7 Quick Takes

1.  Audition Jitters

Audition time again!  Remember this post on Expectation Management?  Tonight, I'll be suffering for two, as Edmund is hoping to make his stage debut in this spring's production of...

 

2. The World's Best Non-Iron Blouse for Pears

I had never been in a Banana Republic before last week.  For several weeks, I have been on a quest for the perfect chambray shirt.  I saw a light blue blouse in the window of BR and thought it might suffice.  After a horrendous experience, in which I discovered the original fitting rooms were for storage, the underfed wraiths are employees who appear, then disappear when you need another size causing you to put on your blouse, sweater, coat, purse and go get it yourself, and lastly, swallowing my pride because the blouse runs VERY small, I invested in one. 

Except I'm not a tucker.  Looks much better untucked.

At checkout, I was given that online customer survey which rewards one with a 20% off coupon.  So, I reamed them out online, and went back this week to get another blouse at 20% off.  I also got another survey opportunity.  Soooo.....I might be picking up a third blouse next week.  How many can I get before a) they discontinue them, b) they pick up on survey/coupon scheme, c) it becomes apparent to all around me that I wear the same shirt/different color every day?

This magic blouse has wonderfully deep side darts to emphasize a small waist, and flares out enough to cover ample hips without being snug.  And it's long enough!  And it has enough buttons in all of the right places.  None of that awkward "do I button this one and go Amish, or unbutton it and throw on a cami too?"

 The fabric has a lovely sheen that says, "This woman showered today and put thought into her outfit, and has a clean house.  She never does the dinner dishes in the morning."

Oh, did I mention, it's Wrinkle Free?  But miracle of miracles, when I was wearing blouse #2 on Wednesday, both Peter (age 16) and Susan (age 15) separately told me that they liked my shirt!  Cue Twilight Zone music.  It's a magic blouse.

3. Craftastic.

Last Saturday was "Support Religious Freedom by shopping at Hobby Lobby Day," as well as the day before Edmund's 10th birthday. 
I scoured Ravelry and Pinterest and wrote down my list of ingredients for Epiphany Day Cake, these DIY bookmarks, Charlotte's bandana baby quilts, and this Gap-tastic Cowl. 

4.  What?!  Birthday presents for a boy at a craft store?

One hour and lots of $upport later, I had some of my supplies and the following birthday gifts for a 10 year old boy:

sketch pencils in tin box with sharpener and eraser $5-6
hardcover sketch book $8-9
Paint-by-number kit of boss looking wolf $5

They also have cool circuitry sets, models to build and paint, science kits to grow crystals, and leather and woodworking stuff. 

5. Less about the Lobby, more about Joann's

Half of the stuff on my list (the bookmark supplies, fancy thread like Sulky or Gutterman) is not sold by HobLob.  Would you believe those nice folks suggested I hit Joann Fabrics?  Personally, I prefer Joann's.  HobLob has trouble keeping things in stock, their tiny yarn department is laughable, and the sale ads are very confusing.  Also, Joann's takes competitor coupons, such as Michael's and the Lobby.  But the Lobby doesn't.

Joann's cake babies don't have mohawks either.  I discovered this too late for this year.

Hobby Lobby baby above, Joann's babies below

6.  Riding on the tails of her fame...

One of my roommates in college, fellow UD grad, Chicago transplant, and also a mother of five is Jen Mayfield.  We were/are so alike, sharing tastes in music (Blues Travelers, Janis, and Squeeze), books (Possession by A. S. Byatt), and beer.  We both have degrees in English with concentrations in Medieval/Renaissance Studies (jealous?).  We are like twins separated at birth.  Except that I'm from the Midwest and she's from Long Island.  And she is dark and I am fair.  And she runs marathons, and I run to Chik Fil-A.

A couple of years ago, she invited me to try out for her roller derby team.  Her derby name is Hellenor Throwsevelt.  But, alas, I was pregnant at the time, or I could have been Barbie Machete or something. 

Amazing Jen is now the star of a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial!  You can catch glimpses of her kids and husband, Andy, too.  She's in lots of their ads and even some of their radio spots.  She's also in an interview available on YouTube.  She didn't mention me, because she respects my privacy. 

I'm going to invite her to my bootcamp class.  She's done an Iron Man Triatholon, but can she roll around Tobias style with me?  We shall see.

You can watch the commercial here:

 

And here is her interview...

 

7.  We are looking forward to a nice, warm weekend here in Chicago.  Highs in the upper 50s!  It should be a relaxing respite from the non-stop skating parties we had last weekend.  I'm looking forward to some mentally challenging bridge games as well as some delicious micro-brews. 

Seeing as how it's STILL the Christmas season, and how I was too sick to bake during Advent, I have slowly been chipping away at that giant pile of cookie ingredients.  I have to say, I didn't plan to celebrate like this, but it has been truly lovely, and delicious.  Last week, in addition to Edmund's obligatory Star Wars cookies for his class (that turned out EXACTLY like the images on the box), I made Oatmeal, Pecan, Cherry, Chocolate Chip cookies.  (I made them half as big and baked them a wee bit less.) The Chef said they were the best cookies I've ever made.

Come Monday, you can join me in praying for freezing temps to get the rink frozen again.
Until then, you can pray for bedridden, pregnant Jen.