HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

May 2013 bring you happiness, good health and prosperity!!

New Class Schedule

OK, I'm ready for things to get back to normal!!  So I have spent the morning and part of the afternoon working on a new class schedule.  I have emailed that out and updated the web site calendar with the dates and photos.  Please let me know if you didn't get a new schedule and would like one and I will be happy to email out to you.

Lots of cleaning going on around here today.  My husband has been cleaning as I worked on the schedule.  Now it's my turn to tackle our master bedroom which has become a dumping grounds for all things Christmas and otherwise!!! 

And I am definitely going to sit and do some stitching tonight......I am craving it!!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

From our busy, chaotic, crowded, happy, merry, festive little home to yours, wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!! 

And  no, I have found no stitching time AT ALL this week!!!!

Tis the Season.....

to be jolly...............

and speaking of jolly.....here's the jolly old elf himself with Reagan and Raleigh....... 

Joshua spent the day with me one day last week while Mommy and Daddy went Christmas shopping......he decided to try on my "reading" glasses so he could see me better I suppose!  I found him hidden between the sofa and coffee table with the glasses on.   

What a funny boy.  He would not give the glasses back and by the end of the day I found one of the arms but not the rest of the glasses.  When I asked him where the glasses were, he went to his basket and brought them to me and just smiled.  What's a Mina to do??!! 

A great group of ladies got together to work on a project that they have been working on off and on for several months.  They come and do a little bit of gathering, drawing, creating and then go away until they get caught up and come back and do a little more.  Soon they will have some masterpieces to share! 

Bonnie just got her beautiful quilt back from Laura.  It turned out just great and I promise you the photo doesn't do it justice.   Laura's quilting was perfect for this project and I know Bonnie can't wait to get it home and hung. 

And Joyce started this project, I think way earlier this year and is almost done.  She just has the back to put on now.  Just in time for Christmas!! 

And another flower garden quilt almost done.  Joyce has her top together but needs to get the quilting done, which her sweet sister has volunteered to do for her.  Lucky gal! 

Fifteen of us went out for a Christmas lunch after Busy Bee Finishing School today.  We ate at a restaurant in Fuquay called Bellini's.  Great food and even better company!  Looks like we all cleaned our plates! 

What a great bunch of ladies!!!  I love them all!!! 

And look how happy they are when they get gifts.  Doesn't the table look festive with all the red and green papers!  Thank you to each and every one who contributed to make this such a special day.  I couldn't do what I do without you!! 

Awww.......the bad news, look at all those checks.  Somehow mine mysteriously disappeared!  Again, thank you ladies. 

And tonight I got some presents wrapped.  I just felt like I needed to stop and wrap some things so I could see what I still needed to do.  In other words, I needed to regroup!!  I'm feeling a little more in control but still have lots to do before the weekend.  And the hours just keep flying by. 

Hope you're all getting lots done but taking time to enjoy the season.  Sometimes I feel like Christmas comes and goes so quickly and I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do.  Let me know if anyone figures out how to extend the season a wee bit longer!

As I'm sure you all feel, my heart goes out to all the families in Newton who lost their precious loved ones at what was supposed to be such a joyous time.  I cannot even begin to imagine what they are feeling right now and can only offer lots of prayers for their continued healing.  

Blessings to you all.....................

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas............

............everywhere you go!! 

I have had several people ask me to post some pictures of  my house decorated for Christmas.  I move lots of "normal" stuff out of the house and bring in lots of Christmas.  Love doing this.  So what follows are just some random pictures from around the house.  I don't think there is anything in the same place as last year.  Lots of fun!! 

My latest collection.........vintage carolers..............

I even decorate the bathrooms........and I seem to have a thing for elves this year!!

Breezeway porch coming into house

Hope you enjoyed my little tour.  Lots more to photograph but surely don't want to bore you.  What does your house look like for Christmas?

Don't forget to find a little time for stitching inbetween decorating!

My friend Lou and I made a trip to Whistle Stop Quilt Shop on Wednesday afternoon.  We had quite a good time and came home with lots of beautiful fabric. 

I made Lou pose in the store with all her new fabric.  Look at the wonderful quilt in the background.  What a great "quilt shop" photo!!  Lou was so excited to build up her stash of Civil War fabrics for an upcoming January project. 

And here's my latest purchase.  I was trying to add to my Civil War fabrics colors I might not have.  Can't wait to play in all this yummy fabric.  Looking forward to January and new quilt projects.

Connie still has way too much fabric on her shelves for inventory purposes which is good for us shoppers!!  I did empty a few bolts while I was there but I left plenty behind to share with all of you!  I loved when she rang up the total and then took the 30% off at the end.  It just made Lou guiggle!!  Now couldn't we all use a little giggle in our day?! 

Run on over and stock your coffers with beautiful new fabric so you can look forward to your new year projects too!  Remember, almost everything is 30% off so big savings.

Whistle Stop Quilt Shop

3434 Kildare Farm Road

Cary, NC

I have been busy working on new class models for January and February.  There is a Valentine wool applique pillow, a "white" flower wool applique mat, a wool block of the month and also an embroidery block of the month.  So lots to look forward to.  I'll be sending out the class schedule in the next couple of weeks.

Now go buy some fabric and find a little stitching time!! 

Merry Christmas Sale

Merry Christmas early to us compliments of Connie at Whistle Stop Quilt Shop in Cary, NC.  Connie is having a month long sale of 30% off everything in the store, except batiks which are 25% off.  I stopped by yesterday afternoon and walked out with an arm load of beautiful fabrics and would have bought more if my checkbook would have allowed it!!  So hop on over to Whistle Stop and stock up on some beautiful fabrics for all those projects you're hoping to start in the New Year.  It's not very often that we get a sale like this so definitely take advantage.  She has shelves and shelves of beautiful Civil War fabrics for those of you working on projects of that era.  That's my favorite part of the shop!  Tell Connie Sharon says "hey" while you're there!

Whistle Stop Quilt Shop

3434 Kildaire Farm Road

Cary, NC

919-387-7400

Happy stitching.........................

Buttons

It's been a year since my Mom passed away and I miss her each and every day.  Some days more than others when I think I'll pick up the phone and just ask Mom something and remember she's not there.  It's hard, especially this time of the year.  But recently I got a nice surpise in the mail from my sister..........

A big box of buttons.  I always told my Mom if anything ever happened to her, all I wanted were her jars of buttons.  We used to sit and talk and play with the buttons and imagine where the buttons might have come from...... 

My sister decided it would be difficult and expensive to mail all those jars so she emptied each jar into it's own baggie.  She said she had exactly enough baggies before she ran out for the buttons.  Then when she got to the Post Office with all those bags of buttons, the postmaster had just the right size box to hold all the buttons.  A sign that she was meant to ship those to me!! 

So I recently went out and tried to find the perfect container to hold all those buttons full of so many memories................ 

My "jar" full of memories with Mom.

I'm sad as I write this post but I smile at the same time thinking back on all the warm memories of me and my Mom playing in the buttons.  When we were younger she would make button dolls and sometimes string a large button that somehow turned into a spinning toy.  Just making do with what she had to keep her five children entertained..........with just plain old buttons.......snipped from clothing, found here and there..........none valuable but all special just like she was.