USC Blanket: Stacked and Layered

One of my favorite babies just turned one-year old recently, and so I made him a USC blanket.  The pattern comes from Super Simple Quilts #3 by Alex Anderson and Liz Aneloski.  It is called "Stacked and Layered" (hence the post title). 

Their pattern says to use five different fabrics for the top, but I went with four because I wanted USC to be the primary theme  

Putting together the quilt top was very easy and very quick.  Once everything was basted together, I quilted by hand...geez there are times I wish I would just pay someone to machine quilt for me.  But, that's okay, this time I did not have time to send this out to someone else.

USC Baby Blanket and 30 Day Song Challenge

Super random, I know. It is just that life has been busy, and so I am behind.


The blanket is for my friends and their new son, who is obviously USC's lastest little fan. The yarn is Vanna's Choice in cranberry by Lion Brand, and the pattern is from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.

As for "the 30 Day Song Challenge," well, I got that from my friend of the hippofairy blog. Basically, you are supposed to post a different song each day. The "rules" are below. And I will say now that I will struggle with picking just one song.

Day 01 - Your Favorite Song
Barnacled Warship by Johnny Flynn

30 Day Song Challenges Rules
day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

The Mighty Mites

Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football by Jim Dent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The idiom says, "Don't just a book by it's cover." What about the book jacket?

All it took was reading the book jacket, and I was a goner for Jim Dent's Twelve Mighty Orphans. Then again, maybe I should have judged this book by it's cover because the rest of the title is "the Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football"—what's not to love?

The book covers the story of the Masonic Home Mighty Mites during the 1930s and 1940s, when America was in the dark depths of the Great Depression. For hundreds of children, the Masonic Home was the place you came to when one or both of your parents died or because they could simply not afford to care for you. Life at the Home may not have been the most comfortable (no shoes for orphans between April 1 and October 1) or nurturing (the deans wielded paddles and a heavy hand), but it was a place of lasting friendships and education.

Enter Coach Rusty Russell. Coach Russell himself possessed a tenacious and determined spirit. During the Big War he was devastatingly injured when a canister of mustard gas landed nearby and blinded him. He eventually regained his eyesight, but was forced to wear thick glasses in order to see. Once back in the U.S., doctors instructed him to give up football, but he wore his glasses and was selected to the all-conference teams for football and basketball. The man gave up a good job at Temple High School in Texas, where he had a 20-3 record and took his team to the 1925 state-semifinal. He walked away from Temple to the Masonic Home where he would be faced with always-undersized players, an old blue Dodge for transportation, and uniforms made from t-shirts and spray paint.

I haven't even got to the orphans yet. But really, what's the point? Jim Dent tells their story so wonderfully, and I wouldn't want to cheat anyone from this experience. Just go get the book. Even if you don't love football, surely you love the underdog. After all, the Mighty Mites were playing at the same time Seabiscuit was racing and James "Cinderella Man" Braddock was fighting; and their story is just as movie-worthy.



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How Today is About Football and My Sister

I'm a little distracted by the BCS Championship, so about all I can manage right now is to talk about two things: 1) the BCS; and 2) Mindy Metivier Photography gift certificates.

The BCS. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I always want to watch the national championship. This year especially (for reasons unknown even to me), I wanted someone to take down the SEC. Maybe it's because I have lived in California since 1996, or maybe it's because I've been brainwashed by all my Trojan and Bruin friends and I cheer for the Pac-10 when my Bows aren't in it (they're never in it). Whatever. I was pulling for the Ducks.

So much so, that the neighbors probably think I'm nuts.

Yes, I yell at the TV.

Well, the yelling is over. The Ducks lost. Ugh.

Silver lining. Silver lining.

Oops, sorry, it's something I've been hearing a lot lately.

So today's silver lining is that soon you will be able to buy gift certificates to Mindy Metivier Photography. How is it silver-lining? Well, even though Oregon lost the BCS today, it is also the same day that my sister announced that she will soon have gift certificates available for purchase. That's good for her, so by extension, I'm thinking it's good for me.

Silver lining. Right.

The Last Baby Blanket of 2010

Here's a blanket, made by special-request! It was a little weird making a blanket with two different football teams (this was for a two-team household), but that is mostly because I struggled with matching the fabric. It seems to have turned out okay though.


An up-close view so you can see the hand-quilting I did, and so you can see my team, the Colts.


This is just so you can see a bench that has appeared in photo shoots by Mindy Metivier Photography. By the way, this blanket was made in California and Hawaii.

So What's the Penalty? Excessive Blocking.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For three months I sat on my library's wait list for Michael Lewis' The Blind Side. To say it was "worth the wait" does not sufficiently describe how I feel about this book.

It is one of the best sports-related books I have ever read, and I am quite dazed by Mr. Lewis. My first thought while reading this was that any football fan should read it. But now that I am done with the book, I think everyone should read it.

For football fans, Mr. Lewis did the incredible job of researching and telling readers about the "Evolution of a Game" (the book's tagline). His story takes you through the changes football went through during the 1980s, and the arrival of Lawrence Taylor, a linebacker for the New York Giants. Mr. Lewis ties his historical analysis to the personal story of Michael Oher.

For me, it was magic. I have always been a fan of football and the passing game. While watching the University of Hawaii as a child, I could never understand why they would ever run the ball. Maybe UH had a poor running game; I do not really remember. What I remember is Garrett Gabriel, the UH quarterback who led them to a win--a win after a 15-year drought--over then-arch-rival, BYU in 1989.

Garrett Gabriel could throw the ball, and he was a hero in Hawaii for beating BYU, so I grew up on the passing game. What a shock it was for me, 21 years after that win, to read that not only was the pass an illegal play until 1906, but a bias against the pass lasted through the 1960s.

Intermixed with all the football history is Michael Oher's amazing story. It was so amazing, that I will seek out a Baltimore Ravens game this season, just to see this man play in his second NFL season. It was so amazing, that I think anyone who has seen the movie, should read also read the book. Michael Oher, and his Tuohy family are the kind of people that give you hope for people and for this country. Times may be bad, and there maybe a lot of negativity in this world, but it all gets a little brighter when you read The Blind Side.


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Welcome Back College Football

Today is September 2, 2010 and it's also the beginning of one of my favorite times of year: the college football season. To top it off, my team, the University of Hawaii, is playing on national TV. Then to top it off again, UH is playing the most competitive game I have ever seen them play against USC.

I am liking what I see of this UH team, and I hope Bryant Moniz stays healthy. He looks super quick and he's got a gun for an arm.

Go Bows!

And yes, I know they are the Warriors now, but they will always be the Bows to me, dressed in Kelly green.

30th Birthday Blanket

This blanket has been a few years in the making. I have been meaning to make Mr. U. a blanket for a few years, but never got around to it, and since he turned 30 this year, I made it a priority. As you might guess, he likes sports, so it has football, baseball and golf on it. There's also some dart-beer-themed fabric.


I hand-tacked with embroidery stitches. The main body of the fabric is stitched with a fly stitch.


The border is stitched with a knot-stitch, but I forgot what it's called; and I can't refer to my book as I am writing this from Comic-Con.

Here's a full picture of the quilt, and you can even see our freshly stained deck. Next time I'll take this picture earlier in the day when the deck's not shaded.

Legendary

One of my favorite moments during a UCLA basketball game is when the camera pans over to a corner of Pauley Pavilion and finds Coach John Wooden, sitting and watching the Bruins. I am sad to say that the 2009-2010 season is the end of these favorite moments. At the age of 99, he passed away on Friday, June 4, 2010 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Coach Wooden would have celebrated his 100th birthday on October 14, 2010.

It is amazing to watch and read how all kinds of people remember Coach Wooden. In particular, I enjoyed William Nack's tribute on ESPN.



From the stories about Coach Wooden and his wife Nell to the importance Coach placed on character, to his favorite maxims, it is stunning to see how much positive influence John Wooden had in his 99 years. His legacy truly reaches beyond Westwood and basketball.

When it comes to men’s NCAA basketball, I don’t think there will ever be another coach like him. He won 10 championships, seven of them in a row. In winning seven consecutive championships, he won 38 consecutive tournament games and had four undefeated seasons. Between 1971 and 1974, Coach Wooden’s Bruins won 88 games in a row. I think these winning records in men's college basketball will stand in the years to come.

But Coach Wooden was concerned with more than winning basketball games. He valued character and education. He lived by a Seven Point Creed and developed the "Pyramid of Success"to be used as a teaching tool. His maxims are useful words for anyone to keep in mind as they go about their lives.

Here are my favorites:

Be quick, but don’t hurry.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.

It’s about what is correct, not who is correct.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

I hope I will remember Coach Wooden’s creed as I live my life. They served him well, and I think it would be the best way to remember him.

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer

In 2005, my Manoa-School-friend, Cory K. told me about a book he was reading, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John. When Cory told me about a couple who skipped their daughter's wedding because she scheduled it on game day, I went and bought a copy.

I love this book. It appeals to the sports fan in me, and I saw myself in the anecdotes St. John shared. I even sent an email to Mr. St. John, thanked him for writing the book, and told him how I too was a fan of my dad's team (the Yankees in this case) and how the University of Hawaii football team could make or break my weekend. How thrilled was I when "he" (or maybe someone on his staff) wrote back? The sports dork in me loved it.

Rammer Jammer has been percolating in my head for the past few days with all the hoopla surrounding Thursday's BCS National Championship Game. Between lamenting over not being able to watch the game (I have to work an event) and hoping that Dan Patrick interviews St. John this week, I think I need to re-read the book. As far as who I want to win, I don't normally cheer for the Longhorns or the Crimson Tide, but I'm going with the Tide on this one, just for Warren St. John.

Home-Home

Contrary to what my family may believe, I do miss my home-home, Hawaii. Beyond the lilikoi iced tea, Island Manapua and W&M Drive-In, I miss my family. Then there are those only-in-Hawaii moments: a fan of shoes outside the front door; the ice-cold slush of your sort-of frozen, sort-of melted can of juice; and the surf phone tree.

I experienced a little bit of the surf phone tree yesterday when my dad called to tell me that the Eddie Aikau was on and there was a live-feed online. It was a sweet way to end the day, watching pro surfers drop-in on some ginormous waves. I loved hearing names like Sunny Garcia, Bruce Irons and Shane Dorian called out. It took me back to high school, and I am always amazed to see that that those guys are all still competitively surfing.

The moment when Greg Nolan went on his 100-point ride sticks out most in my mind. The way the camera shot him dropping in reminded me of the footage of Greg Noll taking on Waimea Bay in Riding Giants. Chicken skin.

I was so proud yesterday to see my home-home, and I was glad to see all those people on the beach playing hookie. The Eddie has been around for 25 years, but because the wave-face has to consistently hit 40 feet, this was only the eighth running of the contest. How often do you get to experience a day like the Eddie?

I can't help but think the Eddie Aikau is so much cooler than Mavericks. Considering that I live in Nor Cal, it's surf blasphemy, I know. But I can't help it. Waimea Bay is beautiful, the temps were near 80 yesterday, and sunshine beats fog any day in my world.

The Day That Dan Was Sick

I admit, I am late to the party with the the Dan Patrick Show, so on November 3, I find myself listening to the show from September 25; but I am so glad that I didn't miss this one. Apparently, Dan got sick on the night of the U2 concert and didn't come in for the next morning's radio show.

In the past, when Dan's been out, the show brings in a guest host to sub. I have never listened to one of those shows. This time, I listened. Show hosts were none other than the Danettes themselves: Paulie, Fritzy, Seton and McLovin'. It was a nice surprise, and I thought the guys did a great job. Even though it's not quite the same without Dan, it was still a funny show. Now that I think about it, the show would lack something without one of the Danettes.

Postseason Baseball

It is an amazing thing to walk into a baseball stadium for a postseason game. This is a moment when you can actually feel excitement in the air. It is something not to be missed--well worth a vacation day, and maybe even missing school (don't tell my sisters I said that).

My first postseason game was in 2005, Angels vs. Yankees (American League Division Series Game 2). It was unbelievable, but yesterday's ALCS Game 3 (against the Yankees again) was even better.

It was the best baseball game, no, best sporting event, I have ever been to in my entire life. The game went into extra innings, the Angels came back from a deficit and a tie-game, and except for Bobby Abreu's base running error, it was a well-played game.

Happy Birthday Coach Wooden

Today is Coach John Wooden's 99th birthday. If you don't know this man, he is the legendary UCLA Men's Basketball Coach whose teams won ten NCAA championship games in 12 years; had an 88-game win streak; and went 30-0 for four seasons. You can still see him at home games, and it is very cool to see him there.

The Los Angeles Times has a great piece on him to commemorate this occasion. Who knew that he almost went to the University of Minnesota? Thank goodness for "inclement weather."

Happy birthday Coach!

Finally

Congratulations to the Angels for finally beating out the Red Sox for a post-season series! The last few years of losing to them in the American League Championship and Division Series have been agonizing and despairing times for me as a fan. The fact that this was a series sweep and a come-from-behind-victory makes this one of my all-time favorite baseball memories.

I love October.

Friday Night Apron

Most of my projects are made as gifts for other people, but once in awhile I sneak something in for myself. I have been meaning to make this apron for a longtime, but just got around to it a couple of weeks ago. Unless you actually click on the picture, you cannot see the fabric--Angels for the bodice, and baseball for the bottom piece. Click on it, and you will see how I love baseball and the Angels.

This is the second time I have used this pattern (the first time I made my sister a purple apron as part of her bridal shower gift), and I forgot that I needed to modify the sash. Oh well, next time.

Hopefully I will have more time to make more things for myself. Mostly so that I can get through some of the fabric stash I have piled up in the closet, in various plastic and canvas bins, under my sewing table...maybe I should just go and sew.

I LOVE LA

I do miss Southern California and I look forward to some quality time with Los Angeles. Life by the beach is the best, and I will pretend I'm back for a few days. Let's hope there's some sunshine and 80-degree weather. Oh, and there will be football at the Coliseum.

March Madness

I love when March rolls around. Along with October, it is one of the best month for sports. In March there is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and Spring Training for the MLB. I was going to boycott March Madness this year since the Big East was awarded with three one-seeds, but old habits hang around, and here I am watching the first round of the tourney.

On the other hand, it's a little hard to completely love March this year. There is actual madness to the month this year: moving and pending layoffs at work. Makes me want to be a hermit.

Why I Listen to the Dan Patrick Show

While I desperately clung to the vestiges of my former life in LA, Dan Patrick announced he would be soon leaving ESPN and his ESPN radio show in August 2007. In the well-there-goes-my-favorite-sports-talk-radio-show sense I was devastated. I couldn't even get ESPN radio in the Bay Area, and had just found the podcasts to his show on iTunes--I could feel another tie to Los Angeles loosening.

But, the knot didn't completely undo itself and several months later I stumbled upon Dan Patrick's radio show again. Somehow, the internet led me to his new home with Sports Illustrated (www.danpatrick.com). I was teeny-bopper happy again to have found Dan on the radio. I still get his shows on podcasts because the tape-delayed version is played in the Bay Area some time in the afternoon when I'm at work.

You might wonder why I listen to Dan Patrick, or why I even turn on sports talk radio. First of all, Dan is funny. Then, there's his crew, Paulie, Seton, Fritzie and McLovin'--they have the best work dynamic and they always sound like they're having way too much fun. Of course, there's the fact that I love sports. Finally, it's because Dan has a way of sharing some new bit of information with the audience, and in the process, makes me laugh.

Before I tell you what I learned from Dan today, I must admit that I am extremely far behind in my podcasts, so I was listening to something from November 2008.

So, the best reason for listening to Dan is because you can learn stuff like the fact that Peyton Manning once asked Justin Timberlake to get him a pair of bowling shoes because he had no idea who Justin was; and JT actually went along with it and got him the shoes! At the time, I would venture to say that JT was bigger than Peyton since N'Sync was together and Peyton had just been signed by the Colts. Of course, the exchange between Dan and JT is much better, so go download the podcast from November 12. It is Peyton-Manning-MasterCard-commercial-priceless.