My Very Own Sewing Machine!

I'm really excited.  Next week I start Intro to Sewing at Whipstitch - this way trendy sewing store on the Westside.  Have I mentioned that I love living on the Westside? When we left it was just becoming cool... in the past three years, it has become way cool.  Anyway, back on topic.  I've been sewing a bit with Kathy's old Kenmore that she got way back in 1978. 

Her machine looks just like this one... I'm too lazy to take a photo myself since it's dark and rainy and getting good lighting will be a challenge.  Photo courtesy of http://possumjimandelizabeth.com/

It's a great old machine.  Works really well, as far as I can tell.  However, I don't have all of the pieces and I eventually need to return it to her anyway.  So I decided that I should buy my very own sewing machine before I start class! 
Seriously, did you know how hard it is to choose a sewing machine?  Apparently simplicity is over-rated when it comes to the modern versions.  After an agonizing morning reading reviews and an informative call to Whipstitch, I made my decision.   Here she is:

She is the Brother CE-5000 PRW. The PRW stands for Project Runway.  I was a little leery of buying a machine associated with the show, it seemed gimmicky but I went with it.  I was mesmerizer by its snazzy features.  Fifty built in stitches!  Fifty!  (I think Kathy's has straight and zig-zag but I can't really get zig-zag to work.)  It's also a Consumer's Digest Best Buy.  I found mine refurbished on overstock.com for a great price and I had a 10% off coupon.  She will be here in 5 to 10 business days... Lets hope for closer to 5 or I will have to start class with the Kenmore after all.

Where to Start?

I've been a stay-at-home mom for about five months now.  It's been quite a whirlwind.  They say having a baby changes everything and, well, that pretty much sums it up.  Everything was different once K arrived - California just didn't feel quite right anymore (not that it was ever really home).

I quit my job as an engineer in the public works department of the City of Indio, Andy packed up i85Media, Inc. and we moved back to Atlanta and back into our aging townhome that we weren't able to sell back when we left for California in 2007.

Returning to Atlanta in the fall has been glorious. It reminds me of fall 2002 when I first came to Atlanta as a freshman at Georgia Tech.  So much has changed in the past eight years!  It's been great to reconnect with old friends and explore all that's new and exciting in Atlanta (more on that in a future post).

Anyway, we've finally settled in to a manageable routine! Yay! Having new-found freedom during nap time and increased mobility since a 5 month old is easier  (read: less scary) to transport than a newborn,  I'm ready for a hobby!  I've never really had  In my search for a hobby, I realized a few things... 

1. That all of the cool moms have blogs.  So, clearly, I need a blog. 
2. Everyone who has a blog has such pretty stuff, maybe blogging will make me see my stuff in a prettier light? 
3. For all of my dreaming about a hobby, I still don't know what I want my hobby to be. I have a few ideas.  I'm going to try sewing, cooking, a bit of home improvement and decorating, maybe some photography and, by default, some writing.  I've never been a fan of writing, I prefer numbers but I'm going to give it a go!