Friday, August 28, 2009

Moving...

No, not me!

DF is moving in and I've been busy trying to prepare for his arrival. I haven't even had time to try out Audrey yet!!

I've pitched/donated a lot of my things so he'll have some room for his. Have I mentioned I'm something of a collector when it comes to stuff? Which is a more polite way of saying I have packrat tendencies. I have a 3 bedroom house with an office, and it was full after almost 5 years in residence, including the garage.

It's still full but now it includes DF's stuff. The guest room is now a Man Cave, and the office has been reconfigured to for both of us. His motorcycle, his car, and my car all fit into the garage. Amazing!!

However, there are some additional items that really must go, such as the ugly futon chair and matching ottoman that he wants to put in the office. Umm, no. There is a perfectly nice love seat in the office already. He also believes that they will convert into a guest bed Also no--unsuitable for anyone over the age of 8. It's enough that I'm letting him keep one set for the Cave.

By and large, moving has gone well without a lot of drama. Well, there was the Direct TV incident, but I think it was harder on the technicians than us. Let's just say this...those gentlemen had a 12 hour day just on our service call! The faulty equipment has been replaced and we're up an running with nary a missed Project Runway or Real Housewives episode.

I hope I can get some sewing done this weekend. It would be a nice way to relax, although the project I cut out is a little summer-y given that fall is in the air. Oh well, it's simple and I can always wear it next summer.

Oh, I wanted to mention that DF is now fully aware of my fabric and RTW buying habits, having discovered the results when checking closets for the Direct TV guy. Frankly, I think he was shocked!! He's a minimalist so not used to the habits of a clothing nut like me. There probably is too much, but I'm not in the mood to purge for purging's sake. However, this is the perfect excuse to make some things for the upcoming season. That, and the fact that I now have a lot more time since we're not commuting back and forth and "dating."

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Di Fara's Pizza: A Culinary Oddessy

This past weekend, DF and I went on a trip back to his roots. 4 days total, 2 travelling and 2 in New Jersey. Arrgghh!! Not that I didn't have fun in the Garden State but travelling out there is quite the slog.

DF had it in his brain that we should visit a pizza place he'd seen recently in the NY Times: Di Fara's. They'd recently raised their slice price to $5 for a plain one. Controversy! So OK, I think it's kind of a strange quest, but he's the one who's willing to drive from New Jersey through Manhattan and on to Brooklyn and I'm only the navigator. Why not?

Oy vey, what a drive!! I would have to be committed before I'd drive in NYC, but DF has no fear and we survived, arriving in Midwood, Brooklyn in the early afternoon. This place is a hole in the wall. We walk inside and a little elderly Italian gentleman is hard at work making the pies. Here he is, cutting basil onto a pizza he just took out of the oven:



We waited around 45 minutes for our slices and devoured them on the steps of a nearby school.


OMG!! Worth the wait! Umm, umm, delicious!! $5 is a lot to pay for a slice, but they were really good and you'd pay that much for a fancy coffee at Starbuck's. And of course, I have a story to tell.

We did not go back through Manhattan, deciding to take the Verrazano Bridge back to New Jersey, which was much more enjoyable albeit longer. On the way back to the house, we stopped at DF's alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology. Lovely campus in a great urban setting (Hoboken) with killer views of NYC. This picture was taken at Castle Point:


I'm still looking forward to a New Jersey trip where I can actually spend more time visiting than travelling. I'd love it if I could meet up with some of the NY/NJ gals for shopping and lunch too. Lindsay and Carolyn, are you game?

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Meet Audrey


Audrey is a new machine that I first saw at Material Girls last month--cute little machine, lots of functions, and on sale! Then last week, the dealer sent a postcard that the demo machines were being cleared out. Hmmm...

So I went by on Friday, tried her and picked her up for $365! She's a nice little travel machine with lots more features than the Janome Gem I also have. Actually, there are even some features my Bernina doesn't have. So I expect to be using her for travel and classes, and as a buttonhole and invisible zipper station.

Today, I've been playing around with the skirt I bought on the Santa Fe tour. I took the lower flounce off, an improvement, and now I'm trying to even up the skirt and the lining. Both are very uneven.

I also have another modified Butterick 4194 cut out and ready to go. This one is a linen blend with an embroidered border design.

Here's my latest picture of Smudge. He was enjoying the sunshine coming through the bedroom window this morning, and was so cute I couldn't resist a portrait.