am most certainly glad of is the fact that I can now stop taking pictures of my legs!

late for lent

It looks like I should have done my homework before observing Lent. I thought it was just the week before Easter, but is in fact, a 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Eve. In retrospect, I think I knew that, because it also starts right after Mardi Gras. Oh well. Maybe I'll try again next year. As for now, my truncated version of Lent has gone pretty well. Here's my skirt from yesterday and today's slacks outfit.

The weather is supposed to get up to a whopping 70 degrees tomorrow (seriously, the whole city is abuzz with this information: what war? which viaduct? mariners who? IT'S GONNA BE SEVENTY DEGREES ON FRIDAY!). I hope so, because my new spring skirt is screaming to be let outside....

lent

Despite Eric's repeated reminders that I am not Catholic, I have decided to give up jeans for Lent. 12 hours into my decision (which I made yesterday morning, already having dressed for work in a skirt, pictured*), I was in crisis. I had to go work in the yard -- what else could I possibly wear?!? Pajama bottoms? A dress? Does a denim skirt count as jeans? This was going to be harder than I thought (and I was already prepared for some hardship). And the weather certainly isn't helping! It's forecast to be in the 50s all week, with rain on and off. I finally settled for a linen dress with long underwear.

I will try to keep my faithful readers updated with my success (or lack thereof). Today I opted for khakis -- maybe a cop out, but I have to go straight from work to school and it's 40 degrees outside!

* I can't tell you how long it's been since I've dressed up and spun in circles in front of a mirror!

Ni raibh am agam scriobh go dti seo*

I celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day at KnitMoka’s farm (Eric had to work), where we let Finn run free with Achilles and Libby. We all pitched in on some farm chores (moving the wood pile, digging a basin for the earth oven and addressing the next phase of the chicken coop) before a delicious dinner of corned beef (both smoked and traditional), crabby potatoes, cabbage and soda bread. We played Trivial Pursuit, where Kevin, Ethan and I (as Team Black Dragon) were the winners! And I think there was some beer in there too.


Running dogs


Achilles


KnitMoka selecting the location for her earth oven....







...and Frank and Matt doing the work....



...with a little "help" from Finn.

*translation from Gaelic: I haven't had time to write until now

sunrise

We all know that photos of sunrises and sunsets hardly ever do the subject justice, but I still wanted to share with you what the sunrise over the Cascades looked like as I stepped out of my house this morning....




Now remember that the colors were more intense, the light was brighter, and the ambient air temperature was colder. Not a shabby way to start a Thursday.