Scientist Love Is In The Air!

When we last left off Matt the "diabolical super-genius" (can you hear my eyes rolling?) just won head of household and nominated a podiatrist and a cop for elimination. Not much drama for our favorite chemistry grad student *Phew!*

Or is there?

It turns out that Super-genius decided that he was going to use the power of veto to remove one of his original nominees and put up either Brendon and Rachel. He was then able to get the whole house on board so all they have to do is actually win the power of veto.

That doesn't mean that Matt et. al. doesn't worry about the veto competition possibly being a "a physics test, a test on the table of elements or maybe even cloning a human" especially since "Brendon and Rachel are both scientists."

Whoa baby! She has them snowed! I am pretty Rachel couldn't pass a physics test! Don't they know she is a chemist! Jeesh! (There go my eyes rolling away again!)

Really the POV competition should be a piece of cake! It is 2 against 10. No problem right?

WRONG!

Brendon ends up winning the veto competition and both Brendon and Rachel are safe. Who is the super-genius now Matt?

Of course Brendon and Rachel celebrate in their typical style and their fortune teller costumes from the POV competition really get them going:

Image credit

And since every episode needs a little Rachel drama: when she endures a contrived speech set up by Brendon and Andrew (the podiatrist up for elimination) at the Veto ceremony, Rachel has to have a little meltdown:

"I feel so betrayed! He is not supposed to keep secrets from me!! Who is he in a relationship with? Andrew or me?"

You go girl! A 3-week relationship on a reality TV show definitely takes precedence over a secret man-alliance on a reality TV show. Everyone knows that!

She confronts Brendon and hilarity ensues:

Rachel: "How come you're allowed to keep secrets from me?
Brendon:"I wasn't keeping secrets from you!"
Rachel: "I feel like I am the only person I can trust right now"
Brendon: "Oh my god... It's okay. [Rubs her arm] I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your safety"

And then he says IT! Yes IT!

"I Love You"

Huh? Wha? It has only been 24 days! Certainly Rachel must feel the same way... Here it comes.. come on.. say it. Say: I love you too....

"I just don't like it when people mess with me!"

Ahh! Now THAT is true romance!

Of course when the vote to evict either Andrew or Kathy from the house came around, Andrew got the boot. Ahhh, now Rachel won't have compete for Brendon's love anymore! Her departing message to the evicted houseguest:

"Frankly Andrew, I'm not really that sad to see you go. Ain't nobody gonna get between me and my man, and especially not another man! EWW!"

Once that love-filled eviction was over, it was time for a new Head of Household competition.

Believe it or not, once again our favorite little chemist came out on top! Granted, not without first getting bleeped on live TV for swearing when her buzzer didn't work, but she still won!

So that means that next week, once again RACHEL IS HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD! Hang onto your hats.. it is going to be another fun week!

Big Brother airs Tuesdays Wednesdays and Sundays. Check back for semi-weekly updates on our favorite science power-couple (even if the only power they really have is static electricity between the sheets!)

Makin' Science Trashy: Thanks BigBrother12

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath for a Big Brother 12 update. Life has been crazy-hectic at the LabFamily hold, since we still attempting to buy a house in our new city, so my TV viewing has been limited.

But never fear! I have saved all the episodes on my DVR and it is definitely time for an update!

When we last left our fearless chemistry grad student Rachel, she and her showmance Brendon were running the show after winning Head of Household and the ability to choose who was up for elimination.

The love continued to blossom between Rachel and Brendon this week. There were plenty of lip-smacking-good scenes of them in their private HoH room, and it appeared they couldn't take their hands off each other, much to the annoyance of all the other people in the house. When questioned on which she would choose: Brendon or the half-million dollar prize for winning the game, Rachel sheepishly answered "Brendon."

How refreshing, true love on reality tv, we've never seen that before. GAG ME.

Rachel's biggest haters (and I will confess, my favorite players) Brittany and Monet, stressed out about being on the block which incited comments about their nominator like:

Brittany: "Every time she wears a skirt I feel like STDs have gone airborne."
Monet: "I hope she loses her job, then she can get her job back as a stripper."
Brittany: "Monet, Rachel is a chemist (eye roll.)"
Monet: "Yeah, she is making science trashy."

Awesome.

The only thing that could save these two was to win the Power of Veto and remove themselves from the block. And fortunately for her, Brittany does just that. She wins the POV competition and vetoes her nomination. Rachel promptly replaces her with another houseguest. Unfortunately, in the following episode Monet ends up getting eliminated with a live TV vote.

The end of the elimination ceremony also means the end of our girl Rachel's power as Head of Household. Rachel is also no longer immune from being voted out. Uh-oh!


Other happenings this week:

There was another FANTASTIC development along the lines of science during these episodes. One of the houseguests (who considers himself (in his words) "a diabolical super-genius") decided to make up a story about his wife in order to win sympathy from his fellow contestants.

Matt, a 32 year old web designer (and supposed member of Mensa), is telling people that his wife has a debilitating bone disease "Melorheostosis" (which he actually saw on TV) and that he only joined the show to pay for her "cure." Poor Woman! Who wouldn't want him to win with quotes like:

"She will either have to stop walking or they will have to cut her leg off."

Good plan buddy, except you have a house full of "doctors" including a PODIATRIST! (Although Matt doesn't know he really is a doctor, Matt believes he is a shoe salesman.)

Of course the podiatrist doesn't believe Matt's story, but not because he questions his knowledge of Melorheostosis' treatments or symptoms. No. He doesn't believe Matt because he has never heard of Melorheostosis, when in fact it is a rare disease caused by mutations in the LEMD3 gene. Oh the irony!


So how do we wrap things up?

Sunday's episode culminated with the crowning of a new head of household: Diabolical super-genius Matt and new elimination nominations. Clearly Matt was able tear his thoughts away from his nearly wheelchair-bound wife to claim victory in the head of household competition.

In an ironic twist Matt's wife writes him a letter which talks about "feeling better", "staying strong" and how "everyone is taking care of me" in regards to his absence. These lines are completely misconstrued by the rest of the houseguests and once again sympathy pours out to Matt. Even Andrew comes around to believe that his wife is actually suffering from Melorheostosis and is very sick.

As head of household Matt also nominates two houseguests for eviction: Andrew (the Podiatrist) and Kathy (a police officer). And although we have one doctor on the chopping block, all the big players are still safe. Looks like another interesting week ahead. Stay tuned.

Big Brother usually airs Tuesdays Wednesdays and Sundays. This week the midweek episodes were delayed, so I'll update you on the Power of Veto competition in my next post.

Oh yeah, I also had a request per twitter for this:
There she is in her full glory. Hopefully she wears a little more than that and safety glasses when she is in lab or it could be dangerous.

Academia: What a Cushy Gig!

I just stumbled upon this article from the Wall Street Journal Blog The Juggle.

It is about how it is so hard for women to have children if on the tenure track and the leaky pipeline phenomenon in academia. It mostly focused on the Barnard College Study of female faculty with children between 18 months and 3 years

The information is nothing new or really surprising; Lower tenure rates, timing of tenure during childbearing years, sacrifices in travel and time spent in the office vs. male counterparts. I have blogged about similar things before.

That wasn't the part I found interesting. What made it fun was the perspective of the author, Emily Peck, who is no way related to academia at all. I was giggling to myself when explained what she thought it must be like working in academia.

From my perch here in the 9-5 world of corporate America, academia has always seemed alluring, especially for a working parent. Professors usually can set their own hours and have a lot of vacation time, including summers off. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to get tenure, you also get some pretty nice job security.

I know a lot of tenured and non-tenured professors and "summers off" and "lot of vacation time" don't really come to mind.

I never really thought about what an academic career looked like to the outside world. I guess I always assumed people thought college professors and academics looked like they are portrayed in the movies and on TV. Anti-social science type, locked away in a dusty office, wearing a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows. Or a nerdy guy, scratching away at a chalkboard with a sweater vest and thick glasses. Yeah, this guy:
But one thing I never considered was that people outside of Academia would consider the tenure track as "cushy." I was truly surprised by that. However, based on a few comments to her article, it seems like at least some people agree with her:

Academia attracts a lot of people who can’t handle the office job where you have to be in every day by 8:30 am, 50 weeks a year. I don’t blame them. There is research, grading, and lesson planning to do and deadlines are hazy and mutable, making it seem like there is “always” work to do. If you treat it like a full time job and start shortly after college, there is no reason you can’t get a phd by 30. If profs worked (in an office or in class - as opposed to engaging in witty banter on facebook and going for coffee with colleagues) for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, they would be ahead of the game.

Thanks for the tip. Witty banter, Facebook and coffee, That is DEFINITELY what someone working towards their R01 deadline is doing. I'll tell them to knock it off.

On a better note, it was nice to see that by the end of the article, the author was much more empathetic to the plight of academic parents:

What was unique about the academic parents was the double-edged sword of work flexibility–the sort that I thought I coveted. The research subjects described work as “never ending.” One mother said she worked “a million hours, I think.” Mothers discussed working early mornings, nights, weekends, and in any bit of space they could find without their children. They described a feeling of not being able to “turn off.” The pressure didn’t let up on maternity leave, either, they reported.

Academia seems to not only be full of many of the same pitfalls most working parents face, but some new ones besides. Those who don’t get tenure may need to start a job hunt nationwide–that means extensive travel for interviews, questions about what happened in the last place and possibly a move to who knows where.

Just something to keep in mind when you are introducing yourself to someone at a cocktail party: "Hi, I'm LabMom. I work in academia. Are you on Facebook? I'd love to have some witty banter with you sometime."

REJECTED and on my birthday!! At least I have <*))swedish)){

I just got the email that the paper I was working on before I left the lab was flat.out.rejected. Now, granted, it had no mechanism and it was one big descriptive mess with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, but did they have to go and burst my bubble on my birthday?

Looks like it is time for a new submission, to the Journal of Interesting Yet Pointless Observations. I will be a huge hit there!

On an equally disappointing note, my birthday was a bust in more ways than one. No going out for dinner, no cake, no nothing. In fact I cooked dinner and cleaned up like any other night. LabDad did bathe the LabChildren even though it was my turn. Hurrah! But that was the highlight.

To be fair, LabDad did actually get me a gift this year but don't hold your breath. It was a bag of Swedish Fish! (I'm serious.) Now yes, I admit they are my absolute FAVORITE candy, but not exactly what I had on my birthday wish list.

Sigh.

I think I'll go eat some fish. Där er alltid nästa år. **



**translation

PhDs coming out of the woodwork! (Along with other body parts popping out all over!)

So if you saw my last post on Big Brother 12's hot science chick, you will know that she is currently the queen bee of the house. She has her own fancy digs and is living high on the hog. Yes, she actually won the big Head of Household competition and to think, she did it all while NOT WEARING PANTIES!

On Sunday's episode we got a better look into the life of Rachel aka "Ms. Planet Beach Nevada" when they revealed her favorite treats in the Head of Household room. Family pictures, M&Ms, sunscreen, oatmeal, macadamia nuts, Dove chocolate and a pink feather boa. But she was most excited about the bottle of tequila she was awarded by the Big Brother HoH gods. Lucky girl. *eye rolling*

She does have a few haters in the house. Both Brittany and Monet enjoyed doing their own impressions of Ms.PlanetBeach while sunbathing out of earshot.

"My boobs are sooo big. They are as big as your head. My boobs are soooo amazing they just, like, pop out everywhere."

Hmm. I think they have figured out Rachel's best feature.

And do you notice nobody is talking about her brains? Maybe that is all part of her plan. Just "act" stupid and chesty. But boy oh boy, she sure is a great acctress.

As for tonight's nominations: don't they say Karma is a bitch? That has got to be true since Rachel decided to nominate both Brittany and Monet for elimination. Maybe her ears were burning. Whatever the reason, it looks like pretty soon we won't be able to watch anyone ridicule Rachel behind closed doors anymore. Bummer.

Amazingly, the nominations were not the highlight of the show (at least for me!)

We also find out another great secret: There are OTHER doctors in the house!
Yes we knew about our favorite chemist, her showmance (Brendon, the Biomed Physics PhD student) and Andrew (the MD in Podiatry). But tonite we have come to find out that Ragan is also a PhD! Not only a PhD, but in fact a college professor! Hmm. Wonder if he's tenured?

Isn't this season getting better and better?

Paper Mache Plates: Not As Messy As You Think

We came across this art project in a library book and thought we would give it a shot. We had all the materials on hand, and although I was nervous about what kind of mess we would end up with doing paper mâché, it really wasn't bad at all.

First we wrapped our mold (we decided to make a plate but you also could use a bowl) in plastic wrap. We used the bottom of the plate since it had a raised pedestal that we wanted to show on the surface of our paper plate.
Normally paper mâché is made of recycled newsprint, however we didn't have any newspapers lying around so instead we used old office paper. We used about 20 sheets cut into small strips and squares.We then mixed 1 part water with 2-3 parts school glue. ThePrincess was NOT happy about getting her fingers dirty so she used a paintbrush to brush the glue mixture onto the strips while I dipped them by hand. You need to get them pretty wet, so the paintbrush alone would not have been effective.
We layered the strips onto the mold until they were 5-8 layers thick making sure we allowed plenty of overlap on the edges. We placed the plate on a coffee mug and allowed it to dry. This took 48 hours. I think it would have been faster if we had used newsprint, but the office paper took quite a while to dry.
After drying the plastic wrap made it simple to remove the plate from the mold.
We then trimmed the excess paper from the edges to make the plate perfectly round.
ThePrincess decided she wanted a pink plate (of course) so using tempura paints we painted both sides completely
and allowed that to dry overnight.The final step was to decoupage the top of the plate with tissue paper. We used solid pink and floral which is what we had on hand. Multiple colors of tissue would give you a fantastic stained glass effect but we didn't have any other colors. We just placed the tissue paper squares on the plate and painted over it with undiltued school glue.

We completely covered the top of the plate and left the bottom plain pink. This took (yet another) night to dry.
So finally 4 days later we eneded up with our final product. A paper mâché decoupaged plate:
All things considered it was a relatively easy project, and not too messy. It did take a lot of time, but that worked out pretty well since a four year old's attention span couldn't handle doing all the steps back-to-back.

We are now looking forward to making a bowl. Who knows? At this rate we end up with an entire service for 12.

Death by Caffeine? I'm trying

If you didn't know it based on my Twitter feed, I am a complete night owl. My favorite part of the day is between 12 and 2 AM. I love the peace and quiet, the complete control of the TV remote, and ability to eat late night snacks without interruption. I LOVE STAYING UP LATE. (As I type up this post at 2:15 AM) on Friday night/Saturday morning.

My children on the other hand, are not exactly big on sleeping in, so frequently find myself running on 2-4 hours of sleep. I do catch up by napping whenever my kids nap. Usually at least once a day, and if I am lucky I can even catch a second quick nap while ThePeanut sleeps and ThePrincess watches a movie.

However, the hours between 5:30-7 AM are KILLER. The "cannot function, feel dizzy, shouldn't operate heavy machinery" killer.

My solution? I consume huge quantities of my favorite stimulant: Caffeine. Yes, I know, I know. It is bad for me, I should be getting more sleep, maybe exercise once in a while, boost my own endorphins. Yes, I understand I am going to die early. But LabMom's motto for physical exertion is: No pain, no pain.

On the other hand, I have to be honest and say I didn't really know HOW much caffeine I was consuming, and after reading FrauTechs post tonight about her love of Caffeine and how much she drinks I decided to tally up my typical consumption in a day.

I will just use today as my "typical", because I can't remember much farther back than that. Lets just say I came to the conclusion that I need a 12-step program because I clearly have a problem.

Today's (Friday) caffeinated beverage count.

• Woke, had a can of Diet Pepsi with breakfast (don't judge!) Count: 1
• By 10 AM I needed another fix, so got TWO, yes two (don't judge) iced coffee's at the McDonald's drive thru. Count: 3
• Drank coffees driving around doing errands and ended up IKEA where I bought a diet coke and drank it while shopping. Refilled it on my way out of the store. (don't judge, there were free re-fills) Count: 5
• Came home and had a Diet Sunkist for lunch. Count: 6
• For dinner we went out to a restaurant where I had a Diet Coke with my meal, refilled 3 times. Count: 9
• Put kids to bed, and spent the evening on the computer and watching TV. Had 2 more cans of Diet Pepsi (normally these would be caffeine free since it is closing in on bedtime, but I am out of decaf right now.) Count: 11

HOT DAMN! That is a lot of caffeine. 11 Servings.

I do want to point out that is why I am a DIET soda drinker, since if you calculate up the amount of sugar that would have been in those drinks had they not been diet, I not only would be a caffeine addict, but I also would be in a hypoglycemic coma.

On a positive note FrauTech pointed out a link that would calculate how many servings of your caffeine source of choice it would take to kill you based on your body weight.

Thank goodness my magic number is 333 Diet Cokes per day.

*Phew* That leaves me 322 more servings! Maybe I'll grab another before I hit the sack. (Hey! Don't judge!)

At least she can spell "Chemistry"

After the most recent two episodes, I am dying to update you all on the status of Rachel, the Big Brother 12 contestant who is supposedly a chemistry grad student. (Note the use of the word supposedly, since the more I watch her, the less I believe it.)

On Wednesday's episode, the budding Showmance between Rachel and Brendon hit it's stride. Not even 9 minutes into the episode they snuggling in the hammock when this conversation insues:

B: So when we get out of this house, you wanna go on a date?
R: Yeeah... I would love that.
B: Yeah? Alright!

Rachel then pulls a blanket over their heads so they are out of view.

R: Oh they are going to think we are doing it and I don't know if I can kiss you yet. Mmm?
B: You're too funny

SLOBBER SLOBBER, SMACK, SLURP

R: You like that?

SLOBBER SLOBBER, SMACK, SLURP

B: Mmmm-hmmm.

Quite the way to kick off the third episode. Must.get.sounds.out.of.head. Ewww, GAG!

Besides the lip lock, the other big event on Wednesday's episode was the "Power of Veto" competition, which grants the winner the ability to remove one of the two people up for elimination from the chopping block.

This week's challenge involved busting open pinatas filled with rancid mayonnaise in order to find letters hidden inside. The house guest with the longest word spelled with whatever letters they found was the big winner.

So what was Rachel's word?
Wait for it....


No, seriously, it is THAT good...




CHEMISTRY

I'm not kidding. That is what she spelled. And the best part? She then goes on to explain that she thought of it because "her and Brendon have chemistry?! "

What is she talking about? If you are getting a PhD in chemistry, wouldn't that come to mind as reason the word was stuck in your head?

At least she spelled it right.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Although the word was 9 letters long, she still didn't win the POV. Instead her beloved Brendon won with the word UNDERSTANDING (13 letters).

The best part of the whole event was this summary from from Britney (which I couldn't agree with more):

Rachel was dying to spell a word that had to do with science because, ya know, she considers herself to be some sort of brilliant scientist, in case you weren't aware. PA-leeze. She makes her money right here (circling breasts with fingers).

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

The episode wraps up with Brendon choosing to remove himself from the chopping block and leave Rachel behind. Awwww.. Poor Rachel! (Said in my favorite sarcastic tone.) It is too bad Chemistry didn't save her. If she gets eliminated I won't have anything to watch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

So that brings us to tonight's episode. The live elimination. Oh the drama! Oh the suspense!

What happened tonight that is noteworthy? Well, the lovers had their first spat! Boy, that was quick. In the middle of some more under-blanket shenanigans, Rachel says:

I've known you for what? Nine days? I like you more than people I have known for, like, years.

(Hmm.. maybe she is talking about her fellow grad students, or PI. Guess they don't give all the same sexual energy. Imagine that?!)

On the other hand, within seconds of that comment, Brendon tells her he is feeling sorry for the other girl on the chopping block, the person that Rachel is up against. That does NOT go over well.

Soon, all is forgotten and Brendon finds himself explaining to Julie Chen (the program hostess) what he likes about her:

You know, Rachel is just, uh, a different kind of girl. She is intelligent, she is smart, she is funny [...] she is just and amazing person. And hey, she saw my butt and she still likes me.

How wonderful.. Sounds like the showmance is back on track. I'm so relieved.

Okay, enough of this chatter, I am sure you just want to find out who was eliminated tonite. Is Rachel still with us? Will my blog updates continue?

Well, the good news is: YES! Rachel survived the vote. In fact, it was unanimous. NOBODY voted for our favorite grad student. WHEW!

The remainder of the episode was the competition for next week's head of household (HOH). This is the person who gets to decide who goes up for elimination that week, and therefore also holds immunity. This was a question and answer challenge, and I got a kick out of the question:

Which houseguest would win the Miss Big Brother 12 bikini contest?

Of course the majority said Rachel. Thank goodness those ta-tas are getting her fame and fortune! The tie breaker question was one about the volume of syrup they had to climb though in a previous challenge.

Piece of cake for a chemist right!? Sure. She should be able to estimate that no sweat.

Her answer: 80 gallons
Correct answer: 335 gallons..
Um, okay, suuurrre. That is close. Maybe you were just confused since it wasn't the metric system.

So who will be next week's HOH? You won't believe this, since even with THAT terrible answer

RACHEL WON.

Yep, she is safe next week. That means we have a minimum of 3 more episodes where we get to delight in her antics.

I just can't wait!


Big Brother airs Tuesdays Wednesdays and Sundays. I will keep you updated on the status of reality TV's large chested chemistry student, since clearly she is representin' the science crowd.

Top 5 Things Every New Working Mom Should Know

Since I have recently had an influx of my fellow mommy-bloggers following my blog, I am going to revisit one of my favorite old posts from the archives. I was really proud of it at the time, and re-reading it now, it is reassuring to read them again. They still hold true!


The top 5 things I wished someone had told me back when I had my first daughter:

1) You know more that you think you know. Remember there is no one way to be a perfect mother but there are thousands of ways to be a great one. If someone offers their opinion and/or criticism and you don't agree with them, trust your instincts. They may not be wrong, but that doesn't mean what worked for them will work for you and it doesn't mean your way isn't also correct. Worrying doesn't make you a better mom, it only makes you anxious.

2) There is no martyrdom in mommyhood. There is no point in beating yourself up over things you cannot control. That period of time from the end of your pregnancy through the early days with a newborn is going to take its toll, and if you need to take time away from your work you shouldn't feel guilty about it. There are no prizes for being in lab the minute your water breaks and nobody is going to pat you on the back for returning to the bench three days after delivery. The truth is they probably won't even notice. So don't bother trying to please everyone and then feeling resentful or angry about having to do so. You have the right to say 'no' when your PI calls about that manuscript at 1 week post-partum. Don't say yes out of a sense of obligation, that will only leave you feeling like a victim. Instead remember we are our own worst critics. People will be willing to cut you some slack if you just ask. And asking for help doesn't mean you aren't committed to your career or that you can't handle both motherhood and working. It only means you are human.

3) Using childcare does not mean someone else is "raising your child." YOU are the mom. The one your kids will always turn to, the one who can make it all better with a kiss and a hug. And although your daycare provider/nanny/au pair should be like an extended member of the family, they are not you. You should choose the type of care that is the best fit for your family and always remember there is a big difference between leaving your child in a warm, loving environment where they are cared for, nourished and encouraged to thrive, and "neglecting and abandoning" them.

Have a one liner ready for when someone asks you (and they will) how you feel about letting someone else take care of/raise/parent your child. My favorite has always been "Oh yes, using daycare is horrible. Almost as bad as our second option which was leaving her in box on the side of the road."

4) Don't be ashamed to be someone's mommy. I am always struck by the huge number of people who separate their personal life and their professional life to the extreme. You walk into their office and they don't even have a single photograph of their child(ren) on their desk. I do think this is much more often true of male professionals, but even working women frequently do this. You have the right to be a proud mama, and by cutting off that part of your life you are denying a part of who you are.

Now I am not saying it is a good idea to discuss the color of your new baby's latest bowel movement in the middle of the department staff meeting, but there is no harm in hanging your child's latest artwork up above your desk, or keeping her latest school photo in a small frame next to your computer. Don't be worried that people will think it is unprofessional, or that you aren't focusing on your work. You family is as much a part of you as your latest grant, paper or experiment. Be proud of them, they will always be your family, you can't say that about your coworkers.

5) Sometimes motherhood sucks, and it is okay to admit that. Once you have a child you will meet moms who insist on telling you how they haven't ever been happier, that they never get mad, they have perfect children and that every minute spent with their child is pure heaven. The most grating line you will ever hear is: "I wouldn't trade a single minute." Yeah, right. If you can say that, you are a LIAR.

Every minute of motherhood is far from glamorous and it certianly isn't always sunshine and rainbows the way the Johnson and Johnson commercials would lead you to believe.. You will be drooled on, thrown up on, pooped on, bitten, and pinched. There will be days where you will be forced to listen to incessent whining, singing, screaming, crying or humming for hours on end. It is in those moments that you would trade motherhood for nothing more than a stiff drink. And that is okay.

You can love your child with your whole heart and still look forward to Monday morning when you get to drop them off at daycare, or date night when you ditch them with grandma so you and your husband can enjoy a night on the town that doesn't involve a lengthy discussion about Dora the Explorer or how many M&M's you get for going pee on the potty. You can lie in bed and beg your husband to please get up and rock the baby since you don't want to have to do it for one more minute. You don't have to think it is wonderful, since sometimes it isn't.

And don't waste your time lying to other moms yourself about how wonderful motherhood always is. You will find much more sympathy if you are willing to admit you barely have time to brush your teeth, let alone shave your legs, and that last's night dinner was composed of pop tarts and chicken nuggets. It is liberating to admit it, and once you are willing to tell the truth, you will be amazed by how many others will confess to being in the same boat.

So those are the 5 things I know now that I wish I knew then. The truth is you will discover your own five things as you grow as a parent, and I would encourage you to share what you learn with a new mom down the road. It is only by sharing and confiding in one another that we ever really realize what a great job we all are doing, even if we are doing things differently.

I also have some recommended reading for any science moms out there. These books are wonderful resources and I felt so much more confident in my role as a mom and in the laboratory after I read them:
Mama, Ph.D: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life by Elrena Evans and Caroline Grant
and
Motherhood: The elephant in the laboratory: Women Scientists Speak Out by Emily Monosson



This post was part of the Working Mommy Wednesday meme on Work, Wife, Mom.. Life.

"10 Things you wished someone had told you about motherhood"
(Clearly I didn't get to 10, but I think my 5 have enough sub-categories to count!)

I'm on a roll: Scrappy Fabric Project Part 3

Remember these?

Well, they were lonely.. and so I had to make them some friends:
This isn't to say I did it on my own. My 3 special assistants had to "help" at pretty much every step:



But now I am stuck. I need to figure out how to set them. I did some practice layouts (please ignore the warped perspective of the pictures, I had to lay out the blocks on the floor since I don't have a design wall anymore.)

I could do them in horizontal rows by color (like the first picture) or I could do diagonal rows:

Or I could just lay them out randomly.
I have a clear favorite, but was looking for some feedback.

ALSO any opinions on how I could set them using nothing but scraps? I was thinking of making fabric to make scrappy sashing.. like this:

Quilt from Alice Cordell Quilts

(Ironic that she used hearts on white as well.)

Should I stick with just a single color (I would use blue since that is the color I have the greatest number of scraps)? I am not really sure how I would incorporate multiple colors of sashing.

I am just stuck creatively. I was also pondering cutting the blocks down and then setting them with alternating squares of scrappy fabric, but I'm having trouble picturing if I would like that or if it would be too busy.

Any thoughts?

(This post has also been modified and posted at the Say Cheese Bumble Beans blog )

Uh oh. Our Favorite TV Chemist is in trouble.

As promised.. I need to update you on the progress of everyone's favorite chemistry grad student: Rachel from Big Brother 12.

So we will start with the highlights of Sunday's episode, although there weren't many highlights.

In the first 10 minutes she commented on the cuteness of a fellow contestant's butt after starting a 'Showmance' with Brendon on Day 2 in the house. Remarkably they bonded over their educational backgrounds (since Brendon also has an advanced degree) while floating in the hot tub.

I shit you not, she actually said this:

"I have always wanted to, like, inspire other people to be passionate about chemistry. It is hard to be on the same level with someone if they don't have the same passions."

Wow? Really? Even more than you are passionate about Vegas and free champagne!?? Get out! I guess you really are a serious scientist since you followed up with this comment:

"I love all the super nerdy people"

Well then, you are in the right field toots! Way to go.

Once she had love under her belt, she moved on to bigger and better things: She proceeded to be on the losing team of the "Have/Have Not" challenge. No food, no hot showers, and sleeping in a bug filled room on a deck chair is in store for her this week. Score!

After the loss she did give us an opinion about her strategy for dealing with a sticky caramel-like substance they had to crawl though during the competition:

"The best strategy to get through the caramel is to get the least amount of caramel on you, because once you touch it, you'll start sinking. That is what Brittany is doing and I don't want to do that at all!"

Wow! I wonder if she figured that out by calculating the viscosity and density of that goo.. or if she just decided to state the obvious. Like, ya' know?

But here is the big development from Sunday's episode:

RACHEL IS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK!

She is one of two people nominated to be evicted. The nominator's rationale: "I feel like you haven't tried to connect with me at all." (Read: You didn't flirt with me or shake those giant bosoms in my direction!) Poor guy.

There are two ways she can be spared. The other person on the chopping block could be voted out -OR- She (or another houseguest) can win the 'Power of Veto' and replace her with someone else.

But here is the kicker. The other nominee is Brendon, her showmance! Aww. Just like Romeo and Juliet, they are star-crossed lovers! Bummer.

Her opinion about this predicament:

"I can't believe I was nominated, I'm shocked! I have done nothing, but I am here to stay. I am going to make sure that Brendon stays too and I am going to do whatever I can to make it happen."

Ooooo. Them's fighting words! I can't wait to find out what happens. She better not get voted off.. since we have only just begun!

A real life young female chemistry grad student on primetime TV!! (Well, sorta)

If you are into trash reality TV as much as I am, you are probably more than aware of the season premiere of Big Brother 12 on Thursday.

If you aren't into it, let me sum up what it is about: Basically they throw a ton of young, good looking people into a house, video tape them 24-7 while making them compete for luxuries (and food) and allow them to vote ever free days to "evict" the other players. They choose the most polarizing people they can find, and so of course drama ensues.

Well, this year, they have introduced a character I know many of you can relate to: The 26 year old grad female student in Chemistry. Rachael. Sounds pretty relateable?

Well, maybe not. She isn't like ANY grad student I know.

Her opening line on the show (while prancing around in a white bikini):

"Most people just think I am a hot girl with big boobs, while actually I'm a chemist. I am going to surprise everyone with how smart I am, and the boobs don't hurt either!"

Wha? Huh?

Or when they showing her packing (while wearing a vegas showgirl headpiece made of billowing pink and black ostrich feathers):

"I should totally bring my Las Vegas Showgirl outfit and show them what Las Vegas girls are made of."

Not many grad students I know also dress as Vegas showgirls. Interesting. I wonder what other kind of stuff she is into. So of course I had to look up her profile at CBS.

Interests: Painting, working out, doing anything outdoors, watching movies with friends, playing with my dog, getting dressed up and going on dates.

Boy, she sure seems to have a lot of free time on her hands.. not like many grad students I know. She also lists "VIP cocktail waitress" as her other job. Hmmm. Interesting.

Seems like she is going to use her knowledge of the cocktail waitress scene and not "scientific strategy" to win the game:

Strategy for winning Big Brother: I would hustle like I do at work when I get men to buy me champagne.

To be fair, they did show her in lab decked out in a lab coat, goggles and (of course) 3 inch heels. She was swirling around a beaker with light blue liquid in while standing in front of a biological safety cabinet. Oh, how sciency! *rolling eyes*

Here is her interview where she explains that "maybe on day I'll be a professor!"

Um, yeah.. sure. If your tenure committee really likes big boobs. I also think they would probably frown on taking 3 months off to film a reality TV program where you prance around half naked along with a houseful of horny 20-somethings. But you never know.

With lines like this:

"I defintely want to jump on those big weiners"

or the fact she stripped off her shirt in the middle of a challenge, she just may get that RO1 she has always dreamed of.

But hands down, the worst line of the first episode was her comment about the Jewish contestant on the show:

"Someone that really stuck out to me was Andrew because he is Jewish, so he wears a Yom Kippur, I believe that is what it is called, and so, like, okay he is probably going to be really religous in the house."

A Yom Kippur? Really? Seriously? Not a Yarmulke? *sigh*

Well, I guess I can't have it all. First I am complaining about how there aren't any female scientists on TV, and then I am whining about how kids don't know what scientists look like, and now we finally get one and she is a complete bimbo.

Just what we want our daughters to inspire to be. Part time grad student, part time cocktail waitress in Vegas.

Great. Just great. Thanks CBS.




Big Brother airs Tuesdays Wednesdays and Sundays. I promise I'll keep you all up to date on what happens with our colleague Rachael. Who knows, if she doesn't hit it big on Big Brother, maybe she will be looking for a postdoc in a lab near you.

Come on kids: Quit Begging and GET A JOB!

I completely understand it: times are hard, the economy is bad, there isn't a lot of "spare" money floating around. You do what you have to do to get by, I get it. But really you didn't have any better idea than standing out side the grocery store and asking for spare change?

No, I'm not talking about the homeless, I'm talking about kids' sport teams, extra-curricular clubs, schools and church organizations.

Today I was walking out of our local grocery store, when I was accosted by three 7-8 year old girls decked out in cheerleading uniforms. They shoved a colorful coffee can in my face and shouted "Would you care to donate to the mysuburbantown Cheerleading Club?" in unison.

Are you picturing it? There I am, cart loaded with groceries, crabby toddler in the seat sucking on my keys, grouchy pre-schooler begging to stop for an ice cream on the way home and now I have to fend off the attack of the killer cheerleader-ettes.

I shake my head and put on a grin "I'm so sorry, but no thanks!"

On the way to the car ThePrincess asks: "Why didn't you give them any money mommy? Don't we have any?"

That got me thinking. I have no problem given to charity. In fact, I LOVE it. I will be the first in line to fundraise at cancer walks or for the local animal shelter. I suck it up and buy popcorn, cookie dough, chocolate bars and wrapping paper from the smiling faces that show up at my door. I am always a contributor to the PTA silent auction and place my scholastic book orders religiously. We tithe to our church, save Campbell's soup labels and boxtops for education, and donate to goodwill and women's shelters. I even use coupons to buy extra groceries with the sole intent of donating them to our food bank.

I am not a scrooge. I truly believe that charitable giving is extremely important but there is something about this methodology of fundraising that bothers me. No, it doesn't just bother me. I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT.

My response to ThePrincess: "No honey we have plenty of money, but I don't just give it away. They would have to do something to earn it. Just like you and your allowance, there is no such thing as a free-ride."

These kids were old enough to be holding a car wash, running a bake sale, even doing a "bowl-a-thon" instead of standing outside a grocery store with their hands out. To me, this is sending the WRONG message:
"If you need something, don't bother working for it. Just ask someone else for a handout."

It is so irritating.

As much as it sucks to buy overpriced candy-bars or pay $5 for a shoddy car wash, it is the motivation behind it that is really important. You wanna go to Summer Camp? Your soccer team needs new uniforms? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Run a lemonade stand, do one of those "fundraising nights" at your local restaurant, sell coupon books, wash some dogs.. It doesn't matter what, just do something in exchange for the money.

That is how life is going to treat you when you grow up. You want some cash? Better drag your butt to work, since the last I heard there was no such thing as a money tree.

Now, to play devils' advocate: Yes, there are some days where I think "I would rather just write them a check so they quit harassing me with all this junk" especially in the case of my younger daughter who doesn't even comprehend the idea of pre-school fundraiser, but I still understand the rationale, they want you to feel they doing something to deserve the money, to earn it.

Plus this is more than just about where the money comes from. I do believe kids take away important lessons when they are expected to help raise funds with their OWN actions. I personally remember going door to door with Girl Scout cookies, or standing in a steaming hot parking lot washing cars for hours on end. I was even the "top seller" of candy bars for my 7th grade softball team. Not only did the team get new dugouts, but I walked away with a new bike. It was something I remember with pride. I am pretty sure I wouldn't feel the same way if I had to stand, embarrassed and self-conscious, outside a grocery store asking people for spare change.

And so I am vowing today that if my kids join a club that suggests they solicit donations in front of the local Wal-Mart, I will instead write the club a check to cover my daughter's contribution and she will be outside washing my car to pay it off.. Since there is no way I'm subjecting other people to the sheer annoyance that I put up with today.

But more importantly, I want my kids to have a sense of pride in what they accomplished, not a sense of entitlement, embarrassment or self-pity.

God gives every bird its food
but He does not throw it into its nest."
~JG Holland
American Poet (1819-1881)

It wasn't meant to be.

So, based on the title of this post, you can clearly tell we didn't get the house.
We were in the top 3 offers (we were quite a bit over asking), but the next two were $30,000 (yes, $30,000) higher than ours.

I'm okay. There were things about the house that weren't "perfect" but it was the best we had seen so far. Hopefully something even better will be coming down the pipeline.

Already lined up to see 5 more open houses this weekend (numbers 75-80). At least we can keep renting if we have to. We won't be homeless.

House Hunt Update: We're Jumping In

Looks like we are going to put an offer on a house. I don't think we have a decent shot at it. It has been on the market 2 days and they are entertaining offers tomorrow (day 3.) No open houses, no nothing.

Right now it looks like they will have at least TEN, yes TEN offers. Not great odds for us. We scheduled a viewing with our realtor and there were at least a dozen other buyers there in our mere 30 minute window. I can only imagine how many people have looked at it in the past 48 hours.

And, to make it more depressing, my realtor told me her client lost out on a house last week even though they offered more than 15% over asking price. That doesn't bode well with us, since the list price is already close to the top of our budget.

Just keeping my fingers crossed. Maybe they will like my handwriting on the offer to purchase and choose us.

Scrappy Fabric Project Part 2: Freezer Paper Machine Applique

I have decided I am going use my scrappy fabric to practice my machine applique. I needed to set some rules for this project since I am in a tiny apartment and no longer have a sewing studio to house my giant mess.

My prerequisites with this project:

1. I don't want to buy anything (all the supplies must come out of my stash)
2. Because I can't find my rotary cutter, mat or even ruler (at least I have my machine!), everything needs to be eye-balled and cut with a scissors. YIKES! (I am not going to buy temporary ones per Rule #1)
3. I want to use this as a chance to practice my machine applique
   (I have actually never done this technique, I am normally a hand appliquer but since time is of the essence these days I am going to give it a shot. )
4. I need to be able to clean up and store all the supplies regularly. This cannot go on forever and ever.
   

I am quilting on the kitchen table and need to clean up for every meal, put everything away and then drag it out again. I also have to avoid anything that could be will be spilled on the table over the course of the day. So it is also like an obstacle course.

With that in mind lets get onto the project!

I like to use the freezer paper method of hand applique so I am just going to modify that technique here for my machine.

First I needed to decide WHAT to applique. Because the fabric is already scrappy I needed a large object that wasn't too complicated. And since my poor second child has no baby quilt (my first daughter has three.. oh, how the second kids get the short end of the stick!) , I decided I would go with something a little childish: Hearts.

So I made my pattern out of cardstock and traced it onto freezer paper and cut it out:

Remember my fabric?

I placed the freezer paper heart on the wrong side of the fabric, making sure I got a nice pattern of scraps underneath:

I ironed it down:

I cut around the paper leaving a 1/2 inch of fabric along the outside:

I clipped the curves, then folded the edges over making sure the heart was smooth.

Normally I would just iron it down, but because the bias edges were crazy and I had seams with multiple layers of fabric, I resorted to the glue stick to keep the fold down. (You could also use spray starch but I didn't have any lying around):

Once the glue tacked it down, I used the iron to get a nice crisp fold:
Voilà!

Now for the part that is new to me.. The machine part. I set my machine for a blind hem stitch with a really short stitch length and average width (I have no idea if that is correct but it seemed to work):

I only had black and navy thread on hand. (What was left on the bobbins in my sewing machine case) Normally you would use a clear thread or one that perfectly matches your fabric, but I alas didn't have any (and won't buy any per Rule #1), so I used the navy.

You can see that it would have been fine on the dark fabrics, but on the lighter fabric the sewing shows up. Eh, I'm going to call that "part of it's charm"

Now to get the paper out. I flipped it over, cut out the white fabric behind the applique.

Then I made a slit in the paper so I could pull it out:

It actually removes very cleanly, even with the glue stick:

Once I have all the paper out, I repress it and we are ready to go.

So far I have gotten though 3 blocks (Yes they are appliqued down at wonky angles, I did that on purpose. If I decide I don't like it I plan on re-squaring them up once they are all completed.):

I have decided I am going to do 4 sets of 3 blocks in each color. Lets see how it goes!

(This post has also been modified and posted at the Say Cheese Bumble Beans blog )

Returning to work: The Mommy Guilt (Take 2)

With ThePeanut I went back to work at 12 weeks. I took all the time I was allowed. (3 months, just around the age she is in the picture below.) As a second baby things were much easier. I was so much more relaxed and confident, and although things were crazy with a newborn and a 3.5 year old at home, I felt like I was doing a great job the second time around.

That isn't to say my second baby wasn't accompanied by her own kind of mommy guilt.

For example, dropping her off for her first day of daycare was a really different experience compared to dropping off ThePrincess for the first time. Yes, both times I was guilt ridden, but in completely different ways.

With ThePrincess I remember dropping off, barely making it out to my car, and bursting into tears. I felt so terrible leaving my brand new baby with relative strangers. (It didn't help that I returned to lab at only 4 weeks.. but that is a story for another post.)

As I walked away I had all sorts of negative messages running though my head, I was worried about the milestones I would miss, and how she would spend more time with her daycare teachers than me, how I was choosing my career over my family.

"Would she know I was her mom?"
"Would she love them more than me?"
"Would they let her cry or would they coddle her the way I would?
"Am I a horrible self-centered person?"

So much guilt.

But things couldn't have been more different with ThePeanut. I didn't shed a tear. I dropped her off and walked out like I had been doing it for years (and in a way, since I had been in such a routine with her older sister it almost felt familiar.)

So I should have been guilt free right?

WRONG!

I felt terrible that I didn't feel guilty. A few of my coworkers with kids asked "So how are you doing today?" or "How did dropoff go? Did you cry?" and I just stood there not knowing how to answer. Would it come off as cold and heartless if I flippantly dismissed them?

"WHY DIDN'T I CRY?"
"Were we not bonded like I was with my first?"
"Was I jaded and uncaring?"
"Am I a horrible self-centered person?" (Sound familiar?)

I just couldn't win!

Looking back I know that the reason I wasn't upset was because things were different the second time around. All the "what ifs" had already been answered. We were using the same daycare provider whom I loved and completely trusted. I had taken a lot more time off work and I was chomping at the bit to get back to lab and was ready to leave her for the first time. (Unlike the first time when I truly wasn't ready to be back at work.) I had been down this road before and I knew everything was going to be fine. I was confident in my decision, not jaded and heartless.

There are a lot of moments in mommyhood when you are standing in the thick of things and can't see the forest for the trees. There are so many guilt-laden moments that shouldn't have to be that way. I am honestly not sure of the solution. Since clearly even when I have it together, I don't have it together.

Maybe this means that I need to have baby number 3 and drop HER off at daycare. Then I won't shed and tear AND I wont' feel guilty about it... or maybe not.

WHY DID I WRITE THIS POST?

It seems my post about the lost lovey was a popular one. Loads of comments (at least for my blog.) And in one of them, Maylily18 of In Laham's Terms tagged me for a photo challenge.

I am supposed to post the 8th picture from my 8th photos folder. Well, I only had 3 photos in my 8th folder, so I picked the last one.

Here it is:
ThePeanut at 3 months old in the bouncy seat.

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MOMMY GUILT?

This post was part of the Working Mommy Wednesday meme on Work, Wife, Mom.. Life.

"Talk about a mommy guilt moment and how you pulled though"

See? This story was about guilt I had when ThePeanut was 3 months old (the age in that photo.) It all goes together

Lastly, I am sending on the Photo Tag per the instructions:

Since I only had 3 photos in my folder, I am taking that a sign I am only supposed to tag 3 more people. So I am tagging Andrea at Good Girl Gone Redneck since she is my twitter buddy , Single Mom in the South for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award and Jennifer at Chase-ing the Dream and The Science Mom (since a Science Mom is almost as awesome as a Lab Mom!)

I See You: Why I'm not doing the readership meme.

I normally wouldn't post twice in a day, but I just realized this post (about children's perceptions of scientists) made it on GenomeWeb's July 6th "Whats worth reading" list.

That means that there are actually people out there reading my blog!!

There is currently a meme going around about lurkers revealing themselves. I will confess. I have seen it on many (i.e. Drugmonkey, Adventures in Ethics and Science, Prof-like Substance, Pharyngula, Candid Engineer in Academia, ScientistMother, Neurotopia, and Balanced Instability) blogs I read regularly and haven't posted in a single comment thread. I can get behind the whole "wanting to stay anonymous" thing. I get it.

And because I don't want to fess up and post out there, I am not reposting the meme.

But now I KNOW you are out there...

She is home again! Let the quilting begin.

I did it! I really did it.

And I want to give credit to some AWESOME bloggers, but most specifically Victoria at Bumble Beans for her challenge to spend 15 minutes a day making fabric from your scrap stash.

I was so inspired over the weekend, that I dragged my sorry butt over to our storage unit (in 90 degree heat) and dug and dug and dug. And guess what I found??!

Yep. My sewing machine! I was so thrilled. It was a little beat up, but she still works.

I also was able to track down my bin of white fabric and my scrap stash. I couldn't find my rotary cutters or mat or any of my thread (other than what was on my bobbins with my machine) but I do have a seam ripper and a pair of Fiskars, everything I need to hobble my way through a project.

So it begins!

The first thing I did was pull out my fabric stash (which I keep in a cardboard 4-drawer organizer sorted by color.) I tend to work in the blues and reds a lot so that is what I had the largest scrap selection of.
I started assembling the scraps completely randomly. I don't think it is the best way of doing it, but since I didn't have a rotary cutter I couldn't square the pieces up. Instead I eyeballed it using the scissors so that I ended up just attaching new strips of fabric to any straight edge I could find.
As you can see, I don't end up with a modified log cabin but more of a crazy quilt block. How fitting.

If you want a step by step on a much better way of doing it see the original post on Bumble Beans, her fabric is a little less spazzy.

I must admit, I didn't really make a big dent in my stash, but it feels so good to be quilting again! Stay tuned for the big project I decided to tackle now that I have my scrappy fabric.

7 Confessions and 5 Great Blogs

Single Mom in the South has sent over the Versatile Blogger Award. How sweet of you! Thanks Sorta Single.

Normally I don't accept awards since I dislike all the hoop-jumping, but since I was going to do a "True Confessions" list today anyhow, I thought I would wrap it all up into one big post!

Seven things you don't know about me (and I must confess):

1. I love kids sugary cereal. (Trix, Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles etc.) I frequently eat 1-2 bowls at night as dessert.
2. When eating out I constantly lie to my children about what is and isn't on the menu. "Sorry honey, McDonalds doesn't sell soda, they only offer milk or juice"
3. I am completely addicted to reality television. Well, not the really trashy shows but the more creative ones: Project Runway, HGTV Design Star, Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters, Next Food Network Star, Hells Kitchen, House Hunters
4. For some reason I can't stand American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor
5. I can't sleep with socks on. I have tried and I CANNOT do it. Even if my feet are freezing cold I can't tolerate socks and must remove them or I will toss and turn all night.
6. I am terrible at CAPTCHA (word verification). I frequently need to enter those damned warped phrases multiple times before I get it right. I sometimes think I would be better off randomly guessing a word.
7. I don't eat seafood (or freshwater critters either). None. Lobster, clams, scallops, fish, calamari.. you name it, I don't eat it. Well, except Tuna from a can. Yeah, I'm weird like that.
   

And here are 5 blogs I think deserve an award like this (although I am not holding any of them responsible to pass it on!) Mostly I just want to send some traffic their way.

Eve. vs. Wilms: This is heart touching yet hilarious look into the lives a young cancer (Bilateral Wilms Tumor) survivor and her family. For any of us in science it is nice to take a step back and look at what we are really doing the research for.

Pretty*Swell: She loves bacon. I mean, REALLY loves bacon. 'Nuff said.

Tales of the Genomic Repairman: A great science blog. He cracks my ass up. And he has a potty mouth. He reminds me of me pre-kids. I.LOVE.IT!

Work, Wife, Mom.. Life!: I just started reading this blog and I am already amazed with how much I have in common with Julia. A cloth diapering, sewing, semi-crunchy (her words), coupon clipping, twittering, working mom of two who is also currently house-hunting. See? Definitely my alter-ego.

Grad Ovaries: Nicky is a grad student that is THIS close to graduating. Plus she is preggers after a battle with infertility. She too wants to buy a new house and sell her current one. I have a soft spot in my heart for that!


There you have it. And thanks again to SMITS for inspiring today's post.

*YOU* inspire me: Creativity in the Blogosphere

I have always heard that if you want to be better at something you need to surround yourself with people who are great at it. I believe that is true whether it is mentors, colleagues, support groups, teachers, friends or even other bloggers, having people around you who inspire you help you excel.

So on this long holiday weekend, just when I figured most people would be taking it easy, I opened my google reader and was surprised to find a plethora of projects either completed or in full swing. It is so inspiring! It seems like a bunch of you are staying pretty busy this independence day and I wanted to give you kudos.

Please note that every post is from July 3rd and they are not necessarily all from quilting blogs. Even the moms and (gasp!) scientists are getting into the mix. Creatively is clearly running rampant.

What has everyone been working on?

• Diane at Dyed Quilting made 2 (yes 2) baby quilts.
• Julia at Work, Life, Mom.. Life made a dress for her daughter.
• Small and Quiet Adventures in PhD land is making her own clothing.
• Vicki at Sew Inspired is making a doll quilt.
  
• Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie is making butterflies. (I am always amazed how productive Lynne is, I love following her blog since every day she posts something fantastic!)
• Wendy at Old Days-Old Ways is making something beautiful out of a hot mess.
• Victoria at Bumble Beans is even making FABRIC! (I would love to join her challenge to make fabric in 15 minutes a day all summer but I predict it isn't in the cards, since my fabric stash is all in storage and LabDad would KILL me if I bought a single fat quarter.)

Jeesh! I feel so unproductive.

Granted, I am still on the hunt for my missing sewing machine. Tomorrow I may be emptying out the storage unit to make sure it really isn't there. For as much as I would love to go shopping for a new machine, the idea of filling out the paperwork with the moving company makes my stomach turn.

For now, I will continue to live vicariously though all of you in my reader feed.

Thanks for the inspiration ladies. Keep up the great work! You are motivating me to want to be more creative, if I could only find that damn machine.




Edited after posting: It seems that Leigh (at Leigh vs. Laundry) is on the same wavelength too. I swear something is in the water!