The STP, a quilt & a grill.

What has merryheathre been doing, you may be wondering... Well, I have been training for the STP, but not nearly as much as I should have. Turns out, it's very boring and it takes a very long time to ride 60 miles on your bike by yourself. The BIG EVENT is this weekend and I'm sorta ready. My philosophy is that in endurance events (and this is DEFINITELY an endurance event) it's almost more mental than physical, so I'm trying not to freak out. I keep asking people to tell me "You're going to be fine. You won't die. You'll have fun! You'll meet people to ride with."

It's sort of working.

Now last weekend, I was looking for things to do to avoid riding my bike, so I got some quilting done! And will you look at this:

It's the center of the quilt of merryheathreness, which I showed you here eons ago.

Finally, I'd like to say a little something in defense of my Le Creuset skinny grill pan. I did a google search on how to use the thing and I found numerous sites with people detailing why they don't love the pan, threatening to send it to Goodwill, ebay, etc. Well, I used mine for veggie burgers on the 4th, and it was GREAT! I got it as hot as possible without it smoking. Then, I placed the burger on for a good amount of time, turned it over, and voila! Nice little grill marks, nothing stuck!

I used olive oil spray on the pan, and on the burger (because the burgers don't have much fat in them). The sheen that's left there is from numerous burgers... :)

So, I am speaking up in support of the Le Creuset skinny grill pan! I think it's awesome! I'm going to use it again and again! Take that, you haters!

Okay. I'm going to pack for my ride to my death Portland.

Well, I am soaked. Or rather, I would be, if I had not stripped down to my underwear the moment I entered my front door.

I'm trying to figure out who I can blame - and where it all started... It might be my brother, who loves to ride bikes. It might be the citizen committee I staff, dedicated to non-motorized transportation. It might be that I need to lose a few pounds.

Whatever it is, I am training for the Seattle to Portland. I am freaked out, because apparently that's a REALLY long way.

And, I spent my ride home from work today blinking the rain out of my eyes and hoping that I'm not the body type that bulks up from exercise. I really don't want to end up looking like this:

Champion, from The Triplets of Belleville, one of the best animated movies of all time.

What Should I Read Next?

So, my parents got me a Kindle for Christmas - you may recall, as I posted a cover that I made for it here earlier. Also, I made a resolution (that I also posted here) to alternate between fiction and non-fiction books this year. BTW, this has been fun. I've been despairing a bit of fiction, though, since I can only read one before I go back to non-fiction and it seems like it's hard to know whether or not you're going to get a good book. Therefore, I googled "book recommendations". The first link was What Should I Read Next? and I am enamored of it.

It's simple - you type in the title of a book that you like and it gives you books that other people who like that book like. It is similar to Amazon's recommendations, except here people make their own lists of books they own, not just books that they also purchased.

I just spent a good hour and a half typing in all the books I could think of that I loved and then looking at the recommendations. I now have a pretty good idea of a few books I'd like to read next... It lived up to its name!

I signed up... Now comes the real challenge.

I did it! I bit the bullet and got out my credit card. Now I'm going to ride my bike back to work and start getting used to being "in the saddle". It's 80% sold out, so if you're going to join me, sign up now! For more info on the STP, go here.

I've missed you...

I've been remiss in this, my seemingly easiest of New Feb's Rezzies. So, as a peace offering:




P.S. You may have to go to youtube to watch it in all it's glory, and I do recommend it.

Weekly Post

I saw lots of really cool things today. Alas, I did not get pictures of any of them. But! Have no fear, I will recreate them here:

I saw baby ducks and a grown up duck. Aha! Upon google image searching, I do believe I saw goslings and a goose because the babies were quite yellow and the adult was really big in comparison to the babies. This is a close approximation:

I also saw a train-full of tractors. There were at least 30 identical tractors. There could have been 50. I was getting on the ferry in Edmonds, but had to wait for the train to go by and they were on some of the middle cars, all perfectly aligned with each other.

I also saw (fine, I broke one of my new feb's rezzies and bought) some really cute fabric! It's called Hideaway by Lauren & Jessie Jung for Moda. I got a half yard of the chalet fabric on bottom, a quarter of the teeny-tiny deers in the middle, and a quarter of the dot fabric on the right (but with a white background). I love it.

Also, while I was at the quilt shop, the ladies working there LOVED my kindle cover and said I should write patterns. I thought - "hey! that's a great idea!" So, there we go. Another back up career if this whole engineering thing ends up being too much of a drag for me.

The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day!

P.S. I haven't forgotten about NYC. Someday - maybe even soon - I will post more.

New Feb's Rezzies

Well, New Year's passed me by without much fanfare, so I've decided to make New February Resolutions. I'll follow them (or at least try) for the next year - so here goes!

1. Read at least one non-fiction book for every fiction book read.
2. No purchasing new fabric, paper, stamps, ribbon, stickers, etc. (Exception: Items needed to finish projects that I own the majority of the supplies.)
3. Go on one date per month - at least.
4. Blog weekly or more.
5. Ride the Seattle to Portland - sign ups are today!

Other things I'm thinking about - Cleaning? Eating better? Being on time? Did any of you make new's years resolutions? How are they going?

An expensive tomato and a kindle sleeve.

The other day I bought a tomato at the co-op because it was a pretty yellowish-orange color. When I got home I realized that I had spent $1.25 for a tomato the size of a ping-pong ball. So, the eating of this tomato became important and memorable:

I paired it with whole wheat flat bread - which I forgot to take a picture of, but you can imagine it, I'm sure. I also made a dipping sauce with olive oil, white balsamic, fresh garlic, and finely chopped basil.

There was also avocado. It was wonderful.

Yesterday I decided that since I had today off, I should make myself a kindle sleeve. So, I started playing around with the fabric that I had chosen. The two bluer fabrics are by sweetwater for moda, and I'm not sure about the tan. Of course, since I'm never content to do things the easy way, I decided to make an argyle pattern with the fabric!

Let me tell you - I did nearly every step on this thing twice. I was messing up right and left. But, I kept laughing and kept going. The back is just a solid piece of the blue fabric with ampersands and it's lined with the argyle fabric. I quilted it with the argyle lines, too.

Here I'm showing you the closure. I haven't sewn the button on yet - but it's made so the flap "blends" with the argyle pattern. Nifty, eh? My finger is holding it down. Otherwise the button goes flinging across the room.

Please, if you like it, tell me. I'm not super happy with it but if enough people tell me it's cool I'm hoping I'll stop looking at it critically and just be like "yeah - it'll do."

Things I read about...

...And wanted to share with you!

First up? Tula Pink has been sewing, and she made a couple bags from Amy Butler's new book, Style Stitches. Which I happen to have purchased. I'm thinking I ought to make one of these bags, too!

Next - some pretty clothes. If the stars ever aligned for me to wear designer clothes (there would have to be major weight loss, major income, and some sort of a reason/occasion), I'd totally wear any of these:



They're from Erdem's Pre-Fall 2011 collection (don't ask me what that really means), and I'd even wear the ones I'm not showing you.

You're probably wondering...

What does merryheathre do with all her time? Because she sure doesn't spend it blogging! Or replying to emails! Or tweeting...

Well, here's what I spent a couple New Year's Eve hours doing - sewing!

I started out with raw materials from alert readers (thank you, Dave Barry), ref250 and ~K, as they like to be known. The main material is a pair of boxer shorts that have been re-purposed into a ditty bag. That's the ref250 part. The lining is laminated nicey jane that ~K picked up for me because I forgot to buy it way back at the shop hop!

The green bits and thread are from my stash with a Coats & Clark zipper to finish it off. Now I've gotta make a case for my kindle...

It only seems appropriate... NYC Part 1

Let's begin with food. I mean really. Is there any other topic that we spend more time on? Maybe with certain people, but in general, I think it's the weather and food.

Without further ado... The food of NYC, through a very small window of time and personal preference.

When we arrived it was diner food - and so fun! There were about a bazillion things on the menu, the men working there were really nice, and the hot chocolate had lots of whipped cream.

The Best Ambiance award goes to our Friday night dinner - an Italian place near Times Square with giant portions (Most. Delicious. Alfredo. Ever.) and waiters who carried the trays way above their heads.

On my list of places to go was a chain called Le Pain Quotidien (never did figure out the pronunciation) where they had this delicious little number that they called a tartine or something, but it was basically an open-faced sandwich. More specifically, it was insane.

My traveling companion was a serious fan of the street food, especially the Halal carts - which he paired with Coke. I never tried it, but the smell was delicious. (I'm actually making myself hungry right now.) There were also hot nuts at these Nuts4Nuts carts that were quite good.

As long as I was in New York, I had to try a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. I really wanted a hummingbird cake, but they were out, so I went for chocolate with chocolate frosting, and it was delicious. It practically fell apart in my hand. (I actually like cake with a little more substance, but when in Rome...)

Back at Le Pain Quotidien, Phillip decided to try their waffle. Research after returning home reveals that this is called a liege waffle and it's traditionally made with a yeast dough, pearl sugar, and large amounts of butter. I can tell you personally that the result is delicious.

The award for Biggest Surprise of the Trip goes to Sbarro of Times Square, for truly delicious pizza with crispy/chewy crust, just like it should be. I'm sorry I assumed you'd be just like the mall, Sbarro of Times Square, and thank you for allowing me to snap the maximum occupancy sign at your establishment. They're the same everywhere in NYC, and I found them pretty entertaining.

And now, *drum roll, please* THE TOP THREE BEST, MOST DELICIOUS THINGS I ATE! in chronological order because I can't decide which was best of the best.

First, at the MoMA Cafe - Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chantilly Cream and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds. Moist, flavorful without being overly spiced, perfectly balanced. Man, I'm hungry!

Next, my birthday main course at Aureole, a Charlie Palmer restaurant: Miso Alaskan Black Cod. The black things are deep fried (?) balls of black rice, it's on a bed of baby bok choy, the whole thing is in a "citrus butter sauce". Tender, flavorful, seriously one of the best meals I've ever eaten. I wanted to lick the plate. As a side note: the service was terrible, so I'm not sure if I'd recommend the place, even with its wonderful food.

And finally, Lemon Chess Pie from a picturesque little place in SoHo. Lemony, sweet, creamy texture... I didn't even know there was a such thing as Lemon Chess Pie, but I'm looking up recipes posthaste. This, I may be able to recreate.

There you have it and I haven't even mentioned the Indian food, the bagels, salmon cakes, salads, Mexican food WAIT! I can't sign off without letting you know this last little tidbit.

There is a chain called Shake Shack. They make ice cream that is legit. All other ice cream is dead to me. The sad part is that there are only 5 locations. The good part is - I went to three of them! Yes I did. Ain't no shame.

Now I'm going to snack and go to bed. I will return soon to tell you about another aspect of New York - next time something that won't leave me salivating.

A Thursday Night...

The Accidental Argyle Twins

A Rare Port Townsend Sight: Snowfall!

Tonight I worked late because of a recurring meeting that I jokingly detest. I've had a historically love/hate relationship with the meeting (okay it's been more on the hate side), but have come to terms and now reward myself for making it through the meeting with all my brain cells intact. Today's meeting was the usual - really not that bad, and when I talked to Mom on my way home, I told her I was going home to drink a bottle of wine and buy things on the internet. :) So here I am. I haven't drunk any wine, and I've only purchased a couple Christmas ornaments, but it's been a relaxing evening nonetheless.

Baby Ansel Looks to his Mom for Advice

You may have wondered where I've been, cyber-ly speaking - and the answer is, nowhere really. I went on a fabulous vacation, then came back to my mundane life, which is surprisingly busy for not being the Big Apple. :) I've included a couple pictures to spice up this post - and if you stay tuned, I'm about to post the first NYC post. I know, I know, it's about time.

A Thanksgiving Feast!

Black Friday Shoppers, out at the crack of NOON!

Empire State of Mind

Well, I've been back for almost two weeks (two weeks, really???!!?) and I've been internally debating that whole time: how shall I blog about my trip? By subject? Chronologically? Just a few highlights? If you have a preference, let me know in the comments - but as I've typed this, I think I've concluded: subject posts. We'll have food, shopping, art, buildings, fabric, parks, etc. How's that sound? Let me know if you have a subject for me to cover!

Meet Bosley

So, my parents have a new member of their family. I suppose you could say I have a new four-legged brother. His name is Bosley, and he's a mid-size Australian Labradoodle. He's goofy, he's a thief, he's got sharp little teeth, and he's just about as sweet as they come.

While I was blow-drying my hair one morning, he absconded with my sandal - luckily I caught him before any damage was done.

Bosley looks just like a stuffed animal that I had when I was little called Fuffy. Just like fluffy without the "L".

He's little now, but he should end up around 40 lbs.

Oh yeah - those sharp little teeth? Twice he's tested them out on my big toe. I was just standing there, minding my own business, and YEOWWW! Sure enough, the teeth work.

P.S. Poor Lillabee is terrified of him. I think it's cuz he's the only animal smaller than her that she's ever met. They'll be friends soon, I'm sure of it.

Alert! I need your fashion help!

This is the "Hot or Not?" portion of my blog. I'm going to post pictures of three pairs of shoes and I'm hoping you'll tell me that I'm on the right track as far as what to do...

The background is this: I leave for NYC in less than 24 hours (there are stops on the way, but I digress). I would like to look stylish while maintaining my comfort in the big apple. So, in a fit of indecision, I purchased three pairs of shoes yesterday. I will share them now with my comments, and I'm hoping you'll share your comments as well.

The shoes are meant to be worn with black leggings and long sweaters - so all are black shoes.

First up, a test shot with my Thanksgiving turkey socks.

Okay, now I'm serious. The first pair of shoes is the cushiest. They've got the highest heel and seem to be pretty comfortable, although it's difficult to know for the long haul. I think they're pretty cute.

Next we have suede slouchy boots. These always look funny to me. Even on other people, I start thinking about Robin Hood, or something. But, they don't look that bad in these pictures. The only issue is they have ZERO cushion. If you vote for these, and know of a good insole - please share that info, because I'm pretty sure that's the only way these are viable.

Finally, my personal favorites - but they're still not quite perfect... These are kind of cowboy, kind of motorcycle. I'm thinking these would be good, with another pair (or two) for variation for the toes. Again, it's the long haul that I'm a bit worried about.

So, there is my dilemma, in black and black. Speak words of wisdom to me, friends of electronic assistance!

I suppose a fourth option would be to shop when I get there... ;)

Little Projects

I've gotten a few little things done! Nothing big, mind you, but they might add up to one mid-size accomplishment, so here goes!

I planted a "garden". It was contained in two pots, and I started them from seeds. I had bachelor buttons and marigolds, the seeds of which were both gifts from Firefly.

Here are the marigolds, just starting out - not very big.

Then, they started doing really well, but a raccoon decided that he wanted to eat the bugs that were living in the soil and he tore up my nicely tended "garden". These two flowers survived:

It's getting cold enough that they'll probably all go away soon, so I might get some bulbs ready to plant... they're always pretty in the spring!

Next, I crocheted a monkey! (One of my coworkers wonders if that's a euphemism for anything.) Isn't she cute! She needs a little sundress and a bow for her "hair", but for now the fact that she exists is enough for me.

Here she is trying out the strainer as a swing.

I like to buy myself flowers and practice my arranging skills - here's the latest: spray roses in a spherical vase.

And finally, tonight's project was a baby sling for a friend who's due to deliver next week. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right? Turns out I didn't buy enough fabric, so it took some fancy cutting and sewing at the beginning, but it was a fairly simple process once I got those kinks worked out. I used the tutorial found here.

The inside fabric has the names of all different kinds of tea - picked out by the expectant mother. I found the polka dot fabric to match at Joann. It's reversible, and I believe that the words can be right side up. (That did stress me out a bit.)

Fun stuff, and like travel, it makes me want to do more!