today was a good sandwich

almond tarragon chicken salad on cranberry pecan bread with pomegranite. yes.

Thanksgiving and M.I.A. in Chicago

Well, this Thanksgiving was awesome. We were in Chicago, again, and got to see freakin M.I.A. That's all we needed. Chicago and an awesome, bad-ass Sri Lankan rapper. Well, a little more time would have been nice. Josh, Maddie and I ate, walked and rocked out faces off...and Neko was just along for the ride.
josh and maddie cutting the turkey at grandma and grandpa's...daddy-daughter style.

what a pro!!!

M.I.A. at the Vic Theatre...packed out.

Maddie was beside herself!!!!!

Waiting for coffee...there was even a frenzy for coffee.

The trio at Millennium Park.

we're so tiny....

tired and home-bound.

Nashville, November 20th - 70 feakin' degrees.

Is it just me or is this getting ridiculous? I want autumn! It is my absolute all-time favorite season and I can't have it. Waaaah. Bitch...moan.
Am I gonna regret all of this 'warm-weather' complaining in 3 days when I'm in Chicago?
Question:
will the 'morons-that-be' start believing in global warming?

whole foods and good fabric

so...i finally visited the new and long-awaited Nashville Whole Foods....i could live in the cheese and olive area for weeks, at least. there were so many olives that I couldn't pick one to get. there were so many cheeses that I couldn't pick one. there is so much ready-made food (hot bar, salad bar, desert bar, seafood bar, soup bar, juice bar, coffee bar, pasta bar, tofu's, breads, bisques, etc.) that it took me almost an hour today to decide to leave the place with a salad, an orange, a pint of raspberries and a hunka hunka burnin' cornbread for lunch. not to mention all the sampling I did. ohhh, the samples. this lady who makes all raw foods had samples of her cauliflower w/ cashew cream & cumin salad. all of these tasty products of the earth make me want to chase my dream of food critic even more!

speaking of tasty products of the earth, these are some of the best berries I've had in a while...and in November no less!

I need a whole Saturday for Whole Foods because I never even went down the isles...only the outer vicinity! I can already tell this is going to be bad on my wallet...but good in my belly!

So....i made my favorite bag to date this weekend. I used some of the awesome Japanese fabric I got from Goodness. it's the wood grain fabric, of course, accented and lined with the awesome cream fabric with 'Forest' print. I really wish I could have sheets out of that Forest fabric. I love it. So, I sold two birdy totes on Etsy and 2 to friends...everybody is loving the birdy tote. the only thing that sucks is that the Joel Dewberry bird fabric in that particular color is sold out...everywhere!!! and that's what the people want! i'll have to get creative.

Lotta came!!!

my Lotta Jansdotter fabric was awaiting my grasp last night when I got home. it's really amazing how much fabric entertains me. THANK YOU LESLIE!!! it was packed with awesome fabric and some fun little tidbits dripping with Japanese goodness! i really can't get enough of Lotta Jansdotter. it started so many years ago when her name drew me in b/c my grandmothers name was Lottye, then I checked out all of her amazing designs and I was in love! she has such an organic and quirky style which makes for amazing paper products and fabrics!

this weekend i helped Maddie make a huge overnight bag so she could transfer her many fashions from house to house, with room to spare. I got the idea from the Lotta handmade projects book and it turned out great! (no pictures yet). a small adult could definitely fit in this bag. it's huge. now i have to find the perfect projects for this amazing fabric and probably just keep them all to myself.

new stuff

i sold my first item on Etsy!! it was the woodsy birdy tote! very exciting...now I just need to make some more. i've been doodling around on the sewing machine making little trial things, just messing around. i made some little washable napkins this weekend b/c i'm so sick of wasting paper towels...does anyone feel the same as I?...enough to buy some on etsy? can I sway folks with rik rak? people have said i should make them bigger, like 'dinner napkin' size...but i think the charm of them is how small and cute they are...we shall see. they could be hankerchiefs. i made a new birdy wallet that I think is super-rad. and a birdy wine tote with all my new etsuko furuya fabric. i love that stuff...wish it wasn't $18.00/yard. but it is a very good weight and good quality.

i should be getting my lotta jansdotter fabric any day now!!! i really don't know what i'll do with it...it will probably be on hold for a while until i can find the perfect thing to make with it..i think im gonna have to be selfish and only use it for myself. we'll see.

going to the CMA awards party tonight for work and that means i have to go home and try to find something in my wardrobe that is dressy AND wintery. this might take a while.

time to get on the ball

first off---my friend Meghann wanted me to make her a bag out of this old shirt she had...and it turned out a success!! it was hard working with the lining material (stretchy thick corduroy), but it actually turned out!

so, it's November 2 and if I want to sell any bags/totes/wallets/dishtowels, etc. on my Etsy page, then I better get to sewing! I finally got around to taking a few photos today at work on Meghann and I's daily walk to the coffee shop. she was gracious enough to model for me and my dinky little camera. one of my favorite's is a bag i made from a thrift store pillow case. i finally put a few items in the shop, but it's not very many...must. get. busy.

veggies & me = bff

FACT: eating in my cubicle isn't awesome.

i love vegetables. i also love the harmonious combination of these particular vegetables on this particular pizza at a particular chain restaurant. (ehem...California Pizza Kitchen) red & yellow roasted red peppers, japanese eggplant, caramelized onions, garlic & herbs married with goaty deliciousness. if i weren't sitting in my cubicle, it might taste better, or atleast not have that multi-people-using-office-toaster-oven taste (which can range from a variety of left-overs, fish sticks, cinnamon bagels, pop tarts, veggie burgers, toaster sandwiches and the like). now I'm not one for chain-eating, but this 'es-eich-i-tee' is good.

QUESTION: why does a california-themed restaurant give you a basket of bread before you're about to scarf down a pizza?
ANSWER: anyone?