I've Been Cheating On My Bernina.....

with my new car, that's right, Johnny, tell us what she's won.....a NEWWWW CAR!!!!! Obviously, I didn't win it (ha ha, I can't win a drawing if there's only two people in it, so I most certainly did not win a car), but I certainly did acquire one..the old fashioned way...we bought it. I've been too busy tooling around in it and expertly maneuvering it into the garage between the John Deer and the lawn furniture in the tiny space the Corolla used to reside, to take an actual photo yet, but I'll post one eventually.

It was a relatively painless purchasing process (if you don't count that I only slept 3 hours Thursday night and was up on the computer at 4 a.m. Friday researching car reviews, specs, what buyers had to say). We had a very easy-going sales guy...skipped all the hard-sell crap...loved him. Went out to test drive Thursday night, took off Friday afternoon to go pick her up. Of course I just drove aimlessly around for 85 miles today getting used to her (and showing her off to anyone who was home).

And in those 85 miles I happened to pass two quilt shops--so I guess it wasn't so aimless wandering now, was it--which resulted in 4 yards of of this attaching itself to me as I walked through the shop.

 It seemed to be screaming 'use me to back those Day of the Dead fabrics you have!'

And then in another shop, I couldn't resist these Halloween (but not obviously Halloween-y, once you remove them from the more traditional ghouls/spiders in the line) FQs. Nine fats, don't know what I can do with them, but I'll figure something out, I'm sure. (Maybe I'll stumble on a time machine that takes me back to 1972 one of these days...I will be SO set. I will become the new Martha, but I will be smart enough to not dabble in Insider Trading, and therefore rule the world by the time I'm the age I am now. Bwah ha ha!)

And then, I don't know what got into me, but my sister had a good laugh when I stopped by on my way home and she peeked into my bags and found not one....

but two

sets of those wrinkly, smear the water around dishtowels I'm always complaining about, with border fabric.  I'm going to make them for gifts, and attach little cookie cutters to them...just like my big sister does....what's that they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery? (unless you've got a team of copyright infringement lawyers in your pocket, which I don't think she does, but maybe I'd better check....).

The hubs and the kid are down at the 9:30 Club tonight. Daddy forgot the tickets, so I had to hop in the Santa Fe and head on down the highway until we met so I could bring them to them without them having to come all the way back home. They might have missed a couple minutes of Buddy Miller's set, but I suppose they got over it. The plan was to spend the evening sewing, but somehow I've not been able to bring myself to turn on the Bernina. Instead, I'm slumming with Bud Lite and watching QVC (Bare Minerals)...oh, this is a very dangerous situation I have stepped into. I just picked up something in Sephora on Thursday....must exercise control...must not cave....

Tomorrow my sister and I are going to the Annapolis quilt show.As if I needed an excuse to take the new ride on another adventure. I don't think there's a lot of vendors at this show, but there is a nice quilt shop in Annapolis that we'll visit. Hopefully it will be a little cooler Bayside.

Have a Pleasant Valley Sunday!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Two things, actually. One, there isn't a quilt or anything on the sewing machine table. Two, there's no flowers anywhere. That's the ticket!!!! No wonder I haven't been sewing the past couple days, no colorful, sweet smelling, floral inspiration. Must fix that. A stop at Trader Joe's on my way home from the Gangs-R-Us (the Mall)  later will rectify that.

Kiwi Jubilee is neatly folded on the cutting table, patiently waiting it's return to the machine, which should be sometime this evening.

 

I've appropriated a new accessory...it's my 'procrastination basket'. It's where I can drop the sales flyers, the Guild newsletters, the magazines, the patterns I'm considering, the books that arrive. Then, at some point, when I've got a few minutes, I can pick it up and take it with me...in the car, in front of the TV, to bed, and clear something out of it. For the past couple days, I've only added to it, I think the point is I need to remove from it...I need to work on that.

Last night I made the giant leap and phoned the hubs on my way home and said I'd like to actually go out to a car dealer. It's been about 2 months since I decided that I needed a new car, and the Corolla has been a doll cooperating with me for this time, but she's tired, and I don't think she's going to put up with me much longer, without a cash infusion of at least $500 for a clutch, if not more (I think she found out what I paid the plumber last week and she's jealous).

Anyhow, the last place I want to be, next to Hell, is in a dealer's showroom...oh wait, that is Hell, isn't it. I digress. The hubs has this strange attachment to a particular dealership. Our daughter bought her first car from them and it was a pleasant experience, or so I'm told. I refused to participate. That was 5 or 6 years ago, and the hubs thinks that this place has stayed frozen in time and they're still the best game in town. I guess he must think the same people still work there, or maybe he's out buying cars every week and reselling them for sport before I catch on.Whatever, this is his go-to dealer. Now I can live with one of their cars--a Hyundai (though I may be rethinking that whole crossover thing), so this is where we headed.

Fortunately, before the salesman dragged me kicking in the front door, to find a car for me to test dive, the hubs asked their interest rates on loans, which was 4.9%, so I just said No! Nada! Nevermind! Big Mistake! See Ya! Gotta run! I think I left the iron on! Buh-bye!

Maybe it's the whole car-buying phobia thing, but I'm not financing a car for more than I could finance a house for. If I wanted to do that, I'd buy the car with an equity loan so I could deduct the interest on my taxes. Really, everyone is offering 0%, 0.9%, 2.9%, I'd have to be brain dead to take a loan at 4.9%. And, I guarantee, the  minute I signed the papers, they'd run an ad in the newspaper saying financing was now 0%...FISH!. So we walked--rather, I walked and the hubs was forced to follow. And he was not a happy camper. (I think he just wanted to drive something new...like I'm going to let him drive my car to softball games 4 nights a week.)

Next he drove me to the Nissan dealer, where they supposedly have better financing, but when we walked up to the Rogue they had sitting on their sidewalk and looked at the sticker, I panic'd, and said I really didn't want to do this, that I wasn't sure I wanted a Rogue (they didn't get the greatest ratings), and maybe I should go home and do some more research. The hubs sighed, said something about, how it only took 2 months to actually get me within 30 feet of a dealership's door, at least that was a small step, and whisked me out to Baja Fresh for a fabulous take-out burrito dinner.

It's obvious that this is something we are not going to see eye to eye on, so I think I'm going to now be sent out on my own for this task..assuming the Corolla cooperates on the sweet ride front. Oh well, this is seriously going to screw up my creative time and totally go against my New Years' Guidelines (do something you love every day).  Why can't I just use a coupon and order something from the Internet and have it delivered. Sigh!

Here's Another Chance to Win a GO!

Amy's Creative Side is the latest blog to host a GO giveaway. I have absolutely no luck, so while I have entered, I think you all stand a way better chance than I do at finding one of these on your doorstep, so zip on over to Amy's blog (use the link in the sidebar on the left) and enter every which way you can to win.

In the meantime, I'll be upstairs in the studio cutting 2.5" strips by hand :)

Good luck everyone!!!