2014 Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend

Sewing Weekend in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin is all about A GREAT GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY...and here are some of my favorite FACES of Beaver Dam....It's happening (as always) the first weekend in May.  (May 1, 2 and 3)....

I hope the talented Pam Mosche will be there -- here she is teaching some hands-on Babylock classes...


And Laura (who makes all the arrangements and makes sure the speakers all get their boxes and boxes of chocolate truffles)...and Loie (who answers the same questions at the reception desk 10,000 times each day)...ALWAYS two of the biggest smiles...

The most fun thing about Sewing Weekend is that the classes happen all over town...at the schools, the churches...so EVERYBODY RIDES THE SCHOOL BUSES...


AND THE SHOPPING IN THE WAREHOUSE IS AMAZING....

YOU STILL HAVE TIME....Sewing Weekend is happening the weekend of May 1,2 and 3 -- so make your plans -- FOR A GOOD TIME -- GET THEE TO BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN...!!

Go to the website right now -- Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend

Gail Yellen is coming to Beaver Dam for the very first time this year....

Mary Mulari will be there -- doing a new evening program with Nancy -- they will be Kicking It Up A Stitch on Friday night...

Sue Hausmann is coming, too --

YOU WILL ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME. I love all of it. The classes happening all over town, the INCREDIBLE WAREHOUSE SHOPPING, the crazy tents serving food, and, most of all --  the fun-filled BUSES...!! (please tell the cute guy with the walkie talkie that Rita said hello...)

Where In The World Is The Hey Rita Tote...!!

To review -- the Hey Rita tote was off on her BIG ADVENTURE....and Rhonda picked her up at the 2014 Sew Expo.  So, I wanted to review her travels...as she came home, bearing gifts!!
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On the last day of the 2013 Sewing and Stitchery Expo -- the Hey Rita Tote was kidnapped by a nefarious quilter who then swept her away to Europe for an adventure before she was ransomed back to her owner.

Rita, enjoying a sunny evening in Rapallo, Italy. Good food, good wine, good kidnappers. (Vroom, vroom in the background)

Ransom note to the owner of Rita. Pay up or she goes into the Grand Canal. (Just kidding).

Rita, being shown the sights in Warnemunde, Germany.

Rita, outside of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Rita “I’m ready for my close-up.”

Apparently, it’s all she needed to sleep.

Rita, getting ready for a shower in Copenhagen.

Rita, fully clothed, in the shower.

Rita, enjoying glasnost in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Keeping dry on a double decker bus during the rain in Helsinki, Finland.

Rita, chilling with her new best buddie (until it morphs into a new animal after dinner).

Rita, enjoying the culture in Stockholm.

Rita, paying the driving fine we received during the trip. After all she was the one driving.

Rita has since made it home and will soon be reunited with her owner...

Chocolate Easter Eggs!!

It's amazing to me how much a small group of people can accomplish-- if they REALLY put their minds to it. My sister Deena is the heart of this operation -- over 1200 half-pound, hand-crafted chocolate covered Easter Eggs...

The entire church hall, AND kitchen, are covered with plastic...

Deena's granddaughter, Madeline, was visiting on this day -- and she was just a little bored...

I cannot tell you how wonderful this room smelled...

There were six flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, coconut, walnut, peanut butter.  (maybe there were only five flavors).

Each egg is individually weighed.

Then covered with chocolate...

Finally, packed into plastic corsage boxes. The different color flower on top depicts the flavor. (SO clever!)

Selling these beautiful, delicious Chocolate Easter eggs (for $7 each) is a big fundraiser for the Methodist Church in McCausland, Iowa. My sister Deena has been leading this team for many years -- and they get better and better.

I stopped in that day to witness this incredible operation. (I had no intention of actually helping).. But, I DID end up helping.  Sort of.  In my own way...

April Catch-ups...

Yes, I am so lucky to live where I live. There are always so many interesting activities happening -- I have to pick and choose. Lately, I've been so busy -- I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO BLOG ABOUT IT.

And as soon as I get done with one exciting thing -- the next one is upon me. It's only when I start looking at my pictures (there were nearly 1200 on the camera before I had the time to download them) that I could remember all the things I packed into the month of April...

Rhonda Pierce from Schmetz Needles came to town for a PR Network event. And SHE BROUGHT THE HEY RITA TOTE HOME TO ME...

I was SO HAPPY....the event was being held at the QC Botanical Center (in the background)

Typical Rhonda fashion -- the tote was FILLED WITH TREASURE. Yes, that's a Zebra cake mix...

And a Rainbow cake!!

Rhonda has a nifty new pen that has a pull-out color coded chart for Schmetz Needles.

There were so many interesting exhibits at the center...

I hope they do another Wizard of OZ event. I would love to take Lilly to that...

Some of the displays were beautiful...

Feathers and flowers...

I was taking a picture of Rhonda, taking a picture...

This particular event was about marketing and branding -- but Rhonda and I stayed in the beautiful room long after everybody else was gone to discuss the upcoming issues of Inspired To Sew magazine. Here's a link --Inspired To Sew -- where you can go to read the archived issues.

AND you can also go into your local fabric store or quilt shop and ask them to start sending it out with their newsletter!! (then you'll get it sooner).

You will LOVE the person I got to interview for the next issue!!

Happy Easter!!

First of all -- THANKS FOR YOUR EMAILS and concerns. I am fine. Just so busy living my life, I don't have time to write about it!!

At this moment, both Lilly and Warren are still sleeping...they spend one night a week "overnight" at my house and it is absolutely amazing to me how much work two little kids can be.

Today, my sister Ronda and her granddaughter Memphis are coming over and we're having a pre-Easter workshop. We'll color some eggs, bake a cake, make some cookies...

Easter is at Nicole's house...

There is ALWAYS an Easter Egg Hunt

These are our two girls...Memphis and Lilly...

They love to dress up...and always include Sophie

If it's pink and floats, Lillian loves it

Counting each other's eggs...

Yep, all the other kids are BOYS...

Up until this year, for Lillian, Easter has about the chocolate covered marshmallow eggs and scavenger hunts. The actual story of Jesus' resurrection is kind of frightening for a child...but, this year, we did go there...kinda...

 I hope to blog about that before the weekend is over...

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND...

The Art of DoodlingS

My cousin Linda discovered the Fiber Arts group at the Fairmount branch of the Davenport library. The very first time we attended, I was blown away by one of the women's "journal". It was a year in her life -- every week had a two-page spread. With quotes, doodles, cartoons, newspaper cut-outs, maybe a journal entry or ticket stubs. I LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT.

I have always been a sucker for WORDS when combined with ART. And her journal touched me in a really personal way.

That very day, I went out to buy my own Artist Sketch Book...

Several weeks later, they had an actual Zentangle Doodling session -- and I started on my FIRST PAGE...

I took my laptop so I could use some QUOTES from my Pinterest boards...

Although, some words I just made up -- all on my own...

These words have long been a mantra for me...

Favorite Movie List

I am not a big movie watcher.  And so many current movies are absolute crap.  Too much product placement, too much blood and guts, not enough character development and no story that makes sense.   Often, at the end of two hours, I want EVERYBODY IN THE MOVIE to die. 

Recently, somebody asked about my favorite movies.  I was not surprised that nothing too recent made my list....

This is in no particular order...THAT would be way too much work.  But, if the standard is how much I was moved or changed -- the #1 movie for me would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird.

I absolutely cannot wait to watch this movie with Lillian one day. I consider it life-altering...and who wouldn't admire Atticus Finch??

Then, of course, my favorite Christmas movie -- which is really excellent no matter WHAT time of year -- It’s a Wonderful Life.  Such good lessons about how one person can make a difference...

Last of the Mohicans -- hottest love scene EVER.  Thank you, Daniel Day Lewis and Madeline Stowe.  Best put-down:..Cora Munro says,"Duncan, you are a man with a few admirable qualities, but taken as a whole, I was wrong to have thought so highly of you."

The Remains Of The Day.  You will cry.  THIS is Anthony Hopkins...I haven't seen it in years -- but would love to...

As Good As It Gets.  Best Jack Nicholson EVER.  There is a line (after completely messing up his budding relationship with Helen Hunt)..."she's the kind of woman who -- y'know -- if you could only make her laugh -- you'd have a life..."

The Wizard of Oz.  Life lessons?  THIS is your movie....There's no place like home; You always had the power; Follow the Yellow Brick Road; Somewhere -- Over the Rainbow....

E.T. -- the VERY best of Stephen Spielberg.  I've already watched this with Lilly...The story is about children who are kind and smart....

Dirty Dancing.  Every moment is perfect.
  

Brian’s Song.  Biggest tear jerker movie of all time...based on a true story which I loved.

Shawshank Redemption.  Another Stephen King story.  He is a GREAT writer.

Forrest Gump.   A story about simple goodness.  You cannot go wrong if you do the right thing.  And, yes, that kernel of wisdom -- "Life is like a box of chocolates"...

Gone with the Wind.  THE best love story of all time...an iconic movie...

The Green Mile.  Tom Hanks acting, Stephen King writing...yep...a great combination and a HUGE winner...

 The Blind Side.  My favorite Sandra Bullock movie.

Remember the Titans.  Another football movie.  I love the truth of this story -- and Denzel Washington was terrific.

Inventing the Abbotts.  I never heard about this movie when it came out -- but when I watched it, years later -- I remember wishing I could be THAT kind of mother.  Kathy Baker was terrific...and I believed she was raising two sons...