January 29, 2010

Bloggers block?

I read somewhere a while back that the average life of a blog is about a year. I don't remember where I read it or the reasons they gave but I'm finding there must be some truth to it.....I can't think of anything to blog about anymore. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.

There are 12 blogs that I read every day. And there are about 20 more blogs that I read at least once a week. All of these blogs have new posts almost every day....or at least they did...until recently. Suddenly, quite a few are posting less and less often, AND I DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT!!

I want to tap each one of these Bloggers on the shoulder and say "Uh, excuse me, but could you please get back to writing a new post every day again. Don't you realize how much I look forward to seeing what you have to say every single day? Don't you realize the pleasure I get from reading your witty opinion on even the simplest of subjects? Don't you know that I count on your latest completed project or recipe for creative inspiration? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Get busy with your blog already! Just because I can't think of anything to blog about anymore doesn't mean that all of you can quit writing about your stuff!"

I used to have so many ideas that I had to make a list and ration them out.....Now I got nothin'.

Is this writers block?

Can you even have writers block when your not officially a writer? How about Bloggers block?

My life is the same as it was back in the good old blogging-every-day days. I'm still doing the same things with the same people in the same places. Oh, wait...is that the problem? Is my life boring? Am I too routine? Am I in a rut?

Well, even that's the case, it didn't stop me from having things to blog about before, so what's the deal now?

If anyone out there knows what's going on here please let me in on it!

January 20, 2010

Soup du Jour #9

Today is Wednesday, otherwise known at our house as "American Idol Night!!"


Daughter and family will come over for dinner after all homework is done and then we'll all watch AMERICAN IDOL together.




It's been raining for 3 days now, which is HUGE for us down here in Southern CA...
So....what will I be making for dinner?....why, SOUP OF COURSE! It's finally the perfect soup weather.....


Daughter's family loves the soup at Olive Garden, so tonight I'm making Pasta e Fagioli for the first time: (my version uses ground chicken)







Served with Garlic bread and homemade Pesto Dinner Rolls




And for dessert, ice cream and "Brownie Pudding", (which is what you call a new recipe that didn't bake up firm enough to cut into squares but is delicious scooped onto your plate and eaten with a spoon!)



Gotta Go! I think I hear IDOL starting!

January 3, 2010

Sensory Overload

Have I ever shown you my favorite t-shirt?







I got it over at Craftster.org. I've started wearing it every time I go fabric shopping, especially if I'm looking for something in particular. It's sort of my "lucky fabric-shopping shirt".


I was wearing it yesterday when I finally made the hour drive to M & L Fabrics in Anaheim.
My Mom has been telling me about this place for quite some time now and Daughter & I have been trying to find time to go together for the last 6 months or so but the hour drive kept making it seem like a big ordeal.
Anyway, yesterday, Daughter had out-of-town company and couldn't get away but I really needed to find some San Diego Padres fabric for a custom apron order and had exhausted all other possibilities, so off I went, alone, in my lucky shirt.

I stepped inside the door and...WOW! Total sensory overload! I've never seen a store quite like this before:
Bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric, with about half of it priced at $2.98 a yard.


Shelves and shelves and shelves of flat fold fabric....not the easiest way to look at fabric, but at only $1.98 a yard you can work with it!
(I found this picture on flickr.)

There are 10 aisles like this one!
(I found this picture on Flickr)



"Secret" back rooms, each with its own category of fabrics......all so beautifully organized it took my breath away! If only the women who worked there could spend an afternoon at my local library fixing the children's section, which is always such an unorganized mess that I can hardly stand it. I'm sure they could whip it into shape in no time!

M & L Fabrics has a great selection of oilcloths, which I hadn't been able to find anywhere but online. There were hundreds of flannels, too. (I have a weakness for cute flannels for kids lap blankets)


At first I truly was having touble with sensory overload. With all those colors and categories and styles to look at, I couldn't think straight or focus on any one thing or really even look for what I wanted for at least 30 minutes. I just wandered up and down the rows, taking it all in, until my eyes and brain settled down and I could actually concentrate on what I was seeing.
My lucky shirt didn't work this time since I didn't find the Padres fabric I needed (I've since discovered it's out of print) but I didn't come away empty handed. I did only spend $23.00 dollars, but when Daughter and I return together it could be a different story!
I bought a few new (to me) fabrics with aprons in mind, including a piece with an unusual cigar-theme for a cigar afficionado I know......

and some pretty flannel to make a pair of new pillow cases for myself and some polka-dot oilcloth to make into some zipper pouches and maybe a new lunch tote.




I had planned to close up the "sewing studio" for the month of January and take a little hiatus but now I'm not so sure......

You know, its a good thing this store is an hour away or I think I would be in real trouble! It's a fabri-holics dream! (or maybe nightmare, depending on how you look at it....)