Home from the retreat!

Wow!! It has been a fantastic 5 days!!! I got home about 1 am last night and was exhausted. BUT, it was so worth being sleep deprived. The committee in New Hampshire did a great job!! SHAWKL, Quiltingbee, and Quiltahohlic did a great job with the presentations, and the quilts they showed took our breaths away. When 70 ladies get together, there is just no way to descibe how fantastic it is. (I should add 70 quilting ladies) We got to reconnect with friends we met at previous retreats, and meet new ones this time.
I took classes in shuttle tatting from IowaLisa, and learned some things I was doing wrong, and that practice, practice, practice is the best thing to do. She was a great teacher.
I also took bullion and stumpwork from Brinnsmom. That poor lady had lost her voice before the retreat, but kept right on teaching, and I did learn how to do the bullion stitch. She did a fantastic job, and had great handouts printed so we can keep working on those stitches.
The other class I took was ATCs and Inchies from Toryam, she is such a cute little thing. We all had a ball making those teeny tiny work of arts.
We only had time for three classes, but all of the teachers were there to answer questions, and show us a few tips from their classes. Colleen taught Clay faces, and I did not get to take that class, but she graciously showed us how to do it in the B & B on Sunday night.
I got to sit beside Pegsami and BJeanes at the table quite a bit of the time, and they are both fun ladies. Pegsami and I had coffee together every morning! Her name is not Peg, but to me she will be Peg forever. :) She was so funny!! The only single room that was available was in the B & B was the handicapped room, so that is where she was. We teased her about it all week, and she didn`t mind at all.
If I name all the ladies that I had a ball with, this would go on way to long, so I just want to add a few things.
I loved finally getting to meet Donna (everythingquilts) she is just like I thought she was going to be, and that was great!
Dixielady is an absolute hoot, and we had a ball with her. Her daughter Taylor went with us a few times, and cute as can be. We went to a few bead shops with her, and laughed so hard, I almost peed myself. Just don`t listen to her GPS, because as Taylor says, it is illiterate!! lol She is not kidding!!!
There is just too much and too many more things to say today, but I am sure I will be adding lots more as I wake up and remember them!! :)
Joyce and I roomed together and were the perfect match!!! That is if you remember The Odd Couple, they loved each other. BTW, I am Oscar, she is not near as bad as Felix, but you could definetly see the difference in her stuff compared to how mine was all over the room.
AND yes I found the smarties and ate them!!! :)

Three more days!!!!

I am leaving in three days for the HGTV Circle of Friends retreat in Manchester, New Hampshire!!! It is going to be great! There will be 70 woman from everywhere around the world. I was going to say the United States, but this year there are a few ladies coming from different countries. We are going to have quilting classes, quilt games, and a great shopping trip to Keepsake Quilting. But really, the most fun is just getting together with all these fantastic ladies. I went last year, and the friendships that I made were so great. I got to meet ladies that I have swapped with and talked to for a whole year before I met them. And this year with even more coming, it can only be better.
My best friend and I are rooming together, so that is gonna be fantastic. It has been almost a year since I saw her, and I can`t wait. So I will probably have lots of pics and things to share as soon as I get back.
Tammy

Is it time for the retreat yet???

This has been like the week from hell!!! I went into work early on Friday, as my head cooks Dad was taken to the emergency room and she had to leave work. We were very, very busy. Somehow I got a homefry,(small potato) on the bottom of my shoe. I slid and almost fell twice, seriously jarring my back and neck. It is still very sore.
Easter Sunday- heat in front of restaurant goes out, water backs up the drain, flooding the dish area, plunge for like two hours, great for the back, finally get the water to go down, pull plug on dishwasher so I can go home and have Easter Dinner!! Dish room floods again.
Monday- Heating and Refridgeration guy comes, fixes heat, plumbers come fix drain, heating guy decides to put new cooler doors on deli cooler at lunch time!! He sits on a milk crate in front of cooler, which is in the middle of my grill area. We need to work around him and it is a very small area. not fun
Tuesday- state inspector comes in to inspect, (we passed with flying colors) computer guys come in, shut down computers for hours. All orders must be handwritten, handed to cooks, prices looked up, taxes added. Finally get to go home 11 hours later.
Wednesday- nice day, go home at decent hour, already have 40 hours and it is only Wednesday!!!
OH, almost forgot, family decided on Easter, they didn`t know when I would get home, so they ate without me. I got a leftover plate!!
I so badly need this retreat!!!!!!!
IS IT THE 23RD YET?????????????????

The Bitchy Stitcher: Because I care. And I'm lazy.

The Bitchy Stitcher: Because I care. And I'm lazy.
Ok, she gave me a link and everything, so lets see if this works.
oops, this a quilt giveaway, but the best part is her blog is so funny, you will want to read it all.
Tammy

One more goodie giveaway!

Check out this one, link at sidebar.
http://jennifer-phoenixcrafts.blogspot.com/

a few giveaways to celebrate spring and milestones

For some reason I can not get the photo to work, so I linked to it through the sidebar on my blog.
It is Kerknowcards on the side bar.
There is also another great giveaway at http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/
Just copy and paste that to get there.
I will try again tomorrow to get the pictures to work. I also added this blog to the side, if you want to use that to get there.

2 weeks till retreat!!

I can`t believe it is only two weeks away. I finally finished my challenge piece. lol
My kids think it is a little weird, but that is ok, at least it is finished.
Now to get my T-Shirt done. I have started packing up things I will need. I am really excited about the classes I have signed up for. The ladies that are setting everything up and doing the classes are so great to take all this time getting things ready. I want to thank them online for all to see. I don`t think I will name them, as I might miss someone and do not want to do that. So will just say
THANK YOU!!!
I get to see some great friends that I made last year at the Houston retreat, and meet lots more that are making the trek to Manchester this year. The other sweet thing about this is I get to see some of these great United States, that I otherwise would never get to see. And next year, we go to Oregon!! I may have to consider taking my DH along on that trip and spending some extra time in the great western states.
Ok, off to get some more things done before going back to work tomorrow. I need to decide on a gift for my best friend for her May box.
Tammy

My best friend sent me this!!

I had met a wonderful lady online last year, we just seemed to connect from the very first PM. We are so much alike, it was uncanny. I got to go out and spend sometime with her in person. We are like sisters, but even better. lol
Anyway, we decided instead of doing the secret sisters on our HGTV board, that we would pack a special box for each other every month. It is a ball shopping for her, we have the same interests, so it is so easy to pick out things for her.
WELL this month she sent me this fantastic needlecase made by another friend from the board. If you have not seen work done by Nickilee, you need to check out her blog for the fantastic crazy quilting she does. And don`t forget to look at all the hand dyed laces she sells. Her blog link is on my list at the right. My best friend Joyce commissioned this piece for me and one in blues for herself. And of course mine, is in my favorite color--purple!
We are going to the retreat in New Hampshire in just a few weeks and I can not wait to see her again. We of course are rooming together and I am sure little sleep will be gotten. rofl So NTQuilter, get lots of rest now, you are going to need it!!!

my mini

pictures!!!!

Here is a link to Ginny`s website where you can purchase one of these great purses.
www.bagsnrags.blogspot.com/

my bag, 30 FQers giveaway, and my mini!!

I have lots to post about today, so first off I won this great bag from a fellow blogger. Ginnyquilts. She does great bags and sells them on Etsy. I got to pick the one I wanted or she would design one just for me. I had already seen this one on her shop and loved it. It came yesterday and is even better looking then the picture.
Then this week, I also got my mini from MyJack, she was my partner in the mini swap that my friend Bea hosted on HGTV. She did a fantastic job on my mini, and it is in my favorite color also. I love red fabric!!! I also love purple!!
Now the other thing you need to know about is Quiltoholic`s giveaway!!!!
Her daughter is turning 30 and in honor of that, she is giving away 30 FQers on her blog. You can link to that by using the Pigtail & Quilts link at the side of my blog.
So hop on over there and check out her work and sign up.
I will add the pictures for my mini and bag as soon as I go upstairs, so just check back in a few minutes if you get here before I get off the couch.
Tammy :)

Great news and a great day with my Mom!

I spent all day Thursday with my mom. My Mom is the best lady in the world!! Some of you know that my brother and sister both have Huntingtons disease. My mom takes care of my brother and has for the last ten years or so. She took care of my Dad who had the same disease for ten years before he passed away at the age of 48. She also has had cancer four different times in different spots in her body. Last week she had a report of a lump in her remaining breast, we were all so scared she had cancer again.
BUT, on Wednesday she went to the doctors and it is NOT cancer!!! Thank you God!!
So on Thursday, I went up and spent the whole day with my Mom. We went to see my sister who is still able to be home by herself. Then we did some shopping and went to the local Janome dealer and checked out their machines. I have an appointment in June after I go to the retreat to look at the Janome 6600P! And as badly as I want that machine, spending the day with my Mom was even better!!