Cuckoo for cocoa

I've been at my new job for a week now, and today, for the first time, I feel like I work there instead of visiting from another planet. Sure, I'm still a little wigged out when I see my reflection in the polished elevator doors every morning ("Who's that chick in the suit and heels?"), but I'm so busy that the day just flies by and I have to make myself leave at night. Thoughts from the day linger when I come home, so I've been trying to occupy my mind with activities to remind myself not only that I have a life outside of work, but that I am still the same crafty beer drinking wench I've always been.

One would think that this would be the perfect time to knit, but my knitting has gone all to hell. I did run out of Rowan Summer Tweed while knitting the back of Ginger as I had suspected I would. I bought another skein on Saturday, and finished the back but don't have any interest in finishing it right now. I also tried, yet again, to cast on for Fifi. Six rows into it and I discovered that I had twisted my join again. WTF!? That's 3 times now!! I haven't given up entirely; the next time I'm going to use my usual long tail cast on. Screw the cable cast on. I am convinced that it is the culprit of my mobius madness. Knitting will have to wait until the bad mojo has passed.

Instead of knitting, I've been quilting! I finished the Cobblestone quilt top and handed it off to a machine quilter on Monday. No photos to show. I'm going to wait for the big dramatic reveal! Tonight I started cutting out fabric for a new quilt, "Triple Treat" from Atkinson's Happy Hour book.
Most of the fabrics are from either Amy Butler's Belle Collection or Joel Dewberry's Aviary and Chestnut Hill Collection.

I added a few other fabrics, the teal, green and two brown prints, that read like "solid" colors, to break up all the bolds prints.

Mr. Strange and I went to Portsmouth on Sunday to have the best corn beef hash in the world at Isis on Penhallow only to discover that the chef (creator of the extraordinary hash) had left, leaving a very unimpressive, hash-less menu behind. Poo! Mr. S was very disappointed, but I took comfort in the fact that Portsmouth Fabric Company was only a few doors down.

I picked up the fabrics above and these for the Amy Butler Madison Bags.
The top fabrics are for the outside bags and the bottom fabrics are for the linings. I plan on making both the Uptown and Downtown Bags.
Even if you had never read this blog before and didn't know me, by now you would realize 3 things about me:

1. I love brown/orange/teal combinations
2. I love bags
3. I spoil myself

So, it wouldn't be surprising for me to also tell you that I bought myself this Angela Adams bag on clearance at a local consignment shop.
Dark chocolate wool, surrounded by turquoise and bronze faux patent leather with....sigh...an orange lining.
I'm making myself save it for Fall. Love love love love it.

Just soze you knowz, other people spoil me too. For the Half Birthday update, I present my most recent gifts:

Today's gift was the colorful "Cheers" coasters from an unknown person (Renee?). Yesterday I received the bracelet, accented with purple rhinestones, from Jill. On Monday I opened the steel lariat from Dee, which is actually a note/photo holder that you hang up. Along the lariat are the tiniest, strongest little magnets I've ever seen (this is going in my office as soon as it's ready). Sunday I received pink socks from Jill with talking kitties - lift the pink flap and underneath it says "Meow". OOOPS! Forgot Winnie's gift from Saturday - I'll show it next time.

On Friday morning, I opened this from Mary.
I didn't have to eat all those chocolates to see what was under the plate (although I did have a mini binge). What is it about being in a new place that makes one want to eat like there's no tomorrow?
Ha ha! I can say that hanging around with fun older women who like to bake and eat might make you fat, but will keep you young forever. Cheers!