11.20.2009
Photo via Pimp Stitch
My favorite embroidery pattern designer had a book signing in Minneapolis last night. I picked up her new book Embroidered Effects, got it signed and had a lovely chat with her. I thanked her for making cool embroidery patterns and we discussed the benefits of using water soluble fabric stabilizer. Craft geek-out!
I now have all three of her books and lots of Sublime Stitching patterns. Must be time to actually do that girls craft night!
I love her Dolly Parton embroidery portrait. I've been thinking about doing an embroidery of a Warhol picture (Jackie O) or a CD cover (The Outsiders).
For more embroidery awesomeness, check out her blog, Embroidery As Art or follow her on twitter for extra sales, @sublimestitching.
I wanted a picture but, I forgot my camera, I could just kick myself. I think it's the first time it has been left at home in a million years.
Loving these cute baby clothes from American Apparel. Thinking they would make good Christmas presents for my new niece.
11.14.2009
Our master bedroom is finally starting to get to a place where I want to show it to you. I broke down and bought a bedskirt and I'm really happy to have the boxspring hidden.
I hung pictures on the wall! SO happy to have things up on display.
I framed some Anna Maria Horner fabric in hoops and even embroidered one. They hang out around St. Theresa, a gift from my Grandma Albrecht. She hangs above a collage frame of photos that I love.
I bought the Keep Calm poster especially to add yellow to my grey, white and yellow scheme. Which is evolving to include pale blue, lavender, and beige. I'm happy to have the lovely Jen Oaks "Pink Tights" print back up. Which conveniently includes some yellow orange heels. It looks sweet with a favorite shot of Jess from our trip to San Francisco.
The closet is organized!
I still have dreams about painting the trim white, replacing the ceiling fan with a chandelier or updated fan and painting the furniture (black, white, yellow, pale blue?).
But, for now, I'm pretty happy with it.
11.09.2009
The cute husband took me out on a little date night on Friday. We recreated our first date which was roughly two years ago! Dinner at Everest on Grand where we feasted on momos and curry. I had a yummy Japanese beer and Anthony sampled the latest Flat Earth Beer, Angry Planet.
Then we met up with a couple of Anthony's buddies at Billy's where the Jameson girls were giving out free Jameson and Ginger Ale, mmm. We moved to Axel's for dueling pianos, but it was two acoustic guitars. They were OK, but not what we were hoping for.
A very nice night.
11.02.2009
Anthony decided to install our closet organizer in the master bedroom closet this weekend. Of course, every project is going to take 10 times longer than you thought it would and this was no exception.
When he removed the old shelf, he found that it was put in before they skim coated and painted. So, there was a large divet all the way around the closet that he need to to Spackle and repaint. And Spackle takes a million years to dry.
Here it is all spackled up and drying.
On Sunday he sanded and repainted the entire closet with some Antique White paint we had purchased at the Habitat Restore for $11. (I think we are planning to use it in the guest room? I can't remember) But it looks great with a fresh coat of shiny paint. Next up time to install the actual organizer.
Also, he put up my curtains on the other window which look really great behind our headboard. And I can't wait to get my Keep Calm and Carry On poster up, so we have some more yellow in here.
And I put some great pale blue and gray Anna Maria Horner fabric in 3 different sized hoops that will be cute on the wall. I only embroidered one of them, but now wish I had done something on all of them. Oh, well.
I have dreams of painting the dresser pale blue and painting our trim bright, clean white. Another day.
I pulled out a duvet cover that my mom had given me a while back and stuffed our bedspread in it. Unfortunately, it is narrower than the bed spread, so there are even less covers to share. I still prefer the white to the faded, yellowed print of the bed spread. It was a wedding gift that my parent's received from my mom's friend when they got married. She made it from two sheets with batting in the middle and binding around the edge. I have many found memories of it covering my parents bed for years. So, I don't want to give it away.
I need a bed skirt! Gah.
More pictures when we are finished.
When he removed the old shelf, he found that it was put in before they skim coated and painted. So, there was a large divet all the way around the closet that he need to to Spackle and repaint. And Spackle takes a million years to dry.
Here it is all spackled up and drying.
On Sunday he sanded and repainted the entire closet with some Antique White paint we had purchased at the Habitat Restore for $11. (I think we are planning to use it in the guest room? I can't remember) But it looks great with a fresh coat of shiny paint. Next up time to install the actual organizer.
Also, he put up my curtains on the other window which look really great behind our headboard. And I can't wait to get my Keep Calm and Carry On poster up, so we have some more yellow in here.
And I put some great pale blue and gray Anna Maria Horner fabric in 3 different sized hoops that will be cute on the wall. I only embroidered one of them, but now wish I had done something on all of them. Oh, well.
I have dreams of painting the dresser pale blue and painting our trim bright, clean white. Another day.
I pulled out a duvet cover that my mom had given me a while back and stuffed our bedspread in it. Unfortunately, it is narrower than the bed spread, so there are even less covers to share. I still prefer the white to the faded, yellowed print of the bed spread. It was a wedding gift that my parent's received from my mom's friend when they got married. She made it from two sheets with batting in the middle and binding around the edge. I have many found memories of it covering my parents bed for years. So, I don't want to give it away.
I need a bed skirt! Gah.
More pictures when we are finished.
10.30.2009
I think it is time for a new template on this blog. I'm hoping I can get inspired and make something pretty this weekend. I may even upgrade to the fancy features that blogger offers. We'll see. Also, my link lists need some cleaning up. And Civil Style definitely needs something more awesome than it's current bland layout.
And they did not disappoint. I took less pictures this time and tried to just enjoy the moment. We were front and center, which was awesome, but made for a bit of a strained neck at the end of the night. Also, I mostly photographed the lead singer, since I was pretty much directly beneath him, so please excuse the redundancy. But here is what I captured:
The Set List for Minneapolis 10/29/09: Outsiders, Girl, More Time, Streets, Sweet, Stones, Prisoner, Wreck Me, Lay 'Em Down, Let Us Love, Won't Turn Back, Washed, Something Beautiful
New set with images and flashy lights. New name-emblazoned piano, new piano player.
Tim from the Alternate Routes came out to sing on Wreck Me. Which is such an awesome song and I am so annoyed that you can only get it if you buy the album on iTunes. What about the pre-salers!
Tim from The Alternate Routes opened with an impressive one-man-band set.
Serena Ryder also did a lovely opening set.
Erica, Nicole and I waiting for the show to start. Needtobreathe and beer, mmm.
Matt and Anthony with his "Halloween" face.
See the whole thing on my flickr.
The Set List for Minneapolis 10/29/09: Outsiders, Girl, More Time, Streets, Sweet, Stones, Prisoner, Wreck Me, Lay 'Em Down, Let Us Love, Won't Turn Back, Washed, Something Beautiful
New set with images and flashy lights. New name-emblazoned piano, new piano player.
Tim from the Alternate Routes came out to sing on Wreck Me. Which is such an awesome song and I am so annoyed that you can only get it if you buy the album on iTunes. What about the pre-salers!
Tim from The Alternate Routes opened with an impressive one-man-band set.
Serena Ryder also did a lovely opening set.
Erica, Nicole and I waiting for the show to start. Needtobreathe and beer, mmm.
Matt and Anthony with his "Halloween" face.
See the whole thing on my flickr.
10.28.2009
Here we are at the Wild preseason game in September at the Xcel.
You have to do everything in such a strategic order. I couldn't change my name at work until they had a new Social Security card. I couldn't change my name at the bank until I had my new driver's license. And everyone requires you to show them a CERTIFIED copy of the marriage license. If I had known that, I would have requested more than one so I could mail one away to the passport office and still have one at home.
I set up a new personal email address with my new last name. It just forwards everything to my old account. But my default From address is the new one when I send emails.
I applied for a new driver's license, but haven't yet received it. The bank let me squeak by and change the name on my account without my new driver's license as long as I agree to bring it in when I get it. Even so, when I ordered my checks, my name was incorrect. They were cool about it and offered me new ones free of charge.
I've notified all my credit card companies that I've got a new name, but am still waiting for new cards. Target was being way too difficult about changing my name on their credit card. Probably because I have an expired card and never requested a new one. Since I have a zero balance, I decided just to close my account. The 10% off every once in a while wasn't worth it.
Work finally changed my name over yesterday when I brought in my new SS card. Now I need to send out an email letting people know that they'll have to re-add me to their email lists and IM.
Still need to get my car title and the deed on the house changed. I notified the Minnesota State High School League and Dance Team Judges Association that I've changed my name so hopefully, ladies that I'm scheduled to judge with won't be too confused.
And it's still unclear to me if Social Security notifies the IRS of my name change or if I need to notify them as well. I can't tell from their website.
Luckily, I was smart when I set up our garbage and cable service and just used my new name. Gah, such limbo.
10.23.2009
