Thursday, October 4, 2012

Good Morning!
 
 
It's time for me to sew with my friends today.... don't you just love having friends?  I can't imagine NOT having any to share joy with, chit chat with, shop with, giggle with, sew together with.... my life would surely be so empty.  I have been blessed in my life with having hundreds of friends!  How Wonderful!

I am so excited to be helping Marcus Fabrics with a presentation at the Houston Quilt Market!  I only get 20 minutes.. OH MY GOSH..... I simply have too much to say for only 20 minutes!!  eeekkkk!!!  That's the part that is scaring me.  My topic?  "Retreats That Repeat"  I'm going to give tips to the shop owners that will help them successfully host retreats in their shops - just like we did at the Olde Green Cupboard!  I'm hoping it will make them very successful in appreciating their customers, having a great time, increase their sales, and give great deals to their customers.

Have you ever heard the saying that out of 100% of your customer base - 20% of them give you more than 80% of your profit?  It's so true!!!

Let's see what I picked to chat about today... I do believe it's a hodge podge again!!!  HA!!

I simply LOVE this arrangement!  There is just something about nests that warm my heart.... then to put these adorable blue eggs in them and hang it on your front door.... wow!  I had a grapevine wreath on my front door when we lived in Middleburg and a bird built a nest in it!!!!  The nerve of that little fellow!




Wow... now this poor tree is in big trouble.  It's full of ice!!!  I remember one time going to my friends house, Marti, in Kentucky.... they had recently had a wicked ice storm and the trees along the highway looked like they had been in a war... at first we thought it was the path of a tornado.... no it wasn't... it was the wicked remains of a terrible ice storm.


 
Isn't this sweet?  it's made from wool.... we're still waiting to see if my daughter's (Heather) designs for her mohair critters are going to be picked up by one of our favorite companies - Primitives By Kathy.... Everyone say your prayers this happens!!!  She would be their designer for bears, lambs, little peeps, etc.!!!
 
 


I have a collection of primitive Santa's and Snowmen.  Isn't this little fellow the best?  I think he should come live at my house... boo hoo... I don't know where to buy him!!!


Wow.... is this ever an unusual cake!!!  I've seen them with pink icing, yellow icing.... but aqua blue??  Never!!!  hhhmmm... I wonder if this makes your tongue blue?  HA!!!
 
It sure looks pretty darn yummy!!
 
 

I love unique doors... when I saw this one it reminded me of the screen door we had on our farm house.  I love to hear it "BANG" when I walked through it... of course our MOTHER used to scream at us... "STOP SLAMMING THE DOOR!"  You know... it was just impossible to do...it had such a tight spring system on it... it just HAD TO SLAM! 

Then... I can remember watching the door in the summer and the flies would be covering the outside of the screen.  Daddy used to say..."ahhhh...it's about to rain"!    Sure enough... in just a short time...it would be pouring.  I thought Daddy was a genius... little did I know he could tell by the flies wanting to come in the house so they wouldn't get wet!



I just love when we see an old quilt (original antique) and then they have remade it over... isn't this one so wonderful?  JJ Stitches in Wisconsin does this a lot.  Say... if you ever want to go to a WONDERFUL QUILT SHOP - FULL OF REPRODUCTION FABRICS AND AWESOME QUILTS.... J J STITCHES!!!


 
Then.... another great shop (I didn't want to leave when we visited this past summer) is Country Sampler.  OMG... I didn't get to meet the owner, Jeannie, she was not in the store.... but was it ever something wonderful.  Go to her web site and check it out.  If you love reproduction fabric... you'll love everything in her shop!  Country Sampler
 
All of their samples are quilted in the tiniest stippling I've ever seen...they are perfectly flat and perfectly wonderful!!!  It's her own style and it's lovely!!
 
She also has a retreat area above her shop... it is made for 7 people...maybe squeezing it to 8. 
 
I'm telling you all right now... someday I'm going there.  I'll be sewing, shopping, antiquing... lovin' life that's for sure!!
 
 
 
Ha!!!  Don't you love these fat boys!  It looks to me like they've raided the garbage cans and are so full....they can't even move!!!  YUM!!!
 
 
That's kind of the way I feel after I've had Thanksgiving dinner... aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!
 
I'm off to pack up my sewing and bake some chocolate chip cookies to take with me for the girls.
 
Chat tomorrow!
 
Hugs... Gloria

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