Namaste, y'all!

Isn't this pretty?! Paper Bear has the prettiest cards!

Liberty of London Hello Kitty Fabric!

Tana Lawn "Hello Kitty Wonderland"
At $36.95/yard. . .Hello new computer screensaver and phone wallpaper!

Friday Flowers

"Farm Bunch" from Whole Foods

Damn you, Starbucks!

Actual Size - 2 1/2" tall - honest!

And your new Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino.  Good thing it was sample-sized or else I would have dove in head first!

Bird Day

Today is Bird Day!

State Bird of Texas - the Mockingbird

Texas designated the mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) as the official state bird in 1927.

The Texas Legislature noted that the mockingbird:
"...is found in all parts of the State, in winter and in summer, in the city and in the country, on the prairie and in the woods and hills...is a singer of distinctive type, a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan..."

Thursday Tea Time

This week - Choice Organic Teas Decaffeinated Mango Ceylon Tea

Cost:  $4.29 at Whole Foods, I saw this brand recently at a Signature Kroger for $3.99; and I also believe some of the larger HEB's carry it.  I  Surprisingly, this flavor is not available in the decaffeinated version on their website.

Number of teabags:  16            
Caffeine:  No

Type of tea:   Black

Steeping time:  5 minutes

Add ins: Hot - a little teaspoonful of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Fat Free, Sugar Free Vanilla Powder

Iced - Perfect as is!
Teabag fragrance: Fruity vanilla

Ingredients:  Naturally decaffeinated organic black tea, natural mango flavor and organic vanilla extract.

Opinion:  Nice!  As the weather warms up, I tend to go towards fruity flavors, seeking the perfect iced tea, but also wanting to enjoy something hot after dinner.  Bizarre quirk, but if it keeps me away from the ice cream...!  The mango-ness is fruity without being cloying or artificial, and the vanilla really punches it up.   

Rating:  3.75

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Ozomatli - "Love and Hope" - 4:24

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

Super Weekend Sale - May 11/13 --
McCall's $1.90
Vogue - $3.99

May 17/19 --
Butterick $1.99

New Cooking Light Cookbook!

Like a moth to a light, I found the newest addition to Cooking Light's Fresh Food Fast series - Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast 24/7 (ISBN:  978-0-8487-3645-3)  Costco's price $15.49, publisher's price $24.95.
It had me at Page 75 - Cinnamon Apple Filled French Toast - only 335 calories! (And if you are doing carb counting like me, only 3 carb servings!)

Wednesday Work In Progress - She's getting closer to the sewing machine!

on the left side it says "Nothing To Fear"

This is the underside

I love these Kelly Rae Roberts designs I found at Paper Bear in San Marcos.  They are inspirationally and perfectly placed right above my sewing machine.

The Thread That Joins Us Together -- Coats & Clark 200 Year Annivesary

Be sure to check out their website and join the celebration!  There is even a contest you can enter to win $200 prize package by submitting your sewing story (deadline July 31, 2012)

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

M83 - "Midnight City" - 4:03
Not only a good beat, but fun for flips and turns on cue (in water and on ice)!

April Showers Bring...

May flowers!
"Twister Pink" Verbena from Another Place in Time.  What a gorgeous way to herald May Day in my garden!

Coming Home

Mary Chapin Carpenter posted this on Facebook recently. Mary Oliver is the author. Here's hoping perhaps some of these words or the images which come to mind may be incorporated into one of her new songs.

and what we see is the world

that cannot cherish us

but which we cherish,

and what we see is our life

moving like that,

along the dark edges...

of everything — the headlights

like lanterns

sweeping the blackness —

believing in a thousand

fragile and unprovable things,

looking out for sorrow,

slowing down for happiness,

making all the right turns

right down to the thumping

barriers to the sea,

the swirling waves,

the narrow streets, the houses,

the past, the future,

the doorway that belongs

to you and me.

-from "Coming Home" by Mary Oliver

April Showers

Not only help bust the drought, but bring forth the rain lilies I planted!

Does anyone know what this is?

I found this volunteer plant in the backyard. The hot pink trumpet flowers are 1 1/2 inches across.
Update:  Mike Lowery from Another Place In Time identified it as Mirabilis - 4 o'clocks!
Thank you, Mike!

Thursday Tea Time - What a pair!

Pear, that is!  Two different pear teas, two different reviews.
This week -- Celestial Seasonings Perfectly Pear White Tea and
Zhena's Gypsy Biodynamic Caramelized Pear Green Tea

Cost:  Caramelized Pear $8.99 at World Market and Whole Foods

Perfectly Pear $2.49 at Whole Foods, also some grocery stores.
Number of teabags:  Caramelized Pear – 15

Perfectly Pear - 20                 
Caffeine:  Caramelized Pear – A little

Perfectly Pear – A little
Type of tea:  Caramelized Pear – Green

Perfectly Pear - White

Steeping time:  Caramelized Pear – 4 minutes

Perfectly Pear – 2 minutes

Add ins: A little bit of Stevia to Perfectly Pear to bring up the pear
Teabag fragrance:  Caramelized Pear – Pear and brown sugar

Perfectly Pear – Pear and vanilla
Ingredients:  Caramelized Pear – Organic:  Green tea, pear pieces, pear flavor, caramel flavor, marigold flowers.

Perfectly Pear  - White tea and natural pear and vanilla flavors
Opinion:  Caramelized Pear was a disappointment.  While the teabags smelled terrific, the brewed tea wasn’t up to expectation.  No caramel taste at all.  I actually thought it seemed a little bitter.   Perhaps because I just noticed the can had an expiration date of June 30 2011.  Someone here needs to go through her tea stash!

Perfectly Pear was a delight.  I think they improved the flavor from earlier versions reviewed by other blogs.  It had a very peary taste and flavor, which barely needed any sweetener, if at all.  This tastes great hot and refreshing as iced tea.
Rating:  Caramelized Pear – 0

Perfectly Pear – 3.75

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

This song is one of my most joyful ice skating favorites on my iPod Shuffle.  It is also a great swimming song, too. There are a lot of really nice change-ups.

I heard this song at Cafe Adobe, and thanks to my Android's Soundhound app, I was able to grab it. I kept thinking her voice sounded familiar and it was - who knew?

Camila and Colbie Caillat - "Entre Tus Alas" - 4:06

I Try!

I am very proud to be part of this!

Sales of this book have allowed Pattern Review to donate 100% off all royalties -- $3424.45 so far --  to the National Breast Cancer Foundation!  Click here to purchase this book, and look for me, "Oopsy-Daisy!"   (Now you can even get the Kindle edition!)