LaVieEnRosie

Still making pinnies...

I love the results and the faster-than-making-a-quilt gratification but it's starting to take a toll on my fingers - especially my fingertips.  

I made this with scraps... or the leftovers of some mini-charm squares.  Or rather the leftovers of some charm packs that I cut to make mini-charm squares either because I didn't have that particular mini charm pack or because that collection didn't come in a mini-charm pack.  (I'm betting the grammar check thingie is going to go bonkers with that sentence.)

Do you have lists of priorities?  As in, as soon as I finish [insert name of project], then I can start working on [insert name of next project]?  I do that.  And as soon as I finish the last little things that go with the last new pattern for the next new batch of patterns, then I can get back to finishing the last two new Schnibbles.  (Yes, I have made it my mission today to completely befuddle and burn-out the grammar-check feature.)  But more on those next week - I promise.  

One other thing to share today.  I did a trunk show for some lovely ladies at Sun Valley Quilts last week and I was kinda sorta lightly taken to task for not including regular Rosie updates.  Rosie is fine though as any of you who have "senior" dogs know, she's slowing down a bit.  Rosie will be thirteen in less than two months and in the past month, some of that is starting to show.  She started having some nerve degeneration in her back legs a few years ago and though it occasionally meant that her back-end would slide a bit when it shouldn't, it didn't seem to affect her much.  But in the past month or so, she's been sliding more and stumbling, and yes, it is absolutely breaking my heart.  My sweet girl.  Even with all that, she's still very much the Rosie she's always been.

To wit... Rosie still likes to play games.  Last week she sent me a very clear message.  I kept coming across her favorite ball in the family room, and to keep from tripping over it - me and my Mom - I kept picking it up and putting it her toy bin.  Every time I did that, Rosie would come into the room and somehow "sense" that something had changed in the room - the chi had been altered.  When I came through the room a few minutes later, the ball would be back in the middle of the room.  This went on for a couple of hours with the ball going to and from the toy bin at least five times.  At this point, let me add that I wasn't simply putting the ball on the top of the toy bin.  I was burying it deep down the side under other toys.  Yes, Rosie and I have our little games.  So what was Rosie's message?  Ttttbbbbhhhhppppptttttt.

Her other favorite pasttime is playing ball when I'm on the sofa stitching  something in the evening.  She drops the ball at my feet and then sits on the other side of the table staring at me.  

ThrowtheballThrowtheballThrowtheballThrowtheball... Throw.  The.  Ball.  

Now.

Have I mentioned that she's kind of stubborn?  

Or that I wouldn't have her any other way.

Have a happy Tuesday!  

Drive by...

Have you heard that song by Train?

What is it about songs with silly lyrics and a catchy beat?  Drive By just makes me happy every time I hear it.  

It's Wednesday and I've gotten to do everything but sew this week yet I still have high hopes for later today.  I still have something to share though - something I ran across while running errands and two pictures I found while clearing out and organizing some old computer files.  

Since I don't have any new quilts to show you, I thought I would share two quilts I made that hung in the 2001 Arizona Quilt Guild Show.  A very, very long time ago.  

This is Circling The Ohios.  It is/was a pattern by Pam and Janet of Buggy Barn Quilts.  I couldn't find it on their website so I don't know if it is still in print or not.  The fabric was Millennium Garden by Brannock & Patek and a shirting-like background print.  My quilt finished at about 88" x 88" and it now resides in Houston at my brother's house.  

This is a quilt I called Laurene's Legacy Star  because it was made using fabrics from the 1850s Legacies collection by Laurene Sinema.  The pattern was in the now-gone-away magazine, Traditional Quiltworks.  I remember it well because the "instructions" were drafted from an antique quilt - circa 1860 to 1870 - without anybody ever making it.  Let it suffice to say there were a few small mis-calculations that resulted in not having enough fabric.  

I made this quilt when I was still teaching classes at Laurene's shop, The Quilted Apple.  This was Laurene's first fabric collection and I wanted to use it because, well... it was Laurene's fabric!  I had seen this quilt in the magazine a few months before the fabric arrived and when those bolts finally arrived in the shop, this design came to mind.  The prints were all inspired by the prints in the 19th Century red and green quilts that Laurene loved and collected.  They were mostly small-scale prints in shades of green and red with "cheddar", yellow, blue and black.  (Though you can't tell that from the picture... sorry about that.)

A few days after I took the quilt top - some things never change - down to the shop so it would be there for the class sample, I got a phone call from Laurene asking if I could come by for a visit.  After chatting about patterns and how to get into the quilt pattern business, Laurene asked me about this quilt.  It was simple - she wanted to buy it.  As soon as the quilt had arrived at to the shop, she'd gotten a call from one of the ladies there telling her that she needed to come see it.  Laurene told me that as soon as she saw it, she was determined to have it.  Not one like it - she wanted this one.  I asked her if I could think about it because, well... I was kind of happy with how the quilt had come out.  Just a few minutes away from Laurene's, I decided that I wasn't going to sell it to her.  I couldn't.  

Instead I gave it to her.  It was a way of thanking Laurene for having the notion that I could teach a quilt class.  

My last thing to share is this - I had to take a picture of this notebook at the local FedEx Office.  

No, really.  Aim Higher.

Happy Wednesday.  

Cruising?

First things first - if you go by the name Candace Mugele or Aggiequilter, check your e-mail box.  You've won a Sew Merry and Bright book and a couple of Christmas-related layer cakes.  Congratulations!  

It was a good weekend here but as too often seems to be the case, I wanted to do "Y" and instead finished doing "Z".  I got to sew a little but mostly I got a couple of things done that needed to  be done.  Now that they are, I'm free!  For a few days anyway... and "free" only in so far as it means that I can get back to the sewing I need to finish.  

I know Laurie and the "other" Sisters - Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister - have mentioned that the four of us will all be doing the Stitchin' Heaven Moda Quilting Extravaganza Caribbean cruise next January - the 27th through February 3rd to be specific.  It should be a hoot.  Laurie is convinced that either the Sisters or I are going to pitch her overboard for one reason or another but that isn't going to happen.  She's been so funny in expressing her opinion about cruises that I fully expect her to be appearing nightly in the main showroom shortly after departure.  Unless she gets pitched overboard, of course.

That's our boat - ship? - Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.

Even though the cruise is still months and months away, there are still cruise-related things to be done like figuring out the kits.  After talking about it a bit, Debby Lutrell - the brilliant mind behind Stitchin' Heaven and these cruises - and I decided that we should use Blackbird Designs' gorgeous Cinnamon Spice collection to make a big version of Lincoln, the quilt I'll be teaching.  And instead of just giving everybody two Layer Cakes, she's going to see about having the kits laser-cut so that they'll be ready to go from the start.  I love it... except that Debby asked me which pieces to cut from which fabrics.  Huh?  

It was a little odd just writing it down instead of sorting the fabrics as I was prepping them for cutting, though the thought process is the same.  I definitely know which prints I like to use in which places.  

This is going to be the collection for the classes.

Do you see some of the little notations - SC or S or SP?  SC = star centers.  SP = star points.  S = strips for the rail fence blocks and the outer borders.

When I'm picking which print to use for which piece, I like to use the solids, tone-on-tones and darker fabrics for the smallest pieces so that they aren't overly dominant.  For example, , the tone-on-tone pieces will be used for the star points.  The large floral prints that have a fair amount of color and pattern on them so they will be used for the rail fence blocks and pieced outer border. 

Just as I like to use the small prints and tone-on-tones for the smallest pieces, the biggest pieces - the centers of the stars - get the biggest prints.  Except that I still try to mix that up too and use a couple of other multi-color prints for the stars.  It really is easier when you can look at the fabric. 

I am looking forward to actually making the quilt when the background fabric arrives, if for no other reason than to see if I picked the right fabrics for each part.  

So after completing my list of SKUs and pieces and how many of each to cut, I got back to work on these...

They're not finished - some need closing, a couple need a little embellishment, and there are a couple more to make.  These aren't for a pincushion pattern, they're part of something else.  One of my awful brilliant friends decided that some upcoming patterns needed something else in the picture to show scale.  I think she's been watching too many CSI-type shows.  Since a quarter or a dollar bill in the picture next to the quilt wouldn't make any sense at all, it was decided that a pincushion, thread, etc. would be the perfect solution.  Perfect for who?  Not for the person who has to make the pincushions.    

Pseudo-grumping aside, I did have some fun with these because I got to experiment with something.  Have you seen these printed feedsack towels from Moda Home?  

They're great fun and I had this awful  brilliant questionable idea about using them as part of a quilt backing - I'll let you know how that goes.  In the meantime, the towels come packaged in a very cute little coordinating pouch that I know I'll never, ever use for anything so I cut it up.  I'm sorry, I should have gotten a picture of it before I did.  Next time, right?  This is the backing on two of my pincushions.    

I know.  They're a little goofy but I love the way they turned out.  Because the feedsack towel is a medium-light weight, I lined the backing with a thin muslin.  (For this sort of thing, I like to use the $3.00-a-yard muslin from the coupon-store.  It's perfect for something like this.)

That's it for now.  I'm off to finish some more pincushions and maybe get my cutting table cleared off.

Though not until after I've finished the pincushions because some of this is going to be used for that.  

Does this look a little compulsive to you?

Whatever.  It isn't like I don't have shoes in that size.

Until next time, don't foget that there are still a few more hops on the Sew Merry and Bright Book Tour.  There are still books and prizes to be had!  So go say Hi to Linda! 

• Monday, July 23 - Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced
• Tuesday, July 24 - Martingale & Co.
• Wednesday, July 25 - Henry Glass Fabrics
• Thursday, July 26 - Fat Quarterly
• Friday, July 27 - Aurifil
• Saturday, July 28 - Fat Quarter Shop
• Sunday, July 29 - Mark Lipinski 

Happy Monday! 

A little Sunday silliness...

A friend sent this to me...

Finally!  A doctor that gives the kind of advice I want to hear!  He says that the biggest reason for weight gain is stress. To combat stress - just increase your sleep because you don’t feel stress when you’re asleep!   Consider this Interview with a noted and respected Doctor...  Q:  Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A:   Absolutely not!  The heart is only good for so many beats, and that it.  Don’t waste those beats on exercise!  Everything eventually wears out so speeding up your heart will not make you live longer.  It’s like saying you’ll extend the life of your car by driving faster.  If you want to live longer, take a nap! Q:  Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A:  Oh no. Wine is made from grapes, which are a fruit. Brandy is distilled wine so that means they take the water out of the fruit a bit so you get even more of goodness that way.  Beer is also made of grains which we all know are good for you.  So Bottom’s Up! Q:  How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A:  Well, if you have one body and you have fat on that body, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies and fat on one of those bodies, then your ratio two to one. Q:  What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: I’m sorry but I can’t think of a single advantage.  My philosophy is “no pain is a good thing!”  Q:  Aren't fried foods bad for you? A:  You’re not listening to me!  Foods fried in vegetable oil must be good for you because how can getting more vegetables be bad?  Q:  Will sit-ups help me prevent getting a little soft around the middle? A:  Oh no! When you exercise, the muscles get bigger!  You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach! Q:  Is chocolate bad for me? A:  Are you crazy?  Hellloooo?  The cocoa bean is a vegetable!  The more vegetables you eat the better.  Cocoa beans are the best feel-good food around.   Q:  Is swimming good for your figure? A:  If swimming is good for figure, please explain whales to me.  Q:  Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle? A:  Absolutely!  But don’t forget that “round” is a recognized and perfectly normal “shape”.  Remember… Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body.  Instead, you should slide in sideways, glass of wine in one hand and chocolate in the other, in a body thoroughly used up, worn out and screaming “Woohooo!  What a ride!” And for those of you who watch what you eat, here is one final thought on nutrition and health.  It is the only possible conclusion that can be drawn from so many conflicting nutritional studies: People in Japan eat very little fat in their diet and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Conversely, people in Mexico eat a lot of fat in their diet, yet they still suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.  People in China drink very little red wine and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. People in Italy drink a lot of red wine and they also suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. People in Germany drink a lot of beer – and not “lite” beer – and eat plenty of sausages and fats, yet they too suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.  So what’s the conclusion?  Eat and drink what you like.  It isn’t the food, fat or alcohol that will kill you, it’s speaking English. Just so you know, all of these pictures come from the gorgeous, amazing Tumblr page of Que Bueno Es Vivir - How Good is Life.  But be warned... it's hard not to lose track of time looking at all the beautiful images arranged by color and theme.   I'm back Monday with winners of the Sew Merry book and my weekend sewing project.

Sew Merry!

Merry Christmas!  Joyeux Noel!  Happy Kwanzaa!  Happy Hanukkah!

I know.  It's still mid-July, and for most of the country, it is way too hot to think about the holidays or December.  Make that WAY too hot.  Except that every year, usually around Thanksgiving, I give myself a Gibbs-like smack to the back of my head and tell myself that I really should have started at least thinking about what I wanted to make for the holidays a little bit sooner.  I would settle for October but July is even better.  Especially since it is too hot to be outside and there is all sorts of terrific holiday fabric available.  Have you seen all the holiday wonderfulness at the Christmas Cloth Store and Sew Mama Sew?  

With the fabric taken care of, the only thing missing is some divine inspiration.  Thank you, Linda Lum DeBono!  She's got a terrific new book - Sew Merry and Bright .

If you're wondering, I really do know Linda.  We met at the American Patchwork Creative Circle over five years ago and I loved her energy, style and personality.  Linda does everything... and she's raising a couple of boys at the same time.  She does every kind of sewing and stitching, and scrapbooking and paper crafts, and she does it all really well.  Which is rather annoying, now that I think about it.  Except how can you not love something this lively and vibrant? 

This is Linda's terrific new book... except the cover is wrong about one thing - it should read Sew Merry and Bright - 21 easy, fun, festive and AWESOME patterns! 

I started working on this project today...

Not in those exact fabrics ~ I am using Kate Spain's new Christmas collection, Joy.  (Love it.)  Sadly, "life" got in the way and I'm not finished but it is going together quickly.  

I've also got the fabric picked out for this one...

I think you already know how much I like making pillows.  

What is terrific about the book is that there is a wide variety of projects from a tree skirt to a wall-quilt - that could easily be made into a lap or throw.  There are stockings and table runners, an advent calendar and ornaments.  Wouldn't this be a cute little package tie-on?

So this is what I want to know -- which of the following applies to you?

• Have planned your Christmas sewing for 2012 and you're already half-way through your list.
• Have planned your Christmas sewing for 2012 and you've at least started doing a bit of sewing.
• Have planned your Christmas sewing for 2012 and you've picked out fabric.  Mostly.  
• Have planned your Christmas sewing for 2012 and you'll start it as soon as you finish your Christmas sewing list for 2007.  And 2008.  And so on.

(For a few of you... don't worry, I'm in that last group too.)

You have until Friday, July 20th at Midnight, PST to leave a comment.  If you do, you could win you a copy of Linda's terrific book and a couple of my very favorite Christmas Layer Cakes - Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas and Sweetwater's Countdown to Christmas.  I've been saving them for a very special occasion and this is going to be it.  

And yes, I've got two books so there are two prizes.  (Don't worry, I'll be able to finish the pillow without the book because I bought an e-book version of Sew Merry and Bright.)

So go say Hi to Linda and then make sure you visit everybody else this week and next:

• Thursday, July 19 - Sew Mama Sew ~ Beth Wilson
• Friday, July 20 - Pat Sloan
• Saturday, July 21 - Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread
• Sunday, July 22 - Kate Spain
• Monday, July 23 - Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced
• Tuesday, July 24 - Martingale & Co.
• Wednesday, July 25 - Henry Glass Fabrics
• Thursday, July 26 - Fat Quarterly
• Friday, July 27 - Aurifil
• Saturday, July 28 - Fat Quarter Shop
• Sunday, July 29 - Mark Lipinski 

I'm off to work on my pillow.  You know, I actually might finish this by Christmas!  

Thank you, Linda!

Station break...

We interrupt this unexplained and not-really-necessary absence with a blog post.  I bet you're thinking I forgot I had a blog.  If I could figure out a way to do the blog without having to turn on my computer - or any other techie-sort-of-thing - I sometimes think my life would be perfect.  

I know it would be a step toward making me happy ~ Step No. 9, actually.  

I found this on Pinterest.

Life here is about the same - good, hot and moving right along.  My Mom is doing great, and so is Rosie.  But I'm not getting enough sleep ~ at least that's what the nurse at my Mom's doctor's office says.  (Uh oh... that's Step No. 4.)   

I've been working on a little project - some upcoming patterns - and these go for photography this week and by the end of this week, I'll be chained to this here computer writing patterns.  Given that it is next to a large window and it has a tendency to get a little warm over here, especially in the afternoon, I don't think I can tell you how much I'm looking forward to it.  No, really, there aren't words.  Just so you know, when I'm busy writing patterns, I seem to spend a fair amount of time on Pinterest and Etsy.      

For this "experiment", I'm having everything photographed as tops.  Then I'll get busy with getting them quilted... including... yes, I will quilt a couple of these myself.  You'll understand when you see them in a few weeks.    

While it seems an odd thing to be doing when its hot, I've been doing a bit of wool applique and stitching.  I've been stitching with Alice, a phenomenal teacher and amazing stitcher of every type of needlework at the Olde World Quilt Shoppe.  And my friend Ginger has started a little wool stitching group and we've been getting together once a month to stitch a new design and have a little fun.  Someday soon, she's going to have a blog and website of her very own with some of the new designs we've been working on.  Because of that, she's threatened me with all sorts of dire consequences if I show you pictures of what we've done, but for now, let it suffice to say this:  Winter's Jewel.  Red, green, black and pretty wonderful.

I've also gotten a slew of new quilting books in the past month that I have been enjoying, including this one:

 

Sew Merry and Bright - 21 easy, fun and festive patterns.  And while it is still 12,000 degrees outside and way too hot to think about the holidays... Christmas is just 161 days away.  

Do you know Linda?  I met Linda years ago and she's one of my favorite quilt folks to talk to because she knows everybody, she knows everything that's going on, and she's got a terrific take on some of the sillier things in the business.  

And Linda has a book tour starting tomorrow ~ July 18th.  Here. 

July 18 - me.

July 19 - Sew Mama Sew ~ Beth Wilson

July 20 - Pat Sloan

July 21 - Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread

July 22 - Kate Spain

July 23 - Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced

July 24 - Martingale & Co.

July 25 - Henry Glass Fabrics

July 26 - Fat Quarterly

July 27 - Aurifil

July 28 - Fat Quarter Shop

July 29 - Mark Lipinski 

Books.  Prizes.  Projects.  And who only knows what else.  

One last thing ~ I've been cleaning out "the closet" and I've got a few things listed in the shop.  There are a few fat quarter bundles, some layer cakes, a couple of kits and even some red fat quarter bundles I made up while organizing my closet a little while ago.  

Alright... I hear someone behind me.  It's time to go to bed. 

Say goodnight, Rosie.  

She's not sleepy, she just wants the treat she gets before she goes to bed.   

Minor distinctions...

I intended to be back before now but it seems I had the intention but not the intent.

Intent implies a sustained unbroken commitment or purpose, while intention would imply an intermittent resolution.  

Intermittent resolution.  That's me!

What has been sustained and unbroken is my appreciation and gratitude for your support!  Thank you!  So.  You like Bounce.  

Perfectly pieced by Thelma Childers and wonderfully quilted by Linda Hrcka -- The Quilted Pineapple.  

I do too.  Enough that I seriously considered keeping the quilt and trying to tell Thelma that it was "lost" in transit somewhere.  Boo hoo.  So sad.  So sorry.  Oh well.  But she knew I was lying.  Like I wrote... I tried to tell her.  She wasn't buying.  I think her exact words were something like "I know where you live..."  Thankfully, I have my own Bounce quilt.  It's different and I really do love it.  It's been hanging in my bedroom... mostly because it is too hot to actually try to use right now.  

I'm starting to think I have issues with conformity.  I don't know if I was in a rebellious mood when I first started thinking about this quilt but from the start, my goal was to break away from neat, orderly rows of blocks.  The challenge was to get the blocks to "bounce" while still maintaining some balance with the background.  Meaning, they could have bounced more but that would have resulted in having a lot more "white-space" between the blocks.  I enjoyed making this quilt so much that I think I'm going to try to make another one this summer... in between other things.  

Yes, I have a few things on my cutting table right now, or the ironing board.  

Blitzen charm squares being prepped.  (Note to self -- It's time to wash the ironing board cover.)

Blitzen.  Ready to cut -- probably Sunday night before I go to bed.  Yes, I'm a bit of a night-owl, late-night sewing is my most productive work time.  The phone doesn't rarely rings and it is nice and quiet.  This is a project that will be published sometime in early August. 

No, it isn't a new Schnibble.  There will be a few more of those coming but this isn't one of them.  Yes, that officially makes this a "teaser".

Speaking of Schnibbles - oh my gosh!  Have you seen the amazing variety of Leap Year quilts made by the lovely ladies participating in Sinta and Sherri's Year of Schnibbles?  Every month I'm floored by the creative variations and differences but this month was the topper.  I.  Love.  Every.  Single.  Quilt.  They're stupendous!  To see the quilts -- Sherri's Parade & Sinta's Parade.

Wait!  Wait!  Before you go look at those quilts, let me show you the rest of the new Schnibbles!  I do not want to have to follow those parades!  

These are my Leap Year quilts.

Have the Sweetwater ladies done a collection that isn't wonderful?  This is one of my favorites though -- Reunion.  (And yes, I say that every time, and I stand by the statement right up until the next collection is released.)

This was made using pieces from my box of 1 1/2" strips.  It started out as a just-for-fun experiment and ended up being a variation on the pattern.  I love scrap quilts like this.  

This is Dimestore - made using the Urban Cowgirl collection by the Urban Chiks for Moda.  I love this collection.

The interesting thing for me with this collection was that most of the quilts I saw made with it went "dark", using a brown or blue for the "background".  But I saw the fabric collection as a bit sun-washed and slightly faded, so I preferred it with a much lighter background - a couple of them actually.  

And then I received some of Jo Morton's Bridgeport fabrics... "darker" is good.  Red is better.

My friend Judy pieced this and it too got "lost"... boo hoo.  So sad.  So sorry.  No sale.  This is mostly Bridgeport -- all the black and brown prints -- with additional Jo tans, golds and toasties.  

Charlotte -- additional proof in the case of Carrie v. State of Conformity.  

Farmer's Market by Brannock & Patek for Moda.  This is the quilt that presented the math considerations I wrote about a few months back.  As in: if I make the half-triangle squares this size, these are the sizes I can make the center square.  It was also a quilt that had me thinking about the fabric itself - which fabrics I like to use and which ones I don't.  I'll tell you more about that later this week.  

Because I know that some folks are not quite as enamored of "random" as I am, I decided that Charlotte needed a v. 2.  

Modern Vintage by Bonnie & Camille for Moda.  Miss Daze - Darlene - pieced this Charlotte, and after asking her to making 300 half-triangle squares, she still hasn't decided if she's going to speak to me again.

There aren't nearly so many half-triangle squares in Hubble - Miss Plus-Size Schnibble.

So why is Hubble a Schnibble?  Two charm packs - or less than 84 charm squares - is my arbitrary limit for the charm pack quilts.  Okay, so that just makes the center of the quilt, you'll need a few more for the pieced inner border.  But I have precedent on my side - Center Stage is the same way -- two charm packs for the center of the quilt and a third charm pack for the pieced border.

I've had this block/page -- Aunt Rachel's Star/Page 269 -- bookmarked in my Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns for years, probably since I bought my copy of the book in the mid-1990s.  I made a few tiny adjustments with the placement of the light and dark triangles... I don't think Rachel would mind.  

I think I'll be making another version of this one too -- I already have a plan.  And most of the fabric.

But first I have to finish the stuff I'm working on finishing.  And just so you know that I am working...   

The little "snippet" bowl on my cutting table.  California Girl by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.  This one is done.  Next up... 

Odds 'n Ends by Cosmo Cricket.  This is on the docket for this week.  

Unless I do Blitzen first.  Blitzen.  That "sounds" cold.  

Actually... that's making me think of Blizzards.  The kind with the capital "B".  The kind that comes from Dairy Queen.  

It's also the kind of Blizzard I can get at the Dairy Queen that's less than five minutes from the house.  

Okay!  I'm out of here!  

And yes, I intend to start on Blitzen in the morning!

Unless I get distracted.

Or the phone rings.