HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Hope everyone has a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

A Boo-thday Party

Michigan Trip (continued)

My sister-in-law planned the most awesome BOOOOOthday party for me and decorated the house to full effect.

She made the place mats and napkins rings and covered bottles with new labels

And made these really cool pumpkinsAdding balloons, spiderwebs, and creepy crawlies everywhere.

My mom finished her Hocuspocusville quilt and had it on display.  

 Don't forget the eyeball punch!

Sweet and Savory Bakeshop in Oxford MI makes THE BEST CAKES!!!

It was a great booo-thday party.

  

A Saturday Back in Atlanta

Did you think I would never come back?  I really wanted to stay in Michigan because I was having such a super fantastic fun Fall time but I did come back Tuesday night.

And was very sad Wednesday to not have this little sweetie around.  

She looks like she is in a Smart Car.

If you look close, she has a Starbucks hoodie on.  You can only get this kinda cool if you have an aunt who works at Starbucks!


The rest of this week zoomed by and today I finally got around to unpacking my suitcase and downloading my photos.

Packed in my suitcase were the quilty goodies I picked up in Michigan at some of my favorite shops.  Mabelena's in Ortonville is a really great shop.  Brenda, the owner, is just the sweetest person, and the shop always has wonderful new stuff and shop displays for just about anything you are looking for.  As you can see, I found a few things to bring home.  Check out the awesome floursack tea towels I found.  Aren't the colors just great?  I'm planning some funky Halloween stitchery for these for next year.  I also picked up the book-azine "Sew Scrappy", some fat quarters, and a couple of half-yards.


We also went to Guildcrafters in Berkeley.  I love this shop too and they always have lots and lots of great samples and kits. The best thing about their kits is they have kits in a wide variety of price ranges and a wide variety of projects.  I picked up a cute owl pincushion pattern that I hope to make sometime soon. Another cool thing about the shop is their little pincushion kits (I have three from previous trips...).   I also picked up a few fat quarters in Halloween & Civil War fabrics.


More tomorrow....

Happy Birthday to me!

My sister-in-law & mom had a great Halloween costume/birthday party for me. Today I turned the big 4-0 yikes!!! I dressed as Professor McGonagall from the Harry Potter books. More photos when I get back home.

I Spy in Michigan

My good friend Pat Wys' brand new book at Guildcrafters Quilt Shop in Berkeley. Say hi to Pat at Quiltmarket next week and see these great quilts in person. Not going market? Check your LQS or order from Pat at her website: silverthimblequiltco.com

Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch

Mackenzie Oct. 2011 age 19 mo. (borrowed from my sister-in-law's facebook page)

I haven't posted in awhile and I seem to have lost my quilting and blogging mojo for a brief time. Hope this will change soon.


Guess who I get to see this week?

Stylin' in her purple glasses.  

For a planned  trip this time.

More from Michigan soon.

Another Hocuspocusville Block

Not much happening on the quilting front here.  Today is the first day I have felt significantly better so I am hoping to return back to normal soon.  I did manage to complete another Hocuspocusville block while watching endless TV.  Nearing the home stretch on these blocks.

The cats have enjoyed me be couch-bound all week.  I thought this was a funny sleeping pose by Gomez, who was unaware that he was sliding down between the couch and the cushion.  He was snoring peacefully so I guess he was comfy. 

Tales from the Couch

Got back from Michigan Tuesday night.  It was a very sad, emotionally draining, and exhausting trip.   I was so glad that S. came too and everyone appreciated his love and support. I did get to see all my cousins (10 of us!) and their kids and spouses plus all my aunts and uncles and other relatives.  I spoke at the funeral, which was very difficult but I thought it was important and I made it through with a choked up voice.

And of course, I got to see my niece Mackenzie.  She is 19 months old and as cute and brilliant as ever (being the non-bias opinion of an aunt you know).  She is speaking in complete sentences (!!!!) and said "I want to go outside."    And I taught her how to make monster sounds (very important). She also learned how to say my name which is really hard to say when you are young. Did  I mention that she is brilliant?

On Wednesday, I came down with the most horrible, dreadful, awful cold virus ever (code name MHDACVE) and was stuck on the couch sick for three days straight.  Thank goodness for BBC America, which has saved my sanity from certain boredom.  I highly recommend watching the shows "Luther" and "The Hour."     I did very little else but complain about how sick I was to the cats.  They sympathized but were unable to make tea or soup so I had to do it myself (S. was out of town for work). 

Today I found out from the pharmacist (where I had to stock up on more cold medicine) that the MHDACVE is going around and it lasts for about a week and a half and is just as horrible, dreadful, and awful for anyone who gets it.  I called my mom and she has it too.  My advice:  stay away from people and wear a haz-mat suit!