Saturday, July 31, 2010

August 2010 Desktop Calendar

Click to expand image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background. To really jazz up your desktop, right-click on your background and choose a color that coordinates with the calendar - you'll love it!
And I'll be back in a little while with the latest on my new studio - the buildout is finished, and all that's left is to find a place for everything!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Santa vs The Kansas Troublemakers: The Final Chapter

On the last full day of the Kansas Troublemakers retreat, Santa decided that he only had a little time left to pull out all the stops. First, he snuck into the un-official massage room and tried to pass himself off as the massage therapist! He was caught on camera in the nick of time, much to the intended victim's relief. The photo he took of her jumping off the table in shock, trailing her spa blanket behind her as she ran screaming from the room, was later found in the attic. Santa's not above blackmail, apparently.Later, he joined us in the Gathering Room where he made friends with Kathi's Sock Monkey. They were inseparable for the rest of the evening, and played practical jokes with some fruit. Fortunately, there are no photos of the bananas and lemons they were playing with.After a few bourbon slushes, Santa once again began his schmoozing with all the retreaters, making wild promises of fabulously-filled Christmas stockings in a few months.He convinced one retreater into accompanying him up to the attic, where he had a special surprise for her!
True to form, he had too much to drink, and was quite partial to this wine, which reminded him of a special friend in Ohio.
After that bottle, he finished off 3 more and (thankfully) stumbled upstairs. Literally.Leaving his empties out for the cleaning crew, he dragged himself into his attic and retired for the duration. We haven't seen him since, but can still hear the rafters rattling with his roof-raising snoring.
The rest of his exploits will have to remain a mystery, as

He did seem to enjoy creating a ruckus with the Kansas Troublemakers, and I bet he'll be back next year!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Santa's on the Loose: Lock up Yer Booze and Yer Women!

Apparently after we all went to bed, Santa was able to escape from the attic and creep downstairs undetected. When we awoke yesterday morning, he was set up at his sewing station, having swiped Peggy's Featherweight, along with something from just about every retreater. We caught him with Deb's rotary cutter, Reeze's pincushion, Mandy's thread, Charmaine's scissor lanyard, Kathi's string blocks(which he made into a lovely vest), and Peggy's rainbow colored vitamin case. (I suspect he thought he was going to score something really good.)


After he returned all his 'borrowed' items, we allowed him to accompany us to La Trattoria di Alba, Tomball's newest Italian restaurant.
We tried to keep him away from the wine list, but after referencing his naughty/nice lists, the waitress quickly brought him a bottle of white zinfandel to match his coat, in case he spilled.
The meal was terrific, especially the seafood crepes!
As we left, we stopped to take a picture of the group, and our tipsy friend almost fell into the rosebush!


Back at the retreat, he tried to get a little frisky with Trish! He lulled her into a false sense of security by offering her his coat, then sidled up to her and tried to take liberties! Look at that leer!

When his advances were rebuffed, he found consolation in the bottom of a bottle wandering around the rest of the evening with only his nightshirt on.

We did a quick check to see if he was hiding any more contraband (which he seemed to enjoy!) before sending him back up to the attic.

After partaking of some Dutch Courage, Peggy tearfully confessed that Trish wasn't the first to experience Santa's unwelcome advances. During our excursion to the quilt shop the previous day, he'd given her a 'lovepat' on the way out of the store.

And this morning, I caught him trying to sneek into Reeze's room! Not that she would've minded...especially since she missed her opportunity with the pizza guy.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Kansas Troublemakers Retreat!

I've waited a whole year for this: my own personal retreat with an exclusive group of troublemaking quilter friends! This is our third annual retreat and it is just what we all needed. Except for two missing members: one is vacationing in Hawaii (the nerve!) and the other has moved to Albuquerque, NM, and couldn't make it back for this year's gathering.
Instead, we had a stand-in for her:
The handmade almost-life-size Father Christmas she had to leave behind in Houston. He's been living in my retreat attic for 6 months and was demanding some time out for good behavior.
As you can see, he started off by sharing a glass of bubbly with us, then decided he just had to accompany us on our field trip to the new quilt shop in town, Quilters' Crossing.

After some coaxing we got that bottle of wine away from him with the promise that he could have it back if he behaved well on the excursion.

Couldn't get him to let loose of that wine glass, though.
He took right to the whole idea of fabric shopping and, after checking out everything they had to offer, dove right in!


He had poor Mandy cutting yard after yard of all my - I mean his - favorites!


Looking out onto the courtyard garden, he spied the other building which houses the shop's classroom, and he insisted that he get to see everything. (He wasn't at all sure when he'd be let out of the attic again!)
Mandy coaxed him away from the window and agreed to give him the deluxe tour.

Being just a tad over-dressed for July in Texas, he stopped to rest by the lamp post with a cute redhead who was walking by. He offered her a sip from his glass, but she, being a Cosmo-girl, turned him down.
Cutting his losses, he continued on into the classroom where he immediately made himself at home with the shop's sewing machine. Nice work on that quilt, Santa!He absolutely loved the ironing board cover that Deb made, but decided against doing any pressing as he was concerned about his beard.As the Troublemakers left the shop, Father Christmas became a little woozy. He claimed it was the heat, but we'd already seen him down several glasses of the bubbly. By the time we got to the car, he was 3 sheets to the wind and collapsed in the back of the Mini, spilling the remainder of his wine all over himself.
He had to be carried into the retreat where he retired to the attic in shame. If he's learned his lesson, I might let him out tomorrow!We love you and miss you, Shirley, and wish you were here! Especially since we know you wouldn't get hammered like your stand-in did!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

July 2010 Desktop Calendar

Here's my excuse for being tardy

Sofie, my new grandbaby, arrived Tuesday evening! She joins her mom and dad, and big brother Jack,2.
Oh, all right, I'll go ahead and say it, "Awwww.."

Ok, back to business - here's the July calendar, in honor of baby Sofie!

Click to expand image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background. To really jazz up your desktop, right-click on your background and choose a color that coordinates with the calendar - you'll love it!

Where's the Calendar??

I've already heard from several of you :^/
The past 10 days have been crazy: trip to CA for niece's wedding; home Sunday evening; cleaned retreat after group left Sunday; got it ready for new group Monday; daughter went into labor Tuesday (girl, Sofia London, 8#3oz) babysat their 2 yr old while they were doing their thing at the hospital; son had braces put on Wednesday; haircut for me today; repairman for A/C today...
No wonder I forgot about the calendar!

It's coming soon...