Ultimo Coffee Bar -- thank you very much!

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick shout out to my peeps at Ultimo Coffee Bar right here in Philadelphia.  They gave out free -- YES -- free coffee all day on Sunday at the Phila Bike Expo!  Saved me they did.  Not only was it free but it was wonderful tasty coffee.  It was pretty hard getting going for the second day of the Expo.  But Ultimo Coffee did the trick.  Thank you guys very very very much.

A big shout out to all my new pals in Philadelphia.  I am so glad that I got to know you.  I hope to see you soon, or at least next year.  Because, I am coming back to Philadelphia as soon as I can.   Maybe you will be at the San Francisco Bike Expo.  If so I will see you next weekend at the Cow Palace.

I broke even or pretty darn close to it at this show.  Never thought it would go that well.  I was just glad to come and get my name and a few of my caps out there.  Well, that is done and a whole lot more.  

I'm missing Luna and my home.   See you soon,

Mary

Love this town -- Philadelphia and these folks...

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick update.  Everything went really well at the show.  I talked to so many very kind and wonderful folks - many of whom bought caps (not required but very nice).

I got to get going and do it all over again.  :)  and  I am looking forward to it.

See you on the flip side.
Mary

This is how happy I am... new bike happy.

alloneword all set up in Phila ... finds out she has some love here waiting for her.

Hi All,
I got my booth all set up.  It looks very good even if I do say so myself.  :)

Got to talking with these cool guys (Matt and Patrick) from liberty sports magazine.  Found out that they did a write up about my caps (and me).  Patrick even took some pictures of the caps and my insanely cool booth.  I think he is going to write about my caps again.  Give them a look see.  As I said pretty darn cool guys, and a great zine.

Well, peace out all.  I gotta wake up before 8 tomorrow.   Harsh man harsh.  :)  (wake up and have MaryBeth make breakfast for me just the way I want it!  Nice.... I tell you this place is so good.)  Then a 4 block walk to the Expo.  After that look at beautiful handmade bikes... talk to cool folks.  Yeah.  It is harsh.   :)

Miss you,
Mary

The Lippincott House ... my home in Philadelphia

Hi Everyone,
I am loving Phila.  It is just a great town.  I went to Independence Hall  today, it was even better then I had hoped.  Wonderful, wonderful town.  It is past 3 am here and I am pretty tired so I'm going to keep this short.


However, I want to give you a link to the place I am staying in Phila:  Lippincott House.  The folks who run this bed and breakfast are so kind and attentive.  It feels like home.

I set up my booth at the Expo tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday are show days.   I feel really good about this.  I have the tools and materials I need.  Now, just off to the races (as my Mom would say).  Or as I say: Let's get her done.

Peace out,

Mary

out the door... almost...

Hi All,
I'm almost ready to go.  Just a little packing and a tiny bit of sleep.
Please wish me good luck.  I miss you already.
Cheers,
Mary

Phila Bike Expo-- booth number 1044 (not the battle of Hastings but cool none the less).

Hi Everyone,

I got my booth number for the Phila Bike Expo.  I'll be at booth number 1044.  I'm sharing the booth with this great company called Fabric Horse.   Her stuff is great -- well made and cool looking.

I am sewing & packing and all that jazz.  I'll post photos of the big box o' caps I'm bringing to the show.  I just decided to bring my earrings too.  Now to find boxes for folks to take them home in.

Luna and my head for business.

Part of my prep for this show was getting a credit card reader for my iPhone.  It is pretty cool and it will work well.   However, while I was setting this up I watched a bunch of tutorials about the app and how to use it.  Part of the sales pitch (for me to buy the reader) was that most Americans buy twice as much with a credit card then without one.  I knew that this was true for me as well.   Humm.   Kinda made it less fun.

More soon,
Mary

Days of the Dead in Hayward

Hi Everyone,

The Days of the Dead Festival was fab!   The dancers were amazing.  I haven't smiled that much in such a long time.  I can't wait for next year.  Please don't miss the art exhibit in Meek Mansion.  It is really good.


See you soon,
Mary

Pedal Savvy and alloneword...

Hi Everyone,

Well, I have been sewing and more sewing.   I love it.

Look at this nifty blog -- Pedal Savvy.  It is all about me.  :)

More soon.
Cheers,
Mary

NPR and Radio Lab...

Good Morning,

Often I listen to the radio while I am sewing.  I have a new favorite RadioLab.  Two shows ago they did a program about the ways Language effects thinking and the brain.  It was very interesting.  The theory was that words and language facilitate thinking so much that it actually creates the ability to think.  Like I said it was a great show.

It got me pondering whether language was the only discipline that has this effect.  Or rather scientist look at language because it is the easiest to test.  How would one test for thought and its effects of music? Or Dance? Or Color Or Math?  It seems to me that these would have create the neural passageways and the electric jump of creativity as well as language.  Maybe it would be too difficult quantify?  Science is limited by what is testable.

Any thoughts?  Any shows or music stations you would like to suggest?

Have a great day,
Mary

Yippie! a new iron for Mary.... it is just like Christmas...

Hi Everyone,
It is just like Christmas too.  I'm not sure if that is sad.  You know being so over the moon happy that I got my new Iron in the mail to day.   When I was a kid and my Mom got some kind of practical gift - and she was happy about it - I would think to my self: Self I never want to be that old.  Excited by undies!  or worse socks!   Now here I am  Super excited over my new Iron.  I really am - Super Excited.   Even though it is  almost midnight I am going to sew sew sew.  :)   With a big smile on my face.  Because I got a new Iron.

Boys and Girls let me tell you a bit about fine bit of equipment.   First a beauty shot:

Continental Platinum Dry Iron

It is a dry Iron.  That means that the sole plate is smooth and that it does not emit steam.  What I use instead of the steam is a spray bottle with a water and Sta-Flo (starch) solution.  This way I am able to control exactly how much starch I want to use and the flat sole plate does not leave waffle marks on my fabric.    Extra bonus, I mix the Sta-Flo myself so I don't use any of those nasty for the environment spray cans. 

I got this beauty for 30 bucks plus shipping from the The Vermont Country Store.  If you haven't checked them out you should.  They sell bread in a can, lots of yummy candies, and really good household items that are hard to find since 1960.

I have a personal theory that some things and ideas are named incorrectly.  For example I think that my iPhone is a "smarter than me phone" not just a smart phone.   Sailing should be called Swimming -- at least for me.  Another example of this pet theory is Sewing, I feel that it should be called Ironing.  Simply because I iron more than sewing, cutting, or even shopping for fabric.

Well, enough of my geekout.  I gotta go Sew -- I mean Iron.  :)
Much Love,
Mary
PS I also love socks now.  Especially Sock Guy Socks because they are wonderful, comfortable, and they make me laugh. m