By-Low Baby Give-Away!!!

I am adding a fleece blanket with a silky edge to my By-Low Baby collection. Tonight I made a prototype, which I love and I think you will too. It isn't perfect enough to sell, but it just great for a blogging friends give-away! It is made of bunny soft, light-weight fleece with a coordinating silky border. The blanket is mint green (in terms of color, the first picture is the more accurate then the second - I'm working on my photo skills!) measures 34"x38" so it is the perfect size for the wee one to wrap up, sit on, or cuddle. Or if you don't have a wee one, that's OK too. It makes a great lap blanket. So everyone, enter to win by leaving me a comment!!

The winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, March 25th.

Disclaimer: this blanket is a prototype and only near perfect, which means you might notice a minor flaw or two. It is still completely functional and I have every bit of confidence it will last through years of wear and tear.

The Marriage of Figaro

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Utah Opera's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, a comical yet profound tale of love, betrayal and forgiveness. I went with my friend, who I call The Ven-I. She and I used to have season opera tickets together. She reminded me that this opera was the first one we saw together nearly ten years ago.

I was first turned on to the opera when I took a Music in Culture class at the University. The professor would elaborate on several of the classics, then would show a clip from a production put on by a huge company, such as the Met. The class left me intrigued. I wanted to see Don Giovanni's deliverance to hell in person.

After I married G, I added him to my season ticket subscription. His attendance to the opera was entirely to fulfill his duties as a good husband and had absolutely nothing to do with his desire {or lack thereof} for art and culture. It wasn't until the production of Julius Caesar did I get much response from G. He is a Caesar fan and actually looked forward to this opera. When the opera opened we were sorely disappointed to discover it wasn't the classic Roman Caesar with togas, scrolls and olive leaf headbands, rather a campy production set in the early 20th century. On top of that, the nearly four hour production far exceeded G's two hour attention span. That was it. G felt his duties as a good husband had been fulfilled, and marked this as the end of our season tickets. Such a tragic ending.

I don't know that I will ever be a season ticket holder again, but I do know that my appreciation for the arts has not waivered. I thoroughly enjoyed the production; the comedy, the love, the music, the set. Bravo!!

Me to my boss as he's leaving for the day {with a what-up head nod}: "Take it easy."

Boss to me: "If it's easy, take it twice."

Ok.

Say AH...now spit!

I had the joy of visiting the dentist today. I go every six months, as I believe in good dental hygiene, but I have to say, visiting the dentist is right up there as one of my least favorite things to do in life. I think the dental hygienist could sense my discomfort, even though I was trying so hard to be brave. I told her her "types" were one-of-a-kind to do the job of cleaning people's mouths. I can honestly say if that were the last job on earth, I wouldn't do it.

Usually I leave the dentist office with a clean bill of health. I have only had one cavity in my entire life, which I got about three years ago. You can only imagine my disappointment after that visit. How could it be? I brush at least twice a day, I rinse with Act Restoring mouthwash, and I really try to floss more than just when I eat steak or corn on the cob. My teeth are perfect. They're even straight and I've never had braces! I really believed my dentist knew he'd never make money off of me, so he made the whole cavity thing up. I considered getting a second opinion.

Today's visit took me back to that day three years ago. The dentist walks in, takes a look at my x-rays and says, "Oh look, you have a cavity." Just give me my free toothbrush and leave me alone.

Just Us Girls

Poofy skirts and candy sum up this little girl. A sunny delight.

New Rule: You Have to Like What I Cook...

Tonight I committed to going back on my nutrition plan, which means if G wants to eat, he's on the plan too. To do this meant some serious grocery shopping that consisted mostly of fruits, vegetables and poultry. Throw in a few cups of yogurt and cottage cheese, and we're set. On the way home G was asking me what the hamburger buns were for. When I told him we were having turkey burgers for dinner this week he winced. That is when I made the new rule: if there are any complaints about my meal plans, than the complainer is responsible for planning and preparing next week's menu {to my specification, of course}. I'm pretty sure G will "enjoy" the turkey burgers.

Big Love

The other day my sister was telling me about HBO's newest controversy over their drama series Big Love. Now, to be honest, I watch the show religiously {ha!}. It has a place on my DVR. It's rather entertaining and can be quite ridiculous, particularly since I fully understand modern Mormon culture. I don't really get polygamy, but the show portrays it as I imagine it.

When I first read the article depicting the controversial scene and saw the picture of the actress in temple robes, I was sick to my stomach. Maybe even a little offended. I couldn't really understand why HBO felt it was necessary to cross the sacred line. However, being a faithful viewer and knowing how the show typically runs, I figured whatever they show is likely going to be out of context and probably won't make any sense to the general audience - it just won't help the "peculiar" image. I've read the statement from Church. I couldn't agree more. The Church is big enough to draw media attention, negative and out of context as it sometimes may be. Don't let the media attention distract you from the Church's real purpose. Big Love? Big deal.

Photo from HBO

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.