25 random facts about me

I'd like to know more about you. Write 25 random facts about you in the comments.
-CJ

1. I *really* *love* my job and hope that doesn’t change, because if you hate your job, the rest of your life is hard to enjoy.

2. For about 15 years, I had a job I *really* *hated*. That’s how I know.

3. I have 4 grandchildren, also known as the 4 Cs. Christopher, Caille, Connor and Cameron.

4. I’m a cat person. I have one cat, Cricket.

5. I also have a dog, Captain. He doesn’t know he’s a dog, so it’s ok. He’s a tiny 8-lb fluffy white Maltese and was the mascot for the McLennan County Obama campaign.

6. I have to listen to podcasts on my iPod at night to fall asleep.

7. I used to be a voracious reader until I got my iPod.

8. When I was a kid, there was only one other kid in my class who ran more slowly than me. He was developmentally disabled. I haven’t gotten any faster.

9. I have been married more times than you think.

10. Mike and I have been together for 17 years.

11. It took me 9 years to get my BA from Iowa State, because I was a single mom in college and had to work 3 jobs (concurrently) while in school.

12. I hate talking on the phone. To anyone. Nothing personal.

13. I cry freely while watching some commercials.

14. I started sewing when I was a wee little thing, about 5 years old. Some weekends I don’t even leave the house. I sew from early morning until late into the night. Many times, I have stayed up all night sewing.

15. I love to play card games and board games.

16. I have lived in Ames, Iowa; Wichita, Kansas; Chicago, Illinois; Dayton, Ohio; Cape Coral (Fort Myers), Florida; Atlanta, Georgia and Hewitt, Texas.

17. My favorite locations were Chicago and Fort Myers.

18. I *love* salt water fishing. I don’t eat fish. Ever.

19. I went to an experimental elementary school: Harlan Elementary in Ames, Iowa. All students worked at their own pace with individual attention from the best teachers in the nation. I learned to love learning at that school.

20. I am a complete addict to National Public Radio (NPR).

21. I hate mingling at social occasions and making small talk with strangers... even though I’m a PR person.

22. My best friends are my daughters (Bri is 28, Devon is 26). I’m not just saying that. It’s absolutely true.

23. In high school I was a “drama freak” (the other categories were “jock” and “nerd”). I started hanging out with the freak crowd when I was a junior. We snuck out and skipped classes by sneaking through the theatre stage control room exit. I know, you’re wondering where that “love of learning” went.

24. I played the lead in my high school musical my junior year. It was called “Of Thee I Sing.” I was the beauty queen (it was a long time ago, people) who got jilted by the President of the United States of America.

25. I read tarot. (Don’t judge me, people.)

12th night, bags, bachelor and biting babies: an epiphany (of sorts)

Went to Robbie and Franci's for Twelfth Night (or Epiphany). We also watched the season premier of Bachelor and shot some pix of their xbohica shopping bags.

Robbie flew in from a New Orleans photo shoot late. He brought a "King Cake" with him. It's like some gargantuan-size glazed donut. Except the glaze is purple and green. Hidden somewhere inside is a PLASTIC BABY (technically, they served the baby "on the side" and Franci stuck it in the cake).

_Bitin' the baby_

Just call me "queen." Uh-huh.

"You might be wondering, "Why on earth would a plastic baby be inside of a cake?" Well, the baking of King Cakes is a tradition in New Orleans that begins on King's Day, at the start of the Mardi Gras season. A tiny baby, just like the ones you see here, is baked into the cake. The person whose piece of cake contains the baby furnishes the King Cake for the next party (which are usually held once a week on Sundays until Fat Tuesday.) However, when celebrating Mardi Gras out of town, most people regard the person who 'got the baby' as the King or Queen of the party being held." http://www.mardigrasday.com/mardigras/kc_buy.php

Men: Would you use these?

The manly version of the original xbohica bags, I call these the special "y-chromosome" edition.

As always, the xbohica name is embroidered on the inside lining.

So, the question is, would a man use these? Please respond with your comments below.

Two tops from one Simplicity envelope

Made one of these with my mom's help a little while back. I hated working with that fabric and was ready to throw the entire thing in the trash. My mom, who was visiting, patiently got a few problem spots to work right. The fabric seemed like a great idea on the bolt, but it's a little bright! I think I've only worn it once.

The turquiose/brown number is something I made one day this week. I like it, but again, I wish I did a better job of "seeing" what the garment will look like when I'm standing in the fabric store.

...meh.

Sumptuous little thing

I finally made a bag for my tarot cards. My deck is New Palladini, so I chose fabrics that remind me of an Italian style.

The outside of the bag is a crushed navy velvet. The lining is the reddish and gold brocade you see in the background.

It's sumptuous!

Turn the drudgery of grocery shopping into a swinging, fashionable event!

Turn the drudgery of grocery shopping into a swinging, fashionable event! Irene and Kristin model original xbohica shopping bags, including matching coupon holders. The baggers at H-E-B are going to swoon when these gals go through the checkout!

Tat shows love of sewing, but e-e-yewww

Still politicking, and therefore distracted from the blog, but ran across this today and thought I'd share. Wow. This person LIKES SEWING.

By the way. I have zero tats. I can't imagine any reason I would ever get one.

I'm so busted: INFIDELITY!

Dear precious ex-bohica blog,

All the evenings and weekends we spent together are precious to me. And you are precious to me still. But I must tell you why you have been so long neglected.

You probably already suspected this. After all, there were so many telltale signs of my infidelity. The late nights out. The weekends that passed without so much as a stitch being sewn, let alone blogged about. You know I've been hanging out with a new crowd of friends.

It's true. I confess. I have been cheating on you, my love. My evenings and weekends (and lunch hours) have been spent in dedication to another.

I promise that this is a temporary fling. Just a fleeting affair. It will only last a few months. Then I'll toss this bright flame aside and return to you, my precious blog.

I have only this chance, lasting only a little while longer, to show my passion for universal healthcare, peace, veteran's benefits, environmental sanity, quality education, equal pay for equal work and a healthy middle class. I have only a short time to act upon this passion. And action is the *only way* to show my passion. It takes more than pillow talk. I must go all the way.

After November 4, I will come back to you, my dear. I will return with no guilt, no regrets and no explanations. And I know you will be there waiting for me.

Until then my love,

CJ

www.barackobama.com

The Next President? Wha...?

The Hawaiian dress, live model

Skeevie vs. kitch in Las Vegas: Advice from a long-distance wife

I'm a long-distance wife. My husband, Mike, lives in Las Vegas and I live in Waco. This means that I've been to Las Vegas several times, but not as a tourist. On many trips, we never even go to the strip or enter a casino. There are many other things to do in Vegas.

Here are my picks.

Breakfast spot

The best place for fantastic breakfast (and spotting B-list celebrities from VH1, MTV, etc.) is The Cracked Egg http://www.thecrackedegglv.com/. The place Mike goes, where he always sees the b-list celebs, is the Rainbow Blvd. location.

The "sin city skillets" are enormous. And enormously delicious. They do not skimp on anything. I have never been able to (nor should I ever) come even close to being able to finish one of these huge skillets.

With most breakfasts, you get a choice of toast or coffee cake.

Casino/Resort

Red Rock Casino/Resort/Spa http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/index.php. It’s modern, hip, and brand new. It is NOT on the strip. Red Rock is very chic, but also is family/kid friendly.

ALL of this is at the Red Rock:

The largest luxury bowling center in LV http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/entertainment/bowling.php. And they do mean luxury. We have a blast there.

If there are children, the best childcare http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/entertainment/kids_quest.php. Kid's Quest is like a dream come true for kids, whatever age group or gender. Not only is there a

A specially-designed floor-to-ceiling climbing maze and play structure consisting of up to 35 challenging activities includes tunnels, slides, ramps, stairs, climbing nets, periscopes, air hops, bumper bags, talking tubes and other activities allowing children to crawl, climb, bounce, hop, tumble and slide in the comfort and safety of a professionally supervised, secure environment.

But also a full stage with costumes and karaoke, electric guitars, video game stations, a full section of nothing but dress-up and make-up stations, a Barbie area, and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting. Also, there is a snack bar, where the kids can get meals or candy and drinks (whatever parents have approved). We took the grandkids there one evening so the adults could go to the casino. Every day afterward they asked several times if they could go back!

Prices are very reasonable, as well. I highly recommend it, and so do my grandkids!

16-theatre Cinema complex http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/entertainment/regal_cinemas.php, to catch a movie, if that's what you're in the mood for.

They also have a magnificent spa.

And the Red Rock is the most luxurious place to stay! The rooms are giant and have spectacular views of the mountains, and of course, of Red Rock Canyon.

The casino host is Winston Morgan. He's a fantastic guy that Mike has become acquainted with over the last couple of years.

Celebrity hangout

From what I hear, The Palms http://www.palms.com/ is where celebrities hang out at the night club. I have never been there. I’m not a night club person, nor am I a celebrity (I know, you thought I was).

Shows

Favorite shows I’ve seen:

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre at Planet Hollywood - http://www.comedypet.com/. This is a delightful show. We went for the kids, but the adults enjoyed it just as much. Popovich rescues cats and dogs from animal shelters and trains them for his show. It's a pretty intimate theatre and did I say, it's delightful? It's delightful.

Gordie Brown at the Venetian – hilarious! http://www.gordiebrown.com/

La Reve at the Wynne – spectacular, over the top, beautiful. https://boxoffice.wynnlasvegas.com/shows_info.html

Kitsch

Bonnie Springs Old West Nevada http://www.bonniesprings.com/ is a “wild west town,” complete with gunfights, bank robberies and hangings! We had a blast with the kids there. On weekends, they get deputized by the sheriff and join the posse to help catch the bad guy. Very old: this is no Disneyworld.

Neon Museum (and boneyard) http://www.neonmuseum.org/. I haven’t been to this yet, but plan to see it on my next trip.

ElDorado Mine http://www.eldoradocanyonminetours.com/. This is a real mine that is being restored by the family that owns it. Also famous as a movie location. You actually go into the mine -- it's dark, sometimes you're walking on planks above a 50-foot crevasse. But it really is cool. And they also tell you all about the movie connections, etc.

Other stuff for kids

Circus Circus has an amusement park with rides galore.

Oh, yeah, and gambling

Word of advice – if you are going to gamble, decide exactly how much money you are going to LOSE before you get there. Do NOT spend any more than that. Do NOT assume that you will win, ever. They don’t build those spectacular casinos by giving away all the money (I know it's cliche, but that doesn't mean it isn't true).

Craps is pretty exciting, but can be confusing and moves fast, so unless you really know how to play, I suggest you watch for a while first and ask the table crew to explain things.

I like to play Let it Ride. Simple to learn (just sit down and ask the dealer to teach you how to play).

I also like to play Blackjack (best at a table with a single deck, rather than multiple decks). Just play by standard guidelines (see chart here http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/how-to-play-blackjack1.htm) and you can make your money last quite a while.

Other stuff

Go hiking in Red Rock Canyon. There are several well-marked trails. Each one clearly indicates how long it is and the level of difficulty. Take plenty of water. The canyon is lovely, with all the shades of the earth and rocks and desert.

And, I shouldn't forget, the best costume shop is the Williams Costume Company at 1226 South 3rd St downtown. You never know when you might need a costume shop in Las Vegas.

On the strip, see the fountain show at the Bellagio. Skip the (Treasure Island) TI Sirens, it not only lame, it is also piggishly sexist. Walk through the Wynne to see the hand-blown glass ceiling art and other spectacles.

As for downtown, I think it’s pretty skeevie. Lots of deadbeats, lots of drunkards and lots of beggars. People may try to talk you into going downtown to see the Freemont Street Experience. Believe me when I tell you that it’s not that great. If you must go, be careful with your valuables and stay in a group. It is definitely the seedy side of Vegas. Last year a guy in a slot machine place tried to beat me up. He was drunk off his *@# at 2:00 in the afternoon and thought I was trying to steal his slot machine. Luckily, he was, as I said, drunk off his keester and I moved a lot faster than he did. Last time I was there, we got out of the car and were greeted by a guy vomiting. As soon as he was done, he asked us for money. That’s not my idea of a holiday!

Safe travels!

UPDATE: Mike left Las Vegas for a new job in San Antonio the last day of 2008. We are still long-distance, but at least live in the same time zone and even the same state.

Notional devotional

How do you keep organized when you go shopping for notions? You're sewing from stash, so you've got the fabric. You've pulled one of the patterns you got months ago but never got around to acting upon your good intentions.

All you need is notions: zippers, hem tape, thread, buttons... to make the project.

Here's one way that seems to work for me.

I don't like to take the whole pattern to the store. I'm always afraid it might be confusing for store staff as to who owns it, you know? I don't need any extra drama in my life with mistaken shoplifting charges!

So, I go online to the pattern websites and print out the one-page (front and back) photo/diagram and info sheet. On each sheet, I tape a swatch of fabric I'm using for the project. I also make notes on the sheet to indicate which version I'm making and then make a list of all the notions I'll need to complete the project.

When I'm at the store with the sheets, I can easily determine what I need and match it to the appropriate fabric sample. I can also double check pattern specifications if any questions arise at the store while I'm shopping.

What are your favorite organization tips for buying project notions?

(As always, click on photo to enlarge.)