SNI-A-GRAB

Sniagrab is bargains spelled backwards.  I have ALWAYS wanted to go to this infamous ski and snow sale at the Sports Castle in Denver, formerly of the Gart Sports fame.  After weighing multiple opportunity costs of which location to go to, how early, etc., I decided to wake up at 4am this morning  (along with the slightly willing and slightly sleepy Kalin), drive downtown, wait on the sidewalk behind 232 people.  Some had been camping for a week.  By getting there between person 200 and person 300, guaranteed us at least a $25 coupon.  By 8am we were heading into the store and it was slightly crazy but a pretty quick process.   I had studied the ad the day before and figured out the cheapest skis, bindings, poles and boots combo that I believe would be a good price for both Kalin and I.  As soon as you were in the door, there was a salesperson quickly leading you around to everything you needed and as soon as you know it, we were done! (well, about 4.5 hours after we actually got there)....

BUT IT WAS A BARGAIN.  We got $75 off, plus received a 2 day lift ticket to A-Basin.  Can the snow come now?

I truly love deals, and today was a deal I am quite proud of.  I was notorious for buying cheap-o deals in the clothing world a few years back, but most of those deals were only worn two or three times and now reside in the Ballard Good Will.  After Stacy and Clinton, I realized that I needed to make more "investment purchases" despite a bit higher / no sale price tag.  So my deal-ings have subsided quite a bit lately, but today I got that familiar feeling so good not to share.

So, if it's snigrab, you know it's an "investment deal". 

ONE WHOLE YEAR!

On Monday, Kalin and I marked one year since we got all dressed up, said our vows and shared our love with family and friends.  It was a fabulous day, one year ago.  We had our wedding up at Byington Winery and Vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains and it was such a perfect view and beautiful location.  Here are some shots from our wedding or you can check out the slideshow.

Then we were off to Napa Valley!

It's been a truly wonderful year full of moving, spending holidays with our new families, trying to get out in the Seattle rain, deciding to move cross-country, leaving jobs, finding new ones, but loving each other all the while.  

plentiful pillows

Late Tuesday night I got the create-something bug and pulled out my free Amy Butler pattern for the Cozy Kitten Pillow.  I used some flannel-like fabric which pulled once I turned the pillow inside but ended up working with some final mending, but here's how this little guy turned out...  But he's kind of funky:

The very next day I decided to work on displaying my Sashiko samplers in the pillow form.  With the help of a new cutting board and rotary cutter, I experimented with sizing and created these three throw pillows.  My new machine, Bernette, did quite the fabulous job and we're becoming great friends.   I used fabrics from the same color story LOFT 1800 by Erin Michaels which I had plenty of Fat Quarters and a few half yards which went well with the stitching and each other.  Here are the finished products, fronts and backs. 

These were super-easy to make once i got the measurements right for the 18" pillow form and to figure out how to make my scraps of fabrics fill a back-side.  Now, if this could be my job.

Sidenote: Kalin has an interview tomorrow!!  Hooray!  

because i was tagged

I just realized that Carlie tagged me from her last post to blog about 7 random facts.  So, any of you reading this blog feeling so inclined can follow suit...

Since I am currently residing in my childhood room, I am in the mindset of reflecting on years gone by:

1. Since the Olympics are going on I remember one great Olympics 12 years back in '96 in Atlanta.  I was going through my basketball and "girls rule" phase and the summer between 6th and 7th grade was superiorly complete with the WOMEN'S DREAM TEAM.  Featuring my favorite Texas Tech alum Sheryl Swoopes.  Oh, how I loved this team...enough that I had to have my hands on these two treasures I recently stumbled across:

...and I wore these jerseys a lot.  (The other one is Shaq's from that same olympics).  My parents took us down to the Olympic training center in Colo. Springs where I proudly withdrew $60 from my bank account (a rare occasion, my life savings) to purchase these two prizes.  My, I loved that sport.

2.  I had GOLD braces.  One of those great awkward life stages choices.  This is, mind you, before all the blingin' grills of the rap world.  After the gold braces went on I realized that my teeth looked awful yellow.  But, I took to matching my bands to complement my gold grill and to make the most of it.  Luckily they were off by 9th grade pictures.

3.  About a week after I got my very first car, the ever-classy Cayenne Red Chevy Cavalier, I ran it into a fence.   Long story.  I left the scene of the crime, had to go back with my dad.  I was hysterical.  And then that brings me to the only ticket I've ever received: reckless driving.

4.  Additionally about my sweeeeet ride: I had a hawaiian sun dress with surfboards that MATCHED the car seat covers.  I thought I was pretty awesome.

5.  I love the "Princess Diaries" series of books by Megan Cabot.  I'll go through one of my phases where I haven't been motivated to read and then the next volume comes out in paperback and guess who's reading again?  Sometimes I am frustrated with the characters, but I can't get enough of these guilty pleasures.  Also, I LOVE the movies.

6.  Most of my grade school lunches consisted of cheese and mayo sandwiches, no crust.  I gag thinking about it now.  I was (and occasionally still am) a picky eater.  Luckily, I one day found that deli turkey went well with my sandwich and decided to grow from there.  

7.  I once went on a NCTO with this boy 6 years ago.  He's now my husband.  FOR ALMOST  A YEAR (HOOORAY!)  I am so excited.  Only 4 more days...  I'm one lucky lady.  Here's a pic of Kalin and I on that NCTO at Universal City Walk and then one from our engagement:

getting to know great grandma

Yesterday I was in search of vintage buttons and I knew just the place to look.  My mom has always had my great grandma's antique sewing machine and furniture which Kayla and I would seek out for little craft projects in need of rick-rack or little buttons.  I pulled out the top left drawer full of the button collection.  There were all sorts of fabulous buttons--green, red, broken, barbie-esque decoration, little elephants.  I put these into a jar and then today I decided to go through the rest of the drawers.  

 

My most favorite find of the day was this ID 

card that lists my great-grandma's address and then listing my grandma as her contact.  I loved her handwriting.  I like that she used a pink pen.  I like that she needed to include my grandma's full address even though it only asked for the city--this is something I would totally do.

Here are some of the treasures that I came across: scissor sharpener, gillette blades, wooden and styrofoam spools with eclectic colors, multiple sizes of crochet hooks, 29 cent rick rack, zippers, all sorts of wonderful things:

    

     

    

It was truly an honor to go through all these things.  The drawers were messy, like time stopped in the middle of a project for her.  Some of the packages were un-opened.  There were pick-up tags from the dry cleaners and the sewing repair shop.  This is where she worked, where she spent quite a bit of time.  There are needles to repair mattresses and carpets.  She repaired her own bras!  But apparently most women did back then.  There is a Hallmark year calendar in there from 1963.  You can only learn so much about a person you never knew by going through their possessions.  I wish I would have known her.  My mom says she would have loved to of known Kayla and I.

But for now, we have some of the remnants that outlasted her life and are still here for us to use, to organize to wonder what in the world she used all those Dr. Scholl's products for.  I'm so happy that my mom has these drawers full of pieces of my great-grandma.  I'm trying to figure out what to do with all the things I pulled out of the drawers--a display for a sewing room or maybe I should just re-organize the drawers to put back and re-discover at another time, or when I need some pink rick-rack.