The Prodigal Blogger Returns!

So lets disregard the fact that I haven't posted since christmas...I let out a gasp when I looked at my last post.

Just wanted to let you know I'm alive and kicking. After winter vacation in texas HTB and I have hit the ground running non-stop.

Did I mention we bought a house?

yea we did.

And before you ask if I'm insane for planning a wedding and buying a house within a 4 month span of each other--- I'll just tell you.

The answer is YES! I'm nuts!

But look how pretty the house is!

WHO CAN SAY NO TO THIS?!

Now that the dust has settled and life is slowing down (A+ for getting all the wedding planning done well in advance), I thought I'd poke into my sad, lonely and abandonned blog  to kick off my new vigor for posting about my life with a quilt-along!

I'm not sure how long you've known me  but even if it's for just a little while you'll know I have a SLIGHT obsession with all things star-like so this quilt is riiiight up my alley. Melissa at Happy Quilting is hosting it and I can't wait to get posting again!

I've got my Fig Tree's Breakfast at Tiffany's that I have been DYING to use and need to make a run to joanns for some kona solid and I'll be good to go!

You'll see a couple catch up posts about what I've been up to these past couple months (My quilting has not slowed down! I've got tons to show you.)

happy to be stepping out of lurkdom,

Dre

O Christmas Tree

Come hell, high water or, in my case, a messy house and laundry--

I'M PUTTING MY CHRISTMAS TREE UP!!

(This christmas tree was brought to my house with the generous donation of my favorite pumpkin patch owner)

--leaving work with plans of raiding Joann's before getting home--

dre

CAN'T WAIT!

It's coming! The End is near!

and I have tickets to the midnight showing.

MWHAHAHAAHAHAHA

--dusting off her slytherin scarf so she'll be up to no good--

dre

Quilt Market

*insert one of the following as a valid excuse for me dropping off the face of the web*
a. I'm exhausted when I get home with my new schedule at work
b. I am STILL trying to get everything settled in at my house
c. It's too cold up north
d. I haven't had a weekend to call my own since I've moved
e. all of the above and whatever else you can imagine.

ok, now that THAT is done with--guess where I was 2 weekend ago!?!?
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ok, ok, given the fact I haven't posted in a while the options are endless so I'll not keep you in suspense but I will show you!!!

That's right! I was at the Houston International Quilt market with my aunt and mother. We were there representing our favorite pumpkin patch and had a great time!

I flew in on Thursday evening and started friday with what is called "School house" where you can attend various panels throughout the day about new lines of fabric, notions, ways to improve business and marketing ideas. It was very enlightening to learn about th industry itself and really openned my eyes to how broad this industry is defined as.


I got this really cool hancherkief from moda and some beautiful samples of fabric being used in the michael miller clubhouse project.

At the end of Friday was sample spree--or those who don't know what this is my description is that it's like black friday and fashion week combined for quilt shop owners. This is not only the opportunity to see what's coming up for the next couple months but to also BUY samples.
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Guys, this can get really ugly. I saw fabric lines sell out faster than black friday door buster deals and I saw women hauling 3 times their weight in fabric back to their hotel rooms----oh wait, that was me!--- my aunt is a serious shopper and  I was delegated as Team Pumpkin Patch's pack mule.

Saturday is when the exhibit as well as the wholesale vendor booths were open. As someone who has really only been exposed to the retail side of quilting I couldn't believe the amount of wholesalers out there.  I met the designer of Miss Rosies quilts--her new book is wonderful and she was so sweet! I also took a candid picture of Ty Pennington--I did not realize that he was every quilt shops owner's dream man until I saw many a owner blush at the prospect of meeting him.

I ended my last day looking at some incredible quilts. I still can not believe that these pieces of art are made of bits of fabric!!!!

This one is the show-stopper for me though. At a distance this is a gorgeous mural quilt

however, upon closer inspection THIS is what you see. 

and this

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I stared at this quilt for a ridiculous amount of time in awe of this quilt. There was some pretty fantastic ones there but this is the highlight that I wanted to share. 

I came back home to contemplate my mediocre quilts. Then totally psyched myself into getting done with my own projects. 

I've been working since then and look what I have to show for that!!!

My walking foot is now set up and ready to go! 

Many more project to complete to come!

--watching stargate atlantis until Glee is on tonight--

dre

So Much Has Happened!!!!!

You are currently looking at the future reception site of my wedding next year! :) Planning has gotten into full swing here. There's been lots of sitting down and looking at HTB and getting the information that really matters.
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like wedding colors.

The move into our new town home was painful but successful and since we've settled life has been non-stop.

(don't judge the hair! I was sick at the time!)

My first weekend in New Hampshire was filled with doctor appointments and hacking my lungs out--this sucked exceptionally so because it was my birthday weekend. I was deemed contagious for a while when they didn't know what I had and gave me surgical masks. HTB called me a ninja for a week.

(be jealous of my awesome seats)

The weekend after that HTB and I celebrated my birthday belatedly and our anniversary. This resulted in one of the best weekends ever. I went to my first Red Sox Game, toured the Sam Adams brewery, and spent the night in boston close to Faneuil Hall. XD

Weekends following that I've been running around getting those things for the house that you never thought you needed and researching some wedding venues.
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In short I have not had me time to do anything artsy crafty. D:

Last weekend and this weekend will be no different. DM is in town so I'm having a great time trying on wedding dresses and watching season premiers of fall shows (ie: Glee and Grey's Anatomy)

This weekend is pretty awesome since I'll be driving down to New York and going to *drumroll* Kleinfelds!!! Getting out of work early today and trying to get the NYC early so I can have dinner with my cousin, Sydle. I haven't seen her in a reeeeaaallly long time--so I hope everything works out!!

--wondering why her change oil light is still on--
dre

Help Help Help!

All the smiley moving face images are lies

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I've been moving and internet is still getting set up

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move in post soon to be shown of my new snazzy place.

--in search of the aleve--

dre

I Think I'll Keep Him

My personal countdown has begun, T-minus 3 weeks to go, is D-day.  (D-day=daunting drive across the country).

As I am planning this I can help but feel really lucky to have not only the support of my family and their never ending string of good advice during this move (yes, I won't pack all my books in one big box, I know not to be stingy when I buy my first mattress and that futons may not be the answer). I can't forget that my co-conspirator in this journey is pretty awesome-------and can drive long distances with little stops.  

Beyond my personal planning (ie: packing my junk).  I'm also working with HTB on all the logistics of the move itself. He is a schedule guy and I'm a list person, so you can imagine that while I'm creating lists of things that need to be done he's behind me with the same question--"when are we supposed to have that done".

In a way it's a great partnership but my list making tendencies know no bounds--(ie: time frames).  But I've been kept in check with realistic time frames. I originally put furniture shopping, unpacking, grocery shopping  and opening joint bank accounts on "things that need to be done the weekend we arrive" I received silence on the other end of the phone when I initially proposed this with a heavy sigh afterwards. 

This trip is gonna be an exciting one and I'm so happy to be doing this with him-----did I mention he drives long distances with little stops?

Just wanted to take a chance to share how planning is going on the moving side of things, and share a pic I found of HTB and I 

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ok and maybe gush a bit about how awesome HTB is. 

what do you think?  I'm pretty lucky huh? I think I'll keep him. :)

--feeling lovey dovey--

dre