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   “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

Christmas is in the rear view mirror now. I love this week after Christmas! The kids are still here and we are enjoying family time and relaxing together (with a side order of planning a nursery for the new little one that is on the way!). Emily is trying to get a cold so instead of shopping for cribs and rocking chairs we are staying in today..fine with me! I chance get in touch with my blog friends.

The holidays are a time of family and celebrations, with so many wonderful blessings from 2011 ...we look forward to an even more fabulous 2012!  I'm so excited I can hardly stand myself. First the arrival of our first Grandchild. Just typing those words brings tears of joy and anticipation! 

Then there are the toooo many to count reasons for joy here at Silver Thimble World Headquarters.. My club HAS A NEW HOME! We will be holding our regular monthly meetings at my church Saint John Neumann.  The facilities are a dream come true and the church is welcoming this fabulous group of quilters with OPEN ARMS.  We begin our meetings at the new facility in February! I can't wait!!!! We have been together for 8 years and we continue to grow and welcome new members. Whata group.

Then there are so many things to share from my design studio (which is really a sewing room... lets not get over done with this!) with the additions of projects that I am collaborating on with some friends, a new web site! wheww..this is still a work in progress but the new site is live now.  I'm going to be adding tutorials and kits and goodies as fast as possible so stay tuned. 

Here are a few moments to remember from our holidays.

Who doesn't love a good Gingerbread House? Break me off a piece of that one!!!

And the fashion of the day..le chapeau...our tiny  Christmas hat. What fun! Julie chose the happiest gift of Christmas!

The First and Second Tuesday Stitchers UNLESS Life Gets in the Way...all wearing our tiny hats from Julie! Teresa never took hers off the whole month of December.

Yes, Santa remembered me with these in my stocking! Sewing snacks. whattaguy........

My sweet babies!

My Son in Love...gonna be a Daddy soooon.

The best man...Sir Quilt Dude, who has been promoted to the Earl de Schlep...He makes my world and everything on the planet amazing. In 2012...it will be 40 years together.

It is good to be back to blogging!

 

I need a salad!

Happy Hanukkah to all who begin the 

Festival of Lights tonight! Blessings!

Cooking, and baking and cleaning and wrapping. Family is on the way and we will all be together so whatever we do it will be okay. Holidays are made for being with family and friends!!! yup

  Here is your thought for today.

Is it okay to eat  cookies for breakfast, lunch AND DINNER? Things are a bit outta control around here. I need a salad infusion! yikees.

Dreaming

I just spent the weekend with the THIMBLES...the amazing THIMBLES...is it possible to love a group/club so much it takes your breath away? A group of quilters..amazing women...strong, wise, silly, crazy, gentle, kind and every other good adjective in the dictionary. I love them so and I am honored to be able to spend one weekend every month in their midst. They feed my soul and cheer me on and are a perfect storm of what being a QUILTMAKER is all about. I wish I could bottle this club and let every quilter in the world have this kind of experience in your lives, all I have is this blog to share them with you and hope you will enjoy hearing about my very special club of fantastic people. Come to Atlanta on the third weekend of any month. You'll see. (and if you come in December don't plan on a diet cuz these ladies can cook!)


Here is a special quote for today. I'll send you some photos of some of the quilts tomorrow. I gotta go download them..

This is so true, so lets dream MORE IN 2012!! I know for sure that dreams really do come true so..... No resolutions. JUST DREAMS!  What will yours be?

A Time for Simple Thoughts and Words

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. - Martha Graham

One the of the things I enjoy most about my blog is sharing quotes and inspirational pieces that I find and are important to me.  I love to keep files, collect books, and jot down things other people say that are funny or that move me in some way. I don't always remember where I found them but I always try to do the right thing and give due credit to the person who moved me to share their thoughts with others.  I thought that this special time of year would be a good time to just focus on the words of others.  I will send more along throughout the next few weeks. I hope you will.............

Enjoy

 

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

– Diane Ackerman

We had a wonderful weekend in Asheville. The Biltmore was amazing and the Grove Park Inn with all the Gingerbread houses and choirs singing...crisp cool cold mountain air was deeliteful!! Best of all the 5 of us just enjoying being together. The expecting parents were adorable. So happy to be planning their family. Makes you all fuzzy and happy to be watching your adult children preparing for the next generation to come. Yup it is all good! Here are some of the Gingerbread houses from the Grove Park Inn. The first place house was not on display, it was being sent to New York for an appearance on Good Morning America. dang!

This beauty was one of the top 10. Talk about sugar!

Well who doesn't love a good sewing machine!

And a mouse in a bowl of spools and ribbons!

This box of Christmas ornaments was the second place winner. I swear they looked like real glass ornaments! Somebody has a lot of time on their hands. I wonder if the maker eats as she goes!

This toy box was one of the top ten. Amazing!

Another top ten. sheesh Who does this? Who thinks of these things? OK so the same can be said of quilt designs right?

While we were gingerbreading I caught Thing 1 and Thing 2 looking longingly out the windows of the Grove Park at the golfers below. hmm. Pay attention men there are 250,000 more gingerbread houses to see. 

On to the Biltmore House. George Washington Vanderbilt certainly built himself a sweet little place there! This is the side view. The house is a mere 135, 000 square feet.

I love these two young women, yes I do.

The whole family took me to Asheville Cotton Co. They were in the middle of their Saturday Sampler so the place was packed. Mary Beth made a bee line for the rack of books and found my book and held it up over her head like Rocky on the Steps...right in the middle of the group listening to their Saturday lecture. It was funny. Robin the store owner was cutting my fabric in I was pulling bolts of fabric left and right. I was shoppin it up. The Earl De Schelp told me to go for it. soo what is a girl to do?  I tried to buy a Bernina 820 that part didn't exactly go my way.

I want to sew...real bad......but you know how it is, so much going on right now.   Maybe soon I'll lock myself in my sewing room. I will probably be making bumpers for the nursery.

 

“I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” -Pearl S. Buck

Well Miz Buck would be proud of me! I have been gettin er dun  here here at Silver Thimble World Headquarters. I have a special project (don't whine you know it has to be a secret which will be revealed at sometime in the future!). I have been putting in some very late nights...very late. The other night I was working and struggling with a new project. It was 1 am and I had a major moment of inspiration. (it was divine). I told myself I was going to go to bed after I put this one little thing down on paper. Next thing I knew I looked at the clock and it was 4:30 am! CRIKEY I had been lost in the design for HOURS and was so happy I forgot to sleep. THE... I'M GOING TO BE TIRED TOMORROW REALITY HIT ME, but I swear the magic of getting those creative thoughts aligned is such an amazing thing. Until the real world hits and one is faced with the reality that one is far beyond the age where one should pull an all nighter! (dang!)

We are planning a weekend trip to Asheville! I'm so excited. The whole family will be together speading family Christmas joy in the Mountains of North Carolina. 

We are going here!

The fabulous Grove Park Inn!

To see these...

National Gingerbread Contest Houses..I wonder if I can break off a piece of them?

Then we are on to the amazing Biltmore House, they decorated the house and invited us in for a VISIT. So sweet of them to do that.

I'm going to mind blank all the work that needs to be done and go have a great time with the hubby and our wonderful children. We always have so much fun together. I'll take my camera!

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.-Albert Einstein

I've been busy with final home holiday decorations and writing...writing and writing.I enjoy writing but I am anxious to get at my sewing machine. I wish I could do both at the same time. That would be a good resolution for 2012..figure out how to write and sew simultaneously. (high probability for errors!)


I wanted to show you some photos of Thimbles Club show and tellz. I better show you now because you need to see this right? Who doesn't love a good  bring and brag show and tell. Here we go!

Marti and a UFO from the past...NO LONGER A UFO! Look at the smile on her face. Yes siree she is enjoying her retirement!

Leisa showing us the Primitive magazine page where she got the idea to make this.

She took a pre-made quilted table runner (from Wal Mart no less) and did some wonky applique! BOOM DONE! So if you are in the burbs of Atlanta and want to get a table runner..don't bother to go to Wal Mart, we got um all.

Marilyn and her fantastic quilt.Marilyn and Ann are havin fun showin it off!

Becky's finished quilt from a retreat she attended last year. This quilt is really sooo very nice! Good job Beck!

Debbie brought this big as the house quilt by! It is super king size and super wonderful. Another UFO into the finish line.

Linda and the best snowman of the year! We all tried to steal him.  Not a good idea when Santa is watching.

Linda again. Wowzer!

Linda again. Way out of the box quilt for her. She likes more traditional colors and design. We should all step out of the box more often...what do you think?

Tricia's Emily Jane in purp! I love it was much as the original color (red) in the pattern.. No maybe I love it better.. I just love it. yup

Kim and her Farmers Wife quilt. Finished and quilted. There are no words..no words at all.

This is Karmen's baby quilt. The baby is about 28 now. hahaha Talk about finishing a UFO...oh my! Cute quilt!

Here comes the Sandra show!

Sandra II who doesn't love a great wonky house.

Sandra III. Carpenters Star..love!

And we end our bring and brag where we began..with Marti and her retirement UFO completion party. We did this kit with Thimbles club about 47 years ago. Marti is still smiling and laughing!

I'm doing a workshop tomorrow can't wait to spend the day with the Spirited Quilters Guild!