Jen's Baby Shower

My friend Bert has two sons and one daughter. Jenny is her baby -- now having her own first baby. So, THERE WAS A BABY SHOWER. Of course. With games and gift and tons of food. On this day -- we had a theme. Believe it or not -- they played right into my hands. With guess what? A SAFARI THEME...Here's Jen with her two nieces...(who were running the games)

And this is a picture of Bert's husband, Ron -- taking care of the FOOD part of the day...

Ron made an origami stork for each place setting...

And this is my FAVORITE RON contribution of the day. He made rice crispy squares with sprinkles (soo cute) -- then, stuck them on a Popsicle stick and into a cellophane bag. They were SO CUTE -- and COMPLETELY DELICIOUS...

Obviously, I was loving it. Ron always brings his own special touch to every family event...

And on this day, he went above and beyond. Now -- aren't you wondering what kind of safari-theme-baby-gift I came up with??

hummm....

Hummingbird Lunches

One of the best things about living in Iowa is the change of seasons. Of course, one of the worst things about living in Iowa is the change of seasons...

So -- like so many things in life -- it really is all about YOUR ATTITUDE...

Sure -- our summers can be brutal. We have many steamy days with temps over 100 degrees...and the winters -- well -- I'm not even going to think about the winters...

The GOOD THING about having seasons is that there is always something to look forward to. We look forward to the first fluffy snow, then in the spring we look forward to the first yellow daffodils. In the summer, the kids look forward to the swimming pools opening and the adults look forward to the first tomato out of the garden...

One of the biggest events of the year at our house is the return of the hummingbirds.

As soon as the weather gets warm, John hangs up a single hummingbird feeder. We see our first hummingbirds in May. By June, John's entire flock is back...and by the time July rolls around, John is hanging five large feeders off the porch...and filling two of them every day.

After their second hatch, in August -- he uses more than ten pounds of sugar a week. There are so many hummies, and they make so much noise -- it can be hard to have a conversation at the porch table.

I have always loved entertaining on the porch. At a recent hummingbird luncheon -- my sister Ronda, my Aunt Ada, and her daughter, my cousin Linda...

We all enjoyed Ronda's 6-year old grandson Landon -- you can see a few of the feeders hanging just behind his head. The hummies were putting on a great show!

Another hummingbird lunch -- with special guests traveling across Iowa -- Rhonda Pierce and her husband Dick stopped on their way home to Chicago...

Rhonda and I posed next to the mural Linda and I spray painted last summer...

This is my very favorite picture from a hummingbird lunch. When Landon comes here, I tie my camera around his neck (so he won't drop it) and encourage him to TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES. He gets some very interesting shots. This is his self-portrait...

I'm telling you -- life just doesn't get any better than this...

Val, Surgery & Rehab

This is Val's glamour shot -- the one she uses on her Facebook page. The picture she had taken after discovering "magic hair"...after her hairdresser explained "hair straightening"...

Val has rheumatoid arthritis. Being a devoted over-achiever, she does not have ordinary run-of -the-mill arthritis. She has the kind of horrible arthritis that causes constant pain and joint degeneration. Over the years, Val has had both knees replaced, an elbow fusion, hand surgery, and a hip replacement. If she's reading this, I'm sure I LEFT OUT SOMETHING...but you get my drift.

It's been getting worse. And now she is scheduled for four surgeries before the end of the year. A foot surgery, then a shoulder replacement surgery, and finally -- BOTH hands.

These four surgeries have to be done in a certain order. The foot surgery means she will be on crutches -- so it has to happen first. Because after she has her shoulder done, the crutches will be out of the question...

So -- you can see it is complicated. And painful. But Val does it one day at a time...and even in the face of all the exorbitant medical bills and extreme pain...she manages to keep a smile on her face and her priorities in good order.

As you can see from this picture -- Val in the hospital right after her surgery...

Yes. You're right. She had her hair done that morning...the day of the surgery...

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Val!! Keep getting better...

Quilting, Sewing & Crafts Expo in RENO

Mary and I are working on our next Midwest Ya Ya Sisters show -- in RENO, NEVADA!! At the Quilting, Sewing and Crafts Expo, June 30 - July 2.

We are DELIGHTED to be visiting Reno, Nv. -- and if you are in the neighborhood -- be sure to come by for a visit!!



Mary and I always come up with something NEW for every show we do. And we both believe that NO GIFT IS MORE APPRECIATED than something you took the time to actually MAKE. Nothing shows your love like a handmade gift...

And the Ya Ya Sisters are MASTERS of the memory gift...

Mary will also be teaching her great SWEATSHIRTS class -- and I'll be doing a rare "LIFE IS NOT DRESS SIZE"...

SO -- C'MON DOWN to Reno...At the Quilting, Sewing and Crafts Expo, June 30 - July 2.

Sub-titles

I hate subtitles. So, when Ross wanted me to watch this video about some kid on Korea's Got Talent, that was my first question. "are there sub-titles?" He said that didn't matter -- and he was right. Please watch this little video. Especially if you are feeling sorry for yourself today. It will cost you less than ten minutes...but the lesson will be priceless...

American Pickers

LeClaire, Iowa used to be a sleepy little town on the banks of the Mississippi. Best known as the home of the "Buffalo Bill" museum -- for the last ten years, LeClaire has worked hard to reinvent itself.

There were new streets and curbs. They planted trees and did landscaping. With tax credits, they built a beautiful new library and city square -- and also attracted developers who built new retail spaces.

With lots of quirky little shops, and it's excellent location (right on Interstate #80) -- LeClaire has become a destination for antique-hunters from all over the country. The LeClaire merchants banded together and planned some really interesting annual events. When Mary Mulari comes to visit me in December, we often go to "Christmas in LeClaire"...with the horse & buggy rides, hot chocolate and homemade cookies in the Community Center..

If you are a fan of the American Pickers (and why wouldn't you be?) -- you were probably in LeClaire, Iowa on June 4. Along with 10,000 other people...

OH MY GOD...last summer, Emily had her picture taken with Mike Wolfe...



AND the whole point of this post was to show a great picture of Bert and Frank Fritz -- we ran into him at another recent "junkin" event....

But I took that picture with my cellphone camera, and it won't upload. I'm still hopeful...

Perfect Deviled Eggs

With summer -- you get picnics and get-togethers on the porch. I think everybody loves deviled eggs -- and since John's chickens lay the most delicious eggs -- that's always my "go-to" dish.



The other day, my niece Amy called to ask how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. Hey, very few people do it right. My Mom would boil eggs for 30 minutes...they were so hard, you could use the yolks to play a game of jacks...

Here it is:

Put a single layer of eggs in a pan of water -- on high heat, with no lid, bring the water to a boil. (depending on your stove, this should take no more than 10 minutes -- watch carefully) The minute the boil begins -- REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND PUT A LID ON THE PAN. Set your timer for 10 minutes.

Then, check one egg. Peel it and cut in two to make sure the yolk is set. IF it is perfect (and it should be) -- pour off the hot water and add cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking.

Perfect hard-boiled eggs MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE!! I love having them in the frig for sandwiches, salads or a snack. Yummo!!

But if it's deviled eggs you're looking for -- here's my recipe (I seldom use real recipes -- so be distrustful of my amounts...

With a fork, mash & whip:

6 egg yolks
pinch of salt

2-4 tsp mayo
1-2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sugar (Splenda works fine)
Enough sweet pickle juice (Valerie's secret ingredient) to get to the right consistency.

Here's the trick. Mash the yolks first, then add small amounts of mayo & mustard until the yolks are just-right-fluffy.

Always have extra hard-boiled eggs on hand. Then, if you accidentally make the yolks too soupy, you have extra yolks to easily thicken it up.

Pedestrian Crossing

Every city or town has it's own "unique" way of doing things. But this was new to me -- in Salt Lake City -- there are red flags sitting on each side of the street -- and it's up to the pedestrians to stop traffic...
Our favorite lunch place was on the other side of the street -- and Mary was in charge of our first crossing...


Mary and Nancy, enjoying a beautiful Utah day and SITTING OUTSIDE...
Me (Iowa) and Deanna (Wisconsin) -- could NOT get enough of that sidewalk Cafe...

The day it was my turn to be the official flag carrier...I actually STOPPED A LARGE SEMI...


You can't see the truck -- but, trut me -- it was a really, really big truck...
Salt Lake City really turned out for the Spring Quilt Market...and, in future posts, you'll see why I was so excited...

Violets are.....well -- purple..!!

The actual NAMING of a person is a really big deal. My niece Kelcy just had a new baby girl -- and the whole family was delighted when she named her "Myla Joyce". Joyce was my mother's name...let's hear it....a collective "ahhhhhhh" moment...My mom would be so pleased...



In almost every case, the baby grows into the name. But I have never met anybody who's name was more of a reflection of who they are than Joanne's friend Violet. She is V-I-O-L-E-T in every way...she lives and breathes the color violet. The decor of her house is violet. Her coffee maker is violet. The clothes she wears are violet...or maybe a shade of lavender...somebody made a violet purse for her (Coach or Prada)...



This is a great picture of Joanne and Violet, who is wearing her violet jacket, violet trimmed shirt, violet sunglasses, carrying her violet purse, holding her violet billfold...


On the porch of her house, wearing yet another violet outfit, holding a violet pillow (which she gave to ME), in front of one of her many violet centerpieces...

At the Olympia Farmer's Market with Pat -- OF COURSE Violet has found just the perfect piece of violet pottery...!

Violet has a grand-daughter the same age as my Lilly...named -- guess what? OF COURSE -- Violet!! That makes toddler clothes shopping SO MUCH FUN...

Whoever said, "Roses are red and violets are blue"...Obviously NEVER met you!!

Olympia Farmer's Market

After the Expo planning meeting, I had one day to actually GOOF AROUND. So, Joanne, Violet and I drove to Olympia and hooked up with Pat & Dana (who live there) -- and we had a fabulous waterfront-restaurant lunch.

After a HUGE meal -- we decided a little walk was a good idea. One of the BEST things about summer is Farmer's Markets. And nobody does it better than Olympia, Washington.

It was one of those stunning summer days. We walked over to a beautiful public park/square/area...with many vendors, craftspeople selling their wares...

The carryout food all looked amazing -- and tons of people were enjoying the summer weather and the freshly made food..

Pat and Violet were looking at the hundreds of plants available...

Pat bought a pottery gift for an upcoming wedding...

This Farmer's Market was a large open building -- with scores of vendors -- fresh butchered meat, fresh bakery goods, fresh herbs...

I was stunned to see that Morel mushrooms sold for $40/lb. They are abundant in our area and apparently I should get in THAT business...

What a beautiful day we spent together, girls! THANKS FOR PLAYING my shoe-shot game! Although you can't quite see it in this picture, Violet has a lavender pedicure...

I took home a loaf of sourdough bread which was absolutely delicious! Maybe the best I ever ate...

NEW YORK CITY Grandma trip...

My friend Marion is taking her 10-year old grand-daughter to New York City this month. Because I had such a wonderful time helping my sister Deborah plan her NYC trip last year (she took two granddaughters)...I sent this email, with some links, for Marion. And it occurred to me that YOU SHOULD GO, TOO...

Dear Marion,

In my order of priority – here are the things you MUST do in New York City:

The American Girl Store – EAT A MEAL HERE. They have sessions all day long -- and you need to make a reservation. I recommend dinner. There are two dinner sessions. 5:30 and 7:30. For $26, you get a lovely meal, created specifically for children, beautifully presented, in a stunning dining room, designed JUST FOR YOUR LITTLE GIRL...

Ellen’s Stardust Diner – I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. Go there for lunch on the FIRST DAY…and if you like their fabulous singing wait staff as much as I do, you’ll go back several times…it’s centrally located, a very short walk from Times Square (51st & Broadway) and you get to hear some GREAT MUSIC while you’re eating. The waiters and waitresses come to NYC from all over the country, to follow their dreams. They use their tip money to pay for singing classes, dancing classes and acting lessons. Be a big tipper...

New York City Public Library – OF COURSE you should go here. Take a picture in front, maybe by the Lions…then walk on those magnificent marble floors. I always explain to everybody that the reason we HAVE free libraries is because of this building. I’ve never taken the tour, but I’d love to. Be sure to go up to the Rose Reading room and TAKE A PICTURE. There is a fabulous little gift shop.

Rockefeller Center -- One of my favorite spots in the city. The architecture is so stunning – just LOOK UP. They reopened the “Top of the Rock” – and it is the best view of the city. When you go on the website, you’ll see there are tours available…you’ll have to decide whether or not your child would enjoy a tour of the NBC studios, etc. Hey, I’m not saying you have to go there at 6:00 to stand outside the TODAY show (although I am highly recommending it)…but you might want to schedule a tour of Radio City Music Hall… I’ve taken that tour and it is excellent -- you get to meet a Rockette!!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral – After visiting Rockefeller Center, of course, you’ll want to visit St. Patrick’s. I always light a few candles and say a few prayers here…(and, they have a very interesting little gift shop if your child wants to take home a few souvenirs …I’m just sayin’…

Sak’s Fifth Avenue – also during the Rockefeller Center portion of your visit – you’ll want to pay special attention to the WINDOWS here – and one day, she’ll come back to see the Christmas windows – and she’ll remember the FIRST time she saw them, with her Grandma (this is an important picture to get)…

WALK UP 5^th Avenue. I love this stretch…straight up 5^th Avenue from Sak’s – past Tiffany’s and Trump Tower – go all the way to 59^th Street – then walk across (this skirts Central Park – and all the horse & carriages are parked here) – until you get to

THE PLAZA HOTEL…Of course, you MUST GO TO THE PLAZA…Oh My God. And I hope you read “Eloise at the Plaza”…They have completely remodeled it – but the crystal chandeliers and Palm Court have magnificent opulence. The afternoon tea here is too much for my budget…but it’s a beautiful place to walk through, and the basement had a lovely little coffee shop with German pastries, (but when I tried to take Debbie there last winter, it was closed for remodeling.)

The Lincoln Center AND, if your grandchild loves dance – this is a wonderful place to see. They have tours going on all the time ($15, $12 student)…check out the website – they often have young artist programs or performances.

Macy’s at 34^th Street. Make sure to WATCH THE MOVIE…Miracle on 34^th Street…THEN, take a few minutes to sit in the little triangle park that is called Herald’s Square. Here’s the best part of this stop – every year, for the rest of her life, she will watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade and be able to say, “I was there with my Grandma”…

Staten Island Ferry – this is as close as you need to get to the Statue of Liberty. AND it’s a great subway ride…free boat ride, of course…fabulous ferry…this would take some time…and at the end of the day, it is a very impressive boat ride.

Metropolitan Museum of Art – Of course you should go here. Sooner or later -- the steps of this magnificent building are on every television show set in New York City. How much time you spend INSIDE the museum depends on your child. Sometimes, just visiting the lobby and the gift shop is enough.

Serendipity: The original home of the FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE. Whatever you do – JUST GET ONE…and share it. A wonderful quirky place for lunch – or, a great stop for a 3:00 pick-me-up. Try to sit UPSTAIRS

225 East 60th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York, NY
Sun-Thur 11:30am to midnight
Friday 11:30am to 1:00am
Saturday 11:30am to 2:00am

Dylan’s Candy Bar: the MOST CANDY you will ever see in your life. Owned by Dylan Lauren (daughter of Ralph) – she has done a great job building a unique business…a short walk from Serendipity…

1011 Third Ave
New York, NY 10021
646-735-0078
Subway: N, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 59th St/Lexington Ave

Store Hours:
Sun- 10 AM-9 PM
Mon-Thurs- 10 AM-10 PM
Fri/Sat- 10 AM-11 PM

Christine Alexander

On the day when all the committee heads came to Puyallup to report on the 2011 show -- Joanne was wearing a great Christine Alexander jacket..(here with new Mom, Dana!)

As it turns out, during my visit, the Christine Alexander outlet store in Tacoma was having A SALE!! (I like to call this Ritaluck)...

Just walking into the store was a thrill...crystals are EVERYWHERE...
The clothes are bedazzled in the MOST UNUSUAL ways you could imagine...

If I could afford it -- I would have bought this jacket for my cousin Linda...it is SOOOO HER...

But, of course, they have something for EVERYBODY'S taste...and you've gotta admit --

The zebra is STUNNING...

Sew-A-Long with Nancy

Okay -- THIS IS GONNA BE FUN...

I grabbed a Nancy Zieman "badge" -- see it on the right hand side of this blog? click on the picture of Nancy and you'll be taken to the page that explains her "Sew-a-Long"...

JUST DO IT...

SLC Library, Part Two

My last library post left the three of us on top of the building. On our way down -- who could resist those beautiful outdoor stairs...

We ran into this bride -- won't that be a special wedding album??

You know how much I enjoy a good message...whether it's on a t-shirt or carved into the side of a building. This rock wall says, "Culture is a pyramid to which each of us brings a stone."

After walking down the graceful stairs -- we turned to see THIS view of the back of the library building...

Of course, the grounds are also spectacular...
Wow.

There were thousands of people in Salt Lake City for the International Quilt Market. We came from all over the country and we all worked hard. Vendors, quilt shop owners, teachers, fabric designers, etc. It's exhausting...I KNOW, I KNOW...

But -- if you were there and didn't take an hour out of your week to visit the Salt Lake City library...

Well -- you missed having a really spectacular moment. That's all I'm sayin'....

Parker Day, Part Two...

We started in the library -- here's Parker, fake-reading a book...

On our way to the actual "adventure" -- we stopped off to see THE NEWEST ADDITION to the family. My niece Kelcy just gave birth to her second child...a baby girl named Myla Joyce.

My mother's name was Joyce...she sooo would have loved this picture...and these two beautiful children....

After a little cooing over the baby -- Parker and I went out for supper. THEN we ended up at the Showboat in Clinton, Iowa.

It was opening night for the musical, "Alter Boyz"...

Now see -- THIS IS WHY you don't tell them where you're going!! It was Parker's first musical production, and I'm afraid it was on the south side of awesome.

But that really wasn't the point, y'know...

The best part of this day, for me, was having a real conversation with a soon-to-be-young-adult. It really feels like just yesterday, Parker was an adorable toddler getting Ritz bits out of my cabinet...and now he's on the launch pad of adulthood...

Remember what you were thinking when you were 13 years old?? Although he doesn't know it -- Parker is starting to make up his mind about who he's going to be and what he's going to do.

Good job, Nicole and Bill...he's a terrific kid...thanks for sharing...