tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355244452024-03-07T16:03:16.364-06:00Mrs Dragon's DenAmanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.comBlogger1413125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-64781297663827121512014-02-06T11:49:00.001-06:002014-02-06T11:49:37.648-06:00How I Use My Bullet Journal<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/11882315646/" title="Bullet Journal by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/11882315646_392cbf471e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bullet Journal"></a></center><br />
I've been using my <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2014/01/bullet-journal_19.html">Bullet Journal</a> for almost 2 months now. Since everyone is going to use one of these a little differently, I thought I'd share what's working for me.<br />
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<b>No Monthly Calendar</b><br />
Yes, the little video says to create a list version of a calendar. But I just cannot do it. I like that my digital calendars stack events, show overlap, are automatically color coded, and send reminders.. And that they talk to each other. (I have a no longer supported program that syncs Google calendar with Microsoft Outlook.) That part of my system was already working, so I'm not changing it. However...<br />
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<b>Yearly Calendar</b><br />
...I do love my yearly calendar page. (Shown up top, at the beginning of the year, it has many more things on it now.) This is where I write events that are a few months out. Yes, I can check my digital calendar, but that doesn't help me for events that don't have a set date yet. So this is where I log upcoming but still nebulous events. I also log recurring things that I need to remember to do (like taxes or termite inspections(, and any big events (even if they have a date). This helps me know how much is going on in any given month so that I don't accidentally over schedule.<br />
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My yearly calendar has a heading for each month and under it I bullet the upcoming events. Under that I have a single list for 2015. There are far fewer of those events, so they need less space.<br />
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<b>Comprehensive To Do Lists</b><br />
I dedicate one page to home and one to work. My home list has subheadings like "Being a Responsible Adult" or "Things to Make" or whatever else makes sense for that grouping. I usually have one for each club/group I'm associated with, one for fun stuff, etc. At work, I organize by projects and usually have a category for general administrative stuff too.<br />
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I don't worry about adding tiny things to this list. You know stuff that comes up and you do immediately and it's done? I don't bother. But anything I need to track or do not *rightthisinstant* goes on the list. This is the place that all those "oh! I need to do X" thoughts go. This is where my action items from meetings go. This where the "you know I'd like to do x" items go.<br />
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Then I have a daily to do list. This is grouped by day and is created by referencing the home/work lists and picking which items need to be done /I would like to do that day. I add smaller items that come up through the day as well. So "pick up library books on the way home"? If I think of it at work and will do it that evening? Daily List. If I think of it over the weekend and know I will need to do it later that week? Home List.<br />
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I check things off as I do them. Once the page is full and/or I am having a hard time seeing what is unchecked because of all the checked off stuff...I start a new page. I have some post it flags that I used to mark work, home, and daily lists. When I start a new page, I move the flag to the new spot. <br />
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<b>Meeting Notes</b><br />
This has been brilliant. I am a note taker to the core, but I've never had a good spot for non-work related notes. If I took them on paper, I never knew what to do with them after. So I generally took them on my phone. But I'm a slow thumb typist and then everyone thinks you are being rude and antisocial. So! This is much better. I can easily reference them later. Because many of my meetings are monthly, if I don't use the whole page, I just take next month's notes in the same spot. <br />
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<b>Brainstorming</b><br />
This is another thing that I used to do on scrap paper and then never know what to do with. Now, not only do I not lose it, but the index means it will be easy to find even months/years from now. <br />
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<b>Lists</b><br />
I keep a running list of restaurants I want to try (much better than my previous draft email method), but I could also use the method for books, websites, etc. In fact, I'm thinking of starting a general "recommendation" list for random recommendations from friends. The categories are all over the place, so unless they are restaurants, I think they will all go here. <br />
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Have you tried a bullet journal? Or a similar method? Does it work for you?Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-72212373664209382792014-01-19T23:27:00.001-06:002014-01-19T23:29:25.558-06:00Bullet Journal<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/11881748493/" title="Bullet Journal by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7450/11881748493_4a375d8e28.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bullet Journal"></a></center><br />
I first heard of the <a href="http://www.bulletjournal.com/">Bullet Journal</a> on <a href="http://www.misszoot.com/2014/01/06/bulletjournal/">Miss Zoot's</a> blog. She started talking it up this fall and had begun out and out evangelizing for the concept. And it intrigued me. After all, my work life was tracked with endless post its. Each neatly filled with categorized checkboxes. And, of late, I had been grabbing more post its for daily lists. And then there were the post its for voicemails, quick discussions with my supervisor, notes from talking with the team...all littered across my desk, getting increasingly unsticky, the corners stabbing me in the fore-arms.<br />
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And that was my "organized" approach. My not-work to-dos were tracked in email drafts, on scraps of paper, and, more often than not, my head. Which is fine if you don't mind nearly falling asleep and then waking up with a start realizing "I DIDN'T DO X!".<br />
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I used to be a daily planner sort of lady. In college everything went into the planner--first paper, then digital. When I got to grad school though...it became unnecessary. My once busy calendar slowed to a steady rhythm of regular classes, my digital planner died and I never really replaced it. We moved and our social life had to start over from scratch. In the last couple of years though, it has vigorously taken root. I needed something better.<br />
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So late last year, I started a bullet journal. It took me awhile to fully commit--December was just So Very Busy--but once I did, I fell in love.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/11882315646/" title="Bullet Journal by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/11882315646_392cbf471e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bullet Journal"></a></center><br />
My bullet journal has given me a place for meeting notes, to-do lists, random things I want to remember, and more general lists--of books to read, movies to see, restaurants to try, blog posts to write. It's made me calmer, happier, and more focused. It's amazing!<br />
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I'm keeping my bullet journal in an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Cahier-Journal-Extra-Large/dp/8883705033/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390195228&sr=1-7&keywords=moleskine+extra+large">extra large moleskin cahier</a>. The page gives me enough room to rest my hand and make two columns for lists, while the overall book is still small enough to fit in my purse. They come in sets of three and have thin covers so they are not too precious to write in. But they still have a flap in the back that lets you hold on to small pieces of paper. So far? It's perfect.<br />
Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-67003642481581729212014-01-08T21:12:00.000-06:002014-01-08T21:12:07.477-06:00My 10 Most Influential Books<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/11847693274/" title="Books! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/11847693274_b45120db29.jpg" width="428" height="500" alt="Books!"></a></center><br />
There was a meme floating around facebook amoung my book loving friends...name your 10 most influential books/series. So <i>of course</i> I had to chime in. : )<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3729060-kristy-s-great-idea">1. The BabySitters Club Series</a><br />
I read these started in second grade. They were my first chapter books and I was hooked. I outgrew them long before I reached middle school and eventually donated my entire collection to the local library to share the love.<br />
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2. <a href-"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/797079.Dragonsong">Dragon Song</a>/<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/797088.Dragonsinger">Dragon Singer</a>/<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/797077.Dragondrums">Dragon Drums</a><br />
I poached a lot of books of my parent's bookshelves as a kid so I was fairly well versed in Sci-Fi (a favorite of my dad's), but finding Ann McCaffery's books introduced me to fantasy and <i>dragons</i>.<br />
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<a h ref="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/427920.Chicken_Soup_for_the_Teenage_Soul?from_search=true">3. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul</a><br />
My cousin gave this to me for Christmas. At the time I pretty much read fantasy and only fantasy, so I was sure I would hate it. I started flipping through it because I was bored and inhaled it. My paperback copy is well worn. I haven't read it through in years, I don't know how it would strike me now, but I loved it then.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/185289.Dragon_Prince">4. The Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn</a><br />
My mom bought me this one based solely on the fact that it had "Dragon" in the title. A six book series of high fantasy it was politics! and intrigue! A strong female main character! I loved them in high school. I haven't dared re-read them as an adult though, because if they don't hold up, I'm going to be crushed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1885.Pride_and_Prejudice?from_search=true">5. Pride and Prejudice</a><br />
I almost didn't think of this one, because it was the A&E movie that I was first introduced to. My mom and I would co-opt the TV and watch the mini-series each time it was aired. I was in my senior year of high school before I bought a copy of the book. I can reread this endlessly. I branched out to more of Austen's writing due to the brilliant adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that aired last year, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KisuGP2lcPs">The Lizzie Bennet Diaries</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97641.Nice_Girls_Don_t_Get_the_Corner_Office?from_search=true">6. Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office</a><br />
I ended up with a copy of this sometime in college. I don't remember exactly when, how, or why, but that book was very helpful in getting me launched in the workforce. I've re-read it countless times. On my last re-read it struck me as rather tired and overly strict, which is a good sign that I've outgrown it and no longer need the advice, but I would still recommend it for anyone looking to get the lay of the land in a professional job.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10782350-think?from_search=true">7. Think</a><br />
A friend recommended this a couple of years ago and her arguments got me back to the local library and reading again. Absolutely pivotal for me.<br />
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8. Alfie Kohn's <a h ref="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/541132.Punished_By_Rewards?ac=1">Punished by Rewards</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/111209.Unconditional_Parenting?from_search=true">Unconditional Parenting</a><br />
Both books discuss how toxic our reward obsessed culture is to fostering initiative and creativity. I found Unconditional Parenting first, but Punished by Rewards is broader, also covering schools and workplaces. These are books that I feel like I need to read over and over, and that I will pull something different out of each time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/676543.The_Story_of_Jane?from_search=true">9. The Story of Jane</a><br />
A story of the "underground railroad" connecting women to abortion providers in Chicago pre- Roe vs Wade. A fascinating study on the sexism inherent in the medical establishment, the lengths women will go to to protect/help each other, and the varied and complex events that lead women to seek abortions.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128154.Baby_Catcher?from_search=true">10. Baby Catcher</a><br />
The story of a midwife operating in San Francisco tells about the varied births she attended. Gave me an amazing confidence in the capabilities of the human body and a better appreciation for the breadth of personal experiences. Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-9163760761181752572013-11-28T22:30:00.003-06:002013-11-28T22:30:38.412-06:00Thankful<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/11111022094/" title="Thanksgiving 2013 by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2884/11111022094_6703155529.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Thanksgiving 2013"></a></center><br />
Each year, on Thanksgiving, I like to take a few minutes to share the things I am grateful for. Consider it a brief list of warm-fuzzies.<br />
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<ul><li>My husband, who is my partner, my rock, and my friend</li>
<li>My friends, who offer commiseration, stories, and laughter</li>
<li>Thoughtful people who broaden my perspective by explaining their own</li>
<li>Warm kitties who cuddle with me and purr</li>
<li>Making steady progress toward our financial goals</li>
<li>Weekly board game nights</li>
<li>The ability to travel home for the holidays</li>
<li>Family, who makes that travel unquestionably worth it</li></ul>Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-13885015453691279302013-11-24T22:43:00.001-06:002013-11-28T10:42:08.854-06:00Our Thanksgiving Menu 2013<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/6397492391/" title="Thanksgiving 2011 by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6397492391_6915039cc9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Thanksgiving 2011"></a></center><br />
Have you started planning your Thanksgiving dinner yet? The hubby and I did our shopping today and our menu looks <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2012/11/whats-on-menu.html">a lot like last years</a>. Here is what is on our menu:<br />
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<b>Roasted Turkey Breast</b><br />
This is the hubby's domain. It's pretty basic, but always delicious.<br />
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<b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Gravy-2/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=gravy&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page">Gravy</a></b><br />
I'm going to attempt this with <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2010/10/bacon-grease.html">bacon grease</a>. We'll see how that goes. I bought a jar of gravy as a backup.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2010/12/french-bread-and-corn-bread.html">Stuffing</a></b><br />
Made with <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2011/12/whats-this-recipe-why-yes-now-that-my.html#more">Sweet Corn bread</a> and homemade white bread. The hubby made the white bread tonight and I'll make the cornbread tomorrow night so that we can cube them and let them go properly stale.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2011/02/sweet-potato-pie-sort-of.html#more">Sweet Potatoes</a></b><br />
Absolutely delicious.<br />
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<b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Green-Beans-with-Cherry-Tomatoes/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=green%20bean&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page">Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes with a Basil Butter Sauce</a></b><br />
We have green beans from our CSA blanched and frozen and a basil plant going gangbusters. This is a match made in heaven.<br />
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<b><a href="http://joythebaker.com/2010/11/cranberry-sauce-and-a-thanksgiving-explosion/">Cranberry Sauce</a></b><br />
After growing up with the canned jelly, the fresh sauce is always a tart treat and I love the chunky texture.<br />
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Rolls<br />
Also the hubby's homemade creation. I need to get his recipe posted up here so you all can share in the deliciousness.<br />
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<b><a href="http://joythebaker.com/2008/11/apple-pie-for-your-soul/">Apple Pie with Buttermilk Crust</a></b><br />
Every year I ask what kind of pie we should make and every year the hubby answers "Apple". This year we are trying a recipe from Joy the Baker and planning to top it with homemade whipped cream.<br />
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We're having a friend over and after dinner we'll have sparkling cider and hot cocoa for hanging out by the fireplace. Sounds like a blissful day.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-31854152647419680262013-11-11T21:57:00.000-06:002013-11-11T21:57:18.637-06:00Gratuitous Cat Shots<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/8088923052/" title="Kitty Cuddles by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8088923052_f67cbb8817.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kitty Cuddles"></a></center><br />
Because it is my duty as a cat <s>owner</s> servant to provide the great internet with more cat photos. It's what the internet runs on after all.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/7799052996/" title="Jack by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7799052996_2c3f85a2a2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jack"></a></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/8622865547/" title="Kitty in a Can by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8622865547_94fc813d5a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kitty in a Can"></a></center>Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-59332831121555317022013-11-10T19:54:00.000-06:002013-11-10T19:54:23.812-06:00SWE Conference--Sessions and Friends<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10790052453/" title="Regional Lunch by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/10790052453_68bc4aca9f_c.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="Regional Lunch"></a></center><br />
My second day at conference was relaxing after the uncertainty about <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/11/swe-conference-my-big-day.html">my session</a>. I kicked off the morning with <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10523935794/">a plenary panel</a> on Engineering in the year 20/20. It ended up being a bit different than I expected, but I still gleaned some useful information.<br />
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From the panel it was off to another session--this one about raising daughters to succeed in the workforce. I thought it would be interesting from an outreach standpoint, and it was. Plus the moderator was the professor of Product Development I had met the day before, so it was a good chance to say hi again.<br />
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After the panel, I grabbed my boxed lunch and joined the other women from my region who were at conference. We were a good sized mob and the meal was full of boisterous conversation, laughter, and catching up with old friends.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Only one other woman from my section was able to attend conference so she and I took this picture to remind our other members that next year's conference would be in LA. The woman who took this picture for us was someone working the registration booth, she did a fabulous job!<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10523941324/" title="See You Next Year! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/10523941324_c457f599e0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="See You Next Year!"></a></center><br />
After lunch, it was onto more sessions! I went to one on expanding your strategic network and one on when to stop innovating. The networking session was interesting, they took a more tactical approach (mapping your network, identifying actionable items), which set it apart from more general "networking is good" sessions. The Innovation session had a last minute speaker switch so the original topic was a little lost. Still, it was neat to hear experiences of someone else who does a lot of work with prototypes and I picked up several interesting facts.<br />
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By the time the sessions wound down, I was beat. I headed back to the hotel to prepare for my flight out the next morning.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-85612247308662198332013-11-09T21:08:00.001-06:002013-11-09T21:12:21.498-06:00Word Quilt Progress<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10769546215/" title="Sewing Saturday by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img alt="Sewing Saturday" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/10769546215_8a21925c63.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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<a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/07/project-number-next.html">My Word Quilt</a> is coming together slowly but surely. I got the first three blocks made over the summer and then took an unintentional extended hiatus. There was a trip back to California (which I apparently never posted about! Yikes!), <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/10/iron-caddy.html">other projects</a> to be sewn and a <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/11/swe-conference-my-big-day.html">presentation</a> to prep for. But today I was able to make my guild's Sewing Saturday and add to that tally. I got a late start and left a bit early, because it was a mosey-ing kind of day. But it felt good to be sewing again!<br />
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Here they are all together:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10769591906/" title="Sewing Saturday by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img alt="Sewing Saturday" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/10769591906_d479f4e5bd.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
And no, that is not representative of the layout, it was just a way to get them all in the shot. I won't work on the layout until I have all the major blocks finished--at least two more.<br />
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Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-31555476701259275242013-11-08T22:53:00.000-06:002013-11-08T23:00:42.299-06:00SWE Conference--My Big Day!<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10524116113/" title="Keynote Breakfast by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/10524116113_f04f15a747.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Keynote Breakfast"></a></center><br />
The main events of the conference kicked off the day after the <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/11/swe-conference-making-connections.html">iScream Social</a>. I started the day off bright and early with the Keynote Breakfast. The topic of the speech was on getting recognized and being visible. The most interesting example was her point of "using the right currency". In other words, you need to frame up your requests in a way that is relevant and interesting to other people. Get in their shoes. Think from their perspective. It's something that I think most of us know, intuitively, but fail to implement.<br />
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From the breakfast I was off and running. I caught one session before lunch, one after, and then hopped over to the room where I would be presenting!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10752543026/" title="My Session by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/10752543026_7065c35fe8.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="My Session"></a></center><br />
There was only a 15 minute hand off time between sessions, and no chance to practice before hand, so I was a bit paranoid. However, the set up was easy and I was able to start at 2:45 on the dot. The room was packed. I had been told the room would hold 125 people and it was standing room only when I started. I lost a few people half way through due to some scheduling oddities ("lightening talks" ran during other sessions, causing people to bounce in and out). The presentation itself went really well, I whizzed through it a bit faster than intended but we had a robust Q&A session and it left a little extra time for the next speaker to get set up. I made a few mental notes for next time (ask more questions, build in audience interaction) but overall, it was a great run for my first time speaking at conference!<br />
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After my session, I turned in my evaluation forms and, in the course of doing so, met a professor of Product Development! I was so excited to meet someone else familiar with the academic side of the field. We've exchanged contact info and I hope to stay in touch.<br />
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Then it was off to my final session of the day. Of the three sessions I attended that day, my favorite was on Root Cause and Corrective Action analysis. Not only was the information useful, but the speakers were excellent. They made a potentially dry subject entertaining and demonstrated its real world application. They are an inspiration on how to be a better speaker. I also really enjoyed a session which focused on a "performance contract" to be created between employees and managers. Some real food for thought both as an employee and a someday manager.<br />
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Once the formal sessions had wrapped up, I met my friends up for dinner.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10752460895/" title="Food by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/10752460895_7b585afcaa.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Food"></a></center><br />
Lunch had been a mini burger and a small salad. Dinner was a delicious salmon and asparagus meal. It was tasty enough that I did not regret forgoing one of my usual favorites--the fettuccine alfredo. And it had the benefit of a far ranging conversation and caffeine.<br />
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Recharged after dinner, we popped in for the last few minutes of the career fair kick off (I picked up some awesome reuseable bags from Kimberly Clark, always my favorite giveaways of the event). As they shut down, people filtered into the hospitality suites sponsored by various companies. We picked up free ice cream at one and said hello to people we knew in several of the others.<br />
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With the hospitality suites still going strong, we headed back to our room for a little bit of down time and some much appreciated sleep. Tomorrow would be another busy day.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-13775737086963630952013-11-07T21:41:00.001-06:002013-11-07T21:41:44.384-06:00SJ Tucker--Pirate, Pixie, Awesome<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10735775825/" title="SJ Tucker by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7414/10735775825_77781afcc9.jpg" width="350" height="350" alt="SJ Tucker"></a></center><br />
Sometime last year a friend turned me onto <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9591398-the-girl-who-circumnavigated-fairyland-in-a-ship-of-her-own-making?ac=1">The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</a>. Which is pretty much amazing compressed and condensed and packaged into a novel. Think Phantom Tollbooth meets Wizard of Oz meets fairytales. It's lyrical, thoughtful, gentle, and insightful. Full of the pain of growing up and the wisdom of being grown up.<br />
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So naturally I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538708-the-girl-who-fell-beneath-fairyland-and-led-the-revels-there">the sequel</a>. And when <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261183-the-girl-who-soared-over-fairyland-and-cut-the-moon-in-two">Book 3</a> came out last month, I jumped on it.<br />
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But with the announcement of Book 3's release came something even more bewitching. An artist named SJ Tucker was releasing an <a href="http://music.sjtucker.com/album/wonders">entire album</a> inspired by Fairyland.<br />
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Wonders was so splendidly captivating that I began exploring the rest of her catalogue and quickly found a new favorite album. <a href="http://music.sjtucker.com/album/witchy-ways-an-october-mix-tape">Witchy Ways</a>, a mixtape put together by the artist herself. And oh how wonderful it is. From the history rich Tam Lim, to the boisterously silly Salad of Doom. The driving Hymn to Herne to the haunting City of Marrow. The catchy Firebird's Child and calming Come to the Labyrinth. Love. This. Album.<br />
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I believe the album comes down tonight, it was a month long release with portions of all funds raised being donated to <a href="www.wolfhaven.org">Wolf Haven</a>. I've already got my copy, if you'd like to give it a listen I suggest you hurry!Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-58043089388259772502013-11-06T20:38:00.001-06:002013-11-06T21:05:22.621-06:00SWE Conference--Making Connections<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658328515/" title="Networking by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3749/10658328515_334bca606e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Networking"></a></center><br />
The theme of this year's conference was "making connections". So it was only right that the first official events of conference were full of exactly that. Each each conference starts with an ice cream social. This year they decided to take it up a notch by making it the iScream social--complete with a costume contest. I'll admit, I cringed when I read the announcement. After all, as a group of professionals, is that really what we want to come up on google when people search for "Society of Women Engineers"? A bunch of people in costumes? And the conference organizers were making sure it would come up--they had a social media friendly photo booth at the ready and were encouraging liberal use of a conference specific hashtag on Twitter and facebook. <br />
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I still have mixed feelings on the costume contest, but I will say this. The costumes people chose? Were pretty cool. One woman had a cardboard <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee_(Transformers)">Bumblebee</a> costume which she could kneel and lay forward in and it actually formed a car. That was some stellar costume engineering! As you can see in the photo above another woman made a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaker_(Muppet)">Beaker</a> costume. There was a group which did a 20+ person ensemble costume with characters from the Wizard of Oz. Kimberly Clark, a group of probably 30+ people, dressed up as their Brand/Division superheros with coordinating shirts and capes. So there were Huggies superheros and Kleenex superheros. And our SWE president was a suffragette.<br />
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As the iScream social was winding down one of the women I'd met on the food tour invited me to the "Over the Hill Suite". Now this is something of a secret club. I'd heard rumors of it before, but never been invited. It's a group of older SWE members, many past presidents of the national organization, who reserve a large suite, provide drinks, and invite people in to chat, catch up, and make new friends. I had a lovely time and was able to connect with a woman who may be providing leadership coaching for our section next year.<br />
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It made for a long day (I didn't leave their suite until after 11), but it was well worth it.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-46431143977747153942013-11-05T20:16:00.001-06:002013-11-05T20:46:06.995-06:00The Return of the Photo Wall<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10700232164/" title="Wall Art Collage by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/10700232164_e0141e9d81.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Wall Art Collage"></a></center><br />
Readers who have been around awhile may remember that not too long after moving in, we hung an <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2010/01/day-179365-newbunny.html">art collage</a> in the rec room. Then we <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/search?q=rec+room&updated-max=2010-08-26T23:59:00-05:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false">reorganized around a new piece</a>. And <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2012/05/triumphant.html">painted the rec room</a>.<br />
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For the last year an a half, the art intended for this wall has sat in a pile on the floor. Because we are nothing if not timely. ; )<br />
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This weekend, I decided to Do Something about that and got the layout determined and the pieces hung. Total time? Less than 2 hours, which includes the time for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=3m%20photo%20hangers">3M adhesive</a> to cure. I love, love, love the result.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10700183645/" title="Wall Art Collage by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/10700183645_4f8177e3e4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Wall Art Collage"></a></center><br />
(Hmm...apparently I don't have any pictures of this, but the big bird print shown in the second layout has moved to another wall. I'll try to get a shot up this month. : )Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-16205038661386266222013-11-04T20:01:00.001-06:002013-11-04T20:01:11.811-06:00SWE Conference--Food Tour<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658353966/" title="Baltimore Collage by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3811/10658353966_76a434292d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Baltimore Collage"></a></center><br />
After getting set up in my hotel room, I took a nice stroll down to the Baltimore Conference Center. It's funny how much closer it seems when you aren't handling eleventy zillion bags. I took my sweet time and some pictures.<br />
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Once I arrived at the conference center I met up with my group to tour Little Italy and we hopped on a bus. After aimlessly driving in circles through Little Italy, our tour guide flagged us down and showed our driver where to park. And with that, our adventure began!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658350536/" title="Food Tour by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7437/10658350536_21de5b9729.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Food Tour"></a></center><br />
Our tour began on a bocce court, which is apparently hugely popular. From there we walked through Little Italy as <a href="http://www.baltimorefoodtours.com/">Dave, our tour guide,</a> told us a little about the history of the area. Our first stop was <a href="http://www.chiapparellis.com/">Chiapparellis</a> for soup, bread, and an antipasto platter.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658558323/" title="Chiapparellis by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/10658558323_94b27ce946.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Chiapparellis"></a></center><br />
This was easily my favorite stop of the tour. The antipasto platter was outstanding, even including some whole capers. Turns out they are structured similarly to okra, with the little pods I usually think of as capers being the immature buds. The mozzarella was ridiculously fresh and soft. <br />
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We talked over the meal and I chatted with another mechanical engineer. She was more on the industrial process side of things so it was interesting to hear her career trajectory--and see pictures of her gorgeous phoenix tattoo.<br />
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As things wound down we headed back outside and down the block to <a href="http://www.therealciaobella.com/">Ciao Bella</a>.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658317945/" title="Ciao Bella by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3689/10658317945_b12c1ee3f2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Ciao Bella"></a></center><br />
Poor Dave was trying to give us a wonderful spiel on the old row houses, but the weather had turned suddenly cold and gusty and suddenly everyone just wanted inside. He took it in stride, cut his speech short, and ushered us into the warmth. <br />
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Ciao Bella was home of our main course--eggplant parmesan and meatballs on garlic bread. The eggplant parmesan was unusual in that instead of a breaded exterior, it had an egg based coating. I am not a fan of eggplant, but I tried a couple of bites. It was better than most eggplant, but still not something I wanted to eat a lot of. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it though. I did like the meatballs, but I felt like they could have had more oomph.<br />
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The highlight of this stop was the chef coming out to speak with us. He was warm and engaging, self taught and clearly in love with cooking. We were seated at small round tables and my table mates included a woman from Taiwan, still jet lagged from the flight, a bubbly college student spilling over with enthusiasm, and an engineer from Texas.<br />
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After our first main course, we walked a few blocks to <a href="http://www.piedigrottabakery.com/">Piedigrotta</a>.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658345356/" title="Piedigrotta by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3711/10658345356_b9e7e83aa1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Piedigrotta"></a></center><br />
Let's just pretend that walk actually burned some calories because once we arrived we found ourselves served heaping plates of pasta. The dish was fantastic. The pasta was clearly fresh and the sauce was very light, more oil than tomatoes. Mixed in with the noodles was lean ground beef, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Each serving was sprinkled with ground parmesean. For those with even an ounce of room left (people were stacking up the to go boxes at this point), dessert was a fabulously light, sponge cake based <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramisu">tiramasu</a>. This is especially notable as the owner of Piedigrotta claims to have invented the dessert. It was, as one of my table mates said, certainly good enough to be original.<br />
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In addition to the restaurant, and perhaps more notably, Piedigrotta is a bakery. Many of my fellow foodies left with boxes of cookies. I looked longingly at their boxes of still soft biscotti, but left empty handed, knowing there would be plenty of food on the trip (including an ice cream social that night) and I did not need to add a dozen biscotti to my count.<br />
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We wrapped up the tour with a brief walk back to our bus. The cold was no longer as biting, so Dave was able to share a bit more information with us. Then it was back on the bus, to the convention center, and to the hotel for a brief pause before heading back out again.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-63015679606608755292013-11-03T17:53:00.000-06:002013-11-03T21:24:28.311-06:00SWE Conference--Getting to Baltimore<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10523928416/" title="Badge by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5507/10523928416_9989e9890c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Badge"></a></center><br />
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference is always a highlight of my year. I've been attending, whenever I am able, since 2005, with the last one being in 2010. Conference is full of entirely much too much to pack into one blog entry, so we'll break it into pieces.<br />
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The day the conference kicked off, I woke up entirely too early, got ready and was heading out the door when Jack knocked a plate off the counter. I swept up the big pieces, alerted a still sleeping hubby to the potential for impalement and ran out the door. By the time I made it to my gate everyone was already boarded and they were greeting me by name. Oops.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I had a brief layover in Charlotte where we played boarding gate shuffle, took a few pictures, and read in my book. <br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658565823/" title="Charlotte Layover by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2815/10658565823_0af5e5585e.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Charlotte Layover"></a></center><br />
Upon arriving in Baltimore, I was directed to the light rail. $1.60 got me dropped off directly next to the conference center where I registered myself and my three roomates, nearly losing my phone in the process. Thankfully, everything for my trip was on my phone so it took me about 3 minutes to realize I had left it behind. And even more thankfully, the registration desk had noticed and held onto it for me. <br />
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I then trundled my suitcase, tote bag, and 4 new conference bags back to the hotel. I was helped out along the way by a very sweet young lady who helped me carry all those bags!<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10658739733/" title="Hotel by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/10658739733_89497db573.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Hotel"></a></center><br />
Once I got settled in my room, I put in a call for more towels (2 towels for 4 adults is laughable) and hung out for a few minutes. Then I grabbed my purse and headed back out. I had a food tour to hit! : )Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-67688560911673496342013-11-02T20:03:00.000-05:002013-11-02T20:03:43.406-05:00Wedding!<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10635725026/" title="Wedding Collage by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/10635725026_63db310357.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Wedding Collage"></a></center><br />
I suppose after that tease in <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/11/blogging-madness.html">my last post</a>, it's the least I can do to start off this month by talking about the wedding we attended last weekend.<br />
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I love weddings. It's a chance to dance and laugh. To see friends and celebrate. To get nostalgic about our own wedding. And it helps that our friends and family tend to put on amazing affairs. (Disclaimer, I'm probably rather biased in that evaluation).<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This couple was no exception. We've known the groom for years, his ex girlfriend was one of the first people I met when we moved to town. And his now wife is an amazing lady--a tattoo artist who is into historical costuming, belly dancing, and raising hairless cats. She made not only her own dress (including bustle and corset) but also period dresses (plus bustles and corsets) for 6 her brides-people. In less than a year. That alone should deserve a medal!<br />
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The wedding itself was held at a historic home which was owned by the family of the bride. The officiant was another friend of ours, who is getting in the habit of marrying everyone in our circle of friends (and always does a fantastic job!)<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10524148073/" title="Jason and Laura's Wedding! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2810/10524148073_c7e88ae61f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Jason and Laura's Wedding!"></a></center><br />
They served chili from one favorite local restaurant and cupcakes from another (see the picture up top). A photographer did a "photo booth", a historical string band played the music and later taught the guests old time historical dances like the Virgina Reel. (Which was So Much Fun! I've always loved the look of old fashioned dances, but actually dancing them is even better! Even if I can't keep count and kept reeling the wrong way. Still ridiculously fun!)<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10523960814/" title="Jason and Laura's Wedding! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/10523960814_5d92e906a3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jason and Laura's Wedding!"></a></center><br />
After the band left, the bride and her belly dancing troupe danced while her new husband drummed alongside one of the group's more experienced drummers.<br />
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After the wedding started breaking up, we checked into our hotel, got settled and then went out for a late night dinner/midnight snack with some of the other friends who were staying in town. It was a low key ending to a lovely day.<br />
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Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-76738939425105595152013-11-01T19:23:00.000-05:002013-11-01T19:29:34.808-05:00Blogging Madness<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10523945746/" title="Jason and Laura's Wedding! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/10523945746_1d593e0533.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jason and Laura's Wedding!"></a></center><br />
It's November which means it's national write like nuts month. There's <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, NaNoBloMo, <a href="http://seejanewritemagazine.com/2013/10/21/why-should-i-bloglikecrazy/">Blog Like Crazy</a>, and probably lots more. But this year it seems like my circle is all in. And I haven't updated here in almost a month. So call it peer pressure. Call it inspiration. Call it a trial run.<br />
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Whatever you call it, you can thank/blame these lovely ladies:<br />
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<a href="http://blogfifty.blogspot.com/">Blog Fifty</a><br />
<a href="http://www.misszoot.com/">Zoot</a><br />
<a href="http://spacefem.livejournal.com/">Space Fem</a><br />
<a href="http://theanviltree.com/">The Anvil Tree</a><br />
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I'm going to <i>attempt</i> to post every day this month. I make no promises, but at the very least it's got to beat last month, eh?<br />
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So let's start us off right with a cute picture of the hubby and I at a friends' (is that the correct punctuation, when we are the friends of both the bride and the groom?) wedding last weekend. I'll tell you about the wedding in another post (hey, I need like 30 of them! ; ), so for now just know that it was gorgeous. Filled with amazing people, personal touches, and old timey dancing!Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-16355081107453304692013-10-08T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-13T16:56:36.116-05:00Cat-i-tude<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9885343464/" title="Abby by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/9885343464_a14587e349.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Abby"></a></center><br />
Because the internet needs more cute cat pictures. That's Abby keeping me company as I hang out in the sunroom.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-63429979445904535052013-10-06T18:48:00.003-05:002013-10-06T18:48:46.989-05:00The World Through My Eyes: Downtown<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9885418103/" title="Downtown Huntsville by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9885418103_4f8e89da55.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Downtown Huntsville"></a></center><br />
On the way back to my car after a lunch downtown. Sunny. Gorgeous.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-17006396065807650972013-10-05T20:12:00.000-05:002013-10-05T20:12:35.246-05:00Iron Caddy<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9885434583/" title="Iron Caddy by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9885434583_667471730b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Iron Caddy"></a></center><br />
You may remember awhile back when I made <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/02/upgrade-pieced-drawstring-bag.html">a drawstring bag</a> to carry my handstitching supplies. And those of you with really good memories may recall that I wanted to make an <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2012/09/quilty-to-dos.html">iron</a> <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/01/2013-quilty-to-dos.html">caddy</a>. Well part of what was holding me up on the iron caddy was choosing a fabric. Because you can use it as a pressing pad, it's important to use a single piece of fabric (no seams to cause wrinkles and bumps). And I was suffering from perfectionism. Especially once I completed the drawstring bag and realized that I would <i>really</i> prefer it if they matched.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Finally I decided I needed to jump in. So I went digging through my fabric stash. Holding up this and that to see how it went. It was while doing this that the obvious answer jumped out at me...make the iron caddy from the lovely green linen I used as the interior of the bag! It coordinates! It's one of my favorite fabrics, in my favorite color! And it would be just one piece!<br />
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Problem solved! : D<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/10108753396/" title="Iron Caddy by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/10108753396_962d4c08d0_b.jpg" width="452" height="1024" alt="Iron Caddy"></a></center><br />
The iron caddy itself is a neat pattern. I can't take credit for that (though it was a free download, so I'm happy to pass it on if you want a copy, just send me your email address.) or even for discovering it (that would be one of the benefits of a quilt guild!). The pictures above show how it works--folding down into a flat surface which you can use to iron on. The best part though is that the heat resistance fabric means you can pack up a still warm iron without worry of burning a hole in your bag or your car's carpeting! Which means you can iron longer into a workshop or sewing day, not having to unplug before you go!<br />
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I'm really happy with how this turned out, from the beautiful fabric to the precious buttons (purchased in high school for a cloak that never came to be) to the careful stitching that lead to no seam ripping, even with the thick layers of batting, insulation, fabric, and iron covering.<br />
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Next on the "sewing for me" list? A large tote bag with pockets to carry my project bins, small tools, rulers, rotary cutter, marking pins, etc. Matching, of course.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-11758438055941380352013-09-08T20:12:00.001-05:002013-09-08T20:12:21.917-05:00Noah in Concert<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9704757106/" title="Noah! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3675/9704757106_4cd9b42ca7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Noah!"></a></center><br />
Sometime last year, a friend of mine posted about an awesome cover she heard on her local radio station. (Which, incidentally, was in Canada. Oh how I love you internet).<br />
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<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vsvlsuLau5c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<a name='more'></a>That cover lead me to subscribe to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/only1noah">his you tube channel</a>. And then to fund his indie-go-go campaign to record an album. When the album arrived last month, I found myself playing it on loop.<br />
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So you'll understand why when I heard that he was coming to town, I jumped at the opportunity. It may have been a late show for a weeknight, but with $5 tickets, how could I refuse? Instead I brought a friend along. : )<br />
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I really enjoyed the show. We stopped by his table afterwards and when I mentioned I was an Indie-go-go supporter, I totally got a hug. ^_^<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9701522885/" title="Noah! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/9701522885_6a9a1d2fbf.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Noah!"></a></center><br />
My hubby keeps telling me we are hipsters and I keep resisting. I mean hipsters are all thick rimmed glasses and skinny jeans and pretentious bullshit, right? And then I keep finding myself doing hipster-y things. So what can I say? Maybe my little local produce loving, undiscovered artist supporting heart has a small hipster streak. And maybe I'm just too busy enjoying awesome music and delicious food to really care what label comes with that.Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-90260951168899317152013-08-17T21:14:00.001-05:002013-09-08T20:12:48.835-05:00Free Motion Freedom<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9491066630/" title="Free Motion Quilting Workshop by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7326/9491066630_a51d76c291.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Free Motion Quilting Workshop"></a></center><br />
Last weekend my guild hosted a free motion quilting workshop. I'd bought a free motion foot back in December and used it exactly...oh, never...so this seemed like a good opportunity to learn. I have a tough time dedicating materials and time to practice pieces (I'm not sure why it feels wasteful, since it's the only way to learn, but it does) but this gave me an excuse. The class also gave me motivation to keep going instead of tinkering for a few moments and then jumping into an actual project. In other words? It was exactly what I needed.<br />
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Our fearless leader had us start by doodling sprials, patterns, and shapes on a whiteboard to get a feel for the travel and connecting shapes.<br />
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Then we jumped onto a small practice piece.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9491065774/" title="Free Motion Quilting Workshop by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/9491065774_1acbdccbee.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Free Motion Quilting Workshop"></a></center><br />
Once that was filled, we changed thread colors and went over it again.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9488269483/" title="Free Motion Quilting Workshop by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/9488269483_0bb4a8895e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Free Motion Quilting Workshop"></a></center><br />
Can you see the improvement between the two? I can. : )<br />
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I was concerned about taking the leap to a large quilt, so once I finished that, I moved to my large (baby quilt sized) practice piece. (My feet give some sense of scale.)<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9488269919/" title="Free Motion Quilting Workshop by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/9488269919_d460cabbfd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Free Motion Quilting Workshop"></a></center><br />
At this point, I started to tucker out, hence some of the much more open space and random jellyfish doodle amoung the hearts. Still, I free motion quilted! And loved it! It was much more intuitive than I thought it might be (I never really had a problem with moving the quilt under the needle, versus the mindset of moving a pen over paper.)<br />
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I can't wait to free motion quilt all the things!<br />
Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-22100772397276341402013-07-27T12:32:00.002-05:002013-07-27T12:32:49.257-05:00Josh's Quilt<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9348770160/" title="Josh's Quilt by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/9348770160_f29902ed1d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Josh's Quilt"></a></center><br />
A couple of weeks ago, my mom called with some news. And an idea. One of her close friends' son in law has apparently been in the hospital for almost two months. As a complication of childhood cancer, he'd needed a heart valve replacement. He had that surgery and apparently almost everything that could go wrong has and he's had multiple open heart surgeries, pneumonia, fluid in his lungs, etc, etc.<br />
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His wife has been trying to keep things together for their small children and my heart aches for her. I can't even imagine what she is going through. Josh's doctors had asked for people to send cards, as keeping his spirits up is an important part of the recovery process. <br />
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Which lead my mom to her idea: she knew my guild was making charity quilts, would we be interested in making one for Josh? I ran the idea by my guild and was awed by the positive response. In less than two weeks we had gone from my inital post on the facebook group to the finished quilt being delivered to my mom's friend, for delivery to Josh.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9345982289/" title="Josh's Quilt by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/9345982289_ca429d6957.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Josh's Quilt"></a></center><br />
He's an IT guy, and my guild came through with nerdy focal fabrics. We have a keyboard print, space invaders, circuit boards, robots, gears, and blueprints.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9302691533/" title="Sewing for Cause by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/9302691533_c5c6dea268.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sewing for Cause"></a></center><br />
The pattern is one made by one of our members previously, the <a href="http://www.spotlight.com.au/inspiration/projects/oriental-garden-quilt/">Oriental Garden</a>. (Word to the wise, there are some measurement errors in the borders). The back was pure improv, based on the fabric on hand.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9348769532/" title="Josh's Quilt by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/9348769532_7391f88bf9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Josh's Quilt"></a></center><br />
We held an impromptu sewing day and one guild member helped me cut, iron, and sew for over 8 hours. I finished up adding the borders, making the back, and prepping the binding and then handed if off to another guild mate who quilted and bound it.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9345982579/" title="Josh's Quilt by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3783/9345982579_36a9eb6aa9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Josh's Quilt"></a></center><br />
My mother was touched to see the quilt come together and I am proud to be part of a guild that heard a request for help and said "Yes, absolutely, what more can I do?"<br />
Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-18167659712007152192013-07-09T00:01:00.000-05:002013-07-09T00:01:01.053-05:00Charity Quilt #3<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9171914742/" title="Charity Quilt #3 by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/9171914742_62e5e86f2a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Charity Quilt #3"></a></center><br />
In <a href="http://www.mrsdragon.net/2013/06/sewing-for-cause-coming-together.html">my last post</a>, I mentioned that our final quilt top would be red/pink and auqua/blue. I need to make one more blue block to round this out, and this isn't the final layout, but here are the blocks. This has been a good exercise for me in "things do not need to be closely matched to look good together". I never would have thought peach, fuschia, orange-red, and true red could work together in a quilt and all read as "red". But they do! : )Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-26966943474046790862013-07-08T00:01:00.000-05:002013-07-08T00:01:00.117-05:00Happy Birthday to Me!<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9232991811/" title="Happy Birthday to Me! by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/9232991811_89515f11f9.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Happy Birthday to Me!"></a></center><br />
I turned 31 last month and to celebrate the hubby and I threw a board game/taco bar bash. We had somewhere around 20 people show up and I had a lovely time. We ate, we chatted, I introduced friends to other friends, and we board gamed. The cats were not thrilled with the crowd, but they did hang out on the stairs and even came down once the crowd started thinning out.<br />
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It was a great way to kick off another year. ^_^ The gorgeous dragons you see in the collage are bookends and they were a gift from my husband. They are stunning. I need to decide where to put them (in a bookshelf in the rec room? in my craft room?), but for now I love just seeing them. They are cast in the US, based off sculptures made by an artist. <br />
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The avocados in the bottom row were my mother's contribution to our celebration--real California avocados! ^_^Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35524445.post-26200185622620714022013-07-07T18:19:00.001-05:002013-07-07T18:19:12.991-05:00Project Number Next<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdragon/9171914866/" title="Word Quilt by MrsDragon, on Flickr"><img alt="Word Quilt" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5497/9171914866_0bb435fb54.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
My next quilt is a word quilt, done in shades of blue, gray, and orange and filled with happy thoughts. For the back, I'm planning on enlarging a single block. <a href="http://www.quilterscache.com/W/WyomingValleyBlock.html">This one</a> to be exact. It's going to be lovely (and large, I'm thinking 100" x 100").Amanda Congerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116342707972274503noreply@blogger.com0