Quick Update!

Gotta make this fast- Lots to do at the moment!

I LOVE the sewing machine. I have been SO happy with it! It makes me feel like I know what I am doing. My project at the moment is top-secret, but I will show you once I have finished it and it is no longer a surprise. But I will show you some of the fabric that I am using for it. It is by Moda, and is called "Aviary". Here is a link to some of the fabrics in that line. I am not super "Girlie", but I LOVE the soft colors in it and think I will buy more of it since it is now a "retired" line and getting harder to find.
The Project is going better than I thought it would, and I will show you all soon how it turns out.

the 3 day weekend went OK- I have had better, and I have had worse- but all in all not too bad.

Ok- Back to work!

Well Hello There!

Hello all!

Say Hi to my new friend! ("Say Hello to my Little Friend!") After debating and hemming and hawing for a few years now about getting a sewing machine, I finally went out on Monday and got one. I had wanted one for years, but people kept trying to get me to get a nice one ($300+), and I wanted just something to learn on for now (I mean who wants to learn to drive in a Porche? Best to start with something a bit cheaper!). So I got this nice Kenmore one, and I LOVE it. It has like 78 stitch options (which I have no idea what to do with) and it is nice and smooth, and SO easy to get started with. I am now just kinda sad that I didn't get one sooner. If\When I need to upgrade to a "Nice" one, I will at least know that I will not kill it trying to learn on it.

I Really have NO idea what to do with it, or how to really use it, but I sat down with it on Monday night and made a little Bag to hold all my sewing scraps and strings when I am sewing.... it is a Sewing-table Saddle-Bag if you will. Here is a Picture of it. (Please ignore the ugly flannel sheets in the background- those are the blankets we cover the birds with at night)

I have a lot of "jelly roll" strips in the house, and so I took a bunch of the strips, sewed them together and made a kinda mini-quilt out of them. I then sewed it into a bag shape and gave it a 1 1/2 inch "foot" so it would not look like a limp bag, and then for fun I decided to add a liner, and then attach a dried bean\rice bag to the top of it and sew it on the side of the bag so that it would hold itself out of the way on off the side of the table. It is not super exciting I know, but I was happy that it turned out so well, and no fingers, bobbins or needles were hurt in the process (I have been known to have needles snap just by standing to close to someone who is sewing so I was happy to escape unscathed!)

Other than that- I am not up to much. Work has been good- hot and smoky with the fires going on- but otherwise good. The garden is undergoing some changes, and I will get some photos of that and post them soon on the Gardening Blog.

Oh! A new obsession of mine lately is this book.

Oh My Goodness! I ADORE it! I have been reading it and re-reading over and over. There are SO many new and cute ideas in here that I cannot wait to try!

I have started choosing 1 cupcake recipe a week and making a batch (or 2) and taking them to work for all the guys and getting their opinions about them and how they like them. So far I have made the Chai-Tea Cupcakes with Vanilla Milk Glaze Topping, a Cookies and Creme Mini Cheesecakes with whole Oreo's as crusts... and then not from the book but inspired by it- a triple chocolate chunk cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I have been a big hit at work lately, and guys have come to anticipate Fridays more than usual and most rush over to see what I have made that week. I have not been good about keeping it up, but I am thinking that I will start recording some of my attempts and photos and posting them to my Cooking Blog. (along with my notes and the comments from the guys who eat them). And now that my Garden is providing a nice hearty harvest, I can also start showing what I am cooking with my Homegrown Organic Veggies.

Well Time to get going! I need to get dinner started (and Martinis made!)
Have a great day!

Calling John Casimir!

John-John??? Where are you?? Do you still read this? I tried your Cell and your Bro said that you didn't use that # anymore.... and that you moved!? Call me... or Jonner! I need your new contact info, and I really want to talk to ya. (and it is a good thing that we didn't "drop by" your place in Vegas while on our way home last week from Texas- we didn't know you moved!)

And in other news..... (really quickly)
In the last 2 months-
Canceled Cable (good riddance!), changed Internet service (hence the delay in writing sooner) got a computer bug thing, fixed it (hence MORE delay in writing), Garden is going well and will post about soon. I had my 26th Birthday in June (good times!), Bought a Wii and the Wii Fit (and have lost another 10lbs!) Went to Candy's wedding in Fresno, one of my birds passed away, took a trip to Disneyland, went on a road trip to Texas for a few weeks, Finally started to get some good harvesting out of the garden, got a raise, and um..... that about covers the bigger things since I last wrote..... but I will be back soon.... but I just need to find my Friend John-John.
If your reading this John-John, phone (or Email) in... I miss ya and need to talk to ya :)

Later all!

New things

Hey Everyone!
Sorry about the MIA Lately- but I have not been on or around the PC lately.
Few new things to share....

#1- I am now at a new\old Job. I am again working with John, and I am loving it! It is not the same things that I was doing before- but new and fun things- with a little of the old stuff that I used to do all mixed in. I am loving it, and it is a nice new change of pace. But that Change of Pace is now a Full Time (or more) Change of pace- which is one of the reasons that I have not been around much.

#2- a good pal of mine, Candy (Hi Candy!) (waving) gave me Photoshop CS2 and I just put it on my PC today and I am SO excited! I have REALLY REALLY missed using it since I am no longer at the "desk job" of old, so I am excited to have it at my fingertips again. Time to bust out my HUGE training book I purchased, and try to remember all those things that are now half-forgotten.

And #3- I have now started a Homegrown Organic Garden in the Backyard! I was going to Blog about it on here, but I didn't want to force everyone to read about plants instead of other things, and so you can mosey on over HERE and check it out! I am Calling it "SuperChicken Gardens" and it is a sister blog to my "SuperChicken Cooks" (which I really really promise I will update soon!) but Head on over and check out what is new in the Garden and what I am learning along the way.

That is about it for updates, but all 3 of those things are HUGE time zappers, and so I will try to be back on here more often.... Also- John and I were talking and I was trying to find out from him what it would take for us to get a Nintendo Wii, and it came down to Canceling the Cable- and I think that I am going to take him up on that- so with no TV in the house- I think that I will have more time soon to spend on here, in the garden, and in the kitchen. I also will get more in shape since I am in LOVE with the Wii Fit and it really kicks your arse!

Anyway- have a great day and check out the new site!

MIA latley

Hey all! I know, I know! It has been awhile. Life has been hectic- and lots has been going on.
Work is going ok- lots of changes lately. Life is going pretty well- Work, Clean, Birds, Cooking.... same ole same ole as always. I have not really taken any photos lately, but I will soon!

I will be updating my Cooking page soon. Random Recipes that I have been making lately that I thought would be tasty to share. But that involves turning on my PC and that is something that I have not been doing lately- but I will try to work on that :)

Saw this quote today- and I liked it- and wanted to pass it along.
"Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, 'Did you bring joy?' The second was, 'Did you find joy?".
Dr. Leo Buscaglia

I thought it was a good one :)
Take care- and I promise that I will try to update this page soon!

Good\Bad

No real reason for the photo- but I felt bad for not posting pics latley- so I picked a random one that i used to have as a background photo- and it feels all spring like :)

Well- Here are some new Good\Bad things:

Good: Did my taxes today- and getting a touch over $600 back- Whoohoo!
Bad: All that and some more is going to pay for the root canal that I am getting really soon
Good: Tips at work today were awesome-
Bad: But that is becasue it was just me and the owner all day and I didn't get to see my friend that was supposed to work (I hear she ate some bad fish- bummer!)
Good: The Amoxicillin is doing a great job helping my jaw not hurt (due to needing a root canal)
Bad: I only have 2 days of pills left and at least a week or 2 before I can get the root canal- hello pain!
Good: The Rain has stopped
Bad: It is now in the 30's at night (very very bad!) without the warm cloud cover
Bad: I have to work again tomorrow
Good: But then I have the next 3 days off :) Whoohoo!

Also- Incase you are not on facebook (and really- I almost never am) Here is a list of 25 random things. I was tagged and so I filled it out and posted it... but if you are reading this than- TAG! Your it--- You can leave a list of 25 things in the comments if you like :)
Here is my list:

1: My full name is Lauren Anne Z***... I like that my middle Name has a "E" on it- it looks better i think

2: I really, REALLY do not like facebook\Myspace- I think it is a big waste of time- but I cannot stop myself from looking around at all the people that I know\used to know and seeing what they are up to (every now and then when I eventually log on)

3: I worked at a Starbucks for 3 years, and have worked at another coffee shop for 6 months now- but I HATE to drink coffee- I don't even like how it smells- but I love working in a coffee shop- go figure!

4: It is all about long hot baths people(with wine and a book if at all possible)-they are the best!

5: I have 5 Birds. 3 Parakeets named Gus, Ollie, and Mo (short for Mozart) and 2 Parrotlets- Sprout, and Pickles

6:I love to cook- I love love love to bake!

7: My goal for 2009 is to lose 5 pounds a month for a year- so far so so good- I am at 7 pounds for the month of Jan.

8: My homepage is set as yahoo.com

9: My little brother is one of my fave people in the world

10: I am tired of dating- I am SO ready to get married (I have been dating John for 4.5 years now)

11: I LOVED living by myself- but I love living with John more

12: I Watch A&E's Pride and Predjudice (the 4 or 5 hour one) about once a month, and have done so for the last few years

13. I love Tea. Hot Tea, Iced Tea, whatever, and drink at least 32 oz of it a day. mmmmmmm.....
14: I want to have 2 boys one day... but I can only come up with girl names that I love

15: If I had to move to another state- it would be Texas. It is pretty there, and I love Austin.

16: I don't like going to church- bible studies I love and enjoy, church not as much. It has always felt full of cliques that I am not a part of, or welcome in. So I gave up 5 years ago and stopped going. I now sleep in- it is kinda nice :)

17: My fave Season is Fall. I want to get married in the Fall.

18: I Love to watch Friends and Scrubs more than any other tv show.

19: If I could only eat 1 food for the rest of my life it would be Potatos. mashed, baked, souped, scaloped, breaded... you name it- you cannot beat a good potato.

20: If I could visit only 1 country it would be Italy.

21: I will be 26 in June and I am starting to feel old. the random greys don't help :)

22: I would love to make a living by being creative. So far all I have made is about $50, but it is a start.

23: I LOVE road trips with John... he can make a trip to the grocery store a fun adventure so road trips are really a blast.

24: Even though people tell me that working in a coffee shop is not a great way to spend my life- when customers tell me that I am the only one who has smiled at them that day, or the only one who asked them how they were that day, or the only person that noticed that they got a haircut\lost weight\etc it seems to me that maybe I AM doing the right thing with my life right now. Becasue what if I was not working there and that person never got a smile all day? If I can make someones day better by doing what I am doing, than I'm happy.

25: I used to hate my dimples- but now I love them. =)

Night everyone!

Things to Do Today

* Start my Taxes (ugh! I don't think a refund is headed my way this year!)
* Do some Grocery Shopping
* Do some Lap Swimming (while the rest of the US is in a cold snap we have a high of 85 here today- gotta love it!)
* Clean out some Bird Cages
* Clean up the Front Room
* Continue to work on Cleaning the Craft Room
* Work on getting some Photos to the Photo Lab for Printing
* Plan Dinner for the next 3 or 4 nights
* And the MOST exciting---- Get ready for a class with DONNA DOWNEY! Yep! one of my idols and a goddess of crafting is going to be teaching a class in Santa Maria next weekend (the 24th) and I was able to get into one of the classes that teach the very thing that I have been watching her do for a a few years and wishing I knew how to do. I am beyond excited.... and John and I struck a Bargain. If I could get the craft room up to snuff (meaning have the room clean and not have stuff stacked knee high across the floor so that I could actually USE the room when I get home from my class) than he was OK with me spending the money to take the class. (we are trying to be careful with money right now).

I am beyond excited about taking her Class. Donna is the one who really got me started in all this. John was out of town for business, and i went to the store and bought a book by Donna and I went to dinner and read the whole thing. I then decided to give this Scrapbooking thing a real shot, and now- 4 years later- I have a entire room dedicated to Scrapbooking, I have worked in 2 scrapbook stores, am known by name in the only one still around here, and have been reading Donna's blog for a few years as well... and now she is going to be 30 miles away from where I live, and I get to take a 3 hour class with her (along with 6 or so other lucky women)... (sigh)
I am so excited- but i am trying to keep it under control.... but for you that don't know her... well..... it is like taking a swim lesson from Michael Phelps, or a camera class from Steven Spielberg, or a Photography class from Annie Leibovitz.... so you get my meaning?? She is a HUGE reason that scrapbooking is where it is today, and she is amazing. (now if only Ali Edwards would be there I think that I would die and be in Scrapbook Paradise!)

Anyway- I have to get some stuff for the class done (get photos, and some other items that I need to take to the class) so I better get going on my day.

Sorry for the lack of photos- I have not pulled out the camera lately.... but I will soon!
Have a awesome day!

Oh dear!

Well I knew it had been along time since I had written, but when I finally checked my blog, I realised that it had been forever! Sorry about that- the last few months have been kindacrazy around here- trips, 3 holidays, parties, birthdays, crafts, job, fed the ducks a few times... and the endless housework of course.

John feeding the ducks after a jog to the Lake.

Well for a quick Catch up, in November John and I drove out to Tempe AZ to watch and cheer his brother on as he competed in the Ironman Event held there. It was really impressive to see someone compete on such a huge level for so many hours. He finished in just under 14 hours I believe. John and Matt’s mom had flown in from Texas to watch the event, and it was nice to be able to spend some time with her and Vicki (Matt’s wife) at the same time.

tempe at sunrise

IronMatt!

While in Tempe, we also went to the very large botanical garden, and it is filled with cacti and all manner of dessert plants and habitats. There was also a really cool exhibit being shown, and I am unsure of the artists name, but there were large and brightly colored glass sculptures all throughout the gardens.

Also- for my Christmas gifts this year, I decided to go the handmade route, and had started all my gifts in mid October in order to finish in time (and still barely made it). I Embroidered tea towels (which took beyond forever to do) and also made a lot of homemade preserves. Triple Berry Jams, Strawberry Topping, Organic spiced apple butter, Vanilla Sugar- and on and on. The Canning was a lot of work, but was the easy and fast part of the whole project. I still ended up finishing things right up to Christmas eve, but it was nice to give things made with love instead of just buying everything from a store.

I have also been busy at the Coffee house where I work. Most of the town disappeared for the holidays, and so with all the students gone, there were only a few of us left in town to work, and so I ended up working quite a few hours there. And the week before New Years, I went to a old job to help them out there for a week.

They do a inventory once a year and it takes lots and lots and lots of counting to get it done, and they were short on help this year, so I offered to help out, and so I would work my 5 hour shifts at one job, and go work 6 or 7 hours at the other job, and then repeat over r and over for a few days in a row. I was very happy when it was all over and I could get back to my other routine (which included getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night!).

New Years was quiet. I had to work that morning at 5:30 am, and so by that night I was really tired, but John and I had some dinner, had some wine, watched “The Godfather” and we were asleep by 11 or so.

Well that is a quick update- and I hope to not be gone for long. I have lots of the “New Years” stuff to cover- resolutions, new happenings, and new directions to discuss and share. I will hopefully be able to get it to tomorrow (my day off!) but we will have to see how that pans out.

Have a great day!

Good Quote

I saw this and wanted to share...

"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity: be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding; don't try to be a success; don't try to do pictures for others to look at - just please yourself."- Ralph Steiner

Today is full of chores- I have the day off from work, and that means lots of cleaning, and chores and getting ready for the holidays. Have a good one!

Long Over-due Project

Well I finally got around to posting a project that I was working on for awhile. I still do it time to time, but I have not been as dedicated to it as I have been.

I call it "30 Days, My LG, & Me"... I decided to use my Camera Phone to capture a month in my life with a "photo of the day" type of feel. I ended up going longer than a month, but I kept the name. Here are a few shots taken with my LG Camera phone.

You can see the whole collection here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707192@N02/sets/72157608813343680/ )

but if you check out my Photostream, they are all there as well- but for some reason Flickr didn't upload them in the order that I had them on my PC..... odd.. but I didn't want to go back and re-load them all again :)

New News:

Not much- after 3 years of the same ole same ole John and I rearranged the Front room. We have this long and skinny room and big furniture, and we finally found another arrangement that we liked- but it will take getting used to (and not walking into when it is dark in there)

On tonight's schedule is Dinner, Tea and Gingersnaps, and playing Canasta with John- very un-exciting I know, but we have fun :)

Good times :)

Long Time no Post!

Ok- After another ribbing from my mother (!!) I will post again.

I didn't realise that it had been so long since my last post- but life has been busy. And I do not have a desk job that I sit for 9 hours a day at computer- and so the blog takes a hit. Sometimes I don't even turn the thing on for days at a time :)

Well- not much to catch up on here.....
I have been working in the coffee shop (and loving it) and playing around with things here at home. John is out of town for a few days for work (as he is every year at this time) and I am excited to have him come home on Thursday night.

I promise to post soon, and add some pictures of what I have been up to!

Remember to vote today!

Quick Note

(Taken with my LG Phone)

Well Just a quick note since I have not posted recently-
Here is what I am working on:
~ Getting my garden from the indoor "greenhouse" potted and put outdoors
~ Creating some Stationary (as pictured above) which while fun, is not going as quickly or as easily as I would have hoped- but I have not spent a lot of time working on it yet.
~ Embroidering some fabric for some cute cafe curtains that will hang in one of the kitchen windows
~ I'm Still Plugging away at sewing Yo's for a Quilt, and working on a Patchwork quilt as well
~ Still having fun working at the Coffee House that I am at
~ Got OBSESSED over the "Twilight" series, and read the entire 4 book cannon in 3 days (there were a few midnight oil burning nights in there!)
~ Made some 3 Berry Jam and Preserves (that went nicely with the homemade scones I also Baked)

And in general I had a really packed weekend- but it was nice and relaxing as well.

I hope to have more to share soon! (or at least some better pics!)

Another PDF Pattern is here!

As Promised, here is the "AHOY!" Alphabet Font. I also included a larger version of my Ahoy Pirate, and Bubble Border at the bottom. I like the smaller version for embroidery, but I went to scrapbook something, and realised that I really like the Larger one shown here for a Scrapbook border. So- short post today, but I just wanted to let you know what was new! Visit the store at www.superchickenstudios.etsy.com

Happy Crafting!

New PDF Pattern in the Shop

Ahoy there! This is one of my new patterns that I have listed in the shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511) and it is called... you guessed it! "Ahoy!"

This has been one of my favorite ones to make... the "Long Live Mario" was probably the other fave, but this one was a lot of fun. I also have a "Ahoy" Alphabet that I am finishing up, and it will put to port in the shop in the next few days as well. I am only offering this one as a PDF right now because I am trying to figure out what kind of printing that I want to use, but I am not patient enough to wait to list it :)

I have now had 2 sales in my shop, and it is a slow start, but I am happy that other people think that my stuff is cute and want to buy it. My Friends that just moved- well one of them worked in a local Fabric shop (owned by her Aunt) and she told me that I need to make a Appt and speak with her aunt about selling my patterns in the fabric store. I am really excited about that prospect, but I feel like I need to really work on the look of the packaging, and my logo and all the stuff before I approach her about it.... I am not sure- it makes me nervous, but excited all at the same time. What if other people hate them? And they sit there and get dusty? How sad- but on the other hand- people may love them and snap them up.... we will see- it is something to think about.

In other news- I have started a Garden! Well- I have started the starting of a garden. I have planted seeds in a indoor green house, and I have been working in the yard getting it ready for some baby plants. We are growing Salad, Broccoli, Spinach, cilantro, green onions, and chives. (they do not mind the cold weather of winter so much) And when spring rolls around, we will be adding Tomatoes, Onions, peppers, and maybe some strawberries (who all love the heat of spring and summer). We already have the lemon tree in full production mode- the avocados are getting bigger, and the poor Lime tree is still not producing, but the leaves look nice and strong. So we hope that in a few months we will be enjoying some tasty fresh homegrown food.

Anyway- that is about it for now... I have to get back to housework (groan). Laundry is calling, and the birds need some new paper, and the carpet really needs some attention! Have a great day!

Today...

Today I-
~ Made my First "Hot Caramel Apple Cider" this morning. Tasty!
~ Danced around the front room while dusting and listening to a Frank Sinatra CD
~ Ate seedless grapes the size of small plums **no joke- they were huge!**
~ Did some work on a Pattern in Photoshop
~ Did some sewing on the new quilt that I am working on (not the Yo-Yo one- but a new one for now)
~ Vacuum and Dusted and cleaned the Front room, Bedroom, and one of the Bathrooms.
~~~ And the hardest of them all-- I had to say goodbye to a old friend.
We have been friends for more than 10 years, and he and his wife are moving to Texas on Monday morning. It may be a few years before I see him again, and it was hard to say goodbye. I was lucky that I was one of the lucky few that got the "Goodbye Visit" in the days before they leave town. He came over and we got to chat for about 30 minutes before he headed off to another task that has to be done before Sunday night.

We Used to be co-workers for 5 years, and in the last 5 years we have tried to stay in touch as much as possible (seeing as how we live in towns that are 30 minutes away from each other) but in the last month or so we have attended multiple "farewell" events, and so while it was nice to see them a lot lately, it makes it harder to know that they will not be around anymore.
They will be living in Texas, and right along the route that we take to go visit John's Mom. So the next time that we head to Texas, we will stop and visit with them, but that may not be for another year or so at the earliest. (sigh) I just hate when friends and family move away!

And that takes me up to now- and it is only about 1:30. I think that I will do some more sewing, and then some laundry. Tonight John and I have a Wine Tasting event to go to (which is always fun) and so it is the beginning of a good weekend. Today: Wine tasting, Saturday: Volunteering for a NPR station fundraiser on Saturday morning, a Avocado and Margarita Festival in the afternoon, followed by a trip to the best fabric store that I have ever been to and also a peek in the nearby antique store. Then Sunday is the Bird Mart in Paso Robles- where we got Sprout, and also Pickles (our Parrotlets) but we will NOT be getting any birds this year.... maybe just some toys. Our newest Bird (Mo) is a toy FIEND and he loves anything we give him, and so I want to make sure he has some new ones..... he loves them so much that some of the old ones are getting broken\worn out in the few weeks that we have had him :) it is so nice to see him play with so much enthusiasm that I do not mind getting him some new ones :)

anyway- another post without pics, but hopefully soon!