Wednesday Night

We decorated the tree last night. Flower was very concerned that we would do it without her. She informed me that it's a tradition for the whole family, not just part of it. That said, she wasn't too concerned that Curly had to work and we would be decorating without him.

There was a hole in our tree. Flower fixed it. By putting the smallest ornament we have right in the middle.



Patch really wanted to touch the tree. Here he is, after I gave him a warning. This is his "I wasn't doing anything" pose.


Meet our newest village. A friend gave it to us last year before she moved. She never put it out, and didn't want to take it with her. It's the New England village, but I think it has a real western vibe, a la Sun Valley or Park City. The house with the demonic glow is actually the outdoor outfitters store. Mini-me explained the difference between this village, and our other villages. See, in this one, people have a job and have to go to work. There's a farm, a fish cannery, a sawmill, and the outfitters. The little figures are working; one is ice fishing and the other is chopping wood. Those other lazy villages where no one works. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Then I got artsy with the black and white. You can almost hear Patch say "cheese" in this shot.

I took a chance and tried to get one of all three of them. Eh. We have better options.

New Blog in Town

I have started a new blog for The Molly Patch. Try to scroll down past the giant header and see what I've been up to! It will be easier to update than my website, which still confuses me. Check back daily for updates on all my projects.

Doll Aprons

This must be my favorite thing I have added to The Molly Patch lexicon over the past two months: doll aprons. These lovelies are for two lucky little girls. The apron on the left will also be made in little girl size and mommy size. How fun is that? Tomorrow, I plan on putting them on our American Girl dolls and doing a little fashion photo shoot. And, yes, Mini-me and Flower are each getting a doll apron for Christmas.

Holiday Funnies

Tonight, Mini-me was singing that favorite song, The 12 Days of Christmas. When she got to the second day, without hesitation she belted out: "On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 2 pair of gloves and a patridge in a pear tree!"

As we were driving home from dinner at Curly's brother's house, we were listening to the local radio station that plays Christmas music around the clock. Fleetwood Mac was singing Silent Night, and we were all doing our best to sing along. Finally, Flower said: "She sings like a sheep."

And, if any health food stores need an idea for Christmas, Patch has a unique way of singing Jingle Bells. He says: "Ginko bells! Ginko bells!" Let me know if you'd like him to do a commercial.

Photo Friday

Recent Finishes

I am so tired, I almost spelled "finish" with a "ph." Ugh.

Here are some things that have yet to be uploaded to the website, but are a good example of what I've been working on since the trunk show.

First up, a table runner.

Second, placemats. Curly said he had never seen placemats that looked like that. I took that as a compliment.

This one was not sideways before I uploaded it. Huh. Anyway, it still looks cool.

These represent two different orders, even though it's with the same fabric. It's great fabric -- little chocolate truffles with pink and brown stripes. Yum. I thougth for this shot, I would try one of those fancy off-center shots. It really doesn't work. I'm really a straight shooter. Ha. Have I mentioned it's late?

Obviously, Not Much

Not much to report here. Just same-old, same-old. I have been furiously making bags and aprons and other fancy things. Patch has been trying to stop me, but seeing as he's two, small, and easy to pick up and place somewhere else, he has failed.

My quilting machine is down for the count. I part has been ordered from California, hopefully to arrive today, and the quilting mayhem can continue. In case you're wondering, it's the stitch regulator. There is a problem with the connection. Like I said, hopefully it will be resolved today. Tomorrow at the latest.

It is very cold. There has been frost on the windshield every morning this week. I drove Mini-me to school today because I just couldn't think about walking in this. She loves driving to school, hopping out of the car, and running up the stairs to the building, just like a big kid.

It's time for me to hit the showers. Have a great day!

Yucky Day

Today is cold and rainy. I don't mind the cold, and I don't mind the rain, but the two of them together become more than the sum of their parts, and I hate what it produces. Mini-me and Patch are sleeping, and I have been working on Christmassy things in my studio.

In honor of this yucky day, I thought I would post the saddest picture of all:

Here's to hoping tomorrow is better!

Child Labor, Part 2

I like to put my kids to work. It's good for them. Puts hair on their chest. Mini-me really wanted to help make the Thanksgiving pies, and after the success of Spaghetti-O's, I let her.

You can see the pie crust in the background. Mini-me helped measure the ingredients, and then pressed the "pulse" button on the food processor. She did all the stirring for the pies. She was so excited about the pumpkin pie. She didn't eat it, but she was very excited for it. Please pardon the messy hair. Baking is a messy business.

The next morning, she woke up, got dressed, and put on her apron. That girl had more work to do! We made the chocolate pie, which was a hit with the under-4 crowd, and then made the rolls. Mini-me did most of the kneading and all of the rolling. Then I cut the rolls out, and she rolled them up into crescents. Man, could she roll like nobodies business.

This photo is after dinner, which for her consisted of rolls and jam. Only trust what you yourself cook. I can only imagine what she would have put away had she made the stuffing or the turkey. She was not in the mood to smile. Cooking is very serious business, folks.

Thanksgiving Eve

My kids are growing up. Sometimes that's okay with me. Last night, Mini-me wanted to cook dinner. So, I let her. I showed her how to turn on the stove, and let her practice several times. Oh, stop. You know I didn't do that. She started with a simple meal to prepare: Spaghetti-O's. She put on her pink princess apron, which she was quick to inform was a gift from GrandPatty last year, and stirred until the dish was the desired temperature, which is barely warmer than in the can. She was so proud of herself. Today, she's going to make the pumpkin pie. She'll be great at it!

Patch is my little shadow today. Well, everyday. He is so sweet, I don't really mind. If only I could train him to sew a little, I'd get more done.

We need to go to the grocery store today, along with everyone else in the city. I have a short list, and Giant Eagle has this really cool personal shopper thing where you scan your items while you shop. It's genius, really. Then there's a dedicated lane for you to just scan your card, then input your scanner, and you're done! Voila! If it takes longer than 30 minutes, I'll know I'm just wasting time.

Even with the business of today and the past few weeks, I have had time to think about the things I'm grateful for. The list is long. Do you have a minute? I am grateful that my kids grow. I am grateful that our personal economic bailout has been successful (Obama is right about one thing, though, it does takes time). I am grateful for Curly, who makes me laugh and swoon. I am grateful that I can contribute to our family finances without having to leave home. I am grateful for pretty fabric. I am grateful for wonderful memories of Thanksgivings gone by. This year I will try to bring some of those memories to the present, by serving instant breakfast and black donuts while watching the parade.

The shrieking has begun. I must go tend to my children. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Countdown...One Month

We are a month away from Christmas Day.

Sorry, I just had to pick myself up off the floor. I'm okay, really. I am on schedule with my Molly Patch orders, and hope to stay that way for the duration. So far this week I have made two library totes, a doll quilt, and a pillowcase. I have 2 large bags cut and ready for sewing tomorrow. It's ambitious to do two bags in a day, but if I'm going to stay on target, it needs to happen. I have given myself off on Thursday (which was quite nice of me), but if I don't get both bags done, I will have to do a little work before we head over the river and through the woods for dinner.

I had hoped to post some sort of holiday musings today, but it just didn't happen. Check back tomorrow, won't you?

Taking a Sick Day

Curly is off from work today, and I kept Mini-me home from school. She woke up several times last night crying that her ears hurt. Of course, today they feel fine, but I didn't quite wake up on time, due to the frequency of her interrupting my sleep. Patch is still not feeling well. I'll upload a picture later today. His eyes are so sad, but he still said "cheese!" when I pulled out the camera.

On the docket for today, I have to finish the binding on a set of placemats for my Grandma's order and get them off to the post office, and then I have about 4 more things I'd like to get done today on the Molly Patch list. I would really like to get some orders on their way by Friday. I think it's totally doable.

My friend Colleen stopped by for a few minutes yesterday to borrow New Moon, and said this:

"Sometimes in quilting, you have to think outside the block."

She is so wise.

Sick Patch

I am home from church today with a sick Patch. He has running orifices, but trutch be told, he is on the mend. He's just not well enough to go to church, or anywhere for that matter. Mini-me left for church as cute as can be in a hand-me-down from Flower. I am thrilled to bits that she can start wearing Flower's old clothes. We actually don't have many here, since The Ex has purchased (and is keeping) the majority, but what we do have is great stuff. Most of it is formal wear for the Sabbath day, and most of it Mini-me has worn in a mini-er size. Today she has on a black and cream plaid kilt, cream turtleneck, and cream sweater with snowmen cutouts from Talbots Kids. She is one stylin' little gal. I told her she looked fabulous, and she said "I know." Ah, self esteem. I hope she never loses it!

Photo Friday

Advice

Lisa, my WW leader, said this yesterday:

It's a holiday. Not a holiweek.

Weight Loss Wednesday

I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats. A late post? Why? Did she make her 10% goal? Was the boat wood, or aluminum? (Little Veggie Tales reference there...) Drum roll please . . . . I DID IT!! 10% off woo-hoo!!! I am so relieved, I cannot even tell you. I also dropped another 2 on top of it, so I was down 3 for this week, 24.6 for 12 weeks. The sad news is that the session at the Y is now over, and won't be starting up again until January 7. I can go into the center, weigh in, and attend a meeting, but there is only one session that lets you bring kids. Blech. My instructor, Lisa, does two meetings on Monday, but who wants to weigh in on a Monday? Not me. I'll try the Tuesday morning one that allows children, and we'll take it from there. Funny thing is, the center is right near the Jenny Craig center. I wonder if I'll run into my old counselor from there. That would be as awkward as running into an old boyfriend with whom you had a poor break up. What would I say? "Um, hi. Yeah, I was just at Weight Watchers. You look good, though. How are the frozen foods?"

In other fun news, my friend and Zumba instructor has been talking with me about becoming an instructor. Wouldn't that be fun? I a pretty sure it's because my hips move like lightning and because I'm part Latina. By way of Germany. My mom was an aerobics instructor back in the day of leotards and sweat bands. They did really fun routines to songs like "Jump!" and "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Caribbean Queen." I'm pretty sure that last one was a cool-down song. I used to go with her and do my math homework, which is how I remember the songs. It would be muy divertido (that means "really fun") to be a Zumba instructor. I'll let you know how it goes.

New Picture

I changed my profile picture. Isn't it sweet? Thanks, Colleen! You take the greatest pictures.

Hopes

I hope this book makes it under the tree this year!

And, on a funny side note, my girls have decided the only way to sing "Oh, Christmas Tree" is to sound British. It's very amusing.

Sigh of Relief

The trunk show was a raging success. I had less people than I hoped for, but those people bought more things than I hoped for. Not a bad combination. I look forward to doing another one in the spring. My mom took some pictures, but I didn't have my camera with me, so I'll post one as soon as she emails me. Thanks for everyone who came out and supported me!

Photo Friday

This is the bag I did for Melly's shower two weekends ago. It has tons of pockets, and lots of room for baby stuff. This style is also for sale, you guessed it, at my trunk show. Tomorrow.

Raining

It is raining cats and dogs today. The last weather report I heard was "periods of rain." Well, it was pouring when I drove Flower to school, and it's pouring still, 3 hours later. All the rain leaves me very sleepy.

I was planning on doing laundry today, but shout out to Curly who did most of it yesterday. Holla! The bad part about him doing the laundry was that he was in my space for most of the day. He does not care for the state of my sewing area. You show me a quilter who has a clean studio, and I'll, well, I don't know. I doubt you can find one! We creative types need a bit of a mess. He straightened some things and then gave me a speech I haven't heard since I was 17 years old: This may be your room, but it's in my house.

Anyway, on Saturday afternoon, after the trunk show, I have big plans to clean and organize. I am going to need major organization if I'm going to keep up with all the orders I'm going to get Saturday. Plus, I need to get started on Christmas presents for the kids. Patch is getting a Cars quilt. I found Lightning McQueen fabric while we were summering in Lancaster. Well, not summering. But it was summer. Anyway. The girls are getting aprons with matching tiny aprons for their dolls. I did a sample last night for the trunk show, and it is too cute. Pictures to follow as soon as I find my battery charger.

Weight Loss Wednesday

I don't want to talk about it, okay? I mean, the scale just stayed the same. Frustration felt here! Oh well. Next week, right???

Onward and upward. Only 2 more days until the Molly Patch trunk show in Northern Virginia. I have a few more things to finish up, but other than that, the major stuff is done. Woo-hoo! Hopefully it will be a good showing and people will order things. I really need people to order things. I started The Molly Patch for a couple of reasons, the chief of which is that I don't want to work outside the home. I feel strongly about being here, even when my kids are in school (which is only a few short years away). But with the economy, that's going to be tough to do. Tough, but doable. So thank you thank you thank you to all those who have ordered and continue to order from me! Now back to the sewing machine.

Another Quilt Giveaway!!

People are just giving quilts away. Go over to Old Red Barn Co. and try to win one of 3 spectacularly adorable quilts. My favorite? The Nest quilt. Good luck!!

Leaves!

We tried to take a Christmas card picture this weekend. Patch would not cooperate. He thought it was a game.

As soon as he was placed in the pile, he bolted.

This made the girls giggle, which made him scoot even faster.

At the end, Flower suggested that we just have a picture with her and Mini-me this year. Not a bad idea, but I'm not giving up hope just yet.

Contest

The fabulous Camille is having a contest on her blog. You can win either a quilt or a kit to make a quilt. Go enter now!

Sunday

Cherie came to visit on Sunday. It was great to spend time with her. When we planned this fun short visit, we both pictured a leisurely Sunday to sit and chat and maybe go for a walk. Ha. As I was getting ready to leave to pick her up, Curly came in (himself having been on his way for a 5:45 am pre-church meeting) to say that our tires had been slashed on both cars. Say what? All told, about 17 cars were hit overnight, ours being 2 of the 17. Luckily, Curly's sister was with us and her car was left alone. The time after church was spent on the phone with the insurance, getting interviewed by NBC 25, and taking a walk without me so that I could fix dinner. Ah, dinner. Then it was off to the airport. The visit was way too short!

Photo Friday

Weight Loss Wednesday

This post could easily be called "So Close, Yet So Far." I am point 2 pounds away from my 10% goal. Point 2!!! So frustrating. But, with it just right there, next week I will hit my 10% plus more. Here is a major victory for me -- today I am under 200 pounds. And yes, I do feel lighter.

Halloween: A Look Back

Pumpkins were carved.

Games were played.

Trunks were treated.

Children were gooky (Patch speak for "spooky").

And tea parties were attended by witches.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the O'Kigins! I will post a picture of our little trick-or-treaters later. Right now I have chili simmering on my new gas stove. I feel like shouting: "I HAVE GAS AND I LOVE IT!" I am not ashamed. Curly is under the weather, so our festivities have been curtailed. No trek from Northern Virginia will be taken this year. But that's okay. I am still going to have a tea party on my front lawn in my witch's costume. Pumpkin tart, anyone?

Weight Loss Wednesday

Ugh. That's all I can say. Ugh. I could go into a rant about feminine problems, but I won't because at least one male reads this. Let's just say that next week will be better, right? And, it was probably the pants. I couldn't find my weigh in pants, so I had to wear jeans. Big, bulky, heavy jeans that made the scale say "Zero pounds this week, love. Cheer up. Spit spot. Chip chip, cheerio" (the scale is British).

I have a plan of attack. It's realistic, too. Zumba tomorrow night, a YMCA cameo on Friday whilst I wait for my new stove, nothing Saturday, nothing Sunday, and then a date with the elliptical Monday, Zumba Tuesday, and some Yoga at home Wednesday morning. That coupled with good point counting, and we'll hit the magical 10% off goal!

Enjoy

Enjoy National Chocolate Day. I know I will.

Oops

I broke the stove today. It is shattered. I cried, but I think it will be okay in the end.

Photo Friday

From a recent expedition to the corn maze.

Where Does She Get It?

On the way home from school today, Mini-me and I were discussing math. She loves math. She knows quite a lot of math facts. I was a little surprised with how much she knows. I said:

Me: Who taught you that?
Mini-me: Well, Jesus taught me.
Me: He did?
Mini-me: Yeah. Jesus just gave me the math fact.

There you go.

Weight Loss Wednesday

It was another banner week for me. I lost 4 more pounds. Yippee! For those keeping track, that is a total of 19 pounds. I am well on my way to my 10% goal by Halloween.

On another note, it is now after 10 pm. I am pooped. I did 6 more sets of burp cloths today, but did not get any taggies pinned. Tomorrow is another day, and I am sure I will get it done. In addition to the taggies, I hope to make some pillowcases tomorrow. I hope to get at least 4 done. The fabric I have for those is Christmas fabric, and they will be so cute!

Check!

I accomplished all my tasks yesterday, and even exceeded my goal on the burp cloths -- I got 8 sets done. Today is a really busy day. I am watching my friends little boy (who is very afraid of our dog) for about a half hour this morning, then I have Weight Watchers, then I go Visiting Teaching, then we go pick up Flower, then we eat dinner, then we have Singers rehearsal, and then I can do some work. My goal for tonight is to get 6 more sets of burp cloths done, and then pin some ribbons for taggies.

Check back later today for Weight Loss Wednesday!

Prayers Answered

Last night, I almost had a meltdown. But I did not. You see, my machine started to skip stitches. That can be a sign of a big problem. I don't have time to get my Lena serviced, so I did what any semi-frantic woman would do: I said a prayer. I now fully expect my Lena to fall apart the day after Christmas, which is when I said I needed it to work until, but that's okay with me. It is working beautifully, which makes me very happy indeed. It also reaffirms my faith and belief that God is in the details of our lives, even when our sewing machines are on the fritz.

Here is what I have planned to make today. I need to get this Pink Chocolate purse finished. Following that, which shouldn't take me that long after a trip to the store for more thread, I need to make a dozen burp cloths, which only makes 6 sets. I want to have 2 dozen sets at the trunk show. Also today, I need to cut ribbon for the taggies. Making the taggies goes much faster when you have the ribbons pre-cut. Also, I need to wash fabric. That's 4 things for today. We'll see if that's a good pace or not. I think it's not too shabby.

Back in Business

I took my machine to Wilson's this morning, and they fixed it up real nice for me. They also pointed out with the amount of sewing I do, I really ought to upgrade to an embroidery machine. I couldn't agree more. However, if we had $8,000 laying around, we would probably buy a new washer or something. They also have used models, but we'll just have to see. I would like a machine that did more stitches like mine, such as a blanket stitch for applique. I wonder how much those machines are...

Since I am behind by about a day on my work, I have quite a bit to catch up on. I need to finish a cute chocolate purse, and then get started on my trunk show. Have I told you about my trunk show? It will be mid-November in Northern Virginia. Email me (contact info under my profile) if you would like to come. I'll be posting weekly updates until then on the kinds of things you can expect to find at the first ever Molly Patch trunk show!

We Have a Piper Down

Well, not a piper. More like a sewing machine. My main machine is having trouble. I got a thread stuck somewhere, and now the stitches are off and the needle keeps pulling. I need to take it in Monday, and hopefully they can fix it. This is not a good time to be without my machine!

Finished Quilts

Two quilts, signed, sealed, and delivered. These were comissioned by a friend of ours for her two youngest children.

Photo Friday

My son, licking butter. It makes me gag just to write it.

At the Zoo

The zoo was the place to be this week. The weather was perfect -- near 80 and sunny -- and the zoo was empty.

The last time we were at the zoo, Patch was a wee bairn and threw up on himself, there was no baby panda, there was a baby elephant, and there was no zoo construction. It's been nearly 2 years.

A lot of the animals were sleeping. The mommy panda was on her back, and sea lions were asleep on a rock.

Patch got most excited about the turtles. He could see those very easily. He also liked the monkeys (which were really gorillas who wrestled with each other right in front of us) and the tiger, who was pacing in front of her door, waiting for dinner.

Mini-me liked "everything."

Weight Loss Wednesday

Today, I was prepared for a zero pound week. You see, we went to dinner at Espositos last night. I ate a mozzarella en carosa. That means "fried hunk of mozzarella" in Italian. It was delicious. I had the points for it, but I thought the salt and fried goodness would linger. Fortunately for me and the other chicks in my group, it did not. I am down another 2 1/2 pounds, which is a grand total of 15 1/2 pounds. I have to say, what I love most about Weight Watchers is that I can eat anything. If I make rolls with Sunday dinner, I can eat rolls. I can eat mashed potatoes. I can eat gravy. I can eat chocolate and cookies and cupcakes if I want. Now, I can't eat all of those things to bursting as many times as I want. No one should do that. A chocolate chip cookie that my kids refer to as a "Grandpatty Cookie" has 3 points (when made about half the size I used to make them). One of my rolls has 2 points. It is truly the lifestyle change for those who enjoy their lifestyle.

I have many photos to upload and parent teacher conference to blog about, but for now, I am going to fold some laundry (pick yourself up off the floor, Mom), and then finish the binding of a quilt.

Thank Heavens!

Mini-me has changed her mind on her Halloween costume. Happy day for me! She wanted to be Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I couldn't find one and really didn't want to make one. So, yesterday I told her that if she were Tinkerbelle, she could wear wings. That was so much more appealing to her than a yarn wig. Now I just have to find a really inexpensive Tinkerbelle costume.

Photo Friday

I know I've shown this before, but they are just too cute!*

*Opinion may be biased

That's my Bag, Baby

Here is my new Vera-esque bag of mine. Yes, I made it. It holds a lot of stuff, including a 550 page book, with room to spare. Having this bag makes me wonder just how many bags makes excessive? I mean, if I made 3 of these, would that be too much?

Weight Loss Wednesday

Not a banner week for me, but I'm still down about half a pound, which brings my grand total to 13 pounds. I am very close to my 10% off goal. I hope to reach it by Halloween. We are now 6 weeks into the program, and I am more than halfway to my 10% off. So, it seems do-able.

Fall is definitely in the air around here. We are still doing the clothing dance, with short sleeves underneath sweaters in case the afternoon gets a little warm. I love this time of year. It is such a joyful time. Halloween is so fun with dressing up and decorating everything in orange, black, green, and purple. Then we move on to Thanksgiving, which always helps me refocus and remember my blessings. After that, it's time to watch White Christmas and have the happiest holiday since Bing Crosby danced with Danny Kaye. This is the season I wish would slow down just a bit. But time marches on and I need to keep my head in the game to enjoy it all.

This is Halloween

We love Halloween!

Festivals

Frederick knows how to throw a good party. Every first Saturday of the month is called Gallery Walk. The stores stay open later, as do the galleries. Every month has a theme. In February, they do ice sculptures. Sometimes it's even cold enough for them to last longer than a day. In August, it's the dog days, where you can bring your dog down for games and prizes. October is In the Streets, where they close down the main road to cars, and open it up to over 50,000 people. Then there are the non-first Saturday festivals. In December, they do a candlelight houses of worship tour (it's not called "Church Street" for nothin'). In the Spring, there's a tour of private gardens. In June, the Festival of the Arts is held, which brings artisans and craftsman from all over the country. And those are just city events. The county also has great events, like a pumpkin patch in October, the fair, and several major craft shows.



In the Street is one of my favorites. There's always a band playing or a group dancing. The block between 6th and 7th street was for the skateboarders. At one point, there was nearly 100 kids doing tricks.

The restaurants come out and have a limited tasting menu. And, last year they added some art vendors. This year, there were about 4 different free moon-bounces for the kids.

The really neat thing about it is that it celebrates Frederick. There were maybe 5 groups who were not from the city or county. The rest were locals. With the economy slowing down (hello understatement!), it's one of my goals to buy local. I want to make sure our main street doesn't change for the worse.

Sunday Project

Today, Flower and I made a church bag. It was inspired by two things. First, I am tired of carrying everyone's stuff at church. Second, in watching Conference this weekend, I heard two things (well, more than two things, but two things that would help me with my first hurdle, which is carrying everyone's stuff at church). I heard: simplify and reverence. My kids don't need a lot of stuff to occupy them. Bells and whistles are not required at church (actually, they are kind of discouraged). Part of my job as the mom is to teach them how to behave at church. They should be listening to the speakers. I realize that Patch and Mini-me are too young to really do this, so my job is then to teach them not to distract others from listening. I bought a few notebooks and pencils from the dollar spot at Target, which will be perfect for the church bag. I also found a pattern in a quilting magazine for a crayon holder. Also, perfect for the church bag.

In the Street

Today is the In the Street festival. The city closes down Market St for about 8 blocks and has a big party. It's very fun. I was on the website and came across this gem of a sentence:

Bentz Street Sports bar will have a seafood sampler, for all you seafood lovers, VOLT is having a variety of food, including Lobster Corn Dogs, and Roy's Concession will be having food from hot dogs to funnel cakes, all of which are located in the Health and Fitness Block (2nd to 3rd Streets).

All the fattening food is on the "Health and Fitness Block"???? Either that is pure marketing genius, or someone made a huge boo boo.

Photo Friday

Go Vote!

There is a new poll on the sidebar. Please let your voice be heard! Curly suggested last night that I include some sort of middle ground on the poll. Unfortunately, there is no middle ground when it comes to monkeys.

Weight Loss Wednesday

All week I've been thinking about this post, hoping to be able to use this line from This is Spinal Tap: "The numbers go to 11." But, alas, I cannot. Because these numbers go to 12! That's right, I am down another 3 pounds to make a total of 12. I feel great. I feel cute and sassy and all the things I've been missing for a while now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still fat. But I'm 12 pounds less fat than 4 weeks ago. Booya!

The topic discussion last week was on dancing. 15 minutes of dancing adds 2 points to your daily allowance. Two points is a Weight Watchers ice cream bar. Those are good. Anyway, it got me thinking about the songs on my ipod. Most are kind of mellow (like Bing Crosby, Sarah McLaughlin, and Keane) and hard to dance to. Then I heard "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang the other day, and had to add it to my playlist. What songs get you moving? Please leave a comment and help me make a great 2-point dance list!