I like to...

One of my Facebook friends had this in her "Notes." I couldn't resist trying it out myself. Google "{your name} likes to" (with the quotation marks) and see what the first 10 hits say about you. I found mine to be rather entertaining:

Rebekah likes to:
1. party
2. sell some of her crafts at the local farmers’ market
3. use grown-up words like "monetise"
4. compare her life to that of Laura Ingalls Wilder from Little House on the Prairie
5. play in the woods and sing
6. spend time with Cody (of course!), take care of her niece and nephews, and shop!
7. shoot
8. hang out in the feedlot {does it show?}
9. be known as Bek (she tells us she only gets called Rebekah when she is extremely naughty)
10. sing, dance, do yoga and hug trees!
and the best honary one - 11. punch things. Girlfight.

Sounds just like me, doesn't it?

Bag Lady

I recently finished up a custom quilt set for a customer on By-Low Baby. This was a really fun project. While the pattern is a very simple patch quilt, it turned out so cute with a classic oh-so-soft polka-dot, check and stripe fabric.

I like to add a little special detail to the back of my quilts to give them interest. My customer loved the finished product. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Since BLB momentarily slowed down this week, I started another project for my friend who wanted nothing more than a "cute and sassy" bag for school supplies and laptop. I chose fabrics from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain collection, and used her Swing Bag pattern to create this fun little number.

Of course it's reversible!
My sissy wants one too, so I'm going to use some fabrics I bought awhile back to make this too-hard-to make-again bag. This funky lovey fabric is also from Amy Butler {yes, I'm having an affair with Amy Butler fabrics, can you tell?} . LOVE. IT.

Addictions can be Painful

Long-distance running:

1. Side ache at mile 2. I can usually breathe it out before mile 3, but sometimes is lingers.

2. Bountiful Blvd. - 10 miles of uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, uphill, uphill.

3. I think I've run more miles than my shoes can handle. They look brand new, but I know the gel is hard (for the give-away see #5). Time for a new pair of these dogs (in my running dreams).

4. Something is wrong with my ankle since Saturday's run. Kate's theory (and a good one) is that I don't run normal. Put me in slow motion and you'll probably see my left foot mutating with each step.

5. My whole body aches today. I'm in timeout.

6. Next week will be better.

Working for a Higher Standard

In general, I think working for the government would be a pretty good gig. You get reasonable pay, decent benefits, never an hour of overtime, a four-day work week, and the joy of just not giving a damn. Wouldn't it be nice to never actually be busy? To pack up at 5pm, leave and never think about the office the rest of the night? To never have to go through the "goals process" of setting super-human goals in an effort to reach immortality in the corporate world? How nice it must be to be a government worker.

Yesterday I had the joy of calling the Securities and Exchange Commission "Help Desk" to resolve an error message I was receiving on a regulatory filing. Shaniqua was my customer service representative and was generally annoyed that I would be calling her for help. Clearly we were not communicating because every time I would answer her dumb questions (they were seriously as dumb as, "Who are you?") she would sigh and say, "That's not what I'm asking." Eventually she became so frustrated with my answers, she transferred me to Leslie, who was much more gentle. At some point, after being put on hold for the 83rd time, I hung up and figured it out myself. {Leslie actually did call me back and said, "I came back from being on hold and you were gone. I wonder how we were disconnected." I didn't tell her I hung up on her.}

Today I stopped by the main post office to ship a blanket order that required a medium size box. The main post office closes at 5:30pm sharp, so I rushed to get there before being locked out. Just my luck, they did not have any medium size shipping boxes on the shelf. So I approached the mail official and asked if they had any larger boxes. He came back with the same small box that was on the shelf and proceeded to stuff my items into the small box. Needless to say, it took three boxes to get everything to fit comfortably. When I went to pay for the boxes, the mail official tells me that I could have used a different box which is $3.50 cheaper than the box I was given, but I would have to repackage my order. When I agreed to switch he said, "We closed six minutes ago, so you don't have time to repack your boxes." The girl standing next to me chuckled. I glared in disbelief. So I said, "OK, I'll just pay more for these boxes and you can just go ahead and give yourself a raise." I'm paying your salary, mister! I think you should be nice, but he doesn't have to be. You know why? Because he works for the government and government workers just don't give a damn.

The Bachelor

Is anyone out there watching The Bachelor this season? Ok, I admit, The Bachelor is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I have a secret crush on Jason, this season's Bachelor, but since I love G so much, I must let Jason go. Until tonight's trailer when DeAnna, last season's Bachelorette, comes back to pledge her love for Jason, whom she dumped in the finale. Ooooh, this is going to be good. What is Jason going to do?? Would you take her back? I can't wait!

Baby Goodness

Ok, how cute is this?? I needed a project the other night, as if I don't have three other projects waiting to be finished, so my Mom showed me how to crochet this cute little baby beanie for a newborn. The pattern is here. It's just basic crochet and so, so easy. The pink edge is my creativity at work (not in the pattern) since I have crazy scalloped edge skills :)

Chili, with Beans

I was grocery shopping the other night when I was struck head on with a shelf full of this canned good: Chili With Beans. What a novel concept. Just think how fine guacamole would be with avocados or spaghetti, with noodles. Albertson's just might be onto something here.

Phelps Phlucks Up

My Olympic gold-medal superstar is human, or at least that's what the comments by the citizens are saying on CNN about Michael Phelps' recent bust by a British newspaper, who caught the swimmer smoking a bong {and we all know what goes in a bong}. It's pretty likely Phelps will loose some of his endorsements, his reputation, and a handful of fans. I admit, I've lost some respect. Phelps was a role model for what this country can be; what you get when you set a goal and work hard; how to make something of yourself when life hasn't always dealt you the best hand, and to do it with integrity and self respect. I held Phelps on a pedestal to prove to the world that America really does have potential, and here was the guy to prove it. How naive of me. How unfortunate that he would choose marijuana for a moment of magical thinking over a lifetime of hard work and accomplishments. I'm sure he'll be back, but I wonder if his return, no matter how great, will bring that same ecstatic feeling felt during the Olympics. He's tarnished. I suppose we are all humans who make dumb choices, but we all eventually pay the consequences too.