Spring Break!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Easter was so much fun and food! The weather was so nice, we moved the party onto the back patio.








This is me, all Betty Crocker-like in a hand made apron my husband got for me for Valentine's Day.




My unbound quilts make good places to lie down and recover from chocolate bunny comas:


That's my kid on the left, the one on the right is a stunt double.

On Monday, we went to Lake Tahoe with the kids and a few extra stow-aways. Always an adventure in the testosterone zone. Snow, buffet lines, whipping wind, Red Hut Waffle Shop, scary movies, igloo building, texting girls, building fires (did you know peanut butter is an excellent accelerant? Did you know that excellent accelerant is more fun to say than to type?) and being slug lazy all figured in to our plans on this getaway.


My younger son on the left. Igloo building commences on the shore:




Dad acts as building inspector:








My oldest on the right, with another extra, on the way to the Casinos to meet some girls (God, give me strength!)




I brought quilting projects to the cabin, of course. We needed some estrogen input. I put binding on the Ladybug Parade, and on the table topper I made last week. I also shopped for more pink fabric, and cut out the patches for 12 more pinwheels for the Hella Pink quilt. Awesome finds! And, I did some handwork, English paper piecing on a patriotic stars mini quilt. Very nice retreat indeed. We returned on Thursday.



Today, final weekday of Spring Break, we went to the Jelly Belly factory, about a half hour drive from here. We being my youngest son Brian, my bro-in-law, another relation (step-aunt-in-law?) and her 5 y.o. daughter.






Rows of pink! Reminds me of a quilt I know. . . I just read the article in APQ about getting inspired by photos of your surroundings. I took a lot of pictures of rows of Jelly Bellies, so I think some fun quilts are about to burst forth. . .





Mr. Jelly Belly himself!







We rode that sugar high, boy!

And, there was an added bonus -- it was STICKER PALOOZA with Mrs. Grossman stickers there and guess what? I met Mrs. Grossman and she signed my sticker how to book! She said we are like "two peas in a pod" because we both love stickers. She was so sweet. Do you remember when these first came out? The heart, the bear, the duck?? I was crazy for these from High School on. The sticker factory and outlet are also near to where I live. Jealous much? (well, I have to pay ginormous property taxes next week, so don't be too jealous if you are out of state - we pay a hefty price to be close to sticker and sticky paradise)


I am also happy to report that I resolved my issue with my HK sewing machine (see earlier post)- and the real LuLu is on her way here, this time from Mississippi - still a southern belle! and the impostor is going to reform school - My friend who is in need of a machine for her and her daughter will provide the rogue a good home and proper upbringing. I am throwing in some quilting lessons to sweeten the pot. (*note, it is not a bad machine, just not the one I wanted)


I found a great blog that you all probably already know about. It is Busy Little Quilter, and she wants to know about how we all store, sort and hopefully use, our scraps. So here is a picture of some of my more artful scrap storage. Hey, the picture on the right is kinda like the jelly belly factory's trays of colorful beans!!











oh, wait, that's my trash bin!


How bout visiting her blog and adding your two scraps?













Wishing you miles of endless possibilities and a great gooey sugar high!! Kristin