For those of you who didn’t hear me shouting it out the car window on the way to Jo-Ann Fabrics…

MATT GOT ME A SEWING MACHINE FOR MY BIRTHDAY!

A gorgeous, brand-spankin-new “Project Runway” edition Brother sewing machine with like 3 zillion different patterns (including all letters of the alphabet) and a “liquid crystal” (that is what the instructional DVD calls it) digital screen that displays a lot of things that I don’t understand. Yet.

I have so many things I want to make, but for right now I am watching the instructional video like it won an Oscar and still squealing in delight (and/or pain, as I keep forgetting to move my big hands out of the way of the presser foot thing) every time I hit the foot pedal. I’ve had to force myself to turn it on the slowest gear possible, as I am lightyears away from even thinking I am Martha Stewart. Lightyears.

I have big plans for pillowcases, pincushions, pot holders (all three are deemed “beginner” level), so watch out! The Izzo’s also gave me a Jo-Ann fabric gift card for my birthday, so of course we went there immediately after I opened my sewing machine. I can’t think of a better way to spend your 26^th birthday than rolling around a cluttered fabric store with the rest of the senior citizen’s club. However, just as I was beginning to feel like I was turning 63 instead of 26, I pulled out my iPhone and showed the cashier my Jo-Ann Fabric app, complete with three saved coupons.  Yea buddy, bet Fannie Lou in the quilting aisle isn’t down with the App Store!

Along with getting me a sewing machine, Matt subsequently knocked #2 off of my “27 things for 26” list! (He swears he got me it before reading that post.) The night before my birthday, he also surprised me with a card that enclosed my registration for the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon! He arranged it with my Seattle-lite brother (is that the correct term? Because if it’s not, it should be), Dave, earlier in the day and secretly plotted our visit and my 13.1 miles of  “glory.”  And, of course, willed me in the direction of accomplishing #4 on my list.

That night, as I was practicing my stitches and gushing to my mom about my sewing machine, future trip to Seattle and how I can already cross out things on my list, Matt looked over and said, “and tonight, I’m cutting your hair!” (see #26)

I laughed so hard that I almost sewed my fingers together. Which I am sure won’t be the first time.