So it begins.....

Yep, it feels like déjà vu to me, too.  I mean, right off the proverbial bat, here I am skipping several days of writing.  Our typical day while here:  get up at five in the morning, leave the house by 6.  We brace ourselves before we join the rest of L.A. on "The 5,"as they say here in sunny California, (remembering why I never want to live in any city that has this kind of traffic) and, with luck, arrive in Ontario about an hour later.  We straighten the booth from the previous day and stand on our feet all day, trying to squeeze in potting and a bite to eat.  At the end of the day, we "yo yo" to my cousin's home, back where we started our day.  We are greeted with absolutely amazing hospitality and food, hoping to not rudely fall asleep, face first in our plate of food, and then we hit the sack, barely getting in Jammie's first before heading into LaLa land.  The next day is a do over of the previous one ending with the last day of the show on Sunday.  Somehow, I just could not find the time to write.    Funny thing is, I love this Gypsy life.

Now just in case my day has not made you green with envy, I will now guarantee that by letting you know that I am now heading to the Alexander Henry warehouse to do my own envying over their environment.  Talk about a completely awesome workplace...not to mention totally drool worthy fabrics.   Please do your best to have a grrrreat day even though you are not here, too.

Beauty Parlor Day

Talk about a misnomer....I mean "beauty" anything at this stage in my life has very little to do with reality, at least as far as anywhere on my body is concerned.  One can only hope but I am always thinking more in terms of a miracle.

My cousin Chris is a hair dresser and today she had to put all of her talents to the test.  Both Brandy and I were in desperate need of her skills.  Did I detect a tear in Chris' eye?

A Day in the Life.....

Well, you guys asked for it...a day in the life of Dianne.  It started out beautifully. The day was gorgeous.  We shared a lovely breakfast with our generous friends and some precious hummingbirds while sitting under an orange tree laden with huge oranges.  It pretty much went downhill from there. "The Plan" was to find every quilt shop we could in Phoenix and give them the gift of their lives...the opportunity to purchase some original fabric by Dianne Kay Emery Springer.  How could anyone in their right mind turn that down?

LOTS of them.  Shockingly, only one shop even invited us to visit them and they acted so bored that I wanted to say, "Hey, have you any idea how lucky you are to even be in the same room as this lovely fabric?"  Seriously, I am starting to think that I am alone in my thinking.  Oh well, let's head to California and see if I can get others to join you and me in my world.

I am a Bad Bad Girl

I started getting a white streak in my hair when I was ten years old....now, I am completely white-headed.  I used to think it was simply that, my turning white-headed.  Now, I think it was symbolic of my gradual training as a guilt-ridden slacker...first just a small streak, now, I am one big blob of guilt.  One prime example?  My guilt over having neglected my Threads.  Another example?  My guilt over causing any undeserved worry to those completely awesome, beautiful readers, particularly Barbara and Gale.

Saying I do not deserve you guys is putting it mildly.  I promise to do my best to earn the honor of calling you my BFF's.

I would like to say that life has gotten in the way of my writing but that is pretty simplistic.  Of course, it is not a lie, it just would not be "..the truth, the whole truth, so help me, God."  In part, I think it was depression which I did not think anyone deserved to share, in part, laziness, because I put my soul and my energy into my writing (wow, that is a scary thought, isn't it?).  So, my original thought was to just put off  writing for one day.  That, obviously, turned into months.

So, again, I apologize for causing worry, or concern.  I only want to cause smiling!

So, for this new beginning, I will just let you know that Brandy and I are on our way to vend at Road to California.  We are staying with friends in Phoenix.  I can hear them in the other room and I can smell breakfast.  So, I am going to wake up my sleepy-headed daughter and try to prevent any guilt over making breakfast get cold.  I hate feeling guilty.  Anyone think it would help if I dyed this head of white hair???

The Stranger

I am the "Stranger."  At least I am one where my own home, my own bed is concerned.  I should include my blog in that, too.  Strange, or, not, it feels great to be here.  Sleeping in my own bed, finding my pottie in the night, hearing snoring next to me....Heavenly.  O.k., so the snoring is not so Heavenly, or so strange-- Brandy helps out in that department most of the time.  Just having Tom next to me is about as perfect as it gets.

 I spent most of yesterday with a power tool in my hand.  Get your mind out of the bedroom,  it was a Leaf Blower, my friends.  Remember, Tom was home when I got here.   The yard was sooo neglected.  Brandy and I even got up on the roof and cleaned the gutters.  Now, I feel like I was run over by a truck!

Guess what I discovered while we were in Vegas?  Anyone remember I mentioned ages ago that I was working on fabric designs for a sewing machine company's new luggage?  Well, that luggage was introduced at convention that same week we were at Las Vegas.  The "secret" company is Baby Lock and I am so honored and pleased.  As soon as I can figure out how to get images off my email, I will post hem.

Thanks for the unbelievable support.

Quilter's Chaos

What's new?  Chaos to others is, in my world, the order of business.  I call it Organized Chaos but I seem to be the only one on the planet who would think there was any organization to this at all.  What they do not see is into my brain.  (I think they need new glasses) My brain looks just like my order of business and, it makes perfect sense to me.  They want busy...I am busy.  At any given time I have at least 10 things in the works.  My daughter throws her hands up in despair because my "Plan" is so-o-o-o-o not how she operates.  What baffles her is that I manage to get all 10 things done, on time, and often, ahead of time.  She spends so much of her time rolling her eyes at me that I occasionally forget she has pupils.

One thing that causes her stress is my tendency to stop working on a project that just HAS to get done and start a project that has nothing to do with what she considers "important, a.k.a., On-The-List."  Of course, she is right, but, that is my business, heh heh.

Check out my latest Not-On-The-List project.  New kitchen rugs.  One teensy weensy concern.  I forgot to see if this fabric is washable.  Not the best idea for kitchen rugs, gulp.

 

Blueberry Bust

I just succeeded in picking the world's most expensive blueberries.  Brandy and I drove allllll the way to Birmingham to pick Mother and Gene's blueberries as we have done for the last several years.  I promised everyone I knew  that I would be bringing them a container of berries. Well, we will be eating my words, not blueberries.  We waited about 2 weeks too late to reap nature's bounty.  The ground was covered with berries.  Our basket was basically empty.  Oh well, we had a lovely visit with our friends Thad and Liz.  They are such a lovely couple, and such an in-love couple that even when they are in different rooms, you can feel the connection between the two of them. 

So, folks, I am sending my vibes out so you, too, can FEEL the LUV. 

Reminder of the Free Pattern Offer in 7/14/13 blog

Don't forget to post your comments and let me know in an email   (sales@quiltinacup.com)

Quilter's Dejas vu?

Bloom Where You Are Planted (c)

I have been searching for this image on my blog all morning long.  Perhaps I only posted it in my dreams.  If you think you already saw it, you might just have been in my dream, too.  Welcome to my world....and welcome to deja vu????  Whatever, this is my latest, bestest, newest chair.  It has actually been around for several months in my booth even if it did not make it as a Thread.  Blah blah blah...

Quilting Gift

I love feedback.  Well, not if it is yucky.  Yucky ones have the potential to make me cry.   The good thing is that so far, I have never gotten a Yucky comment.   I did get a Yucky email a few days ago.  One gal went to my website and apparently either ordered or considered ordering one of my Quilt in a Cup kits.  She yelled (as much as one can yell in an email) at me saying how dare I ask $24 for a Quilt in a Cup kit when it does not even come with fabric.  She said that she would never ever order from me and would spread the word to everyone she knew to do the same.  Interestingly, when I offered to give her money back I never heard back from her.  Dang, my dream of make everyone happy just got busted....

 O.K., back to the Feedback Thingie, I have my Kleenex ready because I have decided to send a free pattern or applique (it's a surprise) to everyone who comments on my blog this month.  (I will say that, because I am a girl,  I can change my mind about giving mean people a reward.  My prerogative)  You will be limited to one pattern per week, but, whoever comments the most times in July, will earn an extra free pattern.   When you post a comment, send an email to me (sales@quiltinacup.com) so I can send you a copy of a pattern to download (or, a hard copy if you prefer)  If there is a tie, there will be a drawing.  If this works out nicely, I may just continue this until I run out of different patterns to send.  I better get busy.....

By the way, you can make a comment on any of my Threads, not just the most current one. It just has to be a new comment and you have to let me know which one.  Hope you have fun....