Arrival Houston

I got in so late on Day 2, that I skipped the post. I woke up today to rain, and the drive today was about half rainy, but not bad.

My car let out a huge sigh when I unloaded it this evening at the Convention Center. The car and I both don't know what to do with our new zippiness and visibility.

I had my first Tex-Mex meal, and did the usual last minute Wal-Mart run for things needed for the booth, plus snacks and bottles of Diet Pepsi to get through the long days.

Today's best....unloading the car, worth every one of the 15 trips in the humid evening.

Houston or bust--Day 1

I thought I might never say it, but I-5 through the San Joaquin Valley isn't all that bad compared to my trips through Nevada. Google Maps is spot on with their time estimates. I was able to plan to get to Blythe, California state line, and darned if it didn't take exactly what they said. My reserved motel room was waiting and I even caught a local fast food Chinese still open that sure beat the MacD's next door.

My poor little loaded down car handled beautifully. I was able to tune into 3 baseball playoff games for most of the trip. The lights in the Palm Desert are beautiful on a clear desert evening. Traffic to and through LA wasn't bad. So all in all, a good day on the road.

Today's best....catching most of the baseball games while driving--sorry, Minnesota.

Cutting Out

Cutting out in the workroom is all I have been doing. I haven't been posting, because in my infinite insanity, I have decided at the last minute to go vend at Quilt Festival in Houston. I leave Sunday. So all of the kits and packs are in boxes, and I am cutting Fab Fives--the five one yard packets. They were a huge hit in Long Beach, and they are a great way for me to package and sell groups of fabrics.





I met with Julie from the soon-to-be-open Crafters Cottage in Penn Valley. I'll be selling quilts and kits in her new place starting Nov. 2 (nice date). I'm looking forward to having my kits available in a store.

With my new travel plans, my husband and I will spend our 29th anniversary Sunday passing each other on Highway 5 near Lodi. Since he is leaving tomorrow for a show, we did our dinner tonight--the Tack Room in Penn Valley--great steak grilled on the barbeque right in the middle of the room and about the best baked potato I've had anywhere.

Today's best....celebrating the better half of my life.

Sunday Drive

So I went for a drive up highway 49, to see more of our pine forests. And, by the way, a little quilt show in Downieville. Put on by the Mountain Star Quilters, a self proclaimed "small but mighty club".

Upstairs in the entirely wood paneled and wood floored Community Hall, they had a nice variety of quilts.








My favorite was from the Twinkle pattern by Sew Be It. I have the pattern around here somewhere--this has inspired me to find it and make it.Not much in the way of wildlife sightings these days. Just the domestic grazers.










The weather has definitely turned. It was just 50 or so today--almost hard to believe it was twice that last Sunday. With clouds and a little threat of rain, the sunset had some different colors tonight.
Today's best....the small but mighty drive to the quilt show.

Six today

Someone in our family turned 6 today. His parents hired a sitter for baby sister, and took him out for a special day all his own--brilliant. They went to Mall of America. Specifically, Lego Land and the Bodies exhibit. A great time was had, and we love this six year old as much as the old five year old.



I went on a Home Tour today. It was a great opportunity for me to see other neighborhoods in our new county. We found our perfect place so fast, we really didn't explore too many other areas. Not that anything I saw today was in our league. I don't think many of today's 7 homes were valued less than $1M. The organization that did the tour picked a very nice mix of styles--a remodeled 1850 home in downtown NC, a new Craftsman, an artists studio/modern inlaw quarters, a new Georgian, and some lovely traditional custom built and remodeled homes. All set in our lovely Sierra pines. I saw great decks, gardens, and views--all very California. My house seemed a little plain when I got home--but I got over it. My sunset would beat any of theirs any day, and tonight was a stunner.

Today's best....talking to the new 6 year old Austin.

Cut and Quilt

Cut packets, and quilted 3--not too much to show for it. Just another lovely day, beautiful sunset.

No Sew Again

I just realized I didn't sew again today. Got so busy cutting up fabric, I think I forgot.

And the weather was a perfect 72--all I wanted to do was sit in a lovely sunny spot. I took a quick shot of the azalea garden--pots among the family heirloom rocks. The plants are about to bloom like crazy--it will be nice to have more color than just green and gold.








Leann started her new job today--simple review tasks to start. The commute is going to be rough, so she went looking this past week, and found, a new apartment much closer. She'll take possession Nov. 1--so she will only have a month or so of the tough commute.

Today's best....sitting in perfect sun while talking to Leann.